Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Saturday 29 September 1821, page 3


The East India Ship PHATISALAM,-Captain Dillon has written to a friend in Sydney a detailed ac-

count of the many disasters attending the unfortunate vessel under his command, which has been very ob-

ligingly handed to us for the information of the Public. Upon a review, however, of the lately received Hobart Town Gazettes, the same doleful tale, with little varia-

tion, appears in that of the 18th inst. which we subjoin : "It appears that the Phatisalam had experienced one of the worst voyages from Bengal perhaps ever known. She sailed from Calcutta on the 25th of Ja-nuary last, with a cargo of merchandize worth 80,000

rupees, bound for Hobart Town ; but, from accident, the ship got twice on shore in coming out of the river; from which she did not however appear to have sus-tained any damage. On her passage she touched at Madras, from whence she sailed for her destined port on the 24th of February. After getting into the 15 ° south latitude, the ship began to make 6 inches water per hour ; and the wind continued to blow S. E. till the vessel got into latitude 46 ° S. On the 30th April,

at which time Captain Dillon was about 2500 miles

from the Derwent, and 1400 miles from King George the Third's Sound, the ship made 16 to l8 inches water in the hour ; and the crew were reduced to half-a-pint of fresh water per day for seven weeks ; during which period, several of the crew (lascars) died from the ex-treme coldness of the weather, and the constant pump-ing. On the 21st May, the vessel was compelled to put into King George the Third's Sound, where she stayed a month, taking in water, and endeavouring to stop the leaks of the ship ; but all the exertions used had no effect, for soon after sailing from thence, she made no less than 20 inches water per hour, varying in quantity

as the wind blew. In the beginning of July the vessel reached Hunter's Island, north-west of Van Diemen's land, about 90 miles from George-town ; where, on the morning of the 9th of the same month, this unfor-tunate vessel drove on shore in a gale of wind ; but the whole of the crew, with the Commander and his family,

were safely got on shore from the wreck. We have to add, however, that the disasters of the voyage were not yet complete ; soon after the vessel was stranded, se-veral of the poor fatigued and wearied seamen were

unfortunately drowned by the upsetting of the long-boat, just as they were starting off for Port Dalrymple to procure assistance. Out of those in the boat, only one person, an Officer of the ship, escaped a watery grave. The Commander, with 7 searmen, in the whale-boat, then left the wreck ; and providentially reached George-town, after a voyage of 12 days.-The Pha-tisalam is nearly a new ship, of 259 tons burthen."

Captain Dillon's Sydney communication affords the names of our unfortunate fellow-creatures who were drowned in the long-boat; they are as follow :-Mrs, Beamont, passenger ; John Ryan and Charles Rigley, prisoners ; John Baptist, seacunny ; Hassan, serang ; Amur, 2d tindle ; and Carno, Mungaloo, and Amher,

lascars.

The worthy Commandant of Port Dalrymple, Lieu-tenant Colonel Cimitiere, of His Majesty's 48th Regiment, behaved in the most feeling and gentlemanly manner towards Captain Dillon, and the Gentlemen, upon their arrival at the settlement of George-town. The whole of the inhabitants vied with each other in their tender expressions of kindness towards the un-fortunate sufferers ; who were not long in recovering from the distressing fatigues so providentially overcome by them. The humane and benevolent Commandant immediately dispatched the Little Mary, on account of Government, to the relief of the party necessarily left

on the island ; which consisted of Mrs. Dillon and infant child, with two female servants ; Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth, late of His Majesty's 73d Regiment ; James Jackson, Esq. of the Honorable Company's Medical Service; and twenty-two others, who had nothing to subsist on, when Captain Dillon left, except a very small quantity of damaged rice.

We have not heard any tidings respecting the reco-very of the Phatisalam, contradictory to those given in

the Gazette of the 22d instant.

Hobart Town, Saturday, Sept. 5.-A full Bench of Magistrates was holden on Tuesday- last, when the Master of the ship Brixton was convicted of a breach of the Port Regulations, in having suffered two casks, containing spirits, and one barrel of gunpowder, to be landed from his ship on the 30th August last; for which he was fined in two penalties of fifty pounds each.

Augustus Wm. Coulston, a free man, recently ar-rived from England, was also convicted of a breach of the Port Regulations, in having caused to be landed from the said ship the before-mentioned spirits and gunpowder; for which he was adjudged to be im-prisoned in His Majesty's gaol at Hobart Town for the space of one calendar month.

The spirits and gunpowder, as well as a dray and two horses, together with other articles upon the dray at the time the seizure was made, were adjudged to

be forfeited to the Crown.

William Cook, wharfinger, was charged with having assisted, or been privy to the smuggling of the said spirits and gunpowder, and with not having duly en-deavoured to prevent or discover the same, was fully convicted of the offence, and adjudged to be dismissed

from his office, and to be confined in His Majesty's gaol for the space of three calendar months, conform-

able to the Port Regulations made and provided on

that head.