The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-19 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE NEVA.

(Copy.) Admiralty, Dec. 16, 1835.
Dear Sir,--I have received from the Under Secretary of
State for the ileme Department a copy of your letter,
stating the existence of an impression on the public mind,
that there had been some great neglect on the part of
Government,' or of their agents, in the hiring of ships for
the conveying of convicts, or in the fitness of persons who

. _
navigate them.
The Board of Admiralty have directed a minute inquiry
to be made into this subject ; and from what I have already
learned, I do not hesitate to express my conviction that such
impression will turn out to be destitute of any foundation,
and that unavoidable accident has been the sole cause of
the melancholy events which every person must most sin-

cerely deplore.
With reference, however, to the loss of the cva, I
transmit you the copy of such parts of the report of the
Committee of Inquiry, asticaibled at Launceston, by order
of the Govern-or of Van Diemcn'A Land, to investigate the
circumstances of this event, as boar upon the question ; and
I trust that until the result of the inquiry ordered by this
Board can be known, the information. rontiined in them
will go far to allay in your mind, and in ti,at of any person
to whom you may think proper to conitntmicaw them, any
such impression as that mentioned in your
I have the honour to be, &c.
_ ( Signed) C. WOOD.

Joseph Hum?,
" That the Committee itave further ascertained that the
vessel was built ay-lull, in Yorkshire, in the year 1818, and
had recently undergone a thorough repair, and was newly
coppered ; that she was a good and substantial vessel, and
was well found in all kind of store;,, as well as furnished
with two good chronometers, and other necessary instru-
ments, for the safe conduct of the vessel ; that during the
voyage the greatest regularity appears toqave been ob-
served by every person on board, and the most humane at-
tention paid to the unfortunate prisoners.
" The Committee learn, that on the noon of the pre-
ceding day, the ship was by good observation in the lati-
tude of the north point of King's Island, and distant from
it, by calculation, ninety miles ; that they then steered
E.N.E., having the wind W.N.W., a good look-out was
kept for the land, which was discovered at two A.M. right
a-head ; that the vessel was then hauled to the wind en
the larboard tack, for the purpose of clearing the Harlin-
.
mer reef, being then, as they supposed, nine miles from
'the land, the wind blowing strong, the night was moon-
light and ocopsional clouds.
" In closing this Report the Committee have to state
that they have paid the greatest attention to this melan-
choly investigation, and have done their utmost to elicit
the causes of this sad occurrence, and feel it their duty
to the late surgeon-superintendent, and to the master of
the vessel, to state. that it is their opinion that no blame
whatever can be attributed to them, the officers, or the
crew ; that the reckoning appears to be as correct as
possible, which must be inferred from their making the land
at the very tine they expected. And the course steered
was such as they conceive every judicious seaman would
have adopted, and which would, under the usual circum-
stances, have carried him at least fourteen miles to the
northward of the extreme point of this reef, as laid down
in the chart.
The Committee can only attribute tl.c.sliip getting on
the reef-to the extraordinary strength of the tide in the
first instance, the reef being improperly held down, or an
erroneous opinion formed by the master mud crew of their
distance from the land, when the ship was hauled to the
wind ; or, more probably, the concurrent influence of seve-
ral minute errors, which united, have caused the dreadful
catastrophe upon which we are called to report. We annex
the examinations taken before the Committee, upon which
we have formed our opinions. •
(Signed) " We bare ",
" GEORG bI•DE A RE, Major Commandant
" W. LITTLEJOHN, Police Magistrate.
MAT. CURLING FRIEND, Lt. R.N., Port-officer.'

The living of Milton Abbott (vacant liy tfte death
of Dr. Jago) has been presented, by his (*ace the puke
of Bedford, to the Rev. St. Vincent Love Harntniek, son
of Sir S.,llaouniek, Bert,