The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-15 00:00:00

for Trade.

" My Lords,—According to instructions received
from your lordships, I proceeded on the 4th instant,
and following day, in conjunction with Capt. Harris,
Nautical Assessor of the Board of Trade, to inquire
into the circumstances attending the oss of the
British ship Star of the East, which was wrecked
on the southern coast of Africa, about 20 miles to
the westward of Cape Infanta. The Star of the
East was a wooden ship of 1,219 tons register. She
was built at St. John in 1853. was owned by Messrs.
J. Jeazley and others, of Liverpool, and was com-
manded by Mr. Alfred •Graystone, who holds a cer-
tificate of competency, dated the 30th of May, 1855.
She left Bombay on the 11th of February, 1861,
with a crew of 29, all told, and a general cargo of
Indian produce. After leaving Bombay her course
'was shaped for the Mozambique Channel. In pas-
sing through, the ship experienced for the most
part variable winds, which kept them near the
eastern coast of Africa, by which means she expe-
rienced strong unfavourable currents, a circumstance
well known to the master from previous experience
on the coast. At noon on the morning'of the 9th of
April, Cape Infanta bore N.N.W., at a distance of 20
miles. The wind was moderate from the southward
and westward,which enabled him to make a favour-
able reach into the land. About 6.15 p.m. the captain
decided to tack off shore for the night. The helm was
accordingly put down, but the wind having fallen
light, and the swell taking her on the bow, she un-
fortunately missed stays. Some time was lost be-
fore they could get her head off, and an attempt was
made to wear, but in doing so she struck upon an
outlying reef of rocks, and eventually became a
total wreck. The coast where she struck was iron-
bound, and no landing could be effected. The fol-
lowing morning, between two and three o'clock, the
captain and crew were compelled to leave the ship,
as the sea washed over her upoa the rising tide, and
her decks began to break up. No lives were lost,
and on the same day the crew reached Port Beau-
fort. The captain immediately communicated with
Lloyd's Agent, and returned with his assistant to
the scene of the wreck. As it was impossible to ap-

proach the ship, little or nothing of her cargo was
saved. The master appears to have been 22 years
at sea, during five of which he was employed in
the coasting trade between Cape Town and Port
Natal, and professed to be well acquainted with the
prevailing winds and currents. This local know-
ledge, and the fact of his laying up so well at the
time, perhaps induced him to stand in somewhat
closer than, looking at the result, proved to be con-
sistent with strict prudence; but as from previous
experience he expected a land wind at sunset, and
felt confident, as he reasonably might, that his ship
would stay, I am disposed to regard the subsequent
occurrence more as an unforeseen casualty than an
error of judgment amounting to a default. Under
these circumstances, no want of sobriety of culpable
neglect being proved, 1 have, with the full concur-
rence of my colleague in the inquiry, felt mj self
warranted in returning to Captain Graystone his
certificate, with the expression of a hope that the
disaster by which so valuable a ship and cargo were
lost will be a caution to him for the future.
" I have, &c.,
"T. S. RATTLES, Stipendiary Magistrate.
"Liverpool, July 9, 1861."
" I concur in the above report,
" Hr. HARRIS, Nautical Assessor."

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE NORTH KENT RAIL-
WAY.—STROOD, July 14.—An accident of a serious charac-
ter occurred at about 8 o'clock on Saturday evening, near
the Strood station of the North Kent Railway, whereby
one of the company's servants was accidentally killed by
one of the breaks falling on him. The down goods train
was about to leave for Maidstone, and as the line is on the
incline, it is necessary to back the train into the tunnel in
order to get a sufficient space to start; in doing so three
or four of the trucks got off the line, just at the mouth of
the tunnel, when one of the engine cleaners WftS about to
get into the hind break, when it suddenly turned over, kill-
ing the man instantly. Assistance was at hand, when, on
its being raised, the deceased was taken up and placed in
the engine-house. He is about 19 years of age. The train
contained 26 trucks, moderately laden, with a break in front
and rear. The consequence was that the line was blocked
up for four or five hours, and the officials succeeded in
getting one clear line to work the passenger traffic, but
the double line was not clear until it was ready for the
down train from London at 9.20. No blame can be
attached to any one connected with the line, and the acci-
dent itself was simply owing to the deceased getting into
the break.
A letter from Turin of the 9th says:—" The
Marquis Caracciolo, a deputy in the Parliament, is
about to go to Lisbon on a mission similar to that
which the Marquis De Torrearsa fulfils at Stock-
holm. As to Belgium the Government has not yet
sent to it any notification. The system of Count
Cavour which is followed by his successor was not
to force the march of events, and in particular not
to create any embarrassment to Governments whose
position might be difficult. With regard to Russia,
there is no appearance thus far that the presence of
M. De Stackelberg will lead to a renewal of diplo-
matic relations; and that diplomatist maintains
great reserve. The Official Gazette contains several
nominations of governors of provinces. Among
them is that of Count M. Amari, the Sicilian Sena-
tor, who is distinguished both by talent and
character; he has been appointed to the governor-
ship of Modena. The choice of the other persons
is not so happy, inasmuch as they are not supposed
to possess superior qualities ; but perhaps they will
be found better than their reputation. The Minister
of the Interior has dismissed a vast number of
governors and intendants (prefectsandfsaucbt-epxreeefeucttesd)
in the Kingdom of Naples; he has in
a veritable Saint-Bartholomew among them. The
victims are altogether unknown,
.. and probably they
are the creatures of M. Liborio Romano. That
deputy is very angry at the matter, and in the
sitting of the Chamber to-day he wanted to address
an interpellation to the Government on the subject;
but the President, in accord with the Government,
succeeded, not, however, without some difficulty, in
postponing it indefinitely. The Ministry is anxious
to avoid a Parliamentary debate on the affairs of
Naples, and it cannot be blamed, seeing that cir-
cumstances are not favourable for discussion, and
that it is not prudent to pour oil on the Raines."