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fury of the storm to be engulphed in the remorseless chasm that yawned to receive them. Never was there a more painful scene; and the horrors of that eventful day formed the subject of many a mournful conversation over a winter fire. The sudden shifting of the gale seemed to have mainly the cause of the terrible disaster, the ship being thereby exposed to the shore on the dangerous coast of Anglesea. The destruction of human life was equal to the loss in a considerable battle. In a few minutes of time 452 persons were swept away from life to death. It would hardly have been thought that the winds, which had flitting and roaring round the coasts for several days would have passed away without inflicting serious losses; but previous experience had led to the belief that the weight of the calamity would have fallen on the smaller vessels employed in the coasting trade. The Royal Charter was built of iron about four years previously, her tonage being 2719, and her horse-power 200. She sailed from Melbourne on the 26th of August with 388 passengers and a crew of 112. She accomplished her passage in two months. She landed 13 passengers at Queenstown, and took on board from a steam-tug eleven riggers who had been assisting in working a ship to Cardiff; so that at the time of the fearful wreck she had on board 498 persons, of whom only 39 were saved. Her cargo (mainly wool and skins) was comparitively small, but a more important item of freight was gold and specie, which at the lowest estimate was put at £500,000. She arrived at Point Lynas at 6 o'clock on the evening of the 26th, and for several hours Capt. Taylor continued to throw up signal rockets for a pilot, but did not succeed in getting one. The gale increased, and the ship, making leeway, drifted gradually towards the shore. It was quite dark and no help was at hand. The ship let go both anchors, but by that time the gale had reached the force of a hurricane, and the sea became terrific. The chain cables parted, and although the engines were worked at full power, the unfortunate ship continued to drift towards the shore, and three o'clock next morning, she struck the rocks in four fathoms of water. The masts and rigging were cut adrift but this gave no relief. The screw became foul and ceased to act, the ship was then thrown broadside on to the rocks, and then came the intensity of terror. A Portuguese sailor volunteered to convey a rope to the shore, and perilous as was the attempt, he succeeded. Had time been given, probably most of the people would have been saved, but fate willed it otherwise. Wave succeeded wave, and played with the Royal Charter like a toy. She parted amidships and well nigh all on board were swept into the [sea]. In a few moments the work was done and 459 persons had to be numbered among the dead, either by drowning, or by being killed by the breaking up of the ship.