20/08/1863 - 14/12/1863

With 312 Souls; Government Assisted Migrants. The Sir John Lawrence was anxiously anticipated during last week, and a shape look-out was kept for her, But she only arrived at the anchorage early on Monday morning, having left London on August 20th, and Plymouth on September 5th. After leaving the latter port a fortnight was spent before clearing the Channel, and 36 days passed before the Line was crossed. On October 24th sighted Tristan d'Achuna, and from there to latitude 44°30', longitude 75°48' fine weather prevailed; but being in that position on 20th November, she fell in with a hurricane of unusual violence, which swept away the quarter-boats, and volumes of water poured on deck, causing havoc and destruction to the deck gear, while aloft the maintopsail was blown away, foretopsail split in ribbons, and it continued with such fury as to oblige the captain to heave to under a tarpaulin the mizzen rigging. For 48 hours the gale raged and the vessel laboured very heavily, but without making water beyond what was shipped over the rail. Finally, the wind veered from N.E. to W.S.W., and moderated so as to enable her to be kept away on her course. On November 26th she picked up a ship's lifeboat, longitude 24°6', painted white, without name or other indication of ownership, but supposed by Captain Ellery to have been washed from some vessel during the continuation of the gale, as she did not appear to have been in the water for any great length of time. Register 15/12/1863