The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-27 00:00:00

WRECK OF THE LORD AMHERST.

The following particulars of the wreck of the
Lord Amherst, and of the dreadful hurricane
which occasioned that and other calamities at
Calcutta, have been just received by a respect-
dde commercial house in the
~Caleut city
ta,i‘,:725,
1833.

_ -
" It is with extreme regret I have to acquaint you
with the loss of the Hon. Company's ship Lord
Amherst, under my command, the particulars of
which disastrous e'ent have been sadly aggravated
by tie vexatious delays, on the parr of the Honour-
ible Company at this place, in detaining our cargo
for neatly two months, in which time our ship might
have been half way on her passage to Eng-
I md. However, we left this port on the 18th inst.
in charge of Mr. M‘Dormand, branch pilot, in tow
if the Enterprise steamer, a very pleasant party of
sassengers on board, with several additions, and
every prospect of a happy voyage. On the 19,h,
from the defective state of the steamer's machinery,
we were compelled to cast her off and make sail
down the river. On the 20th it came on to blow
with considerable violence from the N.E. Came to
with the best bower about three miles below Kede
seree ; veered to a whole cable; sent the top-gal-
lant-yards and royal masts on deck; bent the sheet-
cable, and get everything ready to meet the weather,
w! ich the rapid sinking of the barometer indicated.
At d tylight strong gales and dark squally weather,
with heavy rain and much lightning ; struck
top-gallant-masts. At nine, the gale increasing,
the ship swung to the flood or weather-tide, with
a heavy cross-sea, labouring much, and shipping
great quantities of water over all. At 9, 30., in a
heavy lee-lurch, the starboard quarter boat was
washed away, taking the davits with her. At 9. 40e,
in a severe gust, the gaskets of the main-topsail
gave way, and the sail getting loose it blew to rig
bands ; the severe jerks before the sail split, carried
away most of the weather topmast rigging, and
shortly afterwards the maintop-mast went offby the
cap, which in its fall sprung the main-yard. About
ten o'clock, from the increasing violence of
the hurricane, the foretop-mast and jib-boom went
also; and at 16. 30., the mizen-mast went over-
board ; the ship at this time riding well, with 120
fathoms of chain out, the same soundings, 10
fathoms and perfectly safe, but the most tremendous
hurricane and foul sea I ever beheld ; the barometer
27.60., and sinking, with much lightning, and the sea
breaking over the gunwales,when engulphed between
the two seas, which led me to apprehend the ship
foundering from the immense seas she took on board,
which were literally filling the between decks, the in-
valids at this time being washed out from below. At
10.40. the hurricane suddenly chopped round to the
S E , and blew with increased fury ; the sea terrifies
making a clear breach over the ship fore and aft, wash
ing every thing overboard,irnmense quantities of water
finding its way down the hatchways, &c. Got all
the deadlights in, sounded in ten fathoms, the ship
holding on. At 10. 55, with great difficulty (it
being nearly impossible to keep the deck), let go
the starboard anchor; shortly afterwards the ship
brought her anchors home, and struck the ground
vey heavily abaft, unshipped her rudder, which be-
gan ripping up the stern frame until it broke
off at the shoulder, the horrors of which mo-
ment no pen can possibly describe, the ship
striking the ground heavily, and from the undu-
lation of her decks, to all appearance overwhelmed
and breaking up, touching her berm-ends in the
sand, and the sea breaking into her fore and aft. The
fore-yard, about this time, was broke in two by
striking the sand. The pilot now informed me, he
imagined the ship had struck on the mizen sand,
therefore, in order to prevent her lower masts froth
going through her bottom, I gave directions to cut
the landyards of the weather rigging, and the fore
and mainmasts went overboard a few feet above the
deck; ordered the wreck of the masts to be kept
alongside to save as many lives as possible. The ship
now lay totally dismasted,and striking with more or
less violence, the sea breaking over her, the cuddy and
most of the cabins full of water; hove the guns over-
board, and stove all the water casks to lighten her
upper works. At 11. 10. she became perfectly set-
tled ; sounded the well, and found four feet water
in the ship, all hands employed pumping and clear-
ing the wreck. During the whole of the morning
the deep sea and hand leads were kept going, and
the soundings reported, as well as the ship holding
on, but impossible to see ten yards from the ship.
I am happy to add, with the blessing of the Al-
mighty, that all hands are saved, although many are
severely bruised. Towards evening strong gales,
it clearing a little, we discovered the ship was
stranded high and dry abreast of the lighthouse. Got
the steam-anchor on shore, and brought the cables to
the capstan through the afterport, to keep up a com-
munication should the ship separate during the nght's
tide. Sent three Lascars to the lighthouse, to
ascertain what protection they could afford the la-
dis, who, I am proud to say, conducted themselves
nobly. Although eleven in number, including the
children, in one of the poop cabins, and that half
full of water, with the sea rushing through it, yet
amid all the terrors of this trying scene not a cly
was heard. The whole of the country as far as the
eye could reach being one scene of desolation, and
many feet under water, they made up their minds
to remain by the ship while there was a chance of
her holding together. At day-light employed all
hands sparring the ship with her btoken spars ; dis-
covered the Hon. Company's ship Duke of York
stranded, six miles to the south, with the foremast
standing, neatly as complete a wreck as ourselves;
other ships on shore to the northward ; two on their
beam ends, and the sea breaking over them. These
proved to be the General Gascoyne, Robert, and
Eamont ; the sands around us covered with large
quantities of drift, evidently part of a vessel, among
which we fished up part of a chest of a Captain
Mitchell, and the lid of his pilot's chest, also with
the wheel, &c., the remainder being the upper
works of a ship, we therefore can only conclude that
the ship Sultan, Capt. Mitchell, outward bound,
has broken up on the Long Island, and all hands
perished. The loss of life on shore has been dread-
tul, and the dead bodies around the ship are truly
appalling.
The
alling.Lord Amherst lies on her starboard bilge,
with her anchors in sight at low water. The hull
is completely broken-backed, being both bagged
and sagged, and her decks set up at least twenty
inches on the starboard-side, from the bilge up-
wards. She appears to have gone out in board,
particularly from- the lower deck and the plank
sheer; several of her butts, from the bilge upwards,
started out, and most of ber hanging and lodging
knees on the upper deck broken. The damage on
her bottom cannot at present be ascertained, as
she lies buried about five feet in the quicksand ;
her gripe and forefoot are knocked off, and lie
about 30 yards from the ship; her rudder is un-
shipped and broken off close to the lower counter,
with most of the pintles gone ; all her pumps (pa-
tent) are broken, likewise the seams and butts
show the vessel to have worked very much; indeed
she is completely deformed, and shows every symp-
tom of a break-up. The distress on shore is incon-
ceivable; the whole of the villages are washed away,
thousands are lying dead in every direction, and so
gwraeradt has been
sof 2feetthe ofinthuen dhagthiotnh, thouseat
wasat one
under
ld timeer
water.up-
I received several of the poor natives (men, women,
and children) on board the Lord Amherst, after the
hurricane, and am now supplying hundreds around
me with rice and water. The whole of the cultiva-
tion on the island of Saugor is destroyed, and the
loss of life is estimated at seven thousand souls."

THE WESLEYA N METHODISTS.—The Wes-
leyan Methodists of the Shepton Mallet Circuit (com-
prising eighteen congregations), at their last quarterly
meeting of ministers and stewards, unanimously resolved
o petition Parliament to be relieved from the c,mpultory
payment of church rates ; for the establishment of a general
registry of births, marriages, and deaths ; and that their
Omen ministers may be enabled to perform the maniage
seremony.