Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-05-02
DREADFUL NARRATIVES

GoLp E3 lis 6d.--DoILARs Is Old.
DREADFUL NARRATIVE
Of hc sgQcTngs Of The crc,c and passengers of the
Frances Mary, from 81. Joins ,Neo Bruns,oick 10
liverpool.
(From the New Hamrshirc Eng. Teegraph1
On the evening of the 9Th inst. when the blonde
Capt. Lord Byron, which left st. Helena on the 28tl
Jan. going al the rate OF twelve knots with strono
breeze, vessel TO eCwar, in distress was provdon
ally deserted from the mast head for which The Blonde
immediately bore up and boarded. She proved 10 be
the Frances Mary, ship of393 tons, of ard from 81
Johns, New Brunswick, belonging TO Caniain pa,t,r
son and consigned to Campbell 4 llacke OF Liver
pool. She was complete wreck, aud water. ln,ced
and ONLY Kept atlOa by her cargo of timber her main
mast and mantopsaii-yard the only spars stand
ing anu a! her boats washed away. IL seldom
falls TO lot TO have record such unna - lei and
unheard of suEerngs those which the unfortunate
beings OF this melancholy and heart>rentncr circu,n
stance have gone through Two hours did not elapse
from the shipping the first till the whole Of the crc
and passengers IN all sixteen souls were co,nneled t
get up IN the main top with only few pounds Of bis
cunt where they remained ve days; with the remainder
OF their scany stock of bread they kept themselves in
existence for FIVE days more when horrible 70 relate
the cravings OF nature scarcely supplied in any one
way Tor the space OF ten days. compelled them TO Ire on
the c0'1pSeS Of Hs deceased (eiloic sufferers mn, l,
their BLOOD and thus for the space of t,yeu;vtvo a,s
they subSisted in this horrible manner when ;hc,
were picked up their number reduced 20 six
j. Kendall nasterl and lis wife; John Clarke lr,ae:l
John wilson, carpenter, seaman of the name of Me-
lntlre, and young woman, passenger named Ann
Saunders They were in the deplora6le situation
when taken on board the Blonde some of them bc;ur
scarcely able 10 move, and al being reduced to mere
skeletons 1t Is scarcely possible TO conceive much
less TO describe the intensity suffering these nort
nate ind;y iduals must have gone throurh the total want
OF zoos ana water which last they were without frotn
the commencement of their disaster; all those that died
had fallen victims to unquenclaba thirst and rav;n
madness, produced from drinking salt water which
they could not resist indulging in. The two women
were stronger than the men, some of whom wonld not
! IN OarJ tho
the great care and attention shown them aud they all
say that very few hours must have Terminated their
suhermgs and their lives They picked up in
lat Al as N and Ion. 81 81 w. having drifted since
their shpwreck, from lat. 50 so N. and long Sc 30 W
we have received, since the above was written the
following account of the occurrences on board the
Frances Mary.
Sailed from St. Johns, jan 1G-Feb. s,ronc
gates from W. N. W.. carried away the main tou-rnast
ana Ieh-rfst head: hove to; got boats sails in the
rnain-rigging, TO keep the ship TO the wind Az liz
IN Shipped heavy sea, which washed away tho cam
oouse jolly boat, and disabled FIVE men-Fcb clear
cd away the wreck and made sail before the wind.
strong orec2es.-Feb. s. II strong gales with
heavy sea; cewcd the sails up and hove tobead IN tho
southwark shipped sea, which carried away the LONG
boat, companion, ter, nnshpped The rudder thc hest
bower chain, and washed a man overheard who wac
afterwards saved. til, TO- another heavy sea struck
US winch stove our stern in. Cut away our foremost
and both bower anchors, 10 keep the shin to the wind.
employed IN getting what provisions we coul-bv
shocking the bow port out, saved 30bs of bread and
/ |''S on. o,{
Tie masters wife and female passenger up whilst We
were clearing away below tightening the shin: most Of
te people slept IN the top: at daylight found Patrick
Coo"cy hanging by his legs 10 tue catharpins dead,
rom fatigue: committed his body 10 the deep-Feb
at . a. M saw strange sail standing towards US made
S6nal OF dstress-sranger spoke u.s. and remained
10 company twenty four hours, but received no asss-
lance, the American maxim an excuse that tlie So,
was running too high. Mad tent Of STARE canvas on
the forecasieput The people on short oyvance OF
quarter OF biscuit day-Feb. 3, brig to lee
ward: strong gales.--Fcb Q, A. m observed Tho ono
Vcssc 10 whdward-made signal of distress: STRANGER
pore up, and Showed American coiours-Teb 10 he
,Pohe US asking how long we had beca in that situa
tion ana what we intended TO doif intended leav-
ing inc answered. yes lie then asked if VIC had
any rIgSInS:-answeTed, yes: night comirr ON and
blowing hard-saw no Of the STRANGER suffer
ca much IRON hunger and thirst On about Feb JL
saw large ship the northward: did not snoal, f.
VISIONS were out-sufercd much from hunger haTinc
'ecGiVed no nouTlShment for nine days-I'cb = de-
pared ths ME James Clarke, seaman, read PRAYERS
ana committed is body TO tie leep we were ~ This
Tune on half gill of water dav and s.firjno, I,r,i
rom hunger during the whole period of being on The
wreck we were wet from top 10 toe.-Feb 81 John
f ,'So" seaman d'ed' at 10 a. M preserved thc BODY
Oh me deceased: cut him up in quarters washed them
oEerooaTd' ana hung them up on pins.-Feb o3 J
Nio'E Gied' and was thrown overheard having eaten
part OF him. such as the liver and heart
From this date TO Saturday. tie 5th or AT.rcb flo
'oioWIng number peri.hed from Iunoer.-FJenrv n.
WIS, " eish boy; Alex. Kelly, seaman: John Tones
apprentice boy, nephew OF the owner; James Fricr
cooh Daniel jones' seaman; John Hufclsieon seaman
ana ohn ones boy (l'rcy the last named overheard
s blood beng bitter;) also James Frer " no was ,v,
ing his passage home under promise of marriage TO
Ann saunders lie female passenger who attended on
Inc masters wife; and who, when She heard Of Frjer,
1ean' shTieked loud yell, then snachins a cup from
Clarke, lnate cut her late intended husbands tbro,
and drank his blood insisting that she had tie greatest
rigbt to IT. scufle ensued, and the heroine The
WoTuS OF ue narraio) got the better of her adversary
and then allowed him 10 drink one clln +, her f,c,t
ie6. 20. On or about this day an Eogish BRIG hove in
SSht-,hois'ed the English ensign dopnward-stranrer
h&u!ed h'S wind towards and hauled lis foresai mn
doFcast OF us, kept his course, about one mile dis
lance, set his foresa and we soon lost Silt IS i
iIesn breeze with little rain--tle sea quite smooth
ou' ne "cnt OIL having shown English colours Had
NE d, .n.' ne taken rs off the wreck much of the
us'-March T. His Majesty ship Blonde came in
gnl' and TO our relief in lat. Al 49, ~ lon Fl ST. w
W o-us eve quite nalcaualc 10 cxnrn.s n1- rcn-n. 49,