The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-25 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE SLOOP RACEHORSE.

[Further Particulars.]
Official accounts were received on Saturday at
the Admiralty of the loss of his Majesty's sloop
Racehorse, Captain SUCKLING, in attempting to
enter the harbour of Douglas, Isle of Man, osi
the night of the 14th inst. The following letter
on the subject will be found interesting :
" This vessel had been ordered from the Plymouth station
to the Isle of Man, as convoy for the Vigilant cutter, Lieu-
tenant Read, which had been disabled in a heavy gale in

Douglas Bay, on the 16th of October, and obliged to cut
away her mast and throw her guns overboard : she was with
much difficulty brought into the harbour there, and, after
having undergone a temporal repair, was to have proceeded to
Plymouth under convoy, as above stated. The Racehorse left
Milford-Haven early on Saturday morning, the 14th instant.--
After taking a pilot on board, she proceeded for her destination.

—They made the island between two or three p. m., but the
weather being thick, and the night pitchy dark, the pilot, it is
supposed, on nearing the shore, mistook the Bay of Castle-
town, which is very capacious, for that of Douglas, and about
half-past five, when the land was descried close to them, in at-
tempting to enter the bay, the vessel struck upon Langness
Point, which is surrounded by tremendous and almost perpen-
dicular rocks. All hopes of saving her was at once given up,
as she filled instantly, and the pumps became totally useless.—
Guns of distress, with rockets, false fires, and other signals,
were made for assistance' from shore ; but the wind blowing
directly into the bay, and being rather fresh, two boats only
could be procured that would venture out to their assistance,
which they did with lanterns in their bows; and many of the
inhabitants rushed from the town, in a most dismal night,
to the head, which is full three miles from it, and over the
greatest part very dangerous, from the rocks and broken
ground to be passed, and this in the hope of being useful to
the unfortunate sufferers. At the time she struck, the Captain
and Senior Lieutenant were both on deck, and it appeared that
no fault whatever can be attributed to the officers on this me-
lancholy occasion.
" It now became necessary to save the lives of the crew ;
and such was the excellent discipline on board the ship, that
not a man attempted to quit her without orders. We under-
stand that the Captain had the roll called of the crew, and on
each man's name being called over, he stepped into the boat,
when an officer was named to descend and take charge of it,
and to land if possible among the rocks, of which there ap-
peared but little hopes, as the sea was beating over them with
great violence. Happily for all but the last boat, this diffi-
culty was completely overcome, as by this time fires were made
with straw in different directions near the wreck, where there
was any hopes of their landing in security.
" The Captain, First Lieutenant, and a Master's Mat-,(Mr.
Bone) came by the last boat, which, unfortunately, was rather
crowded, and consisted of seventeen persons, Captain Suck.
ling being the last man who quitted the ship. 'When at some
distance from the rocks, the boat unfortunately upset, by which
all were left to shift for themselves. The Captain, being a good
swimmer, was saved with much difficulty; as were the Lieute-
nant, some of the sailors, and some of the boat's crew ; but Mr.
Bone, the fisherman who commanded the boat (which was one
that went out to their assistance), five of the crew of the Race-
horse, and two men belonging to the boat were drowned, mak-
ing a total of nine persons who perished on this melancholy oc-
casion ; and when all circumstances are considered, it is won-
derful that no more lives were lost.

" By this sudden catastrophe the officers have lost every thing
but what they had on their backs ; yet the object that creates
commiseration is the widow of the fisherman who commanded
the boat, and so gallantly lost his life on the occasion : she had
just been delivered of her eighth child, and has, by these means
been deprived of all her hopes in this life, which depended sole-
ly on her husband's exertions; it is not, however, doubted but
that Government will handsomely provide for her—it is the least
recompense she can expect.
" It has been ascertained that most of the bodies of the un.
fortunate sufferers have been recovered from the watery deep.
Those of Mr. Bore, and the fisherman (Quayle), during the
course of the day, and 40r5 of the seamen since. The former
is to be conveyed to Malew church, and his remains will be at-
tended to the place of interment by the whole of his brother
officers, &c."