§ MR. KINNAIRDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, If there be any truth in the reports circulated in the public papers, that great confusion and want of discipline existed on board Her Majesty's ship "Agincourt" during the time she was on the Pearl Rock, and that nothing was done towards getting her off during that period; and, if not, whether any acknowledgment of the fact that every effort was made to rescue the ship has been communicated to her Officers and Men?
§ MR. GOSCHENsaid, in reply, that he had never seen any statement to the effect that there was any want of discipline, or that confusion reigned on board the Agincourt, except in one letter addressed to the public papers by Mr. Bland, who signed, himself "A Merchant of Gibraltar." He thought he could cite one proof that there was no confusion or want of discipline—namely, the fact that all the stores, &c., were saved. The Admiral wrote—
It only remains for me to say that of all the guns, stores, provisions, sails, and spars, nothing was lost except a few trivial articles. I confess I was astonished at finding that even the whole of the innumerable small fittings of iron and matters connected with the guns and carriages were so carefully removed to the shore that on the guns being taken back afterwards everything was found in its place, and the Agincourt, sailed out of 1571 Gibraltar ten days after the accident in as complete and serviceable a condition as on the departure of the squadron.