The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-01 00:00:00

The Wreck of the Duncan Dunbar.

Yesterday an official inquiry, instituted by direc-
tion of the Board of Trade, was commenced at the
Greenwich Police-court, before Mr. Traill, the
magistrate, and Captain Baker and Captain•ilun-
ter, as nautical assessors, into the circumstances at-
tending the wreck of the Duncan Dunbar, passen-
ger ship, on the 7th of October last, on the reef
known as Les Roccas, on the east coast of Brazil,
while on a voyage from London to Sydney, New
South Wales. Mr. C. J. Cottingham, barrister,
attended for Captain Swanson ; Mr. Peter Gellatly,
of the firm of Gellatly and Son, for the owners of
the ship ; and Mr. Worsley, barrister, for the second
officer of the ship. Mr. O'Dowd attended to con-
duct the inquiry on behalf of the Board of Trade,
and detailed the circumstances of the shipwreck,
already reported in the newspapers. He observed
that had a beacon been upon the island it was im-
possible but that it must have been observed on the
evening of the wreck, and if the placing of such a
beacon on the island situated in such a high road
from Europe to the Antipodes, whether by the
Brazilian Government or not, was the only result of
the present inquiry, the inquiry would have proved
most useful. He then called John Cooke, the first
officer, who said that beholds a certificate of com-
petency as first mate, dated July 6, 1865, previous
to which he had held a certificate as second mate
four years. He had served one year as third and
two years as second officer on board the Dun-
can Dunbar. Having given evidence of the vessel
leaving London on her last voyage, he said that
at noon, on the 7th of October, the ship's posi-
tion was lat. 256 S., and 33 10 W. The wind at
five o'clock on that day was S.E. by S., and the
ship, which was steering .a S.W. course, was going
about seven knots an hour. About six o'clock the
ship fell off a point, but came up again almost
instantaneously, and she was kept on the same
course. At this time, also, a seaman was sent up to
the foretopsail-yard, looking out for breakers ahead
and Les Roccas, although, according to his (wit-
ness's) working of the dead-reckoning of the ship,
he believed they had passed 17 miles to the eastward
of Les Roccas. About dusk the second officer was
sent aloft. At 8 o'clock his (witness's) watch com-
menced, and the captain then ordered him, after
stationing the seamen, to go aloft and relieve the
second officer on the main deck, and he told him
there was "curious water ahead," and he was going
to tell the captain. Witness then went aloft, and
when on the lower topsail yard he called out
Breakers ahead." The ship, which almost imme-
diately struck, had gone of three or four points pre-
viously, and afterwards came head to wind. In
answer to questions the witness said no cast of the
lead was taken on the evening of the wreck. Ac-
cording to the chart produced the ship struck on the
north-west portion of the reef, and to the northward
of the spot where a beacon was marked as formerly
being placed. He had made four voyages to Sydney,
and had sighted Pernambuco, but had never before
been so far westward as Les Roccas. There was an
allowance made of two knots an hour for westwardly
currents and lee way. He remembered making the
alterations in the logbook, pointed out at the time
the original entries were made, and which was entered
in mistake. His opinion was that had the second
officer sung out when he first saw danger, and the
helm of the ship been put up or down, the vessel
might have cleared the reef. After some evidence
as to the course adopted with the view of saving the
ship after the wreck, the inquiry was adjourned.

BREAKFAST BEVERAGE.—Romaeopathic practitioners, and
the medico profession generally, recommend cocoa a-. Le.ng
t e most healthful of alt beverages. When the doctrine of
homoeopathy was first introduced into this country, there
were to be obtained no preparations of cocoa either attrac-
tive to the taste or acceptat le to the stomach ; the nut was
either tinp2lied in the crude state, or so unskilfully manu-
factured as to obtain little notice. J. Epps, of London,
homoeopathic chemist, was induced in the year 1839 to turn
his attention to this subje.t, and at length suc•eeded, with
the assistance of elaborate machinery, in being the first to
produce an article pure in its composition, aid so refined by
the pert et trituration it receives in the process it passes
,hrough, as to be most acceptable to the delicate stomach.
For general use Epps' cocoa is distitu uished as an invigo-
rating, grateful breakfast beverage, with a delLious aroma
Dr. Hassall in his work. "Food and its Adulterations,"
says—" Cocoa contains a great variety of important nutritive
principles; every ingredient necessary to the growth and
sustenance of the body." Again, "As a nutritive, cocoa
stands very much higher than either coffee or tea." Direc-
tions : —Two teaspoon (tile of the powder in a breakfast cup,
fitted up with boiling water or milk. Secured in tin-lined
1-Ib., i-lb , and llb. labelled packets, and sold at is. Od. per
lb. by grocers, confectioners, and chemists.