The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-08 00:00:00

APRIL 8, 1852.
S •

Mr. firs, who was on the wreck about thirteen hours,
displayed the greatest courage and coolness.
Mr. Renwick was nearly exhausted, and much bruised,
when we in the first cutter took him out of the gig for
the purpose of lightening her to chase the schooner, but
Lifter sunrise he soon rallied and behaved nobly.
Nothing could exceed the kindness and attention of
Mr. Ramsden and his wife on board the Lioness; nothing
was too good for us, and he made every effort to save
as many souls as possible. Ile deserves the highest
praise.—l have the honour to be, Sir, So.,
(Signed) ROBERT BOWEN, Second Staff Surgeon.

STATEMENT OF MR. RICHARDS,

[PRICE SD.

merit, and nine or ten men; they assisted me on the raft'
floating towards the shore. We picked up Mr. Barber,
assistant-engineer, and a boatswain's mate (Lacey
James). We arrived on shore about one or two o'clock.
Previous to lending on shore, I observed a sail in the
offing, distant about two miles. After landing, I saw
the schooner making for the wreck. We then proceeded
on to Sandford Bay, at which place Captain Wright left
Us, and procured some refreshments. Next morning
proceeded to Captain Smales', where we were clothed
and fed until sent on board her Majesty's steamer Rha-
damanthus.

emorandum.—ln respect to the boats, I saw none
but the port paddle-box boat, bottom up, with some
seven or eight hands on her, drifting towards the shore.
I heard several voices calling loudly, and in that strain
of voice that I fancied some boat or boats very near at
hand; and if there had been any boat or boats present to
have taken the men from the floating pieces of wreck,
they might, with good management, have,been safely
landed in the same cove where Captain Wright and my-
self were landed, and could have made several trips to
and fro to the shore, and saved a large number of men,
as they were some time kept upon the surface of the
water by the floating pieces of wreck. My opinion
upon the boat that had the women and children in saved
time and lives by getting the assistance of the schooner,
there being a great number on and about the-wreck.!).
(Signed) JOHN ARCHIBALD, Gunned,
late Birkenhead.
To Commodore Wyvill, Simon's Bay.

ECOND STATEMENT • OF. lat GULHANE,

ASSISTANT-SURGEON,
AS TO LEAVING THE WEECK INI THE GIG, ALSO LEAVING
THE nor Ts. • - • z..;,
:-.ENCLOSiRE No. ,
Naval Hospital, Simon's, Town,
March 1, 1852.

Sir,—l have the honour to inform you that '1 was the
last person who left the wreck of her Majesty's steam:-
vessel Birkenhead when she got on the rocks off Danger
Point. The poop was on a level with the sea when I
swam from her, and at that time r could not see tiny
of the boats. I succeeded, after swimming about a
mile or more, in= reaching the second gig, and when I
got into her we mustered ten. I remained there for some
time; could not see the wreck, being dark, and did not
see any men near. The two cutters were near, and they
left, and we followed, thinking to make the shore, but at
daylight Mr. Richards saw a sail, and we all determined
to pull for it, but after chasing the schooner at least
twenty miles in the gig, as I had eight men who vo-
lunteered from the cutter to pull for the schooner,
she got ahead of us, and we did not get up until she was
out of sight, and then thought it the most expeditions
way to reach you, in order to let you know the melan-
choly loss of the men and officers who were on board,
except those who were on the - mast. When I left the
wreck we pulled for. ten hours before we reached the
shore, and were six miles ahead of the cutter, when
we gave up all hopes of reaching the schooner. The
people in the cotter say that they made signals to u 9,
but the eight men and myself can assure you that we
did not see any signal to us. I reached Port 'd'Urban
about three o'clock, P.M. The day after the wreck
rode on horseback from there to Cape Town, and arrived
at Simon's Bay in about twenty-four hours from the
time I started, and after pulling a share of about fifty
miles, and riding about 110 miles across the country, I
am sorry to hear that it has been said that I left the
boate. We saw the schooner tack and come in the
direction of where we last saw the cutters, and she hove
to, an if to take them on board, and afterwards to steer
towards the wreck. We should be very glad to be there
at the time, as we dreaded that we could not get a land-
ing-place. I assure you that I tried every effort to
reach you, in order that you may be able to send a
steamer to the wreck, and that was the object of the
other eight of the boat's crew.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
(Signed) WM. CULHANE, 39sistant-Surgeon.
C. Wyvill, Esq., Commodore, Commanding-
in-Chief, Simon's Bay. -

Algoa Bay, to land the drafts of the 12th, 91st, and
74th,1 and then to proceed to the Buffalo to land the re-
mainder of the drafts, viz., 12th Lancers, 2d, 43d, 73d,
6th, atel 60th Riflss. About half-past ten I was
on deck, and the officer on watch, Mr. Spear, observed
to me that he had passed the light, at the same time
pointing Out. to me a light on the port aide of the veeael.
I made the remark at the time, " Surely that is not
L'Agulhas light, for if so the Cape ,must have moved
nearer the Cape (meaning
Cape Point) than it was.when
I was here five yearaago."
From the appearance of the
light. I was satisfied that it was from a lighthouse, bnd
not from a fire on the hills, many of which were burning,
and therefore I concluded that another lighthouse had
been built since I was here insla47..._ I then went to bed.
About two A. 31. on Thursday I was awoke, by a severe
shock, and on getting up found that, the vessel had
struck. I came up on deck and found the commander,
Mr. Salmond, and Mr. Davis, second master, on the
poop. I was standing alongside them. The com-
mander asked Mr. Davis how the light was bearing
when he last saw it. Mr. Davis. replied by naming
some point of the compass. When the commander
turned away Mr. Davis remarked to me that it was odd
where that light was, and he gave me distinctly to un-
derstand that he alluded to a lighthouse light, and
not a fire on the hills. I have now every reason to sup-
pose that the light which was seen was a fire lighted of
dry wood on Cape Mudge, to act as a signal fire to the
fishing boats which go out from that point. I saw the
light for a long time myself, and certainly considered it
a lighthouse light, as I have before stated. After the
vessel struck the commander remained on the poop, and
gave his orders to Major Seton and myself. The utmost
order was observed by all on board, and until the vessel
totally disappeared there was not. a cry pr murmur from
soldiers or sailors. It struck me. as being • one of the
most perfect instances of what discipline essueffect, and
almost led me to believe thet not a man on board knew
the vessel was likely to go down: -Abistit ten minutes
after the vessel struck, the aommander .sent me to Mr.
Brodie, 'who was on the bridge,. to know what assistance
he required to-get the-paddleehos beats'oit; he
.told me
to get thirty men put on to each triekle,,S9
.as to get the
boats off: I did to, f and.then went to the commander
eri this poop to see if he' had any more (Tilers; he told
me to get twenty.more'reen •to Itte',6bain-pithapS;' I die
reoted .Lieutenant Girardot,. 48d, tea° this, and it was
done. Almost immediately the ve'ssel's bows snapped
OM—W. li-dst Vert going up in :the arr-tafiarflestbe-fe,-
mast; the Whew
fell over le the; at#rbriard'at-de Ames
time, almost careyinglevear • 'pi`i.dcile-ok and bditoil
the sterboard side; the other paddle•box boat was being
canted over just at this. time; and Mr. Brodie disap-
appeared • from the, bridge, having been 'knacked over
somehow or other.

Just before_ the vessel broke at the bows, the com-
mander had ordered the horses to be pushed overboard,
and directed Mr. Richards to get into the cutter to re-
ceive the women and children. All this was done with
the utmost regularity, and the boats stood off about
100 yards from the ship; the commander also ordered
out the large boat in the centre of the ship, but it
could not be moved as the ship was breaking up at
the bows. .

Just before the vessel broke a second time, which was
in about twenty minutes from first striking, the com-
mander called out for all officers and men who could
swim to jump overboard and make for theboats; Lieut.
Girardot was standing alongside of me, by the poop-rail,
at the time. We called out to themen not to go over-
board to. the boats, as we feared their. being swamped,
they being full of women and children (et.least one of
them we knew was). Very few men went, and the rest
remained on the poop till that part sank, and then down
we all went together. Every officer wni oh board the
vessel when she sank, except Mr. Richards,:who was on
board the cutter, and Dr. Culharie of the _ship, who got
into one of the rigs; and then made the best of his way
to =Bat River, some fifteen or. twenty miles from the
weeele, rowed there by eight of the ;crew.. I cannot ex-
press how much the loss of this. boat wue felt, as, had it
'returned after landing Dr. Calhane, I have no hesitation
in saying that nearly every man cf the two hundred
(about) who were on the drift-wood between the wreck
and the shore must have been saved, as they could have
been picked off the spars and weed on which they were
when they were outside the seaweed, which prevented
them from coming in to shore. Tho boat could have
made 4o or 50 trips to shore between daylight and dark,
and landed the persons in the beilein a cove just to the
eastward of Danger Point. As soon as I got on shore
the party I was with (on the driftwood) and myself pro-
ceeded to Stanford's Cove, where there is a fishing
station, about six or seven miles from Danger Point.
As there was nothing to be had to eat .there, left the
men and, went to a lam-home about eight miles from
thence, and sent provisions for the men. I nine did the
same next day, and then had the men removed to Capt.
Sniales'e farm, about 15 miles further up the country,
sending Lieutenant Girardot and Cornet Bond with
them. I then went down to the coast and put up in a
hut, and was occupied during Friday, Saturday, and.
Sunday, in examining every part of the rocks for at
least 20 miles. I fell in with the crew of a whale-boat,
who wore employed sealing at Dyer's Island.
,I got
them to take the outside of the seaweed, about a quarter
of a mile from shore, whilst .the purser's steward of the
Birkenhead and myself examined the rocks: The boat
'got two men, and we also two, who had been 3S hours
'in the water; they were eseily exhanated, but a night's
rest in the hut made them ell right, except a few
bruises. On the second and third day that I was on the
coast, I was joined by Field Cornet Villiers and Mr.
Mackay, Civil Commissioner of Caledon, and they had
'with them a number of men to assist in burying the
,dead, and collecting what things were washed up on
Very few bodies were found. On Sunday, at 6 P.M,
;having perfectly satisfied myself that no living soul
'could be along the shore, and the men who were at Cap-
tain Smales's having been ordered down to the cove, to
,embark on board the Rhadamaathus. I left along with
'them, and arrived in charge of 46 soldiers and two
officers at Simon's Bay, at 3 A.M. this morning. En-
'sign Lucas, of the 73d, being unable to travel, I had to
'leave him at Captain Smales's farm. I cannot conclude
'this memorandum without alluding to Mr. Archbold,
the master gunner. who was on the same raft with me
,for some time. Whilst there be was as usual, active
to and encouraged the other i 5 men who
wereust a
o degree,
ulns s
but this was no more than his daily
board the ship, for there he was per-
petuallyand to some purpose too. The ship's
ce ht oe n
w
steward, James Jeffrey's, although much exhausted,
after having bean in the water so long a time, accom-
panied me in my search round the rockson the coast,
and did his best to give me all the assistance in his
t. me are anything tho say that hardly a man of those
e worse, ex-
cp saved
eopwt ear .of
ef
wtlh aebmrpaahi
party e
wy n
E. C. WRIGHT, Capt. 91st.
(Signed)

STATEMENTS OF THE LOOK-OUT MAN.
:MAN AT THE WHEEL
vr. IN THE lIRST WATCH, THE SER..
GEANT OF MARINES
WHO CARRIED THE ORDERS OE
THE COMMANDE
Bt AND OF THE STORERS IN THE
! ENGINE $00l[:
ENCLOSURE No. 13.
Castor, Simon's Bay, Feb. 28, 1852.
John
able seaman of her Majesty's steam-
ship states that on the night of the 25th
February, 1852, he had the first watch, and took the
i
iohßnirk flinaytenaocis:
'wheel at ten o'cloc& ; it was a starlight night, smooth
water, with a long rolling swell. Mr. Speer, second
/tipster, was officer of the watch, keeping it on the poop
and latterly on the paddle-box, looking out for a light
(L'Agulhas). The course he was steering was S.S.E. i
E.) That the officer of the watch frequently looked at
the compass, and gave orders not to steer to the east-
ward of the course, but a quarter of a point to windward
of it. He was relieved by Francis Holditch, A.B. There
was a leadsman in the chains all the watch, but no
soundings given. The course was the same for two
hours previously. A particular look-out was kept. On
being relieved he turned in.
The first intelligence of the ship striking which he got
was by the hands being turned up to save the ship. He
thought she Struck twice. On the first cutter being
Called away (to which boat he belonged) he turned out
and welt into Lcz, and remained by the ibiPt as or-
s.stant,
&red by the captain. Mr. Richards, musters
the
was officer of the boat, but afterwards
wecnildres, by
'st i
cutter, to take charge of the women and
the captain's directions. _ The cutter The ship
h afterwards
pielrod up by the schooner Lioness. T
the rocks about two o'clock his struck
(Signed) J ow; pq HA.YNES.
—...6
Witness—C. A. PRITCHARD, Secretary.

Thomas Daley, Ordinary seaman, -states that ho was
look-out man on starboard bow ethen the ship struck;
he had been on since one o'clock; the water, :smooth and
it starlight night. Ile saw the land abou,t three points
cu the port bow. The ship struck about ten minutes to
two o'clock, and there was no appmarce of breakers.
On the cutter being called away, to which lenat he be-
longed, he went into her end rEuatLincd by-the ship. Mr.
Davis, ..lecubd master, was officer of .the
_watch. The
cutter was attes4ards picked up by the schooner Lioness.
his
THOMAS P.l DALE?.
mark.
Witness--C. A. PRITCHARD, Secretary.

(Signet's)

Abel Stone, ordinary seaman, states that got woo'
ISadsman in the chains at one o'clock, but
_nt.
soundings. At about twenty minutes before two o'clock
he got soundings in twelve fathoms, but lththogmusb
another cast the ship
Davis
and he got
alongside. Ur. Davis was officer of the
hold was seen
nigh,: was fine, with smooth water.
The
Oa the boats'
en the port 'bow about four P
- °ltilotsihe gig, to
B watch.el The
which
Crews being called away he hi.. as ordered.
weli
boat ho belonged, and lay by the s 9 his
ABEL STONE.
mark.

(Signed)
Witness—C. A. PIIITCEIARD, Secretary.

arter before°trweo.
._----
Dr,he, 8.M., ststes that
ciu
Sergeant he was on they
castle when the ship struck, about a
o'clock. Ile ssw the land about four points o
bovr, the water perfectly Smooth. On striking n tie per-
) ing he went
to the quarter-deck, and was directed by the captain to
Carry his orders to Mr. Brodie, mastr-T. The engines
had been stopped, end crdered to take a back turn. He
Carried orders to Mr, Brodie
to let go the small bower
guechor, to get out the port
t le women and children Fpaddle bow boat, and to get
into the boats. He states mat
t at the paddle-box b
j mming; that about oatcould not be got over by a p'n
step broke into two, twenty minutes after striking the
the ship began
to
so., the bow and stern cocking up; that
and the captain 7, mit; he found himself in the water,
for a plank; 'lr. Salmond, close to Lim, swimming
that something struck Mr. Salmond, and
b e went down.
in ttio waterof he observed the mainmast and maintopsail-
outl.4t the water. Ile swam to it and got on it with
thirty, or arty othQre. The bull of the ship was under