The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-18 00:00:00

WRECKS IN TORRES STRAITS:

The brig. Shamrock arrived here from Copang
Island of Tinior,-oii the -19th Of July, and brought.
intellgence of-the loss of- several vessels in Torres
Straits:- - One was, merely 'reported as a vessel with
horses from Sydney, and was supposed to '"be the
Wanata, - but -by subsequent . information , which
reached this port- a few days ago, it appears that
the ship was the ChesterhOlme from Hobart TOwn,
with 'horSA for Bombay ; all hands were saved.
The only information respecting the second vessel
is, that sho-was a• large American ship, and that
her crew, as well as that of the ship with horses,
were picked up in Torres Straits by Captain Carew,
while on .his vo;tac-c from New Zealand to Hong
Kona.
.•• Of the Magda we have -more definite par-
ticulars, the captain and a• portion of • the crew
having -arrived by the Shamrock. The Magda
was from Geelong, bound to Java; on June Ist, at
6.30 a.m., she struck on a • reef off Cape Van Die-
men dnring,the mate's-watch on deck, and in order
to facilitate any probability of getting her off,
cargo 'and ballad Were diScharged, and the
vessel divested- of all " top-hamper;' during. the
psnightou m :teli;.b.et
htiVheillt:ashend re, inelti
gained.so sN
rao
enn dst
ihdteleinrc
a.
cutAbll adui avi
aol
yena,,led
but
this proving of no avail, it became necessary to
abandon -the ship ;" two boats were got out, the
captain,,seepnd mate,- seven of the crew, and two
passengers going in one ; the ,mate,- nine . of the
ship's company, and one passenger in the other boat.
ie
imsnmobtphenors Alligator'ssmoli
bc tlrmheo.
monsters,
On
tßtiechi
rai
ajs‘p,
June
from!
na
eof
fnbmieutclrtttiihen tried
gfft lat
whichaoes.
On the 7th of -June, the mate's boat was lost sight
t
prevented
land
fn- thet.
a captain
placeb yth e called;
this river is named, collected on its banks ; in fact,
werer
1 y
the captain's boat got on
landingigwaasto-rustte
ed for water, when they were attacked by
shore sand-
thehseaanr de alligators
the blacks, who drove them back to the boat, throw-
ing spears at them, one of which struck the boats-
wain and caused his death. Subsequently to this
the entire boat's -crew were taken excepting the
captain, second mate, and one man. Afterwards, the
boat was -driven from the land, but twice endea-
voured to get on shore for, the purpose ofprocuring
water ; on each occasion this was rendered ineffec-
tual; first, by the heavy surf, and again by the
gathering of a quantity of blacks upon the coast.
The men had then been three days without -Water,
and it was considered advisable again to steer sea-
ward, under the hope of falling in with some ves-
sels. In making the land again on the 10th, the
boat stranded on Ashmore's Bank, at 30.8 p.m. ; all
the clothes the crew had saved, and everything
else that' could with prudence be parted with were
thrown overboard to lighten the boat, which was
hauled three miles along the rocks ; they succeeded
in launching her again, and on June 18th, in lat.
11.45 south, and long. 121.25 east; they fell in with
the brig Shamrock. -Capt. Punch immediately took
them on board, and we have-been requested' by the
Captain of the Magda to acknowledge the great
kindness he and his fellow-sufferers experienced