The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-31 00:00:00

IHE NAVY.

The Mars, 80, screw, Captain Strange, left Spit-
head under all plain sail on Saturday for the west-
ward.

The Arrogant, 47, screw, Capt. W. Edmonstone,
in company with the Meander storeship, Com-
mander Sir Malcolm M•Gregor (pro tern.), sailed
from Spithead yesterday morning at daylight for
the Coast of Africa, wind at the time E.S.E. ; but
before they were out of sight of the anchorage the
wind had changed to the southward, with rain and
every appearance of dirty weather.
The Perseverance, screw troopship, Commander
Power, sailed from Portsmouth yesterday for the
Mediterranean, with detachments.
The paddlewheel steamsloop Centaur, 6, Com-
mander 0. Aplin, at Plymouth, received her powder
on Thursday, and was inspected on Saturday. She
will probably sail to-day for China.
The screw steam sloop Encounter, 14, Capt. R.
I)ew, steamed from Hamoaze on Friday outside
Plymouth Sound, and on returning saluted the flag
of Sir Charles Fremantle, which was duly acknow-
ledged by the Impregnable.
In consequence of the absence of Admiral Sir B.
Reynolds, and the departure of Sir C. Fremantle,
the supreme naval command at Plymouth devolves
on Rear-Admiral Sir Thos. Pasley, Bart., Admiral
Superintendent of Devonport Dockyard.
The screw steamship Royal Albert, 121, Capt.
Lacon, flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Chas. Fremantle'
K.C.8., left Plymouth Sound on Saturday evening
for Portland.
The Queen Charlotte, 102, Capt. H. Harvey, took
in her powder and stores on Saturday. She sails
this day for Portsmouth, attended by the Locust
and Lizard steam vessels. It is intended to employ
the Queen Charlotte as the gunnery ship in lieu of
the Excellent, which has been surveyed, and found
to be rotten in many of her timbers.
The Simoom, 8, screw, Commander Cook, will
embark from the Portsmouth Dockyard, on Friday
next, Capt. Blakiston and 275 non-commissioned
officers and men belonging to the Royal Artillery,
for supplementary service in China. The detach-
ment will proceed from Shoeburyness, where they
have been stationed, to undergo field practice with
Sir W. Armstrong's rifled cannon.
The screw steam frigate Mersey, 40, Captain
Henry Caldwell, C. 8., was preparing to follow the
flagship.
Admiralty orders have unexpectedly arrived at
Chatham dockyard, directing a considerable aug-
mentation to be made in the number of shipwrights
and mechanics belonging to the various depart,
ments connected with that establishment by the
immediate entry of 60 additional shipwrights, 30
joiners, and 60 labourers, together with extra hands
for the other departments, the details of which have
not been promulgated. In order to hasten forward
the necessary works connected with the construc-
tion of the squadron of line-of-battle ships now in
progress at Chatham dockyard, orders were on
Saturday issued for the mechanics employed in the
smitheries to work extra hours, at increased wages,
from 7 o'clock in the morning until 8 in the even-
ing; and the workmen attached to the millwright's
department and the saw mills, together with the
plumbers and braziers, to be employed from 6 o'clock
in the morning until 8 in the evening.
The following appointments were made on Sa-
turday at the Admiralty :—W. B. Trenwith, acting
3d-class assistant-engineer to the Wellington as
supernumerary ; David Francis, 3d-class assistant-
engineer to the Snap; and Albert Jolliffe, acting
3d-class assistant•engineer to the Asia as super-
numerary.

TILE BURNING OF A COOLIE SHIP.

THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE
LIVES LOST.
The following is the report of Capt. John Ben •
tham, the commander of the coolie ship Shah Jehan,
which was burnt when on a voyage from Calcutta
to Mauritius, and 365 lives were lost :
"I was master of the late ship Shah Jehan. She
was 852 tons. 1 commanded her for five years,
since she was built. I have commanded vessels for
seven years. I brought coolies to the Mauritius
five times, and took back return coolies three times.
With coolies I have always prohibited smoking
in the 'tween decks. I have no reason for
supposing that the rule was broken in the present
instance. There were two "lights in the 'tween
decks at night in glared lanterns. The lanterns
were always locked. It was the duty of the doctor
and third officer to see that they were locked. The
coolies' stores were stowed in the forehold. They
were issued daily. No lights were ever taken down
into the hold, the hatchway affording sufficient to
see by. There was a standing order to that
effect—it was a verbal order. There were
two coolie-galleys; they were placed one on
each side in the waist just before the gangway ;
they must have been from 20 to 25 feet from the
fore hatchway. The Shah Jehan had four boats
—long-boat, which might contain from 70 to 75
people ; cutter, 25 men •, jolly-boat, 20 men ; there
was no life-boat; the boats were all hoisted up
outside with the exception of the launch, which
' was on board. Stock was kept in the long-boat ;
a2l the boats were fitted with masts, sails, and oars,
which were' kept in them. There was a fire-engine
on board ; it was used every day, and it was in
good werkine. order. The Indian regulations oblige
coolie ships to carry fire-engines, but not life-boats ;
there is nothing for extinguishing fire, but the
engine. The cargo consisted principally of grain.
Thre was also 100 cases of mustard-oil, which was
stowed near the afterhold. The fire broke
out abreast the forehatchway. In the fore-
hold there were cases of merchandise, bales
of blankets, and grain. I am not aware if the
cases contained anything of a combustible
character. I am not aware if the native merchants
send articles of a combustible nature from India to
the Mauritius. I never heard of any such being
declared. I am not aware if there be any clause in
the Indian Act prohibiting such articles from being
shipped on board coolie vessels. I can form no
opinion as to the origin of the fire. The fire broke
out about noon on the 27th of June, in ]at. 12 S.,
and long. 75 E. I had been in the 'tween decks at
half-past 10 o'clock. The forehatch was then open
for the issue of provisions. The chief officer went be-
low at the same time for a piece of rope. There was
no light taken down then. I musthave seen it if there
had been one. Some of the lascars seated forward near
the forehatchway were first aware of the fire, they
saw smoke coming up. I went below immediatelv,and
had one of the forehatches taken off, but the dense
smoke that rose obliged us to replace it immedi-
ately. Shortly afterwards the flames made their
appearance in the opening above the 'tween deck
stringer. All hands then went on deck, and every
opening was closed as much as possible with wet
sails and blankets, and from the time the fire was
first discovered the courses were hauled up, and the
vessel put before the wind ; holes were bored in the
waterways, and covered with wet blankets to pre-
vent draft. The openings for the ventilation were
covered iu the same manner, and day and night
water was poured down without intermission.
On the evening of the 29th got the long-boat
out and veered her astern ; there was a bag
of rice, two-thirds of a bag of grain, and about
50 gallons of water placed in her; water wasplaced
in two of the other boats, but the leaden pipes hav-
ing melted, all communication with the tanks was
cut off. No provisions were procurable on account
of the fire and smoke. There were three rafts pre-
pared of the spare spars, of which we had many on

board, some of the studdingsail booms were taken
/ down for the same purpose, the hen-coops were
lashed together; in fact, everything that was buoyant
was made use of, I think, that would have supported
together 320 people. When it was evident that
there was no chance of saving the people's lives any
other way, I encouraged the coolies to get on the
rafts which were towing alongside. I should think
that quite 300 of them succeeded in doing so.
This was on the 29th of June. When I left the
ship there was nothing remaining but the
poop-deck where the people could stand, the fore-
mast had fallen early in the morning of that day.
The mainmast and mizenmast fell about half-past
ten a.m. I had just left the ship with the major
part of the drew. I jumped overboard, and so did
they. I think that from 40 to 50 men and women
remained on board. The poop-deck fell in almost
immediately, and they perished. We were about
800 miles from the Mauritius on the 30th. The
rafts were cast adrift oneby one as they were loaded.
Two were out of sight when I abandoned the ship,
and a third a great distance off. The cutter and
jolly-boat were swamped by the numbers of people
that rushed into them. I was in the long-boat
with 67 people. She drifted away from
the ship after she was cast off. I saw the ship
burning till sunset. I consider that my officers
and crew behaved admirably. They only left the
ship when it was impossible to remain on board.
The people on the rafts had no provisions.or water
whatever. When I left I was obliged to jump
overboard and swim to the long boat. The chief
officer and those of the crew that were saved did
the same, also one coolie. There were many per-
sons hanging by ropes alongside the vessel at that
time, but they would not venture to let go; the
long-boat could not get near the vessel crowded as
she was with men and only two oars. The doctor and
third officer were both drowned when the cutter
swamped. We were five days in the boats and were
picked up by the French ship Vasco de Gama,
Captain Maureau, and conveyed to Bourbon.
Captain Maureau, his officers and crew, treated us
with the utmost kindness and attention. Three
men died from exhaustion before we were picked up;
the daily ration in the boat was a few ounces of
raw grain and half a tumbler of water ; there was
a mast-head look-out the whole time. One of the
rafts was composed of topmast, topsail yard, two
topgallant yards, and a number of studdingsail
yards ; a second was made of a jibboom, two spare
topgallant masts, studdingsail yards, driver-gaff and
boom, small spars, and hencoops ; a third conshted
of flying jibboom, topmast and studdingsail booms,
poop, hencoops, small spars, and cover of longboat
After the fire broke out, the people, both coolies and
crew, were supported by eating the live stock and a
quantity of onions, pumpkins, &e., which were on
the poop. A number of women and children were
placed in the cutter and jolly-boat before lowering
them. I and my officers assisted the people to get
on the rafts—there were many of the women on
them. The cargo, fore and aft the vessel, was
covered with mats and powdered charcoal placed
above them to the depth of two or three inches.
The crew behaved admirably throughout ; they all
did their best, so did all the officers. The coolies
commenced plundering; the day the ship took fire
my cabin was entered and all my clothes and pri-
vate trade taken ; they dressed themselves with my.
shirts, &c., and their wives with some things be-
longing to Mrs. Bentham.