“ Captain Caberet, the worthy captain of the Souffleur, prepared for sea with a promptitude that does him much credit. He will, however, have great difficulty in discovering the precise position in which the melancholy accident happened, for the information given by the crew and passengers rescued by the Gertruida is so vague and unsatisfactory that he must be guided a good deal by his own intelligence and circumstances. ”

“ The Amazon is described as having been a splendid vessel; her machinery is also spoken of in high terms. From the main deck up she is said to have been built of pine fir, which, when once ignited, speedily carried the flames in all directions, and thus lead the more quickly to her destruction, and the fearful loss of life among her passengers and crew. ”

“ Captain Symons ordered some hay, between the engine-room crank gratings, to be thrown overboard; two trusses were hove over the ship’s side, but the fire soon ignited the main body, the hen coops on each side and the paddleboxes, the men were obliged to abandon the deck, and those who could leave were all finely driven from the ship. Many were burnt in their births, others suffocated, and a great number were drowned in the lowering of the boats. ”

“ The sudden and appalling account of the total destruction by fire of the Royal Mail steam ship Amazon at the entrance of the Bay of Biscay, and the loss of the majority of her passengers, officers, and crew, has caused the most wide spread sorrow in Southampton among the numerous persons having friends or relatives on board the ill-fated ship. The Amazon was commanded by Captain William Symonds, a gentleman of known and tried courage and abilities. ”

“ Every possible exertion was made to put out the fire, but all was ineffectual. The mail boat was lowered, with 20 or 25 persons in it, but was immediately swamped and went astern, the people clinging to one another. They were all lost. The pinnacle was next lowered, but she hung by the fore tackle, and being swamped the people were all washed out of her. In lowering the second cutter the sea raised her and unhooked the fore tackle, so that she fell down perpendicularly, and all but two of the persons in her were washed out. ”

“ Several of the old ships will now have to be retained on the mail line till other vessels to replace the missing ships can be constructed, and in the meantime much inconvenience will be experienced by the disorganization into which the general mail service will necessarily be thrown by the non-employment of steamers of sufficient power and speed with which to maintain the chain of communication between this country and the West Indies, Central America, The Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, &c. ”

“ We have no doubt the directors will make every effort to remedy this state of things with out delay, but a considerable time must elapse before so great a blow can be recovered, and the traffic will necessarily suffer to some extent by the competition of the New York route, which is found to be more speedy for the transmission of mails, passengers, and treasure from the Pacific and some other points, than can be provided by the old West India packets, which are, when compared with other ocean steamers, so deficient in speed. ”

“ The new Royal Mail steam ship Amazon, Captain Symons, which left Southampton on Friday for the West Indies and the Gulf of Mexico, has been totally consumed by fire, and of 153 persons who were on board her when she left, it is feared only 21 have been saved. ”

“ Some of the survivors will probably be able to give important evidence on this point. The loss of life, the swamping of the boats, and all the other horrors of this afflicting event are too easily accounted for. The position of the fire rendered it impossible to get at the engines, in order to stop them. When the ship’s head was to windward the flames swept the afterdecks, where the passengers chiefly were. ”

“ Immediately on the news of their arrival here, several ladies hastened to send them the clothing which they so much wanted. The family of Sir Anthony Perrier also hurried to the assistance of their distressed countrywomen, and, with their ordinary humanity, had the two ladies and their child removed to their house, where they are now receiving the care and attention which they so much require. One of the ladies, Mrs. Elenor Roper MacLean (see Per The Medical Directory 1853) is severely burnt, but not to the danger of her life. ”

“ The darkness of night might have by chance prevented those in the life-boat from observing all that took place, yet the strong impression among them seems to be that they are the only survivors. The list of passengers believed to have been lost is as follows: - (50, including) ... Mr. Glennie, Vera Cruz... The fearful account of life and death, therefore, by the loss of the Amazon stands thus at present – Ship’s company ... 110 Admiralty agent ... 1 Passengers ... ”