The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-03-31 00:00:00

INTERESTING AND MELANCHOLY NARRATIVE.

The fallowing, melancholy narrative of the privations and
sufferings of Lieutenant Harmer, sad a boat's crew of his
majesty's ship*Sparrowhawk, Captain Pearson, will be read
with much interest .

" Whilst the Sparrowhawk was lyiag in August last at Port
Louis, one of the Falkland Isles, an account was brought that
part of the crew of the brig • Mars, of London, from Van Die-
tuan's Land, homeward boated, were ina boat in the neighbour-
hood, unable to make any farther exertion to reach the port,
and had left four of their comrades of a distant island, being
prevented taking them on board by tle small size of the boat.
Lieutenant .Harmer (the senior lieutetant), with Mr.' Haves,
midshipman, and four seamen, volunteered to go in search of
these suffering people iu this dreadful and severe climate, and
accordingly they left the Sparrowbawk in Port Louis, Berke-
ley sound, on the 6th of September last, lu a small sealing boat.
In fifteen days, after enduring great hardships from the
storms and cold weather, they reached atepot.on the mainland,
whence they imagined they might discover the position of the
island they were in search of; and accordingly Lieutenant Har-
mer, Mr. Hayes, and two seamen, landec with a spy-glass and
compass to reconnoitre and survey, leaving two men to take
care of the boat. But horrible to relate, from the inattention
of one of these men, the boat was allowed to get adrift to sea
with only one man in her. In a short time the poor fellow in
the boat was observed to be doing his best to bring her back
under sail; but he upset her, and was shortly after seen to be
swept from the wreck. Who shall represent the feelings of
those on shore, without. the means of sustdning life, and cut
off from every resource, not having any means of making fire,
and provided with nothing but three knives, every thing having
been left in the boat! However, on the Tst of September,
they pushed on for the settlement, at Berkeley Sound, distant,
as they supposed about one hundred miles—tie country moun-
tainous aud swampy, and the cold intense, so much so that their
clothes adhered to each other when huddled together for
the night. On the ZI of October one man could go no
farther, and Lieutenant Harmer remained with him. Mr.
Hayes and three others went on; hut in a short time one of
them returned, not having power to go any farther. They
had nothing to. support life, but occasionally dead birds which
they found, and limpets. Once they caught a cal, and another
time they found a goose's nest with five eggs. On the 15th of
October, Lieutenant Harmer and his two comrades reached
Salvador Bay, where the Sparrow hawk boat was discovered,
she having been despatched on the arrival of Mr. Haves and
one man at the settlement after almost unheard of puivation—
their lives having been preserved at the expense of one of their
companions, who, unable to keep with them from being utterly
reduced, was sacrificed for the support of the others." But fur
this dreadful alternative they, would never have reached Port
Louis to give the tidings of the dreadful, plight in which Lieut.
Harmer and the two men were left.

" When-'Mr. Hayes was taken on board the Sparrowhawk,
his weight as only seventy pounds, and Lieutenant thriller
was found very nearly as much reduced. Air. Hayes was shock-
ingly frost-bitten; but when the accounts left the Sparrowhawk
at Rio Janeiro, on the 15th of November, ail the sufferers were
doing well. It to know, th;it tho remain-
log of the crew of the Ma rs,for whose relief this tinfortuuatt,,exy,
pedition under .-Lieut. Harmer Was undertaken, were iniracti
lously rescued by an American sealing schooner, and put .ofr
board the Sparr6whawk."
- There can be no doubt but the Lords of the Admiralty will
immediately perform the agreeable duty of rewarding these.un-
fortunate otficers-and crew for the manner in which they per-
formed their .duty under such peculiar circumstances.