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siderable risk. The boats of the society are often called out in heavy gales, especially at night, in reply to signals of distress from vessels not ultimately requiring their help, the vessels succeeding in getting out of danger.

It was reported that the institution had, during the past three month, voted £444 for rescuing by its lifeboats and other means, 203 persons from different shipwrecks on our coasts. During the past year it had expended £12,583 on its lifeboat establishments and lifeboat crews.

The committee of the institution therefore earnestly appeal to the public for continued support to assist them to carry on its great and important work.

The silver medal of the institution was voted to Mr. D. Williams, collector of her Majesty's customs at Aberdovey, for his gallant services in putting off in a heavy sea, in the lifeboat stationed at that place, on the 8th of February, to rescue the crew of the brig Friends, of Newport, stranded on Aberdovey bar. Mr. Williams had previously exerted himself in saving life from wrecks. A reward of £8 was also voted to the crew of the lifeboat.

£4 16s. was also voted to pay the expenses of the lifeboat at Drogheda, in saving in a heavy surf, the crew of five men from the schooner Mary Anne, of Newquay, stranded on Drogheda Bar on the 14th of February.

£15 was also voted to pay the expenses of the Walmer lifeboat, in putting off, on the night of the 6th of February, in reply to signals of distress from a vessel on the Goodwin Sands.

The silver medal and a copy of the vote on parchment, were presented to Mr. Henry Maddick, master of the smack Ruby, of Hull, and to his apprentice lad, William Thompson, for their rescuing with their boat, at great risk of life, the crew of six men from the brigantine Ganymede, of Ipswich, which, during a fearful gale of wind, had sunk some distance off the coast, on the 28th of January last. When the captain of the vessel found her sinking, he signalled to the smack to take him and his crew off, their own boat being useless. Captain Maddick, immediately on observing the signal of distress, launched his boat, but neither of his seamen would go off to the sinking vessel; he therefore determined to go alone, when the apprentice boy requested to be allowed to accompany him. The two brave fellows then succeeded, after great difficulty, in rescuing the six shipwrecked men, and in getting them safely on board the smack.

A reward of £6 was also voted to the Irish fishermen, for putting off, during a hurricane, in a curragh (a small wicker boat) and rescuing two men belonging to the ship J. S. Parsons, of New York, wrecked off Innishenen, on the coast of Donegal. The ship struck with fearful violence, and in a few minutes was in a thousand pieces. The sea at the time was running mountains high, and it was considered impossible for any boat to live in it. It was heart-rending to witness the crew, twenty-eight in number, clinging to the rigging, with huge waves breaking over them every moment. Shortly after

the vessel broke up, two men were seen holding on to the roof of the deck cabin, which had floated away from the ship. Seeing the dangerous position of the poor fellows, the three curragh men put off in their frail boat, and succeeded in saving one of them, the other in the meanwhile perishing. Twenty other persons were saved by men wading into the surf, and a reward of £5 was granted to these men. The institution presented its thanks, inscribed on vellum, to R. Edwards, Esq., inspecting chief-officer of the Portland coastguard division, for his valuable services on the occasion, and ten shillings each to his boat's crew.

The silver medal of the institution and £6 were presented to Mr. Thomas Evans, sen., Thomas Evans, jun., and William Evans, and also £6 to three others, for their gallant and persevering services on the night of the 20th of January, in assisting to rescue the crew and passengers of the American ship John H. Elliott, of New York, which during a terrific squall, accompanied by thunder and lightning, was stranded in Liverpool bay. With the help of the sailors' boats, about fifty-three men were safely brought to Liverpool, on board the steamtug United States, to the crew of which vessel the society voted £5 10s.

A reward of £6 was granted to six fishermen for pulling off and rescuing three out of seven coastguardmen, who had been capsized from their boat while proceeding to board a vessel during squally weather, off Greencastle, on the coast of Donegal. Four men unfortunately perished on the occasion, notwithstanding the gallant and prompt endeavours that were made to save their lives.

A reward of £2 was also voted to two fishermen for saving six persons, whose boat had capsized in a heavy sea, off Faha, on the coast of Limerick.

It was reported that the Mayor of Liverpool and the Lord-Lieutenant of Cardigan had, during the past month, convened public meetings for the purpose of presenting some silver medals of the institution, which had been voted by the society to different persons for their gallant exertions in saving life from shipwreck.

The institution had, during the past month, sent a new lifeboat to Porthleven, on the Cornish coast. The boat was the gift of Mr. Robartes, M.P., who had also previously given the cost of a lifeboat to the institution.

The committee decided to send a new lifeboat and transporting carriage to Fishguard, on the Welsh coast, in lieu of the present one, there. They also decided to call the boat the Sir Edward Perrott, after the hon. baronet of that name, in acknowledgment of his long and valuable services to the lifeboat cause, as chairman of the preparatory committees of the institution.

A letter was read from the Hamburg Lifeboat Society, requesting the co-operation of the National Lifeboat Institution, in placing a lifeboat at Heligoland.

It was reported that Mr. Magenis had presented to the institution £262 10s. to assist it to place a new lifeboat on the coast.

A legacy of £204 16s. had been received by the institution from the executors of the late Miss Gedge of Great Yarmouth.

It was stated that Messrs. Hoare, the bankers, had given the society a donation of 50 guineas, and that the principal London bankers had also recently contributed to its funds.

Admiral Sir George Sartorius handed to the institution £71 8s., which he had collected for it, fifty guineas of which amount was from Mr. Henry Green, of Blackwall.

Payments amounting to £560 having been made on various lifeboat establishments, the proceedings closed.

At the conclusion of the report, prosperity to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of Great Britain, and long life to its supporters, was the prevailing sentiment of the Club.

The Chairman would now revert to the sad event to which he had alluded, the total loss of H.M.S. Orpheus, on Manukau bar, New Zealand; an event which had brought the cup of bitter affliction to many a warm heart. Parents, wives, sisters and brothers all had their share to deplore in the loss, which is stated to amount to 190 souls. It was one of those extraordinary events where one main object seemed to engross the whole attention, and where sound discretion seemed entirely to have lost her seat. The narrative of Lieutenant Charles Hill, the principal surviving officer, took us all by surprise, and was the first official account of the catastrophe, that we shall preserve. It comes with the following letter from Captain Jenkins, commanding the Miranda.

The following details relative to the loss of the Orpheus, have been received at the Admiralty by the overland mail just arrived :

:

H.M.S. Miranda, Auckland, February 10th, 1863. My Lord,—In addition to my first letter from the scene of the wreck of her Majesty's ship Orpheus, dated the 8th inst., sent to their lordships, to save the southern mail, by the Wonga Wonga, I have to enclose for their further information the detailed narrative of Lieutenant C. Hill, the second lieutenant, and the senior surviving officer. It is a clear and truthful account of the whole proceedings of this melancholy calamity, so far as he and the other officers that are saved are acquainted with them.

According to my judgment on the spot nothing can exceed the exertions of Lieutenant Hill, the other officers, and all the survivors of the crew, who, at the imminent peril of their own lives, continued to the last to make the utmost endeavours to save the lives of their shipmates. I am informed that the Wonga Wonga was at the time of the Orpheus striking steaming out of the South channel of the Manukau. She first steamed outside the bar to the entrance of the main channel, but afterwards returned by the South channel, picking up the boats off Paratutai Point, and towing them to the wreck by the main channel.

Their lordships will observe from the narrative of Lieutenant Hill, that from the time the steamer was first observed, at two o'clock, until NO. 5.-VOL. XXX11.

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she reached the wreck at six, the most critical and invaluable time was unaccountably lost; but Captain Renner, and all on board the Wonga Wonga, were most kind and hospitable in the treatment of the sufferers when they reached his ship from the wreck. Mr. Wing, pilot, and in charge of the signal station at the Manukau, informed me that the wreck of the Orpheus is precisely on the bearings laid down in Captain Drury's chart and sailing directions, since the publication of which the middle banks, and small shoal on which the ship first touched, have shifted bodily and considerably to the North. With their lordships, I deeply deplore the loss to her Majesty's service of an officer so dis tinguished as Commodore Burnett; it appears he met his much-to-beregretted death when sitting in the mizen-futtock rigging; the mast fell over to port, the top striking him on the head when in the water; it is said he never made the least exertion to save himself.

I have directed Commander Sullivan to proceed in H.M.S. Harrier to the Manukau Heads, and to detach an officer and party as far as he may consider necessary along the shore, North and South, for the purpose of burying, with such honours as circumstances will admit, the bodies of any officers and men, late of H.M.S. Orpheus, which may be found, and also to recover such remains of the wreck, public and private, as he may deem fit. So soon as he may consider it no longer necessary to continue on this service, I have directed him to conduct the duties of senior naval officer in New Zealand.

With the view to save the mail which will leave Sydney on the 20th inst., it is my intention to proceed at once under steam to that port with the six officers and ten of the crew of the Orpheus, who have been selected as the most able to give evidence relative to the loss of that ship. These I purpose sending to England by the mail steamer. The remaining fifty-one men and boys I have detained for disposal on the station; the majority have already volunteered for the Miranda and Harrier. I have sent twenty-five to the Harrier, for about which number she has vacancies to complete her complement. I have, &c.,

ROBERT JENKINS, Captain and Senior Officer.

To the Rt. Hon. Lord Clarence E. Paget, C.B.,
Secretary to the Admiralty.

H.M.S. Miranda, Auckland, New Zealand,
February 8th, 1863.

Sir,-In obedience to your directions I have the honour to report, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that her Majesty's ship Orpheus sailed from Sydney on 31st January. After a fine passage to the coast of New Zealand, we sighted the land on the morning of 7th inst.,-it was my forenoon watch, at about eight miles from the bar of the Manukau. Steam was got up in two boilers; we had been condensing. The ship proceeded at 12h. 30m., under all plain sail, with starboard foretopmast studdingsail set, towards

the Manukau; steering East till one o'clock, then N.E.E.,* being the courses laid down-so the master told me-in Captain Drury's sailing directions, keeping the Ninepin on with the end of Paratutai. The hands were on deck, the ropes manned for shortening sail, the Commodore, Commander, and Master on the bridge; the leadsmen in both chains; spare tiller shipped, with relieving tackles hooked, and six men stationed; gratings and hatchway covers were placed ready for battening down.

The wind S.W. to S.S.W., force 5 to 6, with occasional slight squalls; high water at 12h. 20m. As we approached the bar there was nothing more to see, in the shape of rollers or sea on, than I had been led to expect. The signal from the pilot station had been flying since 11h. 30m. a.m., "take the bar;" the Commodore and Master were very attentive with the chart on the bridge, and very particular in the steerage of the ship, and in his orders to the engine-room to keep the steam at command. The signal officer and signal man on the look out. At about 1h. 30m. she touched slightly in the after part, when the Commodore gave the order, "Give her all the steam you can." At about 1h. 40m. the ship struck forward; order given, "Astern full speed;" but the engines or screw never moved. At the same time the Commodore ordered, "Hands shorten sail." The ship broached to, with her head to the northward, lurching heavily to port; the rollers setting in from the westward, which immediately made a clean sweep of the upper deck, taking away port quarter boats, second cutter and jolly boat), netting and bulwark. Sail was shortened as far as possible; the men not being able to keep the deck, immediately the ship took the ground, the hatchways were battened down, which, however proved perfectly useless, as the fastenings were thrown up by the bumping of the ship.

The Commodore then ordered the port guns to be thrown overboard (we succeeded in lightening the ship of four guns), and the starboard cutter to be manned and lowered, the paymaster and secretary to place in her his private signals, the public records, and the ship's books; but from the heavy lurching of the ship the men were unable to pass all the books they wanted; some were lost overboard. Mr. Fielding had orders to land what he had got and return. After great difficulty the cutter got clear of the ship. She was reported to be swamped two or three times. When seen on one occasion five hands were observed to be missing. It was about this time a steamer was seen coming out of the Heads. The Commodore next ordered the pipe, "Hands, out boats," yards and stays having previously been triced up. The pin. nace was the first boat out. As I was returning from the maintop Commander Burton ordered me into the pinnace to go to the assistance of the cutter; the Commodore then came to the starboard gangway, and on my telling him that I had seen the cutter all right when on the mainyard, he ordered me to take Mr. Amphlett, paymaster, who was well acquainted with the place, on shore, for the purpose of getting assistance. Mr. Amphlett was then and there told to jump into the boat; this was at 2h. 30m. We shoved off, and with great difficulty, *As in our copy.

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