EAST INDIA SHIPPING. In our shipping list of last week,
we stated that the Reliance on her voyage from China bad encountered a dreadful hurricane, in lat. IS south, long. 85 east. It wid. be remembered that, last year the Company's ship, Bridgewater, was dismasted nearly in the same lat. and long. The extraordinary circumstance of hurricanes occurring in two successive years in the heart of the South East trade, has attractsio the notice of nautical men, and we have been requested to give insertion to the fal- lowing extracts from the Log of the Reliance, as a warning to navigators in runitidzIg from the north eastward, through the southern tropic.
The Reliance left Java Head on the 30th Dec. last, and got into the South-East trade in lat. 10 deg. 30 min. south, and 101 deg. 30 min. east, which blew steadily until the 10th Jan. so as to enable the ship to run 790 miles in four days. The wind then became lighter and veered to east and north-eastward. with fine weather; barometer 29 deg. 90 min, ; at noon, lat 17 deg. 14 min. south, long. 86 deg. 49 mis- cast. Jan. 11th, Tuesday at noon, wind north-east and all possible sail set. The weather had a fair appearance with some gathering clouds, but none to indicate other change than what we naturally expected—the trade wind's return to its proper quarter of south-east, which a gradual decline of the barometer induced us to look for. At sunset, took in the first reefs of the topsails : during the first watch. the breeze increasing, with passing clouds and quicksilver falling, all the smaller snits, top-gallant sails, and lower studding sails were taken in : towards midnight, wea- ther more unsettled with sudden increase of wind : the barometer falling to 29 deg„ all hands were turned no to prepare for a gale. Royal yards, fore and missm top-gallant "yards, gaff and mizen top-gallant masts were got down, flying jibboom being already in. The mainsail and mizen topsail were bunted, and attempts made to furl the fore and main topsails, but they were soon blown away; at two A. sr. scudding under the foresail until three, when the gale being too violent, it blew to atoms in the act of hauling it up. The storm now raged wills lazy- Barometer down to 28° 70". Hove too on the larboard tack ; set the small pumps to work, and rigged the chain ones. The sea had now risen to mountains, without re- gularity of motion. It blew a hurricane, and the many severe gales hitherto wit- nessed gave no idea how terrific this was ; all the top-gallant masts were blown away, and the larboard quarter boat up to the mizen-top ; the other to leeward Soon vanished. The roaring of the wind was appalling, laying the ship on her bears ends, and the lower yard-arms in the heavy sea, which overwhelmed and flowed over her, tearing away all her lee barricading, and nearly lifting the sheet anther on board. Heavy volumes of water falling over us, inundated both decks (although every hatchway was well battened down), and the weight and pressure of it evident opened the seams of the side, and water-ways, so that it found its way below. The
well was narrowly watched, but no water of consequence accumulated in it, until the ship was completely water-logged ; when it became necessary to work the chain- pumps. and for sonic hours the whole crew merely prevented its gaining upon us ; then was their apprehension that a leek had sprung or butt-head started, it being too evident, by the deep colour of the water delivered, that damage had been done to the cargo ; and as she lay long gunwale in the sea rolling over to leeward, left a weight too great to admit of her rising on it. But at times, when temporarily ex- tricated from this overwhelming load, she rode comparatively easy, and without much straining ; and it may be believed that the great strength of the ship, with :ter other good qualities as a sea-boat, added to the buoyancy of a tea cargo, saved
flee:Sion-1 imminent peril. It is surprising that either the top or lower masts stood;
and; however distressing this lose would afterwards have proved, we could not but wish occasionally that the former might give way, as for some time it seemed the only means of the ship righting, when every gust blew harder, if possible, than the preceding one, and it appeared almost necessary to part with the masts to save the hull, which would have been inevitable if our fears of a dangerous leak had been verified. Willing and active as all the officers and crew were, human efforts were vain, except in working the large pumps, and this fatiguing labour required every Vrength. After the day dawned, the wind changed its direction to the S. W. blowing with the same fury. The pumps merely kept the water in the well from increasing ; for although, when it could be forced out, they delivered an immense quantity, great part returned back from the ship lying bodily on her side. Between 9 and 10 A.M. the severity of the hurricane abated, and the barometer indicated a favourable though small appearance of change : the ship became somewhat inure upright, and was pumped out dry. which gave us the pleasing assurance that she was free from leak, and that the water that had been in her came from the excessive straining during the storm. The wind gradually drew round from noon to the N.W. with drizzling rain, and blew up again into a common gale: towards nightfall the barometer rose, the wind lessened, and the sea became more tranquil towards morning, and at daylight the quicksilver was up to 29 deg. 60 min., having been so low during the hurricane as 28 deg. 50 min. The extreme violence of the storm continued about twelve hours.
'PhejEast India Company have this week despatched their second division of direct China ships, consisting of the Scaleby Castle, Winchilsea, Lowther Castle, and Bombay; also the Minerva for Madras and Bengal.
The Company's ships, Earl Balearres and George the Fourth, have arrived from China ; the former sailed on the 6th, and the latter on the 13th Jan. The Lord Lowther and Astell had arrived at St. Helena previous to their departure from thence. The Castle lluntiy sailed from China on the 26th Dec., and was spoken with on the Dith Jan., clear of the Straits of Sunda. The Canning, for the Cape and London, sailed on the 11th Jan. The Sir David Scott was to leave on the 20th Jan., and the Marquis Camden, the last ship of the season, about the 31st. The West India packet from Liverpoul to the Cape was lost, 5th March, off Bona- vista ; crew saved.
Arrived. At Gravesend. April 30th, Meredith, Fullerton, from Singapore ; May 2nd, Orynthea, Rixon, front Singapore; 3rd, Roxburgh Castle, Buttenshaw, from Bengal ; Margaret, Biddle, arid Mary Jane, Winter, from Mauritius; 5th, Lady BYNaughton, Pope, from Bengal and Madras ; and John Biggar, M'Bcatlm, from Biennia. In the Downs, May 4th, Agnes, Mellors, from Singapore ; 5th, Portland, Miller, from Bengal ; Trne, Browne, from Mauritius; and Clorinda, Carew, from the Cape; 6th, Honourable Company's Ships Earl Balcarres, Broughton ; and George the Fourth. Barrow, front China ; Atlas, Hunt, from Mauritius; Lady Raffles, Tucker, from Bombay ; Alfred, Flint, from Madras ; Cornet all, Bell, from Bengal ; and Manlius, Johnston, rom Singapore. Off Brighton, May Gth, Elphipstone, Oldham, from Bengal and iladras. Off Falmouth, May 1st, Egyptian, Sanderson, from Mau- ritius; 4th, Mulgrave, Turner, from do. At Liverpool, May 4th, John Woodall, Thompson, from Bengal, and Sicilian, Langley, from the Cape. In the Clyde, May 2nd, Lotus, Wilson, from Bengal. At St. Helena, Mar. 2nd, Patience, Matthews, from the Cape ; 4th, Flinn, Phillipson, from Mauritius' 5th. Jupiter, Welby, from ditto ; 8111, Recovery, Chapman; and St. George, Wills, from Bengal ; Mermaid, Heniker, from bleuritlus; and Abel Gower, Williams, from London; 10th, Caroline, Fewson, from Bombay ; 13th, Malcolm, Eyles ; and J. Heyes, Worthington, from Bengal; 16th, Honourable Co.'s ship, Lord Lowther, Fuller, from China; 19th, Honourable Co.'s ship, Astel I. Lawrence, from ditto ; Lady East, Denny. from Bengal; Royal Georget Embletor, from Van Diemen's Land; and Glenalvon, Rick:thy, from the Cape. A, the Cape, Claudine, Heathorn, from London ; Calypso, Sinclair, from Newcastle; Amelia, Wilson, from Mauritius ; and Royal Sovereign, Thompson, from London. At Mauritius, Jan. let, Samuel Brown, Reid, from London ; 3rd, Horatio, Sparks, from ditto ; Sth, Sir John Rae Reid, Haig, from ditto ; 91.11 Beatrice, Smith, from Liverpool ; and Matilda, Corny'', front London ; 15th, Frances, Chalmers, from ditto. Oft' Ceylon, Dec. 22inl, Sir E. Paget, Bouchier, from London for Bombay. At Madras, Jan. 10th, Wellington, Evans, from London. At Bengal, Dec. 27th, Princess Charlotte, Ift'Kean, from Liverpool ; and subsequently, the Arabian, Boult, from Bristol ; and Zenobia, Owen, from London. At Singapore, Dec. 7th, Are- thusa, Johnson, from London and Batavia ; 9th, Beticoolen, front Liverpool. At Van Diemetee Land, Oct. 30th, Resource, Smith, from London ; Nov. 15th, Venus, from Liverpool ; 18th, George, Rattenbury, from I.ondon.
Sailed from Gravesend, May 1st, Honourable Company's Ship, Scaleby Castle, 'Inman, for China ; 2nd, Honourable Company's Ship, Bombay, Kelloway, for China ; 4th, Honourable Company's Ships, Winchelsea, Burt, and Lowther Castle, for China ; 5th, St. Helena, Taylor, fur the Cape ; 6th, Madras, Beach, for Madras. From Liverpool, Slay 1st, Lipsey, Bighat, for Bombay ; and, Lady Gordon, Harmer, for the Cape.
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