The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-05 00:00:00

PORTSMOUTH, JUNE 3.

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[From the Hampshire Telegraph.]
We art sorry to state the hats of that fine transport the Shipley,
of 3tlo tons, which sailed fro:n this place on the 10th of 31arch,
with troops, tor Barbadoes, and, aid) the loss of the ship, and 130
tons of Government stores, it appears from the following narrative,
which we have received, the whole of the persons on board had
nearly perished, through the culpable inattention of the persons
Immediately concerned on the part of the owners In navigating the
ship
"On Wednesday morning, 19th April, about half-past four
o'clock, A. M. was wrecked near Kitridge Head, East end of Bar-
badoes, on the rocks, about a quarter of a mile off, the transport,
No. IR, Shipley, 3110 tons. 33 men and buys, James Abbot, master,
having on hoard eight officers, ninety men, seven women, and eight
children, sixty of them Royal Sappers and 31:ners, and the rest
detachments of the 35th, GOth, and 111.1 Regiments--lives paved, 1
but nearly the whole of their baggage lost, as the vessel broke
completely up in the course of an hour after, and drifted piece-meal
in every direction. About 130 tons nf Government stores were also lost.
This ship had made the land at 10.1. the evening preceding the unfor-
tunate cat tstrophe, and hauled up to the 5.5 K ; the 31aster ordered
the vessel to be stood; for land anon after 12 A at. and went to bed,
without acquainting the Lieutenant Agent, and the man Le left In
trust went to sleep ; so that the first notice to all handa, was a heavy
shock upon a rock, the immediate loss of the rudder and piece of
the keel. At this time it was very dark—the ?udder baying caused
the vessel to wear round, the heavy thumps threw the people
down on the deck, breaking the ship in every direction. Then the
cookhouse caught fire, while the crew wete getting tackles ready to
unit the long boat out. which was extinguished by wet blankets,
coats, and sails. As it blew fresh at this place, no boat could pos.
ably land, from the nature of the coast, and the sea breaking thirty
or forty feet tip the steep precipices; but by the activity of the
boatswain, who swung from the bowsprit end, upon a craggy pin-
nacle in the cavity of the rocks, with a deep sea line, which he
threw up to an old fisherman on the top, ropes were past to find fro,
and the women and troops thereby worked themselves on the pre_
tipice, which was higher titan the ship's rnysl mast head, and in
about ten minutes after she became a total wreck. The inhabitants
were extremely kind in supplying the people with unbounded hos-
pitality, and on the following morning the whole company were cc.n.
veyed in waggons to Bridge Town, distant about eighteen miles.
It is painful to learn that the person who had charge of the
watch on deck was also reported to he intoxicated, and with dim-
eulty tacked the ship at three o'clock, without orders so to do.—
rhe master went to his bed after giving directions immediately
contrary to his arrangements with the naval officer, whose counsel
was to stand off till three, and who pointed out the set of the
current at the proper time, and did not wish the ship to run
until daylight, and went to his bed in confidence of his sugges.
lions being bollowed. Whet then must have been his feelings on
being awoke with the shock of the ship striking on the rocks, and
perceiving the great danger to which, all were exposed !"
Whilst we feel much concern for the wreck of the Shipley, we
cannot but congratulate Lieut. J. W. Pritchard on the very high
encomiums passed on him in the Wand of Ilaibadoes, by the DI i.
litary Officers who were fellow sufferers on the distressing occasion,
and the approbation of the Heads of Departments in that Island,
for the indefatigable zeal and persevering exertions which he used ;
so suesessfully to saving the lives of all the troops, together with
their wives and children.

This afternoon, the Lord Ilungerford, East Indianian, passed
by the River, landing passengers here, who left Calcutta on the
6th of January, and Madras on February 7., (being fourteen days
more recent than former arrivals.) The Thalia, from Rangoon,
had arrived at Madras, having lets the Burman toast on the 7th
January, bn which day Sir Alexander Campbell issued an order
for a general embargo on all the shipping, as preparatory to the
embarkation of troops, for their conveyance to the quarters to which
they respectiiely belonged. No occurrence or casualties had hap-
pened in that quarter since the previous secoonts t but, to the
Southward of Rangoon, where the ne rs of the peace had not been
heat d, some's., ions attain had tak-n place, in which a Lieutenant-
Colmirl and three Captains of the Native Infantry had been killed.
TI It morning the Jupiter transport, Lieutenant Green, arrived
front anninica, in six weeks, having on board rite remainder of the
bth Regiment, under the command of Major Kish. When she
Bailed, the Leeward Islands were quiet, healthy, and promising
good crops. The depots of the 21st and Dthlt Regiments, and a
recruitjng party of eight sergeants and eight corporals of tie Ist
West laths Regiment, are also come to England in the Jupiter.
The la.ter are men of colour ; they will be sent to the Coast of
Africa, to enlist volunteers for the service of the West India
Islands

By the brig Colonist. arrived at Plymouth, on Thursday, we
have taceived Barbadoett Papers from the 4th to the 21th of April.
The Lord Sid Mouth, 31ehrille. and Swallow, packets, had all ar-
rived there, from Falmouth, within the last eight days. The brig
Leipsig, Captain Thomas Bell, arrived on the 20th, from the
Ito%:ns, affcr being fdundered, in lat 22. 6. N. long. 30.30. W: by
a piratical schooner, under Colombian colours, of every thing that
could be moved in the space of four hours, during which they in-
discriminately plundered the brig, fore and aft, of htr store*, &e.,
and the crew of all that they possessed, not even excepting the hats
and cape from their heads, with tf.eir beds, hammocks, blankets—
indeed nothing came amiss to the pirates. They were all armed
*ith long knivet. They said they had taken a Spanish vessel the
dap before, and were going to land the prisoners at the Cape de
Fad Islands. This was the only information that could be ob-
tained from them: (This is no doubt the same privateer that plun-
dered the American ship Endeavour, from slanilla.l It is stated
In these repent, as an unprecedented citcumstance, that eighteen
vessels had already Railed for England, with cargoes of sugar, to
the amount of :039 hogsheads, 693 tierces, and 120 barrels, of the
present

• A letter ere have received from Malta. dated April 21st (by the
packet) says--" The Scringapaeam, 46, Capt. Sotheby, arrived
this morning from Napoli di Rumania, with forty pirates on b • ord
(prisoners); she is in quarantine. Napoli di Romania is full of
Adettian vessels, prizes en the Greeks, who take any Austrians
they meet, in spite of the Int/Kr-LW Cruisers. A miseico lately at.
tacked the Gannet, Capt. Brace, but being a little mistaken (from
the Gannet being purposely disguised) she was taken. The plague
having ceased at Motion, an expedition of Turkish troops is in pre.
partition there, intended to escort a supply of provisions to Tripo.
line. The Egyptian troops carried the fortified Island of Vassi.
ladi by storm, which commands the landing place at Minsolonghi,
and forms a most material defence of that fortress. The Greek
garrison was put to the tweed. Colonel labeler (a French officer)
lately made an attack on Negropont, but was defeated, with the
less of he killed, and many wounded. The Turhs placed the
heads of the killed on the Citadel. We hear from Corfu that
Mavrocordato has resigned the office of Secretary at War. The
Greek cause we are aotry to say, look, gloomy."
The eteam.eresel, African, Lieut. Austen, arrived at Sierra
Leone in 36 days, from Falmouth.
A letter limo an Officer of the Pyramus, dated oe' New
York. states den that ship may be expected at Snithead about
the 16th of June. She is coming with specie from Vera Crut.
Captain Charles John Austen is a;pointed to the Aurora
frigate, at Plymouth, vice Captain John Maxwell, deceased.
Lieutenant E. If. Fitzmaurice, to command the Scout cutter.
Mr. A. L. Jack to be Sturgeon of the Perseus, off the Tower.
Certain Cl•frord, C. B. has taken the command of the Herald
yacht, at Sheerness, vice Commander Henry Leeke, promoted.
Ptirstotyr it. Jr we I.—We sincerely regret to state the sud.
den death of Captain John Maxwell, of his Majesty's ship Aurora.
He lea the Admiral (Sir James Saumarez) about four o'clock yes.
I tirelay, to proceed on board the Aurora, in the Some& waiting for
him to get under weigh for Bermuda and the West Indies. On
his ;swage to the ship, he complained of indisposition, and on
' reaching Le% went to his cabin anti threw himself on the sofa. In
' about a quarter of an hour afterward int aunt tin the surgeon, com-
plained of great inte n d heat, was very restless and in great pain,
which continued until it became an agonizing burning within, but
the skin told. During this time the anchor was tuff the ground, tne
top.ealls sheeted home, the situp, in fact, under weigh, but the noise
of the men going round the wiper in, and performing the necessary
duties at sach a time, seeming to annoy him and increase the 'trite.
big!), consequent on his pum, the anefmr was let go and the ship
made quiet. A Lieutenant was desnatched to the Admiral, to ap-
prise hem of the reason of the ship's coming to an anchor ; but be
had not been many mime.% with the Admiral ere another officer
arrived with an aceorint of Captain Maxwell's death, which took
place about half-past five o'clock. lie appeared in perfect health
when he left the Admiral, but had complained in the morning of
slight pain in the bowels, which he attributed to drinking some
claret on the preceding day. which he thought was rather your, but
the inconvenience he then felt was not such as to induce him to have
recourse to any medical remedy. The grief and eorestemeeion on
board were beyond deserircion. Ile was younger brother of Sir
Murray Maxwell, and of the lehe Captaio Keith Maxwell.