In the morning after the wreck, a seaman of the Runnymede lost his life by the following piece of disobedience and fool-hardy temerity. Captain Doutty was sitting in Captain Stapleton's cabin, consulting with the military officers as to the best mode of getting the women and children on shore, when it was perceived that one of the seamen had placed himself by the cabin windows, apparently dressed for a swim. Captain Doutty enquired what brought him there: he instantly replied, "We are all alike now." Captain Doutty told him he was mistaken if he thought so, for that whilst two planks of the ship held together, he was determined to keep the command, and ordered him to leave the cabin. As he appeared unwilling to go, the chief officer was desired to send him forward. Being called accordingly, he refused, with an oath, to go, and immediately threw himself from the cabin window, and swam towards the shore, which he never reached, as the receding waves kept him out until he was exhausted, and the ship's company saw him sink without being able to assist him. This man's fate had the effect of keeping the others quiet until the water had fallen sufficiently to enable them to wade through it to the shore. After the landing Colonel Bunbury took the chief command of all parties. We shall now find it most convenient to ourselves, as well as entertaining to our readers, to continue our narrative in the shape of a journal, only noticing those days on which any circumstances worth recording occurred. _Wednesday, 13th._--At daybreak, nearly low water, all hands returned on board and commenced getting up provisions for landing. All more or less damaged. The Briton had lost all her boats, and the Runnymede's long boat was the only one they had, and that was badly stove, so that the water had run through her, and thereby prevented her being washed off the deck by the waves: and she eventually became the means, by God's blessing, of obtaining that assistance which saved the sufferers from perishing on a desert island. The carpenters, therefore, of both ships were ordered to report how long a time it would take to put this boat into a state fit to proceed to sea to seek assistance. They reported eight days. After a personal communication, Captains Doutty and Hall received from Captain Sayers, of the 80th regt. the following order, putting their ships' crews under martial law, which was twice read to each crew. _Troop Ship "_Briton_,"_ _12th Nov. 1844._ Dear Sir,