The Times, Monday, Feb 05, 1866; pg. 11; Issue 25413; col B THE LOSS OF THE LONDON. ----------------------- OFFICIAL INQUIRY. [continued] William DANIELL was the next witness. He said he was quartermaster on board the London during her second voyage and her last one. The London left Plymouth on the morning of the 6th ult. about 20 minutes after 12 a.m. The weather was then fine. That was Saturday morning. On Sunday evening it came on to blow very heavily from the S.W. and continued increasing in violence up till about noon on Tuesday. About 7 o'clock that morning the port lifeboat was washed away. The sea having struck the ship, she lurched over to leeward and unhooked the lifeboat. He was at the wheel at the time. The vessel was then on the starboard tack and heading about W., and the wind was S.S.W. Captain BAKER. - Then, the ship was on the port tack? The witness, - No, Sir; she was on the starboard tack. Both the Nautical Assessors said this could not be. If the vessel was heading as described by the witness and the wind on the points he stated, the vessel must have been on the port tack. The wind must have been about N.N.W. if she was on the starboard tack. The witness persevered in stating that the ship was on the starboard tack, but when told two or three times over by the Nautical Assessors that she could not have been so, if the wind was S.S.W., he ultimately said that perhaps it was N.N.W. In reply to further questions from the Nautical Assessors, the witness said he was at the wheel when the ship was tacked and brought on the port tack. That was about 3 in the afternoon, but he could not say on what day. She was brought round head to wind, with all the fore and aft canvas down. When she was brought on the port tack the fore and aft canvas was set again. They were then going slowly ahead, her head being N.N.E. and the wind N.W. He heard no directions given any time by the captain or any other officer of the ship to make to Plymouth, but he concluded they were making for Plymouth when the ship was put round. At 4 o'clock he was relieved, and went below. This was either on Wednesday or Tuesday, but he did not know upon which of those days. It was before the water broke into the engine-room. The ship was on the same tack - the port tack - when the hatchway was carried away on the Wednesday night. He could not recollect how many hours before the hatchway was carried away she was brought round to the port tack. She was changed round again to the starboard tack about 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning of the day she sank. This was to bring the boats round from windward. The mizenstaysail was set when the ship went down. Half the maintopsail was also set; the other half was blown away at the starboard side just after the engine-room hatchway had been carried away. The vessel then fell into the trough of the sea, and the mizenstaysail was set to keep her up. She was on the starboard tack when she went down, her head about W., and the wind N.W. By Mr. O'DOWD. - Having gone down below about an hour after the vessel had been turned on the port tack, before the hatchway was carried away, he returned to the deck at 8 o'clock, when he went to the wheel again and remained at it till 10. Nothing happened during those two hours. He was called up a little after 10 on the Wednesday night. All hands, the crew, and passengers, except the women, were called up at the same time. He was told to come and lend a hand to secure the hatchway. All went up, and when he got on deck some of the men had one sail, and were just covering it over the hatchway. They got more sails and nailed them down over the hatchway one after another. At that time he saw the skylight down on the leeside. He could not say whether it was broken or not. He continued on the deck or between decks, but did not go into the engine-room. He did not know what became of the skylight eventually. He next went to the wheel at 2 o'clock on the morning of the 11th. The ship was then heading N.N.E., and the wind was about N.W. or N.W. by W. He found that the ship was settling down by the stern before the stern-ports were forced in. He noticed that at 2 a.m. He did not notice that the breaking-in of the stern-ports made much difference in the progress of her settling down. He was at the wheel from 2 to 4, and went to it again at 6, and remained till he left in the boat at 2. The vessel was still close to the wind. He remained at the wheel because no other quartermaster came to relieve him. All hands were at work baling out water from the under saloon. By Captain BAKER. - The ship was never before the wind from the time she left Plymouth except for the few minutes during which they were wearing her round. During those few minutes she rolled more, and laboured heavily, the seas coming right over the poop. In getting away from the ship they broke one of the oars. He was quite sure the ship was never before the wind except for the few minutes he had mentioned, though she had square sails set for some time. By Captain HARRIS. - When they got into the boat he pulled an oar sometimes and sometimes steered. He had a bow oar when they were leaving the ship. He took no particular charge of the boat, but he gave his opinion and advice. Captain HARRIS. - I believe, though, you took a little of a lead? The witness. - Well, I did. Others also gave their opinion. When she was being put round the ship gave a very heavy lounge, but nothing was carried away. The topmast had gone before. He saw the jibboom after it had been taken in. It had gone over under the bows and right into the water, where it floated along by the ship on the starboard side, held on by the wire-guys. It was got in on the Wednesday afternoon. By Captain BAKER. - He did not know whether the water had increased in the lower saloon during the morning while the passengers and crew were baling it out. After the flying jibboom was got in he saw the lashings at the aft end cut, and that end secured over the hatchway. He saw some one lifting the other end, but whether the lashings were cut at the fore end he did not know. That was after the skylight was carried away. The inquiry was then adjourned till to-day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End of day 6 of the inquiry. Petra