LOSS OF THE RELIANCE.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 84, 19 May 1843, Page 4

LOSS OF THE RELIANCE.

(From the Weekly Chronicle, Nov. 20.) It is our melancholy duty, this week, to record the intelligence of the total destruction of the Reliance East Indiaman, off Boulogne, with the destruction of 114 human beings, who composed her passengers and crew, and a cargo estimated to be worth 200,0QG/. Qf this disastrous event, we give the fullest and latest particulars that we have been able to collect from the French papers and other sources. Of the cause of the loss of the Reliance, which occurred on the morning of Saturday 19th November last, as yet no one has been able to give an account. The spot where she drove ashore, is near a village called Marlemont, a short distance from the French town of Etaples, 32 miles west of Boulogne. The account given by the inhabitants of Marlemont of the disaster is, that she drove ashore between nine and ten o’clock at night, at low water, where she subsequently firmly imbedded in the sand, and, upon the tide rising, the sea made a complete breach over her, carrying with it nearly all the unfortunate creatures on board. The scene of horror and confusion which reigned on board till daylight, is described by the survivors as of the most awful character, though little beyond the manner in which the crew and passengers lost their lives has transpired. The confusion and terror consequent upon the suddenness with which the vessel struck was such, that no orders on the part of the ship’s officers were attended to, and some time elapsed before signals of distress could be fired. These signals continued to be made until daylight, but without any effect, no boats having put off to the vessel. The Boulogne Gazette says —“There were no means of affording the least assistancebut whether this arose from the state of the tide, the nature of the; shore on which she struck, or the absence of life-boats, or other ordinary modes adopted on such occasions, is not given. As soon as the day broke, and the coast was discerned, it was determined to hoist out the boats. This was quickly accomplished, but the long-boat was immediately swamped by the breakers, and the others, from being overloaded, went down within a short distance from the vessel. The captain remained on board to the last moment, and went down while near the carpenter, who reached the shore in safety. • Many bodies had been washed on the beach, some of them showing ■symptoms of life : but although every medical attention was promptly rendered, none of them were restored. The scene on the beach was of the most extraordinary description, from the number of chests of tea which came ashore when the ship broke up. It was ebb-tide when the vessel struck, but before daylight the sea was flowing fast, and at ten o’clock she was a perfect wreck. Out of 27,000 chests on board, only 1,386 have yet been saved, and these are all much damaged by the sea-water. Upon the intelligence reaching Etables of the wreck, the authorities of the town immediately dispatched a company of horse soldiers to render assistance, together with several detachments of infantry to protect the property saved from the vessel. During the whole of Sunday, the beach presented a most animated appearance, by the immense concourse of persons assembled ; hundreds were engaged with the soldiery in searching for the bodies of the unfortunate crew 7. Considerable surprise has been manifested in the mercantile interest, in consequence of the wreck having occurred on the French coast, the situation being completely out of the usual track, and at the same time carelessness has been attributed to those who had the command of the ship. Amongst many a supposition is entertained, that in bearing down the channel ' the Boulogne light was mistaken for the Dungeness light, which is not at all improbable, and the vessel driven completely on to the coast, as has ■occurred to many others. Of the most melancholy part of the affair —the immense loss of life which occurred in this sad wreck —the following letter, addressed to the secretary of the East India company, will fully speak : —“ Merlemont, Nov. 13, 1842— 11^-a.m. —Sir: According to my promise of yesterday, I have now to confirm the sad intelligence contained in my letter to you: even worse, for I now find that out of 120 persons, which formed the crew and passengers, only seven of the former are saved, the carpenter being one of them. In that number are two British subjects, three Manilla men, a Prussian, and a Norwegian. The body of the unfortunate captain has been identified by the carpenter, with that of the fourth mate, named Griffin, and a seaman, named Geo. Nicholson. Their remains I shall have conveyed to Boulogne, where they will have a Christian burial, &c. The body of Captain Tucker, R.N., who was one of the passengers, has not yet been found to my knowledge, nor any of the officers of the ship/ I never witnessed such a wreck during twenty years that I have acted as her Majesty’s consul at Boulogne. The cargo is dispersed all over the coast, and of course is in a very damaged state. The ship is completely broken up. Every thing is being done for the benefit of all concerned with the Reliance and her cargo. I remain, sir, your obedient humble servant, W. Hamilton. —P.S. I am informed Captain Tucker was the only passenger of note.” The agents of Lloyd’s have forwarded the fol-

lowing : —“November 13. By advices just received from the coast, we are informed that the names of the survivors are Robert Dixon, the carpenter; W. O’Neill, of Kingstown, Ireland; Johan Anderson, of Laurvig, Norway; Charles Batts, of Dantzic ; and three Malays. The body of Captain Green has been identified by the carpenter ; also that of the fourth mate, Griffin, and a seaman. Their remains will be conveyed here, where they will receive the rite of Christian burial. Captain Tucker, late commander of her Majesty’s ship Iris, is among the drowned. Every thing is being done for the owners of the vessel. The services received from the horse soldiers is every way efficient.— We are, &c., (signed) A. Adams and Co.” Among the cargo was 1,884,748 lb. of tea, of which there were 1,277,5661 b. of congou, and 406,565 lb. of twankay, with smaller proportions of other descriptions. Most fortunately for the insurance-offices and underwriters in this country, their risks upon this vessel do not include more than from 14,000/, to 15,000/. of the 195,000/. for which, it is said, she is insured, the Indian offices, that is to say, the insuranceoffices of Calcutta and Bombay, being responsible for at least 150,000/. to 180,000/. of the entire amount. The owners of the Reliance are Messrs. Green, Tomlin, and Man, brokers, on Cornhill. The ship, which is about twelve years old, was built at Deptford, and was between 1,400 and 1,500 tons burden. She has been trading to China for a number of years past, and was considered to be a fast sailer. She appears to have had a boisterous voyage from China. On the 4th instant, the Apollo, of Newburvport, from Boston and the United States at Rotterdam, met with her in lat. 48 deg. 50 min., long. 14 deg. 30 min., and supplied her with provisions and water, the Reliance being nearly out of both. Extract of a letter received at Lloyd’s, from their agent at Boulogne, under date of November 15 :—" Sir : We beg to inform you that by advices received this morning from the coast, there are now about 2,050 cases of tea saved, but all more or less damaged. —We are, sir, yours obediently, A. Adams and Co. —W. Dobson, Esq., secretary at Lloyd’s.” Some further and interesting particulars of the loss of this vessel arrived on Thursday by the Commercial Steam Navigation Co.’s ship Emerald, Captain Wingfield, which left Boulogne at ten o’clock on Wednesday night, and arrived at London-bridge wharf at two o’clock on Thursday afternoon, after a boisterous passage, occupying 16 hours. The account given by Dixou, the carpenter, to Mr. Thomas Edmond, the engineer of the Emergld, from whom the reporter received it, is, that the Reliance, as already stated, struck about two o’clock on Saturday morning. He remained on board till four o’clock, the sea breaking right over her during the whole of that time, and washing many of the crew overboard. About 4 o’clock the ship parted from stem tv) stern, one half of the vessel falling over to seaward. That portion of the vessel was immediately thrown back into its former position by the surge, crushing to death several of the crew who had fallen into the chasm, whilst others were clinging to the sides. He describes as being most vividly in his recollection the fate of one poor fellow, who was jammed literally to death, his head remaining above the deck, while his mutilated remains were suspended below. The carpenter states, that at the moment she parted, he threw off his jacket, jumped into the sea, and seized a spar which the current was hurrying towards the shore. Dixon, who has received several severe contusions about the head, from coming in contact with the rocks, describes a most heartrending incident which occurred just before he reached the land. A youth, who had fast hold of a plank which was floating within a few paces of himself, became so much exhausted, that he could hold on no longer. At this moment Dixon felt the sand with his foot, and called to his fellow-sufferer; but the boy was worn out; he had only strength enough to say, “ I can’t— I can’t,” and immediately sunk. The carpenter cannot tell what nnmber of passengers were on board, but describes as one an elderly gentleman, between 60 and 70 years of age, who had been wounded in India. The bodies of Captain Green and the chief mate were brought into Boulogne from Marlemont on Tuesday, and buried in the cemetery of that place on Wednesday. The brother of the former, who left England for Boulogne on the first intimation of the wreck, was present, and superintended the arrangements of the funeral, which was attended by many very respectable persons. Captain Green, when his body was picked up, had on his pilot coat, and was lashed to a plank. The mate, when found, wore a life-preserver, but the air was exhausted. The body of one of crew was picked up on Monday at Boulogne, 18 miles distant, whither the current had carried it, and the sea there is said to be literally covered with tea at flood tide. The carpenter was to have come home in the Emerald on Thursday, but he has, at the desire of the consul, been left behind to identify any other bodies that may come ashore. The Emerald has brought over a large case of letters from India, which drifted ashore shortly after the wreck. They were claimed by Mr. Hamilton, the British consul, on the part of her Majesty, and forwarded by the above

vessel to the postmaster-general. The case was entire, and the letters, on examination, proved to be uninjured, except by sand and water. Many of them were delivered at a late hour last evening. Another case, bearing a label, “ Down’s Muster-book—Quarterly Victualling account,” and directed to the Admiralty, also recovered, arrived at the same time, and was forwarded to its destination by the secretary, Mr. Bleaden.

The Wellesley Papers. —The executor of the late Marquis Wellesley last week sent to the British Museum upwards of three waggon loads of MSS. and books, in compliance with the will of tjie noble marquis.

Lord De Grey was to have the Garter, vacant by the death of the Marquis of Wellesley.

Will op the late Dr. Soloman Herschell, Chief Rabbi op the Jews. —The personal property of the late Dr. Soloman Hirschell, chief rabbi of the Jews, has been ascertained to be about 14,000/. His executors are Sir Moses Montefiore, F.R.S.; Abraham Levy, Louis Cohen, Henry Moses, and Moses Solomon Keyser, Esqs. The interest only, by the will, is bequeathed to the seven extant branches of his family, the male descendants to have double the share of the females. He has left a legacy of 50/. to the great, and of 10/. each to the three other city synagogues. To his manservant he has also legacy of 50/., and to his three Dayanim 10/: each. With respect to his other property, the whole of it, it is said, will be four rolls of the Pentateuch, which he has bequeathed to his male descendants. It is expected that the valuable and extensive library, which contains many rare biblical and rabbinical works, will not be subject to a public sale, but that they will be purchased for the purpose of forming a library for biblical and rabbinical students. The descendants of the late learned rabbi include about 28 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren, in addition to those of his family surviving, who consist of one son, located at Jerusalem, a daughter, who is married and living abroad, and a daughter who was residing with her lamented father at the time of his death. There were very few of his descendants but who were constant participants of his charity and benevolence. —From The Voice of Jacob.

Distressing Outrage and Providential Escape. —An occurrence of a most lamentable character took place in this town last evening. A few days ago, a young man, . .named John Mortlock, who has rendered himself somewhat notorious by the annoyance he has caused to the highly respectable family with which he is cornected, came down from London by the Times coach ; he requested to have a bed at the Eagle, where he had slept for two nights, but Mr. T. Mitchell, the landlord, declined to give him any further accommodation. Last evening, Mr. Mitchell, having some business to transact with the Rev. Edmund Mortlock, 8.D., senior fellow of Christ’s College, and uncle to the above-named individual, went to that gentleman’s rooms between seven and eight o’clock. It is supposed the wretched young man had watched him to his uncle’s rooms in college : at any rate, shortly after eight o’clock, he entered the apartment, exclaiming, “ Here you both are,” and immediately firing a pistol, which happily did not take effect on either of the parties. Mr. Mitchell thereupon seized a poker, ran out of the room to call for help, and, in doing so, observed that young Mortlock had a dagger in his hand. Several gentlemen residing on the same staircase rushed to (the scene of the outrage, but we believe before their arrival the madman (for ri§£i he surely must be) had Jftred a second pistol at his uncle, who was in the act of quitting the room. The escape of the Rev. gentleman was most wonderful, for the ball passed in front of the upper part of his abdomen, tearing through the waistband of his trowsers, his drawers, and his shirt, and just grazing the flesh, but providentially inflicting no serious injury. Mr. Edmund Mortlock, as may be conjectured, rushed from the presence of his miserable relative, and the latter instantly fastened the door of the room, keeping the persons who had by this time reached the scene on the outside. An attempt was made to open the door by some of the parties assembled, upon which he put his mouth to the key-hole and threatened to shoot the first man who should enter. After a little delay an entrance was effected into the room ; when it was found the fellow had escaped by ingeniously fastening together two whips which were in the room, and so slipped down into the college garden. A hue and cry was raised, and strict search was made for the fugitive, but up to the hour of going to press we believe he had not been discovered. — Cambridge Chronicle.

African Chapels. —lt is a fact, which must be gratifying to every individual who rejoices at the downfall of slavery, that out of twenty-six Wesleyan chapels in Sierra Leone, the roof, timbers, the flooring, and other wood-work of twenty, is composed nearly exclusively of slaveships, which have been taken by her Majesty’s men-of-war on the coast, and condemned by the Mixed-Commission Court. — Sierra Leone Watchman.