The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-25 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE SHIP LORD GEORGE BEN-
TINCK-HORRIBLE SUFFERIi‘ GS OF
THE SURVIVORS.

By the arrival of her Majesty's corvette Electra
at Portsmouth, from the Falkland Islands, we learn
of the lamentable loss of the BriAsh ship Lord
George Bentinck, Captain Irving, outward bound
to San Francisco, from. Shields, which foundered
on the 22d of last November, in let. 44 S , long. 54
W., her master, two seamen, and the steward,
perishing in the sinking ship. The survivors, 16
in number, who escaped in the boat, endured the
most frightful sufferings before they were rescued.
Their account of the loss of the "ship is as follows
—About two o'clock on the morning of the catas-
trophe it was blowing a heavy gale of wind, in the
course of which the ship made heavy lists. Mr;
Whiteman, Vie second mate, who had charge of
the watch on deer, having some misgivings, went
below, and aroused the captain, and gave him to
understand that it was very black weather, and
looked worse to wind eard. Mr. Whiteman took
in sail, but suddenly finding the ship was sinking
fast, endeavoured to cut away the masts, but in
consequence of the carpenter's tools being under
water, they could net accomplish this. Mr. NVII"
liams, the first mate, and Mr. Whiteman, with
fourteen of the crew, took to the boat, and were
ordered' by Captain Irvine. to go round the stern ;
but the plug being out of the boat, and having no
oars, they could not obey his orders, and the boat
drifted away from the ship. It was about halt-
past two o'clock when this occurred, and in about
three or four minutes afterwards they saw the ehiP
founder, and those on board going down in her.
By means of the midship thwart they managed to
keep the boat before the wind, and continued. that
oaurse until the 24th, when the weather mode-
rated. By means of the bottom boards of. the
boat, they constructed small paddles, and made
for the north-west, considering they were making
the ne4rest land, which, as near as they could guess,
bore distant 400 miles, steering by stars by night,
and the sun by day. On the third day'fell in with,
a part of the poop of the ship, and found a piece °L
lead piping about five inches long, which was shared
in 16 parts for their mutual support. They als°
found a piece of pork, about four inches square)
and immediately turned their attention to contriv-
ing a fishing-line and hook, which they formed out
of a few spun yarns and a small copper nail. It
failed, ho wever ; several birds neared the bait, but
they did not touch it. On the fifth day they were
all too much exhausted to paddle. They en
still
voured to make sail with their oilskin coats; sti"
keeping wa ch and watch, and baling and steering
continually. The first mate resigned himself t°
the care of his companions, feeling himself dying,
as he supposed, from the effect s of drinking a
tity of ailt.wat.A., and fearing that he night fel!
thatoverboard. On the sixth day it was proposed.
lots should be d awn to sacrifice one of their num-
ber in order to save the rest, which was strongly
d
objected to by Mr. Williams,. who still entertain°,
hopes for the morrow; which hopes were realis°'
in the appearance of a vessel bearing down nljoll
them on the morning of the seventh day, /14'1
.„e
descried their signals of distress, an old red flanin
shirt, attached to a paddle. The vessel proved ""
be the brig Cuba, of London, Capt. Gray, .who im-
mediately rescued them from their perilous sitna;
don, and whose kindness and generosity they feel
anxious to acknowledge, from the prompt attention;
received at his hand, in providing them with food
and clothing, and dressing their wounds.ill °w
to the smallness of the vessel the supply of wa"
and provisions was limited. Capt. Gray bore tY!..
and put them on shore at Stanley Harbour, Fax
land Islands, where they were received by the Pig;
lish governor, who attended to their wants, and'
eventually provided them with a passage to Enolnos
on board her Majesty's ship Electra. The nal°
of those who perished in the sinking ship were
Capt. Irving, David Seivenwright, steward; John
Myers and Abel Smith, seamen.