The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-29 00:00:00

DREADFUL SHIP WRECK.

Within the last two or three days the following serious
losses, involving a frightful sacrifice of life, have been
made known at Lloyd's. The first, and certainly most
distressing, is that of the wreck of another emigrant
ship, with between sixty and seventy persons killed and
drowned. The unfortunate vessel was the Miracle, 627
tons burden (Captain Elliott, master), which sailed from
the port of Liverpool in the latter part of March last
for Quebec. Besides her crew, she had on board no
fewer than 400 emigrants. The particulars received,
which are very brief, state that the vessel, in a gale of
wind, on the night of the 9th of May, was driven ashore
on a reef of rocks off the Magdalen Islands, where, in
a few hours, she became a complete wreck. The mo-
ment she struck her masts fell overboard, and the cap-
tain of the ship, seeing that the loss of his ship was
inevitable, had the boats lowered, and, with his crew,
exerted all possible means to preserve the lives of thi
emigrants, who crowded the decks in the greatest state
of excitement. After incessant seal, the greater bulk of
the poor creatures were got ashore safe on the island,
but in two instances the boats struck against the rock,
and were shattered to atoms; and their living freight,
amounting to nearly seventy persons, met with a watery
grave. Before the vessel arrived off Magdalen Islands a
fever ha l broken out among the emigrants, which carried
off no fewer than twenty.
in The names of those who pe-
rished are not mentioned the particulars; the survivors
are said to have been conveyed to Pictou, where they
arrived on the 29th. The vessel had been properly sur-
veyed before her sailing from Liverpool ; she was a
strong built vessel, and registered at Lloyd's as 627 tons,
having been built at St. Johns, New Brunswick, in 1841.
It is not known whether she was insured or not. Two
English vessels were lost on the same night, sixty miles
southward of Magdalen Island. One was from London
to Quebec, called the Brothers, the property of Messrs.
Brooks and Co., of Iligh•street, Southwark. All hands,
it is supposed, were lost. Letters from Suez, dated 8:h
June, received by the late overland mail, announce the
total loss of the barque Welcome, belonging to Greenock,
on a coral rock, off the island of Yambo, in the Red Sea.
It was attended with melancholy loss of life. The chief
mate, an Arab pilot, and also twelve of the seamen were
drowned. The accident occurred at ten o'clock on tht
night of the 14th of April, the vessel being on her home-
ward passage. No sooner did she strike, than the vessel
turned over on her beam-ends, and shortly sunk in
seventy fathoms water. The master and remainder of
the crew, after being in the water some time, succeeded
in getting hold of the long boat, which floated, and gained
the village of Yambo on the 16th. The loss of the ship
is estimated at 20,0001. Another loss, that of a whaler,
.ff the coast of New Zealand, is also reported at Lloyd's.
the
discidt wrred violent
a
distancel l o f wind
on
It is that of the Delphos, 500 tons burden, commanded be
Capt. West. On the morning of the 27th December last, ba
order was instantly given to veer ship, the helm placed
bow.
Toe
were m
hard up, the mizen topsail halyards let go, and yards
trimmed, and she had already
got the wind on her quar-
t the and
ere a in,breakers
ter, and had begun to break the waves, when she
touched lightly aft. Her fate was sealed—in a moment
more she struck heavily midships, and in five minutes
she was shattered in a thousand fragments. By almost
A miracle all but six of the crew were saved. When she
struck she rolled, bulwarks under, towards the reel.
By the returning wave, she rolled outwards with her
masts under water, and so remained, when the crew
clambered over upon the side which lay out of water,
which offered some protection from the waves. The
next sea that struck her stove in her decks, and
partially broke up her stern, and the succeeding
one detached the side centre on which they were cling-
ing, and threw it, with the unfortunate sufferers, upon
the reef. No land was to be seen, and there was
much reason to suppose they were on a simple reef on
the wide ocean. The morning light, however, dissi-
pated their fears, in revealing the land at a distance of
four miles, to which they were able to proceed on the
reef. It proved to be Palmerston Island near New
Zealand. There they remained several days, and were
eventually taken off by the American ship Alert. The
loss of this vessel, with its contents, is reported to be
about 10,0001.

THE SUTLEJ MEDAL.—This decoration has just
been struck at the Mint. The reverse represents a simple
figure of Victory, awarding, with:outstretched hand, her
glorious wreath to the soldiers of the successful army;
whilst, of the defeated, a grouped mass of Seikh armour
and arms alone tell of their participation in the events
the medal celebrates, and the position in which they were
placed by their rash ambition leading them to attack,
without justification, a nation to which they were pre-
viously closely allied. The obverse exhibits a well-
executed portrait of her Majesty Queen Victoria. This
determines that one stage, at least, has been reached in
the preparation of the medal; but when the distribution
is to take place we regret that we really canna say.
Tardiness to reward appears to be the rule with thcs.
who have charge of the army. Whether it be prize-
money or a decoration,
:festina lente is the invariable
motto. Eighteen months have elapsed since the
invasion of the Seikhs was repelled, and the Pun-
jaub laid prostrate at our feet, yet no steps :have
been taken-to exhibit to the troops the promptitude of na-
tional gratitude. Lord Ellenborough took time by the
forelock; he knew that if he waited upon the generosity
of the Home authorities half of the gallant men who had
signalised his rule by victories at Gwalior, Punnab,
and Maharajpore, would be beyond all mundane glories
before the guerdon of bravery would be dispensed to
them. He, therefore, cast suitable crosses on the spot,
and there, consequently, is not a day in which we do not
meet returned soldiers bearing their well-won honours
on their breast. Why should not the heroes of more
important battles—more desperate and critical en-
counters—be equally well treated? In regard to the
Sutlej medal, we hope Lord Hardinge, who must be
anxious for the reward of his intrepid army, will not let
a mail come home without urging it upon the sense of
the Government.—United Service Journal.

By a decree of the King of Sweden, datei the
11th, the importation of corn duty free is authcrised in
that country.