Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-11-02
Paris Seb,smber IS.
LOSS or rnr rRlnArr NIEnUSA.


On the "a ofJuly, The French r,gate Me,iusa was
wrecSed near Cape Blanc, on the coast Vi Africa,
IL or 10 leagues from the land Many OF the uii-
GERS and amen ernbartseiia the boats aud tue re-
sidue C41) we're placed or = rait, the officers ia the
boats promising 10 tow il 10 the shore. On the 5tli
o. July they lett the wreck. On the raft there
were barrels OF wine, Of water, and 90 weight
I'll biscuit SOME of those persons tie raft were
ap TO their middle IA water They expected to
s;in the land IA less than days. But ne,iistely
alter lesving The ship the row-cabie cut and the
boats abandoned, the raft. The night following 20
pcrsons were lest frou the raft, ur we're pressed
TO death between Its divisions. The second night,
several persons were washed III from, the
oil the ralt. ani the Survivors crowded to the centre,
oNerthi OWING one another AT length the sailors
got at the VINE and intoxicated, themselves In ia
state they manifested disposition To destroy the r
officers, and TO break up the raft by cutting the
ropes which bound 1t. One OF them, VIII, begsa to
cut with hateh,t, was killed by IN officer. III re-
VOTERS drew the,r sabres, and those who had none
armed themselves with knives. One of them rails
ed his sword against officer and was Instantly nut
tn death. The sediti0us then withdrew TO one end
OF tie raft. One teguin Ia be reposing had already
cut some oil the ropes. The officers rushed upon
hiin. a soldier assumed his defence. They were
bath thrown into the The combat became PEE
neral Tue mast broke, and ia falling weun,led
Captain Dupont so that he remained inseushle He
was seizedby the soldiers and thrown overheard
But recovered again. But a mu,ineer Afterwards
After y desperate struggle this mutny appeared
suppressed; but it broke out again in an hour, and
veiy soon the raft was strewed with their bodies
There were not more than IL or Is chiefs and pas
sengers to resist all their fury.
At last daylight came, to show Il scene of hor-
rcr. great number OF the sedltious had thrown
the mselves overheard. Sixty or sxty.tive men had
persisted during the night, a fourth part OF whom
had drowned themselves in despair. Ga lur SHE
we had LOSE but 2. The rebels had thrown bar
T.. M "a info. fIassr a Ill
now remained only cask of wine, and there were
yet61 men. We were obliged to resort to extreme
means to maintain existence. Those whom death
had spared in the disastrous night threw themselves
sreeuiy on the bodies which covered the raft, aud
cut pieces from them, which some devoute,l i,nne.
distely. The i,h mornag after leaving the wreck
STOVES 10 or IL more persons dead on the raft
hese were committed To the deep, only one was
reserved Tor TODD. Towards evening the surYi-
vors caught upwards of 500 aying fab. 4 fire
was made, the fish and some human flesh was cook
cd new mutiny attempted this night but
the leader, Spanisrd, thrown into tie sea, :.
order restored.
On the morning of the 9th day it was fouad that
only SO persons remained. Those who survived
were in a most deplorable state. Their fces. were
swced, and they covered with wounds asd
bruises. which compelled them at times to utter t.e
most frlgntlul cries. There only remained vine
for days, and hardly dozen fsh. Two soldiers
bored the wineeask nchind, ala dranS I'll ,.scov-
cred a law bad been ruade that such conduct
Should be punished with death, aud they were i'm
meGistey thrown owe boara
Thus we were but 2S-of these only Is appear
ed likely 10 exist number of days. The other Is
were covered with wounds. aud had lost their ress-
on yet they consumed our wine and Ssh. a com
ell was held, and 1t agreed to throw them ia,o
the sea, Which done, and secured for the sur,-
vors days OF provisions. On the 4th day afier-
wards these Is wsre saved by the French brig Ar
gus
The Medusa was conveying to Senegal the new
French governor. The boats OF tie ship reach
ed the shore, the Governor was on board one OF
them.
They had on the raft no means of giving it pro-
gress. Ii went as the winds aud waves carried il.
LONGEVITY.