The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-30 00:00:00

THE WRECK OP THE AVA.

(From the Ceylon Observer of March. 1.)
We did not feel ourselves on Friday in possession of
sufficient information to justify the issue of an extra
announcitee the loss of the Ave. It was well we held
our hand, for it turns out that the Ceylon Times was in-
correct in stating that the vessel was wreckea in broad
daylight. The accident occurred between 8 and 9 p.m.,
but ties does not much mend the matter. The vessel
bad surely no business so near the shore, whether by day
or night. A fine ship and an immense amount of valu-
able property have been lost, and but for the fact that
the vessel was a screw and not a paddle steamer it ap-
pears probable that she would have gone headlong to the
bottom with her freight of some 200 human beings. We
have not only to deplore the loss of the-Ava, one of the
finest vessels in the Indian Seas, but she carried the shaft
for the Alma, which vessel waits at Eden, and will now
have to wait a long time. Besides a valuable cargo of
indigo teed silk, the Ave carried treasure to tt e amount
of 450,0001. in 500 boxes -of which only 152 had been
saved up to the date of accounts received on Saturday.
There was little chance of saving any of the mails, and
the vessel was broken in halves amidships. The wreck
occurred on one of the Pigeon Islands, about 12 miles
north from Trincomalee. A correspondent of the Exr-
miner thus notices the Pigeon Islands :
" Pigeon Island, so called from the numbers of that
bird frequenting it, is about two miles off shore, 15 from
Fort Fee erich, aed six from Nalavelly. It is not dis-
cernible from the former spot, owing to a neck of land
which intervenes. It rises from 12 to 15 feet above the
sa, and can be discerned plainly for miles. How the
Ava got there appears to me totally inexplicable, as
Pigeon Island does not lie in a direct course to Trinco-
malee ; and had the A va not intended to seek this port
she should have left Pigeon Island some miles to the
I west."

The letters received from our Trincomalee correspon-
dents, en Saturday evening, are as follows :
" 12 Midnight, F•b. 17.
" The Ave is lying a total wreck on one of the Piglloll
Islands, having htruck on a rock off one of them last
night betwee❑ 8 and 9 ; her bows are completely under
water, her poop high up in the air, there is no chance of

saving ner ; the mails will also be lost, rhere is a large
quantity of specie, silk, and indigo on board. She had
70 I,t-class passengers, 25 of whom were ladies, and
some 40 officers, many of them wounded, 19 children,
and a number of European servants. lam happy to say
no lives have been lost, which I believe is mainly attri-
butable to the exertions of Captain Ha-well, late COM-
'Dander of the Himalaya, by whose coil and calm direc-

tions much good was effected. Just before he struck
the ( aptain (Curton) who had charge of the deck at the
time, had determined to keep her off the land four points,
when a passenger entered into conversation with him,
And More he could give the necessary directions she
went completely over the rock."
Another letter states :
" Though much pressed for time I will try and send
you a few further particulars of the lost Ava, as she is
now a total wreck with her back broken, which occurred'
19 hours after she struck—a fearful loss to the Peninsu-
lar and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, especially
when it is kn,,w that a new main ehaft for the Alma was

on board, which it is very doubtful can ever, if recovered,
be made use of. No lives have been lost, which is the

only satisfactory item i❑ the whole affair. All the pas•
eager. havd lost everything they bad on board, and
very few saved more clothes than they had on them
At the time ; they have lost a great deal of money,

jewellery, &c. Out of the 500 boxes of specie, each
e staining 5,000 rupees, only 152 have been saved, or,
put it in round ❑umbers, out of a quarter of a million of
inon.y, 250,000/ , 75,0001. only has been saved at pre-
sent. A. great deal of the remainder will, of course, be
.aved if proper measures are taken promptly, so that
the moment the calms commence, about the middle of
nest month, divi❑g may begin. The best plan would,
iu Lay opiciiiin, be for a gun-boat of the squadron to be
sent down at once, with divers, dresses, &c,, several of
which there are au Commodore Watsou's ship. There
is also a large quantity of indigo and bilk, not a package
of which has yet come on shore ; they will all come to-
gether, no doubt, the momtnt the foremast falls, as that
will, it is supposed, split up her decks. It would be
well worth the mabter of the Manchester's consideration
to come round here and pick up passengers and take
them on to Galle."

Country Markets.

COLCHESTER- MARCH 27.

A short supply of wheat, with a slow sale, at is per
qr, reduction. Malting barleys in good demand, and last
week's rates maintained. Beans rather dearer, and peas
It s before.
Prices to-daywere as follow :—Wheat, white, 46c to 50.;
red, 42s to 4Gs; barley, 36s to 43s ; oats, 24s to 28s ; beano,
tiazagan, 31s to 36s ; middle and small, 36s to 40s ; peas,
white, 40s to 42s ; grey, %Os to 42e.

Official Statement of the Quantities of Corn, &c,
in the port of London, from the following pi
March 22 to March 27, both inclusive.

~ receives
)rts, Irma