The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-18 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE ATA.

The announcement of the total loss of the Penin-
sular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's
tine vessel, Ava, yesterday, created a most painful
sensation, not only in commercial but also in pri-
vate circles. The arrival of the vessel at Suez had
been a,nxiousla looked for, as it was known that by
her would be --brought many of the unhappy sur-
vivors of the miseries at Lucknow ; and the greatest
sympathy has been expressed on their behalf, par-
ticularly as they seem fated to meet with dire cala-
mity upon the ocean as well as upon the land. It
is not a little extraordinary, too, that although
arrangements were made for their passage by the
previous mail steamer, but few, if any, were enabled
to avail themselves of it, and thus they were ex-
posed to the present unfortunate catastrophe.
From the fact that up to last evening the com-
pany had not received any details of the loss, it is
impossible at present to enter fully into the sub-
ject ; but the vessel being employed in the govern-
ment mail service, a searching inquiry will be made
by the marine depaitment of the Board of Trade,
upon the earliest opportunity. There appears no
doubt, however, that she was wrecked off the coast
of the island of Ceylon, near Trincomalee, and the
cargo and mails—the latter so valuable at the pre-
sent moment—totally lost, together with a large
amount of treasure, but fortunately the passengers
and crew were saved.
The Iva was an iron screw steam ship of 1,600
tons, and propelled by engines of 320-horse power.
She was launched in June, 1855, from the yard of
Messrs. Todd and M`Gregor, the extensive iron
ship-builders of Glasgow. The same irm also con-
structed the engines. Since she had been in the
service she had been employed on the line between
Calcutta, Madras, Ceylon, Aden, and Suez, with
the exception of one trip to Hong-Kong, under
charter to the Indian government, upon the occa-
sion of Lord Elgin returning to his post as her
Majesty's plenipotentiary. His lordship, it willibe
recollected, on hearing of the outbreak iu India,
immediately hastened to Calcutta in the Shannon
steam frigate, which vessel was detained at Calcutta
for the defence of the city and its:inhabitants, and
has since, as our readers know, rendered good ser-
vice under the command of Capt. Sir W. Peel, R.N.
As it was absolutely necessary that Lord Elgin should
immediately return and carry out his important
mission in China, the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's agent at Calcutta yielded to the solicita-
tions of the authorities, and the Ave was accordingly
chartered for that purpose, and she had just re-
turned and resumed her ordinary mail duties. As
soon as the loss was known the company's agent
diverted the Granada from her usual line, and
despatched her direct to Suez, there to await the
strive: of the outward-bound passengers and mails
who would, in due course, have gone on in the Ave.
This admirable forethought, therefore, will prevent
any delay in the usual mail service ; but the home-
ward bound passengers by the last vessel will have
to remain at Ceylon until the next fortnightly
steamer.

It is not quite clear who was in command of the
Ava this voyage. Her original commander was
Capt. J. B. Caldbeck ; but the company had re-
ceived information that that gentleman had been
invalided, and it was probable he would return
home as a passenger in the vessel, the command
having previously been transferred to other hands.
The company are their own underwriters, and
at the date of the last report their insurance fund
amounted to 281,7401.
It may be remarked as somewhat strange that
the last vessel the company lost was also wrecked
on the coast of the island of Ceylon. This took
place on the 6th June last, and on that occasion,
as on the present, the lives of the passengers and
crew were all saved.

It is not known with any certainty whether the
large amount of treasure which is described as
`• pounds" in the telegram was not "rupees," or
whether the passengers saved any property belong-
ing to them.

SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNEIWAY.

Intelligence reached here to-day of the loss of
the Peninsular and Oriental Company's screw steam
ship Iva, with the Calcutta mail and upwards of
200,0001. in treasure.

The Ara was an iron ship of 1,600 tons and
320 horse power. She was built on the Clyde,
by Todd and M‘Gregor, in June, 1855, at a cost
of about 60,0001. She was esteemed a good sea
boat, was elegantly fitted, and had accommodation
for 120 first-class passengers. She made several
voyages from Southampton to Alexandria, under
the command of Capt. Field ; and previous to her
departure for the East (18 months since) her speed
was tested by the measured mile at Stoke's Bay,
averaging 12 knots per hour. She was on the
station between Calcutta, Madras, Ceylon, Aden,
and Suez.

By reference to the chart, it is probable that the
Ava was wrecked on a reef of sunken rocks known
as Basses Rocks, off Trincomalee, in the island of
Ceylon, and not tar from the great coaling depot
of the company.
The specie lost was the property of the East
India Company, and is uninsured, and the ship is
not insured in the ordinary way ; the company
being their own insurers by laying aside a sum
equal in value to each new ship they build. It is
anticipated that she had a valuable cargo of silks,
dm, on board.

It is uncertain who commanded the Ava, as
there hare been several changes of late.

THE GREAT SOCIAL EVIL.

The following letter has been addressed to the
editor of the Times :

"Sir,—The Rev. Thomas Garnier is sadly bard
!von us poor creatures. He objects to our walk-
ing the streets ; he objects to our staying at
home. He follows us to Norton-street and ex-
claims, " Out upon them, they taint the neighbour-
hood r' But he does not tell us where we are to
live or where we are to walk.

"There are not enough penitentiaries to receive
ua all, for we are many ; nor, if there wore, are we
all willing to enter those places, or strong minded
and bodied enough to bear the hard discipline
which they enforce. Yet we must live. Poor girls
and duckesses are made of the same clay, and if the
Rev. Thomas Gamier were to examine as closely
the class to which he belongs as he does ours, he
would find many fine ladies living in palaces as
grand as any in Poi tland-place who deserve to be
pointed at and hunted into penitentiaries just as
much as any of us unfortunates who dwell in the
small streets near the New-road. The Rev. Thomas
Gamier has no hesitation in naming our residences
and in saying that we disgrace them ; let him lay
his hand on his heart and say whether he dare do
the same were he dealing with noblewomen in
Mayfair. I think not.
Then he calls upon Parliament to make laws
about us, to give the police power to break into our
houses and take up our customers. Will he perse-
vere when he knows who our customers are ? How
many members of the Lords and Commons will he
find in our company ! How many doctors of divi-
nity and highly respectable married men who are a
little bored with their wives —or whose wives are a
good deal bored with them? Will he say what pu-
nishment he will inflict on such offenders ? Will
he deal with them as harshly or more so than with
us poor girls I lam a labourei's daughter, sir. I
protest until I became " gay" I never slept with
fewer than six grown-up people in a room, for my
parents had but one. I endured every privation
and mortification which poverty could inflict, and
I knew that there existed through my beauty—for
I was very handsome—one certain means of im-
mediate relief. A tempter, immeasurably my
superior in station and education, took great pains
to point out these means to me, and I became what
I am.

" Let the Rev. Thomas Gamier remember the
'Ai Marquis,' Sir, and legislate for him and such
ea him before he deals so bitterly with us. There
are more old Mrrquises' than 'one about town.
Ask the Bishop of Oxford ; ask the police. Several
are well known in this loe ility.
" Yours respectfully,
Norton-street " ONE MOST UNFORTUNATE."
March 16.

Innuar FINANCE. —Th---,b receipts of -...
Trea-
sury of the " East" India Company,receithe Home Tree-
-1857, to the 30th of April, from the Ist May,
only estimated), amount to 118 (the la't three months
dis-
bursements to 9,969,6691. T1,1!19,0281 , and the
maining in favour on the 80th estimated balance re-
-859,9581. The
857.5e9stirc
disbursements for the year endianPi_etxhet is 859,9581.
April, 1859,
arth"stimated at 9,217,126/., a
balanceed that
(0!::rx be at the end of the yeard 1
'2 t of no less than 5,617,168/. be a
411111rutit a:r W
A.t Mae desire INNEITAT.—RECOVIRT
I.lrd m (A Earl OF THE JEwELS.
,_ , r. itreid Vane and the Mar •
uas doept„, 4 'mod, the director pits of Staf-
t.
the
ru.
,),,,,,,, . of the Fire Brigade,
W ka. itf, : nis expPrienced e
ynnatay, tor tii, Purl i-`,l late fearfulngineers(Bridgei.)
jewels and
.disinontir". it T,,_. enflagration of
Vane, which were known L 47 v;l'anle, otrecoverirg the
of smouldering rubbimbi:ltsl2 be "Tildatr the Counts a
step, he, with several wwese Beid,„e,, beneath the niaeg
gaged " sifting" and ~ w
ai4thrt,,,: -h.,.:
€‘11,,:,a1.:.vi y n n
various fine-wired sieves, and nula totirionl" througheu
been very successful in disc.)vtrieg a large portion 1
lost diamonds, pearls, Jo., including some goldl°Xtti,"'"
portions of plate and valuable rings. In many • watches,
inetanct.s
the diamonds have sustained severe injury from the
action of the fire. The search is not yet
completed, and
owing t, the great mass of rubbish to be sifted, the
operation must occupy a considerable time. The report
that Wynnstay was not insured turns out to be too true;
not a article of either the house or its magnificent con-
tents W pAS inured. The lose to the noble family must be
very great indeed. 1