§ MR. MACDONALDasked the President of the Board of Trade, If any inquiry has been held, or if not, when it will be, into the circumstances of the loss of the steamship "Wells," lost with all her crew, which sailed from Memel in December last with a cargo of linseed, which was apparently loaded in bulk, judging by the letter (of the mate to his wife) picked up on the north-east coast, and which was also complained of by the writer of the letter as being much too deeply laden?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYThe Board of Trade, Sir, has made most complete inquiry into the loss of the Wells, through the Consul at Dantzic, and the evidence obtained by the Vice Consul at Memel, where she loaded, partly from the shippers, partly from the Master of Pilots, was that her cargo was linseed, carefully stowed, the hatches being very well secured—more so than in most cases. Her load-line was a foot out of water. She might have loaded deeper, but for the shallowness of the water over the bar. The owner asked for a formal inquiry, but the Board of Trade thought it unnecessary. The letter picked up in the bottle was certainly wrong in its main allegation, that the load-line was under water.