The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-29 00:00:00

TRE LOSS OF THE CHINA.

The official report of the inquiry into the cireern"
stances attending the stranding of the ship China
on the Kish Bank, and her subsequent abandonment
on the 24th of February last, has been made to the
Board of Trade. After stating the circumstances
the report states that the casualty of the stranding
of this ship was owing to the default of the captain,
and to his neglect in not adopting the proper mea-
sures within his reach for her safety. Firstly, the
lead was not called into play to the extent the
circumstances required, there having been no
cast of it taken from 12 o'clock on Sunday night
till after the striking of the ship on the follow'
ing day. Secondly, the ship's journal was n(4
kept in such a manner that proper calculation
as to her position by dead reckoning could
be ascertained as well as it might otherwise
have been. Thirdly, before making the unknown
land on the forenoon of the 24th, pilot boats hove
in sight, which might have been attracted by the
China, and in that case her doubtful position would
have been ascertained, and perhaps in time t°
save her. The master, however, did not avail him-
self of the opportunity thus afforded of trying to
clear up the doubt as to his position, which he
must naturally have felt after having been upwards
of 3g hours at the mercy of calms and currents.
Fourthly, the first and second mates, being the
officers in charge of the watches, were never per'
sonally consulted by the master as to the position
of the ship with or without the chart or sailing
directions, nor were they offered access to the chart
or sailing directions, nor (save on one occasion ill
the case of the second mate) were their opinions
asked by the master ; whereas, had they aecess t°
the charts and sailing directions, and known of the
existence of the sets and currents laid down therein'
they would have been better enabled, by means i
proper soundings, to observe what the ship sce
doing, and to judge of her whereabouts. With re'
spect to the question of abandonment—passing 11
the legal points put for ward in the master's state".
ment as net being, in my mind, relevant to thy
question—l consider that here, also, blame is attri;
butable to the master. A panic having seized
crew, he too readily acquiesced, and too readily
abandoned his ship, and did not subsequentlio
make a single effort to rejoin her on the pilot 0..
doing. Having thus expressed at large my opiniel
of the captain's culpability, I beg to sub
(says the commander) to favourable consideration
j partial extenuation of his conduct, his undeniable
sobriety, and his unceasing personal aojetlf
throughout. He was continually on deck, ne/eg
resigninghrfaeesifeeble
ebebrrl
eatback,
obwku:which
nihecoii
hnsrc command,srifipcb
auecrifmeiesparing
tgta
ahninnic himself
nsoosenrfhl
efti
rthpp.ai
personally,
under
sblnnoegdni
enba
rhelgl
hyst
the
ic
further n
3trhi
hos:It:Or;
during the very long period he has been acting bo
master. The very high testimonials also which of
has adduced, together with the facts of his "el
being a native of this country, and chiefly engegoi
in trade elsewhere, I feel in justice bound t 0 4•
before your lordships in his behalf. 1 cannot euto
elude my report without particularly adverting
so
the evidence given in the course of this inquiry' ag
bearing directly on the stranding of the Chine4a,
to the importance of having pilot-boats furn:.ht
with danger signals, the timely use of which in
prevent prevent vessels in the perilous position of the Ci'aiso
before she struck from meeting her fate, and
the
as to the imperative necessity, with a view t?
more safe navigation of the port of Duhlll3_',a
having a lightship with a fog bell on the southirof
of the Coddling Bank, near the Kish. Both
these matters I deem so deserving of further
.caull,
usinddeerratiotinie, thnaottilcebeogf toy
oburirn glotrhdesinhiptsh,uhs
cisnPoeucriatb;iiiee
stmo
beit ateoaltyowuirthlaosrdybohuiPrsora,
board. I beg to trail
shi captain's cseeretraificfiatt.e,

ps may
A marringeis arranged to take place between
Thomas Fowell Buxton, son of the late Sir Edward 13115,i
ton, and LadyVictorialloel' youngest daughter of the
and Countess of Gainsborough.