At adjourned meeting of Naval Court, present, 3G, Murray, H, BIN. Acting Vice Consul, President, J. Dowdie, Master of ship "Tai: ping" S. L. Shaw, Marine Surveyor at Pagoda Anchorage, Members of Court.
Captain Brows, re-examined—You say the Mate has been with you for 4 years: have you at any time found him asleep on deck when he should have been looking out No; have never done so.
Are you quite sure it was Crab Island your vessel was wrecked upon T ain quite certain it was Crab Island. 'Square' Rocks were bearing S.W. when the fog cleared. and thers being every indication of a foggy You say that you were feeling very unwell,
night, why did you not anchor instead of trusting your vessel, toa man that you must have Known long ago was incompetent to be left in charge of the vessel even for one hour?
'The course I gave him I considered' would take him clear of the rocks, I ordered him to call me in the event of any change in the weather, Were you in the habit of leaving more particular instructions with your Mate than
used only to ority to mes Have you a find the Pilot? really necessar Thave done 80'; I do not know this Chinese name, I shall procure it in' writing and send it to the President of the Court.
Under the circumstances, I did could save anything, we had no provi no'protection against the fishermen, avery hea sea was breaking over the ship. I did not thin it necessary to have a certificated Mate, a man knowing the coast, its tides, rocks &e., is the man I want. He'was recdimmended to me as knowing the coast well. I found him in the ship when I first took charge five years ago:
The Pilot knows the compass.
Tuomas Guunenr, Engineer Sworn—Have you soon the Pilot take charge of the deck Lhave seen him take charge when we were at meals, and in the Summer time from six toreven or 7.30. At that time all hands were on deck.
I would not have obeyed any order with reference to the Engines given by the Pilot, without orders from the Captain of Mate.
The President of the Court remarked that the manner in which the Engineer gave his evidence was very creditable, and that he then read. [Pub- April at 10 4.31., in order to give time tomake enquiries for the Chinese Pilot.
April 5th, 1870.—The president stated that every effort'had been made by himself, and the Master of the Prince Kung to discover the Pilot who was on board the Prince Kung on the night of the disaster, but without success.
The Court then decided—
That the loss of the Prince Kung is to be attributed chiefly to incompetency and disobedience of orders on the part of Charles Brown, ware of the said steamer. The Court desire in the most emphatic'manner to censure his conduct in not calling the master, as directed, when the fog became s0.denbe, and to place upon record their opinion that his unfitness to hold any post of responsibility or trust on board a vessel has been proved, by his having continued to run the Prince Kung at full speed through a dense fog, without taking the slightest precaution for her safety.
Willitm Brown, the Master, is much to Diaine;-and the Court hereby pass severe cen: sure upon him for having retained such a per= fon in the position of only thata knowing. that hho had no certificate of conpeteney, and knew" nothing of the simplest rules of navigation; It is to be ted that the evidence of the Chinese coast pilot, who was on deck with the mate at the tiuie'of the disaster. and who has Since atisednded, cannot be obtained—in the absence of his evidence the Court cannot come to any satisfactory conclusion as to whether the course was chinged by the mate, pilot, or steersman after the Captain went below; but taking into account the state of the tide they have cone to the' conclusion that, the course must have bets: changed between 7 p.m. and 8.30 pim. on the night of the 20th, or the vessel could not have gone ashore on Crab' Island.
'The Court are of opinion that the conduct' of Captain Brown and of Thomas Gilbert,' the Engineer, after the casualty took place is deserving of the highest commendation, and that to their coolness, courage and skill' the Chinese passengers and crew owe the safety.of their lives:
The Court consider' that Capt, Brown was justified in abandoning the wreck, placed as was on barren rock, without provisions, and without neons of defence against the piratical Hatives of the coust, who had surrounded the vessel, and! more especially as the high wind and heavy sea rendered any attempt to board the vessel to save cargo of anything belonging to the ship impossible, In consideration of the fact that Capt. Brown was very ill at the time of the disaster, and that he "had given orders to be called, which were not obeyed, the Court do not hold lim responsible for the loss and retarn him his certificate, Cuantes Browx the mate being a North German subject and holding no_gertificate of competency cannot be punished by this Court, Dut care will be'taken to report the circum. shewed himself brave, and that his general stances of the wreck and the finding of the conduct was highly praiseworthy.
Court to the Consul General for the North-Capt. Brow re-examined.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.