The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-03 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE LABUAN,

The following report has been made to the Lords
of Committee of Privy Council for Trade :--

"My Lords,—l beg to report, for the informa-
tion of your lordehips, that I have; in conjunc-
tion with Captains Harris and Baker, as nautical
assessors, held an inquiry into the loss of the
steamer Laken, which occurred off the Island •of
Harris on June 28 last. The Labuan was au iren
screw steamer of 837 tons and 80 horse power, built
at Liverpool in 1855, and owned by Messrs. Bailey
and Leathern, of Hull. She was commanded by Mr
Charles Hargitt, who holds a certificate of compe-
tency as master, dated May 26, 1859, and had a
crew of 21 hands all told. The Labuan left Liver-
pool June 25, laden with 1,700 bales of cotton, with
225 tons of coal, and bound to Narva and Cronstadt.
She cleared the North Channel between the Mull
of Cantyre and Rathlin Island at 5 40 a.m. on the
27th. At 4 a.m. on the 28th they sighted Deer
Island, and at noon they wero up to Grebanis
Head, which bore N.W.I N., ate computed distance
of from two to three miles, but the weather being
foggy no great reliance could be placed on this
assumed distance, as they failed to obtain soundings
with 60 fathoms of line. From this pesition a course
was steered E, and N. for 30 minutes, when the
lighthouse on Glass Island was seen through the
fog. The master, who was on deck,ordered the helm
to be ported, and the ship to be brought to E. S.,
which was dune, the vessel going very slowly, and
in 10 minutes she struck upon a sunken rock, which
has since been ascertained to bo the Lag na Laire.
Efforts were immediately made to move her, with
out success, and the master, in consequence, pro-
ceeded to Stornoway for assistance., returning the
next day about 9 p.m. in the Princess Royal cutter,
which was followed during the night by "three
lighteis. About 9 a.m. on the 30th the vessel broke
in half, and the after part settled in deep water, but
a large portion of the cargo, more or less damaged,
was saved. No lives were lost. The captain appears
to have navigated the ship with care and caution
throughout, but in consequence of the thickness of
the weather on the morning of the 28th, and failing
to obtain soundings, he 'seems to have been in error
as to his distance from the land. The course steered
from the last headland would, however, appear to
have been a safe one to clear all dangers, accord-
ing to the chart by which he navigated his vessel,
but, unfortunately, the sunken rock on which he
struck is not laid down on that chart—one of Im-
ray's of 1862, and which the master had purchased
in Liverpool just before sailing, in the belief that it
was the latest. It is but right to state that, in a
more recent chart of the same publisher for the pre-
sent year, the rock in question, the Lag na Laire, it
correctly laid as in the Admiralty enarts. But,
regarding the fact that the master's chart was defi-
cient in the information which would have enabled
him to avoid the danger, and there being no buoy
or beacon to point it out, as there would appear to
be on other dangers in the same neighbourhood, I
am disposed to acquit him of default. lam glad
to be able to do this, as the master's antecedents are
all favourable to him, and his attention to his duties
both before and after the accident appears to have
been highly creditable. I have therefore, with the
concurrence of the assessors, returned to Mr Her-
gitt his certificate.— I have, 8,7 e.,
" T. S. RAFFLES, Polite Magistrate.
" Liverpool, July 29, 1864.
" We concur in this report,
6' HY. HARRIS,
utical Assessors:'
)3. 1.141.44)

Tip:D-
A_,l#4,tl firtubr,
COTITT E7N,
-saw,

HER MAJESTY,

OSBOTINE, tkug.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and
Prince Louis of Hesse went to the Royal Victoria
Hospital at Netley yesterday, where the Prince of
Wales laid the first stone of the monument about
to be erected to the medical officers who died in the
Crimean war.
Major. General Seymour and Captain von Wester-
weller were in attendance.
Sir James Clark also accompanied the Prince of
Wales from Osborne.
Lieutenant-General the Hon. C. Grey end Lieu-
tenant-colonel 1)u Plat have succeeded Mja"
General Seymour and Colonel the lion.h.liardirge
as Equerries in Waiting,

THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE,—The announce-
ment of the relapse of his Grace the Duke of Newcastle bas
caused wide-spread grief not; only in Nottinghamshire but
throughout the midland counties generally. The 10th was
the date fixed for his grace's departure from London for 12IS
seat, Clumber Park, Notts, but the visit is now indefinitely
postponed, As erroneous statements are in circulation
respecting his grace's malady we may state that it is simply
gout, and that the attacks, though fugitive, are frequent'
and exceedingly painful during their continuance.--4°l.

tingham Daily Guardian.
MR. BRIGHT.—John Bright, Esq., M.P., arrived
at Tulchan Lodge on Friday last. He has been fishing
since, and has enjoyed good sport. On Saturday he had
one salmon, and on Monday he had two, and on Tuesday
one. There seems to be plenty of fish in the water just
now. Mr Bass and party arrived at Tulchan Lodge
ea
Wednesday.--Elgin Courant.

THE LATE MR. A. W. HARNETT.—We learn
that the friends of the late Mr. Harnett, Coasider•
ing his personal virtues, his literary attainments, and the
long and severe sufferings of the latter months of his life,'
have resolved to raise by subscription a provision for h's
widow and children, and to that end the following gentle:
men have formed themselves into a committee o—Jea'
Brady, Esq„ M.D., M.P.; Patrick Magahon, B•q•'
M.P.; Richard Quain, Esq., F.R.S.; W. H. Twentyinara
Esq. ; and Chas, Russell, Esq , Barrister at Law, iNidr
llarnett was connected with the press both in Londoner's:
Dublin, and was endeared to all who knew him bye
amiability of his manners and the purity of his life.
was for many years in impaired health, and during thelas"
14 months of his life he passed through extreme suffering°,
exhausting during his long illness whatever provision Ile
had made for his family—and on the 6th ult. ieci'
leaving them tc' ally unprovided for. A case of misfortune
so severe, so patiently borne, and incurred without °II
trace of blame attaching to himself, evil!, it is hoped, n
effectually to many beyond the immediate circle of
"
friends. Subscriptions will be received by Alfred Nias9st/
Eeq , Hon. Sec., 13, Sandford-place, Stoke Newington'
HERILINGS.—The Scottish herring fishery toes
employment to a large number of people, and'
immense capital is sunk in boats and other apparatus
the capture. - The way commerce is carried on in bertills
is ree her peculiar. It goes thus :—" Cockie," the selias
Shavie," or in plain language, John Cowie tertius,
son of John Cowie, junior, of Buckle, is thinking.about
taking a wife, and settling in the world. He has
Pentads saved up, the produce of his industry as a hiirshe,
hand at the fishing, and of a speculation he made in ell—
for net dying'; and
.his father has protaised to give himas
couple of £.O notes to help him to purchase a boat. Pll „
'
John is rather ambitious, and his sweetheart still r00013.-ts
he finds ho his not money for more than one boat andsia t
train of nets •,' and it is a sine qua non of " Big Beardie (t''
is the nickname of Alex. Reid),- that his daughter, INI4rI
Reid, John CoWie's, alias Cockle's, sweetheart, must have.a
husband with two boats at least. What is to be done CO
such a difficulty ? Oh the remedy is very simple ; one of t
curers of the "districtithout dOubt, advance 111,nd soas %
for another boat. Thisl is a common practice, a
spirit of gambling to the other excitements of the fishery'
The curer advances money on the faith of Cowie's boats
fishing for him till the sum advanced be paid 111,--makirl;
of course, a better bargain with John than he could wit
a free fisherman ; and so Cowie tertius gets married,
st
ena,
becomes, let us hope, a successful fisherman. The usu
wa of conducting the business of the herring fishery is t°
y
make the bargain for the following seas= at the conclusi°
of the present one. An immediate bounty of ten, 080'
or twenty pounds par boat is paid down, as well as a grallt
of allowances of various kinds—such as bleaching-group 4,
for nets, dye-stuffs for ditto, and perhaps a few gallons °'
whisky as well ; and, beside all these, a price for tbs
green fah, at so much for every 45 gallons, or "cyan," ItS
it is called. The quantity of herring usually bargained f°r
each season is 200 trans, but few of the boats take so mall;
The curer, of course, provides his salt, barrels, coopers, an
gutters, and undergoes all the anxiety of the curing sesa°l3.ii
and in some seasons "the take" will be so bad that he Ivia
be a heavy loser, and have to carry forward to next year t,
heavy lot of barrels and alarge quantity of salt. It will °Jill
be seen that the herring fishery is a kind of lottery 11Pfs,
which all the inhabitants of a town hang vvithfiercest analeT
so that to get a boat from a wealthy curer isnot difficult;
if the newly-married pair we have described be very lueallso;
they may be free from their debt in a couple of Years' °ad
go on increasing in wealth till they have many boats,
oto.
h
sons of their own to aid them in becoming proscer iu
On the other hand, hundreds who hasten to be ries day
this way suffer disappointment, and bitterly curse the still
of their ambition. A bad season may engulPh heta 04
deeper in the books of the curer, or a Budder). storm
for over
wreck their boat and close up their industry
t
THE LIMITED ENLISTMENT ACT._NOW' fired
Wa
the chief causes which tempt the time-e—ti`,
soldier to abandon .the service ? we find them °Bo;dier
may be able to remove them. First, the
Pri"tation for
dearly loves change. After he has lain at orle a him that
sons years the tameness becomes so irksome tot, anoWS
ne longs to exchange it even for quarters which setae
to be inferior. An instance of this may be givene.heffield'
years ago the 161. Regiment was stationed side—
con
tiy to
with every prospect of remaining there for some
able time. A number of men whose time was 811°r their
expire had given notice that they were then to takattebed
discharges, when the news of the Trent outrage re, hot
England, and the 18th was ordered to Canada
haste. At the prospect of an immediate change oar
change being colonial service, with the pcssibility o"atisa
and the certainty of a lengthened absence from their ritilaie
land—these men, with hardly an exception, retractedtetta,
notice of withdrawal, and re-enlisted for the secona
oldies
. . . Again, it cannot fail to chafe the veteran
who has borne the brunt of Canada's frost and Intliae told
who mayhap has fought and bled, who knows his dills re'
can do it, that the raw recruit who joined yesterde'r
10
ceives the same pay as he who has been a soldier I° the
years. " Ah, no l" say our suneriors ; " reraeo'ber,d ia
good conduct pay, which in 10 years amounts to 2d'ass•-tit
21 years to 5d per diem additional." Very well. 'Ol.
man may be a thorough good soldier and yet not iv, .0
good-conduct badge. Eight days' pack-drill forfeit
ho
ts
distinction for two. years ; and every soldier /01°`78
easily, oiten how innocently, this punishment roa)Sooe
incurred. An unavoidable absence of two hours
.P
If.
tattoo, a single inadvertence, even a black look, wh, )
kave known construed into the peculiar crime of '
warning. Can it be wondered at, then,Co..a,,
the a la
°I1c11,1a)
irefunsolence,"
et'o" includema y strip
a hteembsaod gprecarious artehmagt d :gpt
pay in the schedule of his advantages ? Can we e
• g 14.
hid
that he will take it much into account in making
it
mind as to re-enlisting ? We offer a bounty a one,
)I;tet
may be, two pounds to the lad who was behind tbeei: g tlO
yesterday, or to the rustic who last week was f0110w...21d OP
plough, and whom it will take six months' time
0'0010;
expenditure of care, work, and money to fit for
otll,o re
ato
This being so, what temptation do we hold out t de 0
who has been a soldier for ten years, who is reatlY.T4,2
our hands, and available for active service to-mornfs aeacll,Y.
want to engage him at the same price for which:l'o'ooo:
secured the raw recruit. Can we expect him t 1,130 lees'
himself at this value ?It may be argued that eser ,
made him, that ho owes to us what he has learot e.„" bergo:
pence, and that he is bound to remember this D19°,1030011
he may make with us. But this is poor reasoninvigi; see;
to the views of men in the ranks. The raes,te, have tllto
say to an apprentice whose time has expired, a 10°
you your trade, y. .0 owe all you know to me, all WOr lese
t lo
be f AeG
you to show your gratitude by serving tee a list'le
than you can command elsewhere," would not up,l.
to with much consideration. Our soldier's time cora
that of the apprentice; he is free, and entitled,
A ol'
fJr tho best terms he can make • • fe 01" f3irt
Another cause is that constant drill will". -11,aerg° es.
dicr, who needs it not, is compelled t° it is vet
is
common with the young recruit, to Nrh°t°, soorcl.,eiatra
nary. It pile the man who Las performed tiu.9iafoatrYb,
tho
ciee in grim earnest at Balaclava, or the ~tv wit less,
who, on the Alumbagh, saved his life by destr ;root
bayonet, to grind on, day after day, in the ea 9,erfectlePeio,
never.ceasing course of drill. Practice Ton than 1 ?Tel, it
surely perfection may be attained in less.;
and maintained without the same assiduoutiott the toil ;
has taken to reach it. No one will argue tha° hisl,/g1 trier'
aught to be allowed to get rusty any ni°'a_dsearcelot.
but continual friction wears out the latter
a:1.40 or A.
iiO
the patience of the fermer.—Cornhill
lie e
oderea
'rho 31oniteur de la Flotte anriou,%ol,oo°!:itor
portant fact, that an English mercautiliooll.° ,21[07ps to
r,hip of 1,200 to be built at St. Naair
be built for them in
adds that French merchants former
reversed, Ez3gittr'°, A°ol-CIVIe. reit° :00