The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-09-19 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

of her contents, save the crew, were washed over her
bows. The pinnace shared the same fate as the launch.
The gig was then pulled towards the launch, and reached
her at midnight. The crew was then removed into her,
and she cut adrift. The launch was now too crowded
almost to move in, and had lost sight of the pinnace.
Thus, in despair, they drove the wretched night through,
without chart or compass to direct them, or a sinplp
cessary to •
Lne sea birds (such as albatross and
Cape pigeons) hovering close over them, as if only await-
ing the moment when the frail boat should be engulphed.
At dawn, to their inexpressible joy, the Almighty directed
two vessels to their relief, which were descried directly to
windward, running immediately down towards them. A
signal of distress was made by hoisting a shawl belonging
to one of :he lady passengers, which was, providentially,
not unobserved. The vessels proved to be the French
frigate La Cleopatre, 52 guns, and the corvette Alcmene,
50 guns, proceeding to China, via Bourbon. The com-
modore, on being made acquainted with the discovery of
the signal, immediately rounded the frigate towards the
boat, and, at eight, those in the launch were received in
safety on board her. On reaching the frigate's deck Cap-
tain Carter instantly implored the commodore to go in
search of his missing men and officers in the pinnace.
This request was immediately complied with, and, in less
than an hour, the missing boat was discovered by the cor-
vette, and by her miraculously preserved, all parties thank-
ing God and the French officers with tears in their eyes,
who, through 1-lis mercy, had been the means of rescuing
them from a watery grave. The appearance of these ves-
sels seemed the more miraculous on this day, as, for forty-
two days previous they had not sighted a single sail, nor
did they fall in with any after on the passage to the Mau-
ritius. It was, also, afterwards learned that, on the pre-
vious day, the commodore had determined to alter his
course, but had not eventually done so : if he had he
would have passed eighty or ninety miles to the eastward
of the unfortunate crew. _ _ _ _

The preparations-made by those on board the frigate for
removing the poor wrecked people from the boats could
never be surpassed. It displayed the skill of a seaman,
and, at the same time, showed that every head and heart
on board the Cleopatre seconded the exertions of the
excellent commander ; and, when they had been safely
taken on board, they found that every arrangement had
been made for their reception which either humanity or
medical skill could dictate, and, from that moment until
the arrival of the frigate at the Mauritius, the crew of the
Regular received such generous treatment from their de-
liverers as will never be effaced from their memory. The
whole of the officers, passengers, and crew were saved.
The former are proceeding to England in her Majesty's
ship Belleisie.

BLOWING-UP OF A SCHOONER.-SHOCKING
MASSACRE.

Accounts from Sydney give particulars of the partial
destruction of the schooner Catherine, 164 tons burden,
Bannatyne, master, which took place in the month of
April last, off the Isle of Pines, by the powder magazine
being wilfully fired by a gang of native pirates.
It appears that the Catherine was on her homeward
passage when she stopped at the Isle of Pines on the 12th
of April, for the purpose of bartering with the natives.
Having previously visited the island, and being received
in a friendly manner, the captain apprehended not the
least danger of any attack being made on his vessel or on
the lives of the crew, and a canoe coming off from the
shore to the ship, he allowed several of the natives to re-
main on board whilst he and some of the crew went on
the island. They had not been ashore long when their
suspicion was aroused by observing some confusion on
board the vessel. At this the captain determined upon
making a sudden retreat to his boat, which was lying
some yards from the beach. On the boat nearing the
schooner the captain instantly saw that the blacks had
gained possession of her; he also noticed two of the crew
in the foretop, or on the foretop-sail yard, who were armed
with fire-arms, and but for the heroic conduct of these
two poor fellows, who kept constantly firing on the blacks
and wounding them, the vessel and the whole of their
lives must have been inevitably lost. The captain hailed
the crew on the foretop, who returned an answer, that all
the hands were murdered except themselves, and that they
in the boat had better keep off, or they would meet with
the same fate. Captain Bannatyne, on hearing this in-
formation, decided upon not boarding her, but ordered
the boat to row round the schooner, so as to see how
many blacks were on board. On nearing the stern the
natives instantly hurled into the boat several large pieces
of timber, evidently for the purpose of either murdering
those in the craft, or sinking her, whilst they one and all
sto,“:1 round the bulwarks brandishing their tomahawks
and axes, clearly showing that they were quite prepared
to meet the captain and his party. The boat was ma-
noeuvred about, the captain now and then hailing the two
men on the yard, from whom he learned that they were
prepared with firearms. Captain Bannatyne instantly ad-
vised them to shoot on the natives, in the hope of forcing
or frightening them from the vessel. A shot was fired,
and was immediately followed by another, when the men
on the yard informed the captain that two of the blacks
were killed. They were advised to keep on firing, and
after several more shots had been fired the schooner blew
up with great violence. The natives either were thrown
or jumped into the water. They had previously cut away
the whale boat in order to gain the shore, their canoe
having been rendered useless ; but their designs were
frustrated owing to the violence of the concussion.
The boat's crew strove to get hold of some of the
wretches, but they acted in a very resolute and
determined manner, and defended thomselve with their
tomahawks, although in the water. The captain,
seeing that the vessel was in flames, made all speed
towards her, and on getting on board the flames after
some time were providentially subdued. In the meantime
Mr. M`Leod and one of the crew assisted in picking up
a poor fellow (a seaman,) who was just expiring ; he was
completely flayed from the effects of the explosion, and it
is presumed that he must have been close to the powder-
magazine when it blew up, On a further examination,
Finnie, the mate, was found in a dreadful condition ; his
face was much swollen ; he bad a large cut down his left
cheek, another across his head, and another a little above
his eyebrows ; his shirt, face, and hands, were dripping
with blood. Two blacks were also lying on the deck
covered with gore. The steward was found with his head,
arms, and thighs nearly severed from his body. It ap-
pears that he met his death by suddenly rushing upon
deck, when be received a severe blow from a tomahawk
on his head ; he then sought shelter in the bow of the
schooner, where he was noticed by two of the savages,
who dragged him forth from his hiding—place and brutally
murdered him. A fine little boy, related to Captain Ban-
natyne, was most inhumanly sacrificed by the natives; he
was placed on the hulworks, when a tomahawk was level-
led at his head inflicting a most terrific gash and throw-
ing him overboard ? and what renders this shocking tra-
gedy more painful is, that Captain Bannatyne saw the
mangled corpse of his adopted child floating by the stern
of the scooner, and was unable to pick it up. Almost as
soon as the flames were extinguished, the surviving por-
tion of the crew slipped the cable and succeeded in getting
the ship out to sea, where their sufferings increased to an
almost unendurable extent, the wind subsequently increas-
ing to a severe gale, with heavy falls of rain, which lasted
upwards of 48 hours. The first object was to ascertain
whether the compass was damaged ; they found it to be
almost destroyed, and buried in the ruins caused by the
explosion. They however, managed to collect the pieces,
and by sticking them together enabled them to steer a
somewhat correct course. During the following night
another of the crew died. After many days of horrible
suffering a sail hove in sight, which proved to be the Nor-
whal, commanded by Captain Baker, from London, who,
observing signals of distress flying at the schooner's mast-
head, bore down on her, and Captain Baker being inform-
ed of the dreadful calamity which had befallen the vessel,
he ordered Dr. Monroe to their assistance. The explosion
was occasioned by the firing of a cask of powder by Finnie,
the mate, as the last resource. It is a most extraordi-
nary circumstance bow he escaped with his life. Since
then we are happy to announce the safe arrival of the ship
and survivors at Sydney.

IRELAND.

A " monster meeting" was held on Sunday week at

Loughrea.
" BIRDS OF A FEATHER."—O'ConneII, at a recent
meeting of repealers. handed in a subscription of £27
from Botany Bay ! The " munificent " to this amount
designated themselves as " victims of bad laws."

The rumour is rife that Peel and the Duke of Wel-
lington have expressed themselves as inclined to make
a trial of having the imperial parliament once every three
years in Dublin !—Sun. _ . _

•
A " repeal gun" has been manufactured by Kavanagh,
of Ormond-quay, Dublin, which, it is said, is capable of
bringing down its mark at eighty yards distance, without
noise or smoke.

ONE OF THE REPEAL " ESQUIRES."—A carpenter
named Dooley, who is employed at the Poor-house, is
one of the principal collectors of the repeal fund, and is
styled " Edward Dooley, Esq.," by the secretary to the
Repeal Association.—Carlow Sentinel.

REPEAL ASSOCIATION.—The weekly meeting of this
association took place at the Corn Exchange on Monday,
when the repeal rent was announced to be £735. It was
agreed to purchase 250 copies of Mr. O'Connell's "Ire-
land and the kith" for distribution amongst the repeal
wardens. His reply to the Queen's speech is to be
printed for circulation.

PEACEFUL REPEAL.—John Fullard, herd to Charles
Holmes, Esq., of Prospect, King's County, was visited by
a party of repealers last week, and beaten so severely, for
not joining the repeal ranks, that he died on the sth inst.
An inquest has been since holden on his body, but we
have not heard the result of it. Fullard was a Protestant.
—Westmeath Guardian.

WONDERS WILE NEVER CEASE.-A bootboy or
" boots" named Ned Birmingham, but who commonly
goes by the nai»c of Ned O'Connell, in oneof the Fermoy
Hotels, is already canvassing for a seat in the New Irish
Parliament, or Council of 300 "Jontlemen." lie is
likely to succeed, as it appears none else is seeking the
honour.

ABSCONDING OF AN ASSISTANT IN A POST-OFFICE.—
An assistant in the post-office of Carrick-on-Suir ab-
sconded on Thursday last with a money order to a large
amount, payable at Liverpool. He purposed going to
America, but Head Constable Orr was quickly on the
alert and followed him to Waterford, where he captured
him previous to embarkation in the packet which was
about sailing for Liverpool at the time. The order was
found on his person, and he has been committed until an
inquiry is held into the matter by the post-office depart-
ment.— Tipperary Colalllation.
MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE.-011 the 10th instant a
party of gentlemen proceeded in two yachts up Lough
Corrih, on a fishing party ; the day becoming wet, they
were obliged to take shelter in a house on an island in the
lake, where they remained until a late hour in the hope

of having a favoured moment for their return. On arriv-
ing near the Wood-quay, the two boats being in company
and near to each other, and lowering the sales, one un-
fortunately upset, immersing seven of the party into deep
water, and who were for a short time in the utmost peril ;
but by the manly exertions of Mr. F. Moore and others
they succeded in rescuing four of the above 118 med,rentl-

uuy. _um it necomes our painful and nelan-
cooly duty to announce that Mr. James Bissit fell a victim
to a watery grave, although every possible assistance was
afforded him. He was taken up within three minutes,
and medical aid being in attendance all attempts to restore
animation proved unavailing—" the vital spark had fled."
Mr. Bissit was a gentleman of the most engaging and
unassuming manners, a native of Scotland, and was ac-
countant to the Provincial Bank of Ireland here, the
duties of which office he discharged with integrity and
ability, and his courteous and amiable disposition en-
deared him to a vast circle of acquaintance.—Galway
Vindicator.

PROGRESS OF THE ANTI-RENT WAR.—The following
statement appears in the Carlow Sentinel of Saturday.
On Sunday morning last, between the hours of twelve and
one o'clock, about 200 men and women, principally stran-
gers in the district, proceeded to the farm occupied by a
man named John Harney, near Ballon, in this county and
cut down and carried away about five acres of wheat and
two of oats, before six o'clock. The party who were pro-
vided with horses and cars, bore off the crops towards
Hacketstown, and have not since been heard of. This
plan of evading the payment of rent, or of preventing a
distress on the lands, is being generally adopted, and
hitherto with complete success. It therefore remains to be
seen, after this warning, how far the proprietors of land
and the public authorities can co-operate to prevent its
being carried into practical effect generally. The Sentinel,
in the course of an article commenting on the prevalence
of this new method of defeating the landlords, remarks—
such occurrences would be only deserving of passing notice,
but that they possess features in connexion with our pre-
sent social, policy which should not be overlooked. In
the first place it will be observed that none but strangers,
who cannot be identified, interfere ; and secondly they
appear in such numbers, and at such an hour as to effect
their designs without observation ; and lastly their move-
ments are so systematic, no clue whatever can be disco-
vered to lead to the recovery of the property. We have
made every enquiry into the proceedings that took place
near Ballon on Sunday last, and we cannot find that they
originated in the tenants inability to pay his rent, but on
the contrary, if we can believe his own oath, he had the
land at a reasonable value and had considerable interest
in the same.

GOVERNMENT AND THE ORANGEMEN.—In point of
fact, if the government be chargeable with any fault in
regard to the Orange party, it is that in proving their de-
termination to be impartial, they have even denied to their
loyal Protestant subjects in Ireland their just rights, so
that a Romanist, or a latitudinarian Protestant, some So-
cinian or Arian Radical, would have a better prospect of
success at Dublin Castle, than a staunch loyal adherent to
the union, who was tainted with Orangeism. Tie testi-
mony of O'Connell may be taken as conclusive on this
point, and it is well worth the while of our ministers to
consider, whether there be not some danger with regard
to their anti-Orange, anti-exclusive system, lest they act
over again the part of " the candid friend," whose arbi-
tration Canning, in the Anti-Jacobin, long ago de-
nounced as " the most teasing and worst of ills." Cer-
tain it is, that in Lord Eliot the government have a most
amiable, but, we fear, a most weak and inefficient Secre-
tary ; and were it not for the ability of Mr. Lucas, the
public would long ago have discovered how inadequate
Lord Eliot is for the difficult post he occupies. We be-
lieve that had his lordship lived in the days of the Anti-
Jacobin, he might himself have been supposed to be the
original of " the candid friend ;" and it is notorious, that
such is his dread of appearing to favour Protestantism,
that if an Orangeman happens to have been unjustly im-
prisoned, and if it is proved on the clearest evidence, that
one sentenced for appearing in an Orange procession, was
actually engaged in his lawful calling, and only swept away
by the crowd, Lord Eliot would admit the hardship of
the case, but fear to allow the mercy of the Crown to in-
terpose, lest it should be said that there was partiality to
Protestants.

SALE OF OULD IRELAND.—O'ConneII sold poor Paddy
to the millers for 2,000 guineas ; and poor Paddy is now
working in the mill there. Now we do not want to draw
any political inference from these facts, and we will not
say that O'Connell deserts his best friends when they can
no longer be of any use to him ; but the following cruel
announcement of a sale by auctio❑ of the best milch cow
O'Connell ever had might extract tears from Joseph
Hume himself ! Let our readers pull out their pocket
handkerchiefs and read if they can without weeping :
OULD IRELAND.
To be sold by Auction, on Michaelmas Day.
In Merrion-square, opposite thr house of
DAN. O'CONNELL,
The celebrated Irish Cow, called