Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-12-14


| There are but few who have not witnessed
the difficulty with which a landsman. i'm the
pride and yigour of his life, and with all the
confidence of pleasurable object before him,
| descendS from the side OF ship to the swell
of only a moderate sea but not so in the pre-
sent case, the sea was stormy, and the waves
rolled mountains high one moment the boat
raised high aiott above the side of the ship,
was threatened with destruction by being
dashed to pieces OH the deck, the next il
was sunk into an abyss from which the appaI-
led heart feared il would rise no more, and
when the anxious expectation was prepared to
board ii, the swelling sea would hurl il far
from the ship and ont of the reach of hone
enter the murky darkness of the awful night.
until at length the vi;ylant aud dauntless sea-
men placed it within the reach of desperate
leap.
Al this critical moment, the ship was dis
covered to be on fire but the free breaking
Of the waters over her, and the exertons OF
the crew. eNtinguished the Games before
'hey had reached the combustiblc part of the
cargo.
Horror giving strength TO natural exertions
AT length enabled the gallant crew TO place the
four infant children, the Youngest not four years
OF age, in the boats, BY throwing them like
ball ot'inert matter, one ut time, from the yes
sci into the arms of a sailor, who stood up in
the boat to catch them; but, before "a second
child, could, in like manner the first, be ha-
zarded to the mercy Of Providence, the revolv-
ing waves would hurry the boat, in the terror
rope, WHEN the fortunate moment was again
embraced and another child was caught in tue
arms OF the heroic sailor.
matronly parent, and at.ther enfeebled by
the suffering effects of Il rigid climate, and con-
siderabiy advanced beyond the age of vigour,
stillremained TO be got into the boat-and here
In like manner with their tender infants, the
interpoSition OF Providence enabled The sailors
tn seize the lucky moment, between security *
destruction i'll the merciless waves, and the
small party were at length placed in the ledky
boat, to encounter new peIiIs
The gallant captain, determining to be the
last to quit his vessel, was still on board, with
two of the crew. when, in the mistake OF hur
ry aud the frightful horror of the night the
rope, by which the boat was lasled. was cut
by one OF the boatmen, and il parted from the
ship, under the anxious dread, the moment the
error was discovered, that they should never ~
gam see the meritoriouS partners of their SUITE
ings.
The small boat of the vessel, however, altlio'
of a size that two slight men could convent
entity carry 1t, as yet remained on board. and
III this the Captain and his two brave com
panons committed themselves to tempestu-
Gus sea.
Oars would have been Of no avail if they had
any, but they had none rude pieces of wood
were bcapcd 10 supply their places, if found
useful The waves, the surge, the wind blow
ing in ternpcstuous blast upon the sand, in pity
10 the sutierngs of the aflrighted passengers &
the crew, forwarded them towards the shore
while i'll their united exertOns to bale the wa
ter from the biged and crazy barks, the terror
OF their situations was somewhat relieved At
length, after an hours tossing upon the sursy
pillows, the larger boat took the ground on
Celsu Shidan, and the small one passed further
on.
Whoever has seen the effect of the surge of Il
stormy sea, rolling miles of sand and rocky
Skefs on lee shore, can form some idea of the
new periiS the sufferers had still TO encounter
all OF them ignorant of the coast thew were up
on and unconscious where they were every mo-
ment overwhelmed with the breaking waves.
anu before they recovered their spent breath,
the gathering waves again delugcd them in mi
sery, as if determined TO tear them back TO their
parent ocean-The sailors, as soon as thew had
recovered themselves in small degree from
the fatigue OF their eXertions, dropped them
selves over the side Of the boat aud finding as
they supposed the rocks under their feet, wad-
Ell forward i'll search of greater safety
The anxious desire of life, natural to every Ii
wing creature, and the parental feelings of the
wretcbed father and mother induced them for
a time to apprehend, that the sailors panic
struck, and dreadlng unavoidable destruction,
II they connected themselves any longer with
their helpless family, had deserted them to re-
turn no more; and, haifdrowned with the lash
ing of waves, they feltall the horror of despon-
dencyi when the Captain, ever valiant, ever
faithful to their preservation, aud regardless of
all personal consideration with the greatest diff
hculty, ran his little boat ashore-and, hasten
ing once more to their preservation, rallied his
dathted sailors, and, by the greatest exertion of
human powers, stemmed the waves and with
their dying passengers upon their backs and in
their arms, placed them beyond the fury of the
storIn, and revived their last hope of ever re-
gaining the shore.
The ignorance of the shore they were upon,
and the fear that it might only be deceitiul
bank which was surrounded by water, still me-
naced them with death, induced the noble pro-
tector OF the party to return again TO his little
boat, for the large one had drifted to sea- for
the purpose of exploring the shore, and render
ing further assistance, should intervening wa
ter require il. The children lifeless with fright
and benumbed, wet and cold from the drencl-
ing of the sea, and the parents weak and ex-
ansted, we're, by the meritorious exertions OF
the sailors, carried and supported over d track
OF sand and rocky skeTs, COycTedeach day with
the returning tides, for upwards olthree miles
when the opening moon, about two o'clock in
the morning, discovered to their ravished sights
few white cottages, on the side of the noun
tain.
Enthusiastic rapture ut their Makers mercy.
and hearts beating with JOY, encouraged the
exhausted sufferers to drag on their wearied
limbs and, at length they reached the humble
cottage OF sca-shOre cCttagcr, too often in
wantOnneSs approached by those, who live in
sPlendour, for acts of cruelty unknown to their
honest natures. The voice OF nature, unsophis-
eddy the voice of cities appeared in the
cottage IN her native virtue to the first call the
door was open, and though ignorant of each o.
theirs language, the voice Ofpity spoke in com
mon terms. Unstrlpt of the drenched clothes,
the shift, the spirit of the cottagers covered
their trembling guests, who. with their diving
infants, were hurried into bed, from which their
hosts had risen T.; some warm tea was then pro-
vIded, and blessings Of gratitude filed tie cot
tage, which was now without a care, but what
arose from the uncertainty of the fate Of their
worthy Captain and his comrades in the little
boat; but, they also had been The object aud
Il 60 i.