The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-11 00:00:00

" TO THE EDITOR OF THE ROYAL. GAZETTE.

" Sir,—Nassau bring the point from which the most imme-
diate and direct communication can be made as to the fate of
the passengers and crew of the West India steam-vessel Me-
dina, which was wrecked on a reef of rocks on Ihursclsymorn-
ing, the 12th inst., to the east end of Turks Island, striking at
one o'clock, a. 31., I have accori ingly prepared the tellowing
brief statement for insertion in your journal, as I consider it
the most certain mode of putting the relations and friends of
the passengers and crew in possession of the material circum-
s'ances connected with the wreck of this splendid vessel, as well
as the destruction of property to an enormous amount:
" In the tir,t place, by the mercy of the Almighty, not a life
has been lost, nor have any serious irjuries been received by
the passengers or crew.
" The baggage has, in a great portion, been recovered by the
exertions of the c:ew of the Medina, as well as by the activity
and the rapid assistance offered by Captain Resterick, of the
contract West India schnoner Larne, in receiving all baggage
on board when cnnveyed to his vessel.
" To the shore boats, under the judicious order of Mr. Mis-
sick, of 'fucks Island, we are also much indebted, not only as
far as concerned the baggage, hut in the immediate and rapid
removal of the women and children from the wreck when the
uncertainty existed as to the vessel keeping her position when
apprehensions were entertained of her capsizing.
" I have not the least doubt that when this matter comes to
be inquired into, the exertions of the billowing officers will
be fully appreciated by the Chairman and Directors of the
Royal Mail Company—viz., Lieutenant Gardiner, R.N., Ad-
miralty agent ; Mr. Wer.,.yss, first officer, late of H.M.S.,
Seringapatam ; Mr. Burke. la•e of Cunard's line of steamers;
and Mr. Hedger, third officer ; Mr. Thomson,' engineer ; Mr.
Brown, purser.
" When the vessel settled down and got firmly embedded
across the reef which runs at right angles with her keel, and
which could be perceived by the whole frame of the heavy
steam machinery being forced up about seven or eight inches,
the mercy of Providence was clearly ,shown ; and that
there was a prospect of the loss of life being very trifling in
comparison to what would have been the result had she lain in
an oblique position on the said reef. or parallel twit, in which
case she might have been capsized by the heaving of the sea;
and as heavy articles of every description were loose upon the
deck, amongst the rest. 229 iron jars of quicksilver, each
weighing from 90 to 1001bs., and to have been disembarked at
the first, owing to their great value, as well.as chains, spars,
&c., almost all loose, the cabin doors broken open, and open-
ing and shutting with the greatest violence every time the sea
struck her; bad she capsized, 179 persons (150 men, 15 women,
and 14 children) would in all probability have been drowned
or crushed to death, the water being deep on all sides of the
reef. A, message, was delivered in my presence to Captain
Burney by Lieutenant Davi,, Admiralty agent of the Tweed,
that Lieutenant Ito ttley, R.N.,,pn leave of absence from the
Tweed, begged to offer his services to do all that lay in his
power,on. board the Medina, which were gladly accepted, and
were very efficient.

- - -
"On my reaching the Larne schooner I learned that the
passengers for Jamaica were ordered to the Tweed, those for
England to the schooner Larne.
" I am happy to say his Excellency the Earl of Elgin with
his Lidy and Lady Charlotte Bruce were ultimately removed
to the Tweed, they having embarked from the Blcdina 'and
reached the schooner Lame with nothing but his Lordship's
despatches.
'f he detachment of the 2d West India Regiment, stationed
at Turks Island, under the command of Lieutenant Howell,
were most active and useful.
" the passengers, who are to gn to England, of the Medina,
when wrecked, are Robert Dick, Esq., of the Island of Trini-
dad, with his family : Monsieur Rennay, a resident of St.
'fhoraas, but a native of Bordeaux; a M. Harrazsowitz, a Polish
gentleman lately from La Guayra ; these gentlemen are ready
to express their entire satisfaction at the ample attendance and
obliging conduct of all the authorities on board the Medina and
Larne, which must be gratifying to any person interested in
the welfare of this establishment, FO desirable to be entertained
uninterrupted, not only by the colonies of Great Britain but
by those of the States.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your
most obedient humble servant,

" T. FALLS, Lieut.-Col
" Deputy Adj -Gen. in the Leeward and Windward Islands.
"May 19"

(Copy) B.
" The 'Tweed Steamer, off Turks I•land, May 13.
" Dear Sir—We the undersigned passengers on board the
Medina, while assuring you of our extreme grief at the melan-
choly catastrophe in which the voyage has terminated, are
de:Arous to record in writing our_perfect convictlon of your zeal
in the performance of the duties in which you were engaged, as
well as to express our sense of sour unvarying attention to the
comforts of your passengers during the voyage.
"It must be a source of gratification to you and to your
officers, that by your united exertions this calamity has been
attended with no loss of life, and that so many lives and so
much valuable property ha, been saved.
"We feel confident that; the Company will appreciate the
manner in which you have carried out their orders, and the
anxiety you have ever displayed since we have been on board
the Medina for the furtherance of the public service in which
you are engaged.—We are, with sentiments of esteem, dear
Sir, your most obedient servants, •
"ELGIN and KINCARDINE,
T. Rene,
Robert,Dick,
Byng, Commodore,
Robert Smith,
Baitazan Menendez,
James Yorke,
H. 1. J. Boydes,
James Dunlop,
James Crawford,
J. de. Bocorue.
Otta. Harrhzsowilx,
B. A. Franklin."

Captain Burney,
Henry Dilkev,
Joseph J. Crawford, Consul-

General,
John Paget, commanding,R.N.
N. H. Nugent

. -
Edward Bryap,
Alexander Cumming,
Patterson, R. N.,

J. L. 111'Grcgor,
A. AL Gurnuaya,
Francis AP Vicar,

P. A. H. Nugent,
On the 7 h of May a severe shock of an earthquake was felt
at Turks Island. On board the sieamer Tweed, off St.
Domingo, it was also felt at the same time. It was supposed
the ship had struck on a rock: the shock was so violent.
Captain Beresford, of the .Rifle Brigade, at Bermuda, had
obtained leave for four months to travel in the United States ;
also Ciptain Lawrence, Lieutenants Dundas and Lloyd, of the
same corps, departed together for the same destination. -A
good many privates of the same were ill of fever, but not dan-
gerously, since the hot weather set in. A good many co• 1
and other vessels had come to St. George's in con.,equence of
the steamers touching there.
Sir Charles Metcalfe intended to leave his residency for Eng-
land in her Majesty's ship Vestal, Captain Parker, which ves-
sel was at Kingston preparing.
Sir Francis Cockburn, Governor of Nastia, left that island
for England on the ISth of May, on board the schooner Wil-
liam Ft), ster. _

_ ..._._..
The Medway steamer arrival at Nassau from New York on
the night of the sth of Alay, and sailed neat day for Havanna!).
Her Majesty's steamer Hydra, Commander Murray, had ar-
rived at Port Royal in four days from Belize, Honduras, bring-
ing the Lord Bishop and suite. We understand that the Ad-
miral, with a part of the fleet, was at that port.
THE SILK CostrANN .—We understand that a very beai7ti-
ful sample of silk, weighing several pounds, has been brought
to town from the establishment in St. Ann's, by Mr. Whit-
marsh. It is considered to be of very fine quality, and we re-
fer those curious in such matters to the aloe of Messrs. Barnet
and Walker, where it may be seen.
WRECK OF THE BRIG ELLEN SYMERS, OF