Star.
London, England, 1821-04-19 00:00:00

SHIPWRECKS

The heart-rending spectacle of a vessel 'stetted upon Whitby
Rock, with the greater part of the crew, was recently witnessed
by several of the inhabitants of that town. On Saturday morn-
ing last, about one o'clock, the brig Janet, of Lynn, coal laden,
came on the rock, and was discovered at daylight, having beat
up a considerable distance towards the foot of the east cliff. A
considerable surf upon the shore rendered the approach of the
cobles which went out to their assistance extremely difficult and
dangerous: they succeeded, however, in rescuing three of the
people, in a completely exhausted state, from the jaws of death ;
the remainder, five in number, including the Master and Mate,
perished in the waves. Two men were seen for some time
Boating upon separate fragments of the wreck; but before any
coble or boats could reach them, they were overwhelmed by the

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wives, and sunk to rise no more.
The apwing, Captain GIN/ILL, which arrived at Deal on
Monday last, in 27 days from St. Domingo, on the 2d lost. in
lat. 36. 50. long. 50. 42. fell in with the schooner Three
Brothers, Captain W. HUTCHINS, of St. Andrew's, from Indiana,
bound for Berbice, with staves; she was a complete wreck, and
had on board only one individual, J. Munson, whose situation
was one beyond the powers of human description. The Three
Brothers sailed on the 22d of February, and proceeded smoothly
in her course until the 2d of March, when they experienced a
dreadful squall early in the morning. The violence of the storm
incriased so rapidly, that is less than two hours the water was
upon the cabin floor, and shortly afterwards the stauncheons
were all carried away. The exertions of the crew, from that
time to day-break the next mornh:g, were all that could be ex-
pected from men who had no prospect of life but from the most
unwearied labour ; hut, alas ! all were useless: the light of the
coming day only served them to discern their fate, and render
death more terrible.
At this awful moment a tremendous sea burst upon them, and
ere they could utter a prayer to GOD the vessel capsized, and
was soon filled with water. The Captain, who was at the time
endeavouring to right the ship, was washed into the sea and
sunk for ever. The vessel then lay on her beam ends, and
her mast and bowsprit were instantly carried away. There re-
mained from the wreck six persons, one of whom was the Cap-
tain's son, a fine youth, whose situation may be easily con-1
ceived : this young man survived until the twenty-third day,
during which the crew were just able to keep life within them
by means of some beet-root and bread, half a barrel of flour, and
part of a cask of water, which they bad been able is keep by
Clem; but, unfortunately, the water got mixed with sea water,
and they suffered exceedingly by that circumstance, signs of ul-1
ceration soon beginning to shew themselves.
On the 25th of March, just as they were ruminating on their
fate, and mourning the loss of the Captain's son and the Mate,
Mr. Neil, who had .both died ; when, in fact, every hope had
escaped them, and they were looking upon each other with
horror, their chance of life was revived by the appearance of a
brig. As this vessel came near them, their hopes increased, and
they hailed her as long as their strength would allow therm; in-
deed she came so close to them at one time that they were fully
convinced that they were seen; but they must have been mil-
taken, -for she passed by them without notice, and they were
p:unged into all the horrors of despair. It would be anything
but Christian.like to suppose, that they had been discovered by
the crew of the brig ; tor what man could have seen and not
relieved them? Previous to this time, all the provisions of the
unhappy crew were consumed; and such was their state, that
they came to the melancholy agreement to cut up the body of
31r. N. Neil, the Mate, part of which they were under the ne-
cessity of eating, fur the purpose of prolonging their existence,
in the vain hope, as it turned out to all but one, of assistance.—
On the following day, three more of the little crew died, and
one was washed overboard, leaving only James Munson, who,
by an extraordinary PoOVIDENCE, remained alive until the 2d
instant ; when the Lapwing fell in with the wreck, and brought
him to Deal, to relate the melancholy catastrophe which befel
bia suffering companions.

MUTINY AND DESTRUCTION OF THE SHIP
KATE, OF LONDON.
Niw YORE, MARCH 17.—The following are the particulars
of the mutiny on board the British ship Kite, furnished by Cap-
trio Jogs.., from Guadaloupe

The crew, eight in number, of the ship Kate, Captain PUBDT,
landed about four miles to windward of the Mole on the 24th
January. They slept on the beach that night, and next morn-
ing a planter in the neighbourhood came to them, and brought
them to his house. Their story was uniform—all said "they
belonged to the American ship Retrieve, Captain JACOB Haws,
belonging to Messrs Sueseu and Wrcxorr, merchants, of New
York; that after six weeks boisterous weather, not bring able
to keep the ship free, she being very leaky, the Captain had
given orders to get the boat in readiness, and that they were
doing it, and getting into the boat about ten o'clock of the night,
when the Captain's son, about ten years old, fell overboard in
trying to get into the boat, and that the Captain threw himself
into the sea to save hint, but that both perished, and the ship
went down; that after being one night and two days in the boat,
they reached the beach near the Mole, with great hazard of
their lives." They were afterwards escorted to Point Petre,
when they were examined by the judge, and persisted in the
story ; except one, a French lad, who privately die-
' closed the truth to the Attorney-General. They had with them
all their baggage, and considerable money. Among the bag-
gage was a Bible, with the label, " Presented by the Bier-
chatrs' Seamen Auxiliary Bible Society, to the ship Kate, of
Landon—Gravesend, May 11; 1818." This the Mate, Thomas
Murdock, said was given to him by a fellow-lodger in New York.
The Judge, however, availed himself of this circumstance to in-
terro lite them a second time. Calling on blurdock, he said—
" There is the Bible belonging to the ship Kate, of London,
Captain George Purdy, and upon that very same Bible you
swear to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth." Murdock,
much embarrassed, said in broken words, that he was not ac-
customed to swear on the Bible, and resisted some time, when
the Judge observed to him, that if he would not answer to the
questions, he would pronounce him guilty immediately; for to
refuse answering the questions of the Court, was declaring him-
self guilty. Murdock then kissed the Bible. " Since I have
taken an oath," said he, " on the Bible, I will speak the truth,"
and related the story in substance—" That they belonged to the
ship Kate, of London, Captain George Purdy, which ship had
been chartered in August last at Halifax, by Belcher Biney,
and Co. for a voyage to Berbice and back to Halifax. The ship
took a cargo of fish, beef, and some lumber, consigned to the
house of Robert Kite, of Berbice. They reached Berbice,
where the cargo was sold for cash. The proceeds were put on
board in two boxes iron hooped, marked Nos. I and 2,
captaining five thousand six hundred dollars. The ship sailed
for Halifax in ballast. The Mate bad been discharged at
Berbice, after having some quarrel with the Captain. Six
weeks after sailing, finding constant head-winds, and being
in want of provisions, and the water nearly consumed, the crew
asked the Captain what ke intended to do? The Captain told
them he had still some coffee, which he would give them for
their support, and that he would try to get to Bermuda; but
after twenty-four hours, the winds against them, they tried for
New York, but without success. On the morning of the Bth of
January, three of the crew went and seized the Captain, as he
was walking on the deck, and tied him. They said, that he and
those that lived in the cabin must either jump overboard or go
into the jolly-boat alongside. They then embarked the Captain,
who wished and asked to go into the cabin for his-cloak and
boots, but be was not allowed. They begged earnestly for a
compass—his Lady also went on her knees, and begged for a
compass—but this was refused also. His. Lady, with their two
children, one a boy two years old, the other a girl four years
old, Mr. Robert Meredith, a passenger, and a mulatto boy named
William, steward in the cabin, were then forced into the boat,
with twenty pouhds of bread, two trunks of the Captain, and
f.:r. Meredith's trutchs, and two oars, and were sent adrift.
Th.,: crew were ignorant of their then latitude. After ten days
'ailing for. he West Indies, Deseada was the first land they dis-
covered ; they had rigged the long-boat as a sloop, put in their
baggage and money, which had been malty divided among them,
excepting the two lads, who had a share between them, when
two of the crew went below and scuttled the ship."—Afterwards
the rest of the -crew confessed their crime. About 1,400 dol-
lars tare been found and lodged at the Registrar's Office. Mur-
doca says he buried in the yard of the tavern at the Mole 451
dollars, but the mousy cannot be fcibUd. He has an American
protection, says he was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey,
and has papers from the Grand and Private Lodges of New York.
The cook is a negro, from Philadelphia, from whence he went in
a utorar.er to Halifax, his name l'hßip Fisher; he stutters. One
wig'. French lad; a I,nnden boy, one Welshman, an Irishman,
and two tiro:chilli-it. It i, supposed they will be sent to Barba-
does for ti tot.