The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-15 00:00:00

S N JANUARY 15, 1848.

Lieutenant Rooke, Mr. Larkham, the gunner,
Thomas Hill, steward, and James Morley, a boy,
were received on board the Hecate yesterday, and at
4 p.m. she left Tunis on her return to Malta, where
she arrived at 4.45 P.M. of this date.
With this I take leave to enclose a track chart,
showing the course and progress of the Hecate, in
pursuance of your orders.
I have the honour, &c.
R. MOORMAN, Commander.
Rear-Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis, C. 8., Malta.

Tunis, Dec. 29,1847.
Sir,--Since I closed my letter of yesterday I have
been put in possession of a copy of the report made
by the commander of the French steamer the La-
voisier, and which I transmit herewith.
From the general tenor of its contents I fear there
is but too much reason to apprehend that the Avenger
had broke up, and all on board perished, with the
exception of Lieutenant Rooke and his party.
A steamer was seen passing this place to the west-
ward about four o'clock rad. to-day, but whether it
was our distance from the neighbourhood of the
wreck, or one of the packets from Malta to Eng-
land, we could not make out, as she was too far from
the land.

I have dispatched a boat with a good crew, and
who are well acquainted with Galita and its vicinity,
to remain for several days, in order to gain informa-
tion, if possible, and to endeavour to pick up any-
thing belonging to the unfortunate vessel, as well as
bring any bodies they may find either on the sea or
on the Island of Galita.

A Protestant clergyman likewise went this morn-
ing to traverse the coast from Bizerta to the west-
ward as far as Cape Negro, to inter any bodies
which may be discovered in that direction.
I have, &c.,
Vice• Admiral Sir W. Parker. T. READE.

Copy of —a letter addressed by M. de Penhoatl
Commander of the French steam corvette the' Lavoi-
sier, to M. de Lagan, Consul-General and French
Charge d'Affaires at Tunis
(Translation.)

La;oisier, Golefta, Dec. 27, 1847.

Monsieur le Consul-General,—ln compliance with
your wishes, and according to the information given
me respecting the loss of an English steam-frigate off
Galita, I got under weigh at 11 A.M. on the morning
of the 25th.

At 45 minutes past four r.w. on the evening of the '
same day a large steamer, with three masts, crossed
my path. When within proper distance I hoisted
my colours and fired a gun. She immediately hove
to and hoisted the English colours. I sent an officer
on board of her to explain the object of my mission,
and she proved to be the Pacha, Captain Olive (of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company), which left Malta
on the 24th of December, having come from Eng-
land, and was on her way back to Southampton. She
spoke the Avenger on the 20th of this month, off
Cape Bougaroni, and again in Bona Straits at 5 P.M. ;
she was under steam, due N.W., and making eleven
to twelve knots the hour, and must have been wrecked
between nine and ten on the Sorelli rocks.

I sent a note to this captain by the officer I sent on
board, who, in the most praiseworthy manner, though
he had passengers on board, sent me word he would
keep me company. This fine vessel can command
double the speed of the Lavoisier, but she steamed
slowly in our wake all night.
We explored together the south coast of the Gali-
tons and of Galita ; the Pacha picked up south of
Galita a door painted white, with a brass handle to
it, a tub, and other fragments, which the captain
showed to me. We did not see any fragments of the
vessel herself, but we discovered a chair of fine ma-
terials, probably belonging to the captain's cabin, or
to one of the officers ; but what leaves no doubt on
this sad event and the loss of the crew (unless they
succeeded in reaching the land) was the discovery of
portions of the hold, proving that she must hare gone
to pieces ; and finally, some fragments of wood, which
we presumed to be side planks with cross timbers
attached, confirmed the opinion.
At 8 o'clock A.M., on the morning of the 26th, I
hailed the Pacha, signifying that it was my intention
to proceed to the dangerous spot on the Sorelli rocks,
and I requested her to follow in my track that she
might be warned by the Lavoisier in case of accident.
I approached as near as prudence warranted, and when
I found by the lead that we were almost on the spot
I stayed her course, and ordered a vigilant look out
from the mast head, a similar look out being kept up
on board the Pacha. We were convinced that there
remained no vestiges of the English frigate, and we
then left the spot,
On the 26th, at 11 45 A at., I sent an officer on
board the English vessel with a letter to say that I
had acquired the certitude that none of the crew
were on the south coast of Galita, and exhorting him
to continue his voyage. I told him I should coast
along the north of the island, and should not leave it
until I was convinced none of the crew were on it.
I must however add, to the honour of the captain,
that he again notified his intention to follow me, but
as he could not render any service, I requested him
to continue his voyage, and we parted company at
noon on the 26th.

Whilst running close in shore off the north coast
of Galita I perceived a fishing smack with five men
on board. Notwithstanding three guns and a signal
for a pilot (I not wanting one at the time), they
hoisted the Sicilian flag and continued their course.
I had intended, and had already given orders to man
a boat and expostulate with them on this conduct, but
there was a heavy swell and a stiff breeze, and I
feared exposing the boat's crew needlessly. '
Prom all this I concluded that there was no En-
glishman on Galita or the other small islands in the
vicinity, for had there been any of the crew they
would doubtless have taken advantage of that boat
with a fair wind to come alongside of us, as it would
have been an affair of not more than 20 minutes.

After a conscientious research, not having disco-
vered anything, I left Galita at 3 P.M. on the evening
of the 26th, and cast anchor this day, 27th, at 1 p.m.
at Goletta.

I am, with respect, Monsieur le Consul-General,
your very humble and obedient servant,
PENIIOAT,
The Commander of the Lavoisier.

Tunis, Tuesday, Dec. 28.
Sir,—l returned last night about twelve P.M. from
my search for the wreck of her Majesty's ship Aven-
ger, which lam sorry to say has been of no avail. I
reached as near as possible the spot where she struck
on Sunday morning, and there cruized about for some
time, until assured that she had either got off or sunk,
from the sea on Tuesday, together with shift of wind,
having lifted her. I then wished to land
and search the island of Galita for some
further signs, but the cowardly Maltese crew would
neither cruize any more about, or go to the island,
and all I could say had no effect on them. I could
not even get them to run down, that I might speak
two steamers that were to leeward of the island.
On my way back I spoke one of the Tunisian gun-
boats that was assisting, and asked her if she would
take me to Galita, but she declined ; so I was brought
back to Tunis against my will, without examining
Galita. lam happy to learn on my arrival from Sir
Thomas Heade that the Pacha and the French
steamer went round the island and spoke a fishing-
boat at anchor there. I saw a third steamer close in
to the African shore. All the vessels have returned
from the search, numbering eight or nine. For further
particulars from them I must quote Sir T. Reade's
letter. The cask found I think must have been one
that was in the gun-room. The accounts from the
horsemen sent to scour the African coast have not yet
come in. Everything possible has now been done,
and I shall now wait here for orders, and to be of any
further use in showing the exact spot of the wreck,
arid that you may think fit, sir, to order. I think this
my best plan in the expectation of a man-of-war
steamer from Malta. The vessel this goes by is on
the point of sailing immediately.
Hoping this will meet your approbation, I have, &c.,
FRANCIS 'WOKE, Lieut.
Sir W.:Parker, Bart., G.C.8., Commander-in-Chief.
P.S. I have had every assistance here from the
authorities.

(From the Times.)
MALTA, JAN. 4.—The loss of the steam-frigate
Avenger, mentioned in my last letter, is, unhappily,
too fully confirmed by the return to this port on
Sunday last of her Majesty's steamer Hecate, with
the survivors from this harrowing disaster on board.
There are four, as I previously stated :—Lieutenant
Francis Rooke ; the gunner, Larkhatn ; a steward,
Hill; and a boy, James Morley.
From the irnparfect details I am enabled to collect,
it would seem that at the time she struck she was
going at gi to 10 knots an hour. The officers off
duty were on the point of "turning in" after the
labours of the day were over, when a sensation, not
as of a thump, was experienced, but as of being
dragged along over some rude substance. The one
order only seems to have been given---" clear away
the boats ;" and in executing this a great loss of life
ensued, two being crushed under the ship before they
could push oft. At the time when some 50 poor
fellows in despair of saving their lives hurried to the
paddle-box boats, the funnel and mast fell over, and
many were crushed by the accident.
Lieutenant Rooke and seven more succeeded in

[PR ICE 3D.

getting into one of the cutters ; but in doing so had
nearly perished, for a coat had got foul of one of the
fall blocks whilst the stern of the boat was in the
water; but, owing to the exertions of the gunner, it
was overhauled, and the boat was safely lowered in.o
the water.
For a time Mr. Rooke waited near the ship in the
hope of saving some of her crew, and again nearly
escaped destruction by being engulfed under the
body of the ship, which now fell over, and he was
obliged to pull hard to escape destruction. The wind
at the time was blowing strong towards the shore,
but suddenly shifting, became fair for the ship, when
Lieutenant Rooke made another essay to reach it, in
the hope of saving some of the crew, but the event
proves he was unsuccessful.
The rest is known—the capsising of the boat near
shore, and the loss by this second accident of the
surgeon Steele, the second-master Betts, a stoker,
and a steward. _

To the exertions of the gunner Larkham, of whom
Lieutenant Rooke speaks in high terms of commen-
dation, and his ability in steering the boat with an
oar as it had no rudder, until she struck on a reef, is,
next to Providence, owing the safety of those who
live to tell the awful story. On the boat capsizing
three struck out for the shore, and fortunately reached
the only accessible spot on which they could hope to
be thrown up without danger of perishing on the
rocks—the boy clung to the boat, and was also washed
towards the shore. The assistance given by the
Arabs, and their humanity, I have before described.
By this accident 256 persons, as nearly as can be
calculated by the survivors, have been hurried to a
premature grave.
Nearly every steamer which has reached Malta
since the accident has seen part of the wreck. The
Hecate picked up a part of a gun carriage with
" Avenger" on it; the Ardent, from Marseilles, saw
one of her binnacles floating ; the Erin and the ndus,
blocks, spars, &c.
At the time of the accident the deck was in charge
of the Second Master, and the Captain and Master
were on the paddle-box.
JANUARY s.—The accidental detention of the mail
till eleven A.M. this morning enables me to add a few
items to my account posted yesterday of the loss of
the Avenger, and to correct some small inaccuracies.
I last night saw a friend, who gave me the follow-
ing as unquestionable :
As soon as the vessel struck, Lieutenant Marryat
ran on deck, and shortly after a heavy sea broke over
her, carrying him forward into the lee waist. Reco-
vering from the shock, he endeavoured, and suc-
ceeded in getting forward, and shortly after the
mainmast went by the board, carrying with it the
funnel, and killing several men (as I have before
stated). The Captain gave the order to lower away
the boats, and it was with difficulty Lieut. Rooke
could pick up the few who got into his boat, so para-
lysed were the men.
When the ship struck she was going 9} knots,
with all sail set, and but steam enough to make her
wheels revolve.

It is known from the survivors, that the Avenger,
which was on the Lisbon station, had no charts of the
Mediterranean on board.

Lieutenant Rooke has been discharged from the
Hecate into the. Ceylon, where he will await the re-
sult of the court-martial which will be held on him
on the return of the Admiral to this port.
Before the Hecate had arrived at Galita the French
steamer Lavoisier, from Tunis, had been to the spot,
and so anxious was the Pacha of that Regency to
afford all the assistance in his power, that, knowing
his own vessels to be too small to accommodate all
he hoped to save, he freighted an Austrian bottom to
proceed to the scene of the disaster at no less a sum
than 400/.

Since the loss of the Athenienne, Captain Rayns-
ford, on the Skerkis, in the year 1806, England in
her navy has experienced no such disaster, and may
she never again know one so great as I now record.