The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-17 00:00:00

TEE EMBUS AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

We have received via Marseilles, from a gentleman
on board the Australian steamer, the following interest-
leg particulars of the grounding of the Emeu steamer
on her passage up to Suez with the Australian mails.
When the Australasian left Alexandria her Majesty's
ship Tartarus, a Russian 44. gun frigate and a brig,
and the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Indus and Valetta were at that port :
—" On Sunday morning, Oct. 12, at 7.35, the Royal
mail steamer Emeu left Aden for Suez, the wind S.E.,
fine weather, passed inside Perim Island at 4 p.m., and
the Harnish group about 11. At 6 a.m, of the 19th,
Teleager Islands were abeam, and ai 9.15 Jibbel Tear
bore E., distant four miles ; at noon the ship's position
in lat. 16 2 N., long. (chronornoter) 41.33 E., weather
northerly and variable. Noon on the 20th, lat. 19 5 N.,
long. 38 56 E., distance run 240 miles ; light north-west
breezes and calm. The course steered would bring the
vessel about 20 miles to the eastward of Ras Roway,
which we expected to pass about 2.30 a.m. (let.) At 11
p.m. the course was altered half a point to the north-
ward, the night fine, but dark and rather hazy ; sea
smooth. At 15 minutes past 12 (midnight) the ship
suddenly struck, then going 104 knots, our position by
dead reckoning being lat. 20 4 N., long. 37 60 E., both
patent and ordinary logs having been kept going. Th.
captain, second officer, and Arab pilot were on the
bridge, and two lock outs forward. The ship remained
hard and fast. Nothing was at first visible as the sea did
not break, but ongoing forward could not make out very
shoal water, with small fragments of rock just above the
surface. Sounded and found two feet of water under the
bow, 51 fathoms abaft the forechains, and no bottom
with 240 fathoms over the stern. Immediat..ly the ship
struck the engines were stopped and revers=d, guns,
chain, cables, bto. brought aft, but without effect, her
stem having cut about 15 feet into the coral rock, and
having risen about 5 feet. In a few minutes the forward
compartment was full of water up to the sea level. There
was no confusion whatever, the crew and passengers
being perfectly orderly. At daylight found the reef we
had struck upon to be Guttal el Bunna, a small circular
cord patch just under water. The ship's head was N.W.
by N. half N., the island of Mujetta on port bow, and
the mainland 10 miles distant. The ship must have been
set by the current since noon the day previous 22 miles
to the westward. Every exertion was used both by the
commander, officers, and passengers to got her off, with-
out avail, until 5 a.m. of the 231, when she slipped off,
having been 53 hours on the reef (the damage was
serious—a large rugged Wein_ her fore compartment,.
from the 11th to the 7th footmark). Turned ahead when
she got off, intending to go to Cormish, on the Nubian
coast, 45 miles distant, but she made too much water,
and we were obliged to run for Duberdubb, 12 miles dis-
tant, where we ran the ship's head on the soft mud.
Capt. Gough, R.N., the parser, and two passengers,
with a portion of the mail, left in a native boat, taking
them to Jiddah, on the Arabian coast, 120 miles diMant.
Native boats were chartered to cruise in the offing t
signal, if possible, any steamer that might be passing.
After great exertions, lightening the ship, and making a
" Californian" pump, which, with the other pumps, were
kept going, we ultimately reached Suez on the 3d at 8
p.m. On the voyage to Saez we met the Hindostan, or
rather she overtook us, and hearing that the mails, eto.,
were at Jiddah, she turned back to look for them, and
bring them on, and the Admiralty agent and party, bat
neither she nor the parties she went in search of had
yet arrived then the Australasian left Alexandria,