The owners of Lackham in the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries ...

The Manor of Lackham IV : 19 th & 20 th century owners
' From information which has been given me by boats which saw the Avenger
at sea the day of her loss, and adding the observations which I was enabled to
make the event happened in the following manner: —
' The Avenger had, during the day, run along the coast of Algeria, but on the
approach of night, being then north of Calle, and the weather having suddenly
become very had, with a great deal of wind from the north-west, the Captain of
the Avenger altered her course immediately to the northward, in order not to
be caught in the middle of a dangerous channel. As soon as he thought that
the ship had passed the parallel of the Sorelle, he resumed his course to the
eastward, satisfied that he would pass several miles to the northward of them.
He had not calculated on the currents which 1 have found at this dangerous
spot, and which, with a north-west wind, set to the south-eastward with a
rapidity of about 3 miles an hour. The track of the Avenger must have been
materially altered by this cause. When she steered east, she was only in the
latitude of the Sorelle, and was shortly afterwards, on a very dark night,
shattered against these rocks. The first shock must have been dreadful. It
took place on the point south-east of the north-west rock; when she cleared
this rock, which is at this spot thirteen feet below the surface, leaving a large
white furrow. she ran a hundred and sixty feet further, ;and struck on the
south-east rock, which is only al>out four feet (one metre twenty centimetres)
below the surface. She again marked the rock very distinctly. The sea which is
often very rough on this spot. has left nothing remaining but the massive part
of the engine, where it can be perceived between the two rooks, covered with
thick weed.
' The dangerous Sorclle , ore formed by two tables of rocks, distant about a
hundred and sixty feet from each other, and separated ba a channel of a
medium depth of thirty-nine to forty-nine feet (twelve to fifteen
metres).These two tables of rooks extend from the north-west to the southeast,
The north-west one has a diameter of 66 English fret (twenty metres), its
highest point is to the eastward, 16feet under water (five metres). The southeastern
has a diameter of 197 feet, (sixty metres), and its highest point is only
at a depth of 4 feet. This last point is situated, according to my observations,
which agree with the position laid down in the chart of Admiral Berard. in 37 o
24’ of north latitude, and 6 o 16’ 45”of east longitude from Paris, (or 8° 36’ 45”
east of Greenwich); 17’.4 miles S. 65 o 15’ W. of the east point of the Island of
Galita, and 27' 3 mile -s N 0 o 30’ E. of Cape Roux.'
The fate of the Avenger lends to many sad reflections. The last of the wrecks
described in tins volume. one of yesterday, as it were, was more disastrous than
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