The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-23 00:00:00

TRIG.HTFUL DISASTERS AT SEA.

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By the Australian mail we are put in possession of thre e
most serious losses at sea, two by fire, one being an emi -
grant ship bound to New Zealand, and the third a larg e
steamer, which was wrecked on the coast between Por t
Philip and Sydney, when between forty and fifty unfortu
nate creatures who were on board perished. The emi -
grant ship was the Mahomet Shah, Capt. Minter, coin •
mander, which left London in the early part of January'
for New Zealand, with about one hundred passengers
for the colony. Se was a well-found vessel of some
600 tons, and belonging to a Captain Meeking, her
former captain. It appears that the voyage was safe
enough until the 18th of April, when the ship was
some thousand miles to the southward of the Cape,
being in lat. 43 deg. 3 0 sec., long. 116 deg. 10 sec.
E. About noon smoke was observed to be issuing
from the forehold. It was quickly ascertained that
the ship was on fire, and every effort was made to
reach and subdue it. All the exertions of the crew failed
in suppressing it, and the general impression was that it
had originated from spontaneous combustion in the lower
part of the hold. The position of those on board the burn-
ing vessel then became most trying. Passengers and crew
were all got on deck, and the hatches battened down, in
the hope that the flames would be smothered. At this
period, a vessel, which subsequently turned out to be the
Helen, on a voyage from the Mauritius to Hobart Town,
providentially appeared in sight, and observed the signal of
distress of Mahomet Shah. She bore down towards her,
and laid by her for two days and nights. On the night
of the 19th it was quite evident that the fire was fast
extending over the whole cargo, and it was resolved to
send the passengers on board the Helen. The boats
were lowered, and they were all got safely off, the crew
quickly following. Not a vestige of their baggage could
be saved. The flames had penetrated the cabin, and all
approach below was cut off. The Helen laid off the
burning ship for several hours, and at midnight all was
completely enveloped in flames. The crew of the Helen
did all they could to alleviate the sufferings of the pas-
sengers ; but, unfortunately, their provisions were not
adequate to meet the demand. To add to their mis-
fortune, the voyage to the port to which she was bound,
Hobart Town, was a tedious one, and their rations were
dreadyu. cedutaod vtehryeylitbteleenfokode,p
tand
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longer,-
water
vaa.
tion would have set in. The Mahomed Shah was'
laden
with a general cargo of merchandise. Both were
insured.
The other unfortunate ship which suffered from the
effects of the fire was the English barque Winchester Mr.
Curry, master. She had sailed from Melbourne on the' 14th
May, for Newcastle, New South Wales. On the following
morning the wind blew very heavily from the S.W., but
moderating the captain directed some of the men to go
below to secure the stores from rolling about. When
the hands came up one of them was noticed to have a
naked lighted candle in his hand. In the course of
ten minutes some smoke was seen coming up the
after hatchway. The store-room was then discovered
to be on fire, and the crew became so confused and
alarmed, that they could scarcely be induced to act in
suppressing the flames. The ship speedily became
ignited from one end to the other, the masts falling over
the sides. The men took to the boat at an early stage
of the conflagration, and it would seem that they la-
boured under an impression that a quantity of gunpow-
der was on board, which was not the fact. The captain
and officers were preserved,
The ill-fated steamer was the Monumental City, a large
sized ship, of 1,000 tons. She had arrived at Melbourne
with a large number of passengers from the United
States, and having discharged many of them at that
port, she left for Sydney, several of the colonists taking
a passage in her. She sailed from Port Philip on the
15th of May, and then had every indication of a rapid
and pleasant trip. It is stated that she hugged the
coast too closely during the night. She was progressing
through the water at the rate of 12 knots an hour, when
she went upon a formidable reef of rocks in Malaquotta
Bay. A scene of the most painful consternation en-
sued. As the morning advanced, a terrible gale
sprung up, and the heavy bumping of the ship
on the reef soon caused her to make considerable
water. The engine fires were extinguished, and the
prospect of all was most alarming. The first boat
which was lowered was dashed to pieces ; the second
met with a similaa..fate, and the third drifted away.
The only chance of escape now lefelgrffirfinhappy crea-
tures was by the life-boat. It was got to the bow, and
a seaman named Plummer jumped into it, and, with
a rope attached, it was allowed to drift to the rocks.
but the rope broke, and all chance was then cut off.
As a last effort another line was fixed to a spar, which
floated within reach of the noble fellow on the rocks.
A hawser was then got off to the rock, and by means
of% it 54 souls were rescued from a watery grave.
Many a po6r fellow was washed off the hawser, and i
perished in the sea. Then came the last scene of all.
,The billows, were running mountains high and breaking
Over the ship, the quarter-deck was separated from the
fore-deck, then another sea split the forecastle, and no-
thing remained of the Monumental City but the float-
ing timber which covered the water. Those who were
saved were looking intently on the group cloistered
on the wreck, when it suddenly disappeared in a few
seconds, with its living burden of men, women, and
children, who were seen for a moment struggling among
the breakers, and then lost for ever. Scarcely a ves-
tige remained, and out of 86 souls who sailed from
Melbourne, 54 only reached the land, and 32 unfor-
tunately perished. The survivors obtained a supply of pro.
visions on the island on which they had been thrown. In
the course of a few days the mainland was reached, when
the authorities took charge of them. Most of the bodies of
the sufferers were thrown up on the island before the sur-
vivors left, which they interred. Amongst the passengers
who perished were Mr. Wire, stockbroker, of Glasgow ;
Mr. and Mrs. Stutts and child, Mrs. Wilson, William
O'Gorman, Charles Hopcott, Mr. Peter Stobell, Captain
White, and Mr. S. Porter. The loss of the Monumental
City will exceed 80,0001.

NOUVEAU MONDE COMPANY, The following memo-
randum has been received by this company :—" The
Nouveau Monde Company have received advices from
their superintendent in California, dated Mount Ophir,
July 9. The reports of the proceedings at the mines for
the month of June show the progress that has been
made during that time, which is very encouraging. Th e
lodes continue to increase in size without any exception,
and the quality of the quartz veins is as promising as
ever. At the Reduction Works the machinery
for grinding and amalgamating is in a forward
state, and, though several unavoidable draw.
backs have taken place, he now expresses his con-
fidence that they will be ready to commence opera.
tions without further delay. He also encloses the cer-
tificate of assay made by Messrs. Wass, Moliter, and
Co., of San Francisco, of some crushed quartz from the
Pine-tree Sett, taken from an average of 14 tons, which
yielded at the rate of $135 or 271. of gold to the ton.
These despatches are. accompanied by a report on the
mines furnished by him to the Merced Mining Company,
at their reqnest, from May 1, 1852 to May 31, 1853,
and which will be printed for the information of share.
holders and ready for distribution at the offices of the
company in the course of the week."
THE SMYTH FORGERY CASE.—The extraordinary at-
tempt at obtaining possession of estates in Gloucester-
shire and Somerset, worth nearly 30,0001. a year, con-
tinues a fruitful source of discussion, and fresh revela-
tions continue to be made as to the life of the claimant,
Dr. Smith, alias Provis, or, as he calls himsel4 " Richard Hugh Smyth." The prisoner is confined inS air
separate cell in Gloucester County Prison, and occupies
himself occasionally with writing. He declines to re-
ceive the prison diet, and his meals are supplied to him
by his wife, or, as he calls her, " Lady Smyth." Ile
refuses to attend Divine service in the prison chapel,
and represents himself as a Unitarian. He has retained
the services of a Gloucester attorney to prepare his de-
fence for his trial, which will not take place until April
next.

ROME, Aua. 13.—The Pope has consented to the
modification of the oath to be taken by the bishops in
Holland, and he has decided that these prelates may in
future take the oath of fidelity, in civil matters, to the
King and to the laws of the country.
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. THE OXFORD AND
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITIES.—The following provision in
a new act of Parliament, just printed, will prevent the
recurrence of 16 days' polling, as took place in the elec-
tion of the present Chancellor of the Exchequer for
Oxford University :—"At any election of a member or
members to serve in Parliament for either of the Univer-
sities of Oxford and Cambridge, the polling shall not
continue for more than five days at the most, Sunday,
Christmas-day, Good Friday, and Ascension-day being
excluded."
DARING BURGLARY AT LORD DENMAN'S SEAT IN
DERBYSHIRE.—On Saturday information was received of
a most daring burglary at the seat of Lord Denman, at
Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire, where property and cash
of the value of more than 500/. was stolen. Amongst
the articles was the massive gold box presented by the
corporation of London, and containing the freedom of
the city, and a pair of gold candlesticks which had been
presented to Ins lordship by her Majesty. The butrglary
was effected either on Wednesday night or Thursday
morning, and the thieves not only took the 'cash-box,
but sonic gold and silver ; and a handsome gold -watch,
which was in one of his lordship's waistcoats, was taken
also. Amongst the list of the property stolen furnished
to the police is a gold box of the value of 100/., contain-
ing
the coronation medals of George IV., William IV.,
and Queen Victoria. It is said a clue has been obtained
to the guilty parties.
PAUPERISM IN BUCKS.—The poorhouse of the Wins-
low Union was erected for 250 inmates. It has con-
tained 270 residents • but now, for the 17 pa:rishes is
the union, there are but forty inmates, and there has not
since March been an able-bodied pauper in the house.
The expenses have decreased to a similar extent. Some
of the parishes formerly paid 20s. in the pound on the
assessment, and now the average of the unioni, s alnet
9d. in the pound.