THE LOSS OF THE MARY WHITE.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 574, 15 October 1851, Page 2

THE LOSS OF THE MARY WHITE.

To the Editor of the London Shipping and Mercantile Gazette. Sir, — It is my painful duly to inform you of the loss of the Mary White, baique, by fiie, on the ]7th iMay, in lat. 01-' L N , long. 29-30. W. The above vessel was from Sydney, New South Wales, and b,>'ind 10 London, with a caigo of wool, oil, fallow, &c. The following is an extract from the log ;-— Midnight, May, 14, nautical time. The chief officer came to mo and reported the ship on fire, from the appearance of smoke filling' ihe forecastle. I immediately went to examine, and lound, as reported, the forecastle full of smoke or steam, but .every place we could get at peifectly cool, io that no " idea could be formed of where the fire could be situated; indeed I doubted thorp being fire at all, but supposed the appearance observed to be steam or vapoui arising f )O in the damp bones and hides that uere in ihe lowci hold. However, as theie was considerable

alarm among the ciew and passengeis, I ordeied the people on deck, and seemed the scutile or hatchway down, nnd mimediiirly got ihe boats le.idy foi the worst. May 15: 'Ihe a-ipoaiance of fiie about 'lie same, until about midnight, when thcie appealed a diUeiencc in the ieel ol the smoke, which incieased very last, sending loitli a sliong smell of burning wool ; the greater pait of tlra time fresh breeeze, and ran fiom S. to S.S.K. May 16\ noon : All this day moderate breeze, and for the mONtpait rain ; the smoke and smell of fire gradually incieased : Tcrreira bearing N. 3S, E. 240 miles, May 17; p.m., modeiale breeze, and cloudy, the appearance of fne about the same, the smoke filling foie peak and foiecastle, and continuing to inciease till 9pm., when it hurst out through every place it could find vent about the foremast and lorescuttle, and \se then found the fne was about the foremast, as it burnt the co^it through, and discovered the mast on fire. I immediately got the longooat out, and provisions and water into her, and towed her alongside, all l eady to get into her at the shoitest notice, theie being an appearance of a stiong bireze, shoitened tail to the topsails and jib, but shoitly afier the clouds passing over with little rain, made sail again gradually, till as ihe diy broke had all plain sail set. The fne increased lapidlj, in spite of every opposition, bursting out alongside the lot emast, where a quantity of sperm oil was stowed. About 5 3 > a.m. a sail hove in sight astern, bhoitly after wore ship ami ran towards her; she proved to lie the Russian brig Preciosa, from Rio for Abo in Finland. As we closed, I sent the chief officer with the small boat, to ask the master if he would take the passengeis on boaid, and keep us company for a while, to see if we could get the vessel into port, the Western Islands being ihe nearest. Shortly alter the boat was gone the fne burst out so lapidly about the ioremosr that I deemed it prudent to send the passengers away; ihu master kindly received them, giving up his own cabin to a lady passenger and her husband, and sent his boat in company with ours to assist us in saving what lew ar ie'es ot provision'; and clothes could be got at conveniently, as he was lull ot caigo, i nd nad no loom for leceiving any lung else, had we been able to save it. Belbu we could get these things into the bo its I oideied Y e lorem.ist to be cut away, as 1 icnred the liie getting a'ofl and stopping us fiom doing so. The lanjards being cut the mast went ovei immediately taking he main .-nd inizen topmasts with it. We then saved iew articles, but the fne making such rapid pi ogress, we were obliged to leave the vebß 1, being at thetune one body of fire from the foiebatch foiward, and with about seven feet water m the hold. Foi some hours previous* to leaving, the pumps wete kept going throwing up quatiti'ies of liquid tallow. Wewcie conveyed to Fay al in the brig, and part of the ciew and passengeis landed under quarantine, on account of the bug coming from Rio; the lemainder have come to England in ihe biig, the master ol which would have biouolu the whole, but the ship being so full could not do so. The ciew and passengeib, feeling grateful to Mr. 'Weikmaun, master ot the Pieciosa, for his humane conduct, and hbeiality in supplying them with nece&saiies, besides saving their lives, hive testified the same m n memorial, and hope the benevolent public will jeward him, as ii is out ot our powir to do .so. I am, Sir, yours &c, J. 11. Walk nit, Lite Master of the Maiy White.