eighteen miles from this city, where they were left without any medical aid or inspection, until they arrived in this port, yesterday morning (Sunday), about eight o'clock in the morning. One young woman was found yesterday among the dead, and she has been recovered. There are living, and being recovered, 102 individuals, who present the most appalling picture of misery and destitution ever before witnessed in this city, being, for the greater part, very ragged and poverty-stricken. It appears that several of the persons who are dead were bound for America, and had a good deal of money on their persons. The captain and the whole of the crew are lodged in the gaol of this city."

From the accounts of the inquest we extract the following passages, to show the horrible nature of the expedient resorted to on board which led to the catastrophe, and describe the fearful scene on board on the arrival of the vessel at Derry:-"The mate instantly became alarmed, and obtaining a lantern went down to render assistance. Such, however, was the foul state of the air in the cabin, that the light was immediately extinguished. A second was obtained, and it too was extinguished. At length, on the tarpauling being completely removed, and a free access of air admitted, the real nature of the catastrophe exhibited itself. There lay, in heaps, the living, the dying, and the dead, one frightful mass of mingled agony and death-a spectacle enough to appal the stoutest heart. Men, women, and children were huddled together, blackened with suffocation, distorted by convulsions, bruised and bleeding from the desperate struggle for existence which preceded the moment when exhausted nature resigned the strife. After some time the living were separated from the dead, and it was then found that the latter amounted to nearly one-half of the entire number." "The scene on entering the steerage of the steamer was perhaps as awful a spectacle as could be witnessed. Seventy-two dead bodies of men, women, and children, lay piled indiscriminately over each other, four deep, all presenting the ghastly appearance of persons who had died in the agonies of suffocation; very many of them covered with the blood which had gushed from the mouth and nose, or had flowed from the wounds inflicted by the trampling of nail-studded brogues, and by the frantic violence of those who struggled for escape. For it was but too evident that, in that struggle, the poor creatures had torn the clothes from off each other's backs, and even the flesh from each other's limbs."

The INQUEST. The inquest closed on Wednesday, with a verdict of manslaughter against the master and mates of the Londonderry steamer, in which seventy-two human beings perished by suffocation. The following is the verdict:-"We find that death was caused by suffocation, in consequence of the gross negligence and total want of the usual and necessary caution on the part of the captain, Alexander Johnston, Richard Hughes, first mate, and Ninian Crawford, second mate; and we, therefore, find them guilty of manslaughter; and we further consider it our duty to express in the strongest terms our abhorrence of the inhuman conduct of the remainder of the seamen on board on the melancholy occasion; and this jury beg to call the attention of proprietors of steam-boats to the urgent necessity of introducing some more effectual mode of ventilation in the steerage, and also affording better accommodation to the poorer classes of passengers."

This horrible catastrophe must give rise to legislative regulations preventing the overcrowding of packets, and compelling accommodation proportionate to the number of passengers; not to mention other precautions which are not less necessary to the public safety, but hitherto most culpably neglected.

In this particular instance of the Londonderry, the barbarity of forcing

such a number of persons into so small a space is most flagrant; but had the captain been as humane as he appears to have been careless and inconsiderate, some shocking loss of life must have ensued from the thronged state of the vessel exposed to bad weather. Had half been stowed away below, and half allowed to remain on deck, some of those on deck must have been swept away by the seas shipped in the gale that was raging. The only security for the public is the prevention of the overcrowding.

Some day we shall have to record another horrible catastrophe-that of the loss of a packet, with all its passengers, for want of boats of a size and build to float in a heavy sea; and then, and not till then, the public will begin to reflect on the danger to which it is exposed from that common neglect. There is not a steam-packet (unprovided with the paddle-box boats) which, with an average number of passengers, has the means of saving a fourth part by her boats.-Examiner.

MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK AND LOSS OF LIFE ON

THE COAST OF GUERNSEY.

The Seawitch, of and for London, Mr. John Henry Freeman, master, left Sierra Leone on the 4th of October last, with a cargo of ground-nuts and African oak. Her crew consisted of twelve souls. Nothing material occurred during the voyage until about a fortnight ago, when James Fontaine, seaman, died of diarrhoea, and was buried in the deep. On Wednesday, the 22nd November, the ship was steering an easterly course. No observation had been taken since the preceding Tuesday; but on Thursday the Seawitch spoke a Guernsey vessel, and both exchanged longitude. There was a difference of 40 miles between the reckoning of the two captains, and Mr. Freeman regulated his longitude accordingly; the ship's course being altered to E.S.E. They were then supposed to be in the latitude of Scilly; and at 6 o'clock in the evening a light was observed, which tended to confirm that opinion. The Seawitch was then going at the rate of eight knots an hour, under close-reefed topsails and foresail. No soundings were taken. At 2 o'clock in the morning of Friday, another light, believed to be that of a steamer, was descried on the starboard bow. The morning was impenetrably dark, with drizzling rain, and the wind N.W. At about 4 o'clock, the ship struck and grounded on the neck of the Noire Pierre, on the right of Portinfer Bay, in the Vale parish-one of the most dangerous localities on the coast. For about an hour the wreck continued to strike heavily, and the hull parted. The forepart, from the bits, stuck fast among the rocks. George Lincoln, second mate, Edmuud Davis, and William Palmer, clung to the forecastle, where they remained until the tide receded, and then landed on a rock. The master, Richard Hunter (chief mate), John Mitchell, Charles Cuddyford, Thomas Lloyd, Gustavus Smith, John Smith, and James M'Cabe (seamen), were upon the main-deck when the hull broke up, and were unfortunately drowned. In the course of the morning, the bodies of the ill-fated men were picked up, and conveyed to Grande Rocques barracks, to await an inquest. The captain, leaves a wife and four children; the mate, a wife and child; and two of the seamen were married.

Never did we witness a more melancholy spectacle than presented itself in the forenoon. The masts, yards, bowsprit, and other spars, most of them broken, were strewed in wild confusion on the shore, with other débris of the vessel. A great portion of the materials has been saved, with part of the cargo in a damaged state.

The remains of the hapless mariners were consigned to their final restingplace, in the church-yard of the Vale parish. The funeral cortège quitted Grande Rocques barracks at about a quarter before 3 in the afternoon. A spectacle more mournful than presented itself along the line of road (a distance of about two miles) we have never seen-the deep tones of the tolling knell, with the colours lowered at the barracks, adding to the solemnity. The eight coffins followed each other in succession; that of Mr. Freeman, covered with a black pall, and borne by several master-mariners. The coffins of the mate and seamen were covered with the union jack; and between each were relays of bearers, composed of seafaring men and others, who alternately carried the bodies. The three survivors, accompanied by Lloyd's agent and other gentlemen, followed next to the remains of their shipmates; the procession being closed by a large number of respectable inhabitants.

The bodies were deposited in one grave on the west side of the churchyard, amidst the tears of the sympathising spectators. Truly it was an affecting scene. It is computed that from 6,000 to 8,000 persons were present at the mournful ceremony.

The survivors, who have lost the whole of their clothing, have been properly provided for. A suit of apparel, out of “De La Court's Fund,” has been awarded to each.-Guernsey Comet.

ANOTHER SHIPWRECK.

To the above we regret to have to add the loss of the schooner Jessie, Mr. George David, master, belonging to this port, under the circumstances detailed below. The Jessie was bound to Cronstadt, from Malaga, with fruit. On the 30th of October, at 3. 30. a.m., the weather being very thick, accompanied with rain, she struck on a reef of rocks, called Nackman's reef, five miles from the shore, the Dagerort light bearing W.S.W. per compass. Immediately after she struck, a stream-anchor was carried out with the view to warp her off; but the attempt failed, the ship striking heavily. At daylight a pilot came on board, and another warp and anchor were carried out astern; but the second attempt to get her off was attended with no better success. The ship striking with increased violence, the rudder became unshipped, and, as the Jessie made much water, it was deemed advisa' le to discharge part of the cargo, which was done at noon by two craft which came alongside for that purpose. At 8 o'clock she was got off the reef, and warped into deep water, where she brought-up at midnight, with both anchors a-head, making seven inches of water per hour. On Wednesday, the ship, with assistance, was warped into Papatam bay, the wind being strong at the time, and the remainder of the cargo discharged. The Jessie was afterwards hove-down and surveyed, and, being considered seaworthy, she proceeded on her voyage to Cronstadt. And now for the most melancholy part of our narrative. A letter from Elsinore, addressed to one of the owners, regrets to state, that the Jessie foundered in the Gulf of Finland, on the 6th inst., near the island of Hoochland; and, what is still more mournful, Captain Thomas David (supercargo) and William Pipet, seaman, died before they reached the shore in their boat. The former leaves a widow and child to mourn their loss. Captain David (the deceased's brother), with the apprentices, came passengers in a vessel which arrived at Elsinore on the 18th inst. The remainder of the crew were daily expected, and, on their arrival, would be forwarded to London.Guernsey Comet.

Monthly Chronicle.

It is gratifying to the Directors, and will be equally so to our friends in general, to know that, notwithstanding the loss sustained by almost all voluntary religious societies, owing to the unparalleled circumstances of commercial depression during the past year, yet that the income of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, as intimated in our last number, is really increased, and that we enter on the labours of the new year with the most encouraging prospects of still increasing usefulness. Not only will this appear to our readers from the statements of our Missionaries, both in London and in the provinces, who are meeting with such signal tokens of the Divine blessing on their work; but also, and principally, from the openings presenting themselves for increased agency of the same kind in other parts of the kingdom; and although, as hinted in our last, the resources at the disposal of the Directors are by no means commensurate with these additional claims for more agency, yet, as this is the very kind of agency required, and as these fresh openings are evidently the result of the increased sympathy awakened in the Christian church on behalf of our seafaring population, and in answer to the oft-repeated prayer that "the abundance of the sea may be converted to God," no doubt ought to be entertained of the increased liberality of the churches to meet the claims which their own sympathy and prayers have raised. For example, as the result of the advocacy of our cause in Cornwall and on the South coast, the friends in those parts have resolved not only ou forming auxiliaries to the parent Society, but on assisting to support seamen's missionaries amongst themselves; and, considering the very important position of Falmouth, Penzance, and other sea-port towns in "the far west," and the equally extensive sphere of usefulness amongst seamen at Southampton, Portsmouth, and at Weymouth, the Directors feel that, even though considerably cramped for want of "the ways and means,' yet that they are only carrying out the very first designs of the Institution, in endeavouring without delay to respond to those appeals for new agency; and, in doing so, they have every confidence that their constituents will not only approve their course, as to the discharge of the trust reposed in them, but that they will come forward "to the help of the Lord," and by increased munificence, sustain a work to which "our common Lord" is calling us in so many new directions.

Our readers, on looking over the missionary operations, will not fail to miss the monthly report of our esteemed and faithful friend, Captain Lowther, whose health has so much declined as to oblige him altogether to abandon a work for which he was so admirably adapted, and in which he was greatly honoured of God. His place will be supplied by Mr. Bailey, who has already been engaged for several years in labouring amongst seamen, and who, it is believed, will prove to be "sent of God," as was his afflicted predecessor, to do a great work amongst this interesting class of our fellow-men.

Meetings have been held at Tunbridge and at Tunbridge Wells during the month, and we beg to acknowledge our indebtedness to our devoted friends, Mr. W. Gorham and Mr. Towlson, Captain Cook, R.N., who so kindly presided at the latter place, and to Major Jacobs, and the Rev. Mr. Langson and his Curate, who advocated the cause on the occasion, as well as for the liberal collection made at the close of the meeting. Arrangements are being made for deputation visits at St. Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Staines, and several neighbouring places, for the ensuing month, besides public meetings and lectures already determined upon in London.

The Sailors' Church, as will be gathered from the missionaries' reports, continues to be well attended; and, what is of more importance to report is, that instances of saving conversion are continually occurring, which it will be our pleasure from time to time more minutely to describe to our friends.

We shall at all times be glad to receive communications from our subscribers and readers, and especially just now in the form of suggestion as to the best mode of increasing the funds of our Society-a Society which, if its objects be properly regarded, will be found second to none in all the enterprizes of Christian benevolence which characterize and adorn our age. The following is the Summary of the Society's operations during the past month.

CIRCULATION OF BIBLES, TESTAMENTS, PARTS OF SCRIPTURE, TRACTS, AND

*All have not sent their reports. We would request attention to this important part of our work, as it is desirable that our supporters should be informed, every month, of the amount of our labours in every department; and we would, therefore, request the Committee of each of the Auxiliaries of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society to forward, if possible, on the first of every month, a report of their work, with a statement of services, distribution of the Scriptures and tracts, &c. &c.—ED.

C