2-982-613 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Ship "Bengal" rescuing the crew of "The Child of the Regiment", 1858. Engraving from a sketch by Theodore Walter, chief officer of the Child of the Regiment. 'The barque Bengal, Captain Oates, from Calcutta, rescued the crew of the American ship Child of the Regiment on the 15th of November last, in the Atlantic...[The US ship was damaged in a storm and sprung a leak] '...we sighted the barque Bengal; signalled that we were in distress, and asked her to stay by us for the night. Next morning...the gale unabated; seven feet of water in the hold; pumps completely choked; men thoroughly worn out; sails blown away; and no prospect of the ship keeping afloat another day...[We] succeeded in getting all hands on board the Bengal, where we were very kindly received by Captain Oates...It was to us an awful and affecting sight to see that noble ship - for such she was - struggling with the elements in her last agonies. As the day closed we lost sight of her, but she was seen to go down in the early part of the night by a vessel astern of us. The Child of the Regiment was a fine specimen of maritime architecture, registering 1200 tons, and had on board 2000 tons of guano, consigned to Anthony Gibbs and Sons".' From "Illustrated London News", 1858.