Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-02-14
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY IA, 1926.

eral w arren, on her passage few weeks ago
from Boston for Tampico, saw a number Of
men on the Double Headed Shot Keys, and that
when her supercargo and part OF the crew went
ashore 10 their relief, the schooner set sail and
left them under an apprehension that they were
pirates pretending distress. The people be-
longing to the General Warren shortly after ar
rived at Matanzas in an open boat, and report
ed that the men to whose relief they had gone,
were part of the crew Of Colombian vessel,
wrecked on The Keys, and that they still re-
manned there, in the greatest distress. Upon
this information, the U. S. schooner Grampus
Immediately sailed for their relief, and the re-
suit of their visit is thus detailed. in letter
from an officer of the Grampus. dated
"lfafan-as, Jan %, Isa6.-We arrived this
morning from small island on the banks, call
ed Bird Key, where we went in search oil some
men wrecked there. They had been cast away
upwards Of sixty days on this rock; and on our
arri, al we found they had all died except one
negro. who was too weak to rise. Their only
sustenance had been the blood Of fish hawks for
drink. and their flesh dried for meat; the situa-
ton being barren and sharp rock, without any
sol, or vegetation. There were thirty six men
cast on this rock, and you can form no idea Of
the horrid sight of thirty five men lying dead,
in heap, one on the other, and the poor negro
in the last extremities."
Farther Particulars.
Boston, February7.
Extract from letter from Mr.. Samuel Carson, dated
Frigate Constellation, Matanzas, Jan. 9th, 1926
ain The schr Gen Warren, on the I'd inst. we
made one of the Dog Keys, in lat IS, 81, or rath
err several of,hem,Ss saw signal wing on shore
This soon appeared TO be Of distress, for several
people were seen near the staff, waving to us
with pieces Of cloih-Our Captain feared they
might be pirates planning to decoy us on shore,
but the mate and myself soon convinced him
there was little probability in the case As we
came nearer, their distress, and anxiety, about
us. became more evident; they advanced to the
edges of the rocks, renewed their waving, and
made signs that we Could pass to the leeward
of the Island As we could not weather away
the Windward Island, the Captain determined
10 pass between them and anchor under the lee:
from whence we could, with more ease and GER
tainty, ascertain if there were any thing suspl-
cious in these people. When at The leeward OF
ths Island, 2 or ) miles distant, we could see
them more distinctly, three in number, and the
Capt appeared satisfied that they were people
in distress. He, howeve', said he would not
oblire anv one to 20 on shore or near it, 10 see
about them, but he would lend us the boat, and
lie, those go who would | then offered to go
and make strict examination Of them before
thev were permitted to enter the boat, with
which he seemed much pleased. The mate al
s. volunteered, and tive out Of three Of the sail
ors requested the mate not TO go, as 1t would
leave the Capt too weak; but the Captain said
no; that he could carry the schr TO the United
States with that one man (by name Briggs.)-
We therefore pulled for the shore, and on the
rocks we found three wretched beings, black
and two mestizoes, whose appearance beggared
all description. They spoke Spanish, said they
were BART Of the crew OF Colombian privateer
(the Rayo) shipwrecked on the Islands Sc days
before, and that there were four more on the
Island next to the southwark of them, and a.
mong them the Captain They said their crew
were IS in number, z were drowned when the
vessel came on shore, and the rest were gradu-
ally was ed away for want Of sustenance, as they
had no water or fire, ard could get nothing but
raw birds 10 eat Their extreme thirst they
al,ayed by sucking the blood Of the birds they
killed--We did not hesitate to receive these
wretched men into our boat, and then pulled "a
way from the shore. Occupied in questioning
the people on the shore, had not until now
noticed that the schooner had continued lying
with her head off the land, and had got to an
alarming dislance--a, least miles
We were, in few minutes more. two miles
from tie Island, when the schooner set her fly
ing lih, and stood away from the Island under
full sail, Notwithstanding that every thing was
imagined and supposed before we left the YES
sci, and il was expressly stipulated that they
should consider all vas well, unless we dis
charged our fire arms. And besides the Cap
tain expressly promised TO heave about and
stand in and meet us, which he never did -
The wretched inhabitants of the Island now
begged US to land at the third island, OF the one
nexr to where they were found, that they might
all be together. This we agreed to. and APP
preached it. Four persons were seen on it and
solicited our landing, and threw US rope "a
bout 40 yards in length, to fas,en by, that they
might help to draw us on shore-but we pre-
ferred trying the experiment OF hanging by
some point Of the rocks during the night, and
attempting TO leave the Island the next day il
the weather moderated We accordingly did
SO. and chose the end Of the Island, under the
lee Of high sharp point of a rock. We there
succeeded in putting on shore our passengers,
VINO promised to get US piece OF canvass tor