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 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 rope on shore, which they with
difficulty reached in safety, and we so in 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 came 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 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, arid three
passengers, should be ready at half-pact 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 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, 25T11.—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 of 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.
" 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
riot 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,
affording every protection in their power to the property,
but the barefaced plundering that goes on is incredible.
The soldiery or caraboneres 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, 27TH.—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 wore 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, 28T0.—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
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" Arrargements have been made for starting the first
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The ladies and children cannot possibly proceed until
side saddles arrive from Corunna, which will be on Tues-
day hext.
" The Admiralty agent and myself conjointly have
written by express to the Admiralty agent and con
mender 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
I 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 Paella : —Mr
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 (34th 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.

Tl►e 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,
AI-aster Morrison, Master Doyle, Mr. and Mrs. Lttforque
and child, Mr. Arrow, Captain Wright, Captain Bow.n,
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