The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-27 00:00:00

were never more worthily represented than by their
two ambassadors, who set an example to every
one. The panic is but of short duration. The cowards
iare shamed by the quiet courage of the chiefs.
25 minutes have elapsed, and Mr. Bailey, the Penin-
sular and Oriental agent, with Mr. Janty, the act-
, ing harbour-master, comes on board, and now the
steam is up, the chief engineer having poured gal-
lon after gallon of oil on the coals to quicken. their
action. A rumour is spread that the captain is going
out to sea. In truth, that was his first idea. The
vessel is provided with powerful pumps, which can
only be worked when the engines are going. There
is no room in the harbour to steam ahead, and the
captain trusts he can keep her afloat outside with the
pumps, and so save ship and cargo. All hope is
soon destroyed by the fearful rapidity with which
the water rises. The chief engineer rushes on deck.
" In the name of God, captain, don't proceed to sea ;
we are in a sinking state. Beach her at once."
But the rumour gains ground, and some of the
passengers pester Lord Elgin with vain requests :
" Will not your lordship order the boats to be low-
ered ?" " Will you not protest against going to
sea ?" " Will you not speak to the captain ?" Lord
Elgin steadily refuses to interfere with the captain
in the discharge of his duty, but sends Col. Crcalock
with a message—" Lord Elgin presents his compli-
ments and wishes to know if you are going to sea.'
" Going to sea! we are going down." And so we
are, and that visibly. Still not a boat alongside, the
cargo boats having disappeared after the first bump.
The quartermasters are at the helm, which they have
never
never quitted during the wildest con fusion. " Heave
at the anchor." " Cheerily, men, cheerily." They
work with a will, and, God be thanked, at the first
revolution of the engines the screw drives her ahead.
The bilge injection is set to work, but the water
gains rapidly. It is up to her stern ports, The
saloon and cabins are full. She is sinking fast. Will
she live across the bay and reach the sandy beach ?
Mr. Loch, Lord Elgin's private secretary, served in
the navy in early life. He goes to the captain, and
asks leave to prepare one of the quarter bouts for
lowering, so that if we sink in crossing there may
be a chance of saving the women. Permission is
readily granted, and Mr. Loch, Col. Crealock, and a
few others soon have the boat ready for launching,
Now we are off. The stern sinks lower and lower.
"Keep your eye on that mast," quietly remarks an
old sailor tome; " I don't expect we shall get across,
and if we sink it may be above water." At length
we reach the sand. Let go the anchors. She swings,
and the order is given to go astern ; but at the first
revolution the engines are brought up standing.
The broken hawser is round the screw ! Had it
twisted the other way, we could never have gone
ahead. We veer cable, and she is quietly beached
on the sand, stern first. It is high time. A little
longer and the water is in the engine-room. The
ship's boats are now lowered. So great is the swell
that to lie alongside is a work of danger. There aro
some 20 vessels in port, but two only send boats. The
first (English) is swamped in the heavy surf. The
other (French) gets under the ladder and fills, but the
men are active, and quickly bale her out. Both have
their slci ppers on board. Let their names be recorded,
for well they deserve it. The Englishman is Peter
Upton, commanding the barque W'averley, of New-
Castle. The Frenchman is Ch. Messemaccher, Capi-
taine au Long Cours, and his ship is the Paul
Auguste, of Dunkirk. Lord Elgin and Baron Gros
despatched Mr. Loch and the Comte de Bastard to
thank them in the name of their respective Govern-
ments, and sure am -I that all England will second
that vote of thanks. But we must return to the
wreck, where all is prepared for saving the women.
During the whole scene, midst the wildest excite-
ment, the ladies behave most nobly. No shriek is
heard, and, though a few tears arc shed, there is
neither confusion nor dismay. To get them into
the boats is no easy matter, but happily it is con-
eluded without accident, one boat receiving them
on the starboard, another on the pert quarter.
Push off, land them quickly, and return to the ship.
But here are two men on the starboard gangway
attempting to escape in the women's boat, which is
full enough already. The officer on duty pushes
them back, but they are not to be repulsed. They
slip past him, and leap—the first for the stern,
where he tumbles among the ladies and nearly cap-
sizes the boat ; the second for the bow, which he
misses, and takes a header right into the water.
There I should have left him, but the sailors are
more compassionate, and haul him in, quite drenched
and half killed with fright. Neither of these men
is English or French—the first is an American
skipper, the second a Dutch engineer. And now
boats arrive from the shore, and the Governor's
barge is among them. But Lord Elgin will not
quit the vessel until every passenger is saved. One
after another he sees them over the side, and at
length steps into the barge with Baron Gros, the
attaches of the two embassies, and the writer of
this letter. We look at the stern, which is all but
level with the water, and cease to wonder at the
narrow escape of Mr. Giffard, one of the passen-
gers. He went to his cabin to recover something
for his wife. A sea dashed through the port, filled
the cabin, closed the door, and but for the venetian
blinds which give egress for the water into the saloon
he would have been crowned like a rat in a hole.
We pull for the jetty, where the ambassadors land,
sorely shorn of their glory, but having shown under
the most trying circumstances a rare example of
courage and steadfastness.

And now we begin to look about us, and ascertain
our loss. Except the few things which were taken
on shore the previous night, all is in the bold, and
cannot be reached. Both Lord Elgin and Baron
Gros have lost their credentials, their instructions,
and all their more important papers. Lord Elgin's
Orders of the ThiStle and the Bath lie " full fathom
tire." Baron Gros is miKus a very considerable
sum he took out in specie for the expenses of his
mission, and a large service of plate. Two newly-
married couples have lost their it OSSCCIUX, their pre-
sents, and the home reminiscences given to the ladies
before starting on their distant journey. But one
portmanteau has been saved by either. As for
mysel!, I got wet through going on board in a
squall; and, finding every particle of my luggage
thrust into the hold, I borrowed a dry shirt and
trousers of a friend, who afterwards had the satis-
faction of seeing me saved in his garments. My
kit for joining the army in China would have de-
lighted the soul of Sir Charles Napier, and gained
the approval of Lord Clyde. It consists of a tooth-
brush, comb, shirt collar, and shoehorn. I have
not even saved the piece of soap. All the rest
—books and papers, letters and maps, woollens and
linens, waterproofs and bedding, have gone to the
bottom. And now a few words on a subject which
causes great complaint, the treatment of passenger,'
luggage in the Peninsular and Oriental boats. A
rule exists, that during the many transhipments
occurring between England and China, luggage
marked " Cabin" shall be taken to the cabin, while
the remainder goes down to the hold. An officer
on board each ship is charged with the duty of see-
ing this rule carried into execution. But, like
many other excellent regulations, it exists only on
paper, and is utterly disregarded in practice. Not
one single article marked " Cabin" reached its pro-
per
destination on board the Malabar last Tuesdsiy.
Everything was bundled hold,downatnhgeeofdress. Ihe
few articles which and when
the ladies came off drenched to the skin they had
'nom
eansofp
theroeui.ing a change
took ashore from
the Simla were saved, as saloon and cabins were
accessible for some time. Had due regard been
paid to this rule, Lord Elgin would have preserved
his credentials, his instructions, and his decorations,
which were all in a box properly marked. Had
proper respect been paid to the orders of Mr.
Bailey. the Peninsular and Oriental agent, super-
added to the rule, your correspondent would have
saved his letters and papers together with much
valuable property.
In excuse for this negligence it is stated that 24
hours only are allowed at Gallo by the Admiralty
agent for transhipment of mails, bullion, and cargo,
and this in the frightful weather of last Tuesday.
The officers are therefore only too glad to get the
luggage on board and arrange it after starting.
But such an excuse is utterly unavailing. he
China luggage was placed on the Sim
th
hours before our arrival. What more.
easy
an to
arrange the packages marked Cabin' la's deck 24
in one mat!,