Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-03-15
.iesb,. mod. Of improving It, as .1p.r
gnce might suggest.
JAMES MADISON.
March s, 1917
loss OF THE CHIPPEWA.

March s, 1917
LOSS OF THE CHIPPEWA.
Copy ola letter rom captain Georgr
C. read. TO the Secretary o. th
Novy, dated,
.Ne1o. York Jan 10th. 1917.
SIR.
!n,eonformity to your orders o.!
1.-THE 9Th Novem er, | left Boston on
| the 9th of hat month. to proceed Z"
the hay.of Mexico, and on the IN
Dece a,ber. at half past . p NJ in
teniing to take the Csycos passage.
made oHr of the islands by the same
name. bearing s. s. w Up'n di-
ooveri z the land, ! Immediately
hauled up for II, in order TO aseer.
tain what part of this group il was.
hring under thu impression. as " u
from its appearances. as from the
latitude and supposed Longitude. il
nigh, be The N W extremity.
Att minutes past . =. NJ having
approached within nine miles. as I
iud -ed. of the shore. and having sati..
fled myself il Vas the no Oh or mid
die "ayces, bore up W = no land 10
the eastward, at this time, being
visible.
/ The best chart on hoard repre-
sen,ed the N and N w shores
perfectly clear of all inpediments.
and the cou' sc ] was then steering
as not only safe, but one tending TO
draw off from the Land. AT half past
5, eight coming Oh. rhe bearings 1
thu eastern and western ex'remiiies
of the land were i.ken, made The
middle 'aycns ber G ST and the
northwest aoin, waich was plain in
sight ). w e4ca dist At ten miles.
. To ne ceri,is however. that he
-. land whirh We tsak for The \. w
point. was the most western land IN
sight. I directed tie master 10 50
aloft. who, on getting here report.
led in the affirm tive. Cndrr these
circ mstanres.wi'h : chart Oh whic!
no danger was delineatsd; steering
course upon which had no aeeiden'
to apprehend; vita the poini, round
which | wished to double, di iincil,
liz view. | could noI Feel otherwise
than in possession Of the fullest con
fiience
Al S. minutes past six having rar
eigh, and half miles, deemed my
self abreast Of the above point, wit!
Ian O.fins Of AZ least ten miles. ant
directed the brig hauled up one pois
sn $. " by ". Nj, hauling u
sooner than NAV he con idprrd nru
dent, (Which q ite AS unf"rtuna'el..
> as unexpectedly proved SOY was die
u taxed by the apprehension OF getting
. too far 10 the wesiw ard. therehy rem
dering il difficult TO liz through Oh,
( passage, on account { the I adc u d.
~ ,his season { the year inclinins
much 90 tie souhuaId.
II A Il minutes past 7, whilst steer
ling the LITER course. heard 'b'
noise Of breakers Oh tn iarbOa RI
lbram when tbs helm was "rdsret
lug, eut scarcei had the order beer
ISSUED. when she struck with much
violence upon y rocky bottom n
hi. situation. without heing imme
IdiateN able 90 discover the shore. o,
|, form the most distant iHea Of the
Ipesiti n If our danger.the sails were
trimmed The hands set {" Tighten
1.-THE ship, And an exertion made "a
force her of with her head 60 The
Inurthward and westward This
|effart, al FIRST. wore favorable as.
pecI, and felt sanguine in being
Iabtr 10 ex.rea,e her in few minutes;
but arte having forced ahead some
lfathoms, she wss brought up with
redoublea violence, and los, the use
Iof her rudder The boats were no"
got out. and an anchor carried and
lei go in an ga ,ter,y direction The
sails were furled, and with As much
expedition as possible we e"mmen"ed
Iheaving and again Tighten ns ship
About this time, a boat which l had
'lsoundirg round the vessel. returned.
when ] was informed the reef on
which we were. appeared 10 extend
from the shore; that il ran sumo dis
tanee outside of US, aud that il Was