1843] NEWSPAPER REPORT. 51 



that limited period ! On the 1 6th of July, the ' Samarang ' 

 grounded and filled, and not a member of her company 

 seemed to entertain the slightest hope of her recovery. 

 The garbled reports which found their way into the Eng- 

 lish papers, and which must have emanated from some 

 illiterate person at Singapore, were really ludicrous ; the 

 following is from The Times : 



" Loss OF HER MAJESTY'S SHIP SAMARANG, 26 GUNS. During 

 the last few days the Lords of the Admiralty have received accounts 

 from Singapore, containing intelligence of the loss of one of Her Ma- 

 jesty's frigates, the Samarang, 26 Guns, Commander Captain Sir J. 

 Belcher, C.B., off the Island of Borneo. The circumstances attending 

 her loss are reported to be as follows : The Samarang, which was 

 launched at Portsmouth in the year 1822, was in the latter part of last 

 year fitted up as a surveying ship in order to make a survey of the 

 Chinese Seas, and in the course of the spring of the present year she 

 sailed from Portsmouth on the expedition, and arrived at Singapore on 

 the 22d of June. On the 28th of the same month she proceeded to 

 inspect the Eiver Burrawak, off the Island of Borneo. They had 

 favourable weather and the voyage was equally successful. On the 17th 

 of July she had gained about forty miles up the river above named, 

 when in the early part of the day the master, Mr. Lozey, left her in one 

 of the galleys, accompanied by another officer and a party of seamen, 

 for the purpose of taking soundings along the coast. The ship was 

 under weigh at the time, and was making but very slow pace, when 

 suddenly the ebb tide, which runs remarkably strong, carried her right 

 on to a sunken coral rock, which she struck with considerable violence, 

 producing the greatest alarm amongst those on board. For a few 

 minutes she kept an upright position, and then partly slipped off the 

 rock and fell over on her beam ends, when she instantly filled, and it 

 was only by the greatest exertion that the crew could save themselves ; 

 in fact, many of them as the ship rolled over were precipitated into the 

 water, and no doubt would have perished, but for others who caught 

 hold of them as they made their appearance on the surface of the water. 

 Having reached the shore, which was not far distant, they commenced 

 saving from the unfortunate ship, as the tide permitted, as much provision 

 as they possibly could get at, as also the arms which they needed in order 



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