The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-30 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE OSPREY.

PORTSMOUTII, DEC. 28.—A court-martial was assem-
bled this day on board her Majesty's ship St. Vincent,
to inquire into the circumstances attending the loss of
her Majesty's late sloop Osprey, on the coast of New
Zealand, in March last, and to try Commander Frederick
Patten, and the surviving officers and ship's company, for
their conduct on the occasion. Present :—Rear-Admiral
Parker, CB., President ; Captain John Pasco, her
Majesty's ship Victory ; Captain H. D. Chads, C. 13.,
Excellent ; Captain Stephen Lushington, Vengeance ;
Captain W. H. Henderson, C. 8., Sidon ; Captain Alex.
Milne, St. Vincent ; Captain 11. W. Giffard, Penelope ;
Mr. G. L. Greetham, Deputy Judge-Advocate.
The proceedings commenced by the Deputy-Judge-
Advocate reading the report made to Captain Charles
Graham, of her Majesty's ship Castor, the senior officer
on the station, by Commander Patten, of the loss of the
Osprey, and inclosing a narrative of his proceedings.
These, and other papers connected with the affair, were
transmitted by the Secretary of the Admirrlty to
Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., who signified their
Lordships' directions for a court-martial to be held to
inquire into the circumstances. After the court bad been
sworn, all the officers and crew of the late brig being, pre-
sent, Commander Patten was asked it he had any complaint
to make against any officer or man belonging to the Osprey
on the occurrence of the wreck, or subsequent, to which
ho replied, that he had not any. A similar question was
then put to the officers and crew, if they had any com-
plaint to make against their commander, to which they
immediately answered " No." The Osprey's people
having then quitted the Court, Commander Patten was
sworn, and identified all the papers, charts, &c., and from
oral testimony and documentary evidence it appeared
that, late in last year, in consequence of the disturbed
state cf affairs in New Zealand, the Osprey had been
sent by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, she Com-
mander-in-Chief in India, to augment the naval force,
and she joined the senior officer, Captain Graham, of
her Majesty's ship Castor, early in the present year.
She was then ordered by him to Auckland, and when
near the entrance of the river obtained from a small fish-
ing village a man who pointed out the method to enter
the ilolkianga river, and described the marks, bearings,
depth of water in the bar, its position and length, and
the flag-staff inside.

The Osprey stood up, and Commander Patten and the
master observing a red flag exhibited, which denoted
that there was plenty of water on the bar, ran up the
river in safety, and anchored during the night about
twenty-six miles up, and there remained for some time,
co-operating with the Queen's forces. Commander
Patten was afterwards sent by Captain Graham to the
Bay of Islands, and left on the 6th of February. It ap-
peared, in answer to a question from one of the Court,
that from the disturbed state of the country he did not
feel himself justified in employing the master and a
boat's crew to survey the entrance of the river, the direc-
tions being sufficiently plain, and in print, and being fur-
nished by a pilot paid by the Government of Auckland,
and confirmed by a Lieut. Macdonald, a settler at New
Zealand. After executing his orders, Commander Patten
returned, and on the 9th of March made the island, and
on the 10th the entrance of what he, the master, and
the officers and crew, considered the real Hol-
kianga river; but the weather not suiting that day,
they kept under easy sail all the night, and next day, the
11th of March, seeing the marks and the land in every
respect exactly agree, and observing- a red flag dis-
played on a point of land, the course of the Osprey was
then shaped for the entrance. and she ran in at the rate
of seven or eight knots, sounding with the lead all the
way, a man looking out on the yard-arm, and the officers
and crew on deck to trim sails, work ship, &c. This
was about half-past two o'clock in the afternoon, and
tho weather pretty clear. They got several casts of the
lead from 14, 10, 6, and at last a cast of the lead which
gave them five fathoms, and while the man was hauling
in the line the brig struck. Another cast was made,
which gave them only two fathoms. The most prompt.
measures were then taken to endeavour to save the
vessel, and float her into deep water, by cutting away the
masts, throwing the guns, shot, and other heavy stores
overboard, and at last, by the send of the sea and the
rollers, she was drifted on the shore some distance from
the place where she struck. It was then pretty evident
that the Osprey would soon be a wreck, and Commander
Patten instantly caused rafts to be made to land all
the crew, the Queen's stores, and everything he
could, and finally, when the weather permitted, he
stripped the copper off the brig, and drew 1,200 copper
bolts out of her hull, ant before abandoning her, left
nothing but a mere shell. Intelligence was sent to the
senior officer of the calamity which had happened, and
Captain Graham having an opportunity of a vessel going
to England, sent the particulars of the wreck to the
Admiralty by Captain Hay, of the Racehorse, and soon
after freighted two vessels to convey to England the
officers, men, and stores, they having previously marched
a hundred miles across the country to the Bay of Islands,
and they quitted in May. All the foregoing was detailed
to the court, and also that until the wreck took place,
not a man in the Osprey had ever heard of false Holki-
anga Bay, nor was it marked in the only Admiralty
chart of New Zealand which Commander Patten had in
his possession. The members of the court made the
most particular inquiries of the commander, the officers,
and men, as to the correctness of the statements, and ex-
amined the log, he. ; and Commander Patten having then
been called on to say if he had anything further to offer
for the information of the court, requested a quarter of
an hour to look over a written statement which he
wished to make. This was accordingly granted, and
the court cleared. On its being re-opened, the Deputy
Judge-Advocate read Commander Patten's report of the
proceedings, produced his orders, and strong testimonials
from a great number of officers, under whom ho had
served for a period of twenty -four years, in which he
was spoken of in high terms, for his ability as an officer
and a seaman. He also took occasion to say that the
officers and crew of the Osprey had behaved in the most
exemplary manner during the whole time they had been
under his command, and had submitted without repining
to most extraordinary privations from the time of the
wreck until they were embarked for a passage to Eng-
land. On the conclusion of this address, the court was
again cleared for the members to deliberate on and draw
out their sentence, which, as might have been antici-
pated by every one who heard the proceedings, was to
the effect that no blame was attached to Commander
Patten, or the officers and crew of the Osprey, for the
loss of that brig, and that after she struck, and subse-
quently to being a total wreck, every person belonging
to her did their utmost to preserve the Queen's stores ;
and the Court then fully acquited Commander Patten
and the officers and crew, and highly commended them
for their exertions.

The Court was dissolved at half-past three o'clock.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, DircEmEan 28.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—A large business has been done to-
day, and prices have in most case ruled higher. The brokers
report a general scarcity of stock ; buyers are more nume-
rous than sellers. The sales are—Chester and Birkenhead,
501,4—Ditto, Halves, 25%—Eastern Counties, 2314—Ditto,
New, 73/4 p.—Great Western, 171. Shares, 43/4 p.—London
and North-Western, 194-Ditto, Quarters, New, 13% .
-London and Manchester and Birmingham, Quarters (B),
736 p.-Ditto, Quarters (C), 63/4 p.-Midland, 130—Ditto,
New, 514 2.-North British, New, 14, p.-North Union (B),
156-South-Eastern and Dover, New, No. 4, 5/8 p.-York
and Newcastle, Preference, 534 p.—York and helby, Pre-
ference, 1214 p.—Belfast and Ballymena, 63/4 dis...___East
Lancashire, 3% p.—Ditto, New, 31, p.—Ditto, New (scrip),
1% p.—Edinburgh and Northern, New 251. Shares, 2y4 p,_
Great Grimsby and Sheffield, 2% dis.—Huddersfield Canal
and Railway, 414 p.—Ditto, Extension, 1, p.—Leeds and
Thirsk, 3/4 dis.—Ditto, Preference, 1% p.—Shrewsbury and
Chester, New, par—Ambergate and Eastern Junction, % p.
—Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction, 11;, p.—
Birmingham and Oxford Junction, 93/4 p.—Buckinillam-
shire, Is. 3d. p.—Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding, %
p.—Glasgow and Dumfries, 11/2 p.—Great Northern (late
London and York), par—Liverpool, Manchester, and New-
castle Junction, 14 p.—North Staffordshire, 414 p.—North-
Western, 13s. 9d. p.—Shrewsbury and Hereford, % dis.—
Shrewsbury and Birmingham (A), 2% p.—Ditto (13), 235.
2d. p.-West Riding Union, 2,,4 p.-Liverpool, Crosby, and
Southport, 112 p.-Manchester and Southampton, 4 die.
MANCHESTER, DECEMBER 28.
STOCK EXCHARGE.—The sales are—Ambergate, Notting-
ham, and Boston, 7-16 p.—Birkenhead, Lancashire, and
Cheshire, 1 11-16 p.— Birmingham and Oxford Junction, 9%
—Birmingham, Wolverhampton, &c., 315-16 p. —Blackburn,
Darwen, and Bolton, 14 p.—Boston, Stamford, and Bir-
mingham, 11-16 p.—Eastern Counties, Perpetual, No. 2,
7—Ditto, York Extension, 1% p.—East Lancashire, 31/2 p.—
Ditto, New (scrip), 1 11-16 p.—East Lincolnshire, 11A c. p.
—Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding, 14 p.—Glasgow and
Dumfries, 1 9-16 p.—Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junc-
tion, Quarters, 14 dis.—Ditto, Extension, 1 dis.—Great
Northern ( London and York), 1s p.—lluddersfield and
Manchester Railway and Canal, 4 5-16 p.—Ditto, Thirds,
11A4 P.—Leeds and Thirsk, 34 dis.—Ditto, Preferentials, 1%
P.—Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle Junction, 3-16 p.
—Lydon, Manchester, and Birmingham, Quarters (C), 7%
.—'i ne
hester Buxton, Matlock, and Midland, DA p.—
Blanchester and Leeds, Fifths, 6 p.—Ditto, Extension, 1%
p.—Manchester, Bolton and ury, Halves (late Liverpool
and. iula,„ 4 Ps.-rAlanejlester and Southampton, 5-16 dis.—
, .4.c.wfort t • Extensioa, 15-16 p.-North Staffordshire, 41
'1.142,
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fAldit 2 Lsniii—n
B;oeri;t P•-Northern
clsCoftrse
w 1.123 Union,
ropshire Union, 5-16 114
andl4
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kit-• ~c&,, : , ~,, -Eastern:_4pover, No, 3,2% p.—Ditto, No. 4, 5,i
- i r.l lipalilding T'rl", 3-16 p.-Wharfilale (late North-
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Th:.eDsEac-Eler are-R 9ABm. bergate, Notting-
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P.-I!irnair!ghanri and Oxford
Lancashire,n. New, 3% D.
335. _
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c.
n.—
Ditto, N.,.....-.,,"Eatn, ignljston, a.as6dt
Junction, 9Li
.•13/ p East Lincolnshire, 114 n. p.— tuddersfield
',clip, 4 •
and Manchester, 474/ n. p.--Leedsand Thirsk,
IN altos and
Ditto, New, ,1,4 p.-Ditto, Preference,

same of Company.

instralaala ..........
Britsh North American
commercial of London
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Londe and Westminstr
London Joint-Stock .••
!detropolitan ....... • .
Provincial of Ireland..

Ditto, New... .. • ...
National of Ireland ..
Nat. Provncial of Eng.
Ditto, Xew... • .
Union of Australia....
Union of London. • . • .