The Sun.
London, England, 1824-10-30 00:00:00

THE GULF OF CAMBAY.

This terrific Gulf is well described by Capt.
SELLY, in his " WONDERS of Er,oaA."—" It
is," he says, " full of shifting sands ; and the
spring tides rush in from the sea with an incon-
ceivable force, fury, and noise, than which nothing
can be more horrific or alarming. The noise
made by the approaching waters in quitting the
great deep may be faintly likened to the very,
loudest thunder, and it tumbles into this great re-
servoir at a rate of not less than 8 or 9 miles an
hour.*

At these awful periods (for it Is at night they rise and rage
most furiously) all nature appears heavy, sullen, and silent;
not a breeze disturbs the waters in their impetuous and irresist-
ible course ; the full moon only tends to show the horrors and
dangers of the scene; the vessel (Pattamars) will neither steer
nor pull; hurried on by one frightful whirlpool into the vortex
of another, she whirls about, and is driven along, regardless
either of oars or helm. To anchor is impossible ; for she would
be buried in the overwhelming mass of waters. To sail is
equally impracticable, for want of wind ; and even if there were
any, the helm is utterly useless ; and every foot you are im-
pelled carries you only nearer a sand-bank, which, if you touch,
the boat goes over directly ; the soundings in the same minute
varying front 14 fathoms to two fathoms. In this state were
we, in a boat of about 70 tons, with many native passengers,
and a guard of Siphauees, for nearly two nights and a whole
day. At last, being in imminent danger and seeing one Patin-
mar, out of a fleet of five, on a bank, it became necessary to
take some precautions, in case of accident. One was, to load
two of the Siphauees' muskets, in case of too many people
rushing into the small boat, which towed astern ; the next was,
to secure my papers: and I intimated, in the best way I could,
(and believe me, it was a trying communication, at two in the
morning, with a beloved wife and two young children,) to pre-
pare for an escape, amidst this conflict of waters and sand. I
desired my wife to take out of ker boxes two or three valuable
shawls, and a box of jewellery t. Her reply to me was, " Never
mind that trash; I must look after the goat, and get some wood
and a flint, to make a fire, and warm the children's milk." Few
women would have shewn so much presence of mind, or more
maternal affection, at such a melancholy time. Our servants,
male and female, were stupefied with fear, except my Parsee,
who very philosophically sat in the stern of the small boat, with
a loaded musket, to prevent any one entering without my per-
mission; a service for which he volunteered ; and there were
military objections to thus employing the Siphauees.
These furious periods of the title's approach and retreat lasted
about the first quarterof each tide, when the violence and noise
in some measure subsided ; and we generally got in-shore for
a short time before the returning tides commenced their fury ,
but the strength of the waters abated but little. I have known
several persons shipwrecked : Captain Bond, and Lieutenant
be "tang+ Ice. Proceeding by the Gulf of Cambay is a sav-
ing of nearly :100 miles of journey : it can only be navigated at
spring tides.— (Dorset Ch rankle.)
• I have see the water of' the Ganger running at 10 knots,
and my boat at that time half full of water: this was in a
journey from Calcutta to Bengal.
t Worth about 360/.

Surcrbga—On Wednesday morning a young
female, only 17 years of age,, named Jesse Snell, servant in
the family of Mr. IV. Wills, builder' North-street, quitted her
pa.
master's house, and ..-silng to ,m& South-street, called at the
house of her uncle, and wrote a note to her mother, couched in
the tblloWing terms :
" Dear mother,—You will find me in a
field, below the Weir drowned." This being communicated
to her master, Mr. Wills, he went to the spot, and there found
her bonnet and shawl lying on the grass, which confirmed their
oofnlywhom was the
nearly opposite the place where she threw herself in. We un.
The body was discovered the following day,
two witnesses were examined at the Coroner's
1 .tai
one r
snt i
uct
aiepsnati
.it i
doo nlnaset.
person who found the body...-.
The verdict returned was, "Found drowned." It is further
stated, that the deceased got up earlier than usual In the morn.
ing, and In reply to her fellow-servant, who asked her why she
rose so won, satd that she was,going down to let the men in for
the last time. She had often previously said she would drown
herself; and it-was supposed she was pregnant by a young man
to whom she had frequently made presents In nioney:—(Bseter
Gazette.)