$^^
 
 UCSB LIBRARY 
 X- Ufl 00
 
 THRILLING NARRATIVES 
 
 PIRACY, 
 
 A WEIRD SERIES OP 
 
 Tales of Shipwreck and Disaster, 
 
 FBOM THB EABLIEST PART OF THE CENTURY TO THE PRESENT TOO!, 
 WITH ACCOUNTS OF 
 
 Providential Escapes 
 
 AND 
 
 HEART-BENDIM FATALITIES. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 HTJKST & CO., PUBLISHERS, 
 122 NASSAU ST.
 
 PREFACE 
 
 Shipwreck may be ranked among the greatest 
 tevils which man can experience. It is* never void 
 of danger, frequently of fatal issue, and invariably 
 productive of regret. It Is one against which there 
 is the least resource, where patience, fortitude and 
 ingenuity are in most cases, unavailing, except to 
 protract a struggle with destiny, which, at length, 
 proves irresistible. 
 
 But amidst the myriads unceasingly swallowed 
 up by the deep, it is not by the numbers that we 
 are to judge of the miseries endured. Hundreds 
 may at once meet an instantaneous fate, hardly 
 conscious of its approach, while a few individuals 
 may linger out existence, daily in hope of succor, 
 and at length be compelled to the horrible alternative 
 of preying on each other for the support of life. 
 Neither is it by the Narratives about to be given 
 that we are to calculate on the frequency of ship- 
 wreck. It is an event that has been of constant 
 occurrence since a period long anterior to what the 
 earliest records can reach. In England it is calcu- 
 lated that about 5000 natives of the British Isles 
 yearl) peiish at sea. 
 
 This perpetual exposure to peril, however, mate 
 rially contributes to the formation of character, and 
 hence are sailors preeminently distinguished by 
 courage, endurance, and ready invention. Habitu- 
 ated to the instability of the ocean, they make little 
 account of danger, and are invariably the first in
 
 ri PREPACK 
 
 matters of the most daring enterprise. Incessantly 
 subjected to toil, they labor long and patiently with- 
 out murmur, and the prompt and vigorous measures 
 which are indispensable to their security, teach 
 them the immediate application of whatever means 
 are within their power. 
 
 A natural desire to know the fate of their fellow 
 creatures seems implanted in the breast of mankind, 
 and the most powerful sympathies are excited by 
 listening to the misfortunes of the innocent. To 
 record some impressive examples of calamity, or 
 unlocked for deliverance, is the object of tnese 
 pages; and it will be seen of what astonishing 
 advantage are the virtues of decision, temperance 
 perseverance and unwavering hope in moments of 
 extreme peril and despair.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 f^flt 
 
 Adventures of Capt Woodward and Fire Seamen in the 
 
 island of Celebes, ...... 7 
 
 An Occurrence at sea, ------- 14 
 
 LossofH. B. M ship Phoenix, off Cuba, .... ie 
 
 An aojjunt of the Whale Fishery, with anecdotes of the dan- 
 
 f gere attending it, ....... 30 
 
 Loss of the Brig Tyrrel, 49 
 
 Loss of the Peggy, 58 
 
 LossofH;B. M. ship Litchfield, - 64 
 
 Wreck of the Rothsay Castle Steamer, 74 
 
 Loss of the French ship Droits de L'llomme, - 78 
 
 Loss of H. B. M. ship Queen Charlotte, - 82 
 
 A Scene on the Atlantic Ocean, ... 84 
 
 Wreck of the French Frigate Medusa, on the Arguin Bank. - 87 
 
 Loss of the Royal George, ....... 146 
 
 Loss of the ./Eneas, transport, ..... 148 
 
 The Absent Ship, --153 
 
 Loss of the Halsewell, East Indiaman, ..... 155 
 An account of Four Russians, abandoned on the Island of 
 
 East Spitzbergen, --...-. 166 
 
 Loss of the Amphitrite, Female Convict Ship, *73 
 
 The Mutineers, a Tale of the Sea, 176 
 
 Fate of Seven Sailors, left on the island of St. Maurice, 189 
 
 Seamen wintering in Spitzbergen ..... 185 
 
 A Man Overboard - - - - - - - - 190 
 
 An Escape through the Cabin Windows, .... 199 
 
 Torn Cringle's Log, - - - 19* 
 
 Loss of the Nautilus, Sloop of War, ..... 801 
 
 Wreck of a Slave Ship, ....... 213 
 
 The Wrecked Seamen, ....... 213 
 
 .IdventuresofPhilipAshton, .... - 919 
 
 fcixplonon of H. B. M. ship Amphion, - ... 939
 
 r coirram. 
 
 * 
 
 LossofH. B.M ship La Tribune, .... 915 
 
 Burning of the Prince, a French East Indiaman, - 450 
 
 Wreck of the Schooner Betsy, ...... 2S9 
 
 Early American Heroism, ---.-.. 262 
 
 Fingal's Cave, 264 
 
 Loss of H. B. M. ship Ramillies, 267 
 
 Preservation of Nine Seamen, ...... 276 
 
 Capt. Ross's Expedition, ....... 281 
 
 Loss of the Catharine, Venus, and Piedmont, transports, and 
 
 three Merchant Ships, ...... 288 
 
 Wreck of the Sn'p Sydney, 298 
 
 Loss of the Duke William, transport, ..... 303 
 
 Commodore Barney, ------.. 320 
 
 Vaval Buttles of the United Statee, . 924 
 
 iddrai tc the Ocean, 386
 
 THt 
 
 B-OOK OF THE OCEAN 
 
 ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN WOODWARD AND 
 FIVE SEAMEN IN THE ISLAND OF CELEBES. 
 
 In the ysar 1791, Woodward sailed from Boston in the 
 ship Robert Morris, Captain Hay, for the East Indies. On 
 ais arrival there he was employed in making country voy- 
 ages until the 20th of January, when he sailed as chief-mate 
 in an American ship from Batavia bound to Manilla. 
 
 In passing through the straits of Macassar, they found the 
 wind and current both against them, and after beating up for 
 six weaks they fell short of provision. Captain Woodward 
 and five seamen were sent to purchase some from a vessel 
 about four leagues distant. They were without water, pro- 
 visions, o compass, having on board only ai axe, a boat 
 hook, two penknives, a useless gun and forty dollars in cash. 
 
 They reached the ship at sunset, and were told by the 
 captain that he had no provision to spare as he was bound to 
 China and was victualled for only one month. He advised 
 them to stay until morning, which they did. But when 
 morning dawned, their own ship was out of sigh, even from 
 the mast head, and with a fair wind for her to go through the 
 straits of Macassar. Being treated coolly by the captain, 
 they agreed with one voice to leave the ship in search of their 
 own. On leaving the vessel, the captain gave them twelve 
 musket cartridges and a round bottle of brandy, but neither 
 water nor provision' of any soit.
 
 ADVENTURES OP CAPTAIN WOODWARD. 
 
 They rowed till twelve o'clock at night, in hopes of seeing 
 their own vessel, and then drawing near an island they 
 thought it prudent to go there to get some fresh water. 
 They landed and made a large fire in hopes their ship might 
 see it. But not being able to see any thing of her in the 
 morning and finding no water or provisions on the island, 
 they continued their course in the middle of the straits six 
 days longer, without going on shore or tasting of any thing 
 but brandy. They soon had the shore of Celebes in sight, 
 where they determined to go in search of provisions and then 
 to proceed to Macassar. 
 
 As they approached the shore they saw two proas fu.l of 
 natives, who immediately put themselves in a posture of de- 
 fence. The sailors made signs to them that they wanted pro- 
 visions, but instead of giving it the Malays be-gan to brand- 
 ish their cresses or steel daggers. Three of the men jumped 
 on board a proa to beg some Indian corn, and got three or 
 four small ears. The chief seemed quite friendly and agreed 
 to sell captain Woodward two cocoa nuts for a dollar, but as 
 soon as he had received the money, he immediately began to 
 strip him in search of more. Captain Woodward defended 
 himself with a hatchet and ordered the boat to be shoved off, 
 the chief levelled a musket at him, but fortunately it missed 
 him. 
 
 They then stood off, went round a point of land and land- 
 ed out of sight of the proas, when they found a plenty of co- 
 coa nut trees. Captain Woodward while engaged in cutting 
 them down, heard the man whom he had left to take care of 
 the boat, scream out in a most bitter manner. He ran im- 
 mediately to the beach where he saw his own beat off at some 
 distance lull of Malays and the poor fellow who guarded it 
 lying on his back with his throat cut, and his body stabbed in 
 several places. 
 
 They now fled immediately to the mountains, and finding 
 that they had lost their boat, money, and most of their clothes, 
 they concluded that their only chance of escape was to get 
 to Macassar by land. Being afraid to travel in the day time 
 they set out in the evening, taking a star for their guide bear- 
 ing south. But they soon lost sight of the star and at day 
 light found themselves within a few rods of the place, where 
 they had set out. They had travelled on the side of a moun- 
 tain, and had gone quite round it instead of going straight, 
 over it They staited again and travelled by the sea shore
 
 ADTKKTCRKS OF CAPTAIN WOODWARD. 9 
 
 six nights successively, living on berries and water found in 
 
 the hollows of trees. 
 
 On the sixth they arrived at a bay where they saw a party 
 of the Malays fishing. Here Captain Woodward found some 
 yellowish berries which were to him quite palatable, but his 
 men not liking them eat some of the leaves. On the next 
 day they concluded to make a raft and go to the small island 
 or: which they first landed, thinking that they might be taken 
 off from it by some ship passing that way. But they were 
 obliged to abandon this project, for in the evening the men 
 vho had eaten the leaves, were attacked with violent pains 
 and were crying out in torture during the whole night. 
 Although they got better towards evening yet they were so 
 weak and dejected that Captain Woodward was convinced 
 that they could not reach the island and asked them if they 
 were willing to surrender themselves to the Malays. On re- 
 flection they all thought this the best course which they could 
 take ; and forthwith proceeded to the bay where they had 
 seen the Malays in the morning, in order at once either to find 
 friends or to meet their fate. At first they saw no one, but 
 Captain Woodward soon saw three of the natives approach- 
 ing him; and ordering his men to keep quiet, he advanced 
 alone until he had come within a short distance of them, 
 where they stopped and drew out their cresses or knives. 
 Captain Woodward fell on his knees and begged for mercy. 
 The Malays looked at him for about ten minutes with their 
 knives drawn, when one of them came towards him, knelt in 
 the same manner and offered both his hands. More natives 
 now came up and stripped them of their hats and handker- 
 chiefs and even the buttons on their jackets, which they took 
 for money. 
 
 They were now taken to Travalla and carried to the court- 
 house or judgment hall, accompanied by a great concourse of 
 people, including women and children who made a circle at 
 gome distance from them. The chief soon entered, looking 
 as wild as a madman, carrying in his hand a large drawn cress 
 or knife, the blade of which was two feet and half long and 
 very bright. Captain Woodward approached so near to him 
 as to place the foot of the chief on his own head, as a token 
 that he was completely under his power and direction. The 
 chief after holding a short consultation, returned to his house 
 and brought out five pieces of betel nut, which he gave to 
 the sailors as a token of friendship 
 
 VOL. II 1*
 
 tO AJ>TKNTURXS OF CAPTAIN WOODWARD. 
 
 They were now permitted to rest until about eight o'clock 
 when they were carried to the Rajah's house, where they 
 found a supper provided for them of sago-bread and peas, but 
 in all hardly enough for one man. Their allowance after- 
 wards was for each man a cocoa nut and an ear of Indian 
 corn at noon, and the same at night. In this manner they 
 Jived about twenty days, but were not allowed to go out ex- 
 cept to the water to bathe. The natives soon began to relai 
 their vigilance over them, and in about four months, they 
 vere conveyed to the head Rajah of Parlow. They had not 
 been there long when the head Rajah sent to a Dutch port 
 called Priggia, which is at the head of a deep bay on the east 
 side of the island and which is under the care of a command- 
 ant who was a Frenchman, and had been thirty years in the 
 Dutch service. He arrived at Parlow and sent for Capt. Wood- 
 ward. He wished him to go with him to Priggia where he 
 resided, but Captain Woodward refused, being apprehensive 
 that he should be forced into the Dutch service. The com- 
 mandant then enquired where he intended to go. He answer- 
 ed to Batavia or Macassar and thence to Bengal. He did 
 not offer Captain Woodward or his people either money, as- 
 sistance, or clothes, but seemed quite affronted. 
 
 The Rajah now gave him the liberty of returning to Tra- 
 valla, taking care, however, to send him in the night for fear 
 that he should get si^ht of Dungally, where there lived a Ma- 
 homedan priest called Juan Hadgee. This priest had been at 
 Travalla, and offered a ransom for Captain Woodward and 
 his men, but the natives were unwilling to take it, and were 
 fearful that their captives would try to escape to the town 
 where the priest lived. It happened however, that they were 
 becalmed off Dungally, so that Captain Woodward could ob- 
 serve its situation. On arriving at Travalla, he attempted to 
 escape alone by water, but the canoe being leaky, he came 
 very near losing his life. But not discouraged, he started 
 immediately for Dungally by land, and reached it just as the 
 day dawned. 
 
 Juan Hadgee received him kindly and provided him with 
 food and clothing. In the course of three days the chief oi 
 Travalla learning that he had gone to Dungally, sent after 
 him, but the old priest and the Rajah of Dungally refused to 
 let him go. They told him that in the course of three months 
 they would convey him to Batavia or Macassar, and also de- 
 sired him to send for the four men he had left at Travalla. 
 This he did by means of a letter which he wrote with a pen
 
 ADVKirrURKB or CAPTAIN WOODWARD. 11 
 
 0f bamboo, and sent by the captain of a proa, who delivered it 
 secretly. The men made their escape from Parlow at the 
 time of a feast, early in the evening, and arrived at Dungally 
 at twelve o'clock the next day. They were received with 
 great rejoicing by the natives, who immediately brought them 
 plenty of victuals. And this fortunate circumstance revived 
 their hopes of reaching some European settlement, after many 
 narrow escapes and difficulties. 
 
 Juan Hadgee now informed Capt. Woodward that he should 
 set off in about two months, but that he must first make a 
 short voyage for provisions, which he did, leaving Captain 
 Woodward in his house with his wife and two servants 
 
 They sootj began to suffer exceedingly for the want of pro- 
 visions, so that the natives were obliged to convey them up 
 the country, there to be supplied by some of the same tribe, 
 who regularly went from the village into the country at a cer- 
 tain season to cultivate rice and Indian corn. But the Rajah 
 of Parlow making war on the Rajah of Dungally, because 
 the latter would not deliver them up, they were soon brought 
 back to Dungally. There was but one engagement, and then 
 the men of Parlow were beaten and driven back to their own 
 town 
 
 Provisions again growing scarce, Juan Hadgee was bound 
 for another port called Sawyah, situated about two degrees 
 north of the line. He gave Captain Woodward permission to 
 accompany him, provided the Rajah was willing, but the lat- 
 ter refused, saying that he must stay there and keep guard 
 Captain Woodward now mustered his men, and taking their 
 guns they went to the house of the Rajah and told him they 
 would stand guard no longer for they wished to go to Macas- 
 sar. He immediately replied that they should not. Being 
 determined not to live longer in this manner, and finding no 
 other means of escaping, Captain Woodward came to the 
 resolution of stealing a canoe, to which all the men agreed 
 They were lucky enough to obtain one and seemed in a fair 
 way to make their escape, but just as they were getting into it 
 they were surrounded by about twenty natives and carried be- 
 fore the Rajah, who ordered them to account for their con- 
 duct. They told him that they could get nothing to eat, and 
 were determined to quit the place on the first opportunity that 
 offered. Nothing of consequence resulted from this.-^ 
 Knowing the language and people they had new become fear- 
 less of danger
 
 *t ADVINTUREB OF CAPTAIN WOODWARD 
 
 The Rajah refusing to let them go with Juan Hadgee they 
 determined to run away with him, which they were enabled to 
 do, as the old man set out at twelve o'clock at night, and there 
 happened lucki-ly to be a canoe on the beach near his own. 
 This they took and followed him as well as they could, but 
 they soon parted from him, and in the morning discovered a 
 proa close by them filled with Malays. They told them that 
 they were bound with the old man to Sawyah. The Malays 
 took them at their word and carried them there instead of to 
 Dungally, which was a lucky escape to them for that time. 
 Whilst residing at Sawyah the old priest carried Captain 
 Woodward to an island in the bay of Sawyah, which he grant- 
 ed to him, and in compliment called it Steersman's Island, 
 steersman being the appellation by which Captain Woodward 
 was distinguished by the natives. After staying some time in 
 Sawyah and making sago, which they bartered for fish and 
 cocoa-nuts, they left the place and proceeded to Dumpolis, a 
 'ittle to the southward of Sawyah. Juan Hadgee soon left 
 the place for Tomboo about a day's sail south, where he had 
 business. Here Captain Woodward and his men also follow- 
 ed him. The old priest was willing to assist them to escape 
 from here, but was evidently unable to do it. Tomboo being 
 under the direction of the Rajah of Dungally. 
 
 Fortunately they succeeded in stealing a canoe in the night, 
 and once more shoving off, they directed their course to a small 
 island in the bay, where they landed at daybreak. Not being 
 able to find water here as they expected, they landed at an- 
 other point of land, which they knew to be uninhabited. 
 Having obtained water and repaired their canoe, they direct- 
 ed their course to Macassar, which was then about five de- 
 grees to the southward. After coasting along the island for 
 the space of eight days, during which time they were twice 
 very nearly taken by the Malays, they arrived at a part of the 
 island of Celebes, which was very thickly inhabited. 
 
 They passed many towns and saw many proas within the 
 harbors Having observed a retired place, they landed to pro- 
 cure some fresh water, but they had hardly got a draugh. 
 each, when two canoes were seen coming to the very place 
 where they were. They immediately shoved off* and kept on 
 .heir course all day. Just as the sun went down they discov- 
 ered two canoes not far from them fishing. As soon as the 
 natives saw them they made the best of their way to the shore. 
 Captain Woodward wished to inquire the distance to Macas- 
 ar, but not being able to stop them he made for one of two
 
 ADVCNTURM OF CAPTAIN WOODWARD. 13 
 
 canoes which he saw at a distance lying et anchor. Being 
 told that the captain was below and asleep he went down and 
 awakened him. He came on deck with three or four men 
 all arued with spears, and inquired where they were going. 
 Captain Woodward told him to Macassar and inquired of him 
 the distance to that place. He answered that it would take a 
 month and a day to reach it. Captain Woodward told him it 
 was not true and made the best of his way off. The Malays 
 however made chase, but Captain Woodward and his men by 
 putting out to sea and making great exertion, soon lost sight 
 of them and were able again to stand in towards the land. 
 
 At daylight they discovered a number of fishing canoes, 
 two of which made towards them. They let them come 
 alongside as there was only one man in each. One of them 
 came on board and Captain Woodward put the same question 
 to him respecting Macassar. He first said it would take 
 thirty days to reach there and asked them to go on shore and 
 see the Rajah. But they declined doing this, and he after- 
 wards acknowleged that a proa could go there in two days. 
 
 They then left the canoe and sailed along the coast. At 
 evening they perceived a proa full of Malay men set off from 
 the shore. It was soon along side, and four of them jumping 
 into the boat nearly upset her, and thus Captain Woodward and 
 his men were again prisoners of the Malays. They were car- 
 ried to a town called Pamboon and then conducted to the 
 Rajah's house. The Rajah demanded of them whence the/ 
 came and whither they were going Captain Woodward an- 
 swered the same as before; he also told him that they must go 
 immediately, and must not be stopped. They had now be- 
 come so familiar with dangers and with captures, and were al- 
 so so much nearer Macassar, than they could have expected 
 after so many narrow escapes, that they became more and more 
 desperate and confident, from the persuasion that they should 
 at last reach their destined port. 
 
 In the morning Captain Woodward again waited on th 
 Rajah, and begged to be sent to Macassar; telling him that 
 the Governor had sent for them, who would stop all his proas 
 at Macassar if he detained them. After thinking on it a 
 short time, he called the captain of a proa, and delivered the 
 prisoners to him, telling him to carry them to Macassar, and 
 if he could get any thing for them to take it, but if not to let 
 them go. The proa not being ready they stayed in the canoe 
 three days, quite overcome by their many hardships and fa- 
 tigues. Captain Woodward having had no shirt, the sun had
 
 14 A* OCCURRENCE AT MA 
 
 burnt his shoulder BO as to lay it quite bare and produce a baa 
 ore. Here he caught cold, and was attacked with a violent 
 fever, so that by the time the proa was ready to sail he was 
 unable to stand. He was carried and laid on the deck with- 
 out a mat or any kind of clothing. The cold nights and fre- 
 quent showers of rain would without doubt have killed him. 
 had he not been kept alive by the hopes of reaching Macas- 
 sar, the thoughts of which kept up all their spirits. 
 
 They landed at Macassar on the 15th of June 1795, after a 
 voyage of about nineteen days frcm Tomboo, and after hav- 
 ing been two years and five months in captivity; the reckon- 
 ing which Captain Woodward kept during that time, being 
 wrong only one day. 
 
 AN OCCURRENCE AT SEA 
 
 IN June, 1824, I embarked at Liverpool onboard the Vib 
 elia transport with the head-quarters of my regiment, which 
 was proceeding to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our passage across 
 the Atlantic was smooth, though long and tedious. After 
 passing over the great bank of Newfoundland, catching large 
 quantities of codfish and halibut, and encountering the usual 
 fogs, we were one morning, about the end of July, completely 
 becalmed. All who have performed a voyage, know the feel- 
 ing of listlessness to which a landsman abandons himself dur- 
 ing a calm. The morning was slowly passed in looking for 
 appearances of a breeze whistling for a wind, and the other 
 idle pursuits usual on such occasions. Towards noon, a sailor 
 from aloft pointed out to our observation a vessel at a distance, 
 also, of course, becalmed. All eyes and glasses were imme- 
 diately directed towards her, but she was too far off for the 
 most experienced to determine whether she was English or 
 foreign, man-of-war or merchantman. After a lime it occur- 
 red to me, that it was a favorable opportunity for breaking in 
 upon the monotony of the day. My influence with our captain
 
 AN OCCURRENCE AT SKA. 1ft 
 
 obtained permission for the small cutter to ! e lowered, but he 
 A'ould not allow a single seaman to leave the ship. I therefore 
 became coxswain of the boat, and, accompanied by four of my 
 brother officers as rowers, we pushed off, determined to pay a 
 visit to the strange sail. To our landsmen's eyes and judg- 
 ment, she had appeared to be about four miles from us, but we 
 found ourselves very much out in our calculation it was more 
 than double that distance. The rowers, however, pulled on 
 bravely we neared the stranger, making her out to be a large 
 American merchantman, and as he was approached, we ob- 
 served a number of persons on deck reconnoitring us through 
 glasses. At length we were alongside, and I passed on board, 
 followed by three of my companions, one remaining in charge 
 of the boat. On reaching the deck, we found it crowded with 
 men, who seemed to regard us with wondering looks. I step- 
 ped forward and was received by the Captain, who acquaint 
 ed me that his vessel was the American ship Cadmus, on her 
 passage from Havre-de-grace to New York, with General the 
 Marquis de Lafayette and suite as passengers. A noble, 
 venerable looking veteran advanced from the poop towards us, 
 nd offered his greetings with the courtsey of the old French 
 school. He was Lafeyette. My explanation of who we 
 were, and the motive of our visit, appeared to excite his sur- 
 prise. That five officers of the land service, unaccompanied 
 by a single sailor, should leave their vessel on the open ocean, 
 and from mere curiosity, visit a strange sail at such a distance, 
 was, he declared, most extraordinary. He said they had ob- 
 served our ship early in the morning had been occupied 
 (like ourselves) in vain endeavors to make us out had re- 
 marked an object, a mere speck upon the sea, leave the vessel 
 and move towards them, and when at length it was -made out 
 to be a boat, the probable cause of such a circumstance had 
 given rise to many surmises. I told him in mitigation of 
 what he deemed our rashness, that we were, as a nation, so 
 essentially maritime, that every man in England was more or 
 less a sailor. At all events, I ventured to add if we had en- 
 countered some little risk, we had been amply repaid in see- 
 ing a man so celebrated, and of whom we had all heard and 
 read. Our comrade being relieved by an American sailor in 
 the care of the boat, we accepted the General's offer of re- 
 freshment, proceeded to the cabin, and passed a most agree- 
 able hour. The fast approach of evening and appearances 
 of a breeze springing up induced us to take leave. We sepa- 
 rated from the old chief, not as the acquaintance of an hour,
 
 It TMB LOM OF THE FHOUflX. 
 
 but with all the warmth the grasp and pressure of hand . 
 old friends. As I parted from him at the gangway, he tnea 
 tioned having caused a case of claret to be lowered into our 
 boat, which he begged us to present to our Colonel and the 
 other officers of our mess. We pulled cheerily back, but it 
 was not until long after dark that we reached the ' Vibelia,' 
 and which we perhaps could not have accomplished, but for 
 their having exhibited blue lights every few minutes to point 
 out her position. We found our comrades had been in great 
 alarm for our safety. Various had been the surmises. Thai 
 we had boarded a pirate, and been sacrificed, or made prison- 
 ers, was most prevalent, and a breeze was anxiously prayed 
 for, that they might bear down, and release or revenge us. 
 Half an hour after we returned to our step, a light wind sprang 
 up, which very shortly freshened into a gale, so that in the 
 morning we had completely lost sight of the 'Cadmus.' 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE LOSS OF HIS MAJESTY'S 
 SHIP PH(ENIX. 
 
 The Phoenix of 44 guns, Gapt. Sir Hyde Parker was Icat 
 in a hurricane, off Cuba, in the West Indies, in the year 
 1780. The same hurricane destroyed the Thunderer, 74 , 
 Stirling Castle, 64; La B^nche, 42; Laurel, 28; And- 
 romeda, 28 ; Deas Castle, , Scarborough, 20 ; Beaver's 
 Prize, 16; Barbadoes, 14; Cameleon, 14; Endeavour, 14; 
 and Victor, 10 guns. Lieut. Archer was first-lieutenant of 
 the Phoenix at the time she was lost. His narrative in a letter 
 to his mother, contains a most correct and animated account 
 of one of the most awful events in the service. It is so simple 
 and natural as to make the reader feel himself as on board the
 
 THE LOSS F THB PUCENIX 11 
 
 Phoenix. Every circumstance is detailed with feeling, and 
 
 Eowerful appeals are continually made to the heart. It must 
 kewise afford considerable pleasure to observe the devout 
 spirit of a seaman frequently bursting forth, and imparting 
 sublimity to the relation. 
 
 At Sea, June 30, 1781. 
 'Mr DEAR MOTHER, 
 
 I am now going to give you an account of our last cruise in 
 tne Phoenix ; and must premise, that should any one see it be* 
 sides yourself, they must put this construction on it that it 
 was originally intended for the eyes of a mother, and a mother 
 only as, upon that supposition, my feelings may be tolerated. 
 You will also meet with a number of sea-terms, which, if you 
 don't understand, why, I cannot help you, as I am unable to 
 give a sea description in any other words. 
 
 To begin then : On the 2d of August, 1780, we weighed 
 and sailed for Port Royal, bound for Pensacola, having two 
 store-ships under convoy, and to see safe in ; then cruise off 
 the Havana, and in the gulf of Mexico, for six weeks. In a 
 few days we made the two sandy islands, that look as if they 
 had just risen out. of the sea, or fallen from the sky ; inhabit- 
 ed, nevertheless, by upwards of three hundred English, who 
 get their bread by catching turtle and parrots, and raising 
 vegetables, which they exchange with ships that pass, for 
 clothing and a few of the luxuries of life, as rum, &c. 
 
 About the 12th we arrived at Pensacola, without any thing 
 remarkable happening except our catching a vast quantity of 
 fisn, sharks, dolphins, and bonettos. On the 13th sailed 
 singly, and on the 14th had a very heavy gale of wind at north, 
 right off the land, so that we soon left the sweet place, Pen- 
 sacola, at a distance astern. We then looked into the Havana, 
 aw a number of ships there, and knowing that some of them 
 were bound round the bay, we cruised in the track : a fort- 
 night, however, passed and not a single ship hove in sight to 
 cheer our spirits. We then took a turn or two round the 
 gulf, but not near enough to be seen from the shore. Vera 
 Cruz we expected would have made us happy, but the same 
 luck still continued ; day followed day, and no sail. The dol- 
 lar bag began to grow a little bulky, for every one had lost 
 two or three times, and no one had won : this was a small 
 gambling party entered into by Sir Hyde and ourselves ; 
 very one put a dollar into a bag, and fixed on a day when we
 
 It TBX LOSS OF THK PH(KMX. 
 
 should see a sail, but no two persons were to name the same 
 day, and whoever guessed right first was to have the bag. 
 
 Being now tired of our situation, and glad the cruise was 
 almost out, for we found the navigation very dangerous, owing 
 to unaccountable currents ; we shaped our course for Cape 
 \ntonio. The next day the man at the mast head, at about 
 ne o'clock in the afternoon, called out : "A sail upon the 
 weather bow ! Ha ! Ha ! Mr. Spaniard, I think we have you 
 at last. Turn out all hands ! make sail ! All hands give 
 chase !" There was scarcely any occasion for this order, for 
 the sound of a sail being in sight flew like wild fire through the 
 ship and every sail was set in an instant almost before the orders 
 were given. A lieutenant at the mast head, with a spy glass, 
 " What is she ?" " A large ship studding athwart right be- 
 fore the wind P-o-r-t ! Keep her away ! set the studding 
 sails ready ! " Up comes the little doctor, rubbing his hands ; 
 " Ha ! ha ! I have won the bag." " The devil take you and 
 the bag ; look, what's ahead will fill all our bags." Mast- 
 head again : " Two more sail on the larboard beam !" 
 "Archer, go up, and see what you can make of them." 
 " Upon deck there ; I see a whole fleet of twenty sail coming 
 right before the wind." " Confound the luck of it, this is 
 some convoy or other, but we must try if we can pick some of 
 them out." "Haul down the studding-sails! LuflT! bring 
 her to the wind ! Let us see what we can make of them. 
 
 About five we got pretty near them, and found them to be 
 twenty-six sail of Spanibh merchantmen, under convoy of 
 three line of battle ships, one of which chased us ; but when 
 she found M r e were p'aying with her (for the old Phoenix had 
 heels) she left chase, and joined the convoy ; which they drew 
 up into a lump, and placed themselves at the outside ; but we 
 still kept smelling about till after dark. O, for the Hector, 
 the Albion, and a frigate, and we.should take the whole fleet 
 and convoy, worth some millions ! About eight o'clock pe~- 
 ceived three sail at some distance from the fleet ; dashed in 
 between them, and gave :hase, and were happy to find they 
 steered from the fleet. About twelve came up with a large 
 ship of twenty -six guns. " Archer, every man to his quarters ! 
 run the lower deck guns out, and light the ship up ; show this 
 fellow our force ; it may prevent his firing into us and killing 
 a man or two." No sooner said than done. " Hoa, the ship 
 ahoy, lower all your sails down, and bring to instantly, or I'll 
 ink you." Clatter, clatter, went the blocks, and away flew 
 all their sails in proper confusion. " What ship is that ?v
 
 THK LOSS Or THK PHONIX. 19 
 
 * The Polly. "Whence came you ?" "From Jamacia." 
 
 * Where are you bound ?" " To New York." " What ship 
 is that ?" " The Phoenix." Huzza, three times by the whole 
 ship's company An old grum fellow of a sailor standing 
 close by me : " O, d m your three cheers, we took you to 
 be something else." Upon examination we found it to be as 
 he reported, and that they had fallen in with the Spanish fleet 
 that morning, and were chased the whole day, and that nothing 
 saved them but our stepping in between ; for the Spaniards 
 took us for three consorts, and the Polly took the Phoenix for 
 a Spanish frigate, till we hailed them. The -other vessel in 
 company was likewise bound to New York: Thus was I, 
 from being worth thousands in idea, reduced to the old 4s. 6d. 
 a day again : for the little doctor made the most prize money 
 of us all that day, by winning the bag, which contained oe- 
 tween thirty and forty dollars ; but this is nothing tfl what we 
 sailors sometimes undergo. 
 
 After parting company, we steered south-south-east, to go 
 round Antonio, and so to Jamaica, (our cruise being out) with 
 our hngers in our mouths, and all of us as green as you please. 
 It happened to be my middle watch, and about three o'clock, 
 when a man upon the forecastle bawls out : " Breakers ahead, 
 and land upon the lee-bow ;" I looked out, and it was so sure 
 enough. " Ready abo-ut ! put the helm down ! Helm a lee !" 
 Sir Hyde hearing me put the ship about, jumped upon deck. 
 "Archer what 's the matter ? you are putting the ship about 
 without my orders !" " Sir, 'tis time to go about ! the ship is 
 almost ashore, there 's the land." " Good God so it is ! Will 
 the ship stay ?" "Yes, Sir, I believe she will, if we don't 
 make any confusion; she's all aback forward now?" 
 " Well," says he, " work the ship, I will not speak a single 
 word." The ship stayed very well. " Then, heave the lead ! 
 see what water we have!" "Three fathom." "Keep the 
 ship away, west-north-west." " By the mark three." " This 
 won't do, Archer." " No, sir, we had better haul more to the 
 northward ; we came south-south-east, and had better steer 
 north-north-west." " Steady, and a quarter three." "This 
 may do, as we deepen a little." " By the deep four." " Very 
 well, my lad, heave quick." "Five Fathom." "That 's a 
 fine fellow ! another cast nimbly." " Quarter less eight." 
 " That will do, come, we shall get clear by and by." 
 "Mark under water five." "What 's that?" "Only five 
 fathom, Sir." "Turn all hands up, bring the ship to an 
 anchor, boy !" " Are the anchors clear !" " In a mordent, 
 Sir." " All clear '" " What water have you in the . mi
 
 THE LOSS OF THB RHOIflX. 
 
 now!" "Eight, half nine. "Keep fast the anchors till 1 
 call you." " Ay, ay, Sir, all fast !" " I have no ground with 
 this line." " How many fathoms have you out ? pass along 
 the deep-sea line!" "Ay, ay, Sir." "Come are you all 
 ready ?" "All ready, Sir." " Heave away, watch ! watch ! 
 bear away, veer away, no ground Sir, with a hundred fath- 
 om." "That's clever, come, Madam Phrenix, there is an- 
 other squeak in you yet all down but the watch; secure the 
 anchors again ; heave the main-top-sail to the mast ; luff, and 
 bring her to the wind !" 
 
 I told you, Madam, you should have a little sea-jargon : if 
 you can understand half of what is already said, I wonder at 
 it, though it is nothing to what is to come yet, when the old 
 hurricane begins. As soon as the ship was a little to rights, 
 and all quiet again, Sir Hyde came to me in the most friendly 
 manner, the tears almost starting from his eyes " Archer, we 
 ought all, to be much obliged to you for the safety of the ship, 
 and perhaps of ourselves. I am particularly so ; nothing but 
 that instantaneous presence of i.> ; nd and calmness saved her ; 
 another ship's length and we should have been fast on shore ; 
 had you been the least diffident, or made the least confusion, 
 so as to make the ship baulk in her stays, she must have been 
 inevitably lost.'' " Sir, you are very good, but I have done 
 nothing that I suppose any body else would not have done, in 
 the same situation I did not turn all the hands up, knowing 
 the watch able to work the ship ; besides, had it spread im- 
 mediately about the sLip, that she was almost ashore, it mighf 
 have created a confusion that was better avoided." " Well,'* 
 says he, " 't is well indeed " 
 
 At daylight we found that *ht current had set us between 
 the Collarado rocks and Cape ^ v r*onio, and that we could not 
 have got out any other way th.^r re did ; there was a chance, 
 but Providence is the best pilot We had sunset that day 
 twenty leagues to the south-east if our reckoning by the 
 current. 
 
 After getting clear of this scrape, \v? thought ourselves for- 
 tunate, and made sail for Jamaica, but nM.^fortune seemed to 
 follow misfortune. The next night, my wa*ch upon deck too, 
 we were overtaken by a squall, like a hurricane while it last- 
 ed ; for though I saw it coming, and prepared for it. yet, 
 v/hen it took the ship, it roared, and laid her down co, that I 
 thought she would never get up again. However, by keeping 
 her away, and clewing up every thing, she righted. The re- 
 mainder of the night we had very heavy squalls, and in the
 
 THE LOSS OF THE PHOENIX. 21 
 
 morning fou.id the mainmast sprung half the way through : one 
 hundred and twenty-three leagues to the leeward "1 ',ima ; :a, 
 the hurricane months coming on, the head of the mainmast al- 
 most off, and at short allowance ; well, we must make the be&t 
 of it. The mainmast was well fished, Dut we were obliged to 
 be very tender of carrying sail. 
 
 Nothing remarkable happened for ten days afterwards, when 
 we chased a Yankee man of war for six hours, but could not 
 get near enough to her before it was dark, to keep sight of 
 her ; so that we lost her because unable to carry any sail on 
 the mainmast. In about twelve days more made the island of 
 Jamaica, having weathered all the squalls, and put into Mon- 
 tego Bay for water ; so that we had a strong party foi kicking 
 up a dust on shore, having found three men of war lying there. 
 Dancing, &c. &c. till two o'clock every morning ; little think- 
 ing what was to happen in four days' time : for out of the four 
 men of war that were there, not one was in being at the end 
 of that time, and not a soul alive but those left of our crew. 
 Many of the houses, where we had been so merry, were so com- 
 pletely destroyed, that scarcely a vestige remained to mark 
 where they stood. Thy works are wonderful, God ! prais- 
 ed be thy holy Name ! 
 
 September the 30th weighed ; bound for Port Royal, round 
 the eastward of the island ; the Bardadoes and Victor had 
 sailed the day before, and the Scarborough was to sail the 
 next. Moderate weather until October the 2d. Spoke to the 
 Barbadoes off Port Antonio in the evening. At eleven at 
 night it began to snuffle, with a monstrous heavy appearance 
 from the eastward. Close reefed the top-sails. Sir Hyde 
 sent for me : " What sort of weather have we, Archer !" 
 "It blows a little, and has a very ugly look : if in any other 
 quarter but this, I should say we were going to have a gale of 
 wind.'' " Ay, it looks so very often here when there is no 
 wind at all ; however, don't hoist the top-sails till it clears a 
 little, there is no trusting any country." At twelve I was re- 
 lieved ; th .; weather had the same rough look : however, they 
 made sail upon her, but had a very dirty night. At eight in 
 the morning I came up again, found it blowing hard from the 
 east-north-east, with close-reefed top-sails upon the ship, 
 and heavy squalls at times. Sir Hyde came upon deck : 
 " Well, Archer, what do you think of it ? " " O, Sir, 't is 
 only a touch of the 'times, we shall have an observati(n at 
 twelve o'clock ; the clouds are beginning to break ; it will 
 clear up at noon, or else bl >w very hard afterwards." "I
 
 22 THE LOSS OF THE PHdNIX. 
 
 wish it wouli clear up, but I doubt it much. I was once in Q 
 hurricane in the East Indies, and the beginning of it had much 
 the same appearance as this So take in the top-sails, we 
 have plenty of sea-room." 
 
 At twelve, the gale still increasing, wore ship, to keep as 
 near mid-channel between Jamaica and Cuba, as possible 
 at one the gale increasing still ; at two, harder yet, it still 
 blows harder ! Reefed the courses, and furled them ; brought 
 to under a foul mizen stay-sail, head to the northward. In the 
 evening no sign of the weather taking off, but every appear- 
 ance of the storm incroasing, prepared for a proper gale of 
 wind ; secured all the sails with spare gaskets ; good rolling 
 tackles upon the yards ; squared the booms ; saw the boats 
 all made fast ; new lashed the guns ; double breeched the 
 lower deckers ; saw that the carpenters had the tarpawlings 
 and battens all ready for hatchways ; got the top-gallant-mast 
 down upon the deck ; jib-boom and sprit-sail-yard fore and 
 aft ; in fact every thing we could think of to make a snug 
 ship. 
 
 The poor devils of birds now began to find the uproar in the 
 elements, for numbers, both of sea and land kinds, came on 
 board of us. I took notice of some, which happening to be to 
 leeward, turned to windward, like a ship, tack and tack ; for 
 they could not fly against it. When they came over the ship 
 they dashed themselves down upon the deck, without attempt- 
 ing to stir till picked up, and when let go again, they would 
 not leave the ship, but endeavoured to hide themselves from 
 the wind. 
 
 At eight o'clock a hurricane ; the sea roaring, but the wina 
 still steady to a point ; did not ship a spoonful of water. 
 However, got the hatchways all secured, expecting what would 
 be the consequence, should the wind shift ; placed the car- 
 penters by the mainmast, with broad axes, knowing, from ex- 
 perience, that at the moment you may want to cut it away to 
 save the ship, an axe may not be found. Went to supper : 
 bread, cheese, and porter. The purser frightened out of his 
 wits about his bread bags ; the two marine officers as white as 
 sheets, not understanding the ship's working so much, and the 
 noie of the lower deck guns ; which, by this time, made a 
 pretty screeching to people not used to it ; it seemed as if the 
 whole ship's side was going at each roll. Wooden, our car- 
 penter, was a!l this time smoking his pipe and laughing at the 
 doctor ; the second lieutenant upon deck, and the third in his 
 hammock.
 
 TH* LOSS OF THE PUCENIX. 23 
 
 At tea o'clock I thought to get a little sleep ; came to look 
 jito my cot ; it was full of water ; for every seam, by the 
 straining of the ship, had began to leak. Stretched myself, 
 therefore, upon deck between two chests, and left orders to be 
 called, should the least thing happen. At twelve a midship- 
 man came to me : "Mr. Archer, we are just going to wear 
 ship, Sir !" " 0, very well, I'll be up directly, what sort of 
 weather have you got ?" " It blows a hurricane." Wen 
 upon deck, found Sir Hyde there. " It blows damned hard 
 Archer." "It does indeed, Sir." "I don't know that 
 ever remember its blowing so hard before, but the ship makes 
 a good weather of it upon this tack, as she bows the sea ; but 
 we must wear her, as the wind has shifted to the south-east, 
 and we were drawing right upon Cuba; so do you go for- 
 ward, and have some hands stand by ; loose the lee yard-arm 
 of the fore-sail, and when she is right before the wind, whip 
 the clue-garnet close up, and roll up the sail." " Sir ! there 
 is no canvass can stand against this a moment ; if we attempt 
 to loose him he will fly into ribands in an instant, and we may 
 lose three or four of our people ; she'll wear by manning the 
 fore shrouds." " No, I don t think she will." " I'll answer 
 for it, Sir ; I have seen it tried several times on the coast of 
 America with success." " Well, try it ; if she does not wear, 
 we can only loose the fore-sail afterwards." This was a 
 great condescension from such a man as Sir. Hyde. How- 
 ever, by sending about two hundred people into the fore-rig- 
 ging, after a hard struggle, she wore ; found she did not make 
 so good weather on this tack a6 on the other ; for as the sea 
 began to run across, she had not time to rise from one sea be- 
 fore another lashed against her. Began to think we should 
 lose our masts, as the ship lay very much along, by the pres- 
 sure of the wind constantly upon the yards and masts alone : 
 for the poor mizen-stay-sail had gone in shreds long before, 
 and the sails began to fly from the yards through the gaskets 
 into coach whips. My God ! to think that the wind could 
 have such force ! 
 
 Sir Hyde now sent me to see what was the matter between 
 decks, as there was a good deal of noise. As soon as I was 
 below, one of the Marine officers calls out : " Good God 
 Mr. Archer, we are sinking, the water is up to the bottom of my 
 cot." " Pooh, pooh ! as long as it is not over your mouth, 
 you are well off; what the devil do you make this noise for ?" 
 I found there was some water between decks, but nothing to b 
 alarmed at ; scuttled the deck, and let it run into the well
 
 4 THB LOSS OF THE PHCBXIX. 
 
 
 
 found she made a good deal of water through the sides and 
 decks ; turned the watch below to the pumps, though only two 
 feet of water in the well ; but expected to be kept constantly 
 at work now, as the ship labored much, with scarcely a par* 
 of her above water but the quarter-deck, and that but seldom 
 ' Come, pump away, my boys. Carpenters, g^t the weather 
 chain-pump rigged." " All ready, Sir." " Then man it 
 and keep both pumps going." 
 
 At two o'clock the chain-pump was choked ; set the car- 
 penter at work to clear it ; the two head pumps at work upon 
 deck ; the ship gained on us while our chain-pumps were idle ; 
 in a quarter of an hour they were at work again, and we began to 
 gain upon her While 1 was standing at the pumps, cheering 
 the peopK 1 , the carpenter's mate came running to me with a 
 face as long as my arm : " O, Sir ! the ship has sprang a leak 
 in the gunner's room." "Go, then, and tell the carpenter to 
 come to me, but don't speak a word to any one else.'' Mr. 
 Goodinoh, I am told there is a leak in the gunner's room ; go 
 and see what is the matter, but don't alarm any body, and come 
 and make your report privately f.o me." In a short time he re- 
 turned : " Sir, there 's nothing '.here, 'tis only the water wash- 
 ing up between the timbers that this booby has taken for a 
 leak." " 0, very well ; go upon deck and see if you can 
 keep any of the water from washing down below." l Sir, I 
 have had four people constantly keeping the hatchways secure, 
 but there is such a weight of water upon the deck that nobody 
 can stand it wl.en the ship rolls." The gunner soon after- 
 wards came to me : " Mr. Archer, I should be glad if you 
 would, step this way into the magazine for a moment :" 1 
 thought some damned thing was the matter, and ran directly : 
 ""Well, what is the matter here ?" " The ground-tier of pow- 
 der is spoiled, and 1 want to show you that it is not out of 
 carelessness in stowing it, for no powder in the world could 
 be better stowed. Now, Sir, what am I to do ? if you don't 
 speak to Sir Hyde, he will be angry with me." I could not 
 forbear smiling to see how easy he took the danger of the ship, 
 and said to him: "Let us shake off ^his gale of wmd first, 
 and talk of the damaged powder afterwards." 
 
 At four we had gained upon the ship a little, and I went 
 upon deck, it being my watch. The second lieutenant reliev- 
 ed me at the pumps. Who can attempt to describe the ap- 
 pearance ol things upon deck ? If I was to write for ever 1 
 could not give you an idea of it a total darkness al) above 
 he sea on fire, running as it were in Alps, or Peaks of Ten
 
 THE LOSS OF THE I'HtF.MX. 25 
 
 
 
 enffe ; (mountains are too common an idea) ; the wind roar- 
 ing louder than thunder, (absolutely no flight of imagination), 
 the whole made more terrible, il possible, by a very uncom- 
 mon kind of blue lightning ; the poor ship very much pressed, 
 yet doing what she could, shaking her sides, and groaning at 
 every stroke. Sir Hyde upon deck lashed to windward ! I 
 soon lashed myself alongside of him, and told him the situa- 
 tion of things below, saying the ship did not make more water 
 than might be expected in such weather, and that I was only 
 afraid of a gun breaking loose. " I arn not in the least afraid 
 of that ; I have commanded her six years, and have had many 
 a gale of wind in her ; so that her iron work, which always 
 gives way first, is pretty well tried. Hold fast ! that was an 
 ugly sea ; we must lower the yards, I believe, Archer ; the 
 ship is much pressed." " If we attempt it, Sir, we shall lose 
 them, for a man aloft can do nothing ; besides their being 
 down would ease the ship very little ; the mainmast is a 
 sprung mast ; I wish it was overboard without carrying any 
 thing else along with it ; but that can soon be done, the gale 
 cannot last for ever ; 'twill soon be daylight now." Found 
 by the master's watch that it was five o'clock, though but a 
 little after four by ours ; glad it was so near daylight, and 
 looked for it with much anxiety. Cuba, thou art much in our 
 way ! Another ugly sea : sent a midshipman to bring news 
 from the pumps : the ship was gaining on them very much, for 
 they had broken one of their chains, but it was almost mend- 
 ed agai?. News from the pump again. " She still gains ! a 
 heavy lee !" Back-water from leeward, half-way up the 
 quarter-deck ; filled one of the cutters upon the booms, and 
 tore her all to pieces ; the ship lying almost on her beam 
 ends, and not attempting to right again. Word from below 
 that the ship still gained on them, as they could not stand to 
 the pumps, she lay so much along. I said to Sir Hyde : 
 " This is no time, Sir, to think of saving the masts, shall we 
 cut the mainmast away ?" u Ay ! as fast as you can." I 
 accordingly wont into the weather chains with a pole-axe, to 
 cut a\vay the lanyards ; the boatswain went to leeward, and the 
 carpenters stood by the mast. We were all ready, when a very 
 violent sea broke right on board of us, carried every thing 
 upon deck away, filled the ship with water, the main and miz- 
 en masts w.e.nt, the ship righted, but was in the last struggle 
 of sinking under us. 
 
 As soon as we could shake our heads above water, Sh 
 Hyde exclaimed : " We are gone, at last, Archer ! found 
 
 VOL. II. ~
 
 26 THE LOSS OF THE PHOENIX 
 
 ered at sea !" " Yes, Sir, farewell, and the Lord have mercy 
 upon us !" I then turned about to look forward at the ship ; 
 and thought she was struggling to get rid of some of the water ; 
 but all in vain, she was almost full below "Almighty God ! 1 
 thank thee, that now I am leaving this world, which I have 
 always considered as only a passage to a better, I die with i 
 full hope of the mercies, through the merits of Jesus Christj 
 thy son, our Saviour !'' 
 
 I then felt sorry that I could swim, as by that means I migH 
 be a quarter of an hour longer dying than a man who could 
 not, and it is impossible to divest ourselves of a wish to pre- 
 serve life. At the end of these reflections I thought I heard 
 the ship thump and grinding under our feet ; it was so. " Sir, 
 the ship is ashore !" " What do you say ?" " The ship is 
 ashore, and we may save ourselves yet !" By this time the 
 quarter-deck was full of men who had come up from below ; and 
 'the Lord have mercy upon us,' flying about from all quarters 
 The ship now made every body sensible that she was ashore, 
 for every stroke threatened a total dissolution of her whole 
 frame ; found she was stern ashore, and the bow broke the 
 gea a good deal, though it was washing clean over at every 
 stroke. Sir Hyde cried out : " Keep to the quarter-deck, my 
 lads, when she goes to pieces, 't is your best chance !" Pro- 
 videntially got the foremast cut away, that she might not pay 
 round broad-side. Lost five men cutting away the fore-mast, 
 by the breaking of a sea on board just as the mast went. 
 That was nothing ; every one expected it would be his own 
 fate next ; looked for daybreak with the greatest impatience. 
 At last it carne ; but what a scene did it show us ! The ship 
 upon a bed of rocks, mountains of them on one side, and Cor- 
 dilleras of water on the other ; our poor ship grinding and cry- 
 ing out at every stroke between them ; going away by piece- 
 meal. However, to show the unaccountable workings of Pro- 
 vidence, that which often appears to be the greatest evil, 
 .proved to be the greatest good ! That unmerciful sea lifted 
 and beat us up so high among the rocks, that at last the ship 
 scarcely moved. She was very strong, and did not go to 
 pieces at the first thumping, though her decks tumbled in. 
 We found afterwards that she had beat over a ledge of rocks, 
 almost a quarter of a mile in extent beyond us, where, if she 
 had struck, every soul of us must have perished. 
 
 I now began to think of getting on shore, so stripped off my 
 coat and shoes for a swim, and looked for a line to carry the 
 end with me. Luckily could not find one, which gave me
 
 THE LOSS OF THE PHOCNIX. 27 
 
 time for recollection . " This wont do for me, to be the first 
 man out of the ship, and first lieutenant ; we may get to Eng- 
 land again, and people may think I paid a great deal of atten- 
 tion to myself und did not care for any body else. No, that 
 wont do ; instead of being tile first, I '11 see every man, sick 
 and well, out of her before me." 
 
 I now thought there was no probability of the sh'p's soon 
 going to pieces, therefore had not a thought of instant death : 
 took a look round with a kind of philosophic eye, to see how 
 the same situation affected my companions, and was surprised 
 to find the most swaggering, swearing bullies in fine weather, 
 now the most pitiful wretches on earth, when death appeared 
 before them. However, two g^t safe ; by which means, 
 with a line, we got a hawser on shore, and made fast to the 
 rocks, upon which many ventured and arrived safe. There 
 were some sick and wounded on board, who could not avail 
 themselves of this method ; we, therefore, got a spare top-sail- 
 yard from the chains and placed one end ashore and the other 
 on the cabin window, so that most of the sick got ashore this 
 way 
 
 As I had determined, so I was the last man out of the ship ; 
 this was about ten o'clock. The gale now began to break. 
 Sir Hyde came to me, and taking me by the hand was so af- 
 fected that he was scarcely able to speak " Archer, I am 
 happy beyond expression, to see you on shore, but look at 
 our poor Phcenix !" I turned about, but could not say a 
 single word, being too full : my mind had been too intensely 
 occupied before ; but every thing now rushed upon me at 
 once, so that I could not contain myself, and I indulged for a 
 full quarter of an hour in tears. 
 
 By twelve it was pretty moderate; got some nails on shore 
 and made tents; found great quantities of fish driven up by 
 the sea into the holes of the rocks; knocked up a fire, and 
 had a most comfortable dinner. In the afternoon made a 
 stage from the cabin-windows to the rocks, and got out some 
 provisions and water, lest the ship should go to pieces, in 
 which case we must all have perished of hunger and thirst; 
 for we were upon a desolate part of the coast, and under a 
 rocky mountain, that could not supply us with a single drop 
 of water. 
 
 Slept comfortably this night and the next day, the idea of 
 death vanishing by degrees, the prospect of being prisoners, 
 during the war, at the Havana, and walking three hundred 
 miles to it through the woods, was rather unpleasant. H*w-
 
 28 THE LOSS OF THE PHfENIX 
 
 sver, to savo life for the present, we employed this day in 
 getting more provisions and water on shore, which was not an 
 easy matter, an account of decks, guns and rubbish, and ten 
 feet water that lay over them. In the evening I proposed 
 to Sir Hyde to repair the remains of the only boat left, 
 and to venture in her to Jamaica myself; and in case I arriv- 
 ed safe, to bring vessels to take them all off; a proposal wor- 
 thy of consideration. It was, next day, fip-i-oed to; therefore 
 got the cutter on shore, and set the carpei isto work on her; 
 in two days she was ready, and at four o'clock in the after- 
 noon 1 embarked with four volunteers and a fortnight's provi- 
 sion, hoisted English colors as we put off from the shore, 
 and received three cheers fHm the lads left behind, which we 
 returned, and set sail with a light heart; having not the least 
 doubt, that, with God's assistance, we should come and bring 
 them all off. Had a very squally night, and a very leaky 
 boat, so as to keep two buckets constantly bailing. Steered her 
 myself the whole night by the stars, and in the morning saw 
 the coast of Jamaica distant twelve leagues. At eight in the 
 evening arrived at Montego Bay. 
 
 I must now begin to leave off, particularly as I have but 
 half an hour .to conclude; else my pretty little short letter 
 will lose its passage, which I should not like, after being ten 
 days, at different times, writing it, beating up with the con- 
 voy to the northward, which is a reason that this epistle will 
 never read well; as 1 never set down with a proper disposition to 
 go on with it; but as I knew something of the kind would please 
 you, I was resolved to finish it; yet it will not bear an over- 
 haul; so don't expose your son's nonsense. 
 
 But to proceed I instantly sent off an express to the ad- 
 miral, another to the Porcupine man of war, and went my- 
 self to Martha Bray to get vessels; for all their vessels here, 
 as well as many of their houses, were gone to Moco. Get 
 three small vessels, and set out back again to Cuba, where 1 
 arrived the fourth day after leaving my companions. I 
 thought the ship's crew would have devoured me on my land- 
 ing; they presently whisked me up on their shoulders and car- 
 ried me to the tent where Sir Hyde was. 
 
 I must omit many little occurrences that happened on shore, 
 for want of time; but I shall have a number of stories to tell 
 when I get alongside of you; and the next time I visit you I 
 shall not be in such a hurry to quit you as I was the last, for 
 then I hoped my nest would have been pretty well feather' 
 ed: But my tale is forgotten.
 
 THE LOSS OF THE PHdKITIX. t9 
 
 I found the Porcupine had arrived that day, and the lada 
 had built a boat almost ready for launching, that would hold 
 fifty of 'hem, which was intended for another trial, in case I 
 had foundered. Next day embarked all our people that were 
 left, amounting to two hundred and fifty; for some had died 
 of their wounds they received in getting on shore; others of 
 drinking rum, and others had straggled into the country. 
 All our vessels were so full of people, that we could not take 
 away the few clothes that were saved from the wreck; but 
 that was a trifle since we had preserved our lives and liberty. 
 To make short of my story, we all arrived safe at Montego 
 Bay, and shortly after at Port Royal, in the Janus, which 
 was sent on purpose for us, and were all honorably acquitted 
 for the loss of the ship. I was made admiral's aid-de-camp, 
 and a little time afterwards sent down, to St. Juan's as captain 
 of the Resource, to bring what were left of the poor devils to 
 Blue Fields, on the Musquito shore, and then to Jamaica, 
 where they arrived after three month's absence, and without 
 a prize, though I looked out hard off Porto Bello and Cartha-' 
 gena. Found in my absence that I had been appointed cap- 
 tain of the Tobago, where I remain his majesty's most true 
 and faithful servant, and my dear mother's most dutiful son, 
 
 ARCHER
 
 so 
 
 AH ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHEBf 
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY,. 
 
 WITH ANECDOTES OF THE DANGERS ATTENDING IT 
 
 Historians, in general, have given to the Biscay ans the 
 credit of having first practiced the fishery for the Whale; the 
 English, and afterwards the Dutch are supposed to have fol- 
 lowed in the pursuit. It was prosecuted by the Norwegians 
 so early as the ninth century, and by the Icelanders about the 
 eleventh. It was not till the seventeenth century however, 
 that the whale fishery was engaged in by the maritime nations 
 of Europe as an important branch of commerce. 
 
 The crew of a whale ship usually consists of forty to fifty 
 men, comprising several classes of officers, such as harpoon- 
 ers v boat-steerers, line-managers, kc. together with fore-mast- 
 men, landmen and apprentices. As a stimulus to the crew in 
 the fishery, every individual, from the master down to the 
 boys, besides his monthly pay, receives either a gratuity for 
 every size fish caught during the voyage, or a certain sum for 
 every ton of oil which the cargo produces. Masters and har- 
 pooners receive a small sum before sailing, in place of month- 
 ly wages; and if thev procure no cargo whatever, they re-
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY. 31 
 
 ceive nothing more for their voyage ; but in the event of a 
 successful fishing, their advantages are considerable 
 
 The crow's nest is an apparatus placed on the main-top- 
 mast, or top-gallant-mast head, as a watch tower for the offi- 
 cer on the lookout. It is closely defended from the wind and 
 cold, and is furnished with a speaking trumpet, a telescope and 
 rifle. The most favorable opportunity for prosecuting the fishery 
 in the Greenland seas, commonly occurs with north, north-west 
 or west winds . At such times the sea is smooth, and the atmos- 
 phere, though cloudy and dark, is generally free- from fog and 
 snow. The fishers prefer a cloudy to a clear sky; because 
 in very bright weather, the sea becomes illuminated, and the 
 shadows of the whale-boats are so deeply impressed in the 
 water by the beams of the sun that the whales are apt to take 
 the alarm. Fogs are only so far unfavorable as being liable 
 to endanger the boats by shutting out the sight of the ship. 
 A well constructed whale-boat floats lightly and safely on the 
 water, is capable of being rowed with great speed, and readily 
 turned round, it is of such capacity that it carries six or seven 
 men, seven or eight hundred weight of whale-lines, and va- 
 rious other materials, and yet retains the necessary properties 
 of safety and speed. Whale-boats being very liable to re- 
 ceive damage, both from whales and ice, are always carver- 
 built, a structure which is easily repaired. The instru- 
 ments of general use in the capture of the whale, are the har- 
 poon and lance. There is, moreover, a kind of harpoon which 
 is shot from a gun, but being difficult to adjust, it is seldom 
 used. Each boat is likewise furnished with a "jack" or 
 flag fastened to a pole, intended to be displayed as a signal 
 whenever a whale is harpooned. The crew of a whale-ship 
 are separated in divisions, equal in number to the number of the 
 boats. Each division, consisting of aharpooner, a boat-steer- 
 er, and a line-manager, together with three or four rowers, 
 constitutes a " boats crew." 
 
 On fishing stations, when the weather is such as to render 
 the fishery practicable, the boats are always ready for instant 
 service. The crow's nest is generally occupied by one of 
 the officers, who keeps an anxious watch for the appearance 
 of a whale. The moment that a fish is seen, he gives notice 
 to the " watch upon deck," part of whom leap into a boat, are 
 lowered down, and push off towards the place. If the fish be 
 large, a second boat is despatched to the support of the other; 
 and when the whole of the boats are sent out, the ship is said 
 to have a "a loose fall." There are several rules observed
 
 9$ All ACCOUNT Or THE WHALE FISHERY. 
 
 In approaching a whale to prevent tho animal from taking 
 the alarm. As the whale is dull of hearing, but quick 
 of sight, the boat-steerer always endeavors to get behind it ; 
 and, in accomplishing this, he is sometimes justified in tak- 
 ing a circuitous rout. In calm weather, where guns are 
 not used, the greatest caution is necessary before a whale 
 can be reached; smooth careful rowing is always requisite, 
 and sometimes sculling is practiced. It is a primary consid- 
 eration with the harpooner, always to place his boat as near 
 as possible to the spot in which he expects the fish to rise, and 
 he conceives himself successful in the attempt when the fish 
 'comes up within a start," that is, within the distance of 
 about two hundred yards. 
 
 Whenever a whale lies on the surface of the water, uncon- 
 scious of the approach of its enemies, the hardy fisher rows 
 directly upon it ; and an instant before the boat touches it, 
 buries his harpoon in his back. The wounded whale, in the 
 surprise and agony of the moment, makes a convulsive effort 
 to escape. Then is the moment of danger. The boat is sub- 
 jected to the most violent blows from its head, or its fins, but 
 particularly from its ponderous tail, which sometimes sweeps 
 the air with such tremendous fury, that boat and men are ex- 
 posed to one common destruction. 
 
 The head of the whale is avoided, because it cannot be 
 penetrated with the harpoon ; but any part of the body, be- 
 tween the head and the tail, will admit of the full length of 
 the instrument, without dauger of obstruction. The moment 
 that the wounded whale disappears, a flag is displayed; on 
 sight of which, those on watch in the ship, give the alarm, by 
 stamping on the deck, accompanied by shouts of " a fall." 
 At the sound of this, the sleeping crew are roused, jump from 
 their beds, rush upon deck, and crowd into the boats. The 
 alarm of "a fall,'' has a singular effect on the feelings of a 
 sleeping person, unaccustomed to hearing it. It has often 
 been mistaken as a cry of distress. A landsman, seeing the 
 crew, on an occasion of a fall, leap into the b-oats in their 
 shirts, imagined that the ship was sinking. He therefore 
 tried to get into a boat himself, but every one of them being 
 fully manned, he was refused. After several fruitless endeav- 
 ors to gain a place among his comrades, he cried out, in evi- 
 dent distress, " What shall I do? Will none of you take mo 
 in?" 
 
 The first effort of a "fast-fish," or whale that has been 
 truck; b to escape from the boat by sinking under water
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY S3 
 
 After this, it pursues its course downward, or reappears at a 
 litlle distance, and swims with great celerity, near the surface 
 of the water. It sometimes returns instantly to the surface, 
 and gives evidence of its agony hy the most convulsive throes 
 The downward course of a whale is, however, the most com- 
 mon. A whaie, struck near the edge of any large sheet of 
 ice, and passing underneath it, will sometimes run the whole 
 of the lines out of one boat. The approaching distress of a 
 boat, for want of line, is indicated by the elevation of an oar, 
 to which is added a second, a third, or even a fourth, in pro- 
 portion to the nature of the exigence. The utmost care and 
 attention are requisite, on the part of every person in the 
 boat, when the lines are running out; fatal consequences hav- 
 ing been sometimes produced by the most trifling neglect. 
 When the line happens to " run foul," and cannot be cleared 
 on the instant, it sometimes draws the boat under water; on 
 which, if no auxiliary boat, or convenient piece of ice, be at 
 hand, the crew a plunged into the sea, and are obliged to trust 
 to their oars or their skill in swimming, for supporting them 
 selves on the surface. 
 
 Captain Scoresby relates an accident of this kind, which 
 happened on his first voyage to the whale fishery. A thou- 
 sand fathoms of line were already out, and the fast-boat \vaj 
 forcibly pressed against the side of a piece of ice. The har 
 pooncr, in his anxiety to retard the flight of the whale, ap- 
 plied too many turns of the line round the bollard, which, 
 getting entangled, drew the boat beneath the ice. Another 
 boat, providentially was at hand, into which the crew had 
 just time to escape. The whale, with near two miles length 
 of line, was, in consequence of the accident, lost, but the 
 boat was recovered. 
 
 The average stay under water of a wounded whale is aoout 
 thirty minutes. When it reappears, the assisting boats make 
 for the place with their utmost speed, and as they reach it, 
 each harpooner plunges his harpoon into its back, to the 
 amount of three, four, or more, according to the size of the 
 whale. It is then actively plied with lances, which are thrust 
 into its body, aiming at its vitals. The sea to a great extent 
 around is dyed with its blood, and the noise made by its tail 
 in its dying struggle, may be heard several miles. In dying, 
 it turns on its back or on its side; which circumstance is an- 
 nounced by the capturers with the striking of their flags, ac- 
 companied with three lively huzzas ! 
 VOL. li 2*
 
 34 AN ACCOUNT OK Till'. WJIA1 E I 1SHKRV 
 
 Whales are sometimes captured, with a single harpoon, ic 
 the space of fifteen minutes. Sometimes they resist forty 01 
 fifty hours, and at times they will break three or four lines at 
 oi>ce, or tear themselves clear off* the harpoons, by the vio- 
 lence of their struggles. Generally the capture of a whale 
 depends on the activity of the harpooner, the state of th* 
 wind find weather, or the peculiar conduct of the animal it- 
 self. Under the most favourable circumstances, the length 
 of time does not exceed an hour. The general average may 
 be stated at two hours. Instances have occurred where 
 whales have been taken without being struck at all, simply by 
 entangling themselves in the lines that had been used to de- 
 stroy others, and struggling till they were drowned or died of 
 exhaustion. 
 
 The fishery for whales, when conducted at the margin of 
 those wonderful sheets of ice, called fields, is, when the 
 weather is fine, and the refuge for ships secure, the most 
 agreeable, and sometimes the most productive of all other 
 ways. When the fish can be* observed "blowing" in any of 
 the holes of a field, the men travel over the ice and attack it 
 with lances to turn it back. As connected witli this subject, 
 Captain Scoresby relates the following circumstance, which 
 occurred under his own observation. 
 
 On the eighth of July, 1813, the ship Esk lay by the edge 
 of a large sheet of ice, in which there were several thin parts, 
 and some holes. Here a whale being heard blowing, a har- 
 poon, with a line fastened to it, was conveyed across the ice, 
 from a boat on guard, and the harpooner succeeded in striking 
 the whale, at the distance of three hundred and fifty yards 
 from the verge. It dragged out ten lines, (2400 yards,) and 
 was supposed to be seen blowing in different holes in the ice. 
 After some time it made its appearance on the exterior, and was 
 again struck, at the moment it was about to go under the sec- 
 ond time. About an hundred yards from the edge, it broke the 
 ice where it was a foot thick, witli its head, and respired 
 through the opening. It then pushed forward, breaking the 
 ice as it advanced, in spite of the lances constantly directed 
 agamsl i*. At last it reached a kind of basin in the field, 
 where it floated on the surface without any incumbrance 
 from ice. Its back being fairly exposed, the harpoon struck 
 from the boat on the outside, was observed to be so slightly 
 entangled, that it was ready to drop out. Some of the offi- 
 cers lamented this circumstance, and wished that the harpoon 
 might be better fast; at the same time observing that if it
 
 A* ACCOUNT OP TUB WHALE FISHERY 35 
 
 should slip out, either the fish would be lost, or they should 
 be under the necessity of flensing it where it lay, and of 
 dragging the blubber over the ice to the ship; a kind and de- 
 gree of labor every one was anxious to avoid. No sooner 
 was the wish expressed, and its importance explained, than a 
 young and daring sailor stepped forward, and ottered to strike 
 the harpoon deeper. Not at all intimidated by the surprise 
 manifested on every countenance at such a bold proposal, he 
 leaped on the back of the living whale, and cut the harpoon 
 out with his pocket knife. Stimulated by his gallant example, 
 one of his companions proceeded to his assistance. While 
 one of them hauled upon the line and held it in his hands, the 
 other set his shoulder against the end of the harpoon, and 
 though it was without a stock, contrived to strike it again 
 into the fish more effectually than at first! The whale was in 
 motion before they had finished. After they got ofF its back, 
 it advanced a considerable distance, breaking the ice all the way, 
 and survived this novel treatment ten or fifteen minutes. This 
 daring deed was of essential service. The whale fortunately 
 sunk spontaneously after it expired; on which it was hauled 
 out under the ice by the line and secured without farther trou- 
 ble. It proved a mighty whale; a very considerable prize. 
 
 When engaged in the pursuit of a large whale, it is a neces- 
 sary precaution for two boats at all times to proceed in com- 
 pany, that the one may be able to assist the other, on any 
 emergency. With this principle in view, two boats from the 
 Esk were sent out in chase of some large whales, on the 13th 
 of June 1814. No ice was within sight. The boats had pro- 
 ceeded some time together, when they separated in pursuit 
 of two whales, not far distant from each other; when, by a 
 singular coincidence, the harpooners each struck his fish at 
 the same moment. They were a mile from the ship. Urgent 
 signals for assistance were displayed by each boat, and in a 
 few minutes one of the harpooners was obliged to slip the end 
 of his line. Fortunately the other fish did not descend SQ 
 deep, and the lines in the boat proved adequate for the occa- 
 sion. One of the fish being then supposed to be lost, five of 
 the boats out of seven attended on the fish which yet remain- 
 ed entangled, and speedily killed it. A short time afterwards, 
 the other fish supposed to be lost, was descried at a little dis- 
 tance from the place where it was struck; three boats pro- 
 ceeded against it; it was immediately struck, and in twenty 
 minutes also killed. Thus were fortunately captured two 
 whales, both of which had been despaired of. They pro-
 
 36 
 
 AX ACCOUNT OP THE WHALE FISHERY 
 
 duccd near forty tons of oil, value, at that time 1400. Th 
 lines attached to the last fish were recovered with it. 
 
 Before a whale can be flensed, as the operation of taking 
 off the fat and whalebone is called, some preliminary measures 
 are requisite. These consist in securing the whale to the 
 boat, cutting away the attached whale-lines, lashing the fins 
 together, and towing it to the ship. Some curious circum- 
 stances connected with these operations may be mentioned 
 hero 
 
 In the year 1816, a fish was to all appearance killed by the 
 crew of the Esk. The fins were partly lashed, and the tai 
 on the point of being secured, and all the lines excepting one, 
 weie cut away, the fish meanwhile lying as if dead. To 
 the alarm, however, of the sailors, it revived, began to move, 
 and pressed forward in a convulsive agitation; soon after it 
 sunk in the water to some depth, and then died. One' line 
 fortunately remained attached to it, by which it was drawn tc 
 the surface and secured. 
 
 A suspension of labor is generally allowed after the whale 
 has been secured aside of the ship, and before the commence- 
 ment of the operation of flensing. An unlucky circumstance 
 once occured in an interval of this kind. At that period of the 
 fishery, (forty or fifty years ago,) when a single stout whale.
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY. 87 
 
 together with the bounty, was found sufficient to remunerate 
 the owners of a ship for the expenses of the voyage, great 
 joy was exhibited on the capture of a whale, by the fishers. 
 They were not only cheered by a dram of spirits, but some- 
 times provided with some favorite "mess," on which to regale 
 themselves, before they commenced the arduous task of flens- 
 ing. At such a period, the crew of an English vessel had 
 captured their first whale. It was taken to the ship, placed 
 on the lee-side, and though the wind blew a strong breeze, it 
 was fastened only by a small rope attached to the fin. In 
 this state of supposed security, all hands retired to regale 
 themselves, the captain himself not excepted. The ship be- 
 ing at a distance from any ice, and the fish believed to be fast, 
 they made no great haste in their enjoyment. At length, the 
 specksioneer, or chief harpooner, having spent sufficient time 
 in indulgence and equipment, with an air of importance and 
 self-confidence, proceeded on deck, and naturally turned to 
 look on the whale. To his astonishment it was not to bo 
 seen. In some alarm he looked a-stern, a-head, on the oth- 
 er side, but his search was useless; the ship drifting fast, had 
 pressed forcibly upon the whale, the rope broke, the fish 
 sunk and was lost. The mortification of this event may be 
 conceived, but the termination of their vexation will not easi- 
 ly be imagined, when it is known, that no other opportunity 
 of procuring a whale occured during the voyage. The ship 
 returned home clean. 
 
 .Flensing in a swell is a most difficult and dangerous under- 
 taking; and when the swell is at all considerable, it is com- 
 monly impracticable. No ropes or blocks are capable of 
 bearing the jirk of the sea. The harpooners are annoyed by 
 the surge, and repeatedly drenched in water; and are likewise 
 subject to be wounded by the breaking of ropes or hooks of 
 tackles, und even by strokes from each other's knives. Hence 
 accidents in this kind of flensing are not uncommon. The 
 harpooners not uifrequently fall into the whale's mouth, when 
 it is exposed by the removal of a surface of blubber; where 
 they might easily be drowned, but for the prompt assistance 
 which is always at hand. 
 
 One of the laws of the fishery universally adhered to, is, 
 that wheviever a whale is loose, whatever may be the case or 
 circumstances, it becomes a free prize to the first peison who 
 gets hold of it. Thus, when a whale is killed, and the flens- 
 ing is prevented by a storm, it is usually taken in tow; if the 
 rope by which it is connected with trie ship should happen tc
 
 88 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY 
 
 Drcak, and the people of another ship should seize upon h 
 whiie disengaged, it becomes their prize. The following cir- 
 cumstance, which occured a good many years ago, has a ten- 
 dency to illustrate the existing Greenland laws. 
 
 During a storm of wind and snow several ships were beat- 
 inn; to windward, under easy sail, along the edge of a pack. 
 When the storm abated and the weather cleared, the ships 
 steered towards the ice. Two of the fleet approached it, 
 about a mile assunder, abreast of each other, when the 
 crews of each ship accidentally got sight of a dead fish at a 
 little distance, within some loose ice. Each ship now made 
 sail, to endeavor to reach the fish before the other; which fish 
 being loose, would be a prize to the first who could get pos- 
 session of it. JNeither ship could out sail the other, but each 
 contrived to press forward towards the prize. The little ad- 
 vantage one of them had in distance, the other compensated 
 with velocity. On each bow of the two ships, was stationed 
 a principal officer, armed with a harpoon in readiness to dis- 
 charge. But it so happened that the ships came in contact 
 with each other, when within a few yards of the fish, and in 
 consequence of the shock with which their bows met, they re- 
 bounded to a considerable distance. The officers at the same 
 moment discharged their harpoons, but all of them feil short 
 of the fish. A hardy fellow who was second mate of the lee- 
 ward ship immediately leaped overboard and with great dex 
 terity swam to the whale, seized it by the fin, and proclaimed 
 it his prize. It was, however, so swollen, that he was unable 
 to climb upon it, but was obliged to remain shivering in the wa- 
 ter until assistance should be sent. His captain cluted with 
 his good luck, forgot, or at least neglected his brave second 
 mate; and before he thought of sending a boat to release him 
 from his disagreeable situation, prepared to moor his ship to 
 an adjoining piece of ice. Meanwhile the other ship tacked, 
 and the master himself stepped into a boat, pushed off and 
 rowed deliberately towards the dead fish. Observing the 
 trembling seaman still in the water holding by the fin, he ad- 
 dressed him with, " Well my lad, you have got a fine fish 
 here," to which after a natural reply in the affirmative, he 
 added, " b t don't you find it very cold?" " Yes," replied 
 the shivering sailor, " I'm almost starved. I wish you would 
 allow me to come into your boat until our's arrives." This fa- 
 vor needed no second solicitation; the boat approached the 
 man and he was assisted into it. The fish being again loose 
 >n*l out of oossession, the captain instantly struck his harpoon
 
 AX ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERT. 39 
 
 into it, hoisted his flag, and claimed his prizo! Mortified and 
 displeased as the other master felt at this trick, for so it certainly 
 was, he had nevertheless no redress, but was obliged to permit 
 the fish to be taken on board of his competitor's ship, and to 
 content himself with abusing the second mate for want of dis- 
 cretion, and condemning himself for not having more com- 
 passion on the poor fellow's feeling, which would have pre- 
 vented the disagreeable misadventure. 
 
 Those employed in the occupation of killing whales, arc, 
 when actually engaged, exposed to danger from three sources, 
 viz. from the ice, from the climate, and from the whales them- 
 selves. The ice is a source of danger to the fishers, from 
 overhanging masses failing upon them, from the approxima- 
 tion of large sheets of ice to each other, which are apt to 
 crush or upset the boats, from their boats being stove or 
 sunk by large masses of ice, agitated by a swell, and from 
 the boats being enclosed and beset in a pack of ice, and their 
 crews thus prevented from joining their ships. 
 
 On the commencement of a heavy gnle of wind, May 1 Jth, 
 1813, fourteen men put off in a boat from the Volunteer of 
 Whitby, with the view of setting an anchor in a large piece 
 of ice, to which it was their intention of mooring tl^e ship,- 
 The ship approached on a signal being made, the sails were 
 clewed up, and a rope fixed to the anchor; but the ice shiver- 
 ing with the violence of the strain when the ship fell astern, 
 the anchor flew out and the ship went adrift. The sails being 
 again set, the ship was reached to the eastvyard (wind at 
 north,) the distance of about two miles; but in attempting to 
 wear and return, the ship, instead of performing the evolution, 
 scudded a considerable distance to the leeward, and was then 
 reaching out to sea; thus leaving fourteen of her crew to a 
 fate most dreadful, the fulfilment of which seemed almost in- 
 evitable. The temperature of the air was 15 or 16 of Fahr. 
 when these poor wretches wore left upon a detached piece of 
 ice, of no considerable magnitude, without food, without shel- 
 ter from the inclement storm, deprived of every means of re- 
 fuge except in a single boat, which, on account of the num- 
 ber of men, and the violence of the storm, was incapable of 
 conveying them to their ship. Death staied them in the face 
 whichever way they turned, and a division in opinion endued 
 Some were wishful to remain on the ice, but the ice could af- 
 ford them no shelter to the piercing wind, and would probably 
 be broken to pieces by the increasing swell : others were 
 anxious to attempt to join their ship ^vhile she was vet in
 
 40 AW ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY. 
 
 sight, but the force of the wind, the violence of the sea, tht 
 tmallness of the boat in comparison to the number of men to 
 o? conveyed, were objections which would have appeared in- 
 surmountable to any person but men in a state of despair. 
 Judging, that by remaining on the ice, death was but retard- 
 ed for a few hours, as the extreme cold must eventually be- 
 numb their faculties, and invite a sleep which would overcome 
 the remains of animation, they determined on making the 
 attempt of rowing to their ship. Poor souls, what must have 
 been their sensations at that moment, when the spark of 
 hope yet remaining was so feeble, that a premature death even 
 to themselves seemed inevitable. They made the daring ex- 
 periment, when a few minutes' trial convinced them, that the 
 attempt was utterly impracticable. They then with longing 
 eyes, turned their efforts towards recovering the' ice they had 
 left, but their utmost exertions were unavailing. Every one 
 now viewed his situation as desperate; and anticipated, as cer-, 
 tain, the fatal event which was to put a period to his life. 
 How great must have been their delight, and how overpow- 
 ering their sensations, when at this most critical juncture a 
 ship appeared in sight! She was advancing directly towards 
 them; their voices were extended and their Hag displayed. 
 But although it was impossible they should be heard, it was 
 not impossible they should be seen. Their flag was descried 
 by the people on board the ship, their mutual courses were so 
 directed as to form the speediest union, and in a few minutes 
 they (bund themselves on the deck of the Lively of \Vhitby, 
 under circumstances of safety! They received from their 
 townsmen the warmest congratulations; and while each indi- 
 vidual was forward in contributing his assitance towards the 
 restoration of their benumbed bodies, each appeared sensible 
 that their narrow escape from death was highly providential 
 The forbearance of God is wonderful. Perhaps these very 
 men a few hours before, were impiously invoking their own 
 destruction, or venting imprecations upon their fellow beings! 
 True it is that the goodness of the Almighty extendeth over 
 all his works, and that while ' Mercy is his darling attribute,' 
 'Judgment is his strange work.' 
 
 The most extensrve source of danger to the whale-fisher, 
 when actively engaged in his occupation, arises from the ob- 
 .ect of his pursuit. Excepting when it has young under ita 
 protection, the whale generally exhibits remarkable timidity 
 of character. A bird perching on its back alarms it; hence. 
 thegreater part of the accidents which happen in the course
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY 4j 
 
 of its capture, must be attributed to adventitious circumstan- 
 ces on the part of the whale, or to mismanagement or fool- 
 hardiness on the part of the fishers. 
 
 A harpooner belonging to the Henrietta of Whitby, when 
 engaged in lancing a whale, into which he had previously 
 struck a harpoon, incautiously cast a little line under his feet 
 thut lie had just hauled into the boat, after it had been drawn 
 out by the fish. A painful stroke of his lance induced the 
 whale to dart suddenly downward; his line began to run out 
 from beneath his feet, and in an instant caught him by a turn 
 round his body. He had but just time to cry out, " clear 
 away the line," "O dear!" when he was almost cut assun- 
 der, dragged overboard and never seen afterwards. The line 
 was cut at the moment, but without avail. The fish descend- 
 ed a considerable depth, and died; from whence it was drawn 
 to the surface by the lines connected with it, and secured. 
 
 While the ship Resolution navigated an open lake of water, 
 in the 8'st degree of north latitude, during a keen frost and 
 strong nirth wind, on the 2d of June 1806, a whale appear- 
 ed, and a boat put off in pursuit. On its second visit to the 
 sur'nce of the sea, it was harpooned. A convulsive heave 
 of the tail, which succeeded the wound, struck :he boat at 
 the stern; and by its reaction, projected the boat-steerer 
 overboard. As the line in a moment dragged the boat be- 
 yond his teach, the crew threw some of their oars towards him 
 for I is support, one of which he fortunately seized. The ship 
 and boats being at a considerable distance, and the fast-boat 
 being rapidly drawn away from him, the harpooner cut the line 
 with the view of rescuing him from his dangerous situation
 
 42 AH ACCOUNT OF THE WHAI.K FISHERT. 
 
 But no sooner was this act performed, than to their extrtme 
 mortification they discovered, that in consequence of some 
 oars being thrown towards their floating comrade, and others 
 being broken or unshipped by the blow from the fish, one oar 
 only remained; with which, owing to the force of the wind, 
 they tried in vain to approach him. A considerable period 
 elapsed, before any boat from the ship could afford him assist- 
 ance, though the men strained every nerve for the purpose. 
 At lengtk, when they reached him, he was found with his 
 arms stretched over an car, almost deprived of sensation. 
 On his arrival at the ship, he was in a deplorable condition. 
 His clothes were frozen like mail, and his hair constituted a 
 helmet of ice. He was immediately conveyed into the cabin, 
 his clothes taken off, his limbs and body dried and well rub- 
 bed, and a cordial administered which he drank. A dry shirt 
 and stockings were then put upon him, and he was laid in the 
 captain's bed. After a few hours sleep he awoke, and ap- 
 peared considerably restored, but complained of a painful 
 sensation of cold. He was, therefore, removed to his o\vn 
 birth, and one of his messmates ordered to lie on each side 
 of him, whereby the diminished circulation of the blood was 
 accelerated, and the animal heat restored. The shock on his 
 constitution, however, was greater than was anticipated. 
 He recovered in the course of a few days,, so as to be able to 
 engage in his ordinary pursuits; but many months elapsed 
 belt-re his countenance exhibited its usual appearance of 
 health 
 
 The Aimwell of Whi'by, while cruising the Greenland seas, 
 in the year 1810, had boats in chase of whales on the 26th of 
 ]\lay. One of them was harpooned. But instead of sinking 
 immediately on receiving the wo.und, as is the most usual 
 manner of the whale, this individual only dived for a moment, 
 and rose again beneath the boat, struck it in the most vicious 
 manner with its (ins and tail, stove it, upset it, and then disap- 
 peared. The crew, seven in number, got on the bottom of 
 the boat; but the unequal action of the lines, which for some- 
 time remained entangled with the boat, rolled it occasionally 
 over, and thus plunged the crew Repeatedly into the water. 
 Four of them, after each immersion, recovered themselves 
 and clui g to the boat; but the other three, one of whom was 
 the only person acquainted with the art of swimming, were 
 drowned before assistance could arrive. The four men on 
 the boat being rescued and conveyed to the ship, the attack 
 an the \\hale was continued and two more harpoons struck.
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY. 43 
 
 But the whale irritated, instead of being enervated by its 
 wounds, recommenced 'its furious conduct. The sea was in a 
 foam. Its tail and fins were in awful play; and in a short 
 time, harpoon after harpoon drew out, the fish was loosened 
 from its entanglements and escaped. 
 
 In the fishery o r 1812, the Henrietta of Whitby suffered a 
 similar loss. A fi.$h which was struck very near the ship, by 
 a blow of its tail, stove a small hole in the boat's bow. Ev- 
 er 1 " individual shrinking from the side on which the blow was 
 impressed, aided the influence of the stroke, and upset the 
 boat. They all clung to it while it was bottom up; but the 
 line having got entangled among the thwarts, suddenly drew 
 the boat under water, and with it part of the crew Exces- 
 sive anxiety among the people in the ship, occasioned delay 
 in sending assistance, so that when the first boat arrived at 
 the spot, two survivors only out of six men were found. 
 
 During a fresh gale of wind in the season of 1809, one of the 
 Resolution's harpooners struck a sucking whale. Its mother 
 being near, all the other boats were disposed around, with the 
 hope of entangling it. The old whale pursued a circular 
 route round its cub, and was followed by the boats; but its 
 velocity was so considerable, that they were unable to keep 
 pace with it. Being in the capacity of harpponer on this oc- 
 casion myself, I proceeded to the chase, after having careful- 
 ly marked the proceedings of the fish. I selected a situation, 
 in which I conceived the whale would make its appearance, 
 and was in the act of directing my crew to cease rowing, 
 when a terrible blow was struck on the boat. The whale I 
 never saw, but the effect of the blow was too important to be 
 overlooked. About fifteen square feet of the bottom of the 
 boat were driven in; it filled, sunk, and upset in a moment. 
 Assistance was providentially at hand, so that we were all ta- 
 ken up without injury, after being but a few minutes in the 
 water. The whale escaped; the boat's lines fell out and were 
 J.ost, but the boat was recovered. 
 
 A remarkable instance of the power which the whale pos- 
 sesses in its tail, was exhibited within my own observation, in 
 the year 1807. On the 29th of May, a whale was harpoon- 
 ed by an officer belonging to the Resolution. It descended a 
 considerable depth; and, on its re-appearance, evinced an un- 
 common degree of irritation. It made such a display of its 
 fins and tail, that few of the crew were hardy enough to ap- 
 proach it The captain, (Captain Scoresby's father,) observ- 
 ing their timidity, called a boat, and himself struck a second
 
 44 AN ACCOUNT OP THE WHALE FISHERT. 
 
 harpoon. Another boat immediately followed, and unfortu 
 nately advanced too far. The tail was again reared into the 
 air, in a terrific attitude, the impending blow was evident, 
 the harpooner, who was directly underneath, leaped over- 
 board, and the next moment the threatened stroke was im- 
 pressed on the centre of the boat, which it buried in the wa- 
 ter. Happily no one was injured. The harpooner who leap- 
 ed overboard, escaped certain death by the act, the tail hav- 
 ing struck the very spot on which he stood. The effects of 
 the blow were astonishing. The keel was broken, the gun- 
 wales, and every plank, excepting two, were cut through, 
 and it was evident that the boat would have been completely 
 divided, had not the tail struck directly upon a coil of lines. 
 The boat was rendered useless. 
 
 Instances of disasters of this kind, occasioned by blows 
 from the whale, could be adduced in great numbers, cases 
 of boats being destroyed by a single stroke of the tail, are 
 not unknown, instances of boats having been stove or upset, 
 and their crews wholly or in part drowned, are not unfre- 
 quent, and several cases of whales having made a regular 
 attack upon every boat which came near them, dashed some 
 in pieces, and killed or drowned some of the people in them, 
 have occurred within a few years even under my own obser- 
 vation. 
 
 The Dutch ship Gort-Moolen, commanded by Cornelius 
 Gerard Ouwekaas, with a cargo of seven fish, was anchored 
 in Greenland in the year 1660. The captain, perceiving a 
 whale a-head of his ship, beckoned his attendants, and threw 
 himself into a boat. He was the first to approach the 
 whale; and was fortunate enough to harpoon it before the ar- 
 rival of the second boat, which was on the advance. Jacques 
 Vienkes, who had the direction of it, joined his captain im- 
 mediately afterwards, and prepared to make a second attack 
 on the fish, when it should remount again to the surface. At 
 the moment of its ascension, the boat of Vienkes happening 
 unfortunately to be perpendicularly above it, was so suddenly 
 and forcibly lifted up by a stroke of the head of the whale, 
 thai it was dashed to pieces before the harpooner could dis- 
 charge his weapon. 
 
 Vienkes flew along with the pieces of the boat, and fell up- 
 on the back of the animal. This intrepid seaman, who still 
 retained his weapon in his grasp, harpooned the whale on 
 which he stood; and by means of the harpoon and the line, 
 which he never abandoined, he steadied himself firmly upon
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE -WHALE FISHERY 45 
 
 the rish, notwithstanding his hazardous situation, and rccard- 
 less of a considerable wound that he received in Ins ley i*> 
 his fall along with the fragments of the boat. All the etiorts 
 of the other boats to approach the whale, and deliver the har- 
 pooner, were futile. The captain, not seeing any other meth- 
 od of saving his unfortunate companion, who was in some 
 way entangled with the line, called to him to cut it with his 
 knife, and betake himself to swimming. YienK.es, embarras- 
 sed and disconcerted as he was, tried in vain to follow this 
 counsel. His knife was in the pocket of his drawers; and, 
 being unable to support himself with one hand, he culd not 
 get it out. The whale, meanwhile, continued advancing along 
 the surface of the water with great rapidity, but fortunately 
 never attempted to dive. While his comrades despaired of his 
 life, the harpoon by which he held, at length disengaged itself 
 from the body of the whale. Vienkes being thus liberated, 
 did not fail to take advantage of this circumstance; he cast 
 himself into the sea, and by swimming, endeavored to regain 
 the boats which continued the pursuit of the whale. When 
 his shipmates perceived him struggling with the waves, they 
 redoubled their exertions. They reached him just as his 
 strength was exhausted, and had the happiness of rescuing 
 this adventurous harpooner from his perilous situation. 
 
 Captain Lyons of the Kaith of Leith, while prosecuting 
 the whale-fishery on the Labrador coast, in the season of 
 1802, discovered a large whale at a short distance from the 
 ship. Four boats were dispatched in pursuit, and two of them 
 succeeded in approaching it so closely together, that two har- 
 poons were struck at the same moment. The fish descended 
 a few fathoms in the direction of another of the boats, which 
 was on the advance, rose accidentally beneath it, struck it with 
 its head, and threw the boat, men, and apparatus about fifteen 
 feet into the air. It was inverted by the stroke, and fell into 
 the water with its keel upwaras. Ail the people were picked 
 up alive by the fourth boat, which was just at hand, excepting 
 one man, who having got entangled in the boat, fell beneath 
 it, and was unfortunately drowned. The fish was soon after- 
 wards killed. The engraving on page 30, is illustrative of 
 this remarkable accident. 
 
 In 1822, two boats belonging to the ship Baffin went in pur- 
 suit of a whale. John Carr was harpooner and commander ol 
 one of them. The whale they pursued led them into a vast 
 shoal of his own species; they were so numerous that their 
 blowing war incessant, and they believed that they did not se
 
 46 
 
 A! ACCOUNT OF -THE WHALE FISHERT. 
 
 fewer than an hundred. Fearful of alarming them without 
 striking any, they remained for a while motionless At last 
 one rose near Carr's boat, and he approached, and fatally for 
 himself, harpooned it. When he struck, the fish was ap- 
 proaching t'ue boat; and, passing very rapidly, jerked the line 
 out of its place over the stern, and threw it upon the gun- 
 wale. Its pressure in this unfavorable position so careened 
 the boat, that the side was pulled under water, and it began to 
 fill. In this emergency, Carr, who wns a brave, active man, 
 seized the line, and endeavored to relieve the boat by restor- 
 ing it to its place; but, by some circumstance which was nev- 
 er accounted for, a turn of the line flew over his arm, drag- 
 ged him overboard in an-instant, and drew him under the 
 water, never more to rise. So sudden was the accident, that 
 only one man, who was watching him, saw what had happen- 
 ed; so that when the boat righted, which it immediately did, 
 though half full of water, the whole crew on looking round 
 inquired what had become of Carr. It is impossible to im- 
 tgine a death more awfully sudden and unexpected. The in- 
 
 IKSTRCMENTS USED IN THE WHALE FISHERY. 
 
 1 A common Harpoon 
 
 2 A Pricker. 
 
 3. A sharp Spade, used in cutting up a Whale. 
 
 4. A Harpoon which is fired from a gun. 
 
 6. A Lance, to kill the Whale after he has been har 
 pooned.
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHILE FISHERY. 47 
 
 visible bullet could not have effected more instantaneous de- 
 struction. The velocity of the whale at its first df-ferr* 
 fr.om thirteen to fifteen feet per second. Now as this uulotiu- 
 nate man was adjusting the line at the water's very edge, 
 where it must have been perfectly tight, owing to its obstruc- 
 tion in running out of the boat, the interval between the fast- 
 ening the line about him and his disappearance could not have 
 exceeded the third part of a second of time, for in one seconj 
 only he must have been dragged ten or twelve feet deep. In- 
 deed he had not time for the least exclamation; and the person 
 who saw his removal, observed that it was so exceeding quick 
 that though his eye was upon him at the moment, he could 
 scarcely distinguish his figure as he disappeared. 
 
 As soon as the crew recovered from their consternation, 
 they applied themselves to the needful attention which the 
 lines required. A second harpoon was struck from the accom- 
 panying boat on the raising of the whale to the surface, and 
 some lances were applied, but this melancholy occurrence had 
 cast such a damp on all present, that they became timid and 
 inactive in their subsequent duties. The whale when nearly 
 exhausted was allowed to remain some minutes unmolested, 
 till having recovered some degree of energy, it made a vio- 
 lent effort and tore itself away from both harpoons. The ex- 
 ertions of the crews thus proved fruitless, and were attended 
 with serious loss. 
 
 Innumerable instances might be adduced of the perils and 
 disasters to which our whalemen are subject; of their never 
 tiring fortitude and daring enterprise; but we believe the ex- 
 amples we have given alone will sufficiently convey a full and 
 correct idea of the customs and dangers of the whale-fishery . 
 
 THE NAKWAI,, On SEA-UMCORN, 
 
 IB a species of the Whale, and seldom exceeds twenty-two 
 feet long. Its body is slenderer than that of the whale, and 
 its fat not in so great i.bundance. But this great animal is 
 BufTiciently distinguished from all others of the deep, by its
 
 48 AJf ACCOUNT DF THE WHALE FlSUEnt. 
 
 tooth or teeth, which stand pointing directly forward from the 
 upper jaw, and are from nine to ten feet long. In all the va- 
 riety of weapons with which nature has anned her various 
 tribes, there is not one so large or so formidable as this. 
 This terrible weapon is generally found single; and some are 
 of opinion that the animal is furnished with but one by nature; 
 but thore is at present the skull of a Narwal at the Stadt- 
 house at Amsterdam, with two teeth. The tooth, or, as some 
 are pleased to call it, the horn of the Narwal, is as straight 
 as an arrow, about the thickness of the small of a man's leg, 
 wreathed as we sometimes see twisted bars of iron; it tapers 
 to a sharp point; and is whiter, heavier, and harder than ivory. 
 It is generally seen to spring from the left side of the head 
 directly forward in a straight line with the body; and its root 
 enters into the socket above a foot and a half. Notwithstand- 
 ing its appointments for combat, this long and pointed tusk, 
 amazing strength, and matchless celerity, the Narwal is one 
 of the most harmless and peaceful inhabitants of the ocean. 
 It is seen constaatly and inoffensively sporting among the oth- 
 er great monsters of the deep, no way attempting to injure 
 them, but pleased in their company. The Greenlanders call 
 the Narwal the forerunner of the whale; for wherever if is 
 seen, the whale is shortly after sure to follow. This may 
 arise as well from the natural passion for society in these ani- 
 mals, as from both living upon the same food. These power- 
 ful lishes make war upon no other living creature: and, though 
 furnished with instruments to spread general destruction, are 
 as innocent and as peaceful as a drove of oxen. The Narwal 
 is much swifter than the whale, and would never be taken by 
 he fishermen but for those very tusks, which at first appear 
 to be its principal defence. These animals are always seen 
 in herds of several at a time; and whenever they are attacked 
 they crowd together in such a manner, that they a mutually 
 Embarrassed by their tusks. By these they are often lockec 
 together, and are prevented from sinking to the bottom. It 
 seidom happens, therefore, but the fishermen make sure of 
 one or two of the hindmost, which very well reward thei' 
 trouble.
 
 LOSS OF THE CRIG TTRRf L 4S 
 
 LOSS OF THE BRIG TYRREL. 
 
 In addition to the many dreadf il shipwrecks already narrtt- 
 ed, the following, which is a circumstantial acccuT.t Rircr. oj 
 T. Purncll, chief mate of the brig Tyrrel, Arthur Cochlan, 
 commander, and the only person among the whole crew who 
 had the good fortune to escape, claims our particu tr atten- 
 tion. 
 
 On Saturday, June 29th, 1759, they sailed from New York 
 to Sandy Hook, and there came to an anchor, waiting for the 
 captain's coming down with a new boat, and some other arti- 
 cles. Accordingly he came on board early the succeeding 
 morning, and the boat cleared, hoisted in, stowed and lashed. 
 At eight o'clock, A. M. they weighed anchor, sailed out of 
 Sandy Hook, and the same day at noon, took their departure 
 from the High Land Never Sunk, and proceeded on their 
 passage to Antigua. As soon as they made sail, the captain 
 ordered the boat to be cast loose, in order that she might be 
 painted, with the oars, rudder and tiller, which job, he (Cap- 
 tain Cochlan) undertook to do himself. 
 
 At four P. M. they found the vessel made a little more wa- 
 ter, than usual; but as it did not cause much additional la- 
 bour at the pump, nothing was thought of it. At eight, the 
 leak did not seem to increase. At twelve it began to blow 
 very hard in squalls, which caused the vessel to lie down very 
 much, whereby it was apprehended she wanted more ballast. 
 Thereupon the captain came on deck, being the starboard 
 watch, and close reefed both top-sails. 
 
 At four A. INI. the weather moderated t et out both reefs: 
 a', eight it became still more moderate, and they made moro 
 sail, and set top-gallant-sails; the weather was still thick and 
 ha/y. There was no further observation taken at present, 
 except that the vessel made more water. The captain waa 
 now chielly employed in painting the boat, oars, rudder and 
 tiller. 
 
 Oa Monday, June 30, at four P. M. the wind was at E. N. 
 E. freshened very much, and blew so very hard, as occasioned 
 the brig to lie along in such a manner as caused general 
 
 VOL. II 3
 
 60 LOSS OF THE BRIO TTRRXL 
 
 alarm. The captain was now earnestly intreated to put fot 
 New York, or steer for the Capes of Virginia. At eight, 
 took in top-gallant-sail, and close reefed both top-sails, still 
 making more water. Afterwards the weather oecame still 
 more moderate and fair, and they made more sail. 
 
 July 1, at four A. M. it began to blow in squalls very hard, 
 took in one reef in each top sail, and continued so until eight 
 A. INI. the weather being still thick and hazy. No ob- 
 servation. 
 
 The next day she made still more water, but as every 
 watch pumped it out, this was little regarded. At four P. INI 
 took second reef in each top-sail, close reefed both, and 
 sen-t down top-gallant-yard; the gale still increasing. 
 
 At four A. M. the wind got round to N. and there was no 
 appearance of its abating. At eight, the captain well satisfied 
 that she was very crank and ought to have had more ballast, 
 agreed to make for Bacon Island Road, in North Carolina; 
 and in the very act of wearing her, a sudden gust of wind 
 laid her down on her beam-end, and she never rose again! 
 At this time Mr. Purnell was lying in the cabin, with his 
 clothes on, not having pulled them off since they left land. 
 Having been rolled out of his bed (on his chest,) witli great 
 difficulty he reached the round-house door; the first saluta- 
 tion he met with was from the step-ladder that went from the 
 quarter-deck to the poop, which knocked him against the 
 companion, (a lucky circumstance for those below, as, by lay- 
 ing the ladder against the companion, it served both him and 
 the rest of the people who were in the steerage, as a convey- 
 ance to windward); having transported the two after guns 
 forward to bring her more by the head, in order to make her 
 hold a better wind; thus they got through the aftermost gun- 
 port on the quarter-deck, and being all on her broadside, ev- 
 ery moveable rolled to leeward, and as the vessel overset, 
 so did the boat, and turned bottom upwards, her lashings Le- 
 ing cast loose, by order of the captain, and having no other 
 prospect of saving their lives but by the boat, Purnell, with 
 two others, and the cabin-boy (who were excellent swimmers) 
 Blunged into the water, and with difficulty righted her, when 
 she was brim full, and washing with the water's edge. They 
 then made fast the end of the main-sheet to the ring in her 
 stern-post, and those who were in the fore-chains sent down 
 the end of the boom-tackle, to which they made fast the boat's 
 painter, aud by which they lifted her a little out of the water, 
 00 that she swam about two or three inches free, but almost 
 fall.
 
 LOSS OF THE BRIO TTRRBL. 61 
 
 They then put the cabin-boy into her, and gave him a bucket 
 that happened to float by, and he bailed away as quick as he 
 could, and soon after another person got in with anothe' 
 bucket, and in a short time got all the water out of her. 
 They then put two long oars that were stowed in the larboard- 
 quarter of the Tyrell into the boat, and pulled or rowed right 
 to windward; for, as the wreck drifted, she made a dreadful 
 appearance in the water, and Mr. Purnell and two of the 
 people put oft* from the wreck, in search of the oars, rudder 
 and tiller. After a long while they succeeded in picking 
 them all up, one after another. They then returned to their 
 wretched companions, who were all overjoyed to see them, 
 having given them up for lost. By this time night drew on 
 very fast. While they were rowing in the boat, some small 
 quantity of white biscuit (Mr. Purnell supposed about halt a 
 peck,) floated in a small cask, out of the round house; but 
 before it came to hand, it was so soaked with salt water, thai 
 it was almost in a fluid state: and about double the quantity 
 of common ship-biscuit likewise floated^ which was in like 
 manner soaked. This was all the provision that they had; not 
 a drop of fresh water could they get; neither could the car- 
 penter get at any of his tools to scuttle her sides, for, coulii 
 this have been accomplished, they might have saved plenty of 
 piovisions and water. 
 
 By this time it was almost dark; having got one compass, it 
 was determined to quit the wreck, and take their chance in 
 the boat, which was nineteen foot six inches long, and six feet 
 four inches broad; Mr. Purnell supposes it was now about 
 nine o'clock; it was very dark. 
 
 They had run abut 360 miles by their dead reckoning, on a 
 S. E. by K. course. The number in the boat was 17 in all; 
 the boat was very deep, and little hopes were entertained of 
 either seeing land or surviving long. The wind got round to 
 westward, which was the course they wanted to steer; but it 
 began to blow and rain so very hard, thnt they were obliged 
 to keep before the wind and sea, in order to preserve her 
 above water. Soon after they had put off from the wreck the 
 boat shipped two heavy seas, one after another, so that they 
 were obliged to keep her before the wind and sea; for had she 
 shipped another sea, she certainly would have swamped with 
 them. 
 
 By sunrise the next morning, July 3, they judged that the^ 
 had been running E. S. E. which was contrary to their wishea 
 The wind dying away, the weather became very inoder-
 
 65 LOSS OF THE BRIO TYRREL. 
 
 ate. The compass which they had saved proved of no utili 
 ty, one of the people having trod upon, and broken it; it was 
 accordingly thrown overboard. They now proposed to make 
 a sail of some frocks and trowsers, but they had got neither 
 needles nor sewing twine, one of the people however, had a 
 needle in his knife, and another several fishing lines in his 
 pockets, which were unlaid by some, and others were employ- 
 ed in ripping the frocks and trowsers. By sunset they had 
 provided a tolerable lug-sail; having split one of the boat's 
 thwarts, (which was of yellow deal,) with a very large knife, 
 which one of the crew had in his pocket, they made a yard 
 and lashed it together by the strands of the fore-top-gallant- 
 halyards, that were thrown into the boat promiscuously. 
 
 They also made a mast of one of the long oars, and set their 
 sails, with sheets and tacks made out of the top-gallant-hal- 
 yards. Their only guide was the North Star. They had a 
 tolerable good breeze all night; and the whole of the next 
 day, July 4, the weather continued very moderate, and the 
 people were in as good spirits as their dreadful situation would 
 admit. 
 
 July 5, the wind and weather continued much the same, 
 and they knew by the North star that they were standing in 
 for the land. The next day Mr. Purncll observed some of 
 the men drinking salt water, and seeming rather fatigued. 
 At this time they imagined the wind was got round to the 
 southward, and they steered, as they thought by the North 
 star, to the northwest quarter; but on the 7th, they found 
 the wind had got back to the northward, and blew very fresh. 
 They got their oars out the greatest part of the nij!it, and 
 the next day the wind still dying a\vay, the people laboured 
 alternately at the oars, without distinction. About noon the 
 wind sprung up so that they laid in their oars, and, as they 
 thought, steered about N. N. W. and continued so until about 
 eight or nine in the morning of July 9, when they all thought 
 they were upon soundings, by the coldness of the water. 
 They were, in general, in very good spirits. The weather 
 continued still thick and hazy, and. by the North star, they 
 found that they had been steering ab..ut N. by W. 
 
 July 10. The people had drank so much salt water, that it 
 came from them as clear ;is it was before they drank it; and 
 Mr. Purnell psrceived that the second mate had lost a consid- 
 erable share of his strength and spirits; and also, at noon, 
 that the carpenter was delirious, his malady increasing every 
 hour; about dusk he had almost overset the boat, by attempt-
 
 tOSS OF THE D/lIO TTRREL 63 
 
 ing to throw himself overboard, and otherwise behaving quite 
 violent. 
 
 As his strength, however, failed him, he became more man 
 ageable, and they got him to lie down in the middle of the 
 boat, among some of the people. Mr. Purnell drank once a 
 little salt water, but could not relish it; he prefered his own 
 urine, which he drank occasionally as he made it. Soon after 
 sunset the second mate lost his speech. Mr. Purnell desired 
 him to lean his head on him; he died, without a groan or 
 struggle, on the llth of July, being the 9th day they were in 
 the boat. In a few minutes after, the carpenter expired al- 
 most in a similar manner. These melancholy scenes render- 
 ed the situation of the survivors more dreadful; it is impossi- 
 ble to describe their feelings. Despair became general; ev- 
 ery man imagined his own dissolution was near. They all now 
 went to prayers; some prayed in the Welch language, some 
 in Irish, and others in English; then, after a little delibera- 
 tion, they stripped the two dead men, and hove them over- 
 board. 
 
 The weather being now very mild, and almost calm, they 
 turned to, cleaned the boat, and resolved to make their sail 
 larger out of the frocks and trowsers of the two deceased 
 men. Purnell got the captain to lie down with the rest of the 
 people, the boatswain and one man excepted, who assisted him 
 in making the sail larger, which they had completed by six 
 or seven o'clock in the afternoon, having made a shroud out of 
 
 the boat's painter, which served as a shifting back-stay. 
 
 Purnell also fixed his red flannel waistcoat at the mast-head, 
 as a signal the' most likely to be seen. 
 
 Soon after this some of them observed a sloop at a great 
 distance, coming, as they thought, from the land. This rous- 
 ed every man's spirits; they got out their oars, at which they 
 laboured alternately, exerting all their remaining strength to 
 come up with her; but night coming on, and the sloop getting 
 a fresh breeze of wind, they lost sight of her, which occasion- 
 ed a grneral consternation; however, the appearance of the 
 North star, which they kept on their starbo-ard-bow, gave 
 them hopes that they stood in for land. This night one Wil- 
 liam Wathing died; he was 64 years of age, and had been to 
 sea 50 years; quite worn out with fatigue and hunger, he 
 earnestly prayed, to the last moment, for a drop of watei 
 to cool his tongue. Karly the next morning Hugh Williams 
 also died, and in the course of the day another of the crew; 
 entireU exhausted, they both expired without a groan.
 
 64 LOSS OF THE BRIG TVRREL 
 
 Early in the morning of July 13, it began to blow very 
 fresh, and increased so much, that they were obliged to furl 
 their sail, and keep the boat before the wind and sea, which 
 drove them off soundings. In the evening their gunner died. 
 The weather now becoming moderate and the wind in the S 
 \V. quarter, they made sail, not one being able to row or pull 
 an oar at any rate; they ran all this night with a fine breeze 
 
 The next morning (July 14) two more of the crew died, 
 and in the evening they also lost the same number. They 
 found they were on soundings again, and concluded the wind 
 had ot round to the N. W. quarter. They stood in for the 
 land all t us night, and early on July 12 two others died; the 
 deceased were thrown overboard as soon as their breath had 
 departed. The weather was now thick arid hazy, and they 
 were still certain that they were on soundings. 
 
 The cabin-boy was seldom required to do any thing, and as 
 his intellects, at this time, were very good, and his under- 
 standing clear, it was the opinion of Mr. Purnell that he 
 would survive them all, but he prudently kept his thoughts to 
 himself. The captain seemed likewise tolerably well, and to 
 have kept up his spirits. On account of the haziness of the 
 weather, they could not so well know how they steered in the 
 day time as at night; for, whenever the North star appeared, 
 they endeavored to keep it on their starboard bow, by which 
 means they were certain of milking the land some time or 
 other. In the evening t\vo more of the crew died, also, be- 
 fore sunset, one Thomas Philpot, an old experienced seaman, 
 and very strong; he departed rather convulsed; having latter- 
 ly lost the power of articulation, 'nis meaning could not be 
 comprehended. He was a native of Belfast, Ireland, and had 
 no family. The survivors found it a difficult task to heave his 
 body overboard, as he was a very corpulent man. 
 
 About six or seven the next morning, July 16, they stood 
 in for the land, according to the best of their judgment; the 
 weather still thick and hazy. Purncll now prevailed upon 
 the captain and boatswain of the boat to lie down in the lore- 
 part of the beat, to brinff her more by the head, in order to 
 make her hold a better wind. In the evening the cabin-boy, 
 who lately appeared so well, breathed his last, leaving behind, 
 the captain, the boatswain and Mr. Purnell. 
 
 The next morning, July 17, JMr. Purnell asked his two 
 companions if they thought they could eat any of the boy's 
 flesh; and having expressed an inclination to try, and the 
 body being quite cold, he cut the inside of his thigh, a little
 
 LOSS OF THE BRIO TYRREL. 55 
 
 above his knee, and gave a piece to the captain and boat- 
 swain, reserving a small piece for himself; but so weak were 
 .heir stomachs that none of them could swallow a morsel of it, 
 the body was therefore thrown overboard. 
 
 Early in the morning of the 18th, Mr. Purnoll found both 
 of his companions dead and cold! Thus destitute, he began 
 to think of his own dissolution; though feeble, his understand- 
 ing was st 11 clear, and his spirits as good as his forlorn situa- 
 tion 'ould possibly admit. By the colour and coldness of 
 the w r, he knew he was not far from land, and still main- 
 tained hcnes of making it. The weather continued very foggy 
 He lay to all this night, which was very dark, with the boat's 
 head to the northward. 
 
 In the morning of the 19th, it began to rain; it cleared up 
 in the afternoon, and the wind died away; still Mr. Purnell 
 was convinced he was on soundings. 
 
 On the 20th, in the afternoon, he thought he saw land, and 
 stood in for it; but night coming on, and it being now very 
 dark, he lay to, fearing he might get on some rocks and 
 shoals. 
 
 July 21, the weather was very fine all the morning, but in 
 the afternoon it became thick and hazy. Mr. Purnell's 
 spirits still remained good, but his strength was almost exhaus- 
 ted; he still drank his own water occasionally. 
 
 On the 22d he saw some barnacles on the boat's rudder, 
 very similar to the spawn of an oyster, which filled him with 
 greater hopes of being near land. He unshipped the rudder, 
 and scraping them off with his knife, found they were of a 
 salt fishy substance, and eat them; he was now so weak, the 
 boat having a great motion, that he found it a difficult task to 
 ship the rudder. 
 
 At sunrise, July 23, he became so sure that he saw land, that 
 bis spirits were considerably raised. In the middle of this 
 day he got up, leaned his back against (he mast, and received 
 succour from the sun, having previously contrived to steer the 
 boat in this position. The next day he saw, at a very great 
 distance, some kind of a sail, which he judged was coming 
 from the land, which he soon lost sight of. In the middle of 
 the day he got up, and recci-ved warmth from the sun as be- 
 fore. He stood on all night for the land. 
 
 Very early in the morning of the 25th, after drinking his 
 morning draught, to his inexpressible joy he saw, while the 
 Bun was rising, a sail, and when the sun was up, found she 
 was a two-mast vessel He was, however, corsideraoly per
 
 56 LOSS OF THE BRIO TYRREL 
 
 plexed, not knowing what to do, as she was a great distance 
 astern &nd to the leeward. In order to watch her motions 
 better, !:e lacked about. Soon after this he perceived she 
 was standing on her starboard tack, which had been the same 
 he had been standing on for many hours. He saw she ap- 
 proached him very fast, and he lay to for some time, till he 
 believed she was within two miles of the boat, but still to lee- 
 ward; therefore he thought it best to steer larger, when he 
 found she was a top-sail schooner, nearing him very f<~ t. 
 He continued to edge down towards her, until he had jught 
 her about two points under his lee-bow, having it in h.s power 
 to spring his luff, or bear away. By this time she was within 
 half a mile, and he saw some of her people standing forwards 
 on her deck and waiving for him to come under their lee-bow. 
 
 At the distance of about 200 yards they hove the schooner 
 up in the wind, and kept her so until Purnell got alongside, 
 when they threw him a rope, still keeping the schooner in the 
 wind. They now interrogated him very closely; by the man- 
 ner the boat and oars were painted, they imagined she belong- 
 ed to a man of war, and that they had .run away with her from 
 some of his Majesty's ships at Halifax, consequently that they 
 would be liable to some punishment if they took him up; they 
 also thought, as the captain and boatswain were lying dead 
 in the boat, they might expose themselves to some contagious 
 disorder. Thus they kept Purnell in suspense for some time. 
 They told him they had made the land that morning from the 
 mast-head, and that they were running along shore for JNIar- 
 blehead, to which place they belonged, and where they ex- 
 pected to be the next morning. At last they told him he 
 might come on board; which as he said, he could not without 
 assistance, the captain ordered two of his men to help him. 
 They conducted him aft on the quarter deck, where they left 
 him resting on the companion. 
 
 They were now for casting the boat adrift, but Mr. PurneU 
 told them she was not above a month old, built at New York, 
 and if they would hoist her in, it would pay them well for 
 their trouble. To this they agreed, and having thrown the 
 two corpses overboard, and taken out the clothes that were 
 left by the deceased, they hoisted her in and made sail. 
 
 Being now on board, Purnell asked for a little water, Cap 
 tain Castleman (for that was his name) ordered one of his 
 sons, (having two on board) to fetch him some; when he 
 came with the water, his father looked to see how much he 
 was bringing him. ;md thinking it too much, threw some o' '!
 
 LOSS OF THE BRIO TYRREL 61 
 
 away, nnd desired him to give the remainder, which he drank 
 being the first fresh water he had tasted foi 23 days. As ho 
 leaned all this time against the companion, he became very 
 cold, and hogged to go below; the captain ordered two men 
 to help him down to the cabin, where they left him sitting on 
 the cabin-deck, leaning upon the lockers, all hands being now 
 engaged in hoisting in and securing the boat. This done, all 
 hands went down to the cabin to breakfast, except the man at 
 the helm. They made some soup for Purnell, which he 
 thought verj- good, but at present he could eat very little, and 
 in consequence of his late draughts, he had broke out in ma- 
 ny parts of his body, so that he was in great pain whenever 
 he stirred. They made a bed for him out of an old sail, and 
 behaved very attentive. While they were at breakfast a 
 squall of wind came on, which called them all upon deck; 
 during their absence, Purnell took up a stone bottle, and 
 without smelling or tasting it, but thinking it was rum, took a 
 hearty draught of it, and found it to be sweet oil; having 
 placed it where he found it, he lay down. 
 
 They still ran along shore with the land in sight, and were 
 in great hopes of getting into port that night, but the wind dy- 
 ing away, they did not get in till nine o'clock the next night, 
 All this time Purnell remained like a child; some one was 1- 
 always with him, to give him whatever he wished to eat or drink 
 
 As soon as they came to anchor, Captain Castleman went 
 on shore, and returned on board the next morning with the 
 owner, John Picket, Esq. Soon after they got Purnell into 
 a boat, and carried him on shore; but he was still so very fee- 
 ble, that he was obliged to be supported by two men. Mr 
 Picket took a \ery genteel lodging for him, and hired a nurse 
 to attend him; he was immediately put to bed, and afterwards 
 provided with a change of clothes. In the course of the day 
 he was visited by every doctor in the town, who all gave him 
 hopes of recovering, but told him it would be some time, for 
 the stronger the constitution, the longer (they said) it took to 
 recover its lost strength. Though treated with the utmost 
 tenderness and humanity, it was three weeks before he was 
 rble to come down stairs. He stayed in Marblehead two 
 months, during which he lived very comfortably, and gradual- 
 ly recovered his stiength. The brig's boat and oars were 
 sold for 95 dollars, which paid all his e?;penses, and procured 
 him a passage to Boston. The nails of his lingers and toea 
 withered away almost to nothing, and did not begin lo grov 
 for many months after 
 
 VOL. 11. 3*
 
 51 THE LOSS OF THE MOOT. 
 
 THE LOSS OF THE PEGGY. 
 
 On the 28th of September, 1785, the Peggy, commanded bj 
 Capt. Knight, sailed from the harbor of Waterford, Ireland, 
 for the port of .New York, in America. 
 
 Here it is necessary to observe, that the Peggy was a large 
 unwieldy Dutch-built ship, about eight hundred tons burden, 
 and had formerly been in the Norway, and timber trade, for 
 which, indeed, she seemed, from her immense bulk, well cal- 
 culated. There being no freight in readiness for America, 
 we were under the necessity of taking in ballast : which con- 
 sisted of coarse gravel and sand, with about fifty casks of 
 stores, fresh stock, and vegetables, sufficient to last during the 
 voyage ; having plenty of room, and having been most abund- 
 antly supplied by the hospitable neighbourhood, of which we 
 were about to take our leave. 
 
 We weighed anchor, and with the assistance of a rapid tide 
 and pleasant breeze, soon gained a tolerable offing : we con- 
 tinued tinder easy sail the remaining part of the day, and to- 
 wards sunset lost sight of land. 
 
 Sept. i?9th, made the old head of Kingsale ; the weather 
 continuing favorable, we shortly came within sight of Cape 
 rirar, from whence we took our departure from the coast of 
 Ireland. 
 
 Nothing material occurred for several days, during which 
 time we traversed a vast space of the Western Ocean. 
 
 Oct. 1-th, the weather now Wecame hazy and squally ; all 
 hands tinned up to reef top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards. 
 Towards night the squalls were more frequent, indicating 
 an approaching gale : We accordingly clued, reeled top-sails, 
 and struck top-gall ant-mast 8 ; and having made all snug aloft, 
 the ship weathered the night very steadily. 
 
 On the 13th the crew were employed in setting up the rig- 
 ging, and occasionally pumping, the ship having made much 
 water during the night. The gale increasing as the day ad- 
 vanced, occasioned the vessel to make heavy rolls, by which 
 an accident happened, which was near doing much injury io 
 the captain's cabin. A puncheon of rum, which was lashed
 
 THE LOSS OF THE PEGGY. 59 
 
 m the larboard side of the cabin, broke loose, a sudden jerk 
 having drawn assunder the cleets to which it was fastened. 
 By its velocity it stove in the state-rooms, and broke several 
 utensils of the cabin furniture. The writer of this, with much 
 difliculty, escaped with whole limbs but not altogether un- 
 hurt, receiving a painful bruise on the right foot : having, 
 however, escaped from the cabin, the people on deck were 
 given to understand that the rum was broken loose. The 
 word rum soon attracted the sailor's attention, and this cask 
 being the ship's only stock, they were not tardy (as may be 
 supposed ) in rendering their assistance to double lash, what 
 they anticipated the delight, of frequently splicing the main- 
 brace therewith during their voyage. 
 
 Oi\ the 14th the weather became moderate, and the crew 
 were employed in making good the stowage of the stores in 
 the hold, which had given way during the night ; shaking 
 reefs out of the top-sails, getting up top-gal iant-masts and 
 yards, and rigging out studding-sails. All hands being now 
 called to dinner, a bustle and confused noise took place on 
 deck. The captain (who was below) sent the writer of this to 
 discover the cause thereof, but before he could explain, a 
 voice was crying out in a most piteous and vociferous tone. 
 The captain and chief mate jumped on deck, and found the 
 crew had got the cook laid on the windlass, and were giving 
 him a most severe cobbing with a flat piece of his own lire 
 wood. As soon as the captain had reached forward, he was 
 much exasperated with them for their precipitate conduct, in 
 punishing without his knowledge and permission, and having 
 prohibited such proceedings in future cases, he inquired the 
 cause of their grievance. The cook, it seems, having been 
 served out fresh water to dress vegetables for .all hands, 
 had inadvertently used it for some other purpose, and boiled 
 the greens in a copper of salt water, which rendered them so 
 intolerably toiigh, that they were not fit for use ; consequently 
 he sailors had not their expected garnish, and a general mur- 
 mur taking pi ice, the above punishment was inflicted. 
 
 A steady breeze ensuing, ail sails tilled and the ship made 
 way, with a lofty and majestic air ; and at every plunge of 
 her bows, which was truly Dutch-built, rose a foam of no 
 small appearance. 
 
 During four days the weather continued favorable, which 
 flattered the seamen with a speedy sight of land. 
 
 On the 19th we encountered a very violent gale, with an 
 unusual heavy sea : The ship worked greatly, and took in
 
 60 THE LOSS OF THE PEGGY 
 
 much water through her seams ---the pumps were kept fre- 
 quently going. At mid-day, while the crew were at dinner^ 
 a tremendous .sea struck the ship right art, which tore in the 
 cahin windows, upset the whole of the dinner, and nearly 
 drowned the captain, mate, and myself, who was tit that time 
 lio-lding a dish on the table, while the captain was busily em- 
 ployed in carving a fine goose, which, much to our discomfit- 
 ure, was entirely drenched by the salt-water. Some of tho 
 coops were wasiied from the quarter-deck, and several of the 
 poultry destroyed. 
 
 In consequence of the vessel shipping so great a quantity 
 of water, the pumps were doubly manned, and soon gained on 
 her. The gale had not in the least abated during the night. 
 The well was plumbed, and there was found to be a sudden 
 and alarming increase of water. The carpenter was imme- 
 diately ordered to examine the ship below, in order to find the 
 cause of the vessel's making so much water. His report was, 
 she being a very old vessel, her seams had considerably open- 
 ed by her laboring so much, therefore, could devise no means 
 at present to prevent the evil. He also reported, the mizen- 
 mast to be in great danger. 
 
 The heel of the mizen-mast being stepped between decks (a 
 very unusual case, but probably it was placed there in order 
 to make more room for stowage in the after-hold) was likely 
 to work from its step, and thereby might do considerable 
 damage to the ship. 
 
 The captain now held a consultation with the officers, when 
 it was deemed expedient to cut the mast away without delay : 
 this was accordingly put into execution the following morning, 
 as soon as the day made its appearance. The necessary pre- 
 parations having been made, the carpenter began hewing at 
 the mast, and quickly made a deep wound. Some of the crew 
 were stationed ready to cut away the stays and lanyards, 
 whilst the remaining part was anxiously watching the moment- 
 ary crash which was to ensue ; the word being given to cul 
 away the weather-lanyards, as the ship gave a lee-lurch, the 
 the whole of the wreck of the mast plunged, without fuither 
 injury, into the ocean. 
 
 The weather still threatening a continuance, our principal 
 employ was at the pumps, which were kept continually going. 
 The sea had now rose to an alarming height, and frequently 
 struck the vessel with great violence. Towaidsthe afternoon 
 part of the starboard bulwark was carried away by the shock of 
 * heavy sea, which made the ship broach-to, and before she could'
 
 THE LOSS OF THE PEGGY 61 
 
 answer her helm again, a sea broke through the fore-chains, 
 and swept away the caboose and all its utensils from the deck ; 
 forturia'ily for the cook he was assisting at the pumps at the 
 time, 01 he inevitably must have shared the same late as his 
 galley 
 
 Notwithstanding the exertions of the crew, the water gain- 
 ed fast, and made its way into the hold, which washed a great 
 quantity of the ballast through the timber-holes into the hull, 
 oy which the suckers of the pumps were much damaged, and 
 thereby frequently choaked. By such delays the leaks in- 
 creased rapidly. We were under the necessity of repeatedly 
 hoisting the pumps on deck, to apply different means which 
 were devised to keep the sand from entering, but all our ef- 
 forts proved ineffectual, and the pumps were deemed of no fur- 
 ther utility. There was now no time to be lost ; accordingly 
 it was agreed that the allowance of fresh water should be less- 
 ened .o a pint a man ; the casks were immediately hoisted frorr 
 the hold, and lashed between decks As the water was start- 
 ed from two of them, they were sawed in two, and formed into 
 buckets, there being no other casks on board tit for that pur- 
 pose ; the whips were soon applied, and the hands began bail- 
 ing at the fore and after hatchways which continued without 
 ibtermission the whole of the night, each man being suffered 
 tu take one hour's rest, in rotation. 
 
 The morning of the22d presented to our view a most dreary 
 aspect, a dismal horizon encircling not the least appear- 
 ance of the gale abating on the contrary, it seemed to come 
 with redoubled vigor the ballast washing from side to side of 
 the ship at each roll, and scarce a prospect of freeing her. 
 Notwithstanding these calamities, the crew did not relax theii 
 efforts. The main-hatchway was opened and fresh buckets 
 went to work ; the captain and mate alternately relieving each 
 other at the helm. The writer's station was to supply the 
 crew with grog, which was plentifully served to them every 
 two hours. By the motion of the ship the buckets struck 
 against the combings of the hatchways with great violence, 
 and in casting them in the hold to fill, they frequently struck 
 on the floating pieces of timber which were generally used as 
 chocks in stowing the hold. By such accidents the buckets 
 were repeatedly stove, and we were under the necessity of 
 cutting more of the \vater casks to supply their place. Start- 
 ing the fresh water overboard was reluctantly done, par- 
 ticularly as we now felt the loss of the caboose, and Were under 
 tne necessity of eating the meat raw which occasioned us t
 
 63 THE LOSS OV THE PEOOT 
 
 oe very thirsty. Night coming on, the crew, were not allow 
 ed to go below to sleep ; each man, when it came to his turn, 
 stretched himself on the deck. 
 
 Oct. 23. Notwithstanding the great quantity of water bailed 
 from the vessel, she gained so considerably that she had vis- 
 ibly settled much deeper in the water. All hands were now 
 called aft, in order to consult on the best measures. It was 
 now unanimously resolved to make for the island of Bermudas. 
 it being the nearest land. Accordingly we bore away for it, 
 but had not sailed many leagues before we found that the 
 great quantity of water in the vessel had impeded her steer- 
 age so much that she would scarcely answer her helm ; and 
 making a very heavy lurch, .the ballast shifted, which gave 
 her a great lift to the starboard, and rendered it very difiicuh 
 to keep a firm footing on deck. The anchors which were 
 stowed on the larboard bow were ordered to be cut away, and 
 the cables which were on the orlop deck to be hove overboard 
 in order to right her ; but all this had a very trifling effect, for 
 the ship was now become quite a log. 
 
 The crew were still employed in baling ; one of whom, in 
 preventing a bucket from being stove against (he combings, 
 let go his hold, and fell down the hatchway ; with great diffi- 
 culty he escaped being drowned or dashed against the ship's 
 sides. Having got into a bucket which was instantly lowered, 
 he was providentially hoisted on deck without any injury. 
 
 During the night the weather became more moderate, and 
 on the following morning, (Oct. 25), the gale had entirely 
 subsided, but left a very heavy swell. Two large whales ap- 
 proached close to the ship. They sported around the vessel 
 the whole of the day, and after dti.sk disappeared. 
 
 Having now no further use of the helm, it was lashed down, 
 and the captain and mate took their spell at the buckets. My 
 assistance having been also required, a boy of less strength, 
 whose previous business was to attend the cook, now took my 
 former station of serving the crew with refreshments. This 
 lad had not long filled his new situation of drawing out rum 
 from the cask, before he was tempted to taste it, and which 
 having repeatedly done he soon became intoxicated, and was 
 missed on deck for some time. I was sent to look for him. 
 The spigot I perceived out of the cask, and the liquor running 
 about, but the boy I could not see for some tirae ; how- ( 
 ever looking down the lazeretto (the trap-door of which was 
 lying open), I found him fast asleep. He had luckily fallen 
 ca some sails which were slowed there, or he must
 
 THE LOSS OF THE PEGOT. 63 
 
 On the 26th arjri 27th of Oct. the.weatht/ continued quite 
 clear, with light ballling winds. A man was constantly kept 
 aloft to look out for a sail The rest of the crew were em- 
 ployed at the whips. 
 
 On the 28th the weather began to lower, and appeared in- 
 clined for rain. This gave some uneasiness, being appre- 
 hensive of a gale. The captain therefore directed the car- 
 penter to overhaul the long-boat, caulk her, and raise a streak 
 which orders were immediately complied with ; but when he 
 went to his locker for oakum, lie found it plundered of nearly 
 the whole of his stock all hands were therefore set to pick- 
 ing, by which means he was soon supplied. 
 
 It was totally clear on the 29th, with a fresh breeze, but 
 the ship heeled so much that her gunwale at times was undei 
 water, and the crew could scarcely stand on deck. All hands 
 were now ordered to assemble a{\, when the captain in a short 
 address, pointed out the most probable manner by which the} 
 could be saved. All agreed in opinion with him, and it was 
 resolved that the long-boat should be hoisted out as speedily 
 as possible, and such necessaries as could be conveniently 
 stowed, to be placed in her. Determined no longer to labor 
 at the buckets, the vessel, which could not remain above 
 water many hours after we had ceased baling, was now aban- 
 doned to her fate. 
 
 I now began to reflect on the small chance we had of being 
 saved twenty-two people in an open boat upwards of three 
 hundred miles from the land in a boisterous climate, and the 
 whole crew worn out with fatigue ! The palms of the crew's 
 hands were already so-flayed it could not be expected that they 
 could do much execution with the oars while thus reflecting 
 on our perilous situation, one of our oldest seamen, jpho at 
 this moment was standing near me, turned his head aside to 
 wipe away a tear I could not refrain from sympathizing with 
 him my heart was already full ; The captain perceiving my 
 despondency bade me be of good cheer, and called ' me a 
 young lubber. 
 
 The boat having been hoisted out, and such necessaries 
 placed in her as were deemed requisite, one of the hands waa 
 sent aloft to lash the colors downwards to the main-top-mast 
 shrouds ; which having done, he placed himself on the cross- 
 trees, to look around him, and almost instantly hallooed out, 
 " A sail." It wouid be impossible to describe the ecstatic 
 emotions of the crew : every man was aloft, in order to be 
 satisfied ; though, a minute before, not one of the crew waa 
 able to stand upright.
 
 64 THE LOSS OP THE L1TCHPIKLD. 
 
 The sail was on our weather-bow, bearing right clown on us 
 with a smart brce/e. oiie soon perceived us, but hauled her 
 wind severai times, in order to examine our ship. As she ap- 
 proached nearer sne clearly perceived our calamitous situa- 
 tion, and hastened to our relief. 
 
 She proved to ne a Philadelphia schooner, bound to Caoo 
 Francois, in St. jJommcro. The captain took us all on hoard 
 in the most humane ana friendly manner, and after casting 
 our boat adrift, pi'or.eeuecl on nis voyage. When \ve perceiv- 
 ed our ship from tne vesse! on which we were now happily on 
 board, her appearance was truly deplorable. 
 
 The captain of trie schooner congratulated us on our for- 
 tunate escape, and expressed his surprise that the ship should 
 remain so long on her beam ends, in such a heavy sea, with- 
 out capsizing. We soon began to distance the wreck, by this 
 time very low in tne water, and shortly after lost sight of her 
 
 The evening bejjan to approach fast, when a man loosing 
 the main-top-sail, descneo a sail directly in the same course 
 on our quarter. We made sail for her, and soon came within 
 hail of her. She proved to be a brig from Glasgow, bound to 
 Antigua. It was now determined, between the captains, that 
 half of our people should remain in the schooner, and the cap- 
 tain, mate, eight of the crew, and myself, should gel on board 
 the brig. On our arrival at Antigua we met with much kind- 
 ness and humanity. 
 
 LOSS OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP LITCIIFIELP 
 
 The Litchfleld, Captain Barton, left Ireland on the 1 1th of. 
 November, 1758, in company with several other men of : -war 
 and transports, under the command of Commodore Kep'pcl, 
 intended for the reduction of Goree. The voyage was pros- 
 perous till the 28th, when at eight in the evening 1 took 
 charge of the watch, and the weather turned out very squal- 
 ly with rain. At nine it was extremely dark, with much
 
 TH* T.OII or THE LITCBFIKLD. 65 
 
 ightning, the wind varying from S. \V. to W. N. \V. At 
 half past nine, had a very hard squall. Captain Barton camo 
 upon deck and staid till ten; then left orders to keep sight 
 of the commodore, and to make what sail the weather would 
 permit. At eleven, saw the commodore bearing south, but 
 the squalls coming on so heavy, were obliged to hand the 
 main-top-sail, and at twelve o'clock, were under our courses 
 
 November the 29, at one in the morning, I left the deck in 
 charge of the first lieutenant; ,.ie i^ht, which we took to be 
 the commodore's right ahead, heading S. wind W. S.W. blow- 
 ing very hard; at six in the morning I was awakened by a 
 great shock, and a confused noise of the men on deck. I 
 ran up, thinking some ship had run foul of us, for, by my own 
 reckoning, and that of every other person in the ship, we 
 were at least 35 leagues distant from land; but, before J could 
 reach the quarter-deck, the ship gave a great stroke upon the 
 ground, and the sea broke all over her. Just after this, I 
 could perceive the land, rocky, rugged and uneven, about 
 two cables' length from us. The ship lying with her broadside 
 to windward, the masts soon went overboard, carrying some 
 men with them. It is impossible for any" one but a sufl'erer to 
 feel our distress at this time; the masts, yards, and sails hang- 
 ing alongside in a confused heap; the ship beating violently 
 upon the rocks; the waves curling up to an incredible 
 height, then dashing down with such force as if they would 
 immediately have split the ship to pieces, which we, indeed, 
 every moment expected. Having a little recovered from our 
 confusion, saw it necessary to get every thing we could over 
 to the larboard side, to prevent the ship from heeling off, and 
 exposing the deck to the sea. Some of the people were very 
 earnest to get the boats out contrary to advice; and, after much 
 intreaty, notwithstanding a most terrible sea,-o ic of the boats 
 was launched, and eight of the best men jumped into her, but 
 she had scarcely got to the ship's stern, when she was whirl- 
 ed to the bottom, and y/sry soul in her perished. The rest 
 of the boats were soon washed to pieces on the deck. 
 We then made a raft of the davit, capstan-bars and sorno 
 boards, and waited with resignation, for divine Providence to 
 assist us. 
 
 The ship soon filled with water, so that we had no lime to 
 get any provision up; the quarter-deck and poop were now 
 the only place we could stand on with secur ty, the waves 
 being mostly spent by the time they reached us, owing to the 
 fore part of the ship breaking them
 
 $6 THE LOSS OF THE LITCHFIELD. 
 
 At four in the afternoon, perceiving the sea to be mucto 
 abated, one cf our people attempted to swim, and got safe on 
 shore. There were numbers of Moors upon the rocks ready 
 te take hold of any one, and beckoned much for us to come 
 ashore, which, at first we took for kindness, but they soon un- 
 deceived us, for they had not the humanity to assist any that 
 was entirely naked, but woul-d fly to those who had any thing 
 about them, and strip them before they were quite out of the 
 water, wrangling among themselves about the plunder; in the 
 mean time the poor wretched were left to crawl up the rocks 
 if they were able, if not, they perished unregarded. The 
 second lieutenant and myself, with about sixty-five others-, got 
 ashore before dark, but were Jell exposed to the weather on 
 the cold sand. To preserve ourselves from perishing of cold, 
 were obliged to go down to the shore, and to bring up pieces 
 of the wreck to make a fire. While thus employed, if we 
 happened to pick up a shirt or handkerchief, and did not give 
 it to the Moors at the first demand, the next thing was a dag- 
 ger presented to our breast. 
 
 They allowed us a piece of an old sail, which they did not 
 think worth carrying off; with this we made two tents, and 
 crowded ourselves into them, sitting between one another's 
 legs to preserve warmth, and make room. In this uneasy situ- 
 ation, continually bewailing our misery, and that of our poor 
 shipmates on the wreck, we passed a most tedious night, with- 
 out so much as a drop of water to refresh ourselves, except- 
 ing what we caught through our sail-cloth covering. . 
 
 November the 30th, at six in the morning, went down with 
 a number of our men upon the rocks, to assist our shipmates 
 in coming ashore, and found the ship had been greatly shat- 
 tered in the night. It being now low water, many attempted 
 to swim ashore; some got safe, but others perished. The 
 people on board got the raft into the water, and about fifteen 
 men placed themselves upon it. They had no sooner put off 
 from the wreck, than it overturned; most of the men recover- 
 ed it again, but, scarcely were they on, before it was a second 
 time overturned. Only three or four got hold of it again, and 
 all the rest perished. In the mean time, a good swimmer 
 brought with much difficulty a rope ashore, which I had the 
 good fortune to catch hold of just when he was quite spent, 
 and had thoughts of quitting it. 
 
 Some people coming to my assistance, we pulled a large 
 rope ashore with that, and made it fast round a rock. We 
 found this gave great spirits to the poor souls upon the wreck
 
 THE LOSS OP THE MTCUFIELD. 6? 
 
 it being hauled taught from the upper part of the stern, made 
 an easy descent to any who hud art enough to walk or slido 
 upon a rope, with a smaller rope fixed above to hold by. This 
 was a means of saving a number of lives, though many were 
 washed ofl" by the impetuous surf, and perished. The flooa 
 coming on, raised the surf, and prevented any more from 
 corning at that time, so that the ropes could be of no furthe 
 use. We then retired from the rocks; and hunger prevailing, 
 set about boiling some of the drowned turkeys, Sec. which 
 with some flour mixed into a paste, and baked upon the coals, 
 constituted our first meal upon this barbarous coast. We 
 found a well of fresh water about a half a mile off, which very 
 much refreshed us. But we had scarcely finished this coarse 
 repast, when the Moors, who were now grown numerous, 
 drove us all down to the rocks to bring up empty iron bound 
 casks, pieces of the wreck which had the most'iron about them, 
 and other articles. 
 
 About three o'clock in the afternoon we made another meal 
 on the drowned poultry, and finding this was the best provi- 
 sion we were likely to have; some were ordered to save ail 
 they could find, others to raise a larger tent, and the rest sent 
 down to the rocks to look for people coming ashore. The 
 surf greatly increasing with the flood, and breaking upon the 
 fore-part of the ship, she was divided into three parts; the 
 fore-part turned keel up, the middle part soon dashed into a 
 thousand pieces; the fore-part of the poop likewise fell at this 
 time, and about thirty men with it, eight of whom got ashore 
 with our help, but so bruised, that we despaired of their re- 
 covery. Nothing but the after-part of the poop now remain- 
 ed above water, and a very small part of the other decks, on 
 which our captain, and about 130 more remained, expecting 
 every wave to be their last. Kvery shock threw some ofT; 
 few or none of whom came on shor,e alive. During this dis- 
 tress the Moors laughed uncommonly, and seemed much di- 
 verted, when a wave larger than usual, threatened the destruc- 
 tion ov* the poor wretches on the wreck. Between four and 
 five o'clock the sea was decreased with the ebb; the rope be- 
 ing still secure, the people began to venture upon it; some 
 tumbled off and perished, but others reached the shore in 
 safety. 
 
 About five, we beckoned as much as possible for the cap- 
 tain to come upon the rope, as this seemed to be as good 
 an opportunity as any we had seen; and many arrived in 
 afety with our assistance Some told us that the captaw
 
 68 THE LOSS OF THE MTCIIFIBLD. 
 
 was determined to stay till all the men had quitted the wreck 
 however, we still continued to beckon for him, and before it 
 was dark, saw him come upon the rope. He was closely fol- 
 towed by a good able seaman, who did all he could to keep up 
 his spirits and assist him in warping. As he could not swim, 
 and had been so many hours without refreshment, with the 
 surf hurling him violently along, he was unable to resist the 
 force of the waves, had lost his hold of the great rope, and 
 must inevitably have perished had not a wave thrown, him 
 within the reach of our ropes, which he had barely sufficient 
 sense to catch hold of. We pulled him up, and after resting 
 a short time on the rocks, he came to himself, and walked up 
 to the tent, desiring us to continue to assist the rest of the 
 people in coming on shore. 
 
 The villians, (the Moors), would have stripped him, though, 
 he had nothing on but a plain waistcoat and breeches, if AVO 
 had not plucked up a little spirit and opposed them; upon 
 which they thought proper to desist. The people continued 
 to come ashore, though many perished in the attempt. The 
 Moors, at length, growing tired with waiting for so little plun- 
 der, would not suffer us to remain on the rocks, but drove us 
 all away. I then, with the captain's approbation, went, and 
 by signs made humble supplication to the bashaw, who was in 
 the tent, dividing the valuable plunder. He understood us at 
 last, and gave us permission to go down, at the same time 
 sending some Moors with us. We carried fire-brands down to 
 let the poor souls on the wreck see that we were still there in 
 readiness to assist them. About nine at night finding that 
 no more men would venture upon the rope, as the surf was 
 again greatly increased, we retired to the tent, leaving by the 
 account of the last man arrived, between thirty and forty souls 
 still upon the wreck. We now thought of stowing every 
 body in the tent, and began by fixing the captain in the mid- 
 dle. Then made every man lie down on his side, as we coula 
 not afford them each a breadth; but, after all, many took easi- 
 er lodging in empty casks. 
 
 The next morning the weather was moderate and fair. 
 We found the wreck all in pieces on the rocks, and the fhoro 
 covered with lumber. The people upon the wreck all perish- 
 ed about one in morning. In the afternoon we called a mus- 
 ter, and found the number of the survivors to be 220; so that 
 130 perished on this melancholy occasion. 
 
 On the 2d of December, the weather still continued moder- 
 ate. We subsisted entirely on the drowned stock, and a lit-
 
 THE LOSS OF THE LITCHFIELD. 69 
 
 tie pork to relish it, and the flour made into cakes; all of which 
 we issued regularly and sparingly, being ignorant whether 
 the Moors would furnish us with any thing, they being stul very 
 troublesome, and even wanting to rob us of the canvass which 
 covered our tent. 
 
 At two in the afternoon a black servant arrived, sent by 
 Mr. Butler, a Dane, factor to the African Company at Saffy 
 at the distance of about thirty miles, to inquire into our con 
 dition and to offer us assistance. The man having brought 
 pens, ink and paper, the captain sent back a letter by him. 
 Finding there was one who offered us help, it greatly refresh 
 ed our afflicted hearts. 
 
 In the after oon of the following day, we received a lette' 
 from Mr. Butler, with some bread and a few other necessa 
 ries. On the 4th, the people were employed in picking up 
 pieces of sails, and whatever else the Moors would permit 
 them. We divided the crew into messes, and served the 
 necessaries we received the preceding day. They had bread 
 and the flesh of the drowned stock. In the afternoon we 
 received another letter from Mr. Butler, and one at the same 
 time from Mr. Andrews, an Irish gentleman, a merchant at 
 Saffy. The Moors were not so troublesome now as before, 
 most of them going off with what they had got. 
 
 On the 5th the drowned stock was entirely consumed, and 
 at low water the people were employed in collecting muscles. 
 At ten in the morning, Mr.Andrews arrived, bringing a French 
 surgeon with medicines and plaisters, of which, some of the 
 men who had been dreadfully bruised, stood in great need. 
 The following day, we served out one of the blankets of the 
 counts- to every two men, and pampooses, a kind of slippers, 
 to thoau \\lio were in most want of them. These supplies 
 were likewise brought us by Mr. Andrews. The people were 
 now obliged to live upon muscles and bread, the Moors, who 
 promised us a supply of cattle, having deceived us, and never 
 returned. 
 
 The people on the 7th were still employed in collecting 
 muscles and limpets. The Moors began to be a little civil to 
 as, for fear the emperor should punish them for their cruel 
 treatment to us. In the afternoon, a messenger arrived from 
 the emperer at Salle, with general orders to the people to 
 supply us with previsions. They accordingly brought us 
 some lean bullocks and sheep which Mi Andrews purchased 
 for us; but at this time we had no pots to make broth in, and 
 the cattle were scarcely fit for any thing else.
 
 TO THl LOSS 07 THB LITCHTIILD. 
 
 In the morning of the 10th, wo made preparations for 
 marching to Morocco, the emperor having sent orders for that 
 purpose, and camels to carry the lame and necessaries. At 
 nine, set off with about thirty camels, having got all our 
 liquor with us, divided into hogsheads, for the convenience of 
 carriage on the camels. At noon, joined the crews of one of 
 the transports and a bomb-tender, that had been wrecked 
 about three leagues to the northward of us. We were then 
 all mounted upon camels, excepting the captain, who was 
 furnished with a horse. We never stopped till seven in the 
 evening, when they procured two tents only, which would 
 not contain one third of the men, so that most of them lay 
 exposed to the dew, which was very heavy, and extremely 
 cold. We found our whole number to be 388, including offi- 
 cers, men, boys, three women and a child, which one of the 
 women brought ashore in her teeth. 
 
 On the llth, continued our journey, attended by a number 
 of JNIoors on horseback. At six in the evening we came to 
 our resting place for that night, and were furnished with tenta 
 sufficient to cover all our men. 
 
 At five in the morning of the 12th, we set out as before, 
 and, at two in the afternoon, saw the emperor's cavalcade at 
 a distance. At three, a relation of the emperor's, named 
 Muli Adriz, came to us, and told the captain it was the em- 
 peror's orders, he should that instant write a letter to our 
 governor at Gibraltar, to send to his Britanic Majesty to in- 
 quire whether he would settle a peace with him or not. Cap- 
 tain Barton immediately sat down upon the grass and wrote a 
 letter, which, being given to Muli Adriz, he went and joined 
 the emperor again. At six in the evening came to our rest- 
 ing place for the night, and were well furnished with tents, 
 but very little provisions 
 
 We were, the following day, desired to continue on the 
 same spot, till the men were refreshed, and this repose they 
 greatly needed, and we received a better supply of provi- 
 sions. That morning, Lieutenant Harrison commanding the 
 soldiers belonging to Lord Korbes's regiment died suddenly 
 in the tent. In the evening, while employed with his inter- 
 ment, the inhuman Moors disturbed us by throwing stones 
 and mocking us. The next day we found that tney hud 
 opened the grave and stripped the body. 
 
 On the Ibth, we continued our journey, came to our rest- 
 ing place at four in the afternoon, pitched the tents, and serv- 
 ed out the provision. Here our people were ill-treated bjr
 
 TKK LOSS OF TUB LITCHF'ELD. 71 
 
 he country Moors. As they were taking water from u brook, 
 the Moors would always spit into the vessel before they wouH 
 suffer them to take it away. Upon this some of us went 
 down to inquire into the affair, but were immediately saluted 
 with a shower of stones. We ran in upon them, beat some 
 of them pretty soundly, put them to flight, and brought away 
 one who thought to defend himself with a long knife. This 
 fellow was severely punished by the officer who had the 
 charge of conducting us. 
 
 The two succeeding days continued our journey, and, at 
 three in the afternoon of the 18th, arrived at the City of Mo- 
 rocco, without having seen a single habitation during the 
 whole journey. Here we were insulted by the rabble, and, 
 at five, were carried before tlie emperor, surrounded by five 
 or six hundred of his guards. He was on horseback before 
 the gate of his palace, that being the place where he distri- 
 butes justice to his people. He told Captain Barton, by an 
 interpreter, that he was neither at peace nor war with Eng- 
 land, and he would detain us till an ambassador arrived from 
 that country to conclude a permanent treaty. The captain 
 then desired that we might not be treated as slaves. He an- 
 swered hastily, that we should be taken care of. We were 
 then immediately hurried out of his presence, conveyed to 
 two old ruinous houses, shut up amidst dirt and innumerable 
 vermin of every description. Mr. Butler being at Morocco 
 on business, came and supplied us with victuals and drink, 
 and procured liberty for the captain to go home with him to 
 his lodgings. He likewise sent some blankets for the officers, 
 and we made shift to pass the night with tolerable comfort, 
 being very much fatigued. 
 
 At nine in the morning of the 21st, the emperor sent orders 
 for the captain and every officer to appear before him We 
 immediately repaired to his palace; we remained waiting 
 in an outer yard two hours; in the mean time he diverted 
 himself with seeing a clumsy Dutch boat rowed about in a 
 pond by four of our petty officers. About noon we were call- 
 ed before him, and placed in a line about thirty yards from 
 him. He was sitting in a chair by the side of the pond, ac- 
 companied only by two of his chief alcaides. Having view- 
 ed us some time, he ordered the captain to come forward, and 
 after asking him a good many questions concerning our navy, 
 and the destination of the squadron to which we had belonged, 
 we were also called forward by two and three at a time as we 
 Blood according to our rank. He then asked most rf \i
 
 72 THE LOSS OF THE LITCEFIELD 
 
 ome very insignificant questions, and took some to be Portu 
 guese because they had black hair, and others to be Swedei 
 because their hair was light. He judged none of us to be 
 English excepting the captain, the second lieutenant, the en- 
 sign of the soldiers, and myself. But assuring him we were 
 all English, he cried Bonno, and gave a nod for our depar- 
 ture, to which we returned a very low bow, and were glad to 
 return to out old ruined houses again. Our total nuinbei 
 amounted to thirty 
 
 On the 25th, b-sing Christmas-day, prayers were read to the 
 people as usual in the church of England. The captain this 
 day received a present of tea and loaves of sugar from one of 
 the queens, whose grandfather had been an English renegado. 
 
 In the afternoon of the 26th, we received the disagreeable 
 intelligence, that the emperor would oblige all the English to 
 work, li'ke all the other Christian slaves, excepting the officers 
 who were before him on the 2 1st. The next day this account 
 was confirmed; for, at seven in the morning, an alcaide came 
 and ordered all our people out to work, excepting the sick. 
 Upon our application eight were allowed to stay at home 
 every day to cook for the rest, and this office was performed 
 by turns throughout the whole number. At four in the after- 
 noon the people returned, some having been employed in car- 
 rying wood, some in turning up the ground with hoes, and 
 others in picking weeds in the emperor's garden. Their vic- 
 tuals were prepared for them against their return. 
 
 On the 28th all the people went to work as soon as tiiey 
 could see, and returned at four in the afternoon. Two of the 
 soldiers received one hundred bastinadoes each, for behaving 
 in a disrespectful manner while the emoeror was looking at 
 their work. 
 
 On the 30th, Captain Barton received a kind message from 
 the emperor, with permission to ride out or take a walk in his 
 garden with his officers. 
 
 From this time the men continued in the same state of (sla- 
 very till the arrival, in April, of Captain Milbank, sent as an 
 ambassador to the emperor. He concluded a treaty for the 
 ransom of the crew of the Litchfield, together with the other 
 English subjects in the emperor's power, and the sum stipu- 
 lated to be paid for their release, was 170,000 dollars. Our 
 people accordingly set out for Salee, attended by a bashaw 
 and two soldiers on horseback. On the fourth day of theif 
 march, they had a skirmish with some of the country Moors 
 The dispute began in consequence of some of our men in the
 
 THB LOSS OF THE L1TCHF1ELD 73 
 
 rear st./pping at a village to buy some milk, for which, after 
 they had drank it, the Moors demanded an exorbitant price 
 This our men refused to give, on which the Moors had re- 
 course to blows, which our people returned; and others com- 
 ing to ti.eir assistance, they maintained a smart battle, till the 
 enemy became too numerous. In the meantime some rode 
 ofT to call the guard, who instantly came up with their drawn 
 scimetars, and dealt round them pretty briskly. During this 
 interval we were not idle, and had the pleasure to see the 
 blood trickling down a good many of their faces. The guards 
 seized the chief man of the village, and carried him before 
 the bashaw, who was our conductor, and who having heard 
 the cause dismissed him without further punishment, in con- 
 sideration of his having been well drubbed by us. 
 
 On the 22d of April, we arrived at Sallee, and pitched our 
 tents in an old castle, whence we soon afterwards embarked 
 on board the Gibraltar, which landed us at Gibraltar on the 
 27th of June. From that place the captain and crew were 
 put on board the Marlborough store ship, prepared expressly 
 for their reception, and arrived in England in the month o^ 
 August, 1760.
 
 74 
 
 TH* ROTHSAY STEAMI* 
 
 WRECK OF THE ROTHSAY CASTLE STEAMER 
 
 The Rothsay Castle was a steam packet which formerh 
 traded on the Clycle. She belonged to the line of steamers 
 which sailed from Liverpool to Beaumaris and Bangor, anc 
 was furnished with one engine ori-ly. She was commanded bj 
 Lieut. Atkinson. At ten o'clock on the of August, 1831 
 the vessel \va? appointed to sail from the usual place, George's 
 Pierhead, but a casual delay took place in starting, and it was 
 eleven o'clock before she had got every thing in readiness 
 Whilst taking passengers on board, a carriage arrived at the 
 Pierhead for embarkatioa. It belonged to M. W. Foster, 
 Esq. of Regent's park, London, who, with his wife and servant, 
 were conveyed in it to the packet, and took their passage at 
 the same time. Th\v were all subsequently drowned, a little 
 dog which accompanied them being the only survivor of this 
 unfortunate group. When the steamer left the Pierhead hei 
 deck was thronged with passengers. The captain, crew, 
 musicians, Stc. amounted to fifteen, in addition to whom, it was 
 supposed by persons who saw the vessel sail that one hundred 
 and ten or one hundred and twenty souls were on board 
 The majority of the passengers consisted of holyday and family 
 oarties, chiefly from country places ; and in one of these conv 
 oanies, who came on a journey of pleasure from Bury, the 
 hand of death committed a merciless devastation. It consist- 
 ed of twenty-six persons ; in the morning, joyous with health 
 and hilarity, they sat out upon the waves, and when the shades 
 of that evei.ing a; Broached, every soul but two saw his last of 
 suns go down. 
 
 The weather was not particularly boisterous at the time she 
 *suled. A severe storm however, had raged in the morning
 
 THE ROTHBAT STEAMER. 75 
 
 and must have agitated the water on the Banka more than 
 usual. T.*>e wind too, blew strongly from the nr-th-west, and 
 the vessel nad to contend with the tide, which i *gan to flow 
 soon after she passed the rock. When the steamer arrived 
 off the Floating-light, which is stationed about fifteen miles 
 fiom Liverpool, the roughness of the sea aiarmed many of the 
 oassengcrs. One of the survivors stated, that Mr. Tarry, of 
 ifvry, who, with his family, consisting of himself, hi wife 
 their five children, and servant, was on board, being, in com 
 mon with others, greatly alarmed for his own safety and the 
 safety of those dear to him, went downgto the cabin, where the 
 captain was at dinner, and requested nim to put back. His 
 reply ',vcs, " I think there is a great deal of fear on board, and 
 very little danger. If we were to turn back with passengers, 
 it would never do we should have no profit." To another 
 gentleman who urged him to put back, he is reported to have 
 said very angrily, " I'm not one of those that turn back.'' 
 lie remained in the cabin two whole hours, and peremptorily 
 refused to comply with the repeated requests made to him 
 by the more timid of his passengers to return to Liverpool ; 
 observing that if they knew him, they would not make the re- 
 quest. Before dinner, his behavior had been unexceptionable ; 
 but, after he had dined, a very striking difference was observ- 
 ed in his conduct. He became violent in his manner, and 
 abusive in his language to the men. When anxiously ques- 
 tioned by the passengers, as to the progress the vessel was 
 making, and the time at which she was likely to reach her des 
 tination, he returned trifliag, and frequently very contradic 
 i.orv answers. During the early part of the voyage, he hao 
 suoken confidently of being able to reach Beaumaris by sever, 
 o clock ; but the evening wore away, night came on, and the 
 vessel was still a considerable distance from the termination 
 ot her voyage. It was near twelve o'clock when they arrived 
 &t the mouth of the Menai Strait, which is about five miles 
 Irorn Beaumaris. The tide, which had been running out of 
 tre st>ait. and which had y consequently, for some time pre 
 ious retarded the steamer's progress towards her destination, 
 WAS, tusi on the turn. The vessel, according to the statement 
 ot two of the seamen and one of the firemen saved, had got 
 roiino tne buoy on the north end of the Dutchman's Bunk, 
 ana nan oroceeded up the river as far as the tower on Puffin 
 stand ; when suddenly the steam got so low that the engine 
 WOUIQ not keep her on her proper course. When asked, 
 why there was not steam on, the fireman said, that a deal of
 
 T6 THE ROTHSAY STEAMER. 
 
 water had been finding its way into the vessel all day, and thai 
 sometime before she got into the strait, the bilge-pumps were 
 choked. The water in the hold then overflowed the coals ; so 
 that, in renewing the fires, a deal of water went in with the coals, 
 and made it impossible to keep the steam up. It was the 
 duty of the fireman to give notice of this occurrence ; but he 
 aeems not to have mentioned it to the captain. The vessel, 
 which had evidently come fair into the channel, though there 
 was no liffht on the coast to gui'cle her, now drifted, with the 
 ebb tide and north-west wind, towards the Dutchman's Bank, 
 on the north point of w^jich she struck, her bows sticking fast in 
 the sand. Lieut. Atkinson immediately ordered the man at 
 the helm to put the helm a starboard. The man refused to do 
 so ; but put it to port. The mate, perceiving this, ran aft, 
 took the helm from the man, and put it to starboard again. 
 In the meantime, the captain and some of the passengers got 
 the jib up. J\o doubt he did this intending to wear her round 
 and bring her head to the northward ; but in the opinion of 
 nautical men, it could not make the least difference which way 
 her head was turned, as she was on a lee shore, and there was 
 no steam to work her off". The captain also ordered the pas- 
 sengers first to run aft, in the hope, by removing the pressure 
 from the vessel's stem, to make her float : this failing to pro- 
 duce the desired effect, he then ordered them to run forward. 
 All the exertions of the captain, the crew and passengers 
 united were unavailing. The ill-fated vessel stuck still faster 
 in the sands, and all gave themselves up for lost. The terror 
 of the passengers became excessive. Several of them urged 
 the captain to hoist lights, and make other signals of distress ; 
 but he positively refused to do so, assuring the passengers that 
 there was no danger, and telling them several times, that the 
 packet was afloat, and doing well, and on her way ; when the 
 passengers knew perfectly well that she was sticking fast in 
 the sand, and her cabins rapidly filling with water. Doubtless 
 the unfortunate man was perfectly aware of the imminence of 
 the danger ; but we may charitably suppose, thut he held such 
 language for the purpose of preventing alarm which might be 
 fatal. The alarm bell vas now rung with so much violence 
 that the clapper broke, and some of the passengers continued 
 to strike it for some time with a stone. The bell was heard, 
 it is said, at Beaumaris, but, as there was no light hoisted on ihe 
 mast of the steamer, (a fatal neglect !) those who heard the 
 signal were, of course, ignorant whence it proceeded. Thq
 
 THE ROTH8AT STEAMER. 7 
 
 weather, at this awful moment, was boisterous, but perfectly 
 clear. The moon, though slightly overcast, threw consider 
 able licht on the surrounding objects. But a strong breeze 
 blew from the north-west, the tide began to set in with great 
 strength, and a heavy sea beat over the bank on which the 
 steam packet was now firmly and immovably fixed. 
 
 We cannot describe the scene which followed. Certain 
 death seemed now to present itself to all on board, and the 
 most affecting scenes were exhibited. The females, in parti- 
 cular, uttered the most piercing shrieks ; some locked them- 
 selves in each others arms, while others, losing all self-com- 
 mand, tore ofF their caps and bonnets, in the wildness of de- 
 spair. A Liverpool pilot, who happened to be in the packet, 
 now raised his voice and exclaimed, " It is all over we are 
 all lost !" At these words there was a universal despairing 
 shriek. The women and children collected in a knot together, 
 and kept embracing each other, keeping up, all the time, the 
 most dismal lamentations. When tired with crying they lay 
 against each other, with their heads reclined, like inanimate 
 bodies. The steward of the vessel and his wife, who was on 
 board, lashed themselves to the mast, determined to spend 
 their last moments in each other's arms. Several husbands 
 and wives also met their fate locked in each other's arms ; 
 whilst parents clung to their beloved children, several mo- 
 thers it is said, having perished with their dear little ones 
 firmly clasped in their arms. A party of the passengers, 
 about fifteen or twenty, Towered the boat and crowded into it. 
 It was impossible for any open boat to live in such a sea, even 
 though not overloaded, and she immediately swamped and 
 went to the bottom, with all who had made this last hopeless 
 effort for self-preservation. 
 
 For some time the vessel, though now irrecoverably lost, 
 continued to resist the action of the waves, and the despair- 
 ing souls on board still struggled with their doom. But hope 
 had forever fled ; the packet was beaten and tossed about by 
 the tumultuous waters with a violence which threatened to 
 dash her into fragments at every shock, and the sea now 
 made a continual breach over her. The decks were repeat- 
 edly sweot by the boiling ocean, and each billow snatched its 
 victims to a watery grave. The unfortunate captain and his 
 mate were among the first that perished. About thirty or forty 
 passengers were standing upon the poop clinging to each 
 other in hopeless agony, and occasionally uttering the moa 
 piteous ejaculations. Whilst trembling thus upon the brink
 
 78 
 
 THE DHOITS DE L DOMMX 
 
 of destruction, and expecting every moment to share the fate 
 which had already overtaken so many of their companions in 
 misery, the poop was discovered to give way ; another wave 
 rolled on with impetuous fury, and the hinder part of the luck- 
 less vessel, with all who sought safety in its frail support, was 
 burst away from its shattered counterpart, and about forty 
 wretched beings hurried through the foaming flood into an 
 eternal world. 
 
 " Then rose from sea to sky the wild farewell, 
 Then shrieked the timid, and stood still the brave." 
 
 Those who retained any degree of sensibility endeavored 
 to catch at whatever was floating within their reach, with the 
 vain hope of prolonging their lives though it was certain that 
 life could only lengthen their sufferings. Many grasped 
 with frantic despair, at the slightest object they could find, 
 but were either too weak to retain their hold, or were forced 
 to relinquish their grasp by the raging of the surge. The 
 rudder was seized by eight of the sinking creatures at the 
 same time, and some of them, were ultimately preserved. 
 The number of those who clung to the portion of the wreck 
 which remained upon the bank gradually grew thinner and 
 thinner, as they sunk under their fatigues, or were hurled 
 into the deep by the remorseless waves. At length, about an 
 hour and a half from the time when she struck, the remnant 
 of the Rothsay Castle disappeared from the bosom of the 
 ocean, and the remainder of her passengers and crew were 
 precipitated into the foaming abyss. 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE FRENCH SHIP DRO1T8 
 DE L'HOMME. 
 
 On the 5th of January, 1797, returning home on leave of 
 absence from the West Indies, in the Cumberland letter o! 
 marque, for the recovery of mv health, saw a large man of war 
 off the coast of Ireland, being then within four leagues of the 
 mouth of the river Shannon. She hoisted English colours,
 
 THE DIUMTS D L IIOMMB ?9 
 
 ami decoyed us within gun-shot, when she substituted the tri- 
 coloured flag, and took us. She proved to be les Droits de 
 L'Homme, of 74 guns, commanded by the ci-devant baron, 
 now citizen La Crosse, and had separated from a fleet of men 
 of war, on board of which were twenty thousand troops, in- 
 tended tn invade Ireland. Onboard of this ship was (General 
 Huinbert, who afterwards effected a descent into Ireland (in 
 1790) with nine hundred troops and six hundred seamen. 
 
 On the 7th of January went into Bantry Buy to see if any 
 of the squadron was still there, and on finding none, the ship 
 proceeded to the southward. Nothing extraordinary occurred 
 until the evening of the 13th, when two men of war hove in 
 sight, which afterwards proved to be the Indefatigable an-d 
 Amazon frigates. It is rather remarkable that the captain 
 tf the ship should inform me, that the squadron which was 
 going to engage him was Sir Edward Pellow's, and declared, 
 as was afterwards proved by the issue, "that lie would not 
 yield to any two English frigates, but would sooner sink 
 his ship with every soul on board." The ship was then 
 cleared for actio:., and we English prisoners, consisting of 
 three infantry officers, two captains of merchantmen, two wo- 
 men, and forty-eight seamen and soldiers, were conducted 
 down to the cabin tier at the foot of the fore-mast. 
 
 The action began with opening the lower deck ports, which, 
 however were soon shut again, on account of the great sea, 
 which occasioned the water to rush in to that degree that we 
 felt it running on the cables I must here observe, that this 
 ship was built on a new construction, considerably longer 
 than men of war of her rate, and her lower-deck, on whi'-h 
 she mounted thirty-two pounders French, equal to forty 
 pounders English, was -two feet and a half lower than usual 
 The situation of the ship, before she struck on the rocks, hag 
 been fully elucidated by Sir Edward Fellow, in his letter of 
 the 17th of January, to Mr. Nepeau. The awful task is left 
 for me to relate what ensued. 
 
 At about four in the morning a dreadful convulsion, at the 
 foot of the fore-mast, roused us from a state of anxiety for 
 our fate, to the idea that the ship was sinking. It was the 
 foremast that foil over the side; in about a quarter of an hour 
 an awful mandate from above was re-echoed from all parts of 
 the ship; Pouvores Anglais! Pouvores Anglais! Montez bieu 
 
 vite nous coinmes tous perdus! " poor Englishmen! poor 
 
 Englishmen! come on deck as fast as you can, we are al' 
 lost!" Every one rather flew than climbed. Though scarce
 
 80 THE DROITS PR L'HO.MME 
 
 iy able to injve before, from sickness, yet I now felt an ener- 
 getic strength in all my frame; and soon gained the uppe' 
 deck, but what a sight! dead, wounded and living, intermin- 
 gled in a state too shocking to describe; not a mast standing, 
 a dreadful loom of the land, and breakers all around us. 
 The Indefatigable, on the starboard quarter, appeared stand- 
 ing off, in a most tremendous sea, from the Penmark rocks, 
 which threatened her with instant destruction. To the great 
 humanity of her commander, those few persons who survived 
 the shipwreck, are indebted for their lives, for had another 
 broad-side been fired, the commanding situation of the Indefat- 
 igable must have swept off at least a thousand men. On 
 the starboard side was seen the Amazon within two miles, 
 just struck on the shore. Our own fate drew near. The 
 ship struck and immediately sunk! Shrieks of horror and 
 dismay were heard from ail quarters, while the m-erciiess 
 waves tore from the wreck many early victims. Day-light 
 appeared, and we beheld the shore lined with people \\tio 
 cojld render us no assistance. At low water, rafts were con- 
 structed, and the boats were got in readiness to be hoisted 
 out. The dusk arrived, and an awful sight ensued. The 
 dawn of the second day brought with it still severer miseries 
 than the first, for the wants of nature could scarcely be en- 
 dured any longer, having been already near thirty hours 
 without any means of subsistance, and no possibility of pro- 
 curing them. 
 
 At low water a small boat was hoisted out, and an English 
 captain and eight sailors succeeded in getting to the shore. 
 Elated at the success of these men all thought their deliver- 
 ance at hand, and many launched out on their rafts, but, alas' 
 death soon ended their hopes. 
 
 Another night renewed our afflictions. The morning of 
 the third, fraught with still greater evils, appeared; our con- 
 tinued sufferings made us exert the last effort, and we Eng- 
 lish prisoners, tried every means to save as many of our fej- 
 low creatures as lay in our power. Larger rafts were con- 
 structed, and the largest boat was got over the side The 
 first consideration was to lay the surviving wounded, the wo- 
 men and helpless men in the boat, but the idea of equality, 
 so fatally promulgated among the French, destroyed all subor- 
 dination, and nearly one hundred and twenty having jumped 
 into the boat, in defiance of their officers, they sunk her. 
 The most dreadful sea that I ever saw seemed at that moment 
 to aggravate our calamity; nothing of the boat was seen for a
 
 THK DROIT8 DK I/HOMME. 81 
 
 quarter of an hour, when the bodies floated in all directions* 
 then appeared, in all their horrors, the wreck, the shores, the 
 dying and the drowned! Indefatigable in acts of humanity, 
 an adjutant general, Renier, launched himself into the sea, to 
 obtain succours from the shore, and perished in the attempt 
 
 Nearly one half the people had already perished, when the 
 horrors of the fourth night renewed all our miseries. Weak, 
 distracted, >"<* destitute of every thing, we envied the fate of 
 those whose . uless corpses no longer wanted sustenance. 
 The sense of hunger was already lost, but a parching thirst 
 consumed our vitals. Recourse was had to urine and salt 
 v/ater, which only increased the wants; half a hogshead ol 
 vinegar indeed floated up, of which each had half a wine 
 glass; ii afforded a momentary relief, but soon left us again in 
 the same state of dreadful thirst. Almost at the last gasp, 
 every one was dying with misery, and the ship, now one third 
 shattered away from the stern, scarcely affbred a grasp to hold 
 by, to the exhausted and helpless survivors. 
 
 The fourth day brought with it a more serene sky, and the 
 sea seemed to subside, but to behold, from fore to aft, the dy- 
 ing in all directions, was a sight too shocking for the feeling 
 mind to endure. Almost lost to a sense of humanity, we no 
 longer looked with pity on those whom we considered only as 
 the forerunners of our own speedy fate, and a consultation 
 took place, to sacrifice some one to be food for the remainder. 
 The die was going to be cast, when the welcome sight of a 
 man of war brig renewed our hopes. 
 
 A cutter speedily followed, and both anchored at a short dis- 
 tance from the wreck. They then sent their boats to us, anc 
 by means of large rafts, about one hundred, cut of four hun- 
 dred who attempted, were saved by the brig that evening. 
 Three hundred and eighty were left to endure another night's 
 misery, when, dreadful to relate, above one half were found 
 dead the next morning! 
 
 I was saved about ten o'clock on the morning of the 18th, 
 with my brother officers, the captain of the ship, and General 
 Humbert. They treated us with great humanity on board the 
 cutter, giving us a little weak brandy and water every five or 
 six minutes, and after that a bason of good soup. I fell on 
 the locker m a kind of trance for near thirty hours, and swel- 
 led to such a degree as to require medica: aid to re" ore my 
 decayed faculties. Having 1 j.-?t all our baggage, we were ta- 
 ken to Brest almost naked, where they gave us a rough shill 
 ot clothes', and in const- qu owe of our sufferings, an -he help 
 VOL. 11. 4'
 
 3 LOSS OF THE QUKEN CHARLOTTE. 
 
 we afforded in saving many lives, a cartel was fitted out by 
 order of the French Government to send us home, without 
 ransom or exchange. We arrived at Plymouth on the 7th 
 of March following. 
 
 To that Providence, whose great workings I have experi- 
 enced in this most awful trial of human afflictions, be ever 
 offered the tribute of my praise and thanksgiving. 
 
 THE LOSS OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP, QUEEN 
 CHARLOTTE. 
 
 The Queen Charlotte was, perhaps, one of the finest ships 
 in the British navy. She was launched in 1790, and her first 
 cruise was with the f.eet fitted out against Spain, in conse- 
 quence of the dispute respecting Nootka Sound. Lord Howe, 
 who was the commander and chief of the fleet, was then on 
 board of her ; and she also bore his lordship's flag on the first 
 of June. After which she was sent to the Mediterranean, i.nd 
 was the flag-ship of the commander in chief on that station. 
 In March, 1800, she was despatched by that nobleman to re- 
 connoitre the island of Cabrera, about thirty leagues from 
 Leghorn, then in the possession of the French, and which it 
 was his lordship's intention to attack. On the morning of the 
 17th the ship was discovered to be on fire, at the distance of 
 three or four leagues from Leghorn. Every assistance was 
 promptly forwarded from the shore, but a number of boats, it 
 appears, were deterred frcm approaching the wreck, in con- 
 seqjence of the guns, which were shotted, and which, when 
 fceated by the fire, discharged their contents in every direction. 
 
 The only consolation that presents itself under the pressure 
 of so calamitous a disaster is, that it was not the eflect ei:hei 
 of treachery or wilful neglect, as will appear by the following 
 official statement of the carpenter : 
 
 " Mr. John Braid, carpenter of the Queen Charlotte, re- 
 ports, that twenty miniates after 6 o'clock in the morning, as he
 
 LOSS OF THE QUEEX CHARLOTTE. 85 
 
 iras dressing himself he heard throughout the ship a general 
 cry of ' fire.' On which he immediately ran up the after-ladder 
 o get upon deck, and found the whole half-deck, the front 
 bulk-head of the admiral's cabin, the main-mast's coat, and 
 boat's covering on the booms, all in flames ; which, fron. 
 every report and probability, he apprehends was occasioned 
 by some hay, which was lying under the half-deck, having 
 been sp.t on fire by a match in a tub, which was usually kept 
 there for signal guns. The main-sail at this time vas set, 
 ind almost entirely caught fire ; the people not being able to 
 :ome to the clue garnets en account of the flames. 
 
 " He immediately went to the forecastle, and found Lieut. 
 Dundas and the boatswain encouraging the people to get 
 water to extinguish the fire. He applied to Mr. Dundas, see 
 ing no other officer in the fore-part of the ship (and being un- 
 able to see any on the quarter-deck, from the flames and 
 smoke between them) to give him assistance to drown the 
 ower-decks, and secure the hatches, to prevent the fire fall- 
 ng down. Lieut. Dundas accordingly went down himself, 
 with as many people as he could prevail upon to follow him : 
 and the lower-deck ports were opened, the scuppers plugged, 
 -he main and fore-hatches secured, the cocks turned, and 
 water drawn in at the ports, and the pumps kept going by the 
 people who came down, as long as they could stand at them. 
 
 " He thinks that by these exertions the lower-deck was 
 kept free from fire, and the magazines preserved for a long 
 time from danger ; nor did Lieut. Dundas, or he, quit this 
 station, but remained there with all the people who could be 
 prevailed upon to stay, till several of the middle-deck guns 
 came through that deck. 
 
 " About nine o'clock Lieut. Dundas and he, finding it im- 
 possible to remain any longer below, went out at the fore-mast 
 lower deck port, and got upon the fore-castle ; on which he 
 apprehends there were then about one hundred and fifty of the 
 people drawing water, and throwing it as far aft as possible 
 upon the fire 
 
 " He continued about an hour on the fore-castle ; and find- 
 ing all efforts to extinguish the flames unavailing, he jumped 
 from the jib-boom, and swam to an American boat approach- 
 ing the ship, by which he was picked up and p'ut into a Tar- 
 lan then in the charge of Lieui. Stewart, who had come off to 
 ae assistance of the ship. 
 
 (Signed) "JOHN BRAID." 
 
 Leghorn, March 18, 1800.
 
 84 A SCENE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. 
 
 Capt. Todd remained upon deck, with his First I eutenant, 
 to the last moment, giving orders for saving the crew, without 
 thinking of his own safety. Before he fell a sacrifice to the 
 flames, he had time and courage to write down the particulars 
 of this melancholy event, for the information of Lord Keith, 
 of which he gave copies to different saiiors, entreating them, 
 that whoever should escape might deliver it to the admiral. 
 
 Thus fell victims to perhaps a too revere duty, the captain 
 and his first lieutenant, at a time when they stili had it in their 
 power to save themselves ; but self-preservation is never a 
 matter of consideration in the exalted mind of a British nava 
 officer, when the safety of his crew is at stake. 
 
 Lord Keith and some of the officers were providentially 01. 
 shore, at Leghorn, when the dreadful accident occurred 
 Twenty commissioned and warrant officers, two servants and 
 142 seamen, are the whole of the crew that escaped destruction 
 out of nearly 900 souls onboard, that for nearly four hours ex- 
 erted every nerve to avoid that dreadful termination which too 
 lurely awaited them 
 
 A SCENE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN 
 
 On the morning of the 5th of August, 1833, during a severe 
 gale in lat. 46, Ion. 31, Capt. Dempsey, of the ship King3tor., 
 discovered at a short distance to leeward, a brig lying on her 
 beam ends, with flag of distress waving. Capt. D. instantly 
 bore down towards her. when she proved to be the Albion, of 
 Cork, crowded with passengers. Having reached within hail of 
 the unfortunate vessel, a heart-rending scene presented itself 
 " We beheld," says Capt. Dempsey, " the brig reeling ere she 
 took the farewell plunge witnessed the cool intrepidity of the 
 sailors, even at such a moment and listened, with feelings 
 the most harr'owing, to the piercing shrieks of the ill-fate* 3 
 passengers. The crew of the Kingston flung their best boal 
 into the boiling Atlantic, but every s-xertion was vain the 
 angry ocean soon made her its prey. The Albior. went dowa 
 with every hi man soul on board
 
 rKEMCH FRIGATE MEDUSA 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF THE FRENCH FRIGATE 
 
 MEDUSA, 
 
 On the Wettern Coast of Africa. By MADAME DIED, one of tJu 
 
 Svflerers. 
 
 In the year 1816, an expedition was fitted out by the French 
 to go and resume possession of Senegal, which had been re- 
 stored to them. My father was reinstated in his place of 
 resident attorney, and taking with him his family repaired 
 immediately to Rochefort to embark on board the Medusa 
 frigate. 
 
 Early on the morning of the 12th of June, we were on our 
 way to the boats that were to convey us on board the Medusa, 
 which was riding at anchor off the island of Aix, distant 
 about four leagues from Rochefort. The field through which 
 we passed was sown with corn. Wishing before I left our 
 beautiful France, to make my farewell to the flowers, and, 
 whilst our family went leisurely forward to the place where 
 we were to embark upon the ChareniC, I crossed the furrows, 
 and gathered a few blue-bottles and poppies. We soon ar- 
 rived at the place of embarkation, where we found some of 
 our tellow passengers, who, like myself, seemed casting a last 
 look to Heaven, whilst they were yet on the French soil. 
 We embarked, however and left these happy shores. In de- 
 scending the tortuous course of the Charente, contrary winds 
 so impeded our progress, that we did not reach the Medusa 
 till the morrow, having taken twenty-four hours in sailing four 
 leagues. At length we mounted the deck of the Medusa, of 
 painful memory. When we got on board, we found our 
 berths not provided for us, consequently were obliged to re- 
 main indiscriminately together till the next day. Our family, 
 which consisted of nine persons, was placed in a berth near 
 the main deck. As the wind was still contrary, we lay at an- 
 chor for seventeen days. 
 
 On the 17th of June, at four in the morning, we set sail
 
 W FRENCH FRIGATE MEE7IA. 
 
 *s did the whole expedition, which consisted of the Medusa 
 higate, the Loire store-ship, the Argus brig and the Echo 
 corvette. The wind being favorable, we soon lost sight 01 
 the green fields of 1'Aunis. At six in the morning, however, 
 the island of Rhe still appeared above the horizon. We fix- 
 ed our eves upon it with regret, to salute for the last time our 
 dear country. Now, imagine the ship borne aloft, and sur- 
 rounded by huge mountains of water, which at one moment 
 tossed it in the air, and at another plunged it into the pro- 
 found abyss. 
 
 The waves, raised by a stormy northwest breeze, came 
 dashing in a horrible manner against the sides of our ship. 
 I knew not whether it was a presentiment of the misfortune 
 which menaced us that had made me pass the preceding 
 night in the most cruel inquietude. In my agitation, I sprang 
 upon deck, and contemplated with horror the frigate winging 
 its way upon the waters. The winds pressed against the sails 
 with great violence, strained and whistled among the cordage; 
 and the great bulk of wood seemed to split every time the 
 surge broke upon its sides. On looking a little out to sea I 
 perceived at no great distance on our right, all the other ships 
 of the expedition, which quieted .me very much. Towards 
 ten in the morning the wind changed; immediately an appal- 
 ling cry was heard, concerning which the passengers, as well 
 as myself, were equally ignorant. The whole crew were in 
 motion. Some climbed the rope ladders, and seemed to 
 perch on the extremities of the yards; others mounted to the 
 highest parts of the mas,t; these bellowing and pulling the 
 cordages in caden;e; those crying, swearing, whistling, and 
 lilling the air with barbarous and unknown sounds. The of- 
 ficer on duty, in his turn, roaring out these woids, starboard, 
 larboard, hoist, luff, tack, which the helmsman repeated in 
 the same tone. All this hubbub, however, produced its ef- 
 fect; the yards were turned on their pivots, the sails set, the 
 cordage tightened, and the unfortunate sea-boys having re- 
 ceived their lesson descended to the deck. Every thing re- 
 mained tranquil, except that the waves still roared, and the 
 masts continued their creaking. However the sails were 
 swelled, the wind less violent, though favorable, and the man- 
 ner, while he caroled his song, said we had a noble voy- 
 age. 
 
 During several days we did indeed enjoy a delightful pae- 
 gage. All ihe ships of the expedition still kept together, bui 
 at length the bree/r became changeable, and they all disap
 
 fRENCil FKIGATF. >IKU*4 
 
 oeared The Echo, however, still kept in sight, and persist- 
 ed in accompanying us, as if to guide us on our route. The 
 wind becoming more favorable, we held due south, sailing at 
 the rate of sixty-two leagues a day. The sea was so fine, 
 and our journey so rapid, that I began to think it nearly as 
 agreeable to travel by sea as by land; but my illusion was not 
 of long duration. 
 
 On the 28th of June, at six in the morning, we discovered 
 the Peak of Tenerifle, towards the south, the summit of whose 
 cone seemed lost in the clouds. We were then distant about 
 two leagues, which we made in less than a quarter of an 
 hour. At ten o'clock we brought to before the town of St. 
 Croix. Several officers got leave to go on shore to procure 
 refreshments. 
 
 While these gentlemen were away, a certain passenger, 
 member of the self-instituted Philanthropic Society of Cape 
 Yerd, suggested that it was very dangerous to remain where 
 we were, adding that he was well acquainted with the coun- 
 try, and had navigated in all these latitudes. M. Le Roy 
 Lachaumareys, captain of the Medusa, believing the pretend- 
 ed knowledge of the intriguing Richefort, gave him the com- 
 mand of the frigate. Various officers of the navy, represent- 
 ed to the captain how shameful it was to put such confidence 
 in a stranger, and they would never obey a man who had no 
 character as a commander. The captain despised these wise 
 remonstrances; and, using his authority, commanded the pi- 
 lots, and all the crew, to obey Richfort; saying he was king, 
 since the orders of the king were, that they should obey him. 
 Immediately the imposter, desirous of displaying his great 
 skill in navigation, made them change the route, for no pur- 
 pose, but that of showing his skill in manoeuvring the ship. 
 Every instant he changed the tack, went, came and returned, 
 and approached the very reefs, as if to brave them; in short, 
 he beat about so much, that the sailors at length refused to 
 obey him, saying boldly that he was a vile imposter. But it 
 was done. The man had gained the confidence of Captain 
 Lachaumareys, who "ignorant of navigation himself, was 
 doubtless glad to get someone to undertake his daty. But 
 it must be told, that this blind inept confidence was the sole 
 cause of the loss of the Medusa frigate, as well as all the 
 crimes consequent upon it. 
 
 Towards three in the afternoon, those officers who went on 
 hore in the morning, returned on board loaded with vegeta 
 bles, fruits and flowers. They laughed heartily at the ma
 
 90 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 nrauvrcs that had been going on during their absence, whicX 
 doubtless did not please the captain, who flattered himself 
 he had already found in his pilot Richefort, a good and able 
 seaman; such were his words. 
 
 At four in the afternoon we took a southerly direction M. 
 Richefort, then beaming with exultation for having, as he 
 said, saved the Medusa from certain shipwreck, continued Lo 
 give his pernicious counsels to the captain, persuading him he 
 hau been often employed to explore the shores of Africa, and 
 that he was perfectly well acquainted with the Arguin Bank. 
 The journals of the 29th and 30th afford nothing very remarka- 
 able. 
 
 The hot winds from the desert of Sahara began to be felt, 
 "which told us we approached the tropic; indeed, the sun at 
 noon seemed suspended perpendicularly above our heads, a 
 phenomenon which few among us had ever seen. 
 
 On the 1st of July, we recognised Cape Bojador, and then 
 saw theshores-of Sahara. Towards ten in the morning, they 
 set about the frivolous ceremony which the sailors have in- 
 vented for the purpose of exacting something from those pas- 
 sengers who have never crossed the Iin6. During the cere- 
 mony, the frigate doubled Cape Barbas hastening to its de- 
 struction. Captain Lachaumareys very good humoredly pre- 
 sided at this species of baptism, while his dear Kichfort prome- 
 naded the forcastle, and looked with indifference upon H 
 shore bristling with dangers. However that may be, all pass- 
 ed on well; nay, it may even be said that the farce was well 
 playfd off. But the route which we pursued soon made us 
 forpet the short lived happiness we had experienced. Every 
 rne began to observe the sudden change which had taken 
 place In the color of the sea, as we ran upon the bank in shal- 
 low water. A general murmur arose among the passengers 
 and officers of the navy; they were far from partaking in the 
 blind confidence of the captain. 
 
 On the second of July, at five in the morning, the captain 
 was peisuaded that a large cloud, which was discovered in 
 the direction of Cape Blanco, was tTfat Cape itself. After 
 this pretended discovery, they ought to have steered to the 
 west, for about fifty leagues, to have gained sea room to 
 double with certainty the Arguin Bank; moreover, they ought 
 to have conformed to the instructions the Minister of Marine 
 had given to the ships which set out for Senegal. The other 
 part of the expedition, from having followed these instructions 
 rived in safety at their destination. During the preceding
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUIA 9 
 
 night, the Echo, which had hitherto accompanied the Medu- 
 sa, made several signals, but being replied to with contempt, 
 abandoned us. Towards ten in the morning, the dange* 
 which threatened us was again represented to the captain, 
 and he was strongly urged, if he wished to avoid the Arg^in 
 Bank, to take a westerly course; but the advice was again 
 neglected, and he despised the predictions. One of the offi- 
 cers of the frigate, from having wished to expose the intrigu- 
 ing Richefort, was put under arrest. My father, who had al- 
 ready twice made he voyage to Senegal, and who with va- 
 rious persons was persuaded they were going right upon the 
 bank, also made his observations to the unfortunate pilot. 
 His advice was no better received than those of Messrs Rey- 
 naud, Espiau, Maudet, &c. Richefort, in the sweetest tone, 
 replied, ' My dear, we know our business; attend to yours, 
 and be quiet. I have already twice passed the Arguin Bank ; I 
 have sailed upon the Red Sea, and you see I am not drowned.' 
 Wl.at reply could be made to such a preposterous speech? 
 My father, seeing it was impossible to get our route changed, 
 resolved to trust to Providence fo free us from our danger, 
 and descended to our cabin, where he sought to dissipate bis 
 fears in the oblivion of sleep. 
 
 At noon on the 2d of July, soundings were taken. M. 
 Maudet, ensign of the watch, was convinced we were upon 
 the edge of the Arguin Bank. The captain said to him, as 
 well as to every one, that there was no cause of alarm. In 
 the meanwhile, the wind blowing with great violence, impel- 
 led us nearer and nearer to the danger which menaced us. 
 A species of stupor overpowered all our spirits, and every 
 one preserved a mournful silence, as if they were persuaded 
 Wfe would soon touch the bank. The color of the water en- 
 tirely changed, a circumstance even remarked by the ladies. 
 About three in the afternoon, being in 19 30 north latitude, 
 and 19 45 west longitude, an universal cry was heard upon 
 deck All declared they saw sand rolling among the ripple 
 of the sea. The captain in an instant ordered to sound. 
 The line gave eighteen fathoms; but on a second sounding it 
 only gave six. He at last saw his error, and hesitated no 
 longer on changing the route, but it was too late. A strong 
 concussion told us the frigate had struck. Terror and con 
 sternation were instantly depicted on every face. The crew 
 stood motionless; the passengers in utter despair. In the 
 midst of this general panic, cries of vengeance were heard 
 against the principal author of our misfortunes, wishing to
 
 92 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 throw him overboard; but some generous persons interposed, 
 and endeavored to calm their spirits, by diverting their atten- 
 tion to the means of our safety. The confusion was already 
 BO great, that McPoinsignon, commandant of a troop, struck 
 my sister Caroline a severe blow, doubtless thinking it was 
 one of his soldiers. At this crisis my father was buried in 
 profound sleep, but he quickly awoke, the cries and the tu- 
 mult upon deck having informed him of our misfortunes. He 
 poured out a thousand reproaches on those whose ignorance 
 arid boasting had been so disastrous to us. However, they 
 set about the means of averting our danger. The officers, 
 with an altered voice, issued their orders expecting every mo- 
 ment to see the ship go in pieces. They strove to lighten her, 
 but the sea was very rough and the current strong. Much 
 time was lost in doing nothing; they only pursued half mea- 
 sures and all of them unfortunately failed. 
 
 IVLen it was discovered that the danger of the Medusa was 
 not so great as was at first supposed, various persons propos- 
 ed to transport the troops to the island of Arguin, which was 
 conjectured to be not far from the place where we lay 
 aground. Others advised to take us all successively to the 
 coast of the desert of Sahara, by the means of our boats, and 
 with provisions sufficient to form a caiavan, to reach the island 
 of Saint Louis, at Senegal. The events which afterwards 
 ensued proved this plan to have been the best, and which 
 would have been crowned with success; unfortunately it was 
 not adopted. M. Schmaltz, the governor, suggested the 
 making of a raft of sufficient size to carry two hundred men, 
 with provisions; which latter plan was seconded by the two 
 officers of the frigate, and put in execution. 
 
 The fatal rail was then begun to be constructed, whica 
 would, they said, carry provisions for every one. Masts, 
 planks, boards and cordage were thrown overboard. Two 
 officers were charged with the framing of these together. 
 Large barrels were emptied and placed at the angles of the 
 machine, and the workmen were taught to say, that the pas- 
 sengers would be in greater security there, and more at their 
 ease, than in the boats. However, it was forgotten to erect 
 rails, every one supposed, and with reason, that those who 
 had given the plan of the raft, had had no design of embark- 
 ing up;jn it themselves. 
 
 When it was completed, the two chief officers of the frig- 
 ate publicly promised, that all the boats would tow it to the 
 shore of the Desert ; and, when there, stores of provi-
 
 r BENCH JTKIOATE MEDUSA 93 
 
 gions and fire-arms would be given us to form a caravan to 
 *ake us all to Senegal. Why was not this plan executed? 
 Why wjre these promises, sworn before the French ling, 
 made in vain? But it is necessary to draw a veil ove the past. 
 I will only add, that if these promises had been fulfilled, eve- 
 ry one would have been saved, and that, in spite of the de- 
 testable egotism of certain personages, humanity would not 
 now have had to deplore th/$ scenes of horror consequent on 
 the wreck of the Medusa. 
 
 On the 3d of July, the efforts were renewed to disengage 
 the frigate, but without success. We then prepared to quit 
 her. The sea became very rough, and the wind blew with 
 great violence. Nothing now was heard but the plaintive 
 and confused cries of a multitude, consisting of more than 
 four hundred persons, who, seeing death before their eyes, 
 deplored their hard fate in bitter lamentations. 
 
 On the 4th, there was a glimpse of hope. At the hour the 
 tide flowed, the frigate, being considerably lightened by all 
 that had been thrown overboard, was found nearly afloat; and 
 it is very certain, if on that day they had thrown the artillery 
 into the water, the Medusa would have been saved; but M. 
 Lachaumareys said, he would not thus sacrifice the king's 
 cannon, as if the frigate did not belong to the king also. 
 However, the sea ebbed, and the ship sinking into the sand 
 deeper than ever, made them relinquish that on which depend- 
 ed our last ray of hope. 
 
 On the approach of night, the fury of the winds redoubled, 
 and the sea became very rough. The frigate then received 
 some tremendous concussions, and the water rushed into the 
 hold in the most terrific manner, but the pumps would not 
 work. We had now no alternative but to abandon her foi 
 the frail boats, which any single wave might overwhelm. 
 Frightful gulfs environed us; mountains of water raised their 
 liquid summits in the distance. How were we to escape so 
 many dangers? Whither could we go? What hospitable 
 land would receive us on its shores? My thoughts then re- 
 verted to our beloved country. Then starting suddenly from 
 my reverie, I exclaimed: 'O terrible condition! that black and 
 boundless sea resembles the eternal night which will engulf 
 us! All those who surround me seem yet tranquil, but that 
 fatal calm will soon be succeeded by the most frightful tor 
 ments. Fools, what had we to find in Senegal, to make us 
 trust to the most perfidious of elements! Did France not af- 
 ford every necessary for our happiness? Happy! yes, thrica
 
 94 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 a.appy, they who never set foot on a foreign soil! Greal 
 God ! succor all these unfortunate beings; save our unhappy 
 family!' 
 
 My father perceived my distress, but how could he console 
 me? What words cou'.d calm my fears, and place me above 
 the apprehensions of those dangers to which we were expos- 
 ed? How, in a word, could I assume a serene appearance, 
 when friends, parents and all that was most dear to me were, 
 in all human probability, on the very verge of destruction? 
 Alas! my fears were but too well founded. For I soon per- 
 ceived that, although we were the only ladies, besides the 
 Misses Schmaltz, who formed a part of the Governor's suit, 
 they had the barbarity of intending our family to embark up- 
 on the raft, where were only soldiers sailors and planters of 
 Cape Verd, and some generous officers who had not the hon- 
 or (if it could be accounted one) of being considered among 
 the ignorant confidants of MM. Schmaltz and Lachaumareys. 
 My father, indignant at a proceeding so indecorous, swore 
 we would not embark upon the raft, and that, if we were 
 no* judged worthy of a place in one of the six boats, he would 
 himself, his wife and children, remain on board the wreck 
 of the frigate. The tone in which he spoke these words, was 
 that of a man resolute to avenge any insult that might be of- 
 fered to him. The governor of Senegal, doubtless fearing 
 the world would one day reproach him for his inhumanity, de- 
 cided we should have a place in one of the boats. This hav- 
 ing in some measure quieted our fears concerning our unfor- 
 tunate situation, I was desirous of taking some repose, but 
 the uproar among the crew was so great 1 could not obtain it. 
 
 Towards midnight, a passenger came to inquire of my 
 father if we were disposed to depart; he replied, we had been 
 forbid to go yet. However, we were soon convinced that a 
 great part of the crew and various passengers were secretly 
 preparing to set ofi' in the boats. A conduct so perfidious 
 could not fail to alarm us, especially as we perceived among 
 those so eager to embark unknown to us, several who had 
 promised, but a little while before, not to go without us. 
 
 M. Schmaltz, to prevent that which was going on upon 
 deck, instantly rose to endeavor to quiet their minds; but the 
 soldiers had already assumed a threatening attitude, and 
 holding cheap the words of their commander, swore they 
 would fire upon whosoever attempted to depart in a clandes- 
 tine manner. The firmness of these brave men produced the 
 desired efFcct. and all was restored to order. The governor
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 95 
 
 returnea to nis cabin; and those who were desirous of depart- 
 ing furtively were confused and covered with shame. The 
 governor, however, was ill at ease; and as he had heard 
 very distinctly certain energetic words which had been ad- 
 dressed to him, he judged it proper to assemble a council. 
 All the officers and passengers being collected, M. Schmaltz, 
 there solemnly swore before them not to abandon the raft, and 
 a second time promised that all the boats would tow it to the 
 shore of the Desert, where they world all be formed into a 
 caravan. I confess this conduct of the governor greatly sat- 
 isfied every member of our family; for we never dreamed he 
 would deceive us, nor act in a manner contrary to what he 
 had promised 
 
 About three in the morning, some hours after the meeting 
 of.the council, a terrible noise was heard in the powder room ; 
 it was the helm which was broken. All who were sleeping 
 were roused by it. On going on deck every one was more 
 more convinced that the frigate was lost beyond all re- 
 c> . - /. Alas ! the wreck was for our family but the com- 
 mencement of a horrible series of misfortunes. The two 
 chief officers then decided with one accord, that all should em- 
 bark at six in the morning, and abandon the ship to the mercy 
 of the waves. After the decision, followed a scene the most 
 whimsical, and at the same time the most melancholy that can be 
 well conceived. To have a more distinct idea of it, let the 
 reader transport himself in imagination to the midst of the li- 
 quid plains of the ocean : then let him picture to himself a mul- 
 titude of all classes, of every age, tossed about at the mercy of 
 the waves upon a dismasted vessel, foundered, and half submer- 
 ged, !ci him not forget these are thinking beings with the cer- 
 tain prospect before them of having reached the goal of ths't: 
 existence. 
 
 Separated from the rest of the world by a boundless sea, 
 and having no place of refuge but the wreck of a grounded 
 vessel, the multitude addressed at first their vows to heaven, 
 and forgot, for a moment, all earthly concerns. Then sud- 
 denly starting from their lethargy, they began to look after 
 their wealth, the merchandise .they had in small ventures, 
 utterly regardless of the elements which threatened them. 
 The miser, thinking of the gold contained in his colFers, hast 
 ening to put it in a place of safety, either by sewing it into the 
 lining of his clothes, or by cutting out for it a place in the 
 waistband of his trowsers. The smuggler was tearing his hair 
 t not being able to save a chest of contraband which he had
 
 96 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 Bccretly got on board, and with which he had hoped to have 
 gained two or three hundred per cent. Another, selfish to 
 excess, was throwing overboard all his hidden money, and 
 amusing himself by burning all his effects. A generous officer 
 wis opening his portmanteau, offering caps, stockings, and 
 shirts, to any who would take them. These had scarcely 
 gathered together their various effects, when they learned that 
 they could not take anything with them ; those were search- 
 ing the cabin and store-rooms to carry away everything that 
 was valuable Ship-boys were discovering the delicate wines 
 and fine liquors, which a wise foresight had placed in reserve 
 Soldiers and sailors were penetrating even into the spirit-room, 
 broaching casks, staving others and drinking till they fell ex- 
 hausted. Soon the tumult of the inebriated made us forget 
 the roaring of the sea which threatened to engulf us. At last 
 the uproa. was at its height ; the soldiers no longer listened to 
 the voice of the captain. Some knit their brows and muttered 
 oaths ; but nothing could be done with those whom wine had 
 rendered furious. Next, piercing cries mixed with doleful 
 groans weie heard this was the signal of departure. 
 
 At six o'clock on the morning of the 5th, a great part of the 
 military were embarked upon the raft, which was already 
 covered with a large sheet of foam. The soldiers were ex- 
 pressly prohibited from taking their arms. A young officer of 
 infantry, whose brain seemed to be powerfully affected, put his 
 horse beside the barricadoes of the frigate, and then, armed 
 with two pistols, threatened to fire upon any one who refused 
 to go upon the raft. Forty men had scarcely descended when 
 it sunk to the depth of about two feet. To facilitate the em- 
 barking of a greater number, they were obliged to thrcv over 
 several barrels of provisions which had been placed upon it 
 the day before. In this manner did this furious officer get 
 about one hundred and fifty heaped upon that floating tomb ; 
 out he did not think of adding one more to the number by de- 
 scending himself, as he ought to have done, but went peace- 
 ably away, and placed himself in one of tha best boats. There 
 should have been sixty sailors upon the raft, and there were but 
 about ten. A list had been made out on the 4th, assigning 
 each his proper place : but this wise precaution being disre- 
 garded, every one pursued the plan he deemed the best for bis 
 own preservation. The precipitation with which they forced 
 one hundred and fifty unfortunate beings upon the raft was 
 such, that they forgot to give them one morsel of biscuit. 
 However, they threw towards thr-m twenty-five pounds ':n a
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 91 
 
 ark, while they were not far from the frigate ; bat it ffcil into 
 the sea, and was with difficulty recovered. 
 
 During this disaster, the governor of Senegal, who was 
 busied in the care of his own dear self, effeminately descend- 
 ed in an arm-chair into the barge, where were already various 
 'arge chests, all kinds of provisions, his dearest friends, his 
 daughters and his wife. Afterwards the captain's boat re- 
 ceived twenty-seven persons, among whom were twenty-five 
 sailors, good rowers. The shallop, con:manded by M. Espiau, 
 ensign of the ship, took forty-five passengers, and put off. 
 The boat, called the Senegal, took twenty-five ; the pinnace 
 thirty-three ; and the yawl, the smallest of all the boats, took 
 only ten. 
 
 Almost all the officers, the passengers, the mariners and su- 
 pernumeraries, were already embarked all, but our weeping 
 family, who still remained upon the boards of the frigate, till 
 some charitable souls would kindly receive us into a boat. 
 Surprised at this abandonment, I instantly felt myself roused, 
 and, calling with all my might to the officers of the boats, be- 
 sought them to take our unhappy family along with them. 
 Soon after, the barge, in which were the governor of Senegal 
 and all his family, approached the Medusa, as if still to take 
 some passengers, for there were but few in it. I made a mo- 
 tion to descend, hoping that the Misses Schmaltz, who had, 
 till that day, taken a great interest in our family, would allow 
 us a place in their boat ; but I was mistaken : those ladies, 
 who had embarked in a mysterious incognito, had already for- 
 gotten us ; and M. Lachaumareys, who was still on the fri- 
 gate, positively told me they would not embark along with us. 
 Nevertheless I ought to tell, what we learned afterwards, that 
 the officer who commanded the pinnace had received orders 
 to take us in, but, as he was already a great way from the fri- 
 gate, we were certain he had abandoned us. My father how- 
 ever hailed him, but he persisted on his way to gain the open 
 sea. A. short while afterwards we perceived a small boat 
 among the waves, which seemed desirous to approach the 
 Medusa ; it was the yawl. When it was sufficiently near, 
 my father implored the sailors who were in it to take us on 
 board, and to carry us to the pinnace, where our family ought 
 to be placed. They refused. He then seized a firelock, 
 which lay by chance upon deck, and swore he would kill 
 every one of them if they refused to take us, adding that it 
 was the property of the king, and that he would lave advan- 
 tage from it as well as another. The sailors murmured,, but 
 
 VOL. II. 5
 
 98 FRENCH FRIGATE MKDUBA. 
 
 durst not resist, and received all our family, which consisted 
 of nine persons, viz. four children, our stepmother, my cous- 
 in, my sister Caroline, my father and myself. A small box* 
 filled with valuable papers, which we wished to save, some 
 clothes, two bottles of ratafia, which we had endeavored to 
 preserve amidst our misfortunes, were seized and thrown 
 overboard by the sailors of the yawl, who told us we would 
 find in the pinnace everything we could wish for our voyage. 
 We had then only the clothes which covered us, never think 
 ing of dressing ourselves in two suits; but the loss which af- 
 fected us most was that of several MSS, at which my father 
 had been laboring for a long while. Our trunks, our linen 
 arid various chests of merchandize of great value, in a word, 
 everything we possessed, was left in the Medusa. When we 
 boarded the pinnace, the officer who commanded it began ex- 
 cusing himself for having sot off without forewarning us, as 
 he had been ordered, and said a thousand things in his justifi- 
 cation. But without believing the half of his tine protestations, 
 we felt very happy in having overtaken him; for it is most 
 certain they had no intention of encumbering themselves with 
 our unfortunate family. I say encumber, for it is evident 
 that four children, one of whom was yet at the breast, 
 were very indifferent beings to people who were actuated by 
 a selfishness without all parallel. When we were, seated in 
 the long boat, my father dismissed the sailors with the 
 yawl, telling them he would ever gratefully remember their 
 services. They speedily departed, but little satisfied with the 
 good action they had done. My father hearing their murmurs 
 and the abuse they poured out against us, said, loud enough 
 for all in the boat to hear, ' We are not surprised sailors are 
 destitute of shame, when their officers blush at being compel- 
 led to do a good action.' The commandant of the boat feign- 
 ed not to understand the reproaches conveyed in these words, 
 and, to divert our minds from brooding over our wrongs, en- 
 deavored to counterfeit the man of gallantry. 
 
 All the boats were already far from the Medusa, when they 
 were brought to, to form a chain in order to tow the raft. 
 The barge, in which was the governor of Senegal, took the 
 first tow, then all the other boats in succession joined them- 
 aelves to that. M. Lachaumareys embarked, although there 
 yet remained upon the Medusa mare than sixty persons. 
 Then the brave and generous M- Espiau, commander of the 
 shallop, quitted the line of boats, and returned to the rV'gate, 
 with the intention of saving all the wretches who had been
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 99 
 
 abandoned. They all sprung into the shallop; but a-s it 
 verv much overloaded, seventeen unfortunates preferred re- 
 maining on board, rather than ex-pose themselves as well as 
 their companions to certain death. But alas! the greater 
 part afterwards fell victims to their fears or their devotion. 
 Fifly-two days after they were abandoned, no more than three 
 of them were alive, and those looked more like skeletons than 
 men. They told that their miserable companions had gone 
 afloat upon planks and hen-coops, alter having waited in vain 
 forty-two days, for the succor which had been promised them, 
 and that all had perished. . 
 
 The shallop, carrying with difficulty all those she had saved 
 from the Medusa, slowly rejoined the line of boats whjch tow- 
 ed the raft, M. Kspiau earnestly besought the officers of the 
 other boats to take some of them along with them; but they 
 refused, alleging to the generous officer that he ought to keep 
 thenr in his own boat, as he had gone for them himself. M. 
 Kspiau, finding it impossible to keep them all without expos- 
 ing them to the utmost peril, steered right for a boat which I 
 will not name. Immediately a sailor sprung from the shallop 
 into the sea, and endeavored to reach it by swimming; and 
 when he was about to enter it, an officer who possessed great 
 influence pushed him back, and, drawing his sabre, threaten- 
 ed to cut off his hands, if he again made the attempt. The 
 poor wretch regained the shallop, which was very near the pin- 
 nace, which we were in, my father supplicated M. I aperere, 
 the officer of the boat, to receive him on board, and had his 
 arms already out to catch him, when M. Laperere instantly let 
 go the rope which attached us to the other boats, and tugged 
 off with all his force. At the same instant every boat imitated 
 our execrable example; and wishing to shun the approach of 
 the shallop, which sought for assistance, stood oil' from the 
 rail, abandoning, in the midst of the ocean, and to the fury of 
 the waves, the miserable mortals whom they had sworn to 
 land on the shores of the Desert. 
 
 Scarcely had these cowards broken their oath, when we 
 saw the French flag flying upon the raft-. The confidence of 
 those unfortunate persons was so great, that when they saw the 
 first boat which had the tow removing from them, they ail cried 
 out the rope is broken! the rope is broken! but when no at- 
 tention was paid to their observation, they instantly perceived 
 the treachery of the wretches who had left them so basely. 
 Then the cries of Vive Ic Roi arose from the raft, as il' the 
 poor fellows were calling to their father for assistance: o., a<
 
 00 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA 
 
 if they had been persuaded that, at that rallying word, the of- 
 ficers of the boats would return, and not abandon their coun- 
 trymen. The officers repeated the cry of Vive le Roi, with- 
 out a doubt, to insult them; but, more particularly, M. Lach- 
 aumareys who, assuming a martial attitude, waved his hat in the 
 air. Alas! what availed these false professions? Frenchmen, 
 menaced with the greatest peril, were demanding assistance 
 with the cries of Vive le Roi; yet none were found sufficient- 
 ly generous nor sufficiently French, to go to aid them. After 
 a silence of some minutes, horrible cries we,re heard; the air 
 resounded with the groans, the lamentations, the imprecations 
 of these wretched beings, and the echo of the sea frequently 
 repeated^alas! how cruel you are to abandon us!!! The raft 
 already appeared to be buried under the waves, and its un- 
 fortunate passengers immersed. The fatal machine was drill- 
 ed by currents far behind the wreck of the frigate; without 
 cable, anchor, mast, sail or oars; in a word, without the srnal- 
 est means of enabling them to save themselves. Each wave 
 that struck it, made them stumbie in heaps on one another. 
 Their feet getting entangled among the cordage, and between 
 the planks, bereaved them of the faculty of moving. Mad- 
 dened by these misfortunes, suspended, and adrift upon a 
 merciless ocean, they were soon tortured between the pieces 
 of wood which formed the scaffold on which they floated. 
 The bones of their feet and their legs were bruised and brok- 
 en, every time the fury of the waves agitated the raft; their 
 flesh covered with contusions and hideous wounds, dissolved, 
 as it were, in the briny waves, while the roaring flood around 
 them was colored with their blood. 
 
 As the raft, when it was abandoned, was nearly two leagues 
 from the frigate, it \vb.a impossible these unfortunate persons 
 could return to il; they were soon after far out to sea. These 
 victims still appeared above their floating tomb; and, stretch- 
 ing out their supplicating hands towards the boats which fled 
 from them, seemed yet to invoke, for the last time, the names 
 of the wretches who had deceived them. O horrid day! a day 
 of shame and reproach! Alas! that the hearts of those who 
 were so well acquainted with misfortune, should have been so 
 inaccessible to pity. 
 
 After witnessing that most inhuman scene, and seeing they 
 were insensible to the cries and lamentations of so many un- 
 happy beings, I felt my heart bursting with sorrow. It seem- 
 ed to me that the waves would overwhelm all these wrel lies. 
 and I could not suppress my tears. My father,
 
 FRENCH FAIOATK MEDUSA. 101 
 
 to excess, and bursting with rage at seeing so much coward- 
 ice and inhumanity among the officers of the boats, began to re- 
 gret he had not accepted the place which had been assigned for 
 us upon the fatal raft. ' At least,' said he, ' we would have died 
 with the brave, or would have returned to the wreck of the 
 Medusa; and not have had the disgrace of saving ourselves 
 with cowards.' Although this produced no fleet upon the 
 officers, it proved very fatal to us afterwards; for, on our ar- 
 rival at Senegal, it was reported to the Governor, and very 
 probably was the principal cause of all those evils and vexa- 
 tions which we endured in that colony. 
 
 Let us now turn our attention to the several situations of all 
 those who were endeavoring to save themselves in the differ- 
 ent boats, as well as to those left upon the wreck of the Me- 
 dusa. 
 
 We have already seen, that the frigate was half sunk when 
 it was deserted, presenting nothing but a hulk and wreck. 
 Nevertheless, seventeen still remained upon it, and had food, 
 which, although damaged, enabled them to support themselves 
 for a considerable time; while the raft was abandoned to float 
 at the mercy of the waves, upon the vast surface of the ocean. 
 One hundred and fifty wretches were embarked upon it, sunk 
 to the depth of at least three feet on its fore part, and on its 
 poop immersed even to the middle. What victuals they had 
 were soon consumed, or spoiled by the salt water; and per- 
 haps some, as the waves hurried them along, became food for 
 the monsters of the deep. Two only of all the boats which 
 left the Medusa, and these with very few people in them, were 
 provisioned with every necessary; these struck off with se- 
 curity and despatch. But the condition of those who were in 
 the shallop was but little better than those upon the raft; their 
 great number, their scarcity of provisions, their great distance 
 from the shore, gave them the most melancholy anticipations 
 of the future. Their worthy commander, M. Espiau, had no 
 other hope but of reaching the shore as soon as possible. The 
 other boats were less filled with people, but they were scarce- 
 ly better provisioned; and as by a species of fatality, the pin- 
 nace, in which were our family, was destitute of everything 
 Our provisions consisted of a barrel of biscuit, and a tierce of 
 water; and, to add to our misfortune, the biscuit being soak- 
 ed in the sea, it was almost impossible to swallow one morsel 
 of it. Each passenger in our boat was obliged to sustain his 
 wretched existence with a glass of water, which he could get 
 only once a day. To tell how this happened, how this boa'
 
 02 rSCftCB FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 was so poorly supplied, while there was abundance left upon 
 the Medusa, is far beyond my power. But it is at least cer- 
 tain, that the greater part of the officers commanding the 
 boats, the shallop, the pinnace, the Senegal boat, and the 
 yawl, were persudaed, when they quitted the frigate, that they 
 would not abandon the raft, but that all the expedition would 
 sail together to the coast of Sahara; that when there, the boats 
 would be again sent to the Medusa to take provisions, arms, 
 and those who were left there; but it appears the chiefs had 
 decided otherwise. 
 
 After abandoning the raft, although scattered, all the boats 
 formed a little fleet, and followed the same route. All who 
 were sincere hoped to arrive the same day at the coast of the 
 Desert, and that every one would get on shore; but JVL 
 Schmaltz and Lachaumareys gave orders to take the route 
 for Senegal. This sudden change in the resolutions of the 
 chiefs was like a thunderbolt to the officers commanding the 
 boats. Having nothing on board but what was barely neces- 
 sary to enable us to allay the cravings of hunger for one day, 
 we were all sensibly affected. The other boats, which, like 
 ourselves, hoped to have got on shore at the nearest point, 
 were a little better provisioned than we were; they had at 
 least a little wine, which supplied the place of other necessa- 
 ries. We then demanded some from them, explaining our 
 situation, but none would assist us, not even the captain, who, 
 drinking to a kept mistress, supported by two sailors, swore 
 he had not one drop on board. We were next desirous of ad- 
 dressing the boat of the Governor of Senegal, where we were 
 persuaded were plenty of provisions of every kind, such as 
 oranges, biscuit, cakes, comfits, plums and even the finest li- 
 quors; but my father opposed it, so well was he assured we 
 would not obtain anything. 
 
 We will now '.urn to the condition of those on the raft, 
 when the boat? left them to themselves. 
 
 If all the boats had continued dragging the raft forward, fa- 
 vored as we were by the breeze from the sea, we would have 
 been able to have conducted them to the shore in less than 
 two dajs. But an inconceivable fatality caused the generous 
 plan to be abandoned which had been formed. 
 
 "When the raft had lost sight of the boats, a spirit of sedi- 
 tion began to manifest itself in furious cries. They then be- 
 gan to regard one another with ferocious looks, and to thirst 
 for one another's flesh. Some one had already whispered of 
 having recourse to that monstrous extremity, and of com-
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 109 
 
 mencing with the fattest and youngest. A proposition so 
 atrocious filled the brave Captain Dupont and his worthy 
 Lieutenant M. L'Heureux with horror; and that courage 
 which had so often supported them in the field of glory, now 
 forsook them. 
 
 Among the first who fell under the hatchets of the assassins, 
 was a young woman who had been seen devouring the body 
 of her husband. When her turn was come, she sought a lit- 
 tle win** as a last favor, then rose, and without uttering a word 
 threw herself into the sea. Captain Dupont, being prescribed 
 for having refused to partake of the sacrilegious viands with 
 which the monsters were feeding on, was saved by a miracle 
 from the hands of the butchers. Scarcely had they seized 
 him to lead him to the slaughter, when a large pole, which 
 served in place of a mast, fell upon his body; and believing 
 that his legs were broken, they contented themselves by 
 throwing him into the sea. The unfortunate captain plunged 
 and disappeared, and they thought him already in another 
 world. 
 
 Providence, however, revived the strength of the unfortu- 
 nate warrior. He emerged under the beams of the raft, and 
 clinging with all his might, holding his head above water, he 
 remained between two enormous pieces of wood, while the 
 rest of his body was hid in the sea. After more than two hours 
 of suffering, Captain Dupont spoke in a" low voice to his lieu- 
 tenant, who by chance was seated near the place of his con- 
 cealment. The brave L'Heureux, with eyes glistening with 
 tears, believed he heard the voice, and saw the shade of his 
 captain; and trembling, was about to quit the place of horror; 
 O wonderful! he saw a head which seemed to draw its last 
 sioh, he recognized it, he embraced it, alas! it was his dear 
 friend! Dupont was instantly drawn from the water, and 
 L'Heureux obtained for his unfortunate comrade again a place 
 upon the raft. Those who had been most inveterate against 
 him, touched at what Providence had done for him in so mi- 
 raculous a manner, decided with one accord to allow him en- 
 tire liberty upon the raft. 
 
 The sixty unfortunates who had escaped from the first mas- 
 bacre, were soon reduced to fifty, then to forty, and at last to 
 twenty-eight. The least murmur, or the smallest complaint, 
 nt the moment of distributing the provisions, was a crime pun- 
 ished with immediate death. In consequence of such a regu- 
 lation, if rm j y easily be presumed the raft was soon lightened. 
 In the meanwhile the nine diminished sensibly, and the haJ'
 
 04 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 rations very much displeased a certain chief of the conspira- 
 cy. On purpose to avoid being reduced to that extremity, 
 the executive power decided it was much wiser to drown thir- 
 teen people, and to get full rations, than that twenty-eight 
 should have half rations. 
 
 Merciful Heaven! wha^ shame! After the last catastro- 
 phe, the chiefs of the conspiracy, fearing, doubtless of being 
 assassinated in their turn, threw all the arms into the sea, and 
 swore an inviolable friendship with the heroes which the 
 hatchet had spared. On the 17th of July, in the morning, 
 Captain Parnajon, commandant of the Argus brig, still found 
 fifteen men on the raft. They were immediately taken on 
 board, and conducted to Senegal. Four of the fifteen are 
 yet alive, viz. Captain Dupont, residing in the neighborhood 
 of Maintenon, Lieutenant L'Heureux, since Captain at Sene- 
 gal, Savigny, at Rochefort, and Correard, I know not where. 
 
 On the 5th of July, at ten in the morning, one hour after 
 abandoning the raft, and three after quitting the Medusa, M. 
 Laperere, the officer of our boat, made the first distribution of 
 provisions. Each passenger had a small glass of water and 
 nearly the fourth of a biscuit. Each drank his allowance of 
 water at one draught, but it was found impossible to swallow 
 one morsel of our biscuit, it being so impregnated with sea- 
 water. It happened, however, that some was found not quite 
 so saturated. Of these we eat a small portion, and put back 
 the remainder for a future day. Our voyage would have been 
 sufficiently agreeable, if the beams of the sun had not been so 
 fierce. On the evening we perceived the shores of the De- 
 sert ; but as the two chiefs (MM. Schmaltz and Lachau- 
 mareys) wished to go right for Senegal, notwithstanding we 
 were still one hundred leagues from it, we were not allowed 
 to land. Several officers remonstrated, both on account of 
 our want of provisions and the crowded condition of the 
 boats, for undertaking so dangerous a voyage. Others urged 
 with equal force, that it would be dishonoring the French 
 name if we were to neglect the unfortunate people on the 
 raft, and insisted, we should be set on shore, and whilst we 
 waited there, three boats should return to look after the raft, 
 and three to the wreck of the frigate, to take up the seventeen 
 who were left there, as well as a sufficient quantity of provi- 
 sions to enable us to go to Senegal by the way of Barbary 
 But MM. Schmaltz and Lachaumareyswhose boats were suf- 
 ficiently well provisioned, scouted the advice o r thoir sr.bal- 
 terns, and ordered them to cast anchor till the following morn-
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 10* 
 
 mg . They were obliged to obey these orders, and to relin- 
 quish their designs. During the night, a certain passenger 
 who was doubtless no doctor, and who believed in ghosts and 
 witches, was suddenly frightened by the appearance of flames, 
 which he thought he saw in the waters of the sea, a little way 
 from where our boat was anchored. My father, and some 
 others, who were aware that the sea is sometimes phosphor- 
 ated, confirmed the poor credulous man in his belief, and add- 
 ed several circumstances which fairly turned his brain. They 
 persuaded him the Arabic sorcerers had fired the sea to pre- 
 vent us from travelling along their deserts. 
 
 On the morning of the 6th of July, at five o'clock, all the 
 boats were under way on the route to Senegal. The boats 
 of MM. Schmaltz and Lachaumareys took the lead along the 
 coast, and all the expedition followed. About eight, several 
 sailors in our boat, with threats, demanded to be set on shore , 
 but M. Laperere, not acceding to their request, the whole 
 were about to revolt and seize the command ; but the firmness 
 of tbis officer quelled the mutineers. In a spring which he 
 made to seize a firelock which a sailor persisted in keeping in 
 his possession, he almost tumbled into the sea. My father 
 fortunately was near him, and held him by his clothes, but he 
 had instantly to quit him, for fear of losing his hat, which the 
 the waves were floating away. A short while after this slight 
 accident, the shallop, which we had lost sight of since the 
 morning, appeared desirous of rejoining us. We plied all 
 hands to avoid her, for we were afraid of one another, and 
 thought that that boat, encumbered with so many people, wish- 
 ed to board us to oblige us to take some of its passengers, as 
 M. Espiau would not suffer them to be abandoned like those 
 upon the raft. That officer hailed us at a distance, offering to 
 tal >! our family on board, adding, he was anxious to take 
 about sixty people to the Desert. The officer of our boat, 
 thinking that this was a pretence, replied, we preferred suffer- 
 ing where we were. It even appeared to us that M. Espiau 
 had hid some of his people under the benches of the shallop. 
 But alas ; in the end we deeply deplored being so suspicious, 
 and of having so outraged the devotion of the most geneioun 
 officer of the Medusa. 
 
 Our boat began to leak considerably, but we prevented it 
 as well as we could, by stuffing the largest holes with oakum, 
 which an old sailor had had the precaution to take before quit- 
 ting the frigate. At noon the heat became so strong so in- 
 tolerable, that several of us believed we had reached our last 
 voi. ii. 5*
 
 106 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 moments. The hot winds of the Desert even reached us ; and 
 the fine sand with which they were loaded, had completely ob- 
 scured *he clearness of the atmosphere. The sun presented 
 a reddish disk ; the whole surface of the ocean became nebul- 
 ous, and the air which we breathed, depositing a fine sarul, an 
 impalpable powder, penetrated to our lungs, already parched 
 with a burning thirst. In this state of tormen we remained 
 till four in the afternoon, when a breeze from the northwest 
 brought us some relief. Notwithstanding the privations we 
 felt, and especially the burning thirst which had become in- 
 tolerable, the cool air which we now began to breathe, made 
 us in part forget our sufferings. The heavens began again to 
 resume the usual serenity of those latitudes, and we hoped to 
 have passed a good nihl. A second distribution of provisions 
 was made ; each received a small glass of water, and ..e 
 eighth part of a biscuit. Notwithstanding our meagre fare, 
 every one seemed content, in the peruasion we would reach 
 Senegal by the morrow. But how vain were all our hopes, 
 and what sufferings had we yet to endure ! 
 
 At half past seven, the sky was covered with stormy clouds. 
 The serenity we had admired a little while before, entirely dis- 
 appeared, and gave place to the most gloomy obscurity. The 
 surface of the ocean presented all the signs of a coming temp- 
 est. The horizon on the side of the Desert had the appear- 
 ance of a long hideous chain of mountains piled on one an- 
 other, the summits of which seemed to vomit fire and smoke. 
 Bluish clouds, streaked with a dark copper color, detached 
 themselves from that shapeless heap, and came and joined 
 with those which floated over our heads. In less than half 
 an hour the ocean seemed confounded with the terrible sky 
 which canopied us. The stars were hid. Suddenly a fright- 
 ful noise was heard from the west, and all the waves of t'je 
 sea rushed to founder our frail bark. A fearful silence suc- 
 ceeded to the general consternation Every tongue was 
 mute ; and none durst communicate to his neighbor the horror 
 with which his mind was impressed. At intervals th-3 cries cf 
 the children rent our hearts. At that instant a weeping and 
 agonized mother bared her breast to her dying child, but it 
 yielded nothing to appease the thirst of the little innocent 
 who pressed it in vain. night of horrors ! what pen is ca- 
 pable to paint thy terrible picture ! How describe the agoniz- 
 ing iVara of a father and mother, at the sight of tht-ir children 
 tossed about and expiring of hunger in a small boat, which the 
 winds and waves threatened to engulf at every instant ! IJav-
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 107 
 
 ing full before our eyes the prospect of inevitable death, we 
 gave ourselves up to our unfortunate condition, and addressed 
 our prayers to Heaven. The winds growled with the utmost 
 fury ; the tempestuous waves arose exasperated. In their 
 terrific encounter a mountain of water was precipitated into 
 )ur boat, carrying away one of the sails, and the greater part 
 of the effects which the sailors had saved from the Medusa. 
 Our bark was nearly sunk ; the females and the children lay 
 rolling in its bottom, drinking the waters of bitterness ; and 
 their cries, mixed with the roaring of the waves and the furi- 
 ous north wind, increased the horrors of the scene. My un- 
 fortunate father then experienced the most excruciating agony 
 of mind. The idea of the loss which the shipwreck had oc- 
 casioned to him, and the danger which still menaced all he 
 held dearest in the world, plunged him into a swoon. The 
 tenderness of his wife and children recovered him ; but alas ! 
 his recovery was to still more bitterly deplore the wretched 
 situation of his family. He clasped us to his bosom ; ho 
 bathed us witli his tears, and seemed as if he was regarding us 
 with his last looks of love. 
 
 Every soul in the boat was seized with the same perturba- 
 tion, but it manifested itself in different ways. One part of 
 the sailors remained motionless, in a bewildered state ; the 
 other cheered and encouraged one another ; the children, 
 locked in the arms of their parents, wept incessantly. Some 
 demanded drink, vomiting the salt wa.ter which choked them ; 
 others, in short, embraced as for the last time, intertwining 
 their arms, and vowing to die together 
 
 In the meanwhile the sea became rougher and rougher. 
 The whole surface of the. ocean seemed a vast plain furrowed 
 with huge blackish waves fringed with white foam. The 
 thunder growled around us, and the lightning discovered to our 
 eyes all that our imagination could conceive most horrible. 
 Our boat, beset on all sides by the winds, and at every instant 
 tossed on the summit of mountains of water, was very nearly 
 Bunk in spite of our every effort in baling it, wnen we discover- 
 ed a large hole in its poop. It was instantly stuffed with 
 everything we could find: old clothes, sleeves of shirts, shreds 
 of coats, shawls, useless bonnets, everything was employed, 
 and secured us as far as it was possible. During the space 
 of six hours, we rowed suspended alternately between hope 
 and fear, between life and death. At last towards the middle 
 of the night, Heaven which had seen our resignation, com- 
 manded the floods to be still. Instantly the sea became less
 
 108 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUIA. 
 
 rough, the veil which covered the sky became les* obscure, 
 the stars again shone out, and the tempest seemed to withdraw. 
 A general exclamation of joy and thankfulness issued at one 
 instant from every mouth. The winds calmed, and each of us 
 sought a little sleep, while our good and generous pilot steer- 
 ed our boat on a still very stormy sea. 
 
 The day at last, the day so desired, entirely restored the 
 calm ; but it brought no other consolation. During the night, 
 the currents, the waves, and the winds had taken us so far 
 out to sea, that, on the dawning of the 7th of July, we saw 
 nothing but sky and water, without knowing whither to direct 
 our course ; for our compass had been broken during the 
 tempest. In this hopeless condition, we continued to steer 
 sometimes to the right and sometimes to the left, until the sun 
 arose, and at last snowed us the east. 
 
 On the morning of the 7th of July, we again saw the 
 shores of the Desert, notwithstanding we were a great dis- 
 tance from it. The sailors renewed their murmurings, wish- 
 ing to get on shore, with the hope of being able to get some 
 wholesome plants, and some more palatable water than that of 
 the sea; but as we were afraid of the Moors, their request 
 was opposed. However, M. Laperere proposed to take them 
 as near as he could to the first breakers on the coast; and 
 when there, those who wished to go on shore should throw 
 themselves into the sea, and swim to land. Eleven accepted 
 the proposal; but when we had reached the first waves, none 
 had the courage to brave the mountains of water which roll- 
 ed between them and the beach. Our sailors then betook 
 themselves to their benches and oars, and promised to be 
 more quiet for the future. A short while after, a third distri- 
 bution was made since our departure from the Medusa; and 
 nothing more remained than four pints of water, and one half 
 dozen biscuits. What steps were we to take in this cruel 
 situation? We were desirous of going on shore, but we had 
 s-jch dangers to encounter However we soon came to a de- 
 cision, when we saw a caravan of Moors on the coast. We 
 then stood a little out to sea. According to the calculation 
 of our commanding officer, we would arrive at Senegal on 
 the morrow Deceived by that false account, we preferred 
 suffering one day more, rather than be taken by the 
 Moors of the Desert, or perish among the breakers. We 
 had now no more than a small half glass of water, and tb 
 seventh of a biscuit. 
 
 Exposed as we were to the heat of the sun, which darted
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDtTSA. Hft 
 
 ta rays perpendicularly on our heads, that ration, though small 
 would have been a gr^ut relief to us; but the distribution 
 was delayed to the morrow. We were then obliged to drinl 1 
 the -bitter sea water, ill as it was calculated to quench oir 
 thirst. Must I tell it! thirst had so withered the lungs of 
 our sailors, that they drank water salter than that of the sea 
 Our numbers diminished daily, and nothing but the hope of 
 arriving at the colony on the following day sustained our fran 
 existence. My young brothers and sisters wept incessantly 
 for water. The little Laura, aged six years lay dying at the 
 feet of her mother. Her mournful cries so moved the sou 
 of my unfortunate father, that he was on the eve of opening 
 a vien to quench the thirst which consumed his child; but* 
 wise person opposed his design, observing that all the bloo* 
 in his body would not prolong the life of his infant one nv 
 ment. 
 
 The freshness of the night wind procured us pome respite 
 We anchored pretty near to the shore, and though dying o* 
 famine, each got a tranquil sleep. On the morning of thw 
 8th of July, at break of day, we took the route for Senega* 
 A short while after the wind fell, and we had a dead calm.- 
 We endeavored to row, but our strength was exhausted. A 
 'ourth and last distribution was made, and in the twinkling of 
 an eye, our last resources were consumed. We were forty- 
 two people who had to feed upon six biscuits and about four 
 pints of water, with no hope of a farther supply. Then came 
 the moment for deciding whether we were to perish among 
 the breakers, which defended the approach to the shores of 
 the Desert, or to die of famine in continuing our route. 
 The majority preferred the last species of misery. We con- 
 tinued our progress along the shore, painfully pulling our 
 oars. Upon the beach were distinguished several downs of 
 white sand and some small trees. We were thus creeping 
 along the coast, observing a mournful silence, when a sailor 
 suddenly exclaimed, behold the Moors! We did, in fact, see 
 various individuals upon the rising ground, walking at a 
 quick pace, and whom we took to be the Arabs of the Deseit 
 As we were very near the shore, we stood farther out _o sea, 
 fearing that these pretended Moors, or Arabs, would throw 
 themselves into the sea, swim out, and take us. Some hours 
 after, we observed several people upon an eminence, wfco 
 seemed to make signals for us. 
 
 We examined them attentively, and soon recognized them 
 to be our companions in misfortune. We replied to them by
 
 110 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA, 
 
 attaching a white handkerchief to the top of our mast. Then 
 we resolved to lawd at the risk of peiifhing among the break- 
 ers, which were very strong towards the shore, although the 
 aea was calm. On approaching the beach, we went towards 
 the right, where the waves seemed less agitated, and endeav- 
 ored to reach it, with the hope of being able more easily to 
 land. Scarcely had we directed our course to that point, 
 wnen we perceived a great number of people standing near 
 to a little wood surrounding the sand-hills. We recognized 
 them to be the passengers of that boat, which, like ourselves, 
 were deprived of provisions. 
 
 Meanwhile we approached the shore, and already the foam- 
 ing surge Oiled us with terror. Each wave that came from 
 the open sea, each billow that swept beneath our boat, made 
 us bound into the air; so we were sometimes thrown from the 
 poop to the prow, and from the prow to the poop. Then, if 
 our pilot had missed the sea, we would have been sunk; the 
 waves would have thrown us aground, and we would have 
 been buried among the breakers. The helm of the boat was 
 again given to the old pilot, who had already so happily steer- 
 ed us through the dangers of the storm. He instantly threw in- 
 to the sea the mast, the sails, and everything that could impede 
 our proceedings. When we came to the first landing point, 
 several of our shipwrecked companions, who had reached the 
 shore, ran and hid themselves behind the hills, not to sen us 
 perish; others made signs not to approach at that place, some 
 covered their eye* with their hands; others, at last despising 
 the danger, precipitated themselves into the waves to receive 
 us in their arms. We then saw a spectacle that made us 
 shudder. We had already doubled two ranges of breakers; 
 but those which we had still to cross raised their foaming 
 waves to a prodigious height, then sunk with a hollow and 
 monstrous sound, sweeping along a long line of the coast. 
 Our boat sometimes greatly elevated, and sometimes engulf- 
 ed between the waves, seemed, at the moment, of utter ruin. 
 Bruised, battered and tossed about on all hands, it turned of 
 itself, and refused to obey the kind hand which directed it. 
 At that instant a huge wave rushed fiom the open sea, and 
 dashed against the poop; the boat plunged, disappeared, and 
 we were all among the waves. Our sailors, whose strength 
 had returned at the presence of danger, redoubled their efforts, 
 uttering mournful sounds. Our bark groaned, the oars were 
 broken; it was thought aground, but it was stranded; it wai 
 upon its side. The last sea rushed upon us with the impetu
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA 111 
 
 osity of a torrent. We were all up to the neck in water; the 
 bitter sen-froth choked us. The grapnel was thrown out. 
 The sailors threw themselves into the sea; they took the 
 children in their arms; returned, and took us upon their 
 shoulders; and I found myself seated upon the sand on the 
 sho;e, by the side of my step-mother, my brothers and sisters, 
 almost dead. Every one was upon the beach except my fath- 
 er and some sailors; but that good man arrived at last, to 
 rr.jigle his tears with those of his family and friends. 
 
 Instantly our hearts joined in addressing our prayers and 
 praises to God. I raised my hands to heaven, and remained 
 sometime immoveablc upon the beach. Every one also hast- 
 ened to testify his gratitude to our old pilot, who next to 
 God, justly merited the title of our preserver. JVI. Dumege^ 
 a naval surgeon, gave him an elegant gold watch, the only 
 thing he had saved from the Medusa. 
 
 Let the reader now recollect all the perils to which we had 
 been exposed in escaping from the wreck of the frigate to the 
 shores of the Desert all that we had suffered during our four 
 days' voyage -and he will perhaps have a just notion of the 
 various sensations we felt on getting on shore on that strange 
 and savage land. Doubtless the joy we experienced at having 
 escaped, as by a miracle, the fury of the floods, was very 
 great; but how much was it lessened by the feelings of our 
 horrible situation! Without water, provisions, and the ma- 
 jority of us nearly naked, was it to be wom'ered at that we 
 should be seized with terror n thinking of the obstacles 
 which we had to surmount, the fatigues, the privations, the 
 pains and sufferings we had to endure, with the dangers we 
 had to encounter in the immense and frightful Desert we had 
 to traverse before we could arrive at our destination? Al- 
 mighty Providence! it was in Thee alone I put my trust. 
 
 After we had a little recovered from the fainting and fatigue 
 of our getting on shore, our fellow-sufferers told us they had 
 landed in the forenoon, and cleared the breakers by the 
 strength of their oars and sails ; but they had. not all been so 
 lucky as we were. One unfortunate person, too desirous of 
 getting quickly on shore, had his legs broken under the 
 shallop, and was taken and laid on the beach, and left to the 
 care of Providence. M. Espiau, commander of the shallop, 
 reproached us for having doubted him when he wished to board 
 us to take our family along with linn. It was most true h 
 had landed sixty-three people that dav. A short while after 
 our refusal, he took the passengers of the yawl, v who wovld a
 
 112 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 fallihly have perished in the stormy nights of the 6th and 7th. 
 Itie boat named the Senegal, commanded by M. Maudet, had 
 made the shore at the same time with M. E.spiau. The boats 
 of MM. Schmaltz and Lachaumareys were the only onea 
 which continued the route for Senegal, while nine-tenths of 
 the Frenchmen intrusted to these gentlemen were butchering 
 each other on the raft, or dying of hunger on the burning 
 sands of Sahara. 
 
 About seven in the morning, a caravan was formed to pen- 
 etrate into the interior, for the purpose of finding some fre.sh 
 water. We did accordingly find some at a little distance from 
 the sea, by digging among the sand. Every one instantly 
 flocked round the little wells, which furnished enough to 
 quench our thirst. This brackish water was found to be de- 
 licious, although it had a sulphurous taste : its color was that 
 of whev. As all our clothes were wet and in tatters, and as 
 we had nothing to change them, some generous officers offer- 
 ed theirs. My step-mother, my cousin, and my sister, were 
 dressed in them ; for myself, I preferred keeping my own. 
 We remained nearly an hour beside our beneficent fountain, 
 then took the route for Senegal ; that is, a southerly direction, 
 for we did not know exactly where that country lay. It was 
 agreed *hat the females and children should walk before the 
 caravan, that they might not be left behind. The sailors vol- 
 untarily carried the youngest on their shoulders, and every 
 one took the route along the coast. Notwithstanding it was 
 nearly seven o'clock, the sand vras quite burning, and we suf- 
 fered severely, walking without shoes, having lost them wh'ile 
 landing. As soon as we arrived on the shore, we went to 
 walk on the wet sand, to cool us a little. Thus we travel- 
 ed during all the night, without encountering anything but 
 shells, which wounded our feet. 
 
 On the morning of the 9th, we saw an antelope on the top 
 of a little hill, which instantly disappeared, before we had time 
 to shoot it. The Desert seemed to our view one immense 
 plain of sand, on which was seen not one blade of verdure. 
 However, we still found water by digging in the sand. In the 
 forenoon, two officers of marine complained that our family in- 
 commoded the progress of the caravan. It is true, the females 
 and the children could not walk so quickly as the men. We 
 walked as fast as it was possible for us, nevertheless, we often 
 fell behind, which obliged them to halt till we came up 
 These officers, joined with other individuals, considered among 
 Yenisei ves whether they would wait for us, or to abandon ut
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 119 
 
 r the Desert. I will be bold to say, however, that but few 
 were of the latter opinion. My father being informed of what 
 was plotting against us, stepped up to the chiefs of the con- 
 spiracy, and reproached them in the bitterest terms for their 
 selfishness and brutality. The dispute waxed hot. Those 
 who were desirous of leaving us drew their swords, and my 
 father put his hand upon a poignard, with which he had pro- 
 vided himself on quitting the frigate. At this scene, we threw 
 ourselves in between them, conjuring him rather to remain in 
 the Desert with his family, than seek the assistance of those 
 who were, perhaps, less human than the Moors themselves 
 Several people took our part, particularly M. Begnere, cap 
 tain of infantry, who quieted the dispute by saying to his sol- 
 diers, ' My friends, you are Frenchmen, and 1 have the honor 
 of being your commander ; let us never abandon an unfortu- 
 nate family in the Desert, so long as we are able to be of use 
 to them.' This brief, but energetic speech, caused those to 
 blush who wished to leave us. All then joined with the old 
 captain saying they would not leave us on condition we would 
 walk quicker. M. Begnere and his soldiers replied, they did 
 not wish to impose conditions on those to whom they were de- 
 sirous of doing a favor ; and the unfortunate family of Picard 
 were again on the road with the whole caravan. 
 
 About noon hunger was felt so powerfully among us, that it 
 was agreed upon to go to the small hills of sand which were 
 near the coast, to see if any herbs could be fojrd fit for eat- 
 ing ; but we only got poisonous plants, among which were 
 various kinds ofeuphorbium. Convolvaluses of a bright green 
 carpeted the downs ; but on tasting their leaves we found them 
 as bitter as gall. The caravan rested in this place, while 
 several officers went farther into the interior. They came 
 back in about an hour, loaded with wild purslain, which they 
 distributed to each of us. Every one instantly devoured his 
 bunch of herbage, without leaving the smallest branch : but 
 as our hunger was far from being satisfied with this small al- 
 lowance, the soldiers and sailors betook themselves to look for 
 more. They soon brought back a sufficient quantity, which 
 was equally distributed, and devoured upon the spot, so deli- 
 cious had hunger made that food to us. For myself, I declare 
 I never eat anything with so much appetite in all my life. 
 Water was al.so found in this place, but it was of an abomin 
 able taste. After this truly frugal repast, we continued our 
 route The heat was insupportable 'in the last degree. Tba 
 Rands on which we trod were burning, nevertheless several of
 
 1 14 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA 
 
 us walked on these scorching coals without shoes ; and th 
 females had nothing but their hair for a cap. When we reach- 
 ed the sea-shore, we all ran and lay down among the waves. 
 After remaining there some time, we took our route along the 
 wet beach. On our journey we met with several large crabs, 
 which were of considerable service to us. Every now aruj 
 then we endeavored to slake our thirst by sucking their crook- 
 ed claws. About nine at night we halted between two pretty 
 high sand hills. After a short talk concerning our misfor- 
 tunes, all seemed desirous of passing the night in this place, 
 notwithstanding we heard on every side the roaring of leopards 
 We deliberated on the means of securing ourselves, but sleep 
 soon put an end to our fears. Scarcely had we slumbered a 
 few hours when a terrible roaring of wild beasts awoke us, and 
 made us stand on our defence. It was a beautiful moonlight 
 night, and in spite of my fears and the horrible aspect of the 
 place, nature never appeared so sublime to me before. In- 
 stantly something was announced that resembled a lion. This 
 information was listened to with the greatest emotion. Every 
 one being desirous of verifying the truth, fixed upon something 
 he thought to be the object : one believed he saw the long 
 teeth of the king of the forest ; another was convinced his 
 mouth was already open to devour us : several, armed with 
 muskets, aimed at the animal, and advancing a few steps, dis- 
 covered the pretended lion to be nothing more than a shrub 
 fluctuating in the breeze. However, the bowlings of ferocious 
 beasts had so frightened us, being yet heard at intervals that 
 we again sought the sea-shore, on purpose to continue our 
 route towards the south. 
 
 Some of our companions were desirous of making observ- 
 ations in the interior, and they did not go in vain. They in- 
 stantly returned, and told us they had seen two Arab tents 
 upon a slight rising ground. We instantly directed our steps 
 thither. We had to pass great downs of sand very slippery, 
 and arrived in a large plain streaked here and there with ver-. 
 dure ; but the turf was so hard and piercing, we could scarce- 
 ly walk over it without wounding our feet. Our presence in 
 these fri'Mful solitudes put to flight three or four Moorish 
 shepherds, who herded a small flbck of sheep and goats in an 
 oasis. At last we arrived at the tents after which we were 
 searching, and found in them three Mooresses and two little 
 children, who did not seem in the least frightened by our visit. 
 A negro servant, belonging to an oflicer of mar'ne, interpret- 
 ed between us ; and the good women, who, when they had 
 heard of our misfortunes, offered us millet and water for pay-
 
 rRENCB miOATE MEDDtA llf 
 
 tnent. We bought a little of that grain at the rate of thirty 
 pence a handful ; the water was got for three francs a glass ; 
 it was very good, and none grudged the money it cost. As a 
 glass of water, with a handful of millet, was but a poor dinner 
 for famished people, my father bought two kids, which they 
 would not give him under twenty piastres. We immediately 
 killed them, and our JNIooresses boiled them in a large kettle 
 While our repast was preparing, my father, who could not aP- 
 ford the whole of the expense, got others to contribute to it , 
 but an old officer of marine, who was to have been captain of 
 the port of Senegal, was the only person who refused, notwith- 
 standing he had about him nearly three thousand francs which 
 he boasted of in the end. Seviral soldiers and sailors had 
 seen him count it in round pieces of gold, on coming ashore 
 on the Desert, and reproached him for his sordid avarice ; but 
 he seemed insensible to their reproaches, nor eat the less of his 
 portion of the kid with his companions in misfortune. 
 
 When about to resume our journey, we saw several Moors 
 approaching us armed with lances. Our people instantly 
 seized their arms, and put themselves in readiness to defend 
 us in case of an attack. Two officers, followed by several 
 soldiers and sailors, with our interpreter, advanced to discover 
 their intentions. They instantly returned with the Moors, 
 who said, that far from wishing to do us harm, they had come 
 to offer us their assistance, and to conduct us to Senegal. 
 This offer being accepted of with gratitude by all of us, the 
 Moors, of whom we had been so afraid, became our protectors 
 and friends, verifying the old proverb, there are good people 
 everywhere ! As the camp of the Moors was at some con- 
 siderable distance from where we were, we set off altogether 
 io reach it before night. After having walked about two 
 leagues through the burning sands, we found ourselves again 
 apon the shore. Towards night, our conductors made us 
 strike again into the interior, saying we were near their camp 
 which is called in their language Berkclet. But the short 
 distance of the Moors was found very long by the females and 
 the children, on account of the downs of sand which we had to 
 ascend and descend every instant, also of prickly shrubs over 
 which we were frequently obliged to walk. Those who were 
 barefooted, felt most severely at this time the want of their 
 shoes. I myself lost among the bushes various shreds of my 
 dress, and my feet and legs were all streaming with blood. 
 At length, after two long hours of walking and suffering, we 
 arrived at the camp of that tribe to which belonged our Arab
 
 i 16 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 conductors We had scarcely got into the camp, when the 
 dogs, the children, and the Moorish women, began to annoy 
 us. Some of them threw sand in our eyes, others amused 
 themselves by snatching at our hair, on pretence of wishing 
 to examine it. This pinched us, that spit upon us ; the dogs 
 bit our legs, whilst the old harpies cut the buttons from the 
 officers coats, or endeavored to take away the lace. Our 
 conductors, however, had pity on us, and chased away the 
 dogs and the curious crowd, who had already made us suffer 
 as much as the thorns which had tern our feet. The chiefs 
 of the camp, our guides, and some good women, at last set 
 about getting us some supper. Water in abundance was 
 given us without payment, and they sold us fish dried in the 
 sun, and some bowlsful of sour milk, at a reasonable price. 
 
 We found a Moor in the camp who had previously known my 
 father at Senegal, and who spoke a little French. As soon as 
 he recognised him, he cried, 'Tiens toi Picard ! ni a pas con 
 neitre moi Amet ?' Hark ye, Picard, know you not Amet ? 
 We were all struck with astonishment at these French words 
 coming from the mouth of a Moor. My father recollected 
 having employed long ago a young goldsmith at Senegal, and 
 discovering the Moor Amet to be the same person, shook him 
 by the hand. After that good fellow had been made acquaint- 
 ed with our shipwreck, and to what extremities our unfortu- 
 nate family had been reduced, he could not refrain from tears ; 
 and this perhaps was the first time a Mussulman had ever 
 wept over the misfortunes of a Christian. Amet was not sat- 
 isfied with deploring our hard fate ; he was desirous of prov 
 ing that he was generous and humane, and instantly distributee 
 among us a large quantity of milk and water free of any 
 charge. He also raised for our family a large tent of the 
 skins of camels, cattle and sheep, because his religion would 
 not allow him to lodge with Christians under the same roof 
 The place appeared very dark, and the obscurity made us un- 
 easy. Amet and our conductors lighted a large fire to quiet 
 us ; and at last, bidding us good night, and retiring to his tent, 
 said, ' Sleep in peace ; the God of the Christians is also the 
 God of the Mussulman.' 
 
 We had resolved to quit this truly hospitable place early in 
 the morning ; but during the night, some people who had pro- 
 bably too much money, imagined the Moors had taken us to 
 their camp to plunder us. They communicated their fears to 
 others, and pretending that the Moors, who walked up and 
 down among heir florks, and cried from time to time to keep
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 117 
 
 away the ferocious beasts, had already given the signal for 
 pursuing and murdering us. Instamly a general panic seized 
 all our people, and they wished to set off forthwith. My fa- 
 ther, although he well knew the perfidy of the inhabitants of 
 the Desert, endeavored to assure them we had nothing to fear, 
 because the Arabs were too frightened for the people of Sene- 
 gal, who would not fail to avenge us if we were insulted ; but 
 nothing could quiet their apprehensions, and we had to take 
 the route during the middle of the night. The Moors being 
 soon acquainted with our fears, made us all kinds of protesta- 
 tions ; and seeing we persisted in quitting the camp, offered 
 us asses to carry us as far as the Senegal. These beasts of 
 bunien were hired at the rate of 12 francs a day, for each head, 
 and we took our departure under the guidance of those Moors 
 who had before conducted us to the camp. Amet's wife being 
 unwell, he could not accompany us, but recommended us 
 strongly to our guides. My father was able to hire only two 
 asses for the whole of our family ; and as it was numerous, my 
 sister Caroline, my cousin, and myself, were obliged to crawl 
 along, whilst my unfortunate father followed in the suite of the 
 caravan, which in truth went much quicker than we did. 
 
 A short distance from the camp; the brave and compassion- 
 ate Capt. Begnere, seeing we still walked, obliged us to ac- 
 cept of the ass he had hired for himself, saying he would not 
 ride when young ladies exhausted with fatigue, followed on 
 foot. The King afterwards honorably recompensed this 
 worthy officer, who ceased not to regard our unfortunate 
 family with a care and attention I will never forget. 
 
 During the remainder of the night, we travelled in a 
 manner sufficiently agreeable, mounting alternately the ass of 
 Captain Begnere. 
 
 At five in the morning of the 1 1th of July we regained the 
 sea-shore. Our asses, fatigued with the long journey among 
 the sand, ran instantly and lay down among the breakers, in 
 spite of our utmost exertions to prevent them. This caused 
 several of us to take a bath we wished not; I was myself held 
 under my ass in the water, and had great difficulty in saving 
 one of my young brothers who was floating away. But, in 
 the end as this incident had no unfortunate issue, we laugh- 
 ed, and continued our route, some on foot and some on the ca- 
 pricious asses. Towards ten o'clock, perceiving a ship out 
 at sea, we attached a white handkerchief to the muzzle of a 
 gun, waiving it in the air, and soon had the satisfaction ot 
 seeing it was noticed. The ship having approached suffi-
 
 118 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 cicntly near the coast, the Moors who ^vere with us thrcx* 
 themselves into the sea and swam to it. It must be saul we 
 had very wongfully supposed that these people had had a de- 
 sign against us, for their devotion cotilc not appear greater 
 than when five of them darted through the waves to endeavor 
 to communicate between us and the ship, notwithstanding it 
 was still a pood quarter of a league distant from where we 
 stood on the beach. In about halfan hour we saw these pood 
 IVIoors returning, making float before them three small bar- 
 rels. Arrived on shore, one of them pave a letter to M. Ks- 
 piau from JW. Parnajon. This gentleman was the captain of 
 the Argus brig, sent to seek after the raft, and to give us pro- 
 visions. This letter announced a small barrel of biscuit, a 
 tierce of wine, a half tierce of brandy, and a Dutch cheese. 
 fortunate event ! We were very desirous of testifying our 
 gratitude to the generous commander of the brig, but he in- 
 stantly set out and left us We staved the barrels which held 
 our small stock of provisions, and made a distribution. 
 Each of us had a biscuit, about a glnss of wine, a halt' glass 
 of brandy, and a small morsel of cheese. Each drank his 
 allowance of wine at one pulp; the brandy was not even de- 
 spised by the ladies. I however preferred quantity to quali- 
 ty, and exchanged my ration of brandy for that of wine. To 
 describe our joy, while takmp this repast, is impossible. K.x- 
 posed to the fierce rays of a vertical sun; exhausted by a long 
 train of suffering; deprived for a long while, the use of any 
 kind of spirituous liquors, when our portions ef water, wine 
 and brandy mingled in our stomachs we became like insane 
 people. 
 
 Life, which had lately been a great burden, now became pre- 
 cious to us. Foreheads, lowering s'H sulky, began to un- 
 wrinkle; enemies became most brotherly; the avaricious en- 
 deavored to forget their selfishness and cupidity; the children 
 smiled for the first time since our shipwreck; in a word, every 
 one seemed to be born again from a condition, melancholy 
 and dejected. I even believe the sailors srng the praises of 
 their mistresses. 
 
 This journey was the most fortunate for us. Some short 
 while after our delicious meal, we saw several AToors ap- 
 proaching, who brought milk and butter, so that ne ha** re- 
 freshments in abundance. It is true we paid a Utt'e dea" for 
 them; the glass of milk cost not less than three francs *f 
 ter reposing about three hours, our caravan proceeded o * 
 route.
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE .MEDUSA. 119 
 
 About six in the evening, my father finding himself ez- 
 Iremeiy fatigued, wished to rest himself. We allowed the 
 caravan to move on, while my step-mother and myself re- 
 mained near him, and the rest of the family followed with 
 their asses. We all three soon fell asleep. When we awoke 
 vi'e were astonished at not seeing our companions. The sun 
 was sinking in the west. We saw several Moors approach- 
 ing us, mounted on camels; and my father reproached him- 
 self for having slept so long. 
 
 Their appearance gave us great uneasiness, and we wished 
 much to escape from them, but my step-mother and myself 
 fell quite exhausted. The Moors with long beards having 
 come quite close to us, one of them alighted and addressed 
 us in the following words. " Be comforted, ladies; under 
 the costume of an Arab, you see an Englishman who is desi- 
 rous of serving you. Having heard at Senegal that French- 
 men were thrown ashore upon these deserts, I thought my 
 presence might be of some service to them, as I was acquaint- 
 ed with several of the princes of this arid country." These 
 noble words from the mouth of a man we had at first taken tr 
 be a Moor, instantly quieted our fears. 
 
 Recovering from our fright, we rose and expressed to the 
 philanthropic Englishman the gratitude we felt. Mr. Garnet, 
 the name of the generous Briton, told us that our caravan 
 which he had met., waited for us at about the distance of twr 
 leagues. He then gave us some biscuit, which we eat; and 
 we then set ofF together to join our companions. Mr. Garnet 
 wished us to mount his camels, but my step-mother and my- 
 self, being unable to persuade ourselves we could sit securely 
 on their hairy haunches, continued to walk on the moist rand, 
 whilst my father, Mr. Garnet and the Moors who accompani- 
 ed him, proceeded on the camels. We soon reached a little 
 river, called in the country Marigot des Maringoins. We 
 wished to drink of it, but found it as salt as the sea. Mr 
 Garnet desired us to have patience, and we should find some 
 at the place where our caravan waited. We forded that river 
 knee deep. 
 
 At last, having walked about an hour, we rejoined -our com- 
 panions, who had found several wells of fresh water. It was 
 resolved to pass the night in this place, which seemed less 
 arid than any we saw near us. The soldiers, being requested 
 to go and seek wood to light a fire, for the purpose of fright- 
 ening the ferocious beasts which were heard roaring around 
 us. refused- but Mr Garnet assured us, that the Moors wh
 
 120 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 were with him knew \rell how to keep all such intruders froa 
 our camp. In truth, during the whole of the night these good 
 Arabs promenaded round our caravan, uttering cries at inter- 
 vals like those we had heard in the camp of the generous 
 Amet. 
 
 We passed a very good night, and at four in the morning 
 continued our route -along the shore, Mr. Garnet left us to 
 endeavor to procure some provisions. Till then our asses 
 had been quite docile; but, annoyed with their riders so long 
 upon their backs, they refused to go forward. A n't took pos- 
 session of them, and all at the same instant threw their riders 
 on the ground, or among the bushes. The Moors, however, 
 who accompanied us, assisted to catch our capricious animals, 
 who had nearly scampered off, and replaced us on the hard 
 backs of these headstrong creatures. At noon the heat be- 
 came so violent, that even the Moors themselves bore It with 
 difficulty. We then determined on finding some shade be- 
 hind the high mounds of sand which appeared in the interior; 
 but how were we to reach them! The sands could not be 
 hotter. We had been obliged to leave our asses on the shore. 
 for they would neither advance nor recede. The greater 
 part of us had neither shoes nor hats; notwithstanding we 
 were obliged to go forward almost a long league to find a lit- 
 tle shade. The heat reflected by the sands of the Desert 
 could be compared to nothing but the mouth of an oven at the 
 moment of drawing out the bread; nevertheless, we endured 
 it; but not without cursing those who had been the occasion 
 of all our misfortunes. Arrived behind the heights for which 
 we searched, we stretched ourselves under the Miriios-gom- 
 mier, (the acacia of the Desert), several broke branches of the 
 asclepia (swallow-wort), and made themselves a shade. But 
 whether from want of air, or the heat of the ground on which 
 we were seated, we were nearly all suffocated. I thought 
 my last hour was come. Already my eyes saw nothing but a 
 dark cloud, when a person of the name of Berner, who was to 
 nave been a smith at Senegal, gave me a boot containing some 
 muddy water, which he had had the precaution to keep. I 
 seized the elastic vase, and hastened to swallow the liquid in 
 large draughts. 
 
 One of my companions equally tormented wth thirst, en- 
 vious of the pleasure I seemed to feel, and which I felt effec- 
 ually, drew the foot from the boot, and seized it in his turn, 
 but it availed him nothing. The water which remained wa? 
 o disgusting, that he could not drink it, and spilled it on (he
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUIA. 12 i 
 
 ground. Captain Begnere, who was present, judging, by the 
 water which fell, how loathsome must that have been which I 
 had drank, offered me some crumbs of biscuit, which he had 
 kept most carefully in his pocket. I chewed that mixture of 
 bread, dust and tobacco, but I could not swallow it, and gave 
 it all masticated to one of my young brothers, who had fallen 
 from inanimation. 
 
 We were about to quit this furnace, when we saw our gen- 
 erous Englishman approaching, who brought us provisions. 
 At this sight I felt my strength revive, and ceased to desire 
 death, which I had before called on to release me from my 
 sufferings. Several Moors accompanied Mr. Garnet, and ev- 
 ery one was loaded. On their arrival we had water, with 
 rice and dried fish in abundance. Every one drank his al- 
 lowance of water, but had not ability to eat, although the rice 
 was excellent. We were all anxious to return to the sea, 
 that we might bathe ourselves, and the caravan put itself on 
 the road to the breakers of Sahara. After an hour's march 
 of great suffering, we regained the shore, as well as our ass- 
 es, who were lying in the water. We rushed among the 
 waves, and after a bath of half an hour, we reposed ourselves 
 upon the beach. My cousin and I went to stretch ourselves 
 upon a small rising ground, where we were shaded with some 
 old clothes which we had with us. My cousin was clad in an 
 officer's uniform, the lace of which strongly attracted the 
 eyes of Mr. Garnet's Moors. Scarcely had we lam down, 
 when one of them, thinking we were asleep, came to endeav- 
 or to steal it; but seeing we were awake, consented himself 
 by looking at us very steadily. 
 
 About three in the morning, a northwest wind having 
 sprang up and a little refreshed us, our caravan continued its 
 route; our generous Englishman again taking the task of 
 procuring us provisions. At four o'clock the sky became 
 overcast, and we heard thunder in the distance. We all ex- 
 pected a great tempest, which happily did not take place. 
 Near seven we reached the spot where we were to wait for 
 Mr. Garnet, who came to us with a bullock he had purchased. 
 Then quitting the shore, we went into the interior to seek a 
 place to cook our supper. We fixed our camp beside a 
 small wood of acacias, near to which were several wells or 
 cisferns of fresh water. Our ox was instantly killed, skinned, 
 cut to pieces and distributed. A huge fire was kindled, and 
 each was occupied in dressing his meal. At this time I 
 caught a smart fever; notwithstanding I could not help laugh- 
 
 II 6
 
 122 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA.. 
 
 ing at seeing every one seated round a large fire holding hia 
 piece of beef on the point of his bayonet, a sabre or some 
 sharp-pointed stick. The flickering of the flames on the dif- 
 ferent faces, sun-burned and covered with long beards, ren- 
 dered more visible by the darkness of the night, joined to the 
 noise of the waves and the roaring of ferocious beasts, which 
 we heard in the distance, presented a spectacle at once laugh- 
 able and imposing. 
 
 While these thoughts were passing across my mind, sleep 
 overpowered my senses. Being awakened in the middle of 
 the night, I found my portion of beef in the shoes which an 
 old sailor had lent me for walking among the thorns, although 
 it was a little burned and smelt strongly of the dish in which 
 it was contained, I eat a good part of it, and gave the rest to 
 my friend the sailor. That seaman, seeing I was ill, offered 
 to exchange my meat for some which he had had the address 
 to boil in a small tin-box. I prayed him to give me a little 
 water if he had any, and he instantly went and fetched me 
 some in his hat. My thirst was so great that I drank it out 
 of his nasty hat without any repugnance. 
 
 At nine o'clock we met upon the shore a large flock herd- 
 ed by young Moors. These shepherds sold us milk, and one 
 of them offered to lend my father an ass for a knife which he 
 had seen him take out of his pocket. My father having ac- 
 cepted the proposal, the Moor left his companion to accom- 
 pany us as far as Senegal, from which we were yet two good 
 leagues. 
 
 Suddenly we left the shore. Our companions appearing 
 quite transported with joy, some of us ran forward, and hav- 
 ing gained a slight rising ground, discovered the Senegal at 
 no great distance. 
 
 We hastened our march, and for the first time since our 
 shipwreck, a smiling picture presented itself to our view. 
 The trees always green, with which that noble river is shaded, 
 tr"> humming birds, the red birds, the paroquets, the prome- 
 rops, tec. who flitted among their long yieUUng branches, 
 caused in us emotions difficult to express. We could not sa- 
 tiate our eyes with gazing on the beauties of 'his place, ver- 
 dure beinj; so enchanting to the sight, especially after having 
 travelled through the Desert. Before reaching the river we 
 had to descend a little hill covered with thorny bushes. My 
 ass stumbling threw me into the midst of one, and I tore mv- 
 self in several places, but was easily consoled when I at 
 length found myself on the banks of a river of fresh water
 
 FTMCATF MEDUSA. 123 
 
 Every one having quenched his thirst, we stretched ourselves 
 under the Shade of a small grove, while the beneficent Mr 
 Garnet and two of our officers set forward to Senegal to an- 
 nounce our arrival, and to get us hoats. In the meanwhile 
 some took a little repose, and others were engaged in dress- 
 ing the wounds with which they were covered. 
 
 At two in the afternoon, we saw a small boat beating 
 against the current of the stream with oars. It soon reached 
 the spot where we were. Two Europeans landed, salut- 
 ed our caravans, and inquired for my father. One of them 
 said he came on the part of MM. Artigue and Laboure, in- 
 habitants of Senegal, to offer assistance to our family; the 
 other added, that he had not waited for the boats which were 
 getting ready for us at the island of St. Louis, knowing too 
 well what would be our need. We were desirous of thank- 
 ing them, but they instantly ran off to the boat and brought 
 us provisions, which my father's old friends had sent him. 
 They placed before us a large basket containing several 
 loaves, cheese, a bottle of Madeira, a bottle of filtered water 
 and dresses for my father. Every one, who, during dur 
 journey, had taken any interest in our unfortunate family, and 
 especially the brave Captain Begnere, had a share of our 
 provisions. \Ve experienced a real satisfaction in partaking 
 with them, and giving them this small mark of our gratitude. 
 
 A young aspirant of marine, who had refused us a glass of 
 water in the Desert, pressed with hunger, begged of us some 
 bread; he got it, also a small glass of Madeira. 
 
 It was four o'clock before the boats of the government ar- 
 rived, and we all embarked. Biscuit and wine were found in 
 each of them, and all were refreshed. 
 
 That in which were our family was commanded by M. Ar- 
 tigue, captain of the port, and one of those who had sent us 
 provisions. My father and he embraced as two old friends 
 who had not seen one another for eight years, and congratu- 
 lated themselves that they had been permitted to meet once 
 more beforB they died. We had already made a league upon 
 the river when a young navy clerk (M. Mollien) was suddenly 
 taken ill. AVe put him ashore, and left him to the care of a 
 negro to conduct him to Senegal when he should recover. 
 
 It would be in vain for me to paint the various emotions of 
 my mind at that delicious moment. I am bold to say ail the 
 colony, if we accept MM. Schmaltz and Lacbaumareys, were 
 at the port to receive us from our boats. M. Artigue g >ing 
 on shore first to acquint the English governor of our arrival,
 
 (94 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 rnct him coming to us on horseback, followed by our genei 
 ous conductor Mr. Garnet, and several superior officers. 
 We went on shore carrying our brothers and sisters in ou: 
 arms. My father presented us to the English governor, who 
 had alighted; he appeared to be sensibly affected with our 
 misfortunes, the females and children chiefly excited his com- 
 miseration. And the native inhabitants and Europeans ten- 
 derly shook the hands of the unfortunate people; the negro 
 slaves even seemed to deplore our disastrous fate. 
 
 The governor placed the most sickly of our companions in 
 a hospital; various inhabitants of the colony received others 
 iiito their houses; I\l. Artigue obligingly took charge of our 
 family. Arriving at his house we there found his wife, two 
 ladies and an English lady, who begged to be allowed to as- 
 sist us. Taking my sister Caroline and myself, she conducted 
 us to her house, and presented us to her husband, who re- 
 ceived us in the most affable manner; after which she led us 
 to her dressing-room, where we were combed, cleansed, and 
 dressed by the domestic negresses, and were most obligingly 
 furnished with linen from her own wardrobe, the whiteness of 
 which was strongly contrasted with our sable countenances 
 In the midst of my misfortunes my soul had preserved all its 
 strength; but this sudden change of situation affected me so 
 much, that I thought my intellectual faculties were forsaking 
 me. We were so confused by our agitation, that we scarcely 
 heard the questions which were put to us, having constantly be- 
 fore our eyes the foaming waves and the immense tract ol 
 sand over which we had passed. 
 
 The following is the substance, abridged from MM Correard 
 and Savigny, of what took place on the raft during thirteen 
 days before the sufferers were taken up by the Argus 
 Brig. 
 
 After the boats had disappeared, the consfei nation becamo 
 extreme. All the horrors of thirst and famine passed befor* 
 our imagination; besides, we had to contend with a treacho 
 ous element, which already covered the half of our bodies.-
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. l& 
 
 The deep stupor of the soldiers and sailors instantly change* 
 o despair. All saw their inevitable destruction, and express 
 ed by t. 1 eir moans the dark thoughts which brooded in thei. 
 minds. Our words were at first unavailing to quiet th.ei, 
 fears, which we participated with them, but which a greatei 
 strength of mind enabled us to dissemble. At last an unmov- 
 ed countenance, and our proffered consolations, quieted then 
 by degrees, but could not entirely dissipate the terror witfr 
 which tl.ey were seized 
 
 When tranquihty was a little restored, we began to search 
 about the raft for the charts, the compass, and the anchor, 
 which we presumed had been placed upon it, after what we 
 had been told at the time of quitting the frigate. 
 
 These things of the first importance, had not been placed 
 upon our machine. Above all, the want of a compass the 
 most alarmed us, and we gave vent to our rage and vengeance. 
 M. Correard then remembered he had seen one in the hands 
 of the principal workmen under his command; he spoke to 
 the man, who replied, 'Yes, yes, I have it with me.' This 
 information transported us with joy, and we believed that our 
 safety depended upon this futile resource; it was about the 
 size of a crown-piece, and very incorrect. Those who have 
 not been in situations in which their existence was exposed to 
 extreme peril, can have but a faint knowledge of the price 
 one attaches then to the simplest objects with what avidity 
 one seizes the slightest means capable of mitigating the rigor 
 of that fate against which they contend. The compass was 
 given to the commander of the raft, but an accident deprived 
 us of it forever; it fell and disappeared between the pieces of 
 wood which formed our machine. We had kept it but a few 
 hours, and, after its loss, had nothing to guide us but the ri- 
 sing and sitting of the sun. 
 
 We had all gone afloat without taking any food. Hunger 
 beginning to be imperiously felt, we mixed our paste of sea- 
 biscuit with a little wine, and distributed it thus prepared. 
 Such was our first meal, and the best we had, during our stay 
 upon the raft. 
 
 An order, according to our numbers, was established for 
 the distribution of our miserable provisions. The ration of 
 wine was fixed at three quarters a day. We will speak no 
 more of the biscuit, it having been entirely consumed at the 
 first distribution. The day passed away sufficiently tranquil. 
 We talked of the means by which we would save ourselves; 
 we spoke of it as a certain circumstance, which reanimatrf
 
 126 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA 
 
 our courage; and we sustained that of the soldiers, by cher- 
 ishing in them the hope of being able, in a short time, to re- 
 venge themselves on those who had bandoned us. This 
 hope of vengeance, it must be avowed, equally animated us 
 all; and we poured out a thousand imprecations against those 
 who had left us a prey to so much misery and danger. 
 
 The officer who commanded the raft being unable to move, 
 M. Savigny took upon himself the duty of erecting the mast. 
 He caused them to cut in two one of the poles of the fri- 
 gate's masts, and fixed it with the rope which had served to 
 tow us, and of which we made stays and shrouds. It was 
 placed on the anterior third of the raft. We put up for a sail 
 (he main-top-gallant, which trimmed very well, but was of 
 very little use, except when the wind served from behind; and 
 to keep the raft in this course, we were obliged to trim the 
 sail ns if the breeze blew athwart us. 
 
 In the evening, our hearts and our prayers, by a feeling 
 natural to the unfortunate, were turned towards Heaven. 
 Surrounded by inevitable dangers, we addressed that invisi- 
 ble Being who has established, and who maintains the order 
 of the universe. Our vows were fervent, and we experienc- 
 ed from our prayers the cheering influence of hope. It is 
 necessary to have been in similar situations, before one can 
 rightly imagine what a charm is the sublime idea of a God 
 protecting the unfortunate to the heart of the sufferer 
 
 One consoling thought still soothed our imaginations. We 
 persuaded ourselves that the little divisions had gone to the 
 isle of Arguin, and that after it had set a part o 4 ,'it people 
 on shore, the rest would return to our assistance; we endeav 
 ored to impress this idea on our soldiers and sailors, which 
 quieted them. The night came without our hope being real- 
 ized; the wind freshened, and the sea was considerably swel- 
 led. What a horrible night! The thought of seeing the 
 boats on the morrow, a little consoled our men, the greater 
 part of whom, being unaccustomed to the sea, fell on one an- 
 ct>.er at each movement of the raft. INI. Savigny, seconded 
 sj some people who still preserved their presence of mind 
 amidst the disorder, stretched cords across the raft, by which 
 tli3 men held, and were better able to resist the swell of the 
 sea; some were even obliged to fasten themselves. In the 
 middle of the night the weather was very rough; huge wavee 
 burst upon us. sometimes overturning us with great violence 
 The cries of the men, mingled with the flood, whilst the ter 
 rible sea raised us at every instant from the raft, and threaf
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 12** 
 
 cncd to sweep us away. This scene was rendered still more 
 errible, by the horrors inspired by the darkness of the night. 
 Suddenly we believed we saw fires in the distance at inter- 
 vals. 
 
 We had had the precaution to hang at the top of the mast, 
 the gun-powder and pistols which we had brought from the 
 frigate. We made signals by burning a large quantity of 
 cartridges; we even fired some pistols, but it seems the fire 
 we saw, was nothing but an error of vision, or, perhaps, 
 nothing more than the sparkling of the waves. 
 
 We struggled with death during the whole of the night, 
 holding firmly by the ropes which were made very secure. 
 Tossed by the waves from the back to the front, and from the 
 front to the back, and sometimes precipitated into the sea; 
 floating between life and death, mourning our misfortunes, 
 certain cf perishing; we disputed, nevertheless, the remain- 
 der of our existence, with that cruel element which threaten- 
 ed to engulf us. Such was our condition till daybreak. At 
 every instant were heard the lamentable cries of the soldiers 
 and sailors; they prepared for death, bidding farewell to one 
 another, imploring the protection of Heaven, and addressing 
 fervent prayers to God. Every one made vows to him, in 
 spite of the certainty of never being able to accomplish them. 
 Frightful situation! How is it possible to have any idea of it, 
 which will not fail far short of the reality! 
 
 Towards seven in the morning the sea fell a little, the 
 wind blew with less fury; but what a scene presented itself 
 to our view! Ten or twelve unfortunates, having their infe- 
 rior extremities fixed in the openings between the pieces of 
 the raft, had perished by being unable to disenage them- 
 selves; several others were swept away by the violence of 
 the sea. At the hour of repast, we took the numbers anew; 
 we had lost twenty men. We will not affirm that this was the 
 exact number; for we perceived some soldiers who, to have 
 more than their share, took rations for two, and even three; 
 we were so huddled together that we found it absolutely im- 
 possible to prevent this abuse. 
 
 In the midst of these horrors a touching scene of filial pie- 
 ty drew our tears. Two young men raised and recognized 
 their father, who had fallen, and was lying insensible among 
 the feet of the people. They believed him at first dead, and 
 their despair was expressed in the/most affecting manner. It 
 was perceived, however, that he still breathed, and every as- 
 giatauce was rendered for his recovery in our power. H
 
 t8 FRENCH FR1AATK MEDUSA 
 
 slowly revived, and was restored to life, and to the prayers of 
 his sons, who supported him closely folded in their arms. 
 Whilst our hearts were softened by this affecting episode in 
 our melancholy adventures, we had soon to witness the sad 
 spectacle of a dark contrast. Two ship-boys and a baker 
 feared not to seek death, and threw themselves into the sea, 
 after having bid farewell to their companions in misfortune. 
 Already the minds of our people were singularly altered; 
 some believed that they saw land, others ships which were 
 coming to save us; all talked aloud of their fallacious visions 
 
 We lamented the loss of our unfortunate companions. At 
 this moment we were far from anticipating the still more ter- 
 rible scene which took place on the following night; far from 
 that, we enjoyed a positive satisfaction so well were we per- 
 suaded that the boats would return to our assistance. The 
 day was fine, and the most perfect tranquility reigned all the 
 while on our raft. The evening came and no boats appeared. 
 Despondency began again to seize our men, and then a spirit 
 of insubordination manifested itself in cries of rage. The 
 voice of the officers was entirely disregarded. Night fell 
 rapidly in, the sky was obscured by dark clouds; the wind 
 which, during the whole day, had blown rather violently, be- 
 came furious and swelled the sea, which in an instant became 
 very rough. 
 
 The preceding night had been frightful, but this was more 
 so. Mountains of water covered us at every instant, and 
 burst with fury into the midst of us. Very fortunately we 
 had the wind from behind, and the strongest of the sea was a 
 little broken by the rapidity with which we were driven be- 
 fore it. We were impelled towards the land. The men, 
 from the violence of the sea, were hurried from the back to 
 the front; we were obliged to keep to the centre, the firmest 
 part of the raft, and those who could not get there almost all 
 perished. Before and behind the waves dashed impetuously, 
 and swept away the men in spite of all their resistance. At 
 the centre the pressure was such, that some unfortunates 
 were suffocated by the weight of their comrades, who fell upon 
 them at every instant. The officers kept by the foot of the 
 little mast, and were obliged every moment to call to those 
 around them to go to the one or the other side to avoid the 
 waves; for the sea coming nearly athwart us, gave our raft 
 nearly a perpendicular position, to counteract which, they 
 were forced to throw themselves upon the side raised by the 
 ea
 
 rniOATK MEDC&A- lit 
 
 The soldiers and sailors, frightened by the presence of al- 
 most inevitable clanger, doubted not that they had reached their 
 last hour. Firmly believing they were lost, they resolved to 
 soothe their last moments by Drinking till they lost their sens- 
 es. \Ve had no po\ver to oppose this disorder. They seized 
 a cask which was in the centre of the laft, made a little hole 
 in the end of it, and, with small tin cups, took each a pretty 
 !arjje quantity; but they were obliged to cease, for the sea 
 water rushed into the hole they had made. The fumes of the 
 wine failed not to disorder their brains, already weakened by 
 the presence of danger and want of food. Thus excited, 
 these men became deaf to the voice of reason. They wish- 
 ed to involve, in one common ruin, all their companions in 
 misfortune. They avowedly expressed their intention of free- 
 ing themselves from their officers, who they said, wished to 
 oppose their design; and then to destroy the raft, by cutting 
 the ropes which united its different parts. Immediately after 
 they resolved to put their plans into execution. One of them 
 advanced upon the side of the raft with a boarding axe, and 
 began to cut the cords. This was the signal of revolt. We 
 stepped forward to prevent these insane mortals, and he who 
 was armed with the hatchet, with which he even threatened 
 an officer, fell the first victim; a stroke of a sabre terminated 
 his existence. 
 
 This man was an Asiatic, and a soldier in a colonial regi- 
 ment. Of a colossal stature, short hair, a nose extremely 
 largej an enormous mouth and dark complexion, he made a 
 most hideous appearance. At first he had placed himself in 
 the middle of the raft, and, at each blow of his fist, knocked 
 down every one who opposed him; he inspired the greatest 
 terror, and none durst approach him. Had there been six 
 such, our destruction would have been certain. 
 
 Some men anxious to prolong their existence, armed and 
 united themselves with those who wished to preserve the raft; 
 among this number were some sabalte/n officers and many 
 passengers. The rebels drew their sabres, and those who 
 had none armed themselves with knives. They advanced in 
 a determined manner upon us; we stood on our defence; the 
 attack commenced. Animated by despair, one of them aimed 
 a stroke at an officer; the rebel instantly fell, pierced with 
 wounds. This firmness awed them for an instant, but dimin- 
 ished nothing of their rage. They ceased to advance, and 
 withdrew, presenting to us a front bristling with sabres and 
 bayonets, to the back part of the raft to execute their plan.- 
 VOL. u. 6*
 
 130 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 One of them feigned to rest himself on the small railings OB 
 the sides of the raft, and with a knife began cutting the cords 
 Being told by a servant, one of us sprung upon him. A sol 
 dier, wishing to defend him, struck at the officer with his knife, 
 which only pierced his coat; the officer wheeled round, seiz- 
 ed his adversary, and threw both him and his comrade into 
 the sea. 
 
 There had been as yet but partial affairs; the combat be- 
 came general. Some one cried to lower the sail; a crowd of 
 infuriated mortals threw themselves in an instant upon the 
 hauiyards and the shrouds, and cut them. The fall of the 
 mast almost broke the thigh of a captain of infantry, who fell 
 insensible. He was seized by the soldiers, who threw him 
 into the sea. We saved him, and placed him on a barrel, 
 whence he was taken by the rebels, who wished to put out 
 his eyes with a penknife. Exasperated by so much brutality, 
 we no longer restrained ourselves, but pushed in upon them, 
 and charged them with fury. Sword in hand we traversed 
 the line which the soldiers had formed, and many paid with 
 their lives the errors of their revolt. Various passengers, 
 during these cruel moments, evinced the greatest courage 
 and coolness. 
 
 M. Correard fell into a sort of swoon; but hearing at ev- 
 ery instant the cries, To Arms! with us comrades; we are 
 lost! joined with the groans and imprecations of the wounded 
 and dying, was soon roused from his lethargy. All. this hor- 
 rible tumult speedily made him comprehend how necessary it 
 was to be upon his guard. Armed with his sabre, he gather- 
 ed together some of his workmen on the front of the rait, and 
 there charged them to hurt no one, unless they were attack 
 ed. He almost always remained with them; and several 
 times they had to defend themselves against the rebels, who, 
 swimming round to that point of the raft, placed M. Correard 
 and his little troop between two dangers, and made their posi- 
 tion very difficult to defend. At every instant he was oppos- 
 ed to men armed with knives, sabres and bayonets. Many 
 had carabines which they wielded as clubs. Every eflbrt 
 was made to stop them, by holding them off at the point of 
 their swords; but, in spite of the repugnance they experienc- 
 ed in fighting with their wretched countrymen, they were com- 
 pelled to use their arms without mercy. Many of the muti- 
 neers attacked with fury, and they were obliged to repel them 
 in the same manner. Some of the laborers received severe 
 wounds in this action. Their commander couid show a great
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 131 
 
 dumber received in the different engagements. At last thei 
 united efforts prevailed in dispersing this mass who had atack 
 ed them with such fury. 
 
 During this combat, M. Correard was told by one of his 
 workmen who remained faithful,* that one of their comrades, 
 named Dominique, had gone over to the rebels, and that they 
 had seized and thrown him into the sea. Immediately forget- 
 ting the fault and treason of this man, he threw himself in at 
 the place whence the voice of the wretch was heard calling 
 for assistance, seized him by the hair, and had the good for- 
 tune to restore him on board. Dominique had got several sa- 
 bre wounds in a charge, one of which had laid open his head. 
 In spite of the darkness we found out the wound, which seem- 
 ed very large. 
 
 One of the workmen gave his handkerchief to bind and 
 stop the blood. Our care recovered the wretch; but, when 
 he had collected strength, the ungrateful Dominique, forget- 
 ting at once his duty and the signal service which we had 
 rendered him, went and rejoined the rebels. So much base- 
 ness and insanity did not go unrevenged; and soon after he 
 found, in a fresh assault, that de.ath from which he was not 
 worthy to be saved, but which he might in all probability have 
 avoided, if, true to honor and gratitude, he had remained 
 among us. 
 
 Just at the moment we finished dressing the wounds of 
 Dominique, another voice was heard. It was that of the un- 
 fortunate female who was with us on the raft, and whom the 
 infuriated beings had thrown into the sea, as well as her hus- 
 band, who had defended her with courage. M. Correard 
 in despair at seeing two unfortunates perish, whose pitiful 
 cries, especially the woman's pierced his heart, seized a large 
 ropa which he found on the front of the raft, which he fasten- 
 ed round his middle, and throwing himself a second time into 
 the sea, was again so fortunate as to sa/e the woman, who in- 
 voked, with all her might, the assistance of our Lady of Land. 
 Her husband was rescued at the same time by the head 
 workman, Lavilctte. We laid these unfortunates upon the dead, 
 bodies, supporting their backs with a barrel. In a short 
 while they recovered their senses. The first thing the woman 
 did was to acquaint herself with the name of the person who 
 saved her, and to express to him her liveliest gratitude. 
 Finding, doubtless, that her words but ill expressed her feel- 
 ings, she recollected she had in her pocket a little snuff, and 
 mstantly offered it to him, it was ill she possessed
 
 (33 rRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 ed with the gifl, but unable to use it, M. Corrcard gave it t< 
 a poor sailor, which served him for three or lour days. But 
 it is impossible for us to describe a still more allectinjr scene, 
 the joy this unfortunate couple testified, when they had sutfi- 
 ciently recovered their senses, at finding that they were both 
 saved. 
 
 The rebels being repulsed, as it has been stated above, Jeft 
 us a little repose. The rnoon lighted with her melancholy 
 rays this disastrous raft, this narrow space, on which wcro 
 found united so many torturing an.xielies, so many cruel mis-' 
 fortunes, a madness so insensate, a courage so heroic, and 
 the most generous, the most amiable sentiments of nature and 
 humanity. 
 
 The man and wife, who had been but a little before stabbed 
 with swords and bayonets, and thrown both together into a 
 stormy sea, could scarcely credit their senses when they 
 found themselves in one another's arms. The woman was a 
 native of the Upper Alps, which place she had left twenty- 
 four years before, and during wl.ich time she had followed the 
 French armies in the campaigns in Italy, and other places, as 
 a sutler. * Therefore preserve my life,' said she to M. Cor- 
 reard, ' you see I am an useful woman. Ah! if you knew 
 how often I have ventured upon the field of battle, and braved 
 death to carry assistance to our gallant men. Whether they 
 had money or not I always let them have my goods. Some- 
 times a battle would deprive me of my poor debtors; but alter 
 the victory, others would pay me double or triple for what 
 they had consumed before the engagement. Thus I came in 
 for a share of their victories.' Unfortunate woman! she lit- 
 tle knew what a horrible fate awaited her among us! They 
 felt, they expressed so vividly that happiness which they alas 
 BO shortly enjoyed, that would have drawn tev.rs from the 
 most obdurate heart. But in that horr'jble moment, when we 
 scarcely breathed from the most furious attack, when we 
 were obliged to be continually on our guard, not only against 
 the violence of the men, but a most boisterous sea, few 
 among us had time to attend to scenes of conjugal nn"eclinn. 
 
 After this second check, the rage of the soldiers was sud- 
 denly appeased, and gave place to the most abject cowardice. 
 Several threw themselves at our feet, and implored our par- 
 don, which was instantly granted. Thinking that order was 
 re-established, we returned to our station on the centre of the 
 raft, only taking the precaution of keeping our arms. \Ve, 
 however, had soon lo prove the unpocjibilitv of counting on
 
 FBBIVCH FRIOATl MEDUSA. 139 
 
 Jhe permanence of any honest sentiment in the hearts c/ 
 these beings. 
 
 It was nearly midnight; and after an hour of apparent tran- 
 quility, the soldiers rose afresh. Their mind was entirely 
 gone; they ran upon us in despair with knives and sabres in 
 their hands. As they yet had all their physical strength, and 
 besides were armed, W3 were obliged again to stand on our 
 defence. Their revolt became still more dangerous, as, in 
 their delirium, they were entirely deaf to the voice of reason. 
 They attacked us, we charged them in our turn, and immedi- 
 ately the raft was strewed with their dead bodies. Those of 
 our adversaries who had no weapons endeavored to tear us 
 with their sharp teeth. Many of us were cruely bitten. 
 M. Savigny was torn on the legs and the shoulder; he also 
 received a wound on the right arm which deprived him of the 
 use of his fourth and little finger for a long while. Many 
 others were wounded; and many cuts were found in our 
 clothes from knives and sabres. 
 
 One of our workmen was also seized by four of the rebels, 
 who wished to throw him into the sea. One of them had laid 
 hold of his right log, and had bit most unmercifully the tendon 
 above the heel ; others were striking him with great slashes 
 of their sabres, and with the butt end of their guns, when his 
 cries made us hasten to his assistance. In this affair, the 
 brave Lavilettc, cx-serjeant of the foot artillery of the Old 
 Guard, behaved with a courage worthy of the greatest praise. 
 He rushed upon the infuriated beings in the manner of M. 
 Correard, and soon snatched the workman from the danger 
 which menaced him. Some short while after, in a fresh attack 
 of the rebels, sub-lieutenant Lozach fell into their hands. In 
 their delirium, they had taken him for Lieutenant Danglas, of 
 whom we have formerly spoken, and who had abandoned 4he 
 raft at. the moment when we were quitting the frigate. The 
 troop, to a man, eagerly sought this officer, who had seen 
 little service, and whom they reproached for having used them 
 ill during the time they garrisoned the Isle of Rhe. We be- 
 lieved this officer lost, but hearing his voice, we soon found it 
 still possible to save him. Immediately MM. Clairet, Savigny, 
 L' Ileureux, Lavilctte, Coudin, Correard, and some workmen, 
 formed themselves into small platoons, and rushed upon the in- 
 surgents wiih groat impetuosity, overturning everyone in their 
 way, and retook M. Lczach, and placed him on the centre of 
 the raft. 
 
 The preservation of this officer cost us infinite difficulty
 
 34 FRENCH 7K.GATE MEDUSA, 
 
 Every moment the soldiers demanded he should be delivered 
 .0 them, designating liim always by the name of Danglas. 
 We endeavored to make them comprehend their mistake, and 
 told them that they themselves had seen the person for whom 
 they sought return on board the frigate. They were insensible 
 to everything we said ; everything before them was Danglas ; 
 they saw him perpetually, and furiously and unceasingly de- 
 manded his head. It was only by force of arms we succeed- 
 ed in repressing their rage, and quieting their dreadful cries 
 of death. 
 
 Horrible night ! thou shrouded with thy gloomy veil these 
 frightful combats, over which presided the cruel demon of 
 despair. 
 
 \Ve had also to tremble for the life of M. Coudin. Wound- 
 ed and fatigued by the attacks which he had sustained with us, 
 and in which he had shown a courage superior to everything, 
 he was resting himself on a barrel, holding in his arms a young 
 sailor boy of twelve years of age, to whom he had attached 
 himself. The mutineers seized him with his barrel, and threw 
 him into the sea with the boy, whom he still held fast. In 
 spite of his burden, he had the presence of mind to lay hold of 
 the raft, and to save himself from this extreme peril 
 
 We cannot yet comprehend how a handful of men should 
 have been able to resist such a number so monstrously insane. 
 We are sure we were not more than twenty to combat all these 
 madmen. Let it not, however, be imagined, that in the midst 
 of all these dangers we had preserved our reason entire 
 Fear, anxiety, and the most cruel privations, had greatly 
 changed our intellectual faculties. But being somewhat less 
 insane than the unfortunate soldiers, we energetically opposed 
 their determination of cutting the cords of tiie raft. Permit 
 us now to make some observations concerning the different 
 sensations with which we were alfected. During the first day, 
 M. Grillbn entirely lost his senses. He threw himself into the 
 sea, but M. Savigny saved him with his own hands. His 
 words were vague and unconnected. A second time he threw 
 himself in, but, by a sort of instinct, kept hold of the crosa 
 pieces of the raft, and was again saved. 
 
 The following is what M. Savigny experienced in the be^ : n- 
 ning of the nigh!. His eyes closed in spite of hinr.se If, and he 
 felt a genera! drowsiness. In this condition the most delight- 
 ful visions flitted across his imagination. He saw around him 
 a country covered with the most beautiful plantations, and 
 found himself in the Tiidst of objects delightful to his senses
 
 FRENCH FIUGATE INIEDOSA. 13d 
 
 .Vevcrtheless, ne reasoned concerning his condition, and felt 
 that courage alone could withdraw him from this species of 
 non-existence. He demanded some wine from the master- 
 gunner, who got it for him, and he recovered a little from this 
 stupor. If the unfortunates who were assailed with these 
 primary symptoms had not strength to withstand them, their 
 death was certain. Some became furious ; others threw them- 
 selves into the sea, bidding farewell to their comrades with the 
 utmost coolness. Some said * Fear nothing ; T am going to 
 gU you assistance, and will return in a short while.' In the 
 midst of this general madness, some wretches were seen rush- 
 ing upon their companions, sword in hand, demanding a wing 
 of a chicken and some bread to appease the hunger which 
 consumed them ; others asked for their hammocks to go, they 
 said, between the decks of the frigate to take a little repose. 
 Many believed they were still on the Medusa, surrounded by 
 the same objects they there saw daily. Some saw ships, and 
 called to them for assistance, or a fine harbor, in the distance 
 of which was an elegant city. M. Correard thought he was 
 travelling through the beautiful fields of Italy. An officer said 
 to him ' I recollect we have been abandoned by the boats ; but 
 fear nothing. I am going to write to the governor, and in a few 
 hours we shall be saved.' M. Correard replied in the same 
 tone, and as if he had been in his ordinary condition ' Have 
 you a pigeon to carry your orders with such celerity ?' The 
 cries and the confusion soon roused us from this languor ; but 
 when tranquility was somewhat restored, we again fell into the 
 same drowsy condition. On the morrow, we felt as if we had 
 awoke from a painful dream, and asked our companions, if, 
 during their sleep, they had not seen combats and heard cries 
 of despair. Some replied, that the same visions had contin- 
 ually tormented them, and that they were exhausted wit* 
 fatigue. Every one believed he was deceived by the illusions 
 of a horrible dream. 
 
 After these different combats, overcome with toil, with want 
 of food and sleep, we laid ourselves down and reposed till the 
 iiorrow dawned, and showed us the horror of the scene. A 
 great number in their delirium had thrown themselves into the 
 sea. We found that sixty or sixty-five had perished during 
 the night. A fourth part at least, we supposed, had drowned 
 themselves in desj air. We only lost two of our own numbers, 
 neither of whom were officers. The deepest dejection waa 
 oainted on every face ; each, having recovered himself, could
 
 136 FEE.NCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 now feel the horrors of his situation ; and some of us, shed- 
 ding tears of despair, bitterly deplored the rigor of our fate. 
 
 A new misfortune was now revealed to us. During tho 
 tumult, the rebels had thrown into the sea two barrels of wine, 
 and the only two casks of water which we had upon the rail. 
 Two casks of wine had been consumed the day before, and 
 only one was left. We were more than sixty in number, and 
 we were obliged to put ourselves on half rations. 
 
 At break of day, the sea calmed, which permitted us again 
 to erect our mast. When it was replaced, we made a dis- 
 tribution of wine. The unhappy soldiers murmured and blam- 
 ed us for privations which we equally endured with them. 
 They fell exhausted. We had taken nothing for forty-eight 
 hours, and we had been obliged to struggle continually against a 
 strong sea. \V e could, like them, hardly support ourselves ; 
 courage alone ma-Jo us still act. We resolved to employ 
 every possible means to catch fish, and, collecting all the hooks 
 and eyes from the soldiers, made fish-hooks of them but al! 
 was of no avail. The currents carried our lines under the 
 raft, where they got entangled. We bent a bayonet to catch 
 sharks , one bit at it, and straitened it, and we abandoned 
 our project. Something was absolutely necessary o sustain 
 our miserable existence, and we remble with horror at being 
 obliged to tell that of which we made use. \\ e feel our pen 
 fall from our hands : a mortal cold congeals all our members, 
 and our hair bristles erect on our foreheads. Headers ! we 
 implore you, feel not indignant towards men already overload- 
 ed with misery. Pity their condition, and shed a tear of sor- 
 row for their deplorable fate. 
 
 T'.ic wretches, whom death had spared during the disastrous 
 night we have described, seized upon the dead bodies with 
 which the raft was covered, cutting them up by slices, which 
 some even instantly devoured. Many nevertheless refrained. 
 Altnost all the ollicers were of this number. Seeing that this 
 monstrous food had revived the strength of those who had 
 used it, it was proposed to dry it, to make it a little more 
 palatable. Those who had firmness to abstain from it, took 
 an additional quantity of wine. We endeavored to eat shoul- 
 der-belts and cartouch-boxes, and contrived to swallow some 
 small bits of them. Some cat linen ; others the leathers of 
 their hats, on which was a little grease or rather (iirt. \Ve had 
 recourse to many expedients to prolong our miserable exist- 
 ence, to recount which would only disgust the heart o/ 
 humanity
 
 FRIOATB MSDUSA. 13? 
 
 The day was calm and beautiful. A ray of hope beamed fot 
 JL moment to quiet our agitation. We still expected to see 
 Ue boats or some ships, and addressed our prayers to the 
 .Eternal, on whom we placed our trust. The half of our men 
 were extremely feeble, and bore upon their faces the stamp 
 of approaching dissolution. Ihe evening arrived, and we 
 found no help. The darkness of the third night augmented 
 our fears, but the wind was still, and the sea less agitated. The 
 sun of the fourth morning since our departure shone upon our 
 disaster, and showed us ten or twelve of our companions 
 stretched lifeless upon the raft. This sight struck us most 
 forcibly, as it told us we would be soon extended in the same 
 manner in the same place. We gave their bodies to the sea 
 for a grave, reserving only o'ie to feed those who, but the day 
 before, hud held his trembling hands, and sworn to him eter- 
 nal friendship. This day was beautiful. Our souls, anxious 
 for more delightful sensations, were in harmony with the aspect 
 of the heavens, and got aga ; n a new ray of hope. Towards 
 four in the afternoon, an unlocked for event happened which 
 gave us some consolation. A shoal of flying fish passed under 
 our rail, and as there were an infinite number of openings be- 
 tween the pieces which composed it, the fish were entangled 
 in great quantities. We threw ourselves upon them, and cap- 
 tured a considerable number. We took about two hundred 
 and put them in an empty barrel ; we opened them as we 
 caught them, a:d took out what is called their null. Tins food 
 seemed delicious : but one man would have required a thou- 
 sand. Our first emotion was to give to God renewed thanks 
 for this unhoped for favor. 
 
 An ounce of gunpowder having been found in the morning, 
 was dried in the sun during the day, which was very fine ; a 
 steel, gunflints, and tinder made also a part of the same par- 
 cel. Alter a good deal of difiiculty we set fire to some, frag- 
 ments of dry linen. We made a large opening in the side of an 
 empty cask, and placed at the bottom of it several wet things, 
 and upon this kind of scaffolding we set our fire ; all of which 
 we placed on a barrel that the sea-water might not extinguish 
 it. We cooked some fish and eat them with extreme avidity 5 
 but our hunger was such, and our portion so small, that \ve 
 added to it some of the sacrilegious viands, which the cooking 
 rendered less revolting. This some of the ollicers touched 
 for the first t;me. From this day we continued to eat it ; buf 
 we could no longer dress it, the means of making a fire hav- 
 ing been entirely lost ; tie barrel having caught fire we ex-
 
 158 FRBNCH FRIGITE M1DDSA. 
 
 tinguished it without being able to preserve anything to re- 
 kindle it on the morrow. The powder and tinder were en- 
 tirely gone. This meal gave us all additional strength to sup- 
 port our fatigues. The night was tolerable, and would have 
 been happy, had it not been signalized by a new massacre. 
 
 Some Spaniards, Italians, and negroes, had formed a plot 
 to throw us all into the sea. The negroes had told them that 
 they were very near the shore, and that, when there, they 
 would enable them to traverse Africa without danger. We 
 nad to take to our arms again, the sailors, who had remained 
 faithful to us, pointing out to us the conspirators. The first 
 signal for battle was given by a Spaniard, who, placing him- 
 self behind the mast, holding fast by it, made the sign of the 
 Cross with one hand, invoking the name of God, and with the 
 other held a knife. The sailors seized him and threw him 
 into the sea. An Italian, servant to an officer of the troops, 
 who was in the plot, seeing all was discovered, armed himself 
 with the only boarding axe left on the raft, made his retreat 
 to the front, enveloped himself in a piece of drapery he wore 
 across his breast, and of his own accord threw himself into the 
 sea. The rebels rushed forward to avenge their comrades ; a 
 terrible conflict again commenced ; both sides fought with des- 
 perate fury ; and soon the fatal raft was strewed with dead 
 bodies and blood, which should have been shed by other 
 hands, and in another cause. In this tumult we heard them 
 again demanding, with horrid rage, the head of Lieut. Dan- 
 glas ! In this assault the unfortunate sutler was a second time 
 thrown into the sea. M. Coudin, assisted by some workmen, 
 saved her, to prolong for a little while her torment and her 
 existence. 
 
 In this terrible night Lavilette failed not to give proofs of 
 the rarest intrepidity. It was to him and some of those who 
 had survived the sequel of our misfortunes, that we owed our 
 safety. At last, after unheard of efforts, the rebels were once 
 more repuh;>d, and quiet restored. Having escaped this new 
 danger, we endeavored to get some repose. The day at length 
 dawned upon us for the fifth time. We were now no more 
 than thirty in number. We had lost four or five of our faithful 
 sailors, and thoso who survived were in the most deplorable 
 condition. The sea-water had almost entirely excoriated the 
 skin of our lower extremities ; we were covered with contu- 
 sions or wouriJs, which, irritated by the salt water, e v *orted 
 from us the most piercing cries. About twenty of us on.'y 
 were capable of standing upright or walking. Almost all our
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 199 
 
 fish was exhausted ; we had but four days' supply of wine : in 
 four days, said we, nothing will be left, and death will be inevit- 
 able. Thus came the seventh day of our abandonment. In 
 the course of the day two soldiers had glided behind the only 
 barrel of wine that was left ; pierced it, and were drinking by 
 means of a reed. We had sworn that those who used such 
 means should be punished with death ; which law was instant- 
 ly put ]u execution, and. the two transgressors were thrown 
 into the sea. 
 
 This same day saw the close of the life of a child named 
 Leon, aged twelve years. He died like a lamp which ceases 
 to burn for want of aliment. All spoke in favor of this young 
 and amiable creature, who merited a better fate. His angelic 
 form, his musical voice, the interest of an age so tender in- 
 creased stiil more by the courage he had shown, and the ser- 
 vices he had performed, for he had already made in the pre- 
 ceding year a campaign in the East Indies, inspired us all 
 with the greatest pity for this young victim, devoted to so hor- 
 rible and premature a death. Our old soldiers and all our 
 people in general did everything they could to prolong his ex- 
 istence, but all was in vain. Neither the wine which they 
 gave him without regret, nor all the means they employed, 
 could arrest his melancholy doom, and he expired in the arms 
 of M. Coudin, who had not ceased to give him the most un- 
 wearied attention. Whilst he had strength to move, he ran 
 incessantly from one side to the other, loudly calling for hia 
 unhappy mother, for water and food. He trod indiscriminate- 
 ly on the feet and legs of his companions in misfortune, who, 
 in their turn, uttered sorrowful cries, but these were very rare- 
 ly accompanied with menaces ; they pat Joned ail which the 
 poor boy had made them suffer. He was not in his senses, 
 consequently cou'J not be expected to behave as if he had had 
 the use of his reason. 
 
 There now remained but twenty-seven of us. Fifteen of 
 that number seemed able to live yet some days ; the rest, 
 covered wjth large wounds, had almost entirely lost the use 
 of their reason. They still, however, shared in the distribu- 
 tions, and would, before they died, consume to thirty or forty 
 boitles of wine, which to us were inestimable. We deliberat- 
 ed, that by putting the sick on half allowance was but putting 
 them to death by halves : but after a counsel, at which presid- 
 ed the most dreadful despair, it was decided they should b 
 thrown into the sea. This means, however repugnant, how- 
 ever horrible it appeared to us, procured the survivors sil
 
 140 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 
 
 rfays wine But after the decision was made, who durst ex* 
 ecute it ? The habit of seeing death ready to devour us ; the 
 certainty of our infallible destruction without this mDnstrous 
 expedient ; all, in short, had hardened our hearts to every 
 feeling but that of self-preservation. Three sailors and a sol- 
 dier took charge of this cruel business We looke'd as'de and 
 shed tears of blood at the fate of these unfortunates. Among 
 them were the wretched sutler and her husband. Both had 
 been grievously wounded in the different combats. The 
 woman had a thigh broken between the beams of the raft, and 
 a stroke of a sabre had made a deep wound in the head of her 
 husband. Kvery thing announced their approaching end. 
 We consoled ourselves with the belief that our cruel resolution 
 shortened but a brief space the term of their existence. Ye 
 who shudder at the cry of outraged humanity, recollect, that it 
 was other men, fellow-countrymen, comrades who had placed 
 us in this awful situation ! 
 
 This horrible expedient saved the fifteen who remained ; for 
 when we were found by the Argus brig, we had very little 
 wine left, and it was the sixth day after the cruel sacrifice we 
 have described. The victims, we repeat, had not more than 
 forty-eight hours to live, and by keeping them on the raft, we 
 would have been absolutely destitute of the means of existence 
 two days before we were found. Weak as we were, we con- 
 sidered it as a certain thing, that it would have been impos- 
 sible lor us to have lived only twenty-four hours more without 
 taking some food. After this catastrophe, we threw our arms 
 into the sea ; they inspired us with a horror we could not over- 
 come. We only kept one sabre, in case we had to cut some 
 cordage or some piece of wood. 
 
 A new event, for everything was an event to wretches to 
 whom the worid was reduced to the narrcw space of a few 
 tois.es, and fur whom the winds and waves contended in their 
 fury as they flouted above the abyss ; an event happened 
 which diverted our minds from the horrors of our situation. 
 All on a sudden a white butterfly, of a species pommon in 
 France, came fluttering above our head:?, and settled on OMt 
 sails. The first thought this little creature suggested was, 
 that it was the harbinger of approaching land, and we. clung to 
 the hope with a delirium of joy. It was the ninth day we had 
 been upon the raft ; the torments of hunger consumed our en- 
 trails ; an] the soldiers and sailors already devoured with hag- 
 gard eyes this wretched prey, and seemed ready to dispute 
 about it. Others looking upon it as a messenger frcn Heaven,
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 141 
 
 decla.-ed that they took it under their protection, and would 
 sillier none to do it harm. It is certain we could not he far 
 from .and, for the butterflies continued to come on the follow- 
 ing days, and flutter about our sail. AVe had also on the 
 same day another indication not less positive, by a Goeland 
 which flew around our raft. This second visitor left us no 
 doubt that we were fast approaching the African soil, and we 
 persuaded ourselves we would be speedily thrown upon the 
 coast by the force of the currents. 
 
 This same day a new care employed us. Seeing we were 
 reduced to so small a number, we collected all the little 
 strength we had left, detached some planks on the front of the 
 raft, and, with some pretty long pieces of wood, raised on the 
 centre a kind of platform, on which we reposed. All the ef- 
 fects we could collect were placed upon it, and rendered to 
 make it less hard ; which also prevented the sea from passing 
 with such facility through the spaces between the dilferent 
 planks, but the waves came across, and sometimes covered us 
 completely. 
 
 On this new theatre we resolved to meet death in a manner 
 becoming Frenchman, and with perfect resignation. Oui 
 time was almost wholly spent in speaking of our unhappy 
 country. All our wishes, our last prayers, were for the pros- 
 perity of France. Thus passed the last days of our abode 
 upon the raft. 
 
 Soon after our abandonment, we bore with comparative ease 
 the immersions during the nights, which are very cold in these 
 countries ; but latterly, every time the waves washed over us, 
 we felt a most painful sensation, and we uttered plaintive 
 cries. We employed every means to avoid it. Some sup- 
 ported their heads on pieces of wood, and made with what 
 they could find a sort of little parapet to screen them frrjn the 
 force of the waves ; others sheltered themselves behind two 
 emnty casks But these means were very insufficient : it was 
 oniy when the sea was calm that it did not break over us. 
 
 An ardent thirst, redoubled in the dav by the beams of a burn- 
 ing sun, consumed us. An officer of the army foun J by chance 
 a small lemon, and it may be easily imagined how valuable 
 such a fruit would be to him. Hi-s comrades, in spite of the 
 most urgent entreaties, could not get a bit of it from him. Sign? 
 of rage were already manifested, and had lie not partly listened 
 to the solicitations of those around him, they would have ta! en 
 it by force, and he would have perished tl.e victim of his self- 
 shness. We also disputed about thirty clover of garlic which
 
 14^ FRENCH FRIHATF. M EDITS A 
 
 were found in the bottom of a sack. These disputes 
 *br tl e most part accompanied with violent menaces, and if 
 they had been prolonged, we might perhaps have come to the 
 last extremities. There was found also two small phials, in 
 which was a spirituous liquid for cleaning the teeth. He who 
 possessed them kept them with care, and gave with reluctance 
 one or two drops in the palm of the hand. This liquor which, 
 we think, was a tincture of guiacum, cinnamon, cloves, and 
 other aromatic substances, produced on our tongues an agree- 
 able feeling, and for a short while removed the thirst which 
 destroyed us. Some of us found some small pieces of powder, 
 which made, when put into the mouth, a kind of coolness. 
 One plan generally employed was to put into a hat a quantity 
 of sea-water with which we washed our faces for a while, re- 
 peating it at intervals. We also bathed our hair and held our 
 hands in the water. Misfortune made us ingenious, and each 
 thought of a thousand means to alleviate his sufferings. Kma- 
 ciated by the most cruel privations, the least agreeable feeling 
 was to us a happiness supreme. Thus we sought with avidity 
 a small empty phial which one of us possessed, and in which 
 had once been some essence of roses ; and evciy one as he 
 got hold of it respired with delight the odor it exhaled, which 
 imparted to his senses the most soothing impressions. Many 
 of us kept our ration of wine in a small tin cup, and sucked it 
 out with a quill. This manner of taking it was of great bene- 
 fit to us, and allayed our thirst much better than ii' we had 
 gulped it off at once. 
 
 Three days passed in inexpressible anguish. So much did 
 we despise life, that many of us feared not to bathe in sight 
 of the sharks which surrounded our rail ; others placed them- 
 selves naked upon the front of our machine, which was under 
 water. These expedients diminished a little the ardor of their 
 thirst. A species of molusca, known to seamen by the name 
 of gaterc, was sometimes driven in great numbers on our raft ; 
 and when their long arms rested on our naked bodies, they 
 occasioned us the most cruel Bufferings. Will it be believed; 
 that admist these terrible scenes, struggling with inevitable 
 deat i, some of us uttered pleasantries which made us yet smile, 
 in spite of the horrors of our situation ? One, besides others, 
 said jestingly, ' If the brig is sent to search for us, pray God 
 it has the eyes of Argus,' in allusion to the name of the vessel 
 we presumed would be sent to our assistance. This consola- 
 tory idea never left us an instant, and we spoke of it fre- 
 quently.
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA. 143 
 
 On the 16th, reckoning we were very near land, eight of the 
 most determined among us resolved to endeavor to gain the 
 coast. A second raft, of smaller dimensions, was formed for 
 transporting them thither : but it was fou'nd insufficient, and 
 they at length determined to await death in their present situa- 
 tion. Meanwhile night came on, and its sombre veil revived 
 in our minds the most afflicting thoughts. We were convin- 
 ced there were not above a dozen or fifteen bottles of wine in 
 our barrel. We began to have an invincible disgust at the 
 flesh which had till then scarcely supported us ; and we may 
 say, that the sight of it inspired us with feelings of horror, 
 doubtless produced by the idea of our approaching destruc 
 tion. 
 
 On the m( rning of the' 17th, the sun appeared free from 
 clouds. After having addressed our prayers to the Eternal, 
 we divided among us a part of our wine. Each, with delight, 
 was taking his small portion, when a captain of infantry, cast- 
 ing his eyes on the horizon, perceived a ship, announced it to 
 us by an exclamation of joy. We knew it to be a brig, but it 
 was at a great distance ; we could distinguish the masts. The 
 sight of this vessel revived in us emotions difficult to describe 
 Each believed his deliverance sure, and we gave a thousand 
 thanks to God. Fears, however, mingled with our hopes. 
 We straightened some hoops of casks, to the ends of which 
 we fixed handkerchiefs of different colors. A man, with our 
 united assistance, mounted to the top of the mast, and waved 
 these little flags. For more than half an hour, we were toss- 
 ed between hope and fear. Some thought the vessel grew 
 larger, and others were convinced its course was from us. 
 These last were the only ones whose eyes were not blinded 
 by hope, for the ship disappeared. 
 
 From the delirium of joy, we passed to that of despondency 
 ani sorrow. We envied the fate of those whom we had seen 
 perish at our sides ; and we said to ourselves, ' When we 
 shall be in want of everything, and when our strength begins 
 to forsake us, \ve will wrap ourselves up as wll as we can, 
 we will stretch ourselves on this platform, the witness of the 
 most cruel sufferings, and there await death with resignation ' 
 A* leng'.h, to calm our despair, we sought for consolation ir. 
 the arm of sleep. The day before, we had been scorched by 
 thr beams of a burning sun : to-day, to avoid the fierccnes* 
 of his rays, we made a tent with the main-sail of the frigate 
 As soon as it was finished, we laid ourselves under it ; tnus 
 ail that was passing without was hid from, our eyes We pro
 
 144 FRENCH FRIGATE DTCDC1A. 
 
 posed then to write upon a plank an abridgement of our ad- 
 ventures, and to add our names at the bottom of the recital, 
 and fix it to the upper part of the mast, in the hope it would 
 reach the government and our families 
 
 Alter having passed two hours, a prey to the most cruel re- 
 flections, the master gunner of the frigate, wishing to go to th 
 front of the raft, went out from beiow the tent. Scarcely had 
 DC put out his head, when he turned to us, uttering a piercing 
 cry. Joy was painted upon his face ; his hands were stretch- 
 ed towards the sez. he breathed with difficulty. All he was 
 able to say was ; * SAVED ! SEE THE BBIG UPON us !' and in 
 fact it was not more than half a league distant having every 
 sail set, and steering right upon us. \Ve rushed from our tent ; 
 even those whom enormous wounds in their in.erior extrem- 
 ities had confined for many diiys, dragged themselves to the 
 back of the raft, to enjoy a sight of the ship which had come 
 to save us from certain death. We embraced one another 
 with a transport which looked much like madness, and tears 
 of joy trickled down our cheeks, withered by the most cruel 
 privations. Kacli seized handkerchiefs, or some pieces of 
 linen, to make signals to the brig, which was rapidly approach- 
 ing us. Some fell on their knees, and fervently returned 
 thanks to Providence for this miraculous preservation of their 
 lives. Our joy redoubled when saw we at the top of the fore- 
 mast a large white Hag, and we cried, ' It is then to Frenchmen 
 we will o\ve our deliverance.' We instantly recognised the brig 
 to be the Argus; it was then about two gunshots from us. 
 We were terribly impatient to see her reef her sails, which at 
 last she did, and fresh cries of joy arose from our rail. The 
 Argus came and lay-to on our starboard, about half a pistol- 
 shot from us. The crew, ranged upon the deck and on the 
 shrouds, annourced to us, by the waving of their hands and 
 hats, the pleasure they felt at coming to the assistance of their 
 unfortunate countrymen. In a short time we were all trans- 
 ported .n board the brig, where we found the lieutenant cf 
 the frigate, and some others who had been wrecked with us. 
 Compassion was painted on every race . di.U otv <Jrw tears 
 from every eye which beheld us. 
 
 We found some excellent broth on Dotro. the brig, which 
 they had prepared, and when they had perceived us they add- 
 ed to it some wine, and thus restored our nearly exhausted 
 strength. They bestowed on us the most generous cure and 
 attention ; our wounds were dressed, and on th^ morrow many 
 f our sick began to revive Some, however, still suffered
 
 FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA 145 
 
 much, for they were placed between decks, very near the 
 
 Kitchen, which augmented the almost insupportable heat of 
 these latitudes. This want of space arose from the small size 
 of the vessel. The number of the shipwrecked was indeed very 
 considerable. Those who did not belong to the navy were laid 
 upon cables, wrapped in flags, and placed under the fire of the 
 kitchen. Here they had a'.most perished during the course 
 cf the night, fire having broken out between decks about ten 
 in the evening ; but timely assistance being rendered, we were 
 saved for the second time. U'e had scarcely escaped when 
 some of us became again delirous. An officer of infantry 
 wished to throw himself into the sea, to look for his pocket 
 book, and would have done it had he not been prevented, 
 Others were seized in a manner not less frenzied. 
 
 The commander and oflicers of the brig watched over us, 
 and kindly anticipated our wants. They snatched us from 
 death, by saving us from our raft ; their unremitting care re- 
 vived within us. the spark of life. The surgeon of the ship, 
 M. llenaud, distinguished himself for his indefatigable zeal. 
 He was obliged to spend the whole of the day in dressing our 
 wounds ; and during the two days we were in the brig, he be- 
 stowed on us all the aid of his art, with an attention and gen- 
 tleness which merit our eternal gratitude. 
 
 In truth, it was time we should find an end of our suffer- 
 ings ; they had lasted thirteen days, in the most cruel manner. 
 The strongest among us might have lived forty-eight hours 
 or so, longer. M. Correard felt that he must die in the course 
 of the day ; he had, however a presentiment we would be 
 saved. He said, that a series of events so unheard of would 
 not be buried in oblivion ; that Providence would at least pre- 
 serve some of us to tell to the world the melancholy story of 
 our misfortunes. 
 
 Such in the faithful history of those who were left upon the 
 memorable raft. Of one hundred and filly, fifteen only were 
 saved. Five of that number never recovered from their fa- 
 tigue, and died at St. Louis. Those who yet live are covered 
 with scars ; and the cruel sufferings to which they havo 
 exposed, have materially shaken their cong<jtutio.af > 
 
 VOL II 7
 
 46 THE ROTAL GEORGB 
 
 THE LOSS OF THE ROYAL GEORGE. 
 
 On the 29th of August, 1782, it was found necessary tha 
 the Royal George, a Hne-of-battle ship of 108 guns, whick 
 had lately arrived at Spithead from a cruise, should, previous- 
 ly to her going again to sea, undergo the operation which sea- 
 men technically call a Parliament heel. In such cases the 
 ship is inclined in a certain degree on one side, while the de- 
 fects below the water-mark on the other side are examined 
 and repaired. This mode of proceeding is, we believe at the 
 present day, very commonly adopted where the defects to be 
 repaired are not extensive, or where (as was the case with 
 the Royal George) it is desirable to avoid the delay of going 
 into dock. The operation is usually perfomed in still weath- 
 er and smooth water, and is attended with so little difficulty 
 and danger, that the officers and crew usually remain on 
 board, and neither the guns nor stores are removed. 
 
 The business was commenced on the Royal George early 
 in the morning, a gang of men from the Portsmouth Dock- 
 yard coming on board to assist the ship's carpenters. It is 
 said that, finding it necessary to strip off more of the sheath- 
 ing than had been intended, the men in their eagerness to 
 reach the defect in the ship's bottom, were induced to heel her 
 too much, when a sudden squall of wind threw her wholly on 
 her side; and the gun -ports being open, and the cannon rol- 
 ling over to the depressed side, the ship was unable to right 
 herself, instantaneously filled with water, and went to the bot- 
 tom. 
 
 The fatal accident happened about ten o'clock in the morn- 
 ing. Admiral Kempenfeldt was writing in his cabin, and the 
 greater part of the people were between decks. The ship, 
 as is usually the case upon coming into port, was crowded 
 with people from the shore, particularly women, of whom ii 
 is supposed there were not less than three hundred on board. 
 Amongst the sufferers were many of the wives and children 
 of the petty officers and seamen, who, knowing the ship was 
 shortly to sail on a distant and perilous service, eagerly em- 
 'jraced the opportunity of visiting thpir husbands and fathers
 
 THE ROYAL GEORGtt 14? 
 
 The Admiiil, with many brave officers and most of those 
 who were between decks, perished; the greater number o. 1 
 the guard, and those who happened to be on the upper deck, 
 were saved by the boats of the fleet. About seventy others 
 were likewise saved. The exact number of persons on board 
 at the time could not be ascertained; but it was calculated 
 that from 800 to 1000 were lost. Captain Waghorn whose 
 gallantry in the North Sea Battle, under Admiral Parker, had 
 procured him the command of this ship, was saved, tho.igh he 
 was severely bruised and battered; but his son, a lieutenant 
 in the Royal George, perished. Such was the force of the 
 whirlpool, occasioned by the sudden plunge of so vast a body 
 in the water, that a victualler which lay alongside the Royal 
 George was swamped; and several small craft, at a consider- 
 able distance, were in imminent danger. 
 
 Admiral Kempenfeldt, who was nearly 70yearsof age,waa 
 peculiarly and universally lamented. In point of general 
 science and judgment, he was one of the first naval officers 
 of his time; and, particularly in the art of manoBUvringa fleet, 
 he was considered by the commanders of that day as unrival- 
 led. His excellent qualities, as a man, are said to have equal- 
 led his professional merits. 
 
 This melancholy occurrence has been recorded by the poet 
 Cowper, ir the ibllowing beautiful lines: 
 
 Toll for the brave! 
 
 The brave, that are no more! 
 All sunk beneath the wave, 
 
 Fast by their native shore 
 
 Eight hundred of tho brave, 
 Whose courage well was tried, 
 
 Had made the vessel heel, 
 And laid her on her side. 
 
 A land-breeze shook the shrouds, 
 
 And she was overset; 
 Down went the Royal George, 
 
 With all her crew complete 
 
 Toll for the brave! 
 
 Brave Kempenfeldt is gone; 
 His last sea-right is fought; 
 
 His work of glory done
 
 !4I THE NEAS TRANSPORT. 
 
 It waa not m the battle-, 
 
 No tempest gave the shock, 
 
 She sprang no fatal leak; 
 She ran upon no rock. 
 
 His sword was in its sheath ; 
 
 His fingers held the pen, 
 When Kempenfeldt went down, 
 
 With twice four hundred men 
 
 Weigh the vessel up, 
 
 Once dreaded by our foes! 
 
 And mingle with our cup 
 The tear that England owes. 
 
 Her timbers yet arc sound, 
 And she may float again, 
 
 Full charg'd with England's thunde: 
 And plough the distant main. 
 
 But Kempenfeldt is gone, 
 His victories are o'er; 
 
 Arid he, and his eight hundred, 
 Shall plough the wave no more 
 
 LOSS OF THE AENEAS TRANSPORT 
 
 The JEneas transport sailed with 3 17 so'ilg on board, in 
 eluding a party of men belonging to the 100th regiment ol 
 foot, as also some oilicers, together with several women and 
 children. About four in the morning of the 23d of Oct. 1805, 
 the vessel struck violently on a rock, and received such dam- 
 age that her total wreck soon became evident to all on board. 
 For the first few minutes after this alarming occurrence, the
 
 THE JENEAS TRANSPORT. 14S 
 
 women and children clung to their husbands and fathers; but 
 in a short time, a prodigious wave swept not less than 250 of 
 those miserable people into the ocean. The rock whereon 
 the vessel had struck, speedily forced its way through the 
 decks, and then it appears, from her parting, thirty-five of 
 the survivors were driven on a small island before eight in 
 the morning, about a quarter of a mile distant, but when she 
 had entirely gone to pieces. 
 
 The narrative of these events was collected from one of 
 the survivors, a soldier of the 100th regiment, who could give 
 no correct account of how he and the others got ashore, but 
 he supposed they were floated in by part of the wreck. He 
 remembered to have observed one of the boys endeavoring to 
 save Major Bertram, whose arm was broken by some timber, 
 and he was on the point of sinking; he held him up as long 
 as his strength permitted; but to save his own life, was forced 
 to let go his hold, and the Major perished. 
 
 The thirty-five men who gained the shore, consisted of 
 part of the regiment, two of whom were officers, Lieutenant 
 Dawson and Knsign Faulkner, and seven sailors. Inmiedi 
 ately on landing, the wind unfortunately changed, so that not 
 an article of any kind was saved from the wreck. Mr. Faulk- 
 ner was aware of the real situation they had reached, judging 
 the main-land, which they saw about a mile distant, to be 
 Newfoundland, and that they were about 300 miles distant, 
 from the town of St. John's. 
 
 After passing one night on the little island, they construct- 
 ed a raft, by means of which, thirty of them arrived on the 
 main land. Previous to this, however, four survivors of the 
 shipwreck had died, among whom was the poor fellow who 
 had endeavored to save .Major Bertram. Another, who had 
 both his legs broken, was missing, as he had crawled away 
 from his comrades, that he might die in quiet. But eight 
 clays afterwards, he was found alive, though in a shocking 
 state, as his feet were "rozen off. Yet he survived ali this, 
 and reached Quebec at a future period. Most of the part) 1 
 set out, leaving three behind them, who were unable to walk 
 from brutses, and directed their course towards the rising sun: 
 but when the first day had elapsed, Lieutenant Dawson be- 
 came incapable of keeping up with the remainder; and twc 
 soldiers staid to attend him. These three toiled onwards with- 
 out any food, except the berries which they found; and Lieu- 
 tenant Dawson was then unable to stand, unless supported. 
 On reach ng the banks of a river, one of the soldiers attecrpt-
 
 160 THE AREAS TRANSPORT. 
 
 cd to carry him across on his back; but having wadod up to 
 the neck, he was obliged to return, and lay him down on the 
 bank. There Mr. Dawson entreated his faithful attendants 
 to make the best of their way, and leave him to his fate; and 
 at the same time, affectionately squeezing their hands, he en- 
 treated them to inform his father of his melancholy end. 
 Here the soldier, who was one of them, and who related these 
 affecting incidents, burst into a flood of tears before he could 
 proceed " We staid with him,'' said he, " until we did not 
 know whether he was alive or dead." 
 
 The two survivors continued wandering in a weak and fee- 
 bie state for twelve days longer, making twenty-six in all from 
 the period of their shipwreck, and subsisting on what they 
 could find on a barren and inhospitable land. But after the 
 first four or five days, they suffered no hunger, for, as they 
 themselves said, their misfortunes were so great as to banish 
 its influence, and to deprive them of the sense of feeling. 
 Th? snow besides was so deep during the last two days, as to 
 pre/ent them from getting the berries as usual. 
 
 At last they were found by a man belonging to a hunting 
 party, who, little suspecting to see human beings in (hat deso- 
 late region, took them at a distance for deer, and had conceal- 
 ed himself behind a fallen tree, with his gun pointed towards 
 one of them, when his dog, leaping towards them, began to 
 bark, and shewed his error. AVhen they related their ship- 
 wreck, and the sufferings they had endured, tears stole down 
 the cheeks of the huntsman, and, taking the mocasins from 
 his feet, gave them to the poor miserable creatures. He in- 
 vited them to his hunting cabin, saying it was only a mile off", 
 though the real distance was at least twelve miles; but, by 
 degrees he enticed them to proceed, and at length they gain- 
 ed it. On approaching the hut, four or five men came out 
 with long bloody knives in their hands, when the narrator, 
 turning to his comrade, exclaimed, " After all we have es- 
 caped, are we brought here to be butchered and ate up?" 
 But they soon discovered their mistake, for the men had been 
 tutting up some deer, the fruit of their chase; and the appear- 
 ance of the unfortunate soldiers quickly exciting sentiments 
 of pity in their breast, they produced a bottle of rum, where- 
 with they were refreshed. 
 
 Every possible comfort was ministered by the hunters to the 
 unfortunate wanderers, and, from the accounts and descrip- 
 tion giveo to them, they set out in quest of the others. They 
 luckily succeeded in finding the man who remained the first
 
 THE JBNBAS TRANSPORT. 151 
 
 day on the island, and also the other two who were unable to 
 leave the shore. 
 
 The two men who had accompanied Lieutentant Dawson, 
 appeared to have made but little progress during twenty-six 
 days of travelling, for they were discovered in a place not 
 very remote from whence they set out. Thus, involved among 
 the woods, they must have returned over the same ground 
 that they had passed. 
 
 Those who the huntsman first met endeavored to make 
 them understand where they might find the remains of Lieu- 
 tenant Dawson, and Ensign Faulkner and his party, but they 
 could spea<c too vaguely of where they had themselves been, to 
 give any pointed directions on the subject. But two of the lat- 
 ter were found by a man on another hunting excuision, about 
 90 miles distant, apparently lifeless; though on being carried to 
 an adjacent settlement they recovered. Of the whole 35 who 
 survived the wreck of the transport, accounts could be heard 
 only of these five. 
 
 Ensign Faulkner was a strong, active, enterprising man, 
 and fully capable of adopting whatever means could be de- 
 vised for preservation. Both he and Lieutenant Dawson, 
 who was scarce more than 17 years of age, were of the great- 
 est promise. While the transport lay about three miles from 
 Portsmouth, they are said to have swam to the ship, when the 
 former climbed up her side, but the latter was nearly ex- 
 hausted. 
 
 A brig from Port, which touched at Newfoundland, carried 
 five of the survivors from thence to Quebec; and when they 
 arrived there in the barrack square, a most affecting scene 
 ensued. Men and women eagerly flocked around them, 
 with anxious inquiries for some friend or brother who was on 
 board the ill-fated vessel. But all they could answer was. 
 " If you do not see him here, be assured he has perished; for, 
 of 347 souls, we five Irish lads and two sailors are all that re- 
 main alive.' r The tears and exclamations following these 
 words can scarce be described
 
 Iff TH ABSENT IUIP 
 
 THE ABSENT SHIP 
 
 Fair ship, 1 saw thee bounding o'er the deep, 
 Thy white wings glancing in the morning ray 
 
 And many a sparkling eye in vain did weep 
 
 For the bold hearts that steer'd thee on thy w) 
 
 Long days of grief have lingered into years: 
 Return! return! and charm away their tears. 
 
 1 listen'd till the music and the song 
 Died on the waters as she swept along; 
 
 I watch'd her stately beauty, till it grew 
 A fading shadow on the distant blue; 
 
 Less, and still less the waters are alone! 
 Queen of the ocean! whither art thou gone? 
 
 The wintry storm hath sighed itself to sleep, 
 Yet still thou lingerest on the faithless deep; 
 
 Have calmer seas, and skies of deeper blue, 
 Charm'd thee to bid thine island home adieu! 
 
 Long has yon dark-eye'd maiden wept in vain: 
 Return! return! and bid her smile again. 
 
 Long may'st thou weep, but never shall thou act 
 Thy fair-hair'd mariner return to thec, 
 
 Clasp thy young beauty in a long embrace, 
 And read his pardon in thy happy face; 
 
 lliy gentle prayers, fair mourner, could not save 
 Thy sailor sleeps within the stormy wave.
 
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 ULSEWELL lAVT INDIAMAIf. 155 
 
 LOSS OF THE HALSEWELL. 
 
 The catastrophe which is now about to be related made 
 deep impression on the public mind. The circumstances at- 
 tending it were too aggravating not to excite the highest de- 
 gree of commiseration, whether from the flattering prospects 
 held forth in the outset of the voyage, or from a peculiar feel- 
 ing towards the condition of the sufferers. 
 
 The Halsewell East Indiaman, of 758 tons burthen, com- 
 manded by Captain Richard Pierce, was taken up by the di- 
 rectors of the .East India Company to make her third voyage 
 to Coast and Bay. On the 16th of November 1785, she fell 
 down to Gravesend, where she completed her lading. Ladies 
 and other passengers being taken on board at the Hope, she 
 sailed through the Downs on Sunday the 1st of January 1786; 
 and, when abreast of Dunnose next morning, the weather fell 
 calm. 
 
 Tli is was one of the finest ships in the service, and judged 
 to be in the most perfect condition for her voyage. Her com- 
 mander was of distinguished ability and exemplary character; 
 his ollicers of approved fidelity and unquestionable know- 
 ledge in their profession, and the crew not only as numerous 
 as the East India establishment admits, but the best seamen 
 that could be collected. To these were added a considerable 
 body of soldiers, destined to recruit the forces of the East In- 
 dia Company in Asia. 
 
 The passengers were seven ladies, two of whom were 
 daughters to the captain, and other two his relations. Miss 
 Elizabeth Blackburne, daughter of Captain Blackburne; IMiss 
 Mary Haggard, sister to an officer on the Madras establish- 
 ment, and Miss Anne Mansell, a child of European parents 
 esiding in Madras, returning from her education in Eng- 
 land. There was also Mr. John George Schutz, returning to 
 collect part of his fortune, which ho had led behind him in 
 India. 
 
 The ladies were equally distinguished by their beauty and 
 accomplishments; the gentlemen of amiable manners, and ol 
 a highly respectable character. Mr. Burston, the chief mate
 
 156 HALSEWELL EAST I2TDIAMAN. 
 
 wras also related to Captain Pierce's lady, and the whole form- 
 ed a happy society united in friendship. Nothing could bt 
 more pleasing or encouraging than the outset of the voyage 
 
 On Monday the 2d of January, a breeze from the south 
 sprung up at three in the afternoon, when the ship ran in 
 shore to land the pilot. Very thick weather coming on in the 
 evening, and the wind baffling, she was obliged to anchor, at 
 nine o'clock, in eighteen fathom water. The topsails were 
 furled, but the people could not furl the courses, the snow 
 falling thick and freezing as it fell. 
 
 Mext morning at four a strong gale came on from east-north- 
 east, and the ship shivering, tliey were obliged to cut the ca- 
 bles and run out to sea. At noon they "spoke with a brig 
 bound to Dublin, and, having put the pilot on board of her, 
 immediately bore down channel. The wind freshening at 
 eight in the evening, and coming round to the southward, 
 such sails were reefed as were judged necessary. It blew a 
 violent gale at ten o'clock from the south, whence they were 
 obliged to carry a press of sail to keep the ship of}' shore. 
 In doing this, the hawse-plugs, which according to a late im- 
 provement, were put inside, were washed in, and the hawse- 
 ba<rs washed away, in consequence of which the vessel ship- 
 ped a large quantity of water on the gun-deck. 
 
 On sounding the well, and finding the ship had sprung a 
 leak, and now had five feet water in the hold, the people clew- 
 ed up the main-topsail, hauled up the mainsail, and immedi- 
 ately endeavored to furl both, but could not effect it. On 
 discovering the leak all the pumps were set to work. 
 
 At two in the morning of Wednesday the fourth, they tried 
 to wear the ship, but without success, and judging it necessa- 
 ry to* cut away the mi/en-mast, this was immediately done, 
 when another attempt made to wear her was equally fruitless 
 as the former. The ship had now seven feet water in the 
 hold which was gaining fast on the pumps, therefore, for her 
 preservation it was considered expedient to cut away the 
 mainmast, as she appeared to be in immediate danger of 
 foundering. 
 
 In the fall of the mast, Jonathan IMoreton, coxswain, and 
 four men, were either drawn along with the wreck, or fell 
 overboard and were drowned. By eight in the morning the 
 wreck was cleared, and the ship got before the wind, in which 
 position she was kept two hours. Meantime the pumps re- 
 duced the water in the hold two feet, and the ship's head was 
 brought to the eastward with the foresail ouly.
 
 B4LSEWELL BAST INDIAMAN. 15 
 
 At ten in the morning the wind abated considerably, but 
 he ship labouring extremely, rolled the fore-topmast over on 
 he larboard side, and, in the fall, the wreck went through the 
 "bresail, tearing it to pieces. At eleven the wind came to the 
 westward, and the weather clearing up, the Berryhead was 
 distinguishable, bearing north and by east, distant four or 
 five leagues. Another foresail was now immediately benl, a 
 Miry-mainmast erected and a top-gallantsail set for a main- 
 sail, under which sail Captain Pierce bore up for Portsmouth, 
 and employed the remainder of the day in getting up a jury- 
 mi/en-mast. 
 
 At two next morning, the wind came to the southward, 
 blowing fresh, the weather being very thick. Portland was 
 seen at noon, bearing north and by east, distant two or three 
 leagues. At night, it blew a strong gale at south, at which 
 time the Portland lights were then seen, bearing north- 
 west, distant four or five leagues. The ship was then wore, 
 and her head got round to the westward; but finding she lost 
 ground on that tack, the captain wore her again, and kept 
 stretching on to the eastward, in hopes to have weathered 
 Pevercl Point, in which case he intended to have anchored in 
 Studland Bay. It cleared at eleven at night, and St. Alban's 
 Head wds seen a mile and a half to the leeward, on which, 
 sail was instantly taken in, and the small bower anchor let go, 
 which brought up the ship at a whole cable. She rode for 
 about an hour, but then drove; the sheet anchor was now let 
 go, and a whole cable wore away, and the ship rode for about 
 two hours longer, when she drove again. 
 
 While in this situation, the captain sent for Mr. Henry 
 Meriton, the second mate, and asked his opinion as to the 
 probability of saving the lives of those on board; to which he 
 replied with equal calmness and candor, that he apprehended 
 there was very little hope of it, as the ship was driving fast 
 on shore, and might every moment be expected to strike. The 
 uoats were then mentioned, but it was agreed, that although 
 at that time they could be of very little use, yet in case an 
 opportunity of making them serviceable should present itself, 
 it was proposed that the officers should be confidentially re- 
 quested to reserve the long boat for the ladies and themselves; 
 and this precaution was immediately taken. 
 
 About two in the morning of Friday the sixth of January, 
 the ship still driving, and approaching very fast to the shore, 
 fhe same officer went again into the cuddy, where the cap- 
 tain then was. Another conversation taking place, Captain
 
 68 HALSEWELL EAST INUJAMAff. 
 
 ierce expressed extreme anxiety for the peservation of his 
 eloved daughters, and earnestly asked the officer if he could 
 iev : so any method of saving them. On his answering with 
 jreat concern, that he feared it would be impossible, but that 
 heir only chance would be to wait for morning, the captf in 
 ifted up his hands in silent and distressful ejaculation. 
 
 At this dreadful moment, the ship struck, with such vio- 
 ence as to dash the heads of those standing in the cuddy 
 igainst the deck above them, and the shock was accompanied 
 ,y a shriek of horror that burst at one instant from every 
 juarter of the ship. 
 
 Many of the seamen, who had been remarkably inattentive 
 tnd remiss in their duty during a great part of the storm, now 
 toured upon deck, where no exertions of the officers could 
 :eep them, while their assistance might have been useful. 
 They had actually skulked in their hammocks, leaving the 
 vorking of the pumps and other necessary labours to the offi- 
 cers of the ship, and the soldiers, who had made uncommon 
 .xertions. Roused by a sense of their danger, the same sea- 
 nen, at this moment, in frantic exclamations, demanded of 
 teaven and their fellow sufferers, that succour which their 
 wn efforts timely made might possibly have procured. 
 
 The ship continued to beat on the rocks, and soon bilging, 
 ell with her broadside towards the shore. When she struck, 
 i number of men climbed up the ensign-staff, under an appre- 
 tension of her immediately going to pieces. 
 
 Mr. Meriton, the second mate, at this crisis offered to these 
 mhappy beings the best advice which could be given; he re- 
 ommended tnat all should come to the side of the ship lying 
 jwest on the rocks, and singly to take the opportunities 
 yhich might then offer, of escaping to the shore. 
 
 Having thus provided to the utmost of his power, for the 
 afety of the desponding crew, he returned to the round- 
 ousc, where, by this time, all the passengers, and most of 
 le officers had assembled. The latter were employed in of- 
 ?ring consolation to the unfortunate ladies, and \vith unnar- 
 lleled magnanimity, suffering their compassion for the fair 
 nd aimable companions of their misfortunes, to prevail over 
 le sense of their own danger. 
 
 In this charitable work of comfort, Mr. Meriton now join- 
 d, by assurances of his opinion, that the ship would hold to- 
 ether till the morning, when all would be safe. Captain 
 'ierce observing one of the young gentlemen loud in his ex- 
 
 amations of terror, and frequently cry that the ship was
 
 HALSEWELL EAST INDIAMAN 1$ 
 
 parting, cheerfully bid him be quiet, rema:king > that though 
 the ship should go to pieces, he would not, but would be safe 
 enough. 
 
 It is difficult to convey a correct idea of the scene of this 
 deplorable catastrophe, without describing the place where it 
 happened. 
 
 The Halsewell struck on the rocks near Seacombe, on the 
 island of Purbeck, between Peverel Point and St. Alban's 
 Head, at a part of the shore where the cliff is of vast height, 
 and rises almost perpendicular from its base. But at this partic- 
 ular spot, the foot of the cliff is excavated into a cavern of ten 
 or twelve yards in depth, and of breadth equal to the length of 
 a large ship. The sides of the cavern are so nearly upright 
 as to be of extremely difficult access; and the bottom is strew- 
 ed with sharp and uneven rocks, which seem, by some convul- 
 sion of the earth, to have been detached from its roof. 
 
 The fhip lay with her broadside opposite to the mouf'i of 
 this cavern, with her whole length stretched almost from side to 
 side of it. But when she struck, it was too dark fry the un- 
 fortunate persons on board to discover the real magnitude of 
 their danger, and the extreme horror of such ?. situation. 
 Even Mr. Meriton entertained a hope that she might keep 
 together till day-light; and endeavored to cheer his drooping 
 friends, and in particular the unhappy ladies, with this com- 
 fortable expectation, as an answer to the captain's inquiries 
 what he thought of their condition. 
 
 In addition to the company already in the round-house, they 
 had admitted three black women and two soldier's wives, who, 
 with the husband of one of them, had been allowed to come in, 
 though the seamen, who had tumultuously demanded entrance 
 to get the lights, had been opposed and kept out by Mr. liog- 
 ers and Mr. Brimer, the third and fifth mates. The numbers 
 there were therefore now increased to near fifty. Capt. Pierce 
 sat on a chair, a cot or some other moveable, with a daughter 
 on each side, whom he alternately pressed to his affectionate 
 breast. The rest of the melancholy assembly were seated on 
 the deck, which was strewed with musical instruments, and 
 the wreck of furniture and other articles. 
 
 Here also Mr. Meriton, after having cut several wax can- 
 dies in pieces and stuck them up in various parts of the round- 
 house, and lighted up all the glass lanthorns Le could find, 
 took his seat, intending to wait the approach of dawn; and 
 then assist the partners of his danger to escape. But ob- 
 serving that the poor ladies appeared parched and exhausted.
 
 160 HALSEWRI.L BAST INDIAMAII. 
 
 he brought a basket of oranges and prevailed on some jf them 
 to refresh themselves by sucking a little of the juice. At thi 
 time they were all tolerably composed, except Miss Mansel, 
 who was in hysteric fits, on the floor of the deck of the 
 round-house. 
 
 .But on Mr. Mcriton's return to the company, he perceived 
 a considerable alteration in the appearance of the ship; the 
 sides were visibly giving way; the deck seemed to be lilting 
 and he discovered other strong indications that she could not 
 hold much longer together. On this account, he attempted 
 to go forward to look out, but immediately saw that the ship 
 had separated in the middle, and that the fore-part having 
 changed its position, lay further towards the sea. In such 
 an emergency, when the next moment might plunge him into 
 eternity, he determined to seize the present opportunity, and 
 follow the example of the crew and the soldiers, who were 
 now quitting the ship in numbers, and making their way to 
 the shore, though quite ignorant of its nature and descrip- 
 tion. 
 
 Among other expedients, the ensign-staff had been unship- 
 ped, and attempted to be laid between the ship's side and 
 some of the rocks, but without success, for it snapped assun- 
 der before it reached them. However, by the light of a Ian- 
 thorn which a seaman handed through a sky-light of the 
 round-house to the deck, Mr. JMeriton discovered a spar which 
 appeared to be laid from the ship's side to the rocks, and on 
 this spar he resolved 19 attempt his escape. 
 
 Accordingly lying down upon it, he thrust himself forward; 
 however, he soon found that it had no communication with 
 the rock; he reached the end of it and then slipped ofl, re- 
 ceiving a very violent bruise in his fall, and before he could 
 recover his legs, he was washed olT by the surge. He now 
 supported himself by swimming, until a returning wave dash- 
 ed him against the back part of the cavern. Jlere he laid 
 hold of a small projection in the rock, but was so much be- 
 numbed that he was on the point of quitting it, when a sea- 
 man, who had already gained a footing, extended his hand, 
 .nd assisted him until he could secure himself a little on the 
 rock; from which he clambered on a shelf stil higher, and out 
 of the reach of the surf. 
 
 Mr. Kogers, the third mate, remained with the captain, and 
 the unfortunate ladies and their companions, nearly twenty 
 nJnutes after Mr. Meriton had quitted the ship. Soon aftef 
 the latter left the round-house, the captain asked what wa
 
 EAST I.fDIAMAJf. 1C 
 
 become of him, to which Mr Rogers replied, that he wat 
 gone on deck to see what could be done. After this, a heavy 
 sea breaking over the ship, the ladies exclaimed, " O poor 
 Meriton! he is drowned! had he staid with us he would have 
 been safe!" and they all, particularly Miss Mary Pierce, ex- 
 pressed great concern at the apprehension of his loss. On 
 this occasion Mr. Rogers offered to go and call in Mr. Meri- 
 .on, but it was opposed by the ladies, from an apprehension 
 that he might share the same fate. 
 
 The sea was now breaking in at the fore-part of the ship, 
 and reached as far as the main-mast. Captain Pieice gave 
 Mr. Rogers a nod, and they took a lamp and went together 
 into the stern-gallery, where, after viewing the rocks for some 
 time, Captain Pierce asked Mr. Rogers if he thought there 
 was any possibility of saving the girls; to which he replied, 
 he feared there was none; for they could only discover the 
 black face of the perpendicular rock, and not the cavern 
 which afforded shelter to those who escaped. They then re- 
 turned to the round-house, where Mr. Rogers hung up the 
 lamp, and Captain Pierce sat down between his two daugh- 
 ters, struggling to suppress the parental tears which burst 
 into his eyes. 
 
 The sea continuing to break in very fast, Mr. Macmanus, 
 a midshipman, and Mr. Schutz, asked Mr. Rogers what they 
 could do to escape. " Follow me," he replied, and they all 
 went into the stern gallery, and from thence to the upper- 
 quarter-gallery on the poop. While there, a very heavy sea 
 fell on board and the round-house gave way; Mr. Rogers 
 heard the ladies shriek at intervals, as if the water reached 
 them; the noise of the sea, at other times, drowning their 
 voices. 
 
 Mr. Brimer had followed him to the poop, where they re 
 mained together about five miuutes; when on the breaking of 
 this heavy sea, they jointly seized a hen-coop. The same 
 wave which proved fatal to some of those below, carried him 
 and his companion to the rock, on which they were .violently 
 dashed and miserably bruised. 
 
 Here on the rock were twenty-seven, but it now being low 
 water, and as they were convinced that on the flowing of the 
 tide all must be washed off, many tried to get to the back or 
 the sides of the cavern, beyond the reach of the returning 
 sea. Scarcely more than six, besides Mr. Rogers and Mr. 
 Brimer, succeeded; of the others, some shared the fa'd which 
 they had apprehended, and others perished in their efforts to
 
 69 UALSEWELL EAST 1ND1AMAN 
 
 ;ct into the cavern. Mr. Rogers and Mr. Burner both reach- 
 jd it, however, and scrambled up the rock, on narrow shelves 
 >f which they fixed themselves. Mr. Ropers got so near hia 
 ricnd, Mr. Meriton, as to exchange mutual congratulations 
 yith him. A warm friendship, indeed, subsisted between 
 hese two gentlemen; they had made a long and painful voy- 
 ige together, in another Indiaman, where they survived an 
 mcomrnon mortality by which the crew were visited. They 
 eturncd to England, and an interval of only twenty-five day 
 slapsed, before they again embarked in the HalseweH. 
 
 Mr. Rogers on gaining this station, was so nearly exhausted, 
 hat had his exertions been protracted only a few minut'>s 
 ongcr, he must have sunk under them. He was now prevent- 
 d from joining Mr. Meriton, by at least twenty men between 
 hem, none of whom could move without the imminent peril of 
 us life. 
 
 They found that a very considerable number of the crew, 
 teamen, and soldiers, and some petty oilicers, were in the same 
 situation as themselves, though many who had reached the 
 'ocks below, perished in attempting to ascend. They could 
 fct discern some part of the ship, and in their dreary station 
 iolaced themselves with the hope of its remaining entire un- 
 il day-break; for in the midst of fheir own distress, the suf- 
 erings of the females on board affected them with the most 
 >oignant anguish; and every sea that broke, inspired them 
 *ith terror for their safety. 
 
 I Jut, alas, their apprehensions were too soon realized! 
 Within a very few minutes of the time that Mr. Rogers gain- 
 id the rock, an universal shriek, which long vibrated in their 
 jars, in which the voice of female distress was lamentably 
 listinguished, announced the dreadful catastrophe. In a few 
 iioments all was hushed, except the roaring of the winds and 
 .he dashing of the waves; the wreck was buried in the deep, 
 ind aot an atom of it was ever afterwards seen. 
 
 The shock which this gave to the trembling wretches in the 
 :avern was awful. Though themselves hardly rescued from 
 ,he sea, and still surrounded by impending dangers, they wept 
 "or the destiny of their unhappy companions. But this was 
 lot all. Many who had gained a precarious station, weaken 
 sd with injuries, benumbed and battered by the tempest, for- 
 sook their hold-fasts, and, tumbling on the rocks below, per- 
 .shed beneath the feet of their miserable companions. Their 
 dying groans and exclamations for pity, only tended to awak- 
 3n more painful apprehensions, and increase the terror of the 
 unrivor*
 
 UAtSEWELL BAST INDlAMAlf. 169 
 
 A' length after three hours, which appeared so many ages, 
 day broke, but instead of bringing relief to the suflcrers, it 
 only served to disclose the horrors of their situation. They 
 now found, that had the country been alarmed by the guns of 
 distress which they had continued to fire for many hours be- 
 fore the ship struck, but which were not heard, owing to the 
 violence of the storm, they could neither be observed by the 
 people from above, nor could any boat live below. They 
 were completely overhung by the cliff, so that no ropes let 
 down could reach them; nor did any part of the wreck re- 
 main as a guide to their retreat. 
 
 The only prospect of saving themselves, was to creep along 
 the side of the cavern to its outward extremity, and on a ledge 
 scarcely as broad as a man's hand, to turn the corner, and en- 
 deavor to clamber up the precipice, almost perpendicular, and 
 nearly 200 feet high from the bottom. And in this desperate 
 effort some did succeed, while others, trembling with fear, 
 and exhausted by the preceding conflict, lost their footing and 
 perished in the attempt. 
 
 The first who gained the top, were the cook and James 
 Thompson, a quarter-master; the moment they reached it, 
 they hastened to the nearest house and made known the con- 
 dition of their comrades. This was Eastington, the habita- 
 tion of Mr. Garland, steward to the proprietors of the Per- 
 beck quarries. He immediately collected the workmen, and 
 procuring ropes with all possible despatch, made the most hu- 
 mane and zealous exertions for the relief of the surviving 
 people. 
 
 Mr. Meriton made a similar attempt to that of the two oth- 
 ers, and almost reached the edge of the precipice. A soldier 
 vho preceded him had his feet on a small projecting rock or 
 stone on which also Meriton had fastened his hands to aid his 
 progress. At tins critical moment the quarryrnen arrived, 
 and seeing a man so nearly within their reach, they dropped a 
 rope to him, of which he immediately laid hold; and in a vi- 
 gorous effort to avail himself of this advantage, loosened tho 
 stone on which he stood, and which supported Mr. Meriton. 
 It giving way, Mr. Meriton must have been precipitated to 
 the bottom, had not a rope at that instant providentially been 
 lowered to him, which he seized, when absolutely in the act 
 of falling, and was safely drawn to the summit. 
 
 But the fate of Mr. lirimor was peculiarly severe. Only 
 aine days before the ship sailed, he had been married to a 
 beatiful young lady, the daughter of Captain .Norman of the
 
 164 UALSEWEIL EAST IJJDIAMAK. 
 
 royal navy, in which service he was a lieutcntant. and now 01 
 a visit to an i.ncle at Madras; after getting ashore with Mr 
 Ropers and up the side of the cavern, he remained until morn- 
 ing, when he crawled out. A rope being thrown to him, he 
 was eithe.- so benumbed with cold as to fasten it insecurely 
 about his body, or from some other cause or agitation, to ne- 
 glect doing it completely; at the moment when about to be 
 rescued from his perilous stand, he fell and was dashed to 
 pieces in the presence of his companions. 
 
 More assistance was obtained as the day advanced; and as 
 the efforts of the survivors permitted, they crawled to the ex- 
 tremities of the cavern and presented themselves to their pre- 
 servers above, who stood prepared to assist them. The 
 means of doing so, was by two men boldly approaching the 
 very brink of the precipice, a rope being tied round them and 
 fastened to a strong iron bar fixed in the ground; behind them 
 were two more, the like number further back and so on. A 
 strong rope also properly secured, passed round them, by 
 which they might hold, and preserve themselves from falling. 
 They then let down a rope with a noose ready made, below to 
 the cavern, and the wind blowing hard, it was in some instan- 
 ces forced under the projecting rock, sufficiently for the suf- 
 ferers to reach it, without creeping out. Whoever caught it, 
 put the noose round his body, and was drawn up. The dis- 
 tance from the top of the rock to the cavern, was at least an 
 hundred feet, and the rock projected about eight; ten feet 
 formed a declivity to the edge, and the rest was perpen- 
 dicular. 
 
 Many, however, in attempting to secure themselves, shar- 
 ed the fate of Mr. Brimer, and, unable, from weakness or per 
 turbation, to benefit by the assistance offered from above, they 
 were at last precipitated from the cliff, and were either dash- 
 ed to pieces on the rocks below, or perished in the waves. 
 Among those unhappy sufferers was one who being washed 
 off the rock, or falling into the sea, was carried out by the re- 
 turn of the waves beyond the breakers, within which his ut- 
 most efforts could never again bring him, but he was tiways 
 further withdrawn by the sea. He swam remarkably well, 
 and continued to struggle in sight of his companions, until .his 
 strength bring exhausted, he sunk to rise no more. 
 
 It was laie in the day before all the survivors gained the 
 land; one indeed a soldier, remained in this precarious sta- 
 tion until the morning of Saturday the 7th of January; ex- 
 posed to the utmost danger and distress. When the officers,
 
 HALSEWELL EAST INDIAMAH. 165 
 
 eam,en and soldiers, were mustered at the house of I\Tr. Gar- 
 and, they were found to amount to seventy-four; and these 
 teere the only persons saved out of rather more than two hun- 
 dred and forty that were on board when the ship sailed 
 through the Downs, including the passengers. It was sup- 
 posed that above fifty of the remainder reached the rocks, but 
 were then washed off or fell from the cliffs; and that fifty, or 
 more, sunk with the captain and the ladies in the round-house, 
 when the after-part went to pieces. An accurate account of 
 he whole numbers in the ship could never be obtained, as the 
 ast returns dispatched from her did not arrive. 
 
 The whole who reached the summit of the rock survived, 
 excepting two or three who were supposed to have expired 
 while drawing up, and a black who died soon afterwards; 
 though many were severely bruised. 
 
 Mr. Meriton and Mr. Rogers having been supplied with the 
 necessary means of making their journey by JNIr. Garland, 
 set off for London to carry the tidings of this disaster to the 
 India House, where they arrived at noon, on Sunday the 8th. 
 On the way they acquainted the magistrates of the towns 
 through which they passed, that a number of shipwrecked 
 seamen would soon be on the road to the metropolis. This 
 they did to avert any suspicions of their travelling for some 
 other intent. It is truly deserving of communication, that 
 the master of the Crown-Inn at Blandford, Dorsetshire, not 
 only sent for all the distressed seamen to his house, where he 
 liberally refreshed them, but presented each with half a crown 
 on his departure. 
 
 By this unfortunate shipwreck, all the passengers perished. 
 The ladies were peculiarly endowed with beauty and accom- 
 plishments. The captain was a man of distinguished worth; 
 humane and generous. (He left, besides those two daughters 
 who suffered along with him, six other children and a widow 
 to deplore his loss.) Most of the officers also perished; one 
 of them, Mr. Thomas Jeane, a midshipman, who was under 
 the immediate care of Captain Pierce, after gaining the rock 
 was swept otf by the waves. Swimming well he again reach- 
 ed i.; but unable to support the weakness which assailed him, 
 and the beating of the storm, he yielded his hold and perished 
 in the sea.
 
 68 RUSSIANS ABANDONED ON BPITZBERG1* 
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF FOUR RUSSIAN SAILORS, 
 
 ABANDONED ON THE ISLAND OF EAST SFITZBERGEN. 
 
 In tr3 year 1743, a merchant of JMesen, in Russia, fitted 
 out a vessel for the Greenland whale-fishery. She carried 
 .fourteen men, and was destined for Spitzbergen. For eight 
 successive days after their sailing the Wind was fair, but on 
 the ninth it changed; so that instead of getting to the coast of 
 Spitzbergen, the usual rendezvous of the Dutch ships, they 
 were driven eastward, and after some days elapsed they found 
 themselves near an island, called by the Russians Little Broun 
 Approaching within three versts, or two English miles of this 
 island, the vessel was suddenly surrounded by ice and the 
 crew were reduced to an extremely dangerous situation. 
 
 In this alarming state, a council was held when the mate, 
 Alexis Himkof, informed his comrades that some of the peo- 
 ple of JMesen formerly intended wintering on this island, and 
 for that purpose had carried timber hither, fit for building a 
 hut, and actually erected one at some distance from the shore. 
 
 The whole crew, therefore, concluded to winter there, if 
 t':e hut, as they hoped, still existed, because tb>./ were ex- 
 posed to imminent danger by remaining in the shij; , and they 
 would infallibly perish if they did so. Four of the crew were 
 on that account, dispatched in search of it, or rtnj other as- 
 sistance they might meet with. 
 
 The names of these four were, Alexis Ilimkof, Iwan Ilim- 
 kof, Stephen Scharapof and Feeder Weregin. Two miles of 
 ice intervened between them and the shore, which being loose 
 and driven together by the wind, rendered their approach dif- 
 ficult and dangerous. Poviding themselves with a musket, a 
 powder-horn containing twelve charges of powder, with as 
 many balls, an axe, a kettle, about twen'y pounds of flour, a 
 Lnife, a tinder-box, some tobacco and each his wooden pipe, 
 they soon arrived on the island. 
 
 Their first employment was exploring the country, when 
 they discovered the hut alluded to, about a mile and a half 
 from the shore. It was thirty-six feet long, eighteen broad
 
 RUSSIANS ABANDONED ON SPITZBERGEN. 16 
 
 and eighteen high; and consisted of two chambers. Rejoi 
 cing greatly at their success, they passed the night in i 
 though having been built a considerable time, it had suflere 
 much from the weather. 
 
 Next morning the four men hastened to the shore, impatien 
 to communicate their good fortune to their comrades; ^ke 
 wise designing to get such stores, ammunition and neces 
 saries from the vessel, as to enable them to winter on the isl 
 and But the reader may conceive their sorrow and aston 
 ishment, when on reaching the place where they had landed 
 nothing was to be seen but an open sea, instead of the ice 
 which only the day preceding had covered it. Doubtless ; 
 violent storm, which arose during the night, had operated th< 
 change. It was not known, however, whether the vessel ha 
 been beat to pieces by the ice, or whether she had been car 
 ried by the current to the ocean; not an uncommon event ii 
 Greenland. Whatever accident befel her, certain it is thej 
 saw her no more; whence it is probable that she sunk, an* 
 that all on board perished. 
 
 This unfortunate occurrence deprived them of the hope o 
 ever being able to quit the island, and full of horror and de 
 spair, they returned to the hut. But their first attention wa 
 directed to the means of providing subsistence, and repairin 
 their habitation. The twelve charges of powder procure 
 them as many rein-deer, for the island, fortunately for then 
 abounded with these animals. 
 
 Though there were many crevices in the building, the woo 
 of the hut was still sound and unimpaired, therefore the d< 
 ficiency was supplied and done the more easily, because tl 
 lower class of Russians are expert carpenters. Here the 
 had plenty of moss to assist them. 
 
 The intense cold of the climate prevents the growth < 
 vegetables, and no species of tree or shrub is found on tr. 
 ; slands of Spitzbergcn. The Russians, however, collected 
 quantity of wood on the shore, which at first consisted of tr. 
 wrecks of vessels, and afterwards of whole trees with the 
 roots, the produce of some more hospitable climate, thoug 
 unknown. Fortunately they found several bits of old iroi 
 some nails, five or six inches long, and an iron hook, on a fe 
 wooden boards washed in by the sea They likewise foun 
 the root of a fir tree, bent and nearly fashioned into the sha[ 
 of a bow. 
 
 By the help of a knife, a bow was soon formed but wantin 
 a string and arrows. Unable at present to procure eithf
 
 168 
 
 RUSSIANS ABANDONED ON SP1TZBERGEN, 
 
 they resolved to make two lances to defend themselves agairsl 
 the white bears. The iron hook w3 therefore fashioned intc 
 a han.mcr, by widening a hole wh'.ch it happened to have 
 about the middle, with one of the largest nails. A large peb- 
 ble served for an anvil, and a couple of rein-deer horns serv- 
 ed for the tongs. 
 
 Ky means of such tools, two spear heads were made, which 
 were tied fast with thongs to sticks about the thickness of a 
 man's arm. Thus equiped, the Russians ventured to attack 
 a white bear, and, after a most dangerous encounter, succeed- 
 ed in killing it. This was a new supply of provisions; they 
 relished the flesh exceedingly, and easily divided the tendons 
 into filaments, which, besides other uses, served for strings to 
 their bow. 
 
 The Russians, in the next place, proceeded to forge some 
 bits of iron into smaller pieces, resembling the head of spears ; 
 and these were fitted to arrows, by fastening them to fir rods. 
 
 They had thus a complete bow and arrows, and were more 
 easily enabled to obtain food. 
 
 With these, during their abode on the island, they killed 
 nD less than two hundred and fifty rein-deer, ami a great num- 
 ber of blue and white foxes. They fed on the flesh of the 
 animals and used their skins for clothing. They killed only 
 ten white bears during their residence, and that at the utmost 
 hazard, for these creatures are amazingly strong, and defend- 
 ed themselves with surprising vigour and fury. The first was 
 attacked intentionally; the other nine were killed in self-de- 
 fence, for the animals even ventured to enter the outer room 
 of the hut to devour them. Some, less ferocious t^an others,
 
 RUSSIANS ABANDONED ON SP1TZBERGEN. 169 
 
 were repulsed on the fi.st attempt, but a repetition of their at- 
 tacks exposed the sailors to the continual apprehension of be- 
 ing destroyed. 
 
 As they could not afford wood for a constant fire, they dried 
 a portion of their provision in the open air, and afterwards 
 hung it up in the hut, which was always full of smoke. Pre- 
 pared in this way, they used it for bread, because they were 
 ur/ler the necessity of eating their other flesh half raw. 
 
 Unfortunately, one of the Russians was attacked by the 
 scurvy. Iwan Himkof, who had wintered several times on 
 the coast of West Spitzbergen, advised his companions to 
 swallow raw and frozen meat in small pieces; to drink the 
 blood of the rein-deer, as it flowed warm from the veins of the 
 animal, and to eat scurvy-grass, although it was not very abund- 
 ant. Those who followed his injunctions found an effectual 
 antidote, but Feeder Weregin, being naturally of an indolent 
 disposition, averse to drinking the rein-deer blood, and, un- 
 willing to leave the hut when he could possibly avojd it, was 
 soon seized with the scurvy. Under this afflicting distemper 
 he passed nearly six years, enduring the greatest sufferings 
 At length he became so weak that he could not sit erect, nor 
 even raise his hand to his mouth, so that his humane compan- 
 ions were obliged to attend on, and feed him like a new born 
 infant, until the hour of his death. 
 
 In the course of their excursions through the island, the 
 seamen had met with a slimy loam, or kind of clay, of which 
 they contrived to make a lamp, and proposed to keep it con- 
 stantly burning with the' fat of the animals they should kill. 
 Thus they filled it with rein-deer's fat, and stuck a bit of 
 twisted linen for a wick. But, to their mortification, always 
 as the fat melted, it not only was absorbed by the clay, but 
 fairly run through it on all sides. On this account they form- 
 ed another lamp, which they dried throughly in the air, and 
 heated red hot. It was next quenched in their kettle, where- 
 in they had boiled a quantity of flour down to the consistence 
 of ihir. starch. When filled with melted fat, they found to 
 their great joy that it did not leak. Encouraged by this at- 
 tempt, they made another, that, at all events, they might not 
 be destitute of light, and saved the remainder of their flour 
 for similar purposes. Oakum thrown ashore, as also cordage 
 found among the wrecks of vessels, served for wicks; and 
 when these resources failed, they converted their shirts and 
 drawers to the same purpose fey such means they kept a 
 ^OL. H 8
 
 170 RUSSIANS ABANDONED ON SPITSBERGEN 
 
 lamp burning from soon after their arrival on tho island, untfl 
 the day of their embarkation for their native country. 
 
 Clothes, in so rigorous a climate, next became an object 
 of necessity. The uses to which they had applied what they 
 had brought with them exposed them still more to its severity 
 The skins of rein-deer and foxes had hitherto served for bed- 
 ding. It was essential to devise some method of tanning 
 them, the better to withstand the weather. This was accom- 
 plished, in a certain degree, by soaking the skins in water 
 until the hair could be rubbed off, and then putting rein-deer 
 fat upon them. The leather, by such a process, became soft 
 and pliant. The want of awls and needles was supplied by 
 bits of iron occasionally collected; of them they made a kind 
 of wire, which, being heated red hot, was pierced with a knife, 
 ground to a sharp point, which formed the eye of a needle. 
 The sinews of bears and rein-deer, split into threads, served 
 for sewing the pieces of leather together, which enabled the 
 Russians to procure jackets and trowsers for summer dress, 
 and a long fur gown with a hood for their winter apparel. 
 
 The wants of these unfortunate persons being thus provid- 
 ed for, the only reflections disturbing them were regret for 
 those left behind at home, or the apprehensions of some one 
 of them surviving all his companions, and then either famish- 
 ing for want of food, or becoming a prey to wild beasts. The 
 mate, Alexis Himkof, had a wife and three children, who 
 were constantly in his mind, and he was unhappy from the 
 dread of never seeing them more. 
 
 Excepting white bears, foxes and rein-deer, with which the 
 island abounds, no other animals inhabit it. A few birds are 
 seen in summer, such as geese, ducks and other water-fowl. 
 Whales seldom approach the shore; but there are great num- 
 bers of seals; other fish are scarce, and indeed their being in 
 plenty would little avail the Russians, who were unprovid- 
 ed with the means of taking them. Sometimes they found 
 the teeth and jaws of seals on the shore, but never an entire 
 carcase; for when these animals die on land, the white bears 
 immediately eat thrm. The common food of this ferocious 
 creature, however, is the flesh of dead whales, which are fre- 
 quently seen floating about in the polar regions, and are some- 
 times cast on shore. When this provision fails, they fail upon 
 seals, devouring them and other animals sleeping on the beach. 
 
 The island had many mountains and steep rocks of stupen- 
 dous height, perpetually covered with snow and ice; not a tree 
 nor even the poorest shrub was to be met with; neither is there
 
 RUSSIANS ABANDONED ON SPITZBKRGK1V. 171 
 
 a*y vegetable but scurvy-g'-ass, although plenty of mow 
 grows in every part. The Russians found no river; however, 
 there were many small rivulets rising among the rocks and 
 mountains, which afforded a quantity of water. 
 
 They saw the sun moving for months together round the 
 horizon during summer, and in winter they were an equal 
 length of time in total darkness; but the Aurora Borealis, 
 which was then frequent, contributed to lessen the gloominess 
 of so long a night. Thick cloudy weather, great quantities 
 of snow, and almost incessant rain at certain seasons, often 
 obscured the stars. The snow totally covered the nut in 
 winter, and left them no way of getting out of it, excepting by 
 a hole which they had made in the roof of one of the cham- 
 bers. 
 
 When the unfortunate mariners had passed nearly six years 
 in this dismal abode, Feoder N Weregin, who had all along been 
 in a languid state, died, after suffering the most excruciating 
 pains. Though his companions were thus freed of the trouble 
 of attending on him, and the grief of witnessing his misery, 
 they were deeply affected by his death. They saw their 
 number lessened, and each wished to be the next to follow 
 him. Having died in winter, a grave as deep as possible 
 was dug in the snow to receive his corpse, and the survivors 
 then covered it over to the best of their power, to prevent the 
 white bears from getting at it. 
 
 While the melancholy reflections excited by Weregin's 
 death were still fresh in the minds of his comrades, and while 
 each expected to pay the like duties to the companions of his 
 misfortunes that they had done to him, or to be himself the 
 first to receive them, a Russian vessel unexpectedly came in 
 view on the 15th of August 1749. 
 
 This vessel belonged to a trader who had come to Arch- 
 angel, and intended to winter in Nova Zdmbla; but fortunate- 
 ly it was proposed to him to winter at West Spit/.bergen, to 
 which, after many objections, he assented. Contrary winds 
 on the passage prevented the ship from reaching the place 
 of her destination, and drove her towards East Spitsbergen, 
 directly opposite to the residence of the mariners. As soon 
 as they perceived her, they hastened to light fires on the 
 nearest hills, and then ran to th6 beach wav : ng a flag made of 
 a rein-deer's skin fastened to a pole. The people on board 
 observing these signals, concluded there were men ashore im- 
 ploring their assistance, and therefore came to an anchor neai 
 the island.
 
 179 ICSflANI ABANDONED ON SPITSBERGEN. 
 
 To describe the joy of the unfortunate mariners at seeing 
 the moment of their deliverance so near, is impossible. 
 They soon agreed with the master of the vessel to take them 
 and all their riches on board, for which they should work dur- 
 ing the voyage, and pay him eighty rubles on arriving in Rus- 
 sia. Therefore they embarked, carrying with them two thou 
 sand weight of rein-deer fat, many hides of the same animals, 
 the skins of the blue and white foxes and bears they had kill- 
 ed. Neither did they neglect to carry away their spears, 
 their knife and axe, which were almost worn out, or their 
 awls and needles, which were carefully preserved in a box, 
 very ingeniously made of bone. 
 
 Afler spending six years and three months in this rueful 
 solitude, they arrived safe at Archangel on the 25th of Sep- 
 tember, 1749. But the moment of landing was nearly fatal to 
 the affectionate wife of Alexis Himkof, who happened to be 
 present when the vessel came into port. Immediately recog- 
 nizing her husband, she ran with such eagerness to embrace 
 him, that she slipped into the water, and very narrowly es- 
 caped being drowned. 
 
 All the three survivors were strong and healthy; having 
 lived so long without bread, they could not be reconciled to 
 the use of it; neither could they bear spirituous liquors, and 
 drank nothing but water. 
 
 As they were vassals of Count Schuwalow, who then had 
 a grant of the whale fishery, M. Le Roy requested of him 
 that they might be sent from Archangel to St. Petersburgh, 
 where he could satisfy himself respecting their Adventures. 
 Accordingly two of them arrived, Alexis Himkof, aged about 
 fifty and I wan Himkof about thirty. They brought some cu- 
 rious specimens of their workmanship, so neatly executed, 
 that it was doubtful with what tools it could have been done. 
 From their account, both to M. Klingstadt, auditor of the Ad- 
 mil olty at Archangel, and what they now communicated, M. 
 L, Roy composed the preceding narrative. 
 
 For centuries past Spitzbcrgen has been greatly resorted 
 to on account of the profitable whale-fishery of the ^urround- 
 ing seas, and several shipwrecks, as well as incidents similar 
 to the preceding, have occurred there, and in the vicinity. 
 Spitzbergen is a bleak and barren country, and received its 
 name from the lofty pointed mountains by which it is covered; 
 perpetual snow prevails, few plants spring from the soil, and 
 it is destitute of wood. But to compensate in some measure
 
 OF A CONVICT SHIP. 173 
 
 for the scanty productions of nature by land, its seas, abund* 
 antly stored with fish, can afford a copious supply both of food 
 and clothing to mankind. 
 
 LOSS OF THE AMPHITRITE CONVICT SHIP 
 
 The following particulars of the loss of this vessel arc cop- 
 ied from a letter dated Boulogne-sur-mcr, Sept. 1', 1833. 
 
 The shocking event which is announced by the title to this 
 letter, has, I assure you, filled the totfri with dismay, and 
 must lead to a most narrow and rigid investigation. I cannot at- 
 tempt to describe the afflictions not only of the English, but 
 the French, at this most distressing event, and I only express 
 *he general opinion when I say that the British public de- 
 mands that an inquiry be instituted into the conduct of all 
 parties concerned in this deplorable affair. 
 
 The Amphitrite convict ship sailed for New South Wales 
 from Woolwich on the 25th of August. Capt. Hunter was the 
 commander; Mr. Forrester the surgeon; and there were 108 
 female convicts, 12 children and a crew of 16 persons. The 
 captain was part owner of the vessel. When the ship arrived 
 off Dungeness, the gale of the 29th began. On Friday morn- 
 ing the captain hove the ship to, the gale being too heavy to 
 sail. The vessel was about three miles to the east from Bou- 
 logne harbor on Saturday at noon, when they made land - 
 The captain set the topsail and main-foresail in hopes of keep- 
 ng her off shore. 
 
 From three o'clock she was in sight of Boulogne, and cer- 
 tainly the sea was most heavy and the wind extremely strong; 
 but no pilot bo-it went out to her, and no life-boats or other 
 assistance were dispatched. I observed her from three o'clock 
 till about half past four in the afternoon, when she came 
 round into Boulogne harbor and struck on the sands. By 
 four o'clock it was known that it was a British ship, but COM
 
 i74 LOSS OF A CONVICT SHIP. 
 
 said it was a brig; others said it was a merchant vessel, 
 though all said it vas English. 
 
 It appears from the statement of three men who have been 
 saved out of the crew all the rest having perished, that the 
 captain ordered the anchor to be let go, in hopes of swinging 
 round with the tide. 
 
 In a few minutes after the vessel had gone aground, multi- 
 tudes rushed to the beach, and a brave French sailor, named 
 Pierre Henin, who has already received the thanks of the Hu- 
 mane Society of London, addressed himself to the captain of 
 the port, and said that he was resolved to go alone, and to 
 reach the vessel, in order to tell the captain that he had not a 
 moment to lose, but must, as it was low water, send all his 
 crew and passengers on shore. 
 
 You will recollect that up to the time of her running 
 aground no measure was adopted, and the captain was no* 
 warned from shore of her danger. 
 
 .: As soon as she had struck, however, a pilot-boat, command 
 ed by Francois Heuret, who has on many occasions shown 
 much courage and talent, was dispatched, and by a little after 
 five came under her bows. The captain of he vessel refused 
 to avail himself of the assistance of Heuret and his brave 
 companions, and when a portion of the crew proposed going 
 on shore the captain prevented them. Two of the men sav- 
 ed, state that they knew the boat was under the bows, but that 
 the rest were below making up their bundles. The crew 
 could then have got on shore and all the unfortunate women 
 and children 
 
 When the French boat had gone, the surgeon sent for Ow 
 en, one of the crew, and ordered him to get out the long 
 boat. This was about half past five. The surgeon discussed 
 the matter with his wife and with the captain. They were 
 afraid of allowing the prisoners to go on shore. The wife of 
 the surgeon is said to have proposed to leave the convicts 
 there, and to go on shore without them. 
 
 In consequence of this discussion, no long boat was sent 
 out. Three of the convict women told Owen, that they heard 
 the surgeon persuaded the captain not to accept the assist- 
 ance of the French boat, on account of the prisoners who 
 were on board. 
 
 Let us now return to Pierre Henin. The French pilot- 
 boat had been refused by the surgeon and captain the long- 
 boat had been put out,' through a discussion as to saving the 
 convicts and it was now nearly six o'clock. At that time
 
 LOSS OF A CONVICT SHIP. 17-5 
 
 Hcnm went 10 the beach, stripped himself, took a line, swam 
 naked for about three quarters of an hour or an hour, and ar- 
 rived at the vessel at a little after seven.' On reaching the 
 right side of the vessel, he hailed the crew, and said, "Give 
 me a line to conduct you on land, or you are lost, as the sea 
 is coming in." He spoke English plain enough to be heard 
 Me touched the vessel and told them to speak to the captain 
 They threw (that is, some of the crew, but not the surgeon 01 
 captain) two lines, one from the stern and one from the bow. 
 The one from the stern he could not seize the one from the 
 ')ow he did. He then went towards the shore, but the rope 
 was stopped. This was, it is believed, the act of the surgeon 
 and captain. He (Henin) then swam back, and told them to 
 give him more rope to get on shore. The captain and sur- 
 geon would not. They then tried to haul him in, but his 
 strength failed and he got on shore. 
 
 You perceive, then, that up to this moment also the same 
 obstacle existed in the minds of the captain and surgeon. 
 They did not dare, without authority, to land the convicts, and 
 rather than leave them on board, or land them without such 
 authority, they perished with them. 
 
 The female convicts, who were battened down under the 
 hatches, on the vessel's running aground, broke away the half 
 deck hatch, and frantic, rushed on deck. Of course they en- 
 treated the captain and surgeon to let them go on shore in 
 the long-boat, but they were not listened to, as the captain 
 and surgeon did not feel authorized to liberate prisoners com- 
 mitted to their care. 
 
 At seven o'clock the flood tide began. The crew seeing 
 f^at there were no hopes, clung to the rigging. The poor 
 108 women and 12 children remained on deck, uttering the 
 most piteous cries. The vessel was about three quarters of a 
 mile English from the shore, and no more. Owen, one of the 
 three men saved, thinks that the women remained on deck in 
 this state about an hour and a half. Owen and four others 
 were on the spars, and thinks they remained there three quar- 
 ters of an hour, but, seeing no hope of being saved, he took 
 to swimming, and was brought in a state of insensibility to the 
 hotel. Tovvsey, another of the men saved, was on a plank 
 with the captain. Towsey asked who he was? He said " I 
 urn the captain," but the next moment he was gone. Rice, 
 ihe third man, floated ashore on a ladder. He was in the aft 
 when the other men took to the raft. When the French pilot- 
 boat rowed away, after being rejected by the captain, he
 
 176 THE MUTINEERS A TALE OF THE 8EA. 
 
 (Rice) saw a man waving his hat on the beach, and remarked 
 to the captain that a gentleman was waving to them to come 
 on shore. The captain turned away and made no answer. 
 At that moment the women all disappeared, the ship broke in 
 .wo. 
 
 There are the facts of this awful case. The French Ma 
 rine Humane Society immediately placed hundreds of men on 
 the beach; and the office, or lodging, being close to the shore, 
 as soon as the corpses were picked up they were brought to 
 the rooms, where I assisted many of my countrymen in en- 
 deavoring to restore them to life Our efforts were fruitless 
 except in the cases of the three men, Owen, Rice and Tow- 
 sey. I never saw so many fine and beautiful bodies in my life. 
 Some of the women were the most perfectly made; and 
 French and English wept together at such a horrible loss of 
 life in sight of ay, and even close to, the port and town. 
 Body after body has been brought in. More than 60 have 
 been found; they will be buried to-morrow. But alas! after 
 all our efforts, only three lives have been saved out of 136. 
 
 THE MUTINEERS A TALE OF THE SEA 
 
 There is scarce any one, we apprehend, who is in any con- 
 siderable degree conversant with the shifting scenes of human 
 existence, who does not know that many of the plain naria- 
 tives of common life possess an indescribable charm. These 
 unvarnished details of human weal and human wo, coming right 
 from the mint of nature, decline the superfluous embellish- 
 ments of art, and, in the absence of all borrowed lustre, clear- 
 ly demonstrate that they are " adorned the most when unad- 
 orned." They bear a most diametrical contrast to those fig- 
 ments of diseased fancy, that nauseating romance about virgin! 
 betrothed and lady love, which in so many instances elbow de- 
 cency and comni-.iii .-< 'n-r from the pages of our periodicaJ 
 literature as " unwelcome guests."
 
 THE MUTINEER! A TALE OF THE SKA. 171 
 
 It has frequently been said that sailors, above every other 
 class of men, have irrepressible hankerings after the wild and 
 wonderful. Certain it is, that he who will sit on a ship's fore- 
 castle of a bright moonlight evening, will hear of " hair-breadth 
 escapes," and perilous adventures no less chivalrous and in- 
 credible than those which Cervantes and the biographer of 
 Baron Munchausen have attributed to their respective heroes. 
 Although the following incidents may excite no very thrilling 
 interest, they have at least the merit of truth. The actors in 
 this short drama are still on the stage, ready to testify to 
 this narrative of facts. 
 
 On the morning of the 14th of April, 1828, the ship Gold- 
 Hunter glided majestically out of the Liverpool docks, with 
 fair wind and tide. The Mersey, from Liverpool to Black 
 Rock, a distance of about three miles, was literally covered 
 with vessels of every character and nation, which had taken 
 advantage of the fair wind to clear the harbor. Here might 
 be seen the little French lugger, carrying back to Bordeaux 
 what its fruit and brandy had bought, as friskey in its motions 
 as the nervous monsieur who commanded it. At a little dis- 
 tance, the square-shouldered Antwerper, sitting on the ele- 
 vated poop of his galliot, was enjoying, with his crew, a glori- 
 ous smoke. You could almost see them (and that, too, with- 
 out very keen optics) put care into their tobacco-pipes . 
 anxiety curled in fume over their heads. A not unfrequent 
 sight was the star-spangled banner floating in beauty over the 
 bosom of the wave. The serenity of the atmosphere, the ever- 
 changing brilliancy of the scene, the tout ensemble, were well 
 calculated to excite the most pleasurable emotions. Every 
 thing seemed to give the most flattering assurances of a voy- 
 age of unruffled peacefulness. 
 
 This large squadron continued comparatively unbroken until 
 it reached Holyhead, where such vessels as were bound for 
 Scotland, or the aorth of Ireland, bore away from those which 
 were bound down the channel. The Gold-Hunter, whose 
 destination was a port in the United States ; was, of course, 
 in company with the latter class. Those on board of her 
 very naturally felt great gratification in perceiving that she 
 was not only the most splendid and graceful ship, but the 
 swiftest sailor in sight. 
 
 Before we proceed farther, however, we must in some mea- 
 sure acquaint the reader with the inmates of the Gold Huntei. 
 Notwithstanding she was one of those floating palaces yclept 
 u Liverpool packets," and the captain a finished gentleman
 
 178 THE MUTINEERS A TALE OF THE IE A 
 
 and skilful navigator, there were, on this trip, but two cabin 
 passengers, an Irish gentleman (who had a short time before 
 sold his lieutenancy in the British army) and his sister. The 
 former had been engaged in some of England's fiercest battles, 
 and won some of her brightest laurels. The reason which in- 
 duced him to dispose of his commission, and forsake the hard- 
 ships and honors of military life, was a desire to visit some 
 near relations, who, at an early period, had emigrated to this 
 country, and who were now enjoying respectability and a com- 
 petence It was for this object that Mr. Kelly and his sister 
 had taken passage in the Gold Hunter, at the time of which 
 we are now speaking. It need hardly be said, that they felt 
 towards each other all that deep-toned and romantic affection 
 which in so characteristic a manner pervades Irish relation- 
 ships. 
 
 The captain, who was a man of fine feeling and cultivated 
 intellect, spent most of his leisure moments in their company; 
 and many an evening, when the moon-beams played forth 
 brightly on the rippling water, and the bellying of the canvass 
 seemed to assure them they were hastening to the tender em- 
 braces of those they loved, would they srt together on the 
 quarter-deck, while Miss Kelly enhanced the brilliancy of the 
 scene by singing some of those wild, touching melodies which 
 she had learned to warble on her own native hills. Thus 
 ,' time trod on flowers," and the incidental privations and in- 
 conveniences of a sea voyage were greatly mitigated. 
 
 Nothing worthy of special notice occurred until about the 
 25th of April, when Mr. Kelly, who was walking on the 
 weather side of the main deck, accidentally overheard the fol- 
 lowing conversation, between three or four of the crew, en- 
 gaged in caulking the seams just under the lee of the long 
 boat. 
 
 " I tell you, once for all, a cargo of silks and broadcloths 
 ant a going to do us any good without the ready cash." 
 
 " Ready cash ! why, man, how many times must I tell you 
 hat there is specie on board ? the old man has two or three 
 thousand dollars, and Kelly has a bag of sovereigns, or my 
 eyes never saw salt water " And the girl," said a third voice, 
 which Mr. Kelly knew to be the steward's " and the girl did 
 not jingle her bag for nothing the other day, when she walked 
 by me : something there, or my head 's a ball of spun-yarn.' 1 
 
 Kelly was transfixed with utter horror and amazement ; but 
 fearful lest some one might perceive him, he crouched undei 
 he long-boat, which afforded him a partial concealment, fn
 
 THE MUTINEERS A TALE OF THE SEA. 17t 
 
 this situation, he listened with breathless anxiety, to the de- 
 velopement of their plans, so murderous that his very blood 
 ran cold in his veins. 
 
 When the villains came to the blackest, most awful, portions 
 of their scheme, their voices were instinctively hushed into 
 almost a whisper ; so that it was only the general outline that 
 Kelly could gather. He found that it was their intention to 
 wait until some dark, dismal night, when they would rush on 
 the captain, himself and sister, and murder them in their beds, 
 rifle them of their money, and take possession of the ship. It 
 was their design to spare the life of the mate, whose services 
 they needed as a navigator. After having done all this, they 
 were to steer directly for the coast of Africa, where they hop- 
 ed to dispose of the cargo to the negroes. If successful, they 
 expected to carry thence to the West Indies a load of slaves 
 if not, to abandon the ship entirely, taking with them the 
 specie, and whatever light articles of value they conveniently 
 could. They anticipated no difficulty in introducing them- 
 selves into some of the settlements on the coast as shipwreck- 
 ed mariners ; and, as vessels frequently left the settlements 
 for the United States, they supposed they might procure a 
 passage without exciting any suspicion. 
 
 Kelly was a man of such imperturbable self-command, that 
 he found no difficulty in repressing every symptom which could 
 indicate his knowledge of the diabolical conspiracy. It was 
 no part of his intention, however, to conceal any thing from 
 Capt. Newton ; to the captain, therefore, he made an unre- 
 served disclosure of all that had come to his knowledge. At 
 first they were at a loss what measures to take : one thing 
 they thought of the greatest importance, which was to keep 
 Mirfs Kelly in entire ignorance of what was transpiring on 
 board. Some uncurbed outbreaking of alarm would be almost 
 certain, such was the excitability of her temperament. This, 
 in their present situation, might be attended with the most 
 disastrous consequences. 
 
 The captain determined to eye with particular vigilance the 
 motions of Harmon, who, from the part he took in the conver- 
 sation alluded to above, appeared to be the ring-leader. Here, 
 in order that the reader may fully understand the narrative, 
 't becomes necessary for us to make a very short disgression. 
 
 The government of a ship is, in the strides* sense of the 
 term, monarchical, the captain holding undivided and abso- 
 lute authority. The relation he sustains to the sailor resem- 
 blea very much that of the master to the slave. Conse-
 
 180 THE MUTINEERS- A TA I.E OF THE SEA. 
 
 qaently, in order that this relation be not severed by the sailor, 
 ever the faintest color of insubordination must be promptly 
 quelled. If any master of a ship suffer a sailor to make an 
 impertinent reply with impunity, he immediately finds his au- 
 thority prostrate and trampled upon, and his most positive 
 commands pertinaciously disregarded. 
 
 The day after that on which Mr. Kelly had communicated 
 the startling intelligence to the captain, was somewhat squally. 
 The latter was standing on the weather side of the quarter- 
 deck, giving directions to the man at the helm (who happened 
 to be Harmon) respecting the steering of the ship : 
 
 "Luff! luff! keep her full and by! Mind your weather 
 helm, or she '11 be all in the wind. Down with it, or she Ml be 
 off!" I tell you, if you don't steer the ship better, I '11 send 
 you from the helm. You don't keep her within three points 
 of her course either way !" 
 
 All this was said, of course, in a pretty authoritative tone, 
 and Harmon impudently replied, " I can steer as well as you, 
 or any other man in the ship." 
 
 Capt. Newton's philosophy was completely dashed by this 
 daring answer, and he immediately gave Harmon a blow with 
 his fist, which Harmon as promptly returned sprawling the 
 captain on the deck. 
 
 Harmon then deserted the helm, leaving the ship to the 
 mercy of the tempest, and hurried forward to the forecastle, 
 hoping there to intrench himself so firmly as to resist all at- 
 tacks from without. 
 
 The captain, as soon as he could recover from his amaze- 
 ment, went to the cabin door and cried out, 
 
 " Mr. Kelly, our lives are in danger will you assist me, 
 my dear sir, to secure one of my men, that cut-throat Harmon. 
 We must blow up this scheme in the outset, or we are gone." 
 
 Kelly had too little coolness in his constitution to stop to 
 discuss the matter, when he knew that the life of a dear sister 
 might depend on the issue. He saw, in a moment, that the 
 conspirators would take courage, unless they were immediate- 
 ly overpowered. He therefore instantly joined Capt. Newton, 
 and they proceeded to the forecastle together. 
 
 Threats and commands had not virtue enough to bring Har- 
 mon from his hiding-place. Some more effectual expedient 
 must be resorted to. Accordingly, brimstone was introduced 
 into the numerous crevices of the forecastle, and the atmos- 
 phere rendered insufferable Frantic with suffocation, his eves 
 flashing with rage, he br indished savagely a hugr case-
 
 THE MUTINEERS A TALK OF THE SKA. 181 
 
 knife : " You, Newton! and you Kelly f 1 r^ear that, if 1 am 
 obliged to leave this forecastle, I'll sheath .this knife in your 
 breasts, you infernal tormentors !" 
 
 Like the chafed, wounded, maddened bull, which his pur- 
 suers have surrounded, and which is drawing close about him 
 his dying strength, for one last furious charge, was Harmon, 
 when Kelly, with most provoking coolness, said, " Harmon, 
 you shall leave that forecastle, or die there.'' 
 
 It soon became evident that he was making preparations to 
 leave : they therefore planted themselves firmly near the gang 
 way through which alone he could possibly come out. Soon he 
 bolted furiously through, making, as he passed, a desperate 
 plunge at Capt. Newton, with his enormous case-knife. Had 
 not Mr. Kelly, at this moment, by a dexterous effort, struck 
 Harmon's arm, one more immortal spirit would have been dis- 
 encumbered of this "coil of mortality." Instead of this, the 
 villain was disarmed, and his dangerous weapon danced about 
 harmlessly on the top of the waves. Harmon was now power- 
 less ; and they found no difficulty in putting irons upon him 
 During the whole of this contest, his associates did not dare 
 to offer him the least assistance : on the contrary, each stood 
 silently apart, eyeing his neighbor with fear and distrust. 
 
 When Mr. Kelly returned to the cabin, he found that his 
 sister had fainted away through terror. Volatile salts, and the 
 assurance that all her future fears would be entirely ground- 
 less, had the effect of restoring her very speedily. * * * 
 
 On the morning of the 23d May, Charleston light-house 
 was descried from the mast-head. Not a remnant of apprehen- 
 sion lurked behind ; every pulse beat gladly ; anticipated joys 
 filled every bosom. It was not long before the" revenue cutter, 
 from which (loats the stripes and the stars, was seen bounding 
 over the billows towards the Gold Hunter. She was soon 
 along side, and, after an interchange of salutations between 
 the vessels, the commander of the revenue cutter boarded the' 
 ship. After many inquiries, Capt. Newton requested the 
 United States officer to step into the cabin, where he laid 
 open all the circumstances connected with the abortive con- 
 spiracy. 
 
 " Capt. Morris," said he, " I shall be obliged to call on you 
 for assistance in bringing these men to punishment." 
 
 <: Such as I can grant," replied Capt. M., "is at your ser- 
 vice ; but how shall we proceed ?" 
 
 " Pu*. the men into i DUS, and then I consign them to you* 
 %afc keeping."
 
 ItS FATE OF SEVEN SAILORS. 
 
 Thre intentions were announced on deck ; and if erer con- 
 vternation and rueful dismay were depicted in human counte- 
 nances it was in the case of those who had entered into the 
 conspiracy, but who, till now, had supposed that all their plans 
 were enveloped in midnight secrecy. Manacles were put on 
 them all without difficulty, and they soon found themselves 
 securely lodged on board an United States vessel. 
 
 At the fall term of the Supreme Court of South Carolina, 
 four men were arraigned on an indictment of " mutiny on the 
 high seas," on board the ship Gold Hunter. The evidence 
 was so conclusive, that all the ingenuity of the prisoner's 
 council, twist itself as it would, could effect notJ>iny The 
 jury found a verdict of guilty, without leavincr theii seats 
 Harmon was sentenced to the penitentiary five yeai ; the 
 others four years each Thus was a most dangerous nd 
 tion frustrated. 
 
 FATE OF SEVEN SAILORS, 
 
 WHO WERE LEFT ON THE ISLAND OF ST. K.'UP.ICE 
 
 The Dutch who frequented the northern regions during tK 
 more favorable season of the year, in pursuit of the whal* 
 fishery, became desirous of ascertaining the state of differen' 
 places while winter prevailed. Various opinions were enter 
 iained concerning this subject, and astronomers wished to 
 have fheir sentiments regarding certain natural phenomena, 
 either realized or controverted. Besides, a more important 
 bject WPS concealed under these ostensible reasons, nam'e'y, 
 whether the establishment of permanent colonies in the most 
 remote parts of Greenland was practicable. A proposal was 
 therefore promulgate.! through the Greenland fleet, for seven 
 seamen to offer to remain a winter in St. Maurice's Island, and 
 also for other seven to winter in Spitzbergen. We are not
 
 FATR OF SEVEN SAITOHS 18S 
 
 
 
 acquainted with the inducements held forth ; but it is probable 
 that little hesitation ensued, for we find a party prepared to 
 winter at the different places specified, nearly about the 
 same period. 
 
 Seven of the stoutest and ablest men of the fleet having ac- 
 cordingly agreed to be left behind, their comrades sailed from 
 St. Maurice's Isle on the 26th of August 1633. 
 
 The people, two days afterwards, shared half a pound of 
 tobacco, to which they restricted themselves as a weekly al- 
 lowance. At this time there was no night, and the heat of the 
 sun so powerful through the day, that they pulled ofF their 
 shirts, and sported on the side of a hill near their abode Great 
 abundance of sea-gulls frequented the island, and the seamen 
 made a constant practice of seeking for vegetables growing 
 there for sallad. 
 
 Towards the end of September, the weather began to be 
 tempestuous, and in the earlier part of October, their huts 
 were so much shaken by violent storms of wind, that their 
 nightly rest was interrupted ; but they did not resort to firing 
 until the 9th of that month. About a week subsequent, two 
 whales were cast ashore, and the seamen immediately endea- 
 vored to kill them with harpoons, lances, and cutlasses, but 
 the tide flowing enabled them to escape. 
 
 As winter advanced, bears became so numerous, that the 
 people durst scarce venture abroad from their huts towards 
 night ; but in the day time some were occasionally killed, 
 which they roasted. Several of these animals were so strong, 
 however, that they would run off after being shot through. 
 A great many gulls were also seen on the sea-side which re- 
 tired every night to the mountains, their usual place of re- 
 treat 
 
 The first of January 1634, was ushered in with dark and 
 frosty weather ; the seamen, after wishing each other a happy 
 new year, and good success in their enterprize, went to 
 prayers. Two bears approached very mear their huts, but 
 the darkness of the day, and the depth of the snow, rendered 
 t impossible to take them ; not long afterwards the seamen 
 were more successful, and, having shot one, dragged it into 
 a hut, where they skinned it. From the 1st of February 
 these animals became very shy, and were seldom seen. 
 
 In the month of March all the people were attacked by 
 scurvy, owing to the scarcity of fresh provisions, and their 
 spirits sunk with the progress of the disease ; only two were 
 in health on the 3d of April, while tin 1 rest were extremely
 
 184 FATE OF SEVEN SAILORS. 
 
 
 
 iU. Two pullets were at their request killed for them, no 
 more being left ; and as their appetites were pretty good, the 
 others entertained hopes of their convalescence. The whole 
 -eldom left their hut to examine the appearance of the sea, or 
 the surrounding country ; but, on the 15th, they observed 
 four whales in a neighboring bay. 
 
 The clerk was now very ill, and died on the 16th, where- 
 jpon the surviving mariners invoked Heaven to have mercy 
 on his soul, and also on themselves, for they suffered severe- 
 ly. No fresh provisions whatever were left, and they daily 
 grew worse, partly from want of necessary articles, and partly 
 from the excessive cold. Even when in health they could 
 scarce keep themselves in heat by exercise ; and when sick, 
 and unable tc stir from their huts, that remedy was at an 
 en Disease made rapid progress among these unfortunate 
 people, so that on the 23d not more than one individual could 
 give an account of the rest, which is done in these words of 
 his journal : " We are by this time reduced to a deplorable 
 state, none of my comrades being able to help himself, much 
 less another ; the whole burden, therefore, lies on my 
 shoulders, and I shall perform my duty as well as I am able, 
 so long as it pleases God to give me strength. I am just now 
 about to assist our commander out of his cabin ; he thinks it 
 will relieve his pain, for he is struggling with death. The 
 night is dark, and wind blowing from the south." 
 
 Meantime the Dutch, who repaired in the summer season 
 to Greenland, became impatient to learn the fate of the seven 
 men left in the Isle of St. Maurice. Some of the seamen got 
 into a boat immediately orrtheir arrival, on the 4th of June 1634, 
 and hastened towards the huts. Yet, from none of the others 
 having come to the sea-side to welcome them, they presaged 
 nothing good ; and accordingly found that all the unfortunate 
 men had breathed their last. The first, as has been seen, ex- 
 pired on the 16th of April 1634, and his comrades, having put 
 his body in a coffin, deposited it in one of the huts. The re- 
 mainder were conjectured to have died about the beginning of 
 Ma} 1 , from a journal kept by them, expressing that, on the 
 27th of April, they had killed their dog for want of fresh pro- 
 visions, and from its termination on the last of this month. 
 
 Near one of the bodies stood some bread and cheese, on 
 which the mariner had perhaps subsisted immediately pre- 
 ceding his decease ; a box of ointment lay beside the cabin 
 of another, with which he had rubbed his teeth and joints, and 
 his arm was still extended towards his mouth. A prayer-
 
 8RAMRN WINTERING IN SPITZBERGKN 186 
 
 book, which he had been leading, also lay near him. Each 
 of the men was found in his own cabin. 
 
 The Commodore of the Greenland fleet having got this 
 melancholy intelligence, ordered the six bodies to be put into 
 coffins, and, along with the seventh, deposited beneath the 
 snow. Afterwards, when the earth thawed, thoy were remov- 
 ed, and interred, on St. John's day, under a general discharge 
 of the cannon of the fleet 
 
 SEAMEN WINTERING IN SPITZBERGEN 
 
 On the 30th of August 1633, the Dutch fleet saHed from 
 North-Bay, in Spitzbergen, leaving seven men behind, who 
 had agreed to winter there. Immediately, on departure of the 
 vessels, they began to collect a sufficient quantity of provisions 
 to serve their necessities until their comrades should return in 
 the subsequent year. Therefore, at different times, they 
 hunted rein-deer with success, and caught many sea-fowl ; 
 and also occasionally got herbs, which proved very salutary. 
 
 Excursions both by sea and land were frequently made 
 when the weather would permit ; and they endeavored to kiL". 
 whales and narwhals i* the different bays on the east coast 
 of Spitzbergen. 
 
 The extreme cold of the climate was announced by the dis- 
 appearance of all the feathered tribe on the third of October, 
 and from that time it gradually augmented. On the 13th their 
 casks of beer were frozen three inches thick, and very soon 
 afterwards, though standing within eight feet of the fire, they 
 froze from top to bottom. The seamen had broke the ice on 
 the sea, and disposed a net for catching fish below it ; but the 
 rigour of the weather constantly increasing, the ice formed a 
 foot thick at the surface in the space of two hours. 
 
 From the excessive celd, they remained almost censtantly 
 in ted, and, notwithstanding they had both a grate and a stove,
 
 186 SEAMEN WINTERING IN SP1TZBEROEN . 
 
 they were sometimes obliged to rise and take violent exercise 
 to keep themselves in heat. 
 
 Beautiful phenomena appeared in the sky during winter, 
 consisting of the Aurora Borealis, of surprising splendour 
 and magnitude, and other meteors seeming to arise from the 
 icy mountains. 
 
 On the third of March the mariners had an encounter with 
 a monstrous bear, in which one of them very nearly perished 
 The animal became furious from its wounds ; leaping against 
 * seaman, about to pierce it with his lance, it threw him down, 
 uuj, but for the opportune interposition of another, would have 
 torn him to pieces. 
 
 At length, after suffering many hardships and privations the 
 mariners were gladdened with the sight of a boat rowing into 
 the bay, on the 27th of May 1634, announcing the return of 
 a Dutch Greenlandman, which anchored there the same 
 evening. 
 
 The Dutch, encouraged by the safety of this party, propos- 
 ed that other seven people, provided with all necessaries, 
 should pass the following winter in their place ; and, accord- 
 ingly, Andrew Johnson, Cornelius Thysse, Jerome Carcoen, 
 Tiebke Jellis, Nicolas Florison, Adrian Johnson, and Fettje 
 Otters, offered to remain. 
 
 The fleet, therefore, sailed for Holland on the llth of 
 September 1634, leaving these men behind. Numbers ot 
 whales were in sight of Spitsbergen on the same day, which 
 the people made an unsuccessful attempt to catch. 
 
 Towards the end of November, scurvy beginning to appear 
 among them, they care/ully sought for green herbs, but ir 
 vain ; nor were they more fortunate in the pursuit of bears 
 and foxes for fresh provisions. However, they drank some 
 potions and took other antidotes against the disease, and then 
 set traps for foxes. 
 
 A bear being discovered on the 24th of November, three of 
 Ihe people eagerly proceeded to attack it, for their necessities 
 were daily becoming greater. The animal, rising to receive 
 them on its hind legs, was shot through the body, whereupon 
 it began to bleed and roar most hideously, and fiercely bit a 
 halbert. But, likely to be overpowered, it took to flight, and 
 was anxiously pursued by the people a long way, carrying 
 lanthorns, though unsuccessfully ; and they were all much 
 dispirited from the disappointment of fresh provision, which 
 they so much required. 
 
 On the 14th of January, Adrian Johnson died. The whole
 
 CO 
 
 "8. 
 
 I
 
 SEAMEN WINTERING IN SPITSBERGEN. 
 
 of the rest were extremely ill. Fettje Otter died n^xl day, 
 and also Cornelius Thysse on the 17th, a man ir horn his 
 comrades rested their chief hope next to God. 
 
 Notwithstanding the weakness of the survivors, who could 
 scarce support themselves on their legs, they contrived to 
 tnake three coffins for the deceased, and put their bodies intc 
 them. 
 
 In the beginning of February they had the good fortune tc 
 catch a fox, an incident which afforded them much satisfac- 
 tion . but at that time disease had gone too far to admit their 
 deriving material benefit from the flesh. Many bears, even 
 six or ten together were seen ; but the people had not strength 
 to manage their guns, nor, had it been otherwise, were they 
 able to pursue them. Now they were seized with excrucia- 
 ting pains about the loins and belly, which were aggravated by 
 cold. One spit blood, and another was afflicted with a bloody 
 flux ; yet Jerome Carcoen could still bring in fuel to keep up 
 the fires. 
 
 The sun had disappeared on the 20th of October, nor was 
 ho seen again until the 24th of February, when the marine*? 
 were so weak as to be constantly confined to their cabin* 
 Two days after, they ceased to be able to write, at that time 
 expressing themselves in a journal thus : " Four of us who 
 still survive, lie flat on the floor of our hut. We think we 
 could still eat, were there only one among us able to get fuel, 
 but none can move for pain ; our time is spent in constant 
 praye~, that God, in his mercy, would deliver us from ttn 
 misery ; we are ready whenever he pleases to call us. As- 
 suredly we cannot long survive without food or firing ; we are 
 unable to assist each other in our mutual afflictions, and each 
 must bear his own burden." 
 
 The seamen of the Dutch fleet arriving at Spitzbergen, in 
 1635, hastened to inquire after the fate of their comrades; 
 and having found their hut all closed around as a protection 
 against wild beasts, they broke open the back door. A man 
 then entering, ran up stairs, where he discovered part of a 
 dead dog on the floor, laid there to dry, and quickly descend- 
 ing, trod on the carcass of another dog also dead. Thence 
 passing towards the front door, he stumbled in the dark over 
 several dead bodies, which, after the door was opened, were 
 seen lying together. Three were in coffins ; Nicholas Flori- 
 son and another, each in a cabin ; and the other two on Borne 
 sails covering the floor, lying with their knees drawn up to 
 their chins. Therefore the whole of these unfortunate people 
 nad perished.
 
 190 A MAN OVERBOARD. 
 
 Coffins were prepared for the four bodies wanting them, 
 and all were buried under the snow, until the ground became 
 more penetrable, when they were deposited in the earth be- 
 side each other, and stones laid on their graves, to preserve 
 them from the ravenous beasts of prey. 
 
 A MAN OVERBOARD. 
 
 Sailors are men of rough habits, but their feelings are no 
 by anv means so coarse : if they possess little prudence o 
 worldly consideration, they are likewise very free from selfish 
 ness ; generally speaking, too, they are much attached to one 
 another, and will make great sacrifices to their messmates or 
 shipmates when opportunites occur 
 
 I remember once, when cruising ofFTerceira in the Endy-' 
 mion, that a man fell overboard and was drowned. After the 
 usual confusion, and long search in vain, the boats were hoist 
 ed up, and the hands called to make sail. I was officer of the 
 forecastle and on looking about to see if all the men were at 
 their station, missed one of the foretop men. Just at that 
 moment I observed some one curled up, and apparently hid- 
 ing himself under the bow of the barge, between the boat and 
 the booms. * Hillo !' I said, ' who are you ? What are you 
 doing there, you skulker ? Why are you not at your 
 station ?' 
 
 ' I am not skulking,' said the poor fellow, the furrows in 
 whose bronzed and weatherbeaten cheek were running down 
 with tears. The man we had just lost had been his messmate* 
 and friend, he told me, for ten years. I begged his pardon, in 
 full sincerity, for having used such harsh words to him at such 
 a moment, and bid him go below to his birth for the rest of the 
 day ' Never mind, sir, never mind,' said the kind hearted 
 seamen, 'it can't be helped. You meant no harm, sir. I am 
 as well on deck as below Bill's gone sir, but I must do mv
 
 A MAN OVERBOARD. 191 
 
 duty.' So saying, he drew the sleeve of his jacket twice or 
 thrice across his eyes, and mustering his grief 17 ithin his 
 breast, walked to his station as if nothing had happened. 
 
 In the same ship and nearly about the same time, the people 
 were bathing along side in a calm at sea. It is customary on 
 such occasions to spread a studding-sail on the water, by 
 means of lines from the fore and main yard arms, for the use 
 of those who either cannot swim, or who are not expert in this 
 art, so very important to all seafaring people. Haifa dozen 
 Df. the ship's boys were floundering about in the says, and 
 sometimes even venturing beyond the leech rope. One of 
 the least of these urchins, but not the least courageous of their 
 number, when taunted by his more skilful companions with 
 being afraid, struck out boldly beyond the prescribed bounds 
 He had not gone much further than his own length, however, 
 along the surface of the fathomless sea, when his heart failed 
 him, poor little man; and along with his confidence away also 
 went his power of keeping his head above the water. So 
 down he sank rapidly, to the speechless horror of the other 
 boys, who of course, could lend the drowning child no help 
 
 The captain of the forecastle, a tall, fine-looking, hard-a- 
 weatner fellow, was standing on 'the shank of the sheet anchoi 
 with his arms across, and his well varnished canvass hat 
 drawn so much over his eyes that it was difficult to tell 
 whether he was awake or merely dozing in the sun, as he 
 leaned his back against the fore-topmast backstay. The sea- 
 men, however, had been attentively watching the young party 
 all the time, and rather fearing that mischief might ensue from 
 their rashness, he had grunted out a warning to them from 
 time to time, to which they paid no sort of attention. At last 
 he desisted, saying they might drown themselves if they had a 
 mind, for never a bit would he help them ; but no sooner did 
 the sinking figure of the adventurous little boy catch his e_y<j, 
 than, diver fashion, he joined the palms of his hands over his 
 head, inverted his position in one instant, and urging himself 
 into swifter motion by a smart push with his feet against the 
 anchor, shot head foremost into the water. The poor lad sunk 
 so rapidly that he was at least a couple of fathoms under the sur- 
 face before he was arrested by the grip of the sailor, who soon 
 rose again, bearing the bewildered boy in his hand, and call- 
 ing to the other youngsters to take better care of their com- 
 panion, chucked him right into the belly of the sail. The 
 fore-sheet was hanging in the calm, nearly into the water, and 
 by it the dripping seaman scrambled up again to his old birth
 
 19 AN R8CAPE THROUGH THE 
 
 on the anchor, shook himself like a great Newfoundland dog 
 and then jumping on the deck, proceeded across the forecastle 
 to shirt himseif. 
 
 At the top of the ladder he was stopped by the marine 
 officer, who had witnessed the whole transaction, as he sat 
 across the gangway hammocks, watching the swimmers, and 
 trying to get his own consent to undergo the labor of undress- 
 ing. Said the soldier to the sailor, " That was very well done 
 of you, my man, and right well deserves a glass of grog. Say 
 o to the gnn-room steward as you pass ; and tell him it is my 
 orders to fill you out a stiff nor-wester." The soldier's offer 
 was kindly meant, but rather clumsily timed, at least so thought 
 Jack : for though he inclined his head in acknowledgment of 
 the attention, and instinctively touched his hat when spoken 
 to by an officer, he made no reply till out of the marine's 
 hearing, when he laughed, or rather chuckled out to the 
 people near him, " Does the good gentleman suppose I '11 
 take a glass of grog for saving a boy's life." 
 
 A.\ ESCAPE THROUGH THE CABIN-WINDOWS 
 
 In the year 18 , said Capt M , I was bound, in a fine 
 
 stout ship of about four hundred tons burden, from the port of 
 
 I 1 to Liverpool. The ship had a valuable cargo on board 
 
 and about ninety thousand dollars in specie. I had been pre- 
 vented, by other urgent business, from giving much of my at- 
 tention to the vessel while loading and equipping for tho 
 voyage, but was very particular in my directions to the chief 
 mate, in whom I had great confidence, he having sailed with 
 me some years, to avoid entering, if possible, any but native 
 American seamen. When we were about to sail, he inform- 
 ed me that he had not been able to comply with my directions 
 entirely in this particular ; but had shipped two foreigners as 
 eamen, one a native of Guernsey, and the other a Frenchman
 
 AN ESCArr TTIROUOH TT1E CABIN-WINDOWS. 193 
 
 from "Brittany. I was pleased, however, with the appearance 
 of the crew f-uerally, and particularly with the foreigners 
 They were b< h tout and able-bodied men, and were partic- 
 ularly alert P attentive to orders. 
 
 The pass ->mmenced auspiciously and promised to be a 
 
 speedy one, <^ >.t took a fine steady westerly wind soon after 
 \ve lost soundings. To my great sorrow and uneasiness, I 
 soon discovered in the foreigners a change of conduct for the 
 worse. They became insolent to the mates and appeared to 
 be frequently under tho excitement of liquor, and had evident- 
 ly acquired an undue influence with the rest of the men. 
 Their intemperance soon became intolerable, and as it was 
 evide.it that they had brought liquor on board with them, I 
 determined upon searching the forecastle and depriving them 
 of it. An order to this effect was given to the mates, and 
 Ihev were directed to go about its execution mildly and firmly, 
 taking no arms with them as they seemed inclined to do, but 
 to give every chest, birth and locker in the forecastle a thor 
 ough examination ; and bring aft to the cabin any spirits they 
 might find. 
 
 It was not without much anxiety that I sent them forward 
 upon this duty. I remained upon the quarter deck myself, 
 ready to go to their aid, should it be necessary. In a few 
 laments, a loud and angry dispute was succeeded by a sharp 
 scuille around the forecastle companion-way. The steward, 
 at my call, handed my loaded pistols from the cabin, and wilh 
 them 1 hastened forward. The Frenchman had grappled the 
 second mate, who was a mere lad, by the throat, thrown him 
 across the heel of the bowsprit, and was apparently determin- 
 ed to strangle him to death. The chief mate was calling foi 
 assistance from below, where he was struggling with the Gue .* 
 sey man. The rest of the crew were indifferent spectators,, 
 but rather encouraging the foreigners than otherwise 1 pre 
 sen ted a pistol at the head of the Frenchman, and ordered him 
 to release the second mate, which he instantly did. I then 
 ordered him into the fore top, and the others, who were 
 near, into the maintop, none to come down under pain of death, 
 until ordered. The steward had by this time brought another 
 pair of pistols, with which I armed the second mate, directing 
 him to remain on deck ; and went below into the forecastle 
 myself. 1 found that the chief mate had been slightly wound- 
 ed in two places by the knife of his antagonist, who, bowerer, 
 ceased to resist as I made my appearance, and we immediate- 
 y secured him in irons. The search was now made, and a 
 
 VOL. II 9
 
 194 AN ESCAPE THROUGH THE C ABI.V-WltfDOWI. 
 
 quantity of liquor found and taken to 'he cabin. The rest of 
 the men were then called down from the tops, and the French- 
 man was made the companion of his coadjutor's confinement 
 I then expostulated, at some length, with the others upon their 
 improper and insubordinate conduct, and upon the readiness 
 with which they had suffered themselves to be drawn into such 
 courses by two rascally foreigners, and expressed hopes that 
 I should have no ic^ "*j for further complaint during the rest 
 ( the voyage. Tr.. ^monstrance I thought had effect, as 
 '"y appeared contrite and promised amendment. They were 
 en dismissed, and order was restored 
 
 The next day the foreigners strongly solicited pardon, with 
 the most solemn promises of future good conduct ; ar d as 
 the rest of the crew joined in their request, I ordered that 
 their irons should be taken off. For several days the duties 
 of the ship were performed to my entire satisfaction ; but I 
 could discover in the countenances of the foreigners, expres- 
 sions of deep and rancorous animosity to the chief mate, who 
 was a prompt, energetic seaman, requiring from the sailors, 
 at all times, ready and implicit obedience to his orders. 
 
 A week perhaps had passed over in this way, when one 
 night, in the mid watch, all hands were called to shorten sail 
 Ordinarily upon occasions of this kind, the duty was conduct- 
 ed by the mate, but I now went upon deck myself and gave 
 orders, sending him upon the forecastle. The nig' . was dark 
 Hud squally ; but the sea was not high, and the ship was run- 
 ning off about nine knots, with the wind upon the starboard 
 quarter. The weather being very unpromising, the second 
 reef was taken in the fore and main topsails, the mizen hand- 
 ed and the fore and mizen top gallant yards sent down. This 
 done, one watch was permitted to go below, and I prepared tc 
 betake myself to my birth again, directing the mate, to whom 
 I wished to give some orders, should be sent to me. To my 
 utter astonishment and consternation, word was brought me, 
 after a short time, that he was no where to be found. 1 hast 
 ened upon deck, ordered ail hands up again, and questioned 
 every man in the ship upon the subject ; but they, with one 
 accord, declared thai they had not seen the mate forward. 
 Lanterns were then brought, and every accessible part of the 
 vessel was unavailingly searched. I then, in the hearing of 
 the whole crew, declared my belief that he must have fallen 
 overboard by accident, again dismissed one watch below, and 
 repaired to the cabin, in a state of mental agitation impossible 
 to be described For notwithstanding the opinion which I
 
 AH ESCAPE THROUGH THE CABIN-WINDOWS. . 196 
 
 had expressed to the contrary, I couid not but entertain strong 
 suspicions that the unfortunate man had met a violent 
 death. 
 
 The second mate was a protegee of mine ; and, as I have 
 before observed, was a very young man of not much expe- 
 rience as a seaman. I therefore felt that, under critical cir- 
 cumstances, my main support had fallen from me. It is need- 
 less to add, that a deep sense of forlornness and insecurity was 
 the result of these reflections. 
 
 My first step was to load and deposit in my state room all 
 the fire arms on board, amounting to several muskets and four 
 pairs of pistols. The steward was a faithful mulatto man, who 
 had sailed with me several voyages. To him I communicated 
 my suspicions, and directed him to he constantly on the alert : 
 and should any further difficulty with the crew occur, to re- 
 pair immediately to my state room and arm himself. His 
 usual birth was in the steerage, but I further directed that he 
 should, on the following morning, clear out and occupy one in 
 the cabin near my own. The second mate occupied a small 
 state room opening into the passage which led from the steer- 
 age to the cabin. I called him from the deck, gave him a pair 
 of loaded pistols, with orders to keep them in his birth ; and, 
 during his night watches on deck, never to go forward of the 
 main mast, but to continue as constantly as possible near the 
 cabin companion-way, and call me upon the slightest occasion. 
 After this, I laid down in my bed, ordering that I should be 
 called at four o'clock, for the morning watch. Only a few 
 minutes had elapsed, when I heard three or four knocks under 
 the counter of the ship, which is that part of the stern imme- 
 diately under the cabin windows. In a minute or two they 
 were distinctly repeated. I arose opened the cabin window 
 and called. The mate answered ! I gave him the end of a 
 rope to assist him up, and never shall I forget the flood of 
 gratitude which my delighted soul poured forth to that Being 
 who had restored him to me uninjured. His story was soon 
 told. He had gone forward upon being ordered by me, alter 
 the calling of all hands and had barely reached the forecastle, 
 when he was seized by the two foreigners, and before he 
 could utter more than one cry, which was drowned in the 
 roaring of the winds and waves, was thrown over the bow. 
 He was a powerful man and an excellent swimmer. The top- 
 saiis of the ship were clewed down to reef, and her way, of 
 course, considerably lessened and in an instant, he found 
 the end of a rope, which was accidentally towing overboard,
 
 196 AN ESCAPE THROUGH THE CABIN-WINDOW* 
 
 within his grasp, by which he dragged in the dead water m 
 eddy, that is created under the stern of a vessel while sailing, 
 particularly if she is full built and deeply laden, as was the 
 case with this. By a desperate effort, he caught one of the 
 rudder chains, which was very low, and drew himself by it 
 upon the step or jog of the rudder where he had sufficient pre- 
 sence of mind to remain without calling out, until the light had 
 ceased to shine through the cabin windcws, when he con- 
 cluded that the search for him was over. He then made the 
 signal to me. 
 
 Mo being in the ship, but myself, was apprised of his safety, 
 for the gale had increased and completely drowned the sounds 
 of the knocking, opening the window, Sec. before they could 
 reach the quarter deck ; and there was no one in the cabin but 
 ourselves, the steward having retired to his birth in the steer- 
 age. It was at once resolved that the second mate only 
 should be informed of his existence. He immediately betook 
 himself to a large vacant state room, and, for the remainder 
 of the passage, all his wants were attended to by me. Kven 
 the steward was allowed to enter the cabin as rarely as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 Nothing of note occurred during, the remainder of the voy- 
 age, which was prosperous. It seemed that the foreigners 
 nad only been actuated by revenge in the violence they had 
 committed ; for nothing further was attempted by them. In 
 due season we took a pilot in the channel, and, in a day or 
 two, entered the port of Liverpool. As soon as the proper ar- 
 rangements were made, we commenced warping the ship into 
 dock, and while engaged in this operation, the Mate appear- 
 ed on deck, went forward, and attended to his duties as usual ! 
 A scene occurred which is beyond description : every feature 
 of it is as vivid in my recollection as though it occurred but 
 yesterday, and will be to my latest breath. The warp drop- 
 ped from the paralysed hands of the horror-sticken sailors, and 
 had it not been taken up by some boatmen on board, I should 
 have been compelled to anchor again and procure assistance 
 from the shore. IVot a word was uttered ; but the two guilty 
 wretches staggered to the mainmast, where they remained 
 petrified with horror, until the officer, who had bee'i sent for, 
 approached to take them into custody. They then seemed in 
 a measure to be recalled to a sense of their appalling predica- 
 ment, and uttered the most piercing expressions of lamenta- 
 tion and despair. 
 
 They were soon tried, and upon the testimony if the male 
 capitally convicted and executed.
 
 TOM CRINGLE'S LOO. 197 
 
 TOM CRINGLE'S LOO 
 
 We had refitted, and been four days at sea, on our voyage 
 lo Jamaica, when the gun-room officers gave our mess a blow 
 out. 
 
 The increased motion and rushing of the vessel through 
 the water, the groaning of the masts, the howling of the gale, 
 and the frequent trampling of the watch on deck, were pro- 
 phetic of wet jackets to some of us; still, midshipman-like, wo 
 were as happy as a good dinner and some wine could make us, 
 until the old gunner shoved his weather beaten phiz and bald 
 pate in at the door. "Beg pardon Mr. Splinter, but if you 
 will spare Mr. Cringle on the forecastle an hour, until the 
 moon rises." ("Spare," quotha, " is his majesty's officer a 
 joint stool?") " Why, Mr. Kennedy, why? here, man, take 
 a glass of grog." " I thank you sir." " It is coming on a 
 roughish night, sir; the running ships should be crossing us 
 hereabouts; indeed, more than once 1 thought there was a 
 strange sail close aboard of us, the scud is flying so low, and 
 in such white flakes; and none of us have an eye like Mr 
 Cringle, unless it be John Crow, and he is all but frozen." 
 " Well, Tom, I suppose you will go" Anglice, from a first 
 lieutenant to a mid 
 
 " Brush instanter." 
 
 Having changed my uniform for shag trowsers, pea-jacket 
 and a south-west cap, I went forward and took my station, in 
 no pleasant humor, on the stowed jib, with my arm around 
 the stay. I had been half an hour there, the weather was 
 getting worse, the rain was beating in my face, and the spray 
 from the stern was splashing over me, as it roared through 
 the waste of sparkling and hissing waters. I turned my back 
 to the weather for a moment to press my hands on my strain- 
 ing eyes. When I opened them, I saw the gunner's gaunt 
 and high-featured visage thrust anxiously forward; his profile 
 looked as if rubbed over with phosphorus, and his whole per- 
 son as if we had been playing at snap dragon. " What haa 
 come over you Mr. Kennedy? who's burning the blue ligh*. 
 now?" "A wiser man than I must tell you that; look for
 
 198 TOM CRINGLE'S LOO. 
 
 ward Mr. Cringle look there; what do your books say to 
 that?" 
 
 I looked forth, and saw at the extreme end of the jib-boom, 
 what I have read of, certainly, but never expected to see, 
 a pale, greenish, glow-worm colored flame, of the size and 
 shape of the frosted glass shade over the swinging lamp in 
 the gun-room. It drew out and flattened as the vessel pitch- 
 ed and rose again, and as she sheered about, it wavered 
 round the point that seemed to attract it, like a soap suds bub- 
 ble blown from a tobacco-pipe, before it is shaken into the 
 air; at the core it was comparatively bright, but faded into a 
 halo. It shed a baleful and ominous light on the surrounding 
 objects; the group of sailors on the forecastle looked like 
 spectres, and they shrunk together, and whispered when it be- 
 gan to roll slowly along the spar where the boatswain was sit- 
 ting at my feet. At this instant something slid down the stay, 
 and a cold clammy hand passed around my neck. I was 
 within an ace of losing my hold and tumbling overboard. 
 " Heaven have mercy on me what's that?" " It's that sky- 
 larking son of a gun, Jem Sparkle's monkey, sir. You Jem, 
 you'll never rest till that brute is made shark's bait of." But 
 Jacko vanished up the stay again, chuckling and grinning in 
 the ghastly radiance, as if he had been ' the spirit of the 
 Lamp.' The light was still there, but a cloud of mist, like a 
 burst of vapor from a steam boiler, came down upon the gale 
 and flew past, when it disappeared. I followed the white 
 mass as it sailed down the wind; it did not, as it appeared to 
 me, vanish in the darkness, but seemed to remain in sight to 
 leeward, as if checked by a sudden flaw; yet none of our 
 sails were taken aback. A thought flashed on me. I peer- 
 ed still more intensely into the night. I was not certain. 
 "A sail, broad on the lee bow." The captain answered from 
 the quarter-deck " Thank you, Mr. Cringle. How shall 
 we steer?" "Keep her away a couple of points, sir, steady." 
 " Steady," sung the man at the helm; and a slow melancholy 
 cadence, although a familiar sound to me, now moaned 
 through the rushing wind, and smote upon my heart as if it 
 had been the wailing of a spirit. I turned to the boatswain, 
 who was now standing beside me, " is that you or Davy stee 
 'ng, Mr. Nipper? if you had not been there bodily at my 
 side, I could have sworn that was your voice." When the 
 gunner made the same remark, it started the poor fellow; he 
 tried to take it as a joke, but could not. "There may he a 
 laced hammock with a shot in it, for some of us ere morning.'"
 
 TOM CRINGLE'S i.oo. 199 
 
 At this moment, to n.y dismay, the object we were chasing 
 shortened, gradually fell abeam of us, and finally disap- 
 peared. 
 
 " The flying Dutchman." "I can't see her at all now." 
 " She will be a fore and aft rigged vessel that has tacked 
 sir." And sure enough, after a lew seconds, I paw the "white 
 object lengthened and drew out again abaft our beam. " The 
 chase has tacked, sir; put the helm down, or she will go to 
 tvindward of us." We tacked also, and time it was we did 
 so, for the rising moon now showed us a large schooner with 
 a crowd of sail. We edged down on her, when finding her 
 manoeuvre detected, she brailed up her flat sails and bore up 
 before the wind. This Was our best point of sailing, and we 
 cracked on, the captain rubbing his hands " It's my turn to 
 be the big un this time." Although blowing a strong north- 
 wester, it was now clear moonlight, and we hammered away 
 from our bow guns, but whenever a shot told amongst the 
 rigging, the injury was repaired as if by magic. It was evi- 
 dent we had repeatedly hulled her, from the glimmering whit<- 
 streaks across her counter and along her stern, occasioned by 
 the splintering of the timber, but it seemed to produce no 
 effect. 
 
 At length we drew well upon her quarter. She continued 
 all black hull and white sail, not a soul to be seen on deck, 
 except a dark object which we took for the man at the helm 
 " What schooner is that?" No answer. "Heave to, or I'll 
 sink you." Still all silent. "Serjeant Armstrong, do you 
 think you can pick off* that chap at the wheel?" The mari- 
 ner jumped on the forecastle, and levelled his piece, when a 
 musket-shot from the schooner crushed through his skull, and 
 he fell dead. The old skipper's blood was up. " Forecastle 
 there! Mr. Nipper, clap a canister of grape over the round 
 shot in the bow gun, give it to him." "Ay, ay, sir!" gleeful- 
 ly rejoined the boatswain, forgetting the augury, and every- 
 thing else, in the excitement of the moment. In a twinkling 
 ihe square foresail topgallant royal and studding-sail haul- 
 yards, were let go on board the schooner, as if to round to. 
 (l Rake him, sir, or pive him the stern. He has not surren- 
 dered. I know their game. Give him your broadside, sir, 
 or he is off* to windward of you, like a shot. No, no, we have 
 him now; heave to Mr. Splinter, heave to!" We did so, and 
 that so suddenly, that the studding sail booms snapped lik 
 pipe shanks short off* by the irons. Notwithstanding, we had 
 shot two hundred yards to the leeward, before we could lay 
 our tnaintonsai) tn the mast. I ran to windward. Thfl
 
 200 TOM CRINGLE'S too. 
 
 schooner's yards and rigging were now black with men, clus- 
 tering like bees swarming, her square sails were being close 
 furled, her fore and aft sails set, and away she was, dead to 
 windward of us. " So much for undervaluing our American 
 friends," grumbled Mr. Splinter. 
 
 We made all sail in chase, blazing away to little purpose; 
 we had no chance on a bowline, and when our ' Amigo' had 
 satisfied himself of his superiority by one or two short tacks, 
 he deliberately took a reef in his mainsail, hauled down his 
 flying jib and gaff-topsail, triced up the bunt of his foresail, 
 and fired his long thirty-two at us. The shot came in our 
 third aftermost port on the starboard side, and dismounted the 
 carronade, smashing the slide and wounding three men. The 
 second missed, and as it was madness to remain to be pepper- 
 ed, probably winged, whilst every one of ours fell short, we 
 reluctantly kept away on our course, having the gratification 
 of hearing a clear well blown bugle on board the schooner 
 play up " Yankee Doodle." As the brig fell off, our long gun 
 was run out to have a parting crack at her, when the third 
 and last shot from the schooner struck the sill of the midship 
 port, and made the white splinters fly from the solid oak like 
 bright silver sparks in the moonlight. A sharp, piercing cry 
 rose in the air my soul identified that death-shriek with the 
 voice that I had heard, and I saw the man who was standing 
 with the lanyard of the lock in his hand drop heavily across 
 the breech, and discharge the gun in his fall. Thereupon a 
 blood-red glare shot up in the cold blue sky, as if a volcano 
 had burst forth from beneath the mighty deep, followed by a 
 roar, and a scattering crash, and a mingling of unearthly 
 cries and groans, and a concussion of the air and the water as 
 if our whole broadside had been fired at once. Then a soli- 
 tary splash here, and a dip there, and short sharp yells, and 
 low choking bubbling moans, as the hissing fragments of 
 the nobie vessel we had seen, fell into the sea, and the last of 
 her gallant crew vanished forever beneath that pale broad 
 moon. We were alone; and once more all was dark, wild 
 and stormy. Fearfully had that ball sped fired by a dead 
 man's hand. But what is it that clings, black and doubled, 
 across the fatal cannon, dripping and heavy, and choking the 
 scuppers with clotting gore, and swaying to and fro with the 
 motion of the vessel, like a bloody fleece? "Who is it that 
 was hit at the gun there?" Mr. Nipper, the boatswa'n. sir, 
 (he last shot has cut him in two."
 
 LOM 07 THE NAUTILUS SLOOP OF WAR 301 
 
 LOSS OF THE NAUTILUS SLOOP OF WAR. 
 
 ON A ROCK IN THE ARCHIPELAGO 
 
 A misunderstanding having originated between the Court 
 of Great Britain, and the Ottoman Porte, a powerful squadron 
 was ordered to proceed to Constantinople, for the purpose of 
 enforcing compliance with rational propositions. The object, 
 however, proved abortive; and the expedition terminated in a 
 way which did not enhance the reputation of these islands in 
 the eyes of the Turks. 
 
 Sir Thomas Louis, commander of the squadron sent to the 
 Dardanelles, having charged Captain Palmer with dispatches 
 of the utmost importance for England, the Nautilus got un- 
 der weigh at daylight on the third of January 1807. A fresh 
 breeze from N. E. carried her rapidly out of the Hellespont, 
 passing the celebrated castles in the Dardanelles, which so 
 severely galled the Biititdi. Soon afterwards she passed 
 the island of Tenedos, off the north eud of which, two ves- 
 sels of war were seen at anchor; they hoisted Turkish col- 
 ours, and in return the Nautilus showed those of Britain. 
 In the course of this day, many of the other islands abound- 
 ing in the Greek Archipelago came in sight, and in the even- 
 ing the ship approached the island of Negropont, lying in 38 
 30 north latitude, and 24 8 east longitude; but now the navi- 
 gation became more intrica'e, from the increasing number of 
 islands, and from the narrow entrance between Negropont 
 Sijd the island of Andros. 
 
 The wind still continued to blow fresh, and as night was ap- 
 f oaching, with the appearance of beinu dark and squally, 
 the pilot, who was a Greek, wished to lie to until morning, 
 which was done accordingly; and at day-light the vessel 
 again proceeded. His course was shaped for the island of 
 Faiconera, in a track which has been so elegantly described 
 by Falconer, in a poem as far surpassing the uncouth produc- 
 tions of modern times, as the Ionian temples surpassed Jiose 
 flimsy structures contributing to render the fame of th origi- 
 nals eternal. This island, and that of Anti JMilo, were made 
 
 VOL II 9*
 
 t05 LOBi OF THE NAUTILUS fll.OOP OP WAR. 
 
 in the evening, the latter distant fourteen or sixteen mile* 
 from the more extensive island of Milo, which could not then 
 be seen, from the thickness and haziness of the weather. 
 
 The pilot never having been beyond the present position of 
 me Nautilus, and declaring his ignorance of the further bear- 
 ings, now relinquished his charge, which was resumed by the 
 captain. All possible attention was paid to the navigation, 
 and Captain Palmer, after seeing Falconera so plainly, and 
 anxious to fulfil his mission with the greatest expedition, re- 
 solved to stand on during the night. He was confident of 
 clearing the Archipelago by morning, and himself pricked the 
 course from the chart which was to be steered by the vessel. 
 This he pointed out to his coxswain, George Smith, of whose 
 ability he entertained a high opinion. Then he ordered hia 
 bed to be prepared, not having had his clothes ofT for the 
 three preceding nights, and having scarce had any sleep from 
 the time of leaving the Dardanelles. 
 
 A night of extreme darkness followed, with vivid lightning 
 constantly flashing in the horizon; but this circumstance serv- 
 ed to inspire the captain with a greater degree of confidence; 
 for being enabled by it to see so much further at intervals, he 
 thought, that should the ship approach any land, the danger 
 would be discovered in sufficient time to be avoided. 
 
 The wind continued still increasing; and though the^ ship 
 carried but little sail, she went at the rate of nine miles an 
 hour, being assisted by a lofty following sea, which with the 
 brightness of the lightning, made the night particularly awful. 
 At half past two in the morning, high land was distinguished, 
 which, those who saw it supposed to be the island of Cerigot- 
 to, and thence thought all safe, and that every danger had 
 been left behind. The ship's course was altered to pass the 
 island, and she continued on her course until half past four, 
 at the changing of the watch, when the man on the look-out 
 exclaimed, breakers ahead! and immediately the vessel struck 
 with a most tremendous crash. Such was the violence of the 
 shock, that people were thrown from their beds, and, on com- 
 ing upon deck, were obliged to cling to the cordage. All 
 was now confusion and alarm; the crew hurried on deck, 
 which they had scarce time to do when the ladders below gave 
 way, and indeed left many persons struggling in the water, 
 which already rushed into the under part of the ship. The 
 captain it appeared had not gone to bed, and immediately 
 came on deck when the Nautilus struck; there having exam- 
 ined her situation, he immediately went round, accompanied
 
 LOSS OF THE NAUTILUS SLOOP OF WAR 403 
 
 by his second lieutenant, Mr. Nesbit, and endeavored to quiet 
 the apprehensions of the people. He then returned to his 
 cabin, and burnt his papers and private signals. Meantime 
 every sea lifted up the *hip, and then dashed her with irresisti- 
 ble force on the rocks; and in a short time, the crew were 
 obliged to resort to the rigging, where (hey lenr iined an nour, 
 exposed to the surges incessantly breaking over them. There 
 they broke out into the most lamentable exclamations, foi 
 their parents, children and kindred, and the distresses they 
 themselves endured. The weather was so dark and hazy, 
 that the rocks could be seen only at a very small distance, 
 and in two minutes afterwards the ship had struck. 
 
 At this time the lightning had ceased, but the darkness of- 
 the night was such, that the people could not see the length 
 of the ship from them; their only hope rested in the falling 
 of the main-mast, which they trusted would reach a small rock, 
 which was discovered very near them. Accordingly, about 
 half an hour before day-break, the main-mast gave way, provi- 
 dentially falling towards the rock, and by means of it they 
 were enabled to gain the land. 
 
 The struggles and confusion to which this incident gave 
 birth, can better be conceived than described; some of the 
 crew were drowned, one man had his arm broke, and many 
 were cruelly lacerated; but Captain Palmer refused to quit 
 his station, while any individual remained on board; and not 
 until the whole of his people had gained the rock did he en- 
 deavor to save himself. At that time, in consequence of re- 
 maining by the wreck, he had received considerable personal 
 iujury, and must infallibly have perished, had not some of 
 the seamen ventured through a tremendous sea to his assist- 
 ance. The boats were staved in pieces; several of the peo- 
 ple endeavored to haul in the jolly-boat, which they were in- 
 capable of accomplishing. 
 
 The hull of the vessel being interposed, sheltered the ship- 
 wrecked crew a long time from the beating of the surf; but as 
 fehe broke up, their situation became more perilous every mo- 
 ment, and they soon found that they should be obliged to 
 abandon the small portion of the rock, which they had reach 
 ed, and wade to another apparently somewhat larger. The 
 first lieutenant, by watching the breaking of the seas, had got 
 safely thither, and it was resolved by the rest to follow his ex- 
 ample. Scarce was this resolution formed, and attempted to 
 be put into execution, when the people encountered an im- 
 mense quantity of loose spars, which were immediately wash-
 
 <04 LOU OF THE NAUTILUS SLOOP 07 WAR. 
 
 ed into the channel which they had to pass; but necessity 
 would admit of no alternative. Many in crossing between 
 the two rocks were severely wounded; and they suffered more 
 in this undertaking than in gaining the first rock from the 
 ship. The loss of their shoes was now felt in particular, for 
 the sharp rocks tore their feet in a dreadful manner, and the 
 legs of some were covered with blood. 
 
 Day-light beginning to appear, disclosed the horrors bj 
 which those unfortunate men were surrounded. The sea was 
 covered with the wreck of their ill fated ship, many of their un- 
 happy comrades were seen floating away on spars and timbers; 
 and the dead and dying were mingled together without a 
 possibility of the survivors affording assistance to any that 
 might still be rescued. Two short hours had been produc- 
 tive of all this misery, the ship destroyed and her crew re- 
 duced to a situation of despair. Their wild and affrighted 
 looks indicated the sensations by which they were agitated; 
 but on being recalled to a sense of their real condition, tliey 
 saw that they had nothing left but resignation to the will of 
 heaven. 
 
 The shipwrecked mariners now discovered that they were 
 cast away on a coral rock almost level with the water, about 
 three or four hundred yards long, and two hundred broad. 
 They were at least twelve miles from the nearest islands, 
 which were afterwards found to be those of Cerigotto and 
 Pera, on the north end of Candia, about thirty miles distant. 
 At this time it was reported, that a small boat, with several 
 men, had escaped; and although the fact was true, the uncer- 
 tainty of her fate induced those on the rock to confide in be- 
 ing relieved by any vessel accidentally passing in sight of a 
 signal of distress they had hoisted on a long pole; the neigh- 
 boring islands being too distant. 
 
 The weather had been extremely cold, and the day preced- 
 ing the shipwreck ice had lain on the deck; now, to resist its 
 inclemency, a fire was made, by means of a knife and a flint 
 preserved in the pocket of one of the sailo - s; and with much 
 difficulty, some damp powder, from a small barrel washed on 
 shore, was kindled. A kind of tent was next made, with 
 pieces of old canvass, boards, and such things as could be 
 got about the wreck, and the people were thus enabled to dry 
 the few clothes they had saved. But they passed a long and 
 comfortless night, though partly consoled with the hope of 
 their fire being descried in the dark, and taken for a signa' of 
 distress. Nor was this hope altogether disappointed.
 
 LOSS OF TH1. NAUTILUS SLOOP OF WAR. $03 
 
 When the ship first struck, a small whaL>-boat was hang- 
 ing over the quarter, into which, an oflicer, George Smith 
 the coxswain, and nine men, immediately got, and, lowering 
 themselves into the water, happily escaped. AMer rowing 
 three or four leagues against a very high sea, and the wind 
 blowing hard, they reached the small island of Peia. This 
 proved to be scarce a mile in circuit, and containing nothing 
 but a few sheep and goats, belonging to the inhabitants of 
 Cerigo, who come in the summer months to carry away their 
 young. They could find no fresh water, except a small resi- 
 due from rain in the hole of a rock, and that was barely suffi- 
 cient though most sparingly used. During the night, having 
 observed the fire above mentioned, the party began to con- 
 jecture that some of their shipmates might have been saved, 
 for until then they had deemed their destruction inevitable. 
 The coxswain impressed with this opinion, proposed again 
 hazarding themselves in the boat for their relief, and, although 
 some feeble objections were offered against it, he continued 
 resolute to his purpose, and persuaded lour others to accompa- 
 ny him. 
 
 About nine in the morning of Tuesday, the second day of 
 the shipwreck, the approach in the little whale-boat was de- 
 scried by those on the rock; all uttered an exclamation ol joy 
 and in return the surprise of the coxswain and his crew t: 
 find so many of their shipmates still surviving is not to be de- 
 scribed. But the surf lan so high as to endanger the safety 
 of the boat, and several of the people imprudently endeavor- 
 ed to get into it. The coxswain tried to persuade Captain 
 Palmer to come to him, but he steadily refused, saying, " No, 
 Smith, save your unfortunate shipmates, never mind me." 
 After some little consultation, he desired him to take the 
 Greek piolot on board, and make the best of his way to Cer- 
 rigotto, where the pilot said there were some families of fish 
 ermen, who doubtless would relieve their necessities. 
 
 But it appeared as if Heaven had ordained the destruction 
 of this unfortunate crew, for, soon after th^ boat departed, the 
 wind began to increase, and dark cloun-* gathering around, 
 excited among those remaining behind alt tneir aoprehensioiuj 
 for a frightful storm. In a about two hours it commenced 
 with the greatest fury; the waves rose considerably, and soon 
 destroyed the fire. They nearly covered the rock, and com- 
 pelled the men to fly to the highest part for refuge, which wa 
 the only one that could afford any shelter. There nearly 
 ninety people passed anight of the greatest horrors; and
 
 06 LOSS OP THE NAOTILU3 SI OOP OP 
 
 only means of preventing themselves from being swept away 
 by the surf, which every moment broke over them, was by a 
 small rope fastened round the summit of the rock, and with 
 difficulty holding on by each other. 
 
 The fatigues which the people had previously undergone, 
 added to what they novr endured, proved too overpowering to 
 many of fneir number; several became delirious; their strength 
 w.is exhausted, and they could hold on no longer. Their af- 
 flictions were still further aggravated by an apprehension that 
 the wind, veering more to the north, would raise the sea to 
 their present situation, in which case a single wave would 
 have swept them all into oblivion 
 
 The hardships which the crew had already suffered were 
 sufficient to terminate existence, and many had met with de- 
 plorable accidents. One in particular, while crossing the 
 channel between the rocks at an unsuitable time, was dashed 
 against them so as to be nearly scalped, and exhibited a dread- 
 ful spectacle to his companions. He lingered out the night, 
 and next morning expired. The more fortunate survivors 
 were but ill prepared to meet the terrible effects of famine; 
 their strength enfeebled, their bodies unsheltered and aban- 
 doned by hope. Nor were they less alarmed for the fate of 
 their bout. The storm came on before she could have reach- 
 ed the intended island, and on her safety their own depended. 
 But the scene which daylight presented was still more deplora- 
 ble. Th* survivors beheld the corpses of their departed ship- 
 mates, and some still in the agonies of death. They were 
 tht.nselves altogether exhausted, from the sea all night break- 
 ing over them, and the inclemency of the weather, which was 
 sch, that many, among whom was the carpenter, perished 
 . r om excessive cold. 
 
 But this unfortunate crew had now to suffer a mortification, 
 and to witness an instance of inhumanity, which leaves an 
 eternal stain of infamy on those who merit the reproach. 
 Soon after day broke, they observed a vessel with all sail set, 
 coming down before the wind, steering directly for the rock 
 They made every possible signal of distress which their fee- 
 ble condition admitted, nor without effect, for they were at 
 last seen by the vessel, which bore to and hoisted out her 
 boaf. The joy which this occasioned may be easily conceiv 
 ed, for nothing short of immediate relief was anticipated; and 
 they hastily made preparation for rafts to carry them through 
 the surf, confident that the boat was provided with whatevei 
 might administer tc t'leir necessities. Approaching still near
 
 rxws or THI MAUTILUS si.< op OF WAR. fOT 
 
 er, she came within pistol-shot, full ol men dressed in the 
 European fashion, who after having gazed at them a few 
 minutes, the person who steered, waved his hat to them and 
 then rowed off to his ship. The pain of the shipwrecked 
 people at this barbarous proceeding was acute, and heighten- 
 ed even more by beholding the stranger vessel employed the 
 whole day in taking up the floating remains of that less for- 
 tunate one which had so lately borne them. 
 
 Perhaps the abandoned wretches guilty of so unfeeling an 
 act may one day be disclosed, and il would surely excite lit- 
 tle compassion to learn that they suffered that retribution 
 which such inhuman conduct merits. That people dressed in 
 the habit of Englishmen, though belonging to a different na- 
 tion, could take advantage of misery instead of relieving it, 
 will scarce seem creditable at the present day, were not some 
 instances of a similar nature related elsewhere than in these 
 volumes. 
 
 After this cruel disappointment, and bestowing an anathe- 
 ma which the babarity of the strangers deserved, the thoughts 
 of the people were, during the remainder of the day, directed 
 towards the return of the boat; and being disappointed there 
 also, their dread that she had been lost was only further con- 
 firmed. They began to yield to despondency, and had the 
 gloomy prospect of certain death before them. Thirst then 
 became intolerable; and in spite of being warned against it 
 by instances of the terrific effects ensuing, some in desperation 
 resorted to salt water. Their companions had soon the grief 
 of learning what they would experience by following their ex- 
 ample; in a few hours raging madness followed, and nature 
 could struggle no longer. 
 
 Another awful night was to be passed, yet the weather be- 
 ing considerably more moderate, the sufferers entertained 
 hopes that it would be less disastrous than the one preceding; 
 and to preserve themselves from the cold, they crowded close 
 together and covered themselves with their few remaining 
 rags. But the ravings of their comrades who had drank salt 
 water were truly horrible; all endeavors to quiet them were 
 ineffectual, and the power of sleep lost its influence. In the 
 m.ddle of the night they were unexpectedly hailed by the 
 crew of the whale-boat; but the only object of the people on 
 the rock was water; they cried out to their shipmates for it, 
 though in vain. Earthen vessels only could have been pro- 
 cured, and these would not bear being conveyed through the 
 urf The coxswain then said they should be taken off the
 
 t08 LOSS OP THE NAUTILUS SLOOP OP WA 
 
 rock by a fishing essel in the morning, and with this assur- 
 ance they were forced to be content. It was some consola- 
 tion to know that the boat was safe, ami that relief had so tar 
 been obtained. 
 
 All the people anxiously expected morning, and, for the 
 first time since being on the rock, the sun cheered them with 
 its rays. Still the fourth morning came and no tidings either 
 of the boat or vessel. The anxiety of the people increased, 
 foi inevitable death from famine, wastaring them in the face 
 What were they to do for self-preservation? The misery 
 and hunger which they endured, were extreme; they were 
 not ignorant of the means whereby other unfortunate mari- 
 ners in the like situation had protracted life, yet they viewed 
 them with disgust. Still when they had no alternative, ihov 
 considered their urgent necessities and found them affording 
 some excuse. Offering prayers to Heaven for forgiveness of 
 the sinful act, they selected a young man who had died the 
 preceding night, and ventured to appease their hunger with 
 human flesh. 
 
 Whether the people were relieved is uncertain, for towards 
 evening death had made hasty strides among them, and many 
 brave men drooped under their hare -hips. Among these were 
 the captain and first lieutenant, two meritorious officers: anu 
 the sullen silence now preserved by the survivors, shewed the 
 state of their internal feelings. Captain Palmer was in the 
 2t>lh year of his age; amidst his endeavors to comfort those 
 under his command, his companions in misfortune, his person- 
 al injuries were borne with patience and resignation, and no 
 murmurs escaped his lips; his virtuous life whs prematurely 
 closed by the overwhelming severities of the lamentable ca- 
 tastrophe he had shared. 
 
 During the course of another tedious night, many suggest- 
 ed the possibility of constructing a raft which might carry the 
 survivors to Cerigotto; and the wind being favorable, might 
 enable them to reach that island. At all events, attempting 
 this seemed preferable to remaining on the rock to expire 01* 
 hunger and thirst. Accordingly, at daylight they prepared IG 
 put their plan in execution. A number of the larger spars 
 were lashed together, and sanguine hopes of success enter, 
 tained. At length the moment of launching the raft arrived, 
 but it was only to distress the people with new disappoint- 
 ments, for a few moments sufficed for the destruction of a 
 work on which the strongest of the party had been occupies 
 hour? Several from this nnoxpeclod failure became still
 
 LOSS Of THE NAUTILUS Sl.OOf OF WAB 209 
 
 more desperate, and five resolved to trust themselves on a few 
 small spars slightly lashed together, and on which they had 
 scarce room to stand. Bidding their companions adieu, they 
 launched out into the sea, where they were speedily carried 
 away by unknown currents, and vanished forever from sight 
 
 Towards the same afternoon, the people were again rejoiced 
 by the sight of the whale-boat, and the coxswain told them 
 that ho had experienced great difficulty in prevailing on the 
 Greek fishermen of Cerigotto to venture in their boats, from 
 dread of the weather. Neither would they permit him to 
 take them unaccompanied by themselves; he regretted what 
 his comrades had endured, and his grief at not being able yet 
 to relieve them, but encouraged them with hopes, if the 
 weather remained fine, that next day the boats might come. 
 While the coxswain spoke this, twelve or fourteen men im- 
 prudently plunged from the rock into the sea, and very near- 
 ly reached the boat. Two indeed, got so far as to be taken 
 in, one was drowned and the rest providentially recovered 
 their former station. Those who thus escaped could not but 
 be envied by their companions, while they reproached the in- 
 discretion of the others, who, had they reached the boat, 
 would without all doubt have sunk her, and thus unwittingly 
 consigned the whole to irremediable destruction. 
 
 The people were wholly occupied in reflections on the pass- 
 ing incidents; but their weakness increased as the day elaps- 
 ed; one of the survivors describes himself as feeling the ap- 
 proach of annihilation, that his sight failed, and his senses be- 
 came confused; that his strength was exhausted, and his eyes 
 turned towards the setting sun, under the conviction that he 
 should never see it rise again. Yet on the morning he sur- 
 vived, and he was surprised that Providence willed it should 
 still be so, as several strong men had fallen in the course of 
 the night. While the remainder were contemplating their 
 forlorn condition, and judging this the last day of their lives, 
 the approach of the boats was unexpectedly announced. 
 From the lowest ebb of despair, they were now elated with the 
 most extravagant joy; and copious draughts of water, quickly 
 landed, refreshed their languid bodies. Never before did 
 they know the blessings which the single possession of water 
 could atford; it tasted more delicious than the finest wines. 
 
 Anxious preparations were made for immediate departure 
 from a place, which had been fatal to so many unhappy suffer- 
 ers. Of one hundred and twenty-two persons on board th 
 Nautilus when she struck, fifty-ei^ht had perished. Eighteen
 
 210 LOSS OF THE NAUTILUS SLOOP OF 
 
 were drowned, it was supposed, at the moment of the catas- 
 trophe, and one in attempting to reach the boat, five were 
 lost on the small raft, and thirty-four died of famine. About 
 fifty now embarked in four fishing vessels, and landed the 
 same evening tt the island of Cerigctto, making altogether 
 sixty-four individuals, including those who escaped in the 
 whale-boat. Six days had been passed on the rock, nor had 
 tbe people, during that time, received any assistance, except- 
 ing from the human flesh of which they had participated. 
 
 The survivors landed at a small creek in the island of Ceri- 
 gotto, after which they had to go to a considerable distance 
 before reaching the dwellings of their friends. Their first 
 care was to send for the master's mate, who had escaped to 
 the island of Pori, and had been left behind when the whale- 
 boat came down to the rock. He and his companions had 
 exhausted all the fresh water, but lived on the sheep and 
 goats, which they caught among the rocks, and had drank 
 their blood. There they had remained in a state of great 
 uncertainty concerning the fate of those who had left them in 
 the boat. 
 
 Though the Greeks could not aid the seamen in the care of 
 their wounds, they treated them with great care and hospi- 
 tality; but medical assistance being important, from the pain 
 the sufferers endured, and having nothing to bind up their 
 wounds but shirts which they tore into bandages, they were 
 eager to reach Cerigo. The island of Cerigotto, where 
 they had landed, was a dependency on the other, about fif- 
 teen miles long, ten broad, and of a barren and unproductive 
 soil, with little cultivation. Twelve or fourteen families of 
 Greek fishermen dwelt upon it, as the pilot had said, who 
 were in a state of extreme poverty. Their houses, or rather 
 huts, consisting of one or two rooms on the same floor, were, 
 in general, built against the side of a rock; the walls compos- 
 ed of clay and straw, and the roof supported by a tree in the 
 centre of the dwelling. Their food was a coarse *cind of 
 bread, formed of boiled pease and flour, which was made into 
 a kind of paste for the strangers, with once or twice a bit of 
 kid; and that was all which they could expect from their de- 
 liverers. But they made a liquor from corn, which having an 
 agreeable flavour, and being a strong spirit, was drank with 
 avidity by the sailors. 
 
 Cerigo was about twenty-five miles distant, and there, it 
 was also eaid, an English consul resided. Eleven daya 
 eiapsed, however, before the crew could leave Cerigotto, from
 
 LOSS OF THE NAUTILUS SLOOP OP IT Aft. tit 
 
 the difficulty of persuading the Greeks to adventure to sea, 
 in their frail barks, during tempestuous weather. The wind 
 at last proving fair, with a smooth sea, they bade a grateful 
 adieu to the families of their deliverers, who wen, tenderly af 
 fected by their distresses, and shed tears of regret when they 
 departed. In six or eight hours, they reached Cerigo, where 
 they were received with open arms. Immediately on arrival, 
 they were met by the English vice-consul, Signor Manuel 
 Caluci, a native of the island, who devoted his house, ocd, 
 credit and whole attention to their service; and the survivors 
 unite in declaring their inability to express the obligations un 
 der which he laid them. The governor, commandant, bishop 
 and principal people, all shewed equal hospitality, care and 
 friendship, and exerted themselves to render the time agreea- 
 ble; insomuch that it was with no little regret that these ship- 
 wrecked mariners thought of forsaking the island. 
 
 After the people had remained three weeks at Cerigo, they 
 learnt that a Russian ship of war lay at anchor oft" the Morea 
 about twelve leagues distant, being driven in by bad weather, 
 and immediately sent letters to her commanding officer, nar- 
 rating their misfortunes and soliciting a passage to Corfu. 
 The master of the Nautilus determining to make the most of 
 the opportunity, took a boat to reach the Russian vessel; but 
 he was at first so unfortunate as to be blown on the rocks in 
 a heavy gale of wind, where he nearly perished, and the boat 
 was staved in pieces. However, he luckily got to the ship, 
 and after some difficulty, succeeded in procuring the desired 
 passage for himself and his companions to Corfu. Her com- 
 mander, to accommodate them, came down to Cerigo, and 
 anchored at a small port called St Nicholas, at the eastern 
 extremity ot the island. The English embarked on the oth 
 but, owing to contrary winds, did not sail until the 15th of 
 February, when they bade farewell to their friends. They 
 next touched at /ante, another small island, abounding in 
 currants and olives, the oil from the latter of which consti- 
 tutes the chief riches of the people. After remaining there 
 four days, they sailed for Corfu, where they arrived on the 
 C 2d of March 1807, nearlv two months after the date of their 
 shipwreck.
 
 tit WRECK OP A SLAVE SHIP 
 
 VRECK OF A SLAVE SHIP. 
 
 The following extract of a letter from Philadelphia, dated 
 November llth, 1762, gives an account of the melancholy 
 cisaster that befel the Phoenix, Capt. M'Gacher, in lat. 37 
 deg. N. and Lon. 72 deg. W. from London, bound to Potomac, 
 in Maryland, from the coast of Africa, with 332 slaves on 
 board. 
 
 " On Wednesday the 20th of October 1762, at six o'clock 
 in the evening, came on a most violent gale of wind at south, 
 with thunder and lightning, the sea running very high, when 
 the ship sprung a leak, and we were obliged to lie-to under 
 bare poles, the water gained on us with both pumps constantly 
 working. 10 P. M. endeavored to put the ship before the 
 wind to no purpose. At twelve the sand ballast having chok- 
 ed our pumps, and there being seven feet water in the hold, 
 all the c^sks afloat, and the ballast shifted to leeward, cut away 
 the rigging of the main and mizen masts, both of which went in- 
 stantly close by the deck, and immediately after the foremast 
 was carried away about twenty feet above. Hove overboard 
 all our guns, upon which the ship righted a little. We were 
 then under a necessity of letting all our slaves out of irons, to 
 assist in pumping and baling. 
 
 " Thursday morning being moderate, having gained about 
 three feet on the ship, we found every cask in the hold stove 
 to pieces, so that we only saved a barrel of flour, 10 Ibs. of 
 bread, twenty-five gallons of wine, beer, and shrub, and twenty- 
 five gallons of spirits. The seamen and slaves were employ- 
 ed all this day in pumping and baling ; the pumps were fre 
 quently choked, and brought up great quantities of sand. We 
 were obliged to hoist one of the pumps up, and put it down tht 
 quarter deck hatchway. A ship this day bore down upon us, 
 and, though very near, and we making every signal of distress, 
 she would not speak to us. 
 
 " On Friday, the men slaves being very sullen and unruly, 
 having had no sustenance of any kind for forty-eight hours, 
 except a dram, we put one half of the strongest of them in 
 irons.
 
 THE WRECK'D SEAMEN. 
 
 " On Saturday and Sunday, all hands night and day could 
 scarce keep the ship clear, and were constantly under arms. 
 
 u On Monday morning, many of the slaves had got out of 
 irons, and were attempting to break up the gratings; and the 
 seamen not daring to go down in the hold to clear the pumps, 
 we were obliged, for the preservation of our own lives, to kill 
 fiftv of the ringleaders and stoutest of them. 
 
 " It is impossible to describe the misery the poor slaves under- 
 went, having had no fresh water for five days. Their dismal 
 cries and shrieks, and most frightful looks, added a great deal 
 to our misfortunes ; four of them were found dead, and one 
 drowned herself in the hold. This evening the water gained 
 >n us, and three seamen dropped down with fatigue and thirst, 
 jvhich could not be quenched, though wine, rum, and shrub 
 were given them alternately. On Thursday morning the ship 
 had gained, during the night, above a foot of water, and the 
 seamen quite worn out, and many of them in despair. About 
 ten in the forenoon we saw a sail ; about two she discovered 
 us, and bore down ; at five spoke to us, being the King George, 
 of Londonderry, James Mackay, master; he immediately pro- 
 mised to take us on board, and hoisted out his yawl, it then 
 blowing very fresh. The gale increasing, prevented him from 
 saving any thing but the white people's lives, not even any of 
 our clothes, or one slave, the boat being scarcely able to live 
 in the sea the last trip she made. Capt. Mackay and some 
 gentlemen, passengers he had on board, treated us with kind- 
 less and humanity.' 
 
 THE WRECKED SEAMEN 
 
 The annexed thrilling sketch is extracted from the " Life ol 
 t Sailor, by a Captain in the British Navy." It relates to 
 ine exposures of the crew of the Magpie, who had taken tc 
 vhe boat, after their shipwreck on the coast of Cuba. The 
 boat was uosetj the s'.orm continues:
 
 14 THE WRECK'D SEAMEN. 
 
 ' Even in this moment of peril, the discipline of tho 
 assumed its command. At the order from the lieutenant foi 
 the men on the keel to relinquish their position they instantly 
 obeyed, the boat was turned over and once more the expedient 
 was tried but quite in vain; for no sooner had the two met. 
 begun to bail with a couple of hats, and the safetv of iht> 
 crew to appear within the bounds of probability, than ont 
 man declared he saw the fin of a shark. IS'o language ca^. 
 convey an idea of the panic which seized the struggling sea- 
 men ; a shark is at all times an object of horror to a sailor; and 
 those who have seen the destructive jaws of this voracious 
 fish, and their immense and almost incredible power their 
 love of Llood and their bold daring to obtain it, alone can 
 form an idea of the sensations produced in a swimmer by the cry 
 of " a shark! a shark! 1 ' Every man now struggled to obtain 
 a moment's safety. Well they knew that one drop of blood 
 would have been scented by the everlasting pilot-fish, the jack- 
 alls of the shark; and that their destruction was inevitable, if 
 one only of these monsters should discover this rich repast, 
 or be led to its food by the little rapid hunter of its prey. 
 All discipline was now unavailing, the boat again turned keel 
 up; one man only gained his security to be pushed from it by 
 others and thus their strength begun to fail from long continu- 
 ed exertion. However, as the enemy so much dreaded did 
 not make its appearance, Smith once more urged them to en- 
 deavor to save themselves by the only means left, that of the 
 boat; but as he knew that he would only increase their alarm 
 by endeavoring to persude them that sharks did not abound in 
 these parts, he used the wisest plan of desiring those who 
 held on by the gun-wale, to keep splashing in the water with 
 their legs, in order to frighten the monsters at which they 
 were so alarmed. Once more had hope began to dawn: 
 the boat was clear to her thwarts, and four men were in her 
 hard at work; a little forbearance and a little obedience, and 
 they were safe. At this moment, when those in the water 
 urged their messmates in the boat to continue bailing with un- 
 remitted exertion, a noise was heard close to them, and about 
 fifteen sharks came right in amongst therr.. The panic was 
 ten times more dreadful than before; the boat was again up- 
 set by the simultaneous endeavor to escape the danger; and 
 the twenty-two sailors were again devoted to destruction. 
 At first the sharks did not seem inclined to seize their prey 
 but swam in amongst the men, playing in the water, some- 
 times leaping about and rubbing against their victims. This
 
 1'lJE WRECK'D SEAMEN 213 
 
 was of short duration, a loud shriek from one of the men an- 
 nounced his sudden pain; a shark had seized him by the leg, 
 and severed it entirely from the body. No sooner had the 
 blood been tasted than the long dreaded attack took place; an- 
 other and another shriek proclaimed a loss of limbs; some 
 were torn from the boat to which they vainly endeavored to 
 cling; some, it was supposed, sunk from fear alone; all were 
 in dreadful peril. Mr. Smith, even now. when of all horrible 
 deaths the most horrible seemed to await him, gave his orders 
 \\il\i clearness and coolness; and to the everlasting honor of 
 the poor departed crew be it known, they were obeyed; again 
 the boat was righted, and again two mon were in her. In- 
 credible as it may appear, still, however, it is true, that the 
 voice of the officer was heard amidst the danger; and the 
 survivors, actually as before, clung to the gun-wale, and kept 
 the boat upright. Mr. Smith himself held to the stern, and 
 cheered and applauded his men. The sharks had tasted the 
 blood, and were not to be driven from their feast; in one short 
 moment, when Mr. Smith ceased splashing as he looked into 
 the boat to watch the progress, a shark seized both legs, and 
 bit them off just above the knees. Human nature was not 
 strong enough to bear the immense pain without a groan; 
 but Mr. Smith endeavored to conceal the misfortune, nature, 
 true to herself, resisted the endeavor, and the groan was 
 deep and audible. The crew had long respected their gallant 
 commander; they knew his worth and his courage: on hear- 
 ing him express his pain, and seeing him relinquish his hold 
 to sink, two of the men grasped their dying officer, and placed 
 him in the stern sheets. Even now in almost insupportable 
 agony, that gallant fellow forgot his own sufferings, and 
 thought only on rescuing the remaining few from the untimely 
 grave which awaited them; he told them again of their only 
 hope, deplored their perilous state, and concluded with these 
 words; " if any of you survive this fatal night, and return to 
 Jamaica, teil the admiral (Sir Lawrence Halstead) that I was 
 in search of the pirate when this lamentable occurrence took 
 place, tell him I hope I have always done my duty, and that I " 
 Here the endeavor of some of the men to get into the boat 
 gave her a heel on one side; the men*Hvho were supporting 
 Door Smith relinquished him for a moment, and he rolled over- 
 board and was drowned. His last bubbling cry was soon los* 
 amidst the shrieks of his former companions, he sunk to TIM 
 no more. 
 
 At eight o'clock in the evening the Magpie was upset ; it
 
 16 THE WRECR'D SEAMEN. 
 
 was calculated by the two survivors, that their companions had 
 all died by nine. The sharks seemed satisfied for the moment, 
 and they, with gallant hearts, resolved to profit by the precious 
 time in order to save themselves; they righted the boat, and 
 one getting over the bows,, and the other over the stern, they 
 found themselves although neany exhausted, yet alive, and in 
 comparative security, they began the work of bailing, and 
 soon lightened the boat sufficiently not to be easily upset, 
 when both set down to rest. The return of the sharks was a 
 signal for their return to labor. The voracious monsters en , 
 deavored to upset the boat; they swam by its side in seeming 
 anxiety for their prey , but after waiting sometime, they separat- 
 ed; the two rescued seamen, found themselves free from their 
 insatiable enemies, and, by the blessing of God, saved. 
 Tired as they were, they continued their labor until the boat 
 was nearly dry, when both lay down to rest, the one forward, 
 and the other aft; so completely had fear operated on their 
 minds, that they did not dare even to move, dreading that an 
 incautious step might have capsized the boat. They soon, in 
 spite of tne horrors they had witnessed, fell into a sound 
 sleep, and day had dawned before they awoke to horrible re- 
 flections, and apparently worse dangers. The sun rose cleai 
 and unclouded; the cool calm of the night was followed by 
 the sultry calm of the morning, and heat, hunger, thirst and 
 fatigue, seemed to settle on the unfortunate men, recued by 
 Providence and their own exertions from the jaws of a horri- 
 ble death. They awoke and looked at each other, the very 
 gaze of despair was appalling; far as the eye could reach, no 
 object could be descerned; the bright haze of the morning 
 added to the strong refraction of light; one smooth, intermi- 
 nable plain, one endless ocean, one cloudless sky and one 
 burning sun, were all they had to gaze upon. The boat lay 
 like the ark, in a world alone! They had no oar, no mast 
 and no sail, nothing but the bare planks and themselves, with- 
 out provisions or water, food or raiment. They lay upon the 
 calm ocean, hopeless, friendless and miserable. It was a 
 time of intense anxiety, their eyes rested upon each other in 
 silent pity, not unmixed with fear. Each knew the dreadfu. 
 alternative to which nature would urge them. The canniba" 
 was already in their looks, and fearful would have been the 
 Srst attack on either side, for they were both brave and stouf 
 men, and equals in strength and courage. 
 
 It now being about half past six in the morning, the sun 
 was begining to prove its burning power, the sea was as
 
 THE WKECK'D SEAMEN. 211 
 
 smooth as a looking glass, and saving now and then, .he slight 
 cat's paw of air, which ruffled the face of the water for a 
 few yards, all was calm and hushed. In vain they strained 
 their eyes, in vain they turned from side to side to escape the 
 burning rays of the sun; they could not sleep, for now anxie- 
 ty and fear kept both vigilant and on their guard; they dared 
 not to court sleep, for that might have been the last of mortal 
 repose. Once they nearly quarrelled, but fortunately the bet' 
 ter feelings of humanity overcame the bi terness of despair. 
 The foremost man had long complained of thirst, and had 
 frequently dipped his hand into the water, and sucked the fluid; 
 this was hastily done, for all the horrors of the night were 
 still before them, and not unfrequently the sharp fin of a 
 shaik was seen not very far from the boat. In the midst of 
 the excruciating torments of thirst, heightened by the salt wa- 
 ter, and the irritable temper of the bowman, as he stamped 
 his impatient feet against the bottom boards, and tore his hair 
 with unfeeling indifference, he suddenly stopped the expres- 
 sion of rage and called out "a sail!" 
 
 Whilst they stood watching in silence the approach of the 
 brig, which slowly made her way through the water, and at 
 the very instant that they were assuring each other that they 
 were seen, and that the vessel was purposely steered on the 
 course she was keeping, to reach them, the whole fabric of 
 hope was destroyed in a second; the brig kept away about 
 three points, and began to make more sail. Then was it an 
 awful moment; their countenances saddened as they looked 
 at each other; for in vain they hailed, in vain they threw their 
 jackets in the air; it was evident they had never been seen, 
 and that the brig was steering her proper course. 
 
 The time was slipping away, and if once they got abaft the 
 beam of the brig, every second would lessen the chance of 
 being seen, besides, the sea breeze might come down, and 
 then she would be far away, and beyond all hope in a quarter 
 of an hour. Now was it, that the man who had been so loud- 
 ly lamenting his fate, seemed suddenly inspired with fresh 
 hope and courage, he looked attentively at the brig, then at 
 his companion, and said "by heaven I'll do it, or we are lost!* 
 " Do what?" said his shipmate. " Though," said the first man, 
 " it is no trifle to do, after what we have seen and known; yet 
 I will try, for if she passes us, what can we do? I tell you 
 Jack, I'll swim to her, if I get safe to her, you are saved, if 
 not, why I shall die without adding, perhaps, murder to my 
 crimes " " What! jump overboard, and leave me all alone!' 
 vat. ii. 10
 
 218 THE WRECK'D SEAMEN. 
 
 replied his companion, " look, look at that shark, wrich hai 
 followed us all night, why it is only waiting for you to get in- 
 to the water to swallow you, as it did perhaps half of oui 
 messmates; no, no, wait, do wait, perhaps another vessel ma) 
 come, besides, I cannot swim half the dis*ance, and I should 
 be afraid to remain behind, think, Tom, only think of the 
 sharks and of last night." 
 
 He jumped overboard with as much calmness as if he was 
 bathing in security. No sooner had he began to strike out in 
 the direction he intended, than his companion turned towards 
 the sharks. The first had disappear ed, and it was evident 
 they had heard the splash, and would soon follow their prey. 
 It is hard to say who suffered the most anxiety. The one left 
 in the boat cheered his companion, looked at the brig, and 
 kept waving his jacket, then turned to watch the sharks; his 
 horror may be imagined when he saw three of these terrific 
 monsters swim past the boat, exactly in the direction of his 
 companion; he splashed his jacket in the water to scare them 
 away, but they seemed quite aware of the impotency of the 
 attack, and lazily pursued their course. The man swam well 
 and strongly. There was no doubt he would pass within 
 hail of the brig, provided the sharks did not interfere, and he, 
 knowing that they would not be long in following him, kept 
 kicking in the water and splashing as he swam. There is no 
 fish more cowardly, and yet more desperately savage than a 
 shark. I have seen one harpooned twice, with a hook in his 
 jaws, and come again to a fresh bait, yet will they suffer them- 
 selves to be scared by the smallest noise, and hardly ever take 
 their prey without it is quite still. Generally speaking, any 
 place surrounded by rocks where the surf breaks, although 
 there may be no passage for a ship, will be secure from sharks. 
 It was not until a great distance had been accomplished, that 
 the swimmer became apprized of his danger, and saw by his 
 side one of the terrific creatures; still however, he bravely 
 swam and kicked, his mind was made up for the worst, and he 
 bad little hope of success. In the meantime the breeze had 
 gradually freshened, and the brig passed with greater velocity 
 through the water; every stitch of canvas was spread. To 
 the poor swimmer the sails seemed bursting with the breeze, 
 and as he used his utmost endeavor to propel himself so as to 
 cut off the vessel, the spray appeared to dash from the bow 
 and the brig to fly through the sea. He was now close 
 enough to hope his voice might be heard; but he hailed and 
 hailed in vain, not a soul was to be seen on deck; the man
 
 ADTE?mniE3 OF PHILIP ASHTOS. 
 
 who steered was too intent upon his avocation to listen to the 
 call of mercy. The brig passed., and the swimmer was every 
 second getting further in the distance, every hope was gone, 
 not a ray ot that bright divinity remained; the fatigue had 
 nearly exhausted him, and the sharks only waited for the first 
 quiet moment to swallow their victim. It was in vain he 
 thought of returning towards the boat, for he never could 
 have reached her, and his companion had no means of assist- 
 ing him. In the act of offering up his last prayer ere he 
 made UD his mind to float and be eaten, he saw a man looking 
 over the quarter of the brig; he raised both his hands, he 
 jumped himself up in the water, and by the singularity of his 
 motions, fortunately attracted notice. A telescope soon made 
 clear the object; the brig was hove to, a boat sent, and the 
 man saved. The attention of the crew was then awakened 
 to the Magpie's boat; she was soon alongside, and thus through 
 the bold exertions of as gallant a fellow as ever breathed, both 
 were rescued from their perilous situation. 
 
 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHTOJN, 
 
 WHO, AFTER ESCAPING FROM PIRATES, LIVED SIXTEEN MONTHS 
 IN SOLITUDE ON A DESOLATE ISLAND. 
 
 On Friday the 15th of June 1722, after being out some 
 time in a schooner with -four men and a hoy, off Cape Sable, 
 1 stood in for Port Rossaway, designing to lie there all Sun- 
 day. Having arrived about four in the afternoon, we saw, 
 among other vessels which had reached the port before us, a 
 brigantine supposed to be inward bound from the West Indies. 
 After remaining three or four hours at anchor, a boat from the 
 brigantine came alongside, with four hands, who leapt on 
 deck, and suddenly drawing out pistols, and brandishing cut- 
 lasses, demanded the surrender both of ourselves and our 
 vessel. All remonstrance was vain ; nor indeed, had we 
 known who they were before boarding us, could we have 
 made any effectual resistance, being only five men and
 
 220 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHTO.V. 
 
 a boy, and were thus under the necessity of submitting at dis- 
 cretion. We were not single in misfortune, as thirteen or 
 fourteen fishing-vessels were in like manner surprised the 
 same evening. 
 
 When carried on board the brigantine-, T found myself in 
 the hands of JNed Low, an infamous pirate, whose vessel had 
 two great guns, four swivels, and about forty-two men. I was 
 strongly urged to sign the articles of agreement among the 
 pirates, and to join their number, which I steadily refused, 
 and suffered much bad usage in consequence. At length 
 being conducted, along with five of the prisoners, to the 
 quaiter-deck, Low came up to us with pistols in his hand, and 
 loudly demanded, " Are any of you married men ?" This un- 
 expected question, added to the sight of the pistols, struck us 
 all speechless ; we were alarmed lest there was some secret 
 meaning in his words, and that he would proceed to extrem- 
 ities, therefore none could reply. Tn a violent passion he 
 cocked a pistol, and clapping it to my head, cried out, " You 
 dog, why don't you answer ?" swearing vehemently at the 
 same time that he would shoot me through the head. I was 
 sutliciently terrified by his threats and fierceness, but rather 
 than lose my life in so trifling a matter, I ventured to pro- 
 nounce, as loud as I durst speak, that I was not married. 
 Hereupon he seemed to be somewhat pacified, and turned 
 away. 
 
 It appeared that Low was resolved to take no married men 
 whatever, which often seemed surprising to me until I had 
 been a considerable time with him. But his own wife had 
 died lately before he became a pirate ; and he had a young 
 child at Boston, for whom he entertained such tenderness, on 
 every lucid interval from drinking and revelling, that, on men- 
 tioning it, 1 have seen him sit down and weep plentifully. 
 Thus I concluded, that his reason for taking only single men, 
 was probably, that they might have no ties, such as wives and 
 children, to divert them from his service, and render them de- 
 sirous of returning home. 
 
 The pirates finding force of no avail in compelling us to 
 join them, began to use persuasion instead of it. They tried 
 to flatter me into compliance, by setting before me the share 
 I should have in their spoils, and the riches which I should 
 become master of; and all the time eagerly importuned me 
 to drink along with them. But I still continued to resist 
 their proposals, whereupon Low, with equal fury as before, 
 threatened to shoot me through the head ; and though I ear
 
 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHTON. 22] 
 
 ttestly entreated my release, he and his people wrote my name, 
 and that of my companions, in their books. 
 
 On t l e 19th of June, the pirates changed the privateer, as 
 they called their vessel, and went into a new schooner he- 
 longing to Marblehead, which they had captured. They then 
 put all the prisoners, whom they designed sending home, on 
 board of the brigantine, and sent her to Boston, which induc- 
 ed me to make another unsuccessful attempt for liberty ; but 
 though I fell on my knees to Low, he refused to let me go : 
 thus I saw the brigantine depart, with the whole captives, ex- 
 cepting myself and seven more. 
 
 Very short time before she departed, I had nearly effected 
 my escape ; for a dog belonging to Low being accidentally 
 left on shore, he ordered some hands into a boat to bring it off. 
 Thereupon two young men, captives, both belonging to Mar- 
 blehead, readily leapt into the boat, and I considering, that if 
 I could once get on shore, means might be found of effecting 
 my escape, endeavored to go along with them But the 
 quarter-master, called Russell, catching hold of my shoulder, 
 drew me back. As the young men did not return, bethought 
 I was privy to their plot, and, with the most outrageous oaths, 
 snapped his pistol, on my denying all knowledge of it. The 
 pistol missing fire, however, only served to enrage him the 
 more : he snapped it three times again, and as often it missed 
 fire ; on which he held it overboard, and then it went off. Rus- 
 sel on this drew his cutlass, and was about to attack me in 
 the utmost fury, when I leapt down into the hold and saved 
 myself. 
 
 Off St. Michael's the pirates took a large Portuguese pink, 
 laden with wheat, coming out of the road ; and being a good 
 sailor, and carrying 14 guns, transferred their company into 
 her. It afterwards became necessary to careen her, whence 
 they made three islands, called Triangles, lying about 40 
 leagues to the eastward of Surinam. 
 
 In heaving down the pink, Low had ordered so many men 
 to the shrouds and yards, that the ports, by her heeling, got 
 under water, and the sea rushing in, she overset : he and the 
 doctor were then in the cabin, and as soon as he observed the 
 water gushing in, he leaped out of the stern port, while the 
 doctor attempted to follow him. But the violence of the sea 
 repulsed the latter, and he was forced back into the cabin. 
 Low, however, contrived to thrust his arm into the port, ano 
 dragging him out, sa~ed his life. Meanwhile, the vessel com-
 
 ADVENTURES OP PHILIP ASHTON. 
 
 pletcly overset. Her keel turned out of the water ; but as the 
 hull filled, she sunk, in the depth of about six fathoms. 
 
 The yard-arms striking the ground, forced the masts some- 
 what above the water ; as the ship overset, the people got 
 from the shrouds and yards, upon the hull, and as the hull 
 went down, they again resorted to the rigging, rising a little 
 out of the sea. 
 
 Being an indifferent swimmer, I was reduced to great ex- 
 tremity ; for, along with other light lads, I had been sent up 
 to the main-top-gallant yard ; and the people of a boat, who 
 were now occupied in preserving the men refusing to take me 
 in, I was compelled to attempt reaching the buoy. This I 
 luckily accomplished, and as it was large secured myself there 
 until the boat approached. I once more requested the people 
 to take me in, but they still refused, as the boat was full. I 
 was uncertain whether they designed leaving me to perish in 
 this situation : however, the boat being deeply laden, made 
 way very slowly, and one of my comrades, captured at the 
 same time with myself, calling to me to forsake the buoy and 
 swim towards her, I assented, and reaching the boat, he drew 
 me on board. Two men, John Bell, and Zana Gourdon, 
 were lost in the p'.ik. 
 
 Though the schooner in company was very near at hand, 
 her people were employed mending their sails under an awn- 
 ing, and knew nothing of the accident until the boat full of 
 men, got alongside. 
 
 The pirates having thus lost their principal vessel, and the 
 greatest part of their provisions and water, were reduced to 
 great extremities for want of the latter. They were unable to 
 get a supply at the Triangles, nor on account of calms and 
 currents, could they make the island of Tobago. Thus they 
 were forced to stand for Grenada, which they reached, after 
 being on short allowance for sixteen days together 
 
 Grenada was a French settlement, and Low, on arriving, 
 after having sent all his men, except a sufficient number to 
 manffiuvre the vessel, below, said he was from Barbadoes ; 
 that he had lost the water on board, and was obliged to put in 
 here for a supply. 
 
 The people entertained no suspicion of his being a pirate, 
 but afterwards supposing him a smuggler, thought it a good 
 opportunity to make a prize of his vessel. Next day, there- 
 fore, they equipped a large sloop of 70 tons, and four guns, 
 with about 30 hands, as sufficient for the capture, and came 
 fclurigside, while Low was quite unsuspicious of their design
 
 ADVENTURES OP PHILIP ASHTOff 933 
 
 Bi t !.his being evidently betrayed by their number and actions, 
 he quickly called 90 men on deck, and, having 8 guns mount- 
 rd, the French sloop became an easy prey. 
 
 Provided with these two vessels, the pirates cruised about 
 in me West Indies, taking seven or eight prizes, and at length 
 an ive<i at the island of Santa Cruz, where they captured two 
 moie. While lying there, Low thought he stood in need of a 
 medicine chest, and, in order to procure one, sent four French 
 men, in a vessel he had taken, to St. Thomas's, about twelve 
 leagues distant, with money to purchase it ; promising them 
 liberty, and the return of all their vessels, for the service. 
 But he declared at the same time, if it proved otherwise, 
 he would kill the rest of the men, and burn the vessels. In 
 little mo'e than twenty-four hours, the Frenchmen returned 
 with the object of their mission, and Low punctually perform- 
 ed his promise by restoring the vessels. 
 
 Having sailed for the Spanish American settlements, the 
 pirates descried two large ships, about half way between Car- 
 thigena and Portobello, which proved to be the Mermaid, an 
 Kr^ 1 : -.li man-of-war, and a Guineaman. They approached in 
 chase t.ntil discovering the man-of-war's great range of teeth, 
 when they immediately put about, and made the best of their 
 'vay off. The man-of-war then commenced the pursuit, and 
 gained upon them apace, and I confess that my terrors were 
 now equal to any that I had previously suffered ; for I con- 
 cluded that we should certainly be taken, and that I should no 
 less certainly be hanged for company's sake : so true are the 
 words of Solomon, " A companion of fools shall be destroyed." 
 But the two pirate vessels finding themselves outsailed, sepa- 
 rated, and Farrington Spriggs, who commanded the schooner 
 in which I was, stood in for the shore. The Mermaid observ- 
 ing the sloop with Low himself to be the larger of the two, 
 crowded all sail, and continued gaining still more, indeed un- 
 til her shot flew over ; but one of the sloop's crew shewed Lovr 
 a shoal, which he could pass, and in the pursuit the rnan-of- 
 war grounded. Thus the pirates escaped hanging on tin* 
 occasion. 
 
 Spriggs and one of his chosen companions dreading the 
 consequences of being captured and brought to justice, laid 
 their pistols beside them in the interval, and pledging a mu- 
 tual oath in a bumpei of liquor, swore, if they saw no possibil- 
 ity of escape, to set foot to foot, and blow out each other'i 
 brains. But standing towards the shore, they made Pickeroon 
 Bay, and escaped the danger
 
 424 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHTON. 
 
 Next we repaired to a small island called Utilla, about 
 seven or eight leagues to leeward ot the island of Rnatan. in 
 the Bay of Honduras, where the bottom of the schooner was 
 cleaned. There were now twenty-two persons on board, and 
 eight of us engaged in a plot to overpower our masters, and 
 make our escape. Spriggs proposed sailing for New England, 
 in quest cf provisions, and to increase hit, company ; and we 
 intended on approaching the coast, when the rest had indul- 
 ged freely in liquor, and fallen sound asleep, to secure their 
 under the hatches, and then deliver ourselves up to govern 
 ment. 
 
 Although our plot was carried on with all possible privacy, 
 Spriggs had somehow or other got intelligence of it ; and 
 having fallen in with Low on the voyage, went on board his 
 ship to make a furious declaration against us. But Low made 
 little account of his information, otherwise it might have been 
 fatal to most of our number. Spriggs, however, returned 
 raging to the schooner, exclaiming, that four of us should go 
 forward to be shot, and to me in particular he said, " You dog 
 Ashton, you deserve to be hanged up at the yard-arm for de- 
 signing to cut us off. ' I replied, " that I had no intention of 
 injuring any man on board ; but. I should be glad if they would 
 allow me to go away quietly." At length this flame was 
 quenched, and, through the goodness of God, I escaped de- 
 struction. 
 
 Roatan harbour, as all about the Bay of Honduras, is full 
 of small islands, which pass under the general name of Keys ; 
 and having got in here, Low, with some of his chief men, 
 landed on a small island, which they called Port Royal Key. 
 There they erected huts, and continued carousing, drinking, 
 and firing, while the different vessels, of which they now had 
 possession, were repairing. 
 
 On Saturday the 9th of March 1723, the cooper, with six 
 nands, in the long-boat, was going ashore for water ; and com- 
 ing alongside of the schooner, I requested to be of the parly. 
 Seeing him hesitate, I urged that I had never hitherto been 
 ashore, and thought it hard to be so closely confined, when 
 every one besides had the liberty of landing as there was oc- 
 casion. Low had before told me, on requesting to be sent 
 away in some of the captured vessels which he dismissed, that 
 I should go home when he did, and swore that I should never 
 previously set my foot on land. But now I considered, if I 
 could possibly once get on terra firma, though in ever such 
 bad circumstances, I should account it a happy deliverance, 
 and resolved never to embark again.
 
 ADVFVTTTRKS OP Pit I UP ASHTON. 225 
 
 The cooper at length took me into the long-boat, while Low, 
 and his chief people, were on a different island from K >atun, 
 whore the watering place lay ; my only clothing was an Osna- 
 burgh frock and trowsers, a milled cap, but neither shirt, 
 shoes, stockings, nor any thing else. 
 
 \Vhen we first landed, I was very active in assisting to get 
 the casks out of the boat, and in rolling them to the watering- 
 place. Then taking a hearty draught of water, I strolled 
 along the beach, picking up stones and shells ; but on reach- 
 ing the distance of a musket-shot from the party, I began to 
 withdraw towards the skirts of the woods. In answer to a 
 question by the cooper of whither I was going ? I replied, 
 " for cocoa nuts, as some cocoa trees were just before me ;" 
 and as soon as 1 was out of sight of my companions, I took to 
 my heels, running as fast as the thickness of the bushes and 
 my naked feet would admit. Notwithstanding I had got a 
 considerable way into the woods, I was still so near as to hear 
 the voices of the party if they spoke loud, and I lay close in a 
 thicket where I knew they could not find me. 
 
 Alter my comrades had filled their casks, and were about to 
 depart, the cooper called on me to accompany them ; how- 
 ever, I lay snug in the thicket, and gave him no answer, 
 though his words were plain enough. At length, after hal- 
 looing loudly, I could hear them say to one another, " The 
 dog is lost in the woods, and cannot find the way out again ;" 
 then they hallooed once more, and cried " he has run away 
 and wont come to us ;" and the cooper observed, that, had he 
 known my intention, he would not have brought me ashore. 
 Satisfied of their inability to find me among the trees and 
 bushes, the cooper at last, to show his kindness, exclaimed, 
 " If you do not come away presently, I shall go off and leave 
 you alone." Nothing, however, could induce me to discover 
 myself; and my comrades seeing it vain to wait any longer, 
 put off without me. 
 
 Thus I was left on a desolate island, destitute of all help, 
 and remote from the track of navigators ; but compared with 
 the state and society I had quitted, I considered the wilder 
 ness hospitable, and the solitude interesting. 
 
 AVhen I thought the whole were gone, I emerged from my 
 th'cket, and came down to a small run of water, about a mile 
 from the place where our casks were filled, and there sat 
 down to observe the proceedings of the pirates. To my great 
 joy, in five days their vessels sailed, and I saw the schooner 
 part from them to shape a different course. 
 VOL n. 10*
 
 226 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHTON 
 
 I then began to reflect on myself and my present condition 
 1 was on an island which I had no means of leaving ; 1 knew 
 ' of no human being within many miles ; my clothing waa 
 scanty, and it was impossible to procure a supply. 1 was al- 
 together destitute of provision, nor could tell how my life was 
 to be supported. This melancholy prospect drew a copious 
 flood of tears from my eyes ; but as it had pleased God to 
 grant my wishes in being liberated from those whose occupa- 
 tion was devising mischief against their neighbors, I resolved 
 to account every hardship light. Yet Low would never suffer 
 his men to work on the Sabbath, which was more devoted to 
 play ; and I have even seen some of them sit down to read in 
 a good book. 
 
 In order to ascertain how I was to live in time to come, I be- 
 gan to range over the island, which proved ten or eleven 
 leagues long, and lay in about 16 deg north latitude. But I 
 soon found that my only companions would be the beasts of 
 the earth, and fowls of the air ; for there were no indications 
 of any habitations on the island, though every now and then I 
 found some shreds of earthen ware scattered in a lime walk, 
 said by some to be the remains of Indians formerly dwelling 
 here. 
 
 The island was well watered, full of high hills and deep 
 vallies. Numerous fruit trees, such as figs, vines, and cocoa- 
 nuts are found in the latter ; and I found a kind larger than 
 an orange, oval-shaped, of a brownish color without, and red 
 within Though many of these had fallen under the trees, I 
 could not venture to take them, until I saw the wild hogs feed- 
 ing with safety, and then I found them very delicious fruit. 
 
 Stores of provisions abounded here, though I could avail my- 
 self of nothing but the fruit ; for I had no knife or iron imple- 
 ment, either to cut up a tortoise on turning it, or weapons 
 wherewith to kill animals ; nor had I any means of making a 
 fire to cook my capture, even if I were successful. 
 
 Sometimes I entertained thoughts of digging pits, and cover- 
 ing them over with small branches of trees, for the purpose of 
 taking hogs or deer ; but I wanted a shovel and every sub- 
 stitute for the purpose, and I was soon convinced that my 
 hands were in sufficient to make a cavity deep enough to retain 
 what should fall into it. Thus I was forced to rest satisfied 
 with fruit, which was to be esteemed very good provision for 
 any one in my condition. 
 
 In process of time, while poking among the sand with a stick, 
 in quest of tortoise eggs, which 1 had heard were laid in the
 
 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHT)N. 821 
 
 sand, part of one came up adhering to it ; and, on removing 
 the sand, I found nearly an hundred and fifty, which had not 
 lain long enough to spoil. Therefore, taking some, I ate them, 
 and strung others on a strip of palmeto, which being hung up 
 in the sun, became thick and somewhat hard ; so that they 
 were more palatable. After all, they were not very savoury 
 food, though one, who had nothing but what fell from the trees, 
 behoved to be content. Tortoises lay their eggs in the sand, 
 in holes about a foot or a foot and a half deep, and smooth the 
 surface over them, so that there is no discovering where they 
 lie. According to the best of my observation, the young are 
 hatched in eighteen or twenty days, and then immediately take 
 to the water 
 
 Many serpents are on this and the adjacent islands ; one, 
 about twelve or fourteen feet long, is as large as a man's waist, 
 but not poisonous. AVhen lying at length, they look like 
 old trunks of trees, covered with short moss, though they 
 usually assume a circular position. The first time I saw one 
 of these serpents, I had approached very near before discover- 
 ing it to be a living creature ; it opened its mouth wide 
 enough to have received a hat, and breathed on me. A small 
 black fly creates such annoyance, that even if a person pos- 
 sessed ever so many comforts, his life would be oppressive to 
 him, unless for the possibility of retiring to some small quay, 
 destitute of wood and bushes, where multitudes are dispersed 
 by the wind. 
 
 To this place then was I confined during nine months, with- 
 out seeing a human being. One day after another was lin- 
 gered out, 1 know not how, void of occupation or amusement, 
 except collecting food, rambling from hill to hill, and from 
 island to island, and gazing on sky and water. Although my 
 mind was occupied by many regrets, I had the reflection that 
 I was lawfully employed when taken, so that I had no hand in 
 bringing misery on myself: I was also comforted to think that 
 I had the approbation and consent of my parents in going to 
 sea, and trusted that it would please God, in his own time and 
 manner, to provide for my return to my father's house. There- 
 fore; I resolved to submit patiently to my misfortune. 
 
 It was my daily practice to ramble from one part of the isl- 
 and to another, though I had a more special home near the 
 water-side. Here I built a hut to defend me against the heat 
 of the sun by day, and the heavy dews by night. Taking 
 some of the best branches which I could find fallen from the 
 trees, I contrived to fix them against a low hanging bough, by
 
 S28 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASIITON. 
 
 fastening them together with split palmeto leaves j next 1 
 covered the whole with some of the largest and most suitable 
 leaves that I could get. Many of these huts were construct- 
 ed by me, generally near the beach, with the open part, front 
 .ng the sea, to have the better look out, and the advantage ol 
 .he sea-breeze, which both the heat and the vermin re- 
 quired. 
 
 But the insects were so troublesome, that I thought of en- 
 deavoring to get over to some of the adjacent keys, in hopea 
 of enjoying rest. However, I was, as already said, a very 
 indifferent swimmer ; I had no canoe, nor any means of mak- 
 ing one. At length, having got a piece of bamboo, which is 
 hollow like a reed, and light as cork, I ventured, after fre- 
 quent trials with it under my breast and arms, to put oil' for a 
 small key about a gun-shot distant, which I reached in 
 safety. 
 
 My new place of refuge was only about three or four hun- 
 dred feet in circuit, lying very low, and clear of woods and 
 brush ; from exposure to the wind, it was quite free of ver- 
 min, and I seemed to have got into a new world, where I lived 
 infinitely more at ease. Hither I retired, therefore, when the 
 heat of the day rendered the insect tribe most obnoxious ; yet 
 I was obliged to be much on Roatan, to procure food and 
 water, and at night on account of my hut. 
 
 When swimming back and forward between the two islands, 
 I used to bind my frock and trowsers about my head, and, if 
 I could have carried over wood and leaves, whereof to make 
 a hut, with equal facility, I should have passed more of my 
 time on the smaller one. 
 
 Yet these excursions were not unattended with danger 
 Once, I remember, when, passing from the larger island, the 
 bamboo, before I was aware, slipped from under me ; and the 
 tide, or current, set down so strong, that it was with great dif- 
 ficulty I could reach the shore. At another time, when swim- 
 ming over to the small island, a shovel-nosed shark, which, as 
 well as alligators, abound in those seas, struck me in the thigh, 
 just as my foot could reach the bottom, and grounded itself, 
 from the shallowness of the water, as I suppose, so that its 
 moutu could not get round towards me. Tl>e blow I felt some 
 hours after making the shore. By repeated practice, I at 
 length became a pretty dexterous swimmer, and amused 
 myself by passing from one island to another, among the 
 keys. 
 
 I suffered very much from being barefoot ; so many deep
 
 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHTON. $29 
 
 wounas were made in my feet from traversing the wocds, where 
 the ground was covered with sticks and stones, and on the hot 
 beach, over sharp hroken shells, that I was scarce able to 
 walk at all. Often, when treading with all possible caution, a 
 stone or shell on the beach, or a pointed stick in the woods, 
 would penetrate the old wound, and the extreme anguish 
 would strike me down as suddenly as if I had been shot. 
 Then I would remain, for hours together, with tears gushing 
 from rny eyes, from the acuteness of the pain. I could travel 
 no more than absolute necessity compelled me, in quest of sub 
 sistence ; and I have sat, my back leaning against a tree, look- 
 ing out for a vessel during a complete day. 
 
 Once, while faint from such injures, as well as smarting 
 under the pain of them, a wild boar rushed towards me. 1 
 knew not what to do, for I had not strength to resist his at- 
 tack ; therefore, as he drew nearer, I caught the bough of a 
 tree, and suspended myself by means of it. The boar tore 
 away part of my ragged trowsers with his tusks, and then left 
 me. This, I think, was the only time that I was attacked by 
 any wild beast, and I considered myself to have had a very 
 great deliverance. 
 
 As my weakness continued to increase, 1 often fell to the 
 ground insensible, and then, as also when I laid myself to 
 sleep, I thought I should never awake again, or rise in life 
 Under this alHiction I first lost count of the days of the week ; 
 I could not distinguish Sunday, and, as my illness became 
 more aggravated, 1 bedarne ignorant of the month also. 
 
 All this time 1 had no healing balsam for my feet, nor any 
 cordial to revive my drooping spirits. My utmost efforts could 
 only now and then procure some figs and grapes. Neither had 
 I fire ; for, though I had heard of a way to procure it by rub- 
 bing two sticks together, my attempts in this respect, con- 
 tinued until I was tired, proved abortive. The rains having 
 come on, attended with chill winds, I suffered exceedingly. 
 
 While passing nine months in this lonely, melancholy, and 
 jksome condition, my thoughts would sometimes wander to 
 my parents ; and I reflected, that, notwithstanding it would 
 be c xisolatory to myself if they knew where I was, it might 
 be distressing to them. The nearer my prospect of death, 
 which I often expected, the greater my penitence became. 
 
 Sometime in November 1723, I descried a small canoe ap- 
 proaching with a single man ; but the sight excited little emo- 
 tion. I kept my seat on the beach, thinking I could not ex- 
 pect a friend, and knowing that I had no enemy to fear, not
 
 230 ADTZKTUKES OF PHILIP ABHTOI* 
 
 was I capable of resisting one. As the man approached, he 
 betrayed many sig:is of surprise ; he called me to him, and I 
 told him he might safely venture ashore, for I was akine, and 
 almost expiring. Coming close up, he knew not what to make 
 of me ; my garb and countenance seemed so singular, that he 
 looked wild with astonishment. He started hack a little, and 
 surveyed me more thoroughly ; but, recovering himself again, 
 ca-rr.e forward, and, taking me by the hand, expressed his sat- 
 isfaction at seeing me. 
 
 This stranger proved to be a native of North Britain ; ho 
 was well advanced in years, of a grave and venerable aspect, 
 and of a reserved temper. His name I never knew, l.e did 
 not disclose it, and I had not inquired during the period of our 
 acquaintance. But he informed me he had lived twenty-two 
 years with the Spaniards who now threatened to burn him, 
 though 1 know not for what crime ; therefore he had fled 
 hither as a sanctuary, bringing his dog, gun, and ammunition, 
 as also a small quantity of pork, along with him. He design- 
 ed spending the remainder of his days on the island, where he 
 could support himself by hunting. 
 
 I experienced much kindness from the stranger ; he was 
 always ready to perform any civil offices, and assist mo in 
 whatever he could, though he spoke little : and he gave me a 
 share of his pork. 
 
 On the third day after his arrival, he said he would make 
 an excursion in his canoe among the neighboring islands, for 
 the purpose of killing wild-hogs and deer, and wished me to 
 accompany him. Though my spirits were somewhat recruit- 
 ed by his society, the benefit of the fire, which I now enjoyed, 
 and dressed provisions, my weakness and the soreness of my 
 feet, precluded me; therefore he set out alone, saying he 
 would return in a few hours. The sky was serene, and there 
 was no prospect of any danger during a short excursion, see- 
 ing he had come nearly twelve leagues in safety in his canoe. 
 But. when he had been absent about an hour, a violent gvjst 
 af wind and rain arose, in which he probably perished, as 1 
 never heard of him more. 
 
 Thus, after having the pleasure of a companion almost 
 three days, I was as unexpectedly reduced to rny former lone 
 ly state, as I h-id been relieved from it. Yet through the 
 goodness of God, I was myself preserved from having beec 
 unable to accompany him; and I was left in bette: circum- 
 stances than those in which he had found me, for now 1 had 
 about five pounds of pork, a knife, a bottle of gunpowder, to-
 
 ADVENTURES OF miUP ASUTON. 231 
 
 Dacco, tongs and flint, by which means my Lfe co ild be ren- 
 dered more com.jrtable. 1 was enabled to have fire, extreme* 
 ly requisite at this time, being the rainy months of winter. 1 
 could cut up a tortoise, and have a delicate broiled meal. 
 Thus, by the help of the fire, and dressed provisions, through 
 the blessings of God, I began to recover strength, though the 
 soreness of my feet remained But I had, besides, the ad- 
 vantage of being able now and then to catch a dish of cray- 
 fish, which, when roasted, proved good eating. To accom- 
 plish this I made up a small bundle of old broken sticks, near- 
 ly resembling pitch-pine, or candle-wood, and having lighted 
 one end, waded v/ith it in my hand, up to the waist in water. 
 The cray-rish, attracted by the light, would crawl to my feet, 
 and lie directly under it, when, by means of a forked stick, I 
 could toss them ashore. 
 
 Between two and three months after the time of losing my 
 companion, I found a small canoe, while ranging along the 
 shore. The sight of it revived my regret for his loss, for 1 
 judged that it had been his canoe; and, from being washed up 
 here, a certain proof of his having been lost in the tempest. 
 But, on examining it more closely, I satisfied myself that it 
 was one which I had never seen before. 
 
 Master of this little vessel, I began to think myself admiral 
 of the neighboring seas, as well as sole possessor and chief 
 commander of the islands. Profiting by its use, I could 
 transport myself to the places of retreat more conveniently 
 than by my former expedient of swimming. 
 
 In process of time, I projected an excursion to some of the 
 larger and more distant islands, partly to learn how they were 
 stored or inhabited, and partly for the sake of amusement. 
 Laying in a small stock of figs and grapes, therefore, as also 
 some tortoise to eat, and carrying my implements for fire, I 
 put off to steer for the island of Bornacco, which is about 
 four or five leagues long, and situated five or six from Roa- 
 tan. 
 
 In the coursa of the voyage, observing a sloop at the eas' 
 end of the island, I made the best of my way to the west, de- 
 signing to travel down by land, both because a point of rocks 
 ran far into the sea, beyond which I did not care to venture 
 in the canoe, as was necessary to come a- head of the sloop, 
 and because I wished to ascertain something concerning her 
 people before I was discovered. Even in my worst circum- 
 stances, I never could brook the thoughts of returning on 
 board of any piratical vessel, and resolved rather to live and
 
 432 ADVENTURES Ol PHILIP ASHTOJl. 
 
 die in my present situation. Hauling up the canoe, and mak 
 ing it fast as well as 1 was able, I set out on the journey. 
 My feel were yet in such a state, that two days, and the best 
 part of two nights were occupied in it. Sometimes the woods 
 and hushes were so thick that it was necessary to crawl hall 
 a mile together on my hands and knees, which rendered my 
 progress very slow. 
 
 >Vhen within a mile or two of the place where I supposed 
 the sloop might he, I made for the water side, and approach- 
 ed the sea gradually, that I might not too soon disclose my- 
 self to view; however, on reaching the beach, there was no 
 appearance of the sloop, whence 1 judged that she had sailed 
 during the time spent by me in travelling. 
 
 Being much fatigued with the journey, I rested myself 
 against the stump of a tree, with my face towards the sea, 
 where sleep overpowered me. But 1 had not slumbered long 
 before I was suddenly awakened by the noise of firing. 
 Starting up in affright, I saw nine periaguas, or large canoes, 
 full of men, firing, upon me from the sea; whence 1 soon 
 turned about and ran among the bushes as fast as my sore 
 feet would allow, while the men, who were Spaniards, cried 
 after me, " O Englishman, we will give you good quarter." 
 However, my astonishment was so great, and I was so sud- 
 denly roused from my sleep, that I had no self-command to 
 listen to their offers of quarter, which, it may be, at another 
 time, in my cooler moments, I might have done. Thus I 
 made into the woods, and the strangers continued firing after 
 .me. to the number of 150 bullets at least, many of which cut 
 small twigs ofT the bushes close by mv side. Having gained 
 an extensive thicket beyond reach of the shot, I lay close sev- 
 eral hours, until observing, by the sound of their oars, that 
 the Spaniards were departing, I crept out. I saw the sloop 
 under English colors sailing away with the canoes in tow, 
 which induced me to suppose she was an English vessei 
 which had been at the Bay of Honduras, and taken there by 
 the Spaniards. 
 
 Next day I returned to the tree, where I had been so near- 
 ly surprised, and was astonished to find six or seven shot in 
 the trunk, within a foot or less of my head. Yet through the 
 wonderful goodness of God, though having been as a mark to 
 shoot at, I was preserved. 
 
 After this I travelled to recover my canoe at the western 
 end of the island, \s*jich I reached in three days, but sufler- 
 iug severely from the soreness of my feet, and the scantiness
 
 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHTOIf. V33 
 
 of provisions. This island is not so plentifully stored aa 
 Roatan, so thnt during the five or six days of my residence, 1 
 hao.' difficulty in procuring subsistence; and the insects were, 
 besides, infinitely more numerous and harassing than at my 
 old habitation. Those circumstances deterred me from furth 
 er exploring the island; and having reached the canoe very 
 tired and exhausted, 1 put off for Roatan, which was a roy- 
 al palace to me, compared with Bonacco, and arrived at night 
 in safety. 
 
 Here I lived, if it may be called living, alone for about 
 seven months, after losing ny North British companion. 
 My time was spent in the usual manner, hunting for food, and 
 ranging among the islands. 
 
 Some time in June 1724, while on the small quay, whither 
 I often retreated to be free from the annoyance of insects, I 
 saw two canoes making for the harbor. Approaching nearer, 
 they observed the smoke of a fire which 1 had kindled, and at 
 a loss to know what it meant, they hesitated on advancing. 
 What 1 had experienced at Bonacco, was still fresh in my own 
 memory, and loth to run the risk of such another firing, I 
 withdrew to my canoe, lying behind the quay, not above 100 
 yards distant, and immediately rowed over to Roatan. There 
 I had places of safety against an enemy, and sufficient ac- 
 commodation for any ordinary number of friends. 
 
 The people in the canoes observed me cross the sea to 
 Roatan, the passage not exceeding a gun-shot over; and be- 
 ing as much afraid of pirates as I was of Spaniards, approach- 
 ed very cautiously towards the shore. I then came down to 
 the beach, shewing myself openly; for their conduct led me 
 to think that they could not be pirates, and I resolved before 
 being exposed to the danger of their shot, to inquire who they 
 were. If they proved such as I did not like, 1 could easily 
 retire. Bu* before I spoke, they, as full of apprehension as I 
 could be, lay on their oars, and demanded who I was, and 
 from whence I came? to which I replied, " that 1 was an 
 Englishman, and had run away from pirates." On this they 
 drew somewhat nearer, inquiring who was there besides my- 
 self? when I assured them, in return, that I was alone. Next, 
 according to my original purpose, having put similar questions 
 to them, they said they had come from the Bay of Honduras; 
 their words encouraged me to bid them row ashore, ^hich 
 they accordingly did, though a,t some distance, and one man 
 landed, whom I advanced to meet. But he started back at 
 the sight of a poor ragged, wild, forlorn, miserable object se
 
 134 ADVENTURES OF FI1ILIP ASHTOW 
 
 near him. Collecting himself, however, he took me by the 
 hand, and we began embracing each other, he from surprise 
 and wonder, and 1 from a sort of ecstacy of joy. When this 
 was over, he took me in his arms, and carried me down to the 
 canoes, when all his comrades were struck with astonishment 
 at my appearance; but they gladly received me, and 1 ex- 
 perienced great tenderness from them. 
 
 I gave the strangers a brief account of my escape frona 
 Low, and my lonely residence for sixteen months, all except- 
 ing three davs, the hardships I had suffered, and the dangers 
 to which 1 hr.d been exposed. They stood amazed .it the re- 
 cital; they wondered I was alive, and expressed much satis- 
 faction at Joeing abie to relieve rne. Observing me very weak 
 and depressed, they gave me about a spoonful of rum to re- 
 cruit my fainting spirits; but even this small quantity, from 
 my long disuse of strong liquors, threw me into violent agita- 
 tion, and produced a kind of stupor, which at last ended in 
 privation of sense. Some of the party perceiving a state of 
 insensibility come on, would have administered more rum, 
 which those better skilled among them prevented; and after 
 lying a short time in a fit, I revived. 
 
 Then I ascertained, that the strangers were eighteen in 
 number, the chief of them named John Hope, an old man, 
 called Father Hope, by his companions, and John Ford, and 
 all belonging to the Bay of Honduras. The cause of their 
 coming hither, was an alarm for an attack from the sea, by 
 the Spaniards, while the Indians should make a descent by 
 land, and cut off the Bay; thus they had fled for safety. On 
 a former occasion, the two persons above named, had for the 
 like reason, taken shelter among these islands, and lived four 
 years at a time on a small one, named Barbarat, about two 
 leagues from Roatan. There they had two plantations, as 
 they called them; and now they brought two barrels of flour, 
 with other provisions, fire-arms, dogs for hunting and nets for 
 tortoises; and also an Indian woman to dress their provisions. 
 Their principal residence was a small key, about a quarter of 
 a mile round, lying near to Barbarat, and named by their 
 the Castle of Comfort, chiefly because it was low and clear 
 of woods and bushes, so that the free circulation of wind 
 could drive away the pestiferous musquitoes and other insects. 
 From hence they sent to the surrounding islands for'wood, 
 water and materials to build two houses, such as they were, 
 for shelter. 
 
 1 now had the prospect of a much more agreeable life than
 
 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP A3HTOfl. 959 
 
 what I had spent during the sixteen months past; for, besides 
 having company, the strangers treated me with a great deal 
 of civility in their way; they clothed me, and gave me a 
 large wrapping gown as a defence against the nightly dews, 
 unt'l their houses were erected; and there was plenty of pro- 
 visions Yet after all, they were bad society; and as to their 
 common conversation, there was but little difference between 
 them and pirates. However, it did not appear that they were 
 now engaged in any such evil design as rendered it unlawful to 
 join them, or be found in their company. 
 
 In process of time, and with the assistance afforded by my 
 companions, I gathered so much strength as sometimes to be 
 able to hunt along with them. The islands abounded with 
 wild hogs, deer and tortoise; and different ones were visited 
 in quest of game. This was brought home, where, instead 
 of being immediately consumed, it was hung up to dry in 
 smoke, so as to be a ready supply at all times. 
 
 I now considered myself beyond the reach of danger from 
 an enemy, for, independent of supposing that nothing couh. 
 bring any one here, I was surrounded by a number of men 
 with arms constantly in their hands, Yet, at the very tine 
 that I thought myself most secure, I was very nearly again 
 falling into the hands of pirates. 
 
 Six or seven months after the strangers joined me, three of 
 them, along with myself, took a four oared canoe, for the pur- 
 pose of hunting and killing tortoise on Bonacco. During 
 our absence the rest repaired their canoes, and prepared to go 
 over to the Bay of Honduras, to examine how matters stood 
 there, and lring off their remaining effects, in case it were 
 dangerous to return. But before they had departed, we were 
 on our voyage homewards, having a full load of pork and tor- 
 toise, as ou/ object was successfully accomplished. While 
 entering the mouth of the harbor, in a moonlight evening, we 
 saw a grea/ Hash, and heard a report much louder than that 01 
 a musket, proceed from a large periagua, which we observed 
 nea the Castle of Comfort. This put us in extreme conster- 
 nation, and we knew not what to consider; but in a minute 
 we heard a volley from eighteen or twenty small arms, dis- 
 charged towards the shore, and also some returned from it. 
 Satisfied that an enemy, either Spaniards or pirates, was at- 
 tacking our people, and being intercepted trom them by pen 
 aguas lying between us and the shore, we thought the safesi 
 plan was trying to escape. Therefore, taking down our little 
 mast and sail, that they might not betray us, we rowed out of
 
 S36 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASIIT05. 
 
 the harbor as fast as possible, towards an island about a mil 
 and a half distant, to retreat undiscovered. But the enemy 
 cither having seen us before lowering our sail, or heard the 
 noise of the oars, followed with all speed, in an eight or ten 
 oared periagua. Observing her approach, and fast gaining 
 en us, we rowed with all our might to make the nearest shore. 
 However, she was at length enabled to discharge a swivel, 
 the shot from which passed over our canoe. Nevertheless, 
 we contrived to reach the shore before being completely with- 
 in the range of small arms, which our pursuers discharged on 
 us while landing. 
 
 They were now near enough to cry aloud that thev u-ere 
 pirates, and not Spaniards, and that we need not dread them, 
 as we should get good quarter; thence supposing that we 
 should be the easier induced to surrender. Yet nocniii" could 
 
 O 
 
 nave oeen sain to discourage me more from putting myself in 
 their power; I had the utmost dread of a pirate, and mv origi- 
 nal aversion was now enhanced, by the apprehension of being 
 sacrificed for my former desertion. Thus, concluding to 
 keep as clear of them as I could, and the Hondurus Bay men 
 having no great inclination to do otherwise, we made the best 
 of our way to the woods. Our pursuers carried off the ca- 
 noe, with all its contents, resolving, if we would not go to 
 them, to deprive us, as far as possible, of all mean? of sub- 
 sistence where we were. But it gave me, who had known 
 joth want and solitude, little concern, now that I had compa- 
 >', and there were arms among us to procure provision, and 
 aiso fire wherewith to dress it. 
 
 Our assailants were some men belonging to Spriggs, my 
 former commander, who had thrown off his allegiance to Low, 
 and set up for himself at the head of a ga.ig of pirates, with 
 a good ship of twenty-four guns, and a sloop of twelve, both 
 presently lying in Roatan harbor. He had put in for fresh 
 wator, and-to refit, at the place where I first escaped; and. 
 having discovered my companions at the small island of their 
 retreat, sent a periagua full of men to take them. According- 
 ly they carried all ashcre, as also a child and an Indian vo- 
 man; the last of whom they shamefully abused. They kill- 
 ed a man after landing, and throwing him into one of the ca 
 noes containing tar, set it on fire, and burnt his body in it. 
 Then they carried the people on board of their vessels, where 
 they were barbarously treated. One of them turned pirave 
 however, and told the others that John Hope had hid manj 
 things in the woods; therefore, they beat him unmercifully ti>
 
 or PHILIP ASHTON. 53? 
 
 mako him disclose his treasure, which they carried off with 
 them. 
 
 Aflei the pirates had kept these people five days on boai-d 
 of their vessels, they gave them a flat of five or six tons to 
 carry them to the Bay of Hondurus, but no kind of provision 
 for the voyage; and further, before dismissal, compelled them 
 to swear that they would not come near me and my party, who 
 had escaped to another island. 
 
 While the vessels rode in the harbor, we kept a pood look 
 out, but were exposed to some difficulties, from not daring to 
 kinole a fire to dress our victuals, lest our residence should be 
 betrayed. Thus we lived for five days on raw provisions. 
 As soon as they sailed, however, Hope, little regarding the 
 oath extorted from him, came and informed us of what had 
 passed; and I could not, for my own part, be sufficiently grate 
 fill to Providence for escaping the hands of the pirates, who 
 would have put me to a cruel death. 
 
 Hope and all his people, except John Symonds, now reso'.vr- 
 ed to make their way to the Bay. Syrnonds, who had a ne- 
 gro, wished to remain some time for the purpose of trading 
 with the Jamaica-men on the main But thinking my best 
 chance of getting to New England was from the Bay of Hon- 
 durus, I requested Hope to take me with him. The old man, 
 though he would gladly have done so, advanced many objec- 
 tions, such as the insufficiency of the flat to carry so many 
 men seventy leagues; that they had no provision for the pas- 
 sage, which might be tedious, and the flat was, besides ill cal- 
 culated to stand the sea; as also, that it was uncertain how 
 matters might turn out at the Bay; thus he thought it beti^r 
 for me to remain; yet rather than I should be in solitude, he 
 would take me in. 
 
 Symor.ds, on the other hand, urged me to stay and bea> 
 him company, and gave several reasons why I should moio 
 likely obtain a passage from the Jamaica-men to New Eng- 
 land, than by the Bay of Hondurus. As this seemed a fairei 
 prospect of reaching my home, which I was extremely anx- 
 ious to do, I assented; and, having thanked Hope and his 
 companions for their civilities, I took leave of them, and they 
 departed. 
 
 Symonds was provided with a canoe, fire-arms and two 
 dogs, in addition to his negro, by which means he felt confi- 
 dant of being able to provide all that was necessary for our 
 ub istance. We spent two or three months ofter the usual 
 m? f r, ranging from island to island, bi't the prevalence ot
 
 38 ADVENTURES OF PHILIP ASHTOIt. 
 
 the winter rains precluded us from obtaining more ganr.e thai 
 we required. 
 
 When the season for the Jamaica traders approached, Sy- 
 monds proposed repairing to some other island to obtain a 
 quantity of tortoise-shell which he could exchange for clothes 
 and shoes; and, being successful in this respect, we next pro- 
 ceeded to Bonacco, which lies nearer the main, that we might 
 thence take a favorable opportunity to run over. 
 
 Having been a short time at Bonacco, a furious tempest 
 arose, and continued for three days, when we saw several 
 vessels standing in for the harbor. The largest of them anchor- 
 ed at a great distance, but a brigantine came over the shoalj 
 opposite to the watering place, and sent her boat ashore with 
 casks. Recognizing three people who were in the boat, 
 their dress and appearance, for Englishmen, I concluded thej 
 were friends, and shewed myself openly on the beach' befor 
 them. They ceased rowing immediately on observing me, 
 and, after answering their inquiries of who I was, I put the 
 same questions, saying they might come ashore with safety 
 They did so, and a happy meeting it was for me. 
 
 I now found that the vessels were a fleet under convoy of 
 the Diamond man-of-war, bound for Jamaica; but many ships 
 had parted company in the storm. The Diamond had sent in 
 the brigantine to get water here, as the sickness of her crew 
 had occasioned a great consumption of that necessary ar- 
 ticle. 
 
 Symonds, who had kept at a distance, lest the three men 
 might hesitate to come ashore, at length approached to parti- 
 cipate in my joy, though at the same time, testifying consider- 
 able reluctance at the prospect of my leaving him. The 
 brigantine was commanded by Captain Dove, with whom I 
 was acquainted, and she belonged to Salem, within three 
 miles of my father's house Captain Dove not only treated 
 me with great civility, and engaged to give me a passage home, 
 but took me into pay, having lost a seaman, whose place he 
 wanted me to supply. Next day, the Diamond having sent 
 her long-boat with casks for water, they were filled; and after 
 taking leave of Symonds, who shed tears at parting, I waa 
 carried on board of the brigantine. 
 
 We sailed along with the Diamond, which was bound for 
 Jamaica, on the latter end of March 1725, and kept company 
 until the first of April. By the providence of Heaven we 
 passed safely through the Gulf of Florida, and reached Salenc 
 Harbor on the first cf May, two years, ten months and fifUc
 
 EXPLOSION OP THE AMPHION. 239 
 
 days after I w^s first taken by pirates; and two years, nuo 
 two months, after making my escape from them on koatan 
 island That same evening I went to my father's house, 
 where I was received as one risen from the dead 
 
 EXPLOSION OF HIS B. MAJESTY'S SHIP 
 AMPIIION. 
 
 The Amphion frigate, Captain Israel Fellow, after having 
 cruised some time in the North Seas, had at length received 
 an order to join the squadron of frigates commanded by Sir 
 Edward Fellow. She was on her passage, when a hard gale 
 of wind occasioning some injury to the fore-mast, obliged her 
 to put back into Plymouth, off which place she then was. 
 She accordingly came into the sound, anchored there on tho 
 19th, and went up into harbor the next morning. 
 
 On the 2*2d, at about half past four P. M. a violent shock, 
 as of an earthquake, was felt at Stone-house, and extended 
 as far off as the Royal hospital and the town of Plymouth. 
 The sky towards the Dock appeared red, like the effect of a 
 fire; for near a quarter of an hour the cause of this appear- 
 ance could not be ascertained, though the streets were crowd- 
 ed with people running different ways in the utmost conster- 
 nation. 
 
 When the alarm and confusion had somewhat subsided, it 
 first began to be known that the shock had been occasioned 
 by the explosion of the Amphion. Several bodies and man- 
 gled remains were picked up by the boats in Hamoa/.e; and 
 their alacrity on this occasion was particularly remarked and 
 highly commended. The few who remained alive of the 
 crow were conveyed, in a mangled state, to the Royal Ho9 
 pital. As the frigate was originally manned from Plymouth 
 the friends and relations of her unfortunate ship's company
 
 440 EXPLOSION OF THE AMPHION 
 
 mostly lived in the neighborhood. It is dreadful to relate 
 what a scene took place arms, legs and lifeless tiunks, man- 
 gled and disfigured by gunpowder, were collected and deposit- 
 ed at the hospital, having been brought in sacks to be owned 
 Bodies still living, some with the loss of limbs, others having 
 expired as they were being conveyed thither; men, women 
 and children, whose sons, husbands and fathers were among 
 the unhappy number, Hocking round the gates, intreating ad- 
 mitance. During the first evening nothing was ascertained 
 concerning the cause of this event, though numerous reports 
 were instantly circulated. The few survivors, who, by th 
 following day, had, in some degree regained the use of their 
 senses, could not give the least account. One man who was 
 brought alive to the Royal Hospital, died before night, anoth- 
 er before the following morning; the boatswain and one of 
 the sailors appeared likely, with great care, to do well.-- 
 Three or four men who were at work in the tops, were blown 
 up with them and falling into the water, were picked up with 
 very little hurt. These, with the two before mentioned, and 
 one of the sailors' wives, were supposed to be the only survi- 
 vors, besides the captain and two of the lieutenants. 
 
 The following particulars were, however, collected from 
 the examination of several persons before Sir Richard Ki:i;_ f , 
 the port-admiral, and the information procured from those, 
 who saw the explosion from the Dock. 
 
 The first person known to have observed any thinjj was a 
 young midshipman in the Cambridge guard-ship, Iving n t 
 far distant from the place where the Amphion blew up; who 
 having a great desire to observe everything relative to a pro- 
 fession into which he had just entered, was looking through a 
 glass at the irigate, as she lay along side of the sheer-hulk, 
 and was taking in her bowsprit. She was lashed to the hulk; 
 and the Yarmouth, an old receiving ship, was Lying on the op- 
 posite side, quite close to her, and both within a lew yards of 
 the Dock-yard jetty. The midshipman said, that the Arnphi- 
 on suddenly appeared to rise altogether upright from the sur 
 face of the water, until he nearly saw her keel; the explosion 
 then succeeded; the masts seemed to be forced up into -the 
 air, and the hull instantly to sink. All this passed in the 
 space of two minutes. 
 
 The man who stood at the Dock-yard stairs, said, that the 
 first he heard of it was a kind of hissing noise, and then fol- 
 lowed the explosion, when he beheld the masts blown up inte- 
 the air. It was very strongly reported that several windows
 
 EXPLOSION OF THE AMPHION. 241 
 
 were broken in the Dock by the explosion, and that in the 
 Dock-yard much mischief was done by the Amphion's gun 
 going oil when she blew up; but though the shock was fel 
 as far off as Plymouth, and at Stone-house, enough to shake 
 the windows, yet it is a wonderful and miraculous fact, that 
 surrounded as she was in the harbor, with ships close along 
 side of the jetty, and lashed to another vessel, no damage was 
 done to any thing but herself. It is dreadful to reflect, hi 
 owing to their intention of putting tg sea the next day, there 
 were nearly one hundred men, women and children, more 
 than her compliment on board, taking leave of their friends 
 besides the company who were at two dinners given in the 
 ship, one of which was by the captain. 
 
 Captain Israel Fellow, and Captain William Swaffield, of 
 his Majesty's ship Overyssel, who was at dinner with him and 
 the first lieutenant, were drinking their wine; when the first 
 explosion threw them off their seats, and struck them against 
 the carlings of the upper deck, so as to stun them. Captain 
 Fellow, however, had sufficient presence of mind to fly to the 
 cabin windows, arid seeing the two hawsers, one slack in the 
 bit and the other taut, threw himself with an amazing leap, 
 which he afterwards said, nothing but his sense of danger 
 could have enabled him to take, upon the latter, and by that 
 means saved himself from the general destruction, though his 
 face had been badly cut against the carlings, when he was 
 .nrown from his seat. The first lieutenant saved himself in 
 the same manner, by jumping out of the window, and by be- 
 ing also a remarkable good swimmer; but Captain Swaffield 
 being, as it was supposed, more stunned, did not escape. - 
 His body was found on the twenty-second of October, wit 
 his skull fractured, appearing to have been crushed betwee 
 the sides of two vessels. 
 
 The centincl at the cabin door happened to be looking at 
 his watch; how he escaped no one can tell, not even himself. 
 He was, hmvcver, brought on shore, and but little hurt' the 
 first thing he felt was, that his watch was dashed out cf his 
 hands, after which he was no longer sensible of what happen- 
 ed to him. The boatswain was standing on the cat-head, the 
 bowsprit had been stepped for three hours; the gammoning 
 and every thing on; and he was directing the men in rigging 
 out the jib-boom, when suddenly he felt himself driven up- 
 wards and fell into the sea He then perceived that he was 
 entangled in the rigging, and had some trouble to get clear, 
 when being taken up by a boat belonging to one of the me* 
 VOL. n II
 
 242 EXPLOSION OF THE AMPHlOlt. 
 
 of war, they found that his arm was broken. One of the sur 
 viving seamen declared to an officer of rank, that he wat 
 preserved in the following truly astonishing manner : He 
 was below at the time the Amphion blew up, and went to the 
 bottom of the ship, he recollected that he had a knife in his 
 pocket, and taking it out, cut his way through the companion 
 of the gun-room, which was already shattered with the ex- 
 plosion; then letting himself up to the surface cf the water, 
 he swam unhurt to the shore. He shewed his knife to the of- 
 ficer, and declared he had been under water full five minutes. 
 
 It was likewise said, that one of the sailors' wives had a 
 young child in her arms; the fright of the shock made her 
 take such fast hold of it, that though the upper part of her 
 body alone remained, the child was found alive locked fast in 
 her arms, and likely to do well. 
 
 Mr Spry, an auctioneer, who had long lived in great re- 
 spectability at Dock, with his son and god-son, had gone on 
 board to visit a friend, and were all lost. 
 
 About half an hour before the frigate blew up, one of her 
 lieutenants, and Lieutenant Campbell of the marines and 
 some of the men got into the boat at the dock-yard stairs, 
 and went off to the ship. Lieutenant Campbell had some 
 business to transact at the Marine barracks in the morning, 
 and continuing there some time, was engaged by the ofliceis 
 to stay to dinner and spend the evening with them. Some 
 persons, however, who had, in the interval, come from the 
 Amphion, informed Lieutenant Campbell that there were 
 some letters on board for him. As they were some which ho 
 was extremely anxious to receive, he left the barracks aboul 
 half an hour before dinner to fetch them, intending to returr 
 immediately; but while he was on board the ship blew up. 
 He was a young man universally respected end lamented b} 
 the corps, as well as by all who knew him. One of the lieu- 
 tenants who lost his life was the only support of an aged 
 mother and sister, who, at his death, had neither friend noi 
 relation left to comfort and protect them. The number o> 
 people who were afterwards daily seen at Dock, in deej 
 mourning for their lost relatives, was truly melancholy. 
 
 Captain Fellow was taken up by the boats and carried tf 
 Commissioner Fanshaw's house in the dock-yard, very weak 
 with the exertions he had made, and so shocked with the dia 
 tressing cause of them, that he at first appeared scarcely tn 
 know where he was, or to be sensible of his situation. In 
 the course of a day or two, when he was a little recovered,
 
 EXPLOSION 07 THE AMPII1ON S43 
 
 he was removed to the house of a friend, Dr. Hawker o/ 
 
 Plymoutn. 
 
 Sir Richard King had given a public dinner in honor of the 
 coronation. Captain Charles Rowley, of the Unite frigate, 
 calling in the morning, was engaged to stay, and excused 
 himself from dining, as he had previously intended, on boatd 
 the Arnphion. 
 
 Captain Darby of the Bellerophon, was also to have dined 
 with Captain Fellow, and had come round in his boat from 
 Cawsand Hay; but having to transact some business con- 
 cerning the ship with Sir Richard King, it detained him half 
 an hour longer at Stone-house than he expected. He had 
 just gone down to the beach and was stepping into the boat to 
 proceed up to Ilnrmoazc, when he heard the fatal explosion. 
 Captain Swaffield was to have sailed the next day, so that the 
 difference of twenty-four hours would have saved that much 
 Jamented and truly valuable officer. His brother Mr. J. 
 Swallield, of the Pay-Oflice, being asked to the same dinner, 
 had set off with him from Stone-house, but before he had 
 reached Dock a person came after him upon business, which 
 obliged him to return, and thus saved him from sharing his 
 brother's untimely fate. 
 
 Many conjectures were formed concerning the cause of this 
 catastrophe. Some conceived it to be owing to neglect, as the 
 men were employed in drawing the guns, and contrary to rule, 
 had not extinguished all the fires, though the dinners were over 
 This, however, the first lieutenlant declared to be impossible, 
 as they could not be drawing the guns, the key of the maga- 
 zine hanging, to his certain knowledge, in his cabin at tne 
 time. Some of the men likewise declared that the guns were 
 drawn in the Sound before they came up Harmoaze. It was 
 also insinuated, that it was done intentionally, as several of 
 the bodies were afterwards found without clothes, as if they 
 had prepared to jump overboard before the ship could hate 
 time to blow up. As no mutiny had ever appeared in the 
 ship, it seems unlikely that such a desperate plot should have 
 been formed, without any one who survived having the least 
 knowledge of it. "It is, besides, a well known fact, that in al- 
 most every case of shipwreck where there is a chance of 
 plunder, there are wretches so destitute of the common feel- 
 ings of humanity as to hover round the scene of horror, in 
 jopes, by stripping the bodies of the dead, and seizing what- 
 ever they can lay their hands on, to benefit themselves. 
 
 It was the fore magazine which took fire; had it been tho
 
 844 EXPLOSION OF THE AMPHIOJT 
 
 after one, much more damage must have ensued. The mo- 
 ment the explosion was heard, Sir Richard King arose from 
 dinner, and went in his boat on board the hulk, where the 
 sight he beheld was dreadful; the deck covered with blood, 
 mangled limbs and entrails blackened with gunpowder, the 
 shreds of the Amphion's pendant and rigging hanging about 
 her, and pieces of her shattered timbers strewed all around. 
 Some people at dinner in the Yarmouth, though at a very 
 small distance, declared that the report they heard did not ap- 
 pear to be louder than the firing of a cannon from the Cam- 
 bridge, which they imagined it to be, and had never risen from 
 dinner, till the confusion upon deck led them to think that 
 some accident had happened. 
 
 At low water, the next day, about a foot and a half of one 
 of the masts appeared above water; and for several days the 
 dock-yard men were employed in collecting the shattered 
 masts and yards, and dragging out what they could procure from 
 the wreck. On the twenty-ninth, part of the fore-chains was 
 hauled, shattered and splintered, also the head and cut-water 
 
 On the 3d of October an attempt was made to raise the 
 Amphion, between the two frigates, the Castor and Iphigenia, 
 which were accordingly moored on each side of her; but noth- 
 ing could be got up, excepting a few pieces of the ship, one 
 or two of her guns, some of the men's chests, chairs, and 
 part of the furniture of the cabin. Some bodies floated out 
 from between decks, and among the rest a midshipman's. 
 These, and all that could be found, were towed round by boats 
 through Stone-house bridge up to the Royal Hospital stairs, 
 to be interred in the burying ground. The sight for many 
 weeks was truly dreadful, the change of tide, washing out 
 the putrid bodies, which were towed round by the boats when 
 they would scarcely hold together. 
 
 Bodies continued to be found so late as the 30th of Novem- 
 ber, when the Amphion having been dragged rouud to anoth- 
 er part of the dock-yard jetty to be broken up, the body of a 
 woman was washed out from between decks. A sack \vas al- 
 so dragged up, containing gunpowder, covered over at the f.-p 
 with biscuit, and this in some measure, confimed ir idea 
 which had before gained ground, that the gunner hat been 
 stealing powder to sell, and had concealed what he could get 
 out by degrees in the above manner; and that, thinking him- 
 self safe on a day when every one was entertaining his friends 
 he had carelessly been among the gunpowder without taking 
 the " "cessary precautions. As he was said to have boen seen
 
 LOSS OF H B M SHIP LA TRIBUNE. 245 
 
 at Dock very much in liquor in the morning, it seems proba- 
 ble that this might have been the cause of a calamity as sud- 
 den as it was dreadful. 
 
 LOSS OF II. B. M. SHIP LA TRIBUNE, 
 
 OFF HALIFAX, NOTA SCOTIA. 
 
 La Tribune was one of the finest frigates in his Majesty's 
 navy, mounted 44 guns, and. had recently been taken from 
 the French by Captain Williams in the Unicorn frigate. 
 She was commanded by Captain S. Barker, and on the 22d 
 of September, 1797, sailed from Torbay as convoy to the 
 Quebec and Newfoundland fleets. In latitude 49 14 and 
 longitude 17 22, she fell in and spoke with his Majesty's ship 
 experiment, from Halifax; and lost sight of all her convoy on 
 the 10th of October, in latitude 74 16 and longitude 32 II. 
 
 About eight o'clock in the morning of the following Thurs- 
 day they came in sight of the harbor of Halifax, and approach- 
 ed it very fast, with an E. S. K. wind, when Captain Barker 
 proposed to the master to lay the ship to, till they could pro- 
 cure a pilot. The master replied that he had beat a 44 gun 
 snip into the harbor, that he had frequently been there, and 
 there was no occasion for a pilot, as the wind was favorable. 
 Confiding in these assurances, Captain Barker went into his 
 cabin, where he was employed in arranging some papers 
 v.'hich he intended to take on shore with him. In the mean 
 time the master, placing great dependance on the judgment 
 of a negro, named John Cosey, who had formerly belonged 
 to Halifax, took upon himself the pilotage of the ship. 
 
 By twelve o'clock the ship approached so near the Thrum 
 Cap shoals that the master became alarmed, and sent for Mr. 
 Galvin, master's mate, who was sick below. On his coming 
 upon deck, he heard the man in the chains sing out, " by the
 
 246 toss or H. B. M. srnr LA TRIBUM. 
 
 mark five!" the black man forward at the same time crying 
 " steady!" Galvin got on one of the carronades to observe 
 ihe situation of the ship; the master ran in great agitation to 
 the wheel, and took it from the man who was steering, with 
 the intention of wearing the ship; but before this could be ef- 
 fected, or Galvin was able to give an opinion, she struck. 
 Captain Barker immediately went on deck and reproached 
 the master with having lost the ship. Seeing Galvin like- 
 wise on deck, he addressed him and said "that, knowing he 
 had formerly sailed out of the harbor, he was surprised he 
 could stand by and see the master run the ship on shore, '' to 
 which Galvin replied "that he had not been on deck long 
 enough to give an opinion." 
 
 Signals of distress were immediately made, and answered 
 by the military posts and ships in the harbor, from which, as 
 well as the dock-yard, boats immediately put off to the relief 
 of the Tribune. The military boats, and one of those from 
 the dock-yard, with Mr. Kackum, boatswain of the ordinary, 
 reached the ship, but the wind was so much against the others, 
 that, in spite of all their exertions, they were unable to get 
 on board. The ship was immediately lightened by throwing 
 overboard all her guns, excepting one retained for signals, 
 and every other heavy article, so that aljout half past eight 
 o'clock in the evening the ship began to heave, and at nine 
 got off the shoals. She had lost her rudder about three 
 hours before, and it was now found, on examination, that she 
 had seven feet water in the hold. The chain pumps were 
 immediately manned, and such exertions were made that they 
 seemed to gain on the leaks. By the advice of Mr. Rackum, 
 the captain ordered the best bower anchor to be let go, but 
 this did not bring her up. He then ordered the cable to be 
 cut; and the jib and fore top-mast stay-sail were hoisted to 
 steer by. During this interval a violent gale, which had come 
 on at S. E. kept increasing, and carrying the ship to the wes- 
 tern shore. The small bower anchor w;u soon afterwards let 
 go, at which time they found themselves in thirteen fathom of 
 water, and the mizen-mast was then cut away. 
 
 It was now ten o'clock, and as the water gained fast upon 
 them, the crew had but little hope left of saving either the 
 ship or their lives. At this critical period Lieutenant Camp- 
 bell quitted the ship, and Lieuteuant North was taken into 
 the boat out of one of the ports. From the moment at which 
 the former left the vessel all hopes of safety had vanished; 
 the ship was sinking fast, the storm was increasing with re
 
 LOSS OF H. B. M SHIP LA TRIBUTE 147 
 
 doubled violence, and the rocky shore which they were ap- 
 proaching, resounded with the tremendous noise of the rolling 
 billows, presented nothing to those who might survive the 
 loss of the ship but the expectation of a more painful death, 
 by being dashed against precipices, which, even in the calm- 
 est day, it is impossible to ascend. Dunlap, one of the sur- 
 vivors, declared, that about half past ten, as nearly as he 
 could conjecture, one of the men who had been below, came 
 to him on the forecastle, and told him it was all over. A few 
 minutes afterwards the ship took a lurch, like a boat nearly 
 filled with water and going down; on which Dunlap immedi- 
 ately began to ascend the fore-shrouds, and at the same mo- 
 ment casting his eyes towards the quarter-deck, he saw Cap- 
 tain Barker standing by the gangway, anH looking into the 
 water, and directly afterwards he heard him call for the jolly- 
 boat. !Te then saw the lieutenant of marines running to- 
 v ,. ;!ic taffrel, to look, as he supposed, for the jolly-boat, 
 \ ..^h had been previously let down with men in her; but the 
 siiip instantly took a second lurch and sunk to the bottom, af- 
 ter which neither the captain nor any of the other officers 
 were again seen. 
 
 The scene, before sufficiently distressing, now became pe- 
 culiarly awful. More than 240 men, besides several women 
 and children, were floating on the waves, making the last ef- 
 fort to preserve life. Dunlap, who has been already men- 
 tioned, gained the fore-top. Mr. Galvin, the master's mate, 
 with incredible difficulty, got into the main-top. He was be- 
 low when the ship sunk, directing the men at the chain-pump, 
 but was washed up the hatchway, thrown into the waist and 
 from thence into the water, and his feet, as he plunged, 
 struck against a rock On ascending he swam to gain the 
 main-shrouds, when three men suddenly seized hold of him 
 He now gave himself up for lost; but to disengage himself 
 from them he made a dive into the water, which caused them 
 to quit their grasp. On rising again he swam to the shrouds, 
 and having reached tha main-top, seated himself on an arm 
 chest which was lashed to the mast. 
 
 From the observations of Galvin in the main-top, and Dun- 
 lap in the fore-top, it appears that nearly one hundred per- 
 sons were hanging a considerable time to the shrouds, the 
 tops and other parts of the wreck. From the length of the 
 night, and the severity of the storm, nature, however, became 
 exhausted, and during the whole night they kept dropping off 
 and disappeared. The cries and groans of the unhappy suf-
 
 248 LOSS or H. B. M . sair LA TRIBUNE. 
 
 ferers, from the bruises many of them had received, and theii 
 hopes of deliverance beginning to fail, were continued through 
 the night, but as morning approached, in consequence of the 
 few who then survived, they became extremely feeble. 
 
 Abnut twelve o'clock the main-mast gave way; at that time 
 there were on the main-top and shrouds about forty persons. 
 By the fall of the mast the whole of these unhappy wretches 
 were again plunged into the water, and ten only regained tho 
 top, which rested on the main-yard, and the whole remained 
 fast to the ship by some of the rigging. Of the ten who thus 
 reached the top, four only were alive when morning appeared. 
 Ten were at that time, alive on the fore-top, but three were 
 so exhausted, and so helpless, that they were washed away 
 before any relief arrived; three others perished, and thus only 
 four were, at last, left alive on the fore-top. 
 
 The place where the ship went down was barely three times 
 her length to the southward of the entrance into Herring 
 Cove. The inhabitants came down in the night to the point 
 opposite to which the ship sunk, kept up large fires, and were 
 BO near as to converse with the people on the wreck. 
 
 The first exertion that was made for their relief was by a 
 boy thirteen years old, from Herring Cove, who ventured off 
 in a small skiff" by himself about eleven o'clock the next day. 
 This youth, with great labor and extreme risk to himself, 
 boldly approached the wreck, and backed in his little boat so 
 near to the fore-top as to take off* two of the men, for the 
 boat could not with safety hold any more. And here a trait 
 of generous magnanimity was exhibited, which ought not to 
 pass unnoticed. Dunlap and another man, named Monro, had 
 throughout this disastrous night, preserved their strength and 
 spirits in a greater degree than their unfortunate companions, 
 who they endeavored to cheer and encourage when they found 
 their spirits sinking. Upon the arrival of the boat these two 
 might have stepped into it, and thus have terminated their 
 own sufferings; for their two companions, though alive, were 
 unable to stir; they lay exhausted on the top, wishing not to 
 be disturbed, and seemed desirous to perish in that situation. 
 These generous fellows hesitated not a moment to reimiiri 
 themselves on the wreck, and to save their unfortunate co'ii- 
 panions against their will. They lifted them up, and with 
 the greatest exertion placed them in the boat, the MANLY KOY 
 rowed them triumphantly to the Cove, and immediately had 
 them conveyed to a comfortable habitation. After shaming 
 by his example, older persons, who had larger boats, he again
 
 LOSS OF H B. M. SHIP LA TRIBUNE. 249 
 
 put off with his skiff, but with all his efforts he could not then 
 approach the wreck. His example, however, was soon fol- 
 lowed by four of the crew who had escaped in the Tribune's 
 jolly-boat, and by some of the boats in the Cove. With their 
 joint exertions, the eight men were preserved, and these with 
 the four who had saved themselves in the jolly-boat, were the 
 whole of the survivors of this fine ship's company 
 
 A circumstance occurred in which that cool thoughtless- 
 ness of danger, which so often distinguishes our British tars, 
 was displayed in such a striking manner, that it would be in 
 excusable to omit it. Daniel Monro,had, as we have already 
 seen, gained the fore-top. He suddenly disappeared, and i* 
 was concluded that he had been washed away like many oth- 
 ers. After being absent from the top about two hours, he, tc 
 the surprise of Dunlap, who was likewise on the fore-top, 
 raised his head through the lubber-hole, Dunlap inquiring 
 where he had been, he told him he had been cruising for a 
 better birth; that after swimming about the wreck for a con- 
 siderable time, he had returned to the fore-shrouds, and crawl- 
 ing in on the catharpins, had actually been sleeping there more 
 (ban an hour, and appeared greatly refreshed. 
 
 H
 
 ttO 
 
 OF TIH FRINC* 
 
 BURNING OF THE PRINCE, 
 
 A FRENCH EAST INDIAMAN. 
 
 On the 19th of February 1752, a French East Indiaman, 
 called the Prince, sailed from Port L'Orient on a voyage out- 
 ward bound. But soon afterwards, a sudden shift of wind 
 drove her on a sand bank, where she was exposed to imminent 
 danger, and heeled so much thai the mouths oi ihe guns lay 
 in the sea. By lightening the ship, however, accompanied by 
 incessant and laborious exertions, she floated with the rise of 
 the tide, and, being again carried into port, was completely 
 unloaded, and underwent a thorough repair. 
 
 The voyage was resumed on the 10th of June, with a fa- 
 vorable wind, and for several weeks, seemed to promise ev- 
 ery success that could be desired. 
 
 While in south latitude 8 30, and in 5 west longitude from 
 Fans, INI. de la Fond, one of the lieutenants of the ship, was, 
 jvst at the moment of this observation, informed by a souman, 
 that smoke was issuing from the main hatchway. The fir**
 
 BPBN1MO OF THE PRI5CK. 251 
 
 lieutenant, who had the keys of the hold, immediately order- 
 ed every hatchway to be opened to ascertain the truth. 
 
 But the fact was too soon verified, and, while the captain 
 hastened on deck from the great cabin, where he sat at din- 
 ner, Lieutanant de la Fond ordered some sails to be dipped 
 in the sea, and the hatches to be covered with them in order 
 to prevent the access of air, and thus stifle the fire. He had 
 even intended, as a more effectual measure, to let in the water 
 between decks to the depth of a foot, but clouds of smoke is- 
 sued from the crevices of the hatchways, and the flames gain- 
 ed more and more by degrees. 
 
 Meantime the captain ordered sixty or eighty soldiers un- 
 der arms, to restrain any disorder and confusion which might 
 probably ensue; and in this he was supported by their com- 
 mander, M. de la Touche, who exhibited uncommon fortitude 
 on the occasion. 
 
 Every one was now employed in procuring water; all the 
 buckets were filled, the pumps plied, and pipes introduced 
 from them to the hold. But the rapid progress of the flames 
 bailed the exertions to subdue them, and augmented the gen- 
 eral consternation. 
 
 The yawl lying in the way of the people, was hoisted out 
 by order of the captain, and the boatswain, along with three 
 others took possession of it. Wanting oars, they were sup- 
 plied with some by three men who leaped overboard. Those 
 in the ship, however, desired them to return, but they exclaim- 
 ed, that they wanted a rudder, and desired a rope to be thrown 
 out. However, the progress of the flames soon shewing them 
 their oniy alternative for safety, they withdrew from the 
 ship, and she from the effect of a breeze springing up, pass- 
 ed by. 
 
 On board the utmost activity still prevailed, and the courage 
 of the people seemed to be augmented by the difficulty of es- 
 cape. The master boldly went down into the hold, but the 
 intense heat compelled him to return, and, had not a quantity 
 of water been dashed over him, he would have been severely 
 scorched. Immediately subsequent to this period, flames vio- 
 lently burst, from the main hatchway. 
 
 At that time the captain ordered the boats to be got out, 
 while consternation enfeebled the most intrepid The long- 
 boat had been. secured at a certain height, and she was about 
 to be put over the ship's side, when, unhappily, the fire run 
 up the mam-mast, and caught the tackle; the boat fell dows
 
 BURJCINO OF THE PRINCE. 
 
 on the guns, bottom upwards, and it was vain to think of get 
 ting her righted. 
 
 At length it became too evident that the calamity was be- 
 yond the reach of human remedy; nothing but the mercy of 
 the Almighty could interpose; consternation was universally 
 disseminated among the people; nothing but sighs and groang 
 resounded through the vessel, and the very animals on board, 
 as if sensible of the impending danger, uttered the most dread- 
 ful cries. The certainty of perishing in either element was 
 anticipated by every human being here, and each raised his 
 heart and hands towards Heaven. 
 
 The chaplain, who was now on the quarter-deck, gave the 
 people general absolution for their sins, and then repaired to 
 the quarter-gallery to extend it yet further, to those miserable 
 wretches, who, in hopes of safety, had already committed 
 themselves to the waves. What a horrible spectacle! Self- 
 preservation was the only object; each was occupied in throw- 
 ing overboard whatever promised the most slender chance of 
 escape, yards, spars, lien-coops and everything occurring, was 
 sei/cd in despair, and thus employed. 
 
 Dreadful confusion prevailed. Some leaped into the sea, 
 anticipating that death which was about to reach them; oth- 
 ers, more successful, swam to fragments of the wreck; while 
 the shrouds, yards and ropes, along the side of the vessel, 
 were covered with the crew crowding upon them, and hang- 
 ing there, as if hesitating which alternative of destruction to 
 choose, equally imminent and equally terrible. 
 
 A father was seen to snatch his son from the flames, fold 
 him to his breast, and, then throwing him into the sea, him- 
 self' followed, where they perished in each other's embrace. 
 
 Meantime Lieutenant Fond ordered the helm to be shifted. 
 The ship heeled to -larboard, which afforded a temporary 
 preservation, while the fire raged along the starboard from 
 stem to stern. 
 
 Lieutenant Fond had, until this moment, been engrossed by 
 nothing but adopting every means to preserve the ship; now, 
 howevrr, the horrors of impending destruction were too con- 
 spicuously in view. His fortitude, notwithstanding, through 
 the goodness of Heaven, never forsook him; looking around, 
 he found himself alone on the deck, arid he retired to the round- 
 house. There he met M. de la Touch, who regarded the ap- 
 proach of death with the same heroism which, in India, had 
 gained him celebrity " My brother and 'riend," he cried,
 
 BURNING OF THE PIUNCE. 253 
 
 ' farewell.*- "Whither are you going?" risked Lieutenant 
 Fond. '^To comfort my friend, the captain," he replied. 
 
 M. l^orin, who commanded this unfortunate vessel, stood 
 overwhelmed with grief for the melancholy state of his female 
 relatives, passengers along with him. He had persuaded 
 them to commit themselves to the waves on hen-coops, while 
 some of the seamen, swimming with one hand, endeavored to 
 support them with the other. 
 
 The floating masts and yards were covered with men strug- 
 gling with the watery element, many of whom now perished 
 by halls discharged from the guns as heated by the iire, and 
 thus presenting a third means of destruction, augmenting the 
 horrors environing them. While anguish pierced the heart of 
 M. de la Fond, he withdrew his eyes from the sea; and a mo- 
 ment after, reaching the starboard gallery, he saw the flames 
 bursting with frightful noise through the windows of the 
 round-house and of the great cabin. The fire approached, 
 and was ready to consume him. Considering it vain to at- 
 tempt the further preservation of the ship, or the lives of his 
 fellow sufferers, he thought it his duty, in this dreadful condi- 
 tion, to save himself yet a few hours, that these might be de- 
 voted to Heaven. 
 
 Stripping off his clothes, he designed slipping down a yard, 
 one end of which dipped in the water; but it was so covered 
 with miserable beings, shrinking from death, that he tumbled 
 over them and fell into the sea. There a drowning soldier 
 caught hold of him. Lieutenant Fond made every exertion 
 to disengage himself, but in vain; he even allowed himself to 
 sink below the surface, yet he did not quit his grasp. Lieu- 
 ,-enant Fond plunged down a second time; stili he was firmly 
 held by the man, who then was incapable of considering that 
 his death, instead of being of service, would rather hasten 
 his own. At last, after struggling a considerable time, and 
 swallowing a great quantity of water, the soldier's strength 
 faited; and sensible that INI. de la Fond was sinking a third 
 time, lie dreaded to be carried down along with him, and loosen- 
 ed his grasp, no sooner was this done, than M. de la Fond to 
 guard against a repetition, dived below the surface, and rose 
 at a distance from the place. 
 
 This incident rendered him more cautious for the future; he 
 even avoided the dead bodies, now so numerous, that to make 
 a free passage, he was compelled to shove them aside with 
 one hand, while he kept himself floating with the other; foi
 
 54 BUUIUNO OP THE FRIXCE, 
 
 ho was impressed with the apprehension, that each was a per* 
 son wh > would seize him, and involve him in his own destruc- 
 tion. But strength beginning to fail, he was satisfied of the 
 necessity of some respite, when he fell in with part of tho 
 ensign-staff. He put his arm through a noose of the rope to 
 secure it, and swam as well as he could; then perceiving a 
 yard at hand, he seized it by one end. However, beholding 
 a young man scarce able to support himself at the other ex- 
 tremity, he quickly abandoned so alight an aid, and one which 
 seemed incapable of contributing to his preseivation Next 
 the spritsail-yard appeared in view, but covereJ with people, 
 among whom he durst not take a place without requesting 
 permission, which they cheerfully granted. Some were quite 
 naked, others in nothing except their shirts; the pity they ex- 
 pressed at the situation of M. de la Fond, and his sense of 
 their misfortunes, exposed his feelings to a severe trial 
 
 Neither Captain JMorin, nor M. de la Touche ever quitted 
 the ship, and were most probably overwhelmed in the catas- 
 trophe by which she was destroyed. But the most dismal 
 spectacle was exhibited on all sides; the main-mast, consum- 
 ed below, had been precipitated overboard, killing some in tho 
 fall, and affording a temporary reception to others. M. de la 
 Fond now observed it covered with people, driven about by 
 the waves; and at the same time, seeing two seamen buoyed 
 up by a hen-coop and some planks, desired them to swim to 
 him with the latter; they did so, accompanied by more of 
 their comrades, and each taking a plank, which were used for 
 oars, they and he paddled along upon the yard, until gaining 
 those who had secured themselves on the main-mast. So ma- 
 ny alternations only presented new spectacles of horror. 
 
 The chaplain was at this time on the mast, and from hire 
 M. do la Fond received absolution; two young ladies were al- 
 so there, whose piety and resignation were truly consolatory; 
 they were the only survivors of six, their companions had 
 perished in the flames or in the sea. Eighty persons had 
 found refuge on the main-mast, who, from the repeated dis- 
 charge of cannon from the ship, according to the progress of 
 the flames, were constantly exposed to destruction. The 
 chaplain, in this awful condition, by his discourse and exam- 
 ple, taught the duty of resignation. M. de la Fond observ- 
 ing him lose his hold on the mast, and drop into the sea, lifted 
 him up. " Let me go," said he " I am already half drowned, 
 and it is only protracting my sufferings " " No, ray friend,"
 
 BURNING 07 THE PRINCE. 53 
 
 the lieutenant replied, " when my strength is exhausted, not 
 till then, we will perish together;" and in his pious presence 
 he calmly awaited death. After remaining here three hours, 
 he beheld one of the ladies fall from the mast and perish. 
 She was too remote to receive any assistance from him. 
 
 But when least in expectation of it, he saw the yawl close 
 at hand, at five in the afternoon. He cried to the men that 
 he was their lieutenant, and requested to be allowed to parti- 
 cipate in their fate. His presence was too necessary for them 
 to refuse his solicitations, they needed a conductor who might 
 guide them to the land; thus they permitted him to come on 
 board, on condition that he should swim to the yawl. This 
 was a reasonable stipulation; it was to avoid approaching the 
 mast, else, the rest actuated by the same desire of self-preser- 
 vation, would soon have overloaded the little vessel, and all 
 would have been buried in a watery grave. M._ de la Fond, 
 therefore, summoning up all his strength and courage, was so 
 happy as to reach the seamen. In a little time afterwards, 
 the pilot and master, whom he had left on the mast, followed 
 hirf example, and swimming towards the yawl were seen and 
 taken in. 
 
 The flames still continued raging in the vessel, and as tho 
 yawl was still endangered by being within half a league of 
 her, she stood a little to windward. Not long subsequent to 
 this, the fire reached the magazine; and then to describe the 
 thundering explosion which ensued is impossible. A thick 
 cloud intercepted the light of the sun, and amidst the terrific 
 darkness nothing but pieces of flaming timber, projected aloft 
 into the air, could be seen, threatening to crush to atoms in 
 their fall, numbers of miserable wretches still struggling with 
 the agonies of death. Nor were the party in the yawl be- 
 yond the reach of hazard; it was not improbable that some of 
 the fiery fragments might come down upon them, and precipi- 
 tate their frail support to the bottom. Though the Almighty 
 preserved them from that shocking calamity, they were shock- 
 ed with the spectacle environing them. The vessel had now 
 disappeared; the sea, to a great distance, was covered with 
 pieces of the wreck, intermingled with the bodies of those 
 unhappy creatures who had perished by theirfall. Some were 
 seen who had been choked, others mangled, half consumed 
 and still retaining life enough to be sensible of the accumu- 
 lated horrors overwhelming them. 
 
 The fortitude of M de la Fond was still preserved, through
 
 256 BURNING OF THE FR1NCK. 
 
 thfi favour of Fleaven, and he proposed approaching the 
 wreck, to see whether any provisions or necessary articles 
 might be picked up. He and his companions being totally de- 
 void of every tiling, were exposed to the hazard of a death 
 even more painful than that which the others had suffer- 
 ed, in perishing of famine. But finding several barrels, which 
 they hoped might contain something to relieve their necessi- 
 ties, they experienced great mortification, on ascertaining that 
 they were part of the powder that had been thrown overboard 
 during the conflagration of their unfortunate vessel. 
 
 As night approached, they providentially discovered a cask 
 of brandy, about fifteen pounds of salt pork, a piece of scar- 
 let cloth, twenty yards of linen, a dozen of pipe staves, and 
 a small quantity of cordage. When it became dark they 
 durst not venture to retain their present station until day-light 
 without being endangered by the wreck, from the fragments 
 of which they had not then been able to disengage themselves. 
 Therefore they rowed as quickly away as possible from among 
 them, and bent all their care to the management of the yawl. 
 
 The whole began to labor assiduously, and every article 
 which could be converted to use was employed; the lining of 
 the boat was tore up for the sake of the planks and nails; a 
 seaman luckily had two needles, and the linen afforded what- 
 ever thread was necessary; the piece of scarlet cloth was 
 substituted for a sail; an oar was erected for a mast, and a 
 plank served for a rudder. The equipment of the boat was soon 
 completed, notwithstanding the darkness of the night, at least 
 as well as circumstances wouM allow. Yet a groat difficulty 
 remained, for wanting charts and instruments, and being near- 
 ly two hundred leagues from land, the party felt at a loss what 
 course to steer. Resigning themselves to the Almighty, they 
 offered up fervent prayers lor his direction 
 
 At length the sail was hoisted, and a favorable breeze soon 
 wafted M. de la Fond from amidst the bodies of Ins miserable 
 comrades 
 
 Eight days and nights the adventurers advanced without 
 Bering land; naked and exposed to the scorching heat of the 
 sun by day, and to intense cold by night. Rut to relieve the 
 thirst which parched them, they availed themselves of a show- 
 er of rain, falling on the sixth, and tried to catch a little of it 
 in their mouths and with their hands. They sucked the sail, 
 which was wet with the rain, but from being previously drench- 
 ed with sea water, it imparted a bitterness to the fresh water
 
 OP TT!E PRINCK. 461 
 
 which it received. However, they did not complain, for had 
 ie rain been heavier, it might have lulled the wind, in the 
 continuance of which they rested their hopes of safety. 
 
 In order to ascertain the proper course, the adventurers 
 paid daily observance to the rising and setting of the sun and 
 moon, and the position of the stars pointed out how they 
 should steer. All their sustenance in the meantime was a 
 small piece of pork once in twenty-four hours, and this they 
 were even obliged to relinquish on the fourth day, from the 
 heat and irr'tation it occasioned of their bodies. Their bev- 
 erage was a glass of brandy taken from time to time, but 't in- 
 flamed their stomachs without assuaging the thirst that con- 
 sumed them. Abundance of flying fish were seen; the im- 
 possibility of catching any of which only augmented the pain 
 already endured, though M. de la Fond and his companions 
 tried to reconcile themselves to the scanty pittance that they 
 possessed. Yet the uncertainty of their destiny, the want 
 of subsistance, and the turbulance of the ocean, all contribu- 
 ted to deprive them of repose, which they so much required, 
 and almost plunged them in despair. Nothing but a feeble 
 ray of hope preserved them under their accumulated suffer- 
 ings- 
 
 The eight night was passed by M. de la Fond at the helm; 
 there he had remained above ten hours, after soliciting relief, 
 and at last sunk down under fatigue. His miserable compan- 
 ions were equally exhausted, and despair began to overwhelm 
 the whole. 
 
 At last when the united calamities of hunger, thirst, fatigue 
 and misery, predicted speedy annihilation, the dawn of Wed- 
 nesday, the 3d of August, shewed this unfortunate crew 
 the distant land. None but those who have experienced the 
 like situation, can form any adequate idea of the change 
 which was produced. Their strength was renovated, and they 
 were aroused to precautions against being drifted away by the 
 current. They reached the coast of Brazil, in latitude 6 
 south, and entered Tresson Bay. 
 
 The first object of M. de la Fond and his companions was 
 to return thanks for the gracious protection of Heaven; they 
 prostrated themselves on the ground, and then in the trans- 
 port of joy rolled among the sand. 
 
 They exhibited the most frightful appearance; nothing hu- 
 man characterized them, which did not announce their misfor- 
 tune in glaring colors. Some were quite naked; others had 
 tmly shirts, rotten and torn to rags. M. de la Fond had fast-
 
 BURNING OF THE FRIXCE. 
 
 ened a piece of the scarlet cloth about his waist, in order to 
 appear at the head of his companions. Though rescued from 
 imminent danger, they had still to contend with hunger and 
 thirst, and remained in ignorance whether they should meet 
 men endowed with humanity in that region. 
 
 While deliberating on the course they should follow, about 
 fifty Portuguese of the settlement, there established, advanced 
 and inquired the cause of their presence. Their inisfo'-ti'iiea 
 were soon explained, and the recital of thorn proved a suffi- 
 cient claim for supplying their wants Deeply affected bv tlie 
 account now given, the Portuguese congratulated themselves 
 that it had fallen to their lot to relieve the strangers, and speedi- 
 ly led them to their dwellings. On the way the seamen were 
 rejoiced at the sight of a river, into which they threw them- 
 selves, plunging in the water, and drinking copious draughts 
 of it to allay their thirst. Afterwards frequent bathing prov- 
 ed one of the best restoratives of health, to which they al re- 
 soled. 
 
 The chi&f man of the place next came, and conducted M. 
 de la Fond and his companions to his house, about a half a 
 league distant from the spot where they landed. lie charita- 
 bly supplied them with linen shirts and trowsers, and boiled 
 some fish, the water of which was relished as delicious broth. 
 Though sleep was equally necessary as this frugal fare, the 
 survivors having learned that there was a church within half 
 a league, dedicated to St Michael, repaired thither to render 
 thanks to Heaven for their miraculous preservation. Tho 
 badness of the road induced such fatigue as compelled them 
 to rest in the village where it stood, and there the narrative 
 of their misfortunes, added to the piety which they exhibited, 
 attracted the notice of the inhabitants, all of whom hastened 
 to minister something to their necessities. After remaining a 
 short interval they returned to their host, who at night kindly 
 contributed another repast of fish. Something more invigo- 
 rating, however, being required by people who had endured 
 so much, they purchased an ox for a quantity of the brandy 
 that had been saved from the wreck. 
 
 Paraibo was distant fifteen leagues, and they had to set out 
 barefoot, and with little chance of finding suitable provisions 
 on the journev. 
 
 Thus they smoke-dried their present store, and added a lit- 
 tle flour to it. In three davs they began to march, and, un- 
 der an escort of three soldiers, advanced seven leagues the 
 first day, when they were hospitably received by a person,
 
 WRECK OV THB SCHOONER BETSEY. 258 
 
 and passed the night in his house. On the following evening, 
 a serjeant and twenty-nine men arrived to conduct them to the 
 commandant of the fortress, who gave them a friendly recep- 
 tion, afforded them supplies, and provided -. boat to carry them 
 'o Paraibo. About midnight they reached the town, where a 
 Portuguese captain attended to present them to the governor, 
 from whom also they experienced the like attention. Being 
 anxious to reach Fernambuc, to take advantage of a Portu- 
 guese fleet, daily expected to sail for Europe, the governor, in 
 three days more, ordered a corporal to conduct the party thith- 
 er. But at ihis time M. de la Fond' s feet were so cruelly 
 wounded, he was scarce able to stand, and on that account 
 was supplied with a horse. In four days he arrived at Fer- 
 nambuc, where, from different naval and military officers, he 
 met with the utmost attention and consideration; he and all 
 his companions got a passage to Europe in the fleet. 
 
 ]\1 ie la Fond sailed on the 5th of October, and reached 
 Lisbon in safety on the 17th of December; thence he procur- 
 ed a passage to Morlaix, where having rested a few days to 
 recruit his strength, he repaired to Port L'Orient, with his 
 health greatly injured by the calamities he had suffered, and 
 reduced to a state of pover'y, having after twenty-eight years 
 service, lost all he had in the world. 
 
 By this deplorable catastrophe, nearly three hundred per- 
 sons perished. 
 
 WRECK OF THE SCHOONER BETSEY, 
 
 ON A REEF OP ROCKS. 
 
 The Betsey, a small schooner of about 75 tons burden, sail 
 ed from Macao in China, for New South Wales, on the 10th 
 of November, 1805. Her compliment consiste. of William 
 Brooks, 'commander, Edward Luttrell, mate, one Portuguese
 
 260 TfRECK OF THE SCHOONER BKTtBT. 
 
 geacunny, three Manilla and four Chinese Lascars. No in 
 cident worthy of commemoration happened from the 10th to 
 20th of November. Next day, when the vessel was going at 
 the rate of seven kn >!s and a half an hour, she struck op n 
 reef of rocks at half past two in the morning, while in nori^ 
 latitude 9 48, and 1 14 14 east longitude. The boat was in 
 stantly let down, and a small anchor sent astern, but on heav 
 ing, the cable parted, and both were lost. The people next 
 endeavored to construct a raft of the water casks, but ne 
 swell proved so great that they found it impossible to accom- 
 plish their purpose. At day-break they found that the vesse 
 had forged four or five miles on the reef, which they now dis- 
 covered extended nine or ten miles to the south, and four or 
 five east and west; and there were only two feet water where 
 she lay. During three days and nights, the utmost exertions 
 were made to get her off without avail, and the crew had then 
 become so w&akened that they could scarce be persuaded to 
 construct a raft. 
 
 The vessel now had bulged on the starboard side. But a 
 raft being made on the 24th, the people lett her with the jolly- 
 boat in company, and steered for Balambangan. Captain 
 Brooks, the mate, the gunner and two seacunnies were in the 
 latter, where their whole provision consisted of only a small 
 bag of biscuit; and on the raft were the Portuguese, four Chi- 
 nese and three Malays, but much better provided. 
 
 The boat and the raft parted company on the same day, as 
 a brisk gale arose from the westward, and the raft was never 
 heard of more; but it was conjectured to have probably drift- 
 ed on the island of Borneo, "which then bore south-east. The 
 gale continued from the north-west until the 28th of the 
 month, accompanied by a mountainous sea, and then ceased. 
 By this time the fresh water taken into the boat was complete- 
 ly expended, and all the biscuit that remained was wet with salt 
 water. 
 
 On the 29th at day-break, land came in view, which was 
 supposed to be Balabac; the people were now nearly exhaust- 
 ed by rowing under a burning sun, and while a perfect calm 
 prevailed; and they were besides reduced to such extremity 
 as to drink their own urine. It blew so hard in the night that 
 they were obliged to bear up for Bangay,the north-west point 
 of which they discovered next morning at day-break. Going 
 ashore thev .nstantly made a search for fresh water, whicn 
 thev soon '^und, and considering what they had suffered from 
 thirst, it u no wonder that they drank to excess. WWe
 
 WRECK CP THE SCHOONER BETSEY. . 481 
 
 ling into the woods in quest of fruit, two Malays met them, to 
 whom they made signs that they wanted food, and these being 
 understood, the Malays went away, and in the afternoon re- 
 turned with two cocoa-nuts and a few sweet potatoes, which 
 they gave in exchange for a silver spoon. 
 
 Night approaching, the people returned to their boat. 
 Next morning five Malays made their appearance, bringing 
 some Indian corn and potatoes, which were exchanged for 
 spoons as before. These people pointed to Balambangan, and 
 endeavored to make the party comprehend that sometime ago 
 the English had abandoned the settlement. A new supply of 
 provision was promised next morning; therefore the party re- 
 tired with'their little stock, and attended at the appointed time 
 to receive more. Eleven Malays then appeared on the beach; 
 but after a little conversation on landing, one of them threw 
 a spear at Captain Brooks, which penetrated his belly, anoth- 
 er made a cut at Mr. Lattrel, who parried it off with a cutlass, 
 and ran to the boat. Captain Brooks withdrew the spear 
 from his body, and also ran a short distance, but the inhuman 
 assassins followed him and cut off both his legs. The gunner 
 also was severely wounded, and reached the boat covered with 
 blood, while the party at the same time, saw the Malays strip- 
 ping the dead body of Captain Brooks; and in about fifteen 
 minutes afterwards the gunner expired 
 
 The survivors immediately made sail, and then examined 
 into the state of their provisions, which they found consisted 
 of ten cobs of Indian corn, three pumpk'ns, and two bottles 
 of water. Trusting to the mercy of Providence, they with 
 this, determined on shaping their course for the straits of 
 Malacca. 
 
 No particular occurrence happened in the course of the 
 voyage from the fourth to the fourteenth of December; fre- 
 quent showers had fortunately supplied 'them with fresh water, 
 but they were nearly exhausted by constant watching and 
 hunger. 
 
 On the 15th they fell m with a groupe of islands, in 3 of 
 north latitude, and about 100 degrees of east longitude, and 
 approached the shore. But being descried by two Malay 
 prows, they were immediately attacked, and one of the sea- 
 cunnies was run through with a spear and died instantly, 
 while the other was also wounded. Mr. Luttrel, the mate, 
 had a very narrow escape from a spear piercing through hia 
 hat. The party being thus overpowerd, the Malays took pos- 
 session of their boat and immediately seized on all their prop
 
 262 EARLY AMERICAN HEROISM. 
 
 erty, a sextant, their log-book, some plate and clothes They 
 were themselves kept in a prow, without any covering, and 
 exposed to the scorching heat of the sun, with an allowance 
 of only a small quantity of sago during three days. After 
 that time they were carried ashore to the house of a rajah, on 
 an island called Sube, where they remained in a state of sla- 
 very, entirely naked, and subsisting on sago, until the 20th of 
 April. The Rajah sailed on that day in a prow for Rhio, 
 taking Mr. Luttrel and the two other survivors along with 
 him, and arrived there nearly famished, after a tedious pas- 
 sage of twenty-five days. 
 
 Here their distresses were alleviated by Mr. Koek of Ma- 
 lacca, who treated them in the kindest manner; and the ship 
 Kandree, commanded by Captain Williamson, arriving next 
 day, they obtained a passage m her for Malacca 
 
 EARLY AMERICAN HEROISM. 
 
 During one of the former wars, between Frarce and Eng- 
 land, in which the then Colonies bore an active part, a re- 
 spectable individual, a member of the society of Friends, of the 
 
 name of , commanded a line ship which sailed from an 
 
 Eastern port, to a portliT wigland. This vessel had a strong 
 and effective crew, but was totally unarmed. When near her 
 destined port, she was chased, and ultimately overhauled, by 
 a Fre::ch vessel of war. Her commander used every en- 
 deavcr to escape, but seeing from the superior sailing of the 
 Frenchman, that his capture was inevitable, he quietly retired 
 below : he was followed into the cabin by his cabin boy, a 
 youth of activity and enterprise, named Charles Wager : he 
 asked his commander if nothing more could be done to save 
 the ship his commander replied that it was impossible, thai 
 every thing had been done that was practicable, there was 
 no escape for them, and they must submit to be captured. 
 Charles then returned upon deck and suinniOiH.-d the crew 
 ti him he stated iu a few words what was their captain'f
 
 EARLY AMERICAN HEROISM. 2h3 
 
 conclusion then, \vith an elevation of mind, dictated by a 
 soul formed for enterprise and noble daring, he observed, " if 
 you will place yourselves under my command, and stand by 
 me, I have conceived a plan by wnicn ihe ship may be rescu 
 ed, and we in turn become the conquerors '' The sailors no 
 doubt feeling the ardor, and inspired by the courage of their 
 youthful and gallant leader, agreed to place themselves under 
 his command. His plan was communicated to them, and they 
 awaited with firmness, the moment to carry their enterprise 
 into eflect. The suspense was of short duration, for the 
 Frenchman was quickly alongside, and grappled to the mer- 
 chant ship. As Charles had anticipated, the exhilarated con- 
 querors, elated beyond measure, with the acquisition of so fine 
 a prize, poured into his vessel cheering and huzzaing ; and 
 not foreseeing any danger, they left but few men on board 
 their ship. I\ow was the momrnt fur Charles, who, giving his 
 men the signal, sprang at their head on board the opposing 
 vessel, while some seized the arms which had been lfl in pro- 
 fusion on her deck, and with which they soon overpowered the 
 few men left on board ; the otheis, by a simultaneous move- 
 ment, relieved her from the grapplings which united the two 
 vessels. Our hero now having the command of the French ves- 
 sel, seized the helm, and placing her out of hoarding distance, 
 hailed, with the voice of a conqueror, the discomfited crowd 
 of Frenchmen who were left on board of the peaceful bark 
 he had just quitted, and summoned them to follow close in hig 
 wake, or he would blow them out of water, (a threat they well 
 knew he was very capable of executing, as their guns were 
 loaded during the chase.) They sorrowfully acquiesced with 
 his commands, while gallant Charles steered into port, fol- 
 lowed by his prize. The exploit excited universal applause 
 the former master ofthe merchant vessel was examined by the 
 Admiralty, when he stated the whole of the enterprise as it oc- 
 curred, and declared that Ch-a'-les Wager had planned and ef- 
 fected the gallant exploit, and that to him alone belonged the 
 honor and credit of the achievement. Charles was immedi- 
 ately transferred to the British navy, appointed a midshipman, 
 and his education carefully superintended. He soon after dis- 
 tinguished himself in action, and underwent a rapid promotion, 
 until at length he was created an Admiral, and known as Sir 
 Charles Wager. It is said that he always held in veneration 
 and esteem, that respectable and conscientious Friend, whose 
 cabin boy he had been, and transmitted yearly to his OLD 
 MASTER, as he termed I.irn, a handsome present < f Madeira, to 
 cheer his declining days.
 
 M 
 
 CATE 
 
 FINGAL'S CAVE. 
 
 The most magnificent of all known caverns, is that calico 
 Fingal's Cave, in the Isle of Staffa, on the western coast of 
 Scotland. Its length is 370 feet ; and the height at the en 
 trance of the cave is 117 feet. 
 
 Thousands of majestic columns of basalts support a lofty 
 roof, under which the sea rolls its waves, while the vastnesa 
 of the entrance allows the light of day to penetrate the va- 
 rious recesses of the cave. 
 
 The mind, says Mr. Pennant, can hardly form an idea more 
 magnificent than such a space, supported on each side by 
 ranges of columns, and roofed by the bottom of those which 
 have been broken off in order to form it, between the angles 
 of which a yellow stalagmatic matter has exuded, which serve? 
 to define the angles precisely, and, at the same time, vary the 
 color with a great deal of elegance. To render it still more 
 agreeable, the whole is lighted from without, so that the far- 
 thest extremity is very plainly seen ; and the air within, being 
 agitated by the flux and reflux of the tides is perfectly whole- 
 some, and free from the damp vapors with which cavern.' 
 generally abound.
 
 THE LOSS 07 THE RAMILUM 267 
 
 THE LOSS OF THE RAM1LLIES - 
 
 IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN 
 
 Admiral (afterwards Lord) Graves having requested leave 
 to return to England in I78~, was appointed by Lord Rodney 
 to command the convoj sent home with the numerous fleet of 
 merchantmen from the V\ r est Indies in the month of July. 
 He accordingly hoisted his flag on hoard the Kamillies of 74 
 guns, and sailed on the 25th from Blue Fields, having under 
 his orders the Canada and Centaur of 74 guns each, the Pal- 
 las frigate of 36 guns, and the following French slnps, taken 
 by Lord Rodney and Sir Samuel Hood, out of the arnvunent 
 commanded hy the Count de Grassc, viz. the Ville do I'aris, 
 of 1 10 guns; the Glorieux and Hector, of 74 guns each; the 
 Ardent, Caton and Jason, of 6 guns each. Those which 
 were originally British ships had heen in so many actions, 
 and so long al>sent from England, as to have become extreme- 
 ly out. of condition, while that of the prizes was still more de- 
 plorahle, and the following authentic account of the various 
 disasters which attended this distressed convoy will he found 
 equally melancholy and interesting. 
 
 Soon alter the fleet had sailed, the officers of (he Ardent 
 united in signing such a representation of her miserable plight 
 as induced Admiral Graves to order her hack lo Port Royal, 
 and the Jason, hy not putting to sea with the convoy, from 
 want of water, never joined him at all. The rest.proceeded, 
 and after those vessels that were hound for New York had 
 separated, the whole convoy was reduced to ninety-two or 
 three sail. 
 
 On Cite 8th of September the Caton springing a leak, made 
 such a.'arming complaints, that the Admiral directed her and 
 the Pallas, also htcorne leaky, to bear away immediately, and 
 keep company together, making for Halifax, which then bore 
 No.th-North West and was but eighty-seven leagues dis- 
 tant. 
 
 Th afternoon of the 16th of September shewing 'ndica- 
 tious of a gale and foul weather from the south-east quarter,
 
 t6B THX LOM Or THE RAMILLIEI. 
 
 every preparation was made on board the flag-ship for such 
 an event, not cnly on account of her own safety, but also aa 
 an example to the rest of the fleet. The Admiral collected 
 the ships about six o'clock, and brought to under his main- 
 sail on the larboard tack, having all his other sails furled, and 
 his top-gallant yards and masts lowered down. 
 
 The wind soon increasing, blew strong from the E. S. E 
 with a very heavy sea, and about three o'clock in the morn- 
 ing of the 17th flew suddenly round to the contrary fioint, 
 blowing most tremendously, and accompanied with rain. ,hun- 
 der and lightning; the Ramillies was taken by the lee. her 
 main-sail thrown back, her main-mast went by the board, and 
 mizen-mast half way up; the fore-top mast fell over the star- 
 board bow, the fore-yard broke in the slings, the tiller snap- 
 ped in two, and the rudder was nearly torn off. Thus was 
 this capital ship, from being in perfect order, reduced, within 
 a few minutes to a mere wreck, by the fury of the blast and 
 the violence of the sea, which acted in opposition to each 
 other. The ship was pooped, the cabin, where the Admiral 
 lay was flooded, his cot-bed jerked down by the violence of 
 the shock and the ship's instantaneous revulsion, so that h 
 was obliged to pull on his boots half leg deep in water, with- 
 out any stocking?., to huddle on his wet clothes, and repair 
 upon deck. On his first coming thither, he ordered two of 
 the lieutenants to examine into the state of the affairs below, 
 and to keep a sufficient number of people at the pumps, while 
 he himself and the captain kept the deck, to encourage the 
 men to clear away the wreck, which, by its constant swinging 
 backwards and forwards by every wave against the body of 
 the ship, had beaten off much of the copper from the starboard 
 side, and exposed the seams so much to the sea that the de- 
 cayed oakum washed out, and the whole frame became at 
 once exceedingly porous and leaky. 
 
 At dawn of day they perceived a large ship lying unde; 
 their lee, lying upon her side, water-logged, her hands at- 
 tempting to wear her by first cutting away the mizen-mast, 
 and then her main-mast; hoisting her ensign, with the union 
 downwards in order to draw the attention of the fleet; but to 
 no purpose, for no succour could be given, and she very soon 
 went down head fore-most, the fly of her ensign being the 
 last thing visible. This was the Button, formerly an East 
 Indiaman, and then a store-ship, commanded by a lieutenant of 
 the navy, who in his agitation, leaped from her deck into the 
 sea; but, as might be expected, was very soon overwhelmed
 
 THE LOSS OF THE RAMILMES. 369 
 
 iy its billows. Twelve or thirteen of the crew contrived, 
 however, to slide off one of the boats, and running with the 
 wind, first endeavored to reach a large ship before them, 
 which, not being able to fetch, and afraid of filling if they at- 
 tempted to haul up for the purpose, they made up for another 
 ship more to the leeward, who fortunately descrying them, 
 threw a number of ropes, by the help of which these desper- 
 ate fellows scrambled up her sides, and fortunately saved their 
 ,ives. Out of ninety-four or five sail, seen the day before, 
 scarcely twenty could now be counted; of the ships of war, 
 there were discerned the Canada, half hull down upon the 
 lee-quarter, having her main-top-mast and mizen-mast gone, 
 the main-top damaged, the main-yard aloft, and the main-sail 
 furled; the Centaur was far to windward, without masts, bow- 
 sprit or rudder; and the Glorieux without foremast, bowsprit 
 or main-top-mast. Of these the two latter perished with all 
 their crews, excepting the captain of the Centaur, and a few 
 of his people, who contrived to slip off her stern into one of 
 the boats unnoticed, and thus escaped the fate of the rest of 
 the crew. 
 
 The Ville de Paris appeared to have received no injury, 
 and was commanded by a most experienced seaman, who had 
 made twenty-four voyages to and from the West Indies, and 
 had, therefore, been pitched upon to lead the ship through the 
 Gulf; nevertheless, she was afterwards buried in the ocean 
 with all on board her, consisting of above eight hundred peo- 
 ple. Of the convoy, besides the Dutton, before mentioned, 
 and the British Queen, seven others were discovered without 
 mast or bowsprit; eighteen lost masts and several others had 
 foundered. 
 
 In the course of this day the Canada crossed upon and 
 passed the Ramillies; some of the trade attempted to follow 
 ihe Canada, but she ran at such a rate that they soon found 
 it to be in vain, and then returned towards the flag-ship; the 
 Ramillies had at this time six feet water in her hold, and the 
 pumps would not free her, the water having worked out the 
 oakum, and her beams amid-ship being almost drawn from 
 their clamps. 
 
 The admiral, therefore, gave orders for all the buckets to 
 be manned, and every officer to help towards freeing the ship; 
 the mizen-top-sail was set upon the fore-mast, the main-top- 
 gallant-sail on the stump of the mizen-mast, and the tiller 
 shipped. In this condition, by bearing away, she scudded oo 
 at so good a rate that she held pace with some of the mer 
 chantmen.
 
 270 THE LOSS OP THE RAMILLIE3 
 
 The day having been spent in bailing and pumping, without 
 materially gaining on the water, the captain in the name of 
 the officers, represented to the admiral the necessity of part- 
 ing with the guns for the relief of the ship, but he objected, 
 that there would then be left no protection for the convoy. 
 At length, however, after great difficulty, he consented to 
 their disposing of the fore-castle and after-most quarter-deck 
 guns, together with some of the shot, and other articles of 
 very great weight. The ensuing night was employed in bail- 
 ing and endeavoring to make-the pumps useful, lor the ballast 
 by getting into the well, had choked and rendered them use- 
 less, and the chains had broken every time they were repair- 
 ed. The water had risen to seven feet in the hold The wind 
 from the westward drove a vast sea before it, and the ship be- 
 ing old, strained most violently 
 
 On the morning of the 18th nothing could be seen of the 
 Canada, she having pushed on at her greatest speed for Eng- 
 land. The frame of the Ramillies having opened during the 
 night, the admiral was prevailed -upon, by the renewed and 
 pressing remonstrances of the officers, although with great 
 reluctance, to let six of the forwardmost and four of the after- 
 most guns cf the main-deck to be thrown overboard, together 
 with the remainder of those on the quarter-deck; and the ship 
 still continuing to open very much, he ordered tarred canvas 
 and hides to be nailed fore and aft from under the sills of the 
 ports on the main-deck under the fifth plank above, or within 
 the water-ways, and the crew, without orders did the same on 
 the lower deck. Her increasing complaints requiring still 
 more to be done, (he admiral directed all the guns on the up- 
 per deck, the shot, both on that and the lower deck, and va- 
 rious heavy stores to be thrown overboard; a leakage in the 
 light room of the grand magazine having almost filled the 
 ship forward, and there being eight feet water in the nrmga- 
 zme, every gentleman was compelled to take his turn at the 
 whips, or in handing the buckets. The ship was besides 
 frapped from the fore-mast to the main-mast. 
 
 Notwithstanding their utmost efforts the water still gained 
 on them the succeeding night, the wind blowing very hard, 
 with extremely heavy squalls, a part of the orlop deck fell in- 
 to the hold; the ship herself seemed to work excessively, and 
 to settle forward. 
 
 On the morning of the 19th, under these very alarming 
 circumstances, the admiral comrnandod both the bower an- 
 chors to be cut away, all the junk to be flung overboard, ona
 
 THE LOSS OP THE RAMILLIES 271 
 
 sheet and one bower cable to be reduced to junk and served 
 the same way, together with every remaining ponderous store 
 that could be got at, and all the powder in the grand maga- 
 zine (it being damaged;) the cutter and pinnace to be broken 
 up and tossed overboard, the skidds having already worked oil 
 the side; every soul on board was now employed in bailing. 
 One of the pumps was got up, but to no purpose, for the shot- 
 lockers being broken down, some of the shot, as well as the 
 ballast, had fallen into the well; and as the weather moderated 
 a little, every thing was made ready to heave the lower deck 
 guns into the sea, the admiral being anxious to leave nothing 
 undone for the relief of the ship. 
 
 When evening approached, there being twenty merchant 
 ships in sight, the officers united in beseeching him to go in- 
 to one of them, but this he positively refused to do, deeming 
 it, as he declared, unpardonable in a commander in chief to 
 desert his garrison in distress; that his living a few years 
 longer was of very little consequence, but that, by leaving 
 his ship at such a time, he should discourage and slacken the 
 exertions of the people, by setting a very bad example. The 
 wind lulling somewhat during the night, all hands bailed the 
 water, which, at this time, was six feet fore and aft. 
 
 On the morning of the 20th the admiral ordered the spare 
 and stream anchors to be cut away, and within the course of 
 the day all the lower deck guns to be thrown overboard. 
 When evening came, the spirits of the people in general, and 
 even of the most courageous, began to fail, and they openly 
 expressed the utmost despair, together with the most earnest 
 desire of quitting the ship, lest they should founder in her. 
 The admiral hereupcn advanced and told them, that he and 
 their oilicers had an equal regard for their own lives, and that 
 the officers had no intention of deserting either them or the 
 ship, that, for his part, he was determined to try one night 
 more in her, he, therefore, hoped and intreated they would do 
 o too, for there was still room to imagine, that one fair day, 
 with a moderate sea, might enable them, by united exertions 
 to clear and secure the well against the encroaching ballast 
 which washed into it; that if this could be done, they might 
 be able to restore the chains to the pumps, and use them; and 
 thnt then hands enough might be spared to raise jury-masts, 
 with which they might carry the ship to Ireland; that her ap- 
 pearance alone, while she could swim, would be sufficient to 
 protect the remaining part of her convov; above all, that an 
 every thing that could be thought of had now been dune for
 
 Tt THE LOSS OF THE RAMILLIE8 
 
 her relief, it would be but reasonable to wait the effect. lie 
 concluded with assuring t., cm, that he would make the signa 
 directly for the trade to lie by them during the night, which he 
 doubted not they would comply with. 
 
 This temperate speech had the desired effect; the firmness 
 and confidence with which he spoke, and their reliance on 
 his seamanship and judgment, as well as his constant pres- 
 ence and attention to every accident, had a wonderful effect 
 upon them; they became pacified, and returned to their duty 
 and their labors. Since the first disaster, the admiral had, in 
 fact, scarcely ever quitted the deck; this they had all observ- 
 ed, together with his diligence in personally inspecting every 
 circumstance of distress. Knowing his skill and experience 
 they placed great confidence in them; and he instantly made, 
 according to his promise, a signal for all the merchantmen. 
 
 At this period, it must be confessed, there was great rea- 
 son for alarm, and but little for hope; for all the anchors and 
 guns, excepting one, together with every other matter of 
 weight, had been thrown everboard, and yet the ship did not 
 seem at all relieved. The strength of the people was, like- 
 wise, so nearly exhausted, having had no sleep since the first 
 fatal stroke, that o le half of the crew were ordered to bail 
 and the other to repose; so that, although the wind was much 
 abated, the water still gained upon them, in spite of all their 
 efforts, and the ship rolled and worked most prodigiously in a 
 most unquiet sea. 
 
 At three in the morning of the 21st, being the fourth night, 
 the well being quite broken in, the casks, ballast and remain- 
 ing shot, rushed together and destroyed the cylinders of the 
 pumps; the frame and carcase of the ship began to give way 
 in every part, and the whole crew exclaimed that it was im 
 possible to keep her any longer above water. 
 
 In this extremity the admiral resolved within himself not tc 
 lose a moment in removing the people whenever day-light 
 should arrive, but told the captain not to communicate any 
 more of his design than that he intended to remove the sick 
 and lame at day-break; and for this purpose he should call 
 on board all the boats of the merchantmen He, neverthe- 
 less, gave private orders to the captain, while this was doing, 
 to have all the bread brought upon the quarter-deck, with a 
 quantity of beef, pork and flour, to settle the best distribution 
 of the people according to th<- number of the trade ships that 
 should obey their signal, and to allow an officer to each di- 
 *ision of them; to have the remaining boats launched, and a
 
 THE LOSS OF THE RAMILLIES. 273 
 
 oon as the sick were disposed of, to begin to remove the 
 rhole of the crew, with the utmost despatch, but without risk- 
 ing too many in a boat 
 
 Accordingly at dawn, the signal was made for the boats of 
 the merchantmen, but nobody suspected what was to follow, 
 until the bread was entirely removed and the sick gone. 
 About six o'clock, the rest of the crew were permitted to go 
 off, and between nine and ten, there being nothing further to 
 direct and regulate, the admiral himself, after shaking hands 
 with every officer, and leaving his barge for their better ac- 
 commodation and transport, quitted forever the Ramillies, 
 which had then nine feet water in her hold. He went into a 
 small leaky boat, loaded with bread, out of which both him 
 and the surgeon who accompanied him were obliged to bail 
 the water all the way. He was in his boots, with his surtout 
 over his uniform, and his countenance as calm and as compos- 
 ed as ever. He had, at going off, desired a cloak, a cask of 
 flour and a cask of water, but could get only the flour, and 
 he left behind all his stock, wines, furniture, books and charts, 
 which had cost him upwards of one thousand pounds, being 
 unwilling to employ even a single servant in saving or pack- 
 ing up what belonged to himself alone, in a time of such 
 general calamity, as to appear better in that respect than any 
 of the crew. 
 
 The admiral rowed for the Belle, Captain Forster, being 
 the first of the trade that had borne up to the Ramillies the 
 preceding night in her imminent distress, and by his anxious 
 humanity sot such an example to his brother traders as had a 
 powerful influence upon them an influence which was gen- 
 erally followed by sixteen others. 
 
 By three o'clock most of the crew were taken out, at which 
 time the Ramillies had thirteen feet water in her hold, and 
 was evidently foundering in every part, at half past four the 
 captain, and first and third lieutenants, left her, with every 
 soul excepting the fourth lieutenant, who staid behind only to 
 execute the admiral's orders for setting fire to her wreck when 
 finally deserted. The carcase burned rapidly, and the flames 
 quickly reaching the powder, which was filled in the after 
 magazine, and had been lodged very high, in thirty-five 
 minutes the decks and upper works blew up with a horrid ex- 
 plosion and cloud of smoke, while the lower part of the hull 
 was precipitated to the bottom of the ocean. 
 
 At this time the admiral, in the Belle, stood for the wreck 
 to see his last orders executed, as well as to succour any boats 
 
 VOL. II 1^*
 
 274 THE LOSS OF THE RAMILLIES. 
 
 that might be too full of men, the swell of the sea being pro- 
 digious, although the weather had been moderate ever sine* 
 noon of the foregoing day. There were, however, at intervals, 
 some squalls, with threats of the weather soon becoming vio- 
 lent. It was not long before they were realized, for within 
 two hours after the last of the crew were put on board their 
 respective ships, the wind rose to a great height, and so con- 
 tinued, with intermission, for six or seven successive days, so 
 that no boat could, during that time, have lived in the water 
 On such a small interval depended the salvation of more than 
 fei.v hundred lives! Indeed, during the four days immediately 
 pieceding this catastrophe, it blew such a strong gale, and 
 such a heavy sea followed the Ramillies, that it was always 
 necessary to keep her with the wind upon her quarter, with 
 seldom more than the sprit-sail hoisted upon her foremast, and 
 at times with no sail at all, in which state she would run at 
 the rate of six miles an hour. Whenever the main-top-gal- 
 lant-sail was set on the stump of the rnizen-mast she common- 
 ly griped too much, so as to render the steerage very difficult, 
 and yet this had been carried, whenever it could be, in order 
 to keep pace with the merchantmen, the slowest of which 
 went nearly as fast under their bare poles. 
 
 Kven in running thus the Hamillies roiled prodigiously, and 
 as she grew lighter every day her motion became the more 
 uneasy, so that the men could scarcely stand to their work, or 
 keep their legs without something to lay hold by. There was 
 no such thing as real repose for them when sitting or lying 
 down upon deck, nor steadiness enough to cat or drink with 
 any security; no meat could be dressed, nor did any man or 
 officer go into bed. Until the afternoon of the C 20th there was 
 no venturing to bring her to, even for a boat to come on 
 board; but, notwithstanding this desperate condition, when 
 some were hourly dropping through fatigue and want of sleep, 
 a;id the decks were covered with water, the whole of the crew 
 behaved with the utmost obedience, attention and sobriety, 
 and remitted no possible exertion for the preservation of the 
 ship. 
 
 Upon their separation taking place, the officers, who were 
 distributed with portions of the crew among the Jamaica-men, 
 had orders respectively to deliver them to the first man of war 
 or tender they should meet with, and to acquaint the Secreta- 
 ry of the Admiralty, by the earliest opportunity, of their pro- 
 ceedings. A pendant was hoisted on board the Belle, by way 
 of distinction, that she might, if possible, lead the rest. Some 
 nf the trade kept with her, and others made the best of their
 
 THE LOSS OP THE RAMIM.lt> 
 
 way, apprehensive lest they should soon fall short of provis- 
 ions, as they had so many morn to feed. 
 
 The Silver Eel transport, which had sailed from Bluefield<i 
 with the invalids of Sir George Rodney's fleet, and was under 
 the command of a lieutenant of the navy, had heen ordered to 
 keep near the Ramillies. That ship was accordingly at hand 
 on the 21st of September, the day of her destruction, and in 
 consequence of several deaths on the passage had room 
 enough for the reception of all who were now ailing or maim- 
 ed, and was therefore charged with them, heing properly fit- 
 ted for their accommodation. 
 
 The Silver Eel parted from the admiral in latitude 42 48 N. 
 and longitude 45 19 W. alter seeing the Ramillics demolish- 
 ed, and being ordered to make for the first port, ran into Fal- 
 mnuth the Gth of October, on the afternoon of which day, one 
 of the trade ships, with a midshipman and sixteen of the crew 
 of the Kumillies, reached Plymouth Sound. Another of the 
 same convoy, having on board another part of the crew, with 
 the captain and first lieutenant, anchored in the sa.ne place be- 
 fore day-light the next morning. The Canada, however, hav- 
 injr exerted her utmost speed, had, prior to all these, on the 
 4f. of the same month got to Portsmouth^, where she spread 
 the news cf the dispersion of this miserable fleet, which be- 
 ing conveyed to France, her privateers immediately put to 
 gea in hopes of making pri/es of them. Some of the Jamai- 
 ca-mcn, with part of the crew of the Ramillies, fell into their 
 hands; two of the West Indiamen were captured in sight of 
 the Belie, but she herself with the admiral and thirty-three of 
 his crew, arrived safe, though singly, on the I Oth of October 
 in Cork harbor, where was the Myrmidon frigate. The -ad- 
 miral immediately hoisted his flag on board the latter, and 
 sailing with the first fair wind, arrived, on the 17th, in Plymouth 
 Sound, apparently in good health, but with a settled oppression 
 upon his breast, from having been so long and so dreadfully 
 exposed upon the deck of the Ramillies in the horrid night 
 when she was first overtaken by the storm; nor could he re- 
 move that complaint for upwards* of six months. He brought 
 away with him nothing but a few of his private papers, the 
 rest of his effects having shared the same fate as his ship. 
 
 It was calculated that by the destruction of the fleet, up- 
 wards of twenty one thousand five hundred persons perished. 
 The loss of property has been estimated by the British Gov- 
 ernment to be upwards of .f^OjOOC^OOO. The gale, which 
 continued for six days, was the most tremendous one on re- 
 cord.
 
 PRESERVATION OF NINE SEAMiH 
 
 PRESERVATION OF NINE MEN, 
 
 IN A SMALL BOAT, SURROUNDED 6T ISLANDS OF ICE. 
 
 We sailed from Plymouth under convoy of H. B. Majesty 't 
 ship St. Alban's, and two other ships of war, together with a 
 fleet of merchantmen bound to the Mediteranean, having a 
 fresh gale at north-east. 
 
 The wind still continuing, we kept company with the fleet 
 until reaching 120 leagues to the westward; then judging our- 
 selves clear of privateers, we proceeded on our voyage. But 
 before gaining 300 leagues, on the 17th of March .we cam*, 
 up with an English built ship cf about 200 tons, carrying 
 twelve guns, and sailing under a jury main-mast. On our ap- 
 proach she hoisted English colors; and, on being hailed, told 
 us she belonged toLondon, and was now bound fromYii^.' 
 homewards, which seemed probable, as many tame fowl were 
 on board; and a red bird flew from her to us. 
 
 Our captain seeing the vessel disabled, desired her to bring 
 to; saying, if anything was wanted on board, we should hoist 
 out our boat and carry it thither; but this was obstinately re- 
 fused; the captain declared, that our boat should not approach, 
 and unless we kept further off, he would fire into us. This 
 induced suspicion on our part, wherefore we run up with the 
 vessel, and commanded her to bring to. On this she fired, 
 and engaged us from eleven in the morning until six in the 
 evening; then, being much damaged, she struck, and called 
 to us to save the lives of the crew. But this request came 
 too late, for the wind increasing, raised a great sea, which 
 forced our ship under a reefed main-sail, whence we could not 
 hoist out our boat, without endangering our own lives. How- 
 ever, by means of a light which she carried, we kept close to 
 her, intending to hoist the boat out when it became practica- 
 ble. But towards midnight her light became very low; and 
 by a loud cry, which was heard about one o'clock, we judged 
 that she foundered. 
 
 When the vessel struck she told us that she had fourteen 
 Frenchmen on board, whence we conjectured her to be ac
 
 PREHERVAT10.N OF NINE BEAMKN. 9)1 
 
 English Virginia-man taken by the French; and that she had 
 lost her main-mast in the engagement. We followed her, 
 chasing and fighting, about thirty leagues; and when she 
 struck we were in 45 50 north latitude. 
 
 Our booty being thus lost, we made the best of our way to 
 Newfoundland, being bound thither on a fishing voyage. One 
 trouble, however, seldom comes alone, and so it happened to 
 us; for, on the 26th of March, we saw some shattered ice, 
 at four in the afternoon, which was supposed to be the har- 
 bor ice now broken up. We were now in 46 50 north latitude, 
 and conceived ourselves 50 leagues, though it afterwards 
 proved seventy, from the land. The wind being at east, the 
 top-sails were handed; and we stood northward, uider our 
 courses, hoping to get clear of the ice before night. But find- 
 ing rather more than less, we tacked to the Southward, which 
 was found unproductive of any change. Therefore, for furth- 
 er security, the fore-sail was furled, and the ship brought to 
 under the mainsail, as night approached, and as there was a 
 dead wind, so that we could lie offon neither tack, we trusted 
 if we should fall in with the greater ice, to meet with the less 
 shocks. 
 
 About eight or nine o'clock, we discovered a field of ice, 
 of which we run foul, notwithstanding our exertions to kesp 
 clear of it; and although we hung cables, coils of rope, hoops 
 and such things, 'over the ship to defend her, she struck so 
 hard, that at eleven she bilged, whence we had much difficul- 
 ty to keep her afloat till day-light, by two pumps going, and 
 bailing at three hatchways. 
 
 At the approach of day our men were much fatigued, the 
 water increased, and against noon the hold was half full. 
 No one knew what to advise another, and all began to despair 
 of their lives: we continued pumping, though to little purpose, 
 and concluded, that if now were our appointed time, we must 
 submit patiently to it. 
 
 But amidst this disaster, it pleased God to put it into the 
 thoughts of some of us, that several might be preserved in 
 the boat, whence the captain was entreated to hoist her out, 
 and commit a few of us there. 
 
 The captain answered, that, although God could work won- 
 ders, it was improbable that so small a boat should preserve 
 us; that it was but living a few days longer in misery; and, 
 seeing God had cast this calamity to his lot, he was resolved 
 to take his chance and die with his men. 
 
 Nevertheless, being much impor'uiied, he ordered the boat
 
 278 rRESF.nvATio:. OF M>E 
 
 out, and William Saunders and five others ut her; and, tha. 
 the men might not suspect their design, it was given out that 
 the boat should go ahead to tow the ship clear of the ice. 
 How likely that was the reader may judge, there being but 
 one oar, all the rest were broken by defending the ship from 
 the ice. However, the purpose advanced. 
 
 The boat being out, and rinding no effect produced in tow- 
 ing the ship, fell a-stern, intending to take in the captain and 
 as many as it cou'd safely carry, while some were preparing 
 necessaries for a miserable voyage A compass, and other 
 things ready, were conveyed into it. 
 
 The captain, doctor and several others, having got out at 
 the cabin windows and galleries, I, amongst the rest, endeav- 
 ored to escape at the gallery, intending likewise, if possible, 
 to get into the boat; but being discovered by the men, they 
 took small arms, and kept off the boat, resolving, as she could 
 not preserve all, that the whole should perish together. 
 
 This design bring frustrated, every one, except myself and 
 Wiiham Langmead, got into the ship again; but we were so 
 low that we could not recover ourselves. ISo person coming 
 to relieve us, we were at length forced to let go our hold, and 
 trust to the mercy of those in the boat, who seeing us swun- 
 n;inir towards them, hove out a rope and took us in. 
 
 We were now eight in number in the boat; and, willing to 
 save our captain, lay hovering about the ship till night; but 
 the men persisting in their resolution, tired at the boat and 
 kept her otf. \\ e began to seek shelter as night approached; 
 and, havinir gone among the shattered ice, made our boat fast 
 to a small -lump, and drove with it; and as we came foul of 
 great ice, we removed and made fast to another piece, and so 
 continued during the remainder of tiie nijiht. 
 
 Looking around in the morning, the ship was scon about 
 three leagues to the. eastward in the same position as we had 
 left her, whereon a consultation was held whether or not we 
 should return and make another attempt to save the captain, 
 and as many more as possible. This proposal, however, was 
 negatived, every one alleging that the men would citlier fire 
 on us, ot inconsiderately crowd into the boat and sink her; 
 therefore, it was resolved to make the best of our wav to the 
 shore. Kut I, considering how little it would tend fo my hon- 
 or to save my life, and see my captain perish, endeavored to 
 persuade them that the sh ; (> still swam buoyant, that i hoped 
 the leak was stopped, and that we might proceed on our voy- 
 age; but this was unavailing. Wheu 1 saw myself unable to
 
 PRESERVATION OF NINE SEAMEN. 279 
 
 prevail thus, 1 desired them to row up and sjt me on that part 
 of the ice next the ship, whence I should walk to her, and die 
 with my commander. 
 
 This being unanimously agreed to, we rowed to the ice; 
 but when we reached it, I was loth to go out. However, en 
 calling the captain to us, Mr. John Maddick came first, and 
 after him the doctor and some others, which the captain per- 
 ceiving, came also. 
 
 The captain having left the ship, the multitude crowded so 
 eagerly alter him that we had like to have spoiled all; but by 
 c'iance me boat was got off', with twenty-one people in hev 
 and hanging to her sides. Some were forced to slip; others 
 perished on the ice, not being able to return to the ship, where 
 .he rest were lost. 
 
 On the 25th of March we took a miserable farewell of our 
 distressed brethren, the heart of every one being so overload- 
 ed with his own misery as to have little room to pity another. 
 Next, on considering what course to follow, we resolved to 
 make for the shore. 
 
 Our only provision was a small barrel of flour, and a five 
 gallon rundlet of brandy, which had been thrown overboard, 
 and was taken up by us. \Ve also took up an old chest, which 
 stood us in good stead, for having but one oar, and our ship's 
 handspikes, and a hatchet being by chance in the boat, we 
 could split the ciiest, and nail it to the handspikes, which were 
 our oars. IS'ails we had only, by drawing them from different 
 parts of the boat; and the rest of the chest was used to kindle 
 a fire. It also happened that our main tarpauling, which had 
 been newly tarred, was put into the boat. Of it we made a 
 main-sail; and of an old piece of canvas, that had been a 
 sail to a yawl, we made a fore-sail. In this condition we 
 turned towards the shore, and observing the surrounding ice 
 lie north and south, we steered north, and in the morning 
 were clear of it. 
 
 liaving now got into the ocean, and the wind being still 
 easterly, we hoisted our sail, and steered west-north-west 
 about fourteen leagues, when we fell in with another field of 
 ice. Attempting to sail through it, we were enclosed by ma- 
 nv great islands, which drove so fast together, that we were 
 forced to haul up ou boat on the ice, otherwise we should 
 have perished. 
 
 Here we lay eleven days without once seeing the sea. As 
 the ice \vus thick, we caught as many seals as we chose, for 
 they were in great abundance. Our fire hearth was made of
 
 280 PRESERVATION OF NINE SEAMKlf. 
 
 the skin, and the fat melted so easily, that we could boil th 
 lean with it. 
 
 But by lying so long in this cold region, the men began to 
 .omplain of their feet; and our boat being too small to afford 
 room for all, there was always a hideous cry among us of hurt- 
 ing each other, though for this there was no remedy. We 
 kept watch six and eix, both for the convenience of room, and 
 to guard against the ice breaking under our boat, which often 
 happened, and then it was necessary to launch, or carry her 
 to a place which we thought strong enough to bear her 
 weight. 
 
 In eleven days we saw the sea, and, with great difficulty, 
 got out the boat. We sailed about ten or twelve leagues 
 north-north-west as before, when we were again enclosed; 
 and this was repeated five several times. The last ice, how- 
 ever, was worse than any before, and although it was so thick 
 that we could not force the boat through it, yet it was not so 
 solid as to bear the weight of a man; therefore, notwithstand- 
 ing we daily saw enough of seals, we could take none of 
 them. 
 
 It fortunately happened, that when we parted from the hard 
 ice, we had seven seals in store, and one that we took dead, 
 which was consumed without consulting how it had died. 
 
 We were next reduced to short allowance, having only one 
 among us to serve two days, which, with about three ounces 
 of flour, mixed with water, and boiled in the fat of the seal, 
 was all our provision. At length we were obliged to share 
 both feet and skin, each of us allowing a little fat to make a 
 fire. But being constrained to eat the whole, skin and bone 
 also, scarcely boiled, injured our stomachs so much, that some 
 of our number died, and I myself suffered severely. 
 
 On getting clear of the loose ice, if the wind was so ad- 
 verse as to prevent our rowing, we made fast the boat to an 
 island of ice until better weather. Although this sheltered 
 us, we were often in great danger, from the islands driving 
 foul of us, so that it was wonderful we escaped. 
 
 We drank the ice mixed with brandy; and our provisions, 
 with good management, lasted until our coming ashore, for it 
 pleased God to save some of us by taking others to himseif. 
 Our companions began to die two or three in a day, until we 
 were at last reduced to nine. 
 
 The feet of several who died were bit in such a manner by 
 the frost, that, on stripping them, which was done to give the 
 clothes to the survivors, their toes came away with the stock-
 
 CAPTAIN ROSS'S EXPEDITION 81 
 
 ings The last who died was the boatswain, who lived until 
 
 the Jay before we saw land. 
 
 Our compass was broke by the last field of ice through 
 which we passed, and soon after we lost our water bucket, 
 which was used for bailing. Our course was directed by the 
 sun in the day-time, and the stars by night. 
 
 Though many other accidents befel us, it pleased the Lore 
 to bring us safe to land, after passing twenty-eight days in 
 the boat. 
 
 On the 24th of April we arrived at Baccalew, and thence 
 repaired to the Bay of Veids, in Newfoundland, where we 
 found three men providing for a fishing voyage, who carried 
 us to their house, and gave us such things as they had. But 
 they being indifferently stored, and unable to maintain us, we 
 determined to go to St. John's, notwithstanding some of us 
 were so much frost-bit, as to be obliged to be carried to the 
 boat. Before getting to Cape St. Francis, however, the wind 
 veered to the south-west, which compelled us to row all night. 
 In the morning we reached Portugal Cove, where to our un- 
 speakable joy, some men were found preparing for the sum- 
 mer's fishing. They shewed us so much compassion as to 
 launch a boat, and tow us over to Belleisle, and there we were 
 courteously received. All were so weak that we were car- 
 ried ashore on men's shoulders; and we were besides so dis- 
 figured with hunger, cold and the oil of seals, that people 
 could hardly recognise us as men, except for the shape. At 
 Belleisle we remained ten days, when, being somewhat re- 
 cruited, we went to St. John's. Thus, in all this extremity, 
 God miraculously preserved nine out of ninety-six that were 
 in the ship. 
 
 CAPTAIN ROSS'S EXPEDITION, 
 
 In the year 1818 the British Government fitted ou two ex- 
 peditions to the North Pole. Captain Buchan, commanding 
 the Trent and the Dorothy was directed to attempt a passage
 
 28i CAPTAIN KOas's KXPKDITI < . 
 
 between Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla, over the Pole, into 
 the Pacific, and Captain Ross, commanding the Isabella and 
 the Alexander, to attempt the north-west passage from Davi's 
 Straits and Baffin's Bay, into the Frozen Ocean, and thence 
 into the Pacific. Ross reached 77 deg. 40 min. latitude, ano 
 more accurately determined ihe situation of Baffin's Bay, 
 which until then was believed to extend 10 deg. farther to the 
 east than it actually does. Although he sailed up Lancaster 
 Sound, he did not advance far enough to ascertain if it was 
 open, not having arrived there until October 1st. when danger 
 from the ice obliged him to quit the coast. Lieutenant Parry, 
 who had accompanied Captain Ross, was sent, in conjunction 
 with Captain Lyon, in the year 18 19, on a second voyage into 
 Baffin's Bay, and having penetrated as far as to gain the first 
 prize offered by Parliament (5000) and having made the most 
 western point ever reached in the Polar seas, he was entrust- 
 ed with the direction of the Hccla and Fury, on a similar 
 expedition in 1821. These ships returned in October 18-3, 
 without achieving the principal object for which they were dis- 
 patched. In 1824 Parry and Lyon were again sent out for 
 the discovery of a north-west passage, in the Hecla and Fu- 
 ry. After wintering in Prince Regent's Bay, the ships sailed 
 southwardly, and, in consequence of storms and icebergs, i> 
 became necessary to abandon the Fury, and with her crew 
 on board the Hecla, Captain Parry returned to England in 
 October 1025. The Admiralty sent Parry, in the Hecla, in 
 1827, to reach, if possible, the JVorth Pole. Having journey- 
 ed thirty-five days over the ice, beginning at 81 deg. 12 min. 
 15 sec. he was compelled to retrace his course. So far the 
 exertions of the Biitish Government 
 
 Piqued by the real, or supposed neglect of government, 
 Captain Ross, in the spring of 1829, undertook an expedition 
 on his own resources, with the view of effecting a passage 
 into the Polar Sea, and to reach Behring's Straits along the 
 northern coast of the American continent. The ship the 
 Victory was lost in the first year out, and Ross and his 
 crew had worn through the remaining time on board the wreck 
 of the Fury. When picked up in Lancaster Sound, they 
 were in four of the Fury's boats, which they had "found un- 
 injured, and in the srune condition in which they had beec 
 left." 
 
 The following letter, addressed by the gallant Navigator to 
 the Admiralty, puts us in possession of all the adve:iture 
 and discoveries of this memorable expedition.
 
 CAfTAIiN ROSS'S EXrEDlTIO!T. f89 
 
 On board the Isabella, of Hull, ) 
 Baffin's Pay, Sept, 1833. $ 
 
 Sir, Knowing how deeply my Lords Commissioners, of 
 the Admiralty are interested in the advancement of nautical 
 knowledge, and particularly in the improvement of geography, 
 I have to acquaint you, for the information of their Lordships, 
 that the expedition, the main object of which is to solve, if 
 possible, the question of a north-west passage from the Pacif- 
 ic to the Atlantic Ocean, particularly by Prince Regent's In- 
 let, and which sailed from England in May, 1829, notwith- 
 standing the loss of the fore-mast and other untoward circum- 
 stances, which obliged the vessel to refit in Greenland, reach- 
 ed the beach on which his Majesty's late ship Fury's stores 
 were landed, on the 13th of August. 
 
 We found the boats, provisions, &.c. in excellent condition, 
 but no vestige of the wreck. After completing in fuel and 
 other necessaries, we sailed on the 14th, and on the following 
 morning rounded Cape Garry, where our new discoveries 
 commenced, and, keeping the western shore close on board, 
 ran down the coast in a S. W. and VV. course, in from 10 to 
 20 fathoms, until we had passed the latitude of 72 north in 
 longitude 94 west; here we found a considerable inlet leading to 
 the westward, the examinstion of which occupied two days; 
 at this place we were first seriously obstructed by ice, which 
 was now seen to extend from the south cape of the inlet, in a 
 solid mass, round by E. to E. N. E; owing to this circum- 
 stance, the shallowness of the water, the rapidity of the tides, 
 the tempestuous weather, the irregularity of the coast and the 
 numorous inlets and rocks for which it is remarkable, our 
 progress was no less dangerous than tedious, yet we succeed- 
 ed in penetrating below the latitude of 70 north, in longitude 
 92 west, where the land, after having carried us, as far east 
 as 90, took a decidedly westerly direction, while land at the 
 distance of 40 miles to southward, was seen extending east 
 and west. At this extreme point our progress was arrested on 
 the 1st of October by an impenetrable barrier of ice. We r 
 however, found an excellent wintering port, which we named 
 Felix Harbor. 
 
 Early in January, 1830, we had the good fortune to estab- 
 lish a friendly intercourse with a most interesting consociation 
 of natives, who, being insulated by nature, had never before 
 communicated with strangers; from th-m we gradually obtain- 
 ed the important information that we had already seen the 
 continent of America, I hat about 40 miles to the S. \V. there 
 were two great seas, one to the west, which was divided from
 
 284 CAPTAIN ROSH'S EXPEDITION. 
 
 that to the east by a narrow strait or neck of land. The rer 
 rfication oi this intelligence either way, on which our future 
 operations so materially depended, devolved on Commander 
 Ross, who volunteered this service early in April, and accom- 
 panied by one of the mates, and guided by two of the natives, 
 proceeded to the spot, and found that the north land was con- 
 nected to the south by two ridges of high land, 15 miles in 
 breadth, but, taking into account a chain of fresh water lakes, 
 which occupied the valleys between, the dry land which actual- 
 ly separates the two oceans is only five miles. This extraor- 
 dinary isthmus was subsequently visited by myself, when Com- 
 mander Ross proceeded minutely to survey the sea coast to 
 the Southward of the isthmus leading to the westward, which 
 he succeeded in tracing to the 99th degree, or to 150 miles of 
 Cape Turnagain of Franklin, to which point the land, after 
 leading him into the 70th degree of north latitude, ended di- 
 rectly; during the same journey he also surveyed 30 miles of 
 the adjacent coast, or that to the north of the isthmus, which, 
 by also taking a westerly direction, forming the termination of 
 the western sea into a gulf. The rest of this season was em- 
 ployed in tracing the sea coast south of the isthmus leading to 
 the eastward, which was done so as to leave no doubt that it 
 joined, as the natives had previously informed us, to Ockullee, 
 atui the land forming Repulse Bay. It was also determined 
 that there was no passage to the westward for 50 miles to the 
 northward of our position. 
 
 This summer, like that of 1818, was beautifully fine, but 
 extremely unfavorable for navigation, and our object being 
 now to try a more northern latitude, we waited with anxiety 
 for the disruption of the ice, but in vain, and our utmos*. en- 
 deavors did not succeed in retracing our steps more than fvi: 
 miles, and it was not until the middle of November that we 
 succeeded in cutting the vessel into a place of security, which 
 we named " Sheriff's Harbor." I may here mention that we 
 named the newly discovered continent to the southward 
 " Boothia," as also the isthmus, the peninsula to the north, 
 and the eastern sea. after my worthy friend, Felix Booth, Esq. 
 the truly patriotic citizen of London, who, in the most disin- 
 terested manner, enabled me to equip this expedition in su- 
 perior style. 
 
 The last winter was in temperature nearly equal to the mean 
 cf what had been experienced on the four preceding Toyagea, 
 but the winters of 1830 and 1831 set in with a degree of vio- 
 lence hitherto beyond record the thermometer sunk to 92 
 degrees below the freezing point, and the average of the year
 
 CAPTAIN ROSs's EXPEDITION. 
 
 was 10 degrees below the preceding; but notwithstanding the 
 severity of the summer, we travelled across the country to 
 the wert sea by a chain of lakes, 30 miles north of the isth- 
 mus, when Commander Ross succeeded in surveying 50 miles 
 more of the coast leading to the north-west, Lnd by tracing 
 the shore to the northward of our position, it was also ful- 
 ly proved that there could be no passage below the 7 1 st de- 
 gree. 
 
 This autumn we succeeded in getting the vessel only 14 
 miles to the northward, as we had not doubled the Eastern 
 Cape, all hope of saving the ship was at an end, and put quite 
 beyond possibility by another very severe winter; and having 
 only provisions to last us to the 1st of June, 1833, dispositions 
 were accordingly made to leave the ship in present port, which 
 (after her) was named Victory Harbor. Provisions and fuel 
 being carried forward in the spring, we left the ship on the 
 28th of May, 1832, for Fury Beach, being the only chance 
 left for saving our lives; owing to the very rugged nature ot 
 the ice, we were obliged to keep either upon or close to the 
 land, making the circuit of every bay, thus increasing our dis- 
 tance of 200 miles by nearly one half; and it was not until 
 the 1st of July that we reached the beach, completely exhaust- 
 ed by hunger and fatigue. 
 
 A hut was speedily constructed, and the boats three of 
 which had been washed off" the beach, but providentially driv 
 en shore again, were repaired during this month; and the un- 
 usual heavy appearance of the ice afforded us no cheering 
 prospect until the 1st of August, when in three boats we reach- 
 ed the ill-fated spot where the Fury was first driven on shore, 
 and it was not until the 1st of September we reached Leopold 
 South Island, now established to be the N. E. point of Ameri- 
 ca in latitude 73 56, and longitude 90 west. From the sum- 
 mit of the lofty mountain on the promontory we could see 
 Prince Regent's Inlet, Barrow's Strait and Lancaster Sound, 
 which presented one impenetrable. mass of ice, just as I had 
 seen it in 1818. Here we remained in a state of anxiety and 
 suspense, which may be easier imagined than described. All 
 our attempts to push through were vain; at length being forced 
 by want of provisions and the approach of a very severe win- 
 ter, to return to Fury Beach, where alone there remained 
 wherewith to support life, there we arrived on the 7th of Oc- 
 tober, after a most fatiguing and laborious march, having been 
 obliged to leave our boats at Batty Bay. Our habitation, 
 which consisted of a frame of spars, 32 feet by 16, covered
 
 286 CAPTAIN BOSSES EXPEDITION. 
 
 with canvas, was, during the month of November enclosed; 
 and the roof covered with snow, from 4 to 7 feet thick, which 
 being saturated with water when the temperature was fifteen 
 degrees below zero, immediately took the consistency of ice, 
 and thus we actually became the inhabitants of an iceberg 
 during one of the most severe winters hitherto recorded; our 
 sufferings aggravated by want of bedding, clothing and ani- 
 mal food, need not be dwelt upon. Mr. C. Thomas, the car- 
 penter, was the only man who perished at this beach, but three 
 others, besides one who had lost his foot, were reduced to the 
 .ast stage of debility, and only thirteen of our number wern 
 able to carry provisions in seven jouruics of 62 miles each to 
 Batty Bay. 
 
 We left Fury Beach on the 8th of July, carrying with us 
 three sick men, who were unable to walk, and in six days we 
 reached the boats, where the sick dailv recovered. Although 
 the spring was mild, it was not until the loth of August that 
 ye had any cheering prospect. A gale from the westward 
 laving suddenly opened a lane of water along shore, in two 
 days we reached our former position, and from the rr.oitntain 
 we had the satisfaction of seeing clear water across Prince 
 Regent's Inlet, which we crossed on the 17th, and took shel- 
 ter from a storm twelve miles to the eastward of Cape York. 
 The next day, when the gale abated we crossed Admiralty In- 
 let, and were detained six days on the coast by a strong N. K. 
 wind. On the 25th we crossed Navy Board Inlet, and on the 
 following morning, to our inexpressible joy, we descried a 
 ship in the offing, becalmed, which proved to be the .Isabella 
 of Hull, the same ship which I commanded in 1818. At noon 
 we reached her, when her enterprising commander, who had 
 in vain searched for us in Prince Regent's Inlet, after giving 
 us three cheers, received us with every demonstration of kind- 
 ness and hospitality, which humanity could dictate. I ought 
 to mention also that Mr. Humphreys, by landing me at Pos- 
 session Bay, and subsequently on the west coast of Baffin's 
 Bay, afforded me an excellent opportunity of concluding my 
 survey, and of verifying my former chart of that coast. 
 
 I have now the pleasing duty of calling the attention ol 
 their lordships to the merit of Commander Ross, who was 
 second in the direction of this expedition. The labors of thit 
 officer, who had the departments of astronomy, natural histo- 
 ry and surveying, will speak for themselves in language be- 
 yond the ability of my pen; but they will be duly appreciated 
 by their lordships and the learned bodies of which he s a
 
 CAPTAIN KOSS S EXPEDITION 487 
 
 member, and who are already well acquainted with his ac- 
 quirements. 
 
 My steady and faithful friend, Mr. William Them of the 
 royal navy, who was formerly with me in the Isabella, besides 
 his duty as third in command, took charge, of the meteorologi- 
 cal journal, the distribution and economy of provisions, and to 
 his judicious plans and suggestions must be attributed the un- 
 common degree of health which our crew -enjoyed; and as 
 .wo out of three who died in the four years and a half were 
 cut off early in the voyage, by diseases not peculiar to the 
 climate, only one man can be said to have perished. IVIr. 
 M'Diarmid the surgeon, who had been several voyages to 
 these regions, did justice to the high recommendation I receiv- 
 ed of him; he was useful in every amputation and operation 
 which he performed, and wonderfully so in his treatment of 
 the sick; and I have no hesitation in adding, that he would be 
 an ornament to his Majesty's service. 
 
 Commander Ross, Mr. Thorn and myself, have, indeed, 
 been serving without pay; but in common with the crew have 
 lost our all, which I regret the more, because it puts it out of 
 my power adequately to remunerate my fellow sufferers, whose 
 case I cannot but recommend for their lordships' consideration. 
 
 We have, however, the consolation, that results of this ex- 
 pedition have been conclusive, and to science highly iinpor 
 tan?, and may be briefly comprehended in the following words: 
 The discovery of the Gulf of Boothia, the continent and isth- 
 mus of Boothia Felix, and a vast number of islands, rivers 
 and lakes; the undeniable establishment that the north-east 
 point of America extends to the 74th degree of north latitude: 
 valuable observations of every kind, but particularly on the 
 magnet; and to crown all, have had the honor of placing the 
 illustrious name of our Most Gracious Sovereign William l\ r , 
 on the true position of the magnetic pole. 
 
 1 cannot conclude this letter, sir, without acknowledging 
 the important advantages we obtained from the valuable pub- 
 lications of Sir Edward Parry and Sir John Franklin, and 
 the communications kindly made to us by those distinguished 
 officers before our departare from Kngland. But the glory 
 of this enterprise is entirely due to Him, whose divine favor 
 has been most especially manifested towards us, who guided 
 and directed all our steps, who mercifully provided, in what 
 we had deemed a calamity, His effectual means of our preser- 
 vation ; and who even after the* devices and inventions of
 
 t88 LOSS Or THE CATHARINE, VENUS AND FIEDMONT. 
 
 man had utterly failed, crowned our humble endeavors witi 
 complete success. 
 
 I have, &c. 
 
 JOHN ROSS, Captain, R N. 
 
 To Captain the Hon. George Elliot, &c. 
 Secretary Admiralty. 
 
 LOSS OF THE CATHARINE, VENUS AND PIED- 
 MONT TRANSPORTS; AND THREE MERCHANT 
 SHIPS. 
 
 The miseries of war are in themselves great and terrible, 
 but the consequences which arise indirectly from it, though 
 seldom known and little adverted to, are no less deplorable. 
 The destruction of the sword sometimes bears only an incon- 
 siderable proportion to the havoc of disease, and, in the pes- 
 tilential climates of the western colonies, entire regiments, 
 reared in succession, have as often fallen victims to their bane- 
 ful influence. 
 
 To prosecute the war with alracrity, it had been judged ex- 
 pedient to transport a strong body of troops on foreign ser- 
 vice, but their departure was delayed by repeated adversities, 
 and at length the catastrophe which is about to be related en- 
 sued. 
 
 On the 15th of November 1795, the fleet, under convoy of 
 Admiral Christian's squadron, sailed from St. Helens. A 
 more beatiful sight than it exhibited cannot be conceived; and 
 those who had nothing to lament in leaving their native coun- 
 try, enjoyed the spectacle as the most magnificent produced 
 by the art of man, and as that which the natives of this island 
 contemplate with mingled pride and pleasure. 
 
 Next day, the wind continuing favorable, carried the fleet 
 town channel; and as the Catharine transport came within
 
 LOSS OF THJ CATKARINE. VENDS AND PIEDMONT 999 
 
 of the isle of Perbcck, Lieutenant Jenner, an officer on 
 board, pointed out to another person, the rocks where the 
 Halsewell and so many unfortunate individuals had perished. 
 He and Cornet Burns had been unable to reach Southampton 
 until the Catharine had sailed, therefore they hired a boy to 
 overtake her, and on embarking at St. Helen's the former ex- 
 pressed his satisfaction, in a letter to his mother, that he had 
 been so fortunate as to do so. 
 
 On Tuesday the 17th, the fleet was off Portland, standing 
 to the westward; but the wind shifting and blowing a strong 
 gale at south-south-west, the admiral, dubious whether they 
 could clear the channel, made a signal for putting into Tor- 
 bay, which some of the transports where then in sight of. 
 However, they could not make the bay; the gale increased, 
 and a thick fog came on; therefore the admiral thought it ex- 
 pedient to alter his design, and about five in afternoon made 
 a signal for standing out to sea. Of the circumstances rela- 
 tive to the Catharine, a more detailed account has been pre- 
 served than respecting the other vessels of the fleet; and they 
 are preserved by a female, with whose name we are unac- 
 quainted, in these words. 
 
 "The evening of the 17th was boisterous and threatening; 
 the master said he was apprehensive that we should have 
 bad weather; and when I was desired to go on deck and look at 
 the appearance of the sky, I observed that it was troubled and 
 red, with great heavy clouds flying in all directions, and with 
 a sort of dull mist surrounding the. moon. On repeating this 
 to the other passengers, two of whom had been at sea before, 
 they said we should certainly have a stormy night, and indeed 
 it proved so very tempestuous that no rest was to be obtained 
 Nobody, however, seemed to think that there was any dan- 
 ger, though the fog was so thick that the master could see 
 nothing by which to. direct his course; but he thought that he 
 had sufficient sea-room. 
 
 The fatigue I had suffered from the tossing of the ship, and 
 the violence with which she continued to roll, had kept me in 
 bed. It was about ten o'clock in the morning of the 18th, 
 when the mate looked down into the cabin and cried, " save 
 yourselves if you can!" 
 
 The consternation and terror of that moment cannot be de- 
 scribed; I had on a loose dressing gown, and wrapping it 
 round me I went up, not quite on deck, but to the top of the 
 stairs, from whence I saw the sea break mountain high against 
 the shore. The passengers and soldiers seemed thunder 
 VOL. ii 13
 
 lOflS OF THE CATHARINE, VENUS AND PIEDMor f. 
 
 struck by the sense of immediate and inevitable danger, and 
 the seamen, too conscious of the hopelessness of any exertion, 
 stood in speechless agony, certain of meeting in a few mo- 
 ments that destruction which now menaced them. 
 
 While 1 thus surveyed the scene around me in a kind of 
 dread which no words can figure, ]\Ir. Burns, an officer of 
 dragoons, who had come up in his shirt, called to Mr. Jen- 
 ner and Mr. Stains for his cloak; nobody, however, could at 
 tend to any thing in such a moment but self-preservation 
 
 Mr. Jenner, Mr. Stains and Mr Dodd the surgeon, now 
 passed me, their countenances sufficiently expressing their 
 seise of the situation in which we all were. Mr. Burns spoke 
 cheerfully to me; he bade me take good cournge, and Mr. 
 Jenner observed, there was a good shore near, and all would 
 do well. 
 
 These gentlemen then went to the side of the ship, with 
 the intention, as 1 believe, of seeing whether it was possible 
 to get on shore. The master of the vessel alone remained 
 near the companion; when suddenly a tremendous wave broke 
 over the ship, and struck me with such violence, that 1 was 
 stunned lor a 'moment, and, before being able to recover my- 
 self, the ship struck with a force so great as to throw me from 
 the stairs into the cabin, the master being thrown clown near 
 me. At the same instant, tlie cabin, with a dreadful crash, 
 broke in upon us, and planks and beams threatened to bury 
 us in rums. The master, however, soon recovered himself; 
 he left me to go again upon deck, and I saw him no more. 
 
 A sense of my condition lent me strength to disengage my- 
 self from the boards and fragments by which I was surround- 
 ed, and I once more got upon the stfiirs, I hardly know how. 
 But what a scene did I behold! The masts were all lying 
 across the shattered remains of the deck, and no living crea- 
 ture appeared on it; all was gone, though I knew not then that 
 they were gone forever. I looked forward to the shore, but 
 there I could see nothing except the dreadful surf that broke 
 against it, while, behind the ship, immense black waves rose 
 like tremendous ruins. 1 knew that they must overwhelm her, 
 and thought that there could be no escape for me. 
 
 Believing, then, that death was immediate and unavoidable, 
 my idea was to regain my bed in the cabin, and there, resign- 
 ing myself to the will of' God, await the approaching moment. 
 However, I could not reach it, and for awhile was insensible; 
 then the violent striking and breaking up of the Avreck again 
 roused me to recollection; I found myself near the cabin-win-
 
 LOIS OF THE CATHARINE, VENUS AND PIEDMONT. 1*91 
 
 dows, and the water was rising round me. It rapidly increas- 
 ed, and the horrors of drowning were present to my view; yet 
 do I remember seeing the furniture of the cabin floating about. 
 I sat almost enclosed by pieces of the wreck, and the water 
 now reached my breast. 
 
 The bruises I had received made every exertion extremely 
 difficult, and my loose gown was so entangled among the 
 beams and fragments of the ship, that I could not disengage 
 it Still the desire of life, the hope of being welcomed on 
 shore, whither 1 thought my friends had escaped, and the re- 
 membrance of my child, all united in inspiring me with cou- 
 rage to attempt saving myself. I again tried to loosen my 
 gown, but found it impossible, and the wreck continued to 
 strike so violently, and the ruins to close so much more around 
 me, that I now expected to be crushed to death. 
 
 As the ship drifted higher on the stones, the water rather 
 lessened as the waves went hack, but on their return, continu- 
 ed to cover me, and I once or twice lost my breath, and, for % 
 moment, my recollection. When I had power to think, the 
 principle of self preservation still urged me to exertion. 
 
 The cabin now broke more and more, and through a large 
 breach I saw the shore very near. Amidst the tumult of the 
 raging waves I had a glimpse of the people, who were gather- 
 ing up what the sea drove towards them; but I thought they 
 could not see me, and from them I despaired of assistance. 
 Therefore I determined to make one effort to preserve my life. 
 I disengaged my arms from the d'essing gown, and, 
 myself able to move, I quitted the wreck, and felt my- on 
 the ground. I attempted to run, but was too feeble to save 
 myself from a raging wave, which overtook and overwhelmed 
 me. Then I believed myself gone; yet, half suffocated as I 
 was, I struggled very much, and I remember that I thought I 
 was very long dying. The wave left me; I breathed again, 
 and made another attempt to get higher upon the bank, but, 
 quite exhausted, I fell down and my senses forsook me. 
 
 By this time I was observed by some of the people on the 
 bank, and two men came to my assistance They lifted me 
 up; I once more recovered some faint recollection; and, an 
 they bore me along, I was sensible that one of them said the 
 sea would overtake us; that he mu^t let me go and take care 
 of his own life. I only remember clinging to the other and 
 imploring him not to aband> n me to the merciless waves.-" 
 But I have a very confused idea of what passed, till I saw 
 the boat, into which I was to be put to cross the Fleet water;
 
 892 LOSS OF THE CATHARINE, VENUS AND PIEDMONT 
 
 I had then just strength to say, " For God's sake -do not take 
 me to sea again.'' 
 
 I believe the apprehension of it, added to my other suf- 
 ferings tended to deprive me of all further sensibility, for I 
 have not the least recollection of any thing afterwards un- 
 til roused by the remedies applied to restore me in a farm- 
 house whither I was carried. There I heard a number of 
 women around me, who asked a great number of questions 
 which I was unable to answer. I remember hearing one say 
 I was a French woman; another say that I was a negro, and 
 indeed I was so bruisec, and I such a disfigured condition, 
 that the conjectures of these people are not surprising. 
 
 When recovering some degree of confused recollection, and 
 able to speak, I begged that they would allow me to go to bed. 
 This, however, I did not ask with any expectation of life, for 
 I was now in such a state of suffering, that my only wish was 
 to be allowed to lie down and die in peace. 
 
 Nothing could exceed the humanity of Mr. Abbot, the in- 
 habitant of Fleet farm-house, nor the compassionate attention 
 of his sister, Miss Abbot, who not only afforded me immedi- 
 ate assistance, but continued for some days to attend me with 
 such kindness and humanity, as I shall always remember with 
 the sincerest gratitude." 
 
 The unfortunate sufferer who gives the preceding account, 
 was tended with great humanity by Mr. Bryer, while a wound 
 in her foot, and the dangerous bruises she had received, pre- 
 vented her from quitting the shelter she first found under the 
 roof of Mr. Abbot, at Fleet. As soon as she was in a con- 
 dition to be removed to \Veymouth, Mr. Bryer, a surgeon 
 there, received her into his own house, where Mrs. Bryer as- 
 sisted in administering to her recovery such benevolent offices 
 of consolation as her deplorable situation admitted. Mean- 
 time the gentlemen of the south battalion of the Gloucester 
 Militia, who had done every thing possible towards the pres- 
 ervation of those who were the, victims of the tempest, now 
 liberally contributed to alleviate the pecuniary distresses of 
 the survivors. None seemed to have so forcible a claim on 
 their pity as this forlorn and helpless stranger; and she alone, 
 of forty souls, except a single ship-boy, survived the wreck of 
 the Catharine. There perisht-d, twelve seamen, two soldiers' 
 wives, twenty-two dragoons and four officers, Lieutenant Stains, 
 Mr. Dodd of the hospital-staff*, Lieutenant Jenner, the repre- 
 sentative of an ancient and respectable family in Gloucester- 
 shire, aged thirty-one and Cornet Burns, the son of an Ameri-
 
 LOSS OP THE CATHARINE, VllfUS AND PIEDMONT. 395 
 
 win loyalist of considerable property, who was deprived 01 
 very thing for his adherence to the British Government. 
 Having no dependence but on the promises of government to 
 indemnify those who had suffered on that account he, after years 
 of distress and difficulty, obtained a cornetcy in the 26th regi- 
 ment of dragoons, then going to the West Indies, and was thus 
 lost in his twenty-fourth year. This officer had intended em- 
 barking in another transport, and had actually sent his horse 
 on board, when finding the Catharine more commodious, he 
 gave her the preference, while the other put back to Spithead 
 in safety. The mangled remains of Lieutenant Jenner were 
 two days afterwards found on the beach, and interred with 
 military honors. 
 
 But the Catharine was not the only vessel which suffered in 
 the tempest. Those who on shore had listened to it raging 
 on the preceding evening, could not avoid feeling the most 
 lively alarm for the consequences; ancl early on the morning 
 of the 18th of November, several pilots and other persons as- 
 sembled on the promontory called the Look-out at Weymouth. 
 Thence they too evidently discovered the distress and danger 
 of many of the transports. 
 
 Soon after, a lieutenant of the navy, residing at Weymouth, 
 applied to the major of a militia regiment, for a guard to be 
 sent to the Chisell Bank, as a large ship, supposed to be a 
 frigate, was on shore. This was immediately granted, and 
 the major himself marched along with a captain's guard. 
 
 The violence of the wind was so great, that the party could 
 with difficulty reach the place of their destination. There 
 they found a large merchantman, the ^Eolus, laden with tim- 
 ber for government, on shore. Lieutenant IMason of the na- 
 vy, and his brother, a midshipman, perished in her, and a 
 number of men who would probably have been saved had they 
 understood the signals from shore. The men of Portland 
 who crowded down to the scene of desolation, meant to ex- 
 press, by throwing small pebbles at them, that they should re- 
 main on board, to make them hear was impossible, because 
 they foresaw the ship would drive high on the bank. Should 
 that be the case, they might soon leave her without hazard; 
 and accordingly those who continued on board were saved, 
 though many of them were dreadfully bruised. 
 
 JNot far from the same place, the Golden Grove, another 
 merchantman, was stranded, and, in her Dr. Stevens and Mr 
 Burrows of St. Kitts, were lost. Lieutenant Colonel Ross, 
 whn was also there escaoed on shore. These two vessels
 
 94 LOM OP THE CATHARINE, VENU3 AND PIEDMONT. 
 
 bad struck against a part of the Passage-House, almost a 
 the same spot where a French frigate, the Zenobia, had gone 
 to pieces in 1763. 
 
 But the scene of distress was infinitely greater about four 
 niles to the westward, where, as already related, the Catha- 
 rine was wrecked. Along with her, nearly opposite to the 
 villages of Fleet and Chickerell, the Piedmont and Venus, 
 two transports, and soon after the Thomas, a merchantman, 
 shared the same fate. 
 
 One hundred and thirty-eight soldiers of the 63d regiment, 
 under the command of Captain Barcroft, were on board the 
 Piedmont; also Lieutenant Ash and Mr. Kelly, surgeon of 
 the same regiment. Of all these, only Serjeant Richardson, 
 eleven privates, and four seamen, survived the catastrophe; 
 all the rest perished. 
 
 Captain Barcroft's life had passed in the service. While 
 yet a very young man, "he served in America during the war 
 between England and her colonies; and being then taken pris- 
 oner, was severely treated. On commencement of the war 
 which has so many years desolated Europe, he raised a com- 
 pany in his native country, and served with it on the Conti- 
 nent during the campaign of 1794. Under a heavy fire of the 
 enemy, he was one of the last men who retreated with it along 
 a single plank, knee-deep in water, from the siege of Nime- 
 guen. In a few months after the disastrous retreat on the 
 Continent, in the winter 1794, he was ordered to the West 
 Indies, and, in the outset of his voyage, perished in the tem- 
 pest. 
 
 Of the few who reached the shore from the Piedmont, there 
 was scarce one who was not dreadfully bruised, and some had 
 their limbs broken. An unfortunate veteran of the 63d, though 
 his leg was shockingly fractured, had sufficient resolution to 
 creep for shelter under a fishing boat which lay inverted on 
 the further side of the bank. There his groans were unheard 
 . until a young gentleman, Mr. Smith, a passenger in the 
 Thomas, who had himself been wrecked, and was now wand- 
 ering along the shore, discovered him. In this ship, the 
 Thomas, bound to Oporto, the master, Mr. Brown, his son, 
 and all the crew, except the mate, three seamen and Mr. 
 Smith, were lost. The last was on his way to Lisbon; but 
 his preservation was chiefly in consequence of his remaining 
 on board afte all the rest had left the ship, or were washed 
 away by the waves. She had then drifted high on the bank, 
 when he leaped out of her and reached the ground
 
 LOSS OF THE CATHARINE, VENUS AND PIEDMONT. 294 
 
 Though weak and encumbered by his wet clothes, he gain- 
 ed the opposite side of the bank, but on gazing on the dreary 
 beach around him, he considered himself cast away on an un- 
 inhabited coast. At length he observed a fishing-boat, and 
 approaching it, heard the groans of the unfortunate old soldier, 
 whom he attempted to relieve. But alone he found himself 
 unable to fulfil his intention, and it was a considerable time 
 before he observed any means of assistance near. At last, 
 perceiving a man at some distance, he hastened to him, eager- 
 ly inquiring whether a surgeon could be procured for a poor 
 creature with a broken limb, who lay under the boat. Proba- 
 bly the man showed little alacrity, for Mr. Smith found it 
 necessary to purchase his good offices by a gift of half a-guinea, 
 which he imagined would induce him to seek what was so 
 much required. But the man, pocketing the half-guinea with 
 the greatest composure, said he was a king's officer, and must 
 see what bales of goods were driven on shore; then telling 
 Mr. Smith there was a ferry about four miles off, by which he 
 might get to Weymouth. The youth was thus disappointed of 
 his humane design, and the soldier died in that deplorable 
 condition before any other aid attained him. 
 
 In the Thomas, the vessel to which Mr. Smith belonged, he 
 witnessed scenes not less distressing. Mr. Brown, the mas- 
 ter of the vessel, was carried away by an immense wave just 
 as he was stripping off his clothes to endeavor to save himself. 
 His son exclaiming, "Oh my father, my father! my poor fath- 
 er!" instantly followed. The bodies of both were afterwards 
 found and interred at Wyke. 
 
 Of ninety-six persons on board the Venus, only Mr. John 
 Parley of the hospital staff, serjeant-major Hearne, twelve 
 soldiers, four seamen and a boy were saved. Mr. Darley es- 
 caped by throwing himself from the wreck at a moment when 
 it drifted high on the stones; he reached them without broken 
 limbs, but, overtaken by the furious sea, he was carried back, 
 not so far, however, that he was incapable of regaining the 
 ground. Notwithstanding the weight of his clothes and hia 
 exhausted state, he got to the top of the bank, but there the 
 power of farther exertion failed, and he fell While lying in 
 this situation, trying to recover breath and strength, a great 
 many people from the neighboring villages passed him; they 
 had crossed the Fleet water in the hopes of sharing the 
 plunder of the vessels which the lower inhabitants nf th^ ^oc^i 
 are too much accustomed to consider their right. 
 
 Mr. Darley seems to have been so far from meeting
 
 296 LOSS OP THE CATHARINE, VENUS AND PIEDMONT. 
 
 assistance from those who were plundering the dead, without 
 thinking of the living, that although he saw many boats past- 
 ing and repassing the Fleet water, he found great difficulty 
 in procuring a passage for himself and two or three fellow-suf- 
 ferers who had now joined him. But having passed it he soon 
 met with Mr. Bryer. to whose active humanity all the suffer- 
 ers were eminently indebted. 
 
 Before the full extent of this dreadful calamity was known 
 at A\ eymouth, the officers of the South Gloucester Militia, 
 with equal humanity, were devising how they might best suc- 
 cour the survivors, and perform the last duties to the remains 
 of those who had perished. On the morning of the 19th of 
 November, one of them, accompanied by Mr. Bryer of Wey- 
 mouth, rode to the villages where those who had escaped from 
 the various wrecks had found a temporary shelter. In a house 
 at Chickereli, they found Serjeant Richardson and eleven pri- 
 vates of the 63d regiment; two of the latter had fractured 
 limbs, and almost all" the rest either wounds or bruises. In 
 other houses the sufferers had been received, and were as com- 
 fortably accommodated as circumstances would admit. 
 
 The gentlemen then crossed the Fleet water to the beach, 
 and there, whatever idea was previously formed of it, the hor- 
 ror of the scene infinitely surpassed expectation; no celebrat- 
 ed field of carnage ever presented, in proportion to its size, a 
 more awful sight than the Chisell Bank now exhibited. For 
 about two miles it was strewed with the, dead bodies of men 
 and animals, with pieces of wreck and piles of plundered 
 goods, which groups of people were carrying away, regard- 
 less of the sight of drowned bodies that filled the new specta- 
 tors with sorrow and amazement. 
 
 On the mangled remains of the unfortunate victims, death 
 appeared in all its hideous forms. Either the sea or the peo- 
 ple who had first gone down to the shore, had stripped the 
 bodies of the clothes which the sufferers had wore at the ratal 
 moment. The remnants of the military stock; the wristbands, 
 or color of a shirt, or a piece of blue pantaloons, were all the 
 fragmants left behind. 
 
 The only means of distinguishing the officers was the dif- 
 ferent appearance of their hands from those of men accus- 
 tomed to hard labor; but some were known by the descrip- 
 tion given of them by their friends or by persons who were 
 in the vessels along with them. The remains of Captain 
 Barcroft were recognised by the honorable scars he had re- 
 ceived in the service of his country; and the friends ind re-
 
 LOIS OF THE CATHARINE, TENUS AND PIEDMONT t9" 
 
 I.tives of him, and several more, had the satisfaction of learn 
 ing that their bodies were rescued from the sea, and interred 
 with military honors. 
 
 Early in the morning of the 20th of November, a lieutenant 
 of the militia regiment who had been appointed to superintend 
 the melancholy office of interment, repaired to the scene of 
 destruction. But from the necessary preliminaries of obtain- 
 ing the authority of a magistrate to remove the bodies, not 
 more than twenty-five were buried that day. The bodies of 
 Captain Barcroft, Lieutenant Sutherland, Cornet Graydon, 
 Lieutenant Ker and two women, were then selected to be put 
 into coffins. Next day, those of Lieutenant Jenner and Cor- 
 net Burns, being found, were distinguished in the like man- 
 ner. 
 
 The whole number of dead found on the beach, amounted 
 to two hundred and thirty-four; so that the duty of interment 
 was so heavy and fatiguing, that it was not until the twenty- 
 third that all the soldiers and sailors were deposited. Of these 
 there were two hundred and eight, and they were committed 
 to the earth as decently as circumstances would admit, in 
 graves dug on the Fleet side of the beach, beyond the reach 
 of the sea, where a pile of stones was raised on each, to 
 mark where they lay. Twelve coffins were sent to receive 
 the bodies of the women, but nine only being found, the su- 
 pernumerary ones were appointed to receive the remains of 
 the officers. 
 
 Two waggons were next sent to the Fleet water to receive 
 the coffins, in which the shrouded bodies of seventeen officers 
 and nine women had been placed, and on the 24th were car- 
 ried to. the church-yard at Wyke, preceded by a captain, sub- 
 altern and fifty men of the Glocester Militia, and attended 
 by the young gentleman before mentioned, Mr. Smith as chipf 
 mourner. The officers were interred in a large grave, north 
 of the church-tower, with military honors, and Lieutenant 
 Ker in a grave on the other side of the tower. The remains 
 of the nine women, which had been deposited in the church 
 during the ceremony, were next committed to the earth. 
 
 Two monuments have been erected in commemoration 
 of the unfortunate sufferers, the first bearing the following in- 
 scription: 
 
 To the memory of Captain Ambrose William Barcroft, 
 Lieutenant Harry Ash and Mr. Kelly, surgeon of the 63d 
 regiment of Light Infantry; of Lieutenant Stephen Jenner, of 
 the 6th West India regiment; Lieutenant Stains of the 2d 
 
 VOL !I 13*
 
 298 WRECK OF THE SHIP SIDNEY. 
 
 West India regiment and two hundred and fifteen soldiers mid 
 searasn and nine women, who perished by shipwreck on Port- 
 land Beach, opposite the villages of Langton, Fleet and 
 Chickerell, on Wednesday the eighteenth day of November, 
 1795. 
 
 On the second monument is inscribed, 
 
 Sacred to the memory of Major John Charles Ker, Milita- 
 ry Commandant of Hospitals in the Leeward Islands, and tc 
 that of his son, Lieutenant James Ker, of the 40th regiment 
 of foot, who both departed this life on the 18th of November 
 1795, the first aged 40 and the latter 14 years. 
 
 The fate of both was truly deplorable, and is a melancholy 
 example of the uncertainty of human affairs. 
 
 They were embarked in the Venus transport, and left Ports- 
 mouth the 15th of November, with a fleet full of troops, des- 
 tined to the West Indies, under the command of General Sir 
 Ralph Abercrombe. 
 
 A storm having arisen on the 17th which lasted till the 
 next day, many of the ships were lost, and the Venus wreck- 
 ed on Portland Beach. 
 
 The major's body could not be found, although it is possible 
 it may have been among the many others which were driven, 
 ashore and buried in this church-yard. 
 
 His son's corpse was ascertained, and lies interred under 
 this stone, which was raised by his brother, John William 
 Ker, Esq. 
 
 WRECK OF THE BRITISH SHIP SIDNEY 
 
 ON A REEF OF ROCKS IN THE SOJTII SEA 
 
 The Sidney left Port Jackson, on the coast of New Hol- 
 and, on the l2th of April, 1806, bound to Bengal. Intend- 
 ing to proceed through Dampier's Straits, her course was dj'
 
 WRECK OF THE SHIP SIDNEY. f99 
 
 reeled as nearly as possible in the track of Captain Hogan of 
 the Cornwallis, which, as laid down in the charts, appeared 
 a safe and easy passage. But, on the 20th of May, at one A. 
 M. we ran upon a most dangerous rock, or shoal in 3 20 south 
 latitude, and 146 50 east longitude, and as this reef is not 
 noticed in any map or chart, it appears that we were its un- 
 fortunate discoverers. 
 
 On Sunday 25 fathoms of water were found over the tafFrail, 
 and six fathoms over the larboard gangway; only nine feet on 
 the starboard side, and 12 feet over the bows. One of the 
 boats was immediately got out, with a bower-anchor; but on 
 sounding, at the distance of ten fathoms from the ship, no 
 ground could be found with sixty fathoms of line. 
 
 When she struck it must have been high water, for at. that 
 time there was no appearance of any reef or breaker; but as 
 the water subsided, the shoal began to show itself, with a num- 
 ber of small black rocks. The ship had been striking very 
 hard, and began to yield forward. At three A. M. there were 
 six feet water in the hold, and increasing rapidly; at five the 
 vessel was setting aft, and her top sides parting from the floor- 
 heads. 
 
 Upon consultation with my officers, it was our unanimous 
 opinion, that the ship was gone beyond recovery, and that no 
 exertions could avail for her safety. We therefore employed 
 all hands in getting fhe beats ready to receive the crew, who 
 were 108 in number. Eight bags of rice, six casks of water 
 and a small quantity of salted beef and pork, were put into 
 the long-boat as provisions for the whole; the number of the 
 people prevented us from taking a larger stock, as the three 
 boats were barely sufficient to receive us all with safety. 
 
 We remained with the Sidney until five P. M. on the twen- 
 ty-first of May, when there were three feet of water on the 
 orlop deck; therefore we now thought it full time to leave the 
 ship to her fate, and to seek our safety in the boats. Accord- 
 ingly, I embarked in the long-boat with Mr. Trounce, second 
 officer, and 74 Lascars; Mr. Robson and Mr. Halkart with 16 
 Lascars were in the cutter, and the jolly-boat was allotted to 
 15 Dutch Malays, and one Seapoy. 
 
 Being desirous to ascertain the position of the reef, which 
 could be done by making the Admiralty Islands, our course was 
 shaped thither, steering north by east and half east. During 
 the night, it blew fresh, and the long-boat having made much 
 water, we \vere obliged to lighten her, by throwing a great 
 deal of lumber, and two casks of water, overboard. Tho
 
 900 WRECK OF THB SHIP SIDNEY. 
 
 three boats kept close in company, the long-boat having th 
 jolly-boat in tow 
 
 Finding at day-light that the cutter sailed considerably bet 
 ter, I directed Mr. Robson that the jolly-boat might be takei 
 in tow by her. But the wind increasing as the morning ad- 
 vanced, and a heavy swell rising, the jolly-boat, while in tow 
 by the cutter, sunk at ten o'clock, and all on board, to the 
 number of 16, perished. It was lamentable to witness the 
 fate of these unhappy men, and the more so, as it was not in 
 our power to render them the smallest assistance. 
 
 The Admiralty Islands were seen at noon of the 22d. bear- 
 ing N. N. E. three our four leagues distant, and as we had run 
 about fifty-eight miles in the boats, upon a N. by E. half E. 
 course, the situation of the shoal where the Sidney struck 
 was .accurately ascertained, and will be found as at ., ve laid 
 down. 
 
 From the Admiralty Islands, we continued standing ta 
 the westward, and on the twenty-fifth, made a small island, on 
 which, from its appearance, I was induced to land in quest of 
 a supply of water. Therefore Mr. Robson, myself, and 20 
 of our best hands, armed with heavy clubs, brought from 
 New Caledonia, (our fire-arms being rendered useless from 
 exposure to the rain) landed through a high surf, to the utmost 
 astonishment of the inhabitants. 
 
 As far as might be judged, they had nc ver before seen peo- 
 ple of our complexion. The men were tall and well made, 
 wearing their hair plaited and raised above the head; they 
 had no resemblance to Malays or Caffres; and excepting their 
 color, which was of a light copper, they had the form and 
 features of Europeans. They were entirely naked. We also 
 saw a number of women, who were well formed, and had mild 
 and pleasing features. 
 
 We were received on the beach by about twenty natives, 
 who immediately supplied each of us with a cocoa-nut. We 
 succeeded in making them understand that we wanted water, 
 on which they made signs for us to accompany them to the 
 interior of the island; on compliance, after walking about a 
 mile, they conJucted us into a thick jungle, and, as their num- 
 ber was quickly increasing, I judged it imprudent to proceed 
 further. Thus returning to the beach, I was alarmed to find 
 that 150, or more, of the natives had assembled, armed with 
 spears eight or ten feet long. One of them, an old man of 
 venerable appearance, and who seemed to be their chief, ap- 
 oroached, and threw his spear at my feet, expressing as I un
 
 WRECK OF THE SHIP SIDNEY 301 
 
 derstood, of his wish that we should part v.ith our clubs in 
 like manner. Perceiving at this time that a crowd of women 
 had got hold of the stern-fast of the cutter, and were endeav- 
 oring to haul her on shore from the grapnel, we hastily tried 
 to gain the boat. The natives followed us closely; some of 
 them pointed their spears at us as we retreated, and some were 
 thrown, though happily without effect; and to us they seemed 
 to be very inexpert in the management of their weapons. 
 On my getting into the water, three or four of the natives fol- 
 lowed me, threatening to throw their spears, and when I was 
 within reach of the boat, one of them made a thrust, which 
 was prevented from taking effect by Mr. Robson, who warded 
 off* the weapon. When we had got into the boat, and were put- 
 ting off, they threw, at least, 200 spears, none of which struck, 
 excepting one, which gave a severe wound to my cook, enter- 
 ing immediately above the jaw, and passing through hia 
 mouth. 
 
 Having escaped this perilous adventure we pursued our 
 course, and got as far as Dampier's Straits, in as favorable 
 circumstances as our situation could well admit. But the 
 Lascars, now being within reach of land, became impatient 
 to be put on shore. It was in vain that I exhorted them to 
 persevere; they would not listen to argument, and expressed 
 tneir wish rather to meet with immediate death on shore, than 
 to be starved to death in the boats. Yielding to their impor- 
 tunity, I at length determined to land them on the north-west 
 extremity of the island of Ceram, from whence they might 
 travel to Amboyna in two or three days. Being off that part 
 of the island on the ninth of June, Mr. Robson volunteered to 
 land a portion of the people in the cutter, to return to the 
 long-boat, and the cutter to be then given up to such further 
 portion of the crew as chose to join the party first landed. 
 Accordingly he went ashore with the cutter, but to my great 
 mortification, after waiting two days, there was no appearance 
 cf his return or of the cutter 
 
 We concluded that the people had been detained either by 
 the Dutch or the natives. Yet as the remaining part of the 
 Lascars were desirous to be landed, we stood in with the long- 
 boat, and put them on shore near the point where we suppos- 
 ed the cutter to have landed her people. 
 
 Our number in the long-boat were now reduced to seven- 
 teen, consisting of Mr. Trounce, Mr. Halkart, myself and 14 
 Lascars and others. Our stock of provision was two bags of 
 rice and one gang cask of water, with which we conceiveo
 
 -J02 WRECK OF THE SHIP SIDNEY 
 
 we might nold out until reaching Bencoolen, whither we eta 
 termined to make the best of our way. The allowance ta 
 .1 man we fixed at one tea-cupful of rice and a pint of wa- 
 *<;r daily, but we soon found it necessary to make a considera- 
 ble reduction. 
 
 Proceeding through the straits of Bantam, we met in our 
 course several JNlalay prows, none of which took notice of us 
 excepting one, which gave chase for a day, and would have 
 come up with us had we not got off under cover of a very 
 dark night. Continuing onwards, we passed through the 
 strait of Saypay, where we caught a large shark. Our spirits 
 were much elated by this valuable prize, which we lost no 
 time in getting on board; and having kindled a fire in the bot- 
 tom of the boat, it was roasted with all expedition. Such was 
 the keenness of our appetite, that although the shark must 
 have weighed 150 or 160 pounds, not a vestige of it remained 
 at the close of the day. But we were afflicted on the follow- 
 ing day with the most violent complaint of the stomach and 
 bowels, which reduced us exceedingly, and left us languid 
 and spiritless, insomuch that we now despaired of safety. 
 
 On the 2d of July I lost an old and faithful servant, who 
 died from want of sustenance; and on the fourth we made 
 Java head; at the same time catching two large boobies, 
 which afforded all hands a most precious and refreshing meal. 
 At midnight of the ninth, we came to off Pulo Penang, on 
 .'he west coat of Sumatra; but at day-light, when endeavoring 
 to weigh our anchor and run close in shore, we were so much 
 exhausted that our united strength proved insufficient to get it 
 up. 
 
 On a signal of distress being made, a sanpan with two Ma- 
 lays came off, and as I was the only person in the long-boat 
 who had sufficient strength to move, I accompanied them on 
 shore. However, I found myself so weak on landing that I 
 fell to the ground, and it was necessary to carry me to an ad- 
 jacent house. Such refreshments as could be procured were 
 immediately sent off to the long-boat, and we recruited so 
 ra( i-J'v that in two days we found ourselves in a condition to 
 proceed oo our vovage. Having weighed anchor on the 12th 
 ol July, we set sai*, and on the 19th arrived off the island of 
 Bencoolen. 
 
 Here I met with an old friend. Captain Chauvet of the 
 Perseverance, whose kindness and humanity I shall ever re- 
 member and giatefully acknowledge On the day subsequent 
 io my arrival, I waited on Mi Parr the resident, Irom 
 I received every attention.
 
 LOBS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT. 303 
 
 Leaving Bencoolen on the 17th of August, in the Perse- 
 verance, I arrived at Penang on the 27th, where I was agree- 
 ably surprized to meet my late chief mate Mr. Robson, who, 
 along with the Lascars, had landed at Ceram. They reached 
 Amboyna in safety, where they were received by the Dutch 
 governor, Mr Cranstoun, with a humanity and benevolence 
 that reflect honor on his character. He supplied them with 
 "vhatever their wa:>t,3 required. Mr. Robson was accommodat- 
 ed at his own tabls, and, on leaving Amboyna, he furnished him 
 money for himself and his people, for the amount of which he 
 refused to take any receipt or acknowledgment. He also 
 gave Mr. Robson letters to the governor-general of Batavia, 
 recommending him to his kind offices. Such honorable con- 
 duct from the governor of a foreign country, and with which 
 we were at war, cannot be too widely promulgated. From 
 Amboyna, Mr Robson embarked in the Pallas a Dutch fri- 
 gate, for Batavia, which on the passage thither was captured 
 by his Majesty's ships Greyhound and Harriet, and brought 
 to Prince of Wales's island. 
 
 From Penang 1 sailed to Bengal with the Paruna, Captain 
 Demson, and arrived safely in Calcutta in the beginning of 
 May. 1806 
 
 LOSS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM 
 TRANSPORT. 
 
 The Duke William Transport, commanded bv Captain 
 Nicholls, was fitted out by him with all possible expedition m 
 the year 1758, and lay at Spithead to receive orders, .at 
 length he proceeded to Cork, under convoy of the York man> 
 of-wur to take in soldiers for America, but just on approach- 
 ing the Irish coast, a thick tog came on whereby he lost sight 
 of the ship, and as it began to blow hard that night and the
 
 504 LOSS OP THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT. 
 
 next day, he was obliged to bear away for Waterford. When 
 orf Credenhead, guns were fired for a pilot; none, however, 
 came off, and Captain Nicholls, being unacquainted with the 
 harbor, brought the ship up, though the sea ran very high. A 
 pilot at last came on board, but the transport broke from her 
 anchor, and on getting under sail, it was almost dark. After 
 running along for some time under the forc-top-sail, triple- 
 -eefed, and scarce in sight of land, Captain Nicholls cast an- 
 chor; and next morning to his great surprise, found high 
 rocks so close astern, that he durst not veer away a cable. 
 The sheet anchor had been let go in the night, and was the 
 chief means of preservation; the yards and topmasts were 
 now got down, a signal of distress hoisted, and many guns 
 fired. A boat then came from the windward, and a man in 
 her said, if Captain Nicholls would give him fifty pounds, he 
 would come on board, which being promised, he ascended the 
 stern ladder. But when he found the ship so near the rocks, 
 he declared that he would not remain on board for all the ship 
 was worth. However, Captain Nicholls told him, that having 
 come off as a pilot acquainted with the harbor, he should stay 
 and called to the people in the boat to hoist their sails, as he 
 was going to cut her adrift, which he did accordingly. Mean 
 time the pilot was in the greatest confusion; but the captain 
 said it was in vain to complain, and if by cutting, or slipping 
 the cables, he could carry the ship to a place of safety, he 
 was ready to do it. The pilot replied, that he could neither 
 take charge of her, nor venture to carry her in, for he appre- 
 hended the ship would be on shore, and dashed to pieces 
 against the rocks, before she would veer; and if she did veer, 
 that a large French East Indiaman had been lost upon the 
 bar, which made the channel very narrow, and he did not 
 know the marks, so as to carry her clear of the wreck. The 
 ship now rode very hard, and it being Sunday a great many peo- 
 ple were ready on shore to plunder her, should she strike. Of 
 this Captain Nicholls entertained many apprehensions at low 
 water, as she pitched so much; but fortunately, as the weath- 
 er became more moderate, two English frigates which lay in 
 the harbor, sent their boats to his assistance, and the custom- 
 bouse smack arriving, he escaped, though very narrowly, from 
 the threatened danger. 
 
 The Duke William soon afterwards proceeded to Cork to 
 receive soldiers, and sailed from thence with a fleet of trans- 
 ports to Halifax, where thry arrived safe, and went to besiege 
 Louisbourg After landing t!,r troops, the transports, and
 
 LOSS OF THE DUKE WILIaAM TRANSPOR 905 
 
 ome of the men of war, went into Gabarus Bay, whof the 
 admiral allowed the captains of the former to land their men, 
 being sickly, on a small peninsula, which they engaged to de- 
 fend from the enemy. Four or five hundred people, there- 
 fore, immediately set to work, and cut a ditch, six feet wide 
 and four feet deep, quite across the peninsula, as a protection 
 against the Indians; they planted cannon, and also placed 
 several swivels on .the stumps of trees cut down for the pur- 
 pose Huts- were next erected, gardens made, and the whole 
 ground cleared and converted into pleasant arbours, from se- 
 lecting portions of the shrubs and trees. 
 
 Here the captains of the transports remained some time, 
 during which the sick recovered surprisingly, and cures were 
 operated by a remarkable expedient, called a ground-sweat 
 This was digging a hole in the ground, and, being put into it 
 naked, the earth was thrown over the patient up to the chin, 
 for a few minutes. At first the earth felt cold, but it quickly 
 brought on a gentle perspiration, which cured the disorder. 
 No one person died who underwent such treatment. 
 
 On the reduction of Louisbourg, the island of St. John, 
 in the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, capitulated, 
 and the inhabitants were to be sent to France in the English 
 transports. They therefore left the peninsula, which the peo- 
 ple had entrenched, and, after much bad weather, in which 
 the Duke William parted her cable, arid after a tedious pas- 
 sage, arrived at St. John's; but not without the whole fleet 
 being in danger of shipwreck. A party of soldiers brought 
 the inhabitants down the country to the different transports, 
 and the Duke William, being the largest, the missionary 
 priest, who was the principal man there, was ordered to go 
 with Captain Nicholls. On his arrival, he requested permis- 
 sion for the other people who wished it, to come on board to 
 be married, and a great many marriages followed, from an idea 
 prevailing that all the single men would be made soldiers. 
 
 Nine transports sailed in company; Captain Wilson with 
 Lord Rollo and some soldiers, and Captain Moore also with 
 soldiers, under convoy of the Hind sloop of war; the rest be- 
 ing cartels, had no occasion for convoy. Captain Moore's 
 vessel was lost going through the Gut of Canso, by striking 
 on a sunken rock, whence the soldiers whom she carried were 
 put on board Captain Wilson's ship bound to Louisbourg. 
 Captain Moore, his son, mate and carpenter, took a passage 
 in the Duke William. 
 
 Contrary winds obliged the fleet to lie in the Gut of Can-
 
 306 LOSS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT. 
 
 o, where the French prisoners were permitted to go ashore 
 frequently, and remain there all night, making fires in a wood 
 to keep themselves warm, and some of them obtained muskets 
 from Captain Nicholls for shooting game, as they \\ere not 
 afraid of meeting with the Indians. About three hours after 
 departing, one of them came running back, and begged, for 
 God's sake, that the Captain would immediately return on 
 board with his people, as they had met with a party of In- 
 dians, who were coming down to scalp them. Captain Nich- 
 olis, with the other masters and sailors, hastily Vent off, and 
 had scarce got on board when the Indians actually reached ^ 
 the place that t K ey had left. Thus they had a very narrow 
 escape of beii.g murdered and scalped, had not the French 
 been faithful, and Providence interposed. 
 
 The fleet, in gaining the Gut of Canso, had been assailed 
 by dangers. During a fine night, some of the transports, 
 worked within the (jut, but Captain Nicholls, and Captain 
 Johnson of the Parnassus, cast anchor without it. 
 
 In the night a hard gale arose, and increased so much, that 
 the latter let go three anchors, yet the ship drove ashore and 
 was lost. Another ship, the Narcissus, also parted from her 
 anchors, and was obliged to run ashore, and most of the rest 
 suffered damage. When the weather became somewhat mod- 
 erate, Captain Nicholls, found that all the French prisoners 
 on board the Parnassus, had gained the land, and had made 
 themselves large fires in the woods, on account of the cold 
 showery weather which prevailed; and, on joining them there, 
 he told them, to their great joy, that he would send boats to 
 carry them off. This he did next morning, and, finding it im- 
 possible to save the hull of the Parnassus, though another 
 ship was got off shore, every thing worth saving was taken 
 out of her, and in particular one of the pumps, which was 
 carried on board the Duke William to serve in case of emer- 
 gency. 
 
 On the 25th of November 1758, Captain Nicholls sailed 
 from the Bay of Canso, leading other six transports, with a 
 strong breeze at north-west. All the captains agreed to make 
 the best of their way to France, and not to go to Louisbourg, 
 as it was a bad time of the year to beat on that coast, and 
 then took leave of the agent who was bound thither. 
 
 The third day after being at sea, a storm blew in the night; 
 being dark with thick weather and sleet, the Duke William 
 parted company with three of the ships, and the storm still 
 continuing, in a day or two parted with the rest. Neverthe-
 
 LOSS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT SO? 
 
 ess the ship remained in good condition, and, though the sea 
 was mountains high, she went over it like a bird, and made 
 fto water. On the 10th of December, Captain Nicholls saw 
 sail, which proved to be one of the transports, the Violet, 
 Captain Sugget. On coming up he asked how all were on 
 board, to which Captain Sugget replied, " In a terrible situa- 
 tion. He had a great deal of water in the ship; her pumps 
 were choked, and he was much afraid that she would sink be- 
 fore morning." Captain Nicholls begged him to keep up his 
 spirits, and said, that, if possible, he would stay by him and 
 spare him the pump he had got out of the Parnassus; he also 
 told him that, as the gale had continued so long, he hoped 
 that it would moderate after twelve o'clock. Unfortunately, 
 however, it rather increased, and, on changing the watch at 
 twelve, he found that he went fast a-head of the Violet, 
 whence, if he did not shorten sail, he would be out of sight 
 of her before morning. Captain Nicholls then consulted with 
 Captain Moore and the mate, on what was most proper to be 
 done, and all were unanimous, that the only means of saving 
 the people in the Violet, was to keep company with her until 
 the weather should moderate, and that the main-topsail should 
 be taken in. 
 
 Therefore, the main-topsail of the Duke William was taken 
 in, and three pumps got out to be ready in case of necessity. 
 The spare pump was forced down an after hatchway, and 
 shipped in an empty butt, of which the French had brought 
 several on board to wash in. Every thing was preparing, both 
 for pumping and bailing, should it be required, and the peo- 
 ple of the transport thought themselves secure against all 
 hazards; they now believed that the Violet gained on them, 
 and were glad to see her quite plain about four o'clock in the 
 afternoon. 
 
 On changing the watch they found the ship still tight and 
 going very well, the carpenter assuring Captain Nicholls that 
 there was no water to strike a pump. He, fatigued with walk- 
 ing the deck so long, designed going below to smoke a pipe 
 of tobacco to beguile time, and desired the mate to acquaint 
 him immediately should any alteration take place. 
 
 The board next the lower part of the pump had been driver 
 to see how much water was in the well; and every half hour, 
 when the ball was struck, the carpenter went down. As he 
 had hitherto found no water, Captain Nichollb felt quite com 
 Portable in his situation in particular, and, on going below, or 
 dered a little negro boy, whom he had as an apprentice, to ge< 
 him a pipe of tobacco.
 
 308 tOtS OF TT?E OtTKI WTMIA* 
 
 Soon after filling and lighting his pip, be was thrown from 
 his chair, while sitting in his state-room, hy a blow that the 
 ship received from a terrible sea; on which he dispatched the 
 boy to ask Mr. Fox, the mate, whether any thing was wash- 
 ed over. Mr. Fox returned answer, that all was ?afe, and he 
 saw the Violet coming up fast. Captain Nicholls then being 
 greatly fatigued, thought he would endeavor to procure re- 
 freshment from a little sleep, and, without undressing, threw 
 himself on the side of his bed. But before his eyes were 
 closed, Mr. Fox came to inform him that the carpenter had 
 found the water above the kelson, and that the ship had cer- 
 tainly sprung a leak; he immediately rose and took the car- 
 penter down to the hold along with him, when, to his infinite 
 surprise, he heard the water roaring in dreadfully. On fur- 
 ther examination, he found that a butt had started, and the 
 more they endeavored to press any thing into it the more the 
 plank forsook the timber. Therefore they went on deck, to 
 encourage the people at the pumps, after making a mark with 
 chalk to ascertain how the water gained upon them. 
 
 Captain .Nicholls, considering the case desperate, went to 
 all the Frenchmen's cabins, begging them to rise; he said, 
 that, although their lives were not in danger, their assistance 
 was desired at the pumps', where it would be of the greate*. 
 service. They got up accordingly, and cheerfully lent their aid 
 By this time it was day-light, when, to the great surprise an<* 
 concern of the Duke William's people, they saw the Viole* 
 on her. broadside at a little distance, the fore yard broke ir 
 the slings, the fore-topsail set, and her crew endeavoring tr 
 free her of the mizen-mast; probably she had just then broach- 
 ed to by the fore-yard giving way. A violent squall came 
 on, which lasted for ten minutes, and when it cleared up, they 
 discovered that the unfortunate ship had gone to the bottom, 
 with nearly four hundred souls. The stoutest was appalled 
 by the event, especially as their own fate seemed to be ap- 
 proaching. 
 
 All the tubs above mentioned were prepared, and gangways 
 made; the Frenchmen assisted, and also the women, who be- 
 haved with uncommon resolution. The hatches were then 
 opened, and as the water flowed fast into the hold, the tuba 
 being filled, were hauled up and emptied on the up,>er deck, 
 which, with three pumps constantly at work, and bailing out 
 of the gun-room scuttle, discharged a great quantity of water, 
 A seam would have done them little injury; but a butt's end 
 was more than they could manage, though every method that
 
 LOSS OF THE DTJKE WJLI1AM TRANSPORT. 809 
 
 eould be deemed serviceable was tried. The spritsail waa 
 quilted with oakum and flax, and one of the top-gi'lint sails 
 was prepared in the same manner, to see whether any thing 
 would sink into the leak, but all in vain. 
 
 In this dismal condition the transport continued three days; 
 notwithstanding all the exertions of the people, she was full 
 of water, and they expected her to .sink every minute. They 
 had already got the whole liquor and provisions. The hold 
 now being full, and the ship swimming only by the decks from 
 the buoyancy of empty casks below, the people, about six 
 o'clock on the fourth morning, came to Captain Nicholls, de- 
 claring that they had done all that lay in their power, that the 
 ship was full of water, and that it was in vain to pump any 
 more. Captain Nicholls acknowledged- the truth of what they 
 said; he told them that he could not desire them to do more, 
 that they had behaved like brave men, and must now trust in 
 Providence alone, as there waa no expedient left for saving 
 their lives. 
 
 He then acquainted the priest with their situation; that ev- 
 ery method for saving the ship and the lives of the people 
 had been adopted, but that he expected the decks to blow up 
 every moment. The priest was stunned by the intelligence, 
 but answered, that he would immediately go and give his peo- 
 ple absolution for dying; " which he did," says Captain Nich- 
 olls; " and I think a more melancholy scene cannot be sup- 
 posed than so many people, hearty, strong and in health, look- 
 . ing at each other with tears in their eyes, bewailing theii un- 
 happy condition. No fancy can picture the seeming distrac- 
 tion of the poor unhappy children clinging to their mothers, and 
 the wives hanging over their husbands, -lamenting their mis- 
 erable fate: Shocking situation! words cannot describe it." 
 Captain Nicholls then called the men down the main-hatch- 
 way, along with him, to examine the leak in the hold. He 
 told them they must be content with their fate; and as they 
 were certain they had done their duty, they should submit to 
 Providence with pious resignation. He walked on deck with 
 Captain Moore, desiring him to devise any expedient to save 
 them from perishing. With tears in his eyes, Captain Moore 
 assured him that he knew of none, as all that could bethought 
 of had been used. Providence, in Captain Nicholls' belief, 
 induced him to propose attempting to hoist out the boats, so 
 that if a ship should appear, their lives might be saved, as 
 the gale was more moderate. But to this proposal, Captain 
 Moore .said it would be impossible, as every body would en-
 
 310 LOSS OF THE DUKE W1LLJAM TRANSPORT. 
 
 dea>>r to get into them Captain Nichoiia, howevnr. was of 
 a different oi-inion, observing, that, under thoir severe trial, 
 the sailors had behaved with uncommon resolution, and were 
 very obedient to his commands, he flattered himself that they 
 would all -continue so' and all were sensible, that in case the 
 ship broached to, the masts must be cut away, to prevent her 
 from oversetting; when it would be beyond their power to hoist 
 out the boats. He then called the mates, carpenters and men 
 and proposed to get out the boats, at the same time acquaint- 
 ing them that it was to save every soul on board if possible, 
 and declaring that if any person should be so rash as to insist 
 on going into them, besides those he should think proper, that 
 they should immediately be scuttled. But all solemnly main- 
 tained that his commands should be as implicitly obeyed as if 
 the ship had been in her former good condition; thus setting 
 an example which is rarerly to'be found. 
 
 Captain Nicholls then went to acquaint the chief prisoner 
 on board with what was about to be attempted. He was an 
 hundred and ten years old, the father of the whole island of 
 St John's, and had a number of children, grand-children and 
 other relations, in the ship. His observation was, that he 
 was convinced Captain Nicholls would not do a bad action, 
 for, by experience, he had found how much care he had taken 
 of him and his friends, and likewise what endeavors had been 
 used to save the ship and their lives; therefore they were 
 ready to assist in any thing he should propose. Captain 
 Nicholls assured him that he would not forsake them, but run 
 an equal chance; this he thought the only means of saving 
 their lives, should it please Providence to send any ship to 
 their assistance, and it was their duty to use all means given 
 to them. 
 
 He next asked Mr. Fox and the carpenter whether they 
 were willing to venture in the long-boat, to which they boldly 
 answered in the affirmative, as, whether they perished on the 
 spot, or a mile or two farther off, was a matter of very little 
 consequence, and as there was no prospect but death in re- 
 maining, they would willingly make the attempt. Captain 
 Moore, the carpenter and mate, also willingly agreed to his 
 proposal to go in the cutter. 
 
 The cutter was accordingly got over the side, and the ship 
 lying pretty quiet, they cut the tackles, when she dropt very 
 well into the water, and the penter brought her up. They 
 next went to work with the long-bont, and day-light navin 
 fairly come in, gave them ^reat spirits, as they flattered them
 
 LOtS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSMHT. 311 
 
 elves, should it please God Almighty to send a ship, it would 
 be in their power to save all their lives, the wentfior being 
 now much more moderate than be r ore. 
 
 The mate and carpenter having cut the runners, the long- 
 boat fell into the water as weU as the cutter had done, and a 
 proper penter being made fast, she brought up properly. 
 
 People were stationed at the mam and fore-toprnast heada 
 to look out for a sail, when to the unspeakable joy of all on 
 board, the man at the main-topmast cried out trmt he saw two 
 ships right astern making after the transport. Captain Nich- 
 olls having acquainted the priest, and the old gentleman, with 
 the good news, the latter took him in his aged arms, and wept 
 for joy. The captain ordered the ensign to be hoisted to the 
 main-topmast shrouds, and the guns to be got all clear for 
 firing. The weather was very hzy, and the ships not far dis- 
 tant when first discovered; whenever the transport hoisted her 
 signal of distress, they shewed English colors, and seemed to 
 be West Indiamen; of about three or four hundred tons. 
 
 Captain Nicholls continued loading and firing as fast as 
 possible, when he perceived the two ships speak with each 
 other, and setting their foresail and topsails, they hauled their 
 wind, and stood off. Supposing thai the size of his ship^ and 
 her having so many men on board, added .to its being the time 
 of war, might occasion distrust, he ordered the main-mast to 
 be cut away to undeceive them. People had been placed 
 in the shrouds to cut away in case of necessity; but one 
 of the shrouds not being properly cut, checked the main-mast 
 and made it fall right across the boats. On this Captain 
 Nicholls hastily run aft, and cut- the penters of both the boats, 
 otherwise they would have been staved to pieces, and sunk 
 immediately. A dismal thing it was to cut away what could 
 be the only means of saving the people's lives, and at the 
 same time see the ships so basely leave them. No words can 
 picture their distress; driven from the greatest joy to the ut- 
 most despair, death now appeared more dreadful. They had 
 only the foresail hanging in the brails; and the braces of 
 both penters being rendered useless by the fall of the main- 
 mast, and the yard flying backward and forward by the rolling 
 of the ship, rendered them apprehensive that she would instant- 
 ly overset. The ship ran from the boats, until they remained 
 just in sight; and finding they made no endeavor to join her, 
 though each was provided with oars, foremast and foresail 
 Captain Nicholls consulted with the boatswain on what was 
 most proper to be done in their dangerous condition. He said
 
 312 LOSS OF TUB DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT 
 
 that he thought they should bring the ship to at all events, 
 though he acknowledged it a dreadful alternative to hazard hef 
 oversetting; the boatswain agreed that it was extremely dan- 
 gerous, as the vessel steered very well. However, Captain 
 Nicholls finding that the men in the boat did not attempt to 
 join him, called the people aft, and told them his resolution. 
 They said it was desperaie, and so was their condition, but 
 they were ready to do whatever he thought best. But Cap- 
 tain Moore seemed to be quite against it. Captain JNicholls 
 then acquainted the old gentleman, the priest and the rest oi 
 the people, who were pleased to say, let the consequence be 
 what it might, they should be satisfied, he had acted for the 
 best, and all were resigned to the consequences. 
 
 He therefore ordered men to every fore shroud, and one 
 with an axe to the fore-mast to cut it away should that measure 
 become indispensible. But his own situation he declares to 
 have been in the meantime dreadful; in reflecting that this al- 
 ternative, thougn in his judgment right, might be the means 
 of sending nearly four hundred souls to eternity. However, 
 the AWnighty endowed him with resolution to persevere, and 
 he gave orders to bring the ship to. In hauling out the miz- 
 en, which had been greatly chafed, it split; a new staysail 
 was then bent to bring the ship to, which had the desired ef- 
 fect after a considerable time, for a heavy sea striking on the 
 starboard quarter, excited an apprehension that it would be 
 necessary to cut away the mast. When the men in the yawl 
 saw the ship lying to for them, they got up their foremast, and 
 run on board, holding the sheets in their hands on account of 
 the wind; and as soon as they arrived some men were sent to 
 row to the assistance of the long-boat. They soon joined her, 
 got her foremast up, set the sail, as the cutter likewise did, 
 and to the great joy of all, reached the ship in safety. 
 
 Just as the boats came up, the people at the mast-head ex- 
 claimed, "A sail! a sail!" and the captain thought it better 
 to let the ship lie, as by seeing the main-mast gone, it might 
 be known that she was in distress. The weather was hazy, 
 and he could see to no great distance, but the strange vessel 
 was soon near enough to perceive and hear his guns. She 
 had scarce hoisted her colors, which were Danish, when her 
 main-topsail sheet gave way; on observing which, Captain 
 Nicholls conceiving her maiii-topsail was to be clewed up, and 
 she would come to his assistance, immediately imparted the 
 good news to the priest and the rest. Poor deluded people, 
 (hey hugged him in their arms, calling him their friend and
 
 LOSS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT 913 
 
 preserver; but, alas! it was short lived joy, for as soon as the 
 Dane had knotted, or spliced her topsail sheet, she stood 
 away, and left them. "What pen is able," says Captain 
 Nicholls, " to describe the despair that reigned in the ship!" 
 The poor unhappy people wringing their hands, cried out, 
 "that God had forsaken them." 
 
 It was now about three in the afternoon; Captain Nicholls 
 wore the ship, which she bore very well, and steered tolera- 
 bly before the wind. 
 
 Towards half an hour afterwards, the old gentleman came 
 to him in tears, and taking him in his arms, said he came by 
 desire of the whole people to request that he and his men 
 would endeavor to save their lives in the boats, and as these 
 were insufficient to carry more, they would by no means be 
 accessary to their destruction; they were well convinced by 
 their whole conduct that they had done every thing in their 
 power for their preservation; but that God Almighty had or- 
 dained them to perish, though they trusted he and his men 
 would get safe on shore. Such gratitude for only doing a du- 
 ty in endeavoring to save the lives of the prisoners, as well 
 as their own, astonished Captain Nicholls; he replied, that 
 there was no hopes of life, and as all had embarked in the 
 same unhappy voyage, they should all take the same chance. 
 He thought that they ought to share the same fate. The old 
 gentleman said that should not be, and if he did not acquaint 
 his people with the offer he should have their lives to answer 
 for. Accordingly the" captain mentioned it to Captain Moore 
 and the people. They said that they would with the greatest 
 satisfaction remain, could any thing be devised for the preser- 
 vation of the others; but that being impossible, they would 
 not refuse to comply with their request. The people then 
 thanking them for their great kindness, with tears in the eyes 
 of all, hastened down the stern ladder. 
 
 As the boats ranged up by the sea under the ships counter, 
 those that went last cast themselves down, and were caught 
 by the men in the boat. Captain Nicholls told them, he trust- 
 ed to their honor that they would not leave him, as he was de- 
 termined not to quit the ship until it was dark, in hopes that 
 Providence would yet send something to their aid; the whole 
 assured him that he should not be deserted. 
 
 He had a little Norse boy on board, whom no entreaties 
 could persuade to enter the boat until he himself had done 
 so; but as it was growing dark, he insisted on the boy's go- 
 ing, saying he would immediately follow him The boy 
 
 VOL. II 14
 
 514 LOSS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT. 
 
 obeyed, and got on the stern ladder, when a Frenchman whora 
 he dread of death induced to quit his wife and children un- 
 perceived, made over the taffrail and trod on the Norse boy's 
 fingers. The boy screamed aloud, which led Captain Nich- 
 olls to believe that some person was in danger, and on repair- 
 ing to the place, followed by the old gentleman, they found 
 to their great surprise, that the man, who had a wife and chil- 
 dren on board, was attempting to get away and save himself. 
 The old gentleman calling him by his name, said he was sorry 
 to find him base enough to desert his family. He seemed 
 ashamed of what he had done, and returned over the taffrail. 
 By this time, the people of the boat begged the captain to 
 come, as the blows she received from below the ship's coun- 
 ter, were like to sink her. 
 
 Captain Nicholls seeing the priest stretching his arms over 
 the rails in great emotion, and apparently under strong appre- 
 hensions of death, asked him whether he was willing to take 
 his chance in the boat. He replied in the affirmative, if there 
 was room; and on learning that there was, he immediately 
 went and gave the people his benediction; and after saluting 
 the old gentleman, tucked up his conical robes and -forsook 
 the vessel. Captain Nicholls saluted him likewise, and sever- 
 al others, and then left them praying for his safety. 
 
 When he entered the boat he bid the sailors cast her adrift; 
 it was very dark, and they had neither moon nor stars to di- 
 rect them. " What a terrible situation!" he exclaims, " w 
 were twenty-seven in the long-boat, and nine in the cutter, 
 without victuals or drink." Uncertain of their distance from 
 the English coast, they agreed to keep as close as possible to 
 the ship. 
 
 It began to blow very fresh, with sleet and snow; the peo- 
 ple were fatigued to the uttermost, from working so tang at 
 the pumps, and after sitting in the wet and cold, they began 
 to wish that they had staid in the ship and perished, as now 
 they might die a lingering death. Either alternative was aw- 
 ful. Destitute of provision, it was most probable that one 
 must be sacrificed by lot to keep the others alive; and their 
 dismal situation, in arousing the most horrible anticipations, 
 made them forbode the worst. 
 
 The boats now began to make water, yet the men refused 
 to bail them, they were in a state of such extreme weariness, 
 and not having slept for four nights, became regardless of 
 their fate. Captain Nicholls, nevertheless, prevailed on then 
 to free the long-boat of water.
 
 LOBS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT. 315 
 
 Having a brisk gale, they soon /un a long way from their 
 unfortunate ship, when to their great distress, it fell quite 
 calm at ten in the morning. This threw the people in despair, 
 their courage began to fail, and as they could not expect to 
 live so long as to make the land, death seemed again staring 
 them in the face. 
 
 Some time after this unlucky party forsook the ship, foui 
 of the French prisoners let a small jolly-boat, which was still 
 remaining, overboard, with two small paddles, and swam to 
 her; and just as they left the vessel, her decks blew up with a 
 report like a gun. She sunk in the ocean, and three hundred 
 and sixty souls perished with her. 
 
 Captain Nicholls, at length observing the water colored, 
 asked whether they had any twine, on which one of them gave 
 him a ball from his pocket; they knocked the bolts off the 
 knees of the long-boat, wherewith to make a deep-sea lead, 
 and sounding with it were rejoiced to find only 45 fathom wa- 
 ter. But the people complaining greatly of hunger and thirst, 
 Captain Nicholls said he was sorry to acquaint them that he 
 had nothing for them to eat or drink, yet encouraged them to 
 bear up with manly resolution, as by their soundings they 
 were near Scilly, and he doubted not, if it cleared, that they 
 should see the land. 
 
 The little Norse boy, who had always kept close by the 
 cai .ain, now said that he had got some bread, and on taking 
 it from the bosom of his shirt, it proved to be like baker's 
 dough; however, it was bread, and very acceptable. The 
 whole might amount to about four pounds; and Captain Nich- 
 olls having put it into his hat, distributed it equally, calling 
 for those in the yawl to receive their share. But instead of 
 being a relief, it increased their troubles, foi being wet and 
 clammy, it hung to the roof of their mouths, having nothing 
 to wash it down. Mr. Fox had some allspice also, which was 
 of little service; having been cut in pieces, the people forced 
 it down their throats, which created some saliva, and by that 
 means it was swallowed. 
 
 About noon, a light air sprung up at south-west. Each 
 boat had a fore-inast, fore-sail and oars; but owing to the 
 boats having been foul of the main-mast, all the oars wre 
 washed away except two from each. Captain Nicholls was 
 told, in answer to his inquiries concerning a noise among the 
 crew, that two seamen were disputing about a couple of blank 
 ets, which one of them had brought from the ship. These 
 blankets he ordered tc be thrown overboard, rather than they
 
 316 LOS8 Or THK DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT. 
 
 should be suffered to breed any quarrel, as in their unhappl 
 condition it was no time to have disputes. But on reflection 
 having desired that they should be brought to him, he thought 
 of converting them to use, by forming each into a main-sail 
 Therefore, one oar was erected for a main-mast, and the oth- 
 er broke to the breadth of the blankets fora yard. The peo- 
 ple in the cutter observing what was done in the long-boat, 
 converted a hammock which they had on board into a main- 
 sail. 
 
 At four in the afternoon it cleared up, when the adventur- 
 ers descried a brig about two miles distant, to which Captain 
 Nicholls ordered the cutter to give chase, as it being lighter 
 than the long-boat, would sooner get up, and let her know 
 their distress. But the brig, seeing the boats after their 
 course, directly stood from them, owing, as Captain Nicholls 
 supposed, to their odd appearance. For war then prevailing, 
 they were probably taken for the French lugsail-boats, that 
 used to frequent the lands off Scilly. The cutter, however, 
 gained fast on the brig, when, having got about half way, a 
 very thick fog came on, and neither the brig nor the cutter 
 were again seen from the long-boat. 
 
 Night fell, and the weather still continuing very foggy, the 
 people, almost dead for want of sleep, reposed themselves, 
 sitting half way in water, it being impossible for so n..'.nv to 
 find seats. Their captain, anxious for their lives and hiso.vn, 
 strove to keep his eyes open, though it was the fifth night 
 that he had taken no rest. About eleven o'clock, when every 
 one was asleep but the helmsman and himself, he thought 
 that he saw land. Yet he was determined not to call out 
 land until he should be sure that it was so. He squeezed his 
 eyelids together to let the water run out of his eyes, as he 
 found them very dim. 
 
 Again he thought he saw land very plain, and was convinc- 
 ed that he could not be deceived. By this time the man at 
 the helm had dropped asleep, and he took the tiller himself. 
 Some space longer elapsed before he would disturb any body, 
 but at last he awoke Captain Moore, telling him he thought 
 he saw land. Captain Moore only answered that they should 
 never see land again Captain Nicholls then awoke Mr. 
 Fox, who had obtained a sound sleep, and seemed quite re- 
 freshed. He immediately cried out that they were near land 
 and close in with the breakers. Lucky it was that he had been 
 awakened, otherwise, Captain Nicholls, from being absolul^ly 
 unacquainted with them, was satisfied that all on board would 
 have perished.
 
 LOS OF THE DUKE WTLT.IAM TlliNSFORT. 311 
 
 At the word land every one awoke, and, with some difficul- 
 ty, the boat cleared the rocks. At first the precise part o c 
 the Enp\ish coast could not be ascertained, but, as it cleared 
 more and more every moment, Captain Nicholls, on looking 
 under the lee-leche of the blanket main-sail, discerned St. 
 Michael's Mount in Mount's Bay. The boat would not fetch 
 (he land near Penzancej and, as she had no oars, it was de- 
 termined to avoid steering round the Lizard and so for Fal- 
 mouth, but to run her boldly on shore, whatever place she 
 might chance to make. It was a fine night, and, after getting 
 round the point, the people found the water very smooth 
 keeping the boat close to the wind, they made between Pen- 
 zance and the point. 
 
 Their joy at finding themselves in so favorable a situation, 
 is not to be conceived; it gave them new life and strength. 
 Those who were forward, exclaimed that there were two rocks 
 ahead, Captain Nicholls hastened before, and his sight having 
 come well to him, he carried the boat between them without 
 touching ground, and in a little time ran her ashore on a san- 
 dy beach. 
 
 The seamen leapt into the water, and carried the priest and 
 the captain ashore. The former, kneeling down, made a short 
 prayer, and then coming to embrace Captain JN'icholls, called 
 him his preserver, and said that he had rescued him from 
 death. 
 
 Leaving the boat as she lay, all made the best of their way 
 to the town of Penzance. But some of the people, with 
 sleeping wet, were so much benumbed, that they could scarce 
 get along; and captain Nicholls himself declares, that, from 
 the time of the ship's springing a leak, until that hour, he had 
 had no sleep, and very little sustenance. However, having 
 fallen in with a run of fresh water on the road to Penzance, 
 all were revived by drinking heartily of it. 
 
 The party, reaching the town about three in the morning, 
 made up to a tavern where they saw a light, and, as it had 
 been a market day, the mistress of the house was still up. 
 When Captain Nicholls entered by the door, which was not 
 locked, she was undressing, with her back to a fire, the light 
 he had seen, and being greatly alarmed, screamed, "Murder! 
 thieves!" 
 
 The appearance of twenty-seven people at such an unsea- 
 sonable hour, was certainly enough to create apprehension, 
 especially from the condition which they were in. But the 
 captain endeavoring to pacify her, requested she would caf
 
 818 LOIS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT. 
 
 her husband ci servants, as they were shipwrecked men, ana 
 give them some refreshment. The landlord soon came, and. 
 having provided provisions, the people got into as many beds 
 as were there, while the rest of them slept on the floor by the 
 side of the fire. 
 
 Next morning the captain, accompanied by the priest, went 
 to the Mayor of the town to make a protest before a notary, 
 ind to see if he could get credit, as both he and the people 
 vere in want of every necessary, and it was many miles to 
 London. The Mayor received him kindly, but told him that 
 he was no merchant, and that he never supplied people in the 
 condition that he was in, with money, but if he pleased, he 
 would send a servant with him to Mr. Charles Langford, a 
 merchant who generally supplied the masters of vessels in dis- 
 tress with necessaries. Mr. Langford received Captain Nich- 
 olls politely, but, in answer to his request for credit, said, that 
 he had made a resolution not to supply with credit any man 
 to whom he was an entire stranger, as he had been deceived 
 by one very lately; and, though his might have been a large 
 ship, to judge by the boat which was come on shore, he, the 
 captain, might not be concerned in her, and, as he should 
 want a great deal of money, he should beg to be excused 
 Captain Nicholls answered, that he was partly owner of the 
 ship, and Mr. Langford might be certain that his bills were 
 duly honored. However, he said he could not do it. 
 
 Captain Nicholls, grievously disappointed, returned to the 
 inn, where several tradesmen had arrived to furnish the peo- 
 ple with clothes and other necessaries. He told the latter he 
 could get no credit, but that they must travel on as far as 
 Exeter, where he was sure of obtaining relief, which was very 
 unwelcome news, as most of the people wanted shoes. *The 
 captain next requested the landlord of the inn to get them 
 some breakfast, but he desired to be excused, and wished to 
 know if the captain could get no credit, how he was to be 
 paid. Captain Nicholls was quite at a loss how to act; being 
 denied both credit and victuals, he thought that he would pawn 
 or sell his ring, watch, buckles and buttons. Accordingly, re- 
 turning to Mr. Langford, he begged he would give him what 
 he thought proper for these things. He tookthe ring from hit 
 finger, the watch from his pocket, and, with tears in his eyes 
 was going to take the buckles from his shoes, when Mr. Lang- 
 ford prevented him, saying he should have credit for as much 
 as he pleased, for he believed him to be an honest man, and 
 that his people's distress touched him more, if possible,
 
 LOSS OF THE DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORT. 319 
 
 than his own misfortunes. He then gave what money the 
 captain required. 
 
 During these transactions, the second mate and the eight 
 men belonging to the cutter arrived. They said it was so 
 very thick they could not come up with the brig which they 
 were in pursuit of, and that, seeing the Lands- End when it 
 cleared, they got ashore. As nobody would buy the cutter, 
 they had left her, and had inquired the way to Penzance, 
 where, being in great distress, they rejoiced to meet the:r 
 comrades. 
 
 Captain Nicholls went to the inn and discharged what was 
 owing; on account of the unkindness which he had experienc- 
 ed, he resolved to stay no longer, and repaired to another 
 house to breakfast. He next procured the necessaries want- 
 ed by his people, and then went with his mates to make a pro- 
 test. But, not choosing that the declaration should proceed 
 from his own mouth, Mr. Langford's son acted as interpreter 
 to the French priest, who was to make it. The priest accord- 
 ingly made a strong and full affidavit, that Captain Nicholls 
 and his people had tried every means to keep the ship above 
 water; that they had used the French all the time they were 
 on board, with the greatest kindness and humanity, and that 
 Captain Nicholls had parted from them with the greatest re- 
 luctance, and even at their own desire went into the boat, af- 
 ter all hopes of life were gone. 
 
 Having remained another day at Penzance to refresh the 
 people, and getting credit for what was wanted, Captain Nich- 
 olls, Captain Moore and the officers set out in a carriage for 
 Exeter, while the people, who had got a pass from the Mayor, 
 walked on foot. At Redruth, a town in Cornwall, there were 
 many French officers on parole, as also an English Commis- 
 sary. Captain Nicholls accompanied the priest to the latter 
 in quest of a pass to Falmouth, that he might embark in the 
 first cartel for France; and here took leave of him. 
 
 Captain Nicholls having reached London, was under the 
 necessity of being examined at the Admiralty and Navy Of- 
 fice, about the loss of the people and the ship, she being a 
 transport in the service of government. The Lords of the 
 Admiralty and Commissioners of the Navy told him that he 
 might say more than any man living, as he had brought ashore 
 with him the first man of France, a priest, of course an ene- 
 my to both their religion and country: if his behaviour had 
 not been good, he would not have attempted it; but at the 
 same time, they acknowledged that without such a proof, they
 
 520 COMMODORE B ARNEY. 
 
 could not have believed, but finding all hopes gone, he and 
 his people got away by some stratagem. They would pay 
 hey said to the hour that the ship foundered, and were very 
 sorry that they could do no more. 
 
 The four Frenchmen above mentioned, who had left the 
 transport in the little boat subsequent to the departure of Cap- 
 tain Nieholls and his men, got into Falmouth within two days. 
 So ended this dreadful and unfortunate voyage, with the 
 loss of a fine ship and three hundred and sixty souls. 
 
 COMMODORE BARNEY. 
 
 No old Triton who has passed his calms under the bows of 
 the long-boat could say of Joshua Barney that he came into 
 a master's berth through the cabin windows. He began at 
 the rudiments, and well he understood the science. All his pre- 
 dilections were for the sea. 
 
 Having deserted the counting room, young Barney, at the 
 age of twelve, was placed for nautical instruction in a pilot- 
 boat at Baltimore, till he was apprenticed to his brother-in-law. 
 At the age of fourteen, he was appointed second mate, with 
 the approbation of the owners, and before he was sixteen he 
 was called upon to take charge of his ship at sea, in which the 
 master had died. This was on a voyage to .Nice. The ship 
 was in such a state that it was barely possible to make Gibral- 
 tar, where for necessary repairs he pledged her for JE700, to 
 be repaid by the consignee at Nice, who however declined, 
 and called in the aid of the Governor to compel Barney to de- 
 liver the cargo, which he had refused to do. He wa's impris- 
 oned, but set at large on some intimation that he would do aa 
 desired, but when he came on board, he struck his flag, and 
 removed his crew, choosing to consider his vessel as captured 
 He then set cut for Milan, to solicit the aid of the British 
 Ambassador there, in which he succeeded so well that the au-
 
 COMMODORE BARNEY J81 
 
 thorities of Nice met him on his return to apologize for their 
 conduct. The assignee paid the bond, and Barney sailed 
 for Alicant, where his vessel was detained foi the use of the 
 great armada, then fitting out against Algiers, the fate of 
 which was a total and shameful defeat. On his return home, 
 his employer was so well satisfied with his conduct, that he 
 became his firm friend ever after. 
 
 He soon offered himself as second in command on board 
 the sloop Hornet, of ten guns, one of two vessels then pre- 
 paring for a cruize under Commodore Hopkins, for this was 
 in the early part of the revolution. The sloop fell in with a 
 British tender, which she might have captured, but for the 
 timidity of the American captain. The tender, mistaking her 
 enemy, ran alongside and exposed herself to much danger. 
 Barney stood by one of the guns as the enemy came near, 
 and was about to apply the match, when the bold commander 
 commanded him to desist. Barney, whose spirit revolted at 
 such a cause, threw his match-stick at the captain, with such 
 force that the iron point stuck in the door of the round-house. 
 This, in a youth not seventeen, urged well for the pugnacity 
 of the man. At the end of this cruise, he volunteered on 
 board the schooner Wasp, in which he soon had a brush with 
 the Roebuck and another frigate, and with the aid of some 
 galleys in which he had a command, the enemy was forced tc 
 retreat, with more loss than honor. Barney for his good eon- 
 duct in this affair, was appointed to the command of the sloop 
 Sachem, with the commission of lieutenant before he was 
 seventeen. 
 
 Before the cruise, however, Captain Robinson took com- 
 mand of the Sachem, which soon had an action with a letter- 
 of-marque of superior force and numbers. It was well con- 
 tested, and nearly half the crew of the brig were killed or 
 wounded. In about two hours the lelter-of-marque struck 
 The captors secured a valuable prize, in a cargo of rum, and 
 also a magnificent turtle intended as a present to Lord North, 
 whose name was marked on the shell. This acceptable West 
 Indian, Lieutenant Barney presented to a better man than it 
 had been designed for, for he gave it to the Hon. R. Morris. 
 On the return of the Sachem, both officers were transferred to 
 a fine brig of fourteen guns, the Andrew Dona, which forth* 
 with captured the Racehorse, of twelve guns and a picked 
 crew. This vessel was of the Royal Navy, and had been de- 
 tached by the Admiral purposely to take the Doria. 
 
 On this voyage a snow was captured, in which the Lieutec- 
 
 VOL. II. 14*
 
 322 COMMODORE BARNEY 
 
 ant went as prize master, making up the crew partly o* 
 the prisoners. Being hard by an enemy's ship, he discovered 
 signs of mutiny a...ong his crew, and shot the ringleader in 
 the shoulder; a proceeding that offered so little encourage- 
 ment to his comrades, that they obeyed orders, and made sail, 
 but it was too late to escape. The purser of the frigate which 
 captured him, was on a subsequent occasion, so much excited 
 as to strike Barney, who knocked him down, and went further 
 in his resentment than fair fighting permits, for he kicked him 
 down the gangway. The commander obliged the purser to 
 apologize to Barney Having been captured in the Virginia 
 frigate, which ran aground at the Capes, and was deserted by 
 her commander, Barney, with live hundred other prisoners, 
 was sent round, in the St. Albans frigate, to New York. As 
 the prisoners were double in number to the crew, Barney, 
 formed a plan of taking the ship, which was defeated or pre- 
 vented by the treachery of a Frenchman. 
 
 Barney was a prisoner at New York, for five months, after 
 which he took the command of a schooner of two guns, and 
 eiyht men, with a cargo of tobacco for St. Eustatia, for he 
 was better pleased to do a little than to do nothing. He was 
 however, taken, alter a running tight, by boarding, by a pri- 
 vateer of four large guns and sixty men. His next cruise 
 was with his friend Robinson, in a private ship of ten guns 
 and thirtv-livfc men, in which they encountered the British 
 privateer Rosebud of sixteen guns and one hundred and twen- 
 ty men. On the return, a letter-of-rnarque of sixteen guns 
 and seventy men was captured. The Lieutenant had now 
 pri/.e money enough to be converted, on Ins re-turn, into a 
 large bundle of continental bills, which he stowed awav in a 
 chaise box, on taking a journey, but which he could not tind 
 when he arrived at Ins destination. He kept his own secret, 
 however, and u went to sea again," second in command o' 
 the United States' ship Saratoga, of Sixteen rine-pounderb. 
 The first pri/e was a ship.ot twelve guns, captured alter an 
 action of a lew minutes. 
 
 On the next day, the Saratoga hoisted Knjjlish colois, and 
 C&me. along side a ship which had two brigs in company, then 
 running up the American ensign, she poured in a broadside 
 while Lieutenant Barnev, w.th filtv men, boarded the enemy 
 The immediate result was, I he conquest of a ship of thirty- 
 two (runs and ninety men. The two bris, one of fourteen 
 and the otner ot lour guns, were also captured. The divi- 
 sion of prize money would have made the ollicers lich, but no
 
 COMMODORE BARNEY SS3 
 
 division took place, for all but the Saratpga were captured by 
 a seventy-four and several frigates. Lieutenant Barney was 
 furnished with bed and board, on deck, and with him, bed ana 
 board were synonymous terms, but he was allowed to choose 
 the softest plank he could find. In England he was con- 
 fined in prison, from which he escaped, and, after various 
 adventures, arrived at Beverly, Massachusetts, and, as soon 
 as he landed, was offered the command of a privateer of twen- 
 ty guns On his arrival at Philadelphia, he accepted the com- 
 mand of one of several vessels, cruising against the enemies' 
 barges, and the refugee boats, that infested the Delaware Riv- 
 er and Bay. His ship was the Hyder Ally, a small vessel of 
 sixteen six pounders. As a superior vessel of the enemy was 
 approaching, Barney directed his steersman to interpret his 
 commands by the rule of contraries. 
 
 When the enemy was ranging alongside, Barney cried out, 
 " Hard a-port." The helmsman clapt his helm the other way, 
 and the enemy's jib-boom caught in the fore rigging, and held 
 her in a position to be raked, and never was the operation of 
 raking more suddenly or effectually performed. The British 
 flag came down in less than half an hour, and the captors 
 made little delay for compliments, for a frigate from the ene- 
 my was rapidly approaching. The prize was the General 
 Marie, of the Royal Navy, with twenty nine pounders, and 
 one hundred and thirty-six men; nearly double the force and 
 metal of the captors. After the peace, Commodore Barney 
 made a partial settlement in Kentucky, and became a favorite 
 with the old hunters of that pleasant land. He was appoint- 
 ed Clerk of the District Court of Maryland, and also cin auc- 
 tioneer. He also engaged in commerce, when his business 
 led him to Cape Francois during the insurrection, and where 
 he armed his crew, and fought his way, to carry off some spe- 
 cie which he had secreted in barrels of coffee. 
 
 On his return he was captured by a pirate, which callea her* 
 self an English privateer. Barney, however, was a bad pris- 
 oner, and with a couple of his hands' rose upon the bucca- 
 neers and captured their ship. In this situation it was no time 
 for Argus himself to sleep, with more than an eye at a time. 
 The Commodore slept only by day in an armed chair on deck, 
 with his sword between his legs, and pistols in his belt, while 
 his cook and boatswain, well armed, stood the watch at his side. 
 On another occasion, he was captured in the West Indies, oy 
 an English frigate, where he received the usual British cour- 
 esi.es, and he was tried in Jamaica for piracy, &tc. It is need-
 
 24 NAVAL BATTLES OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 less to say that, though in an enemy's country, he was acquit- 
 ted by acclamation. This accusation originated with the com- 
 mander of the frigate, who, however, prudently kept out * 
 sight; though an officer in the same frigate, expressed at a 
 Coffee House, a desire to meet Barney, without knowing that 
 he was present, that he might have an opportunity to settle 
 accounts with the rascal. The rascal bestowed upon the of- 
 ficer the compliments that were usual on such an occasion, 
 and tweaked that part of his head that is so prominent in an 
 elephant. 
 
 We cannot follow the Commodore through his subsequent 
 fortunes and adventures. In France he received the hug fra- 
 ternal of the President of the Convention, and the commis- 
 sion of Captain of the highest grade in the Navy. He fit- 
 ted out several vessels of his own to harrass the British trade, 
 in which he was very successful. He received the command 
 of two frigates, which were almost wrecked in a storm, though 
 he succeeded in saving them. In the last war, his services 
 are more immediately in our memories. 
 
 NAVAL BATTLES 
 
 The depradations committed on American commerece in 
 the Mediterranean, by the piratical corsairs of the Barbary 
 powers, induced Congress, in 1794, to authorize the formation 
 of a naval force for its protection. Four ships of forty-four 
 guns each and two of thirty-six were ordered to be built. 
 Captain Thomas Truxton was one of the first six captains ap- 
 pointed by the President, at the organization of the naval es- 
 tablishment, in 1794. He was appointed to the command of 
 the Constellation of thirty-six guns, and ordered to protect 
 ^he commerce of the United States in the West Indies, from
 
 NAVAL BATTLES OP THE UNITED STATES 325 
 
 .lie ravages of the French. On the ninth of February, 1799, 
 he captured the French frigate Insurgente, of which twenty- 
 nine of the crew were killed and forty-four wounded. The 
 Constellation had but one man killed and two wounded. 
 
 In 1800, the Constellation engaged with the French frigate 
 Vengeance of fifty-four guns, near Guadaloupe; but cwing to 
 the darkness of the night the latter escaped, after having thrice 
 struck her colors and lost one hundred and sixty men in the 
 engagement. 
 
 The same year, the United States frigate Boston captured 
 the French national corvette Le Berceau. 
 
 In the month of August, 1801, Captain Sterrett of the 
 United States schooner Enterprize, of twelve guns and nine- 
 ty men, fell in, off Malta, with a Tripolitan cruiser of fourteen 
 guns and eighty-five men. In this action the Tripolitans 
 thrice hauled down her colors, and thrice perfidiously renew- 
 ed the conflict. Fifty of her men were killed and wounded. 
 The Enterprize did not loose a man 
 
 Captain Sterrett's instructions not permitting him to make 
 a prize of the cruiser, he ordered her crew to throw overboard 
 all their guns and powder, and to go and tell their country- 
 men the treatment they might expect from a nation, determin- 
 ed to pay tribute only in powder and ball. On her arrival at 
 Tripoli, so great was the terror produced, that the sailors 
 abandoned the cruisers then fitting out, and not a man could 
 be procured to navigate them. 
 
 The Tripolitan cruisers continuing to harrass the vessels of 
 the United States, Congress determined in 1803, to fit out a 
 fleet that should chastise their insolence. The squadron con- 
 sisted of the Constitution, 44 guns; the Philadelphia, 44; the 
 Argus, 18; the Siren, 16; the Nautilus, 16; the Vixen, 1t3; and 
 the Enterprize, 14. Commodore Preble was appointed to 
 the command of this squadron, in May 1803, and on the 13th 
 of August, sailed in the Constitution for the Mediterranean. 
 Having adjusted the difficulties which had sprung up with the 
 emperor of Morocco, he turned his whole attention to Tripoli. 
 1 he season was, however, too far advanced for active opera- 
 tions. 
 
 On the 31st of October, the Philadelphia, being, at nine 
 o'clock in the morning, about five leagues to the westward of 
 Tripoli, discovered a sail in shore, standing before the wind 
 to the eastward. The Philadelphia immediately gave chase. 
 The sail hoisted Tripolitan colors, and continued her course 
 near the shore. The Philadelphia opened a fire upon her,
 
 S26 NAVAL BATTLES OF THE UNITED STATCS. 
 
 and continued it, till half past eleven; when, being in seren 
 fathoms water, and finding her fire could not prevent the ves- 
 sel entering Tripoli, she gave up the pursuit. In beating off, 
 she ran on a rock, not laid down in any chart, distant four 
 and a half miles from the town. A boat was immediately 
 lowered to sound. The greatest depth of water was found 
 to be astern. In order to back her off, all sails were T aid 
 aback; the top-gallant-sails loosened; three anchors thrown 
 away from the bows; the water in the hold started; and all 
 the guns thrown overboard, excepting a few abaft to defend 
 the ship against the attacks of the Tripolitan gun-boats, then 
 firing at her. All this, however, proved ineffectual; as did 
 also the attempt to lighten her forward by cutting away her 
 foremast. The Philadelphia had already withstood the attack 
 of the numerous gun-boats for four hours, when a large rein- 
 forcement coming out of Tripoli, and being herself deprived 
 of every means of resistance and defence she was forced to 
 strike, about sunset. The Tripolitans immediately took pos- 
 session of her, and made prisoners of the officers and men, 
 in number, three hundred. Forty-eight hours afterwards, the 
 wind blowing in shore, the Tripolitans got the frigate off, and 
 towed her into the harbor. 
 
 On the 14th of December, Commodore Preble sailed from 
 Malta, in company with the Enterprize, commanded by Lieu- 
 tenant Stephen Decater. When the latter was informed of 
 the loss of the Philadelphia, he immediately formed a plan of 
 recapturing and destroying her, which he proposed to Com- 
 modore Preble. At first the commodore thought the project- 
 ed enterprize too hazardous: but at length granted his con j 
 sent. Lieutenant Decater then selected lor the enterprise the 
 ketch Intrepid, lately captured by him. This vessel he mann- 
 ed with seventy volunteers, chiefly of his own crew; and on 
 the 3d of February sailed from Syracuse, accompanied by 
 the brig Siren, lieutenant Stewart. 
 
 After a tempestuous passage of fifteen days, the two vessels 
 arrived off the harbor of Tripoli, towards the close of day. 
 It was determined that at ten o'clock in the evening the Intre- 
 pid should enter the harbor, accompanied by the boats of the 
 Siren. But a change of wind had separated the two vessels 
 six or eight miles As delay might prove fatal, Lieutenant 
 Decater entered the harbor alone about eight o'clock. The 
 Philadelphia lay within half gun shot of the Bashaw's castle 
 and principal bat*.ery. On her starboard quarter lay two Tri- 
 Doiitau cruisers within two cables length; and on the starboard
 
 5AYAL BATTLES OF THE UNITED STATES S21 
 
 ow a number of gunboats within half gu:i shot. All her 
 guns were mounted and loaded. Three h-ours were, in conse- 
 quence of the lightness of the wind, consumed in passing 
 three miles, when being within two hundred yards of the Phila- 
 delphia, they were hailed from her, and ordered to anchor on 
 peril of being fired into. The pilot on board the Intrepid was 
 ordered to reply, that all their anchors were lost. The Ameri- 
 cans had advanced within fifty yards of the frigate, when the 
 wind died away into a calm. n Lieutenant Decater ordered a 
 rope to be taken out and fastened to the fore-chains of the 
 frigate, which was done, and the Intrepid warped alongside. 
 It was not till then the Tripolitans suspected them to be an 
 enemy; and their confusion in consequence was great. As 
 soon as the vessels were sufficiently near, Lieutenant Dcca- 
 ter sprang on board the frigate, and was followed by midship- 
 man Morris. It was a minute before the remainder of the' 
 crew succeeded in mounting after them. But the Turks, 
 crowded together on the quarter deck, were in too great con- 
 sternation to take advantage of this delay. As soon as a suf- 
 ficient number of Americans gained the deck they rushed up- 
 on the Tripolitans, who were soon overpowered; and about 
 twenty of them were killed. 
 
 Alter taking possession of the ship, a firing commenced from 
 the Tripohtan batteries and castle, and from two cruisers near 
 the ship; a number of launches were also seen rowing about 
 in the harbor; whereupon Lieutenant Decater resolved to re- 
 main in the frigate, for there he would be enabled to make the 
 best defence. But perceiving that the launches kept at a dis- 
 tance, he ordered the frigate to be set on lire, which was im- 
 mediately done, and so effectually, that with difficulty was the 
 Lii.epid preserved. A favorable breeze at this momon* 
 spiung up, which soon carried them out of the harbor. None 
 rtf ihe Americans were killed, and only four wounded. For 
 thi heroic achievment Lieutenant Decater was promoted to 
 the rank of post captain. His commission was dated on the 
 lay lie destroyed ihe Philadelphia. 
 
 After the destruction of the Philadelphia frigate, commo- 
 dore Preble was, during the spring and early part of the sum- 
 mer, employed in keeping up the blockade of the harbor of 
 Tripoli, in preparing for an attack upon the town and in cruis- 
 ing. A pri/e that had been taken was put in commission, and 
 calk-d the Scourge. A loan of six gun-boa's and two bonfo- 
 ves.se!-.*, completely (need for service, was obtained from tho 
 king of JNaplea Pei mission was also given to take twelve or
 
 328 NAVAL BATTLES OP THE UNITED STATE*. 
 
 fifteen Neapolitans on board each boat, to serve under th 
 American flag. 
 
 With this addition to his force, the commodore on the 21st 
 of Jaly, joined the vessels off Tripoli. The number of men 
 engaged in the service amounted to one thousand and sixty 
 
 On the Tripolitan castle and batteries, one hundred and 
 fifteen guns were mounted, fifty-five of which were pieces of 
 heavy ordnance, the others long eighteen and twelve pounders 
 In the harbor were nineteen gun-boats carrying each a long 
 brass eighteen or twenty-four pounder in the bow, and two 
 howitzers abaft; also two schooners of eight guns each, a 
 brig of ten and two galleys of four guns each. In addition 
 to the ordinary Turkish garrison, and the crews of the armed 
 vessels, estimated at three thousand, upwards of twenty thou- 
 sand Arabs had been assembled for the defence of the city. 
 
 The weather prevented the squadron from approaching the 
 city until the twenty-eighth, when it anchored within two 
 miles and a half of the fortifications; but the wind suddenly 
 shifting, and increasing to a gale, the commodore was com- 
 pelled to return. On the 3d of August, he again approached 
 to within two or three miles of the batteries. Having observ- 
 ed that several of the enemy's boats were stationed without 
 the reef of rocks, covering the entrance, he made signal for 
 the squadron to come within speaking distance, to communi- 
 cate to the several commanders his intention of attacking the 
 shipping and batteries. The gun-boats and bomb-ketches 
 were immediately manned and prepared for action. The for- 
 mer were arranged in two divisions of three each. At half 
 past one the squadron stood in for the batteries. At two, the 
 gun-boats were cast off. At half past two, signal was made 
 *brthe bomb-ketches and gun-boats to advance and attack. 
 At three quarters past two, the signal was given for a general 
 action. It commenced by the bomb-ketches throwing shells 
 into the town. A tremendous fire immediately commenced 
 from the enemy's batteries and vessels, of at least two hun- 
 dred guns. It was immediately returned by the American 
 squadron, now within musket shot of the principal batteries. 
 
 At this moment, Captain Decater, with the three gun-boats 
 under his command, attacked the enemy's eastern division, 
 consisting of nine gun-boats. He was soon in the rnidst ot 
 them. The fire of the cannon and musketry was immediate- 
 ly changed to a desperate attack with bayonet, spear and 
 abre Captain Decater having grappled a Tripolitan boat.
 
 If AVAL BATTLES OF THE UNHID STATES JK 
 
 and boarded her with only fifteen Americans, in ten minutes 
 her decks were cleared and she was captured. Three Ameri- 
 cans were wounded. At this moment captain Decater was 
 informed that the gun-boat commanded by his brother, had 
 engaged and captured a boat belonging to the enemy; but 
 that his brother, as he stepped on board was treacherously 
 shot by the Tripolitan commander, who made off with his boat. 
 Captain Decater immediately pursued the murderer, who wa 
 estreating within the lines; having succeeded in coming along- 
 side, he boarded with only eleven men A doubtful contest of 
 twenty minutes ensued. Decater immediately attacked the 
 Tripolitan commander, who was armed with a spear and cut- 
 lass. In parrying the Turk's spear, Decater broke his sword 
 close to the hilt, and received a slight wound in the right arm 
 and breast; but having seized the spear he closed; and, after 
 a violent struggle, both fell, Decater uppermost. The Turk 
 then drew a dagger from his belt, but Decater caught his arm, 
 drew a pistol from his pocket and shot him. While they were 
 struggling, the crew of both vessels rushed to the assistance 
 of their commanders. And so desperate had the contest 
 around them been, that it was with difficulty that Decater ex- 
 tricated himself from the killed and wounded that had fallen 
 around him. 
 
 In this affair an American manifested the most heroic cou- 
 rage and attachment to his commander. Decater, in the 
 struggle, was attacked in the rear by a Tripolitan, who had 
 aimed a b'ovv at his head, which must have proved fatal, had 
 not this generous minded tar, then dangerously wounded and 
 deprived of the use of both his hands, rushed between him 
 and the sabre, the stroke of which he received in his head 
 whereby the scull was fractured. This hero, however surviv- 
 ed, and afterwards received a pension from his grateful coun- 
 try. All the Americans but four were wounded. Captain 
 Decater brought both of his prizes safe to the American 
 squadron. 
 
 Two successive attacks were afterwards made upon Tripo- 
 li; and the batteries effectually silenced. The humiliation of 
 .his barbarous power was of advantage to Jill nations. 
 The Pope made a public declaration, that, " the United States, 
 though in their infancy, had, in this affair, done more to hum- 
 ble the anti-christian barbarians on that coast, than all the 
 European States had done for a long series of time." Si? 
 Alexander Ball, a distinguished commander in the British 
 navy, addressed his congratulations to Commodore Preble.
 
 130 HAVAI, BATTLES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 After the junction of the two squadrons, Commodore Prebl* 
 obtained leave to return home. This he did with the greater 
 pleasure, as it would give the command of a frigate to Cap- 
 tain Decater. 
 
 On his return to the United States, he was received and 
 treated every where with that distinguished attention, which 
 he had so fully merited. Congress voted him their thanks, 
 and requested the President to present him with an emblemati 
 cal medal. 
 
 Our limits will only allow us to glance briefly at a few of 
 the remaining victories of the American navy. A formal 
 declaration of war against Great Britain was passed by Con- 
 gress on the 18th of June, 1812. On the 19th of August, 
 the memorable capture of the British frigate Guerriere by 
 the Constitution under Captain Hull, took place. On the 19th 
 of October the British sloop of war Frolic was taken by the 
 Wasp, commanded by Captarn Jacob Jones; before the lat- 
 ter could escape, however, with her prize, being in a very 
 disabled state, she was captured by the British seventy-four, 
 Poictiers. On the 25th of October, the United States under 
 Commodore Decater, fell in with and captured, off the Wes- 
 tern Isles, the British frigate Macedonian, mounting forty- 
 nine guns and carrying three hundred and six men. The 
 Macedonian had one hundred and six men killed and wound- 
 ed. The United States five killed and seven wounded. The 
 Victory of the Constitution over the Java, followed next, and 
 was succeeded by that of the Hornet, commanded bv Captain 
 Lawrence, over the Peacock. The loss of this brave officer 
 in the subsequent engagement between the Chesapeake and 
 Shannon, was generally lamented by his countrymen. 
 
 On the first of September, 1813, the British brig Boxer of 14 
 guns, was captured by the United States brig Enterprise, 
 commanded by Lieutenant William Burrows, who fell in the 
 engagement. We must close our notice of American na^al 
 history, by a brief sketch of some of the most interesting crui- 
 ses and engagements. 
 
 CRUISE OP THE WASP. 
 
 On tne first of May, 1814, the United States sloop of war 
 Wasp, of eighteen guns and one hundred and seventy-four 
 xnen. Captain Blakely, commander, sailed from Portsmouth, 
 JV. H on a cruise, and on the 28th of June, in latitude 48 36 
 longitude II 15, after having made several Captures, she fell
 
 1CAVAL BATTLES OF THE UNITED STATES. SSI 
 
 in with, engaged, and after an action of nineteen minutes, 
 captured his Britanic Majesty's sloop of war Reindeer, Wil- 
 nam Manners, Esq. commander. The Reindeer mounted six- 
 teen twenty-four pound carronades,two long six or nine pound- 
 ers, and a shifting twelve pound carronade, with a complement 
 on board of one hundred and eighteen men. She was literal- 
 (y cut to pieces in a line with her ports; her upper works, 
 boats and spare spars were one complete wreck, and a breeze 
 springing up the next day after the action, her fore-mast went 
 by the board; when the prisoners having been taken on board 
 the Wasp, she was set on fire and soon blew up. 
 
 The loss on board the Reindeer was twenty-three killed and 
 forty-two wounded, her captain being among the former. On 
 board the Wasp five were killed and twenty-one wounded. 
 More than one half of the wounded enemy were, in conse- 
 quence of the severity and extent of their wounds, put on 
 board a Portuguese brig and sent to England. The loss of 
 the Americans, although not so severe as that of the British, 
 was owing, in a degree, to the proximity of the two vessels 
 during the action, and the extreme smoothness of the sea, but 
 chiefly in repelling boarders. 
 
 On the 8th of July, the Wasp put into L'Orient, France, 
 after capturing an additional number of prizes, where she re- 
 mained until the 27th of August, when she again sailed on a 
 cruise. On the 1st of September she fell in with the British 
 sloop of war Avon, of twenty guns, commanded by Captain 
 Abuthnot, and after an action of forty-five minutes, compelled 
 her to surrender, her crew being nearly all killed and wound- 
 ed. The guns were then ordered to be secured, and a boat 
 lowered from the Wasp in order to take possession of the 
 prize. In the act of lowering the boat, a second enemy's ves- 
 sel was discovered astern and standing towards the Wasp. 
 Captain Blakdy immediately ordered his crew to their quar- 
 ters, prepared every thing for action, and awaited her coining 
 up. In a few minutes after, two additional sail were discover- 
 ed bearing down upon the Wasp. Captain Biakely stood off 
 with the expectation of drawing the first from its companions; 
 but in this he was disappointed. She continued to approach 
 until she came close to the stern of the Wasp, when she haul- 
 ed by the wind, fired her broadside, (which injured the \\ asp 
 but trifling,) and retraced her steps to join her consorts 
 Captain Blakely was now necessitated to abandon the Avon, 
 which had by this time become a total wreck, and which toon 
 after sunk, the surviving part of her crew having barely time 
 to escape to the other vessels
 
 532 NAVAL BATTLES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 On board of the Avon forty were killed and sixty wounded 
 The loss sustained by the Wasp was two killed and on 
 wounded. 
 
 The Wasp aftewards continued her cruise, making great 
 havoc among the English merchant vessels and privateers, 
 destroying an immense amount of the enemies property. 
 From the 1st of May until the 20th of September, she had 
 captured fifteen vessels, most of which she destroyed 
 
 HORNET AND PENGUIN. 
 
 On the 23d of March, 1815, as the Hornet, commanded by 
 Captain Biddle, was about to anchor off the north end of the 
 island of Tristan d'Acuna, a sail was seen to the southward; 
 which, at forty minutes past one, hoisted English colors, and 
 fired a gun. The Hornet immediately luffed to, hoisted an en- 
 sign, and gave the enemy a broadside. A quick and well di- 
 rected fire was kept up from the Hornet, the enemy gradually 
 drifting nearer, with an intention, as Captain Biddle supposed, 
 to board. The enemy's bowsprit came in between the main 
 and mizen rigging on the starboard side of the Hornet, giving 
 him an opportunity to board, if he had wished but no attempt 
 was made. There was a considerable swell, and as the sea lift- 
 ed the Hornet ahead, the enemy's bowsprit carried away her 
 mizen shrouds, stern davits, and spanker boom, and hung up- 
 on her larboard quarter. At this moment an officer called out 
 that they had surrendered. Captain Biddle directed the ma- 
 rines to stop firing,, and, while asking if they had surrendered, 
 received a wound in the neck. The enemy just then got 
 clear of the Hornet; and his foremast and bowsprit being both 
 gone, and perceiving preparations to give him another broad- 
 side, he again called out that he had surrendered. It was 
 with great difficulty that Captain Biddle could restrain his 
 crew from firing into him again, as it was certain that he had 
 fired into the Hornet after having surrendered. 
 
 From the firing of the first gun to the last time the enemy 
 cried out that he had surrendered, was exactly twenty-two 
 minutes. The vessel proved to be the British brig Penguin, 
 of twenty guns, a remarkable fine vessel of her class, and one 
 hundred and thirty-two men., twelve of them supernumeraries 
 from the Medway seventy-four, received on board in conse- 
 quence of their being ordered to cruise for the privateei 
 Young Wasp. 
 
 The Penguin had fourteen killed and twenty-eight wound-
 
 NAVAL BATTLES OF THE UNITED STATS*. 533 
 
 ed. Among the killed was Captain Dickenson, who fell at 
 the close of the action. As she was completely riddled. T'\ 
 so crippled as to be incapable of being secured, and being a* 
 a great distance from the United States, Captain Biddle or 
 dered her to be scuttled and sunk. 
 
 The Hornet did not receive a single round shot in her hull, 
 and though much cut in her sails and rigging was soon made 
 ready for further service. Her loss was one killed and elev- 
 en wounded 
 
 ALGERINE WAR 
 
 Immediately after the ratification of peace with Great Bri- 
 tain, in February 1815, Congress, in consequence of the hos- 
 tile conduct of the regency of Algiers, declared war against 
 that power. A squadron was immediately fitted out, under the 
 command of Commodore Decater, consisting of the Guerriere, 
 Constellation and Macedonian frigates, the Ontario and Eper- 
 vier sloops of war, and the schooners Spark, Spitfire, Torch 
 and Flambeau. Another squadron, under Commodore Bain- 
 bridge, was soon to follow this armament, on the arrival of 
 which, it was understood, Commodore Decater would return 
 to the United States in a single vessel, leaving the command 
 of the whole combined force to Commodore Bainbridge. 
 
 The force under Commodore Decater rendezvoused at New 
 York, from which port they sailed the 20th day of May, 1815, 
 and arrived in the Bay of Gibraltar in twenty-five days, after 
 having previously communicated with Cadiz and Tangier. In 
 the passage, the Spitfire, Torch, Firefly and Ontario, separated 
 different times from the squadron in gales, but all joined again 
 at Gibraltar, with the exception of the Firefly, which sprung 
 her masts, and put back to New York to refit. Having learn- 
 ed at Gibraltar that the Algerine squadron, which had been 
 out into the Atlantic, had undoubtedly passed up the straits, 
 and that information of the arrival of the American force had 
 been sent to Algiers by persons in Gibra'tar, Commodore De- 
 cater determined to proceed without delay up the Mediterra- 
 nean, in the hope of intercepting the enemy before he could 
 return to Algiers, or gain a neutral port. 
 
 On the 17th of June, off Cape de Gatt, he fell in with and 
 captured the Algerine frigate Mazouda, in a running fight of 
 twenty-five minutes. After two broadsides the Algerines ran 
 below The Guerriere had four rnen wounded by musketry, 
 the Algerines had about tSirtv killed, accordir g to the state-
 
 334 NAVAL BATTLES OP THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 ment of the prisoners, who amounted to four hundred and six 
 In this affair, the famous Algerine admiral or Rais, Hummuia, 
 who had long been the terror of this sea, was cut in two by a 
 cannon shot. 
 
 On the i-9th of June, off Cape Palos, the squadron fell in 
 with and captured an Algerine brig of twenty-two guns. The 
 brig was chased close to the shore, where she was followed 
 by the Epervier, Spark, Torch and Spitfire, to whom she sur- 
 rendered, after losing twenty-three men. No Americans were 
 either killed or wounded. The captured brig, with most of 
 <he prisoners on board, was sent into Carthagena. From 
 Cape Palos, the American squadron proceeded to Algiers, 
 where it arrived the 28th of June. 
 
 The treaty which Commodore Decater finally succeeded in 
 negotiating with the Dey, was highly favorable. The princi- 
 pal articles were, that no tribute under any pretext or in any 
 form whatever, should ever be required by Algiers from the 
 United States of America, that ail Americans in slavery should 
 be given up without ransom, that compensation should be 
 made for American vessels captured, or property seized or 
 detained at Algiers, that the persons and property of Ameri- 
 can citizens found on board an enemy's vessel should be sa- 
 cred, that vessels of either party putting into port should be 
 supplied with provisions at market price, and if necessary to 
 be repaired, should land their cargoes without paying duty, 
 that if a vessel belonging to either party should be cast on 
 shore, she should not be given up to plunder, or if attacked 
 by an enemy within cannon shot of a fort, should be protect- 
 ed, and no enemy be permitted to follow her when she went 
 to sea within twenty-four hours. In general, the rights of 
 Americans on the ocean and land, were fully provided for in 
 every instance, and it was particularly stipulated that all citi- 
 zens of the United States taken in war, ?hoiild be treated as 
 prisoners of war are treated by other nations, and not as 
 slaves, but held subject to an exchange without ransom. Af- 
 ter concluding this treaty, so highly honorable and advanta- 
 geous to this country, the commissioners gave up the captured 
 frigate and brig, to their former owners. 
 
 Commodore Decater despatched Captain Lewis in the 
 Epervier, bearing the treaty to the United States, and leaving 
 Mr. Shaler at Algiers, as consul-general to the Barbary states, 
 proceeded with the rest of the squadron to Tunis, with the 
 exception of two schooners under Captain Gamble, sont to 
 convoy the Algeriue vessels home from Carthagena. Having
 
 NAVAL BATTLES OF THE UNITEl* STATUS SSA 
 
 obtained from the bashaw of Tunis a full restoration in money 
 for certain outrages which had been sustained by .American 
 citizens, the squadron proceeded to Tripoli, where Commo- 
 dore Decater made a similar demand for a similar violation of 
 the treaty subsisting between the United States and the ba- 
 shaw, who had permitted two American vessels to be taken 
 from under the guns of his castle by a British sloop of war, 
 and refused protection to an American cruiser lying within his 
 jurisdiction. Restitution of the full value of these vessels 
 was demanded, and the money, amounting to twenty-five thou- 
 sand dollars, paid by the bashaw into the hands of the Ameri- 
 can consul. After the conclusion of this affair, the American 
 consular flag, which Mr. Jones, the consul, had struck, in 
 consequence of the violation of neutrality above mentioned, 
 was hoisted in the presence of the foreign agents, and saluted 
 from the castle with thirty-one guns. In addition to the satis- 
 faction thus obtained, for unprovoked aggressions, the com- 
 modore had the pleasure of obtaining the release of ten cap- 
 tives, two Danes and eight Neapolitans, the latter of whom 
 he landed at Messina. 
 
 Alter touching at Messina and Naples, the squadron sailed 
 for Carthagena on the 31st of August, where Commodore De- 
 cajer was in expectation of meeting the relief squadron, un- 
 der Commodore Bainbridge. On joining that officer at Gib- 
 raltar, he relinquished his command, and sailed in the (iuer- 
 rifre for the United States, where he arrived on the liith of 
 November, 1815. 
 
 Every thing being done previous to the arrival of the sec- 
 ond division of the squadron, under Commodore Bainbridge, 
 that gallant officer had no opportunity of distinguishing him- 
 self. Pursuant to his instructions he exhibited this additional 
 force before Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, where they were 
 somewhat surprised at the appearance of the Independence 
 seventy-lour. Commodore Bainbridge sai.Vd from Gibraltar 
 thirty-six hours before the Guerriere, and arrived at BostoK 
 Ihc loth of November
 
 ADDRESS TO THE OCI4J" 
 
 ADDRESS TO THE OCEAN 
 
 Likeness of Heaven' 
 
 Agent of power; 
 Man is thy victim, 
 
 Shipwreck thy dower^. 
 Spices and jewels 
 
 From valley and sea. 
 Armies and banners, 
 Are buried in thee! 
 
 What are the riches 
 
 Of Mexico's mines, 
 To the wealth that far down 
 
 In thy deep waters shine? 
 The proud navies that cover 
 
 The conquering west 
 Thou fiing'st them to death 
 
 With one heave of thy breast 
 
 From the high hills that view 
 
 Thy wreck making shore, 
 When the bride of the mariner 
 
 Shrieks at thy roar, 
 When like lambs in the tempest 
 
 Or mews in the blast, 
 On thy ridge broken billows 
 
 The canvas is cast 
 
 How humbling to one, 
 
 With a heart and a soui, 
 To look on thy greatness 
 
 And list to its roll; 
 To think how that heart 
 
 In cold ashes shall be, 
 While the voice of Eternity 
 
 Ris*><! from thee?
 
 STUDIES IN ENGLISH SPELLING. 
 
 FIRST LESSON. 
 
 A -wealthy young man had a yacht, 
 Disfigured -with many a spacht, 
 SAPOLIO he tried, 
 Which, as soon as applied, 
 Immediately took out the lacht ! 
 
 SECOND LESSON. 
 
 Our girl o'er the housework would 
 
 sigh, 
 
 Till SAPOLIO I urged her to trigh, 
 Now she changes her tune, 
 For she's done work at nune, 
 Which accounts for the light in her 
 eigh ! 
 
 THIRD LESSON. 
 
 There's many a domestic embroglio 
 To describe which would need quite 
 
 a foglio, 
 
 Might oft be prevented 
 If the housewife consented 
 To clean out the*house with SA- 
 POGLIO ! 
 
 FOURTH LESSON. 
 
 Maria's poor fingers would ache, 
 When the housework in hand she 
 would tache, 
 
 But her pains were allayed, 
 
 When SAPOLIO'S aid, 
 Her labor quite easy did mache ! 
 
 FIFTH LESSON. 
 
 We have heard of some marvelous 
 soaps, 
 
 Whose worth has exceeded our hoaps. 
 But it must be confest, 
 That SAPOLIO'S the best 
 
 For with grease spots it easily coaps! 
 
 SIXTH LESSON. 
 
 The wife of a popular colonel 
 Whose troubles with "helps" were 
 
 etolonel 
 
 Now her leisure enjoys 
 For the " new girl " employs 
 SAPOLIO in housework diolonel! 
 
 INTESTINAL TORPOR AND KINDRED EVILS 
 
 Relieved "Without Drugs. 
 
 The sufferer from Constipation and Piles should test the GLUTEN SUPPOSI- 
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 -OREAD THE EVIDENCE. [ 
 
 DR. A. W. THOMPSON, Northampton, Mass., says: "I have tested the Gluten Supposi- 
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 DB. WM. TOD HELMUTH declares the Gluten Suppositories to be " the best remedy for 
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 "AsSancho Panza said of sleep, so say I of your Gluten Suppositories: God bless 
 the man who invented them !" E. L. KIPLET. Burlington, Vt. 
 
 ' ' I have been a constipated dyspeptic for many years, and the effect has been to reduce 
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 use of the Gluten Suppositories." CYRUS BRADBUBY, Hopedale, Mass. 
 
 Send for all our HEALTH FOOD LITERATURE. 
 
 HEAJLTH FOOD COMPANY, 
 4th Ave. & 10th St., adjoining Stewart's, New York.
 
 R E. 
 
 Onr series of standard -works includes many of the acknowledged masterpieces of 
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 eessible to the general reader by reason of the high prices at which they have been 
 Bold, These books are printed in large type, 12mo size, and neatly and strongly 
 bound in cloth. Price $1.25 each. 
 
 THE "WEALTH OF NATIONS. 
 
 AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF THE WEALTH 
 OF NATIONS. By ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. This volume is a careful reprint 
 of the three- volume edition. 
 
 ADAM SMITH'S ESSAYS. 
 
 Dancing, Poetry," "The External Senses," "English, and Italian Verses," &c. 
 ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. 
 
 McCULLOCH'S POLITICAL ECONOMY. 
 
 THE PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL ECONOMY-with a sketch of the 
 Rise and Progress of the Science. By J. B. JIcCuLLOCH. With an Essay on In- 
 terest, and the Value of Money. By JOHN LOCKE. 
 
 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYS. 
 
 THE ESSAYS OF MICHAEL SEIGKEUR DE MONTAIGNE, with 
 Stoics and Quotations, and an Account of the Author's Life, translated into English. 
 
 by CHAT7LE3 COLTON, Esq. 
 
 BOLINGBROKE ON THE STUDY AND USE OF HISTORY. 
 
 LETTERS ON THE STUDY AND USE OF HISTORY: "On Exile," 
 "The Spirit of Patriotism," "The Idea of a Patriot King," "Tie State of Parties in 
 1744." By HKNBY ST. JOHN, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke. 
 
 HUME'S ESSAYS. 
 
 ESSAYS, LITERARY, MORAL, AND POLITICAL. By DAVID HUMS 
 (tho historian). 
 
 SIDNEY SMITH'S ESSAYS. 
 
 ESSAYS, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL. By Rev. SIDNEY SMITH. 
 
 MILMAN'S HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE JEWS. By H. H. MTT.MAN, D.D., late Dean of St. Haul's. 
 
 HALLAM'S EUROPE. 
 
 VIEW OF THE STATE OF EUROPE DURING THE MIDDLE AGES. 
 
 By HENBY HAT.T.A-I^ LL.D., F.R.A.S. 
 
 LOCKE ON THE HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. 
 
 AN ESSAY CONCERNING THE HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. Br 
 
 JOHN LOCKE. With the Notes and Illustrations of the author, and an Analysis of 
 his Doctrine of Ideas. Also, Questions on Locke's Essay, for the use of students. 
 
 D'AUBIGNE'S HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION OF THE SIXTEENTH 
 CENTURY, from its commencement to the days of Calvin. By J. H. MEELB 
 D'AtfBWNE, D.D. Translated from the author's kite French edition. 
 
 MILTON'S EARLY BRITAIN, &C. 
 
 BRITAIN UNDER TROJAN, RO>IAN, AND SAXON RULE. By JOHN 
 
 Mn/TON. ENGLAND UNDER RICHARD HL By Sir THOMAS MOEE. 
 
 THE REIGN OF HENRY VII. By Lord BACON. Three books bound in one 
 
 volume. 
 
 ESSAYS ON BEAUTY AND TASTE. 
 
 ESSAY ON BEAUTY. By FEANCIS [Lord] JEFFEEY ESSAY ON 
 
 TASTE. By AECHTBALD ALISON, LL.D. The two books in one volume.
 
 POPULAR DICTIONARY 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 EVERY USEFUL WORD 
 
 To be found in the English Language, with its 
 TEUE MEANING, DERIVATION, SPELLING AND PBONTJNOIATIOST, 
 
 A1SO, A VAST AMOUNT OP 
 ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IS FORMATION 
 
 UPON 
 
 Scfence, Mythology, Biography, American History, Constitution*, Laws, Land TiCet, 
 
 Cities, Colleges, Army and Navy, Rate of Mortality, Growth of Cities, 
 
 Insolvent and Assignment Laws, Debts, Rates of Interest, 
 
 and other Useful Knowledge, being a 
 
 PERFECT LIBRARY OF REFERENCE IN ONE HANDY VOLUME. 
 
 The publishers of the AMERICAN POPULAR DICTIONARY claim forh the rap- 
 port of the public, for the following among many other important reasons : 
 
 It contains EVERY WORD OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE that enters into speech or writing. 
 
 THE SPELLING of eanh word is precisely that given by the best authorities. 
 
 THE DEFINITIONS are compiled from a majority of the best writers ofth English language. 
 
 THE PRONUNCIATION of every word is that settled upon by the ablest masters of this most im- 
 portant branch of Grammar. 
 
 In addition to the perfections-of this work as a Dictionary, itcontains a vast amount-nfinformatlon 
 upon MANY KINDS OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE not to be found in any similar work; but all 
 ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to every on<3 who wishes to be acquainted with the leading subjects of co- 
 Tersatioa and composition. 
 
 By reference to tne annexed TABLE OF CONTESTS it will be found that the book'ts really a co 
 cise and portable Cyclopedia of very useful and valuable information. From it a speaker or writer can 
 glean an amount of real knowledge impossible to find elsewhere collected in one book. 
 
 THE AHERICAN POPULAR DICTIONARY is printed from new type, with extra clear and legible 
 face. It is.bound very strongly and neatly. 
 
 OF* CONTENTS. 
 
 26. The Municipal Debts of the United 8tat. 
 
 27. Theological Seminaries In the United States, 
 
 28. Occupations of the People of the U. S. 
 
 29. Army of the United States, with rates of pay. 
 
 80. Navy of the United States, with rates of pay. 
 
 81. Vivy- yards of the United States. 
 
 82. Number of Hen raised by each State for th 
 
 suppression of the Rebellion. 
 
 83. Churches in the United States, with statistics. 
 
 1. A Complete Dictionary of tbe Eng. Language. 
 
 2. A Complete List of Scripture Proper Names, 
 
 including Apocrypha, and their pronuncia- 
 tion. 
 
 5. American Geographical Names, with their der- 
 
 ivation, signification, and their pronuncia- 
 tion. 
 4. Nickname* of the States and Cities of theC. S. 
 
 6. The Discovery and Discoverers of America. 
 
 6. The Aborigines of North America, showing 
 
 their tribes, location and number. 
 
 7. Early Settler* and Settlements of the Cuited 
 
 States nationility, location, date, 
 
 8. Troops of the American Re volution, nowlng 
 
 the number each State furnished. 
 1). Battles and Losses of the Revolution. 
 
 10. The Declaration of Independence. 
 
 11. The Signers of the Declaration of Independ- 
 
 ence. 
 13. The Presidents of the Continental Congress, 
 
 13. Constitution of the United States. 
 
 14. History of the American Flue. 
 
 15. Area and Population of the United States. 
 
 16. Population of all Cities and Towns in the U. 
 
 S. having a population of ov 
 17, Growth of American Cities h 
 of 50,000 and upward. 
 
 10,000. 
 ving a popula- 
 
 IS. Public Debt of the United States, 1701 to 1879. 
 
 19. The Amount of Paper Money in the United 
 
 States, of each denomination. 
 
 20. Analysis of the Public Debt of the United 
 
 States. 
 
 81. United States Public Lands where they He. 
 2-J. The United States Public Land System. 
 93. Free Hometrad* on the Public Lands, or how 
 
 to secure a homestead. 
 
 S4. Homestead and Exemption Laws of the U. S. 
 tt. The Canals of the United States their length, 
 
 connecting points, number of locks, cot,ir. 
 Strongly boumd in eltth, gilt back. 
 
 84. Pric 
 
 oditie 
 
 r tbe past fifty year 
 
 85. Statutes of Limitations of the various States. 
 
 86. Interest Laws in the United States. 
 
 87. Insolvent and Assignment Laws of the differ- 
 
 ent States. 
 
 88. Newspapers and Periodicals In theU. S. 
 
 39. Heads of the principal nations of the world. 
 
 40. The Carlisle Tables, showing how many pet- 
 
 sons out of 10,000 will die annually. 
 
 41. The Railroads of the World length, cost, &r. 
 
 42. Commerce, Debts, &c., of the principal nations 
 
 43. National Debts of the various countries. 
 
 44. The Merchant Shipping of the world. 
 
 45. The Dominion of Canada, revenue, trade, Ac. 
 10. The Armies of the world. with full particulars 
 47. The'Navleo of the world-numbers, cost, Ac. 
 49. Foreign Gold and Silver Coins value. Ac. 
 
 49. Weights and Measures of the United States. 
 
 50. General Councils of the Roman Catholl* 
 
 Church. 
 
 51. Chronological History of the United States. 
 
 52. List of Mythological and Classical Names. 
 
 53. Interest Tables, at 4, 5. 6, 7, 8 and 10 per et. 
 
 54. Examples of the Common Errors in Speaking 
 
 and Writing, with Corrtctlons. 
 
 55. A Guide to the Pronunciation of Hard Words, 
 
 in the English and other languages. 
 
 56. A List of Objectionable Words and Phrases, 
 
 and Inaccurate Expressions. 
 
 Sent to any address on receipt of prio*. 
 
 Price 5O Cents. 
 Address HURST & CO. 132 Nassau St. HT.1T,
 
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 LIBRARY 

 
 L LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
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 AND PREFERRED BY THE LEADING ARTISTS. 
 
 The SOHMER Pianos are used In the 
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