The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-23 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX QUARTER SESSIONS.

These Sessions commenced yesterday before Mr. Ser-
geant ADAMS and a full bench of magistrates. On the
list of the Grand Jury being called over, a great number
claimed to be exempt from serving, on the ground of being
above 70 years of age—others that they belonged to the
learned professions, &c. _ _

A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.—One of the petty Jury
sent a letter, requesting the Court would excuse his absence,
and enclosing what he termed a medical certificate of his in-
ability to attend, and which the Chairman read aloud, to
the infinite amusement of the Court :—" I hereby certify
that Mr. is unable to leave his home, as he !about;
under a severe bilious attack in one of his toes." The
bearer of the above curious certificate having sworn that the
person named in it was so lame that he could not leave his
room, the bilious gentleman was excused.

THE QUEEN v. MORGAN AND OTHERS.--;—Mr. Morgan
applied to the Court to order bench warrants to issue im-
mediately against the defendants in this case, the Grand
Jury having found a true bill against them for keeping a
gaming-house in Air-street, Piccadilly.
Ths CHAIRMAN never would again grant applications of
this kind unless the prosecutor made oath that he knew
where the defendants resided, and that he had just reason
for supposing that the warrants could and would be exe-
auted immediat ly, and nulertook to return the warrants
to the Court if he could not find the defendants, with affi-
davits stating the endeavours he had made to do so. He
was determined that warrants of that Court should never
again be held in terrorem over defendants in order to enable
the prosecutors to extort money from them, threatening,
in default of being able to get the money, to execute the
warrants. He had been trying for the last eighteen months
to put a stop to the system by which' bench warrants were
obtained for other purposes than furthering the ends of
justice, mad he did hope that his endeavours had not been
altogether unsuccessful.

Mr. Heaton was not prepared with the affidavit required
by the Court. _

The CHAIRMAN—Then I will not grant your application

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

THE Loss OF THE " STIRLING CASTLE."—Yesterday
John Baxter, the second officer of the brig the Stirling
Castle, which was lost on the coral reefs in the voyage from
Sydney to Singapore, appeared before the LORD MAYOR,
in order to give a narrative of the hardships the unfortu-
nate crew had undergone. Mrs. Frazer, who on Friday
last detailed the awful adventures of the wrecked crew at
White Bay, was present, having been sent for by the Lora)
MAYOR.
The following is the written account of Baxter, who
stated himself to be' the nephew of Captain Frazer, who
was speared by the savages in the bush in White Bay, in
the presence of his wife :

" We left Sydney on the 15th May, 1836, with a fine
and steady breeze, and so it continued until May 20, when
the breeze began to freshen from the S.E., and continued so
until the 21st, when, at twelve o'clock, we found ourselves
in let. 21 5 S., and long. 155 12 E. by observation, and
from forty-five to fifty miles of the Eli7a reef ; but at balf-
past nine the same evening we unfortunately struck, which
we found to be through the rapid set of the current, which
was running at least five knots an hour. During the time
from noon till the evening we were running at the rate
of four knots an hour, and at eight she was going seven
and a half knots an hour, with the larboard, lower and top-
mast sails, and indeed all useful canvass. She had no
sooner struck than all was confusion. We immediately
tried to back her off, but finding our trial was in vain, we
braced forward the yards, which we found had not the
effect upon her, only heaving- her upon her broadside, when
the sea hove her further upon the reef. We found it was
in ♦ain to try to get her off, the sea now making a fair
breach over her. We hefeupon sounded the pumps, and
found them half full of water. The sea now having fu.l

play upon the vessel, soon began to clear the decks of every
thing moveable, likewise her continual thumping so tre-
mendously soon unshipped the rudder, and this was no
sooner done than the following sea knocked the stern in and
carried away the jolly.boat from the stern davits. We now
mentioned to the captain respecting the mainmost, whichif
it was cut away would ease the vessel, we thought. We no
sooner proposed it than he ordered the carpenter to cut it
away, 'lllicit was done by cutting the leeyard of the star-
board side, and the next surge she gave carried it over the
larboard quarter, carrying with it the foretopmast, top-
gallant mast, and jib-booms, &c. This being done, we
found that it eased the vessel a great deal. The %Ind
now freshening, the sea began to be more violent, and
she now lay as a break-water. We found it quite
im
possible to launch the boats, but thought it most advi-
sable to go below, and stop till the dawn of day, if she
-
could but hold together till that time. On the reef
there is a rise and fall of water about 18 or 19 feet, andat
low water we found her lay aground, and upon a coral reef.
We had not been there more than three hours before we
found her lay quite still, and the water leaving fast. After
seven hours of the greatest anxiety, we saw the dawn of day
appearing. The breeze had now lessened and the sea
became less. We now, finding the brig a total wreck, began
with the boats, which we found were both stove, the long
boat having lost her four foot, and otherways damaged, and
the pinnance stove in her !aboard streak, and otherwise. We
turned them over, and patched them with lead, leather, and
blankets as well as possible ; and after they were done we
got them over the larboard gangway. It now being low
water they no :owner were over than the long-boat was
again stove, and again patched up as well us we could ; after
which we found the wind freshening and the water flowing.
We thought it best to get what was most necessary into tl7e.
boats, and seeing she could not hold together winch longer,
we all got into the two boats, each boat taking their own
way out of the surf. In the long boat there was the
Captain, Mrs. Frazer, Mr. Brown (chief officer), and eight
men ; and in the pinnace myself, the boatswain, and eight
men. After we had cleared the surf we took the long boat
in tow, she having the little provisions we had, and was in a
sinking state ; and we thought it best to keep close together
in case of an accident. After we had got the boat pro-
perly in tow we steered as nigh as I can recollect S.W., or
from that to W.S.W., being the direct course for the land ;
but at times we were obliged to keep before the wind ; and,
after encountering a number of reefs, most of them coral
reefs, we arrived on the fifth day at Cumberland Island,
which we found uninhabited by any human being. There
was a fine sandy beach for the boats ; but, not having had
much rest in the boats, it was agreed upon that we should
have a small portion of our provisions, and part of us to go
to test, while the others kept watch for fear of any wild
beast that might be up the island. After we had finished
our scanty meal the watch was set, and a large fire kept up
throughout the night. It was about twelve A.m. when we
landed ; but the time it took to get the things out of the
boats, to make the fire, and get our meat brought it was
six o'clock in the morning. It was thought most advi-
sable to keep the boats afloat, it being under the lee of
the island they were laying, .and, moreover, we did not
know but what we might be assailed by the wild beasts.
After a restless night we again began upon the boats ;
but being poorly off for tools we were compelled to do
the best we could. We rubbed the seams with soap
and grease, with a little sand to bind it, and we found
it a very good substitute for oakum. We now had the
mainland in sight, and we found it to be Repulse Bay,
and about ninety leagues from the island that we now
inhabited. After we had repaired the boats, and got what
water we could from the cavities of the rocks, we left on .
the third day, at ten o'clock in the morning, with the inten-
tion of making for the mainland, but the wind suddenly
changing we were obliged to keep the boats before the
wind. Now, this being the 30th of May, 1836, we were at
sea until the 26th of June, 1836, only having a few rock
oysters and what water we could get from the cavities of
the rock islands we came across, that was when wind and
weather would permit ; but I can assure you that we were
the last seven days without anything to eat or drink, but
only bits of lead in our mouths to moisten them. After
having staid at sea so long, and the pinnace having pre-
viously parted company, we thought it best either to draw
lots or run the risk of beaching, the last of which was
agreed upon, and we ran her ashore about four leagues to
the southward of Sandy Cape, where the natives were nu-
merous. But shortly after the boats left Cumberland Is-
land I was taken ill and obliged to give the charge of the
pinnace to the boatswain, who no sooner got her in his
possession than he ran away from us. When the boats
parted there were in the long boat the following names. 1
have marked those who escaped with their lives after all
Air miseries with an S ; those who were speared with Sp. ;
~hose who were burned with a B ; those who were drowned
.vith a D, and those who were starved to death with Sd
The long-boat's crew consisted of twelve :—Captain
Frazer (Sp.) ; Mrs. Frazer, his wife (S.) ; Mr. Brown,
first officer (B.) ; Mr. Baxter, second officer (S.) ; Joseph
Corralis, steward (S.) ; Robert Dargi, seaman (S.) ; R.
Howland, ditto (Sd.) ; Michael Doyle, ditto (D.) ; Henry
Yuilden do. (Sp.) ; William Elliott, ditto (D). ; Michael
Denny, ditto (B.) ; Robert Carey, boy (S).