766
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 9TH JULY, 1887.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.--No. 286.
The following Finding of a Marine Court, appointed to inquire into the loss of the British Steam- ship Benledi, is published for general information.
By. Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 9th July, 1887.
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
FINDING.
1. That the British Steam-ship Benledi, 1,000 tons burden, Official Number 65,767, of Leith, of which JAMES LAWSON RIDDOCH, Number of Certificate of Competency 06200, was Master, left Swatow at 4.40 P.M. on the 18th June, with about 3,000 bags of Sugar, bound to Chefoo, and was wrecked on the Boat Rocks to the S. W. of the Lammocks Island Light-house at about 8.8. P.M. of the same day. ·
2. In the absence of any Logs or Charts used by the Master in the navigation of the ship, the
evidence as to courses steered and distance run is entirely from memory.
3.-The Master, according to his recollection, steered a.course to take him, allowing three and a half miles for current, about three miles to the South of the Boat Rocks, and on the red light of the Lammocks being seen, he thought himself to the Southward and clear of those rocks.
4.-Four Members of the Court agree that no blame is to be attached to the Master for the loss of the
ship.
5. All the Members of the Court are unanimously of opinion that the Master left the ship too hurriedly, the weather was fine and there appears to have been ample time for the Master, Officers and Crew to have saved their own effects, the passengers' effects, ship's papers, logs, &c.; and we consider the Master is to blame for not remaining by the ship longer than he did, but the Court is not disposed to deal with his Certificate for this unnecessary haste. Given under our hands at Hongkong, this 30th day of June, 1887.
J. BUCKNER,
Staff-Commander, R.N., H.M.S. "Victor Emanuel.”
W. ELLIS,
Commanding British S.S. “Airlie," Official No. 89,595.
W. D. MUDIE,
Commanding British S.S. “Thibet," Official No. 70,628,
SAMUEL ASHTON,
Commanding British S.S. “Haiphong," Official No. 88,838.
Report, Sub-section 5, Section 13, Ordinance 8 of 1879.
I am unable to concur in the conclusion the majority of the Court have come to as regards no blame being attached to the Master of the Benledi, for the loss of that ship. It appears to me a very suspicious circumstance, that, although there was ample time to save the ship's papers, log book, charts, &c., no document was produced to show how this vessel was navigated, the evidence given is therefore from memory only.
The Benledi left Swatow, and at 6.10 P.M. of the 18th June, a departure was taken from a point about 1 miles North of the Cape of Good Hope, with a bright light on it, showing a distance of 15 miles. The ship is said to have been steered a course that, without a current, would have taken her .6 miles South of the "Boat Rocks." No bearing of the Cape of Good Hope light was taken, in fact it is stated that it was not seen, although the ship ran for upwards of an hour within its range
of light. As the ship was steering about East South East, occasional bearings of this light would have shewn if the ship was experiencing any unusual North-Easterly current.