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Un dee symboles suivante apparaftra sur la derniAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols -^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". l\Aaps, plates, charts, etc., may be ffiimed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right end top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableeux, etc., peuvent Atre ffilmAs t des taux de reduction diff Arents. Lorsqus le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seui clichA, il est fiimA A partir de Tangle supArleur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'Images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 '^^ ymm .it- MELANCHOLY LOSS or THE LADY HOBART PACKET, WILLIAM DORSET FELLOWS, ESQ. Which struck on an Island of Ice in'the Atlantic Ocean^ JUNE 28, 1803, ANI> THE Providential Escape of the Crew IN THE CUTTER AND JOLLY BOAT, NOTWITHSTANDING . A SERIES OF DEPLORABLE CALAMITIES. ALSO, CURIOUS part;culars OF EMMANUEL SOSA, AND HIS WIFE ELEONORA GARCIA SALA, fFAo toere shipwrecked on the East Coast of Africa. I .1 . r LONDON : FriDtea^r THOMAS TEGG,'in, Cheapaids. riilCI «NLY IIXPENOE. M ,4 ■ "f I- ■%■■ W: 'I, I > '*» I >■ THE LOSS A y^i > h OF THK LADY HOBART PACKET. -♦^•^■i iifituraHy be expected in a work like the present) we present it to our ivaders chiefly in the words of the commander, William Dorset Fcllowes, Esq. accompanied with an engraved represen- tation of the calamity, in order to convey the melancholy situ- ation of the crew to the " miud's eye." On the 22d of June, 1803, (says tiie commander,) the Lady Hobart sailed from llalifax for England, steering to the south- ward and eastward toi clear Sable Island. On the 24th wc hauled to the northward, to pass over the northern part of the Great Bank of Newfoundland, intending to keep well to the northward, with a view to avoid the enemy's cruizers. At 7 A.M. of the 26th, being then on the Grand Bank, in latitude 44* 37' and longitude 5 1* 20', we discovered a large schooner, under French colours, standing towards us, with her deck full of men. From- her manner of bearing down upon us, we concluded that she had been apprized of the war, and took us for a mcpchant brig. We, therefore, cleared our ship for action, and at eiglit, being within range of our guns, wc fired a ^ A 2 THE LOSS OF shot at her, when she struck her colours. Il.iving sent some men on board to take possession of the vessel, she proved to be UAimable Julie, of Port Liberie, of 80 tons burthen, new and strong built, bound thither from the island of St. Pierre, laden with salt fish, and commanded by Charles llosse. After taking out the captain and crew, I gave the prise in charge to Lieutenants John Little and William Ihij^hes, of his Majesty's navy, wiio were passengers in the Lady Hobart, and who very handsomely volunteered their services. With them I sent two of our own seamen, and two prisoners, to assist in navigating the prize. At 10 A. M. saw two schooners ahead, tired a gun, and brought them to. Finding them to be English, and bound to St. John's, I divided the French prisoners between them, excepting the captain, mate, and one boy, nephew to the captain, who earnestly requetitcd to remain on board the packet. On Tuesday, June 28th, it blew hard from the westward, with a heavy sea, hazy weatlK-r, and intervals of thick fog. About one in the morning, the ship, then proceeding by the log at the rate of seven miles a4i hour, struck against an island of ice with such violence that several of the crew, were pitched out of their hammocks. Being roused from sleep by the sud- denness of the shock, I instantly ran upon deck. The helm being put hard aport, the ship struck again upon the ch^est- tpee, and then swung round upon her he^l, the st^rn-post being «tovc in, and the rudder carried away, before we could succeed in our attempts to haul her off. The island of ice appeared, at this time, to hang quite over the ship, forming a high peak, which must have been, at least, twice the height of our mast- head. The length of the island, we suppose to have been from a quarter to haif a mile. The sea was now breaking orer the ice in a dreadful manner, and the water rushing in so fast as to fdl the hold in a few mi- nutes. We hove the guns overboard, cut away the anchors from the bows, got two sails under the ship's bottom, kept both pumps going, and baled with buckets at the main-hatchway, in the hope of preventing her from sinking: but in less than a quarter of an hour she settled down to h«- fore-chains in the ■water. •'- Our situation now became most perilous. Aware of the danger of a moment's delay in hoisting out the boats, 1 consulted Captain Thomas, of the navy, and Mr. Bargus, my master, re- specting the propriety of making any further efforts to save the I ,4 THE LADY HOBART. ship ; and as 1 was anxious to preserve the mail, I requested tiieir opinion as to the possi^bility of laking it into the boats, in the event of our being able to get them over the ship's side. They agreed with me that no time ought to be lost in hoisting them out, and that, as the vessel was then settling fast, our first considrration should be to preserve the crew. Here 1 cannot omit that tribute of praise, which the steady discipline and good conduct of all on board so justly merit. From the first moment of the ship's striking, not a word was ut- tered expressive of a desire to leave the wreck ; my ordefs were promptly obeyed, and though the danger of perishing increased every moment, each man waited his turn to get into the boats, with a coolness and composure which could not be surpassed. Having fortunately succeeded in hoisting out the cutter and jolly-boat, the sea then running high, we placed the ladies in the former. One of them, Miss Cottenham was so terrified, tliat she sprung from the gun-wale, and pitched into the bottom of the boat with considerable violence. This accident, which might have been productive of ettjpcts equally fatal to herself and to us all,^was not attended by any bad consequences. " The few provisions saved from the mjfn's births were then put into the boats, which were quickly vfeered astern. By this time the main-deck forward was under Water, and nothing but the quar* tcr deck appeared. I then ordered my men into the boats, and after lashing iron pigs of ballast to the mail, it was thrown overboard, i.j <. The ship was now sinking fast ; I called out to the men to haul up and receive me, intending to drop myself iuto the cut- ter from the end of the try-sail boom, seeing she might be stove under thecounter. I desired Mr. Bargus, who continued with me on the wreck, to go over first. In this instance, he replied, he begged leave to disobey my orders, adding, that he must see me sately over before he attempted to go himself. Such conduct, at such a moment, requires no comment ; but I should be wanting to myself and to the service, if I did not faithfully state to their lordships, (the Pobtmasters General) every circum- stance, however trifling ; and it is highly satisfactory to me to have this opportunity of recording an incident so honourable to a mefitorious officer. The sea ran so high at the time we hoisted out the boats that I scarcely flattered myself we should get them out in safety. Indeed, nothing but the steady and orderly conduct of the crew could have enabled us to eflect an undertaking lo difficult '■•■.♦.■ A3 • 10 i THX loss OF :^ aad baztardons : and it is butjufticc to observe, that not a man in the ship attempted to make use of the liquoi*, >^hich every one had in his power. While we were getting out the cutter, ( perceived Johai Tipper, one of the seamen, emptying a demi- jeaD, ;(* hoittle oontainiing five gallons,) which, upon enquiry, I found to be rum. He said he was emptying it fogr the purpose of siting it with water from the scuttle-cask on the quarter- deck, whidti wa» the only fresh watex that could be got at. This joircuinstance I relate as being highly cjeditable to the character of a Briteh sailor; and the water, thus procured, af- . terwarib became our principal supply. We had scarcely quitted the ship, when she suddenly gave a heavy lurch to port, and went down headforemost. I had or- d££ed the coloursto be hois^ted at the main-top-ga)lant mast head with the union dow]twards,"as a signal of distress, that if any vessel should happen to be near us, at the dawn of day, she mi^ perceive our calamitous situation, and afford us relief. I cannot attempt to describe my own feelings, nor the sensei^- tioais of ray people, thus exposed in two open boats upon the vast Atlantic ocean, bereft of all assistance but what our own exer- tions could, under Providence, afford us. We narrowly esca- ped being swallowed up in the vortex of the w^eck. Men ac- ■customed to vicissitudes are not soon dejected, but there arc trials which human nature alone cannot surmount. The con- sciousness of having done our duty, and a reliance upon a kind Providence, enabled us to emiui-e our calamity, and we anima*- Ced each crther with the hope of a better fortune. - While we were employed in deliberating upon our future course, a curious circumstance occurred, which, as it gave us consideniblr uneasiness, desi-rves to be mentioned. At the mo»- /nent when the ship was sinking, she was surrounded by an ama- zing number of whales, which at this season repair to the coast of Newfoundland, in quest of a small fish called Capcland. As ihcy approached the boats, we were extremely apprehensive that they might strike and materially damage them, frequent instances occurring in the fishery, of boats being cut asunder by a single blow from a whale. We, ihercforej shouted, and ciOf fHoyed every effort to scare them away, but without effect ; ♦hey appeared to pursue us, and remained about the boats tor the space of half an hour, when they disappeared without hav- i^ done us any injury. After surmounting difficulties and dangers which baffle all description « we rigged the fortmosi, and pwpared V' rhupe our THE 1.AS9T HOBAtlT. If cmirsc'in the best maimer thaet £irc«insta«CM wimild mdiiMit,the vfind blowing from the {u-ecise^ oint iowairds vwiiich k mm ««•• crssary to sail ta reach >the nearaet land . Scarcely ab hour hM4 t lapsed from the time the fibip srtaruok ityll she foundered. Tht distribution of the crew was made in Ike fodiowioi; faannor:'«<«> In the cutter, twenty feet 'long, aix ieet four tnckes broad^ and two feet »ix inches deep, were embarked tfaroe l8xlie«^an4 myself, Captain Richard Thomas, of the navy, ithe French coo:^ mandc^ of the schooner, taken by the Lady Hobart two da^c before, the mjister s mate, gunner, steward, carpenter, and 'eight seamen : in all eighteen persons ; whose wei^t, togetlier \wlh that of the provisions, brought the bcafs gunwale witbtn six or seven inches of the water. From this confined space some idea, may be formcid of our crowded state ; 6ut it is scarcely possible for the imagination to conceive the lextent of our Minings in consequence of it. In the jolly-boat, fourteen feet from stem to stem, five feet three inches broad, and two feet deep, were Mr. Samuel Bar- gus, master j Lieutenant Colonel George Cooke, of the first rogiment of guards; the boatswain, sail-maker, and seven sea**- men ; in all eleven persons. The only provisions we had time to save consisted of between forty and fifty pounds of biscuit, one demijeaa (five gallons) of water, a small jug of the same, and part of a small barrel of spruce beor, one demijean of rum, a few •bottles of port wine, with two compasses, a quadrant, a spy-glas5, a «nall tin mue, and a wine glass. The deck-lantern, containing a few spare candles, had also been thrown into the boat ; and the cook hav- ing taken the prccawtion to secure his tinder-box, together with some matches that were kept in a bladder, we were thus enai- bled to steer by night. . The wind was blowing strong from the westward, with a hea- vy sea, and the day had just dawned. Estimating ourselves to be at the distance of 350 mileis from St. John's, in Newfound- land, with a prospect of a coHti nuance of westerly winds, it was necessary to observe the most rigid economy. I represented to my companions in misfortune, thut our fesoiution, once taken, ought, on no account, to be abandoned,, and that we m«i8t be- gin by submitting to privations, which {foresaw would be gi eater than I ventured to explain.. To <*ch person^ therefore, were served out half a biscuit and a glass of wine, which was to be the whole allowance for the ensuing twenty-four bouiv, all agreeing to leav« Um w«t«r untouched as long as possible* II IS. THE LOSS OF 1 i t lif i! ^ lj.fi: I,! While we were employed in getting out the boats, I had or- dered the master to throw inip the cutter the maiii-hatcb tar- paulin, wL^ch being afterwards cut into lengths, enabled vs to ibrni a teriporary bulwark against the waves. I had also rc« minded the carpenter to carry with him as many tools as he could ; accordingly, among other things, he had put a tew nails into his pockets, with which we repaired the gun-wale of the cutter that had been stove in hoisting her out. Soon after day- light, wc made sail with the jolly-boat in tow, and stood close hauled to the northward and westward, in the hope of reaching the coast of Newfoundland, or being picked up by some vessel. We passed two islands of ice nearly as large as the fii-st; then said prayers, and returned thanks to God for our deliverance. At noon we were, by observation, in latitude 46* 33 N. St. John's bearing about W. | N. distant 350 miles. ' ' Wedne^sday, June the 29th, was ushered in with sad variable winds from the southward and eastward. We had passed a long and sleepless night, and at tlie dawn of day I found myself with twenty-eight persons looking up to me with anxiety for the direction of their course, and likewise for the distribution of their scanty allowance. Upon examining our provisions, we found the bag of biscuit much damaged by salt water; it there- fore became necessary to diminish the allowance, to which pro- caution all cheerfully assented. It was at this moment that I became more sensible to the horrors of our situation. We ail returned thanks to Providence for past mercies, and offered up prayers for our future safety. A thick fog soon afterwards came on ; it continued the whole day with heavy rain, which, as we had no means of collectiua; it, afforded us no relief. Our crowded and exposed situation was now rendered still more distressing from being thoroughly wet, no person having been permitted to take more than a great coat, or a blanket, besides the clothes on his back. The oars in both boats were kept constantly going, steering a W.N.W. course, every one anxiously looking for a sail. At noon, a quarter of a biscuit and a glass of rum were served to etch person. St. John's bore W. by N. \ N. distant 310 miles : no observation. One of the ladies again read prayers to u«, particularly that for deliverance after a storm. At day-break, on Thursday, June the SOih, we were all so benumbed with wet and extreme cold, that half a glass of rum and a mouthful of biscuit wo "^rved out to each pcrsen. The ladies, who had before rv'fu5<.a to taste th« spirits, were now THE LADY HOBART. 15 prevailed upon to take the stated allowance, -wiiich afforded them much benefit, and enabled tiiem the better to resist the se- verity of the weather. The air was raw and cold, with thick fog and sleet, and the sea mostly calm. W^ had kept at our oars all night, and continued to row during the whole of this day. The jolly boat having untbrtunately put off from the ship with only three oars, and having but a small sail, which had been converted from a fore-sail into a top-^aJliint steering sail, without needles or twine, we weroobligt d to keep her constantly in tow. The cutter having lik( wise lost two of her oars, in hoisting out , was now so deep in the water, that with the least sea sho made little way. so that we wcie unable to profit much by the light winds. *. . ^ > One of the m n in the jolly boat called out that they had found part of a cold ham, which had not been discovered before; a morsel, about the size of a nutmegs was immediately distri- buted 1^0 each person, and the remainder was thrown overheard, as I was fearful lest it might increase our thirst, which we had not the means of assuaging. At noon vv^ judged ourselves to he on the north eastein «idge of the Grand EUmk, St. John's bearing VV. b', N. J N. distant 246 miks. No observation. Performed divine service. During the greater part of Friday, July the let, it blew a hard gale of wind from theW.S.VV. with a heavy sea from the same quarter. A thick fog and *leet continu d the whole day, the weather wiis excessive cold, and the epray of the sea n a- dered our situation truly deplorable. We all felt a nu st piiin- i'ul depression of spirits: the want of nourishment, tog* ther with the continued cold and wet weather, liad rendered us al- most incapable of exertion. The very confimd space in the boat would not allow us to stretch our limbs, and several of the men, whose feet were much swelled, called out repeatedly for water. I reminded them of the resolution we had made, and of the absolute necessity of pei'severing in it; they acknowknlged the propriety of my refusal to comply with their desire, and tha water remain* d untouched. At tht beginning of the gale we stood tf the northward aud westward ; but the cutter whs so low in the water, and had shipped so much sea, that we were obliged to carry off the jolly boat's t(^w-rope, and very soon lost sight ot her in ihe fog. This unfortunate circumstance caused all of us the utmost distress^ the uncertainty of ever again meeting our cunpanions in niis- I'urtune, poduccd in us the most lively itfii4C(UMi, To ad, aack I, who sk ad" Iriura, t such Jhav« lie had rvive or ipeedily re com- and tk« icing in he fatal A very heavy gale of wtnd came on from the southward, ■with a tremendous sea, so that the utmost vigilance was neces- sary in managing the helm, as the smallest deviation would have broached the boats to, and. kaye hurried us to destruction. We scudded before it, expectiijtg every returning wave to overwhelm us ; but through the providence of Almighty God, we weathered the storm, which began to abate towards night. We had nearly run the distance we had supposed ourselves from St. John's; but the • thickness of the fog prevented our seeing to any distance. \ ; Towards evening we pawed several pieces of rock-we6d, alid goon '.ifterwards Captain Thomas, saw tiie wing of a hackdoWn» an aquatic bird that frequents the coast of Newfoundland, and is much eaten by the fishermen. This circumjitancc inspired us with great hopes of our approaching th« land, and every per- son was employed in attentively observing what passed the bcwta. About this time a beautiful white bird, web-footed, and not unlike a dove in size and plumage, hovered over the masthead of the cutter, and notwithstanding the pitching of the boat» fre- quently attempted to perch on it, and continued to flutter there till dark. TriHing as this circumstance may appear, it was cbnftidcrcd by us all as a propitious omen ; its leaving us, and returning to cheer us with its presence, awakened in us a su- perstition to which sailors are said to be at all times too much addicted. As we had every reason to cenclude ourselves well in with the laud, the few who were able to move were called upon to make a last exertion to save their lives by rowing, and take advantage of the little breeze we then had. It was strongly urged, that should the wind come off the shore in the morning, and drive us to leeward, all efforts to regain it might be too late ; for inde- pendent of our enfeebled state, the provisions could not, with the most rigid economy, last more than two days ; nor could th» vvater which had remained untouched, excepting in the in- stances before mentioned, hold out much longer. We had heert six days and nights, constantly wet and cold, without any otlicr sustenance than a quarter of a biscuit and one wine-glass of liqwid f:)r twenty-four hours ; but the men, who had appeared totally indifferent to their fate, now summoned resolution, and as many as were able to mov» from the bottom of the boat* ap- plied to the Oars. Monday, July the 4th, at the dawn of day, the fog grew so thick ~^hat wc could not see far from the boat. During the IS THE LOSS OF ji 1 'I night we had been wndor the mcossity ofcasting ofi the jolly- boat's tow rope, to induce. hor crew to exert thrnis(>lv(s by row- ing. Wc iostsight of her, and 1 found that this unlucky acci- d(Hit bogan to freate great uneasiness ; we were, indeed, so redu- ced, tliat the most trifling remark or pxclamation agitated us much. I therefore thought it necessary to caution the |^eople against being deceived by the appearance of land, or calling out till we were j>erfectly convinced of its reality, especially as fog-banks are often mistaken for land. Several of the poor fellows, how- ctWr, repeatedly exclaim^d that they heard breakers, and otiirrs, the firing of guuS. The sounds certainly resembled the latter so much, that I concluded some vcsfeel had' got on shore, and was making signals of distress; but thp^ noise afterwards proved to b,c «the blowing of whales, *f which wc saw a great number. J Soon after day-light the sun rose in view for the second time is'mce we quitted the wreck. During the period of seven days that we were in the boats, we never had an opportunity of taking an observation, either of thfc sun, moon, or Mai's, nor of drying our clothes. The fog at length began to disperse, and we caught a glimpse of the land, about a mile distant, between Kettle Cove and Island Cove, in Conception Bay, fourteen leagues from the harbour of St. .John. Almost at the same moment we had the inexpressible satisfaction to discover the Jolly boat and a schooner standing oft* towards us from the shore. I wish it were possible for me to describe our sensations at this interesting moment ; the prospect of a speedy relief from our sufferings, affected us all in a most remarkable way. Many burst into teal's, some looked at each other with a stupid stare, ifdoubtfulof the reality of what they saw; while several re- mained in such a lethargic state, that no language, however animating and consolatory, could rouse them to exertion. At this moment, though overpowered by my own sensations, impressed with the recollection of our sufferings, and the sight of so many deplorable objects, 1 proposed to ofter up our thanks to hfcaven for our miraculous deliverance. Every one cheer- fully assented, and as soon as I opened the prayer-book, which I had secured the last time I went down to my cabin, an uni- versal silence prevailed : a spirit of devotion was manifested in •uch a striking manner on this occasion, that» to a sense of re- ligiOH'in uncultivated minds, must be ascribed the disciplme, good order, and exertion, which even the sight of land could not THE LADY HOB ART. li> protliico. Aftrr performing this solemn duty, the people re- quested to have a pint of gro^ each ; but I'eiirhil ofthe conse- quences of such indulc;onee, I mixed some rum and water very w<'ak,nt which I distrib ited to every (me a small quantity. The schooner being now within hail, and being made ac- quainted with our situation, she hove to, received us on board, and took our boats in tow. The men could now scarcely be restrain* d from taking copious and repeated draughts of water : in consequence of which- si'veral felt' oreat inconveniejice from the su(klen distension of their sto- machs ;vbut being more cautious afterwards, no other ill effects: ensued. 'iu^t**;; A$ the wind blew with great violence off the coast, we did no>t' roach the landing place, at Island Cove, till four o'clock in the. evening. All tli^Mvomen and children in the village, with two or three fishermen, (the rest -of the mtn being a])scnt,) repaired to the beach, :,uu ..^.peurcd to be deeply affected at our wretched situation. They assisted in lifting us out of the vessel, ajid in carrying u» up the cragi^y rocks, over which we were obliged to pass in order to. reach their habitations. It was fortunate that xve fell in with the land about Island Covfc ; the coast, a very few miles farther to the northward, be- ing inaccessible, and lined with dangerous reeff ofrocks^^for which, if we had seen them in tho nighty wo should certainly have pushed. Our situation had bccoino so desperate, that f had resolved to land nt the first place we could niako, and in tliis case we must have all perislicd. ^ The three ladies, Colonel Cooko, Captain Thomas, and my* self, were conducted to the house of Mr. Lilly, a planter, who jteceived us with great attention and humanity. But as this small village afforded neither medical aid nor fresh provisioite, of whiiQlTiwc stood so mluch in need (potatoes and salt iish being the only foo*l of thelinhahita.its) I resolved to lose nd time in pro*- Ceoding tfck^^t'.John's, and hired a small schooner for that purpose* Placing thcvfiiost infirm in the schooner, we embarked on the '7tli of July, int^irci'- divisions; the master's mate having cbargtt of the cutter, and the boatswain of the jolly boat. Such,.httw- eVcf,' was the exliktisWd state of almost the whole party, -that thedh^^vas considerably lulyanced before we could. get :u«dfcr weigh'.' ''* .,j ' . .- .'i #4.- ^ At t\Vot';M. wo made siifil' with the jolly-boat in tow,, and thecuttcrin '^' ' * land with a ih'O'qmpany, 8tandmg"along the c*»nst of Newtbuhdt a faWutabie breeze. 'I^bwards dusk it began to blow B 2 20 THE LOSS Oir ■,!■■ 4:- •II' hard, in squalls off the land, when we lost sight of the cutter, and wore soon afterwards obris;ed to come to anchor outside of St, Joh»*s harbour. We cntiTtained great apprehensions, for the safety of the cutter, as she had no grapnel, and feared that she might be driven out to sea. The ladies, Colonel Coioke, Captain Thomas, and myself, conducted by Mr. Lilly in the jolly-boat, left the schooner where she anchored, notwithstanding the badness as well as the extreme darkness of the i ht, and reached the shore about mid- night. After wandering lor some time about the streets, there being no house open ;.*: that late hour, we at length obtained admittance into a small house, where we passed the remainder of the night on chairs, as it contained but one miserable bed for the ladies. , At day-light we had the satisfaction to perceive the cutter apd schooner entering the harbour ; the former, as we after- wards learned, ha%*ing had the good forture to fall in with a fishing vessel, to which she made fast during the night. . Early in the morning, our circumstances being made known, hundreds of people crowded down to the landing place. No- Ihinp could exceed their astonishment, when they saw the boats which had cii^rred twenty-nine persons such a distance over a boisterous sea ; and when they beheld so many miserable ob- jects, th^y were unable to conceal their emotions of pity and concern. I waited on Brigadier General Skerrit, who com* manded the garrison: upon being informed of our situation, he immediately ordered down a party of soldiers to take the people out of the boats, and with the utmost kindness and hu- manity, directed beds and every necessary article to be prepared for the crew. . The greatest caution was found necessary in administering nott- rishmcnt to the men. Several were so much frost-bitten as to require constant surgical attendance. It was therefore cktermi- ned that they should continue at St. John's till they were in a fit state to be removed to Halifax, for which purpoSb 1 hired a schoouer. Being anxious to-feturn to England, 1 ei^^d the cabin of a small vi-ssel bound to Oporto, and on the 1 1 th of July embarlf- ed with Mrs. FcUoWes, Colonel Cooke, Captain Thomas, Mr. Bai^us the master, and the colonel's servant, who, during the voyage hojne, lost several of his tort, in consequence of what he had suftercd. I left the ship'l company in chafgis of the mas-, ter's mall', with directions to Conduct them t& Halifax, where THE LADY HOBART. ei they would hi enabled to procure a spebdy conveyance to their ovirn country. .'.''' '^* ^*'''*''' ', . iJj, :. n* tta\ing taken leave of Hiir 1tojfpital)le friends at St. Johifti^', and, recominondin^ the cOmpanidus of our^ hardships to then- protection, we put to sea with favourable Avetither. During a voyage of fifteen days, wc Had n' fe\v diHiculti^s to encoutiter, such as pumping conlinuany,tlie vessel ,having'«prung a !Cak in a gale of wind, and tverc oblijcd to throw ovefboard a consi- derable part of her cargo of salt fish. ' • • ■ - - ' On the 26th of July we fell irt wiih ftY? Ameffcan ship, ^the Bristol Trader of New York. The owner, JMr. Wifiiam Gowley, being made acquainted with our distressed situation, and our having been shipwrecked, immediately hove to, r^ceivcti lA on board with a benevolence and humanity that reflect honout on his character, and brought us safe to Bristol, whtre weh^ the happiness to arrive on the 2d of August. ?> vv^w^ Re erring to the above interesting narrativ*c,^articuUrly to the effects of despondency and delirium in thecaseof (Hepfoor French captain, who, in the height of his disotaer threw hi riisHf ovcrbo&rd, and' instantly went to the bottorti j^-^lo th'ebott^s company who wt^ deeply affi?cted by a circumsttihc^ that wfis sufficient to render their irritable slate more painful; aiiid to the case of the captain, who was seized with s«jch tn^latRchofy, a» to lose all recoUectiotiof his situation for rn^ny bo^pj; achorA- panied wiihviolentshrverings, which tetuni^'d at ittt^tWk, that made his state very alarming, Mr. Vau^hdn ma{^ the fblldir- irig j udicious observations f " Skcpihg^in the swj, or being ex- posed to nightly dews, should be avoided as ' mtich as ciri?tiiti- stanccs will p^mit. It should fclso bc'^reriiarked, that t change of cnttfatd Or of seasons render this wcomBiwidA'^oli ^advisable under given tcstrictionsj as doctor Solander and othrfs liave cautiont d seamen against sleep, when exposed to^xtrt^mefy Cold situations; as under those cases itgehtt-ally ends Avith sieejjing to ifise no more. ^ : " - -ixi'/ 1. J iis It shoiild hi remdrked tfifirt lekmen, with all their ftuctuatioiis of life, l^avcmore blessings, provisions, and consolations, to sup- port them thi'oitigh all their troubles, thftn many ottKh* classes of men. 'fhdf element, though boistirdo*?; is often a tt^f^quil ohe J and it jt^^y can but weather theitCape of Oodtl Hop^, they Ikundh'thbirHttle bark ihto tranqtiil ^iras iift«-«c% cH- » -J 'I 22 /; TH£ LOSS OF, ^ J- Ml V 4 jij, .j! , i ,,'f Mi itrengthened by consolation and comparhon that their situations are frequently hot worie, nor even so bad, as their neighboufs. The greatest struggle of man is often with himself; but, when roused to conduc|. by the examples and exertions of others, he then feels what Jie can do, and what he can do without. That thoujjh he is in many respects the least defended and protected as jto body, and the most dependent of all creatures, yet he is foi}nd living Jjnder every climate; that he can better sustain hunger, thirit) and fatigue, the changes of climate, .heat and coidy and bend himself more to the transitions of life, and its w^ts and djltresses than most animals. The cffec^ of hunger and thirst are greatly overeomc, when the appreltensions about them are banished ; and we find that ^Iptains Ing^^eld, Bligh, and Woodward, always discouraged det|^»idency : and by giving other pursuits to the humaa mind, men were frequently diverted from gloomy objects ; and when thus roused, tflcy have often been strong enough to surmount tli&^rcatest difficulties. Wo often see men with courage, bra- ving (janger in ))attles and enterprises, and risking life to save a life o^ a wreck J but who* st^lf- wrecked, until roused, they arc often ftpt to shrink into despondency, from the want of labour and s^f exertion, : , ' • Vf^^e u^rlr^nai -^ d, -. ^-jmAr^^u'-.^l-; It frequently hiu>p,enE, that, after the n^t panic and exertions in cascs^ shipwrcQks are over, there is then hut little expendi- tuFe of stjpQngth ; ^|^t smooth sailing saves labour ; and from tli4; want o| hodily exjcrtions, the calls for subsistence consider- ably lessen,. By habit, the bi>dy may also J}e brought to do witti less and less i^p ; and the same also mgiy be found of food, ^o|h as to quantum and quality ; and in this collec- tion^ and in numberless voyages they are the strongest proofs of how «nuv)l a quantity of either will sustain the, lainp of life for a long period. Thirst ai^pcais to be of a more distressing nature Ih^vn hun- ger ; but various instances are produced to show how iiJV|ch it has, and may be allayed only by the preservation of moisture in the mouth, when there has been no other means of satisfying the j)res8ing c^^ls of nature; as a tea-spoonful oif Winter, wihe,pr spiifits, in the ca^cs of an Inglefu>ld, Bli^, and others, cur even < drops of perspiration from the human body, as .in the case of Mr. Holwell while in the Black Hole of Calcutta, have /or a length of time satisfied those calls, so as to secure . the prescry^tioji of life. Tlie moistening, c^f thptnouth/alone, V tW ringing of , it wiih any liquid, or ev^o w|thk ||^water rm ati th( cdi 4* THE LADY UOBART. 23 without swallowing any of it, have in many cases been found to produce the most salutary effects ; and it may have fallen fre- quently within the observation of many men, when exhausted or heated in very warm weather to have complained greatly of thirst, but who have not been able t« quench it by great draughts of liqui^. The sensations of it have continued until the body itself has been restored to its natural tone, or until moisture has been produced in the mouth to allay it. Innumerable instances might be produced of sbipwrecKs and accidents that confirm these facts ; and also cases of ships be- ing lost, or locked up in ice in the North Seas and Hudson's Bay, where men of different nations have been hutted for months under ground, to guard against the inclemency of frost and snow, who have survived every hardship from want of fbpd, fuel, and water; and also where men and animals have been buried in snow, or fallen into pits, mines, caverns, and other places, who have been miraculously preserved for a length of time without sustenance, or, if any, on the slightest pittance pos- sible, and that frequently more from a little moisture than from' food. ; / 'iy:-hi- Seamen have also great encouragement given to them from other considerations : when they see that others, by having bra- ved the greatest hardships and severities, frequently find a strength added to those claims which merit, bravery, and other services, have entitled them to from their country ; and that many have Jived to enjoy promotions and situations in life ho- nourable and respectable, which they never would have enjoyeA had they al^ndoned themselves to despondency and despaiv. In private life we have seen a Woodward fortunate enough, to command the very ship in which he had been a mate before.his misfortunes ; a Wilson, after the loss of his ship, and friendly reception at the Pclew Islands^ returning home a^d command- ing the Warley, oneof, the largest class of shi{3S ifi lite Indi^ Company's service;, and a Fcllowes meriting, everyn^tteikijDn from the Postmasters general :-«-w|iilc in the navy.an Itigle- fiel4 is a living testimony of his own miraculous eaeapey and enjoying the reward of gallant and meritoj-ious services iA the appointment of a comr issioner in the navy, at Gibraltar, du- ring the last war, and now filling the same hopouroUe liiu. ation as commissioner at Hajifs^x; a Riou lived t^emiiAiaiid the Amazon off Copenhagen, w^^e^e he lost hia life ;uiil»44li& country is now raising a.pubhc 'monument to l^ismem0iy (I arid a Boys, from a midshipman, livfd to bei;<^'l«v^ted tQ tb^sitiiMMi ei lieutenant governor of Greenwich HospitaJ. s? r/r*;aoii ^a/.i r:r II « ';!> )^!l ^ 1.(1 4, kV* «> I A*%gi -«( • »4 .'.TV » '^ ^ - iAhms^m CURIOUS PARTICULARS '^rjf.rf^«v. ■ Emamiel S(>sa and his Wzfe,']^ J* Who W(Te Shipwrecked on the East Coast of Africa. It.! HE hero of this nftrrativo, d^sccnd^'t! from orw 6f the tnost lUKtf itt an4 distinguished families of Portugal, obtained great repntation in the Indies, by his conragt^ and talents. About th« imddlie of the sixteenth century he obtained the government «f the citadd of Di«, a post givon only to officers of merit and tried valour. This situation he held several years, till conceiv- ing aain^esenstible desire to revisit bis native land, he embark- ed a(t the port of Cochin; The vessel in which he sj ifed had on board, the wealth he had amassed, together tvith the officer* Slid passeng;ers *'ho accompanre ^ ihiOh the i»th of April they discovered the coast ftfCaffi^riV; ifosra '^lOice th*y ' pH>ce^ded, withfttlt accident, ' to tlf^ Ciafite of Good If opCj MWwh a north wind that aTOs