TREATMENT OF EMIGRANTS - THE SHIP "MERSEY."
In our last we mentioned the arrival here of the
Mersey, from Liverpool to New York, which put back
in distress a second time. This vessel sailed
from Liverpool, the first time, on the 30th Dec. and
again on the 24th March. The passengers are wandering
about our streets in a state of destitution. The
following details have been furnished by some of them:-
The Mersey, of 722 tons, left Liverpool for New York
on the 30th Dec. under the command of Captain W. Rea.
She proceeded on her voyage till 6th Feb. when she
encountered a violent storm, which continued till the
14th, when 170 of the passengers signed a petition to
the captain praying him to return, which request was
complied with; and the Mersey reached Liverpool on
the 25th, with mainmast sprung, and bulwarks, tiller,
and roundhouse, carried away. For the fortnight
previous, the passengers were short of provisions,
and they complain much of the prices charged for such
articles as were sold to them. She sailed again on
the 24th March, and on the day following she put back
from stress of weather. She remained till 3d April,
when she set sail, and had a prosperous voyage until
the 17th ult. when she encountered a strong gale of
head wind, in the course of which she sprung a leak;
and on the 18th she put about for the purpose of
making for the nearest port; but, when they got near
the Cove of Cork, they were again blown out to sea.
On 4th May they were boarded by a Clyde pilot under
peculiar circumstances:- A passenger had hung up a
shirt to dry, which got entangled with one of the
ropes; and when the crew were hauling, it got
hoisted to the top of the foretopmast, and was seen
by the pilot at a distance of seven miles, and he
instantly made for the ship, boarded, and brought
her to Grennock, after she had been 46 days out in
her second attempt to cross the Atlantic. She had
285 passengers on board; three had died, and one
had been born on the voyage. - GRENNOCK ADVERTISER.
