The National Register.
London, England, 1817-09-01 00:00:00

COURT MARTIAL.

Saturday,.the 23rd inst. a Court-martial was held at
Portsmouth, on board the Queen Charlotte, to
try Captain M. Maxwell, and the officers and crew
of his Majesty's late frigate Alceste, for the loss of that
ship, in the straits of Gaspar, on the 18th of February
List, when returning.front China with Lord Amherst
and suite on board. The sentence of the court was a
fall and entire acquittal of Captain Maxwell, his otfi-
• cers and crew. The opinion of the Court was most
:handsomely expressed, that Captain Maxwell had, be-
fore the loss of the ship, -conducted himself in the most
zealous and officer-like manner; and that, after the
striking of the ship, his coolness, self-collection, and
exertions were highly conspicuous, and that every
thing was done by him, his officers, and ship's com-
riny, within the power of men to execute, to preserve
the ship and her stores ; and that to such conduct alone
is to he attributed the saving of all their lives. Cap-
tain Maxwell's narrative.was an aficting detail of the
• exertions trod sufferings of himself, officers, and crew,
and recorded his warmest thanks to his officers and
cr.tw, who had looked up to him in the hour of' dis-
tress with the most submissive confidence. A most-pe-
culiar good look-out was kept up when the accident
happend ; and but fur the circumstance that the sea
was, at the moment of her striking, covered with fish
.spawn, the rock woeldooubtless have been seen. The
.ship had no more sail on her than enabled her to with-
stand an unfitvourubly strong current; and the very
track she was pursuing was laid down for the ship' by
Lieutenant Ross, of the Bombay marine, who had
'been ten yearssurveying the Chinese seas. At the mo-
ment of their rieliverance.from the wreck, they were
surrounded by 6-4 prows manned with 600 Malays.
Their whole stock of ammunnition consisted of only 72
ball cartridges and a few carronade cartridges, which
were drawn front •the quarter-deck guns on leaving the
ship ; from these the gunner made up 1600 rounds, and
hats were made from the marines' buttons, and what- •
ever other lead or pewter could be cut from off the
wreck. Alew hoarding pikes were saved; the rest of
the men were armed with dirks stuck on sticks, and
sticks with the points tempered by fire. An abattis at'
wood-work was formed by the carpenter, anti a diago-
nal trench cut from the hill, on which they fixed their
abode, to the only landing place, which enabled them
.sts hid defiance to the flaveitisas savage...: who surneanded
them, anti who several times attempted to cut off their
boats. The presents exchanged by the Emperor of.
thine, and his letter to the Prince Regent, with Lord
Amherstls own documents, relating to the embassy,-.
were all saved from the wreck of the Alceste ; but. the.
specimens of the geologist, minentlogist, alai the lota-
mu, were lost ; the drawings of those gentlemen were
sassed. The presents tisim the Emperor are said to he!
of very trifling value ; the articles consist of purses and
.a large agate ; which latter article derivesits chief va-
lue from the kiml, whenever discovered, being delivered..•
over to the I.:lei:hew, and therefore can only .he be
st4wed y hint ; be invariably gives one as a testitnony
• of satisfactiott, whenever aux service is. rendered to the
. State.

THE NATIONAL nr,msrrn.

IRELAND.

.DOMESTIC NOMINATION.—TIin first regular conse-
cration of a clergyman elected to tho episcopal dignity
by Dean and Cliajitm., is !it length abc•it to take place.
Doctor Walsh of ‘Vaterti.ml, lie rrceivci canonical in-
duction from his and will be consecrated on
the 31st, at Waterford. The circurnmance is mentioned
in the following terms in a G,mk Journal :