The East India trader Randolph, of London, was
Wrecked on the coast of the Mauritius, on the night of
the 25th of July, immediately after she had taken her
departure from Port Louis for Calcutta. She had on
board 250 steerage passengers, natives, consisting of men,
women, and children, for Calcutta; also Lieut. Holland
and Ensign Scott, of the 48th Regiment. Near
midnight a cry was raised of "Breakers ahead," and the
captain found that he was close to a dangerous reef of
rocks, upon which the ship immediately struck, and fell
over on her beam-ends. As the vessel went over the
scramble for life amongst the crew became desperate.
Men, women, and children were seen hanging to and
crawling up the sides of the wreck. Some fell into the
surf, and by clinging to floating spars preserved
themselves, while others were swept away, and met with a
watery grave, Ensign Scott being amongst those who
perished. In the morning, daylight disclosed their
actual position. Land was observed two miles distant,
the space between the wreck and the beach being studded
with small, steep, dangerous patches of rock. The
boats happily remained whole; with great exertions, all
the survivors were safely landed; and the chief officer,
Mr. Scott, was despatched to Port Louis, about thirty
miles distant, with intelligence of the calamity. The
governor immediately forwarded a steamer to the spot,
and on its arrival it was found that she could render
little service; the ship was fast breaking up, and the
cargo scattered in all directions. It was found that,
besides Ensign Scott, who was a young man of one-and-
twenty, between 29 and 30 of the passengers, and two
of the crew, had perished.

SOCIAL, SANITARY, AND MUNICIPAL
PROGRESS.

A BANQUET was given at Bangor, on the 27th of August,
to Mr. Robert Stephenson, in commemoration of the
successful accomplishment of the great works at the
Menai and Conway Straits, Colonel Douglas Pennant,
M.P., was in the chair; above 300 gentlemen of the
principality were present, and many men distinguished
in the world of science. In acknowledging the toast
proposed by the Chairman, Mr. Stephenson made a
most interesting speech, in the course of which he
eloquently enlarged on the great benefits which England
has experienced from the formation of railways. "Their
influence on society," he said, "has not been to give the
prodigious impetus to that commercial prosperity which
has been so long the distinguishing feature of our
country, but they have thrown and diffused a happiness
throughout every corner of our happy land; and more
especially, of all public works which man ever conceived,
they have, I believe, diffused more comfort to the working
man than any other. They have raised him, in point
of locomotion, to a level with the peer of the realm.
They have carried comfort and warmth to his hearth, by
means from which he could never derive it before. And
the question naturally arises, how has all this been
accomplished? what peculiarity or circumstance in our
social condition has rendered us able, in so short a period
as twenty years, to realise this, the last degree of this
most stupendous system of improvement? I answer,
we have been enabled to do it from one circumstance
alone—that is, the abundance and cheapness of iron.
That consideration, gentleman, reminds me of an instance
that occurred the other day in Copenhagen, when I was
visiting a large museum, in company of a very learned
professor, who had wasted a whole life in the study of
the history of the life of man; of a gentleman who had
spent a life in studying and collecting a museum of the
productions and inventions of mankind, from the lowest
depths of barbarism to the highest state of civilisation.
It was, gentlemen, one of the most interesting lectures
I ever experienced and listened to in my life. He was
enthusiastic, and intelligent, and accomplished; and he
accompanied me throughout the whole of the exhibition.
He explained and pointed out to me what were the first
tools which man had used—they were all composed of
bones or hard stone. They had no hatchets or implements
like ours then, and nothing in the shape even of
a fishhook but a bone. He traced the advance and
progress of man, up to a state a little nearer and a little
more perfect; and he called my attention to this fact,—
'Now, you perceive what has been the progress of man up
to that point; but as soon as he discovered iron, mark after
that time how rapid his advances were.' Those advances
were rapid, it is true, for man then invented the crossbow,
the musket, the armour, and so on. I did not make
this digression, gentlemen, for the purpose of expressing
what took place in the exhibition to which I have been
referring, but rather to express to you what train of
thought the lecture or observations of this gentleman
produced on my mind. I thought he was quite right
that iron was a great civiliser, but how little does the
philosopher or professor comprehend what iron is doing
about him? He has been busy investigating ancient
history, and not in appreciating what has been going on
around him, as I am. I might have stated that in
England has been produced from the bowels of the earth
in the last twenty years more rude stone than, when
converted into railway bars, and laid end to end, would
form an iron girdle round the earth itself. I might have
said that we are daily producing from the bowels of the
earth a raw material, in its crude state apparently of no
worth, but which, when converted into a locomotive
engine, flies with a speed exceeding that of the bird,
and advances wealth and comfort throughout the
country. These are the powers of iron."

An American yatch has proved her superiority to
those of British build, hitherto regarded as unrivalled.
At the great annual regatta at Cowes, on the 22nd of
August, the prize was gained by the "America,"
belonging to the American yatch squadron, which
distanced all her competitors, eighteen of the finest vessels
of our yatch clubs. The contest excited the strongest
interest, and was witnessed by Her Majesty. An attempt
was afterwards made by Mr. Robert Stephenson to recover
for his country the honour yielded to the United States
on this occasion. He started his iron yatch, "Titania,"
a vessel built on the most approved principles, against
the America, to sail from the Nab light, twenty miles
out and back. The match took place on the 28th, and
the "Titania" was as signally beaten as any of the yatchs
at the Cowes regatta.—The "America" has since been
purchased by the Hon. Captain de Blaquiere, for the
sum of £5000 sterling. Our yatch proprietors are
beginning to imitate the construction of the America.

Messrs. Bramah's Padlock, many years exhibited in
their window in Piccadilly, with an offer of two hundred
guineas to any one who should pick or open it, has been
opened by Mr. Hobbs, an American locksmith. Mr.
Hobbs having accepted the challege, Mr. George Rennie,
F.R.S., Professor Cowper, of King's College, and
Dr. Black, of Kentucky, were appointed arbitrators.
These gentlemen, on the 2nd inst., declared their opinion
that Mr. Hobbs had fairly opened the lock, and
awarded to him the two hundred guineas, which Messrs.
Bramah have paid.

Public Baths and Washhouses were opened at Greenwich
on the 1st inst. The building and freehold ground
cost £10,000. The baths are at the west entrance of the
town, nearly opposite the Railway station; the style is
Elizabethan. There are forty-two separate baths, two
plunge baths, and twenty wash-tubs. The plunge baths
are not yet ready for use. On the first day there were
366 bathers, including 22 women. Annual tickets are
issued at a guinea.

Some time since, Lord Seymour purchased the Gate
House, in the High Street, Totness, at a cost of about
£1000, presented it to the inhabitants, fitly furnished for
a Mechanics' Institute, library, and reading-room. The
principal residents of all parties and sects acknowledged
the gift, on the 2nd inst., by a public dinner to the
donor.

Extensive works for the improvement of navigation
and the Reclamation of Land are in progress at King's
Lynn. Messrs. Peto and Betts are executing a contract
by which a new channel, 4 miles long, 30 feet deep,
265 feet in width at bottom, and 518 at the surface, will
extend from the town into the Wash, while 30,000 acres
of land will be reclaimed. Since December last, 1200
men have been employed, and the work goes on well.

A rich bed of Iron-stone, of great extent, has been