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

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 steering 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 tin knots an hoer, 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 driftine 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 rope on shore. which they with
difficulty reached in safety, and we soon after got a
hawser on sore, and the end of it made fast, an lhove
taut from the ship. Mr. Hamilton, chief officer, was
sent in toe launch with a party f 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, Mho were lost in
the surf on the beach by the swamping of the launch,
though every exertion was made tnth by those on the
beach and in the launch to save them. A !ter this the
launch, which was with great difficulty hauled alongside
by us on hoard, and baled out. made several succesful
trips, and all on hoard were safely landed by eleven.
A.M., going myself in the last trip, having previetisle
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. 0..
getting on shore, I found several articles. of ditferen•
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 a.nglish 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 Corunna, 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
following 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 1
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, 26TH.—The weather having mode-
rated for a few bourn, 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 packages of
cargo, and some passengers' baggage, all in a most
damaged state. On the afternoon of this day I came up
to Uri! plisse to note a protest, being the earliest time I
could gets away from the beach, but did not succeed in
doing sc, till the following morning.
" THURSDAY, 26TH.—Being unable to make the pro-
test in Spanish, I wrote it in English. and presented it to
the-Vic s-Consul, a copy of which I enclose herewith.
After tl Ifs I made an application to him, as to whether
we coul d not get up from the beach (a distance of five
miles, at ad over high hills) the mails and such articles as
had elle tady 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 guards costs, would
not permi t a single thing to be removed, although he ac-
knowledgi sd his inability to protect all the property from
the ladros Les or thieves, saying that no order for their
removal had been received. The carts, therefore, re-
turned e empty, and I immediately came back to the Vice
Consul also to know how it was that he had not pro•
cured a• a order if it were necessary. He said it must
come / from the Minister of Customs, who just then
came u p, and on applying t i him for an order to bring
the mai Is, &c., to the Vice-Consul's house, ins said the)
must al I go to the Custom House at Corcubion, which is
on the opposite side of the bay, to be under his custody.
110WOV4 ur, on reasoning with him, I believe he determined
on alto wing the things to be put in the Vice-Consul',
house (at least, until the arrival of M. Santos from
Corunn a), and was to leave himself. at seven u'clock
next m. erning for the purpose of removing them.
"Du ring this time the officers and crew have been
living c mder temporary tents on the beach, subsisting on
such fo ad as could be got from the ship, with a supply
of bread from this village (Cee). They are, of course.
affordin g every protection in their power to the property,
but the barefaced plundering that goes on is incredible.
The sol fiery or caraboneros have even gone so far as to
present the bayonetS at the officers and men while saving
propert, y, which they (the soldiers) took in charge and
8 old aft. erwards themselves.

- .
" FRI DAY, 277134—During last night, blowing hard,
the h'hip 'went entirely to pieces. The carts went to the
beach, bin t 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 Es cilitate the loading in the morning. During
the night . a great concourse of people assembled, and
lighted thir, teen fires around us from the wreck, and the
most det,erm fined system of pillage was carried on with-
out the poss.;bility of preventing it. I sent Mr. Lane
back to the village, to push thins forward for the morn.
ing, and on his arrival at five oclock, M. Santos, Vice-
Consul from Comma, just then came in. The whole
of the circumstances were laid before him, and he was
fully cc minced of the badness of the Vice-Consul or
agent b tore ; in fact, when he called him before Mr.
Lane he seemed quite incapable of giving any explana-
tion of Izi s conduct. M. Santos considered it best not to
dismiss hl'm from his office at once, thinking it better to
avail hi m self of his services until the settlement of the
affair.

SATES; RDAS, 28TH.—M. Santos arrived at the beach
at seven t 'clock this morning, and through the authority
with whiz h he came prepared, and his own unremitting
exertions , sufficient carts and oxen, in addition to those
already ngaged, to remove the whole of the mails and
property ssved to the Vice-Consul's house by three p.m.,
accompanied by the whole of the officers and crew, who
for the pl •esent occupy a large store-room of the Vice-
Consul's.

" Arra qgements have been made for starting the first
batch of passengers to-morrow morning, and on the fol.
lowing u torning another party will start for Corunna.
Tie hdie s and children cannot po,sibly proceed until
bide I:idol:a arrive from Quanna, which will be on Tues-
day heat.
"- ILK Plallrslty neat and myself conjointly bate

written by express to the Admiralty agent and nom
mender of the Paella, requesting them to detain her at
Coronae 24 hours, in case the mails, &c., which proceed
he-ce by a fe:ucca to-morrow, do not arrive in the ordi
nary time to ez.liark by hvr. 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 pat sen-
gets, and instructions to proved 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 Lieut,nant William-
son, Admiralty agent, who has been very poorly since
he left Malta.

" I am, dear Sir, your very obedient servant,
" A. LIPLEOD."

Of the Great Liverpool's passengers the toll,wing
arrived at S-uthampton by the Peninsular snd
Steam Navigation. Company's steamer Pacha
Storm, Mr. and Mrs. Diccy, Mie. HMV. Mr. M-Dougul.
Mr. Gras", two Muster Tortons, Mr. LtiAltington, Mr.
Prinapf, Mrs. Good, Mr,. Mooivino, children, and ser-
vaiA, Mr. Mackci.fe, Mr. Campbcll (84th Regiment).
Mr. Gibson, R.:N. Mr. and Mrs. Tatitiney, children, and
servant, Dr. 11-,yrenson, Sir G. Willirgalc, Master Sin-
el tir, Dr. Flinton, Mr. Tune, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, Dr. Dan-
can---in t ll 29.

Tht, remainder will arrive p; ~r Peninsular r.rul knt,i3
steatner Queen, from Corentm, n_ly,ut the IN:, : —Mrs.
Hampton, Mrs. DuAar, Mn.. Duck, child, and st.rvant,
two Miss ails and servirit, Mrs. Bradford, Mr. Pugh,
Master ;Morrison, Master Doyle. Mr. and Mrs. I.lf Tque
and child, Mr. Arrow. Captain Wright, CuptQin 13-w: n,
Mr. anston, Cup and Mrs. Ft,,ren, PkTi 'SO! Vtaet ,
Mrs. Edmond, three thiidrer, and s:rtrant, Mrs. Pr le,
two children. awl st-rvant.

Captain APLeod is a lieutenant in thy Royal Navy.
and has been ten years in the Peninsular and. Oriental
Compats's service, and wes considered one of its meg
able commanders.

LOSS OF THE CATARAQUE, EMI-

GRANT SHIP.

Lloyd's agent at Ifelh..urTw, New South Wales, in a
lettsr dated the 4th October last, received on SaturdaN,
furni-bes a little a .ltlitiona infertnation respecting the
lamentable loss of the ship.Cataracpie, her crew and pas-
sengers, upon King's Island.
The Colonial Governmc nt had taken steps for the in-
terment of the shipwrecked dead, and for the erec-
tion of a tablet- to mark the spot, and to record the
calamitous event. At a public meeting convened upon
the oecasion, it was observed that the fittest monument
to commemorate such a melancholy loss of life, would be
one which shonl'i 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 seem 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 Catareque in 1845
have all been totally wrecked on King's Island. Wi
reference to these wrecks, Lloyd's agent reratok•i. that
the sailing direction for Bass's Straits appears to him to
excite an 'unnecessary fear ef approaching the main Led
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 por': 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
I, 1 ind end Cape Nelson, and from tOence to take a fresh
departure for Cape Otway. •
Lloyd's agent also obe-rves that the lighthouse would
be of more g' nerd. sent ice if [Awed noon Cape Ot mao ,
in preference to King's Island, se d an addit.onal reason
for its being so placed, arises from the circumstance et
King's Island being within the jurisdiction of Van
Diemen's Land, which, in these ne,:h.,:ted colonic 5,
would oc,‘asion the .10-s of much time brio re a-range-
ments could be made hetween the two governmenr,
(New South Wales and Van Dietnen't• Land) for it,
i.,rcetion there. In illoitrationof tt,i, rex6on, it is ob-
served that the olatter was taken in hand 'hy both ro,
vernmerns in 1842. but that nothin4 whatever has b: cu
done up to the present d,,te.
A public subscription for the benefit of the survivors
of th., Caranique had been opened, and realized 151/ 3,4,
which had partly been exoended in that manner. and ttie
rereainder to Mr licw,e, and his parry, who supplied
them with provision. &c.
The wreck of the Cat,iraque and remaining c tug° had
been sold for F 6/. -