1841.
Loss of the Cutter Louisa.
407
ultimate recovery of the same. Therefore, without making further excuses for our folly and rashness, we now beg to acquaint your majesty with the circum- stance, having previously paid over the said sum to the hong merchants. Those claims being now liquidated, surely the said foreigners can have no further ex- cuse to raise disturbances.
Besides having duly advised the Board of Revenue, your slaves now humbly band up this supplement for imperial inspection. A duly prepared memorial.
ART. VI.
Narrative of the loss of H. B. M.'s cutter Louisain a tyfoon, July 21st, 1841. By W. M.
JULY 20th. Went on board the Louisa, with the commodore and captain Elliot, for the purpose of proceeding to Hongkong to rejoin the Wellesley. The wind being light, and the ebb tide making strong, we were compelled to anchor about 2 o'clock P. M., to wait for the flood, which made about 5 ; and a good breeze then springing up, we stood along through the Lantao pas. sage, though rather too far to the southward, having been drifted down by the tide. The wind gradually freshened to about a double-reefed topsail breeze, and at 10 o'clock, finding we were going to leeward, we anchored close under the island of Laff-sam-ee; wind north.
July 21st. At about half past 12 o'clock at night weighed again, and endeavored to weather the island of Ichow, but could not; and the cutter being close to the shore, and having missed stays twice, we were compelled to go to leeward of it. Wind north, a little westerly: course to Hongkong, northeast. Attempted to work to windward, but could do nothing; cutter again missed stays, and in wearing, when the mainsail was jibed, the main- boom snapped in halves. We double reefed the sail, got a sheet aft, and tried her under that sail, with the mizzen, fore-staysail, and jib, but she was lag- ging away to leeward so fast, that, the wind too having increased consider ably, we were forced to anchor about half way between Ichow and Chichow, with a reef of rocks astern of us; as we anchored, the mizzen bumkin went before the sail could be taken in.
As day broke, the prospect was anything but cheering; it was blowing a gale from N. W. to N. N. W., and evidently increasing in violence every moment: a heavy sea was running, which the little cutter rode out beautifully, only now and then shipping a sea; every hatch was now bat- tened down, and the increasing sea frequently broke over us; our anchors and cables being good, we held on well: About 8 o'clock A. M., it was mani- fest that we must slip, but it was determined to hold on until we could do so no longer; about 9 o'clock a. M., the heavy pitching carried away the jib-boom; and, the gaff-topsail being still aloft, after much difficulty it was got down, and the head of the topmast twisted off, but the spar could not be
•