The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-27 00:00:00

seamen of the proper management of boats in a surf
they might have been, yet even those on board
them would have had a greater chance of being
saved by aid from the shore than by:going down
with the ship in deep water.
Once more, then, we exclaim against the injustice,
the national moral turpitude, and especially against
the supineness of the governing authorities, who
have charge of our mercantile marine, and, above
all, of our emigration department of it, which affords
no better protection to the lives of our fellow-coun-
try oien, which, in the manner above pointed out,
might so readily be done.
Lastly, another cause of loss of life in this de-
plorable case appears to us to have arisen from an
error in judgment in the captain, by letting go his
anchor after the ship had drifted over the bank and
got again into deep water. As shown by the charts,
she could not have been more than two miles and
a half from the shore when off the bank, to which
also she must have drifted considerably nearer be-
fore the anchor was let go, as some time was ex-
pended in clearing it away, and as it is stated that
the breaking of the surf on the beach was distinctly
heard by those on board ; as the ship did not go
down until about half an hour after the anchor was
let go, it is probable that she floated for at least an
hour after drifting off the bank. We may there-
fore conclude that there was ample time for her to
have been run on shore, especially if a sail could
have been set on the mizenmast, which was still
left standing. As soon, therefore, as it was found
that the water was gaining on the pumps, it must
have been evident that the ship would founder, and
that the further she was from the shore at the mo-
ment of the final catastrophe the less chance there
must be of any of her inmates reaching it; for
even if no boat could, on her first striking, have
reached her from the shore, or the mortar or rocket
apparatus have been the means of effecting a com-
munication with it, the ship might have held to-
gether until the tide had left her.
As it happened, although of course unknown to
the captain, the lifeboat of the National Lifeboat
Institution stationed at Cahore, two miles distant,
made several attempts to proceed to the wreck, but
unfortunately she was as often beaten back again
by the sea. If, however, she had succeeded in get-
ting out, all that she could have done would have
been to take off some 30 persons, and left the re-
mainder to perish, as the ship would hate foun-
dered before she could return to it. On the con-
trary, had the vessel been driven on shore, she
would probably have made the water so much
smoother under her lee, that the lifeboat might have
been more readily launched, and have passed to
and fro between the ship and the shore until all on
board were saved.
We do not, however, desire to cast any reproach
on the captain of the ship, who is said to have
shown much coolness, presence of mind, and cou-
rage on the trying occasion, and he no doubt acted
to the best of his judgment. All speculation, in-
deed, as to the correctness of his judgment is useless.
Whether correct or not, it was in this instance of
no avail; what was to be has come to pass, it is
now irrevocable ; and we only state our opinion re-
specting it for the consideration of masters of ships
who may chance hereafter to be placed in similar
circumstances.