The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-19 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE HONOURABLE COMPANY'S

STEAM FRIGATE MOZUFFER.

We regret to announce the total loss of the Hon.
Company's steam-frigate Mozuffer, one of the
finest vessels belonging to the Indian navy. She
had ou board a portion of the Arracan Light Bat-
talion, which she was to convey from Akyab to
Rangoon, and which has had a very providential
escape.
The following are the particulars of the loss, by
a correspondent who was on board at the time of
the wreck. His letter is dated Rangoon, the 22d
July

" After leaving the Sandheads we crossed the bay all
right, and everything was going on pretty 11
exception of the weather, which was thick and
down from
e, with the
foul. We
first touched at Khyouk Phyoo, n
there the pilot, who was well and
duatinted with the
Arracan coast, in the navigation of which the cap-
tain and officers of the ship were inexperienced. We
had remained nearly two days at Khyouk Phyoo,
where we were joined by the Zenobia, and the two ships
embarked tie Arracan Battalion for Rangoon. On
leaving the port and getting to sea, we soon left our
consort hull down, and held on down the Arracan
Coast at a rapid pace. The first night it blew half a
gale, and we must have been going at a very high rate
of speed, but I believe that the ship was only allowed
nine knots an hour in the dead reckoning and the log.
The next day and night were so foul and overcast that
no observation could be taken, and the consequence was
that on the third day the captain was necessarily igno-
rant of the ship's position, and no one else on board was
better informed. On the fourth day land was seen, but
as it presented no known peculiarity, and everything
was murky and indistinct, we kept off and on, endea-
vouring to make out where we were, until at length
approaching too close, the ship took the ground. At
low water we were high and dry on a fine firm sand
bank, the people from the vessel walking about and tak-
ing a full and leisurely view of the poor Mozuffer, from
her keel up to her hammock-nettings. But her fatal hour
had not yet arrived, for that night at high water she
floated, we hacked off the bank and anchored in safe
water. Next morning we got up our anchor and set off
again on a voyage of discovery, and had not made much
run when the leadsman sang out 41 fathoms from the
chains. At this moment th captain was busily intent
in catching with his glass the Palmyra trees at the mouth
of the Rangoon river, and did not hear the cry of the
leadsman, who presently gave 31 fathoms, and almost
immediately after 21 fathoms—and we were aground.
There was a kind of Veluti-voiced boy to pass on the
soundings from, the leadsman to the place where the
captain was, and I suppose that the squealing of
this fellow could not have been heard, or we should
never have been allowed to shoal in this rapid and fatal
manner. In all probability this fine ship would
have been saved had a broad-chested, full-voiced fellow
been the medium of communication. The Palmyra trees
were made out just at the moment we took the ground,
and it was then obvious that we had overrun our esti-
mated course and the mouth of the river considerably,
by the great speed at which she had been going after
leaving Khyouk Phyoo on Monday, the 11th. This
time Friday, the 15th, the ship had taken up a fatal
position on the Sheeing quicksands, 11 miles to the
eastward of the Rangoon river, with all the fore part of
the vessel, from the engine-room forward to her bow, on
the bank, but a considerable depth of water astern. At
night she was nearly off, nay, I believe was actually
afloat again ; but the backing of the engines was, as it
would seem, stopped too soon, and the tide immediately
drove her on the bank again never more to float. At
the time she was actually backing off, there was such
infernal noise and confusion on board that the captain
could not hear the announcement that she was going
astern and the water abaft deepening, and so her only
chance of escape was lost. She now began to evince
unequivocal symptoms of dissolution, for on Saturday
morning one of her boilers was forced up and the
steam pipes destroyed in consequence, and at the
same time it was obvious that her bottom under the
machinery was seriously injured, and as the engines
began to evince strong symptoms of a desire to part
company, and there were ten feet of water in the
ship, the orlop deck where the passengers' baggage
was stowed being by this time under water. This day,
Saturday, we started off the ship's gig to Rangoon, some
45 miles or so distant, to give the authorities there intel-
ligence of what had happened, and of our position and
condition, and fortunately the boat made that place the
same night in safety. On Sunday morning we had the
pleasure of hearing our guns answered, and before long
the Pluto and Zenobia hove in sight, and it being high
water, the former ran alongside of us, the Zenobia an-
choring at a short distance from the wreck. We were
not long in shifting everything we could save and our
precious seives on board the two steamers, and we
reached this place (Rangoon) on Sunday night; fatigued,
harassed, and dirty, as you may easily imagine. Had
Saturday night been blowy, there is no knowing what
might have occurred to us all ; but the weather favoured
our escape. They were busy after we left in getting
everything they could out of the Mozuffer, and for a
short time entertained the idea of endeavouring to float
her by means of empty casks, but the futility of such an
attempt soon became obvious, for she began to settle in
the quicksand on which she grounded, and is now aban-
doned and I believe invisible."
Such is the account furnished of the loss of this fine
ship. Space does not now permit of our making any
remarks upon the catastrophe, and as the whole affair
will necessarily come under the investigation of a marine
court, we are not anxious to say anything about it at
present.

EGYPT.
ALEXANDRIA, SEPT. 9.
The city exhibits for the moment a peculiar
dearth of news, eitherl political or commercial.
The former is
steam-frigate
to the arrival of her Ma-
j_e.cstY,-..'s .a Firebrand from the coast
rildeoCridellc along which, in consequence of the
denomination's to offer insult to Christians of all
the commande,r.i.t has been thought necessary by
he dispatched. isniicehief that a steam frigate should
will proceed to re' . takes pratique to-morrow, and
sika the same evening.
the British squadron at Be-
The Austrian fnein7g. Bellona arrived from Sudo,
on the 3d, and left yesterday.
The Peninsular an
n
Company's steam-ship Eicx?ntal Steam Navigation
ii gland
after a fine passage, at
da
er average out exceede,C ilighte arrived fromE
I on the 2d instant.
half a knot per hour. She has contract speed by
arrival of the Precursor (
•steaan-:hel waiting the
company), whose arrival at Suez has been
the same
known by horse express. The mails,' been made
and cargo are expected early to-morrow,
Euxine will be enabled to get away d' and the
during the
day.
The inhabitants of this city and those of Cairo
were at the latter end of last month interested at
the sight of a comet of some magnitude.
His Highness the Pacha quitted Don El Bieyda
yesterday for the palace erecting for him at Mount
Sinai. By the last French steam-ship, two Italian
surgeons of eminence arrived for the purpose o
performing an operation upon his Highness for fis-
tula. These professional gentlemen are, it is re-
ported, retained for the period of six months at a
salary of 3,000 dollars each per month.
The Government of his Highness has, at the re-
quest of the American Consul General, decided
upon appointing an agent to visit the Grand Exhi-
bition of New York. The party selected for this
office is Rouchdy Bey, who having received a very
liberal education in the French capital, and posses-
sing European ideas, is looked upon as an excellent
choice.

The feast of the Courban Beirarn, in commemo-
ration of the sacrifice of the ram by Abraham, com-
mences on the 13th.

A French engineer having, on the sth instant,
invited a few friends to dine with him at Coulomb's
Hotel, Cairo, was unfortunately sitting astride the
balcony of his apartment, when he lost his balance,
and was killed by the fall.
Produce is still expected (spite of the present
calm) to reach higher prices, upon the arrival of
next mail.

The Exchange on London at three months' date
is 981 piasters pound.

MALTA.

MALTA, SEPT. 14
The overland mail has brought dates from Co.n-