R.N., acted as clerk to the Court and read the letter from the master of the above vessel asking that the Court should be held, the letter from the Captain of H.M.S. Eclipse authorising the holding of the Court, and the protest filed by the master of the Canton.
David Frederick F. Lawrence, master of the Canton, said that he was in command of that vessel when she went ashore on the 21-t July. The current had an! abnormal set and the Saddle Tsland was enveloped in fog. Witness had been engaged on the coast for 12 years and became master in February 1900. He had been backwards and forwards by the Saddle about 20 times. He hal more! often come on the inside of the Saddle Island than outside, and had always nade allowances for the' strength of the tide. At 1040 he thought ho was behind his reckoning, but was unable to take bearings. He saw the Hieshan Light st 11.30, but had altered his course at 11 4. Witness had never had an accident befor By an Assessor—Witness thought the S. Waly breeze would help hin on a little. Witness gave the ship an average run in s0 many hours, but thought thal in the" Formosa Channel owing to the set the vessel did los. At 12.09 the officer on! watch told witness the light was bearing N.E, Up to noon and from noon to mi, the speed was 11.7. Witness also allowed that speed after that hour. He passed outside Taichow Islands. The night waa) pretty clear, and witness thought that he was not able to seo the light because his apeed was not quite so much as he had: reckoned. He thought he would pass the Saddle at about 4 miles. Witness bad faith in his compasses. If there was a difference of two degrees in the thres devil! ations taken it was due to the smallness and vibration of the ship. Witness thought that the differences between the deviations taken on different days might be due to the various kinds of corge carried.
R. A. Johnston, chief officer of the Canton, stated that he bad been on the Ching Coast about 5 years. He wax on the bridge at the time of the collision. It was the2n4 officer who altered the course, Witness came on duty at 12 midnight. The light was than quite distinct, 16 to 18 miles away. Ho did not seo any fog. His instructions were to keep on the sane course until the end of his watch. He was aware of the strong sel of the current in that part. Ths light seemed quite 16 to 18 miles away. He took bes midnight directly he came on watd was looking out for the Saddle which he expected to see any inoment.
R.A. Matthews, 2nd officer of the Canton, was on watch from 8 to 12 in the evoniog on which the ship went ashore. He oxpocted- to sight Hieshan light when he, came on duty, but did not seo it unlit 11.20. It then seemed about 16! miles by the reckoning. The light had a range of 26 miles, but he thought the ship was behind the reckoning. The Captain altered the course about 11 p m.
Witness saw that the man at the wheel steered correctly. Witness did not take the reckoning, as to do so he would have had to leave the bridge. The night seemed quite clear. When the chief elficer came ito relieve witness they b"th took the bearings of the light F. Collins, 3rd engineer of the Canton, deposed that he was in the engine room when the accident occurred. He got the order to go astern about 12.30, and it was about a minute before she struck that the engines were reversed.
The Court then adjourned for tittin.
In the afternoon the Court gave its finding as folly Finding and order of a Naval Court held at Shanghai on the 6th day of August, 1903 to investigate the circumstances attending the stranding of the str. Canton of the port of London, official number 81,640, on Saddle Island on 21st July, 1903, to investigate the cause of such' stranding and to enquire into thie conduct of the master and the certificated officers and crew of the said ship.
The Canton is a British steam vessel of 1,110 tons registered tonnage, official number 81,640, built at Newcastle in 1880 and belonging to the port of London.
It appears from the evidence given before the Court that she sailed from Hongkong at 6 p.m. on 18th July 1903 with a general cargo of merchandise bound for Shanghai; moderato weather prevailed and at noon of 20th the position of the vessel was ascertained by cross bearings to be Lat.. Long. 12% From Turnabout Island to the position noon the vessel had run 95 miles 7 knots per hour, the course (error 33° W.)=N. 19° KO. true, curse altered at to North (error 5° W. for 2 miles and then altered to cross bearings of Island showed the sition to 21N., Long. 121.23 Kast, and that the vessel had made 49 miles and had set out 9} wiles from her noon position, her average speed being 11.7 knots per hour. The weather at the time was a light S. Westerly breeze, a mod ea, fine and clear. -From the position at 4.10 p.m. the course set. was (error 3° W.)=N. 31° E. true.
in, the course was altered to (error 5° W,. true at 11.30 p.m. the Hieshan light sighted the calculated distance made towards the Hieshans was 86 miles, the light at the time bearing N. by E.=N. 7° true, was calculated to be 16 miles distant. The master expected to sight. the Hies bout 10.40 p. but the w ug clear, concluded {the ship w the reckoning. At 11.30 p.m. the course was altered N. by W. (error 5° W.)=N. 16° W. true, so
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.