The British schooner City of Niagara has foundered, about 18 miles distant from Gotto Islands. Mr. White, one of the pilots at Nagasaki, arrived at this port the same day, bringing with him four Japanese sailors and the Chinese assistant supercargo, survivors from the schooner—which left this port on the 19th ultimo bound for Taku, with a cargo consisting of tea, sea-weed, isinglass, and general Chinese merchandise. Accompanied by the four ship-wrecked seamen and the supercargo, Mr. White waited upon H. B. M. Consul, and before this gentleman one of the men, Tomakitehi, made a statement to the following effect.
The City of Niagara sailed from Nagasaki fon the 19th of March; and it soon came on to blow strongly from N, E, The vessel began to make a great deal of water, and on witness being sent down into the chainlocker, he found the water up to his waist. All hands went to the pumps and for 24 hours worked hard at them, during which time several of the sails were carried away, and it became evident that the vessel was settling down. The two boats were then got out, the one manned by Capt. Andrew Mitchel chief and second mates, two Japanese sailors, the cook and five Chinamen, whilst four Japanese sailors and the assistant supercargo got into the other. Almost immediately after bandoniug the vessel those in the small boat saw her sink out of sight. They saw no signs of the larger boat, and do not even know whether she was clear of the sinking vessel before she went down.
They made an old blanket serve as a sail, and then steered for an island called Mishima where they landed on the evening of the same day. Here they remained five days living on shell fish and herbs: a westerly wind springing up they put off again, and. after Mel in driven about for two days, ultimately teache the island of Koshiki, where they remained for 11 days, when they were picked up by Mr. White, the pilot, who it appears was in that quarter.
From what has been learned from the survivors, it is surmised that the scuppers on deck had been blocked up with fire wood belonging to the Chinese passengers, and that the water had accumulated on deck' and went down the scuttle-hatch immediately before the windlass, as two chain pipes six inches in diameter, leading into the chain lockers, were at each end of the windlass, raised some eight inches above the level of the deck—the water is reported to have gone down the chain pipes in considerable quantities. he vessel had a crew of 16 hands all told: Captain Andrew Mitchell, who is a brother of the owner, it seems had just arrived here from home to take command of a new steam-tug, which is expected to be launched here shortly, but went in the schooner until the fitting out of the tug had been completed; the chief mate was Capt. Breemerkamp, lately in command of the Japanese bark the Zai Wun-maru; the 2nd mate was a German whose name we have been unable to ascertain. The vessel and her freight, estimated together at $8,000, we hear were uninsured. The cargo valued at about $14,000 is insured in various offices. The vessel had passed through various adventures in the course of her vareer. In 1867 she was taken by pirates near to Hongkong, while she waa on a voyage to this port, On this occasion two of the crew wore killed; the remainder, including the Captain, managed to escape in One of the boats, and returned to the former place. After the pirates ad stolen a portion of the cargo, &., they abandoned the vessel, and she was picked up bya pilot boat and taken back to Hongkong.—Vapasaki xpress.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.