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NEW YORK HURST AND COMPANY P[JBLI8HBR8 l fy]< [>» HW I .<' l »H| l> Ml l| .l l iiMl. ' «''""W*""»'-,l ' - li "'-" ' H"-"" l " '' "' "" ' .""I ' - .l i ij i'' "' ■". ' M l . H I .' f- 'lr -A 'W \t 4\. ^ ^f CONTENTS. W % ' 4\ ■ 'i »-'. m Shipwreck of the Frances Mary « . - • f Loss c! uie Ship Albion on the Coast of Irebad - «S Loss of the Ship Logan by fire - • • • 8 Loss of the Ship Margaret, of Salem • • « 10 Burning of the Kent, East Indiaman • - f4 Loss of the Ship Boston, by fire - • • - 81 Loss of the whale Ship Essex, of Nantucket, and the suosequent sufferings of the crew • • - 84 Narrauve of the wreck of the English Ship Isabella • 86 Explosion of the U. S. Steam Frigate Fulton • •41 Skeleton of the wreck • - • * • 4f Explosion of the Steamboat Helen Mc'GregCir - 44 Loss of the Ship Beverly, by fire • •' 49 Loss of the Ship Hercules on the coast of Caffiraria, and thb sufferings of the crew on their journey to the Cape of Good Hope - - - - • - 51 De9cnpti.on of a storm at Set - • • • .79 WreoK of the Brig Commerce on the Wentan cotat of Afirica ..•..•• 88 The Spanish Wreck The Fatal Repsit Denojw - lit • 118 • in Vlli CONTENTS. I' I- - I 1 Narrative of Oap^ W. L. Cazneaii - - . 130 The Mam-Truck, or a Leap for Life - - . 134 The Frigate Constitution - - - • • 143 Loss of the British Ship Hibernia ... 153 Mutiny of the Sliip Bounty - - - - 155 Narrative of Oapt. Lincoln « * - - 109 Narrative of John R JeweU, of the Ship Boston, taken '"^'yllie "Savages at Nootka Sound * - - 207 A Monkey Trick • - - - - 286 The Eddystone Lighthouse - • - - • 286 A Polite Sea Robber - - 290 Forty-five Days Sufferings -►---• 293 The Pirate'a -Treasure - - - - - . 299 Wreck of the Cumberland Packet - - - 316 Loss of the Brig Sally - « " - 319 Sufferings of Ephraim How - - - « ' 321 Voyage from Halifax to Bermuda , - ^ 323 Loss of the Transport Hurpooner - - - 327 A Tale of the Sea - - - - ' - 331 Loss of the Lady of the Lake - - ■> « 834 'if . TMl n^ BOOR OF THE OCEA.N. ..if*.- /... SHUnVRKC^K OK niK FRANCES MART The Frances ]NIa» y wfi.s a new Hhip, of about 400 tons' bur- then, commanded by (^apt. Kendall, and bound from New Brunswick to Liverpool, laden with timber. We publish the following particulars of ()ii» dreadful disaster as related by Capt. Kendall. Sailed from St. Johns, N. B., Jan. 18, 1826. Feb. 1, strong gales from the W. N. W., — carried away the main-topmast and mizzen-mast head ; — hove to, — got boat's sails in the main rigging, to keep the ship to the wind. At 1 1 , P. M. shipped a heavy sea, which washed away the cabouse, jolly boat, and disabled five men. Feb. 2, cleared away the wreck and made sail before the wind^ strong breezes. Feb. 5, 11 , A. M., strong g lies, with a heavy sea; clewed up the sails and hove to, head to the southward;^ — shipped a sea, which carried away the long boat, companion, tiller, the best bower chain, unship- ped the rudder, and washed a man overboard, who was after- wards saved. At 10, P. 31. another heavy sea struck us, which stove in our stern. Cut away our foremast and both bower anchors, to keep the ship to the wind. Employed in getting what provision we could, by knocking out the bow port; Raved 50 lbs. of bread and 5 lbs. of cheese, which we stowed m the maintop. Got the master's wife and female passenger up, whilst we were clearing away below, lightening the ship, most of the people slept in the top. At daylight, found Pat- rick Conney hanging by his legs to the catharpins, dead from fatigue; — compiit-ted his body to the deep, Feb. 6, at 8, A. M., sav/ a strange sail standing lowards ua, made signals of distress, — stranger spoke us, and remained in ff^4HVKQE9V lU Til fRA^ClS MAftT company S4 houri, but gave us no asBistance; the American making an excuse that the sea was running too high Made a tent of spare canvass on the forecastle — put the people on an allowance of quarter of a biscuit a day. Feb. 8, saw a brig to 'eeward — strong gales. Feb. 9, 10 A. M., observed the jame 'essei to windward — made the signal of distress ; stranger liore up and shewed American colors. Feb. 10, he spoke us, asking how long we had been in that situation, and what va intended to do, — if we intended leaving the ship.^ Answered yes He then asked if we had any rigging? Answered yes. Night coming on, and blowing hard, saw no more of the stran- ger. Suffered from hunger and thirst. On this 11th, saw a large .ship to the northward — did not speak her; — wore head to the northward. At this time all our provisions were out, suffered much from hunger, having received no nourishment for nine days. Feb. 1^, departed this life, James Clark, seaman, — read prayers, and committed his body to the deep. We were at this time on a half gill of water a day, and suffered much from hunger. During the whole period of being on the wreck we were wet from top to toe. Feb. 22, John Wilson, seaman, died at 10, A. M.; preserved the body of the deceased, cut him up in quarters, washed them over- board, and hung them up on pins. Feb. 23, J. Moore died, and was thrown overboard, having eaten pari of him, such as the liver and heart. From this date to Saturday, dth of March, the followi .umber perished from hunger, viz . Henry Davis, a We». . boy, Alex. Keliey, seaman, John Jones, ap- prentice boy, nephew of the owner, James Frier, cook, Daniel Jones, seaman, John Hutchinson, seaman, and John Jones, a boy — threw the last named overboard his blood being bkt.er. James Frier was working his passage home, under a pro- mise of marriage to Ann Saunders, the female passenger who attended on the master's wife, and who, when she heard of Frier's death, shrieked a loud yell, then snatching a cup from Clerk, the mate, cut her late inten(^ed husband's threat and drank his blood ! insisting that she had the greatest right to i . A scuffle ensued, but the heroine got the better of her adversary and then allowed him to drink •ne cup to hei two. Feb. 26, on or about this day an English brig hove m sight hoisted the ensign downward, stranger hauled his wind towards us, and hauled his for3sail up wnrn abreast of us; kept his counM aiODUt one mile distant — set bis foresail, and we soob. 43L f >eing cup lire at 'ight her hei TU FkiJfCKf MAKT 11 Mi. lost sight of him — fresh breeze with a little rain-^the sea quite smooth, but he went off having shown English coloro Had he at thia time taken us otf the wreck, much of the sub sequent dreadful suffering would have l)een spared us. March 7. His B. M. ship Blonde came m sight, and to our relief, in lat. 44, 43, North, long. 31, 57, W. Words are quite inadequate to express our feelings, as well as those which Lord Byron and our deliverers most evidently possess* ed, when they had come to rescue six of their fellow crea- tures, two of them females, from a most awful, lingering, but certain death. It came on to blow during the night a fresh gale, which wouid no doubt have swept us all overboard. Lieut Gambler came in the ship's cutter to bring us from the wreck. He observed to us, '* You have yet, I perceive, fresh meat." To which we were compelled to reply, " No sir, it is part of a man, one of our unfortunate crew, — it was our intention to put ourselves on an allowance even of this food this evening, had not you come to our relief." The master's wife, who underwent all the most horrid sufferings which the human understanding can imagine, bore them much better than could possibly have been expected. She is now, al- hough much emaciated, a respectable good looking woman, about 25 years of age, and the mother of a boy 7 years old. But what must have been the extremity of want to which she was driven, when she ate the brains of one of the apprentices, saying it was the most delicious thing she ever tasted ; and it is still more melancholy to relate, that the person, whose brains she was thus forced by hunger to eat, had been three times wrecked before, but was providentially picked up by a vessel, afler being 2*2 days on the wreck, water logged: but in the present instance, he perished, (having survived similar sufferings for a space of twenty nine days,) and then became food for his remaining shipmates ! Ann Saunders, the other female, had more strength in her calamity than most of the men. She performed the duty of cutting up and cleaning the dead bodies, keeping two knives for the purpose in her monkey jacket; and when the breath was announced to have flown, she would sharpen her knives, bleed the deceased in the neck, drink his blood, and cut him up as usual. From want of water, those who perished drank their own urine and salt water. They became foolish, and crawled tipon their hands round the deck when they conld, fund died, generally, raving mad ! / 12 THB SHIP AliBIOK. After floating about tbe Ooeau for some months, this ill-fated vessel was fallen in with by tiu Eugliwh ship, and carried into Jamaica, where she was refitted, and again sent to sea. The putrid remains of human bo;-Ai- :;;-' Crkw. John Williams, captain, drowned; Henry Canimyer» first mate, laved ; Edward Sirith, 2d mate, drowned ; William Hyate, boatswain, saved ; Alexander Adams, carpenter, Harman Nelson, Harnian Richard ■on, Henry Whittrell, William Trisserly, James Wiley, Robert Mc Lellan, and Thomas Goodman, drowned ; John Sim? >n, John Richards, Francis Bloom, and Ebenezer Warner, saved ; Samuel Wilson and William Snow, boys, drowned ; William Dockwood, drowned, body found and interred * Hierom Raymond, saved ; Lloyd Potter, Samuel Fanny, stewards, and Francis Isaac, boy, blacks, all drowned; Thomas Hill and Adam Johnson, cooks, blacks, both drowned, bodies found and interred. Cabin Passengers. W. Everhart, Esq. of Chester, Penn, saved. Lieut. Col. Augustine J. Prevost, Maj. William Gough, of the 6Sth re- Siment ; Rev. G. R. G. Hill, last from Jamaica ; Nelson Ross, of Troy f. Y. ; William H. Dwight, of Boston ; Mr. Beynon, of London ; Pro- fessor Fisher, of New Haven College; Mr. William Proctor, of New York,' Mr. and Mrs. Hyde Clark, Mrs. Pye and Miss Powell, of Canada, daugh- ter of Judge Powell, all drowned, (bund and interred ; Mr. A. B. Con> vers, of Troy, N. Y., and Madame Gardiner and son, of Paris, drowned; (Madame G's body was found and interred;) five French gentlemen, names unknown, (except Mr.VictorMillicent) dxoivned, found and interred Steerage Passenqgrs. Stephen Chase, of Canada, saved ; Mrs Mary Brereton, and Mary Hunt, drowned, found and interred; Mr. Har risen, carpenter, Mr. Baldwin, cotton spinner, from Yorkshire, £ng., ant- Dr. Carver, a veterinary surgeon, drowned. Four bodies were also found and interred that coul J not bt recognised The following account of the wreck of the Albion was ccz>- municated *.o the Editor of the Village Record, of Chcsiei, Penn , by William Everhart, Ksq., after his return to the United States. Mr. Everhart, it will be recollected, wa.s th<^' only oabin passenger who was saved, out of twenty three per- sons. As his statement atfords some additional particulars of the disaster that may be interesting, wr publish it entire. Mr Everhart says, that up to the 2 1st of April, the voyag*; had been prosperous and pleasant for the season, though tie IhuI himself lufiered much from sea-sickness, and wis umosi u TWt «W»» ALBION eonstantly confined to his room. The storm of the day it was supposed, was over ; they were near to the coast, and all hands flattered themselves that in a short time they should reach their destined harbor; but about 9 o'clock in the even- ing a heavy sea struck the ship, swept several seamen from th^ deck, carried away her masts, and stove in her hatchways, so that every wave which passed over her, ran into the hold without any thing to stop it, — the railings were carried away^ and the wheel which aided them to steer. In short, that fata/ wave lefl the Albion a wreck. She was then about 20 milea from the shore, and Capt. Williams steadily and coolly gave his orders; he cheered the passengers and crew with the hope that the wind would shift, and before morning blow offshore. The sea was very rough, and the vessel unmanageable ; and the passengers were obliged to bo tied to the pumps, that they might work them. All who could do no good on deck, retired below, but the water was knee deep in the cabin, and the fur- niture floating about, rendered the situation dangerous and dreadful. All night long the wind blew a gale, directly on shore, to- wards which the Albion was drifting, at the rate of about three miles an hour. The complete hopelessness of their situation was known to few except Capt. Williams The coast was familiar to him ; and he must have seen in despair and horror throughout the night, the certainty of their fate. At length the ocean, dashing and roaring upon the precipice of rocks, told them that their hour was come. Capt. Williams sum- moned all on deck, and briefly told them that the ship must soon strike ; it was impossible to preserve her. Mr. Ever- hart says, that he was the last that left the cabin. Professor Fisher was behind, but he is confident that he never came on deck, but perished below. Some, particularly the females, expressed their terror in wild shrieks. Major Gough, of the British army, remarked, that '* dv.ath, come as he would, was an inwelcome messenger, but that they must meet him like men " Very little was said by the others; the men waited the expected shock in silence. Gen. Lefebvre Desnouetts, dur- ing the voyage had evidently wished to remain without par- ticular observation ; and to prevent his being known^, besides taking passage under a feigned name, had suffered his beard to grow during the whole voyage. He had the misfortune, before the ship struck, to be much bruised, and one of bis arms was broken, which disabled him from 'xcrtion if it cc i!d tMV been availing It is not possible to ooirceivc Ibe hor r'^ nU tHir ALBION 19 .ver- jssor le on [ales, the was like the Idur- par- lidcs 5ard me, bis i!d : ip f^' f ( K}n 01 their situation. The deadly and relentless blast im" pellin^ them to destruction ; the ship a wreck ; the ragins of the biflcws against the precipice, on which they were driving, sending back from the caverns and the rocks, the h< arse and melancholy warnings of death, dark, cold and wet ! In such a situation the stoutest heart must have quaked in utter de- spair. When there is a ray of hope, there may be a corres- ponding buoyance of spirit. When there is any thing to be cicne, the active rjan may drown the sense of danger while actively exerting himself: but here there was nothing to do but to die ' Just at the grey of dawn the Albion struck. The perpendicular precipice of rocks is nearly two hun- dred feet in height ; the sea beating for ages against it has worn large caverns in its base, into which the waves rushed violently, sending back a deep and hollow sound, then run- ning out in various directions, formed whirlpools of great vio- lence. For a perch or two from the precipice, rocke rise out of the water, broad at bottom and sharp at top ; on one of these the Albion first struck, the next wave threw her further on the rock, the third further still, uDtil nearly balanced, she swung round, and her stern was driven against another, near in shore. In this situation, every wave making a complete breach over her, many were drowned on deck. A woman, Mr. £verhart could not distinguish who, fell near him and cried for help. He left his hold and raised her up, — another wave came, but she was too far exhausted to sustain herself, and sunk on the deck. Fifteen or sixteen corpses, at one time, Mr. Everhart thought, lay near the bows of the ship. Perceiving now that the stern was higher out of water, and the sea had less power in its sweep over it, Mr. Everhart went aft. He now perceived that the bottom had been broken out of the ship. The heavy articles must have sunk, and the cotton and lighter articles were floating around, dashed by every wave against the rocks. Presently the ship broke in two, aad all those who remained near the bow were lost. Several froni the stern of the ship had got on the side o** tho precipice, and were hanging by the ciags as well as they could. Although weakened by previous sickness and pre- sent suffering, Mr. Everhart made an effort and got upon the rock and stood upon one foot, the only hold that he could ob- tain. He saw several around him, and among the rest. Col. Prevost, who observed, on seeing him take his station, '* here IS another poor fellow." But the ' ., '^ heavily •gainst them, and often dashing t^ie spr^^^ 1 , ^re theii 10 TBI aflir Looxir. headi^ graduallj swept t^io^e who had taken refuge ore bj one away; and one poor bellow losing his hold, grasped the leff of Mr. ETerhart, and nearly pulled him from his place Weak end sick as he was, Mr. Everhurt stood several hours on one foot on a little crag, the billows dasiiing over him, and he benumbed with cold. As soon as it was light, and the tide ebbed so as to render it possible, the people descended the recks as far as they could, and dropped him a rope, wiiich be fastened around his body and was drawn out to a pUice of sall'ly. Of twenty three cabin passengers ho alone es(M|>«Ml ! Mr. Kvcrhart mentions numerous instances of ibc kindne.ss shewn by the people to the survivors. A sailor was drawii ashore naked, and one of the peasants, aithuugb a cohi rain was falling, took the shirt from his own back, and [)ut a on (hat of the suflerer. Mr. Everhart himself was taken to the hospiiahle mansion of Mr. James B. Gibbens, where he lay for several weeks ex- ceedingly ill, receiving the kindest attention. " They could not have treated me more tenderly," said Mr. Everhart, " if I had been a brother." The attentions paid the survivors, were in the style of true Irish hospitality. Such disinterested kindness exalts the human character, and is calculated to have not a limited ef- fect, but will prove of national advantage This terrible wreck and loss of lives, and on the part of Mr. Everhart, such a miraculous preservation, e.xcited the f»ubUc sensibility throughout Europe and America. When he anded at Liverpool it was difficult for him to get along the streets, the people crowded around in such numbers to see the •nly passenger saved from the wreck of the Albion . rJ LOSS OF THE SHIP LOGAN BY FIRE The ship Logan, Captain Bunker, was struck by lightning, and consumed on her passage from Sav ^.nnah to lr, when the smoke became so dense that the men could stand it no longer. The hatches were then closed for the last time, and they continued throwing water through the holes that were cut, the fire still gaining so fast that no hope was left of saving the ship. The long boat was now ordered out, and 60 gallons of water and what provision could be obtained, put on board, when the officers and crew, 16 in number, embarked in her, (beirg in lat. 33 N. long. 66 \V.) having saved nothing but 1 chronometer and quadrant, and what clothes they stood in. The nearest land was the Island of JBermuaa, which bore about S. E., 100 miles distant, which they endeavored to reach, but the wind blowing heavy from W. S. VV., could not fetch it, but drifted to the eastward of it, when they fortu- nately fell in with the Grand Turk, and were rescued from a wacery grave, after having been in the boat five days, most which time it was blowing a gale. -Capt. INIadigan kindly took them on board, and treated them with every attentiog which their distressed situation required. i In THB SHIP MARGARET LOSS OF THE SHIP MARGARET, Of Saicm, wrecked at sea on the 21st of May, 1810. The following account was published by Capt. Fairfield, after hii arrival at Marblchead. We sailed from JNaples, homeward bound, on the 10th of April, with a crew, including officers, of fiftenn in number, together with thirty-one passengers, making forty-six in all, men and boys. We passed through the Gut of Gibraltar the 22d of April; nothing of moment occurred until Sunday, ^Oth May, when in lat. 40, N., long. 39, 30, W., having strong breezes of wind at S. E. and E. S. E. and rainy weather; at 10 A. M. took in royals, top-gallant studding-sails, fore and mizzen top-gallant-sails, jibs, staysails, and mainsail; at me- ridan, wind and weather continued as before mentioned; at 1 P. M. on the 21st, the foretopmast studding-sail haulyarda parted, the studding-sail fell overboard, (ill d with water, and carried away the studding-sail boom — we took in lower stud- ding-sail, spanker, and mizzen top-sail, by which time it be- came squally, and we immediately clewed down fore and main top-sail, and let fly the sheets — the wind shifted in an instant from E. S. E. to S. W., and although the helm was hard to weather, we could not get the ship before the wind, but was instantly hove on her beam ends. Every person on board the ship being at this time on deck, reached either the bottom oi side of the ship, and held on. We secured an axe, and im mediately cut away the weather lanyard of the shrouds, masta and long boat, which being done the ship righted, being full ot water, her hatches off, chests, water-casks, &c. driftuig amongst the wreck; tne guns, anchors, camboose, and every article on deck, we hove overboard to lighten the ship, and endeavored to clear the wreck of spars, rigging, &c which lay beating against her to windward; but our efforts were in vain, the starboard lanyards of the shrouds being deep under water, and Tast to the ship, and the sea making a continual breach over her : during this time the long boat lay beating among the wreck of spars, &c bottom up, the pinnace being wrecked entirely to pieces except her keel, and about three ■treaks of the boaids of her bottom, lay in the same situation as the long boat, and the stern boat lying at a small distance from the map, full of waier, with her gunwales torn off, butti I ^ t ^ A J HP ^ TBK SHIP MAROARIT tl 1 €> ^ Ds gtarted, and stern about half stove in. Tt was with the utmost difficulty that we bailed her out, and kept her so far free as to enable us to get a rope fast to the long boat, by which we hauled her alongside the ship, turned her over and found her to be badly stove, her gunwales and stem broken entirely olf, her wood ends and garberd streak open, and large holes in her bottom, so that we found it impossible to hail her out, and we were under the necessity of upsetting her again in the sea, with the hope of being able to stop a part of the holes in her bottom, which we in part effected by driving the butts togeth- er and by putting canvass, &c. into the largest holes in her bottom, after which we turned her over again, and by con- tinual bailing with every bucket, Sec. which we could pro- cure, we were enabled to keep her from sinking, still keeping under ♦he lee of the ship. By this time it was about 7 P. M., when the boat being hauled near to the ship for the purpose of getting canvass and oakum to stop the leak, as many m'^n as could reach the long-boat jumped into her, and finding the boat would be again sunk if We remained so near the ship, we werv obliged to veer the boat to leeward of the ship at the dis- tance of 15 or 20 fathoms, being twelve in number in the boat; we had not been in this situation but a short time before one man jumped from the ship into the sea and made for the boat ; we took him in, but finding that all on board were determined to pursue the same plan, we were obliged to veer the boat further off. We stated to those on board the ship our situa- tion which was also evident to them, as it required all our ex- ertions to keep the boat from sinking. During the night we lay with a rope fast from the ship to the boat, and under her lee, when the people on board the ship being exceedingly anx- ious to get into the boat (which had they effected we should all have been inevitably lost) kept hauling the boat towards them ; we then bent on another rope, and veered out as they hauled ; but finding they were determined to sink the bout by getting into her, we were obliged (after stating repeatedly to them our situation) to tell them that provided they persisted m getting into the boat, we should be obliged, though very rciuctantly, to cut the rope apd leave them ; after which tHey desisted from hauling the boat towards the ship At this time we were 13 in number in the long boat, and two men in the Btorn-boat lymg under the lee of the ship, continually bailmg to keep her from jinking, which augmented our number to more than could with any degree of safety attempt to leave the ship, in the long boat, in the shattero4 condition she waff tlien 'm> THB SHIP MARQARtT. it> Monday Morning, — moderate breezes and sea tolerably smooth ; at which time the people on the wreck were about half of them on the taflTrel rail, and the remainder on the bow- sprit anri windlass, every other part of her being under water continually. They kept entreating us to take them into the boat; we then told them our determination was to continue by the ship while she kept together, and that the boat was noi in a situation to leave them unless they attempted to come into her, but if anv of them once made the attempt we should be under that necessity, notwithstanding our wretched situa- tion, having no compass, quadrant, or any instrument, whatever by which we could direct our course, not a single drop ot fresh water in the boat, and two men continually bailing ; all of which circumstances were known to them. About this time, casks of brandy and sundry other articles of the cargo were drifting from the wreck, amongst which we picked up the mizzen top-gallant sail, 2 spars, 5 oars, 1 cask of oil, 1 drowned pig, and 1 goat, 1 bag of bread, and they hove us a gallon keg of brandy from the ship ; we then fixed a sail for the boat from the mizzen top-gallant sail. It being now about 1 1 A. M. the people on the wreck were again determined to get into the boat and began by jumping into the sea. Seeing their intention, we veered the boat further from the ship and they again returned to her, after which we re- peated to them our determination to continue by them so long as the ship held t gether, but if any other person attempted to come into the boat we should that instant leave them, notwith- standing our desperate situation. At this time they had se- cured on the wreck, 2 quadrants, 2 compasses, 1 hhd. of water, bread, flour, and a plenty of provisions, as they frequently in- formed us, but they would not spare us any of these article.s unless we consented to come along side the ship with the boEt, which had we done we should have been sunk in an instant, as they were prepared to jump, having oars, chests, &c. ready for the purpose on the taffrel rail. JNotwithstand- ing they knew our determination and the impossibility of our taking them into the boat, they still persisted in trying to get into her, and one of them jumped into the sea and made for the nmall boat, which lay veered to the leeward of the ship, which he renched, but finding we would not take him into the long- boat, he ret^jrned to the ship with the small boat. As thev were now all determined to pursue the same plan, we were under the painful necessity of cutting the rope by which we were fast to the ship, and row and sail from them for the pre* 1 H i i 1 TBB SBIP MIBOARST. ! to •enratton of our lives, in the hope of fulling in with toiiie ▼essol to relieve us, which was ahiiost the ooly hope we had left, being about 400 miles distant from the nearest land, and in the desperate situation before stated At this time it wns about meridian, vrith moderate wind frcu -he southward and westward; we made our course as neaiiyeast as possible, for the Island of Corvo or Flores, and the last we saw of the ship she was lying in the same situation as when we parted from ner. We continued our course to the eastward, having the winds variable from S. S. E. to N. W., and two men con- stantly balling; steering in the night by the stars, when to be seen, and in dark cloudy weather, by tne heaving of the sea, and in the day time by judging from li.e bearing of the sun, when to be seen, and when not, by the best of our judg- ment. For four days we continued in this situation without seeing any vessel; but on Saturday, 26th of May, at 1 P. M. tt accom* ind caJie luarter of with tre- U the rate truck the lad stern lequence rery man Ihe bowi tn WIALB fHIP IMIX if At this unhappy juncture, the captain and second mato were both fast to a whale j but on beholding the u vful catas- trophe that had taken place, immediately cut from the fish and made for the ship. As soon au the captain got on board he gave orders for cutting away the masts, which was accord' ingly done, and the vessel righted; — the upper deck was then scuttled, and some water and bread were procured for the two boats, in which they were compelled to remain as ail thoughts of saving the ship were given up. In expectation of falling in with some vessel, they remained by the wreck, making sails, &c., but were finally compelled to abandon it, and stood away to the southward, in hopes of getting the variable winds, and experiencing fine weather ; but the wind being constantly from the east and southeast, they made much iee-way and were prevented from keeping to the southward. They continued beating about in this way for thirty days, when they made an island, which they took for Ducie's Island, at which place the boats remained one week; but the island affording hardly any nourishment, and in fact, exhibiting nothing but sterility, they resolved on venturing for the coast ; leaving behind them three men who preferred remaining there, rather than to ven- ture across the ocean in an open boat. Afler a stries of disasters, a part of the crew finally reach- ed Valparaiso. Capt. Downes, of the U. S. frigate Mace- donian, on becoming acquainted with the particulars, resolved to rescue the three unfortunate men, who were left behind on the island. Accordingly he fitted out a schooner, at an ex- pense of a thousand dollars, and sent her in search for them, She was out, however, but one month, and returned dismasted. The ship Surrey, Capt. Raine, lying at Valparaiso, was on the eve of sailing for New Holland, and as Ducie's Island was not mr from her track, Capt. Downes offered her commander three hundred dollars, to call there and take ofl'the rnen. On Thursday, the 5th of April, Capt. Raine, considering iiimself within a short distance of Ducie's island, which is laid down in Norie's Epitome to be in lat. 24 degrees 40 minutes S. and long. {'-24 deg. 17 minutes W., kept a good look out. About 2, P. M. land was perceived, which turned out to be an island in lat. 24 deg. 26 minutes. As the vessel neared the land, they discharged a gun, and shortly afler the three poor men were seen to issue from the woods. The boats were presently lowered, Capt. Raine taking one himself. On approaching the shore it was found not only dangerous, but utterly impractlcsble to land ; of which cirBunuttance they .1 ■ J ' nnim ii wiii i mi i . • 9f WBSOK OF THE ISABBLLA. were infonned, in weak and tremulous voieet, by the thnoit •tarved and nearly worn out creatures thenvtolves, who could scarcely, from the miserable plight they were in, articulate a syllable. One poor fellow suaunoned up courage enough to plunge into the waves, and with great difficulty reached the boat : he said, one of the others only could swim. Ailer warily hacking the boat as near the rocks as possible, amidst a heavy surf, the other two men succeeded in getting on board, much bruised and lacerated by the repeated falls , which object was no sooner effected, when each devoutly ex- pressed his gratitude to that benign Being who had so won- derfully preserved them from sharing in the destruction to which most of their unhappy shipmates had fallen victims. They had been on the island four months, living on wild berries, resembling a cherry, sometimes killing a sea-gull by throwing stones, and no fresh water but when it rained, which was very seldom. On the island they discovered the name of the ship Elizabeth, of London, carved on a tree, and a cav«, with eight human skeletons, lying together . ^ NARRATIVF ■■s. or THB WRECK OF THB ISABELLA, Orr HABTINOi, ENO The details below were furnished by one of the passenger*, in a letter to a friend, dated Eastbourne, March 15, 1833 This wreck is still visible ; she was a fine ship of 340 tons, and offers an awful evidence of the power of nature over the noblest works of art. My heart still sickens with dismay at the recollection of the dreadful trials I have passed through. I have not before had health and strength enough to give you an outline of the particulars, and even now I tremble as they pass in review before me. All our v&iuable furniture, plate, books, manuscripts, outfit and necessaries had been put on board the Isabeili in th« docks, when she dropped down to Gravr^M^kJ where I joined W 09 t|t« •▼•ning of Saturday tb« -^ \ v ttarv willi bsv in^tmmmmmm WKIOK or THE ISABELLA 91 (en, )3 [tons, the ly at ^ugh. you [they >utfit th« wife and three children, n girl of 18 innnths, and two boyM of four and six years. VVc wexe opposed by contrary winds, and put our pilot on hIioio on IMonJav cvcmrifj. On Tuesday the wind freshened into a gule^ and tlio dreadful enervating sick ness usually attending thr se scenes dispossessed my wife and myself of all energy anu strength. The wind was now di- rectly against us, and every hour increasing its fearful power ; but our captain, full of intrepidity and confidence, dotormined to proceed, although he lell behind a fleet of perhaps an hun- dred sail. As night closed the tempest raged yet more fear- fully. Our gallant ship was but aa a feather on the wave's surface, and all was fearfully dark as any night in the black catalogue of tempests ; the wind right ahead; there was equal peril now in advancing or receding ; the captain, however, gave his orders with as much precision as if lie were exhibit- ing in a state pageant. The loud voice of the speaking trum- pet was the only sound that could be heard amid the wild roar of contending elements. Between 3 and 4 o'clock, our cap- tain entered the cabin: he spoke little. I sa'V the distressed workings of his mind, and one or two questions constituted all the interruptions I offered. He took brandy and water, threw off his saturated dress, and having sat a little in dry clothes, retired. From this time the ship seemed to me to labour and strain more than before, and the hurricane to drive and lay down the ship lower on her side ; but as the captain was taking rest, I had fancied more secu-ity, and had lain myself on the floor of the cabin in the hope of getting also some repose. I had been lying down I suppose 30 minutes, when I thought I heard or felt the keel of the ship drag. 1 had been to this time sick to death. I was exhausted and listles.s, almost lifeless, when the dread- ful suspicion and announcement of " shore" alarmed me ; I was ill no more. I jumped up and was rushing through the cabin to mention my fears, when the ship beat twice on a rock, and 1 heard the cry of " The ship has struck !" I call- ed the captain. The dreadful shock and loud cries of alarm combined to summon all on deck, excepting the ladies and the poor children, who had been roused at last by the general crash, and these I would not allow to leave their berths lest they might interrupt the exertions making above. Here, in- deed, was redoubled energy. The rudder was unshipped when we first struck, and was abandoned. Now was the loud cry for the speaking-trumpet, — now for the axes, which for a time cuuld not be found. I asked if there were no guiui 1m HP"!'" WRICK OV ran iSABlLLA firr iiignals of distresii ? No guns. Xo rockets to let ofT t« acquaint the coast guard with our condition ? No rocketn It WU8 manifest our captain hud been, us Napoleon said ot Masscna, a spoiled child of fortune ! Always happy and suc- cessful in his adventures, his voyages deservedly fortunate, had superseded all contemplation of disater Every effort wat now made, by mancBUvring the sails, to force the ship once more to sea^ and made in vain — we wore constrained to wait until day-light enabled us to appreciate our real situation, -and procure for us from the shore the necessary assistance Ii is difficult to judge of distance on water, but I believe we lay nearly half a mile from the beach. Every succeeding wave raised the ship several feet, and subsiding, we beat with tremendous violence on the rock. An immense quantity of bricks had been shipped in lieu of ballast; between these and the rock, the sWip's bottom might represent the metal works between the anvil and the hammer, and strraige it would have been had it not severely suffered. Every wave was a fearful mountain, while the hurricane momentarily threatened to shiver us into atoms. Such a storm has not been felt on these shores during the laat filly years. As the ungovcrned state of the rudder was now breaking up all within its range, the binnacles were removed below for security, and the rudder lashed to the boom ; but the cords were soon rent asunder like threads. After lying in this situation for nearly two hours, sometimes fancying we saw boats approaching to our assist- ance and sometimes that we saw lights as signals, the dawn at length assured us we were descried from the shore, where we saw a general activity corresponding to the peril of our un- happy condition, Not a boat could, however, venture to put out through the frightful surf, and I own I felt little hopes ot relief while the elements continued their frightful ravages. The shore was now lined with spectators, but their sympathy could avail us nothing. While this was our condition with- out, within the ship, all was devastation. At each new con- cussion something was strained and gave way. Bedsteads, lamps, tables and trunks were hurled from side to side with frightlil noise, which made the fe.nales believe, in spite of our assurances, the ship was breaking up. But now beamed sud- denly forth in our extremity, the dawn of our deliverance. We had watched a team laboring along the beach conveying to windward a bnat Tt u^i^ launched, and in the same moment manned. .^'^^:', -like life-boat, equipped with the most jntrepid civ*;; ^1s>t v. - * jserved their country's gratitude. In half tn hour «4' ugKi»i|iibmiied struggles they were Alongside, wai ^m WRtOk OF THI ISABILLA. ooarded us ; and now, indeed, I saw countrnances where the glad gleam of joy endeavored to penetrate through a mass of suffering and despair; but we had scarcely interchanged con* gratulations when I was told the boat had letl the ship. I could not believe it. I ran nloft and found it true. ( felt I had now a duty to perform ti> my family, and I asked the cap- tain if the boat were dismissed, what could be his plan ? I rd presented that as our rudd<'r was useless he could have nc command of the sitip i^'sho tioatod with the coming Hood, anf if her bottom was pierced, of which there cotild be no doubt, we must expect that if she dipped into deep water she would fill and go down, and all would inevitably perish — that it would be impossible in her present crippled state, to work her into any port, and I submitted, therefore, that our safety should be consulted above all things. Our captain tirmly an- swered, our safety was his principal duty and first care; thai 1 might rely on his word that he would not hazard our lives; and that if the ship was not in a condition to leave the shore, he would not attempt it. I own I returned to my family with a heavy heart to announce the fearful experiment. The flood-tide was rolling in, and the trumpet of our vigi- lant captain was again in full activity. Afler many mighty workings, an awful blast drove us over the reef, and hurried us to sea. Hope beamed again, but it was found that the ship had made 5 feet of water in 10 minutes. The signal of dis- tress was hoisted, and every possible effort made to put the ship's head to the shore, but without the assistance of her rudder she was wholly unmanageable, and very soon became waterrlogged. I now caught the captain's eye; he motioned me, and gave the dreadful intelligence that the ship was sink ing, and I must prepare my wife and children for any event ! 1 asked how long it might be before she would go down ? He said, "some time yet." Without making any com munication, I conveyed my family on deck, and watched tiie pro ress the ship visibly made in sinking. Efforts were again madfe to put the ship about but they were fruitless. Happily for our safety, the life boat, better acquainted with the distressing features of disaster, had kept hovering around [ had grieved at its dismissal but now suddenly heard it hail- ing the captain to let go the remaming anchor. — After drag- ging a little, it held on, and threw hei stern round ; but the ship was water-logged and made little progress. She wa« now BO low that every wave rolled in one side and discharged itself on the other. We had thrown out a line to the bufxt, but it had quickly snapped, and we threw others, in the hope WftBCE or THt l«41tLLA. of keeping them at a short di^itance. An it appeared we m«al in a few aeconds go down, 1 waa preparing cords for the aafetj of my family, when a squall, a hundred times more frightful than mny that had yet assailed ul', gave hopes, and the crew cried out, ^'Now— now the masts must go/* But still they stood to our great danger and annoyance. The ship had, howerer, felt the impulse received from the last blast, and been impel- led forward; — and now a shock succeeded which gave the glad auspicious tidings of shore. The men clasped their handa, and looked towards Heaven with emotions of gratitude. The last nearly overwhelming gale had lifted us forward, and proved our deliverance; and now the exertions of the crew of the boat were increased tenfold, and they were quickly under our atern. Our intrepid captain, lashing himself for security, jumped over the ship's side, and, though overwhelmed by every wave, called aloud for the children first. I had taken them below, lest the fall of the masts should injure them. I flew down and in an instant my eldest son was in the arms of the captain. The life boat was now riding on the brink of the wave, and now was lost in the abyss; but as she was descend- ing my son was caught as the captain loosed his arm, by a ddzen eager arms raised for his safety. The second boy met with more facility, and the infant was thrown and caught, when the whole crew, with generous sympathy, cried out, t* Now the mother." The mother was soon with her children, and seemed to us protected by these our worldly savioura from destruction. The other females were then handed down, with a youth of 14; and I next followed, in agonizing anxiety to share with those I felt dearer to me than life, the yet re- maining perils. , y Lifted sometimes mountains high, sometimes hidden (Vom all view in the depths into which we descended, we at last reached the shore. The people upon the beach rushed into the surf to receive us, and braved its perils for our security The boat was soon lighted, and a cart iitood ready to convey as to an adjoining house, where dry clothing was soon ex- changed for garments long saturated with brine. The captain and crew were left on the wreck with one passenger, and two lours elapsed before the boat could succeed in extricating these from the dangers assailing them. For a considerable period the sea had been covered with floating packages, car- lied by the storm and tide many miles along the beach, but at nightfall began the active work of plunder, and that which had resisted other violence was soon conveyed away from obaei ration. ■tFLOtiON or mr. rutrorf two ing LOSS OF THE UNITED STATES STEAM FRIGATE •''■.;:'•■;,,.;' FULTON "/ ^^r^ One of the most destnioiive explosions in the history of this country, took place at the Navy Yard in I3rooicHnc, N, Y. on the evening of the 4th of June, 1829, by which accident, SEVENTY FIVE persons were killed tvnd twenty two wounded. The accident originated in the carelessness of the gunner, a man about sixty years of age, who had but the day before received his appointment, and who was blown up with the others. On descending to the magazine, it had been usual to place the lamp behind a glass ceiling, which effectually pre- vented all contact with the powder ; but in this instance, the precaution, it was supposed, was not taken. The Fulton had been used as a receiving vessel ever since the war, and also as a school for new recruits in the service. She was moored within two hur-dred yards of the shore. The report of the explosion was not louder than that of a common cannon, and many supposed it originated from such a source, until they saw the immense volume of smoke issuing from the smouldering ruin. A midshipman who was sleeping on board the frigate U . States, within 200 yards of the F alton, was not ! 'I ^l 4i MILETON or TUft WRBCK. by the accident A most singular and promotion-worthy pre* sence of mind was manifested by a private soldier, who war stationed as sentinel upon the bridge, and though i'l .gmenta of dead bodies, splinters, and timbers fell around him, in showers, he continued to do his duty as unconcerned aB though nothing had happened. .^ ; .'> _ ; But two days previous to the explosion, there were sixty two men drafted from the Fulton, to form part of the crew of the U. S. frigate Constellation, then on the eve of her depar- ture for a foreign station, and the Band, seventeen in number, at the time of the disaster, were on sliore. ' It being ebb tide, fragments of the Frigate floated down in shoals in front of the city of iNew York, and hunHreds of small boats were seen busily engaged in securiug them. Sue was made a complete wreck. Many of the timbers, although fou^ feet in thickness, and all the other parts of corresponding strength, were blown entirely asuudur, and left her, dissevered of her glory, lying in the place where she was moored. Among the number wounded was a son of the Hon. Henry Eckford, who had been singularly unfortunate in regard to a promising family. It was but a short time previous that an accomplished daughter fell a sacrifice to the flames, — a son, who traveled in Europe with Professor Carter, died in the morning of life of a consumption ; and another, by this fatal accident, was most cruelly wounded. ■<'.;f ,-> /- A ^ ^ SKELElOiN OF THE WRECK While Sir Michael Moore was m the command of the Ame- thyst frigate, anJ wp.a cruising in the Bay of Biscay, the wreck of a mercliunt ship drove past. Her deck was jjst above water; her lower masts alone standing. Not a soul coulci be seen or board, but there was a cambouse on deck, which had the appearance of having bet n recently patched with old can vass and turpauling as if to afiord shelter to some of the crew It blew at this time a r^rong gale : but Sir Michael, listeninn only to the dictates of humanity, orde^-ed the ship to be pii3 J ■ : UULITON or THB WRBCk 41 about and sent off a boat with instructiuuri to board the wreck and ascertain whether there was any being still surviving whom the help of his fellow men might save from the grasp oT death. The boat rowed towards the drifting mass, and while struggling with the difficulty of getting through a high run- ning sea close along side, the crrw shouiing all the time as loud as they could, an object, like in appearance to a bundle of Ciothes, was observed to roll out of the cambouse appar- ently against the lee shrouds of the mast. With the end of the boat hook they managed to got hold of it, and hauled it into the boat, when it proved to bo the trunk of a man bent he&d and knees together, and so wasted as scarce to be felt within the ample clothes which had once fitted it in a state of life and strength. The boat's crew hastened back to the Ame- thyst with this miserable remnant of m«;rtality; and so small was it in bulk, that a lad of fourteen years of age was able with his own hands, to lift it into the ship. When placed on deck, it showed for the first time, to the astonishment of all, signs of returning life; it tried to move; the next moment mut- tered in a hollow sepulchral tone, " THiUE is another man." The instant these words were heard, Sir Michael ordered the boat to shove oft again for the wrr.ok; looking into the cub house, they found two other human bodies, wasted, like the one they saved, to the very bon^is but without the least spark of life remaining. They wer 3 sitting in a shrunk up posture, a hand of one resting on itn pot, in which there was a gill of water, and a hand of the oiher reaching to the deck, ai if to regdin a bit of salt beof. of the size of a walnul, which had dropped from its nerveless grasp. Unfortunate men ! tbey had lived on thei'* scanty »*ore, till they had not strength re- maining to lift the last morse! to their mouths ! Tlie boat's :jrew having completed iheir last melancholy survey, returned an board where they found tbo attention of the ship's com- pany engrossed by their eiforts to preserve th** generous skele- von, who seemed to have just life enough to breathe the re- membrance, that there was still " another man," his companion \n suffering, to be saved. Captain S, committed him to the special charge of the sur- geon, who spared no means which hump.iity or skill could sug- gest to achieve the noble object of creating anew, as it were, a fellow creature, whom the unparalelled famine had strip^oed of almost every Kvmg energy. For three weoks he aca cely ever left his patient, giving him nourishment w ^'- From the Engineer alone could the true explanation be af- forded ; and, if mdeedit was really attributable to negligence, it can scarcely be supposed he will lay the blame on himself If I might venture a suggestion in relation thereto, f \yould as- sign the following causes : — That the water in the starboard boilers had become low in consequence of that side of the boat resting upon the ground during our stay at Memphis; that, though the fires were kept up sfjrne time before we shoved oflT, that ih** head which burst had been cTacked for a considrable time, that the boiler was extremely heated, ma«l th« water^ > \f , Lmn H »n rK ^_ B.QM or THB SUir BEVBRLT. 4» hrowD in vhen the boat was again in motion, was at onc« converted into steam, and the Hues, not being nuihcientl^ arge to carry it off as quickly as it was generated, nor the loiler head of a strength capable of resisting its action, the «JLolo8ion was a natural result ;e. lie ' LOSS OF THE SHIP BEVERLY. The ship Beverly, Capt. Moore, bound to Valparaiso, waf burnt at sea, on the 13th Nov 1826. She was upwards of TOO toLs burtheD) owned by Israel Thorndike of Boiton, and io LOfM OF THft SHir BiyiRLT the value of the ship and cargo was estimated at 118)000 dollars. On the 13th of Nov. lat. 6, 26, Ion. 27, 2, at half past .% P. M. the ship was discovered to be on fire in the fore peak, and every exertion was mude tu exliiiguiL-.li it for three liouis, but without success. Kroui llie inllamnl)le nature of the cargo, (which consisted of tar, rosin, pitch, turpentine, linseed oil, apirits and cabinet furniture,) the Hre Hpreud with nlarniing rapidity. They succeeded in getting out the boats, into which rhe othcers and crew were divided, and in a f'iw minute.s left her, having previously taken in a {{uantity r>f provisions They lay by to the windward, until about 10 o'clock, when the ship had burnt to the water's edge, and then shaped their course for the coast of Brazil. Finding their progress retard- ed by waiting for each other, they mutually agreed to sepa- rate on the third day after leaving the .ship. There were nine in the pinnace, fifteen in the long boat, and six in the whale boat, making a total of thirty persons cast adrift on Lhe open ocean. On the 3d of December, the pinnace landed at Paraiba, three weeks after abandoning the ship. Capt. Moore stated that while he was in the boat he had fine weather, and with the ai of a sail, averaged over 90 miles a day, using the oars but once during the passage. He computed the distance run by the boat at nearly 1600 miles. The fire originated through the carelessness of the cook, who went below with a lantern, and it is supposed took the candle out. The flames spread so rapidly that he had his clothes and skin burnt, before he could be extricated, and finally died of his wounds in the boat. One oCiLc boys, who arrived with Capt. Moore in the pin- nace, atler having escaped the perils of" fire and flood," wag ic unfortunate as to have one of his legs bit oft' by a shark while ^^ihing, soon after he landed. • 1. i f^f MM •? THE SHIP HBAOULlt. T I • %^ LOSS OF THE SHIP HERCULES, 1 ) ^ " «»N THE COAST OF CAFFRARIA ' The account ol the fate of the American ship Hercules, and of the adventures and sufferings of her crew, which set out on her voyage from Bengal in the month of December, 1795, involves so much interest, as cannot fail to prove ex- tremely entertaining : nor can it be bettt Jetailed than from the account given bj^ her commander, Capt. Benjamin Stout. The Hercules was laying at Bengal, and it was the inten- .ion of the Captain to take in a private freight for Hamburgh out not finding one that would answer his expectations, he shartored his ship to the British East India Company, who "vere at that time busily employed in shipping rice for England, intelligence having reached the settlements in India, that a eilure of corn throughout the v hole of Great Britain was ikely to produce a famine, the most active and laudable exer- aons were made in India to supply the markets at home wHh iice. Capt. S. received on board upwards of nine thousand wags, with directions to }Toceed to London witii every possible despatch. The crew, most of whom having been engaged in ^ndia consisted of Americans, JDanes, Swedes, Dutch, Portu- I.OM or THE IHIF HBIICnLM. Suese, but chiefly Lascard^ amounting in the whole, men and oys, to about eixty-four porsons. 'J'ho necessary arrange- ments for the voyage being completed, they saiied from Sagar- roads on the 17th of March, 1796. Nothing material occurred during the voyage until the 1st of June following, at which time they reached the latitude of about 35 south, and 28, 40 cast longitude. It then began to blow a gjile from the westward, and which obliged them to lay to under their mizzen stay-sail for about six duys. During this time the gale continued to blow from the west, but increas- ed progressively until the 7th, when the contentions of the sea and winds presented a scene of horror, o^-.'b'ch, perhaps the annals of marine history give us no exr^mple. *' AUhough ored to the sea, (says Captain Stout) from my earliest life, yet all I had ever seen before, all I had 3ver heard of or read, gave me no adequate idea of those sublime effects which the yioleoce and raging of the elements produce, and which, at this tremendous hour, seemed to threaten nature itself with dissolution.'- The ship raised on mountains of water, was in a moment precipitated into an abyss, where she appeared to wait until the coming sea raised her again into the clouds. The perpetual roaring of the elements echoing through the the void, produced such an awful sensation in the minds of the most experienced of the seamen, that several of them appear- ed for some time in a state of stupefaction ; and those less accustomed to the dangers of the sea, added to this scene of misery by their shriekings and exclamations. The terrors of the day could only be surpassed by those of the night. When the darkness came on, it is impossible foi man to describe, or human imagination to conceive, a scene of more transcendant and complicated horror. To fill up the measure of their calamities, about the hour of midnight a sud- den shift of wind threw the ship into the trough of the sea, which struck her aft, tore away the rudder, starteu the stern- post from the haudcn ends, and shattered the whole of the stern-frame. The pumps were immediately sounded ; and in the course of a few minutCv*" the water had increased to four feet. A gang was immcdirStely ordered to the pumps, and the remainder were employed in getting up rice out of tht run of the ship, and heaving it overboard, in order, if possible, to get at the leak. After three or four hundred bags were thrown into the sea, the principal leak was discovered, and the water poured in with astonishing rapidity. In order, therefore, to flsoroaao tm much aa possible the influx- of water, sbeeia, shirt«|^ 11% , -J.ML IJJiMU B I^ W i^ yy LOM OF THE SHir HBROOLU. » at of foi |;erie the ud- lea, the in tour I the of Wn ^ter to rtn, I jackets, bales of muslin, and evciy thing of the like descri^* tion were thrust into the aperture. Had not these exertions been attended withnome success, the ship must certainly have gone down, although the pumps delivered ddy tuns of water an hour. As the next day advanced, the weather began to moderate The men worked incessantly at the pumps, and every exer* tion was made to keep the ship afloat. They were at the time about two hundred miles from the eastern coast of Africa. On the 9th, although the violonce of the tempest had irt a great measure subsided, yet the swell of the sea was tremen- dous. The long-boat was ordered out; but the captain having reason to suspect that some of the crew would endeavor to make off with her, he directed the second mate and three sea- men to lake possession of her ; at the same time giving them arms and express orders to shoot the first man who attempted to board her without his permission. They were also instruct* ed to keep astern, and to stick by. the ship until she came to an anchor. The. men having taken their stations in the boat, a raft was ordered to be made of all the large spars, which was accord- ingly done. The whole when lashed together measured about 35 feet in length, and 15 in breadth. At this time the captain apprehended the ship could not make the land, and being con- vinced, in case of her gomg down, that all the people could not be received into the long-boat, determined not to neglect any measure that presented even a chance of saving the whole. When the second mate was preparing to obey the orders he had received, and take command of the long-boat, the car- penter addressed th(; captain in a respectful manner, and ear- nestly entreated him to leave the ship. On being reprimand- ed for not attending to the pumps, the man burst into tears, and declared, that the whole of the stern-frame was shook and loosened in such a manner, that he expected every hour she would go down. The miserable appearance of this man, and the affecting tone of voice in when he delivered his apprehen- sions, considerably increased the terrors of the crew ; where upon the captain thought it necessary to declare that he would perform his duty, and stick to the ship until he was convinced from his own observation that all hopes of saving her was at an end. The carpenter repeated his solicitations, when he was ordered to his post, and assured, at the san-e time, that IH^eaa be made every lexertion to encourage tht people in 54 LOU or TUK SHIP IlEKCUi «« . their duty at the pumps, he ehouldbe immediately thi own ir'o ihe sea. He retired, and exerted himself afterwards with a ^nanly perseverance. The captain was irnniediately nddresHcd on the departure f the carpenter by many of the sailors, and on the same subjeit They were so clamoroua, and diflbrod so much in their opin ions, that he was nearly going to extremes with some o) them. Those circumstances are mentioned as a caution to future navigators, who ure entrusted \vitl» a command. 'J'hey too frequently listen to the opinions of their people in time of dan- ger, who are generally for quitting the ship and taking to boats, masts, yards and spars formed into a raft, or whatever timbers they can lash together; indeed, as the prejudices and sentiments of the common sailors on these occasions are 8o various, it is not to be .supposed that any thing can arise from Buch mistaken conduct, but confusion and misfortune. - A crew, such as composed that of the Hercules, which con- sisted of people of various nations, require indeed from their commander a peculiar attention. It may happen, that by humoring their religious prejudices at a particular moment, an essential service may be obtained ; and the following re- markable anecdote will tend to elucidate this opinion. At a period when the tempest raged with the utmost vio- lence, the captain directed most of the crew below, particular- ly the lascars, to work the pumps. One of them, however, was perceived coming up the gang-way, with a handkerchief in his hand ; and on being questioned what he was about, he answered in a tone of voice that discovered a perfect confi- dence in the measure he proposed, that he was going to make an offering to his God. " This handkerchief," said he, " con- tains a certain quantity of rice, and all the rupees I am worth ; suffer me to lash it to the mizen-top, and rely upon it, Sir, we shall all be saved." The captain was going to order him back to the pumps, but recollecting that in so doing he might throw both him and his countrymen into a state of de- spondency, and thereby lose the benefit of their exertions, he acquiesced. The lascar thanked him, and he soon beheld this child of prejudice mount the tottering ladder without discover- ing a single apprehension. He lashed the handkerch ef to the mizen top-mast head, fearless of all danger, and arrived in safety on the deck. Confident now that his God was the Captain's friend, he went below to inform his brethren that he bad done his duty^ all the lascars seemed transported with I ■ i l l i i l i fi LOM OF TBI •Uir MBRCULBI. f^^ embraced thoir virluouH conipaiiion, and then laboured at the pumps with as much alucrily ntid porseverunce, as if they had encountered, hcfuro, neither apprehension nor fatigue To their unceasing lahors, wan owing in a great measure the preservation of his people. The shift of wind which threw the ship into the trough of the sea and tore away the rudder, was fortunately a s(|uall of but short duration, not continuing above a quarter of an hour. Had it lasted but a little longer, the ship mnnt have been torn to pieces. The wind came round to its former quartfir, and moderated gradually. After the long-boat had been delivered to the care rf the second mate, an^ ..lO raft completed, the captain held a con- ■ultation with the officers, and they were all decidedly of opin- ion, that it was impossible to save the ship, and>that they had DO other chance to preserve their lives, than to make the land and run her on shore. * The people, when informed of the issue of this consultation, appeared to work with renovated spirits This disposition was kept up by being assured they would soon be within sight of land, and that by constantly workinfr at the pumps, the ship would be kept afloat, until they re; lied the shore. The ship for some time had been unmanageable, frequently standing with her head from the land, which all their eflorts could not prevent, the captain got a rudder made out of the topmast, and fixed it in the place of the one they had lost; but it was found of little use without the help of the long-boat, which he ordered therefore to be hauled athwart her stern, and this served, although with the greatest difficulty, to get her head towards the shore, the wind being variable from the east- ward. A cable could have been got out, that might have an- swered tolerably well to steer the ship ; but the people could not be spared from the pumps to attend rousing in on the tackles, or guys, as occasion might require. On the evening, however, of the I5th, they discovered land at about six leagues distance. Al< on board at this moment expressed their joy in shouts and acclamations. The ship ftill Aept ncaring the shore, with five feet water in her hold. On the 16th in the morning, being then about two miles from the land and the wind from the westward, the captain ordered the anchor to be let go, that a last eflbrt might bfl made to stop the leaks, and, if possible, save the ship. But her stern was shattered in such a manner, that, after holding another consultation with his officers, it was finally reaoWao le LOM or THE IHir HKROULlt. to run the ship on the coant then opposite to theiu. Anothet gale threatened them, and nu time was to be lost. The captain immediately orde**i4 his second mate, who was? in the uor.t, to come on board, nr.d he then dehvered into his custody t:ie ship's register, and all the papers of consequence he had. After providing him and his thrc;i men with water anu provisions he ordered him into the boat again, with direc* tions to keep in the offing , and that after they had run the ship on shore, provided they got safe to land, he would search for some inlet into which he might run with safety. They de- sired him also to look out for signals which would be occa- sionally thrown out from the shore to direct his course. The .HHtci faithfully } rornised to obey his instructions, and then re- turned to his b^at. They were now on the coast of CaHraria,within a few leagues if where the river Infanta disembogues itself into the sea. A dreadful crisis approached, and they agreed to meet it with becoming fortitude. The captain therefore gave directions to set the head sail, to heave the spring tight, m order to set her head towards the shore, and then to cut the cable and the spring. His orders were obeyed with the greatest promptitude. After running until within something less than half a mile of t\e shore, she struck on a cluster of rocks. The swell at this moment was tremendous ; and from the ship's thumping so violently, it was wcarctly possible for the men to hold on. In this situation she remained for about three or four min- utes, when a sea too'' her over the rocks, and carried hei aboui a cable's length nearer the shore, where she again struck, and kept heaving in with a tireadful surf, which every rioment made a breach over her. The lashings that held '.he raft having given way, and the iipa/s carried to a considerable distance from the ship, they lost all hope from thdt quarter. At length, one of the crew, who was a black, plunged into the waves, i.nd by exertions which seemed more than human, gained and seated himself op the raft. He scarcely remained in that situation for ten min« utes, when the whole ^as iurned over, and the man com- pletely enveloped in the sea. In a few moments, however, they perco'ved him in his former seat. Again he endured a similar mipfortune; and a third succeeded. Still he butfeted the waves, and gained the raft, until at length, after suftering two hours of fatigue, which, until then, the captain could not possibly imagiue human nature could survive, he drif.ed oi *t4 &§•• OF THK BHJ.? HSBCULM. hi )n8 lop in» id Th« Bati«efl, who had kindled several tires, &ppeare«l m Sea* numbers on the shore. They were mostly clothed ia ins, armed with spears, and accompanied by a vast number of dogs. A party of them seized .he man who had landed, and conducted him behind the sand hills that line the coast, mnd which hid him entirely from their view. Twelve of the captain's people now launched themselves on different spars, and whatever pieces of timber they could find They braved all dithculties, and at last gained the land No sooner had thr^y reached the beach than the natives came down, seized and conducted them also behind the sand-hills. As it was impossible for those who remained on board, to dis- cover what they were about, and observing several parties cf the natives appear at different times on the shore, but unac- companied by any of the people, they conceived all those who had landed were massacred, and that a similar fate awaited the whole of them. They who had remained on board the ship were obliged to shelter themselves in the forecastle, as the wreck, becoming a fixed object, the sea made over her, and there was no other part where they could remain, even for a moment, in a state of security. .;- : Suspense and apprehension reigned durmg the whole of the night. Some were of opinion, that, to avoid being tor- tured by the savages, perhaps thrown into the fires they per- ceived on shore, it would be more advisable to resign them- selves to a watery element, as in that situation they should only endure a few struggles and then life would be no more Others entertained different sentiments, and were for making the shore in as compact a body as possible. '' We shall then," said they, " attack the savages with stones, or w^^tever we can find." This was overruled as a measure impracticable ; there was ro possibility of six men keeping together ; but if such a number could, by a miracle, get on shore without being divided, the natives could destroy them in a moment with their spears. The whole of this miserable night was spent in ffuch consultations ; and as the next suu was to light them to their fate, they trembled at his approa< hing the horizon. As soon as morning appeared, they looked towards the •hore; but not an individual was to be seen. Distraction was now visible in every countenance, and what death to choose, the principal consideration. At length, about the hour of ninei the scene changed in a moment. A delirium of e.xtacy tue- ceeded, which no pencil can pourtray, no being can crnceiye, l»iit those who beheld it. All the people who bad landed tW T04. I. y Lftlf or THX SHIP HSROUUi. I. day before) were ohburved making towards the shore ) and the)- soon perceived them beckoning and inviting them to land. In a few minutes, every spar, grating, and piece o' timber that could be procured, were afloat, and completely oc- cupied; some with two people, others with more, according to the size. *' I immediately (says the captain) stript ofl^ my shirt, put on a short jacket, wrapt a shawl around my waist^ in the corner of which I put a gold watch, and, keeping my br< echep on, seized a spar, and launched into the sea. For nearly turee quarters of an hour 1 preserved my hold, and drilled towards the shore. Sometimes I was cast so near, as to touch the rocks with my feet, then hurried away to a considerable distance; again I was precipitated forward, and in a moment afterward carried off by the returning sea. At length a sudden jerk, occasioned by the swell, strained both my arms, and I was compelled to quit the spar. At this in- stant, although a considerable distance from the beach, a wave that was proceeding rapidly towards the shore, bore me along, and in a few moments cast me senseless on the sand. My peopie, who were on shore, observed my situation; they ran down, and snatching me from the danger of the coming waves, bore me to a place of security. I was insensible at this time, but soon revived, as they placed me near a fire, and used every means in their power for my recovery. The first sub- ject of inquiry, when my faculties returned, was, of course, the fate of my unfortunate crew; and I enjoyed the heartfelt pleasure of beholding them all aicund me, except those in the long-boat, and one man, vho perished near the shore. I then addressed myself to the natives; but on this occasion I laboured under the difficulty of not being understood. I knew nothing of their language, and for some time I endeavored to explain myself by signs. Fortunately there was a Hottentot present, who had lived with the Dutch farmers, and could speak their language. My third mate was a Dutchman, and ♦.hese served as interpreters. " This difficulty being happily removed, I endeavored by every means in my power to secure the friendship of the na- tives. I thanked them in the name of my whole crew, and on the part of my nation, for the liberal and humane assistance they had afforded us in the hour of our misfortune, and solicit- ed their future kindness and support. ^^ This being, as I conceived, at no great distance from the spot where the Grosvenor was lost in 1782, I inquired of the ni^ives whether any of them remembered such a catastropiMi LOM OP TUft SHIP HERCULftS 69 oy na- id on (ance ticit- the tht Most of them answered in thf> affirmative, and, ascending one of the sand-hills, pointed to the place where the Grosvenc suffered. '* I then desired to know of them, whether they had received any certain accounts respecting the fate of Captain Coxson, who commanded the Grosvenor, and who was proceeding on his way to the Cape, with several men and women passengers, who were saved from the wreck. They answered, that Cap- tain Coxson and his men were slain. One of the chiefs hav- ing insisted on taking two of the white ladies to his kraal, the captain and people resisted, and not being armed, were im- mediately destroyed. The natives, at the same time, gave me to understand, that at the period when the Grosvenor was wrecked, their nation was at war .with the colonists; and as the captain and his crew were whites, they could not tell, provided they had reached the Christian farms, but they would asmst the colonists in the war. This affected my situ- ation so directly, that I desired to know on what terms the CafTrees aid the colonists then stood. ' We are friends,' said they, *■ and it will be their fault if we do not always remain so.' '* This answer relieved me from a very serious erabarrass- nent ; but the fate of the two unfortunate ladies gave me so much uneasiness, that I most earnestly requested of them to tell me ail they knew of their situation : whether they were alive or dead: and if living, in what part of the country they were situatea. They replied, and with apparent concern, that one of the ladies had died a short \ after her arrival at the Vv and had kraal; but thoy understood the otb« : was nvmg, several children by the chief. — * Where she now is,' said they, * we know not.' " After I had received every possible information on this melancholy subject, we employed ourselves principally during the remainder of the day in assisting the natives to 8a\ what- ever came on shore from the wreck. When they goi a piece of timber, they placed it immediately on the fire, as the read iest method of procuring the iron, and which they sought a *r with the most persevering diligence." When night came on, the natives retired, and left tliera to sleep under tlie sand-hills, without covering and without food The weather was boisterous, with a j?trong wind from the west- ward, and the cold severe; a consultation was held in what manner they should dispose of themselves until the morning, tad (hey mt length resolved, that some of them should keej^ LOIS or THE SlUP IlEACULtl watch during the night, and the rest place themselYes neif the lire, and if possible obtain a little rest. The night passed without any of the unfortunate sufiereri enjoying a moment of repose. Their bodies on one side were heated by the fire; but the cold chilled the other in such a mar.r.er as to render the pain hardly supportable. The sand, driven by the winds in prodig'ous quantities, filled their eyes, ears and mouths as they lay under the banks, and kept them ivL perpetual motion. They likewise ente*.ained apprehen- sions respecting the natives. At length day appeared, and the CafTrees returned in. great numbers. The chief knowing they were in want of food, brought a bullock, which they immediately slaughtered by knocking the animal on the head with clubs, and penetra- ting its sides with their spears. It was skinned almost in a moment, and they cut it up in lumps, whr^h they placed on the fire to singe rather than to roast, anti then devoured their respective shares with the highest patisfactvon. The beast, as it was given to tl e famished crew, it might be supposed, would be lefl for their disposal; but the CafTrees were hungry, and they knew nothing of European etiquette. It is true, they presented the bullock to them as a donation; but they saw no reason why they should not dispose of the greater part of it. On cutting up the animal, it was observed they, paid more than ordinary attention to the paunch. Several of the Caf^ frees laid violent hands on it; and afler giving it a shake for the purpose of emptying the contents, they tore the greater part in slits with their teeth, and swallowed the whole as it came warm from the beast. Their meal, such as it was, being finished, part of the crew proceeded to the shore, and the long boat was observed at a considerable distance. The ship was dividing very fast, and the gale increasing, many things were therefore cast on shore, which the CafTrees v/ere indefatigable in procuring. A cask, however, was thrown on the beach, whi(*> considerably excit- ed the captain's anxiety: it contained «i>';, gallons of rum, a quantity sufficient to have intoxicated the whole of the na- tives, although they amounted to at least 300. Their predilec- tion for such liquor is well known, and the consequence of their intoxication was particularly dreaded by the captain The only way lefl was to steal to the spot where the cask lay, and stave in the head without being perceived by them. Thii was happily accomplished, and they aflerwards sf ippcd the vessel of the iron hoops, without discovering what had beea deae or what it formerly contained LOM or THE SHIP HBRCULKt M Iii the general search on the shore, one of the Cafirees had picked up the ship's compass. Not knov/ing what it was, yet pleased with its formation^ he delivered it to the chief, who immediately took it to piecoa, and after contemplating the various parts, took the copper ring in which it hung, and sus- pended it from his ne<-k. fie appeared highly pleased with the ornament; and this eircunistance induced the captam to L.esent him with one still more glittering, and of course, in his estimation, more valuable; recollecting that he had in his possession a pair of paste knee-buckles, he presented them to the chief, and hung one upon each of his ears. The moment this was done, the chief stalked about wit'i an air of incomraon dignity. Kis people seemed to pay him greatei reverence than before, and they were employed for some time in gazing at the brilliancy of the ornaments, and contemplating the august deportment of their chief magistrate. Towards evening the captain again addressed the chief on the subject of their departure. He requested him to send a guide with them through the desarts to the first Christian settlement, and that nothing should be wantii g on his part tc recompense his kindness. The CafTree paused lor a moment^ and then very coolly replied, that he would gratify the cap- tain's wishes; and being desired to name the time when he would suffer them to depart, he gravely answered, " When I consider that matter you shall be made acquainted with my determination." These answers alarmed the unfortunate sufTerers. The countenance of the savage appeared to dis- cover same hostile measure that was lurking in his mind; anr yet his former conduct was so liberal and i^umane, that they had no just grounds for suspecting his integrit} . The na tives, however, were perceived consulting together in parties, and from their gestures nothing favorable could be perceived. When the day was drawing to a close, the crew were left to rest under the sand-hills, as on the former night. The tire was recruited with some timber from the wrecJ*' and sentinels placed as before. The wind blowing hard froiii the same quarter, they were again tormented with clouds of sand and a chilling atmosphere. June being one of the winter months, they had to encounter the severities of the seCvoc. It was impossible to shift their quarters as they could not pro- cure timbers to light new fires, and the Caffrees might be dis- pleased at their not remaining in their former situation. The night passed in consultation and gloomy predictions. The captain told hia people not to do aav thing that might have tlM 6f LOIS or THK SHIP HERCULM. '^'^ ' m- east tendency to displease the natives; to give them everji thing they asked for, as the inhabitants of these dcsarts were only to be dreaded when provoked. But, at the same time, if contrary to their expectation they made an attack, or endeav- ored to detain them after a certain time, then he hoped they would firmly unite and either force their way or perish in tbe conflict. When the sun made his appearance^ they mounted the most elevated of the sand-hills to look out for the long boat; bu) ■he was not to be discovered m any direction. In a short time they perceived the Caffrees advancing. Most of them had assagays in their hands; others were furnished with clubs; some were decorated with ostrich's feathers, and their chief wearing a leopard's skin, with the captain's knee-buckles sus- pended as before. They saluted the crew in a very friendly manner, and were accompanied by them to the beach. The wind increased during the night, and several parts of the ship came on shore. One of the people had picked up a hauo-saw. and as he perceived the Caffrees were indefatigable in procu- ring iron, he hio it in the sand£>. This was a valuable acquisi- tion, and became of infinite service to them in the course of their proceedings. f * ;, Having secured all they could obtain from the wreck, the captain requested the chief to order some of his people to dis- play their skill in the use of the assagays. This is a spear of about four feet six inches in length, made of an elastic wood, and pointed with iron, which the natives contrive to poison so effectually, that if it wounds either man or beast, death m the inevitable consequence. The captain's wishes were immediately gratified. The Ca'' frees first placed a block of wood on the ground, and then rt tired about seventy yards from the spot where it lay. The ^hief then said, they would now behold their manner of fight- ing when engaged in battle. These compliances, as thev seemed to remove former suspicions, gave great satisfa:tior to the sufferers. A party of about thirty began their ma- ncLverings. They first ran to a considerable distance, then fell, as if motionless, on the ground; in a moment they start- ed up, divided, joined again, and ran in a compact body to the spot from whence they originally set out. Afler halting for about a minute, they let fly a shower of assagays at the nciark, and with a precision that was truly astonishing. Not a word more passed this day about the departure of the crow. The natives retired as usual on the approach of nighi L08I OV THB SHIP HBRCULIf. 69 All were employed to gather wood, and after procuring a auf- fioient quantity, they stretched themselves on the ground, and ia spite of wind, sand and cold, slept until the morning. When day appeared, all were again employed in looking out for the long boat; but she was not to be seen, nor did they ever hear of her again The Caffrees did not make their appearance this day until the sun had proceeded two hours in his course. As little now was to be procured from the wreck. Captain Stout beg- ged the chief to appoint a guide for himself and crew, as he proposed taking his departure on the next day. " I shall fur- nish you with two," said the chief. These joyful tidings were lelivered with so much frankness, that the captain was re- ieved at once from all apprehension and suspicion. Desirous of having the Hottentot who served as an inter .reter to accompany them through the desart, the chief wai given to understand how much the services of this man would not only contribute to their pleasure, but also to their safety. The honest savage, however, had anticipated their wishes; he had previously mentioned i' co the Hottentot, who had con- sented to proceeu to the first Christian fa:ni. Another of the tribe, who was better acquainted witu ^he country, had like- wise agreed to be of the party; and this information which was communicated to the crew, diffused a general joy and satis- faction. After assuring the chief and the Caffrees in general of their unalterable friendship, and that the guides should be rewarded to the extent of their wishes, ** I told him, (says the captain), we had endured great distress for want of water, and begged to know where we could procure some ' I will conduct you,' said he, * to a spring of excellent water; it is not far from this^lace, and, if you think proper, we will proceed di- rect to the spot ' No sooner was the proposal made than we set out; the Caffrees singing and dancing as they proceeded, and my people, although not without suspicions, in tolerable spirits." Afler travelling westward about four miles through a de- lightful country, they came at last to a wood, in the bosom of which was discovered a hollow. The Cafirees descended first, and when they all arrived at the bottom, the chief pointed to the brook. They drank of the water and found it delicious Aflor allaying their thirst, they looked about and from the dis- mal appearnnce of the place, were again in a state of ap prehension Being mostly of opinion, that nothisg less was i 'I LOM OF THK SHIP UBRCULM intended by the Caffrccs thtm to massacre the whole (Arty ji this sequestered place; that they were decoyed here for the purpose; and that every mun shouid pre|)ure to defend his life The captain, however, endeavored to quiet their apprehen- sions, and It ladt succeeded. The CalTrees havinf( invited the party to remain on this spot during the night, they began to prepare wood for the fires All hands went to W9rk, and by the assistance of a hand-saw, hey procured some dry trees and underwood that afforded t very comfortable fire. One of the Hottentots, who was so rich as to possess a tinder-box struck a light; and this accom- modation being not only highly useful but unexpected, gave new spirits to tne whole party. The natives, as the night came on, did not retire as usual to fresh alarm, which did not appear situated as the party then were. their kraal. This gave a to be without some cause; they were obliged to abide the event, and therefore prepared for the worst that could happen. The watch was set as for- merly; but the Gafirees huddling together,'Trere soon lost in sleep. This place, however dismal in its appearance, afforded a tolerable shelter for the night ; clouds of sand were no longer troublesome and the severities of the wind and cold we* "« mitigated by the friendly shade afforded by the trees. " We were roused," says the captain, " by the savages as the sun appeared, and we departed from this supposed Gol- gotha in tolerable spirits. Wo had, however, consumed the last pound of our bullock before we left the sand-hills, and oui party began to dread an approaching famine, x mentioned the distress of my people to the chief, and he promised to re- lieve us. We had journeyed but a few miles, when the Caf- frees told us we must remain where we were that night. We accordingly set to work to procure fire wood, and had scarcely completed this necessary business, when the chief presented us with another bullock. I: waet soon despatched, skinned^ cut 'rt-"5 o'e":*3 o( aioi 'ny pounds each, and we then pro- ceedea .o JIved to descend the mountain, and pursue their joujrnej Scarcely had they put themselves in motion, when a scene o< the most exten»ive and luxuriant beauties burst in a momen on their view. Thei danger they had just escaped, engagec< their attention so entirely, when they gained the summit, that they did not immediately peiceive the world of beauties tha* mow lay ipread before them. All stood for some time m ■ >^,^"^- MM! OP TBI IHIP BBRCULBt •tate of rapture and amnrnment. Thr> country was mostly i level, yet pleasingly diversiHed wiih gentle elevations, on thiQ tops of which they could |>«!rc«'ive t.lnin;)!* of the mimosa tree, and the sides clothed with shruhs «>! various denominations. A Uiousand rivulets seemed to tneundi r through thiH second Eden; frequently skirting or appearing to encircle a planta tion of wood; then suddenly taking a diH'erent direction, glid- ed through a plain of considerable extent, until it came to n gentle declivity; here it formed a natural cascade, and then, following its course, proceeded in an endless variety through- out the whole of the country. As they stood gazing on this sylvan scene, they perceived . innumerable herds of animals, particularly of the species of the gazelle, scouring over the plains; some darting through the woods, others feeding, or drinking at the rivulets. As far as the eye travelled in pursuit of new beauties, it was most amply gratified, until at length the whole gradually fad- ed on the view, and became lost on ine horizon. They were so wrapt in ecstacy on this landscape, that they forgot their danger, and remained too long upon the mountain. They at ength descended, and proceeded on their journey. Before the day closed they fixed on a place where they were io remain until the morning. It was near a wood, mostly composed of that kind of thorn already mentioned. Severai of these«they immediately cut, not only for the purpose of fuel, but to form a barricade or defence against the wild animals during the night. Atler completing their fortification, lighting the fires, and supping in the besi manner »jossible, they lay down to rest; but their sleep was constantly disturbed during the night, by . a herd of elephants brushing through the wood, passing and returning almost every momei.l. Had not the fence been erected the preceding evening, they would in all probability, have been trampled to death by these monstrous animals. Fhcy had the good fortune hoWevei to escape; and, about levcn the next morning, proceeded on their journey, in com- pany with the guides. They travelled this day through a delightful country. The land, in some places, seemed to be composed of a red and yellow clay, and the valleys appeared covered with a very thick and long grass, but not a sign of agriculture was to be observed. In the course of the day, they perceived a few oe- serted huts, one of which they entered, but paid severely io^ their curiosity; as those who ventured in, were in a mooMD.'* cov«r«d •Blirely with fleas. mmmmmmmmmm. \ I to LOBS OF THI SHIP HBRCCLIB. Water was foun<^ aomctimcs, but it was brackish, although they werB at least 50 miles from the sea. They kept at this distance during most of the journey They brought up for the night, afler traveling about 35 miles, at the skirt of a small forest, and provided fuel, with s temporary defence, as before. The provisions being nearli exhausted, they were obliged to eat spaiingly, although moflU of them wen! ravenously hungry. Aboui seven in the morning, they again set out; tut man) of the people dropt astern in the course of the day, being almost won out with fatigue. In this situation it was thought advisable for such of the party as could travel, to get forward, and provide a place v»here wood and wa er could be had. The i^.aptain was of this company; and that ui! those who remained behind might find their way, lie ordered the Caffree guides to set fire to the long grass, whic-i served during the night as a poiut of direction. He was likewise in expectation of their coming up before the morning; but was sadly disappointed. They remained stationary until ihc sun appeared, and then went on Not one of the people lefl behind appeared this morning; but the guides were of opinion they would reach a Christian settlement in the course of tlic day, where assistance would certainly be had. This intelligence gave them new spirhs; and they traveled with an unusual alertness, until they came to a farm house. Flere relief was expected, but none was to be found: the whole place had been deserted for some time; they were obliged, therefore, to sleep again in the air, and leave their absent and miserable companions to all the horrors of the desart. This was not a night of sleepj but lamentation. They sat round the fire, and spoke of nothing but their absent mess- mates ard their unforf.unat? situation. They were lell de- fenceless, without tbod, hardly able to stand erect, and in a country where the ferocious animals were mo I numerous. They were likewise every hour in danger of an attack fror/i the Boshis-me:i, who swarm in these parts, and destroy the unhappy object of their vengeance by arrows that are poison- ed. Tht sensibility of the people on this mclancnoly occa- ■ion, displayed the genuine character of a sailor. Men who could t ave all vhe dangers of the tempest, and face death wftaout a trembling nerve, oven in the cannon's mouth, could not, however, speak of iheir distressed and absent brethreo without a tew. Their own miafortuaes were forgotten \ an4 .^aufjBiia.j_y:tia-j-ij ..* LOfi or TEt aaip HiacuLBf. ri their only consideration, during the night, was their unhappj^ messmates, whom they never expected to behold again. They remained here for more than an hour after the rising of the sun. Out of sixty, that composed the party, whon they departed from the beach, thirty-six were so maimed and worn down by fatigue, as to he unuhle to travel, these remained ic the desart, if not already destroyed; and had no hope of pre- fervation, but from the exertions of the party who wore able to proceed; the guides were now certain that a Christian habitation was at hand. The last they saw had been destroyed by the CafTrees during the war with the colonists. It was, therefore, determined to proceed to a place where relief could be obtained* with every possible dispatch. The people pro- ceeded wifK redoubled energy; the salvation of their com- panions V *\kG incentive, and that consideration banished every ide c anger or fatigue Thej' I avcled without a single halt for about three hours wh**!! One of the guides who was advanced, roared out, in *' .nsport of joy, ^' I see a Hottentot, attending a flock o* jheep." It was the voice of a seraph proceeding from a Cat free. They ran to the place where he stood, and at a consido rable distance, observed a nian attending a flock of at leas* four thousand. They moved in a body towards the shepherd, who seemed at first to be alarmed: but perceiving they wore mostly whites, and unarmed, he stopt until they came up The captain requested of him to direct them the nearest way to the first settlement, which he did, and at the same time informed him, the proprietor was a good man; the distance, he said, wan about three hours. The pleasure difliised throughout the party, on receiving this information, it is impossible to do scribe. The captain embraced this opportunity, and went on; a general joy succeeded, and who should be foremost, the urincipal consideration ♦ '* At length — ecstatic reflection — they came within sight of a Christian farm, " Come on, my lads," said the captain, '* we are safely moored at last; and our peop e, in the desarts, ^ill be soon relieved." Some tottered as they stood, over- come by joy, and could not move; others appeared as in a trance, until at length about ten followed him, and they enter- ed the house of Jan du Pliesies. Fortunately, this was a settler of the best order, about sixty years old, born in Holland, but had resided in Africa for many years; humane, generous, and possessing a heart that appeared to bo the constant mansion of a virtuous sympathK wmm I h It LOiS Ot THE SHIP HERCULta His cottage was formed of clay, thatched with a kind of reed and furnished with a few stools, a table, and some kitchen utensils. His family consisted of five or six sons their wives and children, together with a daughter, making in all about twenty people. His stock, however, was considerable, not less than twelve thousand sheep, and one thousand oxen After the alarm, which their ^irst appearance occasioned^ had subsided, the captain told the story of their melancholy disaster, and implored his assistance for the relief of the un- happy people who were left behind. This good man could not listen to the relation without discovering by his counte- nance the tenderness of his nature. His face, which was naturally pallid, became, at certain intervals, of a crimson hue; these emotions appeared as the effervescence of sensibility, and to exhibit, in glowing colours, the complexion of virtue. As no time, he said, should be lost in preparing for the re- lief of the unhappy people, he immediately directed two of his sons to harness eight oxen to a waggon. His orders were obeyed with a cheerfulness that evinced an hereditary good- ness, and that it had descended, unimpaired, from the sire to his children. They were directed to travel all night; and the guides described the spot so minutely, as to avoid all pos- sibility of a mistake: The waggon wis soon out. of sight, aii^l they all sat down to partake of a shtiep, which their liberal host had ordered to be killed (oi their entertainment. When the meal was over, the worthy colonist began to in- terrogate them respecting their journey through Caffraria. He could not possibly conceive, he said, how the Tambociiis could be induced to suffer their departure. They were such a horrid race, that nothing was so gratifying to their nature as the shedding of human blood. The Boshis-men he also ob- sei ved, were so perpetually on the look-out, that he was amaz- ed at their traveling with any degree of security; but when he considered that they came through a part of Caffraria, so infested with carnivorous animals, that people couM never travel safely but in parties, and well armed, he declared tie' being then in his house appeared to him a kind of miracle The captain took this opportunity of giving our worthy host a proper idea of the Tambochis. His mind had beoi' poison- ed by some of his depredating neighbours, and never going on such parties himself, had entertained these prejudices without having an opportunity of knowing the contiary. He appear ed much pleased at the conduct of the Tambochis, and dcclar ed this circumstance alone would relieve him from many houri of uneaaineM. LOtt Of THft 911 1 r HfeRCaf.Ht. ts »f reed fitchen wivoa about e, not so Hill sequestered mansion w&n nearly surrounded by tree«, on which were hung to dry, the skins ot lions, tigers, panthers, and other destructive animals, killed in the vicinity of his own habitation. The carcasses of two enormous creatures were observed lying near the door, which had the appearance of being recently destroyed. They were two rhinoceroses that the wrraer's sons had killed, but the day before, on their own land. This gave rise to a narrative respecting these animals, which the good man related with great circumspection, and which appeared very .extraordinary. " These creatures, said the farme*-, are more savage, and infinitely more to be dreaded, than any other animal of the desarts. Even the lion, when he perceives a rhinoceros, will fly from him on the instant. I had a proof of this, said he, about two years ago. As I was traversing my lands in the morning, I perceived a lion enter a thicket, about the distance of half a mile from the place where I stood. In a few minutes afler I observed a second, then a third, and a fourth came; they seemed to follow one another at their leisure, and, in less than an hour, I counted nine that entered the same wood. Never having seen so many of the same species together, I was desirous to know the event of their meeting, and I con- cealed myself foi the purpose. After waiting for rather more than an hour in my lurking place, without either seeing any of them, or hearing any noise from the quarter waere they lay, 1 began to despair of having my curiosity in the least gratified. At length, I perceived a rhinoceros of uncommon magnitude approach the wood. He stood motionless for about five minutes, when he arrived at a small distance from the thicket, then tossed up his nose, and at last scented the animals that lay concealed. In an instant I saw him dart into the wood, and in the space of about five minutes afterwards I observed all the lions scamper away in different directions, and appa- rently in the greatest consternation. The rhinoceros beat about the wood in pursuit of his enemies for a considerable time; but not findin<:; any, he broke cover at last and appeared on the plain. He then looked around him, and, enraged at his disappointment, began tearing up the earth, and discovered every sign of madness and desperation. I remained quietly in my retreat until the animal disappeared, and then returned to ray house.'' The travelers dlept this night on sacks, which their host had arranged for their accommodation At breakfast on the iucceeding morning, th«>ir benefactor entertained them with TOIm I. 4 I t4 Lots OP TfiB SHIP HfeRCULlt f n some wery interesting observHtioLs respecting the countrjr where he resided. He particularly stated the hardships, which the colonists endured from lh« restrictive orders and persecuting conduct of the government at the Cape. " I have lead ore, said he, on my own farms, so near the surface that we can scrape it up with our hands, and yet we dare not touch it. If we were known to melt and use a single pound of it, we should be all transported for life to Batavia.^' Before they had finished their meal, their benefactor dis- patched messengers to his neighboring friends, desiring theii aasistam e to get the c-ew to the Cape. Several of them came and behaved with the grcvitcst tenderness and liberality. They went so far as to say, that such as were desirous of re- maining in the country until they had perfectly recovered, should be accommodated at their houses; and as they travel- ed once in every year to the Cape, they would take the first opportunity of conveying them thither. The captain thanked them for their kindness, but declined accepting their proposal, as his intention was to make the Cape with every possible expedition. This conversation was interrupted by a Hottentot servant who ran into the house and declared the '' waggon was in «ght." All flew to meet it, and the captain had the heartfelt consolation of perceiving twenty-three of his unfortunate people, chiefly lascars, laying down in the machine. On their arrival, the two sons of du Pliesies said, they found them near a wood perfectly resigned to their fate, having given up all hopes of relief. The preceding day, thirteen of their com- panions separated from them; but where they had strayed to not one of them could even guess at. These poor fellows after en- during for a long time the most unexampled miseries, ail arriv- ed in safety at the Cape. They were now forty-seven in number, and as they were to proceed in waggons, such as were ultiicted with sore feet, oi weak through hunger and fatigue, would not again be sepa- rated from their companions. Thcfir benevolent host now provided them with a waggon and two sets of o.xen, each set containing eight. They were occasionally to relieve each other on the way, and two oi three Hottentot servants were appointed as drivers, and to take charge of the relaying cattle. One of the tarmer's sons, completely armed, was likewise directed to attend th^m, and the waggon was store! with provision and water sufllicieat un ti* they arrived at the next settlement. 1.M1 or TBI «HIP UVRCULSl Yi They took their departure from the hospitable mansion of the benevolent du Pliesies on the morning of the second of July. The guard was perpetually on the watch, lest the Bo- shis-men or the wild an'mals might dart upon them unperceiv- ed. About eight in the ovening, however, they reached the second farm in perfect security. The distance traveled was about thirty-five miles this duy^ and ail the people in good spirits. The owner, whose name was Cornelius Englebrock, they found also a beneficent. character. His cottage was poor in- deed; but all that he could afford he gave with cheerfulness. His neighbour's letter was produced, which he read with great attention, and then suid, *' my friend is a good man, and 1 always valued him; but you wanted no other recommen- dation to my poor services, than your misfortunes." They remained here during the night, after partaking of n frugal repast which their host had provided, and which was given with many innocent apologies for its scantiness. Before their departure on the ensuing morning, the farmer generously presented them with nme sheep. The poor man lamented he could not let them have a morsel of bread. " We live, (said he), the year round chiefly on mutton and game; but seldom enjoy the luxury of a loaf" He insisted, how- ever, on the captain's taking the sheep, which he accepted with many thanks, and they then departed on their journey. During the four or five succeeding days, they traveled op from house to house, jjenerallv at fifteen or sixteen hours dis- tance from each other, and were received at all of them with a disinterested hospitality. These occurrences are related with a scrupulous attention to fidelity, because the colonists, without distinction, have been freund O'Brien and two or three more. '* It was as nate a thing as ever [ saw done," observed O'Brien. "Now, where's the chart, Robinson. Hand me down the narallel rules and compasses, Peter, they are in the corner of the shelf Here we are now, too near this infernal point. Who knows how her head is ?" ** I do, O'Brien ; I heard the quarter-master tell the c«pt«iii| bW.hjB. Southerly." PMOBimoif or A STORM AT IBA "Let ne Me,** continued O'Brien, ''variation f 1-4. lee way — ratner too large an allowance of that, I'm afraid ; but however, we'll give her 2 1-^ points; the Diomede would bluah to make any more, under any circumRtances. Here— the compass — we Ml sec ;" and O'Brien advanced the parallel rule fVom the compass to the spot where the ship was placed on the chart. '* Bother ! you hoc it '« as much as she 'II do to weather the other point now. on this tack, and that 's what the captain meant when he told us wo had more difficu ty. i could have taken my oath that we were clear of every thing, if the wind held." " See what the distance is, O'Brien," said Robinson. It was measured, and proved to be thirteen miles, " Only thir- teen miles ; and if we do weather, we shall do very well, for the bay is deep beyond. It 's a rocky point, you see, just by way of variety." On deck the superior officers were in conversation with the captain, who had expressed tlie same fear that O'Brien bad in our berth. The men, who knew what thoy had to expect — for this sort of intelligence is soon communicated through a ship — were assembled in knots looking very grave, but at the same time not wanting in confidetjce. They knew that they could trust to the captain, as far as skill or courage could avail them, and sailors are too sanguine to despair, even at the last moment. As for myself, I felt such admiration for the cap- tain, afler what I had witnessed that morning, that whenever the idea came over me, that in all probability I should be lost in a few hours I could not help acknowledging how much more serious it was that such a man should be lost to his country. I do not intend to say that it consoled me ; but it certainly made me still more regret the chances with which we were threatened. Before twelve o'clock, tlie rocky point which was so much dreaded was in sight, broad on the lee bow ; and if the low eandy coast appeared terrible, how much mote did this, ever at a distance : the black masses of rock, covered with foam; which each minute dashed up in the air higher than our lowei mast heads. The captain eyed it for some minutes in silence as if in calculation. '' Mr. Falcon," said he, at last, ^' we must put the mainaai on her." " She never can bear it, sir." ** She must bear it," was the reply. ^* Send the men all to the incin sheet See that careful mea attend the bunt* linee." ( •4 DKtCRirTION OF A ITORM AT tlA. The mainsail was set, and the effect of it upon the 8hip vai remendous. She careened over so that her lee channels weie under the vater, and when pressed by a ^ea, the lee side of the quarter deck and gangway were afloat. She now re- miaded me of a goaded and fiery horse, mad with the stimulus applied ; not rising at before, but forcing herself through whole t^eas, and dividing the waves, which poured in one con« tinual torrent from the forecastle down upon the deck below. Four men were secured to the wheel — the sailors were oblig- ed to cling, to prevent being washed away — the ropes were thrown in confusion to leeward — the shot rolled out of the lockers, and every eye was fixed a) ifl, watching the masts, expected every moment to go over the s'Je. A heavy ses »*i\Aok us on the broadside, and it ivas some moments befVjrf the ship appeared to recover herself; she reeled, trembl-'^d and stopped her way as if it had stupified her. Tne first \'u\ tenant looked at the captain, as if to say, '^ This will not do " " It is our only chance," answered the captain to the appca!* That the ship went faster through the water, and held a better wind, was certain ; but just before we arrived at the point, the gale increased in force. '' If any thing starts we are lost^ sir," observed the first lieutenai.t again. " I am perfectly aware of it," replied the captain, in a calm tone ; *^ but as I said before, and you must now be aware, it IS our only chance. The consequence of any carelessness or neglect in the fitting and securing of the rigging, will be felt now ; and this danger, if we escape it, ought to remind us how much we have to answer for if we neglect our duty. The lives of a whole ship's company may be sacrificed by ihe neg- lect or incompetence of an officer when in harbor. I will pay you the compliment. Falcon, to say, that I fee! (convinced, that the masts of this ship are as secure as knowledge and atten- don can make them." ' The first lieul<°!nant thanked the captain for his good opm* ion, and hoped it would not bo the last compliment which he paid him. ** I hope not too ; but a few minutes will decide the point.' The ship was now within two cables length of the rocky Eoint ; some few of the men I observed to clasp their hands, ut most of them were silently taking oflT their jackets, and kicking off their shoe^% thai^ they might not lose a chance of escape provided the ship struck. '' 'T will be touch and so indeed F;^Jcon," observed the captain, (for I had clung to the Ma/iof pinsy doae to thein, for the last half hour| tbtt Um OBtcmiPTioir OF a storm nr iia. msinsail had been set.) ^^ Come ail, you ar d I must take tlie helm. We shall want nerve there, and only there now.** The captain and first lieutenant went ad, and took the fore spokes of the wheel, and O'Brien, at a sign made by the cap- tain, laid hold of the spokes heiiind him. An old quarter-mas- ter kept his station at the fourth. The roaring of the seas on the rocks, with the howling of the wind, were dreadful ; but the sigh was more dreadful than the noise. For a few mo- ments i shut my eyes, but anxiety forced me to open them again. As near as I couid judge we were not twenty yards from the rocks at the time the ship passed abreast of them. We were in the midst of the foam, which boiled around us ; and as the ship was driven nearer to them, and careened with the wave, I thought that our main • ard-arm would have touch- ed the rock ; and at this r"' mem a gust of wind came on, which laid the ship on hor ! am-ends, and checked her pro- gress through tue water, while the accumulated noise was deafening. A few moments more the ship dragged on, another wave dashed over her and spent itself upon the rocks, while the spray was dashed back from them, and returned upon the decks. The main rock was within ten yards of her counter, when another gust laid us on our beam ends, the foreflail and mainsail split, and were blown clean out of the bolt ropes, the the ship righted, trembling fore and afl. I looked aster.) ; tne rocks were to windward on our quarter, and we were saie I thought at '.he tin»3, that the ship, relieved of her courses, and again liftirg jver the waves, was not a bad simile of the relief felt by us all at that moment ; and, like her, we trem- bled as we panted with the sudden reaction, and felt the re- moval of the intense anxiety which oppressed our breasts. The captain resigne-J the helm, and walked aA to look at the point, which was now broad on the weather quarter In a minuto or two, he desired Mr. Falcon to get new sails up and bend thorn, and i hen went belo^*^ to his cabin. I am «iure it was to thank God for our delir'/ance ; I did most fervently, not only then, but when I went to my hammock at night. We were now comparatively safe ; in a few hours completely so ; for strange tv say, immediately after we had weathered the rocks, the gale abated, and be'bre morning we bad a reef oat of the topsails wfimmmm'mm I.I' lUiJl.l N or THE BRIO COMMKRCB. . i. .. at VfRECK OF TfTE r>RIG COMMERCE, On the. fVeiUm coast of Afrka, August 28/A, 19\J), and the slavery %nd sufferings of the C. .^n on the Desert of Zahara. Compiled from the Narratives of Cajt Rilet and Akciiibai.d Robbiws. There is not, perhaps, in the annals of shipwreck, a pergon- al narrative more deoj)ly distressing, or m(»re painfully inter- esting. than that of Captain Riley. Were there not the most Ample testimony to his excellent moral character and unim- p^Hchahle veracity, we might be led to withhold our belief fn«nn some parts of his narrative, on the simpit grcurtd that hitman nature on the one hand, was utterly incapable of in- fl "ting, and on the other, of enduring, such hardships and sufferings as this gentleman and his poor shipwrecked com- panions had to undergo — sufierings which, as Capt. Hiley truly Sttye, have been as great and as various as ever fell to ihe lot of humanity. The brig Commerce, commanded by Capt. James R Icy, cleared from Middletown, Coi:in. on the 6th of May, 1816, iK)und to New Orleans, with ihe intention of taking in • freight at that place for a foreign market. She arrived at her ititi— d port without any material accident) discbargei het LOM OF 1»K BRIO GOMMKHCX. 87 cmrgo, and tooK in a freight for Gibraltar, al M'hich place she arrived after .a passage of forty five days. The officers and crew at this time, CGii8i8t<)d of James Riley, captain ; George Williams, chief mate ; Aaron R. Savage, !2d mate ; William Porter, Thomas Burns, James Clark, Archi- bald Robbins, John Hogan, and James Barrett, seamen ; Richard Delisle, a colored man, cook ; and an elderly man, by the name of Antonio Michael, who was taken on board at Gibraltar, to work his passage to New York. On the 23d of Augu»t they set sail from Gibraltar for the Cape de Verd islands to complete the cargo with salt. The usual course from Gibraltar to these islands is, to run down and make the island of Madeira ; but Capt. Riley, wishing to make the voyage as expeditious us possible, run down between the Canary islands and the African coast. The weather at this time, being thick and foggy, they pa.sscd the Grand Canaries without discovering them. On the 28th of August, at merid- ian, it was noticed by the mate and crew, that the water was colored, indicating a near approach to land. I'his circum- stance was mentioned to Capt. Riley, but he was of opinion that the appearance of the water was occasioned by the fog and thick weather, and continued his course to the S. W., sailing at the rate often knots an m>\ir. At about 10 o^cilock on the same evening, the brig ran ashore with such violence, as to proih'^trate ihe crew upon the deck. They immediately let go the sheet anchor, clewed down the sails, and used every exertion to save her. But her fate was decided, and their ex- ertions vain. The sea broke with tremendous power over the starboard quarter, and as the vessel was momentarily in danger of going to pieces, they broke open the hold, and exerted al' their en- ergy in fdling small casks with water, from the larger ones, knowing that the dismal coast on which they were driven, was almost destitute of that indispensable necessary of life They e.lso secured what provisions they could, as the vessel was fast filling with water. At 12 o'clock they disco ercd the beach off the larboard bow, the weather having become nufficiently clear. They immediately cut away tiie larboard bulwark, and launched the boats Capt. Riley and William Porter jumped into Uie small bout, and carried a rope ashoie, which they made fast by means of sticks which had floated there from tho wreck. The men on board, then hauled the long boat under the larboard bovr, and put into her two or three barrels of bread and some pork. They also threw over* im LQM or TBB BRIO COMMKRCB. board, some barrels of water and wine which floated to the Bhore, and were secured. Two seatnen got into the boat, and veering her by means of the rope fastened on board the brig, they approached the shore. The aiirt immediately filled her, and the men jumped overboard to save some of their wet provi- ftions, and secured one barrel of bread wholly dry. Capt. Riley and three others were now on shore, but the long boat being bilged, and the small boat unable to stand the surf, they lould not return to the wreck. Their companions on board in the meantime were heaving overboard chests, beds and every article that would float, that they could get at, and those on shore secured them as they floated within reach. Day light at length appeared. Capt. Riley hailed the mates who werfi both on board, ordering them to make fast one of the ropes that extended from the wreck to the shore, around his trunk which contained some specie This being done, they dragged the trunk ashore. The brig was now completely filled with water, and Capt. Riley ordered the masts to ue cut away. The next considera- tion was, how the people en the wreck could be rescued from the imminent danger surrounding them. The rope that ex- tended from the shore to the brig wt s loosened and made fast to the hawser, which Vi^as drawn to the shore, and made as fast as their slender mean^^ would admit It was then high water. The brig lay about thirty rods from the shore, and between them the surf was rolli'Ag and roaring in a manner calculated to produce consternation and despair in the stoutept heart. Capt. Riley made signals to those on the wreck to come ashore on the hawser. He placed himself, together with the three m'ten, at the hawser, as far in the water as they could stand, the surf all the while breaking over them. At length Hogan attempted the perilous passage ; suspended upon the rope between two worlds, uncertain to which every returning surge might waft him, he approached the shore. Before he reached it, he was so much exhausted that he lost his hold, — a surf washed him within reach, and he was saved. In this way, one after another succeeded in getting safe to land, and found themselves, at sunrise, upon a coast containing a race of beings more merciless than the waves from which they aad just escaped. For nearly a mile the beach was strewed with fragments of the valuable cargo. They hauled the boats from the surf, and gathered together the small amount of provisions and clothing which was strewed about. In the captain'a tnink were two bags of specie containing about $1,000 t^ck LOM or TBI BRIO COMMBROB. o the ) and 'fig, ner, fovi- ing ouJd fhe ^'ery on gHt ere >pea unk ged one of these was opened, and the money distributed among the meo, to conceal about their persons j— the other they buried in the sand. About sunrise, their attention was attracted by the appear- ance of a human creature, at the distance of nearly naif a mile, approaching them. As he discovered the wrecked ar- ticles and the wretched group, he manifested by his actions, the commotions of a mind agitated by the mingled C[x rations of joy and fear. He came within twenty rods of tbtfn, and then by signs showed an intention of departing. Capt. Riley walked gently towards him, and by every sign that could be -esorted to, endeavored to persuade him to come and take possession of some of the articles. After interchanging signs m token of peace, this horrible figure lefl them to reflect upon the adventure. , . They proceeded to erect a tent from the spars, oars, and sails, which they had saved from the wreck, to secure their provisions and water ; scarcely thinking of any thing else from the peculiar perils of their situation. While busily en- gaged in this service the figure before mentioned reappeared, being joined by two aged females of the most frightful aspect, a boy, and two small girls, probably their children. More terrible visages never presented themselves to the astonished eyes and agitated hearts of men. The gnashing teeth and opened mouth of the old man, stretching almost from ear to ear, — his long firrey beard hanging down i;non his breast, — his head, covered with long bushy hair, standing out in every direction, six or eight inches from his head, — the red and flashing eyes of the old women, their tushes projecting from their jaws, and the more mild, though terrible appear- ance of their ferocious brood, imparted feelings to the i>ston- ished mariners, better imagined than described. Thoy broke open the chests, plundered the clothing, and proceeding to- il ards the tent, were about to pillage their provisions and water, m\ich the crew resolved to defend to the last extremity. They finally departed, and lefl the wretched party to take measures for their future escape or safety. Capt. Riiey proposed re- pairing the long boat, oy -vhlch they iriight be enabled to reach the Cape de Verd islands. The wind lulled a litde in the afternoon, and William Porter succeeded in reaching, die irreck and procured a few nails and a marline-spike ; with which they worked upon the boat till it was quite flark. Some of the natives had furniMhed them with fire, which en- abled them to cook some salted pork, which, together witk MM OV TBI BRIO COMMSRCB. bread and butter furnished them with the last meal tbey wer« to enjoy from the provisions saved (Von) the wreck. A watch for the night was set, who were to give an alarm in case of the approach of the natives, and keep burning a guard fire. "Night," says Capt. Riley, ''had now spread her sable mantle over the face of nature, the savages had retired, and all was still, c.Ycept the restless and unwearied waves, which dashed against the deserted wreck, and tumbled among the broken rocks a little to the tastward of us, where the high perpendicular cliffs, jutting out into the sea, opposed a barrier to their violence, and threatened, at the same time, inevitable and certain destruction to every ill fated vessel and her crew that should, unfortunately, approach too near their immovable foundations; these we had escaped only by a few rods. From the time the vessel struck to this moment, I had been so en- tirely engaged by the laborious exertions which our critical situation demanded, that I had no time for reflection ; but it now rushed like a torrent over my mind, and banished from my eyes that sleep which my fatigued frame so much required. I knew I was on a barren and mhospitablc coast ; a tcmpestu- ous ocean lay before me, whose bosom was continually tossed and agitated by wild and furious winds, blowing directly on shore; no vessel or boat sufhcient for our escape, as I thought it Impossible for our shattered long-boat to live at sea, even if we should succeed in urging her through the tremendous surges that broke upon the shore, with such vio- lence, as to make the whole coast tremble ; bel< nd us were savage beings, bearing the human form indeed, but in its most terrinc appearance, whose object I knew, from what had already passed, would be to rob us of our last resource, our provisions; and I did not doubt, but they would be sufhciently strong in the morning, not only to accomplish what they meditated, but to take our lives also, or to seize upon our per- sons, and doom us to slavery, till death should rid us of our miseries. '' This was the first time i had ever suffered shipwieck. 1 had lefl a wife and five young children behind me, and oo whom I doated, and who depended un me entirely fcr their subsistence. My children would have no father's, and per- haps no motner's care, to direct them in the paths of virtue, to instruct their ripening years, or to watch over them, and administer the balm of comfort in time of sickness ; no gener- ous friend to relieve their distresses, and save them from in- digence, degradation, and ruin. These reflections harrow«4 I MM OF TUB II&IO CCBIMBACB. §1 f up my soul, nor could I cease to shudder at these imaginary evils, added to my real ones, until I was forced mentally to exclaim, ' Thy ways, great Father oi* the universe, are wise and just, and what am 1 ! an atom of dust, that dares to mur- mur at thy dispensations.' " The night passed- slowly and tediously away, and in the morning the old man once more made his appearance, with additional reinforcements. He was armed with a spear of iron, about twelve feet long. This he balanced in his right hand above his head. Ue ordei-ed them off to the wreck, pointing to a drove of camels, descending a hill to the east- ward. They all fled to the boat, while Capt Riley defended himself with a piece of spar, with the most consummate bravery. As soon as they had reached the wreck, the Arabs com- menced an indiscriminate plunder of every thing they wanted, occasionally brandishing their weapons and bidding defiance to the crew. They gathered up the trunks, chests, sea in- struments, books and charts, consumed them in a pile, and stove all casks of water and wine that they could not carrv off, ind emptied the contents in the sand. The sight of the deplorable situation of the crew now seem ed to excite pity in the breasts of the savages. They came down to the water's edge, bowed themselves to the ground, and beckoned Capt. Riley to come on shore, making all the signs of peace and friendship they could. The men carried their arms up over the sand hills and returned without them. See- ing no possible chance of preserving their lives, in any othei* way but by the assistance of the natives, Capt. liiley descend- ed on the hawser to the shore. He was immediately seized by two of the stoutest of the young men, who placed themselves on each side of him for safe-keeping. They ^Tosped his arms like lions, and at that instant, the women and children presented their daggers, knives and spears at his breast One of the Arabs seized hold of him by the throat, and with a flcimetar at his breast gave him to understand there wa& money on board, and it must instantly be brought ashore. Capt. Riley hailed his men, and told them what the savages required : a bucket was accordingly sent on shore with about a thousand dollars. An old Arab instantly laid hold cf it, ana forcing Riley to accompany him, they all went behind the sand-hills to divide the spoil. In this situation he felt himself fery uneasy, and in order to regain the beach, he made suriui thai tb«ra was atiU more money remaiaing in tha ahip Tin i ' ■>I »B ' ( !' ■ . I '.j i iiy^rw* UMA 09 iJtiM •mia COAIMUMI bint fueeeed^d j uid under the idee of getting it they allow* ed him acain to hail hi^ people ; wi.en, instead of money, he desired them to send on shore Anloiio Michael (an old man they had .aken in at Gibraltar), ao the only possible means leil for him of effecting his own escape. The Arabs finding, on his reaching the shore, that he bad brought no money with him, struck hun, pricked him with their sharp knives, and stripped him jf all nia clothes. Mr. Riley seized this oppor- tunity of springing from his keepers, and plunged into the sea. On rising th ough the surf, be perceived the old Arab within ten feet of h.tii, up to his chin in water, with his spear ready to strike him; but another surf rolling at that instant over him, saved his life, and he reached the lee of the wreck in safety. The remorseless brutes wreaked their vengeance on poor An- tonio, by plunging a spear into his body, which laid him life- less at their feet. The wreck was, by this time, going rapidly to pieces ; the long-boat writhed like an old basket. The crew had neither provisions nor water ; neither oars nor a rudder to the boat neither compass nor quadrant to direct their course ; yet hopeless as their situation was, and expecting to be swallowed up by the first surf, they resolved to try their fate on the ocean, rather than to encounter death from the relentless lavages on shore. By great exertion, they succeeded in find- mg a water cask, out of which they filled four gallons into a keg. One of the seamen, Porter, stole on shore by the hawser, and brought on board two oars, with a small bag ot money which they had buried, containing about four hundred dollars. They also contrived to get together a few pieces of salt pork, a live pig, weighing about twenty pounds, about four pounds of figs, a spar for the boat^s mast, a jib, and a mainsail. Every thing being ready, the crew went to pra;'ers; and the wind ceasing to blow, the boat was launched through the breakers. f^ It had baen my intention," says Capt Riley, ^^afler we had got to sea, .0 run down the coast in the hope of finding some vessel, or to discover the mouth of some river, in order to ob- tain a supply of water. But now the dangers and dtfl^culties we should have to encounter in doing this were taken into consideration. If we tried to navigate along the coast, it was nco9ssary to know our course, or we should be in imminent danger of being dashed to pieces on it every dark day, and every night. The thick foggy weather would prevent our feting the land in the day time ; whilst the wind, blowing •!• LOW Of TBI BBIO COMMBECt moit direct on :he land, would force ue towardb it, and eo' danger the safety of both the boat ana our lives at every turn- ing point. On the other hand, we reflected that we had escap- ed from savages who liad alrcnriy kiilt d ono of our nhipmates, had gained the open sea through divino mercy, nrid cuuld stand off* to the westward witli(»m (ear ol' l)cing driven on shore. In this direction we might meet with some friendly vessel to save us, which was our only hope in that way, and the worst that could happen to us was to sink all together in ihe sea, or gradually perish through want of sustenance. ^ Having considered and represented to my companions the dangers that beset us on every side, I asked their opinions one by one, and found thsy were unanimously in favor of com- mitting themselves to the open sea in preference to keeping along the coast. The dangers appeared to be fewer, ana all agreed that it was better to perish on the ocean, if it was God's will, than by the hands of the natives. There being a strong breeze, we stood off" by the wind and rigged our jib. We now agreed to put ourselves upon allowance of one bottle of water and half a bottle of wine among eleven of us, and a slice of pork and two soaked and salted figs for each man. During this day, which was the 30th of August, 1815, we fitted waist cloths to go round above the gunwale of the boat, to prevent the sea from dashing over ; they were from eight to ten inches broad, made from the brig^s fore-staysail, and were kept up by small pieces of a board which we formed in the boat, so that they helped in some measure to keep off the spray. It had been cloudy all day, and the boat leaked faster than she had done before. As night came on the wind blew hard and rais- ed the sea very high, but the boat was kept ne&r the wind by her sails, and drilled broadside before it, smoothing the sea to the windward, and did not ship a great deal of water. On the 31st it became more moderate, but the weather was very thick and hazy. Our pig being nearly dead for the want of water, we killed it, taking care however to save his blood ; which we divided amongst us and drank, our thirst having become al- most insupportable. We also divided the pig's liver, intes- tines, &.C. between us, and ate scme of them, (as they were fresh) to satisfy, in some degree, our thirst. Thus tbig day passed away ; no vessel was yet seen to relieve us ; we hud determined to save our urine for drink, which we accordingly did in empty bottles, and found great relief from the use of it for being obliged to labor h . v. ~ to keep the boat above water, our thirst was n.u< />rerely felt than it -ir-mtm m£m«mimS£><»m VCXTflSC <«Mtt«I^M»l N LOlf or THB BRIO COMMBEOl. we had remained still. The night came on very dark an 5 lowering ; the sky seemed big with an impending tempest ; *he wmd blew hard from the N. £. and before midnight the sea combed into the boat in such quantities as several times to fill her more than half full. All hands were employed in throwing out the water with )|ats and other things, each be- lieving his final hour had at tilhgth arrived, and expecting that every approaching surge would bury him forever in a watery grave. ''The boat racked like a basket, letting in water at eveiy seam and split ; her timbers working out or breaking off; the nails I had put in while last on shore were kept from entirely drawing out, merely by the pressure of the water acting on the outside of the boat. Sharp flashes of lightning caused by heat and vapor shot across the gloom, rendering the scene doubly horrid. In this situation some of the men thought it was no longer of use to try to keep the boat afloat, as the} said she must soon All in spite of all their exertions. Having poured out our souls before our God and implored pardon for our transgressions, each one felt perfectly resigned to his fate : this was a trying moment, and my example and advice could scarcely induce them to continue bailing ; whilst some of them, by thrusting their heads into the water, endeavored to ascertain what the pain's of death were by feeling the eflects tne water would produce on their organs. Thus passed this night ; all my exertions were necessary to encourage the met to assist me in bailing the boat, by reminding them of uu.* miraculous escape from the savages, and through the surf to the open sea, and enforcing on their minds the consideration that we were still in the hands of the same disposing power . and that we ought not to suppose we were aided in escaping from the shore by a miracle to be abandoned here and swal- lowed up by the ocean ; and that for my own part I still en- tertained hopes of our preservation ; at any rate that it was a duty we owed to God and ourselves to strive to the latest breath to prevent our own destruction. Day came on amidst these accumulated horrors; it was the Ist of September; thirst pressed upon ua, which we could only allay by wetting our mouths twice a day with a few drops of wine and water, and MB many times with our urine. "The wind continued to blow hard all this day, and the suc- ceeding night with great violence, and the boat to work aud leak in the same manner as before. Worn down with fatiguet •lul lojf-continued hunger and thirst, scorched by the bum- :.ii»n»nyV "<^1 (9 / y^ Photographic Sdences Corporation 2? WEST tfJ'M STREET WEBSTER. NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 fA 9€ LMf or THS 11110 COMMIECB. under these towering rliffs, there was not a breath of ait to fan our almost boiling blood. I had, in crawling through one of the holes between the rocks, broke my bottle, and spilled the little water it contained, and my tongue cleaving to the roof of my mouth, was as useless as a dry stick, until I wai enabled to loosen it by a few drops of my more than a dozen times distilled urine.'' Oc the third day, afler their landing, they encountered a large company of Arabs, who were watering their camels. The shipwrecked mariners bowed themselves to the ground with every mark of submissson, and by signs, implored their compassion, but in vain. The whole party were in an instant stripped naked to the skin, and the Arabs began to fight most furiously for the booty, and especially for getting possession of the ,.risoners. " Six or eight of them,'' says Capt. Riley, " were about me, one hauling me one way, and one another. The one who stripped Dick, the black man, and myself, stuck to us as his lawful property, signifying, ' you may have the others, these are mine.' They cut at each other over my head, and, on every side of me with their weapons, which fairly whizzed through the air within an inch of my naked body, and on every side of me, now hacking each other's arms apparently to the bone, then laying their ribs bare with gashes, while their heads, hands, and thighs, received a full share of cuta and wounds. The blood streaming from every gash, ran down their bodies coloring and heightening the natural hide- ousnbss of their appearance. I had expected to be cut to pieces in this dreadful affray, but was not injured "Those who were not actually engaged in combat, seized the occasion, and snatched away the clothing in Dick's bundle, so that when the fight was over, he had nothing left but his master's blanket. This battle and contest lasted for nearly an hour — brother cutting brother, friend slashing friend. Hap- pily for them, their scimitars were not very sharp, s^ that when thev rubbed off the dried blood from their bodies after- wards with sand, their wounds were not so great or deep as I expected they would be, and they did not pay the least appa- ent attention to them. I had no time to see what they were tioing with my shipmates : only myself and the cuok were near each other. " The battle over, I saw my distressed companions divided among the Arabs, and all going towards the drove of camels, though they were at some distance from me. We two were delivered into the hands of two old women, who urged ut q9 m BRIG coMinnr?! •7 with sticks toward J the camels. Nnked nr ".fifffoot I could not go very fast, and showed the womon iriv mmr h, which wan parched white as frost, and without a sign r'" *r>oist ire. When we got near the well, one of the women ':ailonsideral)le altercation, Sidi Hamet and his brother Seid finally siicxet-dtid in purchasing five of the unfortunate captives, viz : Capt. Riley, Savage, Clark, Burns, and Horace. ** The 26th was spent in preparing for our depart .ire. We slaughtered a came! as provisions for the journey, and our master fitted us with sandals made of the camel's skin. They had^ in the morning, given me a small knife which 1 hung lf» my neck in a case, — this they meant as a mark of cotifidence. and they also gave me charge of their stuff, the camels and slaves. I soon perceived, however, that although I had this kind of command, yet I was obliged to do all the work. My men were so far exhausted, that even the hope of soon obtain- ing their liberty could scarcely animate them to the least exertion. " Sidi Hamet told me that in the morning we should start fo- Swearah, and that he hoped through the blessing of God, I should once more embrace my family ; he then told me how much he had paid for each one of us — that he had expended all his property, and that if I had not told him the tru^b, he was a ruined man — that his brother was a bad man, ant' ^^ad done all he could to prevent his buying us, but that he had a. last consented to it, and taken a share. " He next made me repeat, before his brother, my promises to him when we should arrive .at Swearah, and my agreement to have my throat cut if my woras did not prove true. At daylight on the morning of the 28th we were called up to load the camels. Sidi Hamet and Seid had two old ones on which they rode, and they had brought also a young one that had not been broke for riding. We were joined here by a young Arab nanipd Abdallah : he had been Mr. Savage's master and owned a camel, and a couple of goat skins to carry water in ; but these, as well as those of our masters were entirely empty. Sidi Hamet had a kind of pack saddle for each of his old camels ; but nothing to cover the bones of his young ones. Having fitted them as well as he could, (for he seem- ed to be humane) he placed Mr. Savage, Burnsj and Uoracd^ ^Tpjlp 164 LOSS or TnR hrio commbroi. !Ii! f fit' on the big one, and niyaulf anH Clnrk on the old one Seid ftnd Abdallnh took their scats ^^n the one which belonged to Abdallah, and 8idi Harnet mounted the young one himself to break hun, sitting behind the hump on his bare back ; and thus arranged and equipped, \vc sot off on a fjll and long stnding trot. It was about nine A. M. when we had mount- ed ; and this trot had continued for about three hours, when we stopped a few minutes in a little valley to adjust our sad c es. Here Sidi Hamet pulled out a check shirt from one ot his bags and gave it me, 'leclaring he had stolen it, and had tried to get another for Horace, hut had not been aide : ' put it on,' said he, * your poor back needs a covering;' (it being then one entire sore.) I kissed his hand in gratitude, and thanked him and my Heavenly Father for this mercy. Clark, a day or two before, had got a piece of an old sail, that partly cover ed him — Burns had an old jacket, and Horace and Mr. Sav- age, a small goat skin added to their dress — so that we were all, comparatively, comfortably clad. We did not stop here long, but mounted again, and proceeded on our course to the E. S. E. on a full trot, which was continued till night ; when, coming to a little valley, we found some thorn bushes and halted for the night. " Here we kindled a fire, and our r.^nsters gave us a few mouthfuls of the camel's meat, which we roasted and ate. As we had ' ' k no water for the last three days, except a very little of t we had taken from the camel's paunch, and which was now reduced to about four quarts, we, as well as our masters, suffered exceedingly for the want of it, and it was thereupon determined to make an equal distribution of it among the whole party ; which was accordingly done with an impartial hand. This we, poor sufferers, made out to swal- low, foul and ropy as it was, and it considerably relieved our parched throats ; and then, finding a good shelter under a thornbush, notwithstanding our unabated pains we got a tol- erable night's sleep." They continued traveling in the desart, enduring all the raiseries of hunger, thirst, and fatigue, until they reached Wadinoon. Here Sidi Hamet told Capt. Riley that he must write a letter to his friend at Swearah, giving him a scrap of paper, a reed, and some black liquor, — and that he would set out the next morning with it. Capt. Kiley begged hare to be taken Along with him ; but he would not consent. He briefly wrote the circumstances of the loss of the vessel hu captivity, &c. adding, ^' worn down to the bones by the Lotft or THft nnio commbaoa. 106 mofit dreadful of all sufTeringii — naked and a alavc, 1 implore your pity, and trust that such distress will not be suffered to plead in vain." Tho letter was addressed to " the English^ French, Spanish, or American Consuls, or any Christian merchants in Magadore." They remained here seven days shut up in an enclosure with sheep, cows and asses, in the day time, and in the night they were locked up in a cellar. On the eighth day after the departure of Sidi Hamet, a Moor, (Rais bel Cossim) entered the enclosure bearing a letter from Mr. Willshire, communica ting the thrice happy intelligence, that he would advance the sum of one thousand dollars to redeem them from slavery; and that Sidi Hamet had remained with him as a hostage for their safe arrival. He also forwarded them a present of clothes, provisions and spirits that they might enjoy a foretaste of returning liberty ** My feelings," says Capt. Riley, *' on reading this letter may perhaps be conceived, but I cannot attempt to describe them ; to form an idea of my emotions at that time, it is neces- sary for the reader to transport himself in imagination to the country where I then was, also a wretched slave, and to fancy himself as having passed through all the dangers and distresses that I had experienced ; reduced to the lowest pitch of human wretchedness, degradation and despair, a skinless skeleton, expecting death at every instant, then let him fancy himself receiving such a letter from a perfect stranger, whose name he had never before heard, and from a place where there was not an individual creature that had ever before heard of his existence, and in one of the most barbarous regions of the habitable globe : let him receive at the same time clothes to cover and defend his naked, emaciated, and trembling frame, shoes for his mangled feet, and such provisions as he had been accustomed to in his happier days — let him find a sooth- ing and sympathizing friend in a barbarian, and one who spoke perfectly well the language of a Christian nation ; and with al. this, let him beheld a prospect of r speedy liberation, and restoration to his beloved family : — Aere let him pause, and his heart must, like mine, expand near to bursting with gratitude to his all-wise and beneficent Creator, who had up- held hid tottering frame, and preserved in his bosom the vital spark, while he conducted him, with unerring wisdom and goodnegs, through the greatest perils and sufferings, by a con- tinued miracle, and now prepared the heart of a stranger u tccompliah what had been before determined.** TOl. I. 6* 1;. I 106 LOSS OP THR nnio commkroe The Mooi; llais bol Cossiin, Sidi, Ivlobammed, and Seid, their iimstei', then took ch;ugu <.;l tli;.'iii to couchict th(!Oi to Svveurah, Miihis wore pruvicKni lor the piirposo, and as soon tis thoy wva'o on the road, iiais Ix;! Co.ssini bog-ged of Cant. Kih'.y to ^ivo l»in» an account of liicir niLst'ortunes and sunerin^'s, and by wlii'.t niirucle tlieir Ihcs hud been [)re- served. "I satisfied his curiosity, " says Capt. Riley, "as well as I could, by a short nai'ration of the )no.>t prominLiit occurreiu^es. When 1 iiad linisiied, he raised his (^ycs towaissin;.; himself to nie, he remarked, ' Y.ou have, indeed, been presui'ved most wonderfully by the pecu- liar protection and assistance of an overruiin<>' Piovidence, and must be a particular favourite of heaven: Inere never was an instance (added he) of a Christian's passing' the g-i"e;»t desei't for sucii a distance before, and you are no doubt d(^.stined to do some great good in the world ; and may the AlHii;;'i)ty con- tinue to pi'oserve yoii, and i-cstore you to yom* distresNcd fam- ily. Sidi Hamet (added he) admired your conduct, courage, and intelligence, and says they ai'e more tlian human — that God is with you in all your transactions, and has blessed him for your sake.' I mention this conversation to show the light in which m^v master had viciwed me, and this will ;!eeount for the interest lie took in my restoration to iiuei ty, over and abiive his motives of gain. " We traveled on in a south-east direction through a very sandy countiy, with, however, hei'e and there a small rising, and a few cultivated spots, for about live ho;;i'S. at the rate of .five miles an hour, when we came onj)osite the shattered walls of a desolate town or city that sioal not far from our ])ath on the right. These walls appeared to enck;se a square spot of about three hundred yards in extent on each side, and they seemed to be at least fifteen feet in height. They were built of rough stones, laid in clay or mud, and daubed over with the same material. On the noi'lh side thei-e was a gateway handsomely arched over with stone, and furnished with a strong, heavy-looking \vooden gate that was now shut. Over the gate there appeared to be a platft>'*!r: for the purpose of defending the gate, for the wall was not quite so higli in that part as elsewhere. Two battering machines were standing against tiie western angle of the w^all, o{)posit(5 to which a large practicai>]e breach had been made by means of one of tiioso machines. They were both very sim- ple in their structure, but calculated to be very powerful m their effects. • . ,N" ., .t.: or JilU BRIO COMMIRCB 101 The ground about the breach and near the ^ate was strow^ ed over with dry huinnn hoiica ; and my curiosity being much excited to know the history of this melancholy scene of car- nage anii desolation, T requested Uais to communicate to me the particulars ; but not being, it seems, acquainted with them himself, he applied to Sidi Mohammed on the subject^ who thereupon gave the following relation, while Rais trans- 'ated into Spanish for me such parts as 1 did not perfectly understand in Arabic, by which means 1 was enabled thor- oughly to comprehend the whole narrative m •ACKINO OF A WALI.F.I) TOWN BT THE WANDERING ARABf "That city (sasd Mohaninied,) was built by Omar Rasektdj about forty years a^o ; he iiamncl ii IVidnah. He was a very brave ami pious man : and the tninibcr of his family and friends^ consisting at fust of nonioH'lhan five hundred souls, when the eity was built, IncreasfHl so rapidly, that in a few years they amounted to several thousands : they planted those fig, date, pomegranate, olive, and other trees which you now see near the walls ; they ciiltivatod the fields round about, and made gardens ; had abundance of bread, beasts, and cattle of every kind, and be- came exceedingly rich and great, for God was with them. In all their transactions, they were respected, loved, and feared by all their neighbours, because they were wise and iu't. This man was called Omar el Milliah^ (or Omar the good;) he was my best friend when living, (said Sidi) and helped me when I was very low in the world, out the best men have enemie*— m> it was witli ^" mifftmimmmm 08 van OP THE BRIO COMMERC* H I 'I Ii i. Offur; he had an inveterate enemj from his y^uth, who lived tmonff the mountains to the southward of this city, whose name wm Sheiek Sulmin. This Sheick, about twenty years ago, came down with a great host and invested the city of Omar, but Omar taking Advantage of the darkness of the night, sallied out of his city at a private passage, wi^V all his forces, and falling upon his besiegers anawares, killed a great number, and put the remainder to a •hameful flight — from that time until the time of his death, (which ■appened two years ago) he enjoyed a profound peace on every side. 4uer Omar's death, his eldest son, Mtdey Ismaely (for he caused aimself to be called a prince^ took upon him the government of the city. He was a very effeminate man, entirely devoted to sensual pleasure, and had a great number of wives and concubines. The people had long enjoyed a profound peace, and confided in their strength 1 when about a year ago one of the brothers of Ismael, named Kethrbah, who was very ambitious, and being fired with re- sentment at the conduct of Muley Ismael, in taking away from him his betrothed wife, left the city, and repaired to the moun- tains, where having found his father's old enemy still living, he stirred him up to war against the city. The oUl Sheick soon col- lected a powerful army of hungry and raparious Arabs on the borders of the desart, and came down the mouiitains, bringing on their camels the battering machines you now see standing there. When this host approached the city, it was in the dead of the night, and all within were asleep ; they dwelt careles«ily and dreamed of no harm ; and felt so secure, that they did not even keep a watch. The Sheick and his host drew near the walls in perfect silence, and raised their battering machines undiscovered: it was now near daylight, when both machines were put in operation at the same instant, and the gate was also attacked by means of large ■tones hung from the upper extremities of lonf poles by ropes, which poles stood up on end, and were managed by the hands of the Arabs. The first strokes against the walls and gate, shook them to their very foundations, and a^*/akened the slothful inhab- itants, who flew to the walls in order to make a defence ; but it was too late ; the enemy were thundering against them ; all was confusion within ; those who attacked the gate were repulsed with great slaughter by those who mounted the platform over it, but the walls were already shattered to pieces, and the assailants entered the breaches over heaps of their dead and dying enemies It was now daylight, and an indiscriminate slaughter of the in- habitants ensued ; all was blood and carnage *, every male was put to death, except two. who escaped over the wall to carry tid- ings of the fate of the town to their friends and neighbors. All the women and children shared the same fate, except two hundred virgins, who were spared for the use of th** 'onquerors. Thej next plundered the slain of their clothinor am. ,fram«>nto ; gather- ed up their spoil, and drove ofi'the ox .jls, &.c. and departed, leaviD|( the city a heap of rijL ■•\ •' T ■*>'"'■ nth the mav LOM OF THE BRIG COMMERCB 109 |;leQ ctrcatses of its once highly favored inha^itunta they wer« in such haste as to leave the battering machines standing, an<) made off by way of the plain southward. The inhabitants if the neighboring towns soon collected, and pursuing them with great vigor, came up with them on the side of the mountain the next morning, while the invaders sending forward their spoils, took a station in a sleep narrow pass, and prepared for battle. It was a very long and bloody fight, but Sulmin's men rolled down great stones from the precipices upon their pursuers, who were at last forced to retreat, leaving about half their number dead and wound* ed on the ground. Sidi hhemy a very powerful prince, had in the mean time heard the news, and assemoled a very large army, and pursued the enemy by another way ; but they had fled to the desart, and could not be overtaken. The dead bodies in and about the city had be- come so putrid before the pursuit was over, that none could ap- proach to bury them, and they were devoured by dogs, and wild ueasts, and birds of prey. They had offended the Almighty by their pride, and none could be found to save them Thus perish- ed Widnah and its haughty inhabitants." They continued their journey without any material interrup- tion, until they arrived in the vicinity of JVlogadore or Swear- ah. " Here, our deliverer," says Capt. Riley, " who had re- ceived news of our coming, dismounted from his horse, and was prepared to behold some of the most miserable objects his im- agination could paint — he led his horse along the south angle and near the wall : Kais was by his side when opening pa.st the corner, I heard Rais exclaim, in Spanish, *' Alia estan" — " there they are :" — at this sound we looked up and beheld our deliverer, who had at that instant turned his eyes upon us. He started back one step with surprise. His blood seemed to fly from his visage for a moment, but recovering himself a little, he rushed forward, and clasping me to his breast, he ejaculated, ' Welcome to my arms, my dear Sir; this is truly a happy moment.' He next took each of my companions by !lie hand, and welcomed them to their liberty, while tears trickled down his manly cheeks and the sudden rush of all the generous and sympathetic feelings of his heart nearly choked his utterance : then raising his eyes towards heaven, he said, ' I thank thee, great Author of my bemg for thy mercy to these my brothers.' — He could add no more ; his whole frame was so agitated, that his strength failed him, and he sunk to the ground. We, on our part, could only look up towards heaven in silent adoration, while our hearta swelled with indescribable sensations of gratitude and love to the all mtmm mmmw #•■' n no OF THE BRIG COMMBRCB wise, all powerful, and over merctful God of the uaiverse, who nad conducted us through so inaii) dreadful scenes of danger and suffering ; had controled the passions and disposed the hearts of the barbarous Arabs in our favour, and had finally brought us to the arms of such a friend. Tears of joy stream ed from our eyes, and Rais bel Cossini was so much affected at this interview, that in order to conceal his weeping, he hid himself behind the wall ; for the Moors, as w(dl as the Arabs, hold the shedding of tears to be a womanish and degrading weakness. Afler a short pause, when Mr. Willshire had in some measure recovered, he said, ' Come, my friends, let us go to the city ; my house is already prepared for your recep- tion.' — The mules were led up, and we wore again placed on them and rode off slowly towards Mogadore." Mr. Willshire conducted them to his house, on their arrival at Mogadore, had them all washed, clothed, and fed, and spared no pains nor expense in procuring every comfort, and in administering with his own hand, night and day, such re- freshment as their late sufferings and debility required. Of the miserable condition to which these unfortunate men had been reduced, one act will witness. " At the instance of Mr. Willshire," says Capt. Riley, " I was weighed, and fell short of nmety pounds though my usual weight for the last ten years had been over two hundred pounds ; the weight of my com- panions was less than I dare to mention, for I apprehend it would not be believed that the bodies of men, retaining the vital spark, should not have weighed forty pounds !" -•"•-••t •»-.* . A -r : THX SrANISH WRBCK. Ul i--- ^.vi;- THE SPANISH WRECK. About the year 1683, Sir William Phipps, afterwards cele- Drated for his attempts to take Quebec, in 1690, applied to the Ylnglish Government for aid and permission to Ht out a suit- able vessel for the purpose of searching for the wreck of u Spanish ship which had been lost near one of the West India Islands, richly laden with silver. His request, after some delay, was granted, and a frigate called Algier Rose, carrying eighteen guns and manned with nmety-five men, was placed under his command. He arrived in Now England the same year and proceeded forthwith to the place where the treasure was reported to have been lost. He encountered many .diffi- culties in his voyage and came nigh, more than once, losing his life by the mutiny of his crew. It is reported of him that while his ship lay by an island, for the purpose of enabling hia men to take on board a fresh supply of wood and water, they agreed among themselves to take the ship into their own hands, and make a piratical expedition into the South Seas. They were all on the island with the exception of Captain Phipps and eight or ten of the crew. Among these was the car- penter, whose services they could not well dispense with, and they accordingly sent to the ship, requesting him to come to them, as they had something for him to do. No sooner had he come among them, than they disclosed to him the cruel project, which was to set the Captain, and the above named eight or ten men upon the island, and then leave them to per- ish, while they would take the ship into their own hands and perform the proposed voyage. They gave the carpenter half an hour to consider of the subject, whether he would join wrtti them or not, and sent him back accompanied by a seaman to prevent any int< rview between him and the Captain, by which a disclosure could be made. While at work on the ship, he suddenly feigned an attack of the cholic, and rushed into the cabin for the purpose of obtaining relief, and while there, gav<; the Captain an account of the determination of his crew. He dipected the carpenter to return upon the island, and give hiir ^^nsent to join the conspiracy. When the carpenter had left the ship, the Captain orderco the mtD on beard^ to prepare the piecet for action^ rvneTed li THE SPANISH WRECK the plank by which a landing hac'. been effected, and ordered them not to permit any one of those, save the carpenter, to approach the ship. A quantity of provisions had been carried on shore and covered with a tent, and two or three guns placed near to protect them from the Spaniards who might be passing that way: these guns were all charged, ready to be made use of in the event of an attack from the conspirators The disafiected part of the crew now returned to the ship for the purpose of executing their plans. INo sooner had they come in sight, than the captain ordered them not to approach, saying to them that their intentions had been discovered, and that they were to be left upon the island, there to remain and* perish. Seeing how hopeless their condition was become, they gathered courage from despair, and resolved to rescue the provisions from tho ship, and began to make a bold push As soon as they began to approach, the captain in a resolute manner, cried out, *' stand off, ye wretches, at your peril' " — They quietly relinquished their determination to attack, and fell upon their knees, imploring pardon, and offered to comply with any disposal he might make of them, provided he would receive them on board. After having kept them on their knees long enough, he granted their petition anJ received them into th*5 ship, and sailed immediately for the island of Jamaica, there put them on shore, and employed other seamen in their place. He now commenced an examination for the wreck, and after spending a long time in an almost fruitless search, sailed for England. By the advice, however, of an old Spaniard, he had satisfied himself of the prospect of succeeding in accom- plishing his object, and determined to return again and pro- secute his plan. His crew being composed of strangers, made him think it advisable to change them for others in whom he could have greater confidence in the event his labors should be crowned with success. " ^ r:. . On his return to England, his conduct gained the royal ap- probation, and the applause of the nobles, and many distin- guished men encouraged him to engage in a second expedition And under more favorable and promising circumstances. His prospect was opposed, however, by many powerfu' enemies; but, prompted by the proverb, "he who can wait hath what he desireth," he overcame every obstacle and dis appointment, and, under the patronage of the Duke of Albe- marle, had £ new ship fitted out with a more honest crew, fur Qished with initruments and conveniences luited to the mtturf THE SVAIflSU WRECK. 11^ of the expedition. Arriving at Port de la Plata, he made a larffe canoe from the cotton tree sufficient to carry eight men, and with the old Spaniard for a guide, again commenced ex- amination for the wreck. There they floated about, fishing for their treasure among dangerous reefs and shoals for many weeks without success. So fruitless was the search that more than once had he, as well as his men, determined to abandon .he work. At length, when returning to the ship, discour- aged by repeated disappointment, and the hopelessness of a successful issue of the project, one of the men looking into the water discovered a feather, as he thought, growing out of a rock. Thinking that they would not go back to the Captain without something to present him, they ordered an Indian to dive down and bring it up, which having done, he gave an ac- count of many large guns which he saw in his descent. The diver again went down, and, to the joy and astonishment of the men, returned with a sow or lump of silver, which turned out to be worth from ten to twelve hundred dollars. They buoyed the place and returned to the Captain overjoyed with with their good fortune, as it was well known that the wreck was one of the ships belonging to the king in Spain, which had been lost on a returning voyage from South America richly laden with silver bullion.* The loss of the ship is supposed to have happened about the year 1637, and the immense trea- sures which was reported to have been sunk with her were oflen made the subject of ingenious speculation, and many had sunk their own fortunes in efforts to find it It M'as reserv- ed, however, in the silent depths, that Capt. Phipps might be the fortunate finder of it at so late a period after its loss.' He now found in the bullion brought to him full assurance that destmy had allotted to him to " suck of the abundance of the seas and of treasures hid in the sand.*' Having prepared his instruments for fishing up the contents of the wreck, all hands were now busily employed in the work, and in a short time they succeeded in procuring the astonish- ing amount of thirty-two tons of silver. In addition to this Captain Adderly, an adventurer from Providence, and a particular friend of Captain Phipps, obtained six tons more from the same wreck at the same time. It was by an agreement that Adderly met Phipps at the place of the wreck with a small vessel. He was so overjoyed with the extent of hia riches mod so elated at such unlooked for acquisitions, that he lived but a little whi ■• i , :^m. It is said that he went to the tiUiid of Bwrtt ? '-^-^ ' > became inMoe, wa4 ^mi ttww U4 TBB SPANllU WRECK. ^'* two /eats after the six tons of silver came into his hands PhippS) however, made a more profitable account ofthc expedi tion, and lived to enjoy the proceeds of it without prejudice to his heahh or destruction of his mind. In a few weeks aftei leaving the wreck, le arrived safe in London, in 1687, with a cargo valued at near Hdeen hundred thousand dollars. He made an honest distribution of it among those who aided him in fitting him out with a vessel and proper conveniences, and received about seventy five thousand dollars for his share of the profits. The Duke of Albemarle, out of respect to his honesty and fidelity, presented his wife, who was then in New England, a gold cup worth *' near a thousand pounds." And King James as a reward for his important services in bring- ing such amount of property into the country conferred on bim the honor of knighthood. Sir William Phipps was born February 2, 1650, at a despic- able plantation on the river Kennebeck. He removed to Boston where he married a daughter of Roger Spencer, and pursued the business of a sipith, which was the occupation of his father. It is said that he frequently pre nised his wife that he would one day command a King's ship and be tlie owner of a fair brick house in the Green lane of North Boston, all which proved true, for after the discovery of the wreck, he re- turned into New England, in the summer of the year 1688, " able after five year's absence, to entertain his lady with some accomphshment of his predictions: and then built him- self a fair house in the very place which he foretold." Sir William Phipps was industrious, courageous, and per- severing; his principal fault was, occasionally indulging his temper. This failing he did not overcome until late in life. It is this day said by the very aged people living at the north part of Boston, where he resided, that when he was governor of Massachusetts, he had a quarrel with a truckman, at which time he was in so great passion, that he threw oflT his coat and dared the man to fight. After this, however, he became very serious and devout, when he joined the Church, made a written acknowledgement of his past errors, and in terms of deep humil'*y, gave evidence of a pious mind. Phipps was made '^ Captain General and commander-iii' Chief of Massachusetts Bay," In 1690. The Brick House which he built stands in Salem street* lU&d 18 improved as an asylum for orphan boys. ■■■ I THft FATAL RBPAlT THE FATAL REPAST r ■' ". V' ■ ■ ,J ■ W« had been nearly five weeks at sea, when the captain found, by a nautical observation, that w< were within one hundred and thirty miles of the north side of Jan aica. Fa- vorable winds and smooth seas had hitherto been our constant attendants, and every thing on board conspired to render the confinement and monotony of a long voyage less annoying than they usually are. The cabin passengers consisted of Major and Mrs. L , a new-married couple; Miss P sister to the latter; Mr. O , a young Irishman, and myself Our captain was a man of pleasing manners and liberal ideas and formed an important acquisition to our party, by joining in all its recreations, and affording every facility to the indul- gence of them. Much of our time was spent in conversation, and in walking on deck; and as the dews of evening obliged us to deicend to the cabin, the captain would oflen entertain us with a relation of the various dangers which he and other per- sons had encountered at sea, or detail, with great gravity, some of the prevailing superstitions of sailors. Athough he possessed more general information than usually falls to the lot of seafaring persons, his mind was tinctured with some of their weaknesses and prejudices. The ladies of our party had a great taste for natural history, and wished to obtain specimens of all the most interesting kinds of sea-birds. They had several times requested the captain to shoot one of Mother Carey's chickens, that they might take a drawing from it; however, he always declined doing so, but never gave an} satisfactory reason for his unwillingness to oblige them in this respect. At last, Mr. D killed two of the birds, after having several times missed whole flocks of them. The cap- tain seemed very much started when he saw the animals drop on the waves; — " Will you have the goodness to let down the boat to pick up the game ?" said Mr. D -. ** Yes, sir," replied he, '• if you '11 go off in her, and never return on board this vessel — Here is a serious business — Be assured we have not seen the end of it." He then walked away without ofTer- ing to give any orders about lowermg the boat; and the sea- men, who witnessed the transaction, looked as if they wouU not bare obeyed biiu had he even done so. 11« THE fATAL REPAST. Though we saw no land, every thing proved that we were in the West India seas. The sky had, within a few days, oegan to assume a more da7zling aspect, and long ranges of conicul shaped clouds floatet. along the horizon. Land birds, with beautiful plumage, often hovered round the vessel, and we sometimes fancied we could discover a vegetable fragrance in the breezes that swelled our sails. One delightful clear morning, when we were in hourly ex- pectation of making the land, some dolphin appeared astern. As the weather was very moderate, the captain proposed that they should fish for them; and a great many hooks were im- mediately baited for that purpose by the seamen. We caught large quantities of dolphin, and of another kind of fish, and put the whole into the hands of the steward, with orders that part should be dressed for dinner, and part distributed among the crew. When the dinner-hour arrived, we all assembled in the cabin, in high spirits, and sat down to table. It being St. George's day, the captain who was an Englishman, had ordered that every thing should be provided and set forth in the most sum- ptuous style, and the steward had done full justice to his di- rections. We made the wines, which were exquisite and abundant, circulate rapidly, and every glass increased our gaiety and good humor, while the influence of our mirth rendered the iadies additionally amusing and animated. The captain rem- rked, that as there were two clarionet players among the crew, we ought to have a dance upon the quarter- deck at sunset. This proposal was received with much de- light, particularly by the females of our party; and the captain had just told the servant in waiting to bid the musicians pre- pare themselves, when the mate entered the cabin, and said, that the man at the helm had dropped jdown almost senseless, and that another of the crew was so ill that he could scarcely speak. The captain, on receiving this information, grew very pale, and seemed at a loss what to reply. At last, he started from his chair, and hurried up the gangway. Our mirth ceased in R moment, though none of us appeared to know why; but the minds of all were evidently occupied by what they had just heard, and Major L remarked, with faultering voice, that seamen were very liable to be taken suddenly ill in hot climates. After a little time, we sent the servant to inquire what was IFoing forward on deck. He returned immediately, and in* omied ui that the two sailors were worse, and that a tbinl TBI FATAL RBPAtT. Ill vert ayi, . of rds, and nad juet%een attacked in the same way. He had scarcely said these words, when Mrs. L gave a shriek, and cried cut that her sister had fainted away. This added to our confu- sion and alarm; and the Major and Mr. D • trembled so, that they were hardly able to convey the young lady to her state-room All conversation was now at an end, and no one uttered a word till Mis. L returned from her sister's apartment While we were inquiring how the latter was, the captain entered the cabin in a state of great agitation. " This is a dreadful business," said he. " The fact is — it is my duty to tell you — I fear we are all poisoned by the fish we have eaten — One of the crew died a few minutes since, and five others are dangerously ill." "Poisoned! my God! Do you say so? Must we all die?" exclaimed Mrs. L , dropping on her knees. " What is to be done? " cried the Major distractedly ; " are there no means >f counteracting it? '' — '* None that I know of," returned the captain " All remedies are vain. The poison is always fata', except — but I begin to foel it.s effects — support me — can this be imagination? " He staggered to one side, and would have fallen upon the floor, had not 1 assisted him. Mrs. L , notwithstanding his apparent insensibility, clang to his arm, crying out, in a tone of despair, '* Is there no help — no pity — no one to save us?" and then fainted away on her hus- band's bosom, who, turning to me, said, with quivering lips, " You are a happy man; you have nothing to imbitter your last moments — Oh, Providence! was I permitted to escape so many dangers, merely tliat I might suffer this misery?'' ' Mrs. L soon regained her senses, and I endeavored to calm her agitation by remarking, that we might possibly es- cape the fatal influence of the poison, as some constitutions were not so easily affected by it as others. " Is there then a little hope?" she exclaimed. " Oh! God grant it may be sol How dreadful to die in the midst of the ocean, far from friends and home, and then to be thrown in the deep!" — " There is one thing," said the captain, faintly, " I was going to tell you, that — but this sensation — I mean a remedy." — *' Speak on," cried the major, in breathless suspense. " It may have a chance of saving you," continued the former; "you must im- mediately" — He gave a deep sigh, and dropped his head upon his shoulder, apparently unable to utter a word more. " Oh, this is the worst of all!" cried Mrs. L — — in agony; "he WM on the point of telling us how to counteract the effect* of I Ill THt VATAL RIPASt the poifon — Was it heavenly mercy that deprived him of the power of speech? Can it be called mercy? " — " Hush, htsh! you rave," returned her husband. " We have only to be re- signed NOW — Let UB at least die together." The crew had dined about an hour and a half before us, and consequently felt the effects of the poison much c»"''er than we did. Every one, however, now began to exhibit alarming symptoms. Mr. D became delirious; the major .ay upon the cabin floor in a stato of torpidity; and the captain had drowned all sense and recollection by drinking a large quan- tity of brandy. Mrs. L watchfd her husband and her sister alternately, in a state of quiet despair. I was comparatively but litfle atfected, and therefore em- ployed myself in assi.sting others until they seemed to be past all relief, and then sat down, anticipating the horrid conse- quences which would result from the death of the whole ship's company. While thus occupied, I heard the steersman call out, — " Taken ail aback here.'' A voice, which I knew to be the mate's immediately answered, "Well, and what 's that to us? Put her before the wind, and let her go where she pleases." I soon perceived, by the rushing of the water, that there was a great increase in (he velocity of the ship's progress, and went upon deck to ascertain the cause. I found the mate stretched upon the top of the companion, and addressed him, but he made no reply. The man at the helm was tying a rope round the tiller, and told me he had become so blind and dizzy, that he could neither steer nor see the compass, and would therefore fix the rudder in such a manner, as would keep the ship's head as near the wind as possible. On going forward to the bows, I found the crew lying motionless in every direction. They were either in- sensible of the dangerous situation in which our vessel was or totally indifforent to it; and all my representations on this head failed to draw forth an intelligible remark from any of them. Our ship carried a great press of canvass, the lower studding sails being set, for we had enjoyed a gentle breeze directly astern, before the wind headed us in the way already mentioned. About an hour after sunset, almost every person on board seemed to have become worse. I alone retained my senses unimpaired. Tne wind now blew very fresh, and we went through the water at the rate of ten knots an hour. The night Rooked drevy and turbulent The sky wm cot ered witk TUX FATAL RXPAII 119 large fleeces of broJitMi cioudrt, and the stars flashed angrily through them, as they were wildly hurried along by the blast The sea began to run high, and the masts showed, by their in- cessant creaking, that they carried more sail than they could well sustain. I stood alone abafl the binnacle. Nothing could be heard above or below deck, but the dashing of the surges, and the moaning of the winci. All the people on board were to me the same as dead; and 1 was tossed about, in the vast expanse of waters, without a companion or fellow-sutrerer. I knew not what might be my fate, or where 1 should be carried. The vessel, as it careered along the raging deep, uncontrol- led by human hands, seemed under the guidance of a relent- less demon, to whose caprices its ill-fated crew had been mysteriously consigned by some superior power. 1 was filled with dread lest we should strike upon rocks, or run ashore, and oflen imagined that the clouds which border- ed the horizon were the black clifls of some desolate coast. At last, I distinctly saw a light at some distance — I antici- pated instant destruction — I grew irresolute whether to remain jpon deck, and face death, or to wait for it below. I soon discovered a ship a little way ahead — I instinctively ran to the helm, and loosed the rope that tied the tiller, which at once bounded back, and knocked me over. A horrible crashmg, and loud cries, now broke upon my ear, and I saw that we got entangled with another vessel. But the velocity with which we swept along, rendered our extrication instantaneous; and, bn looking back, I saw a ship, without a bowsprit, pitching ir- regularly among the waves, and heard the rattling of cordage, and a tumult of voices. But, after a little time, nothing was distinguishable by the eye or by the ear. My situation ap- peared doubly horrible, when I reflected that I had just been within call of human creatures, who might have saved and as- sisted all on be ard, had not an evil destiny hurried us along, tnd made us t' e means of injuring those who alone were ca- pable of affordir^.g us relief About midnight, our fore top-mast gave way, and fe.l upon deck with a tremendous noise. The ship immediately swung round, and began to labor in a terrible manner, while several waves broke over her successively. I had just.resolved to descend the gangway for shelter, when a white figure rushed past me with a wild shriek* and sprung OTfTboard. I saw it struggling among the billows, and tOM- iBg about iti arms distracnedlv, but had no meant of adording 1 1 IfO TSl FATAL RSrAIT. it any amiftaiice. I watched it for Huine time, and observed 'to convulsive motions gruduully ^low more feeble; but its form soon became un: .stingui.shablu uniidst the foum of tlie bursting waves. The darkness prevented me from discover- ing who had thus committed himself to Uie deep, in a moment ofmadness, and I felt a strong repugnance at attempting to ascertain it, and rather wished it might have been some spectre, or the otTspring of my perturbed imagination, than a human being. As the sea continued to break over the vessel, I went down to the cabin, after having closely shut the gangway doors and companion. Total darkness prevailed below. I addressed the captain and all my fellow passengers by name, but receiv- ed no reply from any of them, though I sometimes fancied I heard moans and quick hreathing, when the tumult of waters without happened to subside a little. But I thought that it was perhaps imagination, and that they were probably all dead. I began to catch for breath, and felt as if I had been immured in a large coffin along with a number of corpses, and was doomed to linger out life beside them. The sea beat against the vessel with a noise like that of artillery, and the crashing of the bulwarks, driven in by its violence, gave start- ling proof of the dangers that threatened us. Having several times been dashed again.st the walls and transoms of the cabin by the violent pitching of the ship, I groped for my bed, and lay down in it, and, notwithstanding the horrors that surround- ed me, gradually dropped asleep. When I awaked, I perceived, by the sunbeams that shone through the skylight, that the morning was far advanced. The ship rolled violently at intervals, but the noise of wind and waves had altogether ceased. I got up hastily, and al- most dreaded to look round, lest I should find my worst antici- pations concerning my companions too fatally realized. I immediately discovered the captain lying on one side of the cabin quite dead. Opposite him was Major L , stretched along the floor, and grasping firmly the handle of the door of his wife's apartment. He looked like a dying man, and Mrs L , who sat beside him, seemed to be exhausted with grief and terror. She tried to speak several times, and at last succeeded in informing me that her sister was better. I could not discover Mr. D any where, and therefore con- cluded that he was the person who had leaped overboard the preceding night. On going upon deck, I found that every thing wore a new •■pect. Tne ik^ wna dazzling and cloudless, and not tl|« ::rr -* I' IB WATAL UtFAftT. Itl bserved but itl of the soovor- moinent )ting to some than a fiiinteit breath of wind could be felt. Tbe nea had a beautiful oright gieen color, afid was caliu as a Hmull laJce, except when an occasional swell rolled from that quarter in which the wind had been the preceding night; and the water was so clear, that I saw to the bottom, and even distinguished little tishei sporting around the keel of our vessel. Four of the seamen were dead, but the mate and the re- liiaining three had so far recovered, as to be able to walk across the deck. The ship was almost in a disabled state. Part of the wreck of the fore top-mast lay upon her bows, and the rigging and sails of the mainmast had suffered much injury. The mate told me, that the soundings, and almost every thing else, proved we were on the Buhuma banks, though he had not yet ascertained on what part of them we lay, and conse- quently could not say whether we had much chance of soon falling in with any vessel. The day passed gloomily. They regarded every cloud that rose upon the horizon as the forerunner of a breeze, which we above all things feared to encounter. Much of our time was employed in preparing for the painful but necessary duty of interring the dead. The carpenter soon got ready a suf- ficient number of boards; to each of which we bound one of the corpses, and also weights enough to make it sink to the bottom About ten at night, we began to commit the bodies to the deep. A dead calm had prevailed the whole day, and not a cloud obscured the sky. The sea reflected the stars so dis- tinctly, that it seemed as if we were consigning our departed companions to a heaven as resplendent as that above us. There was an awful solemnity, alike in the scene and in our situation. I read the funeral service, and then we drop- ped the corpses overboard, one afler another. The sea spark- led around each, as its sullen plunge announced that the waters were closing over it, and they all slowly and succes- sively descended to the bottom, enveloped in a ghastly glim mering brightness, which enabled us to trace their progress though the motionless deep. When these last offices of re- spect were performed, we retired in silence io different parts of the ship. About midnight, the mate ordered the men to cast anchor, which, till then, they had not been able to accomplish. They likewise managed to furl most of the sails, and we went to bed, under the consoling idea, that though a breeze did spring up, fur moorings would enable us to weather it without any rislt TOL. I. 6 I wm mm m THE FATAL RBPAST. I was roiased early next morning by a confused noise upon ieck. When I got there, I found the men gazing intentlv over the side of the ship, and I inquired if our anchor held fast. — *'Ay, ay," returned one of them, "rather faster than wo wani it.'' On approaching the bulwarks, and looking dovm^ I perceived, to my horror and astonishment, all the corpse* lying at the bottom of the sea, as if they had just been drc ; ped into it. We were now exempted from the ravages and actual pre nence of death, but his form haunted us without intermission We hardly dared to look over the ship's side, lest our eyes should encounter the ghastly features of some one who had formerly been a companion, and at whose funeral rites we had recently assisted. The seamen began to murmur among themselves, saying that we would never be able to leave the spot where we then were, and that our vessel would remain there and rot. In the evening a strong breeze sprung up, and filled us with hopes that some vessel would soon come in sighi and af- ford us relief. At sunset, when the mate was giving direc- tions about the watch, one of the seamen cried out, " Thank Heaven, there they are." And the other ran up to him say- ing, " W^':;re, where?" He pointed to a flock of Mother Carey's chickens that had jupt appeared astern, and began to count how many there were of them. I inquired what was the matter, and the mate replied, *' Why, only that we 've seen the worst, that 's all, master. I 've a notion we '11 fall in with a sail before twenty hours are past." — " Have you any particular reason for thinking so? " said I. " To be sure I have," returned he, " Are n't them there birds an omen of returning good fortune.'' — " I have always understood," said I, " that these birds indicate bad weather, or some unfortu- nate event, and this appears to me to be true." — " Ay, ay,'" replied he, ^^ they say experience teaches fools, and I have found it so; there was a time when I did not believe that these creatures were any thing but common birds, but I know another story — Oh I 've witnessed such strange things! " Next morning I was awakened b^ the joyful intelligence that a schooner was in sight, and thai she had hoisted her flag in auswer to our signals. She bore down upon us with a good wind, and in about an hour hove to, and spoke us. When we Aad informed t' em of our unhappy situation, the captain order- ed the boat to be lowered, and came on board of our vessel^ frilh three of his crew. He was a thick, short, dark-compl«i- • «. THE FAtAL KfiPAST. i^ f^ ■^ ^ loned man, and his language and accent diseovernd him to be a native of the 8oiMh6rn states of America. The mate im- mediately proceeded fo detail minutely all that happened to us, but he soon interrupted it, by asking of what our cargo con- sisted Having been satis.Hed on this point, he said ^' Seeing as how things stand, I conclude you '11 be keen for getting into port." — "Yes, that of course is our earnest wish," re- plied the matC; " and we hope o be able by your assistance to accomplish it." — " Ay, we must all assist one another,'* re- turned the captain — " Well, I was just calculating, that youi plan would be to run into New Providence — I 'm bound for St. Thomas's and you can't expect that I should turn ab<#tit, and go right back with you — neither that I should let you have any of my seamen, for I Ml not be able to make a good trade , unless I get slick into port. Now I have three nigger slaves on board of me, — curse them, they don't know much about sea- jtiatters, and are as lazy ash — 1, but keep flogging them Mister, — keep dogging them I say, — by which means, you will make them serve your ends. Well, as I was saying, I will let you have them blacks to help you, if you '11 buy them of me at a fair price, and pay it down in hard cash." — " This proposal,*' said the mate, "sounds strange enough to a British seaman; and how much do you ask for your slaves? " — " I can't let ■4hem go under three hundred dollars each," replied the cap- tain, " I guess they would fetch more in St. Thomas's, for they 're prime, blow me." — " Why, there is 'nt that sum of money in this vessel, (hat I know of,"^||^swered the mate; ^ and though I could pay it myself, I 'm sure the owners never would agree to indemnify me. I thought you would have afforded us every assistance without asking any thing in re- tarn, — a true sailor would have done so at least," — " Well. I vow you are a strange man," said the captain. " Is 'nt it fair that I should get something for my niggers, and for the chance I '11 run of spoiling my trade at St. Thomas's, by making my- self short of men? But we shan't split about a small matter, and I 'II lessen the price by twenty a head." — " It is ut of the question, sir,'' cried the mate, " I have no money." — "Oh there s no harm done," returned the captain, " we can 't trade, that 's all. Get ready the boat, boys — I guess your n.en will soon get smart again, and then, if the weather holds moderate, you '11 reach port with the greatest ease." — " You surely v^o not mean to leave us this barbarous way?" cne?!! I; " th* owners of this vessel would, I am confident, pay any w:!>? rttliM than that we should perish through your inaumao'ty ! -1 -.■1, < 4 tU THE FATAL RSPASt — " Well, mister, I 've got owners too," replied ^e aT<« my business is to make a good voyage for them. Markets are pretty changeable just now, and it won't do to spend time talking about humanity — money 's the word with me." Having said this, he leaped into the boat, and ordered his men to row towards his own vessel. As soon as they got on board, they squared topsail, and bore away, and were soon out of the reach of our voices. We looked at one another for a little time with an expression of quiet despair, and thon the seamen began to pour forth a torrent of invectives, and abuse, against the heartless and avaricious shipmaster who had inhumanly deserted us. Major L and his wife, being in the cabin below, heard all that passed. When the captain first came on board, they were filled with rapture, thinking that we would certainly be delivered from the perils and dif- ficulties that environed ns; but as the conversation proceeded, their hopes gradually diminished, and the conclusion of it made Mrs. L give way to a flood of tears, in which I found her indulging when 1 went below. The mate now endeavored to encourage the seamen to ex- ertion They cleared away the wreck of the fore-top-mast which had hitherto encumbered the deck, and hoisted a sort of jury-mast in its stead, on which they rigged two sails When these things were accomplished, we weighed anchor, and laid our course for New Pr.ovidence. The mate had for- tunately been upon the Bahama seas before, and was aware of the difficulties he would have to encounter in navigating them. The weather continued moderate, and after two days of agitating suspense, we made Exuma Island, and cast anchor near its shot'e ->^ "V&: AVTBHTUmBS 09 M40AME WMMV tU I r "! ADVENTURES OF MADAME DENOYEB The distressing situation to which Madame Denoyer, « courageous and unfortunate Creole of Cape Francis^ in St Domingo, was reduced, must affect every tender and Tirtuoui mind. Her narrative shows info what excesses the base desire of gain is sometimes capable of leading men. M. Denoyer, an inhabitant of Cape Francis, where he had gained universal esteem, with a view to improve his circum- stances, formed the design of settling at Samana, a bay in the portion of St. Domingo, then belonging to Spain. Thit intention he communicated to his wife, by whom it was ap- oroved of. Afler residing a year at Samana, Madame Denoyer request- ed her husband to return to Gape Francis, where her native air was more favorable to her health. M. Denoyer was too fond of his wife not to comply with her desire. They, accord- ingly, embarked in a small vessel belonging to them, with a child seven years old, another at the breast, and a female negro servant, Villed Catharine. While they were preparing for the voyage, an English vessel was loot upon th^ coast; the crew, however, had the good fortune to reach the land. Ai *]itr« WM at Samana a small French ihip jutt ready to Mij^ i 4 7^ Itt SSSQS^ AJDVIIf TUBES OP MAI>A3fR DENOYIE the shipwrecked men, eight in number, intrcatcd the com* mander, the Sieur Verrier, to receive them on boaid, and to take them either to Cape Francis, or Monte Christo. Being unable to accommodate them all, he proposed to M. Denoyer to take two of them in his bark. One of these was the captain, whose name was John, and the other was called Young. ■ jr M. Denoyer, being a man of humane disposition, received them with pleasure, gave them linen and clothes, treated them with the utmost kindness, in return for which they promised all the assistapce in their power to their benefactor. M. Denoyer set sail at the beginning of March, 1766, hav- ing likewise on board two French seamen, whom he had hired to navigate the vessel. As they steered their course close in shore, when they arrived opposite the habitation of Manuel Borgne, several leagues distant from the place of their depar- ture, the two French seamen requested M. Denoyer, to put them oh shore, as the assistance of the two Englishmen, whom he had so hospitably received, would be sufficient. With this request M. Denoyer ccmplied. About ten o'clock the followmg morning M. Denoyer, with the help of the two Englishmen, set sail. They came to an anchor, in the evening, at a place called Grigri, a league fr«m Porto Plata, on the north coast of St. Domingo. They sup- ped together near the shore, after which, covering the poop with palmetto-leaves, and erecting a kind of awning, they placed underneath it a matti iss for Madame Dencyer, her two children, and negro servant, to sleep upon. M. Denoyei tnrew himself upon another mattrass at the feet of his wife, while the two Englishmen lay down at the head of the bark. They slept soundly till midnight, when they were awak- ed by the cries of their infant daughter. After milking the goat which they had taken with them, for the purpose of suck- ling the child, M. Denoyer lay down again. About three or four o'clock in the morning his wife was disturbed by the duii sound of violent blow, which seemed to be the stroke of a hatchet, on the bed of her husband, whom she heard sigh. Trembling with affright she awoke her black servant, crying: "Good God! Catharine, they are killing M. Denoyer;" At the same time she lifted up the cloth which composed the awning, when John darted towards her bed, with a hatchet in his hand, and, with a ferocious look, threatened to kill her if ■he made the least motion to rise, and unless she immediatelj let down the cloth; after which the perfidious assatsin return /m ADVKNTURRS OF MADAME DKNOTSR If! ed, and with two more strokes dcHpatchcd his victim; he then bent the sails, and Young repaired to the hehn, with the in- tention of steering towards New York. At break of day the bark was two leagues distant from the shore. Madame Denoyer, overwhelmed with fear, scarcely had strength to rise from her bed. But what were her feel- ings at the horrid spectacle which presented itself to her eyes? She beheld the mattrass, upon which was extended the man- gled body of her husband, floating v>n the water! The barbar- GV.5 John, aggravating his crime by the bitterest raillery, said: "Make yourself easy, your husband is taking a sound nap." A moment afterwards he returned to her armed with a dagger, demanding her husband's arms, and the keys of his boxes. Madame Denoyer delivered them to him. The villain hav- ing rummaged in every place, without finding any money, re- turned them. The disconsolate widow then melting into tears, (the source of which seemed to have been before dried up by grief and terror), asked him why he had murdered her hus- band, since he had no money.'' The assassin replied, that it was for the sake of the vessel, which he had to take to New York. Afler these words the monster appeared to relent, and offered the afflicted lady tea and chocolate. She answered, that she wanted nothing; upon which he told her not to grieve, that he intended her no injury, but on the contrary, would land her on French ground, with all her baggage. During the remainder of the day he lefl her at liberty to resign herself entirely to her sorrow. It may be supposed that the night afforded no repose to this unfortunate woman. The image of her husband murdered by villains whom he had treated with the utmost kindness, inces> santly haunted her; their cruelty, their baseness, their brutal- ity, augmented her apprehensions, and rendered them still more terrible when she cast her eyes on her beloved infants. While her mind was occupied with the most gloomy and most afflicting ideas, she heard the two executioners of her hus- band planning an outrage which every virtuous woman dreads more than death itself John, the infamous John, proposed to his companion to take the servant, reserving the mistress for himself; but Young refusing to comply, the villinns, afler fastening the helm, lay down The Wack servant conceived the design of putting out their eyes with a nail while they were asleep; but fearing lest tbey only feigneu sleep; sha relinquished the undertaking. ^ .5 1 - . 1 -I li ABTIirrURIS OF MADAM B DBIfOTER I J t At the dawning of the following day they set sail, and kejy out to sea. Madame Denoyer inquired whether they intend ed to take her to New York, Thoy replied, that if she wish- ed to go to Cape Francis, one of ihern would take her, the children and black servant thither in the canoe which thM|# had on board. Anxiety concerning her future fate; the sis^ of the villains, stained with her husband's blood; her forl^i situation; her apprehensions and grief; induced her t6 ac- cept this offer, though the canoe was very small to withstand the fury of the waves; this kind of boat, being made of a single trunk of a tree, after the manner of the savages of America. Having acquainted them with her resolution, John told her to pick up her linen in a bundle, her boxes being too bulky to be removed into a canoe. He himself put into it a wretched straw mattrass, four biscuits, a pitcher containing about four quarts of fresh water, six eggs, and a small quan- tity of salt pork. John having put into it the children and the black servant, searched Madame Denoyer's pockets, where he found her husband's silver stock-buckles and shoe-buckles, which he took from her, together with the linen which she had packed up. Having, at length, got into the boat, she waited with impatience for the conductor that had been pro- mised her, when she saw Young cut the rope by which the boat was fastened; he then repaired to the helm, while John bet the sails, and the vessel was soon out of sight. The sky and the ocean were the only objects she had then in view. Abandoned in the midst of the waves, far from any coast, Ihe forlorn widow demanded relief of her husband's assassins; she conjured them, with all the eloquence of an affectionate mother, to take compassion on her offspring. When her voice failed she continued to supplicate with the most expres- sive and affecting gestures. The assassins, deaf to all her intreaties, abandoned the wretched family to its fate, and dis- appeared. Consternation, the excess of her grief, the danger which threatened the objects dearest to her heart, combined to re- duce her to a state of total insensibility. Her faithful slave employed every method in her power to recover her mistress. She revived, but only to behold the abyss ready to receive her, to deplore the wretched situation of hct ' eloved children, who were '-kely to be the prey of the monst s of the deep. She pressed them to her bosom, bedewed t^ n with her tears, and eveiy time she cast her eyes upon them she imagined that she ABTINTURBS OF MADAME DINOTBR. 189 beheld them for the last time. Resigning herself entirely to the direction ofProvidet.ee, she suffered the canoe to float at the will of the waves. But the approach of a horribly dark night socn augmented her danger and her apprehensions. To crown the misfortunes o^ the distressed family, the wind began to blow with great violence, the waves rose, and, amidst their impetuous shocks, a sea broke over the canoe, washed away the biscuit and fresh water, while the attention of the wretched women was divert- ed from such a great misfortune only by the fear of being swallowed up by a wave still more tremendous. It is impos- sible to describe the protracted horrors of this terrible night The wished-for dawn at length arrived, and brought calmer weather, but no other consolation. They beheld nothing but iky and water, and were ignorant which way to direct their course. In this desperate situation Madame Denoyer never ceased to implore the assistance of Providence, the only sup- port of the unfortunate. In this manner they passed seven days and seven nights, exposed to the inclemencies of the weather, without drink or food of any kind, excepting a little salt pork. Exhausted with fatigue, the enfeebled mother was every moment losing the little strength she had lefl; but in this condition, the idea ef a speedy death was less terrible than the deplorable state of her children. In quitting them she was desirous of giving the most precious mark of maternal affection. She was on the point of opening a vein, to prolong the life of the little inno- cent, closely, prest to her bosom, when Catharine discovered a distant sail. This intelligence gave Madame Denoyer new life; both the women shouted and made signs. They soon perceived that their signals were seen, and that the vessel was standing towards them. A new danger now intervened. The waves broke with such force against the ship as to render them apprehensive that the canoe would be sunk if they attempted to get on board. However, by the management of the cap- tain, the widow, the children, and the black servant were taker, on board the vessel. She arrived safely in the road of New Orleans, the place of their destination. Madame De- noyer had the good fortune to find there M. Rougeot, a notary, •and near relation, who received her and her family, rescued, as it were, from the tomb, with the greatest joy and affection. The inhabitants of Louisiana generously raised a subscrip- tion for the relief of the unfortunate lady. She gave her Hb- wtjr to Catharine, the faithful companicn of all her distress >■; M ».i -> 30 NAKRATIYB OF CAPTAIN CAZNBAO. but that female, touched witli the gratitude of her nHsti^ess, re ^used to leave her, declaring that nothing but death should part them. The above facts were attested by Madame Denoycr before he proper officer at Now Orleans, to whom she likewise gave a description of her husband's assassins. Inquiry was maae concerning them at New York, but whether they perished by the just judgment of Providence, or found means to escape detection, was never ascertained. . NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN W. L. CAZNEAU -^ . y ,: The Brig Polly, of one hundred and thirty tons burthen, ■ailed from Boston, with a cargo of lumber and provisions, on a voyage to Santa Croix, on the 12th of December 1811, under the command of Capt. W. L. Cazneau — with a mate, four seamen and a cook ; Mr. I. S. Hunt, and»>negro girl of nine years of age, passengers. Nothing material happened until the 15th, when they had cleared cape Cod, the shoal of Georges, and nearly, as they supposed, crossed the gulf stream, when there came on a violent gale from the south- east, in which the brig labored very hard, which produced a leak that so gained on the purnps as to sound nearly six feet, — when about midnight she was upset, and IMr. Hunt washed overboard ! Not having any reason to hope for her righting, by much exertion tlie weather lanyards were cut away, the deck load havmg been before thrown over and the lashings al. gone ; in about half an hour the mainmast went by the board, vid soon after the foremast, when she righted, though full of >¥ater, a dreadful sea makmg a fair breach over her from stem tO stern. In this situation the night wore away, and daylight found all alive except the passenger, and upon close search the little girl was found clinging to the skylight, and so saved from drowning in the cabin. The glass and grating jt the skylight having gon^ away, while on her beams ends, the little girl was drawn through the openings, but so much chilled tliat wmmm. VABEATITI or CAPTAIlf eiXHIAV. t$ 4(<^ k • ■he lurTired but a few hours. In this situation they remained without fire, as near ua the captain can recollect, twelve days when the cook, an Indian Train Canton, near Boston, suggest ed the operation of rubbing two sticks together, which sue- ceeded. Very fortunately the camboose did not go overboarc with the deck load : this was got to windward, a fire kindled and some provisions cooked, which was the first they had tast- ed, except raw pork, for the whole time. They now got up a barrel of pork, part of a barrel of beef, and one half barrel of beef A small pig had been saved alive, which they now dressed, not having any thing to feed it with. But at thi» time no apprehension was entertained of suffering for meat, there being several barrels stowed in the run, and upwards of one hundred under deck. W/^h this impression, the r^eople used the provisions very imprudently, till they discovered that the stern post was gone, and the gale continuing for a long time, the barrels had stove, and their contents were all lost forever. There happened to be a cask of water lashed on the quarter deck, which was saved, containing about thirty gallons, all the rest was lost. This lasted about eighteen days, when the crew were reduced to the necessity of catching what rain they could, and having no more. At the end of forty days the meat was all gone, and absolute famine stared them in tht.' face. The first victim to this destroyer was Mr. Paddock, the mate, whose exquisite distress seemed to redouble the suf- ferings of his companions. He was a man of a robust consti- tution, who had spent his life in the Bank fishing, had suffer- ed many hardships and appeared the most capable of standing the shocks of misfoi tune of any of the crew. In the meridan of life, being about thirty-five years old, it was reasonable to suppose that, instead of the first, he would have been the last to have fallen a sacrilice to cold and hunger : but Heaven ordered it otherwise- — he became delirious, and death relieved him from his sufferings the fiflieth day of his shipwreck. Du- ring all this time, the stoims continued, and would oflen over- whelm them so as to keep them always drenched with sea- water, having nothing to screen them, except a temporar} kind of cabin which they had built up of boards between the windlass and nighthead on the larboard side of the forecastle The next who sunk under this horrid press of disasters was Howes, a young man of about thirty, who likewise was a fisherman, by profession, and tall, spare, and as smart and u^ifm a seamai) i^ts ftnv aboard. He likewise died deliriout MAERATIVl or CAPTAIN OAINIAV and in dreadful diatreiis, n\j days after Paddock, being the fifty-sixth day of the wreck. It was soon perceived thut this must evidently be the fatn of all the survivors in a short time, if something was not done to procure water. About this time good luck, or more probably, kind Providence, enabled them to fish up the tea-kettle and one of the captain's pistols j and necessity, the mother of invention, suggested the plan of dis- tillation . Accordingly, a piece of board was very nicely fitted to the mouth of the boiler, a small hole made in it, and the tea-kettle, bottom upwards, fixed to the upper side of the board, the pistol barrel was fixed to the nose of the kettle and kept cool by the constant application of cold water. This completely succeeded, and the survivors, without a doubt, owe their preservation to this simple experiment. But all that could be obtained by this very imperfect distillation, was a scanty allowance of water for five men ; yet it would sustain life and that was all. The impression that there was meat enough under he deck, induced them to use every exertion to obtain it ; but by getting up pieces of bone, entirely bare of meat and in a putrid state, they found thai nothing was left for them but to rely on Heaven for food, and be contented with whatever came to hand, till relief should come . Their only sustenance now was barnacles gathered from the sides of the vessel which were eaten raw that the distilling might not be interrupted, which would give them no more than four wine glasses of water each per day. The next food which they ob- tained was a large shark, caught by ri)r:ans of a running bow- line. This was a very great relief and lasted some time. Two advantages arose from this signal interposition of kind Providence ; for while they lived upon their shark, the bar- nacles were growing larger and more nutritive. They likewise found many small crabs among the sea- weed which often float- ed around the wreck, which were very pleasant food. But from the necessity of chewing them raw and sucking out the nourishment, they brought on an obstinate costiveness, which became extremely painful and probably much exasperated by the want of water. . . v On the 15th of March, according to their computation, poor Moho, the cook, expired, evidently from want of water, though with much less distress than the others and in the full exer cise of his reason : he very devoutly prayed and appeared perfectly resigned to the will of the Giid who afflicted him. Their constant study was directed to the improvement of thmir itiU^ which was made much better by tli« Mldition of tbt NARRATIVI OP CArTAIN CAZNCAO. 199 other pistol barrel, which wns found hy fishing with the graic tncy made by tixing nuilH into a piece of u stave. With this barrel they so far perft-jted the still as to obtain eight junk bottles full of water in twenty four hours. But from the death of Moho to the death of Johnson, which happened about the middle of April, they seemed to be denied every kind of food. The barnacles were all gone, and no friendly gale waft- ed to their 6ide the sea-weed from which they could obtain crabs or insects. It seemed as if all hope was gone tbrevcr and they had nothing before them but death, or the horrid al- ternative of eating the flesh of their dead companion. One expedient was left, that was to try to decoy a shark, if happily there might be one about the wreck, by part of the corpse of their shipmate ! This succeeded, and they caught a large shark, and from that time had many fish till their happy de- liverance. Very fortunately, a cask of nails which was on deck, lodged in the lea scuppers while on their beam ends * with these they were enabled to fasten the shingles on their cabin, which by constant improvement, had become much more commodious, and when reduced to two only, they had a better supply of water. They had now drifted above two thousand miles and were in latitude 28 North and longitude 13 West, when to their un- speakable joy they saw three ships bearing down upon them. The ships came as near as was convenient, and then hailed, which Capt. Cazneaii answered with all the force of his lungs. The ship which hailed proved to be the Fame of Hull, Capt. Featherstone bound from Rio Janeiro home, it so happened that the three Captains had dined together that day and were all on board the Fame. Humanity immediately sent a boat, which put an end to the dreadful thraldom of Capt. Cazneau and Samuel Badger, the only surviving persons who were re- ceived hy these humane Englishmen with exalted sensibility Thus was ended the most shocking catastrophe which our naval history hps recorded for many years, aller a series of distresses from December 15th to the 20th of June, a period of one hundred and niaety one days I Every attention was paid to the sufferers that generosity warmed with pity and fel- low feeling could dictate, on board the Fame. They were cherished, comforted, fed, clothed and nursed until the 9th of July, when they fell in with Capt. Perkins, of the brig Dromu, in the phops of the channel of England, who generously took tbem on board and carefully perfected the work of goodoeM IM MAIN-TllUCK, OR A LEAP FOR MFE. begun by the generous EnglLshmen, aiul safely landed them \m Kennebunk. It is natural to inquire how they couL tlout such a vast dis tance upon the most frequented part of the Atlantic and not bo discovered all this time ? They were pansod by more than a dozen nail, one of which came so nigh them that they could distinctly see the people on deck and on the rigging looking at them : but to the inexpressible disappointment of the starv- ing and freezing men, they stifled the dictates of compassion* hoisted sail, and cruellv abandoned them to their fate ■ V THE MAIN-TRUCK, OK A LEAP FOR LIFE. Among the many agreeable associates whom my different cruisings and wanderings have brought me acquainted with, I Chii scarcely call to mind a more pleasant and companionable one than Tom Scupper, Poor fellow ! he is dead and gone now — a victim to that code of false honor which has robbed the navy of too many of its choicest officers. Tom and I were messmates during a short and delightful cruise, and for a good part of the time, we belonged to the same watch. He was a great hand to spin yarns, which, to do him justice, he some- times told tolerably well ; and many a long mid-watch has his fund of anecdotes and sea stories caused to slip pleasantly away. We were lying, in the little schooner to which we were attached, in the open roadst^^ad of Laguyra, at single anchor, when Tom told nie the Ftory which I am about to le- late, api nearly as I can remember, in his own words. A vessel from Baltimore had come into Laguyra that day, and by her I had received letters from home, in one of which there was a piece of intelligence that weighed very heavily on my spirits. For some minutes after our watch commenced, Tom and I walked the deck in silence, which was soon, however, ' interrupted by my talkative companion, who perceiving my depression, and wishing to divert my thoughts, begav vt follows: . .>^. "1^ TBI MAllf-TRUCK, OR A LBAI FOR UVB. 136 II V ■'. ■ i The last cruise I made in the Mediterranean was in old Ironsides, as we used to call our gallant frigate. We had Deen backing and tilling for neveral months on the western coast of Africa, frofii the Cunaries down to Messurado, in search of slave traders; and during that time we had had some pretty heavy weather. Wlitu we readied the straits, there was a spanking wind blowing from about west south west ; ■o we squared away, and, without coming to at the Rock, made a straight wak(; for old JNTalion, the general rendezvous and place of refitting; for our squadrons in the Mediterranean. Immediately on ai riving there, we warped in alongside the Arsenal quay, where we stripped ship to a girtline, broke out the holds, tiers, and store-rooms, and gave her a regular-built overhauling from the stem to stern. For awhile, every body was busy, and all seemed bustle and confusion. Orders and replies; in loud afid dissimilar voices, the shrill pipings of the different boatswain's mates, each attending to separate duties, and the aiingled clatter and noise of various kinds of work, a!l gomg on at the saiiie time, gave something of the stir and anim- ation of a dock ya/d to the usually quiet arsenal of Mahon. The boatswain and his crew weie engaged in fitting a new gang ol rigging ; the gunner in repairing his breechings and gun- tackles ; the forecastle men in calking ; the top-men in send- ing down the yards and upper spars ; the holders and waisters in whitewashing and holy stoning ; and even the poor marines were kept busy, like beasts of burden, in carrying breakers of water on their backs. On the quay, near the ship, the smoke of the armorer's forge, which had been hoisted out and sent ashore, ascended in a thin black column through the clear blue sky 5 from one of the neighboring white stone ware- houses the sound of saw and hammer told that the carpenters were at work ; near by, a livelier rattling drew attention to the cooper, who in the open air was lightening the water- casks ; and not far removed, under a. temporary shed, formed of spare studding-sails and tarpaulins, sat the sailmaker and his assistants, repairing the sails which had been rent or in- jured by the many storms we had encountered. Many hands, howev^er, make light work, and in a very few days all was accomplished : the stays and shrouds were set up and new rattled down ; the yards crossed, the running rigging rove, and sails bent ; and the old crall, fresh painted and all a-taunt-o, looked as tine as a midshipman on liberty In place of the storm-stumps, which had been stowed away Among the boomf and other spare spars, ajudshipi, we hid id6 THE MAIN-tRUCJC, OR A LEAP VOR LIFE. Bet up cap toVallant-masta, and royal-poles, with a shoave fol skysails, and hoist enough for skyscrapers above them : so you may judge the eld frigate looked pretty taunt. There was a Dutch line-ship in the harbor ; but though . e only carried forty-four t-^ her eighty, her main-truck would hardly have reached to our royal-mast-head. The side-boys, whose duty it was to lay alofl and furl the skysails, looked no big- ger on the yard than a good sized duff for a midshipman's mess, and the main-truck seemed not half as large as the Turk's head-knot on the main-ropes of the accommodation ladder When we had got every thing ship-shape and man-of-war fashion, we hauled out again, and took our berth about half way between the Arsenal and Hospital island ; and a pleasant view :t gave us of the town and harbor of old Mahor», one of the safest and most tranquil places of anchorage in the world. The water of this beautiful inlet — which though it makes about four miles into the land, is not much over a quarter of a mile in width — is scarcely ever ruffled by a storm ; and on the delightful afternoon to which I now refer, it lay as still and motionless as a poHshed mirror, except when broken into momentary ripples by the paddles of some passing waterman. What little wind we had had in the fore part of the day, dieil away at noon, and, though the first dog-watch was almost out, and the sun was near the horizon, not a breath of air had risen to disturb the deep serenity of the scene. The Dutch' liner, which lay not far from us, was so clearly reflected in the glassy surface of the water, that there was not a rope about her, from her main-stay to her signal halliards, which the eye could not distinctly trace in her shadowy and inverted image. The buoy of our best bower floated abreast our larboard bow ; and that, too, was so strongly imaged, that its f ntire bulk seemed to lie above the water, just resting on it, as if upborne on a sea of molten lead ; except when now and then, the vringing of a swab, or the dashing of a bucket overboard from the head, broke up the shadow for a moment, and showed the substance but half its former appnrent size. A small polacca craft had got underway frvim Mahon in the course of the forenoon, in- tending to stand tv^r to Barcelona : but it fell dead calm just beibre she reached the chops of the harbor ; and there she lay as motionless upon the blue surface, as if she were only part of a mimic scene from the pencil of some accomplished piintet Her broad cotton lateen-sails, as they hung droop- ing from the sla*^ting . nd taper yards, shone with a glitten- THl MAlte-TllUCK, Oil A LfelAP POk LIFB IJH ng whiteness that contrasted beautifully with the dark flood in which they were reflected ; and the distant sound of the guitar, which one of the sailors was listlessly playing on her deck, came sweetly over the water, and harmonized well with the quiet appearance of every thing around. The whitewash- ed walls of^the lazaretto, on a verdant headland at the mouth of the bay, glittered like silver in the slant rays of the sun ; and some of its windows were burr 'shed so brightly by the level beams, that it seemed as if the whole interior of the edifice were in flames. On the opposite side, the romantic and picturesque ruins effort St, Philip, faintly seen, acquiied double beauty frem being tipped with the declining light ; and the clusters of ancient-looking windmills, which dot the green eminences along the bank, added, by the motionless state of their wings, to the effect of the unbroken tranquility of the scene. Even on board our vessel, a degree of stillness unusual for a man-of-war prevailed among the c.ew. It was the hour of their evening meal ; and the low hum that came from the gun- deck had an indistinct and buzzing sound, which, like the tiny song of bees of a warm summer noon, rp.ther heightened than diminished the charm of the surroundiig quiet. The spar- deck was almost deserted. The quarter-master of the watch, . with his spy-glass in his hand, and dressed in a frock and trowsers of snowy whiteness, stood aft upca the taffrel, erect and motionless as a statue, keeping the usv,' k up the rigging, running over the rutlincs as lightly as if they were~^an easy flight of stairs, whilst the shrouda scarcely quivered beneath his elastic motion. In a second more hiH hand wui on th3 futtocks, '' Massa Stay!" cried Jake, who sometimes, from being a favorite, ventured to take liberties with the younger officers, " Massa Stay, you best crawl through de lubber's hole — it take a sailor to climb u futtock shroud." But he had scarcely time to utter his pretended caution be- fore Bob wag> in the top. The monkey in the meanwhile had awaited his approach, until he had got nearly up the rigging, when it suddenly put the cap on its own head, and running along the yard to the opposite side of the top, sprang up a rope, and thence to the topmast backstay, up which it ran to the crosstrees, where it again quietly seated itself, and re- sumed its work of picking the tasse) to pieces. For several minutes I stood watching my little messmate follow Jacko from one piece of rigging to another, the monkey, all the while, seeming to exert only so much agility as was necessary to elude the pursuer, and pausing whenever the latter ap- {)e0red to be growing weary of the chase. At last, by this nnd of manoeuvring, the mischievous animal succeeded in en- ticing Bob as high as the royal-mast-head, when springing suddenly on the royal-stay, it ran nimbly down to th*} fore-to' gallant-mast head, thence down the rigging to the fore-top, when leaping on the foreyard, it ran out»to the yard-arm, and hung the cap on the end of the studding-sail boom, where, taking its seat, it raised a loud and exulting chattering. Bob by this time was completely tired out, and, perhaps, unwilling to return to the dock to be laughed at for his fruitless chase, ho sat down on the royal cross-trees ; while those who had been attracted by the sport, returned to their usual avocations or amusements. The monkey, no longer the object of pur- suit or attention, remained but a little while on the yard-arm; but soon taking up the cap, returned in towards the elings, 4nd dropped it down upon deck. Some little piece of duty occurred at this moment to engage me, as soon as which was performed I walked aft, and leaning uiy elbow on the taffrel, was quickly lost in the recollection of scenes very different from the small pantomime I had just been witnessing. Soothed by the low hum of the crew, and by the quiet loveliness of every thmg around, my tnoughts l-.ad traveled far away from the realities of my situation, when I was suddenly startled by a cry from block Jake, which .rou«i[ht ine on the instant back to conaciousneaa, (40 MA11f*TRITC¥, OR A. r.EAP TOR UFI. " My €rod! Massa Scupper," cried he, " Massa Stay u oi de main-truck!" A cold shudder ran through my veins as the word reacheo my ear. I cast my eyes up — it was too true! The adven- turous boy, after resting on the royal cross-trees, had been seized with a wish to go still higher, and impelled by one of those impulses by which men are sometimes instigated to place themselves in situations of imminent peril without a possibility of good resulting from the exposure, he had climbed the sky- sail-pole, and, at theShfioment of my looking up, was actually standing on the main-trutk ! a small circular piece of wood on the very summit of the loftiest mast, and at a height so great from the deck that my brain turned dizzy as I looked up at him. The reverse of Virgil's line was true in this instance It was comparatively easy to ascend — but to descend — rmy head swam round, and my stomach felt sick at thought of the perils comprised in that one word. There was nothing above him or around him but the empty air — and beneath him, nothing but a poin >* mere point — a small, unstable wheel, that seemed no bigge m the deck than the button on the end of a foil, and the ta^ ./ sky sail-pole itself scarcely larger than the blade. Dreadful temerity! If he should attempt to stoop, what could he take hold of to steady his descent? His feet quite covered up the small and fearful^ platform that he stood upon, and beneath that, a long, smooth, naked spar, which seemed to bend with his weight, was all that upheld him from destruction. An attempt to get down from '^ that bad eminence," would be almost certain death; he would in- evitably lose his equilibrium, and be precipitated to the deck a crushed and shapeless mass. Such was the nature of the thoughts that crowded through my mind as I first raised my eye, and saw the terrible truth of Jake's exclamation. What was to be done in the pressing and horrible exigency? 'To hail him, and inform him of his danger, would be but to en- sure his ruin. Indeed, I fancied that the rash boy already perceived the imminence of his peril; and I half thought that I could see his limbs begin to quiver, and his cheek turn deadly pale. Every moment I expected to see the dreadful catastrophe. I could not bear to look at him, and yet could aot withdraw my gaze. A film came over my eyes, and a faintneFs over my heart. The atmosphere seemed to grow thick, and to tremble and waver like the heated air around a furnace; the mast appeared to totter, and the ship to pass froro under my feet. I myself had the sensations of one TBI MAIN-TRUCK, OR A L£AP FOR LIVE. 141 about to fall from a great height, and making a strong effort to r'^rnver myself, like that of a dreamer who fancies he is sh d from a precipice, I staggered up against the bul- wa s. \N aen my eyes were once turned from the dreadful object to which they had been riveted, my sense and consciousness came back. I looked around me — the deck was already crowded witli people. The intelligence of poor Bob's temer- ty had spread through the ship like wild-fire — as such news always will — and the officers and crew were all crowding to the deck to behold the appalling — the heart-rending spectacle. Every one, as he looked up, turned pale, and his eye became fastened in silence on the truck — like that of a spectator of an execution on the gallows — with a steadfast, unblinking and intense, yet abhorrent gaze, as if momently expecting a fatal termination to the awful suspense. No one made a sugges- tion — no one spoke. Every feeling, every faculty seemed to be absorbed and swallowed up in one deep, intense emotion of agony. Once the first lieutenant seized the trumpet, as if to hail poor Bob, but he had scarce raised it to his lips when his arm dropped again, and sunk listlessly down beside him, as if from a sad consciousness of the utter inutility of whai he had been going to say. Every soul in the ship was now on the spar-deck, and every eye was turned to the main- truck. At this moment there was a stir among the crew about the gangway, and directly after another face was added to those on the quarter-deck — it was that of the commodore, Bob's father. He had come alongside in a shore boai, without hav- ing been noticed by a single eye, so intense and universal was the interest that had fastened every gaze upon the spot where poor Bob stood trembling on the awful verge of fate The coMimodore asked not a question, uttered not a syllable. lie was a dark-faced, austere man, and it was thought by some of the midshipmen that he entertained but little affection for his son. However that might have been, it was certain tiiat he treated him with precisely the same strict discipline that he did the other young officers, or if there was any dif- ference at all, it was not in favor of Bob. Some, who pre- tended to have studied his character closely, affirmed that he loved his bo) too well to spoil him, and that, intending him for the arduous profession in which he had himself risen to fame and eminence, he thought it would be of service to him to esperience tome of its privatioog ano harilthipi at tkt 149 m MAIIf-TRUCK, OR A LEAP FOR UWM \l The arrival oi' the 'unimodorc chnngod tlie dirootion of •cverol eyes, which no\^ turned on him to trace what emotions the danger of his son would occasion. But their scrutiny was foiled. By no outward sign did he show what was passing within. His eye still retained its severe expression, his brow the slight frown which it usually wore, and his lips its haughty curl. Immediately on reaching the deck, he had or^^ered a marine to hand him a musket, and with this stepping aft, and getting on the lookout-block, he raised it on his shoulder, and took a deliberate aim at his son, at the same time hailing him, without a trumpet, in his voice of thunder. " Robert!" cried he, "jump! jump overboard! or I '11 fire at you." The boy seemed to hesitate, it wa^ plain that he was totter- ing, for his arms were thrown out like those of one scarcely able to retain his balance. The commodore raised his voice again, and in a quickoi and more energetic tone cried, " Jump! 't is your only chance for life.'* The words were scarcely out of his mouth, before the body was seen to leave the truck and spring out into the air. A sound, between a shriek and groan, burst from many lips. The father spoke not — sighed not — indeed he did not seem to breathe. For a moment of intense agony a pin might have been heard to drop on deck. With a rush like that of a can- non ball, the body descended to the water, and before the waves closed over it, twenty stout fellows, among them several officers, had dived from the bulwarks. Another short period of bitter suspense ensued. It rose — he was alive! his arms were seen to move! he struck out towards the ship! — and de- spite the discipline ol' a man-of-war, three loud huzzas, an out- burst of unfeigned aujil uiirestiaiiiable joy from the hearts of our crew of (ivc liuiKircd men, pealed through the air, and made the welkin nr.'^. Till this moment, the old commodore had stood unmoved. The eyes that, glistening with pleasure, now sought his face, .-^aw that it was ashy pale. He attempt- ed to descend I lie hoist;-bIock, but his knees bent under him; ho seemed to j?asp lor breath, and put up his hand, as if to tear open h\^ \< st, bvit !>en>re he; accomplished his object, he staggered tbrwart', and would have fallen on the deck, had he not been caught by old HIack Jake. He was borne into his cauin, where the surgeon attended him, whose utmost jjkill was required to restore his mind to its luibility and W5lf-conima"id, in which he at last happilv siic:eeded. As •€»on ■* hf recovered frorn the dreadful shock- he sent foj THt FniGATE CONSlITUTlON i4S Bob, and had a long confidential conference with him; and it was noticed when the little fellow let\ the cabin that he was iu tears. The next day we sent down our taunt and d ashy poles, and replaced them with the stump-to^gitllnnt-masts; and oi the third, we weighed anchor, and made sail for Gibraltar # sr- » FRIGATE CONSTITUTION, COMMONLY CALLED '' OLD IRONSIDES.*^ A» over> circumstance relative to this favorite ship ii ex- Ireraely interesting, wo propose to offer a brief history of her splendid and glorious career, partly from official docu- ments, and partly gleaned from old newspapeis of the day . ih« wai huilt in Boiton, at Hart^s ship yard, at the ■•rth^nd^ 144 THl FRIGATE CONSTITUTION. iituated between the Winnisimmit ferry-ways, and the marino Railway, and was launched under the superintuidence of Col. Claghorn, the builder, on Saturday the 21st of October, 1797; consequently at the tim(5 of her entering the Dry Dock, on Monday June 24th, 1833, shd was nearly thirty six years old. In Russell's Commercial Gazette of the next Monday after the launch we find the following notice. " The Launch,— -»4 magnificent Spectacle ! — On Saturday last, at fifteen minutes past 12, the frigate CONSTlTUTiq>f was launched into the adjacent element, on which she now rides an elegant and superb specimen of American Naval Architecture, combining the unity of wisdom, strength and beauty. The tide being amply full, she descended into the bosom 0.' the ocean with an ease and dignity, which, while it afforded the most exalted and heart felt pleasure and satisfaction to the many thousand spec- tators, was the guarantee of her safety, and the pledge, that no oc- currence should mar the joyous sensations that every one experi- enced ; and which burst forth in reiterated shouts, which " rent the welkin.** On a signal being given from on board, her ordinance, on shore, announced to the neighboring country, that the CON- STITUTION WAS SECURE. Too much praise cannot be given to Col. Claghorn, for the coolness and regularity display- ed in the whole business of the launch ; and the universal con- gratulations he received, were evidence of the public testimony of his skill, intelligence, and circumspection." ^ : The severe labor that attended her birth, which was only effected at the third trial, was seized upon by the enemies of a navy, who at that time were numerous and powerful, as pro- phetic of ill luck! With how little reason, her brilliant career has fuily deriionstrated. We may safely challenge the annals of naval history to name the ship that has done so much to fill the measure of her country's glory. She sailed on her first cruise, on Sunday, the 22d of July, 1798, and in the Boston Commercial Gazette of the next morning we find the following: — , ... ** Yesterday sailed on a cruise for the protection of our commerce the frigate Constitution, commanded by Capt. Samuel Nicholson This noble frigate reflects honor on all concerned in her construe tion ; — on the agent for obtaining every material of the best kind for ner equipment, and for having the same manufactured in a superior manner ; — on the builder for the execution of the hull, in a style demonstrating our capability of building ships of war, at least equal to any of Europe. The Captain is a brave and ex- perienced commander, in whom may be reposed perfect confidence Her Lieutenants are young men, who have conunanded merchant •hipi with approbation* and of whom his ezpectationi maj b« •• ■I i THB PRIOATE CONSTITUTIJN. 145 -V- terttined Her crew arc, with very few excentionsj native sont ot Mttseachusetts, many of them connected by tae strongest of hu- man ties, wioea and children. Upwards of one hundred seamen have given orders in favor of their families, to draw monthly hall of their pajT, the public having made an arrangement for this pur pose, evincive of its paternal care and encouragement of our marine. It would seem that nothing is wanting, to render this ship and her erew perfect, but that experience, which can only result from ac- tual exercise at sea. " She returned from this cruise about the middle of November. This was during the brief war with the French republic. We notice the appointment of Isaac Hull, as her 4th Lieutennnt, who, after the lapse of fourteen years, was fortunate enough to occupy a higher station on her quarter deck, when the charm of British invincibility was destined forever to be broken. On the 28th of December of the same year, she again sailed from Boston harbor, on her second. cruise, from which she returned a few months after, without having had the good luck to fall in with any of the enemy's national ships. Less fortunate in this respect than the Constellation^ under the gallant Truxton, who, about this time, succeeded in cap- turing the French frigate L'Insurgente, 40 guns and 417 men. La Yen/^eance, a large French national ship of 54 guns and 520 men, likewise struck her coir but was fortunate enough to escape in a squall, and arrived at Curacoa five days after, a complete wreck. Shortly after this, our commerce in the Mediterranean hav- ing 8uft*ered severely from the depredations and insults of the Barbary cruisers, our government at once determined on chastising them. In May, 1803, Com. Edward Preble was appointed to the command of this favorite ship, and in June he sailed with the squadron destined to act against Tripoli. To all conversant with this scene of wu , it is well known the Constitution acted a conspicuous part, in fact bore the brunt of the battle. After the destruction of the Philadelphia, of 44 guns, she was for a long time the only frigate on the station, and being ably seconded by the gallant iJecatur and the smaller vessels, did more in a single year to humble the pride of the Barbary States, than all christendoln ever did before or since. In short, such a variety of service, hair breadth ecttepes. hard knocks, and perilous adventure has never been achieved by any single vessel Peace having been concludeik witk Tripoli ahe soon after returned home, where the reiiuuil r%u L 1 \u mm FEIGATB CONSTlTUTIOlf ed unemployed) or nearly so, till the commencement of Ihu late war with Great Britain. This was on the 18th of June 1812. On the 12th of July she loft the Chesapeake for New York, preparatory to a long cruise, and on the 17th discover- ed and was chased by a Britisii squuilidn, consisting of the Africa 64, Shannon and Giinrrierc 38, Bclvidera 36, and £olu8 32, under the command of Com. Broke of the and confidence of the friends of our gallant navy throughout the Union. Capt. Hull, being now called upon, if we remember right, to attend to the affairs of a deceased brother — gave up the command of the ship to Capt. William Bainbridge, who, with the same crew, shortly afler sailed on another cruise to South America — the sloop of war Hornet, Capt. I^awrence, also under his command, from whom however he was soon afler separated. On the 29th of December of the same year, while cruising about 10 leagues from the coast of Brazil she fell in with, and afler a close engagement of nearly two hours captured, H. B. M. ship Java, of 49 guns and upwards of 400 men — Capt. Lambert being mortally wounded during the engagement. In addition to her full r»-ew, the Java had up- wards of one hundred supernumeraries on board — officers and seamen — to join the British ships of war on the East India station. Besides these there were a number of land officers; among the rest Lieut. Gen. Hislop, Major Walker and Capt. Wood. This was one of the best contested battles that was fought during the war — the Java indeed only struck her flag, when every mast, bow-sprit and all had, one afler another, gone by the board. Com. Bainbridge, in his official account, says — " The great distance, from our own coast, and the perfect wreck we made of the enemy's frigate, forbade every idea of attempting to take her to the United States. I had therefore no alternative lefl but burning her, which I did on the 31st of December, afler receiving all the prisoners and their bag- gage, which was very hard work, only having one boat Jeil out of eight, and not one iefl on board the Java." Afler blowing her up, the Constitution returnee io Boston, where •he arrived on the 18th of February, 1813. Well do we remember being at the Federal Street Theatre, when the news of this victory was announced from the stage by the manager, Mr. Powell; and shortly afler, when the gal- lant Commodore, together with some of his officers appeared in one of th« boxei, the whole house resounded for Bianf mi rniOATK constitution 148 ' minutes with the cheering of the audience. The veteran Cooper, then in the prime of life, was in the second act of Macbeth, and P.lihough he stood a little behind the scenes, entirely forgetting the gracious Duncan he had murdered, we saw him swing his cap round with as much enthusiasm as any one. In Juno 1813, Capt. Charles Stewart was appointed to her command, and on the 30lh of December, she proceeded to sea, notwithstanding Boston was then blockaded by seven ships of war, and safely run the gauntlet through the whole of them She returned on the 4th of April 1814, and was chased into Marblehead by two of the enemy's heavy frigates. La Nympho and Junon. About the middle of December 1814, she proceeded on her second cruise under Capt. Stewart, and on the :28th of Feb. off Madeira, fell in with and after a severe action of 40 min- utes, succeeded in capturing H. B. M. ships Cyane of 34, and Levant of 21 guns, and 325 men A more perfect speci- men of nautical skill was probably never witnessed, than was exhibited throughout the whole of this memorable battle. The advantages of a divided force, or as the boys call it, of two upon one, are well known to all, particularly to men of naval science. A raking fire is nhnost always very sure to be decisive of the fate of a battle; A\d to have avoided this from either of her opponents, and with a leading breeze too, is in- deed miraculous, especially when we recollect that the Con- stitution succeeded in raking both of her antagonists more than once during the engagement. After taking possession of her prizes, the three ships made sail for the Cape de Verd Islands, and on the 10th of March came to anchor in the harbor of Port Praya, in the island of St. Jago. Two days after this, a squadron of the enemy hove, in sight, consisting of the Newcastle and Leander, of 50 guns each, and the Acasta frigate of 40, the whole under the command of Sir George Collier, and in 7 minutes after the discovery was made, the Constitution with her twc nrizes had cut their cables', and were under way, being at this time only about gun shot to windward of the enemy. The Levant was recaptured. The Cyane had the good fortune to escape and now forms a part of our Navy. The Constitution con- tinued her cruise, and shortly after returned to Boston, where she was for the third time received with every possible de- monstration of joy and exultation. The last news from her bad been brought by the Cyane, arrived at New York, whea mmmm 150 THI PRIGAT5 CONSTITUTION. Ihp above squadron was lefl er history. By Commodore Hull the visitors were then in- troduced to the officers who had served on board the favorite ship in her successful engagemer:f£, and when this ceremony was finished, the bread pennant was lowered, and its place taken by the American ensign, under a salute of heavy can- non. Com. Hull, with trumpet in hand, then gave orders to open the gates of the Dock, which was immediately and suc- C'sssfi Ty done, and the gallant ship floated proudly and safely into her granite cradle amid the roar of cannon, and the pro- longed shouts of the spectators, to the national tune of '' Yan- kee Doodle," and was shut out from the ocean on which she had been borne for the last thirty years, gaining glory for the country and the country's sons, and winning for herself that place in the heart of every American, which renders her al-< most a nation's idol. The steam engine was then set to work, and at 1 o'clock P. M. the water was all discharged by the pumps, and the ship properly secured, without an accident of any kind. Before the company lef\ the frigate a ceremony of a highly interesting character took place in the presentation of three canes, which Com. Elliot had caused to be made of the live oak, a part of the original frame of the Constitution. These canes were presented by Com. Hull, through the hands of a charming boy, George Washington Elliot, to Mr. Van Buren, for the President of the United States, as the firm supporter of the Constitution; to the Governor of Massachusetts as the Representative of the State in which the ship was built, and to Mr. Poinsett of S. C, as the Representative of the State where the live oak grew of which she was built y •OLD IRONSIDES." Ay ! pull her tattered ensign down, Long has it waved on high, And many a heart has danced to see That banner in the sky; Beneath it rung the battle shout, And burst the cannon's roar — The meteor of the ocean air 9hall sweep the clouds no mort. BftlTlSU SHIP HIBURNIA. Her deck, once red with heroes' bloodi Where knelt the vanquished foe, When winds were hurrying o'er the flood And waves were white below, No more shall feel the conoueror's tread Or know the conauered Icnee ; The harpies of the snore shall pluck The eagle of the sea t Ob better that her shattered hulk Should sink beneath the wave ; Her thunders shook the mighty deep And there should be her grave. Nail to the mast her holy flag. Set every threadbare sail, And give her to the god of storms — The lightning and the gale t •v; , ."»*.■ BRITISH SHIP HIBERNIA. The Hibernia sailed from Liverpool in Dec. 1832, bound to Van Dieman's Land, with two hundred and thirty-two em- igrants. On the 5th of Feb. in lat. 4. 40 south, Ion. 20. 30, at 1 1 A. M. the second mate went to the store-room to draw off some sp'rits, and was premring to return on deck, when by some riieans he stumbled, the lighted candle fell into the bucket of spirits which immtuiately ignited and dreadfulljr burnt the mate, who, in his confusion /erturned the bucket, and thus the burning liqu'd was spread all over ^he store- room, and communicated the flames to several cask» of spirit! in the said roofti. The flames spread so fast, in spite o' every eflbrt to prevent them, that at one P. M. all h >pe of saitoff the ship and property was abandoned. The niaster orderea the boats to be hoisted out ; but the Are had increased so much that only a small quantity of provisions could < got at. The boats, being crowded with people, shove ' from »he ship's side. The master would not leave the snip, but con- tinued his exertions until the flan es were coming through tlM» batchvays, when he and the first mate threw themieWea orer "Ti??"'''"^ 154 ■miTltU SHir UI3ERNIA board) and shortly afier the fire reached the rigging and spread from mast to mat^t. The boats had dropped astern for the purpose of saving as many Hves as possible, and among those picked up were the master and first mate, quite exhaust- ed by their great exertions to get the fire under, fieing load- ed almost to sinking, the boats now lefl the ship; containing — the long boat, fifty-three persons, pinnace, seventeen, ana jolly-boat, ten. It was resolved that the master should take charge of the long-boat, the first mate of the pinnace, and the boatswain of the jolly-boat, and proceed to Pernan Suco Two compasses had been saved, as also the captain's chro- nom.eter, sextant, and a iew charts, and the mate's quadrant, iiaved by the cabin boy. At five F. M. they left the wreck, which was burned almost to the water's edge. Numbers of unfortunates had in despair climbed the bowsprit, and othei parts of the ship where the fire had not ye! reached; the scene was shocking and heart-rending, from the impossibility of giv- ing them any assistance. The boats left with scarcely sufficient provisions to keep those in taem alive, and damaged likewise by the salt water. Some fresh water had also been saved, but this was carried off by the pinnace, which deserted her companion in the most shameful manner. The first mate and a cabin passenger, called Atkinson, \»y the blame of the proceeding to each other; each sayiv.g the other proposed to him to leave the long-boat to her fate.. The jolly-boat had previously sepa- rated from her consorts. The long-boat had made but little progress on the 10th of Feb. by which time all in her were so debilitated from fatigue and thirst, that they lost ail hope. The boat, too, was leaky and required eight men to be constantly bailing her. A highly respectable gentleman (Mr. Ridley) died of exhaustion land want of nourishment. On the 1 1th th^ descried a sail, which they made repeated signals to. These, however, would not have been perceived, had it not fortunately happened that i man Was at the mast head putting up a vane. At half past 6 P. M. they were re- ceived on board the Sotus, which immediately changed her course for Rio Janeiro; and the unfortunates were treated, during the passage, with every kindness and attention. Ten minutes after being alongside, the boat sunk. They arrived at Rio Janeiro on the 20th of Feb. llnd the laabella, from the Mediterranean, arrived on the 21st, with tke cr«w ci^ the pinnace, who scarcely (at aat ■onM of aii^ imflfejfr ^>jiiWni MUTINY OF THlfi SHIP fiOUNTT. i$6 thenij) deserved such good luck. The juUy-boat wus still unheard of; so that of 232 persons only 69 escaped. Several of the sufferers by this lamentable conflagration, irere respectable people who were taking out their all. ■ i" ■« ft . V . VJ. .- ■ 'tt^^^^^I ^H ^BB^^''~ _^^^ ^ci^-"" -,/,•:•> r-. /"^^^liNi 21 LJH^^^^^^ !^^^k/^^^-^^hfeaj^^^^^H %^;,^ive THK BREAD-raUIT TSKK " ''- '^'- " /. " ' ' >1 - >- - ■ . - - , '. l' MUTINY OF THE SHIP BOUNTY. " ■ The irierchants and planters of the West India islands, hav- ing represented to his majesty that an essential benefit might be derived by introducing the bread-fruity an article of food for the inhabitantsof those islands, his majesty was graciously pleased to direct the board of Admiralty to equip a ship for this purpose. Accordingly one proper for such a voyage was purchased, and fitted up in a most commodious manner to re- the plants. She was named the Bounty, her burden 'itbout two hundred and fifleen tons, and the command con- ferred on Lieutenant W. Bligh, who had sailed as master with Cant. James Cook, on his voyage of discoveries. The whole crew consisted of forty-six On the 4th of November, i787, the Bounty arrived at Spit- \tmiiy vid OB the 24th of the same monthi Mr. Bligh receivvdl '.. M MVTIIIT or THE SUIP BOCltTf. his final orders from the Admiralty, which were tc proceed round Cape Horn to the Society islands, there to take on board as many of the bread-fruit tr^es and plants as may be thought necessary, from thence to proceed through Endeavor Straights, to Prince's Island on the Straights of Sunda, or if it should be more convenient, to pass on the eastern side of Java, to some port on the north side of that island, where any bread-fruit trees which may have been mjured, or have died, may be replaced by mangosteens, duriens, and other fruit trees of that quarter, as well as the rice plant which grows upon dry land. From Prince's Island, or the island of Java, to return by the Cape of Good Hope to the West Indies, and deposite one half of the trees and plants at his Majesty'<» Botanical garden at St. Vincent, for the benefit of the Wind- ward Islands; then to go oti to Jamaica, and having deliver- ed the remainder to Mr. East, or such other persons as may be authorized by the governor and council to receive them, to refresh the people and return to England. As the season might be too far advanced for effecting a passage round Cape Horn, the Admiralty gave Mr. Bligh discretional orders in this case, to go round the Cape of Good Hope. On the 2dd of December, the Bounty sailed from Spithead. On the 6th of January, 1788, she anchored in Santa Cruz road, on the island of Teneriff. On the 10th, having taken on board wine and other refreshments, Mr. Bligh proceeded on his voyage. On the 20th of March the coast of Terra del Fuego was discovered ; from this time they began to experi- ence very tempestuous weather, the winds in general blowing with great violence from the westward, attended with fre- quent snow and hail-storms. Mr. Bligh struggled with great perseverance against these troubles for thirty days; and then came to the resolution of bearing away for the Cape of Good Hope, where he arrived on the 23d of May. While at the Cape Mr. Bligh procured such plants and seeds as he thought would be valuable at Otaheite, or any other place at which he might stop. On the 1st of July he sailed from the Cape, and shaped his course for New Holland; the southern pro- montory of which he made on the 19th of August The next day he anchored in Adventure Bay: here the ship was refit- ted; the only fresh water to be procured was what had lodg- ed in deep pits and gullies afler the rainy season: it waa found perfectly sweet and good. »\ ■ IflTTINT OP THE SHIP BOUNTY 151 This part of the coast of New Holland abounds in large forest-trees, some running to the height of one hundred and fifly feet, one in particular which was seen by the Bounty's people, measured thirty-two feet in girth. The wood of these trees is in general rirm, but of too heavy and solid a nature for masts, though it might answer oxtrenioiy well !'or ship- building. On the trunk of a decayed tree was observed to iiave been uut with a knife, the letters, " A. D. 1773," which is supposed to have been done by some of Capt. Furneaux's people who were at this place in the March of that year. The natives who were seen, were perfectly naked, extreme- ly wild, but inoffensive. Mr, Bligh held out every friendly encouragement to have an intercourse with them, but without effect. Previous to their leaving Adver.ure Bay, Mr. Nelson, the botanist, planted some apple and other fruit trees, and sowed various kinds of seeds. On the 4th of September they sailed from hence, and steering to the S. E. arrived on the 26th of October in Matavai Bay, in the isla.id of Otaheite. Mr. Bligh immediately set about executing the object of his voyage; for which purpose the botanists were sent on shore, in search of, and t : collect the bread-fruit plants, in which they found no difficulty, receiving every assistance from the natives, with whom the ^rost'est friendship and in- timacy subsisted during their continuance at this island. - On the 3 1st of March, 1789, having collected as many of the trees and plants as could be conveniently stowed, they were taken on board to the number of one thousand and fifteen, contained in seven hundred and seventy-four pots, thirty-nine tubs, and twenty-six boxes; besides several other plants of various descriptions. The Bounty being now ready for sea, Mr, Bligh made the farewell presents to his friends, many of whom expressed a great desire to accompany him to England, and shewed evident signs of regret at their departure On the 1th of April, they took a last and affectionate leave of their hospitable Otaheiten friends, and put to sea; pursuing nearly the same tract to the Friendly Islands with former navigators; on the morning of the 10th, an island and several small keys near it were discovered; the island had a most beautiful appearance, it was covered with cocoa nut and other trees, interspersed with beautiful lawns. .The next day ■ cance came off with some of the natives, who were extremely familiar, and spoke a similar language to those of Otaheitt 16$ MUTIIfT or TRt tHtr DOUMTf. rhejT said the island was Wytootackee. Its circumferenef is about ten miles; lat. 18. 50, south, Ion. 200. 19, east. On leaving this island, they proceeded for the Friendly Islands, and on the 23d anchored at Annamooka; at this placs Mr. Bligh saw an old man, who he remembered when he was here with Capt. Cook, in the year 1777, from whom he learnt that se «reral of the cattle which had been then leil were still alive and had bred. Mc- Bligh had also the satisfaction to see that most of the seeds which had been sown at that time had succeeded, especially the pines, of which fruit the natives were very fond. On the 27th, having completed taking on board wood and water, and procured some bread-fruit plants to replace those which were dead or sickly, they sailed from Annamooka. A scene as unexpected as deplorable was now about to pre- sent itself, which rendered the object of the voyage, after all Mr. Bligh's exertions, ineffectual. • This individual's bearing towards his officers and crew as it was afterwards proved, had never been of the most gen- tle or conciliating kind; indeed, he had frequently indulged in the coarsest and most brutal language towards them, and his acts were often oppressive in the extreme. In the afternoon of the 27th, Lieut. Bligh came upon deck, and missing some of the cocoa nuts which had been piled up between the guns, i^aid they had been stolen, and could not have been taken away without the knowledge of the officers, all of whom were sent for and questioned on the subject. On their declaring that they had not seen any of the people touch them, he ex- claimed, '*Then you must have taken th^^n yourselves;" and proceeded to inquire of them separately how many they had purchased. On coming to Mr. Christian, that gentle- man answered, " I do not know, sir ; but I hope you do not think me so mean as to be guilty of stealing yours." Mr Bligh answered, " yes, you d d hound, I do — you must have stolen them from me, or you would be able to give & better account of them;" then turning to the other officers, he said, " God d — n you, you cccundrels, you are all thieves alike and combine with the men to rob me: I suppose you will ■teal my yams next; but I'll sweat you for it, you rascals— I'll make half of you jump overboard before you get through Endeavor Straits." This threat was followed by an order to the clerk " to stop the villains' grog, and give them but halt a pound of yams to-morrow; if they steal them, I'll reduce thcns to a quarter." lIl M Il illl « |l ,. i««»l aw t MW i MUTINT or THE SHIP BOUIfTT t5t On the moirning of tho 28th of April, juft beforta .^^un-rise Mr. Chrietian, one of the mates, (who had for some time been intrusted with the charge of the third watch), accompanied by the master at arms, gunner's mate, and Thomrid Burkett, a teaman, entered Mr. Bligh's cabin whue he was asleep, and seizing him, bound his hands behind his back, at the same time threatening instant death if he resisted or made the least noise. Not intimidated by their threats, Mr. Bligh resolutely called for assistance, but the mutineers had taken care, pre- viously, to secure all those who were not concerned in their diabolical scheme. They then pulled him irom his bed, and forced him upon deck, with nothing on hiim but his shirty where a guard was placed over him. The boatswain was ordered to hoist the launch out, which being done, Mr. Hay> ward and Mr. Hallet, midshipmen, Mr. Samuel, the clerk, with some others, were directed to go into her. Mr. Bligh frequently remonstrated with his people on the impropriety and violence of their proceedings, and endeavored to persuade them to return to their duty ; but all his efforts proved ineffe^ tual :*the only reply he could obtain was, ''hold your tongue sir or you are dead this instant.'' The officers who were confined below, were next called upon deck and forced into the boat. The mutineers were some time undecided whether they should detain the carpenter or his rn&ie ; at length, afler much altercation, it was determined that the carpenter should go into the boat ; and it was not without much opposition that they permitted him to take his tool-chest with him. Upon which some of them swore, that " he (meaning Mr. Bligh) would find his way home if he gets any thing with him, and that he would have a vessel built in less than a month." While others turned their miserable situ- ation into ridicule, little expecting, from the boat being so deep and crowded, that she could lonf^ keep the sea. All those now being in the boat who were intended to accompany their unfortunate commander, Christian addressed him, saying, — " Come, Capt. Bligh, your officers and men are now in the ooat, and you must go with them ; if you attempt to make the least resistance you will instantly be put to death.'' He was then forced over the side, and his hands unbound. When they were putting him out of tho ship, Mr. Bligh looked sted- fastly at Christian, and asked him, if his treatment waa a propet return for the many instances he had received of his friendship r At this question he seemed confused, and answered with much emotion, — " That, Capt. Bligh, that is the thing ;— I am in hell — I am in hell." 160 MOTIRT OF TBI SHIP BOUNTY. ^1' n The boat was veered antern, and soon after cast adrift, amidst the ridicule and scofik of these deluded and unthinking men, whose general shout was, '' huzza foi* Otaheite." The armorer and carpenter's mate called on Mr. Bligh, and beg- ged him to remember that they had no hand in the transac* tion, and some others seemed to express by their manner a contrition for having joined in the mutiny. As no complaints had been made or dissatisfaction shown, Mr. Bligh was at a loss how to account for this sudden and unexpected change in the disposition of his people ; unless it rose from the temptations held out to them by the chiefs of Otaheite, who were much attached to the English, and allur- ed them by promises of large possessions if they would remain behind ; this, in addition to the connexion which they had form- ed with the women, whom Mr. Bligh describes as handsome, mild and cheerful in their manners and conversation ; possess- ed of great sensibility, and having sufficient delicacy to make them admired and beloved. Although these were perhaps among the inducements which led to the mutiny, there is no doubt but that Bligh's intempe- rate language and insulting demeanor were the chief causes of ihe unhappy deed. It is pretty evident, that the mutiny waii not, as Bligh in his narrative stated it to have been, the result of a conspiracy. It appears from the minutes of the couriVmartial, which was afterwards instituted, that the whole aftair waa planned and executed between the hours of four and e'lght on the morning of the 28th of April, when Chris- tian had the watch upon deck ; that Christian, unable longer to beai' the abusive language, had meditated his own escape from the ship the dtiy before, choosing to trust himself to fate rather than submit to the constant upbraiding to which he had been subject ; but the unfortunate business of the cocoa nuts drove him to the commission of the rash and felonious act which ended, as such criminal acts usually do, in his own de- struction and that of a great number of others, many of whom were wholly innocent The following persons were those turned adrift with Mr Bligh in the boat. John Fryer, master. . Thos. Ledwood, acting sur- geon ; he was never heard of after Mr. Bligh left Ba- tevia. T. Hay ward, J. Hallet, John Norton, quarter-master , killed by the natives at To« iijj uilJi t h Bfa ■nmiT or thb ibip bovhtt. 1€1 D. Nelson, botaniit ; died at P. Linkletter, quartor-maiter ; Batavia. died at Batavia. Wm. Peckover, gunner. L. Lebo^ue, sail maker Wm. Cole, boatswain. John Smith, cook. Wm. Purcill, carpenter. Thos. Hall, ditto ; died at Bm- Wm. Elphilstone, master's tavia. mate ; died at Batavia Robert Tinkler, boy There remained in the Bounty Fletcher Christian, master's Thos. M'Intosh, of carpenter's mato crew P. Hey wood, ^ C. Ohurchill, master at arms. E. Toung, > midshipmen. Joseph Coleman, armorer 6. Stewart, ) Wm. Brown, gardener ; and J. Mills, gunner's mate. 14 able seamen Before the boat was cast off, Mr. Bligh begged that some arms might be handed into her ; but these unfeeling wretches laughed at him, and said '^ he was well acquainted with the people among whom he was going, and therefore did not want them." They, however, threw four cutlasses into the boat. Their whole stock of provisions consisted of one hundred and fifty pounds of bread, sixteen pieces of pork, six quarts of rum, with twenty-eight gallons of water ; there were also four empty barrocoes in the boat. The boatswain had been allow- ed to collect a small quantity of twine, some canvass, lines, and cordage. Mr. Samuel, the clerk, had been also permitted to take a quadrant and compass ; but he was forbidden on pain of death to touch either chart, ephemeris, book of astronom- ical observations, sextant, time-keeper, or any of the surveys or drawings which Mr. Bligh had been collecting for fifteen years. Mr. Samuel had the good fortune to secure Mr. Bligh's journal and commission, with some other material ship's papers. At the time the boat left the ship they were about ten leagues from Tosoa. Mr. Bligh's first determination was to steer for this place, to seek a supply of bread-fruit and water, from thence to Tongataboo, and there to solicit the king to sufier him to equip the boat, and grant them such a supply of water and provisions, as might enable them to reach the East Indies. Arriving at Tosoa, they found the natives unfriendly and hostile ; and availing themselves of the defenceless stats V-.,- MUTIIIT or THE SHIP BOURTT. I f of the English, attacked them violently with stoneS) lo that the supply they got here was very scanty. It was indeed with some ditllculty tlioy t^ncapcd bein^ entirely cut off by the na^ kives ; which most probably would have been the case, had not one of the crew (John Norton) resolutely jumped on shore and cast off the stern-fast of the boat ; this brave fel- low fell a sacrifice to preserve the lives of his companions ; he was sui rounded and mhumanly murdered by these savages The reception they met at Tosoa, gave them little encou'* agement to touch at Tongataboo ; as it was evident that itix. former good behavior of these people proceeded more from the dread of fire arms, than a natural disposition to be friendly. It now seemed the general wish of all in the boat, that Mr Bligh should conduct them towards home. He pointed out to them that no hopes of relief remained, excepting what might be found at New Holland, or the island of Timor, which was at the distance of full one thousand and two hundred leagues ; and that it would require the greatest economy to be observ- ed, with regard to the scanty allowance which they had to live upon for so long a voyage. It was therefore agreed by the whole crew, that only an ounce of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water should be issued to each person per day. Af- ter Mr. Bligh^had recommended to them in the most solemn manner not to depart from the promise they had made ; he on the 2d of May bore away, and shaped his course for New Holland, across a sea little explored, in a boat only twenty- three feet in length, six feet nine inches in breadth, and two feet nine inches deep, with eighteen persons on board, and heavy laden. The next day they encountered a violent store., the boat shipped such a quantity of water, that it was by great exertions and with the utmost difficulty she could be kept afloat. The day following it moderated. On the 5th, they saw and passed a cluster of islands, continuing their course to the north* west. Hitherto they had not been able to keep any other ac> count than by guess ; but had now succeeded in getting a log- line marked, and by a little practice, some could count the seconds with a tolerable degree of exactness. The miserable and confined s/ate in which they were, induced Mr Bligh to put his crew to watch and watch, so that one half migr»l be on the look out, while the others lay down in the boat's bottom, or upon a chest ; even this gave but a trifling alleviation to theit sufferings ; being exposed to constant wet and cold, and not having room to stretch their limbs, they became oflen to dr««dl^ AiUj orampedy m to k« inoapable of moving them. MVTIfIT oy TBI IB IP BOUITTT. Ifortable repose than they had experienced for many nights, they were preparing the next day to depart, when about twenty natives made their f ppearance on the opposite •here, running and hallooing, at the same time making signs to land. Each was armed with a spear or lance ; several others were seen peeping over the tops of the adjacent hills. Mr. Bligh finding that he was discovered, judged it most pru-' dent to make the best of his 'vay to sec . He named the is- land on which they landed Restoration Island ; as it was not only applicable to their own siti^ation, but the anniversary of King Charleses Restoration when it was discovered ; its ob- served latitude 12 deg. 39 min. south. As the boat sailed alon? the phore, many other parties of the natives came down, waving green 'uoughs as a token of friend- ship ; but Mr. Bligh, suspicious of their intentions would not venture to land. These people wer& naked, with black and wcclly hair. On the 31r>t they landed on a small island, in order to get a difitinct view of the coi&st ; from thence, aiter mnking a hearty meal c Twenty years had passed away, and the Bounty, and Fletcher Christian, and the piratical crew that he had carried off with him in that ship, had long ceased to occiipy a thought in the public mind. It happened, however, that an accidental dis- covery, as interesting as it was wholly unexpected, was brought to light in consequence of an American trading vessel having, by mere chance, app**oached one of these numerous islands in the Pacific, against whose steep and iron-bound shore the surf almost everlastingly rolls with such tremendous violence as to bid defiance to any attempts of boats to land, except at parti- cular times and in very few places. Captain f^olger, of the American brig Topaz of Boston, in September, 1808, landed on Pitcairn's Island in latitude '25 2 south, lonfiitude 130 west, where he found an Englishman, of the name of Alexander Smith, the only person remaining of nine that had escaped in the Bounty. Smith related that, after putting Capt. Bligh in the boat, Christian took command of the ship and went to Otaheite, where many of the crew left her, except Christian, Smith, and seven others, who eacli took wives, and six Otaheitan men-servants, and shortly after ar- rived at Pitcairn's Island, where they ran the ship ashore and broke her up ; this event took place in the year 1790. About four y^ars after their arrival (a great jealousy exist- ing), the Otaheitans secretly revolted, and killed every Eng- lishman except Smith, whom they .severely wounded in the neck with a pistol ball. The same night, the widows of tha deceased Englishmen arose and put to death the whole of the / H 168 MUTINY OF TH« SITTF BO0NTt. It : ^ :\-^ I tl. Otaheitans, leaving Smith the only man alive upon the island, with eight or nine women and several children. On his re- covery, he apphed himself to tilling the ground, so that it now produced plenty of yams, cocoa-nuts, bananas, plant- ain, hogs and poultry in abundance. There were some ffrown-up men and women, children of the mutineers, on th« island, the whole population amounting to about thirty-five, who acknowledged Smith as father and commander of them all ; they all spoke English, and had been educated by him in a moral and religious way. It was asserted by the second mate of the Topaz, that Chris- tian, the ringleader, became insane shortly afler taking up his abode on the island, and threw himself off the rocks into the sea. It is clear enough that this misguided and ill-fated young man was never happy after the rash and criminal step he had taken. He was always sullen and morose, and committed so many acts of wanton oppression as very soon incurred the hatred of his companions. According to the account of Smith, or as he was usually called, John Adams, the cause of Chris- tian's death was his having forcibly seized on the wife of one cf the Otaheite men, which so exasperated the rest that they not only sought the life of the offender, but of others also who might; as they thought, be disposed to pursue the same course The manner of Christian's death still remains uncertain ; cer- tain it is, that however far he might escape from the reach of jclstice there was no escaping from "Those rods of sccrpions and those whips of steel Which conscience shakes." Pitcairn's Island was visited in 1814 by his majesty's frig- ates, the Briton and the Tagus, by which the account of Cap- tain Folger was con6rmed. From the time of this visit nothing more was heard of Adams and his family for nearly twelve years, when, in 1825, Captain Beechey, in the Blos- som, bound on a voyage of discovery, touched at Pitcairn's Is- land. He found the descendants of the mutineers increased to sixty-six ; the females were modest, handsome, and plea- sing, and the males added a wonderful degree of strength and agility to a beautiful symmetry of form. Adams had intro- duced into his little society, the most salutary laws and regu- lations, which he had drawn from the bible, and seemed desi- rous to atone for his past misconduct by training trp the rising generation in piety and virtue. The death of this old patriarch took place in March, 1829, and he was sincerely lamented b^ £: HAEIUTITi 0> CAfTAlIf LlMCOL.t. \9§ the inftnt colonj. It has recently been stated in the nowspa- pel 8, that owing to a deficieno/ of water at Pitcairn's Island, the descendants of the mutineers had ail emigrated to Ota- heite : but there being disgusti^d with the dissolute and immor- al behavior of the islanders, thay had returned to the place of their birth to escape the contaminntion of vice and intempcr- ^- NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN LINCOLN, Who was taken by the Piratet, off Cape Crm^ Dee. 17, 1'831, and $tUnequently left^ with hii crew^ to perish on a desolate island. I have reluctantly yielded to the urgent solicitations of friends, to give a short narrative of the capture, sufTerings and escape of myself and crew, afler having been taken by a pi- ratical schooner, called the Mexican, December, 1821. The peculiar circumstances attending our situation, gave us ample opportunity for learning the character of those cruisers which have lately infested our southern coasts, destroying the lives and plundering the property of so many peaceable traders. If this narrative should effect any good, or urge our government to still more vigorous measures for the protection of our com- merce, my object will be attained. I sailed from Boston bound for Trinidad, in the Island of Cuba, on the 13th November, 1821, in the schooner Exertion, burden one hundred and seven tons, owned by Me3..rs. Joseph Ballister and Henry Farnam, with a crew consisting of the following persons : — Joshua Bracket, mate, Bristol, David Warren, cook. Saco, Thomas Goodall, seaman, Baltimore, Thomas Yojng, (t Orangetown, Francis de Suze, St. John'f, jQeorge Reed, Greenock, Scotland ▼•L. 1. •I ^ : . V t. itO HAAftATtVi O^ CATTAIIf MltOOLH The cargo consisted of flour, beef, pork, lard, outter, fith beans, onions, potatoes, apples, hams, furniture, sugar box ■hooks, &c. invoiced at about eight thousand dollars. Nothins remarkable occurred during the passage, except much bad weather, until my capture, which was as follows : — Monday, December, Hth, 18!21, — commenced with fme breezes from the eastward. At daybreak saw some of the islands northward of Cape Cruz, called keys — stood along lorthwest ; every thing now seemed favourable for a happy rcrmina ion of our voyage. At three o'clock, P. M. saw a sail con.ing round the Keys, into a channel called Boca de Cavolone b/ the chart, nearly in latitude 20, 55, north, lon- gitude 79, 55, west, she made directly for us with all sail set, sweeps on both sides (the wind being light) and was soon near enough for us to discover about forty men on her deck, armed with muskets, blunderbusses, cutlasses, long knives, dirks, two carronades, one a twelve, the other a six pounder; she was a schooner, wearing the Patriot flag, (blue white and blue) of the Republic of Mexico. I thought it not prudent to resist them, should they be pirates, with a crew of seven men, and only five muskets; accordingly ordered the arms and ammunition to be immediately stowed away in as secret a place as possible, and sufT . her to speak us, hoping and believing that a republican flag indicated both honor and friendship from those who wore it, and which we might expect even from Spaniards. But how great was my astonishment, when the schooner having approached very near us, hailed in English, and ordered me to heave my boat out immediately and come on board of her with my papers. Accordingly my boat was hove on but filled before I could get into her. I was then ordered to tack ship and lay by for the pirate's boat to Doard me; which was done by Bolidar, their first lieutenant, with six or eight Spaiiiards, armed with as many of the before mentioned weapons a.s they could well sling about their bodies They drove me into the boa', and two of them rowed me lo their privateer, (as they called their vessel,) where I shook hands with Ler commander. Captain Jonnia, a Spaniard, who before looking at my papers, ordered Bolidar, his lieutenant, to follow the Mexican in, back of the Key they had left, which was done. At 6 o'clock, P. M. the Exertion was anchored in eleven feet water, near their v< ssel, and an island, which they called Twelve League Key. 'called by the chart Key Largo,) about thirty or thirty-five leagues from Trinidad Af- ter this strange conduct they began examining my papers bv -#r^ NARRATIVI OF CAPTAIN LINCOLN. 171 t Scotchman who went by the name of Nickola, their sailing master. He spoke good Knglish, had a countenance rather pleasing, although his beard and muHtachios had a frightful appearance — his face, apparently full of anxiety, indicated something in my favor ; he gave me my papers saying " take good care of them, for I am afraid that you have fallen into bad hands.'* The pirate's boat was then sent to the Exertion with more men and arms ; a part of (hem left on board her ; the rest returning with three of my crew to their vessel ; viz. Th>mas Young, Thomas Goodall, and George Reed — they treated them with something to drink, and offered them equal shares with themselves, and some money, if they would enlist, but they could not prevail on them. I then requested per- mission to go on board my vessel which was granted, and further requested Nickola should go with me, but was refused by the captain, who vociferated in a harsh manner, " No, No, No," accompanied with a heavy stamp upon the deck. When I got on board, I was invited below by Bolidar, where I found they had emptied the case of liquors, and broken a cheese to pieces and crumbled it on the table and cabin floor ; the pirates elated with their prize, (as they called it,) hud drank so much as to make them desperately abusive. I was permitted to lie down in my birth ; but reader, if you have ever been awakened by a gang of armed desperadoes, who have taken possession of your habitation in the midnight Hoar, you can imagine my feelings. Sleep was a stranger to me, and anx- iety was my guest. Bolidar, however, pretended friendship, and flattered me with the prospect of being soon set at liberty. But I found him, as J suspected, a consummate hypocrite; in- deed, his very looks indicated it. He was a stout and well built man, of a dark, swarthy complexion, with keen, ferocious eyes,*huge whiskers, and beard under his chin and on his lips four or five inches long ; he was a Portuguese by birth, but had become a naturalized Frenchman — had a wife, if not chil- dren, (as I was told) in France, and was well known there as commander of a first rate private< .'. His appearance was truly terrific ; he could talk some in English, and had a most lion-iike voice. * Tuesday, 18th. — Early this morning the captam of the pi- rates came on board the Exertion ; took a lo<^k at the cabin- stores, and cargo in the state rooms, and then ordered me back T/ith him to his vessel, where he, with his crew, held a consul- 'ation for some time, respecting the cargo. After which, the fiterpreter, Nickola, told me that ^' the captain had or pretend- 17t HABftATlVK or CAPTAIN LINOOUf. i ed to have a commission under General TraspelaicuS) conn mander in chief of the republic of Mexico, authorizing him te take all cargoes whatever of provisions, bound to any Spanish royalist port — that my cargo being bound to an enemy's port, must be condemned ', but that the vessel should be given up and put into a fair channel for Trinidad where I was boupd.*' I requested him to examine the papers thoroughly, and per- naps he would be convinced to the contrary, and told him my cargo was all American property taken in at Boston and con- ■Igned to an American gentleman agent at Trinidad. But the captain would not take this trouble, but ordered both vessels under way immediately, and commenced beating up amongst the Keys through most of the day, the wind being very light. They now sent their boats on board the Exertion for stores, and commenced plundering her of bread, butter, lard, onions, potatoes, fish, beans, &c. took up some sugar box shooks that were on deck, and found the barrels of apples ; selected the best of them, and threw the rest of them overboard. They in- quired for spirits, wine, cider, &c. and were told " they had already taken all that was on board." But not satisfied they proceeded to search the state rooms and forecastle, ripped up the floor of the latter and found some boxes of bottled cider, which they carried to their vessel, gave three cheers, in an exulting manner to me, and then began drinking it with such freedom, that a violent quarrel arose between officers and men, which came very near ending in bloodshed. I was ac- oused of falsehood, for saying they had already got all the liquors that were on board, and I thought they had ; the truth was, I never had any bill of lading of the cider, and con- sequently had no recolh ction of its being on board ; yet it served them as an excuse for being insolent. In the evening peace was restored am\ tliey sung songs. I was suflfered to go below for the night, and they i)laced a guard over me, sta- tioned at the companion way Wednesday, 1 9th, commenced with L.oderate easterly winds^ btiiting towards the noitheast, the pirate's boats frequently going on board the Exertion for potatoes, fish, beans, butter, &€ which were used with great waste, and extravagance Thty gave me food and drink, but of bad quality, more partic- almriy the victuals, which was wretchedly cooked. The place assigned me to eat was covered with dirt and vermin. It ap- peared that their great object was to hurt my feelings with .hreatsand observations, and to make my situation asuaplea** •nt at circumstancei would adnut We c«me to mncbor ne«r - ill ^ridillr 1111— NARIUTIVl OP CAPTAIN LINCOLN. 179 a Key, c:Jled by them Brigantine, where myself and mate were permitted to go on shore, but were guarded by several arr«t»;u pirates. I soon returned to the Mexican and my mate to the Exertion, with George Reed one of my crew ; tlie other two being kept on board the Mexican. In the course of this day I had considerable conversation with Nickola, who ap- peared well disposed towards me He lamented most deeply his own situation, for he was one of those men, whoso early good impressions were not entirely effaced, although confed- erated with guilt. He told me '' those who had taken me, were no better than pirates, and their end Would be the halter ; but," he added, with peculiar emotion, '^ I will never be hung as a pirate,'' showing me a bottle of laudanum which he had found in my medicine chest, saying '' if wo are taken, that shall cheat the hangman, before we are condemned." I endeavoured to get it from him, but did not succeed. I then asked him how he came to be in such company, as he appeared to be dissatis- fied. He stated "that he was at i^ew Orleans last summer out of employment, and became acquainted with one Captain August Orgamar, a Frenchman, who had bought a small schooner of about fifleen tons, and was going down to the bay of Mexico to get a commission, under General Traspelascus, in order to go a privateering under the patriot flag. Captain Orgamar made him liberal offers respecting shares, and prom- ised him a sailing master's birth, which he accepted and em- barked on board the schooner, without sufficiently reflecting on the danger of such an undertaking. Soon afler she sailed from Mexico ; where they got a commission, and the vessel was called Mexican. They made up a complement of twenty men, and afler rendering the general some little service, in transporting his troops to a place called proceeded on a cruise ; took some small prizes off Campeachy ; afterwards came on the south coast of Cuba, where they took other small prizes and the one which we were now on board of. By this time the crew were increased to about forty, nearly one half Spaniards, the others Frenchmen and Portuguese. Several of them had sailed out of ports in the United States, with American protections ; but, I confidently believe, none ai-e natives, especially of the northern states.* I was careful in examining the men, being desirous of knowing if any of my * The Spaniards at Havana have been in the habit of saying to thott who arrive there, aAer suffering the horrid abuse of cuttiof , beatia^^ iMtfifiiif , robbing, he ** it is your countrymen that do tlm,** T4 ^rAERATIVB OF CAFTAIN LINCOLIT. ' 1 countrymen were ainon;; this wietrhrd crew ; but am satit- fied there were none, and my Scotch friend concurred in th« opinion. And now with a now vessel, which was tho prize of these plunderers, they sailed up ]Man<^arieil Bay; previous- ly, however, they fell in with an American schooner, from which they hought four barrels of beof, and paid in tobacco. At the 6a/ was an English brig belonging to Jamaica, owned by Mr. John Louden of that place. On board of this vessel the Spanish part of the crew commenced their depredations %3 pirates, although Captain Orgamar and Nickola protested iigrtinst it, and refused any participation ; but they persisted, and like so many ferocious blood-h<»unda, boarded the brig, plundered the cabin stores, furniture, captain's trunk, &.c. took a hogshead of rum, one twelve pound carronade, some rig- ging and sails. One of them plundered the chest of a sailor, who made some resistance, so that the Spaniard took his cut- lass and beat and wounded him without mercy. Nickola asked ed him " why he did it ?" the fellow answered " I will let you know," and took up the cook's axe and gave him a cut on the head, which nearly deprived him of life.* Then they or- dered Captain Orgamar to leave his vessel, allowing him his trunk and turned him ashore, to seek for himself. Nickola begged them to dismiss him with his captain, but no, no, waa the answer ; for they had no com' ' te navigator but him. After Captain Orgamar was gone, ttiv.y pui in his stead the present brave (or as 1 should call him cowardly) Captain Jon- nia, who headed them in plundering the before mentioned brig, and made Bolidar their lirst lieutenant, and then proceeded down among those Keys or islands, where I was capturea. This is the amount of what my friend Nickola told me of their history. Thursday, !20th, continued beating up, wind being light, the pirate's boats were sent to the Exertion for more stores, sucfj as bread, lard, Sec. 1 this day divscovered on board the Mex ican three black girls, of whom it is weJI to say no more. li is impossible to give an account of the filthiness of this crew and were it possible it would not be expedient. In t^^oir appear ance they were terrific wearing black wiiiskers and long beards the receptacles of dirt and vermin. They used continually the most profane language ; had frequent quarrels ; and so great wras their love of gambling that {he captain would play cards with the meanest man on board. All these. things ren- *£[• abawW bm th« wound, whi«li wm cave my vessei to go to the before mentioned island, I fortunately snatched my vessel's papers, and hid them in my bosom, which the rea- der will find was a happy circumstance fur me. My writing desk, with papers, accounts, 8tc. all Mr. Lord's letters (the gentleman to whom my cargo was consigned) and several others were taken and maliciously destroyed. My medicine chest, which I so much wanted, was kept for their own use What their motive could be to take my papers i could not im- agine, except they had' hopes of finding bills of lading for some Spaniards, to clear them from piracy. Mr. Bracket had some notes and papers of conrtequonce t.i him, which shared the same fate. My quadrant, charts, boo'is and some bedding were not yet taken, but I found it impossijle to hide them, and they were soon gone from my sight Monday, 31st. — We complained to them, expressing the necessity of having clothes to cover us — but, as well might we have appealed to the winds, and rather better, for they would not have upbraided us in return. The captain, however, sent word he would see to it, and ordered their clothes bags to be searched, where he found some of our things, but took good care to put them into his own cabin. I urgently requested him to give me the miniature, l.ut, no was all 1 could get. Tuesday, January, 1st, 1822. — A sad new year's day to me. Before breakfast orders came for me to cut down the Exer- tion's railing and bulwarks on one side, for their vessel to heave out by, and clean her bottom. On my hesitating a little Jiey observed with anger, " very well capiain, suppose you i?a do it quick, we f)'> it for you." Directly afterwards another boat full of armed men came alorg side; they jumped on deck with swords drawn and ordered all of as into her immediately ; I stepped below, in hopes of getting somet'iing which would bo of service to us ; but the captain hallooed, "go in the boat directly or I will fire upon you." Thus compelled to obey, we were carried, together with four Spanish prisoners, to a small, low island or key of sand in the shape of a half moon and partly covered with mangrove trt 3s ; which was about one mile from and in sight of my vessel. There they left nine of us, with a Ifttle bread, f!our, fish, lard, a little cotlee and molasses ; two or three kegs of water, which was brackish; an old sail for a covering., and a pot and some otbier small arti- cles no way fit to cook in. Leaving us these, which were much less than ^bey appear in the euumeration, ihty puaM VAftRATIVB OF CAPTIAN LINCOLN. 179 off, saying " we will come to see you in a day or two '' Se* lecting the best place, we spread the old sail for an awning : but no place was free from flies, muschetoes, snakes, the ven- omous santipee. Sometimes they wore found crawling inside of our pantaloons, but fortunately no injury was received. This afternoon the pirates hove their vessel out by the Exer- tion and cleaned one side, using hor paints, oil, &.C. for that pur- pose. To see my vessel in that situation and to think of our prospects was a source of the deepest distress. At night we retired to our tent \ but haviijg nothing but the cold damp ground for a bed, and the heavy dew of the night penetrating the old canvass — the situation of the island being fifty miles from the usual track of friendly vessels, and one hundred and thirty-tive from Trinidad — seeing my owner's property so un- justly and wantonly destroyed — considering my condition, the hands at whose n^^rcy I was, and deprived of all hopes, ren- dered sleep or resi, a st»' nger to me. Wednesday, 2d. — Th pirates hove out and cleaned the oth- er side. She then commenced loading with the Exertion's cargo, which appeared to be flour and lard. In the afternoon their boat came and took two of the Spaniards with them to another island for water, and soon aft'^r returned with four kegs of poor, unwholesome water, and left us, saying they should not bring us provisions again for some time •, as they were going away with goods from the prize, to be gone two or three days. Accordingly they brought a present supply of beef, pork, and a few potatoes, with some bedding for myself and mate. The mangrove wood afforded us a good fire, as one of the R;,ainsh prisoners happened to have fire-works ; and others had tobacco and paper with which we made cigars. About this time one of my men began to be unwell ; his legs and body swelled considerably, but having no medicine I could not do nruch to relieve him. Thursday, 3d. — The pirates had dropped off" from the Ex- ertion, but kept their boats employed in bringing the cargo from her ; I supposed it to be kegs of lard to make stowage. The} then got under way with a perough in tow, both deep- ly laden, run out of the harbor, hauled on the wind to the eastward UIl out of sight behind the Keys j leaving a guard on uo&rd the Exertion. Friday, 4th. — Con^menccd with light winds and hot sun, saw a boat coming from the Exertion, apparently loaded ; she passed between two small Keys to the northward, supposed to hi bound for Cuba. At sunset a boat cam i a&d inquired iii^BF m !I0 VABftATIt'B or CAFTAIlf LINOOUI we WAiitecl any thing, but instead of adding to our provigions^ kook away our molasses, and pushed off. We found one of the Exertion's water casks, and several pieces of plank, which we carefully laid up, in hopes of getting enough to make a rail. Saturday, 5th. — Pirates again in sight coniipg from the eastward ; they beat up along side their prize, and com- menced loading. In the afternoon Nickola came to us, bring- ing with him two more prisoners, which they had taken in a small sail boat coming from Trinidad to Manganeil, one a Frenchman, the other a Scotchman, with two Spaniards, who remained on board the pirate, and who atlerwards joined them. The back of one of these poor fellows was extremely sore, having just suffered a cruel beating from Bolidar, with the broad side of a cutlass. It appeared, that when the officer asked him " where their money was, and how much,*' he an- swered, " he was not certain but believed they had only two ounces of gold." Bolidar furiously swore he said " ten," and not finding any more, gave him the beating. Nickola now re- lated to me a singular fact ; which was, that the Spanish part of the crew were determined to shoot him ; that they tied him to the mast, and the man was appointed for the purpose ; hut Lyon, a Frenchman, his particular friend, stepped up and told them, if they shot him, they must shoot several more ; some of the Spaniards sided with him, and he was released ?^ickola told me, the reason for .such treatment was, that he continually objected to their conduct towards mc, and their opinion was if he should escape they should be discovered, as he declared he v»:.'Hd take no prize money. While with Ui, he '^ave me a letter written in great haste, which containa ■ome particulars respecting the cargo ; — as follows * January, 4th, 182!2. Sir — ^We arrived here this morning, and before we came to anchor, had five canoes along side ready to take your car- ^o, part of which we had in ; and as I heard you express a wish, to know what they took out of he ' i this moment, you may depend on this account of Jamieson,*' for quality and quantity ; if I have the same opportunity you will have an account of the whole. The villian who bought your cargo is from the town of Principe, his name is Dominico, as to that it is all that I can learn ; they have taken your charts on bo t lM«il H i« » 'Ifl * Its NAlRATirK OF CAPTAIN LINCOLN. We dug in the sand for water, but wen, disappointed in find ing none so good as they lefl us. In walking round ainonff the bushes, I accidentally discovered a hole in the sand, and saw something run into it ; curiosity led me to dig about it. With the help of Mr. Bracket I found at the distance of seven feev from its mouth, and one fiom the surface, a large solitary rat apparently several years old ; he had collected a .arge nest of grass and leaves ; but there was not the least appearance of any other being on the island. Thursday, 10th.—- No pirates in sight. The day wr.a passed li anxious suspense ; David Warren being quite sick. Friday, 1 1th. — They came and hauled along side of the Exertion, but I think took out none of her cargo : but had, as I supposed, a vendue on board, wherein was sold among them- selves, all our books, clothing, (juadrants, charts, spy-glasses and every thing belonging to us and our fellow prisoners. I was afterwards told they brought a good price ; but what they could want of the Bible, Prayer-Book and many other books in English, was matter of astonishment to me. Saturday, 12th. — They remained along side the Exertion j took the paints, oil, bn/jhes, he. and gave their vessel a new coat of paint all arouvid, and a white boot top — took the per- ough to another key and caulked her — there was no appear- ance of their taking any cargo out ; the Exertion however ap- peared considerably high out of water. About sunset the pirates went out of the harbour on a crui/e. Here we had been staying day a'iler day, and exposed night after night — apprehensions for our safety v/ere »nuch increased ; what was to be become of us, seemed now to rush into everj'^ one's mind. Sunday, 13ln. — Deprived of our good oooks, deprived in fact of every thing, save life, and our ideas respecting our fate so gloomy, all tended to render time, especially the Lord's day, burdensome lo all. In the afternoon a boat came for cargo, \m, as I suoDosod, that villain Dominico., Monday, 14th. — 'Hipy again hove in sight, as usual, along tide thsir prize. While passing our solitary island, they laughed at our misery which was almost insupportable, — lookirg upon us as thotigh we had committed some heinous crime, and thev nad not sufficiently punished us ; they hal- looed to us, crving out, " Captain, Cnptain,*' accompanien with obscene motu)ns and words, \vith which I shall not l/lacken these pages — yd 1 heard no check upon such conduct, nor f puld 1 expect it am>ng such a gang, who have no idea of NAERATIVl or CAPTAIN LINCOLN. !«• iiubordination on board, except when in chase of vessels, ind even then but very little. My resentment was excited at such a malicious outrage, and I felt a disposition to revenge myself, should fortune ever favor me vi^itli an opportui.ity. It was beyond human nature not to feel and express some indig- nation at such treatment. — Soon after, Bolidar, with five men, well armed, came to us ; he having a blunderbuss, cutlass, a vng knife and pair of pistols — but for what purpose did he 6ome ? He took me by the hand saying, '^ Captain, me speak with ycu, walk this way." I obeyed, and when we were at Home distance from my fellow prisoners, (his men following) nesdid, *''tho captain send me for your wash.'' I pretended not vO understand what he meant and replied '' 1 have no clothes, nor any soap to wash with — you have taken them all" — for I nad kept my watch about me, hoping they would not discover it He demanded it again as before ; and was answered, " I huve nothing to wash ; this raised his anger, and lifting his olunderbuss he roared out, " what the d — I you call him that make clock } give it me." I considered it imprudent to contend any longer and submitted to his unlawful demand. As he was going oft*, he gave me a small bundle in which was a pair of linen drawers, sent to me by Nickola, and also the Rev. Mr. Brooks' " Family Prayer Book." This gave me great satis- faction. Soon after, he returned with his ca^itain who had one arm slung up, yet with as many implements of war, as his diminutive wicked self could conveniently carry; he told me (through an interpreter who was a prisoner) " that on his cruise, he had fallen in with two Spanish privateers, and beat them off; but had three of his men killed and himself wounded in the arm." Bolidar turned to me and said, " it is a d — n lie" — which words proved to be correct, for his arm wai not wounded, and when I saw him agdin, which was sooa afterwards, he forgot to sling it up. He furiher told me, " after to-niorrow you shall go with your vessel and we will accompany you towards Trinidad." This gave me some new hopes, and why I could not tell. They then left us without rendering any assistance. — This night 've got somc^ rest. Tuesday, 15th. — The word.s " go after ;lo-morrow," were used among our Spanish fellow prisoners, aa though that happy to-;,»iorrow w >uld never come — in what manner \i cam* will soou be noticed. Wednesday, 16th. — One of tneir boats came to inquire if we had seen a boat [^itss by last night, for their small iloop MUJ boat wais gone and two men deserted : I 'old them " no** — ] t^- mr^ IM MABBATITl OW OlPTAIIf LINCOLN. At heart I could not but rejoice at the escape, and approve the deserters— I said nothing, however, of this kind to the pirates On their return, they manned three of their boats and sent them in different directions to search, but at night came back without finding boat or men. They now took our old sail, which hitherto had somewhat sheltered us, to make, as I sup- posed, some small sail for their vessel. This rendered our night more uncomfortable than before, for in those islands the night dews are very heavy. Thursday, nth, was passed with great impatience The Exertion having been unmoored and swung to her anchor, gave some hopes of being restored to her ; but was disap- pointed. Friday, 18th, commenced with brighter prospects of liberty than ever — the pirates were employed in setting up our devo- ted schooner's shrouds, stays, &c. My condition now remind- ed me of the hungry man, chained in one corner of the room, while at another part was a table loaded with delicious food and fruits, the smell and sight of which he was continually to experience, but, alas ! his chains were never to be loosed that he might go and partake — at almost the same moment they were thus employed, the axe was applied with the greatest dexterity to both her masts, and T saw thetn fall over the side ! Here fell my hopes — I looked at my condition, and then thought of home. Our Spanish fellow prisoners were so dis- appointed and alarmed, that they recommended hiding our- selves, if possible, among the mangrove trees, believing, as they said, we should now certainly be put to death ; or, what was worse, compelled to serve on board the Mexican as pirates. Little else it is true seemed left for us ; however, we kept a bright look out for them during the day, and at night '^ an anchor watch" as we called it, determined if we discovered their boats coming towards us, to adopt the plan of hiding, although starvation stared us in the face ; yet preferred that to instant death. This night was passed with sufHcient anx- iety — I took the first watch. ^ Saturday, 19th. — The pirate's large boat came for us — it being daylight, and supposing they could see us, de\ermined to stand our ground and wait tne result. They ordered us all into the boat, but left every thing else ; they rowed towards the Exertion — I noticed a dejection of spirits in one of the pirates, and inquired of him where they were going to carry us ? He shook his head and replied " I do not know." I now had some hopes of visiting my vessel again — but the piratea I ^ HABmATITB OV CAPTAIN LINGO LIT. ltd Bwde tail) run down, took ua in tow and stood out of the nat bor Bolidar afterwards took me, my mate and two of my mer on board and gave us some coffee. On examination I founc they had several additional light sails, made of the Exertion's. Almost every man, a pair of canvass trousers ; and my colon cut up and made into belts to carry their money. My Jolly 6oat was on deck, and I was informed, all my rigging waa disposed of Several of the pirates had on some of my clothes, and the captain one of my best shirts, a cleaner one, than I had ever seen him have on before. He kept at good distance from me, and forbid my friend Nickola's speaking to me. I ■aw from the companion way in the captain's cabm my quad- rant, spy glass and other things which belonged to U8. and observed by the compass, that the ccurse steered wa^ about west by south, — distance nearly twenty miles, which brought them up with a cluster of islands cit'.lled by some ^^ Cayman Keys." Here they anchored and caught some fish, (one of which was named gu'::^rd fish) of which we had a taste. I ob- served that my friend Mr. Bracket was somewhat dejected, and asked him in a low tone of voice, what his opinion was with respect to our fate ? He answered, '^ I cannot tell, but it appears to me the worst is to come." I told him that I hoped not, but thought they would give us our small boat and liber- ate the prisoners. But mercy even in this shape was not left for us. Soon after, saw the captain and officers whispering for ■ome time in private conference. When over, their boat was manned under the command of Bolidar, and went to one of those Islands or Keys before mentioned.* On their return, another conference took place — whether it was a jury upon our lives we could not tell — I did not think conscience could be entirely extinguished in the human breast, or that men could become fiends. In the afternoon while we knew not the doom which had been fixed for us, the captain was engaged with several of his men in gambling, in hopes to get back some of the five hundred dollars, they said he lost but a few nights beiic)re ; which had made him unusually fractious. A little before sunset he ordered us all into the large boat with a sup- ply of provisions and water, and to be put on shore. While we were getting into her, one of my fellow prisoners, a Spaa* • This Key was full of mangrove trees, whose tops turn down and take root, forming a Rind of umbrella. The tine at hieh wa- ter flows two feet deep under them ; it is therefore impossible for Imman beiogt to live long aatono' them, even with food and water ■M y I IM HimmATiTB or captain Liifoouf. iard, attempted with teafn in his eyes to epeak to the captain, but was refused, with the answer — *' I'll have nothing to sa/ to any prisoner, go int« the boat." In the mean time Nick- oia said to me, '' My iriend, I will give you your book,*' (being Mr. (Johnan's Sermons,) '* it is the only thing of youn that is m my possession, I dare not attempt any thing more." But the captain forbid his giving it to me, and I stepped into the boat — ^at that moment Nickola said in a low voice, '* never mind, I may see you again before I die." The small boat was well armed and manned, and both set off together for the island, where they had agreed to leave us to perish ! The scene to us was a funeral scene. There were no arms in the prisoner's boat, and, of course, all attempts to relieve our- selves would have been throwing our lives away, as Bolidar was near us, well armed. We were rowed about two miles northeasterly from the pirates to a small low island, lonely and desolate. We arrived about sunset ; and for the sup- port of us eleven prisoners, they only left a ten gallon keg of water, and perhaps a few quarts, in another small vessel, which was very poor ; part of a barrel of flour, a small keg of lard, one ham and some salt fish ; a small kettle and an old broken pot ; an old sail for a covering, and a small blanket, which was thrown out as the boat hastened away. One of the pris- oners happened to have a little coffee in his pocket, and these comprehended all our means of sustaining life, and for what length of time we knew not. We now felt the need of water, and our supply was comparatively nothing A man may live twice as long without food, as without water. Look at us now, my friends, lefl benighted on a little spot of sand in the midst of the ocean, far from the usual track of vessels, and every appearance of a violent thunder tempest, and a boister- ous night. Judge of my feelings, and the circumstances which our band of sufferers now witnessed. Perhaps you can and have pitied us — I assure you, we were very wretched ; and to paint the scene, is not within my power. When the boats were moving from the shore, on recovering myself a little, I asked Bolidar, '^ If he was going to leave us so?'' he answered, ''no, only two days — we go for water and wood, then come back, take you." I requested him to give us bread and other stores, for they had plenty in the boat, and at least one hundred barrels of flour in the Mexican, '^ no, no, suppose to-morrow morning me come, me give you bread," and nur" ried off to their vessel. This was the last time I saw hini Wetben turned our attention upon finding a spot most eonr^ llAmAATItl OF OAPTaIN LINCOLN. 181 nioDt for our comfort, and soon discovered a little roof support ed by stakes driven into the sand ;* it was thatched with the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree, a considerable part of which was torn or blown off. After spreading the old sail over this roof we placed our little stock of provisions under it. Soon after came on a heavy shower of ruin which penetrated the can- vass, and made it nearly as uncomfortable inside, as it would have been out. We were not prepared to catch water, hav- ing nothing to put it in. Our next object was to get fire, and after gathering some of the driest fuel to be found, and having a small piece of cotton wick-yarn, with flint and steel, we kindled a Are, which was never afterwards suftered to be extinguished. The night was very dark, but we found a piece of old rope, which when well lighted served for a candle. On examining the ground under the roof, we found perhaps thou- sands of creeping insects, scorpions, lizards, crickets, &c. Af- ter scraping them out as well as we could, the most of ushav- mg £Dthing but the damp earth for a bed, laid oirselves down in hope^ of some rest ; but it being so wet, gave many of us severe colds, and one of the Spaniards was quite sick for sev- eral days. Sunday, 20th. — As soon as day light came on, we proceed- ed to take a view of our little island, and found it to measure only one acre, of coarse, white sand ; about two feet, and in some spots perhaps three feet above the surface of the ocean. On the highest part were growing some bushes and small man- groves, (the dry part of which was our fuel) and the wild cas- tor oil beans. We were greatly disappointed in not ftnding ^he latter suitable food ; likewise some of the prickly pear bushes, which gave us only a few pears about the size of our small button pear ; the outside has thorns, which if applied to the fingers or lips, will remain there, and cause a severe smarting similar to the nettle ; the msidc a spungy substance full of juice and seeds, which are red and a little tartish — had they been there in abundance, we should not have suffered so much for wate^ — but alas ! even this substitute was not for us. On the northerly side of the island was a hollow, where the tide penetrated the sand, leaving stagnant water. We pre- sumed, in hurricanes the island was nearly overflowed. A> cording to the best calculations I could make, we were about thirty five miles from any part of Cuba, one hundred from "This was probably erede■■'■ Trinidad, and forty from the URual track of American vet- ■ela, or others which might pass that way. No vessd of anjr considerable size, can safely pass among these Keys or "Queen's Gardens,'' (as the Spaniards call them) beia^ ■ .arge number extending from Cape Cruz to Trinidad, ona hundred and fifty miles distance ; and many more than the charts have laid down, most of them very low and some cov- ered at high water, which makes it very dangerous for navi- gators without a skilful pilot. After taking this view of our condition, which was very gloomy, we began to suspect we were left on this desolate island by those merciless plunder- ers to perish. Of this I am now fully convinced; still we looked anxiously for the pirate's boat to come according to promise with more water and provisions, but looked in vain. We saw them soon after get under way with all sail set and run direct- ly from us until out of sight, and we never saw them again ! One may partially imagine our feelings, but they cannot be put into words. Before they were entirely out of sight of us, we raised the white blanket upon a pole, waving it in the air, in hopes, that at two miles distance they would see it and be moved to pity. But pity in such monsters was not to be found. It was not their interest to save us from the lingering death, which we now saw before us. We tried to compose our- selves, trusting that God, who had witnessed our sufferings, would yet make use of some one, as the instrument of his mercy towards us. Our next care, now, was to try for water. We dug several holes in the sand and found it, but quite too salt for use. The tide penetrates probably through the island. We now came on Aort allowance for water. Having no means of securing what we had by lock and key, some one in the night would slyly drink, and it was soon gone. The next was to bake some bread, which we did by mixing flour with salt water and frying it in lard, allowing ourselves eight quite small pancakes to begin with. The Ham was reserved for some more important occasion, and the salt fish was lost for want of fresh water. The remainder of this day was passed in the most serious conversation and reflection. At night, I read prayers from the '' Prayer Book," before mentioned which I most carefully concealed while last on board the pi- rates. This plan was pursued morning and evening, during our stay there, then retired for rest and sleep, but realizea little of either. Monday, '21 at. — In the morning we walked round the beach in expectation of finding something useful. On our way WABEATirK OF CAPTAIM LINOOLlf. i8<^ rioked up a paddle about three fnet long, very similar to the ndian canoe paddle, except the handle, which was like that of a shovel, the top part being split off, we laid it by for th« present. We likewise found .^onio konchs nnd rofisted them ; they were a pretty good shell fisli, though ruthor lou^li Wo discovered at low water, a bar or spit of sand «;xtondinj; north- easterly from us, about three mileo distant, to a cluster of Keys, which were covered with mangrove trees, perhaps as high at our quince tree. My friend Mr. Bracket and George attempt- ed to wade across, being at that time of tide only up to «heir armpits ; but were pursued by a shark and returned without success. The tide rises about four feet. Tuesday, 22d. — We found several pieces of 'he palmetto or cabbage tree, and some pieces of boards, put them together in the form of a rai), and endeavoured to cross, but that proved nefTectual. Being disappointed, we sat down to reflect upon other means of relief, intending to do all in our power for our safety while our strength continued. While setting here, the sun was so powerful and oppressive, reflecting its ruys upon the sea, which was then calm, and the white snnd which uaz- sled the eye, was so painful, that we retired under the awn- ing ; there the moschetoes and flies were so numerous, that good rest could not be found. We were, however, a little cheered, when, in scraping out the top of the ground to clear out, I may say, thousands of crickets and hugs, we found a hatchet, which was to us peculiarly serviceable. At night the strong northeasterly wind, which prevai.^s thert^ a*, all seasons, was so cold as to make it equally uncomfo'-tabtf with the day. Thus day afler day, our suflerings and apprehen- sions multiplying, we were very generally alarmed. Wednesday, 23d. — Early this morning one of our Spanish fellow prisoners crossed the bar, having taken with him a pole sharpened at one end ; this he said '* was to kill fharVs" — but he saw none to trouble him. While he was gone, we tried for water in several places, but still it was very salt , but not having any other, we drank it, and found it had a similar effeci to that of glauber salts. We now concluded to redure the allowance of bread or rather pancakes, being too sennibie that our little stock of provisions could last but a few days longer , we had the faintest hope of any supplies, before it would b* too late to save life. Towards night the Spanrard returned, but f irLv>--'; famished for want of water and food. He repr»rted that lie ro)>nd some plank on one of the islands, (but they proved to be ^ugt^r-box shocks) which revived us a little j but do ih ;,. ! IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 ^ m ^ tiS, 1.8 U ill 1.6 W. ^ /}. >7 ol % f'? ^ o 7 /A Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAI^* STREET WfcaiTER,N.V. M580 (716) 37^-4503 IfO IIA&ftATIYI or CiFTAlN LINCOLIf HI" water. He said he had great difficulty to make his way through the mangrove trees, it being very swampy ; so that we should not better ourselves by going there, although th« key was rather larger than ours This I understood through Joseph, the English prisoner who could speak Spanish. After prayers, laid ourselves down upon our bed of sand, and being nearly exhausted we obtained some sleep. Thursday, 24th. — This morning, after taking a little coffee, made of the water which we thought least salt, and two orthiee of the little cakes, we felt somewhat refreshed, and concluded to make another visit to those Keys in hopes of finding some- thing more, which might make a raft for us to escape the pi- ra es, and avoic^ perishing by thirst. Accordingly seven of us set off, waded across the bar and searched all the Keys thereabou*'^ On one we found a number of sugar-box shooks, two lashing plank and some pieces of old sparfe, which were a part of the Exertion's deck load, that was thrown overboard when she grounded on the bar, spoken of in the first part of the narrative. — It seems they had drifted fifteen miles, and had accidentally lodged on these very Keys within our reach. Had the pirates known this, they would undoubtedly have placed •18 in another direction. They no doubt thought that they could not put us on a worse place. The wind at this time was blowing so strong on shore, as to prevent rafting our stufT round to our island, and we were obliged to haul it upon the beach for the present; then dug for water in the highest place, but found it as salt as ever, and then returned to our habita- tion, but hunger and thirst began to prey upon us, and our comforts were as few as our hopes. Friday, 2oth. — Again passed over to those Keys to wind-* w^rd in order to raft our stuff to our island, it being most con venient for building. But the surf on the beach was so ver) rough, that we were again compelled to postpone it. Out courage however did not fail where there was the slighter', hopes of life. Returning without it, we found on our way nn Oid top timber of some vessel ; it had several spikes in it, which we afterwards found very serviceable. In the hollow of an ohltree, we found two guarnas of small size, one male, the other female. One only wa<« caught. After taking off the skin, we judged it weighed a pound and a half With some flour and laid, (the only things wo had except salt water,) it made us a fine little mesa. \Ve thciught it a rare dish though a small one for eleven half Ktarved persons. At the same jne a small veosei nove m sight ; wc made a signal to hei 1 1 WAftkiTITK OP r«rTAIIS LINCOLTf. 19) 16/ filth the blanket tied to a pole and placed it on the highest tree — -•ome took off their white clothes and waved them in the air, hoping they would come to us ; should they be piriitus they could do no more than kill us, and perhaps would give us some water for which we began to sutfer most excessively ; but, notwithstanding all our efforts, she took no notice of ui. Saturday, 26th . — This day commenced with moderate weath- er and smooth sea; at low tide found some cockles, boiled and eat them, but they were very painful to the stomach David Warren had a fit of strangliAg with swelling of the bowels; but soon recovered, and said, " something like salt, rose in hii throat and choaked him." Most of us then set off for the Keys, where the plank and shooks were put together in a raft, which we with pieces of boards paddled over to our island ; when we consulted the best plan, either to build a raft large enough for us all to go on, or a boat; but the shooks having three or four nails in each, and having a piece of large reed or bamboo, previously found, of which we made pins, concluded to make a boat. Sunday, 27th, — Commenced our labor, for which 1 know we need offer no apology. We took the two planks, which were about fourteen feet long, and two and a half wide, and fixed them together for the bottom of the boat; then with moulds made of palmetto bark, cut timber and knees from mangrove trees which spread so much as to »niike the boat four feet wide at the top, placed them exactly the diytunce apart of an Ha- vana sugar-box. Her stern was square and the bows tapered to a peak, making her form resemble a flat-iron. We pro- ceeded thus far and retired to rest for the night — But Mr. Bracket was too unwell to get much sleep. Monday, 28th. — Went on with the work as fast as possible. Some of thei Spaniards had long knives about them, which proved very useful in fitting timbers, and a gimblet of mine, accidentally found on board the pirates, enabled us to use the wooden pins. And now our spirits began to revive, though water, water, was continually on our mik.ds. We now feared iae pirates might possibly come, find out our plan and put us to death, (although before we had wished to see tltern, being so much in want of wator.) Onr labour was extremely burden- some, and the Spaniards considerably peevish, but they would often say to me " never m.nd captain, by aiid by Amer- icana or Spanyola catch them, me go to see 'um hung." W« quitted work for the day, cooked some cakes but found it aeccMary to reduce the quantity again, however small b*« 11 i ^ f 192 HABRATITB OF CAPTAIN LIlfOOUT. i ^> fore. We found some herbti on a windward Key, which th« Spaniards called Spanish tea. This when well boiled we found somewhat palatable, although the water was very salt This herb resembles pennyroyal in look and taste, though not io pungent. In the evening when we were setting round the fire to keep off the moschetoes, I observed David Warren's eyes shone like glass. The mate said to him, '^ David I think you will die before morning, I think you are struck with death now." I thought so too, and told him, ^' I thought it most likely we should all die here socm; but as some one of us may survive to carry the tidings to our friends, if you have any thing to say respecting your family, now is the time," He then said, ^' I have a mother in Saco where I belong, she is v second time a widow, to-morrow if you can spare a scrap of paper and pencil I will write something." But no to-morrow came to him . In the course of the night he had another spell of strangling, and soon afler expired, without much pain and without a groan. He was about twenty-six years old. How solemn was this scene to us ! Here we beheld the ravages of death commenced upon us. More than one of us considered death a happy release For myseh I thought of my wife and children ; and wished to live if God should so order it, though extreme thirst, hunger and exhaustion had well nigh prostra- ted my fondest hopes. Tuesday, 29th. Part of us recommenced labor on the boat, while myself and Mr. Bracket went and selected the highest clear spot of sand on the northern side of the island, where we dug Warren's grave and boxed it up with shooks, thinking it would be the most suitable spot for the rest of us — whose turn would come next, we knew not. At about ten o'clock A. M. conveyed the corpse to the grave, followed by us survivon — a scene, whose awful solemnity can never be painted. We stood around the grave, and there I read the funeral prayer from tie Rev. Mr. Brook's Family Pray>5ir Book; and com« mitted the body to the earth; covered it with some pieces of board and sand, and returned to nur labor. One of the Span- iards, an old man, named Manuel, who was partial to me, and I to him, made a cross and placed at the head of the grave aaying, ** Jesus Christ hath him now." Although I did not believe in any mysterious influence of this cross, yet I waa perfectly willing it should stand there. The middle part of the day being very warm, our mouths parched with thirst, an4 ovrspiritg so depressed, that we made but little progress 4u ring the remainaer of this day, but in the ereoing wer« %m I c II I n si H } tl m f< WABEATin OF CAPTAI/f LllfCOUI. 193 -r' ployed in picking oakuia out of the bolt rope taken from the old sail Wednesday) SOth. Returned to laboi on the boat with as much vigour as our weak and debilitated state would admit, but it was a day of trial to us all ; for the Spaniards and we Americans could not well understand each other's plans, and they being naturally petulent would rot work, nor listen with patience for Joseph our £nglish fell jw prisoner to explain our views, vhey would sometimes undo >vhat they had done and in a few minutes replace it again; however before night we began to calk her seams, by means of pieces of hard mangrove, made in form of a calking-ircn, and had the satisfaction of seeing her in a form something like a boat. Thursday, 31st. Went on with the work, some at calking, others with battening the seams with strips of canvass, and 'eces of pine nailed over, to keep the oakum in. Having lound a suitable pole for a mast, the rest went about making a sail from the one we had used for a covering, also fitting oars of sh^./t pieces of boards, in form of a paddle, tied on a pole, we having a piece of fishing line brought by one of the prison- ers. Thus, at three P. M. the boat was completed and put afloat. We had all thia time confidently hoped, that she would be sufficiently large and strong to carry us all — we made a trial and were disappointed ! This was indeed a severe trial, and the emotions it called up were not easy to be suppressed. She proved leaky, for we had no ca:'penter's yard, or smith's shop to go to. And now the questiois was, ** who should go, and how many .''*' I found it necessary for six; four to row, and one to steer und one to bale Three of the Spaniards and the Frenchmen claimed the right, as being best acquainted with the nearest inhabitants; likewise, they had when taken, two boats left at St. Maria (about forty miles distant) which they were confident of finding. They prom- tsed to return wHhin two or three days for the rest r ' \18, I 'i ought it best to «orscnl-~Mr. Bracket it was agree< cr^ould g: in my stead, because my papers must accompany me as a necessary protection, and my men apprehended danger if they were lost. Joseph Baxter (I think was his name) they wished should go, because he could speak both languages — leaving 3Ianuel, George, Thomas and myself to wait their return. Having thus made all arrangements, and putting up a keg of the least salt water, with a faw pancakes and salt fish, they ■et off a little before sunset with our best wishes and prayers fi»y their safety and return to our relief To launch off iote ▼OL. I. t i:^ u;| ^1 A i fci^Htaggfa^^ageaCTui h.ii m ii-ii-'. w ■■ 194 //. KAftRATirB OP CAPTAIN LfNCOLlf. the wide oceaii) with strength almost exhausted, and in suck a frail boat as this, you will say was very hazardous, and in truth it was; but what else was leu to uh ? — Their intention was to touch at the Key where the Exertion was, and if no boat was to be found there, to proceed on to St. Maria and if none there, to go to Trinidad and send us (eiief But alan ! it was the last time I ever saw them ! — Our duffering tht& d«j was most acute. *- ' Tuesday, February Ist. This day we rose eaii) riud irav- !)rsed the beach in search of cockles, &c. but found v»irv ^ow — I struck my foot against something in the aand, ^hich proved to be a curious shell, and soon found two others of a different kind; but they were to me like Crusoe's lump of gold of no value. I could not drink them; ^lu iaid them by. — I returned to our tent and we made some skiHygolee, or flour and salt water boiled together, which we kiu.'id better than clear salt water. We passed the day very ancomfort/ ^, and my people were dissatisfied at not having an equal chance as they called it, with the others in the boat — but it is not always, that we know what is for o.ur good. Saturday, 2d. Thomas and George made another visit to the windward Keys, where they found some more shooks and two pieces of spars; towed them round as before We now had some hopes of finding enough to make us a rafl, which would carry us to some place of relief, in case the boat should not return Sunday, 3d. A calm warm day, but a very gloomy one to us, it being more difhcult to support life — our provisions nearly expended, no appearance of rain since the night we first landed, our thirst increasing, our strengtii wasting, our few clothes hanging in rags, our beards of great length and almost turned white, nothing like relief before us, no bofit in sight. Think, reader, our situation. Wo had marked out for each one the place for his grave. I looked at mine, and thought of my wife and family. Again we reduced the allowance of bread; but even the little which now fell to my share, I could scarcely ■wallow, I never seemed to feel the sensation of hunger, the (extreme of thirst was so overpowering. Perhaps never shall I be more reconciled to death, but my home made me want to live, although every breath seemed to increase thirst. Monday, 4th. Having seriously reflected on our situation concluded io put all the shooks, kc. together and form a raft and ascertain what weight it would carry; but here again w« were disappointed, for we had not enough to carry two of Uf jrAEftATin ov cimiN LirrcoLif. 1»5 TueMaj) 6th. About ten o'clock, A. M. discovered a boat drifting by on the southeast side of the island about a mile distant. I d' 3med it a providential thing to us, and urgeo Thomaa and George trying the :aft for her. They reluct- antly consented and set off, but it was nearly three P. M. when they came up with her. It was the same boat we had :uilt ! Where then was my friend Bracket and those who went with him ? Every appearance was unfavourable I hoped that a good Providence had yet preserved him. The men who went for the boat, found it full of water, without oars, paddle, or sail ; being in this condition, and about three miles to the leeward, the men found it impossible to tow her up, so lefl her, and were till eleven o'clock at night getting back with the rail. They were so exhausted, that had it not been nearly calm, they could never have returned. Wednesday, 6th. This morning was indeed the most gloomy I had ever experienced. There appeared hardly a ray of hope that my friend Bracket could return, seeing the boat was lost. Our provisions nearly gone; our mouths parched extremely with thirst ; our strength wasted; our spir- its broken, and our hopes imprisoned within the circumfer- ence of this desolate isUnd in the midst of an unfrequented ocean; all these things gave to the scene around us the hue of death. In the midst of this dreadful despondence, a sail aove in sight, bearing the white flag. Our hopes were raised, of course — but no sooner raised then darkened, by hearing a gun fired. Here then was another gang of pirates. She soon, however, came near enough to anchor, and her boat pushed ofT towards us with three men in her. Thinking it no worse now to die by sword than famine I walked down immediately to meet them. I knew them not. A moment before the boat toucned the ground, a man leaped from her bows »nd csught me in his arms ! It was Nickola ! ! — sayisg, " Do you aow believe Nickola is your friend ? yes, said he, Jameison will yet prove himself so." — No words can express my emotions at this moment. This was a friend indeed. The reason of my not recognising them before, was that they had cut oflf theii beards and whiskers. Turning to my fellow-sufferers, Nickola asked, " Are these all that are left of you } where are the others ?" At this moment seeing David's grave— "Are they dead then ? ah, I suspected it, I know what you were put here for." As soon as I could recover myself, gave him an account of Mr. Bracket and the others. ^' How unfor- tanata, he said, they must be lost or some pirates have takes •il ■ I ' MP 'ft JIABftATITB OF CAFTAIN LINCOT.IV. II- Aem"— **but, (he continued,) we have no time to lose; yo»2 had better embark immediately with us, and go where you please, we are at your service." The other two in the boat with him were Frenchmen, one named Lyon, the other Par- rikete. They affectionately embraced each of us; then hold- ing to my mouth the nose of a teakettle, filled with wine, said ' Drink plenty, no hurt you." I drank as much as I judged prudent They then gave it to my fellow sufferers. 1 oxpe* rienced almost immediate relief, not feeling it in my head; they had also brought in the boat for us, a di^h of salt beef and potatoes, of which we took a little. Then sent the boat on board for the other two men, being five in all who came ashore, and rejoiced enough was I to see among them Thom- as Young, one of my crew, who was detained on board the Mexican, but had escaped through Nickola's means; the other R Frenchman, named John Cadedt. I now thought, again and again, with troubled emotion, of my friend Bracket's fate — I took the last piece of paper I had, and wrote with a pencil a few lines, informing him (should he come there,) that '' I and the rest were sa^; that I was not mistaken in the friend in whom I had placed so much confidence, that he had accom> plished my highest expectations; and that I shoul.i go imme- diately to Trinidad, and requested him to go there also, and apply to Mr. Isaac W. Lord, my consignee, for assistance." 1 put the paper into a junk bottle, previously found on the beach, put in a stopper, and lefl it, together with what little flour remained, a keg of water brought from Nickola's vessel, and a few other things which I though!, might be of service to him. We then repaired with our friends on board, where we were kindly treated. She was a sloop from Jamaica, of about twelve tons, with a cargo of rum and wine, bound to Trin- idad. I asked " which way they intended to go ?" *^®y "^^^ "to Jamaica — if agreeable to me." As I preferred Trini- dad, I told them " if they would give me the Exertion's boat, which was along-side (beside their own,) and some water and provisions, we would take chance in her," ".for perhaps, said I, you will fare better at Jamaica, than at Trin- idad." After a few minutes consultation, they said " you are too much exhausted to row the distance of one hundred miles, therefore we will go and carry you — we consider ourselves at youi service." I expressed a wish to take a look at the Exertion, possibly we might hear something of Mr. Bracket. Nickola said "very well," so got under way, and run for her, iMTtBf » lifht westerly wmd. He then related to me the HABKATITI OF CAPTAIN LINCOLN. 197 onanner of their desertioo from the pirates; as nearly as I can i-ecollect his own words, he said, " A lew days since, th(; pi- rates took four small vessels, I helicvn Spaniards; they havinf^ but two officers for the two Hist, tho third tell to me as prize master, and having an understanding; with the three PVench- men and Thomas, selected them for my crew, and went on board with orders to follow the Mexican; which 1 obeyed. The fourth, the pirates took out all but one man and bade him also follow their vessel. Now our schooner leaked so bad, that we left her and in her stead agreed to take this little sloop, (which we are now in) together with the one man. The night being very dark we all agreed to desert the pirates — altered our course and touched at St. Maria, where we landed the one man — saw no boats there, could hear nothing from you, and agreed one and all at the risk of our lives to come and lib- erate you if you were ali^'e; knowing, as we did, that you were put on this Key to perish. On our way we boarded the Exertion, thinking possibly you might have been there. On board her we found a sail and paddle.* We took one of the pirate's boats which they had left along-side of her, which proves how we come by two boats. My friend, the circum- stance I am now about to relate, will somewhat astonish you. When the pirate's boat with Bolidar was sent to the before mentioned Key, on the 19th January, it was their intention to leave you prisoners there, where was nothing but salt water and mangroves, and no possibility of escape. This was the plan of Baltizar, their abandoned pilot; but Bolidar's heart fail- ed him, and he objected to it; then after a conference. Captain Jonnia ordered you to be put on the little island from whence we have taken you. But after this was done, that night the French and Portuguese part of the Mexican's crew protested against it ; so that Captain Jonnia to satisfy them, sent his large boat to take you and your fellow prisoners back again, taking care to select his coiiiidential Spaniards for this errand. And will you believe me, they set off from the Mexican and after spending about as much time as would really have taken them to come to you, they returned, and reported they had been to your island, and landed, and that none of you were there; somebody having taken you off! This, all my com- panions here know to be true, I knew it was impossible you could have been liberated, and therefore we determined li *Thi8 ])roved to me that Mr. Bracket had been there, theae bt iag the oae» which he took from the island. IM HASEATITB OF CAPTAIFf LINCOLIf among ounelweUy thai should au opportunity occur we woijld conne and save your lives, as we now have/' He then ex- pressed, us he hitherto had done, (and I believe with sincer ity) his disgust with the bad company which he had been in, and looked forward with anxiety to the day when he might return to his native country. I advised him to get on board an Ainerican vessel, whenever an opportunity offered, and come t(» the United States; and on his arrival direct a letter to met repeating my earnest desire to make some return for the disinterested friendship which ho had shown toward me. With the Frenchmen" 1 had but liitle conversation, being unac- quainted with the language Here ended Nickola's account ** And now," said the Frenchmen, " our hearts be easy." Nickola observed he had lefl all and found us. 1 gave them my warmest tribute of gratitude, saying, I looked upon them under God as the preser- ver of our lives, and promised them all the assistance my situation might ever enable me to afibrd. This brings me to Thursday evening, 7th, when, at 1 1 o'clock, we anchor- ed at the creek's mouth, near the Exertion. I was anxious to board her; accordingly took with me Nickola, Thomas, George and two others, well arrried, eacii with a musket and cutlass. I jumped on her deck, saw a fire in the camboose, but no person there: I called aloud Mr. Btdcket's name sev- eral times, KRving " it is Captain Lincoln, don't be afraid, but show yours but no answer was given. She had no masts, spars, rigging, furniture, provisions or any thing lefl, except her bowsprit, and a few barrels of salt provisions of her cargo. Her sealing had holes cut in it, no doubt in their foolish search for money. I lefl her with peculiar emotions, such as I hope never again to experience; and returned to the little sloop, where we remained till Friday, 8th — When 1 had a disposition to visit the island on which we were first imprisoned. Found nothing there — saw a boat among the mangroves, near the Exertion. Re- turned, and got under way immediately for Trinidad. la the night, while under full sail, run aground on a sunken Key, having rocks above the water, resembling old stumps of trees; we, however, soon got ofTand anchored. Most of these Keys have similar rocks about them, which navigators must care- 'ully guard against. " '^ Saturday, 9th. — Got under way again, and stood along close in for the main island of Cuba, in order, that if W0 dboliid ■•• th« pirates, to take our boato and go on short IfAnRATiri or CAfTAlN LINCOLII I9d Sunday, 10th. Saw the highlands of Trinidad. At night came to anchor in sight of the town, near a Bmall Key, next morning — Monday, 1 1th, — Got under way — saw a brig at anchor about five miles below the mouth of the harbor; we hoped to avoid her speaking us; hut wlun \\v (tpened in sight of her, discov- ered a boat making towards ms, with a number of armed men m her. This alarmed my friends, and as we did not see the brig's ensign hoisted, ihejt declared the boat was a pirate, and looking through the spy-glass, thought they knew some of them to be the Mexican's men ! 'Qjis state of things was quite alarming. They said, *' we will not be taken alive by them." Immediately the boat fired a musket; the ball passed through our mainsail. My friends insisted on beating them off: I endeavored to dissuade them, believing, as I did, that the brig was a Spanish man of war, who had sent her boat to as- certain who we were. 1 thought we had better heave too. Immediately another shot c\iie. Then they insisted on fighting and said, '* If I would not help them, I was no friend." I reluctantly acquiesced, and handed up the guns — commenced firing upon them and they upon us. VVe received several shot through the sail.-^, but no one was hurt on either side. Our two boats had been cast adrill to make us go the faster, and we gained upon them — continued tiring until they turned from us, and went for our boats, which they took in tow for the brig. Soon after this, it became calm: then I saw that she had us in her power. She armed and manned two more boats for us. VVe now concluded, since we had scarce- ly ammunition, to surrender; and were towed down along- side the brig, taken on board, and was asked by the captain, who could speak English, " what for you fire on the boat. ^" I told him "we thought her a pirate, and did not like to be taken by them again, having already suffered too much;" showing my papers. He said, " Capt. Americana, never mind, go and take some dinner — which are your men?" I pointed them out to him, and he ordered them the liberty of the decks; but my friend Nickola and his three associates were immediately put in irons. They were, however, afterwards taken out of irons and examined; and I understood the Frenchmen agreed to enlist, as they judged it the surest way to better their condi- tion. Whether Nickola enlisted, I do not know, but think that he did, as 1 understood that offer was made to him: 1 howev- er endeavored to explain more distinctly to the captain, the be- nevolent efforts of these four men by whom my life had been too NARRAtlVE OP CAPTAIN LINCOLIT sairefi, and u»ed every argument in my power to procure then discharge. 1 alao applied to the governor, and exerted my&elf with peculiar intereot, dictated as I trust with heartfelt grati- tude — and I ardently hope ere this, that Nickola is '^n his way to this country, where I may Imve an opportunity of con- irincinff him that such an act of henevolence will not go unre- warded. Previous to my leaving Trinidad, I made all the arrangements in my power with my influential friends, and doubt not, that their laudable eflTorts will be accomplished. The sloop^s cargo was taken on board the brig; after which the captain requested a. certificate that I was politely treatec' by him, saying his name was Captain Candama, of the priva- teer brig Prudentee of eighteen guns. This request 1 com- plied with. His first lieutenant told me he had sailed out of Boston, as commander for T. C. Amory, Esq. during the last war. In the course of the evening my friends were taken out of irons and examined separately, then put back again. The captain invited me to supper in his cabin, and a berth for the night, which was truly acceptable. The next morning af- ter breakfast, I with my people were set on shore with the few things we had, with the promise of the Exertion's small boat in a day or two. But it was never sent me — the reason, let the reader imagine. On landing at the wharf Casildar, we were immediately taken by soldiers to the guard house, which was a Yery filthy place ; thinking I suppose, and even calling us pirates. Soon some friends came to see me. Mr, Cotton, who resides there brought us some soup. Mr. Isaac W. Lord, of Boston, my merchant, came with captain Tate, who sent immediately to the governor; for I would not show my papers to any one else. He came about sunset, and afler examining Mam! el, my Spanish fellow prisoner, and my papers, said to me, giving me the papers, " Captain, you are at liberty.'' ! was kindly invited by Captain Matthew Rice, of schooner Galaxy, of Boston, to go on board his vessel, and live with him during my stay there. This generous offer I accepted, and was treated by him with the greatest hospita'ity; for I wag an hungered and he gave me meat, I was athirst and he gave me drink, I was naked and he clothed me, a stranger and he took me in. He likewise took Manuel and my three men for that night. Next day Mr. Lord rendered me all necessary assistance in making my ])rotest. He had heard nothing from me until my arrival. I was greatly disappointed in not finding Mr, Bracket, and requested Mr. Lord to give him all needful ■id if he should come there. To Captain Games, of the V -^ *»♦»» ■ ■ AEifcATlVB or CaFTAIN LINCOLN tot •cloonei Ha&nah, of Button, I would tender my sincora thankb) for bin kindness in giving me a passage to Boston, which I gladly accepted. To those gentlemen of Trinidad, and man^' captains of American vessels, wiio gave me sea clothing, &.C. I offer my cordial gratitude. Captain Carncs sailed from Trinidad on the 'iOth February. Fearing the pirates, we kept a long distance from the land and two degrees to westward of Cape Antonia. On our pas* sage experienced several gales of wind, in one of which, while lying to, shipped a sea, which did considerable injury, and swept a young man overboard from the pump, named JN'elson. We never saw him again. We arrived at Bostor , March 25th, and when I stepped upon the wharf, thoug.i much emaciated, I felt truly hapny. I am fully of the opinion that these ferocious pirates are link- ed in with many inhabitants of Cuba ; and the government in many respects appears covertly to encourage them. It is with heartfelt delight, that, -vnce the above narrative was written, I have learned that Mr. Bracket and his com- fianions are safe ; he arrived at Port d'Esprit, about forty eagueg east of Trinidad. A letter has been received ti'om him, stating that he should proceed to Trinidad the first oppor- tunity. It appears that after reaching the wreck, they found a boat from the shore, taking on board some of the Exertion *s cargo, in which they proceeded to tiie above place. Why it was not in his power to come to our relief will no doubt be satisfactorily disclosed when he may be so fortunate as once more to return to his native country and friends. For many months, I remained without any certain infor- mation respecting the fate of Mr. Bracket and bis companions. But in the course of the ensuing Autumn, if I recollect right, Mr. Bracket very unexpectedly paid me a visit, at Hingham, the place of my residence. We were mutually rejoiced to see each other once more among the living, as for a time at least, aach had regarded the other as dead. He gave me an ac- count of his adventures, and of the reasons why he did not return to us. He told me that when they left us, and put to sea, in the miserable boat which we had constructed, they went to the Exertion, and fortunately found a better boat, of which they took possession, and suffered the old one to float away, and it accordingly passed our solitary island in its ran- doi 1 course, causing us a great deal of alarm. From the wreck, they steered among the keys to the main-land of Cuba, and reached Principe, th3 town where my cargo was sold. Hete VOL. I. 9* m* Sdt MAAAATITi OP CAmUV LINCOUI. Mr. Bracket; related his tale of suffering, and requested assis* tance, to rescue the remaining prisoners on the key. The authorities furnished him with several soldiers, with whom he put again to sea, with the humane intention of coming to relieve us. They had gone but a short distance, however, when the soldiers positively refused to go any farther, and forced him to return with them 3 Principe ; thus all his hopes of being able to rescue us, were entirely extinguished. A stranger, and helpless as he was, it was out of his power to do any thing more, and he could only hope that we might have been saved in some other way. Friendless, without money, and debili- tated by recent suffering, he hardly knew which way to turn. He was desirous of reaching home, and finally resolved to travel to the north side of Cuba. After a long and tedious journey, during which he suffered dreadfully, from the hard traveling, and want of necessaries and comforts, he at length arrived at Havana, from which port he took passage to Bos- ton. Thus the reasons of his conduct were satisfactorily ex- plained, and my uncertainty respecting his fate, happily ter- minated I felt great anxiety to learn what became of Jamieson, who, my readers will recollect, was detained on board the Spanish Brig Prudentee, near Trinidad. I heard nothing from him, until I believe about eighteen months after I reached home, when I received a letter from him, from Montego Bay, Jamacia, informing me that he was then residing in that island. I immediately wrote to him, and invited him to come on to the United States. He accordingly came on passenger with Capt. Wilson of Cohasset, and arrived in Boston, in August 1824. Our meeting was very affecting. Trying scenes were brought up before us ; scenes gone forever, through which we had passed together, where our acquaint- ance was formed, and since which time, we had never met. I beheld once more the preserver of my life ; the instrument, under Providence, of restoring me to ray home, my family and my friends, and I regarded him with no ordinary emotion. My family were delighted to see him, and cordially united in giving h\m a warm reception. He told me that after we sepa- rated in Trinidad, he remained on board the Spanish Brig The commander asked him and his companions if they would enUst ; the Frenchmen replied that they would, but he said nothing, being determined to make his escape the very first opportunity which should present. The Spanish Brig after- wards fell in with a Columbian Patriot, an armed Brig of WABRATITB OF CAPTAIN LINCOLN. 203 eighteen guns. Being of equal force, they gave battle, and fought between three and four hourii. Both parties were very much injured ; and, without any considerable advantage on either side, both drew off to make repairs. The Spanish Brig Prudentee, put into St. Jago de Cuba. Jamieson was wounded in the action, by a musket ball, through his arm, and was taken on shore, with the other wounded, and placed in the hospital at St. Jago. Here he remained for a considerable time, until he had nearly recovered, when he found an oppor- tunity of escaping, and embarked for Jamaica. He arrived in safety at Kingston, and from there, traveled barefoot over the mountains, until very much exhausted^ he reached Mon- tego Bay, where he had friends, and where one of his brothers possessed some property. F'rom this place, he aflerwards wrote to me. He told me that before he came to Massa- chusetts, he saw the villainous pilot of the Mexican, the infa- mous Baltizar, with several other pirates, brought into Montego Bay, from whence they w«re to be conveyed to Kingston, to be executed. Whether the others were part of the Mexican's crew, or not, I do not know, Baltizar was an old man, and as Jamieson said, it was a melancholy and heart-rending sight, to see him borne to execution with those gray hairs, which might have been venerable in virtuous old age, now a shame ana reproach to this hoary villain, for he was full of years, and old in iniquity VV^hen Jamieson received the letter which I wrote, he immediately embarked with Capt Wilson, and came to Boston, as I have before observed. According to his own account he was of a very respectable family in Greenock, Scotland. His father when living was a rich cloth merchant, but both his father and mother had been dead many years. He was the youngest of thirteen children, and being as he said of a roving disposition, had always fol- lowed the seas. He had received a polite education, and was of a very gentlemanly deportment. He spoke several living languages, and was skilled in drawing and painting. He had traveled extensively in different countries, and acquired in consequence, an excellent knowledge of their manners and customs. His varied information (for hardly any subject es- csaped him,) rendered him a very entertaining companion. His observations on the character of different nations were very liberal ; marking their various traits, their virtues and vices, with playful humorousness, quite free from bigotry, o narrow prejudice. fie was in France, during the disturbance between Franee t04 JfAmUYlTI or CAPTAIN MNCOLif and England, when all Brit sh subjects whatever in Franc« were detained prisoners of «r. He was one who waa thui compelled to remain a prison ;r to Napoleon. He was there, at the time of Napoleon's r emorablo expedition to Russia ; and saw the splendid troops < t the Emperor when they lefl de- lightful France to commence ( heir toilsome, and fatal journey ; and also the remnant when t! ey returned, broken down, dia* spirited, haggard, and wan, / ii r garments hanging about them in tatters, and hardly life n : ugh in them to keep soul and body together. The part' ;u i rs respecting this period, he could communicate with < le i linuteness of an eye-witness, which consequently rende 3d t lem very interesting. During the first part of his reside). ;e i i France, he was supported by remittances from his fathct an I allowed the liberty of the city of Valenciennes ; a gent) i man < here, being bound for his good behavior. He thus had in o z portunity of visiting, and be- coming acquainted with the ithabitants. He lived in this manner several years. ; >.t lei i th aroused, as he said, by the consciousness that he ws 3 spe; i ling the best days of his life in idleness, he formed the < etenr i lation to try and make his es- cape from the country. He hoaorably released the gentleman who was bound for hi r, fronr lis obligation, frankly telling him that he should run t way tl ,e first opportunity. From this time he was alternatel / arrestt d and imprisoned, and by vari- ous stratagems effect' i his escaoe, until he had been placed in ninety-three difler i it pris' >ns During his wanderings he climbed the Alps, an 1 visited ihe famous passage, cut through the solid rock, by E s nnibal, wl ich as he said, was of suffi- cient magnitude to t dmit a la rge loaded waggon to pass through. From his 1' ng resfdcice in France, he had learned to speak the FrencJi anguage ' nth a facility, almost equal to a native. The cha r i of his c 'uversation and manners drew people around him I ley har II ' knew how, or why. I was in trade, 1 etwcen /k)ston and Philadelphia, at the time he came to IV a tsachus it .s, and he sailed with me several trips as my mate He afl ) M'ards went to Cuba, and was ■ubsequently eng i^ed in th ; mackerel fishery, out of the port of Hingham, dui ;n r the wi m season, and in the winter fre- quently employe* \. imself ii teaching navigation to young men, for which he wat f nriinentl; qualified. He remained with us, until his death, v hicb to* k place in 18^9. At this time he had been out 1 1 .ea two or three days, when he was taken sick, and was c ir ied int > Cape Cod, where he died, on thf first da^ of 8 r 1829^ and there his remains lie buried c IfARKATiyS OF CAPTAIrf LINCOLN. S06 Peace be to his ashes ! They rest in a stru.igc land, far fruir. his kindred, and his native country. Since his death I have met with Mr. Stewart in PhihiJelph'a, who was Commercial agent in Trinidad at the time ofiny c«iip- ture. He informed me, that the piratical schooner Mexi ,i I was born in Boston, a considerablo borough town in Lin- colnshire, in Great Britain, on the 2 1st of INfay, 1783, My fa- ther, Edward Jewitt, was by trade a blacksmith, and esteemed among the first in his line of business in that place. At the age of three years I had the misfortune to lose my mother, a most excellent woman, who died in childbed, leaving an infant daughter, who, with myself, and an elder brother b^ a former mairiage of my father, constituted the whole of our family. My father, who considered a good education as the greatest blessing he could bestow .on his children, was very particular in paying every attention to us in that respect, always exhort- ing us to behave well, and endeavoring to injpress on oui minds the principles of virtue and morality, and no expense in his power was spared to have us instructed in whatever might render us useful and respectable in society. My brother, who was four years older than myself, and of a more hardy constitu- tion, he destined for his own trade, but to me he had resolved to give an education superior to that which is to be obtained in a common school, it being his intention that I should adopt one of the learneu professions. Accordingly at the age of twelve bt took tua from the school in which I had bean taught th« ITAEEATnri OF JOHN R. JIWITT. fint ruiliments of learning, and placed me under jhe care ot Mr. Moses, a celebrated teacher of an academy at Donning- ton, about twenty miles from Boston, in order to be instruct- ed in the Lutin language, and in spme of he higher branches of the Mathematics. 1 there made considerable proficiency in writinfT, reading, and arithmetic, and obtained a pretty good knowledge of navigation and of surveying ; but my progresi in Latin was slow, not only owing to the little inclination I fell for learning that language, but to a natural impediment in my speech, which rendered it extremely difficult for me to pro- nounce it, so that in a short time, with my father^s consent, I wholly reluiquished the study. Thus passed away the two happiest years of my life, when my father, thinking that I had received a sufficient education for the profession he intended me for, took me from school at Donnington in order to apprentice me to Doctor Mason, a surgeon of eminence at Reaeby, in the neighborhood of the celebrated Sir Joseph Banks. The disinclination I ever had felt for the profession my father wished me to pursue, was still further increased on my return. When a child I was always fond of being in the shop, among the workn.^n, endeavoring to iniitate what I saw them do ; this disposition so far increas- ed after my leaving the academy, that I could not bear to hear the least mention made of my being apprenticed to a surgeon, and I used so many intreaties with my father to persuade him to give up this plan and learn mc his own trade, that he at last consented. More fortunate would it probably have been for me, had I gratified the wishes of this affectionate parent, in adopting the profession he had chosen for me, than thus in- duced him to sacrifice them to mine. However it might have been, I was at last introduced into the shop, and my natural turn of mind corresponding with the employment, I became in a short time uncommonly expert at the work to which I was aet. About a year after I had commenced this apprenticeshif. my father finding that he could carry on his business to more advantage in Hull, removed thither with his family. An event of no little importance to me, as it in a great measure influ-* enced my fu are destiny. Hull be-'ug one of the best ports in England, and a place of great tradt my father had there full employment for his numerous workmen, particularly in vessel work. This naturally leading me to an acquaintance with the saiiors on board some of the ships, the many remarkable storiei they told me of their voyages and uavcntures^ and of th« man- HAKEATIVE Of JOHN R. JBWiTt. SD9 i oera and customs of (he nations they had seen, excited a strong wish in me to visit foreign countries, which was increased by my reading the voyages of Capt. Cook, and some other cele- brated navigators. Thus passed the four years that I lived at Hull, where my father was esteemed by all who knew him, as a worthy, in- dustrious, and thriving man. At this period a circumstance occurred which afforded me the opportunity I had for some time wished, of gratifying my inclination of going broad. Among our principal customers at Hull, were the Amer- icans who frequented that port, and from whose conversation my father as well as myself formed the most favorable opinion of that country, as affording an excellent field for the exer- tions of industry, and a flattering prospect for the establish- ment of a young man in life. In the summer of the year 1802, during tl e peace between England and France, the ship Bos- ton, belonging to Boston, in Massachusetts, and commanded by Capt. John Salter, arrived at Hull, whither she came to take on board a cargo of such goods as were wanted for the trade, with the Indians on the North-West coast of America, fror^ whence, after having taken in a lading of furs and skins, she ;vas to proceed to China, and from thence home to Aoie- rica. The ship, having occasion for many repairs and alter- ations, necessary for so long a voyage, the captain applied to my father to do the smith work, which was very considerable. That gentleman, who was of a social turn, used often to call at my father's house, where he passed many of his evenings, with his chief and second mates, Mr. B. Delouisa, and Mr. Wm. Ingraham, the latter a fine young man of about twenty, of a most amiable temper, and of such affable manners, as gained him the Jove and attachment of our whole crew. These gen- tlemen used occasionally to take me with them to the theatre, an amusement which I was very fond of, and which my father rather encouraged than objected to, as he thought it a good means of preventing young men who are naturally inclined to seek for something to amuse thom, from frequenting taverns, ale houses, and places of bad resort, equally destructive of the health and morals, while the stage frequent! v furnishes excel" IciWt lessons of morality and good conduct In the evenings that he passed at my father's, Capt. Salter, who had for a great number of years bf er. at sea, and seen al- most all parts of the world, used sometimes to speak of hit voyages, and observing me listen with much attention to htf rvifiiiooi be one day, when I had brought him aome woHi, mu4 tlO VAmEATITl OP JOHN it. JBWITT to me m rather t jocose manner, John, how should you like te go with me ? I answered that it would give me great pleasure, that I had for a long time wished to visit foreign countries, particularly America, which 1 had been told so many fine stories of, and that if my father would give his consent and he was willing to take me with him, I would go. I shall be very glad to do it, said ha, if your father can be prevailed on to let vou go, and as I want an expert smith for an armorer, the one \ have shipped for that purpose not being suiHcicntly master of his trade, l have no doubt that you will answer my turn well, as I perceive you are both active and ingenious, and on ny return to America, I shall probably be able to do some- thing much better for you in Boston ; I will take the first op- oortunity of speaking to your father about it, and try to per- suade him to consent. He accordingly the next evening that he called at our house introduced the subject : my father at first would not listen to the proposal. That best of parents, though anxious for my advantageous establishment in life, could not bear to think of parting with me, but on Capt. Salter's telHng him of what benefit it would be to me to go the voyage with him, and that it was a pity to keep a promis- ing and ingenious young fellow, like myself, confined to a small shop in England, when if I had tolerable success, I might do so much better in America, where wages were much higher and living cheaper, he at length gave up his objections and consented that I should ship on board the Boston as an ar- morer, at the rate of thirty dollars per month ; with an agreement that the amount due me, together with a.certain sum of money which my father gave Capt, Salter for that purpose, should be laid out by him on the North West Coast in the purchase of furs on my account, to be disposed of in China for such goods as would yield a profit on the return of the ship ; my father being solicitous to give me every advantage in his power, of well establishing myself in my trade in Boston or some other maritime town of America. Such were the flattering expecta- tions which this good riian indulged respecting me. Alas ! the fatal disaster that befel us, not only blasted all these hopes, but involved me in extreme distress and wretchedness for ■ loDg period afler. The ship having undergone a thorough repair, and been we!' coppered, proceeded to take on bo^rd her cargo, which consisted of English cloths, Dutch blankets, looking glasses, beads, knives, razors, &.C . which were received from Holland, pome sugar and molasses, about twenty hogsheads of ruoi, 1 t 1 I t RAKBATITt OF JOHN R. JBWITT. til m .->^. t i including stores for the ship, a great quantity of ammunition, cutlasses, pistols, and three thousand muskets and fowling pieces. On the third day of September, I802 we sailed from the Downs with a fair wind, in company with twenty-four sail of American vessels, most of which were bound home. I was sea-sick for a few of the first days, but it was of short continuance, and on my recovery I found myself in un- commonly fine health and spirits, and went to work with alac- rity ai my forge, in putting in order some of the muskets, and making daggers, knives, and small hatchets for the Indian trade, while in wet and stormy weather I was occupied below in filing and polishing them. We had a pleasant and favorable passage of twenty-nine days to the Island of St. Catharine on the coast of Brazils, where the Captain had determined to stop for a few days to wood and water. The ship remained at St. Catharine's four days, during which time, we were busily employed in taking in wood, water, and fresh provisions, Capt. Salter thinking li best to furnish himself here with a full supply for his voyage to the North-west coast, so as not to be obliged to stop at the Sandwich Islands. Haying completed our stores we put to sea, and on the twenty fifth of December at length passed Cape Horn, which we had made no less than thirty-six days before, but were repeatedly forced back by contrary winds, experiencing very rough and tempestuous weather in doubling it. Immediately afler passing Cape Horn, all our dangers and difficulties seemed to be at an end ; the weather became fine, and so little labor was necessary on board the ship that the men soon recovered from their fatigue and were in excellent spirits. A- few days after we fell in with an English South Sea Whaling Ship, homeward bound, which was the only vessel we spoke with on our voyage. We now took the trade wind or monsoon, during which we enjoyed the finest weather possible, so that for the space of a fortnight we were not oblig- 3d to reeve a topsail or to make a tack, and so light was the duty and easy the life of the sailors during this time, that they appeared tha happiest of any people in the world. In this manner, with a ('air wind and easy weather from the 28th of December, the r d of our passing Cape Horn, we pursued our voyage to • iorthward until the l'2th of March, 1803, when we made » xly Point in Nootka Sbufid on the North West Coast of America We immediately stood up tbf P sit MAAEATlYft OV JOHN* A. JBWITT. Sound for Nootka, wnere Cipt. Salter had determined to atop, ID order to supply the ship with water before proceedine up the coast to trade. But in order to avoid the risque ot anjr molestation or interruption t^ his men from the Indians, while thus employed, he proceeded with the ship about iive miles ta he Northward of the village which is situated on Frie.'^di* Arrival of the Boston at Nootka Sound. ■ ':^<'ff. Cove, and sent out his chief mate with several of the crew i the boat to find a good place for anchoring her. After sound 'ng for some time they returned with information tiiat they had discovered a secure place for anchorage, on the Western side of an inlet or small bay at about a mile from the coast, near a small island which protected it from the sea, and where there was a plenty of wood and excellent water. The ship accord- ingly came to anchor in this place, at twelve o'clock at night, in twelve fathom water, muddy bottom, and so near the shore that to prevent the ship from winding we secured her by a hauser to the trees. , : <^:^vv - ; ^ ;; ; On the morning of the next day, the thirteenth, several of the natives came on board in a canoe from the village of Nootka, with their king, called Maquina, who appeared much pleased on seeing us, and with great seeming cordiality, wel- comed Capt. Salter and his officers to his country. As I had never before beheld a savage of any nation, it may readily be supposed that the novelty of their appearance, ao different from any people that I had hitherto seen, excited in me strong feelings of surprise and curiosity. I was, however, particular- Y itrjck with the looks of their king, who was a man of a di||- * V 1' HAMATIVB OF JOUN R. JBWITT. tl5 t 1 aified aspect, about nix ft^et in height and extrcn.ely strait and wdll pioportioned ; his features were in general good and his face was rendered remarkable by a large Roman nose, a very incoromon form of feature among these people ; his com- plexicn was of a dark copper hue, though his face, legs, and arms were on this occasion, so covered with red paint, that their natural color could scarcely be perceived, his eye-browi were painted black in two broad stripes like a new moon, and his long black hair, which shone with oil, was fastened in a bunch on the top of his head and strewed or powdered all over with white down, which gave him a most curious and extra- ordinary appearance He was dressed in a large mantle or cloak of the black sea otter skin, which reached to his knees, and was fastened around his middle by a broad belt of the cloth of the country, wrought, or painted with figures of several colors ; this dress was by no means unbecoming, but on the contrary had an air of savage magnificence. His men were habited in mantles of the same cloth, which is made from the bark of a tree, and had some resemblance to straw matting, these are nearly square and have two holes in the upper part large enoui|[h to admit the arms — they reach as low as the knees an^' are fastened around their bodies with a belt about four incb';s broad of the same cloth From his having frequently visited the English and Amer- ican ships that traded to the coast, Maquina had learned the 8ignifir\tion of a number of English words, and in general could ' MABmATtrt OV JOHlf R. JVWITT. ft On coining to the beach T found all the men of the tribe Msembled. The king addressed them, saying that one of the while men had been found alive on board the ship, and re- quested their opinion as to saving hi» life or putting him to death. They were tinanimouBly for the last: this determi- nation he made known to tnn. Havint^ arranged my plan, 1 asked him, pointing to the boy whom I still held by the hand, if he loved his son, he answered that he did; I then asked the ehild if he loved his father, and on his replying in the affirma- tive. I said *' and I also love mine." I then threw myself on my knees at Maquina's feet and implored bin with tears m my eyes to spare my father's life, if the man on board should prove to be him, telling him that if he killed my father it was my wish that he should kill me too, and that if he did not I would kill myself, — and that he would thus lose my services; whereas, by sparing my father's life he would preserve mine, which would be of great advantage to him by my repairing and making arms for him. Maquina appeared moved by my entreaties and promised .not to put the man to death if he ii^ould be my father. He then explained to his people what rhad said, and ordered me to go on board and tell the man to come on shore. To my unspeakable joy on going into the hold, I found that my conjecture was true, Thompson was there, he had escaped without any injury, excepting a slight wound in the nose, given him by one of the savages with a knife as he attempted to come on deck, during the scuffle. Finding the savages in possession of the ship, as he afterwards informed me, he secreted himself in the hold, hoping for some chance to make his escape — but that the Indian who came on board in the night approaching the place where he was, hr supposed himself discovered, and being determined to se'i his life as dearly as possible, as soon as he came within h's reach, he knocked him down, but the Indian immediate y springing up ran off at full speed. — I informed him in a f« w words that all our men had been killed; that the king lad »jreserved my life, and had consented to spare his on ihr supposition that he was my father, an opinion which he d u t be careful not to undeceive them in, as it was his only sa'e*/. After giving him his cue, I went on shore with him and r/j- acnted him to Maquina, who immediately knew him '/ be the sail-maker and was much pleased, observing that he ,ould make sails for his canoe. — He then took us to his hou e and ordered something for us to eat. On the 24th and 25th the natives were busily emp'i jred ii ^ MABRATIVB OP JOHN R JKWITT. taking the cargo out of the ship, stripping her of her ^^ails 9n6 ngffing. cutting away the spars and masts, and in short ren-' dering hor as complete a wreck as possible, the muskets, am- unition, cloth, and all the principal articles taken from her, being deposited in the king's house. While they were thus occupied, each one taking what he liked, my companion and myself being obliged to aid them, I thought it best to secure the accounts and papers of the ship in hopes that on some future day I might have it in my power to restore them to the owners. With this view I took posses^ sion of the Captain's writing desk which contained the most of them, together with some paper and implements for writing. I had also the good fortune to find a blank account book, in which I resolved, should it be permitted me, to write au account of our capture and the most remarkable occurren- ces that I should meet ;vith during my stay. among these peo- ple, fondly indulging the hope that it would not be long before some vessel would arrive to release us. I likewise found in the cabin, a small volume of sermons, a bible, and a common prayer book of the Church of England, which furnished me and my comrade great consolation in the midst of our mourn ful servitude, and enabled me, under the favor of divine provi- dence, to support with firmness, the miseries of a life which I might otherwise have found beyond my strength to endure. As these people set no value upon things of this kind, 1 found no difficulty in appropriating them to myself, by putting them in my chest, which though it had been broken open and rifled by the bavages, as I still had the key, I without much difficulty secured. In this I also put some small tools belong- ing to the ship, with several other articles, particularly o, journai kept by the second mate, Mr, Ingraham, and a collection of drawings and views of places taken by him, which I had the good fortune to preserve, and on my arrival at Boston, I gave them to a connexion of his, the honourable Judge Dawe«4 who sent them to his family in New York. On the 26th, two ships were seen standing in for Friendly Cove At the first appearance the inhabitants were thrown into great confusion, but soon collecting a number of muskets and blunderbusses, ran to the shore, from whence they kept up so brisk a fire at them, that they were evidently afraid to ap- proach nearer, and after firing a few rounds o^ grape shot whic' id no harm to any one, they wore ship an^ stood oul to sea. These ships, as I afterwards learned, were the Marf •ad Juno of Bostoiu i> WAEIATITB Of JOmr R JIWITT ^'^) ^ *. — - r They were scarcely out of sight when Maquina expressed much regret that he had permitted his people to fire at them, being apprehensive that they would give information to others in what manner they had been received, and prevent them from coming to trade with him. A few days after hearing the capture of the ship, there arrived at Nootka a great number of canoes filled with sava- ges from no less than twenty tribes to the North and South. Among those from the North were the Ai-tizarts, Schoo-mad- its, Neu-wit-ties, Savin-ars, Ah-owz-arts, Mo-watch-its, Such- setts, Neu-chad-lits, Mich^la-its and Cay-u-quets; the most of whom were considered as tributary to Nootka. From the South, the Aytch-arts and Esquiates, also tributary, with the Kla-oo-qtates, and the Wickanninish, a large and power- ful tribe about two hundred miles distant. These last were better clad than most of the others, and their canoes wrought with much greater skill; they are furnished with sails as well as paddles, and with the advantage of a fair breeze, are usually but twenty four hours on their passage. .. :.;.>;> Maquina, who was very proud of his new acquistion, wm desirous of welcoming these visitors in the European manner. He accordingly ordered his men, as the canoes approached, to assemble on the beach with loaded muskets and blunder- busses, placing Thompson at fhe cannon wh'-sh had been brought from the ship and laid upon two long sticks of timber in front of the village, then taking a speaking trumpet in his hand he ascended with me, the roof of his house and began drumming or beating upon the boards with a stick roost vio- lently, rfothiiig could be more ludicrous than the mppea^ ■\\ W "■i"fl" ' ' «M ITAIUIATITX OF JOHN R JBWITT. % ance of this motley group of savages collected on the ^hore dressed as they were, with their ill-gotten finery, in the moat fantastic manner, some in women's smocks, taken from our cargo, others in Kotsacks, (or cloiiks) of blue, red or yellow broadcloth, with stockings drawn over their heads, and their necks hung round with numbers of powder-horns, shot-bags, and car;)uch-boxes, some of them having no less than ten muskets apiece on their shoulders, and five or six daggers in their girdles. Diverting indeed was it to see them all squat ted upon the beach, holding their muskets perpendicularly, with the butt pressed upon the sand instead of against their shoulders, and in this oosition awaited the order to fire. Ma quina, at last, called to thern witn his trumpet to fire, which they did in the most awkward and timid manner, with theii muskets hard pressed upon the ground as above mentioned. At the same moment the cannon were filed by Thompson, im- mediately on which they threw themselves back and began to roll and tumble over the sand as if they had been shot, when suddenly springing up they began a song of triumph and run- ning backward and forward upon the shore, with the wildest gesticulations, boasted of their exploits and exhibited as tro« phies what they had taken from us. Notwithstanding the un- pleasantness of my situation, and the feelings that this display of our spoil excited, I could not avoid laughing at the strange appearance of these savages, their awkward movements, and j^e singular contrast of their dress and arms. . " . ^ * When the ceremony was concluded, Maquina invited th« strangers to a feast at his house, consisting of whale blubber, smoked herring spawn, and dried' fish and train oil, of which they ate most plentifully. The feast being over, the trays out of which they ate, and other things, were immediately removed to make room for the dance which was to close the entertainment. This was performed by Maquina's son, the young prince Sat-sat-sock-sis, whom I have already spoken of in the following manner — Three of the principal chiefs, dressed in their otter-skin mantles, which they wear only on eitraordinary occasions and at festivals, having their heads covered over with white down and their faces highly painted, came forward in the middle of the room, each furnished with a bag filled with the white down, which they scattered around in such a manner as to represent a fall of snow. These were followed by the young prince, who was dressed in a long piece of yellow cloth, wrapped loosely around him, and decorated with small bells, with a cap on his head, to which was fastened WABlUTiVI OF JOHN R. JflWlTT. 4 teuriout mask in imitation of a wolf^s head, while the rear was brought up by the kins himself m his robe i>f sea-otter ekin, with a small whistle m his mouthy and a rattle in his hand, with which he kept time to a sort of tune on his whistle After passing very rapidly in this order around the hou« ^ each of them seated himself, except the prince, who immedi* ately began his dance which principally consisted in spring ing up into the air in a squat posture, and constantly turni ig around on his heels with great swiftness in a very narrow c ir« ele. This dance, with a few intervals of rest, was contin led for about two hours, during which the chiefs kept up a • on- Btant drumming with sticks of about a foot in length on a ong hollow plank, which was, though a very noisy, a most dc leful kind of music. This they accompanied with songs, the kins himself acting as chorister, while the women applauded each feat of activity in the dancer by repeating the wordF Wo- cash ! Wocash ! Tyee ! that is good! very good princ;. As soon as the dance was finished Maquina began to giv & pres- ents to the strangers in the name of his son Sat-sat sok-sis. These were pieces of European cloth generally of <. fathom in length, muskets, powder, shot, Stc. Whenever he gav ) them any thing, they had a peculiar manner of sneiching it from him with a very stern and surly look, repealing earh time the words, Wocash, Tyee. This I understood < o be th sir custom, and was considered as a compliment whi'.h ifoni f es; and in order to prevent the property from bcin g pilla ;;r < by them, he ordered Thompson and myself to ke .p gua :i , du- ring the night, armed with cutlasses and pistols. In this manner tribes of savages from variou a part i o ' the coast, continued coming for several days, bring' ng wi \ • hem, blubber oil, herring spawn, dried fish and cla lis, ft i /hich they received in return, presents of cloth, &» .. aft< ^hich they in general immediately returned hom ;. I j1> jerved that very few, if any of them, except the ch'efs, had arms, which I afterwards learned is the custom wi h th' se people whenever they come upon a friendly visit to f rade. in ' Tder to ■how, OB their approach, that their intentions are , uffoon trickf, making little ornaments for tiie wives v'uid chiidren q( t39 HARRATIVB O? JOar» » J4W1TT. •i' the chiefs, by which means T became quite a favourite wilJj them, and fish hooks, daggers, &c. for themselves. As a far ther recommendation to their favour, and what might eventu- ally prove of the utmost importance to us, I resolved to learn their language, which in the course of a few months rv'isidence I so far succeedei^ in acquiring as to be able in ger.eral to make myself understood. I likewise tried to persuade Thompson to learn it, as what might prove necessary to him. But he refused, saying, that he hated both them and their cursed lingo and would have nothing to do with it. By pursuing this conciliatory plan, so far did I gain the good will of the savages, particularly the chiefs, that I scarce- ly ever failed experiencing kind treatment from them, and was receive! with a smile of welcome at their houses, where I was always sure of having something given me to eat, whenever they had it, and many a good meal have I had from them, whe.. they themselves were short of provisions and suf- fering for the want of them. And it was a common practice with me when we had nothing to eat at home which happened not unfrequently during my stay among them, to go around the village, and on noticing a smoke from any of the houses, which denoted that they were cooking, enter in without cere- mony and ask them for something, which I was never refused. Few nations indeed, are there, so very rude and unfeeling, ' horn constant mild treatment and an attention to please, will not mollify and obtain from them son^e return of kind attention. This, the treatment I received from these people may exem- plify, for not numerous, even among those calling themselves civilized, are there instances to be found of persons depriving Chemselves of food to give it to a stranger, whatever may be bic merits. Though my comrade and myself fared as well, and even better than we could have expected among these people, con- sidering their customs and mode of living, yet our fears lest no ship would come to our release, and that we should never more behold a Christian country, were to us a source of con- stant pain. Our principal consolation in this gloomy state, T'as to go on Sundays, whenever the weather would permit, Co the borders of a fresh water pond, about a mile from the village, where, afler bathing, and putting on clean clothes, we would seat ourselves under the shade of a beautiful pine, while I read some chapters in the Bible, and the prayers ap- pointed by our Church for the day, ending our devotions with * fervent prayer to the Almighty that he would deign still H i th r a- n :e ;o \€ L ir e d 3 1 ! ■4IUUTITB or JOHN R. JlWff f. ratch over ard preserve our liveS) rescue us irom the hands of the ravage }, and permit us once more to behold a Christian and. In this manner were the greater part of' our Sundays passed at Nootka ; and I felt grateful to heaven, that amiast our other suiTerings, we were at least allowed the pleasure of offering up our devotions unmolested, for Maquina, on my ex* plaining to him as well ab was in my power the reason of out thus retiring at this time, far from objecting, readily consent- ed to it. The pond above mentioned was small, not more than a quarter of -i mile in breadth and of no great length, the water being very clear, though not of great depth, and bordered by a beautiful forest of pine, fir, elm, and beach free from bushes and underwood — a most delightful retreat, which was rendered still more attractive by a great number of birds that frequented it, particularly the humming bird. Thither we used' to go to wash our clothes, and felt secure from any intrusion from the natives, as they rarely visited it except for the purpose of cleansing themselves of their paint. In July we at length thought that the hope of delivery we had so long anxiously indulged, was on the point of being gratified. A ship appeared in the offing, but alas, our fond hopes vanished almost as soon as formed ; for instead of standing in for the shore she passed to the northward and soon disappeared. I shall not attempt to describe our disap- pointment, — my heart sunk within me, md I felt as though it was my destiny never more to behold a Christian face. Four days after there occurred a tremendous storm of thunder and lightning, during which the natives manifested great alarm and terror, the whole tribe, hurrying to Maquina^s house, where instead of keeping within, they seated themselves on the roof amid the severest of the tempest, drumming upon the. boards, and looking up to heaven, while the king bsat the long hollow plank, singing and, as he afterwards told me, begging Quahootze, the name they give to God, not to kill them, in which he was accompanied by the whole tribe ; liiis singrig and drumming was continued until the storm •bated. As the summer drew near its close, we began to suffer from the frequent want of food, which was principally owing to Maquina and the chiefs being out whaling, in which -he would not permit Thompson and myself to join, lest we should make our escape to some of the neighboring tribes. At these limes the women seldom or ever cook aor provision, and ws IM IIAARAtlTB or JOHN ft. JBWlfft. ■ irfc were often hungry^ but were sornetimes fortunate enough ti procjre secretly, a piece of salmon, some other fish, spawn, or even blubber, which, by boiling in salt water, with a few onions and turnips, the remains of the Spanish garden, or young nettles and other herbs, furnished us a delicious repast in private. In the mean time, we frequently received ac- counts from the tribes who came to Nootka, both from the north and south, of there being vessels on the coast, and were advised by their chiefs to make our escape, who also promised us their aid, and to put us on board. These stories, how* ever, as I afterwards learned, were almost all of them without any foundation, and merely invented by these people with a view to get us into their power in order to make slaves of us themselves, or to sell us to others. But I was still more strongly solicited to leave Nootka by a woman. This was a Wickinninish princess, a younger sister of Maquina's wife, who was there Oi -•• ''"it. I had the good fortune, if it may be so called, to be-. quite a favorite with her. She ap- peared much interested for me — asked me many questions re- specting my country, if I had a mother and sister at home, and if they would not grieve for my absence. Her complex- ion was fairer than that of the women in general, and her fea- tures more regular, and she would have been quite handsome had it not been for a defect in one of her eyes, the sight of which had been injured by some accident, the reason, as Ma- quina told me why she had not been married, a defect of this kind being by these savages considered as almost an insuper- able objection. She urged me repeatedly to return with her, telling me that the Wickirninish were much better than the Nootkians ; that her father would treat me more kindly than Maquina, give me better food and clothes, and finally put me on board one of my own country vessels. I felt, how- ever, little disposed to accompany her, considering my situa- tion with Maquina full as eligible as it woiL^ld be with the Wickinninish, if not better, notwithstanding all she said ic the contrary. On the t^^ird of September, the whole tribe quitted Nootka, according to their constant practice, in order to pass the au- tumn and winter at Tashees and Cooptee, the latter lying about thirty miles up the Sound in a deep bay, the navigation of which is very dangerous from the great number of reefs and rocks with which it abounds. On these occasions every thing is taken with them, even the planks of their houses, in •rder to 3over their new dwellings. To an European, aucJi a I KABKATITB OP JOHN R. JIWITT. removal exhibits n scene quite novel and strange : eanoM piled up with boards and boxes, and filled with men, women and children of all ranks and sizes, making the air resound with their criss and aongs. At these times, as well as when they have occasion to go some distance from their houses, the infants are usually suspended across the mother's shoulders, in a kind of rradle or hammock, formed of bark, of about six iches in depth, and of the length of the child, by means of a leather band inserted through loops on its edges ; this they also keep them in when at home, in order to preserve them in a strait position and prevent any distortion of the limbs, most pro- babl) a principal cause of these people being so seldom de- fCi'med or crooked. The long boat of our ship having been repaired and furnished with a sail by Thompson, Alaquina gave us the direction of it, we being better acquainted with managing it than his people, and afler loading her as deep as she could swim, we proceeded in company with them to the north, quitting Nootka with heavy hearts, as we could enter- tain no hopes of release until our return, no ships ever com- ing to that part of the coast. Passing Cooptee, which is situ- ated on the southern bank, just within the mouth of a small river flowing from the east in a narrow valley at the foot of a mountain, we proceeded about fifteen miles up this stream to Tashees, between a range of lofty hills on each side, which extend a great distance inland, and are covered with the finest forest trees of the country. Immediately on our arrival, we all went to work very diligently in covering the houses with the planks we had brought, the frames being ••eady erected, these people never pretending to remove the timher. In a very short time the work was completed, and we wer6 estab- Mshed in our new residence. Tashees is pleasantly situated and in a most secure posi- tion from the winter storms, in a small vale or hollow on the fli:)uth shore, at the foot of a mountain. The spot on which it fl ands is level, and the soil very fine, the country in its vicin- ity abounding with the most romantic views, charmmgly di- versified, and fine streams of water falling in beautiful caa- cades from the mountains. The river at this place is about twenty rods in width, and, in its deepest part, from nine to twelve feet. This village is the extreme point of navigation, as immediately beyond, the river becomes much more shallow^ and is broken into rapids and falls. The houses here arc placed in a line like those at .Xootka, but closer together, the •tiuation being more confined, they are also smaller, in cons*- ■^ HABEATITB OF JOHN ft. JIWITT. Quence of '^hich we wore much crowded, and ineommo^ki K>r room. The principal object in coming to this place, is the facilitj it affords these ..people of providing their winter stock of pro* visions, which consists principally of salmon, and the spawn of that fish ; to which may be added herring and sprats, and herring spawn. The latlei^ however, is always procured by them at iNootka, previous to their quitting it. At the seasons of spawning, which are early in the spring and the last of Au- gust, they collect a great quantity of pine branches, which they place in different parts of the Cove at the depth of about ten feet "^nd secure them by means of heavy stones. On these the herring deposit their spawn in immense quantities ; the bushes are then taken up, the spawn stripped from the branches, and after being wauned and freed from the pine leaves by the women, is dried and put up in baskets for use It is considered as their greatest delicacy, and eaten both cooked and raw : in the former case, being boiled and eaten with train oil, and in the latter, mixed uj) with cold water alone. The salmon are taken at Tashees, principally in pots or wears. Their method of taking them in wears is thus : — ^A pot of twenty feet in length, and from four to five feet diameter at the mouth, is formed of a great number of pine splinters which are strongly secured, an inch and a half from each other, by means of hoops made of flexible twigs, and placed about eight inches apart. At the end it tapers almost to a point, near which is a small wicker door, for the purpose of taking out the fish. This pot or wear is placed at the foot of a fall or rapid, where the water is not very deep, and the fish driven from above with long poles, are interrupted and caught in the wear, from whence they are taken into the canoes. la this manner I have seen more than seven hundred salmon caught in the space of fifleen minutes. I have also sometimes known a few of the striped bass taken in this manner, but rarely. At such times there is great feasting and merriment amonc them. The women and female slaves being busily employed in cooking, or in curing the fish for their winter stock, which is done by cutting off the heads and tails, splitting them, tak- ing out the back bone, and hanging them up in their houses to dry. They also dry the nalibut and cod, but these instead of curing whole, they cut up into small pieces for that pur pose, and expose to the sun The spawn of the saloMmt J MAREATIVI OF JOHN E. JBWITT. ih 4 wnteh IS a principal article of their provitfion^ they take out, and without any other preparation, throw it into their tube^ where they Ijave it to stand and ferment, for though they fre- quently eat it fresh, they esteem it much more when it haa ac- quired a strong taste, and one of the greatest favors they can confer on any person, is to invite him to eat Quakamiss, the name they give this food, though scarcely any thing can be more repugnant to an European palate, than it is in this state ] and whenever they took it out of these large receptacles, which they are always careful to fill, such was the stench which it exhaled, on being moved, that it was impossible for me to abide it, even after habit had in a great degree dulled the delicacy of my senses. — When boiled it became less of- fensive, though it still retained much of the putrid smell and something of the taste. Such is the immense quantity of these fish, and they are taken with such facility, ihat I have known upwards of twenty- five hundred brought into Maquina'a house at once, and at one of their great feasts, have seen one hundred or more cooked in one of their largest tubs. I used frequently to go out with Maquina upon these fish- ing parties, and was always sure to receive a handsome pre- sent of salmon, which I had the privilege of calling mine ; I also went with him several times in a canoe, to strike the sal- mon, which I have attempted to do myself, but could never succeed, it requiring a degree of adroitness that I did not pos- sess. I was also permitted to go out with a gun, and was several times very successful in shooting wild ducks, and teal, which are very numerous here, though rather shy. Those they cooked in their usual manner, by boiling, without any farther dressing than skinning them. In many respects, how- ever, our situation was less pleasant here than at Nootka. We were more incommoded for room, the houses not being BO spacious, nor so well arranged, and as it was colder^ we were compelled to be much more within doors. We however, did not neglect on Sundays, when the weather would admit, (o retire into the woods, and by the side of some stroam, after bathing, return our thanks to God for preserving us, and oTer up to him our customary devotions. I was how- ever, very apprehensive, soon afler our arrival at this place, that I should be deprived of the satisfation of keeping my journal, as Maquina one day observing me writing in it, en- quired of me what I was doing, and when I endeavored to ex- plain it, by telling him that I was keeping an account of tht . HimBATITB OF JOHN B. weather, he said it was not so, and that T was speaking bod about him, and telling how he had tai^en our ship and killed the crew, so as to inform my countrymen, and tliat if he ever saw me writing in it again, he would throw it into the fire. I was much rejoiced that he did no more than threaten, and be« came very cautious aflerwards not to let him see me write. Not long afler I finished some daggers for him, which I polished highly ; these pleased him much, and he gave me di- rections to make a cheetoolth, in which I succeeded so far to his satisfaction, that he gave me a present of cloth sufificient to make me a complete suit of raiment, besides other things. Thompson, also, who had become rather more of a favorite than formerly, since he had made a fine sail for his canoe, and some g&rments for him out of European cloth, about this time completed another, which was thought by the savages a most superb dress. This was a Kootsuk or mantle a fathom square, made entirely of European /est patterns of the gayest colors These were sewed together, in a niannei to make the best show, and bound with a deep trimming of the finest otter skin, with which the arm-holes were also bordered ; while the bottom was farther embellished with five or six rows, of gilt buttons, placed as near as possible to each other. No- thing could exceed the pride of Maquina when he first put on this royal robe, decorated like the coat of Joseph, with all the cc.ors of the rainbow, and glittering with the buttons, which as he strutted about made a tinkling, while he repeatedly ex claimed in a transport of exultation, Klew shish Katsuk — wick kum atack Nootka. A fine garment — Nootka canH make him Maquma, who knew that the chiefs of the tribes who came to visit us, had endeavored to persuade me to escape^ fre- quently cautioned me not to listen to them, and that should I make the attempt, and he were to take me, he should certainly put me to death. While here he gave me a book in which I found the names of seven persons belonging to the ship Man- chester of Philadelphia, Captain Brian, viz. — Daniel Smith, Lewis Gillon, James Tom, Clark, Johnson, Ben and Jack. These men, as Maquina informed me, ran awa) from the siiip, and came to him, but that six of them soon after went ofif in the night, with an intention to go to the Wickinninish, but ewre stopped by the Eshquiates, and sent back to him, and that be ordered them to be put to death ; and a most cruel death it was, as I was told by one of the natives, four men holding one of them on the ground, and forcing open hit MAEftATlVB Of JOHN R. JBWITV. mouth, while they choaked him by ramming stones down hi« throat. As to Jack the boy^ who made no attempt to go ofl*| Maquina afterwards sold him to the Wickinninish. I was in- formed by the prince.ss Yuqua, that he was quite a small boy, who cried a great deal, being put to hard labor beyimd hif . strength by the natives, in cutting wood and bringing water, and that when he heard of the murder of our crew, it had such an effect on him that he fell sick and died shortly after. On learning the melancholy fate of this unfortunate lad, it Again awakened in my bosom those feelings that I had ex- perienced at the shocking death of my poor comrades. The king finding that I was desirous of learning their lan- guage, was much delighted, and took great pleasure m con* /ersing with me. On ojie of these occasions, he explained to me his reasons for cutting off our ship, saying that he bore no ill will to my countrymen, but that he had been several times treated very ill by them. The first injury of which he had cause to complain, was done him by a Captain Tawnington, who comnanded a schooner which passed a winter at Friend- ly Cove, v/here he was well treated by the inhabitants. This man taking advantage of Maquit.a's absence, who had gone ' .• The Sea Otter firing upon the Natives. to the Wickinninish to procure a wife, armed himself and crew, and entered the house \vherc there were none but wo- men, whom he threw into the greatest consternation, and searching the chests, took away all the skins, of which l\Ia- quina had no less than forty of the best ; and that about the Mm« time, faur of their chiefs were barbarously killed bj • uo ll4mRATITB OF JOHN K. JIWITT. Captain Martinez, a Spaniard. That soon after Gaptniu Hanna, of the Sea-Otter, in consequence of one of the nativei having stolen a chiL;zei from the carpenter, fired upon their canoes which were along side, and killed upwards of tweuty of the natives, of whom several were Tyees or chiefs, and that he himself being on board the vessel, in order to escape waa obliged to* leap from the quarterdeck, and swim for a long way under water These injuries had excited in the breast of Maquina, an ardent desire of revenge, the strongest passion . »f the savage heart, and though many years had elapsed since their com- mission, still they were not forgotten, nud tne want of a fa- Tourable opportunity alone prevented him from sooner aveng- ing them. Unfortunately for us, the iong wished for oppor- tunity at length presented itself in our ship: which Maquina finding not guarded with the usual vigilance of the North West Traders, and feeling his desire of revenge rekindled by the insult offered him by Capt. Salter, formed a plan for attacking, and on his return, called a council of his chiefs, and communicated it to them, acquainting them with the man- ner in which he had been treated. No less desirous of avenging this affront offered their king, than former injuries, they readily agreed to his proposal, which was to go on board without arms as usual, but under different pretexts, in greater numbers, and wait his signal for the moment of attacking their unsuspecting victims. The execution of this scheme, as the reader knows, was unhappily too successful. And here I cannot but indulge a reflection that has frequently occurred to me on the manner in which our people behave towards the natives. For though they are a thievish race, yet I have no doubt that many of the melancholy disasters have principally arisen from the imprudent conduct of some of the captains and crews of the ships employed in *his trade, 'a exasperating them by insulting, plundering, and even killing them on slight grounds. This, as nothing is more sacred with a savage than the principle of revenge, and no people are so impatient under insult, induces them to wreak theii ▼engeance upon the first vessel or boat's crew tliat offers, making the innocent too frequently suffer for the vrongs of the guilty, as few of them know to discriminate between per- Aons of the same general appearance, more especially when speaking the same language. And to this cause do 1 believe, must prmcipally be ascribed the sanguinary disposition witk which these people are reproached, as Maquina repeatedly JTAlftATITB or JOHN B. JIWITT told me that it wta not his wish to hurt a white mu«, and thai he never should have done it, though ever so much in bia power, had they not injured him. And were the commanders ofour ships to treat the savages with rather more civility than they sometimes do, I am inclined to think they would find their account in it; not that I sihould recommend to them a confidence in the good faith and friendly professions of these people, so as in any degree to remit their vigilance, but on the contrary, to be strictly on their guarr. arid suflTer but a few of them to come on board the ship, anL .o admit not many of their canoorj along side at a time; a precaution that would have been the means of preventing some of the unfortunate events that have occurred, and if attended to, may m future, preserve many a valuable life. Such a regulation too, from what I know of their disposition, and wants, would produce no serious difficulty in trading with the savages, and they would soon become perfectly reconciled to it. Amoiig the provisions which the Indians procure at Tash- ees, I must not omit mentioning a fruit that is very important, as forming a great article of their food. This is what is called by them the Yama, a species of berry that grows in bunches like currants, upon a bush from two to three feet high, with a large, round and smooth leaf This berry is black, and about the size of a pistol shot, but of rather an oblong shape, and open at the top like the blue wortleberry. The taste is sweet but a little acrid, and when first gathered, if eaten in any great quantity, especially without oil, is apt to produce cholics. To procure it, large companies of women go out in the mountains, accompanied by armed men, to pro- tect them against wild beasts, where they frequently remain for several days, kindling a fire at night, and sheltering them- selves under sheds constructed of boughs. At these parties, they collect great quantities. T have known Maquina's queen and her women return loaded, bringing with them upwards of twelve bushels. In order to preserve it, it is pressed in the bunches between two planks, and driod and put away in baskets for use. It is always eaten with oil. Of berries of various kinds, sutjh as straw-berries, rasp- berries, black-berries, Sic. there are great quantities in the country, of which ths3 natives are very fond, gathering them in their seasons, and eating them with oil, but the yama is the only one that they pieserve. Fish is, however, their great article of food, as almost all the ethen, excepting the yama, may be considered aa acotdeiM J9L, I U -JLi. ^^ ut WABftATITB or JOflN A. JIWITT. They neTertheleM are far (Vom disrelishing meat, for iiifltane« fenison and beards flesh. With regard to the latter, thejp have a most singular cuHtom, which is, that any one who eata of it is obliged to abstain from eating Hny kind of fresh fiih whatever, for the term of two months, as they have a superat tious belief, that should any of their people afler tasting bear't flesh, eat of fresh salmon, cod, &.c. the fish, thou-gh at ev^r ■o great a distance off, would come to the knowledge of it, and offended thereat, as not to allow themselves to oe taken by any of the inhabitants. This 1 had an opportunity of ob- serving while at Tashec?, a bear having been killed early in December, of which not more than ten of the natives would eat, being prevented by the prohibition annexed to it, which also was the reason of my comrade and myself not tasting it, on being told by Maquina the consequence. As there is something quite curious in their management of this animal, when they have killed one, I shall give u de- scription of it. Afler well cleansing the bear from the dirt and blood, with which it is generally covered when killed, it Thompson shooting s Bear. la brought m and seated opposite the king m an upi.giki posture, with a chief's bonnet, wrought in figures in its head, and its fur powdered over with the white down. A tray of provisions is then set before it, and it is invited by words and gestures to eat. This mock ceremony over, the reason of which I could never learn, the animal is taken and skinned) and the flesh and entrails boiled up into a soup, no part, bttt the pauocli being rejected. ■AAmATlTI Of fOSN K. JIWITT, This dretsing the hear as they call it, it an occaaioa of {^ rejoicing throughout the village, all the inhabitants being in- vited tr> a great feast at the king's h use, though but a few of then, in consequence of the penalty, will venture to eat of the flesh, but generally content themselves with their favor- ite dish of herring spawn and water. The feast on this occasion was closed by a dance from Sat-sat-sak-sis, in the manner I have already described, in the course of which he repeatedly shifted his mask for another of a different form. A few days alter a second bear was taken, like the former by means of a irip. This 1 had ,.is curiosity to go and see at the place where it was caught, which was in the following manner. On the edge of a small stream of water in the mountains, which the salmon ascend, and near the spot where the bear is accustomed to watch for them, which is known by ts tcack, a trap or box about the height of a man's head is built of posts and planks with a flat top, on which are laid a number of large stones or rocks. The top and sides are then carefully covered with turf, so as to resemble a little mound, and wholly to exclude the light, a narrow entrance of the height of the building only being left, just sufficient to admit the head and shoulaers of the beast. On the inside, to a large plank that covers the .ip, is suspended by a strong cord a salmon, the plank being lefl loose so that a forcible pull will bring it down. On coming to its usual haunt, the bear enters the trap, and endeavouring to pull away the fish, brings down the whole covering with its load of stones upon its head, and is almost always crushed to death on the spot, or so wounded as to be unable to escape. They are always careful to examine these traps every day, in order if a bear be caught, to bring it away, and cook it immediately, for it is not a little singular, that these people will eat no kind of meat that is in the least tainted, or not perfectly fresh, while on the contrary, it is hardly possible for a fish to be in too putrid a state for them, anfi I have frequently known them wh^n a whale has bee^i driyeir. ishore, bring pieces of it home fyith them in a state of offensiveness insupportable to any thing but a crow, and devour it with high relish, considering it as preferable to that which is fresh. . > ; On the morning of the 13th of December, commenced what to us appeared a most singular farce. Apparently without any previous notice, Manuina discharged a pistol close to hia son's ear, who immediately fell down as if killed, upon which lUl tb(' woroen of the house set up a most lamentable «r/ <9^W iflARmAtlTii Of JOUN R. JlWlTt. tearing handfuls of hair from their headfi, and exclaiming thai the prmce was dead, at the fsamc time a great Lumber of the inhabitants, rushed into the house armed with their dag gers, muskets, Sec. enquiring the cause of their outcrjr, theno were immediately followed by two others dressed in wolf skint, with masks over their faces representing tne head of that animal; the latter came in on their hands and feet in the man- ner of a beast, and taking up the prince carried him off upon their backs, retiring in the same manner they entered. We saw nothing more of the ceremony, as Maquina came to its, and giving us a quantity of dried provisions, ordered us to quit the house and not return to the village before the expira- tion of seven fiayri, for thai if we appeared within that period, he should kill us. At any other season of the year such an order would by us have been considered as an indulgence, in enabling us to pass our time in whatever way we wished, and even now, fur- nished as we were, with sufficient provision fo. that term, it was not very unpleasant to us more particularly Thompson, who was always desiro^£^ to keep as nmch as possible out of the society and sight of the natives, whom he detested. Taking with us our provisions, a bundle of clothes^ and our axes, we obeyed the mrections of Maquina and withdrew into the woods, where ^e built our8*>!vos a cabin to shelter us, with the branches of trees, and keeping up a good fire, secured ourselves pretty well from the cold. Ht>re we passed the prescribed period of oui* exile, with more content than much of the time while with them, employing th ^ day in reading and praying for our re- lease, or in rambling round and exploring the country, the ■oil of which we found to be very good, and the face of it, beautifully diversified with hills and vallies, refreshed with the finest streams of wate*", and at night enjoyed comfortable repose upon a bed of sofl leaves, with our garments spread over us to protect rs from the cold. At the end of seven days we returned, and found several of the people of A-i-tiz-zart with their king or chief at Tashees, who had been invited by Maquina to attend the close of thii performance, which I now learnt was a celebration, held by them annually, in honor of their god, whom they ca*l Qua- hootz<3, to return him their thanks for his past, and implore hia fut'jre favors. It terminated on the 21st, the day afler our return, with a most extraordinary exhibition. Three men, each of whom had two bayonets run through his sides, between tb? ribs, apparently regardless of tho pain, trtvertedihe rQMi| 1 \1 J NAftEATIfS Of JOHN E. JIWITV. backwards and forwards, singing war songi, and exulting in this display of firmaess. On the arrival of the 25th, we could not but call to niind, that this being ChrisCmas, was ia our country a day of the greatest festivity, when our fellow countrymen assembled in their churches, were celebrating the goodness of God, and the praises of the Saviour. What a reverse did our situation offer — captives in a savage land, and slaves to & set of igno- rant beings, unacquaiuted with religion or humanity, hardly were we permitted to offer up our devotions by oursslves in the woods, while we felt even grateful for this privilege. Thither with the king's permission, we withdrew, and after reading the service appointed for the day, sung the hymn of the Nativ- ity, fervently prtying that heaven in its goodness would per- mit us to celebrate the next festival of this kind in some Ciifistian land. On our rotur^, in order to conform as much as was in our power to the custom of our country, we were desirous of having a better supper than usual. With this view we bought from one of the natives, some dried clams and oil, and a root called Kletsup, which we cooked by steaming, and found it very palatable. This root consists of many fibres, of six inches long, and of the size of a crow quill. It is sweet of an agreeable taste, not unlike the Quanoose, and it is eaten with oil. The plant that produces it I have never seen. On the 31st, all the tribe quitted Tashees for Cooptee, whither they go to pass the remainder of the winter, and com- plete their tishing, takmg off every thing with them in the same manr4er as at Nootka. We arrived in a few hours at Coop- tee, which is about fifteen miles, and immediately set about covering tl.e houses, which was soon completeu. This place, which is their great herring and sprat fishery, stands just within the mouth of the river, on the same side with Tashees, in a very narrow valley at the foot of a high mountain. Though nearly as secure as Tashees from the win- ter storms, it is by no means so pleasantly situated, though to us it was a much more agreeable residence, as it brought ui nearer Nootka, where we were impatient to return, in hopee of finding some vessel there, or heating of the arrival of one near. The first snow that fell this season, was the day after our arrival, on New- Years; a day that like Christmas, brought with it, painful recollections, but at the same time led ua to indulge the hope of a more fortunate year than the !«•! >»• uu HAREATIVB Of JOBN R. JIWITT. Early on the morning of the 7th of January, Maquina took me with him in his canoe on a visit to Upquesta, chief of the \-i-tiz-zart8, who had invited him to attend an «>xhibition at ais village, similar to the one with whieh he had been entar- »ained at Tashees. This place is between twenty and thirty miles distant up the sound, and stands on the banks of a smiul river about the size of that of Cooptee, just within its entrance in a valley of much greater extent than that of Tashees; it con- sists '^>^ fourteen or fifleen houses, built and disposed in the manner o! those at Nootka. The tribe, which is considered as tributary to Maquina, amounts to about three hundred warriors, and the inhabitants, both men and women, are among the best looking of any people on the coast. On our arrival we were received at the shore by the inhah* itants, a few of whom were armed with muskets, which they fired with loud shouts and exclamations of Wocash, wocash. We were welcomed by the chiefs messenger, or master of ceremonies, dressed in his best garments, with his hair pow- dered with white down, and holding in his hand the chee- toolth, the badge of his office. This man preceded us- to the chiefs house, where he introduced and pointed out to us our respective seats. On entering, the visitors took off their hats, which they always wear on similar occasions, and Maquina his outer robes, of which he has several on whenev- 'r he pays a visit, and seated himself near the chiel'. As I ffOB dressed in European clothes I became quite an object of curiosity to these people, very few of whom had ever seen a white man. They crowded around me in numbers, taking hold of my clothes, examining my face, hands and feet, and even opening my mouth to see if I had a toague, for notwithstanding I had by this time become well acquainted with their language, I preserved the strictest silence, Maquina on our first landing having enjoined me not to speak, until he should direct. Hav- ing undergone this examination for some time, Maquina at length made a sign to me to speak to them. On hearing me address them in their own language, they were greatly aston- ished and delighted, and told Maquina that they now perceived that I was a man like themselves, except that I was white and looked like a seal, alluding to my blue jacket and trowsers, ^hich they wanted to persuade me to take off, as they did not like their appearance. Maquina in the mean time gave an ac- count to the chief, of the scheme he had formed for surpri- sing our ship, and the manner m which he and his people had ctrried it into execution, with such particular and horrid de< VAIAATlTt OF JOHN R. JBWITT iai!tt of that transaction as chilled the blood in my Tient Trays of boiled herring spawn and train oil were soon after Drought in and placed before us, neither the chief or any of his people eating at the same time, it being contrary to the ideaf of hospitality entertained by these nations, to eat any part of the food that is provided for strangers, always waiting until their visitors have finished, before they have their own brought in. The following day closed their festival with an exhibition of a similar kind, to that which had been given at Tashees, but still more cruel, the different tribes appeared on these occa- sions to endeavor to surpass each other, in their proofs of for- titude and endurance of pain. In the morning twenty men en- tered the chiePs house, with each an arrow run through the flesh of his sides, and either arm, with a cord fastened to the end, which as the performers, advanced, singing and boast- ting, was forcibly drawn back by a person having hold of it After this performance was closed we returned to Cooptee, which we reached at midnight, our men keeping time v/ith their songs to the stroke of their paddles. The natives now began to take the herring and sprat in im- mense quantities, with some salmon, and there was nothing but feasting from morning till night. The following is the meth- od they employ to take the herring. A stick about seven feet long, two inches broad, and half an inch thick, is formed from some hard wood, one side of which is set with sharp teeth, made from whale bone, at ab<.ut half an inch apart. Provided with this instrument, the fisherman soats himself in the prow of 8 canoe, which is • ddled by another, and when- ever he cories to a shoal of hei which cover the water in great quantities, he strikes it witi> thhandiS upon them und at the same moment turning it up, bring.-* it over the side of the canoe, into which he lets those that are taken dr(^>. It is astonishing to see how many are caught by those who are dexterous at this kind of fishing, as they seldom fnil when the shoals are numerous, of taking as many as ten o- '.wclve at a stroke, and in a very short time will fill a canoe with them Sprats are likewise caught in a similar manner. About the beginning of February, Maquina gave great (east, at which were present not only all the ihhu aits, but one hundred persons from A-i-tiz-zart, and a number from Winckinninish, who had been invited to attend it It is cus- tomary with them to g.'ve an annual entertainment of this kind, and it is astonishing .o see what a quantity of provisions ii •zpended, or rather wasted on such an occasioa, when they I f4S NAmEATITX OF JOHN E. JIWITT. E : always eat to the greatest excess. It was at thii feaat that 1 saw upwards of a hundred salmon cooked in one tub. The whole residence at Cooptee presents an almost unintcrruped successioQ of feasting and gormondizing, and it would seem as if the principal object of these people was to consume then whole stock of provisions before leaving it, trusting entirely to their success in Ashing and whaling, for a supply at Noot« ka On tha 25tn of February, we quitted Cooptee, and re- turned to Nootka. With much joy did Thompson and myself again find ourselves in a place, where notwithstanding the me- lancholy recollections which it excited, we hoped before long to see seme vessel arrive to our relief, and for this we became more solicitous, as of« late we bad become much more appre- hensive of our safety in consequence of information brought Maqiiina a few days before we left Cooptee, by some of the Cayuqucts, that there were twenty ships at the northward preparing to come against him, with an intention of destroying him a.nd hL^ tribe, for cutting off the Boston. This story which was wholly without foundation, and discovered after- wards to have been invented by these people, for the purpose of disquieting him, threw him into great alarm, and notwith- standing all I coi'Iti say to convince him that it was an un- founded report, so great was his jealousy of us, especially af- ter it had been confirmed to him by some others of the same nation, that he treateu us with much harshness, and kept a very suspicious eye upon us. Nothing indeed could oe more unpleasant than our present situation, when I reflected that our lives were altogether dependent on the will of a savage, on whose caprice and suspicions no rational calculation could be made. Not long after our return, a son of Maquina's sister, a boy of eleven years old, who had been for some time declining, died. Immediately on his death, which was about midright^ all the men and women in the hone, set up loud cries an-i ahrieks, which awakening Thompson and myself, so disturbed us that we left the house. This lamentation was kept up du- ring the remainder of the night. In the morning, a great fire was kindled, in which Maq*uina burned in honour of the de- ceased, ten fathoms of cloth, and buried with him ten fathoms more, eight of I-whaw, four prime sea otter skins, and two small trunk**, containing our unfortunate captain's clothes and watch. This boy was considered as a Tyce or chief, being the only son of Tootoosch, one of their principal chiefs, wha jrimBATiTB or jorn m. jbititt. htd mmrriea Maqiiina's sister, whence arose this ceremoBy mi his interment ; it being an established custom with these peo- ple, that whenever a chief dies, his most valuable property is burned or buried with him; it is, however, wholly confined to the chiefs, and appears to be a mark of honour appropriate to them. In this instance Maquina furnished the articles, in or- der that his nephew might have the proper honours rendered him. Tootoosch his father, was esteemed the first warrior of the tribe, and was one who had been particularly active in the destruction of our ship, having killed two of our poor com- rt>.des, who were ashore, whose names were Hall and Wood. A)>out the time of our removal to Tashees, while in the en- joyment of the highest hetclth, he was suddenly seized with a fit ^^ delirium, in which he fancied that he saw the ghosts ot thjse two men constantly standing by him, and threatening him, so that he would take no food, except what was forced into his mouth. A short time before this, he had lost a daugh- ter of about fifteen years of age, which afflicted him greatly, and whether his insanitv a disorder very i^ncommon amongst these savages, no instai < e of the kind having occurred within the memory of the oldest man amongst them, proceeded from this cause, or that it was the special interposition of an all merciful God in our favour, who by this means thought proper to induce these barbarians still farther to respect our lives, or that for hidden purposes, the Supreme Disposer of events, sometimes permits the spirits of the dead to revisit the world, and haunt the murderer, I know not, but his mind from this period until his death, which took place but a few w eeks after that of his son, was incessantly occupied with the images of the men whom he had killed. This circumstance made much impression upon the tribe, particularly the chiefs, whose uni- form opposition to putting us to death, at the various councils that were held on our account, I could not but in part attri- bute to this cause, and Maquina used frequently in speaking of Toofoosch's sickness, to express much satisfaction that his hands had not been stained with the blood of any of our men. When Maquina was first informed by his sister, of the strange Gtvuduct of her husband, he immediately went to his house, idfting us with him; suspecting that his disease had been caused by us, and that the ghosts of our countrymen had been called thither by us, to turment him. We found him raving about Hall and Wood, saying that they were peshak, that is bid. Maquina then placed some provisions before him to set if he would eat. On perceiving it, he put forth bis hand to roi I II* ■' »' ■ ' I"i«" < sae OB MTil <0O WABftATIVB OF JOHM B. IBWITT. take some, but instantly withdrew it with signs of horror, m ing that Hall and Wood were there, and would not let hin eat. Maquina then pointing to us, asked if it was not John and Thompson who troubled him. Wik, he replied, that ia no, John klushish — Thompson klushish— -John and Thompsoi are both good; then turning to me, and patting me on the shoulders, he made signs to me to eat. I tried to persuade him that Hall and Wood were not there, and that none wert near him but ourselves: he said, I know very well you do not Bee then., but I do. At first Maquina endeavored to convince him that he saw nothing, and to laugh him out of his belief, but finding that all was to no purpose, he at length became serious, and asked me if I had ever seen any one affected in this manner, and what was the matter with him. I gave hini to understand, pointing to his head, that his brain was injured, and that he did not see things as formerly. Being convinced by Tootoosch's conduct, that we had no agency in his indis- position, on our return home, Maquina asked me what was done in my country in similar cases I told him that such persons were closely confined, and sometimes tied up and whipped, in order to make them better. After pondering for some time, he said that he <'hould be glad to do any thing to relieve him, and that he she ild be whipped, and immediately gave orders to some of his men, to go to Tootoosch's house, bind him, and bring him to hi^. in order to undergo the ope* ration. Thompson was the person selected to administer thie remedy, which he undertook very readily, and for that purpose provided himself with a good number of spruce branches, with which he whipped him most severely, laying it on with the best will imaginable, while Tootooach displayed the greatest rage, kicking, spitting, and attempting to bite all who came near him. This was too much for Maquina, who at length, un- able to endure it longer, ordered Thompson to desist, and TootooBch to be carried back, saying that if there was no other way of curing him but by whipping, he must remain mad. The application of the whip, produced no beneficial effect on Tootoosch, for he afterwards became still more deranged; in his fits of fury sometimes seizing a club, and beating his slaves in a most dreadful manner, and striking and spitting at all who came near him, till at length bis wife no longer daring to remain in the house with him, came with her son to Ma« quint's. The whaling season now commenced, and Maquina ma out aimost every day in his canoe m pursuit of theiP| but Iqt ^ r< VAmEATlTB or JOHN ft. JBWITT. tSl V ft eoniiderable time, with no success, one day breaking the staff of his harpoon, another, after having been a long time fast to a whale, the weapon drawing, owing to the breaking of the shell which formed its point, with several such like acci- dents, arising from the imperfection of the instrument. At these times he always returned very morose and out of temper, upbraiding his men with having violated their obligation to continence preparatory to whaling. In this stote of ill humor he would give us very little to eat, which added lo tUe women not cooking when the men are away, reduced us to very low fare. In consequence of the repeated occurrence of similar acci* dents, I proposed to Maquina to make him a harpoon or fore- gang'dr of steel, which would be less liable to fail him. The idea pleased him^ and in a short time I completed one for him, with which he was much delighted, and the very next day, went out to make trial of it. He succeeded with it in taking the whale. Great was the joy throughout the village as soon as it was known that the king had secured the whale, by no- tice from a person station jd at the head-land in the offing. All the canocb were immediately launched, and, furnished with harpoons and seal skin floats, uKsleaed to assist in buoy- ing it up and in towing it in. The bringing in of this fish exhibited a scene of universal festivity. As soon as the ca** noes appeared at the mouth of the cove, those on board of them singing a song of triumph to a slow air, to which they kept time with their paddles, all who were on shore, men, women and children, mounted the roofs of their houses, to congratulate the king on his success, drumming most furious- ly on the planks, and exclaiming Wocash — wocash Tyee. The whale on being drawn on shore, was immediately cut up, and a great feast of the blubber given at Maquina^s house, to which all the village were invited, who indemnified them- •elves for their lent, by eating as usual to excess. I was highly praised for the goodness of my harpoon, and a quanti- ty of blubber given me, which I was permitted to cook as I pleased, this I boiled in salt water with some young nettles and other greens for Thompson and myself, and in this way we found it tolerable food. Their method of procuring the oil, is to skim it from the water in which the bluober is boiled, and when cool, put it up into whale bladders for use, and of these I have seen them so large as when filled would require no less than fire or »ui Men to carry. Several of the chiefs, among whom were M»- mmm XAAKATITI Of JOHN E. ilWITt. quina't brother, who afler the king has caught the firat whal«, •r« privileged to take them also, were very desirous, on dii^ covering the superiority of my harpoon, that I should make tome for them, but this Maquina would not permit, reserving for himself this improved weapon. He however gave me di- •ections to make a number more for himself which I executed^ and also made him several lances, with which he was greatly pleased. As these peop.e have some very singular observances pre- paratory to whaling, an account of them will, I presume, not prove uninteresting, especially as it may serve to give a bet- ter idea of their manners. A short time before leaving Tash- ces, the king makes a point of passing a day alone on the mountain, whither he goes very privately early in the morn^ mg, and does not return till late in the evening. This is done, as I aflerwards learned, for the purpose of singing and praying to his God for success in whaling the ensuing season. At Gooptee the same ceremoney is performed, and at Nootka after the return thither, with still greater solemnity, as for this next two days he appears very thoughtful and gloomy, scarce- ly speaking to any one, and observes a most rigid fast. On these occasions, he always has a broad red fillet made of bark, bound round his head, in token of humiliation, with a large branch of green spruce on the top, and his great rattle in his hand. In addition to this, for a week before commencing their whaling, both himself and the crew of his canoe ob- serve a fast, eating but very little, and go'-"g into the water several times in the course of each day to bathe, singing and rubbing their bodies, limbs and faces with shells and bushes, so that on their return I have seen them look as though they had been severely torn with briers. They are likewise obliged to abstain of from any commerce with their women for the like period^ the latter restriction being considered as indis- pensible to their success Early in June, Tootoosch the crazy chief, died. On oemg ■cquamted with his death the whole village, men, women and children set up a loud cry, with every testimony of the greatest grief, which they continued for more than three hours. As soon as he was dead, th^^ body, acccrding to their custom^ was laid out on a plank, having the head bound round with a Ted bark fillet, which is with them an emblem of mourning tod sorrow. After laying ^ome time in this manner, he was wrapped in an otter-skin robe, aikl three fathoms of I-whaw ^ing put about his neck, he was placed in a large coffin oi VISEATITB or JOHN h. JBWITT. u$ box of about three feet deep, which wai o: nsuiented on ih« out«ide with two rows of the small white sheWs. Iq thia, thv most valuable articles of his property were placed with him, among which were no less than twenty-four prime ^^ea-otter ikins. At night, which is their time t'oi iiitorrinj; tho dead, he coffin was home by eight men, with two poles, thrust hrough ropes passed around it, to the place v>f burial, accom- panied by his wife and family, with their hair cut short, in token of grief, all the inhabitants joining the procession. The place of burial was a large cavern on tho side of a hill at a littln distance from the village, in which, afler depositing the coffin carefully, all the attendants repaired to Maquina's house, where a number of articles belonging to the deceased, consist- ing of blankets, pieces of cloth, &.c. were burned by a per- son appointed by Maquina for that purpose, dressed and paint- ed in the highest style, with his head covered with white down, who, ar he put in the several pieces, one by one, poured upon them a quantity of oil to increase the flame, in the intervals between, making a speech and playing off a variety of buffoon tricks, and the whole closed with a feast, and a dance from Sat-sat-sak-sis, the king s son The man who perfornted the ceremony of burning on this occasion, was a very singular character, named Kinnecnr met£. He was held in high estimation by the king, though only of the common class, probably from his talent for mimic- ry and buffoonry, and might be considered as a kind of king's jester, or rather as combining in his person the character of a buffoon with that of master of ceremoniesj, and public orator to his majesty, as he was the one who at feasts always regula- ted the places of the guests, delivered speeches on receiving or returning visits, besides amusing the company at all their entertainments, with a variety of monkey pranks and antic gestures, which appeared to these savages the height of wit and humour, but would be considered as extremely low by the least polished people. Almost all the kings or head cniefs of the principal .Ibes, were accompanied by a similar character, who appeared to he attached to their dignity, and are called in their language, Climmer-habbee. This man, Kinneclimmets, was particularly odious to Thomp- son, who would never join in the laugh at his tricks, but when he began, would almost always quit the house with a very 8urly look, and an exclamation of, cursed fool ! which Ma- ?uina, who thought nothing could equal the cleverness of hit /limmer-habbee ^qed to remark with much dissatisfsctioii, J :^- tM ffABRATIVB or JOUlf B. IBWtTT. aikiiiff me why Thompeon never laughed, obsenriiif tkmt must nave had a very good tempered woman indeed for mf mother, as my father was so very ill-natured a man. Among those performances that gained him the greatest applause, was his talent of eating to excess, for I have known him devour at one meal, no less than seventy-five large herring, and m* another time when a great feast was given by Maquina, h undertook, afler drinking three pints of oil by way of whet, to eat four dried salmon, and five quarts of spawn, mixed jp with a gallon of train oil, and actually succeeded in swallow- ing the greater part of this mess, until his stomach became so overloaded, as to discharge its contents in the dish. One of his exhibitions, however, had nearly cost him his life, this was on occasion of Kla-quak-ee-na, one of the chiefs, having bought him a new wife, in celebration of which he ran three times through a large fire, and burned himself in such a man- ner, that he was not able to stir for more than four weeks These feats of savage skill were much praised by Maquina, who never failed to make him a present of cloth, muskets., &c. on such occasions. The death of Tootoosch increased still more the disquie- tude which his delirium had excited among the savages, and all those chiefs who had killed our men became much alarmed, lest they should be seized with the same disorder and die like him; more particularly as I had told Maquina, that I believed his ipjn.nity was a punishment inflicted on him by Quahootze, for his cruelty in murdering two innocent men, who had never injured him. Our situation had now become unpleasant in the extreme. The summer was so far advanced, that we nearly despaired of a ship arriving to our relief, and with that expectation, al most relinquished the hope of ever having it in our power tc quit this savage land. We were treated too with less indul ffence than before, both Thompson and myself being obliged^ m addition to our other employments, to perform the laborious task of cutting and collecting fuel, which we had to bring on •ur shoulders from nearly three miles distant, as it consisted wholly of dry trees, all of which near the village, had been consumed. To add to this, we suffered much abuse from the conrmon people, who, when Maquma or some of the chiefs were not present would insult us, calling us wretched slaves, ■ikine us where was our Tyee or captain, making gestures ■ignifying that his head had been cut off, and tha they would ^ the like to us; though they generally took good cure «: I ITABAAIITI or JOHIf R. JIWITT. f»» inch times to keep well out of Thompson's etch, as they had! more than once experienced to their cost the strength of hif fist. This conduct wan not only provoking and grating to our feelings in the highest degree, but it convinced us of the ill disposition of these savages towards us, and rendered \» fearful lest they might at some time or other persuade or forct Maquina and the chiefs, to put us to death. We were also often brought to great distress for the want of provision, so far as to be reduced to collect a scanty supply of muscles and limpets from the rocks, and sometimes even compelled to part with some of our most necessary articles of clothing, in order to purchase food for our subsistence. This was, however, principally owing to the inhabitants themselves experiencing a great scarcity of provisions this season ; there having been, in the first place, but very few salmon caught at Friendly Cove, a most unusual circumstance, as they generally abound there in the spring, which was by the na- tives attributed to their having been driven ^iway by the blood of our men who had been thrown into the sea, which with true savage inconsistency, excited their murmurs against Maquina, who had proposed cutting off our ship. Relying on this sup- ply, they had in the most inconsiderate manner squandered away their winter stock of provisions, so that in a few days after their return, it was entirely expended. Nor were the king and chiefs much more fortunate in their whaling, even after I had furnished Maquina with the improved weapon for that purpose ; but four whales having been taken durmg the season, which closes the last of May, including one that had been struck by Maquina and escaped, and was afterwards driven on shore about six miles from Nootka, in almost a state of putridity. These afforded but a short supply, to a population, including all ages and sexes, of no less than fifteen hundred persons, and of a character so very improvident, that after feasting most gluttonously whenever a whale was caught, hey were several times a week together, reduced to the ne- cessity of eating but once a day, and of collecting cocklen and muscles from the rocks for their food. And even after the cod and halibut fishing commenced in June, in which they met with t(»lerablo success, such was the savage caprice of Maquina that he would often give us but little to eat, finally ordering us to buy a canoe and fishing implements, ■ In the latter pari; of July, Maquina informed me that he was ^oiigto war witD. the A-y-charts, a tribe living at about fifty mil^tf to the south, en &A5count of some controversythat had arisen the preceding summer, and tha^ I muet make a number of dag- gers for his men, and cheetoolths for his ^f hiefs, which having completed, he wished me to make for his own use a weapon of quite a different form, in order to dispatch his enemy by one blow on tiie head, it being tb.e calculation of these nations on going to wa :, to surprise their aiiversaries while asleejp. This was a steel dagger, or mt re properly a spike, of about six inches long, made T^ry sharp, set at right angles in an iron handle of fifteen inches lo^g terminating at the lower end in a crook or turn, so as to pre- vent its being wrenched from the hand, and at the upper, m a round knob or head, from whence the spike protruded. Thisinstm- m«nt I polished highly, and the more to please Maquicn.^ foruedon rl ■^w^^ ii | lf . i llWW(,"mi l ' ^r, ii n i '" ii |W,y,IW^ | j i . l|i Jm i j|) i n-i < ^n » fi'i T > wi«wiain or joHif B. JBwm. he baek of the knob, the resemblance of a man's head, with be mouth open, substituting for eyes, black beads, which I astened in with red sealing wax. This pleased him much, and was greatly admired by his chiefs, who wanted me to make similar ones for them, but Maquina would not suffer it, reserving for himself alone this weapon. When these people have finally determined on war, they make it an invariable practice for three or four weeks prior to the expedition, to go into the water five or six times a day where they wash and scrub themselves from head to foot witk briars, so that their bodies and faces will often be erjtirely covered with blood. During this severe exercise, they are continually exclaiming, *' Wocash Quahootze, Teechamme ah welth, wik-etish tauilth — Kar-sab-matemas — Wik-sish to hauk matemas — I ya-ish kah shittle — As-smootish warish matemas. — Which signifies, Good, or great God, let me live — Not be sick — Find the enemy — Not fear him — Find him asleep, and kill a great many of him. During the whole of this period, they have no intercourse with their women, and for a week, at least, before setting out, abstain from feasting or any kind of merriment, appearing thoughtful, gloomy, and more e, and for the last three daya, are almost constantly in the water, both day and night, scrub- bing and lacerating themselves in a terrible manner. Maquina having informed Thompson and myself that he should take us with him, was very solicitous that we should bathe and scrub ourselves in the same way with them, telling me that it would harden our skins so that the weapons of the enemy would not pierce them, but as we felt no great inclination to amuse our- selves in this manner^ we declined it. The expedition consisted of forty canoes, carrying from ten to twenty men each. Thompson and myself armed ourselves with cutlasses and pistols, but the natives, although they had a plenty of European arms, took with them only their daggers and cheetoolths, with a few bows and arrows, the latter being about a yard in length, and pointed with copper, muscle shell, or bone ; the bows are four feet and a half long, with strings made of whale sinew. To go to A-y-chart, we ascended from twenty to thirty miles, a river about the size of that of Tashees, th<^ banks oi which are high and covered with wood. , At midnight, we came in sight of the village, which was situated on th& west bank near the shore, on a steep hill difficult of access, and well cmlculatQd for defeoea It ooasistsd of fifleen or sizteea >■ •<■ I I \ I ,1 F i M i i 260 KABBATIVE OF JOHK B. JEWTTT. houses, smaller than those of Nootka, and built in the same style, but compactly placed. By Maquina's directions, the attack was deferred until the first appearance of dawn, as he said that was th« time when men slept the soundest \. • At length all being ready for the attack, we landed with fhe greatest silence, and going around so as to come upon the foe in file rear, clambered up the hill, and while the natives, as is tilieir custom, entered the several huts, creeping on all fours, my com- rade and myself stationed ourselves without to intercept those who should attempt to escape, or come to the aid of their friends. I wished if possible, not to stain my hands in the blood of any fellow creature, and though Thompson would gladly have put to death all the savages in the country, he was too brave to think of attack- ing a sleeping enemy. Having en tered the houses, on the war-whoop bemg given by Maquina, as he »iezed the head of the chief, and gave him the fatal blow, all pro'jeeded to the work of death. The A-y-charts being thus surprised, were unable to make resistance, and with the exception of a very few, were all killed oi taken j>risoner8 on condition of becoming slaves to their captors. I also nad the good fortune to take four captives, whom Maquina as a favor, permitted me to consider as mine, and occasionally employ them in fishing for me ; as for Thompson, who thirsted for revenge, he had no wisn to take any prisoners, but with his cutlass the only weapon he would employ against them, succeeded in killing seven stout fellows, who came to attack him, an act which obtained bisi ^jiMt ccidit with Ma<|uinA »ad the obiefs, who altovtbifl^ held ' ■ I i V 1! MABftATIVK OF JOHN ». JIWITT 161 bim in much higldr estimation, anH ^avo him the appellatko of Chc!iiel-8uma-har, it being the name of a very celebrated warrior of their nation in ancient times, whose exploits wero the constant theme of their praise. After having put to death all the oid and infirm of either sex, as is the barbarous practice of these people, and destroy- ed the buildings, we re-embarked with our booty in our canoc8| for Nootka, where we were received with great demonstrations of joy by ihe women and children, accompanying our war song with a most furious drumming on the houses. The next day a great feast was given by Maquina, in celebration of his victory, which was terminated as usual with a dance by Sat- sat-sak-sis. Repeated application had been made to Maquina, by a number of kings or chiefs, to purchase me, especially afler he had shown them the harpoons I had made for him, which he took much pride in, but he constniitly refused to part with me on any terms. — Among these, the king of the Wickin- ninish was particularly solicitous to obtain me, having twice applied to Maquina for that purpose, once in a very formal manner, by sending his messenger with four canoes, who as he approached the shore, decorated in their highest style, with the white down on his head, &(.c. declared that he came to buy Tooteyoohannis, the name by which I was known to them, for his master, and that he had brought for tnat purpose four young male slaves, two highly ornamented canoes, such a number of skins of the metamelth, and of the quartlack, or sea-otter, and so many fathoms of cloth, and of i-whaw, while as he mentioned the different articles, they were pointed out or held up by his attendants^ but even this tempting offer had no influence on Maquina ; who in the latter pan of the sum- mer, was again very strongly urged to sell me by (Jlatilla, or chief of the Klaizzarts, who had con^e to Nootka on a visit. This chief, who could speak tolerable English, had much more the ap|)earance of a civilized man than any of the sav- ages that I saw. He appeared to be about thirty, was rather small in his person, but extremely well formed, with a skin almost as fair as that of an European, ^ood features, and a countenance expressive of candor and amiableness, and which was almost always hriglitened with a .smile. He was much neater both in his dress and person than any of the other chiefs, seldom wearing paint, except upon his eye-brows, which afler the custom of his country, were plucked out, and a faa strips of the pelpeltb on the lower part of his face. Ha NAARATITB OV JOHN B. JIWITT. I >, U always treated me with much kindness, was fond «f conTeri^ ing with me in English and in his own language, asking me many questions relative to my country, its manners, custonui) kc. and appeared to take a strong interest in my fate, telling me, that if he could persuade Maquina to part with me, he would put me on board the first ship that came to his country; a promise, which from his subsequent conduct, I have good reason to think he would have performed, as my deliverance, at length, from captivity and suffering was, under the favor of divine providence, wholly owing to him, the only letter that ever reached an European or American vessel, out of sixteen that I wrote at different times, and sent to various parts of the coast, having been delivered by him in person. So much pleased was f with this man's behavior tome while at Nootka, that I made for him a Cheetoolth, which I burnished highly, and engraved with figures ; with this he was greatly delighted, [ also would have made for him a harpoon would Maquina ha^e consented. With hearts full of dejection and almost lost to hope, no ship having appeared off Nootka this season, did my companion and myaelf accompany the tribe on their removal in September to Tashees, relinquishing in consequence, for six months, even the remotest expectation of relief. Soon afler our estabhshment there, Maquina informed me, that, he and his chiefs had held council both before and afler quitting Nootka, in which they had determined that I must marry one of their women, urging as a reason to induce me to consent, that as there was no probability of a ship coming to Nootka to release me, that I must consider myself as destmed to pass the remainder of my life with them, that the sooner I conformed to their customs the better, and that a wife and family would render me more contented and satisfied with their mod^ of living. I remonstrated against this decision, but to no purpojae, for hie told me that should I refuse, both Thompson and myself would be put to death, telling me however, that if there were none of the women of his tribe that pleased me, ha would go with me to some of the other tribe, where he woald pi'jrchase for me such an one as I should select. Reduced to this sad extremity, with deatii on the one side, and matrimony on the other, 1 thought proper to choose what appeared to ma the least of the two evils, and consent to be in?.rried, on con- dition, that as I did not fancy any of the Nootka women, I ihould be permitted to make choice of one firoro some otti»^ tribe ■ABmAtin jy jom i. ibwitv. This being settled, the next morning by daylight Mmquins irith about fifly men in twn canoes, set out with me for A>i- tiz-zart, taking with him h quantity of cloth, a number of mu»> kets, sea-otter okinf , &c. for the purchase of my bride. With the aid of our paddles and sails being favoured with a fair breeze, we ariived soinc time before sunset at the village Our arrival excited a general alarn»^ and the men hastened to the shore, armed with the weapons of their country, making many warlike demonstrations, and displaying much zeal and activity. We in the mean time remained quietly seated in our canoes, where we remained for about half an hour, when the messenger of the chief, dressed in their best manner, came to welcom'' us, and invite us on shore to eat. We followed him in procession to the chief ^s house, Maquina at our head, taking care to leave a sufficient number in the boats to protect the property. When we came to the house, we were ushered in with much ceremony, and our respective seats pointed out to us, mine being next to Maquina by his request. After having been regaled with a feast of herring spawn and oil, Maquina asked me if I saw any among the women who were present that I liked, 1 immediately pointed out to him a young girl of about seventeen, the daughter of Upquesta, the chief, who was sitting near him by her mother. On this Ma- quina making a sign to his men, arose and taking me by the hand, walked into the middle of the room, and sent ofi'two of his men to bring the boxes containing the presents from the canoes. In the mean time Kinneclimmets, the master of ceremonies, whom I have already spoken of, made himseli ready for the part he was to act, by powdering his hair with the white down. When the chests were brought in, speci- mens of the several articles were taken out, and shewed by our men, one of whom held up a musket, another a skin^ a third a piece of cloth. Sec. On this Kinneclimmets stepped forward, and addressing the chief, informed him that all these belonged to me, mentioning the number of each kind, and that they were offered him foi the purchase of his daughter Eu-stoch-ee-exqua, as a wife for me. As he said this, the men who held up the various articles, walked up to the chief, and with a very stern and morose look, the complimentary one on *hese occasions, threw them at his feet. Immediately on which, all the tribe, both men and women, who were assem- bled on this occasion, set up a cry of Kiack-ko-Tyee, that is, Thank ye chief His men, after this ceremony, having re- hirned to their places, Maquina arose and in a speech of more ■J ■ -'M-i •84 KAMUTIVB or JOHN E JBWITT. ' St. than half an hour, said much in my prnise to the A-i-tta-zan chief, telling him that I was as good a man as themselves^ dif- fering from them only in be ing white, that I was besides ac- ?uainted with many things of which they were ignorant ; that knew how to make daggers, cheetoolth, and harpoons, and was a very valuable person, whom he was determined to keep always with him ; praising me at the same time for the good- ness of my temper and the manner in which I had conducted since I had been with them, observing that all the people of Nootka, and even the children loved me. While Maquina was speaking, his master of ceremonies was continually skipping about, making the most extravagant gestures, and exclaiming Wocash. When he hc» ' 'teased, the A-i-tiz-zart chief arose amidst the acclamations ol his people, and began with setting forth the many good qualities and ac- complishments of his daughter ; that he loved her greatly, and as she was his only one, he could not think of parting with her. He spoke in this manner for some time, but finally concluded by consenting to the proposed union, requesting that she might be well used and kindly treated by her hus- band. At the close of this speech, «vhen the chief began to manifest a disposition to consent to our union, Kinneclimmets again began to call out as loud as he could bawl, Wocash, cut- ting a thousand capers and spinning himself around on his heel like a top. When Upquestra had finished his speech, he directed his people to carry back the presents which Maquina had given him, to me, together witi two young male slaves to assist me in fishing. These, afler having been placed before me, were by Maquina's men taken on board the canoes. This cere- mony being over, we were invited by one of the principal chiefs to a feast at his house, of Klussamit, or dried herring, where after the eating was over, Kinneclimmets amused the company very highly with his tricks, and the evening's enter- tainment was closed by a new war-song from our men, and one in return from the A-i-tiz-zi*rts, accompanied with expres- •ive gestures, and wielding of their weapons. Af\er this, our company returned to lodge at Upquestra a, except a few who were left on board th( canoe to wal;ch the property. In the morning I received from the chief his daughter, with an earnest request that I would use her well, which I promised him, when taking leave of her parents, she accompanied me with apparent satisfaction on board of thm oanoe MAmmATivB or johm m. jbwitt. tsi The wind being ahead, the natives were obliged to hare re- course to their paddles, accompanying them with their songs, interspersed with the witticisms and buifoonry of Kinneclim- mets, who, in his capacity of king's steersman, one of his functions which I forgot to enumerate, not only guided the course of the canoe, but regulated the singing of the boat- men. At about five in the morning, we reached Tasheos, where we found all the inhabitants collected on the shore to receive us. We were welcomed with loud shouts of joy, and exclamations of Wocash, and the women taking my bride under their charge, conducted her to Maquina's house, to be kept with them for ten days ; it being an universal custom as Maquina informed me, that no intercourse should take place between the new married pair during that period. At night Maquina gave a great feast, which was succeeded by a dance, in which all the women joined, and thus ended the festivities of my marriage. The term of my restriction over, Maquina assigned me as an apartment, the space in the upper part of his house, between him and his elder brother, whose room was opposite. Here I established myself with my family, consisting of myself and wife, Thompson and the little Sat-sat-sak-sis, who haJ always been strongly attached to me, and now solicited his father to let him live with me, to which he consented. This boy was handsome, extremely well formed, amiable, and of a pleasant, sprightly disposition. I used to take a pleasure in decorating him with rings, bracelets, ear jewels, &.c. which I made for him of copper, and ornamented and polished them in my best manner. I was also very careful to keep him free from ver- min of every kind, washing him and combing his hair everj day. These marks of attention were not only very pleasing to the child, who delighted in being kept neat and clean, as well as in being dressed off in his finery, but was highly gratifying both to Maquina and his queen, who used to ex- press much satisfaction at my care of him. In making my domestic establishment, I determined, as far as possible, to live in a more comfortable and cleanly manner than the others. For this purpose, I erected with planks, a partition of about three feet high, between mine and the adjom- ing rooms, and made three bedsteads of the same, which I sover- ed with boards, for my family to sleep on, which I found much more comfortable than sleeping on the floor amidst the dirt. Fortunately I found my Indian princess both amiable andin* telligent, for one whose limited sphere of observation must Win I li jiAlUUtiTt OP sonn n. JSffivff. eefMuily give rise to but a few ideas . She wm extremelj iMulf to agree to any thing that 1 proposed relative to our mode of living, was very attentive in keeping her garments and person neat and clean, and appeared in every respect, solicitous to please me. She was, as I have said, about seventeen ; her person was small, but well formed, as were her features, her complexion was, without exception, fairer than any of the women, with considerable color in her cheeks, her hair long, black, and much soAer than is usual with them, and her teeth small, even, and of a dazzling whiteness, while the expres- sion of her countenance, indicated sweetness of temper and modesty. She would, indeed, have been corisidered as very pretty, in any country, and excepting Maquina's queen, was by far the handsomest of any of their women. With a partner possessing so many attractions, many may be apt to conclude, that I must have found myself happy, at least comparatively so ; but far otherwise was it with me, a compulsory marriage with the most i)eautiful and accomplished person in the world, can never prove a source of real happiness, and in my situation, I could not but view this connection as a chain that was to bind me down to this savage land, and prevent my ever again seeing a civilized country ; especially, when in a few days after, Maquina informed me tljat there had been a meeting of his chiefs in which it was determined, that as I had married one of their women, I must be considered as one of them, and conform to their customs, and that in future, neither myself nor Thompson should wear our European clothes, but dress in Kutsaks like themselves. This order was to me most painful, but I persuaded Maquina, at length, so far to relaii m it as to permit me to wear those I had at present, which were almost worn out, and not to compel Thompson to change nis dress, observing, that as he was an old man, such a change would cause his death. Their religious celebration, which the lao» year took place m December, was in this, commenced on the 15th of November, and continued for fourteen days. As I was now considered as one of them, instead of being ordered to the woods, Ma- quina directed Thompson and myself to remain, and pray with them to Quahootze to be good to them, and thank him for what he had done. It was opened in much the same manner as the former. After which, all the men and women in the village assembled at Maquina's house, in their plainest dresses, and without any kind of ornaments about them, hav> wg their heads bound around witi the red fillet, a token of r^ KAMATrVB or JOBlf ft. JIWITT. jejection and humiliation, and their coonteminces ^zpreamT* of soriousness and. melancholy. The performance dunng the continuance of this celebration, consisted almost wholly in singing a number of songs to mournful airs, the king regulat- ing the time by beating on his hollow plank or drum, accom panied by one of his chiefs, seated near him with the great rattle. In the mean time, they eat but seldom, and then very little, retiring to sleep late, and rising at the first appearance of dawn, and even interrupting this short period of repose, by getting up at midnight and singing. It was terminated by an exhibition of a similar character to the one of the last year, but still more cruel, A boy of twelve years old, with sii bayonets run into his flesh, one through each arm and thigh, and through each side close to the ribs, was carried around the room, suspended upon them, without manifesting any symp- toms of pain. Maquina, on my enquiring the reasons of this display, informed me that it was an ancient custom of his nation, to sacrifice a man at the close of this solemnity in honor of their God, but that his father'had abolished it, and substituted this in its place. The whole closed on the evening of the 29th, with a great feast of salmon spawn and oil, at which the natives as usual, made up for their late abstinence. A few days after a circumstance occurred, which, from its singularity, I cannot forbear mentioning. I was sent for by ray neighbor Yealthlower, the king's elder brother, to file his teeth, which operation having performed, he informed me that a new wife, whom he had a little time before purchased, hav- ing refused to sleep with him, it was his intention, provided she persisted in her refusal, to bite oflT her nose. I endeavor- ed to dissuade him from it, but he was determined, and in fact, performed his savage threat that very night, saying that since she would not be h>s wife, she should not be that of any other, and in the morning sent her back to her father. This inhuman act did not, however, proceed from any innate crjelty of dispositio.1, or malice, as he was far from being of a barbarous temper ; but such is the despotism exercised by these savages over their women, that he no doubt considered it as a just punishment for her offence, in being so obstinate and perverse ; as he afterwards told me, that in similar cases, the husband had a right, with them, to disfigure his wife in this way, or some other, to prevent her ever marrying again. About the middle of December, we left Tashees for Coo|^^ tee. As usual at this season, we found the herring in groat plenty^ and here the same scene of riotous feasting as I wit* M8 WABEATITB OV JOIlf S. llWITf. oeMed the lait year, was renewed by our impro? ident iiali?Mi wbO) in addition to their usual fare, had a plentiAil auppljr of wild geese, which were brought us in great quantities by the Esquates. These, as Maquinu informed me, were caught with nets made from bark, in the fresh waters of that country. Those who take them, make choice for that purpose, of a dark ar.d rainy night, and with their canoes stuck with lighted torches, proceed with as little noise as possible, to the place where the geese aro collected, who, dazzled by the light, suffer themselves to be approached very near, when the net is thrown over them, and in this manner, from fifty to sixty, or even more, will sometimes be taken at one cast. On the 15th of January, 1805, about midnight, I was thrown urio considerable alarm, in consequence of an eclipse of the moon* being awakened from my sleep by a great outcry of the inhabitants. On going to discover the cause of this tumult, I found them all out of their houses, bearing lighted tor<^e8, singing and beating upon pieces of plank, and when I asked them the reason of this proceeding, they pointed to the moon, and said that a great cod-fish was endeavoring to swallow lier, and that they were driving him away. The origin of this su- perstition I could not discover. On the 20th of Feb. we returned to ar summer quarters at Nootka, but on my part, with far different sensations than the last spring, being now almost in despaii of any vessel ar- riving to release us, or our being permitted to depart if there should. Soon afler our return, as preparatory to the whaling season, Maquina ordered me to make a good number of har- poons for himself and his chiefs, several of which I had com- pleted with some lances, when on the 16th of March, I was taken very ill with a violent cholic, caused, I presume, from my having suffered so much froni the cold in going without proper clothing. For a number of hours I was in great pain, and expected to die, and on its leaving me, I was so weak as scarcely to be able to stand, while I had nothing comforting to take, nor any thing to drink but cold water. On the day fol- lowing a slave belonging to Maquina died, and was immediate- ly, as is their custom in such cases, toesed unceremoniously out of doors, from whence he was taken by some others, and thrown into the water. The treatment of this poor creature made a melancholy impression upon my mind, as I could not but think, that such probably would be my fate, should I die amone these heathen, and so far from receiving a decent bu- ria), that I should not even be allowed the conunon privilege of having a little earth thrown over my remains. or JOHiv R. Jiwtrr. The feebleness in which the violent attack of my disorder bad eft me, the dejection I felt at the almost hopelessness of my situation, and the want of warm clothing ana proper nursing, though my Indian wife, aa far as she knew how, wan always ready, and even solicitous, to do every thing for me she could, still kept me very much indisposed, which Maquina perceiv- ing, be finally told me, that ii' I did not like living with my wife, and that was the cause of my being so sad, I might part w'th her. This proposal I readily accepted, and the nest day Maquinn sent her back to her father. On parting with mc, she discovered much emotion, begging me that I would suffer her to remain until I had recovered, as there was no one (o take so good care of me as herself. But when I told her she must go, for that I did not think I should ever recover, which in truth I but little expected, and that her father would take good care of her, and treat her much more kindly than Ma- quina, she took an affectionate leave, telling me that she hoped I should soon get better, and leaving he** two slaves to take care of me. Though I rejoiced at her departure, I ''^as greatly affected with the simple expressions of her regard for me, and could not but feel strongly interested for this poor girl, who in all her conduct towards me, had discovered so much mildness and attention to my wishes; and had it not been that I consid- ered her as an almost insuperable obstacle to my being per- mitted to leave the country, I should i ) doubt have felt the deprivation of her society a real loss. Afler her departure, 1 requested Maquina, that, as I had parted with my wife, he would permit me to resume my European dress, for, other- wise, from not having been accustomed to dress like them, I should certainly die. To this he consented, and I once more became comfortably clad. Change of clothing, but more than all, the hopes which I now began to indulge, that in the course of the summer I should be ablp, to escape, in a short time restored me to health, 60 far, that 1 could again go to work in making harpoons for Mnquina, who, probably fearing that he should have to part with me, determined to provide himself with a good stock. I shall not however, longer detain the reader with a detail of occurrences that intervened between this period, and that of my escape, which, fron) that dull uniformity that marks the Ravage life, would be in a measure, but repetitions, nor dwell upon that mental torture I endured, from a constant conflict of hope wad fear, when the former, almost wearied out with r»> ^« I IV'IHPU I ii !. ■ / IIABAATITB OV JOHlf E. JIWITT poated dumppointment, ofTcrcd to our sinking hearts no pro«« Dcct of release, but death, to wiiicli we were constantly ex- posed from the brutal ignorance and savage disposition ol the common people, who in the various councils that were held this season to determine what to do with us, in case of the arrival of a ship, were almost always for putting us to deathy expecting by that means to conceal the murder of our creW| and to throw the blame of it on some other tribe. These bar^ bnrous sentiments, were, however, uniformly opposed by Ma- quina and his chiefs, who would not consent to our being in- jured. The Nootkians in their conduct towards each other, are in general pacific and inoffensive, and appear by no means an ill- tempered race, for I do not recollect any instance of a violent quarrel between any of the men, or the men and their wives, while I was with them, that of Yealthlower excepted. But when they are in the least offended, they appear to be in the most violent rage, acting like so many maniacs, foaming at the mouth, kicking and spitting most furiously; but this is rather a fashion with them, than a demonstration of malignity, as in their public speeches, they use the same violence, and he is esteemed the greatest orator, who bawls the loudest, stampSi .osses himself about, foams and spits the most. In speaking of their regulations, I have omitted mentioning, that on attaining the age of seventeen, the eldest son of a chief, is considered as a chief himself, and that whenever the father makes a present, it is always done in the name of his son, or if he has none, in that of his daughter. The chiefs frequently purchase their wives at the age of eight or ten, to prevent their being engaged by others, though they do not take them from their parents until they arc sixteen. , With regard to climate, the greater part of the spring, sum- mer, and autumn, is very pleasant, the weather being at no time oppressively hot, and the winters uncommonly mild, for so high a latitude, at leojst as far as my experience went. At Tashees and Cooptee, where we passed the coldest part of the season, the winter did not set in till late in December, nor have I ever known the ice, even on the fresh water ponds more than two or three inches in thickness, or a snow exceed ing four inches in depth, but what is wanting in snow, is am- ply made up in rain, as I have frequently known it during the winter months, rain almost incessantly for five or six days in succession. It WM «ow past mid-sunimer, ani the hopes we had in* / ^^mmmmm NAAmATlVB OF JOHN R. JIWITT tvi iulfled of our releve, became daily more faint, for thoufh w« hacT heard of no less than seven vosnels on the coast, yet none appeared inclined to venture to Nootka. The destruction of the Boston, the largest, strongest, and best equipped ship, with much the most valuable cargo of any that hud ever been fit- ted out for the North-West trade, had inspired the comman- ders of others with a general dreadof coming thither, lest they ' should share the same fate; and though in the letter I wrote (imploring those who should receive them, to come to Ihe relief of two unfortunate Christians who were suffering among heathen) I stated the cause of the Boston's capture, and that there was not the least danger in coming to Nootka, oroviued they would follow the directions I laid down, still I felt very little encouragement, that any of these letters would come to hand, when on the morning of the nineteenth of July, a day that will be ever held by me in grateful remembrance, of the mercies of God, while I was employed with Thompson in for- ?;ing daggers for the king, my ears were saluted with the joy- ill sound of three cannon, and the cries of the inhabitants, exclaiming, Weena, Weena — Mamethlee — that is, strangers — white men. Soon after several of our people, came running into the house, to inform me that a vessel under full sail was coming into the harbour. Though my heart bounded with joy, I re- pressed my feelings, and affecting to pay no attention to what was said, told Thompson to be on his guard, and not betray any joy, as our release, and perhaps our lives, depended on our conducting ourselves so as to induce the natives to sup- pose we were not very anxious to leave them. We continued our work as if nothing had happened, when in a few minutes after, Maquina came in, and seeing us at work, appeared much surprised, and asked me if I did not know that a vessel had come. I answered in a careless manner, that it was nothing tome. How, John, y 3u no glad go board. I replied that I cired very little about it, as I had become reconciled 'to their manner of living, and had no wish to go away. He then toid me, that he had called a council of his people res- pecting us, and w^e must leave off work and be present at it. The men having assembled at Maquina's house, he asked them what was their opinion should be done with Thompson «nd myself now a vessel had arrived, and whether he had not better go on board himself, to make a trade, and procure such articles as were wanted. Each one of the tribe who wUhed. Some were for puttins ui to death. «i« • ^'1 gATe nil opinion. ipsp "ip.l ip ) f^sisr NikSSATIVI Oa' JOHN R. JBWITT. {>retending to the strangeu, that a different nation had cut off owinnakinnish, were for immediately releasing us; but this, if he could avoid it, by no means appeared to accord with Maquina's wishes Having mentioned Toowinnakinnish, i shall briefly observe, that he was a young man of about twenty-three years old, the only son of Toopeeshottee, the oldest and most respected chief of the tribe. His son had always been remarkably kind and friendly to me, and I had in leturn frequently made for him daggers, cheetoolths, and other things, in my best man- ner He was one of the handsomest men among them, very amiable, and much milder in his manners than any of the oth- ers, as well as neater both in his person and house, at least his apartment, without even excepting Maquina. With regard, however, co JVlaquina's going on board the vessel, which he discovered a p*rong inclination to do, there was but one opinion, all remonstrating against it, telling him that the captain would kill him or keep him a prisoner, in con- sequence of his having destroyed our ship. When Maquina had heard their opinions, he told them that he was not afraid of being hurt from going on board the vessel, but that he would, however, -n that respect, be guided by John, whom he had always found true. He then turned to me, and asked me if I thought there would be any danger in his going on board. I answered, that I was not surprised at the advice his people had given him, unacquainted as they were wit'» the mannei of the white men, and judging them by their own, but if they had been with them as much as I had, or even himself, they would think very different. That he had a)mcit always experienced good and civil treatment from them, nor had he any reason to tear the contrary now, as thr^y never nttemj ted to harm those who did not injure th^i-m, and if he wished to go on board, he might do iij in my opinion, with security. — After reflecting a few moments, he sa\d with much apparent satisfaction, that if I would write a letter to the captain, tolling him good of him, that he had treated Thompson and myse.'f kindly since we had been with him, and to use him well, he would go. It may readily Le supposed that I felt much joy at this determination, but knowing that the Isaf^c incaution might annihilato all wy 1 I «■! HASAATlTl Of JOBM R. JftWItT. tts ' hopes of escape, I was careful not to manifest it, and to treiA his ffoing or staying as a matter perfectly indifferent to om. I told him that if he wished me to write such a letter, I had no objection, as it was the truth, otherwise I could not hav* done it. I then proceeded to write the recommendatory letter, which the reader will naturally imagine w&a of a somewhat difierent tenor from the one he had required; for if deception is in any case war antable, it was certainly so in a situation like ours, where the only chance of regaining that freedom of which we had been so unjustly deprived, depended upon it; and I trust that few, even of the most rigid, will condemn mc with sever- ity for making use of it, on an occasion which afforded me the only hope of everi^'tre beholding a Christian country, and preserving myself if not fro ~ death, at least from a life of con<> rinued suffering. The letter which I wrote, was nearly in the following terms : — Nootka, July 19, 180C. To Captain , of the Brig Sir, — The bearer of this letter is the Indian king by the name of Maquina. He was the. instigator of the capture of the ship Boston, of Boston in North America, John Salter captain, and of the murder of twenty-five men of her crew, the only two sarvivors being now on shore — Wherefore I hope you will take care '.o confine him according to nis merits, put- ting in your read lights, and keeping so good a watch over him, that he cannot escape from you. Ky so doing, we shall be able to obtain our release in the course of a few hours. - _ JOHN R. JEWITT, Jirmourer of the Botton, for hinuelf and JOHN THOMPSON, 8aii Maker of $cid 8Mp. I havf been asked how ! dared to write in this manner: my answer is, that from my long residence among these people. I knew that 1 had little to apprehend ^rom their anger on hear- ing of their king being confined, while they knew his fife de- pended upon my release, and th^t they would sooner have given up five hundred white men, (ban have had h'm injured This will serve to explain the little apprehension 1 felt at their menaces afterwards, for oth'irwise, sweet as liberty wm to one, I should hardly have ventured on so hazardo>i8 u fxperiment. TO*. I. !*• mmm r-^Vt.-j ' ■ tV4 VABBATITB OF JOHN E. HWITT. Mi On my giving the letter to Maquina, he asked me to ezplaii St to him. This I did line by line, as he pointed thera out with Mb finger, but in a sense very different from the real, giving aim to understand that I had written to the captain, that ai he had been kind to me since I hud been taken by him, that it was my wish thaf the captain should treat him accordingly, and give him what molasses, biscuit and rum he wanted. When I had finished, placing his finger in a significant man- nei on my name at the bottom, and eyeing me with a look that seemed to read my inmost thoughts, he said to me, — " John, you no lie ?'* Never did I undergo such a scrutiny, or evir experience greater apprehensions than I felt at that moment, when my destiny was suspended on the slightest thread, and the least mark of embarrassment on mine, or suspicion of treachery on his part, would probably have rendered my life the sacrifice. Fortunately I was able to preserve my com- posure, and my being painted in the Indian manner, which Maquina had since my marriage required of me, prevented any change in my countenance from being noticed, and I re- plied with considerable ftromptitude, looking at him in my turn, v;ith all the confidence I could muster, '* Why do you aak me such a question, Tyce ? have you ever known me to lie?" "No." "Then how can you suppose I should tell yoiu a lie now, since I hf.ve never done it." As I was speak- mg, he still continued looking at me with the same piercing eye, but observing notliing to excite his suspicion, he told me that he believed what I said was* true, and that he would go on board, and gave orders to get ready his canoe. Hii chiefs agam attempted to dissuade him, using every argument for that purpose, while his wives crowded around him, beg- ging him on their knees, not to trust himself with the white men. Fortunately for my companion and myself, so strong was his wish of going on board the vessel, titv. he was deaf to their solicitations, and making no other reply to them, than, "John no lie," left the house, taking four prime skins witli him as a present to the captain. Scarcely had the canoe put off, when he ordered his men to stop, and calling to me, asked me if I did not want to ffo on board with him. Suspecting this as a question merely m- tended to . nsnare me, I replied that I had no wish to do it| not having any desire to leave them. On going on board the brig, Manuina immediately gave hit present of skins and my letter to the captain, who on reading Uf aahed him into the cabin, where he gave him some biM'ir ■ mmmmmm HAmftATITV OF JOHN riWITT. fTi ,. and a glasa of rum, at the same time, priTately directiag hia mate to go forward, and reiurn with nve or six of the mes armed. VVhen they appeared, the captsin told Maquina that he was his prisoner, and should continue so, until the two men, whom he knew to bo on shore, were released, si the same time ordering him to be put in irons, and the windowa secured, which was instantly done, and a couple of men pla- ced as a guard over him. Maquina was greatly slurprised and terrified at the reception ; he however made no attempt to resist, but he requested^ the captam to permit one of his men to come and see him. One of them was accordingly called, and MaqutP * said something to him which the captain did not understand hut supposed to he an order to relea^ie us, when the man returning to the canoe, it was paddled off with the utmost expedition to the shore. As the canoe approached, the inhabi- tants, who nad all collected upon the beach, manifested some uneasiness at not seeing their king on board, but when on ita arrival, they were told that the captain had made him a prisoner, and that John had spoke bad about him in the letter, they all both men and women, set up a loud howl, and ran backwards and forwards upon the shore like so many lunatica, scratching their faces, and tearing the hair in handfuls froia their heads. After they had beat about in this manner for some time, the men ran into their huts for their weapons, as if preparing to attack fin invading enemy ; while Maquina^s wives and the rest of the women, came around me, and throwing themselvea on their knees, begged me with tears to spare his life, and Sat-sat-sak-sis, who kept constantly with me, taking rne by the hand, wept bitterly, and joined his entreaties to theirs, that I would not let the white men kill his father. T told them not to afnict themselves, that Maquina's life was in no danger, nor would the least harm be done to him. The men were however, extremely exasperated with me, more particularly the common people, who came running in the most urious manner towards me, brandishing their wea- pons, end hreatening to cut me in pieces no bigger than their thumb naiis, while others declared they would burn me alive over a slow fire, suspended by my heels. All this fury, how- ever, caused me but little alarm, as I felt convinced they would not dare to execute their threats while the king was on lidurd the bvig. The chiefs took no part in this violent con- duct, but came to mc, and enquired the reason why Maquina bad been thus treated, and if the captain intended to kill him wi ff wp inffif ffyww" mm !FiPf IC»" I ' tt6 •TAiiiAtiTi ot JOHN ft. Jiwirr. I told them that if they would eilence the people, so that 1 could be heard, I would explain all to them. They immedi- ately put a stop to the noise, when I informed them that th« captain in confining Maquina, had done it of his own accord, and only in order to make them release Thompson and my- self, as he well knew we were with them, and if they would do that, their king would receive no injury, but be well treat* ed, otherwise he would be kept a prisoner As many of thrm did not appear to be satisfied with this, and began to repeat their murderous threats — Kill me, said I to them, if it is your wish, throwing open the bear skin which I wore, here is my breast, I am only one among so many, and can make no re- sistance* but unless you wish to see your king hanging by his neck. to that pole, pointing to the yard arm of the brig, and the sailors firing at him with bullets, you will not do it. O no, was the general cry, that must never be ; but what must we do ? I told them that their best plan would be, to send Thomp- son on board, to desire the captain to use Maquina well till I was released, which would b « soon. This they were perfectly willing to do, and I directed/ Thompson to go on board. But ae objected, saying that he would not leave me alone with the savages. I told him nol to be under any fear for me, for that if I could get him off, I could mantige well enough for myself, and that I wished him inimediately on getting on board the briff to see the captain and request him to keep Maquina close tiH I was released, as I was in no danger while he had him safe. When I saw Thompson off, I asked the natives what they intended to do with me . They said I must talk to the captain again in another letter, and tell him to let his boat come oo shore with Maquina, and that I should be ready to jump into the boat at the same time Maquina should jump on shore. I told them that the captain, who knew that they had killed my shipmates, would never trui>t hi^ men so near the shore for fear they would kill them too, as they were so much more numerous, but that if they would select any three of their number to go with me ui a canoe, when we came within hail, I could desire the captain to send his boat with Maquina, to receive me in exchange for him. This appeared to please them, and after some whispering among the chiefs, who from what words I overheard, cor.otud- ed that if the captain should refuse to send his boat with Ma- quina, the three men would have no difhculty in bringing me back with them, they agreed to my proposal, and selected three of tstair stoutest mon to convey me. Fortunately F;t\Tiiig SWiJf »,'"*•'- <^mm NARRATIVE OF JOHN ft JEWITT. fW oeen for some time accustomed to see me arnied, and rasped- ing no design on my part, they paid no attention to the putolf jhat I had about me. As 1 was going into the canoe, little Sat-sat-sak-sis, who could not bear to part with mo, asked me, with an affecting simplicity, since I was going away to leave him, if the white men would not let his father come on shore, and not kill him. I told him not to be concerned, for that no one should injure hif father, when taking an affectionate leave of me, and again beg- ging me not to let the white men hurt his father, he ran to comfort his mother, who was at a little distance, with the as- surances I had given him On entering the canoe, 1 seated myself in the prow facing the three men, having determined if it was practicable, from the moment I found Maquina was secured, to get on board the vessel before he was released, hoping by that means, to be enabled to obtain the restoration of what property belong- ing to the Boston, still remained in the possession of the sav- ages, which I thought, if it could be done, a duty that I owed to the owners. With feelings of joy impossible to be describ- ed, did I quit this savage shore, confident now that nothing could thwart my escape, or prevent the execution of the plan I had formed, as the men appointed to convey and guard me, were armed with nothing but their paddles. As we came within hail of Hie brig, they at once ceased paddling, when presenting my pistols at them, I ordered them instantly to go on, or I would shoot the whole of them. A proceeding so wholly unexpected, threw them into great consternation, and resuming their paddles, in a few moments, to my inexpressible delight, I onct! more found myself along side of a Christian ship, a happiness which I had almost despaired of ever again enjoying All the crew crowded to the side to see me as the canoe came up, and manifesttd much joy at my safety. I im- mediately leaped on board, where I was welcomed by the captain, Samuel Hill, of the brig Lydia of Boston, who con- gratulated me on my escape, informing ma that he had receiv- ed my letter on Kla-iz-zaat, from the chief Mackec f Jlatilla, who came ofT himseli' in his canoe, to deliver lit to him, o| which he immediately proceeded hither to pad me. I return, ed hiin my iihanks in the best manner I could for his huraunity, though I hardly knew what I said, such was the agitated state of my feelin^Tg at that moment, with joy for my escape, thank- fulness to the Supreme Being who had so nercifdlly preserved moi and gratitude to those whom be had rendered instruaieDt«L 'm^rmgfgf^nww tl% NAftftATITB Of JOHN B*. /■W«TT. in my delivery, that I have no doubt, that what with my atrangc dresa, being painted with red and black from head to foot, having a bear si3 WEST MA)r<, STREET WEBSVER.N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 tM ITAmmATITI OP JOHN ft. JBWlTff. our capture bad been received in England, sometime be(br« his sailing, and all my friends suppoHed me to have been mur- dered. From this young man, I received every attention and aid, that a feeling heart, interested in the fate of another, could confer. He supplied me with a new suit of clothes, and a hat, a small sum of money for my necessary expenses, and a number of little articles for sea-stores on my voyage to Amer- ica. I also gave him a letter for my father, in which I men* tioned my wonderful preservation, and escape, through the humanity of captain Hill, with whom 1 should return to Boston. This letter he enclosed to his father, by a ship that was just sailing, in consequence of which, it was received much earlier than it otherwise would have been W' 'eft China in February, 1807, and after a pleasant voy age of one hundred and fourteen days, arrived at Bostoc Arrival of the brig Lydia at Boston. My feelings on once more ftnding myself in a Christian coun- try, among a people speaking the same language with myself, may be more readily conceived than expressed. In the Post- Office in that place, I found a letter for me, from my mother, acknowledging the receipt of mine from China, expressing the great joy of my family on hearing of my being alive and well, whom they had a long time given up for dead, and requesting me to write to them on receiving her letter, which 1 according- ly did. While, in Boston, I was treated with much kindness and hospitality by the owners of the ship Boston, Messrs. Francis and Thomas Amory of that placj,to whom 1 feel my- self under great obligations for their kindness to me, and th« anistance which they so readily afibrded a stranger in di» i ttOlfUT TEICE .^' ■. A MONKEY TRICK In 1818, a vessel thai sailed Itetween WhitehRveij and Ja- maica embarked on her homeward voyage, and among other passengers, carried a female, who had at the breast a child only a few weeks old. One beautiful afternoon, the captain perceived a distant sail, and afler he had gratified his curios- ity, he politely offered his glass to his passenger, that she might obtain a clear view of the object. Mrs, B. had the baby in her arms ; she wrapped her shawl about the little innocent, and placed it on a sofa upon which she had been sitting. Scarcely had she applied her eye to the glass, when the helms- man exclaimed, " Good God ! see what the mischievous mon- key has done.' The reader may judge of the female's feel- ings, when, on turning round, she beheld the animal in the act of transporting her child apparently to the very top of the mast ! The monkey was a very large one, and so strong and active, that while it grasped the infant firmly with the one arm, it climbed the shrouds nimbly by the other, totally unem- barrassed by the weight of its burden. One look was suffi- cient for the terrified mother, and that look had well nigh been her last, and had it not been for the assistance of those around her, she would have fallen prostrate on the deck, where she was soon aflerwards stretched apparently a lifeless corpse. The sailors could climb as well as the monkey, but the latter watched their motions narrowly; and as it ascended higher up the mast the moment they attempted to put a foot on the shrouds, the captain became afraid that it would drop the child, and endeavored to escape by leaping from one mast to another. In the meantime the little innocent was heard to cry ; and though many thought it was suffering pain, their fears on this point was speedily dissipated when they observed the monkey mitating exactly the motions of a nurse, by dand- ling, soothing, and caressing its charge, and even endeavor- ing to hush it asleep. From deck the lady was conveyed into the cabin, and gradually restored to her senses. In the mean- time, the captain ordered every man to conceal himself below, and quietly took his own station on the cabin stair, where he could see all that passed without being seen. This plan hap- pily succeeded ; the monkey, on perceiving that the coast wu clear, cautiously descended from his loUy perch, and re> iJf 4^. 186 TMB ■DDTBTONB LIGHT ■•!»• placed the infant on the sofa, cold, fretful. anM pwrhapi frichir ened, but in every other respect as free from harm as wnea he took it up The humane searr.an had now a most arateful (ask to perform ; the babe was restored to its mother^ arms amidst tears, and thanks, and blessings. THE EDDYSTONE LIGHT HOUSE. This most celebrated light-house is built on the Eddystone rocks. These are situated nearly south-south-west from the middle of Plymouth sound, England, according to the true meridian. The distance from the port of Plymouth is nearly fourteen miles ; and from the promontory called Ramhead, about ten miles. They are almost in the line, but somewhat within it, which joins the Start and the Lizard points ; and as they lie nearly in the direction of vessels coasting up and down the channel, they were necessarily, before the establishment of light-houses, very dangerous, andoRen fatal to ships under such circumstances. Their situation, likewise, with regard to the Bay of Biscay, and the Atlantic Ocean, is such, that rhea teful roui MIMi stone 1 the true early lead, what nd as down iment mder sgard that TBB IDDTSTONI LIGHT HOUSB flfT they lie open to the swells of the bay and ocean from all south* western points of the compass, which swells are generally al- lowed by mariners to be very great and heavy in those seas, and particularly in the Bay of Biscay. It is to be observed that the soundings of the sea from the south-westward, towards the Eddystone, are from eighty fathomG to forty, and every where till you come near the Ec'.dystone, the sea is full thirty fathoms in depth ; so that all ^he heavy seas from the south- wet3t come uncontrolled upon tlie Eddystone rocks, and break :n then with the utmost fury. The brce and height of these seas is increased by the circumstance of the rocks stretching across the channel, in a north and south direction, to the length of above one hundred fathoms, and by their lying in a sloping manner towards the south-west quarter. This striving of the rocksj as it is technically called, does not cease at low water, but still goes on progressively ; so that, at fifty fathoms westward, 'here are twelve fathoms water, nor do they terminate alto- gether at the distance of a mile. From this configuration it happens, that the seas are swelled to such a degree in storms ana hard gales of wind, as to break on the rocks with the ut- most violence. The effect of this slope is likewise sensibly felt in moderate, and even in calm weather, for the liberation of the water, caused in the Bay of Biscay in hard gales, at south-west^ con- tinues in those deep waters for many days, though succeeded by a calm ; insomuch, that when the sea is to all appearance smooth and even, and its surface unruffled by the slightest breeze, yet those liberations still continuing, which are called the ground swell, and meeting the slope of the rocks, the sea breaks upon them in a frightful manner so as not only to ob- struct any work being done upon the rock, but even the landing upon it, when, figuratively speaking, you might go to sea in a walnut-sheU. A circumstance which still further increases the difficulty of working on the rocks is, there being a sudden drop of the surface of the rock, forming a step of about four and a half, or five feet high, so that the seaH, which in mode- rate weather come swelling to this part, meet so sudden a check, that they frequently fly to the heigh'; of thirty or forty feet. Notwithstanding these difficulties, it is not surprisin|^ that the dangers to which navigators were expcjed by the Eddy- atone rocks, should make a commercial nation desirous of bftving a light-house on them The wonder is, that any on* ..V l\- 998 THB IDDTtTONB LIGHT HOVtI. ■hould be iound hardy enough tu undertake the building Such a man was firdt found in the person of Henry Wiuitanly, (x Littlebury, in Essex, gent, who, in tlie year 1696, was furnish ed by the master, wardens and assistants, of the Trinity-house^ of Deptford Strond, with the necessary powers to carry the design into execution He entered upon this undertaking in < 1696, and completed it in four years. This gentleman was so certain of the stability of his structure, that he declared it to be his wish to be in it ^^ during the greatest storm that ever . blew under the face ofthe heavens." Mr. Winstanly was but too amply gratified in his wish, for while he was there with his workmen and light-keepers, that dreadful storm began, which raged most violently on the 26th of November, 1703, in the night ; and of all the accounts of the kind which history furnishes us with, we have none that has exceeded this in Great Britain, or was more injurious or extensive in its devastation. The next morning, November S7th, when the violence of the storm was so much abated that it could be seen whether the light-house had suffered by it, nothing appeared standing ; but, upon a nearer inspection, some of the large irons by which the work was fixed upon the rock still remained ; nor were any of the people, or any of the materials of the building, ever found afterwards. In 1709, another light-house was built of wood, on a very different construction, by Mr. John Rudyerd, then a silk mer- cer on Ludgate-hill. This was a very ingenious structure j after it had braved the elements for forty-six years, it was burnt to the ground in 1755. On the destruction of this light- house, that excellent mechanic and engineer Mr. Smeaton, was chosen as the fittest person to build another. It was with some difficulty that he was able to persuade the proprietors, that a stone building, properly constructed, would in all re- spects be preferable to one of wood ; but having at last con- vinced them, he turned his thoughts to the shape which was most suitable to a building so critically situated. Reflecting on the structure of the former buildings, it seemed a material fmprovement to procure, if possible, an enlargement of the base, without increasing the size of the waist, or that part of the building which is between the top of the rock, and the top of the solid work. Hence he thought a greater degree of strength and stiffness would be gained, accompanied with less resistance to the acting power. On this occasion, the natural figure of the waist, or bole, of a large spreading oak, occurred to Mr. Smeaton. " Let us (saya be) consider itf partieulai l\ i\ nra lODTITONB LIOMT MOVII. isf figure. Connected with its roots, which lie hid below ground, t rises from the surface with a large swelling base, wnich at .he he'^ht of one diameter is generally reduceo by an elegant curve, concave to the eye, to a diameter less by at least one third and sometimes to half its original base. From thence, its taper diminishing more slowly, ito sides by degrees come into n perpendicular, and for some height form a cylinder. After that, a preparation of more circumference becomes necessary, for the strong insertion and establishment of the principal boughs, which produces a swelling of its diameter. Now we can hardly doubt, but that every section of the tree is nearly of an equal strength in proportion to what it has to resist ; and were we to lop off i^s principal boughs, and expose it in that ■tate to a rapid current of water, we should find it as capable of resisting the action of the heavier fluid, when divested of the greater part of its clothing, as it was that of the lightc**, when all its spreading ornaments were exposed to the fury of the wind ; and hence we may derive an idea of what the pro- per shape of a column of the greatest stability ought to be, to resist the action of external violence, when the quantity of matter is given of which it is to be composed. With these views, as to the proper form of the superstruc- ture, Mr. Smeaton began the work on the 2d of April, 1757, •nd finished it in August 4th, 1759. The rock, which slopes toward! the south-west is cut into horizontal steps, into which are dovetailed, and united by a strong cement, Portland stone, and granite. The whole, to the height of thirty-five feet from the foundation, is a solid ofstones, ingrafted in each other, and united by every means of additional strength. The building has four rooms, one over the other, and at the top a gallery and lantern. The stone floors are flat above, but concave beneath, and are kept from pressing against the sides of the buildmg by a a chain let into the walls. It is nearly eighty feet high, and •ince its completion has beeii assaulted by the fury of the elements, without suffering the smallest injury. We regret that we cannot with propriety trace out the pro- gress of this grea* work, and shew with what skill and judgment this unparalleled engineer overcame the greatest difficulties; we, however, beg to recommend to our curious readers, Mr, Smeaton's own account of the Eddystone light-hojse, not doubting that they will be highly gratified by the perusal. According to the requisite tables, this light-house is situated in lat. 50. 8. N., long. 4. 24. W. of Greenwich ; or 4. 18. 34 "V. of London. I Ml ' ^l/"^""***^ A POLITI HA AOBBUl A POLITE SEA-ROBBER 1^6 often read of extremely polite and gentlemanly high iraynien, who rob with such marvellous courtesy that a mat can hardly feel it in his heart to withhold his watch, his purse, or aught of goods and chattels that he may chance to have about him. — But it is quite otherwise with your sea robbeis, alias pirateS) who are represented as a most brutal and un- feeling set, who have not the least dash of politeness about them, to redeem their character from unmitigated odium. Such being their general reputation, it is with no slight feeling if relief that we read the account of so polished and courteous a villian as the one described below. It is extracted from the '* Adventures of a Wanderer." He had shipped at New Or- leans, on board the Governor Griswold, bound to Havana and Liverpool, as steward : — We got (says he) under way, and proceeded down the river until we came to a place called the English Turn, when a boat, manned by twelve or fourteen men, came off from shore, and when they had arrived within hail they called to us and asked if we wanted a pilot. The Captain answered, "No;" whereupon the man in the stern of the boat ordered one of tha men to throw him a rope. The rope was handed him, and it ^eing made fast to the boat, he came alongside. He ascend- ed the ladder, and came on board with all his men, excepting four who remained in the boat. The captain of these despe* radoes was a tall man, dark complexioned, and terrible in a»- pect His eye was black and piercing, his nose slightly Ro- man, and he wore a huge pair of sable mustachios. His mec were a ferocious looking band, hardy and sun burnt. He sa- iuted the captair. in a courteous n;anner, and was profuse n conipliments. His men, who wore long red Indian stockings, red caps, and were armed with pistols and knives; sauntered carelessly about the deck. The pirate captain asked our captain where he was bound*, he answered correctly, "To Liverpool via Havana." Our captain then cut short the interrogation of the pirate| bv sayings *^ I know your business " I Sfr I A MLiti tiA Horam X caps, lessly ,>>• l-'i:i •v.^- The pirate then turned to our crew, and asked them whtt ■ort of usage they had received since they had left Europe. " Tolerable," they replied, " but very little grog,** The pirate then called for the steward. I made my appear- ance. " Have you plenty of grog on board?" inquired he I replied in the affirmative. '* Fill up that bucket," said he, " and carry it down the forecastle for /he men to drink." I look up the bucket at which he pointed, carried 'A into the ca- bin, and filled it with liquor. I then took it forward to the fore- castle, where the men received it and conveyed it below. As soon as the crew had got below, and were assembled around the bucket, the pirate placed two of his men upon the scuttle to prevent any of the crew from coming on deck, while he with two of his gang stuck close to the captain and mate. — " Now, steward," said t!ie pirate, '* go down and invite all your passengers to come on deck." 1 did as I was ordered. Our passengers were a lady and two small children, and a gen- tleman who had been engaged in teaching a school in New Or- leans, but having received a letter purporting that the death of a near relation had lefl him heir to a large fortune, had em- barked for his home, which was London. These persons came on deck. The lady was much frighten- ed, but the pirate told her to be under no apprehension, and soothed her with language which would not have disgraced the court of Great Britain. The pirate now gave orders to bring up the gentleman's trunk. The trunk was laid at hia foet. — " Now" said he, " bring up all the captain and mate's property." They also were produced. He then proceeded to overhaul the captain's trunk, which contained ^' no great shakes." * Captain, you have a very poor kit !' said ue, with a scorn- ful smile. The pirate then examined the passenger's trunk. It con- tained about four hundred and forty dollars in specie. In rummaging the trunk, the pirate fell in with the letter con- taining the information with respect to the fortune which had fceein e?. the passenger. This letter the pirate read, and giv- ing e signi6cant glance at the fortunate man whose direction it bore, folded it up carefully and laid it down. He had paid much does then turned to the captain, and asked him if the man his passage. * No, s passage cost ?' inqu dred and twenty dollars,' iBUAt lose,' said tljie pirate answered the captain^ * How pirate. * Two hun- replied the captain That jom A POLITB SBA-EOBlim Then tuininff to the passenger — - You/ raid he, < 1 wit treat fairly! You will want/ continued the pirate, ^whei rou arrive at Liverpool, two dollars to pay the porter for car- rying your firunk/ he laid down the money; ^your passage to London will cost you 2£ lOs/ he counted it out ana placed it with the tw^o dollars; your dinner will come to five shillinea, and you may want £2 more to treat some of youi friends/ he laid down the money with the rest, ' and for fear that will not be sufficient, here are twenty five dollars more/ He then presented the amount of these several items to the passenger, gave the remainder to one of his gang, and told him to pass it into the boat He then very courteously asked the time of day. The captain pulled out a fine watch, and answered that it was half past three. ' Your watch takes my fancy mightily/ said the pirate, and taking it from the captain, he put it into his fob with groat nonchalance, and walked away to the fore- castle. ' Come up here two of you who are sober,' said he Two of them came stumbling up, and the rest came reeling after. ** Qo down into the cabin, and bring me up all the small arms you can find," said the pirate. The two first sailori went down, and soon returned with an old fowling piece and a pair of pistols. i'T^To"'/' said he, turning to the sailors, "if any of you, boys 'h to change your situation for better pay and a shor- ter pasbdge, I will give you a chance; for rent I am after and rent I'll have! But stop!'' cried he, '^this lady I had almost jtbrgotten; come here, madam, and let me hear a little of your worldly concerns." She immediately commenced an eloquent harangue, accom- panied with tears. She had gone on for some time in this manner, when the pirate immediately cried, " Avast ! avast ! there, that's enough, I'd sooner face the battery of a ninety- eieht, than stem the storm of female eloquence !" He then ordered some brandy for himself and his men. The liquor was brought; I poured out a glassful for him, when he said, '^ Stop ! captain just be so good as to drink this off yourself ! after you is manners. I don't kno'v what some of you Yankee inventors may have put into this liquor. You may have thrown an onyx into the cup. The captain drank it off readily. The pirate eyed the captain closely for a few moments, and then said to his followers. Come, my boys, we may venture/' and the decanter was soon drained of its •OBteots. The pirate then pointed to the maintop, umI re- • f FOETT-rifl OATI^ •UFFIllHCt J vested the captain to tnce into a deai calm. The day had been clear and bright ; but now, huge masses of dark and conical-shaped clouds began to tower over each other in the west^n horizon, which, being tinged with the rays of the sun, displayed that lurid and deep brassy tint so well known to mariners as the token of an approaching storm. All the sailors were of opinion that we should have a course night ; and every precaution that good seamanship could suggest was taken to make the vessel snug before the gale came on. The oldest boys were sent up to hand and send down the royal and top-gallant sails, and strike the mast, while the top-sails and stays were close-reefed. These pre- parations were hardly accomplished, when the wind shifted, and took us a-back with such violence as nearly to capsize the vessel. The ship was put round as soon as possible, and brought to till the gale should fall ; while all hands remained on deck in case of any emergency. About ten, in the interval "«, squall, we heard a gun fired as a signal of distress. The ir.ght was as black as pitch ; but the flash showed us that the stranger was not far to leeward : so, to avoid drifting on the wreck during the darkness, the main -top-sail was braced round, and filled, and the ship hauled to windward. In ^his manner we kept alternately beating and heaving-to as the gale rose or fell till the morning broke, when, through the haze, we per- ceived a small vessel with her masts carried away As the wind had taken off, the Captain had gone to bed : so it was the mate's watch on deck. The steersman, an old gray-headed seaman, named James Gemmel, proposed to bear down and save the people, saying he had been twice wrecked himself, and knew what it was to be in such a situation. As the Cap- tain was below, the mate was irresolute what to do ; being aware that the success of the speculation depended on their getting to Surinam before it was given up ; however, he wai at length persuaded — the helm was put up, and the ship bore As we neared the wreck, and were standing by the mizeo ^nrouds with our glasses, the Captain came up from the cabin, rie looked up with as'.onishment to the sails, and the direction at the vessel's head, and, in a voice of suppressed oassion, said as he turned to the mate, " What is the meaning of «,»*«.,. Mr VVyllie ? Who has dared to Liter the ship's course without my leave — when you know very well that we shall hardly b« in time for the market, use what expedition we may ?" Th« young man w&i confused by this unexpected challenf •, and 301 TOK riRATB't TBBlSmUL Stammered out soincthing about Gemmel haviitf peren to mutiny ? Or do you call disobeying my orde-s no provoca- tion ? I '11 answer it to those who have a right to ask ; but till then, let me see the man who dare open his mouth to me HI this ship." " I promise you," returned I, " that though you rule and tyrannise here at present, your power shall have a termination, and you shall be callf^d to account for your con- duct in this day's w^rk — rest assured that this blood shall be required at y i i w >, i i ii im m imxiudtoMiiu i^ Tm riRATk'l tRBAlCftl. $» warn you agaiii) young man ! to busy yourfoll with your own matters — meddle not with what does not concern you ; and belay your slack iaw, or, by ! Rink Mahone will find a way to make it fast for you !" He then turned round, and walked forward to the forecastle. During this affray no attention had been paid to the wreck, .hough the crew had set uo a veil of desoair on seeing us leave them oirii? '^^i \>ii ♦xjrT. ^^aaf.Sfi^ ini a voice^ loudct' •! *j:i' zx\ 'lo ^1, -::p':?>l >ir '^i ^ "). the lovc of the blessed Virgin ; and offered ricnes and absolution to th*. whole ship's company if they would but come back. The Captain was pacing fore and uA without appearing to mind ihem, when, as if struck with some sudden thought, he hllec his glass to his eye — seemed to hesitate — walked on — and then, ull at once changing his mind, he ordered the vessel again be- fore the wind. On speaking the wreck, she proved to be a Spanish felucca from the island of Cuba, bound for Curacoa, on the coast of the Caraccas. As they had lost their boats in the storm, and could not leave the vessel, our Captain lowered and manned our jolly-boat, and went off to them. Ailer an absence of some hours he returned with the passen- gers, consisting of an elderly person in the garb of a catholic priest, a sick gentleman, a young lady, apparently daughter of the latter, and a female black slave. With the utmost dif- ficulty, and writhing under some excruciating pain, the invalid was got on board and carried down to the cabin, where he war laid on ihe floor. To the tender of my professional servicti the invalid returned his thanks, and would have declined theni; expressing his conviction of being past human aid, but tlv young lady, eagerly catching at even a remote hope of air cess, implored him with tears to accept my offer. On e^ ftmination I found his fears were but too well grounded, his eiti^i'vi! :> •»>.*'« 'n li^ In* .^ ^fie gile he had be., stand' 13 '."9 o .-•Ji", ;>'3r ' r' ttzi >: ,1;? t jjrmg, hivin/? fallen on hiin, !uid dislocated se/eral of his ribs, and injured his spine beyond remedy. All that could now be done was to afibrd a little temporary relief from pain, which I did ; and leaving him to the care of the young lady and the priest, I left the cabin. On deck I found all bustle and confusion. The ship wan •till lying-to, and the boats employed in bringing the goods out of the felucca, both of which were the property of the wound- ed gentleman. The body of the old raan, Gremmel, had beea ao4 TBI PIEATB't TRIAIUmi ramoved somewhere out ofsiffht ; no trace ofblood wasvisible) aud Capt. I\':i*> '^o seemed desirous to banish all recollectioni both of our q . .. 1 and its origin. As the invalid wa» lying in the cabin, and my state-room was occupied by the lady and her female attendant, I got ■ temporary birth in the steerage made up for myself for the night. I had not long thrown myself down on my cot, which was only divided from the main-cabin by a bulk-head, when I was awakened by the deep groans of the Spaniard. The vio- lence of his pain had again returned, and between the spasms I heard the weeping and gentle voice of the lady soothing his agonyj and trying to impart hopes and prospects to him, which her own hysterical sobs told plainly she did not herself feel. The fxriest also frequently joined, and urged him to con- fess. To this advice he remained silent for awhile ; but ai length he addressed the lady : " The Padre says true, Isa- bella ! Time wears apace, and I feel that I shall soon be be- /ond its limits, and above its concerns ! But ere I go, j iirould say that which it would impart peace to my mind to dis* slose — I would seek to leave you at least one human being t% befriend and protect you in your utter helplessness. Alas : that Diego di Montaldo's daughter should ever be thus des- titute ! Go I my love ! I would be alone a little while mtla the father." An agony of tears and sobs was the only return made b) the poor girl, while the priest with gentle violence led her into the state-room. " Now," continued the dying man, " listen to me while I have strength. You have only known me as a merchant in Cuba ; but such I have not been always. Mine is an ancient and noble family in Catalonia ; though I unhappily disgraced it, and have been estranged from it long I had the misfor- une to have weak and indulgent parents, who idolized me as the heir of their house, 'and did not possess resolution enough to thwart me in any of my wishes or desires, however unrea- sonable. My boyhood being thus spoiled, it is no matter of wonder that my youth should have proved wild and dissolute My companions were as dissipated as myself, and much of our time was spent in gambling and othor extravagances. One evening at play I quarrelled with a young nobleman of high rank and influence ; we were both of us hot and passionate, 00 we drew on the spot and fought, and I had the misfortune to run him through the heart and leave him dead. Not daring to remain longer at hDme, I fled in disguise to Barcelona where J procured a paBaage in a vemel for the Spaoiih Mai^ ..*w.'^.J»;^4Q»^.t» m rilUTl'l TRBAIUftl. ms On our ToyAge we were taken by buccaneers ; and the roTiog and Tenturous modo of life of these bold and daring men auit- ing both my inclinalion and finances, I agreed to make one of their number. For many months we were successful in our enterprises : we ranged the whole of these seas, and made a number of prizes, some of which were rich ships of our own colonies. In course of time wo amassed such a quantity of specie as to make us unwilling to venture it in one bottom ; so we agreed to hide it ashore and divide it on our return from our next expedition. But our good fortune forsook us thia time. During a calm the boats of the Guarda-costa came on lis, overpowered the ship, and made all the crew, except my- self and two others, prisoners. We escaped with our boat, and succeeded in gaining the island of Cuba, where both of my comrades died of their wounds. Subsequent events induc- ed me to settle at St. Juan de Buenavista, where I married, and, as a merchant, prospered and became a rich ma.i. But my happiness lasted not ! My wife caught the yellow fever and died, leaving me only this one child I now loathed the scene of my departed happiness, and felt all the longings of an exile to revisit my native country For this purpose I con- verted all my effects into money ; and am thus far on my way to the hidden treasure, with which 1 intended to return to Spain But the green hills of Catalonia will never more glad- den mine s^yes ! My hopes and wishes were only for my poor girl. Holy father ! you know not a parentis feelings — its anx- ieties and its fears ! The thoughts of leaving my child to the mercy of strangers ; or, it may be, to their barbarities, in this lawless country, is far more dreadful than the anguish of my personal sufferings. With you rests my only hope. Promise me your protection towards her, and the half of all my wealth is yours " " Earthly treasures," replied the priest, " avail not w'th one whose desires are fixed beyond the little handful of dust which perisheth — my life is devoted to the service of my Creator ; and the conversion of ignorant men, men who have never heard of his salvation. On an errand of mercy came I to this land ; and «f the heathen receive it, how much more a daugh- ter of our most holy church ? I, therefore, in behalf of our community, accept of your offer, and swear on this blessed emblem to fulfil all your wishes to the best of my poor abil- iues.'' ^* £nough, enough ! (said Montaldo) I am satisfied ! Among .4iil archipelago of desert islandS} known by the oaint of Um TBI riBATS't IHBAliraB. Roecat, lituated on the coaBt ofthu province ofVeneEnela ia New Granada, there is one called the Wolf-rock ; it ia the longest and mont northern of the group, and lies the most to aeaward. At the eastern point, which runs a little way into the sea, there stands an old vanilla, blasted and withered, and retaining but a single solitary branch. On the eve of the fei- tival of St. Jago the moon will be at her full in the west. A. twenty minutes past midnight she will attain to her highest latitude in the heavens, and then the shadow of the tree will be thrown due east. Watch till the branch ai^d stem unite and form only one line of shade — mark its extremity — for there, ten feet below the surface, the cask containing the gold is buried. That gold, father, was sinfully got ; but fasts and penances have been done, masses without number have been said, and I trust that the blessed Virgin has interceded for the forgiveness of that great wickedness ! I have now confessed all, and confide in your promise ! and as you perform your oath, so will the blessing or curse of a dying man abide with you. I feel faint, dying. Oh ! let me clasp my child once more to my heart before I " Here the rest of the sentence became indistinct from the death-rattle in his throat. I leaped off my cot, and sprang up the hatchway, and had my foot on the top of the companion- ladder, when a piercing shriek from below making me quicken my steps, I missed my hold, and fell on some person stationed on the outside of the cabin door. The person, without utter- ing a single word, rose and ascended the steps ; but as he emerged into the faint light which still lingered i.i the horizon, I could distinguish him to be the Captain. On my entering, I found the Spaniard dead, and his daughter lying in a state of insensibility by his side ; while the female slave was howl- ing and tearing her hair like one in a frenzy. The priest was entirely absorbed in his devotions ; so, without disturbing him, I lifted the lady and bore her into the state-room. The greater part of the night was passed in trying to restore her to sensa- tion. Fit after fit followed each other in such quick succca- aion that I began to apprehend the result ; but at length the hysterical paroxysm subsided, and tears coming to her relief, iihc became somewhat composed, when I left her in charge of her attendant. The next day was spent in taking out the remainder of th« felucca's cargo. There seemed now no anxiety on the cap- tain's part to proceed on his voyage— he appeared to have fop- got th9 necessity, expressed on a former occasion, af baing it ,!tiMia^h n» PIIATE'I TEBAttmi 901 port within a limited time. He was often in a itate of inebri* tiy ; for the wine and spirits of the Spaniards were lavish!/ ■eryed out to the whole ship's company, with whom he also mixed more ; and banished that haughtiness of bearing which had marked his conduct hitherto. In the evening the body of Don Diego was brought upon deck, where his crew, under the superintendence of the priest, prepared it for its commitment to the deep. The corpse was. as IS usual in such cases, wrapped up in the blankets and fleets in which it had lain, and a white napkin was tied over he face and head. In its right hand, which was crossed over the breast, was placed a gold doubloon. Its left held a small bag containing a book, a hammer, and a candle, while on the bosom was laid the little crucifix worn by the deceased. It was next enveloped in a hammock, with a couple of eight-pound shots, and a bag of ballast at the feet to sink it. At midnight the vessel was hove-to, and all the ship's company assembled at the lee-gangway. The Spaniards and negroes bore each a burmng torch in his hand ; the blaze of which, as they held them elevated above their heads, cast a strange and fearful light through the deep darkness, and illumined the ocean far and wide with a supernatural rcfulgency. When all was ready, the priest, accompanied by Isabella, came up from the cabin, and the Spaniards lifting up the body, carried it forward to the waist, where one of the ship's gratings had been put pro« jecting over the side, and on this the corpse was laid, and its feet to the water. Around this the torch-bearers formed a circle, and the priest, standing at the head, began the funeral service for the dead at sea. The wind had now subsided into a gentle breeze ; and nothing disturbed the profound silence of the crew during mass, save the slight splashing of the waves against the windward side of the ship, and the deep drawn, convulsive sobs of the young lady as she stood, enveloped in the mantillo, in the obscurity of the main-rigging. Mass being concluded, the priest solemnly chanted the funeral anthem ; — ** May the angels conduct thee into Paradise ; may the mar- tyrs receive thee at thy coming ; and mayest thou have eterna. rest with I^azarus, who was formerly poor !" He then sprink- led the body with holy water and continued : — '^ As it hath {(leased God to take the soul of our dear brother here depart- ed unto himself, we, therefore, commit his body to the deep, in the sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection on that daj when the sea shall give up iis dead. Let him rest in peace !" The Spaniards responded '^ Amen !" and the prieil repe«tiiig| In TBI PlBATB'l TBBAtOBS ! * '* Maj his §oul, and the touls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace — Amen !" made tha aign of the cross ; and the bow-chaser, which had been loaded and made ready for the occasion, firing, the end of the grating was gently elevated, and the corpse heavily plunged into the water. The waves parted, heaving and foaming round the body as it disappeared, — when to our horror and astonishment we beheld it, the next minute, slowly return to the surface, deprived of the canvass covering in which it had been sewed. The dead man came up as he had gone down, in an upright Eosition, and floated a little time with his back to the vessel , ut the motion of the water turned him round by degrees till we distinctly saw his face. The head was thrown back, and the eyes wide open ; and under the strong stream of light pour- ed on them from the torches, they seemed to glare ghastly and fearfully upwards. His gray hair, long and dishevelled, float- ed about his face, at times partially obscuring it ; and one arm, stretched forth, and agitated by the action of the waves, ap- peared as if in the act of threatening us. When the first burst of horror had subsided, I caught hold of Isabella to prevent her seeing the body, and was leading her off, when some of the men, lowering their torches from the main-chains, whispered that it was the murdered man, old James Gemmel. The Cap- tain had been hitherto looking on with the rest without having apparently recognised him ; but when the name struck his ear, he shrunk back and involuntarily exclaimed, '^ it ^s a lie — it '■ an infamous lie ! Who dares to say he was murdered ? He went overboard two days ago ? But don't let him come on board; for God's sake keep him down, or he Ml take us all with him to the bottom. Will nobody keep him down ? Will nobody shove him off? Helma-lee !" he bawled out, waving to the steersman ; but the man had deserted his post, eager to see what was going on ; he, therefore, ran to the wheel him- self, and again issued his commancts, '^ Let go the main top- sail weather braces, and bring round the yard ! Let them go, 1 say'" His orders were speedily executed. The vessel gathered way, and we quickly shot past the body of the old man. - - For several days afler this, we pursued our course with a favorable wind, which drove us swiftly forward on our voyage. The Captain now kept himself constantly intoxicated, seldom piade his appearance in the cabin, but left us altogether to the care of the steward. All subordination w 5 now at an end — iMf whole time waa spent among the seameO) with wliOM l|f TBI riRATl'l TRIAlUmt 30i mixed fkmiliarly, and was addrenicd by them -«fithout tht slightest portion of that respect or deference commonly paid to the Captain of the vessel. The appearance of the men, also, was much altered. From the careless mirth and gaieiy and the characteristic good humor of sailors, there was now a sullenness and gloom only visible . A constant whispering — a constant caballing was going on — a perpetual discussion, as if some design of moment was in agitation, or some step of deep importance was about to be taken. All sociality and confi- dence towards each other were baniHhcd. In place of convers- ing together in a body, as formerly, they now walked about in detached parties, among them the boatswain and carpenter seemed to take an active lead. Yet, in the midst of all this disorder, a few of our crew kept themselves separate, taking no share in the general consultation ; but from the anxiety ex- pressed in their countenances, as well as in that of the mate, 1 foresaw some storm was brooding, and about to burst on our heads. Since Montaldo^s death, Isabella had been in the habit of leaving her cabin after sun-set, to enjoy the coolness of the evening breeze, and in this she was sometimes joined by the priest, but more frequently was only attended by her slave. One evening she came up as usual, and after walking backward and forward on deck till the dews began to fall, she turned to go below ; but just as we approached the companion-way, one of the negroes, who now, in the absence of all discipline, lounged about the quarter-deck without rebuke, shut down the head, and throwing himself on it, declared that none should make him rise without the reward of a kiss. This piece of in- solence was received with an encouraging laugh by his fellows, and severa slang expressions of wit were loudly applauded by those around. Without a word of remonstrance, Isabella timidly stooped, and would have attempted getting down the ladder without disturbing the slave ; when, burning with indig- nation, I seized the rascal by the collar, and pit^.hed him head foremost along the deck. In an instant he get on his legs, and pulling a clasp-knife out of his pocket, with an imprecation he made towards me. All the other negroes likewise made a motion to assist him, and I expected to be assailed on all hands, when the mate interfered, and laying hold of the marlin-spike, which I had caught up to defend myself, pushed me back, at he whispered, " Are you mad, that you interfere ? For heaven's sake, keep quiet, for I have no authority over the crew now !" And he spoke the truth ; for the negro^ brandishing hit kaifey 77 warn SlO tHl PIRAT£'« TMASnllk and supported by his comrades, was again adiraacing, whe3 the hoarse voice of the boatswain, as he ran to the scene of action, arrested his progress. ^^ Hallo ! you there, what 's the squall for ? Avast, avast, Mingo ; ofT hands is fair play — ship that blade of yours, or I'll send my fist through your ribs, and make day-light shino through them in a minute." I related the behavior of the negro, and was requesting him to ordor the slaves forward^ wuen I was cut short with — "There are no slaves here, young man ! we are all alike free in a British ship. But damn his eyes for an insolent son of a ; he pretend to kiss the pretty girl ! I Ml let him know she belongs to his betters ! The black wench is good enough for him any day. Come, my dear !" he continued, turning to Isabella, '^ give me the same hire, and i Ml undertake to clear the way for you myself." He made as if he meant to approach her, when, careless of what the consequence might be to myself, I hastily stepped forward, and lifting up the head of the companion, Isabella in an instant darted below. " This lady is no fit subject either for wit or in- solence," said I, shutting the doors, '' and he is less than man who would insult an unprotected female." For a little while he stood eyeing me as if hesitating whether he would resent my inierference, or remain passive ; at length he turned slowly and doggedly away as ht uttered — " you ruffle big, and crow with a brisk note, my lad ! But I 've seen me do as wonder ful a thing as twist your windpipe and send you over the side to cool yourself a bit ; and sol would serve you in the turning of a wave, if it wasn't that we may have use for you yet ! 1 see in what quarter the wind sets ; but mind your eye ! for sink me if I don't keep a sharp look out ahead over you.'' I now saw that things had come to a crisis — that the crew meant to turn pirates ; and I was to be detained among them for the sake of my professional services. I could not, without a shudder, reflect on what must be the fate of Isabella among such a gang of reckless villains ; but I firmly resolved that, come what might, my protection and care over her should cease out with my life. To be prepared for the worst, I immediately went below, loaded my pistols, and concealed them in my breast, securing at the same fime all my money and papers about my person. While thus employed, one of the cabin-boys came down for a gpy -glass saying that a sail had hove in ^-rht to windward. Lpon thiff I followed him up, and found the c •: collected to- gather in clanoiorout consultatiou as to the co they «houM ..•^.*l!k..'*S4 THE riRATK'S TRIASUEI. •u )W, m. a Ird. Ito- follow . Some were for lying to till she came down, and tak* ing her, if a merchantman ; and if not, they could easily sheer on--^but this motion was overruled by the majority, who judged it best to keep clear for fear of accidents : accordingly all the spare canvas was set, and we were soon gaining large before the wind. But the Dart, though reckoned the tirst sailor out of Clyde when close hauled on a wind, was by no means so fleet when squared away and going free : she had now met with her match, for the stranger was evidently gaining rapidly on us, and in two hours we saw it was impossible for us to escape. The priest and I were ordered down with a threat of instant death if we offered to come on deck, or make any at- tempt to attract observation. I now communicated to Isabella my apprehensions with re spect to the crew, along with my resolution to leave the vessel it the other proved a man-of-war, and earnestly advised both her and the priest to take advantage of it also. She thanked me with a look and smile that told me how sensible she was of the interest 1 felt in her welfare, and expressed her willing- ness to be guided by me whatever way I thought best. Shortly after this we heard a gun fired to bring us to, and the Dart hailed and questioned as to her port and destination Th.e answers, it appeared, were thought evasive and unsatis- factory, for we were ordered to come close under the lee- quartei of his Majesty's sloop of war Tartar, while they sent to examine our papers. This was now our only chance, and I resolved, that if the officer should not come below, I would force the companion-door and claim his protection. But I was not put to this alternative. As soon as he arrived, I heard him desire the hatches to be taken off, and order his men to examine the hold. The inspection did not satisfy him; for he hiiled the sloop, and reported that there were Spanish goods on board which did not appear in the manifest : — " Then remain on board, and keep your stern lights burning all night, and take cnarge of the ship !" was the reply. In a stu.e of irksome sus; tense we remained nearly two hours, expecting every miuute to hear the officer descending. At length, to our re- lief, the companion-doors were unlocked, and a young man, attended by our cantain, entered the cabin. He looked sur- prised on seeing us, and bowing to Isabella, apologized for in- truding at such an unseasonable hour. ''But I was not given »G understaid," he added, '' that there were passengers in the ahip— prisoners I should rather pronounce it, Mr. Mabone^ (or jrou seem to have had them under lock end k«*y, whick M 919 mi PIEATl'l TRKASUKB. ' IB rathei an unusual mode of treating ladies at least. No wiMO^ ■ir !'' he continued, motioning away the bottles which the cap- tain was hastily placing on the table — ^' no wine, but be plea»> ed to show me your register and bill of lading." He had not been long seated to inspect them when a shuf- fling and hurried sound of feet was heard overhead, and a voice calling on Mr. Dufi* for assistance, showed that some scuffle had taken place above. Instantaneously we all started to our feet, and the lieutenant was in the act of drawing his sword, whei., accidentally looking round, I observed Mahone present- ing a pistol behind. With a cry of warning, I thre'w myself forward, and had just time to strike the weapon slightly aside, when it went off The ball narrowly missed the head of Duff, for whom it had been aimed, but struck the priest immediately over the right eye, who, making one desperate and convulsive leap as high as the ceiling, sunk down dead, and before the Captain could pull out another, I discharged the contents of mine into his breast. We then rushed upon c^ck ; but it was only to find the boat's crew had been mastered, and to behold the last of the men tumbled overboard. The" pirates then dis persed, and exerted themselves to get the ship speedily under- way ; while the boatswain sang out to extinguish the lanterns that the Tartar might not be guided by the lights. " It 's all over with us ! " exclaimed my companion ; " but follow me — we have one chance for our lives yet. Our boat is still towing astern ; do you throw yourself over, and swin" till I slide down the painter, and cut her adrift. Come, bear a hand, ami jump ! don't you see them hastening aft ?" And in an instant he pitched himself off the taffrel, slid down the rope which held the boat, and cast her loose. But this advice however judicious, it was impossible for me to follow — for, at the moment, repeated shrieks from Isabella put to flight all thoughts for my own individual safety ; I, therefore, hurried back to the cabin, determined, that if I could not rescue her along with myself, to remain, and protect her with my life. And in a happy time I arrived ! The candles were still burn- ing on the table ; and through the smoke of the pistols, which ■till filled the cabin, I beheld her struggling in the arms of a negro — the identical slave who had displayed such insolence in the early part of the evening. With one stroke of the butend of my pistol I fractured the cursed villain's scull — caught up Isabella in my arms — ran up the ladder, and had nearly gainer the side, when the boatswain, attracted by her white garment!, Iffl the helm to intercept me — and I saw the gleam of hii up woaiMIIMiuM*^.^!.- nWri ■Out^.niBfmi: ■'i^ mi PIEATl'S TEIAIUEI. 91» hfted cutlasa on the point of descending, when he wm denly ttruck down by some person from behind I did not ■top to discover who had done me this good office, but hailing Duff, and clasping I&abella firmly to my heart, I plunged into the water, followed by my unknown ally. With Ihe aid of my companion, whom I now found to be John Wyilie, the mate, we easily managed to support our charge till the boat reached us ; when we found that the greater part of the men had been rescued in a similar manner. When the morning dawned, we perceived the Dart, like a ■peck in the horizon, and the sloop of war in close chase. Our attention was next turned to our own situation, which was by no means enviable : we had escaped, it is true, with our lives, for the present ; but without a morsel of food, or a single drop of fresh water, with us m the boat ; we could, at best, only expect to protract existence for a few days longer, and then yield it up ultimately in horror and misery. By an oh* ■ervation taken the day before, on board of the Tartar, Mr. Duff informed us we were to the north-east of the Bahamas j and distant about one hundred and seventy miles from Wall- iRg^s Island, which was the nearest land. This was a long distance ; but, as despair never enters the breast of a British ■ailor, even in situations of the utmost extremity, we cheered up each other ; and, as no other resource was left us, we manned our oars, and pulled away with life, trusting in the chance of meeting with some vessel, of which there was a strong probability, as this was the common course of the lee- ward traders. And our hopes were not disappointed ! for next day we fortunately fell in with a brig from the Azores, bound for Porto Rico, on board of which we were received with much kindness ; and, in five days, we found ourselves Mifa moored in Porto-real harbor. My first step on landing was to inquire for a boarding house tot Isabella, and ! had the good luck to be directed to one kept by a respectable Scotch family, in Orange Terrace, and to this I conducted her. My next transaction was to charter a small cutter, and to communicate to Duff the secret of the bidden treasure; at Uie same time asking him to adventure nimself and his men on its recovery. I also gave him lo un- deistand the probability of a renconter with the pirates, in the event of their having escaped the sloop, for I was aware that Mahone had overheard the whole confession, from my finding him listening at the cabin door. Without hentation, the lieu* t^ntiit at once agreed to accompany me, and engaging ■omt ▼01. I U ■I i $u TBI PIBATB's TEBAtVEI. hands out of a Tessei nowly arrived, we soon mustered a par- ty of fourteen men. As it wanted only six days of the festival of St Jago, and the distance across thf^ Garibean sea waa great enough to require all our exertior« to be there in time, we embarked and sailed that very night. Our cutter proved a prime sailor — and though the wmda were light and variable, by the help of our sweeps we m&de the Roccas on the evening of the sixth da) As the Spaniard had foretold, the moon was climbing the western sky, and pouring the fulness of her splendor with a mild and beautiful effulgence on the untroubled deep, as we slowly drifted with the current between the Wolf-rock and the adjacent isle. All was silent and calm over the whole desert of the Archipelago and the vast surrounding waters, save now and then the sud- den flight of a sea-fowl awakening from its slumbers as we passed; or the occasional roar of the jaguar faintly wafled from the main land. We ran the cutter into a deep and nar- row creek; moored her safe, and proceeded, well armed, to the eastern extremity. There we found the projecting point of land, and the old vanilla tree exactly in the situation described — its huge, twisted trunk was still entire ; and from the end of its solitary branch, which was graced by a few scattered leaves, the body of a man in the garb of a sailor hung suspended io irons. The clothes had preserved the body from the birds of prey, but the head was picked clean and bare, leaving th( eyeless and bleached skull to glitter whUe in the moonlight In perfect silence, and with something of awe in our spiritf impressed by the solitude, and dreariness of the scene, we seated ourse4ves on the rocks, and, with my timepiece in miy hand, I began to mark the progress of the shadow. For near- ly three hours we watched in this manner, listening attentive- ly for the slightest sound from sea-ward; but every thing con- tinued hushed and still, except the creaking of the chain as the dead man swung to and fro in the breeze Midnight was now drawing near — the moon, radiant and full, was careering high through the deep blue of heaven, and the shadows of the branch and stem were approaching each other, and towards the desired point. At length the hand of my timepiece pointed to within a minute of the time. It passed over. The branch and stem now merged into one, and threw their shadow due east and the first spade-full of earth had been thrown out, when the man who had been stationed to keep a look out came running to inform us that a boat was rabidly approaching from the east We immediately concluded they must be a part of tbe Pvt'f TBI pirate's TR£A8URk Sli erew; and their long and vigorouB strokes as they stretched out to the full extent of their oars, showed that they knew the importance of every minute that elapsed. Our implements for digging were hastily laid aside, and we concealed ourselves among the rocks till they should come within reach. In a short time the boat was seen ashore, and eight armed men came forward, partly Spaniards and partly the ship's crew; among whom I recognized the boatswain, and, to my surprise, Mahone, whom I had shot and lefl for dead in the cabin Without giving them time to prepare for the assault, we quit- led our shelter, and sprung among them at once, laying about with our cutlasses. For a little space the skirmish was toughly and hotly con- tested; for the pirates were resolute and reckless, and fought with the desperation of men who knew that the only chance for their lives lay in their own exertions. In the confusion of the fray I had lost sight of Duff, and was closely engaged with one of the Spaniards, when the voice of the boatswain shouting forth a horrible imprecation sounded immediately be- hind me. I turned round, and sprung aside from the sweep of his cutlass, and, as my pistols were both empty, retreated, acting on the defensive; when he pulled out his, fired, and hurled the weapon at my head. The shot passed without in- juring me— but the pistol, aimed with better effect, struck me full in the forehead. A thousand sparks of light flashed from my eyes — I felt myself reeling, and on the point of falling, when a cut across the shoulder stretched me at once on the ground. When I recovered from my stupor, and opened my eyes, the morning was far advanced — the sun was shining bright over head; and I found myself at sea, lying on the deck of the cutter; and Duff busily engaged in examining my wounds. From him I learned that the pirates had been mastered after a severe conflict — in which four had been slain, and lefl on the island; two had escaped unobserved during the fight, and tiade off with the boat; and two had been wounded, and were prisoners on board, one of whom was Mahone. On our ar- rival at Porto Rico, we delivered them over to the civil pow- er; and, soon afterwards, Mahone was tried for the murder of the priest, when he wns convicted on our evidence, con- demned, and executed. Under good nursing and care, I gradually recovered. Isabella is not now that destitute and unprotected orphin whom I first saw on the middle of the western ocean — but tktt happx mistreM of a happy home, dif>liainf life mod (lai sit TBI CUMBBBLAlfD FAOIBT. > I DOM ou all around her. My friend DufT has lately Jdaced on the list of post captains, and is anxiously waiting or more bustling times, when there will he more knoclc- ing about) and more hard blows got, than what our present peace admits of. John Wyllie, too, has had advancement m his line, being now master of one of the finest ships from Clyde; and I had the additional satisfaction of knowing tha. none of the crew had reason to regret their having jeopardized their lives in fighting for the '' Pirates Treasure. THE CUMBERLAND PACKET In the dreadful hurricane which took place at Antigua^ on the 4th of September, 1804, several vessels were lost; and among others, the Duke of Cumberland Packet. Every pre- caution had been taken, by striking the yards and masts, to secure the vessel; and the cable had held so long, that some faint hope began to be entertained of riding out the gale, when several of the crew were so indiscreet, as to quit the deck for some refreshment; no sooner had they sat down, than a loud groan from the rest of the crew summoned them on deck. The captain ran forward, and exclaimed, '^ All's now over; Lord God have mercy upon us!" The cable had parted; the ship hung about two n:inutes by the stream and kedge, and then began to drive broadside on. At this moment the sea* men, torn by despair, seemed for a moment to forget them- selves; lamentations for their homes, their wives, and their children, resounded through the ship. Every man clung to a rope, and determined to stick to it as long as the ship re- mained entire. For an hour they drifted on, without knowing whither, the men continued to hold fast by the rigging while their bodies were beaten by the heaviest rain, and lashed by .try wave. The most dreadful silence prevailed. Every one WM too intent on his own approaching end, to be able tf mi CDMSKHLAND PACKBff S11 communicate his feelings to another; and nothing wa« hevdl but the howling of the tempest. The vessel drove towardi the harbor of St. John's, and two alarm guns virere fired, in order that the garrison might be spectators "'f their fate, for it was in vain to think of assistance. They soon drove against « large ship, and went close under her stern A faint liope now appeared of being stranded on a sandy beach; and the captain therefore ordered the carpenter to get the hatchets all ready to cut away the masts, in order to make a rail for those who chose to venture upon it. The vessel however drove with extreme violence on some rocks, and the cracking of her tim- bers below was distinctly heard. Every hope now vanished, and the crew already began to consider themselves as beings of another world. In order to ease the vessel, and if possible prevent her from parting, the mizen-mast was suffered to re- main, to steady the vessel. The vessel had struck about two o'clock, and in half an hour aflerwards the water was up to the lower deck. Never was daylight more anxiously wished for, than by the crew of this vessel. Afler having hung so long by the ehrouds, they were forced to cling three hours longer before the dawn appeared. The sea was making a complete breach over the ship, which was laying on her beam ends; and the crew, stiff and benumbed, could with difficulty hold against the force of the waves, every one of which struck and nearly drowned them. The break of day discovered to the wretched mariners all the horrors of their situation; the vessel was lying upon large rocks, at the foot of a craggy overhanging precipice, twice as high as the ship's mainmast; the wind and rain beat upon the crew witL unabated violence, and the ship lay a miserable wreck. The first thoughts of the crew in the morning were naturally directed to the possibility of saving their lives; and they all agreed, that their only chance of doing so, was by means of the mizen-mast. The top-mast and top-gallant-mast were launched out, and reached within a few feet of the rock. An attempt was made by one of the crew, to throw a rope with a noose to the top of the rock; but instead of holding by the bushes, it brought them away. Another seaman, who seem- ed from despair to have imbibed an extraordinary degree of courage, followed the fkst man out on the "(last, with the in- tention of throwing himself from the end upon the mercy of the rock; he had proceeded to the extremity of the top-gallant mast, and was on the point of leaping among the bushes, when the pole of the mast, unable to sustain his weight, gaT« I m -Spp- sit THB CUMBBKLANO rACKIV ... ■ wty, and precipitmted him into the bosom of the waveB, fron B height of forty feet. Fortunately he had carried down wita him the piece of the broken mast, aad instead of being dash- ed to pieces, as was expected, he kept himself above water until he was hoisted up. All hopes of being saved by the mizen-mast were now at an end; and while the crew were meditating in sullen silence on their situation, Mr. Doncaster, the chief mate, unknown to any one, went out on the bow- sprit, and having reached the end of the jib-boom, threw him- self headlong into the water. He had scarcely fallen, when a tremendous wave threw him upon the rock; and left him dry; there he remained motionless, until a second wave washed him still further up, when clinging to some roughness in the clifT, he began to scramble up the rock; and in about half an hour, he with infinite difficulty reached the summit of the cliff. The crew anxiously watched every step he took, and prayed for his safety, conscious that their own preservation depend- ed solely upon it. Mr. Doncaster immediately went round to that part of the precipice nearest the vessel, and received a rope thrown from the main-top, which he fastened to some trees. By means of this rope, the whole of the crew were, in the space of three hours, hoisted to the top of the clifi*. The whole of the ship's company having assembled on the rock, bent their steps towards town. The plain before them had, in consequence of the heavy rain, become almost impass- able; but after wading about three miles through fields of canes, and often plunged up to the neck in water, they reach- ed St. John's in safety; where they would have died for want of food and necessaries, had it not been for the kind offices of B Mullatto tailor, who supplied them with clothes, beds, and provisions, and did them other kind offices of humanity. Mtl eP TSB BBIO lALLT 91» 'V^i '. - n LOSS OF THE BRIG SALLY August 8, 1767, while in latitude 25, having a strong gait of wind, the brig Sally was laid to under her main-ataj-sai. till ten )'clock the next morning, when she was hove on her beam ends, and in less than five minutes turned keel upvmrds, so that they had only time to cut away the lanyards of her main-mast. There were on board, Anthony Tabry, master; Humphry Mars, mate; Joseph Sherver, Samuel Bess, John Burna, mariners who were drowned; six other mariners, viz. Peter Toy, Daniel Cultan, John Davis, Alexander Lander- ry, Peter Mayes and William Hammou, having got hold of the top-mast which floated alongside, tied it to the stern, and supported themselves by it, till about five o'clock in the eve- ning, when the cabin boy swam to the hull and threw them a rope, by which they got on the bottom of the vessel, where ihey were still in a dismal plight; the first want that invaded them was drink, this drove away all thought of meat. The main-mast, with all the rigging, the lanyards having been cut away, came up alongside, from which they got the wreath, (a square hoop which binds the head of the mast,) with which, and a bolt of a foot long, they went to work on her bottom; in the mean time keeping their mouths moist, as well as they could, by chewing the stuff of her bottom, she not having any barnacles, being lately cleaned, and some lead which was on her bow, and drinking their own water; in four days time Peter Toy died, raving for drink, whose body they threw off the vessel the next day. In this manner did they work for six days, without meat, drink or sleep, nor daring to lie down for fear of falling off the vessel; the sixth day they got a hole in the brig, where they found a barrel of bottled beer; this they drank very greedily; they soon got another parcel, when one of them put the others on an allowance.— The eleventh day of their being on the wreck, they got a bar- rel of pork, which ihey were obliged to eat raw. As to sleep, as soon as they got a hole through the vessel's bottom, they pulled out a great number of staves and shingles, and made a platform in the same place, but so small was it, that when tbey wanted to turn, they were obliged to wail till the ■•• '■■ '' h MO LOft or THB BBI« lALliT. hoisted the Teiiel, and when the fell again with the aeft) tkey were almost froze to death. Thus did these poor miserabM fellows live for thirteen or fourteen days; after they sot the pork, they made a kind of net with a hoop, soa?e shingles and ropeS) which they got from the mast; this they let into the sea, with some pork, and caught a few small fish, which, with two or three mice they caught on board the brig, afforded them sev eral most delicious repasts, raw as they were; this lasted but a few days, as they could not catch any more; when they were obliged to return to their pork, which was become quite putrid by the salt water getting to it. To their great joy, on the 1st of September, in lat. 26, 15, long. 70, 10, at four o'clock in the aflernoon, they could just perceive a vessel to windward of them, which seemed to stand some time for them, but soon put about and stood from them; it was then they de- spaired, as that morning they had drank the last bottle of their beer, and that one was all they had; for that day they worked hard to get at the casks of water in the hold, but they were ■o far from Iftem, that they could r r»t have got at them in a long time; about sun half an hour high, the vessel stood for them, and came so near that they perceived a piece of can- ▼ass, that they on the wreck supported on a piece of board, bore down for it, and about seven or eight o'clock took them on board; she was the brig Norwich, Captain Robert Mo^es. Thus were they relieved when death stared them in the i^ce, by a captain who used them very kindly, gave them food and clothes, as their own were rotted off their backs, washed t^eir sores, and gave them plasters, as they were almost raw ) mb head to foot with the heat of the sun and salt water, whicl « muay places had eaten holes in their flesh. ■'■"^^^'V, •vwimiiiM •? imuiM SUFFERINGS OF EPHBAIM HOW. Oc Ihe <25th of Ausust, 1676, Mr. Ephraim How, of New Haven, in New England, with his two eldest sons; one Mr Augur; Caleb Jcnes, son to Mr. William Jones, one of the magistrates of New Haven; and a boy; six persons in all, set ■ail from New Haven for Boston, in a small ketch, of about seventeen tons. Having despatched his business there, he sailed for New Haven on the 10th of September, but was forced back to Boston by contrar«y winds. Here Mr. How was seized with a violent flux, which continued nearly a month; many being at that time sick, and some dying of the same Being in some degree restored to health, he again sailed from Boston, October 10. They went with a fair wind as far as Cape Cod; but on a sudden the weather became very tempestuous, so that they could not pass the Cape, but were driven off to sea, where they were in great danger, ex- periencing terrible storms, with outrageous winds and seas. His eldest son fell sick and died about the 21st; soon afler his other son was taken ill and die^: also. This was a bitter cup to the poor father, for these youths were his only assist- ants in working the vessel. Soon afler Caleb Jones died, so that half the company were now no more. Mr. How continued in a very sickly and weak state, yet was necessitated to stand at the helm twenty-four and thirty- six hours together. During this time the sea was so boister- ous as frequently to break orer the vessel, that if he had not been lashed fast he n^ust have been washed overboard. In this extremity, he was at a loss in his own thoughts, whether he should persist in endeavoring to make for the New-Enff- land shore, or bear away for the Southern Islands. Upon hit proposing the question to Mr. Augur, they determined, at- cordins to the custom of some in those times, to decide this difficult case by casting lots They did so, and it fell upon New-England. Nearly about the 7th of November they lost their mddor, ■o that DOW their only dependence was upon Provid«Ei#. ta '^^ lUFriBlNOt or IPHRAIM HOW. this deplorable state they drove up and down for ■ Ibrtnickt longer. During the last six weeks, the poor infirm Mr. How was hardly ever dry, nor had he the benefit of warm food above thrice or there&bouts! At length about the 2l8t of November, early in the morn- ing the vessel was drivee \ on the tailings of a ledge of rockt| where the sea broke violently. Looking out they saw a dis- mal rocky island to the leeward, upon which, if Providence had not by the ureakers given them timely warning, they had been dashed to pieces. They immediately let go an anchor, and got out the boat, and the sea became calm. The boat [>rovmg leaky, and they being in great terror, they took but ittle out of the ketch, but got on shore as they could. Here they could discover neither man nor beast. It was a small, rocky, desolate island, near Cape Sable, the Southern extremity of Nova Scotia. They now appeared to be in great danger of being starved to death, but the storm return- ing, beat so violently upon the vessel, as it still lay at anchor, that it was stove to pieces, and several things floated to the shore. The following articles were all they had towards their fu- ture support: — a cask of gunpowder, which received no dam- age from the water; a barrel of wine; half a barrel of molass- es; several useful articles towards building a tent: all the above drifted from the wreck : besides which they had fire- arms and shot; a pot for boiling; and most probably other things not mentioned in the narrative. Their tent was soon erected, for the cold was now get- ting severe, but new and great distresses attended them, for though they had arms and amunition, there were seldom any fowls to be seen, except crows, ravens, andeeagulls. These were so few, that they cou'd seldom shoot more than one at a time. Many times half a fowl, with the liquor it was boiled in, served for a meal for all three. Once they lived five days without any sustenance, but did not feel themselves pinched with hunger as at other times; which they esteemed a special favor Of Heaven unto them. When they had lived in this miserable condition twelve weeks Mr. How's dear friend and companion, Mr. Augur, di«*4, about the middle of February, 1677; so that he had none leQ (o converse with but the lad, who likewise departed on tbe ^4 ot April. Mr. How was now the sole inhabitant of this desoiaie spoCi •unng April, May and June, and saw fishing yeaaelf •▼••^ \ WWtk9m FIOM BALIFAX TO BimafUSA. SOW and then, MiHng b^; some of which came otod nearer to die itland than that which at last took him off. He used aM Ute aieans in hia power to make them acquainted with hia d^t^ iresa; but they either did not see him, or were afraid to ap- E roach close to the island, lest some of those Indians should e quartered there, who were at that time in hostility against the English, viz. the North-East Indians, who held ojt after the death of the famous Philip, king of the Wompanoags. At len^h a vessel belonging to Salem, in New-England, providentially passed by, and seeing this poor fellow, they sent their boat on shore, and took him away. He had been on tie Iftland more than seven months, and above a quarter of a year by himself On the 18th of July he arrived at Sa- lem, and at last returned to his family at New Haven. They for a twelvemonth had supposed him dead; by which it ap- Sara he did not get home till the end of August, or perhapa »r •I/' /■ '\. ■ VOYAGE FROM HALIFAX TO BERMUDA. On the 6th of December, we sailed from Halifax, with a fresh north-westerly wind, on a bitter cold day, so that the harbor was covered with a vapor called <* the barber," a sort of low fog, which clings to the surface of the water, and aweeps along with these biting winter blasts, in such a man- ner aa to cut one to the very bone. Aa we shot past one of the lower wharfs of the town of Halifax, just before coming to the narrow passage between George's Island and the main land, on the south side of thia magniPcent harbor, a boat p it ofi* with a gentleman, who, by acme accident, had missed his passage. They succeeded ui getting alongside the ship; but, in seizing hold of % ropa which was thrown to them from the main chains, the boatmra 1^ their hurry^ ^l^ight » turn with it round the afiarthwarty ii m '^t^^^'^mm^ 9U flOf AOni taOM BALIfAX TO BBftMU»A. gtrad «f ratkinf it (kit aoineirheM in the low of the boH.-^ Hm inoritalvle consequence of tliis proceeding wm, to nte lie ftern of the hoit out of the water, and, of course, to plunge her nose under the surface. Ev^n a landsman wil comprehend how this happened, when it is mentioned that the ship was running past at the rate of ten knots. In the twinkling of an eye, tne whole party, officer, boatmen, and all, were seen floating about, grasping at the oars or striking out for the land, distant fortunately, only a few yards from them; for the water thereabouts is so deep, that a ship in sail- ing out or in^ may safely graze the shore. As the intensity of the cold was very great, we were quite astonished to see the people swimming away so easily; but we afterwards learned from one of the party, that, owing to the water being between forty and fifty ce jiees warmer than the air, he felt, when plunged into it, as if he had been sous* ed into a hot bath. The inst&nt, however, he reached the pier, and was lugged out, like a half drowned rat, he was lit- erally enclosed m a firm case of ice from head to foot! This very awkward coat of mail was not removed without consid- erable difficalty; nor was it till he had been laid for some hours in a well warmed bed, between two other persons, that he could move at all, and for several months afterwards, he was not well enough to leave his loom. For us to stop, at such a time and place, was impossible; so away we shot like a spear — past Chebucto Head, Cape Sambo, and sundry other fierce boking black capes of naked rock. The bre9ce rapidlv rose to a hard gale, which split our main-topsail to threads, and sent the fragments thunder- ing to leeward in the storm, in such grand style, that, to this hour, I can alinost fancy I hear the noise in my ears. — I know few things more impressive than the deep toned sounds caused by the flapping of a wet sail, in such a fierce squall as tuis, when the sht^ets are carried a\/ay, and the un- confined sail is tugging aiid tearing to get clerr of the /ard, which bends and cracks so fearfully, that even the lower mK«t som<*times wags about like a reed. I certainly have heard ih^^nder frur louder than the sounds alluded to; but hava seldom !(nown it more efi*ective or startling than those of a sail going to pieces in such a tea.pest of wind and rain. I was standing, where I had no business to be, on ^ weather side of the qusrter-deck, holdi^^g on stoatly by one of he belaying frins, and wondering where thui novel scene was to and, but living an obscure i&a that the ship was f Mft|: U >> ^ give me, now, to get you out of thif place?*'* V '' Oh, any thing you like- « Five hundred dollars?" ** Agreed! agreed!" cried the other. Upon which thim treacherous pilot kept his promise truly to the ear, but broke it to the hope, by taking the vessel out of an abomina- bly bad place, only to fix her in one a great deal more intri* cate and perilous. " Now,'' said the wrecker to the perplexed and doubly- cheated strangei , *' there never was a vessel in this scrape, that was known to get out again; and, indeed, there is but one man alive who knows the passage, or could, by any po»* sibility, extricate you — and that's me!'' -name your sum »> ■t- lancled mariner, " tit for tat is fair play all the world over; and, *inles8 you hand me back again my thousand dollars, 1*11 cut the tow rope of your thievish looking boat, and then, in itead of returning evil for evil, as I ought by rights to do, PU be more of a christian, and do you a very great service, by carrying you away from one of the most infamous places in the world, to the finest country imaginable — I mean America. And as you seem to have a certain touch of black blood ie your veins, I may cnance to get good interest for my loan of these thousand dollars, by selling you as a slave in the Charleston negro market! What say you, my gay Mudian?" t ^SS OF THE TRANSPORT HARPOON£R. The hired transport Harpooner, was lost near Newfound- land, in November, 1818; she had on board three hundred and eighty five men, women, and children, including the ship's company. The passengers consisted of detachments of several regiments, with their families, who were on their way to Quv bee. On Saturday evening, November 10th, a few minutes after nine o'clock, the second mate on watch called out, *' the ship's aground ;" at which she slightly struck on the outermost rock of St. Shotts, in the Island of Newfoundland. She beat over, and proceeding a short distance, she struck again, and filled ; encircled among rocks, the wind blowing strong, the night dark, and a very heavy sea rolling, she soon fell over on her larboard beam end ; and, to heighten the terror and alarm, a lighted candle communicated fire to some spirits in the mas- ter's cabin, v/hicli, in the confusion, was with difficulty ex- tinguished. jThe ship still driving over the rocks, her masts were cut nway, by which some men were carried overboard. The vessel diifted over, near the high rocks, towaids the miin. In tlui dl8 ^^^^ff!^ 3j|p88B SffB«P LOII O^ tHE tRAHSPORT HARPOOlTBm ■KM ■ituahun, every one bee ne terrified : the suddennesfi of th« tea rushing in, carried away the births and stauncheons be- tween decks, when men, women, and children, were drowned^ and many were killed by the force with which they were driven against the loose baggage, casks, and staves, which floated below. All that possibly could, got upon deck, but from the crowd and confusion that prevailed^ the orders of (1m officers and masters to the soldiers and seamen were unavaLi* mg ; death staring every one in the face ; the ship striking on the rocks, as though she would instantly upset. The ■hrieking and pressing of the people to the starboard side was ■o violent, that several were much hurt. About eleven o'clock, the boats on the deck were washed overboard by a heavy sea : but even from the commencement of the disaster, the hopes of any individual being saved were but very small From this time, until four o'clock the next morning, all on the wreck were anxiously praying for the light to break upon them. Ti. • *; from the stern was in the meanwhile lower- ed down, wh^ ne first mate and four seamen, at the risk of their lives, pusned off to the shore. They with difficulty ef- fected a landing upon the main land, behind a high rock, nearest to where the stern of the vessel had been driven. The log-line was thrown from the wreck, with a hope that they might lay hold of it ; but darkness, and the tremendous surf that boat, rendered it impracticable. During this awful time of suspense, the possibility of sending a line to them by a dog occurred to the master : the animal was brought afl, and thrown into the sea with a line tied round his middle, and with it he swam towards the rock upon which the mate and seamen were staiding. It is impossible to describe the sensations which were excited at seeing this faithful dog Atruggling with the waves ; and on reaching the summit of the rock repeatedly dashed back again by the surf into the sea ; until at lengthy by unceasing exertions, he effected e. lapding. One end oi the Hue being on board, a stronger rope was hauled and fatt- ened to the rock. At about six o'clock in the morning of the 1 1th, the first per* •or. virus landed by this means ; and afler wards, by an improve- ment in rigging the rope, and placing each individual in slings they were with greater facility extricated from the wreck ; but during this passage, it was with the utmost difficulty that the unfortunate sufferers could maintain their hold, as the sea beat OYor them and some were dragged to the shore in a state of in ■ensibility. Lieut. Wilson was lost, being unable to hold on tht MM Of mi nuNiroET RAAroomOL « of th9 ons bo- rowned^ ly were which ck, but rsoftho inavai!* itriking The ide was eleven d by a isaster, small , all on k upon lower- risk of ilty ef- I rock, driven. >e that endous > awful m by a H, and id with eamen nations g with atedly engthj nd of I fast- It per- )rove- ilings ; but it the L beat of in Atht ropo with his hands ; he was twice struck by the sea, fell backwards out of th6 slings, and after swimming for a consider- able time amongst the floating wreck, by which he was struck on the head, he perished. Many who threw themselves over- ooard, trusting for their safety to swimming, were lost ; they were dariied to pieces by the surf on the rocks, or by tk^ floating pieces of the wreck. The rope at length, by constant working, and by swinging across the sharp rock, was cut in two ; and there being no means of replacing it, the spectacle became more than ever terrific ; the sea beating over the wreck with great violence, wasked numbers overboard ; and at last the wreck, breaking up at the stern from midships and forecastle, precipitated all that remained into one common destruction. The parting of the ship was noticed by those on shore, and signified with the most dreadful cry of " Go Forward !" — It is difficult to paint the horror of the scene ; — children clinging to their parents for help ; parents themselves struggling with death, and stretching out their feeble arms to save their chil- dren, dying within their grasp. The total number of personti lost was two hundred and oight and one hundred and seventy-seven were saved. Lieut. Mylrea, of the 4th Veteran Battalion, one of the oldest subalterns in the service, and then upwards of seventy years of age, was the last person who quitted the wreck : when he had seen every other person either safe, or beyonc the power of assistance, he threw himself on to a rock, from which he was afterwards rescued. Among the severest suiferers, was the daughter of Surgeon Armstrong, who lost on this fatal night her father, mother, brother, and two sisters The rock which the survivors were landed upon, was about one hundred feet above the water surrounded at the flowing of the tide. On the top of this rock they were obliged to re main during the whole of the night, without shelter, food, oi nourishment, expos.ed to wind and rain, and many without :3hoes. The only comfort that presented itself was a fire, which was made from pieces ^f the wreck that had been wash- ed ashore. At daylight on the morning oi the 12lh, at low water, their removal to the opposite land was effected, some being let down by a rope, others slipping down a ladder to the bottom. Aftoi they crossed over, they directed their course to a house or fiahorman'i shed, distant a mile and a half from tho wrock, BEB s^ LOti 09 THI TAAlflPOAT ttAafMMA r t where ihej /amained until the next day ; th« proprietor o thii miserable shed not having the means of supplying relief to so considerable a number as took refuge, a party went OTOr Uind to Trepassy, about fourteen miles distant, through a marshy country, not inhabited by any human creature. Thii 5 arty arrived at Trepassy, and reported the event to Measra. ackson, Burke, Sims, and the Rev. Mr. Brown, who im* mediately took measures for alleviating the distressed, by do* ■^)atching men with provisions and spirits, and to assist in bnnging all those forward to Trepassy who could walk. On the 13th, in the evening, the major part of the survivors 1, assisted by the inhabitants, who, during the journey carried the weak and feeble upon their backs) arrived at Trepassy where they were billeted, by order of the magistrate, propor* tionably upon each house. There still remained at St. Shotts, the wife of a sorjoant of tho Veteran Battalion ; with a child, of which she was deUvofo ed on the top of the rocks shortly afler she was saved. A erivate, whose leg was broken, and a woman severely bruised y the wreck, were also necessarily left there. Immediately after the arrival at Trepassy, measures were adopted for the comfort and refreshment of the detachmenta, and boats were provided for their removal to St. John's where they ultimately arrived in safety "^mmmmmmmm A tUM •§ TU IBA y-i i:. *. /,: A TALE OF THE SEA. I WM a bright moonlight evening, and so wann that ovs 9Kaw 'ay aboui the deck and in groups with hardly any coy#r* 01$; i Itnink I never saw so perfectly clear and brilliant a fiignt. Some of the officers were reading, and with ease, by the lighi oi' tne moon, and the ocean as mr as the sight could sketch was a gliUermg mirror without a single ruffle or wave ; we lay like a log on the water, with all sails set, but not a breath of air to move them. The crew were collected in small Iiarties about the ibrecastle and main deck listening to the ong yarns of some gray-headed seaman, about the '^ Flying Dutchman" of the ^^Black River of Gatand," whije now and then some favorite sea song was bawled forth from the laugh- ing crowd. The officers were walking about the quarter deck smoking and conversing, and occasionally extending their walk so far as to listen to the stories of the forecastle. This was my first voyage on the " wide, wide sea," and as I was the youngest of the mids I found particular favor with several of the oldest seamen, with whom by-the-by I liked to associate better than with my brother middys — I always loved to listen to their tales of murder and battles, and would sit for nours on the coils of rope, and hear old *' Jack Transom" our second mate, an old man of sixty years relate his adveptures and ^^ hairbreadth escapes." We had left Port Royal on the south side of Jamaica the day before on our way to the mouth of the Amazon, and were at the time of this writing passing between the small island of Monts-Errat and GuadaToupe : in the distance you could see the white moon beams playmg on the fort atid beach, and glistening on the low roofs and white f alls of the little capital of Guadaloupe. I was standing on \l i) capstan with a small night glass in my hand, looking at thii opposite shore with its long low beach with here and there a t mall slave hut, or mound of loose stones piled up as a covering over the grave of some drowned sailor who^e body had been washed on shore. I dropped my glass and was get- ting down from my station when Jack Transom steppeoup ana asked for a squint, I handed the glass to him and after ooking through it a moment he handed it back sayingy ** Aj, '■ ■ nV 4 TAI.9 or Ta» fMA 9gf then it ftandi with its creaking chains and dqr hoBM ml* fing in tha still air as if a ten knot hreeze was ripping oTsr t." ** What 's that ?" said I, eagerly catching the glass and pointing it where * old starboard/ as he was familiarly called directea me. It was some time before I saw what he meant When I did, I was at no loss for his abruf^ speech. A little north of the town oa the white beach, stood a tall gibbet with Its chains, and even as old Jack said, its white bones, (k,T I p?ainly saw them even at that distance glimmering in the rays of the bright moon, and I almost fancied I heard them rattling and shaking against each other, although as I said before, there was not a breath of air, not er.ough to move a feather ; I shuddered at the sight, £br I was young and easily affect- ed by any thing terrible or sloomy — we all knew that * old starboard' was on one of his Mong yarn tacks,' and in a short time a group was formed around the old fellow, as anxious as the crowds of coffee drinkers in the saloons of CQnstaiMtinople to listen to the wonderful adventures of the Caliph Haroun Alraschid or Sindbad the Sailor. " It 's now forty years ago Of thereabout," began ^ old starboard,' stuffing a huge quid of the true Virginia into his left cheek, '^ since I first laid eyids on that same death telling gallows. I was then a mere foro^ mast-man and perhaps rather green, seeing as how that WM my first tack this way, and only the third time I had ever smelt salt w^ater. It was a dark stormy night with a ptrong north- wester blowing at the rate of ten knots an hour, and we wero beating across this very channel under a heavy press with the nopes of clearing the shoals before morning ; all hands were on deck clearing off" and taking in some of our light canvass, for the gale kept on increasing and our main-mast creaked heavily with its load. When the watch ahead bawled out, helm-a-)ee ! hJil a head ! biit before the words were scarcely out of his mouth we were upon the vessel ; we struck her about mid ship, carrying away our bowsprit and dashing in the forecastle sails and knuckle timbers as if they had been glass ; but it fared worse with the vessel we met ; she was small, being about seven feet in the water, whereas we drew nearer fifteen — ^we passed slick over her .as if she had been a mere bo^'s play- thing. You may be sure there was no standing still, every thing was hauled up and we were before the wind in less than haU* a shake, the boats were lowered although there was •uch a sea running that it was almost impossible to live ip a small boat — ^logs of wood and hen coopS| were thrown ovor^ ionrd §Q tM >f Mgr w«ri fUve they might ipi«9 jtb«nuielT«»— ▲ TALB •F TBI tBA. our dm miite wm standinff on the quarter Uateniaf , wkea hi declared that he heard a ■hout-— we tiiteoed and then it cmm again and again, but fainter every time — at length our captain ordered a boat out, with directions to put in to the shore, pc^ come off in the morning, as we should lay too. That night there was not an eye closed in the ship. We were all wait- ing for the morning, for many thought it sheer madneas in oui captain to send off a boat in such a sea, and so dark a nighty and prophesied that she would be swamped in less than tea minutes. Though no one said so to the captain, for he waa in one of his gloomy moods, and walked the deck nearly the whole night without opening his mouth. We stood off and on till mornittf, and by this time the wind had lulled considerably, and we had a moderate breeze — as soon as it was liffht wa bore down to the little bay you see off yonder to the norm-eaat, and having anchored, sent off a boat to the shore ; I waa in her, and I shall never forget my joy when I first saw oor men standing on the beach and hallooing to us — we were aoon among them and asking questions enough to sink a liffhter After leaving the ship they steered as near a<9 they could tell, to whore the cries came from ; after running about ten min- utes^ they could hear them plainer, and at last got so near aa to »'■. _v.-.. LOSS OF THE LADY OF THE LAKE. The Ship LaJy of the Lake, sailed frem Belfast, on the 8tk of April 1833, bound to Quebec, with 230 passengers. — ^Th«> following particulars were furnished by Capt. Grant. On the 11th May in lat. 46. 50, N. and Ion. 47. 10, W. at 5y A. M. steering per compasi* W. S. W. with a strong wind at N. N. £. we fell in with several pieces of ice ; at 8, A. M the ice getting closer, I judged it prudent to haul the ship out to the eastward under easy sail to avoid it ; while endeavour- ing to pass between two large pieces, a tongue under water in the lee ice struck o^r starboard bow and stove it entirely in We immediately wore the ship round, expecting to {ret the leak out of the water, but did not succeed ; the ship now 611in^ fast. he mate, with seven or eight of the crew, got into the stem •oatp— ttftor getting bread, heei, oompaaa» ke Im wo tullod y MM OT mi LAST OV TMB UkMK 9m ftwaj to the northweit — ^the scene that then took pUee it W- yond deicriptioD ; after getting the long boat out, the pas ■engers crowded into her with such mad desperation, that aht wu twice upset alongside, drownina about 80 of tLem. I nam attempted tc save my own life and succeeded in getting the boat clear of the ship half full of water, with 33 souls in her without oars, sails, or a mouthful of provisions. The last time I saw the brig, (the ice coming between her and us) she was sunk up to he toms^ vyl ilraiit ?0 of the passengers in the main-top-mast rigging. We then tried .o piil il.er the othei boat, with the bottom boards and thufts, but got beset with the ice. We now expected a worse fate than those who were in the vessel, viz. to perish with cold and hunger. The next morning the wind chanced to the westward and we got clear of most of the ice. l'^ then pulled to the eastward, in the faint hope of some vessel pickmg us up, and at noon saw a brig lying to under her two topsaUs — at four got on board of her, and found the crew just leaving her, the brig in the same state as our own, sinking. We, however, got some provision! out of her, and there being a boat lying on her decks, I cot part of the passenffers out of our own boat into it. In the course of the night it came on to blow from the south-west and the other boat foundered. All that now remained alive, to the best of my belief or knowledge, out of a crew and passengen of 280, u myself, one seaman, two boys, nine male passengers and two female, fifteen in all. At noon on the 14th, we fell in with the master and mate of the brig Harvest Home, of Newcastle, the vessel we had previously been on board of, and on the evening of the same day both got on board of a loaded brig bound to St. Johns, Newfoundland, after we had been 75 hours in an open boat, half dressed, wet and frost bitten ; next morning, I, with the remainder of the crew and passeii- gers, left the brig and was kindly received on board the ship Amazon, of HuU, bound to Qucbee, where we arrived w