§ MR. ANDERSONasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, If he had observed in the "Standard" that a ship called the "Brunette" on her arrival at St. John's, Newfoundland, five weeks ago, reported "several vessels, including one steamship, fast in the ice, about 150 miles from land;" and, whether anything had been done to ascertain the truth of the report, or to search for those vessels and afford them relief; or, if not done already, if it would now be done?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVRESir, the attention of the Admiralty has not been called to the statement referred to by my hon. Friend, nor has any application been made to them on the subject by the Board of Trade, or by anybody representing the mercantile community. I may remind my hon. Friend, however, that I stated a few nights ago that Her Majesty's ship Blanche is now cruising to the eastward of the banks of Newfoundland, in search of traces of the Atalanta, very much in the district referred to in his Question. It is probable, therefore, that she would hear of or come across any vessels in the condition alleged, and would then do her best to relieve them.