The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-29 00:00:00

cider that is produced by the state of the river. I
have found al:Opal matter among the mud.
By Lord Goderich—lf the sewage was conveyed
to the sea, in consequence of the specific gravity of
the salt water it would not mix with the water,
and would be brought back again. I attribute the
increased evil which we now experience to the in-
crease of mud. I attribute the stench ( f the mud
to a change in the character of it rather than to
any increase in its bulk.
Sir J. Shelley—lf, as you assert, the whole of
the sewage of London always comes back azain,
and as London is always pouring its sewage into
the river, how is it that there is anything but
sewage water in the river at all I

Dr. Thompson—There can be no doubt that some
portions of the soluble matter would go into the
sea and mix with it, but the insoluble parts of the
sewage would always come back again. I consider
that Mr. Gurney's plan for burning the foul gases
was a good one. The fluid from deodorisel sewage
would be most beneficial to vegetation whenthrown
over the land. In other cases the dexl'irised water
might t e passed into the Thames, and, although
it might still retain the smell of the sewage, Ino
not think it would be injurious to the river, as it
would be mixed with so large a quantity of fresh
water.

By Lord J. Manners—l have examined water
taken from docks, and I find that it is much purer
than the water in the sewers. I took the water
from just below the Thames Tunnel.
By Mr. Roupell—The temperature of the sea is
always lower than the water of the river. I can
readily believe that many miles of the sewers on
both sides of the river are in such a foul condition
as to be a miniature representation of the river
Tham s. I think if flushing of the sewers was
suspended, dangerous consequences would ensue,
as the odours would, make- their way up the gully-
holes and into the houses. If a system of deodori-
cation were adopted, it might be desirable to divert
the storm overflow from the sewers, so as to render
the sale of sewage manure no longer doubtful as a
marketable article.

After some other evidence to the same effect had
been given the committee adjourned.

THE LOSS OF THE PENINSULAR AND
ORIENTAL MAIL STEAM-SHIP AVA.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.
Yesterday, Mr. Selfe, the Thames Police Court
magistrate, and Captain Walker, of the Board of
Trade, nautical assessor, opened an inquiry, at the
Greenwich Police Court, into the circumstances
attending the wreck of the Peninsular and Orienta
Steam Navigation Company's steamer Ava, on the
coast of Ceylon, on the 16th of last February.
Mr. A. Dowd appeared to conduct the inquiry
on the part of the Customs ;-Mr. Coxwell attended
for Captain Kurton, the commander of the Ava.
Captain Johnstone, of the Bengal Army, was the
first witness examined—l was a passenger on board
the Ava, and left Calcutta on Feb. 1U for Suez.
Heard that she was to touch at Trincomalee. On
the 16th, at noon, the mate informed me that we
would reach that port at 7 o'clock in the evening.
Made the laud at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, on the
starboard bow. She was in full sail, and under
steam. Sails taken in at sunset, just before 6
o'clock. At 7 o'clock the ship was going at full
speed, and nearing the laud. I thought she was
approaching too near. I saw no lights, and neither
did I see the lead going, and that made me uneasy.
About five minutes to eight I he rd the words—
" Starboard, hard astarboard." I went forward,
and heard the ship give a kind of scrap-. I heard
the captain remark, " Don't countermand my
orders, and the ship will be all right." Ina couple
of minutes the ship struck, and I heard the captain
give orders first to go-ahead, and then turn astern.
The engines were then stopped, and I went below
and I saw the water rushing in. The ship settled
on a rock and remained. She was about a mile
from the shore when she struck. I did not see
Trincomalee light before the striking. I got into
a boat at 9 o'clock and observed a faint light ashore,
but it could not be mistaken for Trincomalee light.
The rock where the vessel struck was 12 miles from
Trincomalee.

By Captain Walker—l think there was careless-
ness in the navigation of the ship in taking the ship
so near the shore. If the lead had been hove I
should have known it. The boats were lowered,
and the ladies first put into them. There was no
con fuafou. - _

Captain W: H. Haswell, RN., said—l was a
passenger OR board the Ava. On the [6th February
when land was sighted, was on deck from five to
seven o'clock. She was running along the land
from five to six miles off parallel with the coast.
The Trincomalee light is a very indifferent one, and
the whole affair is very badly attended to. Heard
the order hard astarboard, and the engines stopped.
The circumstance of the ship being five miles off
the land at seven o'clock, and in an hour after-
wards getting on these locks, is quite inexplicable
to me. I saw a light on the beach, and I should
not mistake it for Trincomalee.
D... Ll.e.tu:ay, as.is an,-su L;eou in the East
India Company's Service, a passenger, spoke of not
seeing the lead hove.

Coxwell, on the part of Captain Kurton,
admitted that it was not hove.
Captain Kurton, the late commander of the Ava,
was then examined at some length as to the loss.
Made the land at four o'clock on Feb. 16, and de-
tailed the course which he shaped, and which he
calculated would take him off Trincomalee clear of
all soundings. Made a light at half-past seven in
the direction he would expect to see Trincomalee
light. Then supposed he was' about five miles from
the land. Had no idea ho was within soundiugq.
Stood off for a b?at to come out and take the
the treasure which was on board the ship, for the
authorities at Trincomalee. A boat was then re-
ported, and he saw it was a rock. He called out
for the helm to be put bard a starboard, to stop
her and turn her astern at full speed. The orders
were given before she struck. She was not going
at full speed. She struck almost immediately
afterwards. The j) vats were sufficient to take all
on board. Attributed the loss of the ship to the
bad sta'e of the Trincomalee light, and the current
setting in shore at an increasing rate from the time
I had taken measures to anticipate it. If the light
had been burning when the ship struck he must
have seen it.

Captain Gilson also gave evidence of the bad
character of the light at Trincomalee, and that no
responsible authority had charge of it.
There being other witnesses the inquiry was ad-
journed.