The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-09-10 00:00:00

LOSS OF A SCREW STEAMER

WHOLESALE PRIVATE DISTILLERIES

Some months ago the seizure of a private distillery
was made at Edinburgh, on a very large scale under-
neath a church, and Mr. John Robertson, the proprietor
of it, was mulcted in penalties amounting to £5,900, but
he absconded from justice, and was supposed to have
gone to London. The London officers received informa-
tion of the seizure and his flight, and a sharp look out
was kept for him. On Wednesday last, his whereabouts
was traced, and Messrs. Ironstone (supervisor), Leigh,
Bullen, and Partiger, of the London detective force, who
had been on the alert for Robertson for some weeks,
accompanied by Mr. Latten, the supervisor of Somers-
town, apprehended him under the assumed name of Mr.
Ewin, and conveyed him to Coldbathfields Prison, where
he will remain until he has satisfied the law. Robertson
had taken premises in the Hampstead-road, formerly
known as the Albion Brewery, now called the Chalk
Farm Brewery. The officers had watched him there,
and after he was in custody, they searched the premises,
and discovered a still of large dimensions, capable of
doing an extensive business, the largest seized in Landon
for many years, and which they conveyed to the Inland
Revenue warehouse, Tower-hill. Fortunately this affair
was checked in the bud, for, had it been carried on for
any length of time, the revenue would have been
defrauded to a great extent. The capture of this man
has broken up some of the most extensive private distil-
leries in England and Scotland, and does great credit to
the London detective officers, who so cleverly appre-
hended him.

LOSS OF THE SHIP INVINCIBLE

EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF THE CAPTAIN.

On Thursday last the Board of Trade received a despatch,
of which the following is a translation, from the Captain-
General of the Philippine Islands to her Majesty's Consul
at Manilla, respecting the loss of the British ship Invincible,
off the Marianas Islands:—

Aoßaila, January 23, 1856.—Sir,—I have the honour to
address your Excellency, and with regret to announce to
you the wreck on the Island of Guam of the British barque
Invincible, from Auckland for Manilla, which took place in
front of this city on the morning of the 9th instant ; and it
being an event surrounded by particular circumstances,
which may affect the interest of several subjects of the
British nation, I consider it a duty, in honour and con-
science, to describe it to your Excellency, for the purpose
which you may
deem advisable. On the sth instant, at
eight in the morning, the Invincible was sighted from the
island, and shortly after she drew near the Bay of Agrana.
This bay is edged with reefs, intersected by a small passage
or bar, through which small vessels only pass, there never
having been till now an instance of its passage being
attempted by any vessel over fifty tons burthen, for
which reason it is not considered to be a harbour, the
only harbour on this island being that of Agra, which
certainly should be known to all navigators, and appears
in the directions for these ports. The. entire population
of this city was filled with amazement on observing
that at about ten o'clock in the morning, with Ane clear
weather, the vessel referred to was making direct for the
reefs without waiting for a pilot—with what object it was
impossible to conjecture. The natural consequence of such
a proceeding was that tho ship grounded on the rocks on
the east side of the entrance. I immediately ordered the
requisite aid to be rendered, in an accident as unaccount-
able as unexpected. On the pilot arriving at the ship
from among the reefs—for it was impossible to go out-
side even in boats—,be advised those means which he
considered to be best for avoiding greater disasters, and
the Invincible, with a good fortune worthy of a better
termination, fell on to the narrow channel, and passed it
without injury, and was secured to three anchors in the
small pool which is inside, and where there lay only a
schooner of forty tons. I went on board, and did not
retire till I had assured myself that from a fortunate
casualty the vessel was in water sufficient, and uninjured.
On the following day the master, Mr. William Brier, pre-
sented himself to me on shore, and requested I would afford
him the necessrry aid to extricate his vessel from where it
was. The opinion of all those experienced in the matter
was that the master should have deferred attempting it till
the favourable season came on, namely, in the month of
March, when he would have the assistance of the land
breeses against the sweep of the torrent-like current
that is constantly setting through the passage, which
does not exceed fifty feet in width between the rocks. All
warnings, however, were useless. Captain Brier said he
was charged with an urgent affair, which aduaitted of no
delay, and declared his intention of taking out the
ship. On the morning of the 9,th he succeeded in
dragging an
beard the pilot of these ports, Mr. John
Anderson ; and, refusing to admit the delay of a day,
and with the help of four additional boats lent him
by Captain Lison, of the American whaler Philip the
F irst, he insisted on leaving at all risks, The Invincible
was got out, but the next instant was dashed to pieces
against the reefs to the westward of the entrance, those
on board experiencing much difficulty in escaping with
their lives.