CRUISE OF H.M. S.S. BRISK.

i NO TIDINGS OP TITB T»ASSENGERS AND L CREW OF TUB FIERY STAR. • .. ~, ; TL TJjLS.S. Brisk, Captain Hope, returned from her cruise tothc Chatham Islands, at a late hour on Tuesday niglit. - ■ ' Immediately after the sad intelligence of the loss, by fire, of the ship Fiery Star became known, the Brisk was despatched to the Chatham Islands, for which, place the four /boats steered for when they left the burning ship; and. in the event of her falliDg in with any oi the crew or passengers of that ill-fated ship, the Brisk was to have returned with them to Auckland Unfortunately, however, the cruise has been unsuccessful, all the islands baring been thoroughly searched, and no tidings o. the missing boats having been seen or heard of. There 7s but little hope now of their safety, and the only possible chance of any of them being rescued is that they may have been seen and picked up by some vessel -which, has not yet oYthTmornifgof the 16th May, the Brisk took her departure from the man-o -war offing, and proceeded on her cruise, experiencing fine weather and fair wind throughout the passage. On the 20th, she arrived at Wa.tan.ga, in £etet Bay only four days from Auckland and ilnder faif only Upon arrival here, Captain Hope clmmScated P with Captam Thomas.*•*•£' dent Magistrate, who had nether, heard nor seen anything of. the boats. Captain Thomaa very promptly despatched several natives all round the Island, hoping to glean some tidings of (he boats, but the natives without learning anvthin" of u tne evening Ot Saturday tLe 22nd, the wind freshened to a heavy gale from the South and West, the barometer being down to 29 ° 11'. On Sunday the gale increased to a perfect hurricane, and during service the starboard anchor parted, Another anchor was immediately run out,, arid steam got up in order to ease _ th§ aiuhors, the harbour being quite open, with, a terrific, sea coming in, and, washing over .the ship. The storm continued with unabated vio T . lenee until 8 a.m. of the 23rd, when the weather moderated, and Captain Hope again communis cated with tlic shore. During the day a repor* was prevalent that sonic people had been seen on the nor'-west part of the island, shc f quently weighed anchor, and proceeded to Waugaroa, or Port liutt, Captain Thomas being a passenger by iiie Brisk. When the starboard cable was hove in again, it was found to be nearly parted, through one of the links being "■one." If the storm had continued much.longer, and the cable had parted entirely, the ship would most probably have gone ashore, as it would iiave been almost impossible to have steamed against the heavy sea which was running iu the harbour. . . ■■, .■■ i■ - ■■••ii) There were two other vessels at anchor witli the Brisk during this. gale, one a. three-masted schooner (name unknown), from : Wellington! loading potatoes, and the whaling ship Alabama, whichliad just arrived there after a five years' cruise York, during which time she had been very unsuccessful. Shortly after the o-ale came on the Alabama parted one of. hex anchors, and during a lull, the captain and crew, very coolly manned their boats and pulled.on shore, and not returning to the ship until the storm -H as over. „, , . When the Brisk arrived at Waugaroa nothing was known of the people, which it was reported Imd be. n seen, and upon her return to Waitan«aitwas lound that, the rumour had originated from two Wv%, who had seen SQWQ

natives, and had taken thciji for Europeans. On tlie 23rd. a boy. named Moore was very mysteriously lost. When, the vessel was anchored at V/nngaroa tlic ooy was iu one of the boats, and received orders to drop her astern. A short time afterward? lie was wanted, and was not to be .fotmfi anywhere, so that the poor boy nmst have iejl over and have been drowned : .His body, wm drasmed for, but unsuccessfully. When the Brisk returned to Waitanga on the 2Mb, Capt. Thomas i'.nd C.ipt. Hope held a meeting oi the natives, concerning Pai Capt. Inonias said tliu meetings had done a great deal ot <toxl. and tin- natives determined not to have anything to do with the new faith. After the meeting was over, several of the chiefs visited, the Brisk, and were greatly surprised at the hir<re Armstrong guns. The Brisk was the first English man-of-war they had ever seen, and the only one that has visited the islands for many L ]3efore leaving Waitanga. theEev. Mr. Smyth, of the Brisk, visited many of the natives. _ On Friday last, the 26th instant, ths Brisk left Waitanga. for Pitt's Island, distant about thirty miles, where Capt. Hope had au interview with' Mr. Hunt, the European settler there, and who treated the officers with the greatest hospitality, sending them on board a quantity ot nnlk butter, &c. Mv. Hunt having liearo! nothing of the inissing boat:;, the Brisk sailect from tlience the same day, round the Jiast sid6 of the Island. Both Pitt Island, and Chatham: Islands, are very inaccurately surveyed, lhe B.isk experienced strong *.W. winds, ou the' return trip, and came up under sail only, until making the East Coast, on Thursday last, when the wind dropped, and steam was got up tor the remainder of the passage. The Brisk was unable to recover the anchor which she lost at {lie Chathams, owing to the' boisterous state of the weather, during her stay there. _. ('aptaiti Thomas, reported that the' islandshad lately been visited with two or three lieavy gales similar to the one which the Brisk en--countered.