r British heroes, who found a watery grave by the
sinking of the above-named vessel, will never be forgotten. It is
unsurpassed in all the annals of our country's history. The ship was
sent out at the time of the Caffre war. It was a fine evening, and
there was land ahead, toward which the "Birkenhead" was steering at
ordinary speed. She was splendidly built, and had conveyed a large
band of soldiers and their families from Cork--had left a few troops at
Cape Town, and was now proceeding to Algoa Bay with a few detachments
of the 12th, 74th, and 91st regiments, and from thence to Buffalo River
with others. The total number of troops amounted to something over
five hundred; and in addition to these, were the wives and children of
some of the men, and one hundred and thirty-two of the ship's crew.
Nearly all of these were asleep in their cabins. Captain Wright, of
the 91st, was on deck, with an officer of the watch, and they held a
short argument concerning a light which was visible on the port side.
They could not agree as to which beacon it was, but they were convinced
it was to mark a point of danger.

About two o'clock A.M., on the 26th, they unconsciously ran the vessel
on a bed of rock, which was covered by the sea to a sufficient depth to
hide it from sight. The shock was followed by such a tide flowing in
at the opening thus effected, that many of the slumberers must have
passed from one sleep into another with scarcely any knowledge of the
passage. The awakened troops, with their officers, immediately rushed
on deck--the captain, Mr. Salmond, being among the first to arrive
there. The steam was turned off, the small anchor cast, and boats
lowered, in case there should be any necessity for using them. Colonel
Seton gathered the officers together, and begged them to see that order
and silence were maintained in their respective regiments. Captain
Wright was asked to work with the commander. Without the slightest
apparent emotion, the men went about their work as calmly as they would
have executed an ordinary practiced manoeuvre. No signs of fear were
evident, but discipline was strictly regarded. Sixty men, in
successive lots of twenty, worked at the chain pumps, and another sixty
looked after the boat tackles; while all who were not needed in the
management of the vessel stood in marching order on the poop for
ballast. The horses were all pitched out, and some of them turned
their heads for the land