'We regret to hear that the British ship Geraldine Paget, Captain Stephen Wilkinson, which arrived at Hongkong un the 4th Sept with coal, from New South Wales (Sydney date, 28th June), and left Hongkong on the 29th' Sept. for Portland, Oregon, in ballast, became a total wreck on the Pratas on Friday last, having gone on shore there at 2 a.m, All on board except one were saved (22 European all told), and they have arrived at Hongkong on Thursday morning, by junk, after a week of great hardships, None of them were able to bring anything with them more than what they stood in, The vessel countered a gale of great severity on the morning of Thureday, the 13th instant, and at 2am,, the following morning (14th), the vessel went ashore on the Pratas, about a mile and a half to the southward of where the Bolion Abley lien. Very great digiclty was experienced in getting the crew away from the ship, and safely on shore, and altogether the whole of them have had as hard a time of it as follo to but few men. Last Sun day morning they were successful in getting a junk to leave and bring them on to Hong: kong. Tbatcraft wasin a leaky and somewhat risky condition, and the men of the Geraldine Paget all the way up lad to keep constantly baling her out, They arrived at Hongkong" early on Thursday morning. The Captain suffers yet tov much from the exposure to feel able to prepare any more elaborate report than euch as is comprised in these few items of the facts; and says he would prefer indeed to give his first narrative of the whole affair i the Court, which he will sider the circumstances attending the loss of hie vessel, The fact that thes two vessels have both gone ashore at the Pratas within so short a time proves in a most striking was the call there is for whatever is powible to protect shipping against the dangers about the Pratas hi Tt may sufficient, whatever lights or warnings we to have driven the ships on the roche, but it would seem to be much more likely that they have been both the result of mi takes as to the position of the ship which nce of a light or lights would have ut to correct, This second occu rence certainly tends to give g to the opinion of the Marine Court of Euquiry on the Bolton Abbey, which will no doubt be now recorded w second time, as to the necessity for the Pratas Shoal being provided with lights, As the Court has remarked:—"'The Shoal was carefully surveyed in 1858; and being in the track of the numerous ships navigation the Chiva Soa, has been a fruitful ax is evidenced by the many on this highly dangerous and as yet unmarked shoal."—China Mail, A Marine Court of Inguir assembled at the Harbour Master's Office jongkoug on the 24th ult., to en quit into the circumstance attending the lo of the British ship Geral dine Paget, Pres lent Captain H. G. homeott, Harbour Blaster; Members, Lieut. G. Balliston, IN, W. H. Ridley, steamer Gaelic; J. Belyea, steamer Hindostan, and A. Corning, L.'C. Troop.
Phe Court gave the following judgment We find that the British ship Geraldine Paget, 1200 tons burden, official No, 63,572 of London, Stephen Wilkinson of eertifiente ut competency 90,348, from Hongkong on the 9th October, in bound to Portland, Oregon, and after encountering Leavy weather on the 13th bei a total wreck on the morning of the Mth Oct., on the South-east side of the Pratas Shoal, We are of opinion that there is no blame to be attached to the master of the Geraldine Paget for the loss of that ship.
The Court are glad to observe that the Chi-again rendered ready a ipwrecked crew and brought them safely to We repeat the opinion given at a recent Marine Court of Enquiry that the Pratas Shoal should be efficiently lit up—China
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