The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-22 00:00:00

Lieutenant Rogers directions, thai every order that
had been issued by me were to be considered in full
force and strictly obeyed as though he had given
them, until he saw it necessary to countermand
them ; the lead was certainly not hove awing the
time I have mentioned ; I am not aware of the pe-
riod of taking a departure from the Portland lights;
I set them myself at about 20 mint es past 6 ;
between that period and eleven o'clock, I might have
been on deck seven or eight times. From the ge-
neral orders of the ship I had given, the officers of
the watch had full power to do any thing to avoid
danger, making me acquainted after it was 'done;
but were we coming into soundings, I should then
consider that neither the master or officers of the
watch should try for soundings without my permis-
sion. The master (Mr. Hodges) sailed with me
three years in the Wolf, and a short period before, I
think, in the Daring. He was generally careful in
making the land and attending to the lead. To the
best of my judgment, the ship struck the first time
about 20 minutes before midnight. The ship was
rounding to at the time ; her head when I came on
deck was about S.E. by S. About 20 minutes
elapsed between her first striking and her getting
fixed on the rock. After she first struck, she cer-
tainly went no course a-head. 1 do not think the
ship's head ever went higher with her sails full than
S.L. and S.; he should think the ship was looking
along the shore when she first struck.
Mr. Frederick Griffin, midshipman, Thomas
Hunt, quarter-master, and William Bradley, seaman,
were severally called ; they corroborated the pre-
ceding evidence.
Captain • Russell being then called on for his de-
fence, stated that he was not aware of any prohibi-
tion to attempt the Needles passage in the night.
That as soon as he was informed by the master that
he considered the ship had run a sufficient distance,
and that he thought it prudent to stand off till the
morning, he gave immediate orders for that purpose,
and it was in the act of rounding the ship to, she
took the ground. That it would be proved that the
unusual easterly set of the current could not have
been fairly calculated upon by persons coming from
abroad. That the reason the hand lead was not
used, was the impossibility of reaching the bottom

at the rate they were going.
The defence of Mr. Hodges, the master, was
then read by his professional adviser, T. A. Minchin,
Esq. He attributed the accident to the flood-tide
having for several days before run much stronger
and longer than usual, of which he could pot be
aware ; that it was much beyond what he then cal-
culated upon-; that it had entirely thrown the ship
out of the course he intended and thought her to
be in.

Vv
John Long, a pilot, in behalf of the defence, was
called in and sworn. He deposed that the tide and
easterly set, occasioned by a heavy westerly swell,
was unusually strong ; and that had he been coming
to England from abroad, he should not have been
aware of such an unusual set; did not think there
was any impropriety in ►he ship running for the
Needles passage, after having had so good a sight
of the Portland Lights; were he in a vessel, leaving
the Portland Lights, bearing N.W. by W., distance
five leagues, he should, in thick weather, run 13
miles towards the Needles point.
The Court was then cleared, and agreed that his
Majesty's said sloop was run ashore at the hack of
the Isle of Wight, on the night of the 16th of March
inst., by the inattention and neglect of the said
Robert Russell, Esq., her Commander, and of Mr.
Richard Hodges, her Master, by not making a pro-
per alloWance for the flood-tide, and by disobeying
the standing orders stated in the general printed in-
structions, at page 87 ; that on all occasions when a
ship is in pilot water, or in the neighbourhood of
land, of rocks, and of shoals, the Captain is to take
particular care that the lead be kept constantly going
whether the Pilot or Master think it necessary or
not; and at page 107, that the Master is to be al-
ways attentive to the manner in which she is con-
ducted, and to see the lead carefully hove, and cloth
therefore adjudge the said Commander, Robert
Russell, Esq., to be dismissed his Majesty's service,
and the said Mr. Richard Hodges, to be severely
reprimanded, and placed at the bottom of the list of
Masters of the Navy.—Hampshire Telegraph.