“You are aware of my leaving this port on the 24th ultimo, with passengers and goods for Mexico, and I beg to acquaint you of my return here this morning at one o’clock, under the following circumstances:-- “On Tuesday last, the 1st instant, being then in latitude 47° 30′ and longitude 9° 45′, laying-to, with a strong gale from the westward, under a close-reefed main-topsail, we discovered a large sail to the westward, and on approaching found her to have a signal of distress flying, which induced me immediately to render every assistance in my power, and on nearing, found her to be on fire. “About three P.M., being then on her bow, we succeeded in getting the first boat from the vessel, which proved to be the Hon. Company’s ship ‘Kent’ (Captain Cobb), of 1400 tons, for Bengal and China, with troops and passengers amounting, with the crew, to 637 souls. From three to eight P.M. the boats were constantly employed in bringing the people to the ‘Cambria,’ and succeeded in saving 296 officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, 46 women and 52 children appertaining to ditto, 19 male and female private passengers, and Captain Cobb and 139 of the crew, amounting in all to 553. The flames now becoming exceedingly fierce, I could not urge the sailors again to return to the ship, nor deem it at all prudent for the preservation of the lives already on board my vessel to remain longer near the ‘Kent,’ expecting her instantly to blow up. By accounts since made it is supposed that 68 soldiers, 1 woman and 21 children, and 4 of the crew were left when Captain Cobb quitted the vessel, whose conduct during the trying occasion is beyond my humble praise, displaying the greatest coolness and intrepidity, and by his exertions, and those of Colonel Fearon, the commander of the troops, who were the last to quit, the women, children, and passengers were got into the boats; and they did not leave themselves until their influence to induce any more to go into them was useless.