Moderators. Harvey Goodwin, M. A., Carus. Examiners. Stephen Parkinson, M. A. St. John's. Arthur Cayley, M. A., Trinity. Charles Frederick Mackenzie, M. A., Caius. In all cases of equality the names are bracketed. REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES. THE BURNING OF THE "AMAZON.” HERE is something in a fire at affect the imagination: shipwreck, famine, thirst, all the dreadful perils of the winds and wavesharrowing as are the catastrophes they frequently involve-are reIceived as the natural " perils of the deep waters" to them "that go down to the sea in ships." It is perhaps the strong contrast of the elements of fire and water to which the sensation owes its force -the fearful alternative of death by the flames or the waves strikes the mind with dramatic power. Perhaps for these reasons, while the narratives of such terrible calamities as the wrecks of the Medusa or the Halsewell, or the still greater catastrophe of the Royal George, are recalled with deep interest, the burning of the Kent, Indiaman, of the Queen Charlotte, and more recently of the Ocean Monarch, stir the imagination with emotions to which the former can offer no comparison. The destruction of the mail steam ship Amazon in the Bay of Biscay was a catastrophe in no degree behind the most terrible on record in fearful interest. The Amazon was the last built of the magnificent vessels constructed for rapid communication with the West Indies. She was of 2250 tons burden, 310 feet in length, and fitted with engines of 800-horse power. Every improve had been adopted in her construction and equipment; she was fitted up with the utmost convenience and luxury for her passengers, and in this respect resembled a superb hotel afloat. This splendid vessel left Southampton on her first voyage at half-past three o'clock on the afternoon of Friday the 2nd January, having on board the mails, a very valuable cargo, 50 passengers, and a crew of 110 officers, engineers, and men. She was commanded by Captain Symons, a careful and experienced officer. During the remainder of Friday and the whole of Saturday the ship made rapid progress; everything went satisfactorily, except that the 66 bearings" of the engines-as is commonly or always the case with new machinery-became heated by the friction, and the speed was occasionally relaxed, or the vessel entirely stopped, to allow them to cool. Before one o'clock on Sunday morning the splendid vessel, her passengers and crew were involved in destruction in its most appalling forms! The ship was about 120 miles from the Lizard Light, and just entering the Bay of Biscay, the greater part of the passengers had retired to rest, and Captain Symons, who had been watching the weather-for it blew heavily right |