The West India Mail Company has been the most unfortunate of all the great steam-packet associations in the loss of their steam-ships. Since the establishment of the company in 1841 no less than eight of their fleet of steamers have been destroyed by casualties on the sea.
FURTHER SURVIVORS.
Brest, Jan. 6.
The Dutch vessel Gertruida, Tunteler, entered the roads here to day with 25 shipwrecked persons, picked up in two boats from the Amazon.
She picked up the first boat yesterday (Sunday, the 4th of January), at half-past six o'clock in the evening, and the second this morning at seven o'clock.
In the presence of such a catastrophe, the British vice consul, in the absence of Sir Anthony Perrier, the consul, who is detained in Paris by bis duties as a member of the International Sanatory Commission, lost no time in endeavouring to save the lives of those who, according to the accounts given by the passengers who have arrived here, were saved in the four or five other boats which escaped from the wreck, and which, from appearance, must still be struggling against the waves. The maritime perfect was immediately applied to, and he at once agreed to give every assistance, and the Souffleur steamer, which was in the harbour, was immediately ordered out. Captain Caharet, the captain of the Soaffleur, prepared for sea with a promptitude which did him great credit ; but owing to confused information given him by the crew and passengers rescued by the Gertruida, he returned without having fallen in with any of the boats which was amissing.
The whole of the shipwrecked passengers and crew who arrived by the Gertruida have been brought ashore in boats, and a more melancholy spectacle than they presented could not be pictured. Among them are two ladies and a child ; and their sufferings may be conceived from the fact that besides all the other