the beach, a woman walked to the water's edge, and held up the bottle the naturalist had lost the day before, making signs to him when he landed that it had been picked up on the beach. It was in the same state as when he lost it, the cork never having been removed. They at least understand that stealing is an offence. At first they appeared rather sulky, and unwilling to part with any of their meat; after a few presents they resumed their former good humour, and sold fourteen quarters, all of them of young animals—it was without a particle of fat, badly killed, but still was owned by most on board to be very sweet and tender meat.

In the afternoon a long westerly swell rolled in, with a very light wind still off the land; at 6 o'clock it shifted to the southward, with a threatening appearance. We both immediately weighed and stood off the land, in a thick fog, and with a falling barometer.

August 2.-At 9 a.m. the fog cleared off. The Plover was nowhere to be seen, and the wind was gradually increasing.

August 3.-At 9 a.m. we were reduced to treble-reefed topsails and reefed courses, with a very short, deep, and trying sea. We were obliged to carry to it to keep off the land, the current setting, as we found it on all occasions, with the wind-rather stronger off Icy Cape than in other parts of this sea.

August 4.-Wind gradually veered to the westward, and by 5 a.m. died away to a calm. Variable airs; the wind settled in the S.W. At 3 p.m. could see the stages on Icy Cape; 3.30 packed in eleven fathoms, before trimming we were in eight. Very gloomy, squally, and threatening weather. In standing off fell in with the Plover again, signalised our position to her, and appointed Cape Lisburne as a rendezvous. Whales seen, also large flocks of ducks and geese, going southerly.

5th, 6th, 7th of August.-Fresh breezes with heavy falls of snow, but, what with the current, the trying sea, and the wind always breaking us off in whichever way we tried to go, we could not make a mile of westing until the afternoon of the 8th, when the wind shifted suddenly to the N.W.; stood to the W.S.W.

9th of August. In the morning passed the carcase of a dead whale, and another in the afternoon. I sent a boat to this one, stuck a flag in it, and buried a bottle, containing a current paper, a notice of my whereabouts, and of my intention to go westerly, for the information of the Plover, should she fall in with it. Many reports of land from the masthead; a land-bird seen. Having this favourable wind for examining the pack to the westward, I continued to steer, as high as the wind would permit, on the starboard tack. The wind continued to lighten until the morning of the 10th, when it fell a

dead calm.

The sea was literally covered in streams with particles of a pink colour, like wood ashes, or coarse sawdust from cedar, a tenth of an inch long, and 0.5 in diameter, and round. On placing it under the microscope no appearance of circulation could be detected. Mr. Goodridge, the surgeon of this ship, supposes it to have proceeded from the carcases of the whales he saw yesterday, the oil having been forced through the pores by the pressure of the water, giving the uniform size and shape in which we found it. I endeavoured to dry some in blotting paper, but it was absorbed by the paper, and nothing left but an oily stain. Tried the current, and found it running to the westward, one-third of a mile an hour. Wolves grunting around in groups of eight and ten together; quantities of small pieces of drift wood, all pine, which appeared to have been washed from some beach. The temperature of the water, at the surface, in twenty-nine fathoms, was 45°, and at the bottom 430. The dredge produced (in soft blue mud) a good many mussels, starfish (found in all parts of this sea), a few bivalves (got before), and some very small shrimps.

A light southerly wind sprang up, gradually increasing, and veering to the eastward. At 10.30, after standing to the S. W. for fifteen miles, the loom of

the land in the neighbourhood of North Cape could be seen. I tacked to the N.E., with the wind fresh from E.S.E.; not wishing to run the risk of being caught with a south-easter between the land and the ice floe, which I considered could not be far off, from the extraordinary smoothness of the water, the numbers of walrus, and particularly a little black and white diver, which we never saw except in its vicinity.

August 11.-Steering until this day in very thick and bad weather to the N.E., at which time we were in lat. 70o 1', long. 173o. 53'. Bore up north to endeavour to fall in with the back. By 6 p.m. a dense fog came on, we hauled to the wind on port tack under reduced sails, ship heading S.E, with a short jumping sea.

August 12, a.m.-The wind shifted suddenly to N.N.E., and afterwards to N.N.W., blowing hard, reduced to treble-reefed topsails and reefed foresail, our soundings having decreased to seventeen fathoms, mud. No observations. Our reckoning placed us in 70° 20', 171° 23', in eighteen fathoms, sand.

Shortly after noon our depth decreased to sixteen fathoms, the colour of the water becoming lighter, with a breaking sea all round. Our soundings decreased a fathom each cast until 1.30 p.m., when we wore in eleven fathoms shingle, getting in wearing nine fathoms, then twelve, and when trimmed to go back, as we went on, had several casts of eight, and one of seven fathoms ; then suddenly got into fourteen, which gradually increased. The sun came out verifying our noon position. Until midnight it blew a strong gale.

(To be continued in our next.)

Shipwrecks.

THE RECENT STORM.-WRECKS ALONG THE COAST.

As was generally anticipated, the gale of Wednesday morning, Feb. 13, occasioned a fearful loss of life and property on every point of the coast. A storm more destructive in its consequences has not visited this country for many years, and the accounts received yesterday furnish a sad and numerous list of fatal disasters.

The western coast suffered to a great extent, and it is to be feared that other losses are to be added to the report of those already known. The gale commenced to blow strongly from the westward on Tuesday night, and on the following morning it had increased to a perfect hurricane. During its height a vessel called the Lord Duncan, Mr. Knapman, master, of Dartmouth, was seen to go ashore on a part of the coast called Mawgan Porth. The immense breakers quickly shattered her to pieces, and every soul on board speedily perished. Similar melancholy events occurred off Ilfracombe, where a Fowey vessel was wrecked with all hands, Brixham and other ports, as far as the Land's-end. About four miles to the eastward of Boscotte, on the Cornwall coast, a fine Spanish brig, called the Principe Alberto, M. de Galdiz, bound from Glasgow to Havannah, was lost, and the escape of the crew was only effected by the coast-guard throwing them Dennet's rocket lines. The crew were 12 in number, and when brought ashore they were in a very exhausted condition. They had given themselves up for lost some time before their

rescue.

On the Welsh coast, both on land and sea, greater mischief was produced.

The storm raged with terrible fury, and numerous buildings at Aberystwith were blown down; the church of the town suffered considerably. At Cardigan an appalling wreck occurred. While the gale was blowing with all its previous violence on Wednesday morning, a vessel was observed to be making for the harbour; she was just on the verge of crossing the bar, when she was thrown on a formidable shoal, and the next moment the breakers made a formidable breach over her. Boats from the shore were of little service in preserving the crew; in a short time the masts were carried away, and the sea making a clean sweep over the wreck no fewer than 11 of the unfortunate crew were swept overboard and drowned; the master, Mr. Donohue, and a seaman being the only parties saved. The vessel was ascertained to be the Thetis, belonging to Limerick, and was late from Newport. She speedily broke up and the beach was strewn with portions of her wreckage. None of the bodies of the sufferers have as yet turned up.

In the St George's Channel the same fearful weather was experienced, and a fine American ship, named the John P. Whitney, Captain Gledden, was wrecked. The crew and passengers took to the boats (two), and were picked up by a steam tug and conveyed to Liverpool. The last accounts from the wreck state that she was rapidly breaking up. She was quite a new vessel, of 790 tons burden, laden with flour, meal, and grain, and was the property of Mr. Gladden, of Philadelphia.

On the Isle of Man so violent was the gale that it led to the well-known windmill at Castletown being destroyed by fire. The wind having got hold of the sails forced round the machinery with such force that the friction set the mill on fire, and the entire building with its outhouses was consumed.

It was on the northern and eastern portion of the coast, however, that the fury of the gale was experienced more severely than probably in other parts. Even in the Thames, near Southend, several serious wrecks happened. Two vessels were lost at Shoebury Ness, and one wreck was attended with fatal consequences. A formidable sea was running in the Swin; numerous collisions occurred, and several vessels were compelled to run for Harwich to make good their damage. A short distance from the Dudgeon-light a laden brig was seen to go down on the morning of Wednesday, and there is every reason to believe every soul on board of her perished. The Antelope steamer, on her passage from the Thames to Hull, saw the foundering of the ill-fated vessel; the unhappy crew were seen in the rigging waving for assistance, but the gale prevented any attempt being made to save the poor fellows.

In a small fishing place called Staithes, to the eastward of Bridlington, much distress has been caused by the supposed loss of four or five fishing vessels, with their crews, during the storm. A large number of the craft put to sea just before the gale came on, when finding the wind getting up they succeeded, all but four, in returning. Nothing has since been heard of the missing vessels, and little doubt exists but they are lost. The names of their respective crews were Daniel Cole, John Brown, Robert Brown, James Fell, John Writhunk, Thomas and John Brown (brothers), John and Isaac Harrison (brothers), Matthew Theaker, Thomas Dowson, William Wade, and George Brown. Off Shields several wrecks occurred, and many other similar events happened on the same line of coast.

On the western coast of Scotland the gale did fearful havoc. Near Ayr a fine bark, named the Jubilee, of Sunderland, bound to Smyrna from Troon, was lost on the Brest rocks, and, melancholy to relate, five of the crew were drowned-viz., the chief mate and four seamen. Another fine bark called the Margaret, from New Orleans, was wrecked near the same rocks.

At Ardrossan a fine steamer was burnt while the gale may be said to have been at its height. The Isle of Arran, which plies between that port and Arran, was discovered to be on fire round the funnel and under the boilers, and the flames having got vent the wind wafted them with great rapidity over the vessel. With a view of saving some portion of her an attempt was

made to scuttle her; but ere that could be accomplished she was burnt almost to the water's edge.

Her Majesty's steamer Onyx, wrecked at Ostend, continues, according to the latest accounts, stranded about 200 yards to the eastward of the pier; but hopes are entertained, should the weather moderate, of her getting off.

A WEST INDIAMAN LOST.

Since 11 o'clock on Sunday night, (Feb. 10th,) another violent gale from W.S.W. has visited London and its suburbs, and up to 10 o'clock on Monday night, continued with alarming force. The wind gauge at Lloyd's fully illustrated its fury, the pressure on the face attached to the apparatus on the summit of the Royal Exchange being, in the course of Monday evening, no less than from 12lb. to 13lb., sufficient to excite no ordinary uneasiness for the safety of the shipping. As previously reported, many fatal wrecks happened even in the vicinity of the entrance of the river during the recent hurricane. We have now to add a more calamitous event, viz., the wreck of a fine West Indiaman, and, it is feared, the loss of all on board of her. On Tuesday, the Sarah, Bridges, master, bound from Jamaica for London, made the Margate-roads, and in the course of the forenoon was taken in tow by the Trinity steam-tug. As the day advanced the gale sprung up with a destructive fury unfortunately too well known. The ship and the tug laboured sorely, and between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when running through the Prince's Channel, the towing hawser snapped asunder, and the ship got adrift. The tug immediately brought up, in the hope that the weather might moderate. The wind, however, continued to increase until it blew a perfect hurricane, and about midnight the steamer was driven from her anchorage. She lost cable and anchor, and was compelled to run for safety. The Sarah was then lost sight of, and from the tempestuous weather that prevailed during the following 24 hours, and the fact that nothing has been seen of her since, although she was right in the track of vessels trading to and from the river, coupled with the circumstance that a quantity of West India produce has been picked up in the vicinity of where she went adrift, as also pieces of wreck apparently of the same class of vessel, there is little doubt that she perished, with all hands. Several casks of rum have been seen floating about, and Mr. Cullum, the master of the General Steam Navigation Company's ship Soho, reports having passed part of the wreck of a ship, a quantity of cocoa nuts, and pimento casks, about a dozen miles to the eastward of the North Foreland, and consequently almost in the very place the Sarah is suspected to have been lost. Whether this wreck belonged to the Sarah or not, however, it is evident that a large ship was lost in the neighbourhood. At present the number of the crew has not been ascertained, nor whether there were any passengers on board.-Globe.

WRECK OF THE EMILY.

We have been favoured with a copy of the "Bengal Hurkaru," of December 7th, from which we extract the following interesting particulars of the search for the survivors of the Emily (500 tons), wrecked on one of the Andaman Isles, the 1st of September last; the particulars of which we have given at page 17.

To Major A. Bogle, Commissioner, T. P.

Sir, I have the honour to report the return to this place of the Honorable

Company's steamer under my command, and also that the vessel will be again ready for sea after completing fuel; after, I regret to state, an unsuccessful search among the Andaman, and islands adjacent to the Andamans, for the missing portions of the crew of the late ship Emily. The particulars

relative to the search are as undermentioned.

I further regret having to report that, on visiting the Northern Cocos, I found the then remaining settlers in great distress, one half their original number having fallen victims to fever, and the remainder, from the effects of that malady and starvation, in so reduced a state, as to be unable to leave their houses in quest of food. Under these circumstances, added to their imploring that I would take them from off the Island, I determined to call for them on my return from Interview Island. I sent them supplies with medical assistance from the surgeon and proceeded to the south.

Saturday, 20th October, 1849.-At 7 a.m., having completed coal, had steam up, cast off, and in accordance to an order No. 280 from Major Bogle, commissioner, proceeded with all despatch down the river, towards the Andaman Islands, in search of the missing portion of the crew of the wreck ship Emily, Mr. Anderson, late master of that vessel, on board by order.

Tuesday, October 22nd, 1849.-At daylight sighted the Northern Cocos, bearing S. W. Steered for the settlement on the N. end-called in, but could gain no information of the missing men; found the settlers in great distress, sent supplies and medical assistance, they imploring to be taken from off the island; promised, if possible, I would call on my return and take them away. Proceeded to the south, close outside the western reef, along the edge of the breakers, examining the shore, with officers' look-out aloft, but no signs of either boat or people. Then proceeded to the South Cocos, and succeeded before dark in closely examining that island, in the same manner as above, with no success.

Proceeded under easy steam for the night, standing towards Landfall Island.

Wednesday, October 24th, 1849.-At daylight stood in and commenced examining Landfall Island, keeping as yesterday close to the breakers on edge of the reef, but saw nothing. Stood on and examined the N.W. coast of the Great Andamans; owing to the incorrect survey of this coast was obliged to have the cutters ahead, sounding on several parts of the coast; which added much to the anxiety, and also work of the crew. This Island appears thickly inhabited by a hostile people, as the natives came armed to the beach, watching our movements; at sunset recalled the boats; no signs of boat or people being seen this day; stood off and on under easy steam for the night abreast of a long low point Saddle Mountain N.E. by E.

Thursday, October 25th, 1849.--At daylight continued the search, from the point of last night's bearing, proceeding as yesterday, sounding in the boats ahead:-8 a.m. commenced the northern end of Interview Island; natives coming to the beach, armed as on the other islands; observed some with clothes on, supposed the same to have been stolen from the wreck, as these were the first seen with any one article of clothing on. Nine a.m. sighted the wreck, natives very numerous on the beach, all armed.-9-30 stood close in; anchored ahead of the wreck. From the circumstance of the natives having all run into a jungle, and no one being seen on board feared the second officer, who was left on the wreck, had met with a violent death, which I am sorry to say was found to be the case on our boarding the vessel.Proceeded under cover of the steamer's guns, with the 1st and 2nd cutters armed, the former under charge of myself, and the latter that of Mr. Peche, 3rd officer; taking with us Dr. Lawson, Mr. Anderson, and the European 1st and 2nd Engineers; prepared in case any of the natives should be concealed on board. Succeeded, after some difficulty from the breakers she was among, in getting on board, when to our horror we found lying on the deck the mangled remains of the late 2nd officer, (the surgeon's report on which is