The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-27 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE KESTREL.

The Kestrel left Halifax on Thursday, the 19th
ult., at twelve o'clock P.M., having, besides the crew,
12 passengers, three of whom were for Sydney, C.B.
Owing to the thick fog encountered immediately
after leaving the harbour, she did not reach the latter
place until the afternoon of Saturday, where, having
landed her passengers and mail for the Admiral's
ship (then in port), and taken in coals, she proceeded
on her way to Newfoundland at five P.M.
On Sunday night the weather was very hazy, the
wind blowing from the S.W. This continued all day
on Sunday, the fog growing more dense as the vessel
neared the Newfoundland coast. Captain Meagher
w as
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out on the part of the crew. The course steered was
one point more off the shore than he had ever allowed
in any of his previous voyages, and one which he
imagined would take him clear of every danger.
The ship, after leaving Sydney, averaged about 9i-
knots per hour, and every one on board fully expected
to be in St. John's early on Monday morning. All
went on well till half-past ten o'clock on Sunday
night, when, without the slightest previous intimation
of danger, the captain at the time being on deck, and
a sharp look-out kept from the forecastle, the ship go -
ing ten miles an hour, she struck against the rocks,
which subsequently proved to be inside of the
western head of the much-dreaded bay of St. Shott's.
At first the shock was not violent, owing probably
to the jib-boom and bowsprit taking the cliff in
succession as the vessel ranged ahead. The engine
was instantly stopped and backed, and the engineer—
to whom too much praise cannot be given—imme-
diately took all necessary steps for preventing danger
from the boilers, by letting off the steam and
drawing the fires. No effect being produced by this,
as the packet was under all sail, the captain ordered
the foremast to be cut away. The sea at this time
was very heavy, and breakers on every side almost
prevented the hope of saving the lives of those on
board.

Captain Meagher ordered a boat to be lowered,
and into this four passengers jumped, two of them
being females, and with two of the crew pushed
off from the wreck, with the lead line attached
to establish a communication with the vessel should
they be able to effect a landing. This, however,
was found to be impracticable, owing to tremen-
dous surf running, and after a time they cast loose
the line and made out to sea, and next morning, at
eight o'clock, ran the boat on shore on the beach of
St. Shott's, having suffered dreadfully from cold and
exhaustion during the night; the females having left
the wreck as they came from their beds.
All this time the vessel was beating with terrific
violence upon the rocks, and threatened every mo-
ment to go to pieces. At length a way of escape
was made clear, through the goodness of God. The
carpenter, Mr. Wm. Espie, to whose exertions, under
Providence, the passengers thankfully attribute the
preservation of their lives, succeeded in throwing a
handspike into the cleft of a perpendicular rock, and by
means of a rope attached climbed up to a place of
safety. A hawser was then got on shore, and the
passengers and crew drawn up from the wreck, which
immediately afterwards filled and fell over. At
daylight the horrors of the scene were more clearly
revealed. The sea was making a clear breach over
the vessel, and several of the oxen, of which there were
14 on board, besides a horse and several sheep, were
seen lying dead in the raging waters.
The captain all this time was doing everything in
his power, and was, with the mate, the last to leave
the wreck. He succeeded, through the exertions of
his crew, who by the delay caused by the act lost
everything save the clothes they had on, in saving the
mail bags, which were hauled up by another party at
the same moment as the passengers. It is to be hoped
that this attention to their duty will not be lost sight
of by the authorities here, but that some mark of
good•will may be shown without delay to these poor
shipwrecked men by the benevolent people of St.
John's.

Having been very kindly received by the two fami-
lies of the Finlays living at St. Shott's, several of the
passengers crossed overland to Trepassey, from whence
a boat was immediately dispatched for the conveyance
of the people and mails to St. John's, where they
arrived safe on Monday evening last.
We are happy to learn that the Kestrel was insured
to the amount of 10,0001. sterling ; but the incon-
venience and loss to the company must be con-
siderable.

We learn from one of the passengers in the Kestrel
that a large barque was seen on shore at Freshwater,
Trepassey Bay. The crew of the wreck were
engaged in erecting camps, and " making all snug."
—Greenock Advertiser.

Yesterday (Sunday) being the anniversary of the
birthday of his Royal Highness Prince Albert, the bells
of the several metropolitan churches rang merry peals,
the royal standard was hoisted on the various public
buildings, and on the shipping lying in the Thames, and
at two o'clock the Park and Tower guns fired a royal
salute.

LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY.—The Royal mail steam-
ship Niagara, Captain Lang. kit the Mersey this after-
noon for Halifax and New York, carrying out the usual
North American mails and a full complement of passen-
gers.