702686-1871-Slaughter-Houses-Lessees- — Page 1

DROIT.

THE HONGKONG

Government Gazette.

Published by Authority.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 29TH JULY, 1871.

VOL. XVII.

3R

No. 30.

No. 110.

M:

GX-

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Decision of the Marine Court of Inquiry into the Loss of the British ship Mirage, in Hailing Bay off the Coast of China, is published for general information.

By Command,

J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Ilongkong, 13th July, 1871.

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FINDING OF THE COURT.

First-That the British ship Mirage, Hongkong Colonial Register, Official Number 12,962, Port Num- ber 26, of 1867, sailed from Bangkok bound to Hongkong, with a cargo of Rice and Sundries, and having Sixty Chinese Passengers on board, and that on the 17th day of June, A.D. 1871, she was abandoned, in Hailing Bay about Nine miles from the Coast of China, in Lat. 20.40 North, Long. 112.8 East, having at the time a depth of Nine feet vater in the Hold, and being in danger of foundering in consequence of having encountered severe weather for the previous two days. Second. That the evidence shows that the vessel leaked considerably, after being laden and before

leaving Bangkok, and that she was a weak ship.

Third.--That the Captain, Officers and Crew appear to have used every exertion to save the ship, and

that no blame is attributable to them for the loss.

Fourth.--That when the Captain and Chief Mate decided there was necessity to abandon the vessel, there was an absence of proper management with regard to the saving of the Passengers, thirty of whom were left on board without any effective means of saving themselves after the boats had departed with the whole of the Officers and Crew.

The Court, therefore, considers the Captain and Chief Mate deserving of severe censure for their neglect and mismanagement; fortunately no life was lost, or a inore marked finding would probably have been held necessary.

The Court returns the Certificate of competency of the Captain, the Certificate of the Chief Matc. was lost in the vessel.

No. 111.

Confirmed,

C. MAY.

..First Police Magistrate.

R. H. CAIRNS, ......Acting Harbor Master. G. M. VICKERS, ....Un-official Justice of the Peace. W. M. GILLSON, 7 Masters,

J. W. PURCHASE, Mercantile Marine.

HENRY WASE WHITFEILD, Major-General, and Lieutenant-Governor.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

It is hereby notified that, for the ensuing 12 Months from the 1st August, 1871, the Eastern and Western Slaughter Houses are held by WAN SHANG and U TSUI, of Victoria, Hongkong, Traders.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's. Office, Hongkong, 28th July, 1871.

J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.

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