POST-CAPTAINS OF 1814.
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four hours, but sent us no assistance, the American making an excuse that the sea was running too high. Made a tent of spare canvas on the forecastle; put the people on short allowance of a quarter of a biscuit a day. – Feb. 8, Saw a brig to leeward: strong gales. – Feb, 9, 10 a.m. Observed the same vessel to windward; made the signal of distress: stranger bore up and showed American colours. – Feb. 10, He spoke us, asking how long we had been in that situation, and what we 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 stranger. Suffered much from hunger and thirst. Feb. II, 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. 21, departed this life, James Clarke, seaman: read prayers, and committed his body to the deep: we were at this time on a half a gill of water a day, and suffering 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 overboard, and hung them up on pins. – Feb. 23, J. Moore died, and was thrown overboard, having eaten part of him, such as the liver and heart. From this date to Saturday, the 5th of March, the following number perished from hunger: Henry Davis, a Welsh boy; Alex. Kelly, seaman; John Jones, apprentice-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 bitter, also, James Frier, who was working his passage home under a promise 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 intended husband’s throat, and drank his blood, insisting that she had the greatest right to it; a scuffle ensued, and the heroine (the words of the narrator) got the better of her adversary, and then allowed him to drink one cup to her two! – Feb. 26, On or about this day an English brig hove in sight; hoisted the ensign union downward; stranger hauled his wind toward us, and hauled his foresail up when abreast of us, kept his course, about one mile distance, set his foresail, and we soon lost sight of him: fresh breeze, with a little rain; the sea, quite smooth, but he went off, having shown English colours: had he at this time taken us off the wreck, much of the subsequent dreadful suffering would have been spared us. – March 7, His Majesty’s ship Blonde came in sight, and to our relief, in lat. 44° 43' N. long. 21° 67' W. Words are quite inadequate to express our feelings, as well as those which Lord Byron and our deliverers most evidently possessed, when they found they had come to rescue six of their fellow-creatures (two of them females) from a most awful, lingering, but certain death. It came on to blow during the night a fresh gale, which would, no doubt, have swept us all over board. Lieut. Gambier came in
