The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-23
DISTRESSING ACCOUNT
ofthe shihwreck effhe Sooh ThE7Is,
Cahtain fABER, given ty hinsseLc

sailed on the 10th ult from New Bed
ford. in the sloop Thetis, of that place,
bound to Savannah. having ON board. inclu.
ding both crew and passengers 50 souls. On
the Esd we experienced a violent gale Of
wind from the N. +. which brought us too
under trisail, after having scud six hours
At about o'clock, p. NJ we were struck,
as was supposed, by white squall from the
N. N. w. which instantly upset u.s. in lat
81, 3. long. rs, So The sea rushed imme.
diately into the cabin. where 90 of the pas.
sengers persisted or were washed from the
deck as .tsey endeavored to escape out of
the companion way. The vessel lay upon
her beam ends upwards of 48 hours, during
which time repeated efforts were made to
Cut away the mast. but withon: effect, she
being almost wholly under water, and a hea.
w sea going; twelve of us, being all who
survived, on the second day dashed ourselves
10 the Quarter rail, when NO more, (Jo,crh
Crowe, and Joseph Francis) persisted with
cold aud fatigue.
On the third day, the gale sba.ing, and
the weather growing moderate we cut the
shrou:s, anu cleared away the mast from
the wreck, and she nearly righted. but was
full of water. On the sixth day after being
Oh the wreck, we saw ship, which hoisted
American co!ors, and bare down we snppo.
sed to our assistance, but at sun set she lost
sight OF us-the ship stood by us all the
hight, during which time we could dis met
ly see her. though tits believed We were not
perceived by those on board of her-about
Gay Gght, severe gale sprung up, and the
s.,ip losing sight OF Us, proceeded on her
course. We saw several other vessels pass
MS. but not near enough to be hailed. On
the seventh day, all of us except one man
was washed from the wreck by Il sea that
unexpectedly broke upon us, but bv nlucn
eXertion, four Of Is cglined the vessel,
when l, with Ihe survivors, Mr. Asa T.
Taber. Amos Kelly, Braddock Giffo.l AID
Ihomas Snow, wrapped ourselves in . sail
spread across the quarter rails, and there
continued exposed to the iHclcmency of the
weather. and to the voracious sharks, which
sported around us, seeming impatient for
1ncir prey one of our companions having
already fallen a victim to their jaws, before
our sight. In this situation we continued
seventeen days, subsisting wholly on raw
potatoes, much damaged by the salt w alter :;
when capt. Hudson, OF tile ship William and
Henry, by an intcrposition of Heaven. too
affecting TO he ever forgotten by us, came
TO relief and snatched us from despair
aud impending death-hpdng us cold, kun
CRY and exhausted. he clothed and fed US,
and by the tcnderest exercise of hospitality
and kindness, cheered us back to life -
Not to acknowledge our obligations :, so
great Il bencraCtor, would be to Suppress the
involuntary illusions OF grateful hearts. For
myself, therefore, as well AS in behalf of my
surviving fellow sufferers, take this public
opportunity to express our warmest acknow-
-ledgnents to capt. Hudson, and also to his
mates, and crew, for the pron.pthcss and per
severance which they Showed in rescuing us
from watery grave, as well as their hulna .
nifty and attention so uniformly continued to
Us, til! our arrival i'll this port.
JOHN TABER, jr.
Charleston, 10th Dec. 1909.
Nineteen of the persons lost had families,
and all OF them lived in OF near New Bed
ford.
PERSONS SAVED.
CAPT. John Iaber, il. Master of the sloop.
Thomas Snow, Asa French Taber, Amos
kIlcy, Bradford Gifford-Passengers
.NEH. York, Dec 10.