The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-05 00:00:00

APRIL 5, 1853.

THE EBBA BRAHE: HER DEPARTURE

AND RETURN.

Olr the afternoon of Thursday, the splendid ship Ebba
Brahe, commanded by Captain G. 0. Melling, and be-
longing to Messrs. J. S. De Wolf and Co., sailed from
this port for Melbourne, Australia, with upwards of 700
passengers, shipped by Mr. J. M. Walthew. She was
towed down the channel by a steam-tug, which left her,
about half-past six o'clock, a few miles on this side of the
Ormshead. From the time of her departure, about four
o'clock, all went right till evening, when the wind blew
with great force from the S.S.E., torrents of rain falling
at the same time, and about ten, p.m., the vessel sud-
denly struck on a soft, sandy bank, known as the " East
Mouse," near Amlwch. The captain, assisted by a crew
of sixty-four men, immediately used all their exertions
to get her off.
Tha accident, we believe, was attributable to the hazy
state of the weather, which prevented the lights from
being properly distinguishable. As soon as Captain Mel-
ling found that the vessel was in this immovable position,
he fired rockets ; and his signals having been observed,
the Customs' officer from Amlwch came on board, and by
him Captain Melling sent a message on shore, to be for-
warded to Liverpool per telegraph. Captain Melling
states that, to the best of his knowledge, no one belonging
to the ship went on shore; so the telegraphic despatch in
question must have been misunderstood, as it stated that
one of the crew and a passenger had landed. The ship
thumped slightly, but not enough to cause any alarm, and
with the flood tide she floated off again. It was then
found that she had a slight leak of about a couple of inches
of water an hour ; but it was easily kept under by the
pumps. Under these circumstances, Captain Melling
naturally deemed it the most prudent course to return to
port, and she reached the Rock Lighthouse about five
o'clock on Friday afternoon. During the day, how-
ever, a strong feeling of anxiety and sadness prevailed
throughout the town, in consequence of a telegraphic
message which was posted in the Exchange-rooms to the
following effect :—" Holyhead, Friday morning. The
ship Ebba Brahe got on shore near East Mouse, at ten
o'clock last night, and got off at two, a.m., very leaky.
One of her crew and one passenger landed. She has not
been seen since." In consequence of this vague intelli-
gence the most painful surmises were speedily afloat, and
a rumour gained ground that she had perished with all
hands. To add to the suspense, the telegraphic commu-
nication was interrupted for some hours in consequence
of a thick, damp atmosphere which prevailed during most
part of the day. The worst fears were strengthened from
the fact of a heavy gale from the south-west having
blown on Thursday night. Fortunately, however, these
surmises were set at rest by the appearance of the Et bba
Brahe in the ricer, about five o'clock. She lost a very
small portion of her rigging. None of the passengers
suffered anything, beyond the ordinary annoyances inci-
dent to a first voyage in a rough sea. Shortly after the
Ebba Brahe arrived in the river, a steamer. with a num-
ber of labourers, was sent to her, in order that she
might be lightened, and the water pumped out of her,
before she was docked. Such of the passengers as pre-
ferred coming on shore, were also permitted to do so.
She went into the Wellington dock yesterday morning,
and will be placed in the graving dock to-day or to-
morrow, for a thorough overhauling. The Ebba Brahe
is Quite a new vessel, and has well proved her stability
under these adverse circumstances. Had she not been
a strongly-built ship, the probability is that she would
have gone to pieces, and lamentable loss of life ensued.

MEETING OF PASSENGERS.—UPROARIOUS
PROCEEDINGS.
In compliance with an announcement made by means
of large posting bills, a meeting of emigrants was held
yesterday at Westbrook's Merchants' Coffee-house, Old
Churchyard. The business commenced a few minutes
after one, when the apartment was crowded to excess by
a very miscellaneous company, among whom we noticed
one or two females. The orchestra at the top of the room
was occupied by a committee, who had been appointed at
a previous meeting of the passengers, and of which Mr.
Seamer, a young man, and a second-class passenger, was
chairman. Mr. J. M. Walthew, agent for the owners of
the Ebba Brahe, attended at the request of the meeting.
Such was the confusion that characterised t'ae proceedings
from beginning to end, that it is impossible to give a con-
nected view of the various speeches which were delivered.
There were always more than one orator speaking at the
same time—not unfrequently half a score ; and he who
attempted to address the noisy rabble found his speech
prematurely cut short by the execrations of his oppo-
nents, who did not hesitate to scatter all manner of
opprobrious epithets about with the utmost freedom, each
man charging his neighbour with falsehood, and insinuat-
ing that his palm had been oiled by the owner of the vessel
to make a " sell" of his fellow-passengers. Upon enter-
ing, we found the Chairman stating that " the passengers
were divided into two bodies. A great many were still
willing to go by the Ebba Brahe, perhaps a majority.
(Cries of " It's false ; prove it.") There were others who
would never go in her. It is proposed that those who are
willing to go with her go out of the room. They had two
plain questions to put to Mr. Walthew, and they would
adjourn until the time it would be convenient to that gen-
tleman to distinctly answer those questions. The first
is :—What he intends to do with those who will not go—
what compensation will he give them ? The second—
'What accommodation will he provide for those who are
willing to stick by the Ebba Brahe ? There are many
who wish to go home just now, and others who
wish to stay. Of course they will require some
compensation. There are many here whose funds
are very nearly exhausted, and others who are not willing
to accept of that very comfortable home provided for
them at Birkenhead. (Shouts of approval.) If not able
to answer those two very plain questions just now,
we are willing to wait till to-morrow or the next day."
(Cries of " That's long enough.") Mr. Walthew said
" the questions must be answered by the owners, Messrs.
De Wolf and Co. Mr. De Wolf has told me that he will
get the vessel into the graving-dock to-morrow, and that be
cannot possibly give any answer before then, for then the
extent of the damage will be ascertained. If you appoint
one or two of your number to wait upon Mr. De Wolf,
be will give you every information." Chairman : " You
have heard the recommendation of Mr. Walthew, that a
deputation be appointed." A Passenger : " I wish to
put one question to Mr. Walthew, how are we to live in
the meantime ?" Shouts of applause, and a storm, amid
which another passenger, William Armstrong, mounted
a chair, and with the lungs of a Stentor succeeded in
calming the troubled waters. " Was not the Ebba
Brahe advertised as a first-class clipper ship ? Is she so ?
No'!-,the never was a first-rate. Its a falsehood. (Hear,
hear, and loud cries of " She is a first-rate clipper ship.")
Is therelo to 1 for the Ebbs Brahe ? No there is not 2 tol .
You say there is a majority for her, Mr. Chairman. Try
to carey it, sir. I paid £B4 into Mr. Walthew's hands for
my brother, wife, and sister. I (lid not find that money
in the•etreet. I earned it by my own industry. We can-
not lose that hard-earned money. We must either have
that money back, or a passage in the Ebba Brahe. (Loud
cheers.) I have something more to say. Was there any
passenger: put on board the Ebba Brahe after the govern-
ment officers left the ship ? Yes, there was. (Chorus—
" Yee, there was.") And I say we were put there in places
where pigs would not live. (Cheers.) There was no ac-
commodation—no place to sit down to your diet—nothing.
I ask who gave the alarm first when we struck on the rocks?
lt was a passenger ? (Voices: " Yes, it was a passenger ;
deny it who.ean.") How far was the captain out of his
latitude ? Did we strike on rock or sand ? (A Voice :
"On both !") I say we struck on solid rock. I hope
there is no conspiracy—(applause)—in this concern ; '
that all are acting for the good of the passengers. Let us
he honourable to the shipowners in all that we do. And,
if they cannot take us in a certain time, let us claim our
money. (Immense sensation, and cheering.) Steady,
boys, for sake. Some say the Ebba Brahe is not
altogether safe. fr am persuaded she is a good-made
vessel ; because, if she were not, she never would have
borne the bumps that she did. (Loud cheers, mingled with
conflicting groans.) 1 tell you the captain did not do his
duty. He was heard to say, " Don't let her go down as
the Queen Victoria did ?" (Groans.) The boatswain
acted as a Christian, a-sailor, a man. And Robertson, the
mate, he's also a man. (Loud and prolonged cheering,
with cries of "Heit is who should be captain.") It was
no good,to put us off the.rock. All the hands were against
it, 'Will ,you ascertain, Mr. Chairman, whether there
were sufficient hands on hoard ? I say there were not
enough to manage her." (Various voices : " There were
handa,"—" no, only 35,"—" no. 32.") The Chair-
man, in rising to reply to Mr. Armstrong's queries, said
he did so merely from courtesy, believing the matter he
had spoken was perfectly irrelevant to the business of the
meeting. •'Hereupon the chairman was hooted; he was
accused of having been bribed. The same accusation was
levelled at the entire committee. In vain did Mr. Seamen
try to maintain order. The revolutionary feeling waxed
stronger with every shout uttered by William Armstrong,
and in a trice it was proposed, seconded, and carried
that strong-lunged vutleman supplant Mr. Seamer as
president of the august assembly. Instantly the ex-chair-
man and the committee descended from their temporary
elevation and walked off. carrying the most of the second-
class passengers along with them. "Now," cried a noisy
pasienger, " we must always look to this man (the new
chairman) for justice, and not to a play-actor. (Groans.)
This is our chairman far the future!" A passenger,
named Henry Thomas ; " I propose that we appoint
a deputation to wait upon Mr. De Wolf to see
what compensation he will give us. That, if he
does not do what is right, we subscribe, and employ
a legal adviser, and have that justice which the
crown gives us. I, for one, have no objection to sail in
the Ebbs Brahe. I have confidence in the officers.
(Hisses.) As to those in Mr. Walthew's employment,
by many of them we have been bullied, insulted. (A
voice, "And starved.") I believe the captain is a r.): a
worthy of all confidence." This last observation,
the general honesty of Henry Thomas, did not take, and
he was emphatically groaned down. At this moment a
breathless passenger rushed into the middle of the room
" I have just seen Mr. De Wolff. I said one party wished
to go by the ship, and that others did not. Mr. De Wolff
said, My vessel, I believe, will be ready in 10 days. If
the passengers do not go by her, they must forfeit their
passage money." (Groans.) Mr. Walthew having, after
infinite trouble, obtained a hearing, said : " I can only
regret that so much irregularity should have been con-
nected with the ship and the parties connected with her.
I can only assure you that I took every precaution that
lay in my power to make things comfortable. As to the
serious charge that passengers were put on board after the
government officer left, I declare that not one passen-
ger went on board that ship who had not passed the
emigration officer. Those who wish to satisfy them-
selves on this point, can see the list at the emigration
office. There seems, however, to have been some irregu-
larity, for which I am very sorry ; and I can only assure
you of this, that when you go from Liverpool I will take
care that no cause for dissatisfaction shall exist : every
abuse which is pointed out shall be remedied. I trust
greatesttt°liamt tyh e
servants.sa t
ipassengerssatisfaction;
t io En ;vwei
rlyl
and
lhacsomi
spte
Iyteiolaarmv
I have
se,
eeannl
ttl
000
ufu
ttt
n has
e oam, and not
t less than
5,000 people, every one of the ships arriving out in safety."s
given the
Mr. Walthew concluded by reading a letter, addressed
to the owners, from the captain of the Ebba B rabe,
Mr. Melling, resigning his appointment, on account of
the prejudice which he understood existed
against him.
In his letter he thanked those of the
extended to him their kindness and passengers who had
sympathy. (A voice :
"Heis a warm-hearted good man." Another voice