The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-19 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF HER MAJESTY'S STEAMER BEYNARD.

PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.—The following is an
extract of a letter from an officer of this ship :
Hong-Kong, June 22.—As bad news flies fast you
will have, doubtless, before this reaches you, heard of
the total loss of her Majesty's steamer Reynard on
the Prata Shoal in the middle of the China Sea. She
struck at 4.15 r M. on the 31st of May, going at the
rate of about 3i knots, at which time by the reckoning
(excellent sights having been obtained at 4.30 P.M.
the previous afternoon) sbe was more than 29 miles
from the reefs! The conduct of the ship's company
was beyond all praise. Two days on raw pork and
a small lot of rum, and a night on a raft up to the
knees in water, and the prospect of a fortnight's
detention on a desolate tropical island where water
was scanty and brackish, and boobies almost the
only food, did not damp their spirits for au
instant. With the exception of the chronometers
and a few instruments we have lost every thing ;
cut if our reputation is safe what matters
the loss of worldly goods ? This a court-martial will
decide, I trust, ere long, for to be kept in this state
of suspence is dreadful. In the meantime we are
awaiting on board the Minden the decision of the
Commander-in-Chief as to our disposal, which we
cannot know until the middle of August. A pleasant
prospect ! We can scarcely realize the full extent of
the calamity yet, though in common with all hands,
I feel the blow heavily. All our curiosities (collec-,
tions made in parts of China where no ship had ever
before been)—bricks from the Great Wall, the pro-
ductions of Loo Choo and Formosa, souvenirs for our
friends—all are gone ! But we ought to be truly
thankful to a merciful Providence that the lives of
all were saved, and that not a single casualty took
place. We have met with much kindness here—al-
most every house open to us, and offers of any quan•
tity of clothing, &c. By the way, among the few
things saved was the Seaman and Marines' Orphan
School box, which, if the Peninsular and Oriental
Company will allow to go free, will be sent home by
the mail. There is a good sum in it, which the en-
dowment fund will be glad of."
Mr. R. T. C. Scott, surgeon of the flag-ship Hast-
ings, has been superseded at his own request by Ad-
miralty order, and was to have taken passage home in
the Rey nerd.

Mr. Patrick Digan, senior assistant-surgeon of the
Hastings, has been appointed acting-surgeon of the
Cleopatra, vice Haire, invalided.
The Myrmidon iron steam-vessel, Lieutenant-
Commander Joliffe, sailed from Spitbead to-day for
the coast of Africa, calling at Devonport.
The Odin steam-frigate, 16, was commissioned this
morning pro tern. by Commander Sir William Wise-
man, of the Excellent, to carry the British Ambas-
sador to St. Vetersburgh.
The Vixen steam-sloop has been out to-day to try
her engines.
The Port Admiral's yacht Fanny, Master-Com-
mander Scarlett, which was struck and damaged by
lightning lately, was taken out of dock refitted this
afternoon.
TUE ARMAMENT AND SPARS OF HER MAJESTY'S
SCREW-FRIGATE DAUNTLES3.—We have all along
contended that this ship—a purely experimental ves-
sel—has been fitted out with the least possible judg-
ment, and the experience of six months' cruising has
confirmed our opinion. We are very glad, however,
to find that considerable alterations are to be made in

this ship. Instead of her having 24 guns, and those

of 56 cwt., 32-pounders on the lower deck through-
out, she is to have :tn armament of 31 guns, namely',
18 fifty-two cwt. 68-pounders and 2 thirty-two 56
cwt. guns on the main deck, and 10 thirty-two
pounders 45 cwt. on the upper deck, with an 8-inch
95 cwt. pivot gun on the forecastle. Such a ship as
the Dauntless can well fight at short distances, so that
she does not need guns of so long a range as a paddle-
wheel steamer. In net, the Dauntless being a full-
powered screw steamer can always choose her own
distance whenever she may be required to fight her
shotted guns. She is also to have some of her spars
replaced, so that she will be enabled to spread 4,000
feet of canvas more than on her last cruise. We are
sorry to hear, however, that with this addition to her
armament and increased spars, she is only ordered to
have an addition of 30 men to her complement. It
is well known that the Commodore at Lisbon was
compelled to draft some 30 or 40 supernumeraries on
board the Dauntless to do the ordinary work of a
man-of war. What a farce, therefore, it is to add
only 30 men to her complement, when there is so
much more necessity for additional seamen. It is
very clear that the Dauntless should not go to sea
with a less complement than that of a 36-gun frigate,
350 officers and men.—Herald.

About nine o'clock on Sunday night, as a person
named Bloomfield was passing Hythe Church, Colchester, he
heard a loud knocking inside, and on going to the door
whence the noise proceeded discovered that some one was
incarcerated in the edifice. He communicated the circum-
stanceah Martin,
to the parish clerk, who immediately came with his
awaking
huge bunch of keys. and, unlocking the door, gave speedy
egress to a lad 14 or 15 years of age, named Elij
who had just discovered his awkward situation by
up from a deep sleep into which he had fallen during the
hours of service.—Chelmsford Chronicle

G L ASGONV.•-•-t may be interesting to our readers to
learn that her Royal Highness the Duchess of' Kent does not
leave Brodick until Monday morning, when she returns by
Ardrossan, and from thence per special train on the Glasgow
and Soath- Western Railway. We understand that number
number
of individuals have gone down to Arran in the hope of see'ng
her Royal Highness, and we have no doubt that the popula-
tion of the island will be considerably increased on Saturday,
as return tickets are issued by the railway
.company to
Ardrossan and back at a cheap rate.—North British Natl.