The National Register.
London, England, 1811-11-24 00:00:00

THE NATIONA L REGI%;TER.

1111Sek:I.I.ANIES.

TIFRTFORD COLLAGE.—On Thursday last a Deputation of
the Court of Directors of the East India Company proceeded
to Hertford to investigate the cause of the insubordination
which has recently manifested itself at this institution. Alit r
an impartial examination into the whole of the circumstances,
forty of the young Gentlemen who- appeared most refractory
were suspended, of whom the most blameal)le svill probably be
ultimately expelled. The whole Were immediately ordered* to
quit the- college, and their solicitations to be allowed to remain
on account of the want of cash, &c. were made in vain. Car-
riages, and change of hores on the road, had previously been
provided at the expense of the Last India Company, to bring
them to London, whence several of them will have to proceed
to distant parts of Scotland. The son of a Gentleman in the
Direction is said to be one of the most refractory of the Stu-
dents.

A Privy Council was held on Friday, for the purpose of (.:ta-
mining the twelve men who were found in the French service,
in the Isle of FriiIICC, when our farces took possession of that
place. These men are said to he Irishmen,. They arc all ath,
Ictic young men. Some of them, it is said, held the rank of
petty officers in the service of the enemy. One of them is so
powerful, that he was able to wrench the handcuffs front his
wrists a few dayS ago, when in confinement, on hoard one 'Jour
prison-ships. 1 hey were handcuffed in pairs, and were attended
by twelve Police officers. These men seemed to be in very good
spirits, and not at all affected by their situation. They were
sent to Newg,te. Their names are John Smith, Cornelius
Parker, John Quigley, Charles . Bird, James Tweedale, William
Cundell, George Armstrong, Janus Tibbs, Philip Lathey,
Noah Francis, Samuel Macfarlane, and Josiah Tester, ou the
charge of being found in hostility against this their native
country.
NEWLY CONSTRUCTED VESSEL—Saturday se'tmight, a new-
invented vessel, called the Constellation, of Bristol, arrived
above Blackfrh.r's bridge. Her singular construction and ma-
chinery attracted the notice of a great number of spectators, as
she sailed up the river, among whom were several distinguished
scientific and naval Gentlemen. The vessel is about 50 feet in
length, with only one mast, made of iron, and an upri!:ht wind-
lass affixed to it ; there are twelve horizontal sails, similar to the
shape of window-shutters, which are put in "notion with the
least wind, and expand the respective-signs of the zodiac in full
figure ; will weigh her anchor, work three pieces of mechanism,
two pumps, and, in case of necessity, two sweeps ; her sails at e
also eft, nded or shortened in uzi instant : on any occasion the
mast, with all its appendages, is as quickly struck : she has nt.i-
tiler blocks, nor any running rigging, except a fore and aft stay
and cable; and her guns, which are of curious mechanism, will
keep their own elevation, and the vessel is calculated to sail
against wind and tide.

R EGIMENY'AL SCHOOLS.

(CIRCULAR.)
Horse Guards, Nov. 14, 1811.

SIR-I have received the Commander in Chief's directions to
inform you, that it i. in contemplation of Government to iffard
the means of establMiing Regimental Schools, for the Care and
Instruction of the Children of Non-commissioned Officers and
Soldiers. It is his Royal Highness's intention, that these Schools
shall he conducted on the plan recommended by the Rev. Dr.
Bell, and adopted with great success at the Royal Military
Asylum; and you will b,. pleit-:ed immediately to look out for a
person calculated to superintend the School of the Regiment

NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

747

LOSS OF THE PRINCE OF WALES PACKET.

The packet Prince of Wales, Capt. FROCTON, with mails and
pussenge rs from the Bahamas and Great Britain, left Port
Royal on the Bth of July, under convoy of Nis Majesty's
schooner Bin bara, Lieut. Douglas. In the night of the 16th of
the same month, she lost sight of her convoy ; and about half-
after one O'clock A. M. on Friday following (the 19th), having
been driven from her course by a strung current, while going at
the. rate of five and six miles per hour, she unfortunately got on
tialtp dad Reef, on the south-west side of Heneagua, one of the
Bahama isles. The wind abating nothing of its violence, she
did pot stop there, but passed over two other reefs ; and, after
beating against the rocks fur about half an hour, disengaged her-
self, and once more floated : meanwhile the sails were taken
in, and the anchor let out. There being now little wind, and
the night somewhat dark, it was deemed prudent, under all the
circumstances, to await the return of day-light. The spectacle
which presented itself between the hours of four and five was
truly awful and sublime. The moon, which was seen at inter-
vals through hazy clouds, afforded sufficient light to discover
rocks on e very side, and that all attempts to extricate the ves-
sels froiu this dangerous situation were rendered abortive. On
board au awful silence prevailed, every one dreading lest the
next moment should sacrifice us to the fury of the element.
The Captain, cool and collected, assembled the crew, and ex-
horted them to persevere in their duty and endeavours, and we
were safe. Signal-guns of distress were fired ; and to complete
thii awful eerie, the pumps were at work, throwing out more
than two feet water per hour from an increasing leak. The
long and anxiously wished-for day at length dawned, but .to
Al,,rd nu chance of escape at least for the packet. There being
• no-alternative, measures were instantaneously planned, and as
speedily adopted, fur the conveyance of every thing practicable
to the shore, although Inlet rzain whether an inhabitant was to
be found on the island. Amidst the gloom that hung over us,
a sailor JOT: descried a house and a flag-staff at some distar.ce.
A boat was lowered down, and the mails and passengers con-
veyed in it to the shore. The specie next occupied the attezo ion
of all on board, almost all of which, if not all, was saved ; not
r 4) the passengers' luggage, and very little of the pr,:vi4iens, of
wiach there was saved not as much :is would serve for a week's
subsistence. Providentially not. a life was lost. The leak in-
creased ; and, before the day closed, notwithstanding every ex-
ertion was made, the water rose to seven feet iii the hold. It
was considered no longer safe to approach her. PeCceiving her,
however, the next morning, with the stern fixed upon a rock, •
and bilged, a last effort was made with the boats to bring away
what remained, but in vain ; no more could done. Tents
were formed of the few sails that were preserved on the shore
as a temporary shelter. -The only person resident on the island
had it little in his power to be of service to us : his exertions'
were therefore feeble, and of little or no avail. tinding that we
were on a side of the island where there appeared nothing hut
reefs and rocks, and where no vessels ever approached btu such
as met with a similar fate, and that vessels passed on the west
side only, which was accessible, we removed thither to a posi-
tion (thehouse and flag-staff mentioned), where we were likely
to be Nlrvn, and where we should have to embark. The exer-
tions of the Officers and crew of the packet, assisted by the pas- •
sengers, were very great, in transporting the specie in boats,
about six miles, to the place of emlyirkation. We were forta- •
na:e enough, soon after hoisting the signal of distress, to be
perceiv, d by the sch..ouer Paravon, KNowt.Es, of Loll Island,
then passing, which anchored off the spot where we then were ;
and in the course of the day the Spanish schooner La Perla, .
PLI/31t0 BLANCO CASSIR zoo, Master, from Carthagena,bound

person calculated to superintend tne zentioi or Ul5 .11,.eptileui. I ~,,,,.. ,•• ass.: ...R....N. ..• •-•.- --i -- -s
under your command. l' Es KO BLANCO CAS SIR eno, I\l aster, from Carthagena, hound
Ile object of these institutions is to implant in the children's for Cadiz, put in for a supply of water. These two vessels af-
minds early habits of morality, obedience, and industry, and to forded accommodation for the whole: Captain Pitoc-roa, the
give them that portion of learning which may qualify them for Surgeon, passengers, together with the mails and specie. and
Non-commissioned Officers. With this view, the Commander some few of the crew, embarked on board 44a Perla, and the
in Chief desires you will be very careful in the selection of the rest in the Paragon, and set sail on the 23d for Crooked Island,
person you propose for the superintendance of the School, which where we arrived, the former about live o'clock 11, M. on the
should he done without delay. The person so selected, will be 14th, the latter this day, the 9.6 th.
placed on the strength of the regiment a, a Serjeant, in addition _.—...m....--
to the present establishment. ROYAL CLEMENCY.
I s'.lll hereafter have the honour of cohmiunicating with you
furth ron this subject. I have the honour to be., Sir, Tryce Okey, who was sentenced by a Court,Martlal to suffer
Your very obedient humble Servant,
Officer Commanding the Regt. • ....--- reath, for striking Captain Collier, of his Majesty's ship Cyane,
was removed from the Gladiator to the Royal William, to sufrer
-....m=1M•111.11111111.0.0•••••...•
the penalty of the law. He was attended in his religious devo-
A Provincial Journal has the following extraor. Lions by the Rev. Nit% Davies, who spent the whole of the even-
dinary paragraph :—gg A fish, tuithfinthers growing ing with him, and returned to him tarly in the morning. At
from its back, was lately caught near Maryport, nine o'clock lie administered the sacrament to him, which Okey
received with becoming feeling and serionsnoei ; Nit, ptior to
ands is now at Mr. MATII‘W 13souourises Museum, 03,, 11., bat, _ , -,.. ... , I.• t 11 ~ t lie.. ~_ .:.
I I-I quehteri perms to her alloy. f•o to .•
.1,
at tat ph ace." ttionday,whicla was coo.nnunicated to :In: Conn.!airtier IP Chief;
......_, , ....,,,, „"Imoariimigiotiii_•,- -,ate__'' -310,,.- -- •". • . .. . . :vtf,
...... - .
• v • . ..
-0.

by telegraphic signal; whose reply was, that the sentencemust
be put into immediate execution. Okey remained at prayers
until eleven o'clock, when he was told that the fatal hour was
come. A boat from every ship in the port was now in attend-
ance round the Royal William, under the awful expectation of
inonientarily seeing the victim to the law suspended above them.
The prisoner proceeded upon deck, attended by the Chaplain,
and walked forward to the forecastle, with his arms secured,
holding a bible and testament. The avenues to the forecastle
were lined by the Marines of the ship, under arms. Captain
Hall followed the prisoner, accompanied by all the Officers of
the ship, and read the sentence of the Court-Nlartial.—Okey
thought himself now, as did every spectator, as on the brink of
the two worlds; when Captain Hall took a letter from his
pocket, and read, which contained the Prince Regent's gra-
cious condescension to the prayer of Captain Collier, that
Okey's life Might be spared, but that he should be trans-
ported for life. Not a ray of hope remained with the prisoner ;
nor ss as it in the apprehension of any one, that a transmutation
of his sentence was to be communicated to him. Therefore,
when tkis sudden and unexpected sentence reached his ears, he
burst into tears, awl ell upon his knees, expressing himself, as
well as he was able, in terms full of gratitude. There was not
an of 'or man who witnessed the affecting scene, that coull
repress his tears. The signal which had been flying on board
the Royal William for punishment, was annulled, and all in
the fleet, instead of hearing the fatal gun given, now understood
that Okey had been reprieved : which was confirmed to them
by the Captains of the respective skips reading to their crews
an impressive address from the Commander in Chief, in the
shape of an " official memorandum," the purport of which was,
that it had been intended to carry into effect the sentence of the
law which the prisoner at violated; but, in consequence of the
intercession of Capt. Collier, that the Royal clemency might be
estented to him, his Royal Highness the Prince Regent had
been pleased to transmute his sentence to transportation for life :
at the dame time cautioning, the-crews against the commission
gf such crimes, and expressing the determination of the Admi-
ralty, should there be a recurrence, not to again arrest the exe-
cution of.the law. Okey became a spectator of the dispersion
of the awful ceremonies which had attended him, with apparent
feeling of the grateful surprise, of penitence, and with much
solemnity.