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1^1 1 
 
 
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 til 
 
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 ■ 
 
 5^51 - 
 
 
 
 NARRATIVE 
 
 
 OF THE 
 
 
 
 S:H1PWRECK AND SUFFERINGS 
 
 OF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS OP TUH 
 
 ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUJVE, 
 
 "^n 
 
 W|wcb was wrecked tn a violent snow Storm ^^ 
 Q^ January, 1830, oa her passage from Bristol, 
 
 to Qjiebec. 
 
 Hh 
 
 
 By JOHN SMITH, 
 latlvo of New- York, and Chief Mate of said Brig^, 
 
 Of seventeei souls on board bat six succeeded io reael^ 
 
 ing the shore, among whom was the wife and a son of 
 
 the captain, who was unfortunately drowned in an 
 
 attempt to save the life of one of his children — the 
 
 iurvivors, after eodorins great hardships for 14 
 
 days, on a wild and uninhabited coast, were 
 
 fortunately discovered and conducted to-an 
 
 English settlement by a friendly IndiaDi^ 
 
 sase 
 
 NEW-YORK, Published by J. Skith^ price 12 12 Cfs* 
 
 183a, 
 
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 Southern District 0/ New-Tor k^ s.s. 
 
 BE IT REMEMBERED, Th?t oD the twentv fourth ddjp 
 •f March, one thousand eight hundred and thirty* and in 
 the fifty fourth year of the Independence of the United ; 
 States of America, JOHN SMITH, of said District, bath 
 deposited in this office the title of a book, the right where- 
 •f he claims as author, in the following words, to wit. — 
 ** Narrative of the Shipwreck and Sufferings of the crew of 
 ihc English Bri^ Neptune, which was wrecked in a Tiolent 
 •now storm on thei2th January, 1830 1 on her passage from 
 Bristol (Eng.) to Quebec. — By John Smith, a native cf New- 
 York, and chief Mate of said Brig— of seventeen souls on , 
 koard but six succeeded in reaching the shore, among whonii 
 YMtiM wife andeonofth Captain, whewas unfortunately 
 frowned in an attempt to save the life of one of his children-^ 
 Ihe aunrivors, after enduring great hardships for 14 days, on 
 a wild and uninhabited coast, were fortunately discovered 
 •nd conducted to an English settlement by a friendly Indian. 
 
 fai conformity to an act of Congress of the United Stateg, 
 entitled ** an act for tha encouragement of learning by so* 
 curing the copies of maps, charts and books to< the authorf 
 And proprietors of such copies during the time therein mcJ^ 
 tioned, and also to an act entitled " an act supplementary 
 io an act entitled an act for the encouragement of learning 
 hj securing the copidb of mape,%harts and books, to the 
 authors and proprietors of such copies during the time there> 
 ill mentioned, and e?rtending the benefits thereof to the artA 
 af de8igning,engraving and etching historical and other printQ< 
 Witness, Fred^ J< Bbtts. 
 
 I»terk of the Southern District of N.yorkK 
 
 .%<.: "':■ 'V 
 
 l:^< 
 
 t*'-*^ 
 
ni in 
 nited - 
 bath 
 here- 
 nt.— 
 
 BW of 
 
 tolent 
 from 
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 nately 
 Iren— ' 
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 Dvered 
 kdian. 
 Btateg, 
 by 80* 
 lujthorf 
 
 ueidary 
 earning 
 to the 
 etherer»^v 
 the arts^ ^ 
 rprintsi -* 
 
 SHIPWRECK AND SUFFERINGS 
 OF THE dREW AND PASSENGERS OF Tff& 
 
 BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 AFTER ao absence of nearly three yean.,. 
 from .my native country, on^the 2sih day of Novem- 
 ber, 1829, I shipped as first mate on board the brig 
 ^. J&eptunef Captain Charles Mason, for a voyage from 
 Briflitol (Eng.) to Quebec ; with the promise of there 
 receiving my discharge, and with the intention of 
 proceeding from thence to the city of New-York, 
 where, I supposed; 1 hadan aged' and widowed motht 
 er living. I had flattered myself with the >pro»pecti 
 of a short and pleasant voyage^ but so fw' from its 
 being realized, it was my misfortune to experie&ce a 
 sad reverse— the most remarkable events ofwhich, I 
 must beg liberty to relate as they occurred, without 
 eraament or art—I am but little used to writing, the 
 reader must not>, therefore, espect to meet with any 
 
 t'-'.-r'ir^ 
 
 
 i^"^^-^ 
 
SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 manner ofelegnncf* in my stile, in which he will find 
 nothing but the frank language of h shI I or, which I- 
 hope, will be accepted as an apology for it? incorrect- 
 ness. We set sail about nine A. Al. with seventeen 
 souls on boatc)| including the captain's wife and (wo 
 sons, one six and the other eight years of age. The 
 wind continued with little variation favourable, and 
 the weather not unpleasant, untti late in the after- 
 Doon of the 2d of January, when we experienced o 
 thift of wind nearly a-head, which from its rapid in* 
 •rease, and beclouded and threatening aspect of the- 
 horizon, was considered as a sure indication of an ap- 
 proaching storm— at twelve at night, the wind in- 
 creased almost to a hurricane *, but having a staunch 
 good vessel, and as we supposed a plenty of sea room, 
 we, at its commencement, apprehended but littll^ 
 danger, but in this we too soon found our mistake^ 
 for having now reached a cold latitude, in an inclem- 
 ent season, and the wind rather increasing than abj^i^— - 
 ing, in the morning of the 3d, the sails and the rigging 
 became so stiff with ice, as to render the brig almost 
 unmanageable, and the sun .being completely ob« 
 scared and' bidden from our sight by thick clouds, 
 and .preventing an observation, we were left to the 
 mercy of the winds, which were driiring us we knew 
 not whither, but in the opinion of all, far out of our 
 course, as it afterward proved — what we all suffered 
 from the intense cold (particularly the wife and chil- 
 dren of the poor unfortunate captain) can be best 
 conceived by such of -my sea-fariitg brethren, whost 
 
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 ^-■ 
 
 '.¥ 
 
 ■m 
 
 
 I , 
 
 .m 
 
T.NOUSH BRIG KEPTUNU. 
 
 Snd 
 h I 
 ect- 
 :een 
 iwo 
 Th« 
 ancV 
 fter- 
 ;ed a 
 d ID' 
 fthe 
 n ap- 
 l in- 
 tunch 
 ■oom, 
 Httt% 
 )take, 
 clem- 
 
 ilmoBt 
 ob- 
 louds, 
 to the 
 
 knew 
 of our 
 ijSered 
 d chil- 
 e best 
 
 whoBf 
 
 fnte it m*)y hnvo been to navigate these northern lati« 
 tudei in mirl-itinter— leveral of our most able bodieid 
 tiflainen became lo frost bitten, as to b$ unable to 
 itiind on their feet, and to add to our misfortune, our 
 Wittsr froisfl to a solid cake of ice, which we were 
 oblipitid to out off in small pieces and dissolve in 
 our mouths. 
 
 Such woi our situation from the second to the 
 ^weldth of JiinuMry, when in the evening about nine 
 o'clock, in HN violent a snow storm as was^ver prob- 
 Hbly ^xperieoctd by man, and which so obscured 
 •very tbin(j[ tVom our view, as to prevent our dis- 
 eerning no object of the brig's size twice her length 
 dheiKl, timid the roar of the wind and waveis, the un- 
 welcomed sound of breakers were heard, and in 
 twenty minutes ufier the brig struck— alas, what « 
 scene of distress now ensued! — exclamations of hor- 
 ror And dispiir became general — and the lementa- 
 is of the poor unfortunate female, and her two 
 bolploif cbildrirt, were sukficient to melt the hardest 
 beurt t— they all clung to the husband and parent 
 begging for that protection, which it was not in the 
 power of any human being to afiford them — the miisf 
 biding loosened by the shock, quivered over our 
 biodf, and the sails w^re torn in a thousand pieces 
 -^indeed, the fury of the storm — the darkness of 
 the nigbt—tbodHshtngofthe waves against our strand- 
 ed brig, and the prospect of an immediate death, 
 ivhicb we were all in momentary expyectation of— ere* 
 ttad « iceno of horror past description —but in whsit- 
 
 m 
 
 n 
 
 )4 
 
 
\ . .1 
 
 \ 
 
 '% 'SHIPWRECK 6r trie 
 
 c?er^itiiiition fate may place mankind, however dli* 
 Ireffliug, it is an acknowledged fact, that life ii sweet, 
 'and each one of as w&s endeaTOuring to preserve it 
 by clini^ing or lashing ourselves to the wreck — but in 
 ^his all were not successful, for at day's dawn it was 
 •discovered that four of our number were missing, 
 whom it was conjectured became so frozen as to be 
 Unable to help themselves, tmd were washed over- 
 board — yet contrary io the ^pectations of every 
 other soul on board, the captain's wife and two chil- 
 dren were found among the living. 
 
 The day dawnod, but only to present us if pos- 
 sible with a more melancholly view of our situation— 
 land was indeed discemabie ahead, but without th4 
 appearance of being inhabited, and at so great a dis- 
 tancfe'thdt an attempt to reach it with our boats or 
 by swimming, appeared to promise nothing but the in- 
 evetable destruction of onr lives, for the waves agi- 
 tated by the winds rolled and broke with such^ 
 lence against the rocks, which were not di8cemabl6 
 above the surface of Ihe water, that had any attempt* 
 ed it he fnust have run the risk of being launcheil 
 back into the main ocean, or d;ished to pieces againiit 
 the rocks. Several hotirs parsed thus, without out 
 being able to conclude what whs best to be done iti 
 our deplorable situation— to remain much longer in 
 "that in which we theu w re, all believeit impossible, 
 as the brig*8 stern was airear'y stove in by the wavef 
 •and there was no certainty thatohe would holi) togeth- 
 "^ from one minute to auotherj and shouki it havfe 
 
 ..-^^mX.^&.'^^JjJi.^. 
 
ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 ^ 
 
 eet, 
 e It 
 itia 
 was 
 
 be 
 ►ver- 
 ivery 
 chil- 
 
 ' p08- 
 
 It tb« 
 a dis- 
 ats or - 
 Lhe in- 
 es agl- 
 
 K 
 rnable 
 
 tempt- 
 
 uncheA 
 
 ngainit 
 
 out out 
 
 lone in 
 
 )nger m 
 
 io8sible» 
 
 e wavei 
 
 1 togeth- 
 
 it bavfc 
 
 proved otherwise, an') we h»ve attempted to remain 
 another night on the wreck, all must have perished, 
 as our tire had become extinguished and without a 
 possibility to rekindle it, and if enabled to resist the 
 calls of hunger the cold was too piercing to be long 
 endured' 
 
 In this awful deliroa, we couM do nothing more than 
 to huddle oursefives together on the quarter deck, 
 and thus attempt to contract heat one from another, 
 placing the unfortunate mother and her two wretched 
 offspring in the centre— while thus situated, little 
 eipecting any^ oiher deliverance than that produced 
 by death, every buppliant h'and was raised in petition 
 to Providence to afford us some unforeseen means of 
 escaping to the shore. There never could be a more 
 fervent petition.^ Heaven at length, seemed to look 
 down with pity and compassion on our miseries— 
 truly we could say the Lord is a prayer answering. 
 U-for when we little expected it, of a sudden, 
 the wind began to abate, and the agitation of the sea 
 in a measure to subside,, insomuch that one of our 
 hands who was supposed to be the best swimmer oe 
 board, having contemplated the distance to the shore, 
 resolved to attempt the passage at the risk of bis life, 
 observing that he could btxt die in the attempt, and 
 if such should be his fate he should conceive him-* 
 self better off than to be doomed to pass another night 
 on the wreck — thus resolved ,he plunged into the 
 sea, and we saw him for many minutes attempting to> 
 oombat with the waveS) which sometimet httrrieA« 
 
 >.• 
 
 m 
 
 B 
 
 « '■* 
 
 
' ♦ 
 
 i 
 
 \ 
 
 W\ 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 • 
 
 him forward almoitto touch tht ihore, th*n waibod 
 back into the deep, diiappeariag for lome minutely 
 aod appearing again only to be leen daihed againit 
 the rocki— the poor fellow became at length eibauat- 
 ed and (Kinlc to riie no more. 
 
 Our number wan now reduced to twelve miierable 
 soulff, who could net but ?iew themielrei in a iiitaa- 
 tion worse them that of their unfortunate companion 
 whom they had seen perish befoPt their eyei, but 
 whose suflerings were at an end. As we could now 
 only look to Heaven for deliverance, we did not for 
 a moment suspend our prayers and supplications, 4nd 
 1 truly believe that we did not pray in vain, for the' 
 wmd continued to abate and the sea became less bois- 
 terous, insomuch that at noon, we began to turn our 
 attention to. the boat, which although in a leaky coap 
 dition, andso filled with ice as to render it eitremely ■ 
 difficult to launch her, yet there was now but one al« 
 ternative left us, either to attempt the- passage atj|he 
 hazard of our liy^Sj or to remain where we wer(^nd 
 perish, together,., for not oqe soul of us .could have 
 survived another night. , 
 
 After much hard labour we suceeeded in getting 
 the boat ovefeboard^ and by casting lots, determined 
 who of us should attempt the first passage— it fell to 
 fi-ve, including myself Had the Captain's wife and 
 •id^t son, which wae nUthe boat wonld contain 
 with any degree of safety. Before letving the wreck 
 acoil of spare rigging was put into the boat, one end 
 •f which was attached to the brig's foremast, with. 
 
 
 K 
 
 ■f 
 
 
 *' 
 
 § 'y 
 
 
 ^ ' 
 
 '*^ii^.mm- 
 
f 
 
 U'-m^'- 
 
 gettiog* 
 mined ' 
 fell to 
 Ife and 
 lontain 
 wreck 
 !• end 
 with' 
 
 i 
 
 ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 w 
 
 /d 
 
 which it w«8 the intention of thoie left«oo board to> 
 warp back the boat if we should be so fortanatf as to 
 •acceed in reaching the shore, which with bat very 
 feint hopes of doing we at parHlg shook each of oop 
 shipmates by the hand, and bi# them an affectonate 
 adieut expecting that if we ever met them again, il 
 would in all probability be in another world-~the sep* 
 eration of the captain and hi» wife and little son, waH 
 affecting beyond description. All things- now being 
 in readiness, the word was given *^ cast off!" and in 
 a moment our crazy bark was mounted on the while- 
 foaming surf to half the height of the brig's main mast 
 —we yet however possessed sufficient strength with- 
 our oars to k^ep her head to the shore, and when * 
 but B little distance from the wreck a prodigious wave 
 took us ii^itan instant to more than half the distance, 
 and a second in quick succession threw us with vio- 
 lence upon a sandy shore. 
 
 A)i soon as we were all so fortunate as to recover * 
 jofieet, we displayed one of our hats in the air, 
 which was extended upon the end of an oar4pihe. 
 signal • agreed upon of - our safe landing, before we 
 qnit the wreck. In a moment it was answered by, 
 he boat's shooting back through the foami«g suif, by. 
 aid of the warp— -and in- about half an hour> we had 
 the satisfaction to see the boat returning with those* 
 who were left on board the wreck. This was bow* 
 ever a satisfaction which was but a few moments en> 
 j oyed — fate had determined that these poor fellows 
 should be less fortunate than ourselves, for when 
 
 w. 
 
 "■--?%, 
 
 ■-■i".'*. 
 
 ■i:^^ 
 
i% 
 
 n 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 « 
 
 within abouftfventy rods of the ohore, they were met 
 and capsized by the surf! we now gave them all up- 
 as lost, as we conceived that not one could reach the 
 shore unfess by a roil^icle — in thin we were however 
 mistiiken) for a great'^w'^ll in an in^ttunt after threw 
 the unfortunate captain wit'iin our reach, and we 
 were so fortunate as to r»:.«cue him from a watery 
 grave, and without hi» having apparently sustained 
 very great bodily injory- but, dtstruclion notwith- 
 standing se<^med to have selected this truly unfortu- 
 nate man, as a victim ! for no sooner did he heboid 
 his little son drtven to and fro, and the sport' of the 
 fbaming billows^ than breaking from the hold of those ^ 
 who attempted by force to deter him, in a fit of des- 
 peration, he again threw himtself into the sea and was 
 himself soon compelled to yield to the uncdffquerabte 
 impetaosity of the surf, without being able either to 
 afford protection to his child or to save himself— the 
 lifeless corps of both were a few moments '^ftyy^.Ajn- 
 thrown npon the shore, and produced amelancholly 
 speitacle for his surviving companion and child totiil* 
 hold, and whose feelings on an occasion like this may 
 be better imagined than described !-^for more than 
 one hour the wretched woman remained kneeling and 
 weeping by the side of the lifeless bodies of her un- 
 fortunate husband and child, and could not be remov ' 
 ed but by force ! 
 
 By great exertion we were enabled to save the life 
 of one more of our shipmates uhich thb last boat con- 
 tained — when nearly exhausted, he was eo fortunate 
 
 ■-/^f 
 
♦' 
 
 #. 
 
 up 
 the 
 vef 
 rew 
 we 
 lery 
 ined 
 Hth- 
 >rtu- 
 ihold 
 flhe 
 Ihose 
 fdee- 
 dwas 
 irable 
 ler to 
 —the 
 
 cboUy 
 totV- 
 19 may 
 •e than 
 ing and 
 ler un- 
 remov- 
 
 the life 
 )ai con- 
 )rtunate 
 
 ENGLISH BRIG NfiPTUNE. 
 
 HBfl to seize upon a rope which was thrown to him, 
 by which be was drawn on shore — the nambMP 
 survivors now, amouoied to no more than nk* a-. 
 mong whom was the cook, who fortunately had^ea 
 so wise as to secure fire-works in bit pocket |^re* 
 vious to leaving the brig, whiehhadhef$li«dtODtv6 
 done, our situations would have be€B no better than 
 while on board the wreck, for as the day was now far 
 spent and the night approaching, we most have all per<^ 
 ished with the cold had we been deprived of t&e raeana 
 of enkindling a fire. 
 
 For wir beftef secarily lor the night, fue all retired 
 to a^icket l^l^fw itydadistant fyy-n wheie we landed, 
 and v^ere, although we were careful to keep up a 
 large fire, we suffered very much from tb^ sharp* 
 ness t>f the wind, against which we had but an indif- 
 fefent sheiter--tbe trees by which we were encom- 
 passed were insufficient to protect us from the snow, 
 which siilt continued to fall in immense fiake»— while 
 ^it.^^k^ through our clothos on the side eiposed to 
 the ore, «d our backs it formed a heap which we 
 were obliged to shake off before it froze into ice ; 
 yet so anxious were my shipmates to reader as pom- 
 fortable as possible the situation of the wretched fe- 
 male and her helpless sod, whom fate had deprived 
 of a husband and parent, and now placed in a situa- 
 tion to demaod their protection^ that their own suffer- 
 ings and deprivations produced nut a murmer — we all 
 spent the dark, gloomy and stormy night, as com* 
 fertably as could foe expected for persons in our 
 
 ttT" 
 
 \il0':'^-' 
 
 
 •?..-.'.->„- 
 
 • fi 
 
 \' 
 
'J^' 
 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 itclied condition, jet I think I inay say it proved to 
 sleepless one, although two nights had passed 
 «ii^(B we had enjoyed a minutes slumber. 
 
 The nett morning we began to think more serious-' 
 ly on oar condition, and what new difficuHtes would 
 most probably attend as. We had esteemed our- 
 selves fortunate when we succeeded the day previous 
 in making oor miracalous escape, but ceased to feel 
 that didgree of satisfaction, when we looked forward to 
 our future safety-'^we were to all appearance cast 
 upon a wild and uninhabited coast-^we could per^ 
 ceive nothing before us bat a thick and almost impen<< 
 etrable forest, and the groand covered with eii«p of 
 more than two feet in depth, and without any dther 
 sustenance than a small keg of beef, and a bagof hard 
 bread, which was fortunately thrown into the boat in 
 her first trip to the shore — nor were we without ap" 
 prehensions of being attacked by wild beasts, or with 
 meeting with savages, not less to be dreaded-^for ia 
 either pase we were not possessed with any tbju^^ tf "^ 
 deserved the name of weapon, with which to defend 
 ourselves-^aud to add to our wretchedness, we had 
 dependent upon us for support and protection an af- 
 flicted and helpless female, and her son, a tender 
 youth not exceeding eight years of age! indeed the 
 more we reflected on our miserable and helpless sit« 
 uathn, the more we were on the eVe of being driven 
 to despair. - , 
 
 As it was impossible for us at that inclement sea* 
 son, and with the ground^ covered with so great a 
 
 
 ^tv 
 
ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 depth o(»noWi to w ->^aiipt to penetrate the thiek %|||t 
 in search of inhabitantA ivith any possibility of ta^^e, 
 it was by all agreed that our wisest plan would b|ito 
 €rect with rotten logs and branches of trees, ai ^m* 
 fortablejan habitation as our means would admit, and 
 which might serve us for a shelter, until the snow 
 should become so diminished in depth, either by rain 
 or the rays of the gun, as to render tri^relling less 
 difficult — in doing this we had a twofold object in 
 view, for by encamping near the seashore, and in fair 
 view of the wreck, which still lay stranded upon the 
 rocks, exposed to a tremendous surf, from her it was 
 not inpospible timt we migh^t obtain some necessary 
 articles of food or clothing ; as it was the opinion of 
 all that she could not hold together much longer, her 
 stern having nearly disappeared and the surf making 
 a clear breach over her-^in this we were all soon 
 sadly disappointed, for in the course of the night of 
 the 13th, the wind having shifted from south-west to 
 l^ovih-jeast point, early in the morning of the l5th, 
 not a vistage of the wreck was to be discovered ; nor 
 were we able afterward to determine whether she 
 was driven from the rocks by the strong winds from 
 the N. W. ,to sea, or sunk in deep water in the im- 
 mediate vicinity of the reef on which she had founder- 
 ed. 
 
 The dismal apprehensions we were under, in con- 
 sequence of having our fondest hopes thus suddenly 
 and unexpectedly blasted, can be better imagined than 
 described— we foaod ourselves at mid-winter on a 
 
 
 ■!(] 
 
 'A 
 
 '■ 11 
 
 *mgg^,.,-yt:m-^< 
 
SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 .^A. 
 
 wM, and apparently uninhabited part of the coas^ 
 fllligiied, sickly, and almost destitute of food and 
 cNwthing-^nothing remained but to commit ourselves 
 to kind providence, and make the best of our situa- 
 tioD. . On the 16th and 17th, we were employed in 
 scraping away the snow and in building a sort of hut, 
 tinder a cli£f adjoining the sea-side, to secure us from 
 the inclemency of the weather — here we remained 
 four days, in as comfortable a situation as could be 
 •xpected, as we did not want for fuel, the piercing 
 keen air was ia a great measure expelled from our 
 hut, by the means of a |^eat6re which we kept con- 
 stantly burning n^ht and day — as our only food was 
 salt beef and hard bread, we contrived to freshen the 
 former by removing to our hut a hollow 8tun»p, closed 
 at one end and about four feel in length, and by fil- 
 ling it with snow and ice, which was dissolved by 
 means of hot stones obtained from the shore, and into 
 which after the ice had become so dissolved, we de* 
 posited our beef, cut into, small slices, which^WAr^ 
 afterward broiled on the coals. ^^ 
 
 The situation of our unfortunate female compan* 
 Ion, and her little son, was rendered as comfortable 
 as our means would admit of« nor ought I to omit 
 mentioning, that they both exhibited that degree of 
 fortitude,' and resignation, amid their afflictions, that 
 I should have supposed hardly possible had I not beea 
 an eye witness thereto — while we were employed 
 either in repairing or improving our hut or in devising 
 means to reader oui food more palatable, their time 
 
 i. 
 
 ■P- «,,>>*• w-fw ,...'. 
 
ENGLISH BRIO NEPTUNE>: 
 
 IT 
 
 wai almost wholly occupied in oolemQ de?otiMit#>iA 
 prayer to the Alinighty« supplicating hit merCj and 
 kind interposition in our favour ! and 1 am nttl >noi^ 
 ashamed to say to the world, that as regards tba well- 
 Ikre of my own immortal soul, the prayers of the 
 pious mother, and her little Son (particularly the 
 latter, but eight years of age) weieproductiTeofthe 
 most happy eflfects— -it sent arrows of conflction t» 
 my soul, and caused me to cry aloud *Xord have 
 iperey on me, the chiefest of 8inQewl"-»ye8, reader, 
 ef whatever peisuasioo yoa may l>e, permit me to de- 
 clare to you, that that ivpartalst happy moment, will 
 never be forgdtten by me, when the Almighty in his 
 infinite goodness, was pleased to speak peace (o my 
 ioul ! when I met with conviction and conversion in 
 the wild wilderness^ through the instrumentality of a 
 #hiid !— <and who, permit me to ask, can for a mo- 
 ment doubt the goodness, the omnipresence of the 
 Almighty ? to Him we have the promise that we 9hall 
 re free eicess, whatever may be our condition, or 
 in whatever situation fate may have placed us, if we 
 come to Him with a contrite and penitent heart t 
 
 Early in the morning of the 20th, discovering thai 
 the SBOW had become sufficiently encrusted to bear 
 us, it was by us resolved that three of our number 
 should set out on a tour of discovery, leaving one to 
 remain with Mrs. Mason and her sod, until our re- 
 turn, which we promised should be in four days, 
 should we be so fortunate as to make or should v*e 
 not ma^e any discovery of inhabitants — ^providing foe 
 
 ■im 
 
m^:' 
 
 ( 
 
 \ 
 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 oiiftielyes a safficient qaantity of the food (o which we 
 hacf l^en confioed for severnl days, about 10 A. M. 
 we ^ok an afi'ectionate leave of those we left behind 
 (haTittg requested their prayers in our absence) we 
 set fourth with heavy hearts, taking a course wost- 
 ward, as nearly as we could judge by the points of 
 the compass. We found our course frequently im- 
 peded in the first day*s travel, by thick underwood, 
 and almost impenetrable swamps ; to avoid which, in 
 some instances we were compelled to take circuitous 
 routs of some miles. Nearly an hour before sunset, 
 we became so exhausted m to compel us to seek a shel- 
 ter for the night, beneath a shelving rock, where, 
 with a comfortable fire, we were enahied to repose 
 until morning. -f 
 
 We early arose, and afier partaking of our humble 
 repast, we again put forward, still bending our coorse 
 to the west, but without meeting with any thing to en- 
 courage us that we should be so fortunate as to dis- 
 cover the object of our pursuit. We this day «« ,i g^ , . 
 the former, met with many obstacles in our journey 
 almost of too difficult a nnture to be surmounted by 
 «s, in our weak and debilitated state— sometimes high 
 and impassable ledges, would present themselves in 
 our course, and then a wide extending miry marsh, 
 thickly covered with small brush, and creeping bri- 
 ars, and through which it is not improbable that no 
 human being ever attempted to pass. « ! 
 
 Having about noon arrived in an exhausted state, on 
 he summit of a very high hill, and beholding noth-' 
 
lich we 
 
 A. M. 
 
 behind 
 
 ce) we 
 
 le w9t- 
 
 oints of 
 
 ntly im- 
 
 rwood, 
 
 hich, in 
 
 rcuitous 
 
 sanset, 
 
 t a shel- 
 
 where, 
 
 » repoie 
 
 humble 
 r coone 
 og to en> 
 \ to dis* 
 
 ay 
 joiiraey 
 iDted by 
 DCS high 
 leives in 
 ' marsh, 
 ing bri- 
 that no 
 
 itate, on 
 ignoth*' 
 
 ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 Id 
 
 \ 
 
 jitk'.- 
 
 iqg around us on either side but a boundless foreit,jtt 
 far as the eye siglit could extend* we came to a ^iMi 
 and held a consultation among ourselves whetlMHT it 
 would not be more prudent for us to retuni» 11^ to 
 attempt to proceed any further in the course w# had 
 been travelling, and without the most distant provpect 
 of meeting with deliverance ; as in our whole jour* 
 ney, we had not met with any thing that coold satisfy 
 us, that the country Was inhabited by human beings ; 
 but not improbably abounded with wild animals^ pe- 
 culiar to a cold climate ; as ifej^teral times saw at 
 a distance what, {Toml^S^^tftfiiikm^ «re have since re- 
 ceived, we 8up|iQ«etnf^t h^e been bears, moosef 
 and deen Th^re was indeed another very great rea- 
 son why We should return) fof by penetrating further 
 into the country, we possibly might meet with in^u- 
 
 . perable difficulties, in our attempts to find our way 
 back again to what we now called our home-~it was 
 tber<)fore concluded by all that it was most prudent to 
 
 ^^j^race our steps, while our (racks still visible on the 
 surface of the snow, would serve us for a guide. 
 ^ Without meeting with any thing remarkable, or 
 worthy of notice, we succeeded in reaching the hut 
 late in the afternoon of the S3d, and found our com- 
 panions in the same condition as when we left them^ 
 I— We had no occasion to inform them of our ill suc- 
 cess, as regarded the flattering hopes that we had en- 
 tertained of meeting with inhabitants, they too plain- 
 ly saw it depicted in our countenances, and for the 
 moment, caused in all a very great depression of 
 
 I 
 
 

 (* V 
 
 I ^^ I 
 
 W / SHIPWRECK OP THfi 
 
 tflpt^and how could it be otbOTwise ?— we had \ 
 thiiigbt ourselves peculiarly fortunate in reaching the 
 vhore, but we began now to think ourselves less so, 
 than those of our shipmates who had found a watery 
 graTe,alid whose troubles were at an end ! — our pros* 
 |rects were indeed gloomy beyond description !--we 
 had food suflkient but for a few days longer, and 
 without arms and unmunition with which we could 
 procure subsistence— our «nly cloathing was that 
 which we wore on our backs, and at that inclement 
 season of the year, the ground being covered with 
 snow, of more than twenty iB^es in depth, preveli* 
 ted our obtaining any thing calculi^ffd to SQltain als $ 
 nor did the shore afford shell-fish of atiiy kind that we 
 could discover — so that we couM not but view our- 
 selves the most wretched and miserable of all human 
 being« ! in a state of wretchedness from which death 
 alone could deliver us ! 
 
 But in this we were mistaken— there was one, 
 blessed be God, that was able and willing to de(ivejSi>i<....yi,^^y 
 «s in his own good time — tiuly may it be said) that— 
 " **God moves in a mysterious way— 
 ^'"'' His wonders to perform ;" -W\ 
 
 on an uninhabited coast, in the midst of a wild wil- 
 derness, and amid all our a£9ictioD8 anddeprivations^f ' 
 the Almighty in his tender mercy was pleased to visit 
 us in a manner we little expected — and there wrought 
 • good work for us,whicb no man without his aid could 
 have accompli8hed — even that of the conversion of 
 ««r precious souls !— yes, through the instrumental- 
 
 
 .;f 
 
 
 !>■ 
 
 * , 
 
 • . 
 
ENOLieU BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 n 
 
 ity of a UAt y«i of infant yean, we were broQ|lt 
 to •«• how uiipreptired we were to meet deatb—^ 
 which w« could not but believe fast approaching iti 
 it! moit horrid fornii— it was a subject wbicK prob- 
 ably had nover proviously occupied our mindi, for a 
 roomant— for myitlft I can say, that until within a 
 few dayi, tb« nicciiity of a preparation of my apnl 
 for etirnity, wai a aubjeot so foreign from my mind, 
 that I bad icarcaly taken pains to acquaint myself 
 with tht mtaning of the word **immortality*'— rnor do 
 1 think that ny ihipmates, wbo had been my com- 
 W0\gU in nlitryi M been lest careless, in this re- 
 speclMMili d^ kWHJfH rejoice, that I ha?e it in my 
 powor to say, that they too became so aensibly aflfect- 
 ed, and thtir failings so powerfully wrought upon, 
 by the praytri and pious eihortations of the youth, 
 that they required little urging to unite with myself 
 and tha afflicted mother, and son, in our supplications 
 
 •Jff %'^y ^""^^ ^^' ^^^^ Heaven alone that we could 
 tiptR rtlltf— and such was now the state of our 
 minds, that it bicama n pleasing devotion for us al- 
 most avary hour to kneel down, and to pour out our 
 •ouli to Ood— and when not thus engaged, in listentiig 
 to tha pious adnonitions of the dear youth, who, lijke 
 an angel conmliiioned from on higlwf6 administar 
 paaca and comfort to our souls, ceaser not to exhort 
 us to put onr trait in one, who was both able and 
 willing to fafa all who would come to bim> humbly 
 and penitent, eonfeiiing their sins. 
 
 Nor ought we te doubt a moment that oar prayers 
 
 D 
 
 *t' 
 
 Sr'^:4 
 
22 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 i-f 
 
 |Mre beard and aniwered— for when on the wery 
 jpriDk of despair, doomed, as we could not but sup- 
 fK>ae oarself es, to end our da^fs and to remain undis- 
 covered and unburied in a wild and unfrequented 
 wilderness^i-crowded and immured in a wretched hut, 
 scarcely sufficient to shelter us from the piercing coldi 
 the whole inside of which became lined with a crust oi 
 ice—- andalthoughooanallowanceofone biscuit and 
 two or three ouncea of salt beef each, per day, yet 
 ef this there was not a sufficient stock to sustain us 
 twenty days !«Hrach, indeed, was our wretched cont 
 dition, and such our awful ferbodings, when tb«|| 
 was eiperienced by all a suddejIiiJMinetpiiied'thin^ 
 sition in our minds, from the most gloomy and des- 
 ponding reflections, to that of the most cheering sei 
 satipns; to which nothing can bear a comparison, m 
 a mind agonized in sleep by frightful apprehensions 
 approaching danger, and suddenly awaking and find- 
 ing it but imaginary— a dream ! All complaints and 
 murmers from this moment ceased— as not a libubT 
 remained on the minds of any one of us, but that the 
 Almighty would deliver us, and that the hour of our. 
 deliverance was not far distant. 
 
 It was on the morning of the 2dth (having previ*- 
 •usly concluded it best among ourselves, that another 
 tour of discovery should be mi^de) three of us, who 
 were considered in the be^t condition, set out for the 
 purpose. We concluded to bend our course as be- 
 fore, westward — and as it was natural to suppose that 
 Ihere might be a less depth of snow near the s«a co9St» 
 
 ■*! -v: 
 
 
 -■^ ■, -i:,^^::^-. 
 
 V.' 
 
ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 23 
 
 '4 
 
 1 
 
 v" K.. 
 
 we thought it most ndvi«Rble to foUovr that, ai ncarai 
 the 8urf would admit of— in doing this we were en* 
 couraged with a hope, tbut we might pessibl)^ fall in 
 with the wreck of eur own, or some other resvelt^ 
 from which something that might serve for food, or 
 clo>thing, might be obtained ;. which, if in the most 
 perishable state, would have beeirvery acceptable to- 
 ns, in our then destitute conditioD. Our hopes in 
 • this respect were not however realised, and we had 
 travelled all the day of the 291b, and a part of the 
 30th, without meeting with a single object, or wit- 
 peisinga change of scene to encourage u§. About 
 00M|«*JiaviDg come to a^ halt, on an eminence, and 
 while in the act of sharing to each his allowance for 
 the day, the rep&rt of a gun, to our inexpressible 
 joy, was heard, and so distinctly, as to render it cer- 
 tain that it could not have beea discharged at a very 
 great distance from us. 
 
 The report appearing to have proceeded from a di- 
 -rection south west, we immediately started in that 
 direction, uniting our voices and raising a leud hallooi 
 every now and then, as we proceeded, which was 
 finally answered by a loud shrill screach, or what i» 
 more properly' termed, an Indian yell I— regardless 
 from whom or what it might proceed, whether friend 
 or foe, we redoubled our pace, and was soon^ brought 
 in view ot one of the tawney sons of the IbreM, clad 
 from head to foot in a garment of fur, and armed witb 
 a musket— we now came to a halt, and for a moment 
 paused — fearful that by too sudden an advance, the 
 
 

 2i 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 I 
 
 India» (who itood m motionleii m m ilntat , with his 
 eyes filed steudfastly upon us) might become Hlarmed, 
 and beilily fiy from our presence, and thereby de- 
 prife us of the much desired interview. Recollect- 
 ing at the moment, of ha? ing heard that among some 
 of the SaTaget of North- America, a green bough waa 
 an emblem of peace, and of t pacific disposition, I 
 seized a branch of pioe, and with it advancing a few 
 paces tt-bead of my two companioui, exclaimed *^fear 
 not, we are your friends," whicbf to our great joy, 
 appeared to be well uadtrstoodby onr new discover- 
 ed friend and benefactor (as he afterward proved 
 himself) who instantly replied in very br6lri»iR|- 
 lish, **you no fear,'me friend T'— on which, without 
 further parley, we fearlessly approached.each other, 
 when presenting our hands, they were good natured- 
 ly grasped and shook by the savage, as a token of 
 friendship. 
 
 Having seated ourselves upon a dry log, we gave 
 him a brief account of ouc shipwreck, and the manner- 
 in which we had been enabled to subsist since that 
 unfortunate event— to which he listened with much 
 apparent attention, we comn^unicating by signs what 
 he was unable to understand by words. In turn^ he 
 gave ui as intelligent account of him^elff as his im- 
 perfect .knowledge of the language would adip't )f<»« 
 he represented himself to b? one of the fiiqrKMir 
 tribe, and pointing to the north, observed ^.m ae 
 came from a country as far that way, at the great isl- 
 and (Newfoundland) was that way," pointing wesh-^ 
 
 *■ 
 
ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNi:. 
 
 f& 
 
 ^at for teveral ivinteri he had uiide these hii <}uar» 
 ten, for the purpote of hunticfl; the bei^r and decr^ 
 for their ikins ; which in the HprinK, he conveved 
 and diiposedofio a company « '' fur truuei'', wko re' 
 «ided in a white tettlement eight or nine days trave 
 eonthweiit (Belhsle)~^thnt he had built him a cono' 
 fbriahle Cabin, or wigwam, in which he reposed nights, 
 and V hie < I iie represented as sitnited but a few hours 
 ti . Ji <»nre from where we then were ; that his 
 7nly ^omi'anion whs a faithful dog, and that his hut 
 .Vi.^ iifficiently spacinuM to hold us all^tbat he had 
 yrovivion to plenty, hii dog and gun never failing to 
 li«pp him tiipplied with frechlneat in abundmce, and 
 tsoocloded by aiSonti|^ uh that we were welcome to 
 mitke this our home, until we could provide our* 
 selves with another and better. 
 
 Having informed him of the i>itnntion of our unfor- 
 tunate companions, wbcm we had left behind, he 
 readily agreed to accompany n» to where they were, 
 •nd to assist <ra in their refnuVHl, but stated that it 
 would be first necessary for him to return to bis cabiUf 
 (o provide himself with some few necessuties, annlo 
 which we willingly accepted of his invitation to uc- 
 company him— we fiound it hs he had repret-eoteit, i' 
 comfortable dwelling in every reMpect, and compara- 
 tively a palace to dur own miserable shelter — we 
 were presented with a well cured ham of vt^nxon f of 
 w^.ich he had «t^vcrHl) and of which, at* the reader 
 may ftuppuiie, wem><de a delicioiiifi meid— nor did we 
 ibrget to return thanks to God, fur ibis remurkabla 
 
 r«*- 
 
 \-r 
 
If 
 
 i"" 
 
 0- 
 
 Hi * 
 
 iM 
 
 96 
 
 SHrPWRECK OF THE 
 
 inanifestatioD cf his k«nd and tender mercy, in send- 
 ing thajt relief which we had so fervently prayed for. 
 
 Hafing sufficiently satisfied our appetites, we set 
 •at on our return, to bear the joyful tidings of our 
 good fortune to our friends, accompanied by our 
 kind benefactor, whom we found veiy serviceat>le as 
 n guide, as well as for the important information that 
 he was enabled to impart to us, as regarded the best 
 mode of travelling. With revived spirits, we reach- 
 ed the spot of our destination about noon of February 
 the second, and communicated to our friends the par- 
 ticulars of our adventures,and the good success which 
 had attended us — which was received with a tran-«f' 
 sport ofjoy— the grotesque appearance of our Indian 
 friend, garbed as he was, in skins, on his firc^t intro- 
 duction, produced rather an unfavourable impression 
 en the minds of our female companion and her little 
 son, but a moments interview, was sufficient to re- 
 move all apprehensions as regarded their personal 
 safety ; and preparations were not delayed for an im- / 
 mediate remove from a place where we had suffered 
 too much, for which to feel any degree of attachment* 
 
 Our greatest fears now were that Mrs. Mason, and 
 ker son, unaccustomed to hardship, would not be a- 
 ble to perform the journey — but in this we were very 
 Buch encouraged by our Indian friend, who engaged 
 to go forward, and at the distance of every mile to 
 build 6res — having supplied each with such garments 
 •four own as we could spare, we set out about the 
 middle of the afternoon of the same day, our Indian ' 
 
mfim' 
 
 ■''i;>rTi.«!^-._'P_..ci ; > •■ ■<jr. 
 
 ''^f 
 
 ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 
 
 gaide'proceediog us at the distance of about one milt 
 ahead, and failed not in his promise in preparing for 
 us a good tire at the distances mentioned ; which 
 was found not very uncomfortable, particularly as re>< 
 garded our female companion and her son, who al* 
 though the air was piercing, uttered not a complaint 
 — ah, true it is, that the Almighty will '^temper the 
 storm to the shorn lamb !'* 
 
 The knowledge which our guide fortunately pos- 
 sesed of the shortest and best route, enabled us with- 
 out being much fatigued, to reach the place of our 
 ^stination early in the evening of the 3d — so happi- 
 ly (iisappointed were my companions, (to whom 1 had 
 attempted to give a feint description of the habitation 
 of our Indian friend) to find it so much more conven- 
 ient and comfortable than what they had anticipated,, 
 as to cause them almost to conclude that their troubles 
 were at an end, and their deliverance complete. — 
 ? The wigwam was of simple construction — three or 
 ^< foi^ poles, of ten or twelve feet in length, were 
 s^ck in a circle with their tops gathered to a pointy 
 »and secured by a few strips of green hide — the whole 
 was covered with skins, of which there was a suffi- 
 cient number to exclude effectually the cold, at the 
 top was an aperture to let out the smoke, the fires 
 being always built in the centre — near the aperture 
 were hung hams of venson to smoke for summer's use 
 — the hut was of sufficient size to shelter eight or 
 nine persons, very comfortably, the internal part of 
 which was well lined with fur skins, and which a!so 
 afforded comfonable bedding. 
 
 \V^ 
 
 
 '"^A\. 
 
 :s>^\JM. 
 
1)1 •■ip"- 
 
 '! - 
 
 m 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE 
 
 ' We were treated kindly by our Indian friend an4K 
 benefactor, who spared no pains in rendering our sit* 
 Nation (daring our two days residence at his hut) as 
 comfortable as possible — the greatest inconvenience 
 that attended us, was the difficulty of conversing witb 
 him with that fhciHty that we could have wished ; he 
 possessing no greater knowledge of the englisb lang- 
 uage, than what he had obtained in his intercourse 
 with the fur traders and fishermen — in his person, 
 there was nothing very diagreeable or prepossesiog— - 
 he was of small statue, inclined to corpulency, and of 
 a tawny complexion — his face very broad, with a 
 large mouth, and with black hair and eyes. Hm only 
 companion was a faithful dog of the Newfoundland 
 breed, and to whom he appeared OfMich attached — he 
 possessed a good rifle, and appeared well supplied 
 with ammunition — his opinions of the immortality of 
 the soul, or of the existence of a Supreme Being, ap> 
 peared very restricted, yet when we explained to 
 him the object of our religious devotions, he ap^ar-^ 
 ed much pleased, and manifested a disposition to ta&e 
 a part. For the welfare o( the unfortunate mother 
 and her little son, be manifested an interest, that would 
 have done honom to one of more civilized origin — 
 having humanly presented each with a pair of nftocca- 
 sons, and a bhrnket of deer skin, the better to protect 
 them from the cold. 
 
 Although authors in most inst'ances may be correct, 
 in their opinions of the Indians of North America^ 
 that they are of a cruel, revengeful, iaexerable diiSi- 
 
 |r 
 
 *' 
 
 \% 
 
 t. *(*%v.^ I^%k^ 
 
 --*-*•». 
 
 ..--., #^ % ^'* :*:'' 
 
 /^''*i«v^!>*v...'- 
 
^ymt 
 
 ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 at 
 
 position, that they will watch whole days unmindfal 
 of the call* of nature, and make their way through 
 pathless, and almost unbounded woods, subsisting 
 only on the scanty produce of them, to pursue and re- 
 Tenge themselves of an enemy — that they hear u»* 
 moved the piercing cries of such as fall into their 
 hands, and receive a diabolical pleasure from the tor» 
 tures they inflict on their prisoners — yet, by what I 
 have m> self experienced, and been an eyewitness 
 to, I well know that there are exceptiom, that there 
 are some of a nMich lest unfeeling Savage dipositioa 
 -«who are social and humane to> those whom they 
 coiMtdar.ai their friends and ready to partake with 
 (hem of the last morsel, or to risk theirlives m their 
 behalf— such an one indeed proved our friend and 
 heBefttctor--onor could we bat view it, at an iostane* 
 af the interposition of kind providence, in our favour, 
 in delivering ut into the bands of one, so generous 
 I and benevolent — whose ktndoess we experienced ia 
 f (|yery instance; — how different would have been our 
 aitiiations had we met with one, who, more in the 
 character of a savage, might not only have withheld 
 that aid which we so mtich stood in need of, but migh 
 have robbed us of the few articles of cloathing which 
 we had left, and then left us to perish. ■''•■ *- ?^ '*s 
 
 Early in the morning of the 6th (having become 
 much recruited, and made every necessary prepara- 
 tion for the journey) we left the peaceful asylum of 
 our Indian friend — ^who. for a promised reward, had 
 consented to accompany us to Bellisle, which he had 
 
I \ 
 
 -I 
 
 i 
 
 3D 
 
 SHIPWRECK OP THE 
 
 told tit (hat fvith (nodprate travelling, we mii^ht reacli 
 in ei|;ht or nine days. The arrangements made for 
 thn journey, were, our Indian guide and one of our 
 peopte were to lead the way, at the distance of 
 ahotn one mfile— 'carrying with them »uch articles 
 at «v«re neicessary to enable tfaem to pitch a tent at 
 the close of each day, for our accommodation at nifbt 
 —fires were likewise to be enkindled by them at very 
 •bort distances— -the remainder of us were to follow 
 in a body, and to afford ail the assist'ince #e possibly 
 oould to oor female companion and her son ; foi th« 
 better accomodation of whom, We had constrarted • 
 kind of sled, on which they were to be drawit Where 
 the woods an I precipices di not prevent. In thi» 
 manner we traversed a country, the very appearaiice 
 of which, was sufficient to satisfy us that we could, 
 never, at thbt season of the year, have passed without 
 the assistance of oor guide-— obstacles would have 
 presented that it would have been impossible for us ^' 
 to surmount, and we must have perished withJ^uiu^ 
 er or fatigue, in making the attempt. , ,^>. a?. _ 
 Through the mercy of God. (meeting with a fa^- 
 vourable conveyance fiom the main | we were eDabled 
 to reach Bellisle, in the afternoon of the Idth, alive» 
 although nearly overcome with fatigue ; which, so 
 far from being unexpected, the reader will no doubt 
 be surprized that we were so long able to support 
 ourselves, under such severe trials, as we had ex- 
 perienced for the three weeks preceding. We found 
 at Bellisle but a very few white inhabitants, and but 
 6wo small fishing schooners, one bound to St. Johns^ 
 
 i"lf 
 
 'vw«iif 
 
i^ht reach 
 made for 
 me of our 
 istance oT 
 ;h articles 
 
 a tent »t 
 [>n at Dif ht 
 »in at very 
 
 tafoUo«r 
 e poBfiiblj 
 i; foi th* 
 istractedft 
 two Where 
 Id tht» 
 ppearance 
 t we could, 
 ed without 
 nold hare 
 fble ibr us 
 ivithhut 
 
 with a fa^ 
 re enabled 
 dth, irfive» 
 which, so 
 il DO doubt 
 to support 
 e had ex- 
 We fouDd 
 8, and but 
 St. Johns, 
 
 H 
 
 < 
 
 ENGLISH BRIG NEPTCNE. 
 
 SI 
 
 •ndthe other to Hal if ix-'-from the master of one t 
 obtained on credit half a dozen jackniveg. and as much 
 powder, as probably might be purchased for four 
 dollars, which I pf evented o<:r Indian guide and friend^ 
 as a reward for his kind services ; and to whom I 
 feel that I yet owe a debt of gratitude, which 1 fear 
 it will never be in my power to repay in the manner 
 I ought — I can never reflect without the most grate* 
 ful sensibility, on the kind offices of this humble son 
 of the forest. - ^' 
 
 As Bellisle could afford us but a very few of the 
 necessaries, which our enfet bled situations then re- 
 (|uired (the inhabitants having mostly left it, as they 
 were in the habit of doing, at the commencement of 
 winter) we concluded it best to improve the only op* 
 portunity which presented, cr probably would pre- 
 sent, for some weeks, to leave the place — accordingly 
 myself and surviving shipmates took pa$^agp for Hali- 
 fax, and Mrs Mason and s«n, were received on board 
 the schooner bound to St. Johns (Newfoundland) 
 .42vith t|ie intention of proceeding from thence to Que* 
 bee, where she had lela ives living. Of this unfort- 
 unate lady and pious litHe son, we took leave with 
 mutual regret — they having been for more than three 
 weekfl our companions in misery, hf well as for their 
 religious counsel, so infinitely important as regarded 
 •ur spiritual welfare, had bound us in ti>e tenderest 
 ties of friendship— but we parted with the happy re* 
 flecton that our mifteries were at an end, and on whick, 
 account, no further anxiety remain "td as regarded our 
 personal t^elfare. 
 
 1'^ 
 
 )> 
 
 4#:;»'\^''i 
 
 iS^iiMM. 
 
I'm ' 
 
 *■ "^ / 
 
 .y 
 
 
 d2 
 
 BHIP WRECK or THE 
 
 %% 
 
 ^h 
 
 i -a- ■ 
 
 H i 
 
 After a fomewhat boisterous passage, I in safety 
 reached Halifax, where I had the good fortune the 
 tAtne day to obtain a pa«i8age direct to New- York, leav^ 
 ing the remainder of my shipmates in Halifax, await- 
 ing a passage to Euiope ; I landed at New- York in the 
 iffternoon of the 28th, where, aAer much enquiry, I 
 found that my mother was still living, and was then re- 
 4i'(ling in the country, about five miles from the city 
 — thither I repaired without del/ty, and feel thankful 
 to God, for his kind mercy in restoring me (although 
 pennyless) to the arms of a kind and affectionate moth- 
 er. In my three years absence from the land of my 
 nativity, and from the presence of an affectionate 
 parent, the Ocean has bf en principally my home ; in 
 which time I have been made the subject of, and ex- 
 perienced many of the disasters peculiar to those wh« 
 niivigate the deep— once 1 have been brought near 
 the grave by pestilential disease — nnre miraculously 
 preserved from drowning; twice from necessit\ put ob 
 an allowance barely sntlicient to support nature — and, 
 finally, shipwrecked in mid winter upon (to o;^) a^ ..^ 
 Unknown ait() unfrequented coast, with the loss (my 
 life excepted) of every thing but tlie cloathuig upoB 
 my back.— But, ^dibongh it hiis been my hard fortune, 
 to be thus deprived in an unexpected manner of the 
 fruits of many months hard toil, of earnincs which it 
 was m> ardent desire and intention to apply to the 
 relief and support of an aged and uifi m widowed 
 mother — yet, I feel that I have thereby obtained • 
 IMessing, which 1 ought and do conceive of mtioitel/ 
 
 ,r«"* 
 
 \ 
 
 '^ fi 
 
ENGLISH BRIG NEPTUNE. 
 
 39 
 
 more value — if it has, as 1 trust it has, been produc< 
 tive (through the instrumentality of a pioui female) 
 of the conversion of my precious soul (for ^*Go<l 
 moves in a mysterious way— His wonders to per- 
 form l") I ought, and do view it a» one of the most 
 fortunate circumstances of my life — and feel that I 
 can say with the Psalmist, '4 know, O Lord, that 
 thy judgements are' right, and that thou, in faithful- 
 ness hast afflicted me." , JOHN SMITH. 
 
 •i" 
 
 ■, ''if.y 
 
 lome ; in 
 
 MORAL REFLECTIONS. 
 
 As the foregoing interesting Narrative, will prob»- 
 biy receive an extensive circulation, and it is not im- 
 probable may fall into the hands of some, who may 
 yet remain careless, and nnconcerned, as regards the 
 future welfare of their precious and immortal souls, 
 a few closing moral reflections are, by another hand, 
 hereunto annexed — which, while they may not prove 
 jp^ nnprotitable to any, should they be the means of a^ 
 ^^■"viK^ikemng and reforming a single individual of the 
 class alluded to, the writer will consider himself 
 amply repaid, for his trouble in pennmg them. 
 
 The melanchoUy events which attended Capt. Ma- 
 son, and his crew, in their lale voyage (as related in 
 the prefteding pages) were such as should teach all 
 the uncertainty of life, the danger of delay in the great 
 concerns of immortality from day to day— humon life 
 is ''but a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and 
 then vanisheth away !" — time, like a long flowing 
 stream, makes haste into eternity, andis forever lost 
 and swallowed up in there ; and while it is hastening 
 ' to its period, it sweeps away all things which are not 
 immortal. There is a limit appointed by providence 
 
 V 
 
 t 
 
 i 
 
 ) 
 
 ■^ '-' ■ 
 
 :%'■ 
 
f 
 
 31 
 
 MORAL. REFLECTfONSi 
 
 to the duvation of all the pleasant and desirable scene* 
 of life,, to all the works of the hands of men, with ali 
 th* glories and exceilencief> of animal nature, and all 
 (hat is made of ftesh anrf blood. Lei us not therefore 
 doat crpon any thing here below, for Heaven hath 
 inscribed vanity upon it. iM^sterious are the ways of 
 Providence ; the same wheel which raises us to day, 
 on the smooth, unralHed ocean of prosperity, may, 
 before the morrow, rcll us in the stormy sea of ad** 
 f ersity — mankind in thi» world are ever subject to 
 ills, infirmities and disappointments — pains and per- 
 plexities are the long lived plagues of human exist- 
 ence — but, Religion, is the balm that heals those- 
 wounds— it was this, no doubt, that preserved and 
 supported the unfortunate Mrs. Mason, and her lit- 
 tle son, when doomed to experience one of ^be se- 
 verest trials of this life— when doomed to witness the 
 melaucholly Hite of an affectionate husband, and par- 
 ent, and a beloved child and brother!— it was at this 
 trying moment th&t he sent Religion and reason to 
 their aid, and' bid them not to grieve for them whom 
 they could not, and ought not wish (o recall to thiS' 
 troublesome world. The consideration of the sor- 
 rows of this life, and the glories of the next,, is our^^ 
 best support-"dark are the wa)'t* of providence whti^ ' 
 we are wrapped up in mortality ; but, convinced there 
 is a God, we must hope and believe^ (hat all is right;. 
 Kind reader, whatever may be thy rank in life, 
 if thon would wish to be happy in* this world, and to 
 »ecure a certainty of being infinitely more so in- the 
 world ta con»e, \ pray thee cheriferh Religion. Where 
 fan any object be found so proper to kindle all thir 
 benevolent and tendipr affections as the Father of the 
 Universe, and the author of all fehcity ? Unmoved 
 by veneration, can you contemplate that grandeur 
 and majesty which his works every where display X 
 Untouched by gratitude, can vou view that profosioa 
 •fgood , which at this pleasing season of life, hisl^ 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 
 •■» ■'■ 
 
 
Ftn-T^ 
 
 ^•' 
 
 MORAL REFLECTtON9. 9 
 
 nftficent htind ponri oronnd you ? huppy in the love 
 and iiffectiori ef (hvie Kith «vhoBi you are cnnnectedy 
 look up to the SiipffiDe he\n^ m (he Hinpirer of oli 
 the friendship which t^HD ever been shown }oa by 
 etheri ; himiilf your best nnd fir^t friend : first 
 the tupporti^r of yoor infimcy, nnd the guide of your 
 children; Hnd next the guardian ofyouryeurh, and 
 the hope of your coming years. View religiou« 
 henwige, »n NniiturHl expreoxion of gratitude to Hif» 
 for iiU hil ftoodneiit. Consider it as the service of 
 the Ood of voof futkem : of him to whom your par* 
 enti devoteo you ; and by whom they are now re- 
 warded and blemed in heaven. Connected with 6» 
 many tender itnuibiUties of soul, let Keligion be with 
 vou, not the cold nnd barren offspringef tpecuiatioD, 
 but the warm and vigorous dictates of the heart. 
 
 The world which we now inhabit is a world of 
 trials and lamptaliofli* and if we suffer our passions 
 to take poiKi«»ion of us, it is ne easy matter tO' break 
 their force. If we ence give a loose to oar appetite, 
 we know not when to hold the reign : nor is it in our 
 power atwayi to stop short of vice ; so trail Is hu- 
 man nature «o strong the force of habit, that ^'it 
 , Ueaiier to suppress the first desiVe than to satisfy 
 Iffrthat follow it/' ti a maxim, the troth ef which^ 
 many unthinking vouth has, too late, been forced 
 to acknowledgf. Keligion is the only balm for a 
 wounded ipirit. It is the cftfy sure staff for the 
 ' weary trovelltr through this wilderness of misery 
 and iio« What an inenpressible grace does it throw 
 over the countenance and actions of its sincere vota- 
 rieit It pnri^ei* it adoin?, it ennobles our nature*— 
 and a» without the aid of a telescope, the shipwreckedi 
 •ailor couhl never discern in the for off horizon the 
 Teisel that ii to bring him relief, but might abandon 
 himself to deipair : so without religion man's view* 
 would be conlined to n narrow circle of melanchotly- 
 ••'Hefiect much on the excellency and glory of i*^ 
 
 \" 
 
 ■•^r# 
 
 i\ I' 
 
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 w 
 >"-«^!j 
 
 ^ Am 
 
96 
 
 MORAL REFLECTIONS. 
 
 ■• -4 
 
 
 ,JBjvWK|t, 
 
 ligian. It it a friend in advemity. When every 
 earthljr hope fails, and the sool is ready to f>ay oi' 
 ■II human helpers, ** miserable comforters are ye 
 nil }*' then religion is a friend indeed. Are not those 
 blessed, whom God blsMes ; safe whom he protectsi} 
 and strong whom he strengthens t can any one say 
 with David, ** The Lord is my refuge, I will not 
 fear, thoagh the earth be removed, and the moun- 
 tains cast into the midst of the sea ;'* or with PauK 
 ** Neither death, nor life, nor ang:els, nor princi« 
 palities, nor powers, ror things to come, nor heigih, 
 nor depth, nor any other creatnre, shall be able to 
 seperate us from the love «f God which i» rn Christ 
 Jesus our Lord,'* can any one say this, without beu>§^ 
 jHfispeafcably happy ? . 
 
 Oh, thou ! who f>lt'»t enthroned on high. 
 
 In viewless »plendoar rayed ^ 
 Before the lustre of whose eye \a 
 
 The brightest glories fade. 
 
 Though thoQ art high, yet thoa dost hewr 
 The lowly suppliant's moan ; " . 
 
 Though thoa art great, each secf et tear ''V^:> 
 
 Begem:) thy radiant throne. . 
 
 When shafts of anguish wound the soal. 
 
 Thy healing balm is nigh ; 
 When tempestf) rise, and billows roll, 
 
 To thee, alone, we fly. 
 
 I^Then hush ! dark sorrow's weeping child, 
 '^ Tost on this troub'Ious sea, 
 In strains of peace he whispers mild, 
 '* Fear not ! for I'm with thee !*' • 
 
 
 -: \ 
 
 \ 
 
 
^^y'^'m^e: ^^fiM-^r ' ' 
 
 ten every 
 to finy oi' 
 ra are ye 
 t not those 
 i protects*^ 
 J one SHy 
 \ will not 
 the moun- 
 with Paul, 
 or princi- 
 lor htfigih, 
 be !)ble to 
 • rn Christ 
 hoiit bein§^ 
 
 liigh. 
 
 hear 
 
 tear 
 
 Hi, 
 
 I, 
 
 child. 
 
 (!'«' ■