Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-12-03

Il w utHlDitU the loss OF our unforfunotp
companions, but we diu not at the momrnt an.
ucipate the scene that wns TO take MAGE TIC
next night. The hope fSeeing the boats a rain
Ill Tue course OF the day supported our cour:ss
LDut when 1t was disappointed, depression fol.
lowed. ana from that moment a tous sn;,;,
NANTES ted Itself by cries offary
Night came on the SKY was covered with
'nioA clouds; tue sea was still more terrible
i .hah. on tue preceding night and the men. be
ing unable TO hold fast TO the raft cro,viad 10
wards the centre, the most solid bart A,rnost
afuiose persisted who were unable TO reach
ecentre The crOwciug OF Tie people was
suci' mat some Were stiiled By the weight OF
'nsr conraues, Who were falling upon them e
serN moment.
lie soldiers and sailors giving themselves
up nr iost tell adrnking, uatii they lost their
reason. la this state they carried their deiiri-
UNI 80 i;ir as todt>play the intention OF murder
in- tneir chiefs, aud destroying the raft by cut
ENG the ropes which unIted its different parts.
tne of them ad, anccd, armed with Il hat,het,
10 execute his design he had already began TO
GU, tue iSamenis which was the sgBal of re-
Noit. Inc oiicsrS came forward 10 restrain
these madmen the one who was armed with
hdtchet, with which he dared TO threaten them
WAS kiiled with the stroke ora sabre.
Many OF the officers and some passengers
joined " Tor the preservation of the raft. The
revolted drew ttrir sahres, aud those who had
nene ARMED themselves with knives. We put
ourselves in u posture OF dcieuce and the conf
bat commenced. One OF the rebels raised his
NN"t'iA atiANt al ne IcI ttlSt moment
pierced with wounds. This iirDiness appeared
tor amoDcnt to intindate the muiincers but
they closed IN with one another, aud retired OF
TO execute thcir plan. One Of them feigninc-
10 reppse himself, had begun to cut the ropes,
with knife. when, being informed of il lly
some domestic, wes,Iartcd upon him !: a soldier
Wishingto defend him, threatened an Officer.
with has 4>tiiie, afidahhing It blow at him, struck
9nis ilis coat. The officer turned about, tloorcd
ms adversary, and threw him into the sea as
" ell as his comrade
The battle soon became general the mast
DTohe,anu taiiInS upon Captain Dupont, who
renamed tenSeiesS. nearly broke his thigh
lie was seized BY the soldiers who threw him
into the sea. We perceived this and were i'm
Time 10 save him we placed him on Il barr
rel, from whence he was t0rn by the mutt
neers, who wished to dig his eyes out with "A
knife. Reused by such ferociiy we CHARGED
them with fury, dashed through the lines
winch tue soldiers had formed, sabre in hand,
and minN OF them poid with their lives. Tor
their madness. The passengers seconded us
AFTER second charge, the fury of the re
marked cowardicc. Tie greater part threw
themselves On their knees aud asked pardon,
which was granted.
we thought order restored, and returned
TO our post IN the centre Of the raft. 1t was
nearly midnight; we kept our arms. After an
hour OF apparent tranquility, the soldiers rose
anew; they were quite mad but as they still
enjoyed their physical strength, and were be-
Oh the defensive.
- They attacked US we charged them in
turn, and soon the raft was strewed with their
carcasses. Those OF our adversarieS who had
no arms sendeAvored to tear us with their teeth;
many OF us were cruelty bitten | was so
myself III the legs and shoulder. There were
not more than twelve or fifteen OF lis to resist
ali these wretcs.es, ia; our nnion formed our
strength.
Day at last broke on this scene of horror.
A great number o. these madmen had thrown
themselves into the SEA. In the morning we
found that G5 men had persisted ia the night a
fourth part Of whom drowned themselves in
despair We had lost only two of our party
and not single officer.
" A new misfortune was disclosed to us at
day-break. The rebels, during the tuiuult, had.
thrown into the sea two barrels Of wine, and
the ONLY two casks of water which was upon
the iaic There remained only one caSaS of
VINE we were still sINty-seVeu in all :: IL be-
came necessary to put our selves ON half rd-
ticns. This was a new subject of murmur at
the moment OF distribution. Matters came to
sucn pitch, that 1t was necessary to resort to
extreme measures TO support our wrctchcd
i sliudder with horror while re-
trace That which we put in practice feel
my pen drop from my hand mortal cold
ness freezes ali my limbs, and ny nair stands
an end. Great God dare we Still raise TO-
wards thee, our hands d ed with the blood of
cur fellOwmen1 Thy clemcncy is infinite *
thy paternal goodness has already granted our
~PehtdhCc IKE PARTON OF inc crime WHICH was
never voluntary, but that of the most awful
necessity
= Those whom death had spared in the dis
aStrous night which | have just described
threw themselves rayenously on the dead boz
dies, with which the raft was covered, cur
them up IN slices, which some even that in
slant deyoured A great number of us at first
refused 10 touch the horrible food but at last
Welding toa want stu more pressing than that
Of humanity, we saw III this frightful repast
the only deptorable means of prOIonging exis-
Lence; and i proposed, / acknowledge it. to
Try these bleeding limbs, IN order to make them
I little more s0pportabie to the taste. Some.
however, had stlll courage enough to abstain
rom it, and TO them larger quantity of wine
was granted
" The following day passed without relief
Night came, and we took some moments of re-
pose, interrupted by the most cruel Dreams |
In flne, the lth sun since our departure from !
he ship, rose to shine upon our woe, and TO /
hcw us ten or twelve of our companions |
tretchcd lfeless on the raft we committed /
eIrbodles TO the deep, reserviug only one des- !
lined to feed us.
g In the evening about four o'clock, hap
~ event brought us some cOusolation.-A |
hOll OF flying fish got under our raft; and as |
here was an iniinity of open spaces between |
he planks, the fish got entdngIed there in num- |
'ers. We pounced upon them aud made |
considerable capture, taking about 800. Our
rst movement was to thank God for this IN
Doked for benefit. BY means of some gun
owder, fintand steel, some finder and rags, |
With the fragments OF cask, we procured |
One fire, ON which we brOiled the fish. and |
te them with ayiGity; but we still Joined TO |
MS, some OF that sacrllegiOus flesh Which roas- |
Hg rendered endurable, and which the officers |
nd myself touched for the first time. The
ight was ilae, and would have been esteemed |
fortunate IA p liz. -. /