The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-02 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS,

VirooLlviell, AUG. 31.—Chaplain—and Naval Instructor
John M. Edwards (1825), to the Dauntless steam-
frigate, at Portsmouth.

Chaplain William 11. Holman (1850), to the Portland,
110, at Devonport, fin-ship of Rear-Admiral Moresby,
C.B.

Naval Instructor William S. Harvey (1841), to the
Portland.

Naval Cadets—llerhert Chads to the Retribution
steam-frigate, at Portsmouth; and Ralph Browne to the
Vengeance, 84, at Portsmouth.
Acting gunner Nicholas J. Potter, to the Flamer
steam-sloop, at Portsmouth.
The crew of the Porcupine steam-vessel, hrought home
from the Mediterranean station in the Tartarus steam-
vessel, were paid off here to-day.
The Tartarus steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander
Sir Godfrey Webster, will be paid off at this port on
Tuesday, September 3.

TRIAL OF THE CAPTAIN AND MATES.
The trial of the master and mates of the Orion st, amer,
which was lost on the coast of Portpatriek in June last,
was resumed on Friday, before the High Court of Justi.
ciary in Edinburgh.
Lawrence Ferrier, assistawskeeper of the Mull of Gal-
loway lighthouse, and J. B. Scott, keeper of the light-
house, spoke to the fact of a fog having come on upon
the night of the accident,
John Gray, nautical instrument-maker, Liverpool, had
examined the compasses of the Orion on the 30:h of
May, in consequence of Captain Henderson having told
him they were wrong, and found them quite right. The
witness sustained a cross-examination as to the disturb-
ing effects of iron upon the compasses, and stated that
they might sometimes go wrong during a voyage from
local attraction.
Several witnesses were called to give further evi-
dence with reference to the wreck, but nothing new was
elicited.
This closed the evidence for the prosecution.
The declat ation of Captain Henderson, taken at Port-
patrick, before Mr. Alexander 111'Neel, sheriff-substitute
of Wigtonshire, on the 19th of June, was read. It stated
that on the evening of the wreck the weather was fine,
with north-west wind. The vessel passed the, Mull of
Galloway about midnight, when the watch was changed
and the second mate was the officer of the watch. There
were two 100k-outs, namely, the man at the helm and
the officer of the watch. Saw them all at their post be-
- fore he retired to his own room. At the time the
vessel struck he was ',Ong on a sofa in his own cabin
34 on deck asleep. Did not consider it his duty, in the
state of the weather and position of the ship, to bo on
'A deck at the time. He was in a state of fatigue, and re
quired rest. Was aroused by the shock and rushed on
deck, and discovered that the vessel had struck on a
14 rock. Saw the land, and knew where they were. Thought
that the accident happened by the miscalculation of the
second officer of the distance of the ship from the
land. After the accident he exerted himself as much
• as possible to save the lives of the passengers, and as
far as a man and a sailor could do he thought he had
done his duty. One of the boats, the starboard lifeboat,
• on being let down, got under the paddle-wheel and was
swamped by the vessel sinking. Did not know how
many boats reached the shore with passengers. There
were some boats came from the shore, and in the gray
of the morning it was difficult to distinguish between
the shore boats and their own. Considered the ship
ce boats to be in proper order. Went up the rigging as
the ship sank, and remained there as long as the top of
the masts remained above water, and till he saw all the
passengers clear of the wreck. He was the last to leave
the ship. The shore boats were very cautious in ap-
proaching, for fear of a rush of passengers. He had
rye left special instructions to call him if there was any
o change of a :saes t
similar
aroused
Ituse
d wbays thethe shock the
usual practice of the
is
commanders of the other vessels on the line to give such
called,
instructions
butwas
circumstances.
is i ew as
n vessel.t
"Nt When the ship struck he stripped himself, in order to
es 9 swim ashore; and he was almost naked when taken off
12%
230 the wreck.
16%