Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-09-14

of about SO, Who likewise was fishermen
by profession, and tall, spare, ana as s!n...
and active n man rs any ON bi1rd. HshAt-
wise died delirio,iS, and in dreadful distress.
days after Paddock, being the iii,y-Sixth
day of the wreck. Something must be don,,
to procure water, or this must evidently w..
the fate of all the survivors in a very shore
time. About this time, good luck, or, more
probably, kind Providence, enabled them TO
fish up the tca-kettle and one Of the Cap
tain's pistols; and necessity, the mother of
invention, suggested the plan of distill--
Accordingly a piece of board was very nice
~ htted tn the mouth of the boiler, "A small
hole made i'll it, and the tea-kettle, bottom
upwards, Fixed to the upper side of the board
the pistol barrel was fixed to the nose OF
the kettle and kept cool by the constant APP
pEcation of cold water. This completely
succeeded, and the survivors, without Il
doubt, owe their preservation to this simple
experiment. But all that could be obtain
ed by this very imperfect distill, was but =
scanty allowance of water Cor Ave men; vet
1t would sustain life, and that was all. The
impression, that there,w meat enough nm.
der the half-decS, induced them to use eve
ry exertien to obtain it; but by getting up
pieces OF bone, entirely bare of meat and in
putrid state, they found that nothing was
lett for-them but to rely on Heaven for food.
and be contented with whatever came to
hand, till relief should come. Their onlv
snstenance now was barnacles, gathered
from the sides of the vessel, which were ate.
raw, that the distilling might not be inter
rupted, which would give them no more
than four wine glasses of water each per
day. The next food which they obtained
was large shark, caught by means of a.
I'm. -l,,N.. u.
relief, and lasted some time.
Two advantages arose from this signal in
terposision of kind providence for while thew.
hved upon their shark, the barnacles were
growing larger and more nutrisive. They
likewise found many small earbs among the,
sea weed which were very pleasant food.
But from the necessity of chewing them raw
& sucking out the nourishment, they brought
on an obstinate Costiveness, which became.
extremely painful, and probably much exas-
pcrated by the want of water.
On the 18th of March, according to their
computation, poor Mono the Cook expired.
evidently from want of water, tho with much
less distress than the others and in the full
exercise OF his reason: he very devoutiv
prayed, and appeared perfectly resigned to
the VIII OF the God who afflicted him Their
constant study was directed to the improves
ment OF their distiil, which was made much
oetterOy the addition of the other pistol bar
rei' winch was found by fishing with the
grams they made by liking spikes into piece,
of staNe With this barrel they so far nerE
tected the distill as to obtain eight Junk bot.
ties full OF water in 81 hours But from the
death OF Moho to the death of johnson. which
happened about the middle of April thew
seemed TO be denied every kind of food. The
barnacies were all gone, and no friendlv
gaze waited to their side the seaweed from
winch they cond obtain crabs or insects-It
seemed as IT all hope was gone forever. and
they had nothing before them but death NJ,
the hori1d alternative of eating the flesh of.
their dead companion. One exDed,ent was
lett, that was totly TO decoy shark. if har-.
ply thsre might be one about the wreck. bv
part OF the corpse of their shipmatc thi.
succeeded, and they caught large shark.
q from that time had plenty of fish till ,heia
happy deiiverance Very fortunately, a casjs
Oh mans winch was on deck, lodged in the lee,
scuppers, while on their beam ends with
these they were enabled to fasten the sh;n4
giles on their cabin, which by constant i'm.
provement, had become much more COM.
modious, and when reduced to TWO only. they
mad competent supply of water.
They had now drifted above 9OOo miIes p,
were in lat. % N. and long. IS w. when to
their unspcakable joy they saw three sbip-
bearing down upon them. The ships came,
rs near as was convenient, and then hailed;
winch capt. Cazneau answered with all the
force OF his lungs. The ship which hailed
proved to be the Fame of Hull, Cant. Feal
therstone, bound from Rio Janerio home.
1t so happened that the three Captains had
dined together that day and were all ON board
the Fame. Humanity Immediately sent a
boat, which put an end to the dreadful thral.
dom OF Capt. Cazpcau and Samuel Badgert
the only surviving persons, who were receive
ed by these humane EngliShmen with exaIt&
ing sensbility. Thus was ended the mosV
shocking catastrophe Which our naval histc.
~ mas recorded tor many years, after See
ries OF distresses from Dec. 18th to the oo,b
of June, period of 191 days Every attcn-
ton was paid to the sufferers that generositv
warmed with pity and fellow feeling could
dictate, on board the Fame.
They were cherished, comforted, fed.
Clothed and nursed until the 9th of L,lv
when they fell in with Capt. Perkins If t5e
brig DroTno, in the chops of the channel of
England, who generously took them On
board and carefully perfected the work of
goodness begun by the generous Eneiismen.
ana safely landed them in Kennebunk.
Tits natural to inquire how they Could 1o,4
SUCH vast distance upon the most freoueot..
cd part of the Atlantic and not be disco
vered all this time ? They we're passed bv
more than dozen sail, one of which came
so nigh them that they could distinctly Gee
the people on deck and on the rigging look
ing at them bat TO the inexpressible disau-
pontment OF the starving and freezing men.
they stifed the dictates decomposition. hoist,
ed sail and cruelty abandoned them to their