Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 2.djvu/436

 a wind on shore a ship off Pooree must be in an awkward position.

27th.—At 8 arrived off the floating light, a brig, anchored at the Sandheads; it was a beautiful night,—our signal-lights burnt brightly, and we were guided from time to time as we approached the vessel by the half-hour lights burnt on board her; the last light we had seen had been pretty distant, and steering by it, we suddenly perceived the brig on our quarter, about one hundred yards off,—her sails, masts, cordage, and hull glancing out in the darkness, and from the deep shadow, by the lurid glare of her blue light; the sight was beautifully spectral. A pilot came immediately on board; with a fine breeze and a press of sail we proceeded towards Saugor, anchored, and reported our arrival at the Sandheads. 28th.—A fine breeze bore us on until we anchored off the Bishop's Palace, at which time a north-wester came on, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. 29th.—Arrived off Baboo Ghāt, Calcutta, after a most agreeable voyage from the Cape, which, I believe, was enjoyed by every one on board. The "Robarts" was a fine vessel, one of the old teak Indiamen. With regret we saw the following extract in a newspaper in 1847:—  Wilful burning of an Indiaman.

"Considerable surprise has within the last day or two existed in the underwriters' room at Lloyd's, in consequence of the receipt of intelligence of the loss of another East India trader by fire, under circumstances that have justified the officers under whose command she was placed in apprehending the greater part of the crew on a charge of having maliciously occasioned the destruction of the ship. She was the 'Robarts,' of London, part the property of Messrs. Havisides and Co., of Cornhill, and was one of the old-fashioned teak-built Indiamen, of nearly 1 000 tons' burden. She was deeply laden with cotton and other merchandize, which had been shipped at Calcutta, as well as a number of passengers, and was on the point of sailing