ARRIVAL OF THE GREAT TASMANIA.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 273, 16 June 1860, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE GREAT TASMANIA.

dreadful sufferings on board,

The clipper ship Great Tasmania, arrived at this port, from Calcutta, on Thursday morning, with detachments of the 3rd. Bengal, 3rd Madras, and sth Bengal Infantry, some of the men of the Bengal Artillery, and of the Ist, 2nd, and 3rd Light Cavalry ; the total number of soldiers being 937, besides 20 officers. Between sixty and seventy had died on the voyage. The scene on board was heartrending. More than 300 men were suffering either from scurvy or dysentery, and of these about 140 were in such a state that, had the arrival of the.ship been delayed much longer, their death was inevitable. Many of them lay upon the deck, and others fortunate enough to have been provided with hammocks, were without any other covering than their wearing apparel. Their appearance was pitiful, and in seme instances, sickening. Men who a few months ago were hale and hearty were literally reduced to skeletonsby longcontinued dysentery their bone and sinews being only covered by skin, and their faces pallid and emaciated, more like those of corpses than of living beings. Ou the evening of the ship’s arrival, about a hundred cf the sufferers were taken to the Workhouse in spring carts. A message bad been yreviously sent to Mr, Carr, the governor of the Workhouse, requesting him to send down something to cover the invalids. Sixty rugs were returned, but they were insufficient, and the consequence was that about forty men wore laid in the carts half nude. One man died on the way. He bad on a pair of drawers and a flannel singlet, both saturated with wet. So it is said, he had lain for weeks exposed to the weather, and so he died. His appearance was horrible, like that of a man who had been starved to death. Three more deaths occurred before the following night. The names of the deceased men are William Coleman, Thomas Beachy, James Pyett, and —Phillips. At the dead-house, Prince’s Dock, are the bodies of 3 other men removed from the ship. The names of these are Thomas Holt, John Murphy, Wm. Matthews.

If tb.e account given by the men is correct —and by parties evidently averse to affording informat,ou, it has been in some measure, confirmed -there is a serious responsibility resting somewhere. It appears that these soldiers arc a portion of those who, refusing to be transfer) ■ from the service of the East India Company to that of Iler Majesty, withoal receiving the usual bounty given to recruits, were discharged nod ordered to be sent home. The men say that, under the circumstances, but little cr osidjration was given to their comfort. A com . t. was entered iuto, to bring them home nt .. f each, *he Government undertaking to pr vide the stores. A lot of old stores, lying at foit Wi.’iam, Calcutta, conssdered unfit for us., there, Were thought good enough for dis rrg'.d soldiers, and these were placed on 1 r i. There is no doubt that at that time g 1 provisions were dear in Calcutta, and the c< . wander of the ship states that the first b. ?ad was so bad that, on his own responsibility, he returned it on shore. Better bread was sent, but this in a short time was as bad as the other. Living upon this stuff, with beef ari' tea as bad, the men soon became sick, some of ; curvy, othirs of the dysentry. When the ship ,-rrived at St. Helena, the captain applied - r - t. -n Governor, and a small quantity of prov: . >ns and water was sent on board. Three d i afterwards the stores were found scarce, iiuu the men placed upon short allowance. The 4”estion was then asked why sufficient stores • ad not been, obtained at St. Helena ? Some said ihere was a mistake as to the quantity on board, but the mtn say the price was too high. Tie lime juice was so bad that the doctor condemned it as unfit for use ; but even after this it was ujed. The sick list soon number-

ed three hundred, all requiring attention from the hands of one surgeon and an assistant. Sickness was much increased by tbe want of proper covering. Four out of every ten men had to lay upon bare boards, and were glad to get even a coat to cover themselves.

From the surgeon’s report it appears that great, exertions were made to prevent the spread of disease ; but these efforts were only partially successful. In December, the men began to die fast from dysentry, and for two months before the arrival of the shin, scarcely a day passed without one poor fellow or more being launched into the sea. Scurvy began to show itself at the end of February, and spread fast, causing many deaths. This dreadful state of things became daily worse, until the vessel arrived in the Mersey, and it was not long before the circumstances were made known, and every attempt was then made to provide for the accommodation of the suflerers. There are now about 130 men at the Workhouse. They are supplied with the best of food, and receive all possible attention at the hands of MroCarr, Dr. Gee, and the other gentlemen connected with the establishment. Mr. Crooper, the chairman, and several members of the Workhouse Committee, are almost constantly upon the premises.—[Liverpool Albion, March 19.] MASILIA. The P. and O. Co-—Another addition to the powerful steam fleet of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation -Company has been made by the launch of th8 y Masilia, from the building yard of Messrs. Samuda, Brothers, Poplar. This fine vessel is 210 feet long on deck, 36 feet beam, and 1,919 tons measurement tonnage. She is intended to receive engines of 400 horse-power, which it is expected will set to work on board her, and the vessel be ready te proceed to sea, within two months.—[Strait’s Times, March 10,] HADDINGTON. The ship Haddington, of about 1,500 tons, has arrived in the Clyde. She is the property o? the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., and has gone to Glasgow to load steam machinery for their vessels on the Indian and Australian stations. She is used as a training ship for tbe officers of the company, and has on board a dozen midshipmen who are learning their profession.—[Strait’s Times, March 10.] E M.S. HIMALAYA. Arrived at Alexandria on the 9th January, with two Batteries of Armstrong guns, and 450 men, including Officers. The Artillery and stores measure some 600 tons. We are daily exyecting the Berenice from Bombay, whioh vessel will, it is supposed, be able to carry one Battery complete ; the Auckland is also expected at Suez, to assist in conveying the Artillery to China. —[Strait’s Times,March 10.]