The Sun.
London, England, 1818-11-25 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.

LOSS OF THE SYLVAN' _MIRACULOUS ESCAPE•

[From The Cork Mercantile Chronicle of the nth'

instant.]

"In our Paper of Friday we stated the loss of
'the Sylvan, of Cork, Captain Pugh, from Liver-
pool for Cork, on the Sovereign's Islands, near
the harbour of Kinsale, and some cireutnttances
'connected therewith, amongst others the loss of
three passengers, two of whom-, a man and his
wife, were believed to be natives or inbabit ants
of Youghal, and the third a young person whose
name was unknown. We have now to announce
the preservation of the latter, under circumstances
which must render the narrative of the means
that were osetf to effect it as deeply interesting
sod aff,-cting as ever met the public eye, display-
at once the singular interposition of Prori-

Bence in the protection of One of its creatures, and
fornishing anoTher instance of the daring -intre-
pidi;y and heroic courage of the Fishermen on
'the Sotrthern Coast, a race whose lives are spent
in the midst of toil and danger, and tearlessly de-
voted, though incessantly surrounded by the most
luvfid phi's, to the protection of life and pro-
perty.

" The Sylvan, we have already stated, was
wrecked het wren the Sovereign's I! hods, Those
teen tacks are distant from the shore about an
English mile ; they rise suddenly, as it were, from
the ockan ; but are surrounded, at the base by '
projectiog cliffs, upon which an impettroos and
roaring surge almost for ever dashes, creating
breakers, which throw their sprays evith incon-
ceivabie force;aud to an immense height. The dis-
tance
of the two rocks from each other is just
to.much as to have admitted the sloop to get in
between them, where she was completely wedged,
and in this situation, her bottom being on the',
rocks, she was soon beat to pieces. We haVe
given this description of the Islands, in order to
render the account which is to follow more intel-
ligible.
" Towards the close of 'Wednesday evening,
When a fog which had at isen was in some mea-
trtire dissipated, and when the ..sea had somewhat
abated, the mast of the vessel could be described
. from the shore at Oysterhaven, with something of
the appearance of a man clinging to the rig-
ging. .Night, however, and the tempestuous sea
witial. .611 prevailed, rendered it impossible to
make any effort to afford assistance ; and those
tvho witnessed the perilous situation of the nofor-
tonatesbeiug, did ,not doubt but a new hours, nay
minutes, would, terminate their suspense, and his
life. The night closed ; it was one of great hor-
ror ; there was a high wind and heavy l'ain3 ; it
was geoerally dark, save when now and again a
gleam of moonshine made the scene more visibly
terrific. The morning broke es it bout any abate-
inept having taken place in the violence of the
elements ; but the boats front Oysterhaven,
Which had witnessed the scene of the preceding
night, were early in motion, and rowed in a Ire=
meodously heavy sea towards the Islands. As
they proceeded they encountered several pieces
of wreck, and did not, doubt that the unfortunate
persOn who 'had been seen clinging to the r igging
had met that fate which appeared to be inevita-
ble ; upon nearing the Islands, however, they
could discern, upon one of them, something With
the appearance of a homan being, moving back-
wards and forwards, and upon approaching as
close as the heavy surge would admit them, they
distinctly saw that it was a man or a boy. To re-
lieve him at the moment was impossible. The
destruction of the boat and crew would have been
the certain consegoence of any attempt of the
hind, for the sea still continued dreadfully agitat-
ed,' and the wind extremely high. These circum-
stances being communicated to Mr. Cramer, liv-
ing near Oysteihaven Bay, be immediately bad
them made known to Alr• Newman, the Sove-
reign of Kinsale ; and at about ten o'clock on
Thorsd.iy morning, when the tidings first reached
him, that G-iitleman, in conjunction with Mr.
Barry, of Donoughmore, procured the first boat
which proceeded from Kinsale,,promishig to the
crew, it they succeeded in relieving the hapless
man on the Island!, a reward of t,en guineas. It
is but justice to say of these gallant fellows that
they had no other motive for their exertions than
the horrid fate which seemed to await him, and
being provided with some warm wine ill bladders,
nod other means of retreshment, and resuscita-
tion, if necessat y, they proceeded to sea, which
was as tempestuous, as it had been at any time
Within the last two days, and the wind still as
high.
" The cliffs, on the coast were at' this time
crowded with country people from the interior,
and during the occasional evaporation of the low
fog, the persons on the island could be seen run-
tring to and fro, as if in despair, or for the purpose
of keeping or procuring sonic animal heat. The
boat from Kinsale appeared ill view, making for
the island, 'which two others from Oysterhaven
had been preciously endeavouring to approach,
but ineffectually. For several hours those exer-_
lions were followed up, but all to no purpose;
the mountain billows that rushed tip the craggy
rocks which formed the base, and projected from
the two 'islands, created a surge, one yard of
which was inevitable destructiOn to whoever
athorild venture there ; yet one effort was made
which' deserves particular notice. The King's
boat stationed at Oysterhaveti, with Mr.- Matto-
sell, a Gentleman of the Revenue from Kinsale,
Tottng Mr. Holmes,. and the crew, proceeded to-
wards the island with a small punt in tow. On
comireg as close wis,hin its range as' the surf al-
* lowed them, the former gentleman and two of
the crew took to the punt, and were almost iMme-
diately lifted upon the very rocks of the island,
at Itre very spot where the miserable inhabitant
was watching them with the most intense anxiety.
The wave which dins threw them in receded, and
heir the pirnt for a few minutes on the rock, dur-
ing which time they threw out a rope, which the

.
person caught, and almost at the Same mornent
another wave bore off the punt filled with water
and nearly capsized. They Were then with diffi-
culty taken on board (be pinnade,- 'frOm whence
signs were made to the briy-4Or 'they had been
able to discover that he Was'quite a young lad—
to 'tie the rope round his body anal trust himself
to the waves. Afraid, however, or ignorant of
the meaning of their gestures, he wound the rope
round his hand, but in a moment Hastened ro take
it off, threw it away, and again Moonted the
cliffs.
" Night was now fast closing in, and `the tea
and-wind continued unabared, The boats were
reluctantly obliged to retire, and to leave the un-
fortunate boy for the second bight upon the rock,
without food or shelter, and with all the featful
anticipations that, before morning, cold and hun-
ger would tel his existence. As they
retreated, he was seen collecting in a parti-
cular spot (a kind of cavern) a wiantity
of
weeds, with the intention of making a bed, and
picking from the earth some wild vegetables,
with which the rock abounds, and which he
etas observed to eat. A tog suddenly conceal-
ed him from further observation while thus
employed.
" kelactant to suffer such an interval, as be-
tween night and morning, to pass without mak-
ing a new effort in behalf of the buy, at eleven
o'clock at night Mr. Gibbon's whale-boat was
again manned, and attempted to get out, but
could not succeed. In the morning, long before
day, she again started with Lieutettauts Bevan
and Nason, of the Royal Navy, and John Heard
Isaac, Esq. and rowed toward, the Island, but
n stir no: hope of reaching it, art the sea and wind
were still higher than on either of the ttvo pre-
ceding mornings, and the scene altogether more
terrific. The worst apprehensions `were enter,-
rained for the hoy, who had been then two days
and two nights out the rock, without any other
food than the wild vegetables which it yielded
Those fears, hots-ever, were in some degree reliev-
ed, when be was again seen bon) the boat moving
about ; but hope derived no support from the
aspect of the morning, w'hich promised a bad and
former day. After renewed, but fruitless efforts
to gain any point of the Island, the whale-I)6m
was again obliged to return to Kinsale, whichit
reached about 12 o'clock, after having been se-
veral. tifnes in danger of swamping. Here a most
interesting scene took place :—The crew of an
American vessel, the Dryad, which was wider-
going some repairs in the dock-yard of Messrs.
Gibbons and Co. volunteered to go out in the
whale-boat, and make an effort to rescue the boy.
Their services were gratefully accepted, and they
swore they never would return if they did not
succeed. They then proceeded to make an expe-
'intent, by firing a musket-ball with a rope
attached to it, which was found to convey it with
case as far as they considered would be necessary,
and thus provided they proceeded to sea.
" In the meantime the boats front Oysterhaven
had got into activity, and they could be seen for
three hours in succession contending with, bUt
scarcely living in, the breakers at the base of the
rock. As the situation of the boy became mote
hopeless, their exertions increased, and their 'des-
perate daring was more visible. It was impos-
sible that he,cetild have Survived another night,
and the knowledge of this circumstance seemed to
infuse new resolution in the hearts ot the men
Two boats were for a long time seen supporting
each other in their perilous undertaking—yet they
were frequently concealed for minutes together in
the dip ot the sea, or in the surge of the breakers.
The day was then. far advanced, anti to those who
were on the coast provided with glasses, and who
could see what was going forward, there appeared
as little hope of resetting the boy as on the pre-
ceding day, Mid his fate s,eemed inevitable. They
did nut know the resolution which the crews
formed, either to succeed or perish ; and the in-
terest ot the scene was excited into intense and
feverish agitation. when one of the men, a brave
and dauntless fellow, named Jack Cart y,the owner
of one of the Oysterhaven boats, was observed to
be tying a rope round his body, and it) a few mi-
nutes to throw himself with the most fearless
devotion into the surge, in which his boat could
not live. We need not describe the sensation
.which prevailed ; all the attention was now turn-
ed towards- this heroic fellow,- and the suspense
was unutterable until he was seen clinging to, and
occasionally climbing the cliffs, where an immense
sea had left him.

" He succeeded in mountiog beyond the reach
of the sprays, and was soon most actively em-
ployed in assisting the poor boy, who was in a
completely exhausted state of mind and body, and
who could with difficulty descend to where his
preserver beckoned (tint. At lenglb he reached
him, and-Jack Carty proceeded to invest his body
with the rope which he had taken from his own,
and then performed the duty of ushering him to
the spot whcre lie had himself been thrown, where
he consigned him to the waves. Doubt and
anxiety were again painfully excited while the
men in the boat were drawing him through the
breakers and seds, through which he must pass
before his safety could be said to be ensured ; but
both were dispatched when he was seen" taking in
over the gunnel, which was announced by three
tnen in the boats. During these few moments of
agitation, the intrepid Jack Carty, who remained
theon island, was forgotten; but the boy's safety
being known,"all eyes were turned to the former,
and we could distinctly see him sitting down with
the utmost composure on a point of rock, waiting
for his own ltance of being released. This, Itap
pily, was not lung accomplishing ; a rope was
flung on the kind Jack, more adroit titan his
predecessor on the island, soon seized and tied it
round his waist and shoulders. Not witlistfinding
the, perils of the scene, it was almost whimsical
to see this fine fellow collecting the boy's and-his
own clothes, %villch he deliberately tied up in a
bundle,tind put tinder his arm, and then, descending
to the most tavourable. spot, he watched his op-
portunity, and threw himself into the sea, from
which, in the course of about five minutes,. he was
released by his companions, who signified his
safety by loud cheers, wfiich were returned front
those parts of the land where they could be heard.
It was then exactly Iralf-past two o'clock. The
whale,,boat,with the American crew,arrived almost
at the moment Carty had got into his boat, but

they were in eight s'Oree time before, and mere
also seen rowing in the most undannted manner
in the heavy sea, and Almost in the surge, closing
the most accessible point of the island. Upon
learning the safety of the boy, they gave three
cheers, and returned to Kinsale, scarcely less en-
titled to public gratitude than if they had been
the instruntentS of Preservation. other boats
also arrived at the tnoMent, ignorant of Whet had
occurred, but ell determined to make a simelta-
neons effort. Lieutenant Deeprang, of the Royal
Navy, and. Lieutenant Blackyer, had proceeded
in one boat, with geese -and turkeys, to which
Were attached sneli pieces of bread as they could
be supposed to carry, and iehich were tit he fled
in the direction of the island, when the boat got
sufficiently near for that purpose. These pre-
parations-were happily rendered unnecessary, but
those who provided them, and undertook their
superinteedance, are entitled to the greatest
praise.
"The King's boat from Oysterhaven, with the
Messrs. Holmes, also arrived at tlpenroment, arid
into this the boy was ttansferred, Hurd conveyed
to Mr. Holmes's, where every atteetiou that his
forlorn situation required was bestowed upon
hint by that Gentleman and his family.
" fading now brought the narrative to a con-
clusion, we have only further to state, that the
name of the young boy thus providentially rescued
by the heroic interposition of Carty and his asso-
ciates ie Austen—that he is a nutive of Lime-
rick, and has a brother residing there, who is a
dowdier. Such is the account the.latgives of
himself, and there is no reasoe to doubt it. At
eleven o'clock our Saturday, at which -ho'or the
accounts from Oysterbeven cline away, he was
better than could have been expected, arid was
very voracious. for food, which, with the excep-
tion of warm wine, was very sparingly, but suf-
ficiently, given to him fur his situation.
" have another duty to perform, bet. for
the present we must defer it, because at present
we are unequal to the task. IVe have to draW
the attention of every description of persons to
the undaunted exertions of the brave fellows who
thus fearlessly exerted themselves to preset ve a
fellow creature, with no earthly prospect of re-
ward, save as they may draw on their own feel-
ings for a recompense. We have to solici*, and
we do at theteqtrest of the Gentlemen of Kiesale,
the protection and assistance of the Merchants of
COrk, for the men who so nobly risked
tit it own
safety to insure that of a desolate strangerovirich
could never have been effected, but by such in-
trepid means as those that were used. And are
deeds like this to go -unrewarded ? We ask it of
every Parent—of every being with the ft clings
of nature about them. jt might have occurred
to any Father or Mother, that their own child
tray have been thrown on the rock from which
Voting just err has been only miraculously released;
and what would their feeliogs be towards the in-
struments of his rescue ? We cannot now go
further ; but we solicit the sobscriptious of ell,
towards giving Catty -and his comrades some
token of that praise and gratitude which they
have so well deserved ; any suns, however small,
will be received at this office and publicly ac-
knowledged."
A subscription, we find, has been properly set
on foot to reward the heroism tires CWlSpiellOtidy
displayed, arid The Cork Chronicle concludes in the
following manner
" We shall be very happy to receive and ac-
knowledge at this Office, any sum given by way
of donation, to assist ie purchasing a boat fur
the humene and intrepid fellow, Jack Carty, out(
tve do not know of a better mode of completely
putting an end to the savage custom of pillage,
and frequently of murder, aster a shipwreck,
than to give very ample compensation to the
men who, on such occasions, risk their own
safety, to save the lives or property of their.fel-
low men."

The Southern Reporter o► the.. following (14
contains the subjoined additional particulars re-
Wing to this affecting story :

" On Sunday morning we received a letter'
from a Gentleman, Mr. Marries, Sot veyor of
Oysterhav en, under the kind care arid attention
of whose family the young man was taken, im-
mediately after his being released from his perilous
situation, stating that the lad's name was Ashton,
and that his mother was a mangler in French
Church-street, in this city. I'Ve went in search
of such a person, and found her in a wretched
state of mind, one of the crew of the lost vessel
having informed her of the situation of her son.
She was ignorant of his release and safety, and
her gratitude was fervent, when informed (o that
effect, to those who were instrumental in pro-
moting them. She was asked what could have
been the lad's motive in giving his name as Austen,
when it was in reality Ashton, and in saying that
he was a native of Limerick ? These questions
she satisfactorily answered, by stating that the
family•went by both names—that it was true he
was a native of Limerick, and equally true that
he had a brother there in the business he had de-
scribed. hier boy had left her, she said, about
nine weeks ago, to look for some employment in
England as a clerk, having tried every effort to
procure it at home, but nnavailingly ; and from
the day of his departure to the time the sailor
came to tell her about him, she did not know
what had become of him, and was, in consequence,
in great affliction. It would be in vain to de-
scribe her joy at the knowledge of his safety.
" Every circumstance connected with the fate
of this young man, from the very .moment the
Sylvan was wrecked, seems to have been marked
with the singular interposition of Providence in
his favour. We omit to notice' sotne particulars
in which lie complains, in a letter now before us,
of the treatment he experienced from the • crew,
because the Captain, with whom we have spoken
on the
_subject, positively denies what he was
charged with, and there is yet time enough, should
the eitentustances prove correct, to make them
known. Ashton, it will be recollected, was lett
in the rigging when the crew escaped in the boat,
and in this situation be continued till eight o'clock
at night, when the mast gave way, anti falling
towards the island, thus threw hini,opon it; bad
its direction being any other way, his inevitable
death would have been the consequeuee.'.: