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highest — ship running on its highest speed, under close-reefed topsails, reefed main sail, and reefed foresail, , at the rate of speed of about eight knots ; shipping -large quantities of water all day. At 11 p.m. same night she was struck by a heavy sea on the main and quarter-decks, carrying away the bulwarks and skylight on poop-companion, also the captain's cabin, with Captain Rouse, ■who was in his cabin when the stft struck the vessel, and who was carried overboard and drowned. There was not a vestige of anything left on the quarter deck, but the wheel for steering. The steering compass, chronometer, charts, logs, glasses, signal-book, and signals, and all the deck cargo were washed completely over board into the sea. The man at the helm was only saved by being se cured to the wheel. Called all hands at onee — hove the ship to — got all the sails reef ed — fastened down the skylights as well as possible, but could not keep the saloon from filling with water Bhipped by the heavy -sea and gale. The ship was then hove to until 2 p.m. the next day, the Bth. Repaired damage done by the gale. The gale subsiding by this time, and the sea running down con siderably, she started at three-quarter speed, for Hokitika. Set fore • and - aft sails ; full speed at midnight ; wind S.E. She spoke the s.s. Albion on Wednesday, at 3 p.m. Fresh breeze from the east with moderate and fine weather. She stopped to speak, and then went full speed on her course to Hokitika ; arriving off Hokitika at 5 a.m. on the 12th September.
Cambridge (Waikato), September 17th.
