The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-20 00:00:00

THE SUN*, LONDON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1840.

DREADFUL SUFFERINGS OF
PART OF THE CREW OF HER MAJESTY'S
CORVETTE, MODESTE, OF 18 GUNS. AND
MASSACRE OFTROOPS AT MADAGASCAR.

This splendid corvette was launched and fitted out
at Woolwich, about November 1837, under the com-
mand of Mr. Harry Eyres, (a commander in the Royal
Navy, the whole of the crew being composed of
" Woolwich lads,") and ordered to the coast of Africa,
where she has been cruising for nearly three years for
the suppression of the slave trade ; she has been most
successful, having captured several vessels and liberating
upwards of a thousand human beings. The third
vessel taken by the corvette, Modeste, (as stated by
a gallant officer on board her Majesty's ship) was
. leaky, in want of provisions, and under repair, when
captured. Captain Eyres sent Mr. Pearse, the mate
of the Modeste, as prize master in her, to Majambe
Bay, a place in Madagascar, to await his arrival, as he
was on the look out in other quarters. The young officer
in charge made the appointed rendezvous, and anchored.
The next day it blew a strong gale, and the vessel
parted from her cables and drove upon the rocks, the
surf breaking over them in a most awful manner.
She immediately split, and filled with water. The
natives of the coast, consisting pf various tribes, are a
ferocious and treacherous people, sparing neither sex
nor age when, under such circumstances, the whites are
thrown among them. What, then, must be the feelings
of those on board ? A vessel going to pieces, with cer-
tain death befere them, and almost as little hope from
the natives on shore. The latter view of the melancholy
alternative did not, however, daunt the crow, and one
gallant fellow dashed into the boiling surge, and reached
the shore with a hawser, which he secured to a project-
ing rock, by which means, and cutting the gunwale
away, the officer in command, Mr. Pearse, succeeded
in getting out the long-boat ; not one on board the
vessel disobeyed orders, but cheerfully and respect-
fully assisted, heart and hand, in first rescuing
twenty-two slaves (mostly children) from an inevi-
table death if abandoned, and safely landed them,
the remainder of the crew remaining with the vessel,
although every shock threatened instant destruction.
The mate and his crew then abandoned the
wreck, but before they had reached twenty yards from
, the vessel, the directing hawser was carried away, the
surf capsized the boats, and dashed the gallant fellows
on the rocks. It blew a hurricane all night, and al-
though in the morning the wind moderated, the rain
continued without intermission. A cask containing
damaged oatmeal was observed on the shore. Some
monkeys shortly appeared, which were soon des-
patched. and their flesh, stewed with the meal, afforded
the means of maintenance. Six days this dreadful
state was endured with never-ceasing torrents of rain,
without a shelter. The sea, however, at last drove the
remains of the brig so high on the rocks, that at low
water the commander could get on the wreck, when he
found the rocks had gone through her in three places,
the deck had been forced up, and that she had parted
amidships. A few sails were obtained, with which a
tent was rigged. Provisions now began to fail, the oatmeal
being nearly expended, and the monkeys so shy, as not
to come within even a " hail," when two days after-
wards Pearse fancied he descried a sail, which turned out
to be the Modeste ; it seas, however, getting dark. and
as the Modeste,was wholly ignorant of the state of the
shipwrecked crew, she stood off and on, so that they
were doomed to pass another dreadful night, with the
apprehension of her being blown off or quitting that
part of the coast in pursuit. It afterwards appeared
that the corvette intended first going to the other side
of the island to water, and then to join Pearse's brig ;
but heavy gales drove her so near the place of rendez-
vous, that the Captain determined on running in, to
supply provisions ; the rain had ceased the last day, and
the party were now even without a drop of water ; day-
light discovered them, and they were taken on board,
where prompt humanity soon restored them. A court
of inquiry was shortly after held for the loss of the ves-
sel, when Pearse and his gallant few were " honourably
acquitted," and the utmost praise most liberally betowed
upon him for his conduct and the preservation of his
hands. The Modeste then proceeded to Bembatooka,
and to the Governor a representation was made of the
occurrences, when he despatched a party of troops over-
land to recover the remaining stores, &c. They were
attacked by one of the tribes, and (with the exception
of five only of the poor fellows) indiscriminately mur-
dered. It appeared by the report of the survivors that
the natives had not come down to that part of the coast
until the day after Pearse and his party had left
her. Some short time after, the Modeste captured
a schooner in the act of running into a port,
as it afterwards appeared for provisions. Night
coming on, Pearce was sent with four men to
take charge. The captain (Eyres) meaning the next
morning to overhaul her, a tremendous gale came on
during the night,and thecapturebeingon a lee shore, the
corvette was obliged to leave her and make the best of
her way clear of the land ; but the prize being a small
vessel, and a dull sailer, after every exertion, was obliged
to let go all her anchors. Here poor Pearse had as
much to endure, nearly, as he had previously encoun-
tered, for the vessel plunged her masts clean out of her,
and swept her decks, carrying her long-boat from the
booms. Hcr own crew had got drunk, and the four
stout-hearted Modeste fellows were continually at the
pumps, keeping Ler free ; fortunately the schooner, pre-
vious to her detention, had purchased anchors and
cables of a vessel double her tonnage, or she never
could have weathered the gale. On examining her pro-
visions, nothing but dry rice was on board, and not a
drop of water. Five days the party were exposed to
a burning sun, and the only means of slaking their
thirst was by applying their lips to the decks for the
dew which had fallen during the night. At length the
Modeste hove in sight, but too late to save the life of
the captain of the schooner, and took Pearse and his
men, with the " skeletons " of the schooner, on hoard.
The Modeste afterwards made some captures, among
which was a beautiful brigantine, in which he placed
Pcarse as her commander, and he was fortunate enough
to capture a small vessel with 22 slaves. The Modeste
and the brigantine met at the Cape of Good Hope,
where the gallant Captain Eyres introduced Mr. Pearse
to the Commander-in-chief, the Hon. Rear-Admiral
Elliot, at the same time recounting his sufferings and
services. The Modeste was immediately ordered to
join the fleet assemblingto co-operate against the Chinese