WRECKS IN THE CHINA SEAS.

GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.

The China Navigation Company's steamer Changsha, from Hongkong, which arrived at Sydney a few days ago, brought particulars of the loss of several large steamers, involving hundreds of lives. The most shocking disaster was to the British-built steamer Namchow, owned in Penang, an iron screw vessel of 1,700 tons register, built in 1870. She was on a voyage from Hongkong on the 6th January, bound to Amoy, in command of Captain John Lee and a staff of European officers, also between 300 and 400 Chinese passengers, besides the Chinese crew. The nameß of the European officers lost are :— Alexander Lee, captain ; J. Kelly, chief officer ; W. Leslie, second officer ; — Hamilton, chief engineer ; Dyer, second engineer ; and Douse, third engineer. Only fifty persons (Chinese) were saved — forty-six passengers and four sailors. The Chinese supercargo tells the following narrative: — The Namchow weighed anchor in Hongkong and started for Amoy direct at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the 6th January, and by 4 p.m. on the 7th was abreast of Cupehi Bay, when the course was set to the eastward further out from the land. At about 9 p.m. the engine ceased to work, and half an hour later Captain Lee told the supercargo that the crank shaft had broken between the thrußt block and the after crank. The weather was then hazy, and a strong N.E. monsoon was blowing. The captain held out hopes that the engineers would be able to repair the damage in a few hours ; and he then went on the bridge. As the supercargo was going to his berth (about 10 p.m. on Thursday, the 7th January), he saw the carpenter doing some repairs in the engine room, apparently between the cylinder and the ship's bottom, securing planks by battens and shores. It appeared as if the end of the crank shaft had gone through the ship's bottom before the engines could be stopped. An hour later, 11 p.m., the captain got some rockets and blue-lights from the supercargo. Next morning, about five o'clock, there was a great noise of rushing about on deck. The supercargo turned out and found all the passengers scrambling into the boats. The chief engineer was standing at his cabin door, pale and agitated, but trying to keep calm. The supercargo woke the captain. Asked what was wrong with the ship, Captain Lee said " Nothing at all ; she is all right." Pressed for an explanation of the panic among the Chinese, the water in the ship, and the list to starboard, he replied : "It is nothing ; I have sent men to see." The captain then went into his own cabin, which was just opposite the room occupied by the supercargo, and shut himself in. On trying the captain's door it was found to be locked. A miuute or two later the captain came out with a revolver in his hand, and went up on the bridge. They said afterwards he shot himself. Meanwhile the steamer was settling down gradually. Rockets were fired off, and blue -lights constantly burnt on the bridge. The passengers and crew then took to the boats, of which there were seven. The second and third engineer did not care to go in the boats, which were overcrowded, but preferred to take their chance of clinging to a spar or some portion of wreckage in the event of the vessel foundering. The supercargo then gathered his friends together, with a view to gettiDg them off in the Btarboard quarter boat, in which some twenty passengers had already stowed themselves. However, as soon as he got into the boat the after falls carried away, and all on board were capsized into the sea and drowned, with the exception of himself and two others. Then he and four others got into the boat overhanging the stern and attempted to lower her, but in a few minutes she also was Btove in. The chief engineer appealed to the supercargo to maintain order and clear one of the boats from Chinese, but it was in vain. The starboard quarter boat had already been lowered by the passengers, and thirty-seven people now got into her, including one woman, three children, the supercargo, and his friends. This was about six o'clock. t took them over two hours to fight through -the waves to the nearest junk. Shortly befoi (reaching her the Namchow was seen to lurch heavily towards the port side and to go down by the stern at once, in deep water. Thirteen were rescued by other junks, making fifty in all. Mrs Hamilton, the wife of the chief engineer, was in one of the starboard lifeboats with the second engineer, the second mate, and several firemen and sailors. They were too slow in shoving off from the Namchow, and were consequently sucked down with her when she sank stern foremost. After the vessel disappeared Mrs Hamilton was seen floating on a piece of wreckage, supposed to be a portion of the bridge or deckhouse, but she was soon lost to sight. We (says the supercargo) also saw a good deal of wreckage about, and many heads held up in the air ; but they also soon disappeared, and there was no chance of rescue. Our boat was already overloaded. After the chief engineer bad kissed his wife and assisted her into the boat, he ran aft to his cabin (presumably to get his papers or some valuables), and in the meantime the ship foundered.

On the 2nd ultimo the German steamer Marie, from Hongkong to Chefoo, struck on a rock. The night was intensely cold, the wind was high, and a nasty sea was running, while a thick fog enveloped the already dark night with a more gloomy shroud. The story i 3 a short one. Three boats were lowered with great danger and difficulty, and the entire crew, drenched by the frozen spray and benumbed by the biting blast, •scrambled into them as best they could, and putting off from the now fast sinking ship, essayed to reach the shore. One boat succeeded in doing so without mishap, another boat was capsized among the breakers, but fortunately the occupants managed to reach the beach and drag themselves up on dry land. In what direction the third boat steered after she left the steamer's side, and how it happened that she capsized, will never be known, for her crew are Btrewn along the beach, their frozen bodies mangled by the cruel rocks, and their fixed and agonised expressions bearing awesome teßtimony of their sad and terrible fate. The boat contained the second officer, the third engineer, and nine Chinese, sailors and firemen, all of whom have perished.