Star.
London, England, 1826-01-25 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY SHIPWAECESe

The following facts respecting the fatal wreck of the
brig or schooner; the William, of Workington, and the
tractile death of Captain William lilliot,, ate collected
from the information' of a Gentleman (Mr. P who
has lately come from Workington, who was himself an
eye-witness to the finding and interment of Elliot ;
During those severe gales, according to Mr. Partin's
information, which closed the last eventful year, the
abovenamed brig, or scho mer, was totally wreckel on
the Palmallet slime, between Garlieston and the Isle of
Whithorn. She had sailed from Baltbriggan near Bel-
fast, on the 18th of the preceding month, and was then
homeward-bound, having been to Irel end with a cargo
of coals. Arrived off the Point of Ayr, the wind blow-
ing a severe ale flom W.S.W. and carrying a press of
canvass to gain the Cumberland coa-r, the ballast
shifted, and the vessel lay down upon her beam ends.
The master and crew seeing their situation, at once cut
away her main mast, which had the effect of righting
her: but the wind increasing to a perfect hurricane,
they were compelleJ to take in al canvass, and the
brig became quite unmanageable: ske drifted along
the coast, and ran ashore to the southwarckif Crgugle-
ton Castle, in the Bay of Wigtoun, at seven o'clock in
the morning of the '2oth of December last. Exactly
where the vessel struck, is a ruggedly wild coast, whose
precipice is about 90 feet high, and there is also a cave,
naturally con,tructed, where the bow of the vessel took
a direct course in entering. Here the stern, together
with about half of the vessel, from the terrible shock
and awful force of the waves dashing against the
precipice, was literally severed from the bow ; and the
Captain, an industrious and valuable man, was carried
along with part of the vessel—to rise no more !
Happily three of the crew (which consisted of four men,
besides the master), by clinging to the cliff of the rock,
and ascending a sort of rugged pathway, soon escaped
from destruction. The fourth man was supposed by his
own shipmates to have met Captain Elliot's disastrous
fate ; hut the poor fellow was, at length, descried by one
John Nichol, a servant to Mr. Broadfoot, at Palmallet,
while falling from a projecting rock, about twelve feet
high, into the water, and the drowning man was washed
back upon the shelving rock he had recently been
hurled from. Owing to the humane exertions of the
servants of Mr. Broadfoot and Mr. Hauway, of Cruggle-
ton, he was reached most miraculously from his perilous
post, and taken to the farmhouse at Palmallet, where,by
medical aid promptly rendered, he was recovered.
" The vessel had on board about 1011. in silver, of
which 451. were pickzd up (such was the honesty of
even the children on this coast) scattered up and down
the shore, near the vet y spot where the vessel struck.
The benevolent Earl of Galloway, the moment he was
apprised of this fatal wreck, gave orders for his wo.k
people and horses to render their assistance in saving
the wreck, yet little has been picked up, ex:ent the
silver, as every piece of woad remaining was almost
broken up.
Captain M'Kerrie, Royal Navo, and Joseph Hay-
ton, master of the brig Donegal, of Wot kington, and
the latter of whom happened to have been an old
shipmate of poor Elliot's, were most attentive in giving
all the aid in their power; and Mr. Broadfoot's hu-
manity and kind attentions to the shipwrecked sufferers
were beyond all eulogium.
" It was not until the 9th inst. that the body of Capt.
Elliot was found, about three miles from the harbour
of Garliestown, on the rock, when the tide was leaving
Wm to. ROM. Only one half•ci own was found upon
him, secured in the waistband of his trowsers, but in-
dented by the rocks, and the right thigh was absolutely
torn away from the body. The latter was altogrther
so mutilated that it seemed no longer to retain an entire
bone. Gentlemen from afar and near attended the
funeral, which took place on the day following. It
was an affecting scene, and it dt ew unfeigned tears flibiD
every eye.
" Captain Elliot has left behind a widow and four children, to
lament their irreparable bereavement."

The following is an extract of a letter from an Offi-
cer on board the Dal is frigate, dated Rio de la Plata,
January 20 :••46 The Officers of the Doris have had the
delightful satisfaction of saving two brigs. I must copy
what says of the first of these vessels. On the
evening of the 20th of October, at half-past ten, they
saw a Freich man of war brig to windward, la Faune,
commanded by Monsieur Percival. She made signals
'of distress. The Doris shortened sail, and her sailors,
commanded by Lieutenant Charles Blair' with a
rpromptitude only sworn to British sailors, had their
boats alongside in an hour after. They remained
until half-past two the next day, and returned with
some of the provisions and stores. Lieutenant Dows,
the First Lieutenant, was then sent with fresh hands
to her assistance, and completely cleared her.—
The French were doing nothing. Tne Captain informed
Mr. Dow, that he was much obliged by his exertions,
but • as the brig is now lost, you can be of no further
service to us, except to land our men. Mr. Dow made
answer, • If you will give me the command, I will un-
dertake to save her: The French Officers sat down
smoking their cigars and laughing at the idea. How-
ever, at two o'clock on the 2d, the perseverance of Mr.
Dow and the seamen was crowned with success. To
the astonishment of the French, and also of an English
pilot, she was got off the reef, and was completel y saved.
The crew were employed on this service for 63 Lours
without intermission. They afterwards saved a Brazi-
lian corvette, commanded by an Englishman."

Maxrco.—By letters to the 9th of October, we learn
that the city of Mexico is so greatly improved, that
those who had been absent only six months would
scarcely know it again on their return. The epidemic
had nearly ceased, but not till it had proved very fatal
among the poor classes, whose situation had been cha-
ritably alleviated by the exertions and contributions of{,
the English merchants, promoted by the British Con-
sul, Mr. C. O'GORMAN. This Gentleman's popularity is
very great, and is likely to be increased by his late mar-
riage with a young Mexican Lady of the distinguished
family of NORMA Y VICARIO, and sister to the Mar.
chioness di VIVA NCO and General MORAN. United
to every advantage of person and mind, the young lady
has a splendid fortune.
Tuesday, the Defiance Exeter coach being heavy la-
den, was ouerturned between Mere and Hindon, owing
to the breaking of the axletree, when two of the passen-
gers had their thighs broken and another an arm.

A few nights since sixteen sheep the property of Mr.
Martin, of Mount Stopford, in the county of Kilkenny;
were maliciously stabbed on that Gentleman's farm.
Fifteen of the number died. The carcases were left on
the spot, without any other mutilation.