The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-09 00:00:00

THE
_SUN LONDON, MONDAY° ErENING MAC 91 1846.

LOSS OF THE GREAT LIVER-
POOL.

Company's service, and was considered ono of its most
able commanders.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

On Saturday intelligence reached town of the total loss
of the Great Liverpool steamer, which took place on the
24th of FehruAty, otf • Cape Tiniiterie,i by getting on
shoals, at four "in the morning. ''he catastrophe ap-
pears to have been wholly the result of accident. It. is
said that no blame whatever attaches to Captain Nl,Lood,
the commander. Only three lives were lost, although
it is stated there were about one hundred and fifty souls
on board. Mrs. Archer, from Bombay, a Miss Morris,
aged seven, and an Indian female servant, were the three
that perished by the swamping of the boat, while at-
tempting to escape. Seventy-nine of the passengers
and twenty-one of the crew have arrived at Southampton
by the Pacha, which also had a narrow escape of being
wrecked, having run on shore off Oporto. In the letter
which follows, addressed by the captain to Mr. Allan,
secretary of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Naviga-
tion Company, there will be found a full account of the
circumstances under which the catastrophe took place.
Among the passengers saved are—Captain Wright,
Captain Arrow Fearon Bowen, Messrs. Homorton,
Pugh, and Laforque; Mesdames Dunbard, Bradford,
Prole, Laforque, Fearon, Edmonds, Dick, 13 children,
and 14 female servants.
"LOSS OF THE GREAT LIVERPOOL.

PonTsmoirrx, MARCH B.—The Superb, 80, Captain Corry,
sailed this morning. from Spithead.for Cork, with Royal Ma-
rines from this and Chatham division, calling at Plymouth
for another detagholeVvfroni that division ,for .conveyance;
to the same destination,qo relieve the battalion serving in
Ireland.
The Rattler screw steam-sloop, Commander Smith, con-
veyed to Cork yesterday evening the wives and children of
the Marines embarked in the Superb.
The Mercury tender, Master-Commander Scarlett, sailed
yesterday morning, with seamen gunners from the Excel-
lent, and volunteers for the Brilliant, 22, just commissioned
at Sheerness.
The Netley tender arrived yesterday afternoon from Ply-
mouth, with supernumeraries.
The Fairy royal yacht, Master-Commander R. W. Ro-
berts, was taken to Weymouth, on Thursday, by Com-
mander Cispin, of the Victoria and Albert, on his private
business.
The Comet steam-vssss], Lieutenant Commander B. Prety-
man, went out to Spithead this morning with orders, Sec.,
for Captain Corry, of the Superb.
The Waterwitch, 10, Commander T. F. Birch, was cruising
off the Gallinas on the 18th of December; all well.
The Cygnet, 10, Commander Layton, arrived at St. Helena
on the 11th of January from a cruise.
The Fox, 42, Commodore Sir 11. Blackwood, Bart., with
the Pilot, 16, Commander Jervis, arrived at Bombay on the
21st of February from the Persian Gulf; the latter had been
ashore, but, by the assistance of the Fox, was got off with-
out sustaining any material damage.
The Fly, 18, Captain Blackwood, arrived at Sydney, New
South Wales, from Singapore, on the 24th of September.
The Racehorse, 18, Commander Ilay, arrived at Sydney on
the 19th October, from the Bay of Islands.
The Daphne, 18, Captain Onalow, arrived et Auckland,
New Zealand, from Callao, on the 18th of August, and sailed
on the 2d of October, on her return.

LOSS OF THE CATARAQUE, EMI-
GRANT IR,-7 () 1".
Lloyd's 'agent at Melbourne, New South 'tVate, -in a
letter dated the 4th October last, received on Saturday,
furnishei a little additional information respecting the
lamentable loss of the ship Cataraque, her crew and pas-
sengers, upon King's Island.
The Colonial Government had taken steps for the in-
terment of the shipwrecked dead, and for the erec-
tion of a tablet to mark the sp6t, and to record the
calamitous event. At a public meeting conveeed upon
the occasion, it was observed that the fittest monument
to commemorate such a melancholy loss of life, would be
one which should guard against the future occurrence of
similar catastrophes, by the erection of a light-house by
Government, either upon the island or Cape Otway.
Imperatively as a light-house is required on one or
other of those positions, to serve as a guide to the
western entrance of Bass's Straits, there appears, it is
said, to be but little prospect of its erection, although the
occurrence of five wrecks upon King's Island since the
year 1835 would seam sufficient evidence to convince
the Government of its necessity. The Neva, with female
convicts, in 1835, the Harbinger in 18—, the Isabella in
1840, the Rebecca in 1843, and the Cataraque in 1845,
have all been totally wrecked on King's Island. With
reference to these wrecks, Lloyd's agent remarks that
the sailing direction for Bass's straits appears to him to
excite an unnecessary fear of approaching themain land
of Australia on account of the swell prevailing from the
S.W., and that the swell is quite as dangerous if King's
Island be approached too closely, for that the Neva and
Isabella were both driven on ihore by it. The inter-
colonial traders have no such fear of approaching the
main land, and constantly coast from port to port: in
Australia. Instead, therefore, of vessels approaching the
Straits in lat. 40 deg. south, it would appear safer for
them to sight the main land somewhere between Kangaroo
Island and Cape Nelson, and from thence to take a fresh
departure for Cape Otway.
Lloyd's agent also observes that the lighthouse would
be of more general service if placed upon Cape Otway,
in preference to King's Island, and an additional reason
for its being so placed, arises from the circumstance of
King's Island being within the jurisdiction of Van
Diemen's Land, which, in these neglected colonies,
would occasion the loss of much time before arrange-
ments could be made between the two governments
(New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land) for its
erection there. In illustration of this reason, it is ob-
served that the matter was taken in hand by both go-
vernments in 1842, but that nothing whatever has been
done up to the present date.
A public subscription fur the benefit of the survivors
of the Cataraque had bee❑ opened, and realized 1511. 35.,
which had partly been expended in that manner, and the
remainder to Mr. Howee, and his party, who supplied
them with provision, &c.
The wreck of the Cataraquo and remaining cargo had
been sold for 861.

" Vice-Consulate-office, District of Corcubion,
Feb. 28, 1846
"JAMES ALLAN, ESQ., SECRETARY TO TUE PENINSULAR

AND ORIENTAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.

" Dear Sir—lt is with feelings of the most painful
grief that I have to acquaint you, for the information of
the managing directors, and all whom it may concern,
that at four o'clock on the morning of the 24th instant,
while stoeeing N.N.E., with a strong wind from the
S.S.W., and a heavy sea running, and about seven to ten
miles from Cape Finisterre, the weather thick, dark, and
hazy, the ship going about ten knots an hour, we struck
upon a shoal or rock, and made so much water in the
engine-room, that she soon became unmanageable. from
the fires being put out, and, consequently drifting to-
wards the land, grounded on a small sand shoal, called
Gueros, about a league and a half to the southward of
Corcubion, where she lay, with her head to the south-
ward, broadside on the beach, at the distance of about
three hundred yards, on which a heavy surf was break-
ing. The boats were all got ready for lowering,
to land the passengers and crew, and the larboard
life-boat was sent with a party of seamen and a
line, to haul a ropo on shore, which they with
difficulty reached in safety, and we soon after got a
hawser on shore, and the end of it made fast, and hove
taut from the ship. Mr. Hamilton, chief officer, was
sent in the launch with a party of passengers and crew,
amongst whom were several ladies and children. All
were safely landed, with the exception of Mrs. Archer,
a child belonging to Mrs. Morris, about seven years old,
and a native female Indian servant, who were lost in
the surf on the beach by the swamping of the launch,
though every exertion was made both by those on the
beach and in the launch to save them. After this the
launch, which was with great difficulty hauled alongside
by us on board, and baled out, made several succesful
trips, and all on board were safely landed by eleven,
A.m., going myself in the last trip, having previously
ascertained that every person was out of the ship. The
sea at that period was breaking heavily over her, and she
was fast breaking up on the starboard side amidships.
The pinnace was stove in in lowering, and the starboard
quarter boat by the sea striking her violently. On
getting on shore, I found several articles, of different
kinds, had already floated there, and a number of the
people of the coast had come down, and were plunder-
ing all they could get away, though all means were
taken to prevent it. In fact, we have been most shame-
fully plundered and robbed in every possible way.
" Considering it necessary to communicate with the
nearest English Consul or Agent, I dispatched Mr.
Lane (purser) to Corcubion, where I learned a Con-
sular Agent resided, to claim protection for ourselves
and property that might come on shore. On his arrival
there, he found the Consular Agent (a Spaniard, and
not speaking English), to be a person of no influence;
indeed, apparently, incapable of rendering assistance of
any sort; he therefore deemed it indispensable to pro-
ceed at once to Corunua, distance 45 miles, and com-
municate with M. Santos, the Consul-General for
Gallicia, and was promised by the Consular Agent that
passports, horses, and guides, for himself, and three
passengers, should be ready at half-past five on the
Hollowing morning. Instead of this neither horses nor
passports were ready, and, finally, a refusal to allow
him to proceed. He afterwards found that the Consul
had sent a message to Corunna that morning, without
even allowing Mr. Lane to know he was going to do
so. The passengers, I fear, have suffered much from
the Vice-Consul not having sought or selected any place
for them to go to; and also from the scarcity and
difficulty of getting provisions of almost any sort, and
the accommodation they have been enabled to get being
of the most miserable description.
"I am happy to say that every officer and man under
my command behaved themselves, under these most try-
ing circumstances, to my most entire satisfaction; and-I
cannot omit mentioning to you the great assistance I re-
ceived, and the praiseworthy exertions that were made in
our critical situation, by Captain Bowen, of the ship
Hindostan, passenger on board, from Ceylon.
" WEDNESDAY, 25Th.—The weather having mode-
rated for a few hours, I went on board at low water, with
the officers and crew, and succeeded in getting up and
landing a great portion of the mails, a few paekages of
cargo, and some passengers' baggage, all in a most
damaged state. On the afternoon o f this day I came up
to this place to note a protest, being the earliest time I
could get away from the beach, but did not succeed in
doing so till the following morning.

The Hazard, 18, Commander Egerton, sailed from Auck-
land, for the Bay of Islands, on the 19th of August, and left
again on her return prior to the 10th of October.
The North Star, 26, Sir J. E. Home, Bart., arrived at the
Bay of Islands, New Zealand, previous to the 10th of Octo-
ber, and was lying there on the 20th awaiting orders, as also
was the Osprey, 12, Commander Patten.
The Muting, 12, Commander Crawford, was cruisink in the
Mozambique channel on the 14th of November, up to which
time she had captured and destroyed six slave vessels; the
two last sere driven ashore, and her boats not being able
to get them off owing to the fire of the Arabs, who came
down aed captured the slaves and the crew as fast as they
got ashore, she was obliged to destroy them. She had had
an opportunity of testing her sailing qualities with the Cleo-
patra, 26, Captain Wyvill, and the Ilelena, 16, Commander
Sir Cornwallis Ricketts, Bart., over both of whom she
achieved a vast superiority, beating the latter half a mile to
windward for seven successive hours, and over the former
she had a superiority in seven hours of seven miles "dead in
the wind's eye;" and on a second trial in the same space of
time beat her to windward by 11,290 yards; the Muting
carrying 13 weeks' water and five months' previsions; the
Helena, scarcely seven weeks' water, and only 13 weeks' pro-
visions! The Muting captured, on the 10th of November,
the Diana, barque-rigged slaver, of 300 tons, which had made
six successful trips from the Mozambique to the Brazils, con-
veying nearly 5,000 slaves. When captured she was fitted
for iSOO, but had none on board. She had beaten every vessel
previously to her being beaten by the Muting. The Mutind
was one of the new class 12-gun brigs forming the experi-
mental squadron in 1844, and was built at Chatham, on the
design of Mr. John Fincham, master shipwright of that
establishment, but now of Portsmouth Dockyard. The
Cleopatra and Helena are vessels of the Surveyor of the
Navy's construction.
The Carysfort, 26, Captain Seymour, having been mus-
tered and inspected by Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart.,
Commander-in-Chief, has been paid advance, and will pro-
ceed on Tuesday for her destination. Sir Charles Fitzroy
and suite embark to-morrow. The Carysfort takes a mail for
the Cape of Good Hope, New South Wales, and Valparaiso.
Instances having been brought to the notice of the Ad-
miralty in which salt meat, issued to the crews of her
Majesty's ships in warm climates, has, from its inferiority, or
other cause, lost more than half its weight by boiling, their
Lordships have directed, that when the salt meat supplied to
any of her Majesty's ships on foreign stations, shall prove
to have lost more than half its weight in boiling, the cap-
tain or commander of such ship shall, on satisfying himself
of the correctness of the fact, authorise the paymaster and
purser to issue to the ship's company an additional portion
of raw salt meat, equal to half the original allowance.

PROMOTIONS.

Commander—B. J. Sullivan, of the Philomel, to the rank
of Captain.
Lieutenants—R. T. J. Lavigne, of the Dolphin ; E. R.
Inglefield (acting Commander of the Comus); C. F. Doyle,
of the Philomel ; and A. C. Key, of the Fanny, to the rank
of Commander.
Gunner's Mate—R. Rowe, to be Gunner.

The Admiralty have also directed that Walter Ross,
caulker's mate, shall be promoted to a warrant-officer, on
his passing the necessary examination.
The above promotions aro consequent upon the action at
the Punta Obligado of the 18th of November, which date the
promotions bear.
Mate—C. S. S. Stanhope (1842), of the Warspite, to the
rank of Lieutenant.

" THURSDAY, 26TH.—Being unable to make the pro-
test in Spanish, I wrote it in English, and presented it to
the Vice-Consul, a copy of which I enclose herewith.
After this I made an application to him, as to whether
we could not get up from the beach (a distance of five
miles, and over high hills) the mails and such articles as
had already been saved ; he applied to the Alcalde or
Mayor for twelve bullock carts, which was granted, and
proceeded at noon to the beach, but on arrival there, the
officer in charge from the Customs, a guarda coste, would
not permit a single thing to.be removed, although he ac-
knowledged his inability to protect all the property from
the ladrones or thieves, saying that no order for their
removal had been received. The carts, therefore, re-
turned empty, and I immediately came back to the Vice-
Consul also to know how it was that he had not pro.
cured an order if it were necessary. He said it must
come from the Minister of Customs, who just then
came up, and on applying to him for an order to bring
the mails, &c., to the Vice-Consul's house, he said they
must all go to the Custom House at Corcubion, which is
on the opposite side of the bay, to be under his custody.
However, on reasoning with him, I believe he determined
on allowing the things to be put in the Vice-Consul's
house (at least, until the arrival of M. Santos from
Corunna), and was to leave himself, at seven o'clock
next morning for the purpose of removing them.
"During this time the officers and crew have been
living under temporary tents on the beach, subsisting on
such food as could be got from the ship, with a supply
of bread from this village (Cee). They are, of course,
affordiwz every protection in their power to the property,
but the barefaced plundering that goes on is incredible.
The soldiery or caraboneros have even gone so far as to
present the bayonets at the officers and men while saving
property, which they (the soldiers) took in charge and
sold afterwards themselves.
"FRIDAY, 271`11.—During last night, blowing hard,
the ship went entirely to pieces. The carts went to the
beach, but from the state of the weather did not arrive
in time to load ; they were in charge of the Minister of
Customs. I deemed it proper to remain all night on the
beach to facilitate the loading in the morning. During
the night a great concourse of people assembled, and
lighted thirteen fires around us from the wreck, and the
most determined system of pillage was carried on with-
out the possibility of preventing it. I sent Mr. Lane
back to the village, to push things forward for the morn-
ing, and on his arrival at five o'clock, M. Santos, Vice-
Consul from Corunna, just then came in. The whole
of the circumstances were laid before him, and he was
fully convinced of the badness of the Vice-Consul or
agent here ; in fact, when he called him before Mr.
Lane he seemed quite incapable of giving any explana•
tion of his conduct. M. Santos considered it best not to
dismiss him from his office at once, thinking it better to
avail himself of his services until the settlement of the
affair. _ _ _

"SATURDAY, 28111.—M. Santos arrived at the beach
at seven o'clock this morning, and through the authority
with which he came prepared, and his own unremitting
exertions, sufficient carts and oxen, in addition to those
already engaged, to remove the whole of the mails and
property saved to the Vice-Consul's house by three p.m.,
accompanied by the whole of the officers and crew, who
for the present occupy a large store-room of the Vice-
Consul's.
" Arrangements have been made for starting the first
batch of passengers to-morrow morning, and on the fol-
lowing morning another party will start for Corunna.
The ladies and children cannot possibly proceed until
side saddles arrive from Corunna, which will be ou Tues-
day hext.
" The Admiralty agent and myself conjointly have
written by express to the Admiralty agent and com
mander of the Pacha, requesting them to detain her at
Corunna 24 hours, in case the mails, &c., which proceed
hence by a felucca to-morrow, do not arrive in the ordi
nary time to embark by her. I have deemed it prudent,
after consulting with M. Santos, to remain here until I
see everybody on their way to England, and I have
therefore sent Mr. Lane with the first batch of passen-
gers, and instructions to proceed with the dispatches by
the speediest opportunity to St. Mary Axe.
" The passengers have all been more comfortably
housed lately, and both them and the ship's company
are all well, with the exception of Lieutenant William-
son, Admiralty agent, who has been very poorly since
he left Malta.

" I am, dear Sir, your very obedient servant,
A. M'LEOD."

Of the Great Liverpool's passengers the following have
arrived at Southampton by the Peninsular and Oriental
Steam Navigation
.Company's steamer Pacha :—Mrs.
Storm, Mr. and Mrs. Dicey, Miss Row, Mr. M‘Dougal,
Mr. Grace, two Master Turtons, Mr. Lushington, Mr.
Prinsef, Mrs. Good, Mrs. Monistino, children, and ser-
vant, Mr. Mackenzie, Mr. Campbell (84th Regiment),
Mr. Gibson, Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Tautiney, children, and
servant, Dr. Boyrenson, Sir G. Ballingale, Master Sin-
clair, Dr. Flinton, Mr. Tune, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, Dr. Dun-
can—in all 29.

The remainder will arrive per Peninsular and Oriental
steamer Queen, from Corunna, about the 17th :—Mrs.
Hampton, Mrs. Dunbar, Mrs. Duck, child, and servant,
two Miss Bells and servant, Mrs. Bradford, Mr. Pugh,
Master Morrison, Master Doyle, Mr. and Mrs. Laforque
and child, Mr. Arrow, Captain Wright, Captain Bowen,
Mr. Ganston, Capt. and Mrs. Fearon, child, and servant,
Mrs. Edmond, three children, and servant, Mrs. Prole,
two children, and servant.

- Captain M'Leod is a lieutenant in the Royal Navy,
and has been ten years in the Peninsular and Oriental