The following is the finding of the Court which sat at the Custom House to enquire into the circumstances of the loss of the brought Before us, to fad as follows Having carefully considered the
1.—That the steamship Hankwang, of 868 tons, belonging to the China Merchant Steam Navigation Company, left Shangh: 3.30.am, of the 17th May' bound to Chefoo and Tientsin, with a fall general cargo and Passengore, 2.—At 11.80 a.m, on the same day, the Inland of Shaweishan being then estimated to bear $.W. 22 miles, the course was set by standard compass N, by E. 2 E.
3.—Daring the afternoon of the same day, the' difference between the standard and Meering compasses was found to be than nous being reported to Captain Boswell, hi orders to steer N, by B. 4 by the steering compass, on the assump-
reliable of the two. This gave the course by ing compose was the more standard compass N. by E, '4.—After taking departure from Shaweishan, hazy weather prevailed which prevented being i, and at 4.30 p.m, on the 18th rations for error of the compass
May dense fog set in,'
and a sounding half speed, ship was ip and clearing Almost immediately after this the ship ran on a sucken reef close to the 8.E. Shantung Promontory, where, notwith-siding well-directed efforte to get her off reiwai avd eventually became a total wreck, but without loss of life.
5.—Woe are therefore of opinion that the loss of the Hankwang was vocasionéd through, gyror_of judgment on the part of Captain thing aside the standard compass, the deviation card for which, as shown by the evidence, had been found by repeated observa tions on previous voyages to be correct,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.