By the P. & O. str, Malacca, which arrived at Woosung on Saturday from Hongkong and Foochow, but was only able to cross the bar on Sunday, we lenin that the German atr, Sedan, Captain Winter, was totally lost off Reef Island, about 13 miles southwest -of Turnabout, on the morning of the 2nd instant, Captain Boswell, Into of the str. Of 'a passenger by the Sedan—(and by n oni coincidence a passenger by the ste. Don, Jost in February 1871 within 25 miles of the same place)—vwho with two more of the Sedan's passengers came from Foochow in the Malacca, favours us with particulars of the occurrence. The Sedan left Hongkong at daylight on the lst of Dec., and pro-coded safely on her voyage till the morning of the 2nd, a strong northerly monsoon blowing the while, with a moderately rough sen on. After passing the Lamyits, Captain Winterkept, as hebelleved, welloatside, but about 9 a.1n., the morning being clear, while at full speed, some 3 to 34 miles off Reef Inland, the steamer was felt suddenly to run lightly on rock or reef, the edge of which, whicn she was shelved on it to midships, came through her bottom. The engine room began to fill rapidly, and the fires were drowned out, and as the after part of the ship was also filling, the boats were at once got out, while soundings were taken to ascertain how she was placed. Tt was thus discovered that her position was extremely critical, the water being very deep under her' stern; and after the shock, which was slight, the vessel began to hezl over to the port side. The boats on that side were first got out, and brought round to the starboard side, where the crew and most of the passengers embarked. The available boats numbered four in all, two being iron lifeboats, which were taken charge of respectively by the captain, with the 2nd mate, and by the third mate, In a third boat, commanded by the chief officer, were Capt. Boswell, two German passengers, three engineers, the carpenter, 4 Malays, and some Chinese firemen and passengers, reaching a total of 28, The other boats also had a number of native passengers. There was no time to save effects. After assisting to take soundings, Capt. Boswell went below to try and save his papers, but the water was coming in rapidly by the ports, and the ship in such a position that he deemed it prac leave the cabin without effecting his object. The captain and chief mate's boats were the last at the ship, the other lifeboat, though not fully. louded, "having beer drifted away by the sea, before the third mate, who ultimately took charge of it, got in, While it was trying to got back to the steamer, the latter heeled further over and d-appeared, till her masts and funnel were under water. The fourth boat was occupied by some ofthecrow. The Chinese passengers still on board had made a rush for the captain's small gig hanging astern, but before they could reach fécould scarcely have lived had they lowered it—the whole vessel became engulphed, only a small portion of the starboard handrail remaining visible. Had the boats been able to stay by the vessel little longer, it is probable that no lives would have been their ca-pacify was equal to the necessities of the case, there being 115 people on board, of whom two of the boats could have taken-over thirty each. As it is, the number who got away in the boats is estimated at over 80, leaving some 30, all Chinese, to be accounted for. All the boats were well found for an emergency—masts, sails, oars, crater and provision, and firearms being on board. Rather less than an hour had elapsed from the time the steamer struck when the boats set sail, and they soon separated in shelter and a landing place. That in which Captain Boswell was, proved tobe so crowded that she was ship-Kore the wind til she got under Lamyit jing gens ocosionally, and had to run be-island, while the Captain and the others made'a course towards the mainland, Avoiding the fishing villages, where it was feared a rude reception might be given, the chief mate cruised slong til a Shing boat containing only two men was met with, vho, on being applied to, piloted the way to a station on the island, where a mandarin with an armed junk had been placed in order to protect anid succour shipwrecked people. ere the party arrived most hospitably treated by the mandarin in charge, who put them up for the night, and next day sent them on in his junk to a place called Chungkow, on the mainland. From here the walked to Pootung-hsien arriving there on the 4th. The district magistrate kept them for the night, and on the Sth sent them on their way to Foochow by chair and samy During the journey, which on account of the cold it was found preferable to make chiefly on foot, the utmost civility and kindest treatment was shown everywhere, and any reward was refused. The mandarin under whose protection they first came, sent a couple of his soldiers all the way to Foochow, in order to be assured of their safe arrival, and when at the Anchorage one or two people expressed a desire to land, they were detained in order that the officials might deliver them straight into the safe coping of the Consul at Foochow. The party reached there all well on the afternoon of the 7th, and found that Captain Winter with his party of 20 had arrived about 30 hours previously, Captain Winter taking the first opportunity t2 proceed to Hongkong. The two other boats have not yet been heard of, but it is conjectured that they also have succeeded in effecting a landing somewhere. Captain Boswell considers the conduct of the Chinese authorities worthy he greatest praise, which it would certainly appear to be; and we hope their conduct will receive some substantial recognition, The mandarin in charge of the station on Lamyit stated that he had given assistance to portions of two shipwrecked crews previous to this occasion, The Sedan was a fine new steamer of 708 tons register, and though she had only been on the coast about 15 months, had become a favorite. At the time of her loss she had on board a very valuable canto, including, 346 chests of opium and 860,000 treasure, Ib is feared that the hull of the steamer may have broken in two, in which ease the after part would fall into deep water, and strength is lent to this by the fact that when the Kwantung passed near the spot soon after no trace of the wreck was The Sedan was drawing 16 feet, and it thought there must have been from 12 to 14 feet on the rock she struck,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.