The Sun.
London, England, 1826-07-25 00:00:00

BRAIIBLETYE HOUSE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR—In the 3d Volume of Brambletye House, the
Author, in narrating the Fire of London, represents
the King in passing by Temple Bar, to have observed
a beautiful young woman in great danger, endeavour-
ing to escape from a house which bad caught tire.
Save the Lady in the. blue and yellow balcony !"
exclaimed the King, with a loud yoke, 4, Fifty gui-
neas to any one who saves her."
A friend of mine objects to such a Royal Exchange
vulgarism being put into the King's mouth, that it
should require a proclamation of fifty guineas reward
to rescue from the flames so lovely a woman ; consi-
dering also, that the King was at the time surrounded
by all the youth and chivalry of his Court, who, it
appears, accompanied into the city. But my
business with you, Mr. Editor, is not to impugn the
good taste of his MaiettY ut to dispute the historical
accuracy of Mr. Horace Smith ; for from an old legend
now lying on my table, it appears that the reward offered
rit
by the King, was sixty-two pounds ten shillings, which
is exactly a turn on fifty thousand Consols.
I am,. Sir, your obedient Servant,
July 24, 1826. Q. IN THE CORNER.

STEAM PACKETS.

THE COMET.

The operations for raising this vessel having drawn
near to a conclusion, much interest regarding it has been
excited here, and numbers have been daily attracted to
the spot, to witness the first appearance which the shat-
tered bark exhibited when raised above the water's sur-
face; among the earliest indications of its near approach
was the discovering of the body of an elderly stout made
female, on Monday evening, supposed to have been the
last person on board ; notwithstanding the great length of
time it had been in the water, the body was but little
decayed. It was taken to Gourock church-yard, put into
shell, and interred. On Wednesday afternoon a pair of
bagpipes were fished up from the deck of the vessel, and
it will be recollected that to the inspiring strains of this

instrument some of the passengers were enjoying them-
selves in the dance not an hour before that dreadful col-
lision, which ushered them into eternity.
On Wednesday some part of the wreck was got above
water, and Thursday some further progress was made in
bringing her close to the shore; this morning when the
tide ebbed, part of the deck was above the surface ; but
that portion of vessel which comprehends the main cabin,
yet remains immersed. The bow of the vessel is coM
pletely shattered, and the funnel thrown down and resting
lengthways on the deck. A variety of articles haVe been
fished up from the fore cabin this morning, including se-
veral pieces of silk7dresses, childrens' fioeks, shoes, thread
cases, a small trunk, &c. &c. A man's hat, and a part
of a jaw-bone, have been likewise brought up. The whole
exhibits a very milancholy spectacle. It is expected, with
the assistance of a tide or two more, the vessel will be
hauled. altogether on the beach.—Greenock Advertiser.
(From the Edinburgh Courant.)

We have been politely favoured by the Lord Provost,
with the following letter, re, rding the raising of this ill-
fated vessel, addressed to him, by Mr. Cleland, of Glas-
gow. It will be read with much interest:—
My Loan, Glw.gow, July 20, 1826.

" I beg to inform you, that I went down to Coliroch yesterday
morning, to witness the raising of the Comet and knowing that
a detail of what I saw • there would interest your Lordship, I now
inform you, that the Comet, which went down in 16 fathoms
water, is now in two fathoms ; and, from being in channel, is
now not more than 60 yards from the shore. When I went on
board one of the two lighters used for raising the vessel, I found
Mr. Brown and his men much annoyed with waves from a heavy
sea; he told me, that he was much afraid of losing that tide, but
hoped 'that when the weather abated, in two tides thereafter, he
would have the Comet ashore. In the same lighter, I found Mr.l
Claud Marshall, the Sheriff Substitute of the West District of
Renfrewshire, with two men, for the purpose of taking charge of
what property or dead bodies might be found in the vessel. You
will recollect, that the eiertions Of thii Gentleman were very great,
and very properly appreciated, on the melancholy occasion of the
Comet's going down.
"The body of one woman only has yet been found,
.with no
other dress than corsets; •it is much mutilated. A large dog has
come up, and is now floating near the shore.
"Before I took to the small boat, the bow of the Comet was
about five feet above the water; the funnel seemed to be lying at
an angle of about 45 degrees from the deck.
"Mr. Brown, who has been so successful in lifting the Comet,
is a ship-carpenter at Perth; his skill and exeltious are very
praiseworthy. At first, and while the Comet was in deep water,
he moored the lighters close together, immediately over the wreck.
—Having placed a strong chain-cable under her bow, and another
under her stern, he laid an oak log, about 15 inches square,
across the lighters. When the tide raised the lighters, the Comet,
from having taken fast hold of the mud or sand at the bottom, was
so difficult to draw up, that the oak log actually broke in two.—
On this, Mr. Brown used two logs, one on the top of the other,
and, at the height of the tide, brought the lighters and Comet
nearer the shore, uy means of a strong windlass, which he bad
erected on shore. When the Comet arrived at its present
position, Mr. Brown placed the lighters at such a distance from
each other as to allow the Comet to get up bet Ween them. It is
melancholy to recollect, that at the first effort at the windlass, the
Abater of one the lighters, a fine young num, lately married, was
killed on the spot, by a too sudden revolution of the spokes.
" Should the remains of any unfurtnnate passenger be still on
board, it may be some consolation to their friends to know, that
• _ . .

this ill-fated vessel will very soon give up its contents.
" While Mr. Wlnnes, the late Master of the Comet, was
standing on the lighter opposite to me, the Ayr steam-boat
paused, crowded with paavngers, on a pleasure excursion, to see
the steam-packet United „Kingdom, before she trent round to
your port. This circumstance, trivial in itself, could not but
bring up recollections, alike melancholy and distressing.—l am,
my Lord Provost, your Lordship's very faithful and obedient
servant, " JAMES CLELAND."