Mauritius. On Thursday, the 19th, she sighted the Island of
Rodrigues, and arrived at Mauritius on Monday the 23rd."

The Nile and Trafalgar are not more glorious to our country, are not
greater victories than these won by our merchant-seamen. And if you look
in the Captain's reports of any maritime register, you will see similar
acts recorded every day. I have such a volume for last year, now
lying before me. In the second number, as I open it at hazard, Captain
Roberts, master of the ship "Empire," from Shields to London, reports
how on the 14th ult. (the 14th December, 1859), he, "being off Whitby,
discovered the ship to be on fire between the main hold and boilers: got
the hose from the engine laid on, and succeeded in subduing the fire;
but only apparently; for at seven the next morning, the 'Dudgeon'
bearing S.S.E. seven miles' distance, the fire again broke out, causing
the ship to be enveloped in flames on both sides of midships: got the
hose again into play and all hands to work with buckets to combat with
the fire. Did not succeed in stopping it till four P. M., to effect
which, were obliged to cut away the deck and top sides, and throw
overboard part of the cargo. The vessel was very much damaged and leaky:
determined to make for the Humber. Ship was run on shore, on the
mud, near Grimsby harbor, with five feet of water in her hold. The
donkey-engine broke down. The water increased so fast as to put out
the furnace fires and render the ship almost unmanageable. On the tide
flowing, a tug towed the ship off the mud, and got her into Grimsby to
repair."

On the 2nd of November, Captain Strickland, of the "Purchase"
brigantine, from Liverpool to Yarmouth, U. S., "encountered heavy gales
from W.N.W. to W.S.W., in lat. 43 deg. N., long. 34 deg. W., in which
we lost jib, foretopmast, staysail, topsail, and carried away the
foretopmast stays, bobstays and bowsprit, headsails, cut-water and
stern, also started the wood ends, which caused the vessel to leak. Put
her before the wind and sea, and hove about twenty-five tons of cargo
overboard to lighten the ship forward. Slung myself in a bowline, and by
means of thrusting 2 1/2-inch rope in the opening, contrived to stop a
great portion of the leak.

"December 16th.--The crew continuing night and day at the pumps, could
not keep the ship free; deemed it prudent for the benefit of those
concerned to bear up for the nearest port. On arriving in lat. 48 deg.
45' N.,