Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-02-18
From q late London Paper.
EXTRAORDINARY NARRATIVE.

On the 9th OF May, 1920, the smack
Princess Of Wales, sailed from London
for Prince Edwards Island, in the Indian
Sea, for the purpose Of catching seals,
which sea they reached on the 18th of
March, 1921. At midnight she struck
on the island of Crozette, and the crew
got out the long-boat, notwithstanding
the proposal of the captain, who, ac-
qualnted with the dessolation that pre-
vailed on the island, thought it would
be better to go down than to brave star
walton and other miseries. They reach
ed shore, having saved nothing from the
wreck but finder box, gridiron, a
frying pan, lance, and few knives.
Before this occurrence, eight of the
crew had left the smack in boat, with
the intent TO fish close to- anotherlsland,
on which they were obliged to go a.
shore, and each party thought the other
lost. Those who landed on the island
OF Crozette were seven in number. The
nlghtwas as dark as pitch, & the sufferers
had no other means of protection than
the boat, which they turned over them
selves as a security against the sea-ele-
phanis, which were in great abundance
In the ceighbourhood. In the morning
they saw the vessel on her beam ends,
with large hole in her bottom, and a
heavy sea washing over her. With DIFF
fculty, on account of the heavy sea.
they succeeded, after several attempts,
in getting possession of few chests of
spoiled bread, part of one of the sails,
some rigging, and at last they got hold
ofthe mast, which was soon separated
by the storm from the vessel.
For three weeks they lay under the
boat, being prevented from building a
hut by the inclemency of the weather.
They lived upon birds and the tongues
and hearts of the sea elephants. The
former they were enabled to catch
with ease; the latter they killed with
the lance which they saved from the
wreck. In the course of month from
this period, they raised hut with the
materials saved from the wreck, cover
ed the roof with the skins of the sea-
elephants, and made beds of grass.
Their winter, in consequence of the
island being in about Al degrees south
latitude and al degrees east longitude
took place at the period of our summer
season; but, indeed, so inclement was
the weather during their aboad there,
that the summer may be said TO he lin
tied to one month. Their clothes last
ed until December, when they were
obliged to use seal skins, which they
sewed together with the sinews of the
sea-elephant, by means of an old nail.
Their whole time was occupied be-
tween eating and laying in wait for the
sea-elephants and birds, and reading a
bible, which had been saved from the
wreck, AID cooperated with the suffer-
ings they had undergone in reforming
the most dissolute amongst them.
The month Of December had not
ended when they we're astonished and
delighted at seeing boat rowed up to
the beach, and their eight shipmaies,
who they feared had been lost, land up
on the island. 1t happened that the
very plans adopted by the one party
bad been acted upon by the other.
They we're dressed in the same man.
ner, and had lived in the same way
but those who had left their island had
not been able TO raise hut, and had
ventured again upon the water in search
of a more comfortable abode, which
they found amongst their friends, after
a search to the distance Of about | 6
miles.
The two Islands were distant from
each other, upw ards of three leagues
and the inhabitants being thus collected
aud having lived together three weeks