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Tan Queen and Prince Albert, with their household, left Osborne on Monday, for Windsor. •
A painful and fatal accident occurred on the route. The Grampus frigate had just arrived at Spit-head from the Pacific. Five women of Portsmouth, who had relatives among the crew, hired an open boat to put them on board; and bribed two watermen to take them out in the midst of a strong gale of wind—in the midst of weather so rough that the foul- weather flag was hung out at Portsmouth. The boat was swamped, not far off the Grampus, and in the way of the Queen's yacht. The accident was not seen from any ship, and became known on board the Fairy from a Customhouse boat unceremoniously steering across her bows, to rescue a man seen in the water clinging to his capsized boat. At this point, Prince Al- bert's eye seems to have been the first to discover other persons in the water. Be ran out of the cupola on deck, exclaiming, " Stop her, stop her! I see six 'persons overboard! Lower the boat!" The barge was lowered in- stantly; and Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence hastened with a crew to the point indicated by the Prince. Three women were found floating, one of them holding by a plank and alive, the others apparently dead; but they were all taken ashore and put under medical charge. The first was slowly recovered; the others showed some signs of life, but were not ultimately Saved.
Queen Victoria was deeply affected by the incident. She sent the yacht to assist in searching for other bodies; and delayed her journey to learn the result. [From the inquest held on Wednesday, it appears that one waterman and four women were drowned.] The Royal party arrived at Windsor late in the evening; much anxiety having arisen there on account of the unexplained delay.
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