Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-09-14
From the Salem Rerf,ter

.NARRAT'IVE OF CAP7'AIN ~. l.. CAzYEAU.
The Brig Polly, of Is tons burthen, sail
ed from Boston, with cargo of lumber and
provisions, on voyage TO Santa Croix, on
the 18th OF December, 1911, under the com
mand Of Capt w. l.. Cazneau-with mate.
q scamen and a cook: Mr.. ]. S. Hunt and n
negro girl of years of age, passengers
Nothing material happened until the 18th,
when they had cleared away Cape Cod, the
ahoai of Georges, and nearly, as they sup
posed, crossed the gulph stream, when there
came on violent storm of rain from the S.
&. in which the brig laboured very hard,
which produced a leak that so gained on the
pumps as to sound nearly six feet, when a.
bout midnight she was upset, and Mr. Hunt
washed overheard! Not having any reason
to hope for righting, the weather lanyards
were cut away, the deck load being before
thrown overheard, and the lashings all gone;
in about half an hour the mainmast went by
the board, and soon after the foremost, when
she righted, though full of water, dreadful
sea making fair Breach over her from stem
to stern. In this situation the night wore
away, and daylight found all alive except
the passengers, and upon close search the
little girl was found clinging to the sky-light,
and so saved from drowning in the cabin.
The glass and grating of the sky light hav-
ing gone away while on her beam ends, the
little girl was drawn through the opening,
but so much chilled that she survived but a
few hours In this situation they remained,
without fire, as near as the captain can re-
collect, u days, when the cook, an Indian
from Canton, near Boston, suggested the O.
peration of rubbing two sticks together,
which succeeded. Very fortunately the
Camboose did not so overheard with the
deck load; this was got to the windward,
fire kindled, and some provisions cooked,
which was the first they had tasted, except
raw pork, for the whole time. They now
got up barrel of pork, part of barrel of
beef, and one half barrel of bread. A small
pig had been saved alive, which they now
dressed, not having any thing to feed it with.
But at this time no apprehension was enter
tanned of suffering for meat, there being Sc
veral barrels slowed in the run, and up
wards of one hundred under deCk-With
this impression, the people used the provisi-
ons very imprudently, till they discovered
that the stern post was gone, and the gale
continuing for a long time, the barrels had
stove, and their contents were all lost fore
yer.
There happened to be a cask of wa
ter lashed on the quarter deck, which
was saved, containing about 80 gallons, all
the rest was lost This lasted about 10 DAYS.
when the crew were reduced to the neces-
sty of catching wha. rain they could, and
having no more! At the end of 40 days the
meat was all gone, and absolute famine star
ed them in the face. The first victim to
this destroyer was Mr.. Paddock, the mate,
whose exquisite distress seemed to redou-
bic the sulIerings of his companions. He was
man Of a robust constitution, who had spent
his life in the bank fishing, had suffered ma
ny hardships, and appeared the most capa-
BILE of standing the shocks Of misfortune Of
any of the crew. In the meridian of life,
being about IS years old, it was reasonable
to suppose that instead Of the first, ne would
nave been the last 90 have fallen a sacrifice
to cold and hunger: but Heaven ordered il
otherwise--he became delirious, and death
relieved him from his suiFerings the finieth
day of his shipwreck. During all this time
the storms continued, and would often over.
whclm them so as to keep them always
drenChed with sea water, having nothing
to screen them, except temporary kind of
cabin which they had built up of boards, be-
tween the MINDLESS and night heads on the
larboard side of the bowsprit.
The next who sunk upon this horrid
press Of disasters, was Howes, young man