The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-18 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE ORPHEUS.

The following despatch, addressed to the Duke of
Newcastle, has been received from Sir G. Grey, Go-
vernor of New Zealand :

New Zealand.—No. 10.

" Government•house, Auckland, Feb. 9, 1863.

My Lord Duke,—l have the honour to report to your
grace the total loss of her Majesty's ship Orpheus on the
bar of the harbour of Manukau, on the west co)st of the
North Lland, nearly opposite to the harbour of Auckland,
which is on the east coast,
2. Eight officers and 61 men have been saved from the
wreck. The names of the officers who have been saved are
given in the enclosure of this despatch. Twenty-three offi-
cers and 158 men, it is believed, have perished, as the vessel
has entirely gone to pieces, and nothing has been seen of
them. The names of the missing officers are also given in
the list transmitted herewith.

3, It is positively known that many of these officers and
men have perished, as they were killed in the presence of
the survivors by spars and ropes. There is but slight hope
that any of them can be alive; they can only have escaped
by having been first washel out to sea on some spar, and
then washed up on some other part of the island.
4. The ship, as far as I can collect, was rather to the
southward of the port, and was, about half-past 1 o'clock in
the day, with beautiful weather and a fair wind, making
the harbour under steam and sail, going about 12 knots.
Runnin g thus from the southward, she was intending to make
the passage across the bar as laid down in the chart of 1853.
Since that time the bar has shifted about three-quarters of
a mile to the northward. She was thus rather more than
that distance too far to the southward, and touched first on
a small shoal off the middle banks, and in a few minutes
ran directly on to them, where there is always a very heavy
sea, and where her position (about four miles out at sea)
was hopeless.
5. At between 4 and 5 o'clock a small coasting steamer
the Wonga Wonga, which was going out of the harbour,
seeing her peril, went to her assistance, but, from the heavy
sea and breakers, was unable to get very near her; but the
boats of the Orpheus, and those of the men who were saved
under the shelter of the steamer, managed from time to
time to pick up others. They were aided in the most gal-
lant and determined manner by three Maories from the
pilot-station, who steered the boats.
"6. The condact of Commodore Burnett, his officers, and
men, was perfectly heroic. I have never heard instances of
greater courage, carelessness of self, and efforts to save the
ship and others than have been detailed to me, At about
9 at night the mainmast went overboard ; the other two
masts went in less than 20 minutes afterwards. Those of
the crew (and they were a great number) who had not yet
been washed overboard or killed by spars and ropes were
on the masts and rigging, and the poor fellows, as these
went, gave three parting cheered and then perished. lam
told that not a murmur or cry was heard from the wounded
and dying, and yet the manner of some of their deaths was
terrible, Altogether it is one of the most affecting events
that I have ever heard of, and yet one that excites admira-
tion from the courage, self-devotion, and energetic resigna-
tion both of the many who perished and the few who were
saved. " I have, Sec,, "G. GREY.
"His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G."

CHEAP DINING Rooms FOR THE 'WORKING
CLASSES.—It is with great satMuction we he-ar that
the arrangements for carrying out the objects of the Asso •
ciation for the Establishment of Dining and Refreshment
Rooms for the Working Classes are progressing very satis-
factory. The executive committee have invited proposals
for premises in Lambeth, Westminster, Marylebone, Fins •
bury, Tower Hamlets, and Southwark, so that on completion
of the necessary alterations the working men will be
enabled every day to enjoy the luxury of a good, wholesome,
and substantial dinner for .11d. The possibility of doing so
was most indisputably proved on the occasion a short time
ago, when an experimental dinner was given at the Work-
ing Mens' Club, St. Clements Danes; and as the movement
is purely a philanthropic one, it is to be hoped that all who
have the means will help on the good work, Mr. Warriner,
the instructor of cookery in the army, Dr. Letheby, and
others, have lent their assistance, and the fullest informa-
tion can be obtained of Mr. Carpenter, the honorary secre-
tary, at his residence, 6, Brunswick• square.
SUICIDE IN THE THAMES. Yesterday, Mr.
Longhorn, the deputy coroner for Westminster, held
an inquest at St. Martin's Vestry-room, Charing-cross,
touching the death of Rose Jano Pratt, aged 21 years,
whose body was found in the Thames on Tuesday evening
last. James Pratt of 2, Phillips cottages,• Hammeramith,
said deceased was his niece. t•he was a servant, but was
out of place. She resided with him. He last saw her alive
on Thursday, three weeks, when she went out but did not
say where she was going. On the following morning a
policeman brought her bonnet, shawl, and brooch to him,
which he said had been found on Westminster-bridge on
the previous evening. Th re was a card pinned inside the
bonnet, by which means deceased's residence was found out.
He knew of nothing particularly preying upon her mind,
excepting that she had been crossed in love about twelve
months since. She had once gone to the Serpentine with
the intention of destroying herself, but seeing some one
standing by, she ran away, and purchased some poison, but
she did not take it, She was very much depressed at times,
She was not without money, and she had a situation to go
to on the following Monday. The jury returned a verdict
that "Deceased destroyed her own life by drowning whilst
in a state of temporary insanity,"