The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-19 00:00:00

THE WRECK OF THE COLOMBO.

The following brief particulars respecting this event are
from the Friend of India, of Nov, 27th he following
telegram was received in Bombay on Tuesday evening, the
25th inst. :—" The Peninsular and Oriental CompanYe
steamer Colombo struck on north end o;: Minicoy Island on
the morning of the 19th inst. Passengers and crew all saved.
Mails partially saved. Ship become a total wreck. Peed.
Mails
sengers all well. Send assistance immediately."
telegram reached Bombay about seven p.n.'., and was
shortly afterwards confirmed by another. FOrtAnately
n !he
there were seven of the company's vessels lying' i
harbour at the time, and Captain Black with a pm Ise'
worthy promptness at once issued instructions for t,,-13
of them to be at once prepared for sea. The Ottawa
and the Azoff were the vessels selected to proceed to
the scene of the disaster ; the former left yesterday even-
ing, and will take on the mails and passengers to Suet;
the latter leaves this day, and on her arrival will stay bY
the wreck to render assistance. As an instance of the energy
and zeal displayed by the company's employes in an emer-
gency of this kind, it may be mentioned that under ordi
nary circumstances it would probably have taken three or
four days to prepare the Ottawa for sea. She had neither
coal, provisions, nor water, on board. Her boilers, more-
over, were out of order, and required nearly 150 new tubes.
Notwithstanding all this she was full equipped and ready for
sea in less than 16 hours from the first order being Bi/ea.
The following description of the Island of Minicoy is takea
from Horsburgh's Directory : " Minicoy or Malicoy
will'
(the centre) in lat. 8 deg. 17 min. N., long. 73 deg. 7
E., is about six-and-a-half miles in length and half 1",
mile in breadth, extending in the form of a crescent'
from N.E. to S.W. with the concave side to tl‘°,,
N,W., where a circular coral reef projects about Or,e:,
miles, and is joined to the extremes of the island on
reef near the west point of the island. There is an isle''
with trees on it, and at the north end of the island there If°
a passage through the reef, with two fathoms—the deepest'
water, through which the boats and small vessels pass ; hut.
it is narrow and intricate. When the boats are within the
reef, the water is deeper, 2t and 3 fathoms over a bottom of
hard coral, but chains would be necessary to secure a vessel
were there any swell. This island is very populous, and
the natives are hospitable ; it is well-planted with cocoa-nut
trees, and may be seen from the deck of a large ship about
3i or 4 leagues." It is doubtless on the coral reef mentioned
that the vessel struck. As to how the accident occurred
we have no means of ascertaiPing at present. She arrive
at Galle on the 16th instant aril left again after the usual
detention. The Azeff, which arthit.'d here on the 21st, er
perienced very thick weather off G;311:e, but little wind with
it. "We had no observation," said ail officer of that ves-
sel, "for five days, and only knew f..h,lt we were in our
course by passing the Malta." The Coto, mho,
in all pr.e•ill
bability, was similarly overtaken, terminetog, unhapp
for her, in a result as disastrous as it was tolleeked-f°r.
Divers were sent in the Ottawa, and Capt. Black; the el.
pany's superintendent, we believe, proceeds in the Az!
The unfortunate steamer is a hopeless wreck, 11.-1v132:
parted midships, and her loss adds another to the lOnc,
list of casualties this great company have suffered, the full
particulars of which it will doubtless be some time ere sr°
receive. The Bernice and the Victoria, Indian navy
steamers, were both placed at the disposal of the Peninsw
lar and Oriental Company by Government, but their ser
vices were not required.

COUNTRY MA _it-ILL:a: 6:

~.

MANCHESTER—DEC. 18.
This morning at our market there was rather bett.e,
sale for Englishwheat, at the currencies of last week, il;
American advanced 2d to 3d per 1001bs, with a modern
demand. Flour still moved off slowly, but no chL'inge oa Wci)e'
place in price. Oats and oatmeal only a limited
Indian corn and English beans as before.

BIRMINGHAM—DEo. 18. A 409
English wheat was sold at 54s to 60s for white, to
to 56s per 36 stone for red. Barley, new malting,
42s per qr ; grinding, 26s to 30s Oats, old, 265 to ov
per 30 stone; Irish, 22s to 255. Beans, 41s to 44s per (11.'
Peas, 40s to 48s per 36 stone.

PLYMOUTH—DEc. 16.
The corn market very dull, and purchases of wheat cci
fined to retail sales. Malting barley active ; grinding due;
—'White, 56s to 60s; red, 54s to 56s per qr; Dantzic/ ("4,
to Ns; American, 51s to 55s ; Spanish, —s to —$ ;
sian, —s to —s. Barley at previous rates-34s to 38s„„1"- a
qr for malting ; grinding, 27s to 288 ; oats, 23s to 278
"" •
beans, —s to —s; flour, 38s to 41s Od.

EDINBURGH GRAIN—DEC. 17.
A good supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which brought
fully the prices of this day week. The business trans'
acted again showed a slight improvement.
Wheat on the top 4s Od down ..... " average Os Zd, %Pa
o
Barley on the top la Od down .average le
Oats on the top 2s 6d up average Os au
g'°-
Beans on the top is down.... average 3s 2d

_
Total Supply and Sales.
Wheat ... 629 qrs Sold 418 qrs
8ar1ey........1913 qrs Sold 1332 qrs
Oats
Beans 4l qrs Sold 26 qrs •
4ss Od ;
Flour sells as follows :—Whites, 45s Od ; extras,
superfine, 41s Od ; fine, 39s Od.

CORK—DEC. 17.
BEd
The following were the quotations this morning
wheat, 16s Od to 23s 6d ; white, 22s Od to 27s Od, barley, tv
Od to 15s Od ; oats, 7s Od to 14s Od. ; new here, —s
-8 Od.

DERBY SMITHFIELD—Dm 16.
Beet 6d to 61d Veal 7d to Ticti
Mutton .. - Pork
'
Lamb —4l to —d Rough fat, 4s Od per goo
Hides, 3d to 41d; calf skins, 5d to 6d.