Star.
London, England, 1802-02-13 00:00:00

SUFFERINGS OF SOME DESERTERS.

Letters lately received from St. Helena giie a
moll fingular and affeiling narrative rerpedi rig fix
deferters from the artillery of that Auld. Their
extraordinary adventures produced a Curt of
Enquiry on the trth of December lift, when John
Brown, one of the fui vivnrs, delivered the follow-
ing account upon oath, before Captain Da slot; m-
?MN, Prelident ; Lieutenant B. Honww, and
Enlign Yor c
a In June, 1799, I belonged to the firft com-
pany of artillery, in the fez-vice of this garrifon,
and on the loth of that month, about halt an hour,
before parade time, M' Kinnou, Gunner, and or-
derly of the fecond company, a(ked the if I was
willing to go with him on board of an American
fhip called the colombia, Captain Henry Lelar
(the only Chip then in the roads): after Come con-
verfation 'agreed, and met him about feven o'clock
ax the playhonfe, where I found one MilZt2inn, of
Major'Seale's company, another man called Brig.
houre, another called Parr, and the firth Matthew
Conway.
a Parr was a good rearm% and raid he would
take us to the ifland of Alienfion, or lay off the
harbour till the Columbia could weigh anchor and
come nut. We west down about eight o'clock
to the Weft Rocks, where the American boat was
waiting for us, manned with three of the Amci i.
can (same% which took us along fide the Colum-
bia. We went on board—Parr went down into
the cabin, and we changed our clothes after hair.
ing been on board half an hour.
Brighoure and Conway propofed to cut a
whale boat from out of the harbour to prevent the
Columbia from being fitfpeited, which they el-
faded, having therein a coil of rope and five oars;
with a large -(lone the was moored by—this hap.
pened about eleven at night.
" We obferved lanthorns palling on the line to-
wards the Sea Gate, and hearing a great noire,
thought we were milled and fearched for. We
immediately embarked in the whale boat, with
about twentv-five pounds of bread in a bag, and a
fmall keg of water fuppofed to contain about thir.
teen gallons, one compafs and one quadrant, given
to usby the commanding officer of the Columbia;
but in our hurry the quadrant was either left be-
hind or dropped overboard.
" We then left the Pup, pulling with two oars
only to get a-head of her—the boat was half full
of water and nothing to bale her out—in this con.
dition we rowed out so fea, and lay Off the ;nand.,
a treat difiance, expelling the American !hip
hourly.
About twelve o'clock the fecond Jay, no (hip
appeariug, by Parr's advice we bor.: away, Leer-
ing N. by W. and then N. N. W. for the ifland of
Afeenfion, uting our handkerchiefs as rubftitutes
for fails. We met with a gale of wind which con-
tinued two days—the weather then became very
fine, and we ruppored we had run about ten miles
an hour. M'Kinuon kept a reckoning with pen,
ink, and paper, fupphied by the Colombia, as alfo
charts and maps.
" We continued our courfe till about the 18th
in the mottling, wheu we caw a numher of birds
but no land. About twelve that day Parr Paid he
was lure we mutt be pall the ifland, accounting it
to be 800 miles from. St. Helena. We then each
of us wok our lhit and with them ma*

fprit-fail, and laced our jackets and trowfers to-
gether at the wailband to keep us warm, and then
altered nor courfe to W. by N. thinking to make
Rio de Janeiro, on the American coati. Provi-
fions running very Mort, we allowed ourillves only
one ounce of bread for twenty-four hours, and two
mouthfuls of water.

a We continued until the 26th, when all our
provilions were expended. On the 27th M.Qliin
took a piece of bamboo in his mouth to chew, and
we all followed his example. On that night, it
being my turn to 'leer thibctlit, and remembering
to have read of perfons iri wi Situation eating their'
Shoes, I cut a ptece off (*tie of mine ; 'but it being
(*naked with fait water, I was obliged to fpit it nut,
and take the intide foal, which I eat part of, and
diftributed to the reit, but found no benefit from it.
On the tft of July Mr. Parr caught a Dol-
phin with a.G.tif that had been left in the boat.—
We all fell on 'ear knees, and thanked GOD for his
goodnefs to us. We tore up the Pith and hung it
to dry ; about four we eat part of it, which agreed
with us pretty well. On this 11th we fublifted till
the 4th, about eleven o'clock, when finding the
whole expended, bones and all, Parr, myfclf,l3lig-
houfe, and Conway, propofed to fcuttle the boat,
and let her go down, to put us out of our mifery ;
the other two objefted, obferving that Gon, who
had made man, always found him fomething to
eat.

" On the sth, about eleven, M'Kinnon propof-
ed that it would be better to cait lots for one am
to die in order to Pave the ref' ; to which we con-
fented. The lots were made. Wm. Parr being
tick two days before with the (potted fever, was I
excluded. He wrote the numbers out, and put
them in a hat, which we drew out blindfolded,
and put them in our pockets. Patr then ailed
whole lot it was to die—none of us knowing what
number we had in our pocket—each one praying
to GOD that it might be his lot. It was agreed
that No. 5, fhould die ; and the lots being unfold.
ed, MiKinnon's was No. 5.
" We had agreed, that whole lot it was thould
bleed himfelf to death;' for which purpofe we
had provided ourfclves with nails Ilarpened, which
we got from the boat. M'Kinnon, with one of
them, cut himfelf in three place l, in his font, hand,'
and sniff ; and praying Goo to forgive him, died
in about a quarter of an hour.
Before he was quite cold, Brighoufe, with
one of thole nails, cut a piece of flefh off his thigh,
.and hung it up, leaving his body in the boat.—
About three hours after we all ate of it—only a
very (mall bit. This piece lafled us until the 7th.
We dipped the body every two hours into the fea
to preterite it. Parr having found a piece of (late
in the bottom of the boat, -he tharpened it on the
other large (tone, and with it cut another piece'of
the thigh, which batted its until the 13th, when it
being niv watch, and obferving the water, about
brt.alc of day, to change colour, I called the reit,
thinking we were near (bore, but law no land, it
not being quite day-light.
" As foon as day appeared, we dircovered land
right-a-head, and Iteered towards it. About eight
in the morning we were elope to the (bore; they
being a very heavy furl, we endeavoured to turn
the boat's head to it, but being very weak ws were
nnablefonn after the boat upfet ! Myfclf. Con-
way, and Parr, got on (bore ; M.ltin and Brig-
houfe were drowned !

" ‘Ve sliicovered a fmall hut on the beach, in
whieltwere::n Indian and h is mother, who fpoke Por-
tugucfc, and I underflanding that language, learnt
that there was :t village about three miles diltance,
calk(' Belmont—this Indian went to the village,
and gave information that the French had landed,
and in about two hours the Governor of the vil-
lage (aClergyman) with feveral armed men, took
Conway and Parr prifoners, tying them by their
hands and fee:, and flinging them on a bamboo
flick, and in this manner took them to the village.
I being very weak, remained in the hut Game time,
but was afterwards taken.

" On our telling them we were Englith, we
were immediately releafed, and three hammocks
provided—we *ere taken in them to the Gover-
nor's houfe, who let us lay on his own bed, and
gave us milk and rice to eat; hut not having eaten
any thing for a confiderable time, we were lock-
jaw'd, and continued fo till the 13d, during which
time the Governor wrote to the Governor of St.
Salvador, who fent a fmall fchooner to a place
called Porto Seguro, to take us to St. Salvador.
We were condated to Porto Seguro on horfeback,
palling through Santa Croix, where we remained
about ten days ; afterwards we embarked, and on
our arrival at St. Salvador, Parr, on being quer-
tioned by the Governor, anfwered, that our Ihip
had foundered at tea, and we had fared ourfelves
in the boat; that the (hip's name was the Sally, of
Liverpool,and belonged to his father, and was laft
from Cape Corfe Cattle, on the coat of Africa, to
touch at Afcenfion for turtle, and then bound for
Jamaica. Parr Paid he was the Captain.
" We continued at St. Salvador about thirteen
days, during which time the inhabitants made up
a Ibbfcription of sod. each man. We then em-
barked in the Maria, a Portuguefe (hip, for Lif-
bon • Parr as mate, Conway, boatfwain's -mate,
myfraf being fickly.as paffenger. In thirteen days
we arrived at Rio de Janeiro. Parr and Conway
failed for Lilbon ; and I was left in the hofpital
in about three months, Captain ELPHINSTONE, of
the Thom sot, preffed me into his Majefty's fervice,
giving me the choice of remaining on that Ration,
or to proceed to the Admiral at the Cape. I chofe
the latter, and was put with (even fulpeeted de
-
fetters on board the Ann, a Botany Bay fhip, in
icons, with the coreißs. When I arrived at the
Cape, I was put on board the LANCASTER, of 64
guns. I never entered. I at length received
my difcharge, fince which I engaged in the Duke
of Clarence as a fearnan:: I was determined to give
myfelf up the firft opportunity, in order to relate
my fufferings to the men of this garrifon, to deter
them from attempting fo mad a Ichcme agdfn !"

• • In attending to the above narrative, as fimple as it is af-
egig, we cannot help noticing the jultiee of PILOVIDENCE fo
ltrikingly exempHlied In the melancholy fate of _M•Kianon,
the deluder of thefe unhappy men, and the victim of his own
illegal and difgraceful fchente. May his fate prove a memento
go Soldiers and Sailors, and a ukful, though awful Woo, to the
akatirafcrs and akitton of Ihferdoo !

On Thnrfday night, about half paft r t o'clock,
as Mifs DI CAMP was returning from Drury-lane
Theatre to her houfe in TiAtenham-court-road.
accompanied by her filler, they were furrounded
in Great Ituffel-fireet, Bloornibury, by four fa.
lows, but fome pr:rions palling on the other fide c f
the way, they mad_ off without Paying any thing ;
when theladicsgot intoTottenham-court-road,how.
ever, the fame fellows came up to them again and
furrounded them, and with horrid imprecations and
threats demanded their money. They endeavoured
to take from Mifs Da CAMP'S finer a bundle con•
taming a great coat and Mifs Dr CAMP'S drefs, in
which The had been a&ling, but making fome re-
finance in the firuggle, the was dragged into the
middle of the ttreet ; refuting to give it up,
one of the villains gave her a violent blow, which
obliged her to let go her hold. During this, Mifs
DE CAMP, by her (creams, alarmed the neig:l-
- and the robbers did not get any thing from
her, but they firuck her feveral times.
A number of fimilar flreet robberieshaire lately
been committed.

A few nights fine: four villains robbed the tur-
key-pens of a Gentleman near Hales Owen; but
there being tome apprehenfions of fuch a vifit,
from Come idle-looking fellows being ken loitering
near his premifes, a night or two previous, he
fired a blunderbufs, and dreadfully wounded one
of them. They had, however, wrung off the
heads of thirteen turkeysbefore theywere furprized,
and carried off the wounded man in fuel; a hu: ry
as to leave their prey, and thelr.bags for carrying
it off, behind them.

Yellerday the ruins of an old houfe in Virginia.
flreet fell upon a labourer and a boy. They were
both dug out much cut and bruited. The man is
expected to recovot, but the cafe of the boy is
hopelefs.
Yeflerday fennight an inquitition was taken at
Boated, by the Coroner for that liberty, on the
body of Jacob Finch, fervent to Mr. Weitrup, who,
driving a tumbril through the gateway in the yard,
was fo terribly knifed by the thafts going aglintt
him, that he expired in twelve days afterwards.
On Saturday the ,Coroner's Inqucit fat at the
Angel Inn Edmonton, on the body of Mrs. Eliza
Dartou, who was found tirove tied on the nut-illy
before, under the bridge of Stanley's Brook,
near that place ; the Jury brought in a verdiß
Accidental Death. The deceafed had kept a
boarding-fchool, at Tottenham High Crofs, fir
many years.

People grown up, and of any age, that are quite
►gnorant of dancing; all'► thofe who only wont the
fathionable Reps, acquire them molt expeditiontly,
and in Ose &ft flyle, at Mr. ALLEN'S, No. 19, Sher-
rard-fireet, Golden.fquare ; or No. to, Great-
Alie.ftreet, Goodman's-fields; and thofe wholove
dancing to good Indic, may, by fubfcribing. to
the &lea Afremblies there, enjoy a pleathre which
no one Alfembly in England gives bclidcs, as Mr.
Gow and Mr. MACKINTOSH, :he molt charming
Performers of Ball Mufic in this country, are poll-
tively engaged to lead the Band alternately, from
the beginning of February to the end of the leafon.
The inhabitants of the Borough and neighbour-
ing Villages of Surrey and Kent, who may have
occafion to apply for thofe celebrated ANti-
scoksuric DR(.1.3, now fo univerfally reforted
to, in complaints of the Scurvy, Gout, Rlieuma-
tifm, Ulcers, and other difordi r; arifing from im-
purities of the Blood, indigeftion, 3cc. viz. SP I LS-
ram es, of Soho-fquare, ely depend on having
them genuine at Wi 1.1.1 A M Ct..% e's Medicinal Shop,
No. 296, Borough, Agent for SP I L3BDR y and Co.
where Ladies and Gentlemen may have their Or.
completed, in dozens or half dozens, to a
tingle ss. bottle. Each Bottle is didinguillted by
a black Stamp.