Colonial Despatches

I regret to inform you of the disastrous wreck of the American Steamer "Brother Jonathan" carrying the Mails and Passengers between San Francisco and this Colony.

I enclose a newspaper extract conveying the only particularswhich which have yet reached me.

The recklessness with which these scarcely seaworthy vessels are overloaded and navigated renders it a matter of surprise that disasters do not more frequently occur.

I was compelled to take passage in this unfortunate vessel when proceeding to this Colony last year, after being detained at San Francisco for 17 days for want of otherconveyance conveyance. On that occasion she was dangerously overloaded and had eleven hundred souls on board, being licensed to carry 450 only. The American Law is quite sufficient to prevent such doings but there was not an attempt made to enforce it. We struck the bar on entering the Columbia River, and a seafaring passenger assured me that "a few more bumpswould would have sent her in pieces like an old band box", which appears to have actually taken place on her last disastrous voyage.

The want of regular and safe mail communication between Panama and these Colonies—more especially between San Francisco and this Colony, is a great injury to British interests, and a great discredit to Englandand and America alike.

The Mail conveying this Despatch will be detained 10 days at San Francisco waiting a steamer to Panama where a further delay is probable.