The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-27 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK.

GLASGOW FRIDAY.—We have only learnt to-day
a very painful catastrophe which has occurred on the
shores of Coll, one of the small islands which lie off
the western coast of Mull. It appears that on Sun-
day and Monday last a hurricane of great violence
was experienced over the whole Western Highlands,
and the wind blew from N.W. and W.N.W. with
greater severity than it did at any time during the
depths of the past winter. Early on the morning of
Monday a large barque was seen to the westward, ap-
parently in great distress. She was running before
the wind with scarcely a. stitch of sail set,
and being unable to clear the island,
she • struck on a rock or islet called
Ellenore, which is nearly an acre in extent, and lying
about sixty yards from the mainland of Coll. Almost
immediately after the devoted ship struck the masts
went over the side, and the hull was dashed to pieces,
many of the beams being broken against the rocks in
a few minutes down to the size of small billets. The
calamity occurred nearly opposite the farm of Breach-
cahu, occupied, by Mr. M'Lean, who with
his family and servants, witnessed the sad scene,
without being able, from the fury of the waves, to
put forth a hand to save. It was observed that the
crew got the boats overboard when the ship was
fast nearing the rocks, and eight or ten got into
the largest, but the boat swamped almost immediately
after leaving the ship's side, and all peiished. Those
who remained with the ship shared the same fate a
moment or two afterwards. Tile logbook, and some
other ship's papers, along with a large portion of the
cargo, were washed ashore on the island during the
day, and from these it appeared that the unfortunate
barque was the Mandane, of Sunderland, Hutchinson
commander, bound from the Clyde to Demerara.
She was of about 400 tons burden, carried eighteen
men as crew, and had at least one passenger. Any
further particulars regarding the immediate occur-
rence of this appalling catastrophe will, of course,
never be known_; but it will be difficult to explain
how, if the ship was well found and well commanded,
she could be so far out of her course as the island of
Coll within four days after leaving the Clyde for the
West Indies. The hlandane carried a miscellaneous
cargo, consisting of cottons, woollens, haberdashery,
hosiery, iron castings, &c., with 325 tons of coal.
The ship is insured in Sunderland; and the cargo in
Glasgow. Coll, it will be remembered, was the
i-land to which Dr. Johnson and Boswell were
steered by the young laird of that name, under such
perilous circumstances, during the celebrated trip to
the Hebrides. Even in these steam-boat days it is
rarely visited, and the lonely islanders are still de-
serving of all the kindly words that have been spoken
of them by the great lexicographer.

THE WEATHER and the CROPS.
A severe gale of north-west wind was experienced
over the entire Highlands, south at resit of Sutherland,
on Sunday and Monday last, which has done great
damsge to the crop, and interrupted the harvest. It
was experienced as far south as Perth—the rain,
however, did not extend to the south of Blair- Athole.
In the dibtrict of Easter Ross the wind was not ac-
companied by rain and all the light and ripe grain has
been severely shaken. In other districts of Ross, and
over the whole county of Invernf-ss, the rain was ex-
ceedingly heavy, and whole fields of beautiful wheat,
end large patches of oats and barley, are everywhere
lodged. A !e7ere hail-storm occurred here to-day,
and we understand there was a fall of snow at Fo-
chabers.

Wheat cutting has commenced at Corntown farm,
Ferintosh, on a field of 15 acres of new land—an
excellent crop, and the quality very superior. This
however, is nothing new ; for many years ago a field
Of 21 acres of new land on the same farm produced
f,ur quarters per acre, weighing 651bs. per bushel,
Ind sold at 755. per quarter. The ryegrass seed at
Corntown and on the f illowsow, &c., farms, Brahan,
is all secured in good order, and weighs from 25 to
301bs. per bushel. Mr. Ure has been at considerable
expense in procuring the finest perennial ryegrass,
and this season he had several quarters from the south
of second year's cutting, which cost 40s. per quarter,
and weighed 311 b. per bushel.
GAIRLOCHY, AUG. 19.—The crops, as far as I have
seen, continue to progress most satisfactorily. Pota-
toes alone give occasion for doubts. In low moist
rich soils disease seems spreading, but in all high,
light, dry soils the crop has escaped, and the potatoes
are as good and healthy as in their most palmy days.
From present appearances I do not suppose that the
crop, as a whole, will suffer to so great an extent
this season as in former years.
CARR BRIDGE, STRATHSPEY.—OR the farm of
Benanach, Dulnan Side, shearing commenced on
Tuesday; the 15th, nearly a month earlier than usual
in that high district.
BADCALL, BY SCOURIE, 15TH AUG. 1850.—There
is a great appearance of herrings on the coast betwixt
S-oer Head and the island of Handa. There are
some Clyde vessels now here fishing, one of whose
boats took this morning 20 crans of good herrings.
The weather is fine. Some bere has been cut down
at Scourie. Potato disease has appeared, but does
not spread with its wonted rapidity. The corn crops
are remarkably fine here this season. Salmon fishing
has been a failure.

The same early maturity of the crops was obser-
vable in Caithness. " During the past few days,"
says the John 0' Groat Journal, " especially on Fri-
day last, we had a greater fall of rain than was ex-
perienced in this quarter for the previous six weeks,
which has proved most serviceable to the pasture
grass, turnips, &c. It has also been beneficial to the
corn crops, in preventing their over-early ripening,
of which there was same danger. Generally speak-
ing, the grain crops look well, but will not be very
heavy, and straw will be rather short. Along the
road betwixt Wick and Thurso, which we had an
opportunity of viewing last week, the crops appeared
promising and further advanced than they had been
for some years, at the same period. Several fields of
here were fast approaching maturity, and a fine field
of bearded wheat, at Stirkoke, will be ready for the
sickle in the course of ten days. We do not hear
much about the potato blight, and it is hoped that
this crop will prove tolerably abundant. The ac-
counts from a distance respecting the potatoes are
contradictory, but most agree in supposing that the
disease will be light this season.—lnverness Courier.

ACTION AGAINST A NUNNERY.
At the Galway Record Court, a few days ago, the
me of " M‘Donnell v. White" was tried. The action
was brought by the administrator of Mrs. Eliza
M'Donnell, to recover the sum of 5001. given by her
to the Sisters of Mercy in the town of Galway. The
circumstances were these:—
In March, 1846, Miss Harriett M'Donnell, the
daughter of Mrs. M'Donnell, being desirous of be-
coming a nun of the order of the Sisters of Mercy,
her sister, Mrs. Ireland, at the request of Mrs.
M'Donnell, called at the Convent of Mercy to inquire
as to the terms of the convent, and to settle with the
nuns. Mrs. White, the mother abbess, stated that it
was absolutely necessary that Misa M'Donnell should
spend six months as a postulant in the convent pre-
vious to her reception as a novice, and that after the cere-
mony of her reception had taken place she should pass
two years as a novice in the convent before she could
be professed ; she added that they could not on any
account shorten the time of her profession, and that it
could not be done without a dispensation from the
Pop. ; they agreed to take the sum of 500/. from Mrs.
liPlDonnell for her daughter, and that it should he
let in the hands of her brother-in-law, Mr. Ireland,
until after ber profession, and that in the meanwhile
they would receive the interest for her support.
In the month of May, 1846, the Rev. Peter
Daily called on Mr. Ireland, and told him it would be
of great service to the nuns if the family would give
the money at once, as they were going to invest some
money on very favourable terms. Mrs. M.Donnell
agreed to give them the money on their undertaking
to return it, in case either her daughter should wish
to leave the convent before the regular time of her
profession, as s.tateet by themselves, or in case of her
death before then. They agreed to give the strongest
guarantee to that effect, end Mrs. White entered into '
the following agreement