H. G. Tuomserr, x.x., Harbor-master, £c. Gzo. F. MActean, Justice of the Peace. W. M. Grsox, Masters, Mercantile W. B. Anprews, Marine.
re 8.8. Douglas, Frsprxe or THE Court.
'Ist.—We find that the Brit steamer Douglas, official number 53,246, of Aberdeen, whilst on her voyage from' Swatow to Amoy, on the 29th ultimo, did, at about 8.15 p.m. of that day, run on Dioyu Rocks, situated about five miles E.N.E. of the North point of the Island of Names, and was there totally 2nd.—We find that, from a position off Bay Island to a position determined by cross bearings of Difficult Island and Fort Head, a distance of about eight miles, the Douglas had been set one mile to the South of her course, '3rd.—We find that, from the last mentioned position, the vessel was steered a course to the scarcely any allowance being made to counteract the effect of the current which had been experienced during the previous three-quarters of an hour, and to this oversight we ascribe the loss of the Douglas, 4th.—We find that the ship, on an evening represented as being very dark and hazy, was going over the ground at the rate of ele. ven knots an hour, ich the Court considers a most imprudent one under the circumstances.
find that the use of the lead was 'e conclude that the loss of the Douglas dae to the bara of see master, James Ed-appin, whose certificate of competency, Hongkong No. 189, we do hereby suspend for lope atulate live nine months from this date, to remark on the many recently occurred on the East Coast of China, and they fear that unless treater prudence as to speed! on dark nights, k-out, and use of lead is more practised than seems tohave been the case in navigating this ship, still farther casualties, yeas ate tended by loss of life, are likely to happen, Tis the pleasing duty of the Court to call the attention of the Government to that part of Captain Toppin's evidence where he states from Namoa) who was very civil and offer" "saw the (in charge of a war junk to do anything he could for me. He in, nantly refused any reward for his services, and afterwards provided boatg ahd forwarded The Court uy its that the conduct of my passengers 1 of expense." Official be brought to the notice of his superiors.
VICE-ADMIRALTY COURT, Hongkong, June 10th, Before the Hon. H. J. Bax, Judge, and Capts.
Hewzerr, R.N., and Banwerr, R.N., As-
The Ava, Cross actions for damages for The Rona, Collision, out of 3 collision, whish occured at about ese were cross causes of damages arisin
quarter to 8 on the evening of the 14th of April last, when the colliding vessels were about twenty miles 8.8.\V. of Turnabout Island. The colliding vessels were the ya and the Rona, The Ava was one of the French Mail packets, at the time of collision carrying the mail from Hongkong to Shanghai; the Rona was the property of merchant steam company, which at the time of this sad accident, which has resulted in ite total loss, the Joss of the lives of several on board, and' the whole of the cargo, was sailing under the British flag from Shanghai to Swatow. Now, I am of opinion that the most convenient course for determining this ease on the merits, is to examine the question proposed tothe nautical Assessors, and their general replies to them.
The questions are as follow (1) Was there such negligence or want of ordinary care or caution on the part of the Ava, the Lena, or both, as but for such negligence or want of care or caution, the collision would not have occurred
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.