The Sun.
London, England, 1825-10-14 00:00:00

PERILS AT SEA.

The following interesting narrative is by a wit-
ness of the events described : w•e publish it, not
from a wish• to alarm our readers by exaggerated
accounts of the dangers of a sea-life, but from a
desire to show the fortitude and manly self-
controul of British seamen under the most trying
circumstances :

JOURNAL OP A VOYA•E FROM JAMAICA TO ENGLAND
IN THE BRIGS WELLINGTON, OF COILS, AND SOPHIE,
OF ALTONA-BY A PASSENGER.
" At day-break of July 17th, 1825, the brig Wellington, of
288 tons, as per register, belonging to Messrs. Morgan and
Reeves, merchants, of Cork, sailed from Port Royal, Jamaica
for London. Her cargo consisted of sugar, rum, coffee, log-
wood, mahogany, lancewood, spars, and Nicaragua-wood. She
had a crew of 16 men, exclusive 'of the Captain, John Peasly,
about 48 years of age, an excellent sailor, having been brought
up to the sea from childhood, and a respectable and worthy
man. There were five cabin passengers,-1. William
llol-
kirk, Esq. formerly an Officer of Dragoons, who had served in
India and Spain, a gentleman of the most benevolent disposi-
tion, considerable talent, and of manners remarkably courteous
and bland. 2. His wife, a very lovely and interesting woman,
warm-hearted, of lively conversation, and of gay and fashion.
able appearance and deportment. 3. Their only daughter, an
animated playful girl of about nine or ten years of age. Her
father, I believe, was about 38, and her mother 32. 4. Mr.
Charles Morales (son of a surgeon, in Kingston, Jamaica),
going to London for the purpose of walking the hospitals and
attending medical lectures. 5. Myself. There was also one
steerage passenger, afflicted with rheumatism, and sent at the
expence of the city, from Kingston hospital. In all, there were
23 souls on board. The brig was built at Workington, in 1813,
and considered a remarkably fine sea-boat, was in good sailing
trim, and well found in canvass, cordage, provisions, and all

necessaty naval stores.
" On the deck was a round-house, containing two small bed-
rooms, (in one of which Mrs. Holkirk slept, and her daughter
in the other), with a sitting-room in which were two sofas con-
verted into beds at night, and occupied by Mr. Holkirk and
Captain Peasly. Mr. Morales and myself slept in two other
small bed-rooms leading out of the cabin below.
" A strong current running to the westward, with a west trade
wind in our teeth, we did not weather point Morant (the east-
ern end of Jamaica) until the evening of the 22d, after which
we had a fine run along the western coast of II ayti, going very
near Cape Nicholas Mole on the 28th, sailing through the Cai-
cos passage on the 30th, and crossing the Tropic of Cancer
on the following day. The weather thus far was generally th-
vourable and pleasant, our social cabin party passing the greater
part of the day in breakfasting and dining under an awning
upon deck, relieving the tedium of a sea voyage by light read-
ing and conversation, and retreating for shelter into the round-
house during showers of rain, which were heavy and not un-

frequent.
" On the 11th of August it blew strongly throughout the
day, the gale increasing as the night approached; but no dan-
ger being apprehended at 8 o'clock, my ordinary hour of retire-
ment, as I was an invalid, 1 bade good night, and shook hands
as usual with poor Mr. and Mrs. Holkirk, and descended to
my birth. About midnight it blew a dreadful gale; but al-
though the motion of the vessel prevented any sleeping, I still
did not anticipate danger.
" Next morning, (August 12), about six o'clock, the mate,
Mr. John Kellar, coming into the cabin for something wanted
on deck, informed me that it was blowing as violent a gale as
he had ever experienced, and that the brig 'was lying to, on
which I remained quietly in bed until about seven o'clock, a.m.
•
when being by computation in latitude 39. 9. N. long. ii 2. 44
W., the two starboard dead lights were driven in with an im-
mense torrent of sea pouring through them and down the com-
panion, deluging the cabin ; at the same awful moment I heard
the last shrill and agonizing shriek of the lamented Mrs
Holkirk.
" Mr. Morales, William Peasly, a cabin boy, and son of the
Captain, and myself, in our night-shirts, burst through the '
water, and rushed upon deck, where also was horror ! A stu-
pendous wave had struck our broadside, and cleared the deck
from stem to stern. Hardly a vestige of the round-house, in
which were the three Holkirks and Captain Peasly, remained.
The second mate and four sailors (all the starboard watch),
with the exception of the helmsman (Jack Hill), who, though
knocked down and stunned, was entangled in the chains of the
rudder, and providentially saved, were swallowed up by. the
same fatal wave. Our two boats, spare tiliber and spars, sheep,
pigs, a milch goat, Newfoundland dog, seven coops of poul-
try, eleven large water casks, four barrels of beef and pork,
cooking-house, water-closet, with the whole range of bul-
warks offeaclt side, excepting here and there a stanchion,
were swept into the deep ; the wheel of the rudder was
broken to pieces ; the fore top mast, main top gallant, jib
and main booms; &c. carried away ; the sails all in tatters,
flying wildly ; the gale from S.S. E. most tranendous ; the
noise of the roaring sea deafening ; the waves mountains high
and covered with foam, (Alen washing right over the deck ;
the spray falling like heavy rain ; and the sky so obscured, that
you could not see more than a few yards front the brig. They
who have witnessed a similarly awful scene, can alone truly
estimate the extent of our calamitous situation.
" The mate, who, in this dreadful crisis, exhibited the most
admirable presence of mind, activity, and disregard of per.
sonal danger, ran instantly with Hill and replaced the booby-
hatch, which had been washed off, called up the larboard watch,
and having stationed two of our stoutest men at the pump,
was engaged with the others, ropes attached to some parts of
the vessel being tied round their waist to secure them, in cut-
ting away the fragments of spars, &c. which were heating
against the sides of the brig, and in clearing away the wreck.
Every possible exertion was used, and all the men that I saw
were calm, active, and enterprising;—in short, true British
sailors, apparently animated with but one sentiment of " whilst
there is life there is hope, and we will do our duty to the last
and utmost, though our chance of escape is small indeed."—
To this feeling and conduct throughout the crew there was but!
one exception ; a tall sailor, having abandoned himself to de-
spair in despite of threats and entreaties, would not leave his
hammock till the violence of the storm had abated ; his subse-
quent conduct, however, in the trying scenes which followed,
was most exemplary.
" In the round-house was swept away all its furniture ; two
beds and three trunks belonging to Mr. Holkirk, a quantity
of wine, a small library, a talking parrot, the captain's watch
and money, the brig's papers and accounts, a letter-bag from
the Commercial Rooms, Kingston, and my watch, chain,
seals, and gold pencil-case, and my purse, containing 201.
sterling, which on the first day of the voyage, while suffer-
ing from sea-sickness, I had given into the care of Mr. Hol-
kirk. What heartfelt sorrow had been spared, had these
been all which that wretched round-house contained ! But
God's will be done; he has removed its inmates to another
and a better world ; whilst here their loss will be long de-
plored with poignant regret, and their memory cherished with
grateful and affectionate esteem.
" Of the nine persons that perished, one only was seen in
the water. The helmsman, on recovering his senses, perceived
George, the second mate, floating on some of the wreck of the
main-boom astern, and instantly cut the rope called the main-
sheet in two places, but before he could throw it to the un-
fortunate man, a mountain wave overwhelmed him. The last
time the kind-hearted Holkirk was seen was by Mr. Keller,
the mate, about a quarter of an hour before the round-house
was carried away, when, with that affectionate attention which
characterized his conduct, he was sitting by the bed of his
wife, who was much alarmed, and by whose side their daugh-
ter had crept, comforting them, and endeavouring to inspire
them with fortitude and hope. The Captain, who had been
on deck during most of the night, was seen reposing on the
sofa a few moments before the wave had struck us, and was
probably dozing. He had lost his eldest son, a young man
of great promise, who went out with him as second mate,
whilst lying in Jamaica, by that scourge of the NVest Indies,
the yellow fever, of which disease five others of his crew also
died. He has left at Passage West, near Cork, a wife anti six
children, without, as I much fear, any provision for their sup.