The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-01-04
AtscelIaigD.

We do not apprehend, however, that it will
at all lessen the interest which our readers
will feel in the perusal Of the following mar
rative, which is extracted from review in
the Christian Observer.
INTERESTING N.4RR.ATTVE.
The Kent, Capt. Henry Cobb, a fine
new ship Of 1850 tons, bound to Bengal
and China, left the Downs on the 18th
Feb. with 90 officers, 344 soldiers, AZ
women and 66 children, belonging TO
the 3lst regiment; with 90 private pas
sengers, and crew (including oficers)
of l84 men, 90 board. Total, GIL.
With fine fresh breeze from the !
northeast, the stately Kent, in bearing
down The channel, speedily passed many
a welkknown spot on the coast, dear
Ito our remembrance ; and on the
evening Of the esd, we took our last
view Of happy England, and entered the
wide Atlantic, without the expectation
of again seeing land until we reached
the shores of India.
With slight interruption Of bad
weather, we continued 10 make way un-
til the night Of Monday the Goth, when
we were suddenly arrested in lat. 47o
so" long. 100 by violent gale from
the south. west, which gradully increas-
ed during the whole cf the following
morning.
The activity Of the officers and sea-
men of the Kent appeared to keep am
pie pace with that of the gale. Our
larger sails were speedily taken in, or
closely reefed; aud about 10 O'Clock
on the morning of the 1st of March,
after having struck our top-gaIIant yards
we were lyingto, under a tripIe-reefed
main top-sail only, with our dead lights
in, and with the whole watch of soldiers
attached TO the life-Iines, that were run
along the deck for this purpose. The
rolling of the ship, which was vastly in
creased by dead weight of some hun
dred tons of shot and shells that formed
a part of its lsding, became so great
about half past eleven or twelve O'Clock,
that our main chains were thrown by
every lurch considerably under water:
and the best cheated articles of furp;-
lure in the cabins and the cnddy were
dashed about with so much noise and
violence as TO excite the liveliest appre-
tensions of individual danger.
1t was little before this period that
!, one of the officers of The ship, with
the Well-meant intention of asceItaining
that all was fast below, descended with
two of the sailors into the hold, where
they carried with them for safety,
light in the patent lantern; and seeing
that the lamp burned dimly, the officer
took the precaution TO hapd il up to the
orlop deck 10 be trimmed. Having af-
forwards discovered one of the spirit
casks TO be adrift, he sent the sailors
for some b;llets of wood to secure it;
but the ship in their absence having
made heavy Iurch, the officer unfortu-
nateiy dropped the light; and letting 60
his hold of the cask 10 his eagerness to
recover the lantern, il suddenly stove,
and the spirits communicating with the
lamp. the whole place was Instantly in
blaze.
Every possible effort was Instantly
made TO repress the flames but this
being found inpracticable, Capt. Cobb
directed the lower decks 10 be scuttled,
and the lower ports to be opened so as
to admit a free passage to the waves
Into the vessel The immense quantity
of water thus introduced into the hold
checked the flames, but the danger of
shaking now became imminent; and it
seemed doubtful by which of the two
instruments of destruction the unhappy
company of human heings congregated
! in the vessel would perish that they
must perish by the one or the other,
appeared inevitable.
The scene of horror which now pre-
sented itself is described as follows, by
the highly respectable and pious au-
thor, whose modesty has prevented his
putting his name 10 his narrative bit
lif any of our readers in perGsing it
should be surprised, that, while the
merits of various other individuals on
this trying occasion are so warmly
eulogized. those of Major M'Gregor,
which are known to have been highly
praiseworthy, are wholly passed over,
and should be inclined to suspect the
cause, we take the liberty of informing
them that their conjecture is well found
ed. But to proceed with our extract
" The upper deck was covered with:
between six and seven hundred human
beings; pany of whom, from previous
sea-sickness, were forced, on the FIRST
alarm, TO flee from below in state Of
absolute nakedness, and were now run