The Sun.
London, England, 1805-04-18 00:00:00

swell aOd fresh of wind, make it very probable that
this occurred either at or near the 41 Ice, as stated
in 'the log. Be this as it may, the Boatswain him.
self 'acknowlediees that the remains were converted
into oakum. for the caulking the bends, and the. onts;
irregularity he can find is, that he was not supplied
with a‘ receipt by the Carpenter ; and I most so-
lemnly declare, that I believe every part of this
cable was applied to that use, is. the Officers knew
how anxious I_ was to get the best of the oakum to
cauk the bends.
Shortly after Mr,lartholtimei,v had been impress.
ed, I was informed that every thing which
eitios art' could contrive had been employed metre.
vett into a crime the picking of a little good oak»
um, to caulk the Ship's bends, which was a Most
necessary precaution ; I accordingly wrote to Mr.
Davis, the. First Lieutenant of the Romney, and
refer their Lordships to his Letter, a copy of which
have the honour to incluse 'for their further in.
forinetiOn on this head.
On the aubjeit of the anchor, the accident by
I. whiehit was lost in Ballasore Road has been already
particularized, but it appears the weight of it is by
some extraordinary reason 'brOught into question
now. If the. accounts of Mr. Halliday, the Naval
Officer at Bombay, had been carefully examine:), it
would have been found that he paid for an anchor,
most probably the one in question, which 13a(Vbeen
hooked and weighed by seine of. the Transports,
end which was supposed to have been left by a Ship
of War,.
If the specific weight of the anchor lost by 'the
Romney, even to pounds,, was inserted in the log,
it proves great accuracy on the part, of those who
were charged with that duty ; but it is imposSible
to, guess what is meant to be insinuated by this part
of the Report.
Mr. Louis, it appears, was to he consulted rela.
tive to. two other anchors which were returned at
Calcutta, but for which he did not give any receipt,
for the simple reason, that he was absent at the
time. Such a determination on the part of the Coto:
missionets was extremely proper'; and if nearly the
whole of the paragraphs contained in the Report
hail been, in a similar manoeri made to bear on him,
a greater regard to candour would have been dig.
Plarod'hy theta. They knew' that he was ex aftip
Commissioner at Calcutta, and that all purchases and
sales related solely to him.. Mr. Louis is a very re.
epedable charaaer, and WAS long ago, as I have be.
fore observed,.. examined by the Comtnissioners
of
Naval Inquiry, who were satisfied with his coritNel
while it Calcutta. But this circumstance had not
the least weight with the seruputous investigators
who fancied that his appointmeet originated with

me. ,
The next charge in the account relates to oakum
and a most unfortunate one it is for those by whom
lain accused, since it not only calls on ins to-justify
myself on that score, hitt leads me to account for
many other expenditures, the absolute necessity
which they tnuse have seen by the inquiry that took
place at Chatham, on my teturn, however they may
greet surprise at tier having been made. On the
subjed of oakum, lirprehend that what was Charged
was strialy applied to the ship, and my cian.ic_
tion of the truth of this is founded on the following
striking fads :--When the above Inquiry was
made, the principal questions wore as tallow
What was the state of the,Rotnney when she lett
England ? What was it When she reached Calcutta ?
Was it necessary to make any repairs ?* And; lastly;
Were any made but such as were absolutely neces.
sary ?,--To these questions the answers delivered
on oath were, That the Romney made much water
in the British Channel, and that the evil daily in..
creased that her bends were found very clef-calve
on caulking at the Cape : ,that she made front six
to eight feet Water in an hour during the .passage
to Calcutta that her wales on the larboard side
•
were found cone rotten : that they were forced to
make many shift of plank on the starboard side, Sec,
and that.no work was done to the Ship but what was
absolutely necessary to enable her to undertake any
service whatever. Could any replies be more con.
elusive and satisfa4ory, or have a greater tendency
to justify, the upright Comltiet.of the Commander of
the Romney, on whose account the Inquiry had
been instituted ?
That Sir William Rule, the Surveyor of the Navy,
entertained this opinion, appearis clearly from his
waving a question put by me, Whether, if .the Rom,
ney had not, received the repair in question, consi.
dering the weather we experienced, she'would` not
in all probability have gone to the bottoM? He was
satisfied, like a conscientious man, with knowing.
that the repairs which had been. done were absolute.
ly necessary, and that no repairs were made but
such as
~were really . wanted. )-:o the question,
Whether I had paid, proper attention to the stored
in the different departments ? the answer was affirm.
ative ; and it was denied that there had been any
waste or improper expenditure of them: I was net
allowed to call an the Lieutenants or Master of the
Ship, whose authority carriedotort weight than that
of the Warrant Officers ; bat LINO that the affi.
davits anal other documents I submit to their Lard.
ships, will, when combined with this reply, remove
every impressioowhich may. have been made against
the, by the artful and sophisticated itisinuatioes
which have been thrown out.
Among othets it is stated by the ftep:Jr:crs as a
matterpr sorptize, that the Wallis-Nato, who roz,,er
attended any return of 'atom, did not know in
what manner the new ones were i,urchased, for this
reason, that the notes were .cony.tntly'deliverrd to
the Finit
,Lieutenant. In reply -to this' rhave to ob.
serve, that his business wets to receive the stores,not
to einpley himself, about the puieNase at them ; and
that all the notes were directed, as is :the constant
usage at the service, to tle,Cepantrandirrg Officer, and
not the First Lieutenant, who trust u, course in
his turn of relaxation be absent as well as other
Officers. Even prejudice could not have invented a
more feeble pretext of accosatiols.
(Ta to wain:adj.