The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-10 00:00:00

p.m. of the 30th agreed precisely with my latitude
by account. At 1 p.m. of the 30th the ship was
taken aback, which would put her to the westward
-two or three miles. The course from Sombrero to
St. Thomas, supposing we were five miles to the
westward of Sombrero, and in the same latitude,
would be W.S.W. Having no apprehension as to
being near the Ansgada, Reef, I did not consider it
necessary to slacken the engines nor sound. I be-
lieved that we had passed the island. The Som-
brero Channel is the usual channel for the West
India mail packets when bound for St. Thomas.
The instructions of the company with reference to
the nearing land is to be cautious, and in passing
the Sombrero Channel to be particularly careful on
account of the currents. I navigated the ship by
an Admiralty chart of the earliest date.

Captain Wilson, director of the company, said
instructions were written to every commander,
pointing out the dangers of this channel. The in-
structions so given might be general, but they were
also special.

Daniel Shandley, boatswain of the ship, was next
examined. After confirming the statements of
Capt. Baynton as to the delay occasioned to the
vessel on the 23d of June, the witness said that after
the vessel struck, either the captain or chief office'
asked him whether the vessel was moving or not,
when he replied that she was surging a little. He
(witness) was called from the paddle-box, where he
was standing, to go in a boat and take soundings,
which he found varied from six fathoms to three
and a-half fathoms, the vessel being about two
cables' length from the reef. A kedge and stream
anchor were afterwards got out, and a boat in
charge of the second officer was despatched to St.
Thomas for assistance, and on the 2d of July the
Magdalena, Medway, Wye, and either the Conway
or the Derwent arrived, and rendered the assistance
required.
By Captain Harris—When the ship struck he
was below, and came on deck on to the starboard
paddle-box, and then saw the reef, land being
pointed out on the port bow. The sea was mode-
rate, with a ground swell and very little wind.
Wm. Bastin, fifth engineer, said—l was in the
stoke-hole at the time of the vessel striking. She
struck forward first, and I felt her grating hard
when she got abaft the engine-room, and orders
were then given to " stop her," and immediately
afterwards to "turn astern." The engines were
kept going for two or three hours without her
moving.

By Mr. O'llowd—The engines were in good
working order.

By Captain Harris—No part of the machinery
gave way on the ship striking. There was no hole
in her bottom until some days afterwards, and she
made very little water.

Thomas Bates, quartermaster examined, said—l
was at the wheel at 8 o'clock on the night -of the
wreck, up to the ship striking. The course given
me by the officer was W.S.W. I steered that course
until 9 o'clock, when I received orders to change
the course to S.W. and by W.; which course was
continued about a quarter of an hour, when it was
again altered to S.W. This was the course steered
when the ship struok. I did not see land before she
struck, it not being my duty to look out.
By Captain Harris—l am quite sure when I took
the wheel the course given me was W.S.W. I re-
lieved James Rand, a quartermaster, who gave me
the course. The captain and chief officer at 9 p.m.
gave me the order to alter the course to W.S.W.
and by W.
Mr. Traill—That is not the course in the log,
which states that at 8 p.m. it was S.W. and by W ,
and so continued until 9 15.

Witness—l am sure lam correct. I took great
notice of the course I was steering that night.
Captain Baynton, in reply to Mr. Traill—The
course was altered after I consulted with the chief
officer, and the index of the compass was set so as
to prevent mistakes occurring by the quarter-
master.

The Witness—At 9 o'clock both the captain and
chief officer came aft, and the,chief officer gave me
the course S.W. and by W. I made no answer, and
the captain asked me if I did not hear, and I replied,
" Yes."

By Mr. Traill—l don't think the index of the
Compass was altered. There was no change in the
index whatever.

Mr. Coxwell requested that the witness might be
questioned as to whether he steered by directions
or the index, as it might account for the loss of the
vessel.

Captain Harris (to Captain Baynton).—The
course steered up to noon of the 30th was S.W.'in
the log. Will you say that-the index was after-
wards altered ?

Captain Baynton.—l did not see it altered, but I
am positive it must have been. The index was
S.W. after the ship struck.
James Rand, examined—l was quartermaster of
the I'aramatta, and was at the wheel from 6 to 8 on
the evening of the wreck. 1 was succeeded by the
witness Bates, and. the course' I gave him was
W.S.W.

By Mr. Traill—The course was not altered while
I was at the wheel. There is an index to the com-
pass by which to steer. It is altered when the
course is changed, but not always when the altera-
tion is only for a short time. The index was set at
W.S.W.

Frederick Martin, a quartermaster, corroborated
the previous witnesses as to the course steered from
8 p.m. up to the time of the ship striking.
Mr. Traill said he was of opinion that witness was
wrong, for his evidence contradicted the log-book.
The witness said he had stated what he believed
to be correct. He had never seen the log-book or
slate.

At this period of the proceedings,
Mr. Traill said it would be necessary to examine
the persons on watch at the time of the wreck, and
for that purpose an adjournment would be neces-
sary. In the meantime Captain Harris would ex-
amine the log-book, and if the statements of the
latter witnesses were proved correct and contrary
to the log book, the loss of the ship would be ac-
counted for.
The inquiry was then adjourned.