The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-19 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF 7HE LIMA STEAMER.

(OFFICIAL REPORT.)
Greenwich Police Court, Nov. 13, 1562.
My Lords,—ln compliance with your lordships' instruc-
tions, I have, with the assistance of Captains Harris and
Baker, as nautical assessors, and under the provisions of
the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and of the Amendment
Act, 1862, made inquiry into the loss of the steamship Lima,
on the coast of Bolivia, in South America, and I beg leave
to transmit for your lordships' information a minute of the
proceedings, and the decision adjudging the certificate of
Henry William Sivell, chief mate of the ship, to be sus-
pended for three calendar months. The Lima was a paddle-
wheel iron steamship, of 1,165 tons, built in the year 1851,
owned by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, and
employed in the conveyance of mails and passengers, and
in the general traffic of the company, between the ports of
Panama and Valparaiso. The Lima appears to have been
a well built, well found, and properly manned ship, and in
all respects adapted for the station and trade in which she
was employed, and was under the command of Henry
Wyld, a skilful and experienced officer, holding a Board of
Trade certificate of competency as extra master. Besides
the captain, there was a chief mate, Mr. Henry William
Sivell, also holding a Board of Trade certificate of compe-
tency, dated 1858, two other mates, and a crew, all hands
included, of about 65 men. The Lima took her departure
from Panama for Valparaiso on the 24th of June last, hav-
ing on board between 40 and 60 passengers, the usual mails,
300 to 400 tons of general cargo, and some specie, and
reached the port of Cobija, in Bolivia, between 9 and 10 p.m.
of the 10th of July,:proceeding from thence on her voyage
at 11 25 the same night. About 35 miles to the southward
of Cobija the land projects beyond the general line of coast,
from a point called Low Point, in the neighbourhood of
Mount Mesillones, to another point called Point called
Tetos, a distance of 26 miles. About midway of this dis-
tance is a high land called Mount Jorgino, between which
and Point Tetos, nearly in a direct line, lie three rocks,
forming a reef, at a distance of half a mile from the shore.
These rocks, though hardly visible above water, are easily
discernible, by reason of the wash of the sea over them.
The whole of this line of coast is bold and precipitous,
without soundings, even close to the shore; but as the
wind blows almost invariably from the south alongshore,
and seldom with any violence, and as there is hardly any
perceptible tide or current, or anything to affect a ship's
course, except the regular swell of the Pacific) towards
the land, it is usual to keep closer in shore than might be
considered proper under different circumstances. The
course of the Lima after leaving Cobija will be found in
the statements of the Captain and Chief Mate, and are as
follows :—At 11 40, off False Point, the point was set S. by
W. I W., and so kept till about midnight. when it was
altered to S. by W. W. At 3 a.m. of the 11th of July the
course was altered to S. E., Mount Mesillones bearing
S.E., which course was steered till 3.45 a.m., when the ship
was hauled half a point to the eastward, making her course
S. by E., Mount Mesilones and Low Point being then both
in a line, bearing east a-beam, the latter distant about three
miles. At this time Mount Jorgino was distinctly visible,
I well open on the port bow, distant about ten miles. The
captain then went below, thinking (as he says) " that, it
being bright moonlight and clear, the land being distinctly
visible, and the chief officer's (Mr. Sivell) watch coming on
in a quarter of an hour, he went to his room on deck and
took off his clothes, having the greatest confidence in the
safety of the ship, aid remained in his cabin until the ship
struck. At 4.16 the chief mate came on deck (it being his
watch) and received the course (S. by E.) from the officer
' of the watch, the second mate, by whom he was told to call
the captain when abreast of Tetos Point, At this time
Low Point bore about a point abaft the beam, about two
miles off, the ship going about 81i knots, and the coast being
distinctly visible; that on taking charge of the ship he
walked about, looked occasionally at the compass, and to
see that the look-outs were at their posts, one on the
bridge and one on the forecastle ; that about half-past
four he looked at the standard compass, and saw that the
ship was not steering higher than S. E., when ho ordered
the helmsman to starboard a spoke or two (asking him why
he did not keep the ship her course), and steadied the
ship at S. by E. ; that on passing Mount Jorgino,
about 5 a.m., he noticed that they neared the land, dis•
tent about half •a-mile ; that at this time he called the hands
up to wash decks, and they were so engaged when the ship
struck; that she took the ground upon the centre rock of a
reef of three rocks laid 'down in they chart, but {not
named, situated about 6i miles S. W. of Mount Jorgino.
It appears further, by the statements of the master and
mate, that every attempt was made to get the ship off, but
without effect, and she became a total wreck, the passen-
gers, crew, mails, specie, and part of the cargo, being saved
and landed at Cobija. It appears that, six days after the
wreck on the 17th July, depositions of the master, chief and
second mates, and some of the crew, were taken by the con-
sul at Cobija; but as these depositions have not been trans-
mated, certified in strict conformity with the Act of Parlia-
ment, they were not considered admissible in evidence. In
this state of the case one of three courses was to be adopted
—viz.: Ist. To return the certificates of master and mate
notwithstanding their sum statements, which appeared to
criminate them, or one of them. 2dly. To adjourn the