The Sun.
London, England, 1823-08-21 00:00:00

A 111 Kit CAN F

The following particulars respecting the capture
of United States fishermen by the British, are
extracted front the Portland Argus :—,
It having been published in some of the, public Newspapers,
that the fishermen taken of late on the coat of Nova.Seotia, by
the British, were concerned in smuggling goods into British
provinces, in order to correct this mistake, 1 send yott_the fol-
lowing statement of facts, concerning the capture of the schooner
Charles, of York, taken on the 9th of May last, by his Ma-
jesty's gun-brig Argus, in the harbour of Shelburne.
The schooner Charles, of York, of the burden of 40 tons,
owned by Captain George Moody, a very correct and respectable
merchant of that town, was fitted out this season with the
proper fishing gear, provided with salt and suitable provisions
for a voyage of five or six weeks. Hating taken a license for
the cod fishery, and commanded
.by skipper William Stover,
with five other hands, all belonging to ors, she sailed from
York on the 4th of May last, on -her first trip. The following
is an exact schedule of every article on board the schooner when
she sailed from York, viz :
One and a halt' cord of wood, 20 hhds. Liverpool salt, 2 doz.
new lines, one new and old herring net, 15 fishing leads, of alb.
each, 1 gross hooks, 1201 b. pork, 4b14. ship bread, 12b1s. water,
201 b. rice. 21b. coffee. filb. tea, 31b: chocolate, 'OlO. candles,
2 gallons vinegar, lilt,. pepper, 0 bushels potatoes, 15 gallons
molasses, 401 b. flour, 1001 b. beef, 201bs. fish, half bushel beans,
and IS gallons N.E. rum. No other article was on board the
schooner when she left York, excepting the fishermen's cloth-
ing, boots and baryon, and some ballast.
The schooner proceeded on her voyage, and arrived off Shel;
borne on the Bth of May last, and came to anchor, Shelburne
bearing N.N.W. distant about eight leagues, where she lay till
Friday morning, May the oth, at which time the wind blew
very fresh from the 8.5. E., and * heavy sea, the schooner
dragging her anchor and drifting fast to leeward, and from
every appearance a storm approaching, they ran into Shelburne
for safety.
While the schooner lay at anchor off Shelburne, they caught
08 cod-fish and three herrings only. The schooner got into
Shelburne harbour about 12 o'clock the same'day. About an
hour after she got into Shelburne, the brih, Argus hove in sight,
and came into the harbour and sent her barge, with an officer
and six men all armed, on board the schooner. who took pos.
session of her, and ordered her alongside the brig. where she
anchored. Skipper Stover was then ordered on board the brig
with the schooner's papers: his papers were taken from him,
and he again ordered on board his schooner—his boat taken off
the deck, and carried away from the schooner.
The schooner lay alongside the brig till the storm was over :
it.cleared off Monday the 19th May, wino-finis. of the schooner's
crew were taken on board the brig Argus, and the skipper and
his brother kept on board the schooner, and two officer:it:nil
seven men, armed with small arms and cutlasses, were put in
possession of the schooner, and she sent on a cruise for vessels be-
longing to the United States. The schooner cruised nine days in
the Ilay of Fundy, during which time she captured two fisher-
men, and carried them into- St. John's. After lying one day
at St. John's, the schooner sailed on her second cruise for
20 days, and on the 22d of May landed skipper Stover and
i his brother at Campo Bello, and gave the skipper the
clothing which belonged to his crew, and the schooner pro.
ceeded on her cruise. The four men put on board the brig were
landed at St. John's, destitute of money or clothing, excepting
what clothes they had on their backs; and travelled from thence
'to York on foot, and lived on the charity of the inhabitants as
they passed. The schooner Charles never touched at anv place
after she left York, no person was on board her excepting her
own crew, and no one of leer crew were out of her from the time
she left York, till boarded by the brig Argus, and the schooner's
boat was not (lithe deck after leaving York, till she was taken
off by the order of the commander of the brig Argus, and not a
single article was taken out of the schooner.
The facts above stated may be relied on as true, having been
sworn to by all the crew. The crew of the schooner are all
well known to the writer of this communication, and are men of
veracity. Skipper Stover is a very honest and correct man, is
active and enterprising, has had the command of the same
schooner for the three last seasons, and - had caught one•third
more fish in each season than were taught in any other vessel
of her site belonging to -this place. In -consequence of
the former good conduct of the skipper, the owner of the
schooner had painted her waist this spring a little More dotty
than is usual for fishermen, which,' as was avowed, wag the
reason,of her being taken for a smuggler.