Alexandria Gazette

A Vessel purposely Sunk.—Our mercantile readers will doubtless recollect the late trial of Field vs. the Ocean Office for the insurance of the brig Francis, which sprung a leak, and was run ashore on Cranberry Head. Field was master and part owner, and recovered his insurance against the office, which set up fraud as a defence. About $4000 of the insurance has been paid—and the abandoned brig has long since passed into other hands.— She is now at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, undergoing repairs. While examining her bottom, the carpenters, found that five large holes had been bored in one of her main timbers below. The holes were stopped up by moveable plugs. On the inside the plugs were hid by a short piece of wood "graved in" over the holes. The supposition is, that after the brig was the first time ran ashore, this piece of wood was removed by a chisel, there being no nails in it, and the plugs driven through the bottom.— She then of course leaked very fast—an alarm was raised, and all haste was made to get her into shoal water. This was effected, and as she lay high and dry, at low tide, the holes were replugged on the outside, so as not to attract the attention of the surveyors who examined her. A merchant in Yarmouth, and the U. S. Consul there, learning these facts, apprized Col. Adams, President of the Ocean Office, of them, and sent him up the fragment of the timber thus bored, and it may now be seen at that office.—Boston Post.