BIRTH OF A PRINCESS.-The event which has been anticipated regarding our beloved Queen, is announced in the following bulletin, issued at Buckingham Palace, dated the 25th of April, 6 A.M. "The Queen was safely delivered of a Princess at five minutes past four o'clock this morning. Her Majesty and the Infant Princess are going on well. "JAMER CLARK, M.D. NAUTICAL NOTICES. MR. EDITOR. It is said that the Sun sets ten minutes later to a person on the peak of Tenerife than it would to another at the level of the sea beneath it. I have no doubt of its doing so, but you will oblige a subscriber to your useful work, by informing me whether it is a fact or not. I am, &c., ALBION. We cannot do better in replying to our correspondent than by giving him the following extract from the 2nd Edition of Raper's Navigation. "To find the change in the time of apparent rising or setting due to the horizontal refraction and the height of the spectator. With the lat. and decl. take out M. tab. 3; with M. as Dep. and the hour angle at rising or setting as course, take out dist. Multiply this dist. by the sum of 34' and the depression to the height, tab. 6; the product divided by 1500 is the portion of time required in min. and decimals. Ex. 1. Find the difference between the times of sunset at the level of the sea and at the summit of the Peak of Tenerife on May 4th. Height 12172 f.; depr. 117'. Lat. 28° and decl. 16° give M. 117.8. Then lat. 28° N. and decl. 16° N. give Hour angle at setting, 6h. 35m. The suppl. of this, as it exceeds 6h. or 5h. 25m. as course and dep. 117.8 give Dist. 119. Dist. 119 mult. by 34 +117, or 151, is 17969; which divided by 1500 gives 11.9m. THE DIFFERENCE OF THE TIMES required. NORTH CORAL BANK, off Great Andaman.-The Robert Henderson, from Liverpool, reports that, on the 23rd of Dec., 1842, at 7 P.M., saw some dangerous breakers on the south end of the North Coral Bank off Great Andaman, tacked to avoid them in 10 fathoms, the north end of Interview Island bearing S.E., 12 miles distant, light northerly winds prevailing. On the 10th October, 1842, in lat. 32° 30' S., long. 73° E., passed the wreck of a large ship, waterlogged, dismasted and abandoned. [These breakers are in the chart published by the Admiralty, which should have been on board the Robert Henderson.--ED.] EMBDEN, March 7.—The Hydraulic Administration of this port has, the 5th inst., notified the following:-In order that mariners entering the river Ems may, at the outermost buoy, have a certain mark to ascertain whether they are before the mouth of the western or eastern Ems, it has been determined that from the present date there will be laid down at the mouth of the eastern Ems a large black buoy, painted on both ends, in the form of a ship's anchor buoy. The situation of this buoy in every other respect, however, is to remain unaltered, at 8 fathoms water at low water mark. The light tower on Borkum, a little westerly of the Great Cape of Borkum. Trinity-House, London, Mar. 10th, 1843. HORSE CHANNEL.-Notice is hereby given, that this Corporation has caused a standing Beacon to be placed upon the South Hook or Spit of Margate Sand, near to the red and white chequered buoy which has heretofore marked that spit, and which buoy will now be taken away. This beacon is placed upon the dry sand at low water neap tides, with the following marks and compass bearings, viz.-Hillborough Church Tower in line with a Barn next west of George's Farm House W.b.S.S; Birchington West Windmill, its apparent length on the west end of Birchington Wood S.S.E. Easterly; South Margate Buoy, E.b.S. S.; Gore Patch Buoy, N.W.b.W.; Horse Buoy, N.W.b.W. § W. By order, J. HERBERT, Secretary. DEATH OF H.R.H. THE DUKE OF SUSSEX. London Gazette, Friday Evening.—Whitehall, April 21, 1843: This day at a quarter past twelve o'clock, His Royal Highness Augustus Frederick Duke of Sussex, Uncle to Her Most Gracious Majesty, departed this life at Kensington Palace, to the great grief of Her Majesty and all the Royal Family. Yesterday morning, at eight o'clock, the medical gentlemen found their Royal patient, who had passed another very bad night, in a state which precluded all hope of recovery, and they stated it as their belief that it was now only a question of time as to when death would ensue. His Royal Highness who was still sensible, shortly afterwards expressed a wish that his servants should be called up to take their leave of him; they accordingly repaired to the painful scene-for it was now but too evident that the minutes of the Duke's life were numbered. When the servants entered the room, he made an effort to speak, but the effort failed himhe could not articulate-and in a few seconds was no more. The Duchess of Inverness, the Duke of Cambridge, who had been with his suffering brother all the morning, the four equerries, the medical gentlemen, and the servants, were the persons present when death terminated the scene. For several days past not the slightest hopes had been entertained of His Royal Highness's ultimate recovery, and the bulletins of the last day or two had prepared the public to expect a fatal termination of the Royal Duke's disease at no distant period. The Duke was through life the constant advocate of liberal principles, the encourager of learning and science, and the patron of all deserving aspirants in the various walks of art-as well as the benevolent supporter of most of the various charities which adorn and distinguish the British metropolis. His Royal Highness was a kind-hearted and excellent master, and the grief which the members of his household evince shows with what poignancy they feel the loss. His favourite Highland piper, who has been in his service 17 years, is inconsolable. The Duke was born Jan. 27, 1773, and was consequently in his 71st year. His Royal Highness was a Fellow of the Royal Society, and for some time President of that learned body; a Doctor of Civil Law; and, in addition to the chief title, was Earl of Inverness and Baron Arklow, He married at Rome, 4th April, 1793, and at St. George's, Hanover Square, 5th Dec. of the same year, Lady Augusta Murray, daughter of John, fourth Earl of Dunmore, by whom he had issue Augustus Frederick d'Este, a Colonel in the Army, born 13th Jan. 1794, and one daughter, Mdle. d'Este. The marriage being in violation of the Royal Marriage Act (12th Geo. III., cap, II,) was declared null and void, and accordingly disolved in Aug., 1794. In 1796 he was installed a Knight of the Garter; and in Nov., 1801, he was created a Peer of the Realm; in 1830, a Knight of the Thistle; and in 1837, acting Grand Master of the Order of the Bath, and Colonel of the Artillery Company; he was also Grand Master of the Freemasons' Society, having succeeded to that honour on his brother George IV. coming to the throne. The mortal remains of the Duke will be deposited in the Royal mausoleum in St. George's Chapel, Windsor. The body will he in state either at Kensington Palace or the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle, and the funeral will be conducted in all respects similar to that of the late Duke of York. It is said that, in his will, he desired that his remains might be deposited in the cemetry at Kensall Green. WRECKS OF BRITISH SHIPping. (Continued from p. 212.-cs, crew saved; cd. crew drowned.) The Crews of eight of these vessels were forwarded by Agents of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Benevolent Society. CS Antwerp Loss OF THE STEAMERS SOLWAY AND MEGERA. SINCE the formation of our usual table of the havoc made in our Merchant Shipping, the loss of the Solway steamer, one of the vessels of the Royal West India Mail Company has taken place, making the third total loss sustained by them; and no sooner does this sad intelligence reach us by which we learn that about forty lives have been sacrificed, than it is followed by accounts of the loss of H.M.S. Megara on Bare Bush Cay, Portland Bay, in the Island of Jamaica. The Solway's disaster is amply accounted for by the course she was steering, as will appear in the following extracts from the papers, and there is nothing whatever to occasion surprise further than that such a course was steered before she had got a sufficient offing. How much longer is human life to be thus jeapordized and sacrificed by blundering navigators. Have we not had enough instances of incompetency on the part of some of our Commanders, or are we to wait for some more along with the destruction of some hundreds, perhaps, thousands of lives! Had the Solway got a proper offing before she shaped her course, this loss would have been spared. THE Solway sailed from Southampton on Saturday, 1st of April, and reached Coruna all well. On the 7th instant she left Coruna for Madeira, on her voyage to the West Indies, and passed the lighthouse at ten o'clock; at ten minutes past twelve she struck, at full speed, on the Baldayo Shoal, and struck several times going over the shoal, finally going down in 13 fathoms water, between the shoal and main land. Only twenty minutes elapsed after she first struck before she went down. The water soon reached the engine-room, and we are informed the boilers collapsed and blew up. Most of the passengers and crew off duty had turned in. The weather was still, and the night moonlight, otherwise the destruction of life would have been far greater. The pinnace was launched first, and, as many as it could conveniently hold were lowered into it, but the frail barque was not destined to reach the shore. From some cause still unexplained, it was capsized, and every one on board perished; one paddle-box boat was next launched, and being cut adrift to save time, fell broadside in the water, and half filled; notwithstanding which, it was the fortunate means of saving 52 persons. Captain Duncan died in the courageous act of loosing the second paddle-box boat, to land the remaining persons on board. He was last seen on the paddle-box at this humane duty, when the ill-fated vessel went down, and he was lost. * * On going out of the harbour, we passed one of the paddle-box boats apparently full of people; further on we passed one of the quarter boats, with nine men in her. We got to the Solway about half-past twelve o'clock at noon, and to give you an idea of what depth of water she is in, I may state that her mizenmast is just out of the water. She is rolling very much, and is probably to pieces by this time, as it is now blowing a heavy gale north-west. * The ship is about three miles from the main; the agent has a guard abreast of her, in order to pick up the dead, or any property that may come ashore; and when the gale abates I will, if the agent deems it necessary, proceed to the spot in a boat. * "Having seen in your paper various accounts relative to the loss of the Solway, and being, I believe, the only passenger at present in London, I feel it particularly incumbent on me to place before the public certain facts connected with the sad catastrophe which has led to so lamentable a loss of life. The task is an ungracious one, nor would I undertake it, but that an imperative sense of duty induces me to do so. Before entering further on the subject, let me bear testimony to Captain Duncan's kindly bearing to all classes on board his ship, and also to his disregard of personal safety-his only anxiety being to save the lives of others. It is due also to the company to state that nothing was wanting on their part that could conduce to the efficiency of the service or the welfare of the passengers. The elements of comfort were in profusion on board, and the ship was itself a tower of strength and an admirable sea boat. Having stated thus much (and indeed it would have been wrong to have said less) I have now to communicate the fact, which rests upon good authority, that the course the Solway pursued on quitting the harbour of Coruna, and until the moment she struck, was W.N.W.; whereas, to clear the island of Sisaraga, I am assured by persons conversant with the matter, her course should have been N.W.b.W.-the difference in the two courses being from four to five miles. On reference to the chart, it will be seen that the course she took would bring her within 200 yards (as she did not move after striking) of the spot where she now lies. There were two compasses for the guidance of the officers on duty and the steersman. Admitting they were both wrong, the land was distinctly visible from the beam and both bows; we were, in fact, completely embayed. If there had been any indraught in the bay, such as to affect the Solway, how could it be possible that the boat, with only three oars, and a board, instead of another, between two persons, could have withstood it? I escaped by jumping from the spar-deck overboard in the hope of reaching a small boat crowded with seamen and engineers. I was immersed in the water, and my legs severely contused by the side of the boat. I was nearly suffocated by the smoke and ashes which rushed up from the hold. For a considerable time I could not distinctly observe what was passing on board the ship, but I saw her sinking. The whole period which elapsed from the time she struck until she went down did not exceed 25 minutes, and certainly she did not move 100 yards from the reef on which she originally struck. I would here remark, that although I give Captain Duncan every credit for endeavouring to allay the fears and alarm of the passengers, I am bound to state that had a different course been pursued, and the life-boats instantly lowered after the vessel struck, every soul who could be roused from sleep would have been saved. When the Solway struck there were light airs, inclinable to calm, with swell. It being a few minutes after midnight most of those on board (except those looking out on their usual watch) were asleep. Those saved in the few boats lowered down were almost in a state of nudity. The vessel sank in 25 minutes after she struck. The Spanish consul, Edwardo Santos, and the commanders of two French vessels of war (one a steamer, which went alongside the wreck), gave all the assistance in their power. The captain-general, his lady, and daughters, also behaved with the utmost kindness on the melancholy occa sion. With regard to the loss of the Megæra, the following extract from a letter, with the sentence of the Court-martial on Lieut. Oldmison will inform our readers sufficiently respecting it. SIR.-As I have just been employed recovering the stores, &c. of Her Majesty's late steamer Megæra, I think it likely you would be glad to hear the particulars relative to her loss. She left Port Royal (for Mexico) on the evening of the 4th inst., and having discharged the pilot at the entrance of the South Channel, shaped a course for some time to the southward and S.S.W. after which they hauled up west or W.b.N. and at eleven P.M. found themselve amongst breakers and immediately stopped the engines, but too late; she had struck. The cutter was lowered with a Master's-Assistant and four men to examine the spot, but she was almost instantly capsized, and the Master's-Assistant and three of the men succeeded in getting to the dry part of the reef, one of the boat's crew being lost. At daylight they found themselves on the Bare Bush Cay, about 200 fathoms to the southward of the dry part described in the Chart. The sea broke heavily towards morning, and unfortunately the 5th was one of the strongest breezes from south-east that we had had for some months, (as a proof, one of the Warspite's boats and one of the Pickle's were capsized in Port Royal, |
