The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-07 00:00:00

ASTRA, PETROLEUM, and KEROSINE
LAMPS on SHOW. (New Designs.)

ASTRA (Patent) LAMP, for MINERAL

CANTERBURY HALL.
RI-FIIM TI-FITM._ _

During the Week will be performed the above most
extraordinary Entertainment, containing all the novel-
ties now in this country, and including the services of
Les Montagnards, their first appearance ; Mr. E. Mar-
shall, Mrs. and Mr. W. Randall, the renowned Talliott,
Les Freres d'Etoile, Signor Tescano, a la Donato; Los
Tableaux d'Amour, illuminated by the Magnesium Light ;
Fairy Orchestra, designed and painted by Mr. T. Burgess
and Mr. W. Gowrie ; and Grand Ballet of upwards of one
hundred ballerines. The whole written and composed
expressly for this establishment by William Vandervell,
Esq. In addition to the vocal and instrumental entertain-
ment. EVERY EVENING.

Admission—Area, 6d; stalls and balcony, ls.

The Foundering of the Ship London.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

The inquiry directed by the Board of Trade into
the circumstances under which the London foun-
dered in the Bay of Biicay on the 11th ult. was re-
sumed at the Greenwich Police Court yesterday
before Mr. Train, police magistrate, and Captain
Harris and Captain Baker, nautical assessors.
Mr. O'Dowd appeared for the Board of Trade ;
and Mr. W. Hitchcock behalf. of Mr, Cutting,
whose daughter was lost in the ship; Mr. Clifford
Wigram, one of the owners of the London, was also
present.
The first witness called yesterday was Richard
Lewin, an able seaman on board the London, but
after answering a few questions he became so con-
fused that his further examination was postponed.
Benjamin Sheals was then called and examined.
-He said he was an able seaman on board the Lon-
don on her last voyage. He had been a sailor 18
years. On the ship leaving Plymouth the weather
was fine and calm. On Sunday morning they had
a light wind ; they were on the starboard tack, and
had been so ever since leaving Plymouth. He had
taken his turns on the watch, and was on deck from
12 to 4 on Monday morning, when he went below.
At 8 o'clock the same morning he came on deck
again. It was then blowing hard, but in what
direction he could not say. He remained on deck
till 12. " The wind was increasing. He went below
at 12, and came on deck again at 4. The ship was
still on the starboard tack, and was then labouring
very hard. At 8 o'clock on Tuesday the ship was
pitching. The flying jib had been washed away,
and he and others went out and restored it. He
then went below, and at 12 came on deck again,
when the jibboom was pitched away and the head
of the foretopmast and the mainroyalmast were
gone. During the time he was on deck on Tuesday
the lifeboat was washed away. The ship was then
labouring hard, and the coals on deck were drifting
about. No water had then been made. He was
on watch from 6 to 8 on the evening of Tuesday,
and then a green sea came over the bow of the
ship, and the water ran down the main hatch. The
wind was at this time a very hard gale, and a
cross sea. He went below at 10, came up at 12,
and remained till 4 on Wednesday morning. The
captain was then on the quaiterdeck. During the
middle watch the ship was steamed round on the
port tack. He was employed at the time in baling
water out of -one of the saloons. The ship appeared
to him to lie easier on the port tack than on the
starboard tack ; she did not ship so much water over
to leeward. He was on deck again at 1, when the
wind was blowing almost a hurricane. The watch
were then called to get the jibboom in. They got it
up and fastened it to the foreriggiug on the port
side ; but at 12, when he went below, the flying
jibboom was hanging overboard on the port side.
The boom had beau broker}.: He came on deck again
at foui p.m., when a heavy sea came and swept
everything before it. This happened just as witness
was lashing one of the broken parts of the jibboom
to the side of the vessel. The water knocked him
against a case, which injured his leg, and he was
obliged to be taken below. The two midship ports
were knocked away altogether. About half-past 11
that night he crept on deck on his hands and knees,
when another dangerous sea swept over the ship and
he was then taken down into the forecastle, where
he remained till 8 o'clock in the morning of Thurs-
day. Reports then came that the ship was sinking
fast, when he again crawled out and got on deck.
He could see she was going and settling hard.
He helped to lash some of the gear that was float-
ing about the deck to the forecastle. The ship was
taking the water clean across over all ; she was
clearing herself as well as she could through her
ports. At that time they had no command of the
ship ; her helm was half down. She was laid to the
best advantage. Orders
were givenby Capt. Martin
to get out the boats that remained, the starboard
lifeboat and the port lifeboat and the cutter having
all gone. About 9 or half-past 9 o'clock in the morn-
ing they got the starboard iron boat out, when Mr.
Harris told the men to get into her. Witness was the
last man out of six who did so. While the boat
was being lowered, the bow fall went too quickly,
and the boat went down under the ship. Ropes
were hanging from the ship, and the men got on
board again. They then took the port boat and pre-
pared it. It was impossible to get the iron boat out;
the ship continuing to heave so much the boat could
not be got clear of her side. Witness then went into
the aft saloon, where there were several ladies, and
assisted Mr. G. V. Brooke in baling out the water.
He and three or four others went to the port cutter
and got bread and two bottles of brandy in her,
when Capt. Martin said, " Hold a bit, men, don't
leave yet." About that time the ship took a heavy
sea forward. They immediately flew to the wheel
and heaved up, cut the braces, and then let her go.
This was done in pursuance of orders given by Mr.
Harris. The ship immediately rode round to the
other tack, the foresail being then standing. She
flew right round before the wind ; he never thought
a ship could do anything like it. The ship had
never been before the wind till that time since she
left Plymouth. As soon as the ship had gone about
on her starboard tack Capt. Martin said, " Go into
the boat, some of you." They did so, witness being
one of them. Eleven lowered themselves down.
One man asked Capt. Martin if he would come into
the boat. The captain, who was standing close by
the mizen rigging, said, "No, my men, I will not
come into the boat ; I will go with the ship, and
passengers, and crew." King then asked the captain
the course and distance to the nearest point of land.
The captain. told him E.N.E. for Brest. Witness
then heard the captain shout, " Good bye ! God
jumped into the boat,
making
olu9r'
Eialtogether.ht
sin more.Th eking boat was then pushed
off, and the ship was fast. The witness then
corroborated the evidence which had been already
given as to the skylight of the engine-room being
completely smashed.
James Edward Wilson, a passenger on board the
ship London, was then examined. He said he was
at present residing at 4, George-street, Tower-hill,
and that he was connected with the gold diggings in
Australia. The witness referred to a diary which
he had prepared from the day the ship left Ply-
mouth until the catastrophe occurred. He de-
scribed the wind as increasing from the Sunday, but
nothing particular occurred until about 6 o'clock on
Monday evening, when the ship gave a considerable
lurch, which upset everything. The water then for
the first time came in through the skylights, and
soon after a heavy sea came down the hatchway.
About 10 a.m. of Tuesday the ship pitched consi-
derably ; the "jibboom was swept away, and the
foremast was broken down. The witness described
other damage done to the ship ; although the day
was fine and clear, the sea was strong. The lids of
the hatch were closed, but not being tight-fitting
they did not prevent the water from coming in. The
ladies in the second class showed much terror, the
ship continuing to roll very much. During the lull

, ' of the sea the hatch was opened to give fresh air to
the passengers. He said that the coals which had
been put on deck had tumbled out of the sacks and
were tumbling about the ship. On Wednesdey he
noticed a different motion of the ship, when he heard
that she was being put about with the intention of
going back to England. She was not running ahead
on the sea ; the motion was that of a ship being close
hauled. The weather became worse. On Wednes-
day the water poured down the hatch incessantly.
Everybody was terrified. About 10 o'clock the water
on the starboard side of the state room was up to the
knees. At 11 o'clock on Wednesday night some
sailors came near his state room, and he heard one
of them say, " Let us make haste and get a sail, or
she will sink." Immediately of ter an order was given
that all men were wanted aft on the poop. That
he understood to apply to the passengers, and he
went to the poop. The wind was then at its height.
He went below into the cuddy. There was a minister
praying at the time. All the first-class passengers
were in the saloon. As soon as the prayers were
over some of the passengers went to assist, and he
then learnt the fires were out in the engine-room.
He assisted in getting up the sails. While he was
holding a light to the men he saw Capt. Martin and
Mr. Greenhill in conversation. The doctor and Mr.
Harris were also present. On Thursday he was as-
sisting in baling out water, when Capt. Martin came
_and said, " Men, put down those buckets, and come
and try to secure the engine-room hatch, for thatis
the only chance to save the ship. Secure that, and
we may keep her up." We all left the buckets, and
were going to the saloon, when orders were again
given for the sails. Witness went up with a sail,
and assisted in nailing it down over the hatch, where
a large heap of other sails had been already nailed
down. Soon after Mr. Grant, one of the officers,
asked witness to go to the pumps, and he worked at
them till the morning. About 9or 10 o'clock they
were all relieved by the donkey-engine. He met
Capt. Martin, and asked him whether it was any
use to continue baling out the water, when he said,
" You may, but I think it is of no use." Witness
then went to his cabin, and on coming back again
he saw that a change had taken place, and that a
great mass of water had come down. Nothing was
done after that time. He then made up his mind
that the ship would not last long, and immediately
went to the poop and did not go down again. He
saw the sailors preparing the boat, and he stood by
waiting his chance of escaping in it, and when it
was lowered he got into it, and soon after the ship
went down.

The inquiry was then adjourned till this day.

Searching for Guy Faux.

Among the duties that have to be discharged by
her Majesty's Government previous to the opening
of Parliament by the Queen in person is one of
which but little is said, and still less is known. It
is a duty which has been performed by successive
Governments—Whig, Tory, and Coalition—for more
than two centuries and a half ; and it is therefore
remarkable for its antiquity, though not perhaps
very useful in its results. It is a duty that is per-
formed with punctuality, and always with great
ceremony ; and, if it were not for the venerable
associations that are connected with it, the search
for a Guy Fax of the present day would be almost
ludicrous. A short time since Parliament in its
wisdom decreed that there was no further necessity
for continuing the Form of Prayer and Thanks-
giving for the sth of November, the anniversary of
Gunpowder Plot, and the happy preservation of
his sacred Majesty James the First ; but, though
the time for prayer and thanksgiving has
passed away, the duty of watchfulness is still en-
forced. The sound of prayer and the song of thanks-
giving may be hushed, but the feeling of suspicion
still lingers in the offices of the Lord Chamberlain
and in the Palace of Westminster. We have for-
given, but we have not forgotten, the Gunpowder
Plot of 1605.

Any of our readers who had doubts upon these
points could yesterday have satisfied themselves of
the existence of these feelings, and of the fact of this
strange and curious search after traitors and con-
spirators in the New Houses of Parliament. At 11
o'clock precisely there were assembled in the Prince's
Chamber, at the back of the House of Lords, sonic
70 persons—peers, commoners, officers of the
household, yeomen of the guard, policemen of the
A division, marshals, and heralds, some in array so
" blazing" and gorgeous that it would have " as-
tonished" Mr. Bright to the highest degree, but all
intent on the one great business before them—" the
search." While the procession was being organised
some members of the Government strayed into the
royal gallery, and saw and admired the magnificent
fresco of Mr. Maclise, the Death of Nelson, which
for the first time was uncovered. It is a worthy
companion to the grand fresco on the opposite side,
of the meeting of Wellington and Blucher on the
field of Waterloo. The picture is 45 feet in length
and 12 feet in height. It represents the deck and
quarter-deck of the Victory. The central figure is
the wounded Nelson supported by his officers, a
group finely painted and full of character and ac-
tion ; indeed, one of the tall yeomen of the guard,
arrayed in his full plumage, and who stood for
some time admiringly before the picture, declared it
to be as " good as life." The conclusion is a homely
one ; and were it not that there was death in
the expression of the dying admiral's face—death
painted on so many of the stalwart forms that lie
on the deck—death on the poor fellow's face that
is being carried by his comrades down the cockpit
—death on the quarter-deck, but death relieved by
the noble valour of the men who serve the guns—
death softened by the sorrowful faces that cluster
around the dying Nelson—death, cheered by the
consciousness of duty done, the expression of the
tall and burly Yeoman would fitly characterise this
noble work. While looking on the many beauties of
this fine picture, the varied groupings of the figures,
the wreathing smoke, the tattered sails, the shattered
bulwarks, the torn British ensign still waving
proudly in the great sea fight, the deep, rich, but
mellowed colouring of Maclise, the order to " fall
in" is given, and the great procession is marshalled.
Inspector Moran, of the A division, leads the way ;
then follows representatives of the high bailiff of
Westminster, marshals of the Guard, a detachment
of a score of beef-eating Yeomen,with their halberds
and swords. The Clerk of the Parliaments, Colonel
Todd, one of the exons of her Majesty's Body Guard
of the Yeomen of the Guard, bearing a silver stick
of his office; the Earl of Ducie, the Captain of the
Yeomen of the Guard; Major Fitzmaurice, the
Lieutenant, and other officers of the Yeomen of the
Guard ; Mr. Burrell, representing the Lord Cham-
berlain. The Board of Works was represented by
Mr. Fincham, the Clerk of the Works in the new
palace ; and there were many others representing
various departments of the Government and her
Majesty's household. By the courtesy of the Lord
Chamberlain we were permitted to join in the search;
a lantern was given to each member of the party,
and the order, " Right about face, quick march,"
set the whole cavalcade in motion. It first passed
through the House of Lords, going in front of the
throne, and along the Opposition side of the
house. Ushers and doorkeepers stood respectfully
•at their posts, and the brazen doors were opened
wide at the approach, and we passed in through
the Peers' corridor by frescoes which tell of the
historical events of the escape of the son and
egsrcaanpdesdo n
being
a
of that
victim
of the James
Across the large octagon hall the procession passed,
each Member bearing his lantern, while the SUR
who
Gunpowder s o
narrowly
Plot.
streamed brightly through the richly coloured win-
dows—lanterns in sun-light, as strange an ana-
chronism as searching for Guy Faux in the 19th
century. The lobby doors of the House of Commons
were next thrown open, policemen stood at attention
as we passed, and their stolid features relaxed into