Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-10-11

supposed impossible, willie others have spoken &c
It as very sable. The following article
VIII ch is COPIED from thesBriJsh Naval Chronicle
tor 1902 will shew that the difficulty of escaping
1, less than was imagined.
Suffering Of some desertsrs"
The extraordinary adventure of SIX deserters
belonging to the Artillery of the Island of St
Helena, occasioned Court of enquiry, ON the 10Th
Ga december, 1901, when John Brown, one Of the.
survivors,, deilveredthe following singular and
ahecting narrative upon oath, before Captain De.
fountain, President, lieutenant 3. Hudson and
ensign Young.
4" In June, 1899, belonged to the3iirst coinps.
ny OF artillery IN the service of the Governor of
81 Helena, and OH the 10th OF that month, about
hall an hou before parade time, NI'Kennon. gun
ner and orderly of the second company, asked me
was wiling 10 go with bin on board an Anne.
rcan ship called the columbia, captain Henry
Leiar, (the only ship then in the roads j after
some conversation, agreed and met HIM about Z
O'Clock, At the play house, where found one NJ
Qninn, of major Scales company, another maa
called srlghouse, another called Parr, and the
9th Matthew Conway.
(" Parr was good seaman, and said ne would
take us to the island of Asc ension or lay off the.
harbor until the Columbia could weigh anchor
and come out. We went down about eight o.
clock to the West Rocks, where the American
boat was waiting for us, manned with three Anne.
rlcan seamen, VINO took us aiungslGe of the CO.
lumba. We went on board-Parr went DOWN
INTO the cabin, and We changed our clothes, after
having been on board half an hour
Brighouse and Conway proposed TO cut ?.
whaleboat from out Of the hirbor, to prevent the
Columbia from beng suspected, which they eff
tected, having therein small coli of rope and
I'VE oars, with large stone she was moored by
this happened about eleven o'clock at night.
''We observed lsnthorns passing on the line
lrIta nd
thought we were missed and searched TOR We
immediately embarked lnstiIe wnaie boat, witk
ABOUT twenty FIVE pounds OF bread IN bag and
small keS OF water, supposed TO contain ABOUT
tnrteen gallons, one compass. and one quadrant
gwen us by the commanding officer Of the Coum-
Dla out III our great hurry the quadrant wac
either Jeff behind or dropped overheard.
We then left the ship pulling with two oars
to set ahead ,fher-the boat was naif full OF
water, and we had nothing to bail her OUT in
thls condition We rowed out to sea, and lay oil
he island great distance, expecting the Amerl-
can ship hourly.
b" About Ii O'clock the second day, no ship I'D.
Pearlng, we bore away steering, N by ~. and
then \. y. f. for the island of Ascension, using
our handkerchlets for sails We met with pa.e
OF wind which continued for two days, the wea-
ther then became fire, and we supposed we had
run about Ten miles per hour ArKennon kept
reckoning with pen ink and paper, supplied by
the Columbia also maps and charts
-" we con .nucl DIR course until about the
18th IN the morning, when we saw number OK
buds, but no land; about twelve that day Para
sad Inc WAS sure we had missed de stand, &C
counting II TO be about 500 miles from 81. Hele
naD
The rest OF tne narrative CONTAINS an interest
ing account OF much length, OF the suifermrs ,rT
those men--thcy got 0ut OF provisions, and drew
los, VINO shonld die 70 support Tie Others ,.s
lot fell upon EcKennon, who bed himself to-
death the remainder cat part OF him. On the
Yin ofJuiy they reached Tie COSTS OF Braz,ls.
near 81. Saiyador but so weak and exhausted
that NcQunn and Brghouse were drowned m
the. 5uri, getting on shore