238 KINGSBRIDGE 



from Iquique, bound to Altona with saltpetre, went ashore 

 about half a mile from the place where the disastrous 

 wreck of the Gossamer occurred. A dense fog prevailed 

 at the time. Immediately she struck, both anchors were 

 let go, but the chain breaking, she drifted about twenty 

 yards from shore. The crew, thirteen in number, then 

 took to two boats, and pulled off clear from land, and 

 were discovered about five the next morning, upon the fog 

 clearing, by the coastguard. Mr. Murray, the chief officer, 

 launched his boat, and brought the crew to Prawle. At 

 first, the Emilie was standing complete, with her sails 

 set, but on her beam ends; but she soon began to break 

 up, and in a comparatively short time was a total wreck. 

 Scarcely anything was saved from her, with the exception 

 of the clothes of the crew. The coast for some distance 

 was strewed with wreckage. 



Another disaster occurred in March, 1873, when the Lalla 

 Rookh fell a victim to miscalculation and fog, and was 

 wrecked on the rocks at Prawle Point. The Lalla Rookh 

 sailed from Shanghae in October, bound for London, having 

 on board an enormously valuable cargo, consisting of 1,300 

 tons of tea and 60 tons of tobacco. The morning was 

 thick, and the wind blowing with considerable force from 

 the south-east, with rain, and it is surmised that strong 

 currents must have set on the weather side of the vessel, 

 causing her to drive on the point, of which her officers 

 thought she was sailing well clear. So close on shore 

 did she run before land was seen, that four of her crew 

 actually slung themselves down from her bows on to the 

 rocks, and thus escaped. The boats were immediately 

 launched, but one of them was stove, and became useless. 

 Ten of the crew got into the other, but it was swamped, 



