'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎288] (307/622)

288
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
but the weather favoured our escape. They were busy after
we left in getting everything they could out of the 'Moozuffer,
and for a short time entertained the idea of endeavouring to
float her by means of empty casks, but the futility of such an
attempt soon became obvious, for she began to settle in the
quicksand on which she grounded, and is now abandoned, and,
I believe, invisible."
It is told of Commander Hewett, who felt acutely, as a sailor
would, the loss of his noble ship, that when his servant brought
up to him on deck the sword presented to him by the Court of
Directors in acknowledgment of his distinguished services in
China, he ordered him to take it below again, for, he added, "it
shall never be said of me that I saved anything when my men
lost their all." It was an act characteristic of this fine generous-
hearted seaman.
The officers and men of the ' Moozuffer remained at Kan-
goon until the ' Ferooz' proceeded with them to Bombay,
where she arrived from Madras on the 28th of September.
Commander Hewett was tried for the loss of the Moozuifer,
but was fully and honourably acquitted, not the slightest blame
attaching to him or any of his officers,* the loss of the ship
being attributable to the thick weather and an error in the dead
reckoning.
Misfortunes never come singly, and, before the close of the
year, another vessel of the Indian Navy, whose name has
repeatedly received honourable mention in these pages, came to
orief on the river where, during the past eighteen months, she
had performed such good service. On the 9th of December,
the ' Medusa,' Lieutenant II. A. Fraser, left Prome for Kamma,
fifteen miles to the northward, to resume her station on the
river frontier, but had only proceeded about half-way when she
struck on a sunken rock, which instantly stove in her bottom
close to the second compartment; and the vessel being in a
state of extreme weakness, owing to old age and decay, the
sudden rush of water destroyed compartment after compart
ment. The vessel filled so rapidly that some of the oflicers and
crew were obliged to jump overboard and swim for their lives;
only one man was drowned, and Lieutenant Fraser succeeded
in saving the treasure chest and most of the ship s papers, but
everything else, including the clothing of officers and crew, w
* The following were the officers of the ' Moozuffer' at tim ®
Lieutenants Child, Dickson, and Wmdus ; ® ur g eol L^ ' T pler Har-
Acting-Master Freeman; Mates Turner and Davis; Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. P ^
He's and Hawkins. With tlie exception of Acting-Master S
midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. , none of the above officershad sailed in ^e dmTurner
Bombay in February, 1852. Lieutenant Wmdus, Purser Gi^ ComlI iaiider
had joined her from the' Sesostns, and Mr. Davis from t the ( Sesostris'
Drought returned to Bombay in the 'Ferooz' on the transfer ot the
to the Bengal Marine.