The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-22 00:00:00

THE MISSING STEAMERS.

We are still without any tidings of the steamer
North Briton. She sailed from Quebec, according
to the local newspapers, on Saturday, the 2d inst.,at
9.50 a.m., having the following cabin passengers on
board :—From Quebec—Hon. P. M. Vankoughnet
and lady; Major Fielding, 60th Rifles, and lady ;
Felix Morgan, lady, and child; Felix Briard, Ralph
Jones, M. Cone, John P. Strickland, A. W. Dun-
can, Frederick Clark, W. H. Carville. From Mon-
treal—Dr. Woods, Thomas Damson, Mr. Robinson.
From Kingston—Captain Bayley. From Toronto
—E. J. Smith, C. Jarvis, 87th Regiment, Mrs.
Price, Miss Price, Miss E. Price, Miss Allan, Capt.
Lamerte and lady, P. Pelham, John Smith. From
Hamilton—Sir Allan M'Nab and lady. _ _

The steerage passengers numbered 98 souls and
the crew about 90, so that the total number of souls
on board was about 220. According to a telegram
received by the Glasgow steamer St. Andrew, which
left on the 4th inst., the North Briton did not pass
Father Point until that date, but in this statement
there is evidently an error, as Father Point being
only about 180 miles from Quebec, and allowing
seven hours for detention by fog which it is stated
she encountered, she would still have passed that
point on the 3d . The Quebec papers of Monday
make no mention of her delay ; and as the Africa's
despatches, which bring the dates to the 6th inst.
from New York, contain no reference to her at all,
it is clear that she must have got beyond Anticosti;
as, had anything happened to her west of that point,
intelligence could have been forwarded to Quebec
in time for these New York mails, and this view is
strengthened by the fact that the Jura, which arrived
at Father Point from hence on the morning of
Thursday, at about 4 a.m., makes no mention
of having seen her ; and then not being over-
taken by the St. Andrew, which left Quebec within
eight-and-forty hours after her, is further presump-
tive evidence that she must have got clear of the
St. Lawrence and fairly out to sea. The supposi-
tion, therefore, is that, having cleared the Straits
of Belle Isle, she met with the easterly hurricane
which had been blowing across the Atlantic during
the whole of the previous week, as evidenced by the
rapid passages of the Persia and the Jura. Of the
severity of the storm we have accounts not only
from the seaports of New York and Boston, but
also from Quebec, where it raged with unusual fury
all Sunday and Monday, and if, as we suppose, she
encountered this furious gale outside the Straits, she
may have had her machinery so disabled as to
make her dependent on her canvas only. If this
be so, there is no ground for uneasiness, for although
the rig of the steamers of this line enables them as
sailors to make excellent time, still a sufficient
period, presuming she was heading eastwards, has
not elapsed for her to have made the Irish coast.
On the other hand it is probable that, finding the
easterly gale continuing, she may have turned round
for a western port, either St. John's, Newfoundland,
or Halifax ; and in this event the arrival of the
Anglo-Saxon, now overdue some 24 hours, will we
have no doubt remove all surmises. In the mean-
time it is due to the company who own the North
Briton to say that she was one of the finest of their
fleet, and that her temporary commander, Captain
Grange, was as experienced and competent a seaman
as ever crossed the Atlantic. Indeed, so highly was
he thought of by his employers and so great a
favourite was he with all who had travelled with
him, that he was selected on the last outward voy-
age of tie North Briton to take charge of her, Lord
Monck, the new Governor-General, having taken
his passage in that vessel.
A letter from Liverpool says :—The steamships
North Briton and Auglo-Saxon, from Quebec for
Liverpool, are now both overdue, the former having
sailed from the first-named port on Saturday, the
2d, and the latter was to sail on Saturday, the 9th
inst. The anxiety on account of the North Briton
is in some measure calmed by the opinion which is

retty prevalent in Liverpool that, having become
disabled in her machinery during the storms which
have prevailed on the Atlantic, the North Briton
has been fallen in with, and taken in tow by the
Anglo-Saxon. In Liverpool no change in the rate
of insurance on the North Briton was quoted

yesterday.
At Lloyd's yesterday the rate of insurance for the
Anglo-Saxon, which started subsequently to the
North Briton for England, and is now a few days
overdue, has increased to 50s. .