The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-15 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF TILE JASEU.R.

ARRIVAL OF THE OFFICERS AND CREW.
The West India steamer La Plata, which arrived at
Southampton yesterday, had on board, we are glad to state,
the officers and crew of the unfortunate gunboat Jaseur.
The Jaseur was wrecked on the night of Feb. 26. She
had left Kingston, Jamaica, only the day before, and was
on her way to Central America (Greytown). Right in her
track lay the shoal of Baxo Nuevo, to avoid which a course
was shaped far to windward. But a powerful current in-
tefered, and in it the vessel was wrecked. Aware of their
vicinity a sharp look-out was kept, and breakers were re-
ported to leeward. It was a dark night, the wind blowing
fresh from the eastward, and the vessel was under sail
alone—no steam up. An attempt was instantly made to
tack off; the vessel came up head to wind, a heavy sea
struck her, which sent her back, and she filled very shortly
afterwards. Two out of three boats were swamped. One
alone got clear of the wreck, but the crew of this managed
to right the others. In the meantime the masts were cut
away, and a raft formed from the stumps. Daylight re-
vealed to those on board a precarious position. No land
was visible—nothing but rollers near and the sea beyond.
But the sight of the boats approaching cheered' iheni.
Some preserved meats were saved, and the wreck was
abandoned full of water and breaking up. Some fifty
souls now found themselves packed between two boats, a
dingy, and a raft, while the sea was high and the breeze
freshening. They were surrounded by sharks ; their
fresh water was turned salt, and only four oars between
them all, together with the clingy's sails. A hard struggle
was maintained to keep afloat. Discipline remained perfect
from the first moment of danger, and the sailors behaved
as British sailors have always done in the hour of trial.
Two men unfortunately were drowned by the swamping
of the dingy; another turned delirious and jumped over-
board.
Seeing that the whole party were only drifting down to
be wrecked on other shoals, it was determined on the third
day, for. the general safety, to separate, abandoning the
raft. The crowded boats were thus still further filled, but
the weather fortunately improved. The commander, with
twenty men in one boat, and the second master. with the
remainder, towing the dingy, soon, however, lost sight of
each other.
On the ith of March—after nine days' privation in a
tropical sun, existing on preserved meat-juice (a spoonful
daily, unable to swallow the meat)—both parties struggling
with two oars only—each reached a place of safety.
The Island of Jamaica was passed the second
master's boat was picked up 300 miles from the wreck, off
Cuba, by a trading schooner, and taken safely back to
Jamaica on the 16th of March. The commander fetched
some 90 miles to the westward, and landed at Port Santa
Cruz, and was conveyed also back to Jamaica on March
25, by a Spanish steamer sent round from Havannah.
The crew left Southampton yesterday by the 9 a.m.,
steamer for Portsmouth, to attend the court martial which
will be held on the officers for the loss of their ship. The
commander of the Jaseur, two days after the wreck, was
mad through horror and anxiety, and was with difficulty
prevented from jumping overboard. He was lashed down
to the bottom of the boat for three days, and a midshipman
took charge of the boat. At the end of that time he reco-
vered, and again took the command of the boat.
We have since been informed by the Admiralty that a
letter has been received at that office announcing that a
Spanish war steamer, the Don Juan de Austria, had arrived
at Jamaica with the missing portion of the crew of the
Jaseur. Of the whole crew only three have been lost—
namely, one ordinary sailor, George Thomas, a white man,
and one Krooman, Pt. Thomson, by the capsizing of a boat,
and Wm. Gillespie, a native of Port Royal, who jumped
overboard, and was drowned.

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DEATH OF LADY AIORGAN.—:-This remarkable
lady died peacefully, after a few days' illness, on Wednes-
day evening, at Wile o'clock, at her residence in Lowndes-
street.