The Times, Thursday, Feb 08, 1866; pg. 7; Issue 25416; col E THE LOSS OF THE LONDON. ----------------------- OFFICIAL INQUIRY. [continued] Renewed efforts were made to batten down the hatchway, but the witness considered they did more harm than good, for by removing portions of the covering from time to time larger masses of water came pouring down into the engine-room. At this time witness heard Captain MARTIN call out to Mr. HARRIS to lower the boats, pointing, as witness believed, to the two iron boats. Mr. HARRIS, addressing Mr. GREENHILL, said, "The old man wants the boats down; what am I to do?" meaning, as witness supposed, that he (HARRIS) did not at that time wish to give up the attempt to cover over the hatchway. Witness again went down into the saloon, and he found that at that time the general impression among the passengers was that all hope was gone. Having heard two of the sailors talk about getting one of the starboard iron boats lowered, he said to one of them that he would lend him a hand, to which the sailor replied "All right." The witness then described the manner in which the boat was lowered, but was finally lost, and also the way in which he succeeded in getting on board the ship again. About 1 o'clock on that Thursday he saw some sailors sitting in the cutter, which was still hanging by the tackles to the ship; but they all came on board again. KING and SHEALS then went to the captain and told him that they would square the mainyards, and run her before the wind. Mr. HARRIS then called out, "Loose the foresail." He did not know how many hands went foreward, but the ship paid round by the lee, and he then heard them say, "Lower away; this is the time." All the men said it. But previously KING was heard by witness to say to the captain, - "Captain MARTIN, will you come with us?" Witness did not hear the captain's answer, but saw him make a gesture which witness understood to mean that he would remain with the ship. KING then asked the captain what course it was to the nearest land, and a course was given by the captain; but witness did not hear what it was. He was not in the boat at the time the cry was given to lower away; indeed, he was in doubt whether he would go in or not, the other boats having been lost; but, seeing two of his friends already in the boat, he jumped in too and joined them, and he did not think they were two seconds alongside the ship after that. He considered the ship to be deep in the water, and to be less lively and buoyant than other ships. It made worse weather of it when it got into bad weather than any ship he had ever been in. David Gavin MAIN, also a passenger in the London, said that when he went on board at Gravesend he did not think the ship was such as a passenger ship for so long a voyage ought to be. The hatches were not what they should have been - they admitted water freely, and he observed before reaching Plymouth that the water flowed up on deck from the water-closets. On Wednesday morning he asked Mr. HARRIS why he did not cut away the jibboom which had become a wreck, when he said he was afraid if he were to do so it would damage the screw. The hatchways were not such as any passenger ship should have. The water came in between the combings and the cover, and he considered the combings to be much too low. The witness said that on Wednesday night he was thoroughly exhausted, and had a sound sleep. Mr. MUNRO came and roused him up, saying that the ship was sinking. Witness replied that that was alright, but he did not expect the ship would go down for two or three days. He was at that time quite prepared to die. Nobody on board then had any hope. The ship was like a log on the water. The witness, after giving a similar account of the way in which the boat was lowered to that given by other witnesses, said that before getting into the boat he felt the ship gradually sinking under him, and he then thought there might be a slight chance of escaping in the boat and he immediately jumped into it. The ship was then settling fast, and he believed that at that very time they were all dead on board. Mr. O'DOWD then observed that the Court had been engaged in that inquiry for nine days, and no less than 30 witnesses had been examined. It might appear unreasonable to ask the Court for a further adjournment; but, notwithstanding every effort to complete the evidence that day, he found there were some material points of the inquiry respecting which it was necessary to adduce some supplementary testimony. One of the witnesses he proposed to call was in a remote part of the kingdom, and under these circumstances he asked the Court to adjourn the proceedings till Monday next. The public were looking very anxiously at everything that occurred in that court, and he hoped very quickly to get through the inquiry in such a manner as to satisfy the public mind. Mr. TRAILL said the object of the Court was to get every possible information that would tend to throw light upon this deplorable case. A letter had appeared in The Times signed by the captain of a vessel which was supposed to have come under the stern of the London. It would be desirable to get the writer of that letter before the Court if possible. Mr. O'DOWD said it appeared that the name of the ship was the Courier, and that the captain's name was PRICE, the ship belonging to New South Wales. If the captain should be in this country at the next meeting, he would call him before the Court. The inquiry was then adjourned till Monday next. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End of day 9 of the inquiry. Petra