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Otago Daily Times, Issue 120, 4 April 1862, Page 3

Extraordinary Abanbonment op a Liverpool Ship.—A letter from Calais contains the following extraordinary statement:—" A threemasted ship measuring from 400 to 500 tons, was moored last evening at our quays. She is an English ship, called the Eliza, of Liverpool. She was abandoned at sea, and found by three French fishing boats, 14 miles north of the port of Calais, without anybody on board. She is a magniScent ship, quite new, and would require,a crew of 20 j men to navigate her. The abandonment of the ship can only be accounted for by the bad weather which prevailed on Tuesday last, when she may have struck upon some of the sandbanks in this neighborhood. Her log-book, which was found on board, was written up to the 26th ins,t., so that she was not abandoned previous to. that day. No tidings have been, heard, of the crew, and it is feared they wero drowned, as a boat was seen by the fishermen near the ship, and which had capsized. The Eliza came from London, and was bound for Carthagena and Constantinople. She is laden with bar iron. The ship is valued at about £10,000, and her cargo at as much. According to maritime law, the fishermen who •brought her into port have a- right to a third of the value of the ship and cargo. This is a magnificent prize for the fishermen, who will have thus gained as. much in one day as they could have earned during the course of their, lives by