Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-11-29

Car from accusing these gentlemen OF 8
breach Of honour; fatal chain of Cir.
lenmstanoes doubtless compelled them K
enounce the generous plan which they
| nd formed to save US or die with Us.
fhe,e circumstances merit an inyestiga-
lien.
"The boat in which was the Governor.
threw tous the first towing rope. Shouts
of Viye lie Roi were Thousand tines re
lDeated by the people on the raft, and d
small white flag was haisted on the extie-
nifty OF a musEet barrel. The cemman-
| dant appointed to the raft was MHishlI.-
aaan Of the first class, Of the name Of Con
idin.
{. IF all the efforts of the boats had cor
| tantlv acted upon US, favored as we
we're br the sea b eezee. we shouid have
cached lard in less than tree day.
for the frieste was not wrecked NOR
Ithsn 10 OF Is leagues flom tile shore
i,uch we're the calculations Of The officers,
(which tugptd ut TO be correct, brcaese
lon the yeri DAY OF departure. the boat
loot sight Of and before sunset. lie
lfrst lent. of the tl'igate. seeing that hl
lefforts became useless. alter having 10"
ed us alone for few moments. cut thc
Icabe attached 'othe RATS, and LEFT US re
!om fate. Seye a per an decla'ed e
Inc. that after tbs operation tbey heard
Itne ba barous cry of " Let Us abando"
Them Ihad this fact from several per.
sOhs.
:, Indeed we were not convinced tia.
SO were entirely abandoner, until the
boats were Almost eufileiy out OF ST hl
i0ur cons formation Was then ex rcme a.
The horrors 0. famine and tIlirst we're thei
lleDitched 60 oar i;nasinati3ns: and we
had also to struggle WITH a tseac erou,
lelement. which alre adj covered one hall
If our bodies. All the soldiers and sail
forS gave themselves up to despa and i
was wifi great difficulty that We succeed
ed IN cal uing them.
$ We bad embarked without havins
taken any unurj,hment hunger began
Ito make itself imperiou Nv felt LITTLE
biscuit. stce ed in little vine, formed
Inul fist rerast. ana it wa the best we
,irnaie during our abode on the raft. Some
|order was established for the distribute 4
iof our wretched pittauce by the fri
day, which passed in toIerabe tranquil,
Ety. tie biscuit uas exhausted. In the
ight our hearts and our prayers, by a
.eatiuent natural to the unfortuuare
turned toward Heaven-we invoked i
with fervour, and derived from our pray
Iers the advantage OF hoping for deliver.
lance.
I'VE still cherished the idea, that the
division of boats woUId hasten to retarl
to our assistance: ni2ht bowerer came
Iwithout fulfilling our hoees-the wine
Efreshened. there was'a considerable swell
iof he sea /: what a lrigptFul night
| I" During this nigh, a great number OF
lnnr passengers, who had not seaman's
foot, tnmhled over one another. In fae
latter ten hours of the most cruel suffer
Eings, day arrived. What a spectacle
presented Itself to our view! Ten or
ltuelve untortunate creatures having thel'
lower extyemites entanged in the IL
Itcrstices left between the pianks OF the
| aft. had been unable to disengage them
seIves and lad lost tier lives. Se,eral
Iothers bad been carried Of the raft b.
The violence of the sea so that by morns
ling we were already twenty fewer III
number.
" We depIorcd the loss of our unfor.
ltunate companions, but we did not at the
|moment anticjFa e the scene that was to
take place the next night. The hope OF
seeing the boats agn2 in the course The
Iday, supported our courage but whep
it was disappointed, depression followed
land from that moment sediious spirit
manifested itself BIZ cries OF tnr'.
| " Night came on; the SKY was cover
led with thick clouds the sea was still
s.eore terrible Than Oh the preceding night,
and tie men beng unable to hold fast to
1.-The aft. crowded towards the centre. the
jmost solid part. Almost all thase perish.
ed who we're unable to reach the centre
The crouding Of the people was such.
that some were stiled By the weight Of,
their comrades, who were falling upon
| them every moment.
"'Tbe soi4iers and sailors giving them
selves up tot lost, fell drinking, until
they LOST their reason. In this state they
carried their delirium SO far as to display
1.-THE intention of numbering their chiefs
land destroying the raft by cutting the
ropes which united its different paris
One of them advanced, armed with al
lhatchet, to execute this design; he had
! 1 L. IL. 4 1. !.