The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-07-08

! SHIPWRECK AND STARVATION. Letters
have been received at Quebec, from the
agent for Lloyd's at the Magdalen Islands,
lin the Gulf of st. Lawrence in which it
is stated that about the middle of MAY,
humber of meE belonging to those Islands,
while on sealing voyage, went ashore on
the northeast end of Antcosti. They pro-
ceeded to the house, and on entering were
struck with horror at the sight of a number
OF dead bodies and quantity of bones and
putrld flesh. Upon further examination
they could discern the bodies of IL or ID
individuals-2 grown females, 3 children,
ami OF men. The last survivor appear
ed to be man, who had died of famine and
cold in his hammock, and from his appear
ance, was above a common sailor This name
was ]. Harrington as will be seen beow.)
The men gathered all the clothes and other
articles in the house, and buried the re-
mains of the bodies and large box of clean
ly picked bones which lay in corner of
the room. On the fire there was a pot in
; which flesh had been boiled, and a part
remained in its bottom: they afterwards
went to Il small clubhouse where they were
surprlzed to find 5 more bodies, suspended
by rope thrown across some beams ; the
: entrals had been removed, and little more
! than the skeletons remained the flesh hav-
ing apparently been cut off Two Quebec
Gazettes were found, the last date October
} 23-also, lingering, with the following
inscription, "Married, J. S. to A. S. 10th
of April, lS22,"-several articles of dress,
> marked with the initials of different indl-
viduals' names-and ESQ sterling in sove-
: reigns, accompanied with the following
, note:
} "Sir, you will find AZ soveregns in a
belt, in my hammock. Send them home to
, Mary Harrington, Barrack street, Cove, as
) they are the property of her son.
(Signed) J. HARRINGTON"
) From all the circumstances of this wreck,
, (says the Quebec Gazette,) there can be
little doubt that the vessel was the barque
Granncus, Martin, which sailed hence for
Cork on the Goth of Oct. about the Same
: time as the John IEoward-which, with the
r Shamrock and Felix Souligny, are still un-
] accounted for. Mr.. Godin, who was sta
toned at the post where these unfortunate
persons persisted, came up to Quebec in
Oct. last, and did not return.
Serious doubts are entertained whether the
unfortunate subjects of the foregoing article
came to their end in the manner therein init
mated. The Quebec Star makes the following
remarks in relation to it:
We follow the other papers in publishing
the appalling accounts from the N. E. point
ct Antlcosti, by the way of the Magdalen
} Islands. There can he no doubt that Mr..
5 Dawson and captain Deslardins have stated
2 But it cannot but be recollected, that all
S this information is at second hand, and
brought by a number Of persons ,oho had as
7 socidted themselves an a sealing uOyage
That the crew and passengers of the ship
Gran'ticls have persisted, there can be little
r doubt. But the particular account that has
been given Of her fate seems liable to
:, much improbability.
t Their boat, it appears, was sounded.
/. That men accustomed to a a-faring life,
t should remain to expose themselves to the
! most frightful of all deaths, rather than
D trust themselves to their usual element in
!, search of aid elsewhere, in a good boat,
1 and when the storm, which could not always
a last, had subsided-seems utterly irrecon-
cilable with the ordinary principles of hu-
man nature.
t But this is not the greatest improbability
How is it possible for men, in such stua-
ton, to keep together ON shore OIL ship
board, they could not separate but on land
any man surely who was aware of his fate,
and had already seen one or two victims,
: would endeavor to escape from his compan-
: ions by wandering into the woods, that he
: might die alone and unmolested, or pre-
! serve his life with what he could there OBJ
: tain.
1t is inconceiva5le that twelve OF fifteen
men, in such situation, would make no
exertion to save their lives and they must
have made none, if they remained in one
: place with such death staring them in the
face. To have travelled forty or even sixty
: miles to another post, or at least, to have
. sent party in quest of it, was surely no i'm
possible undertaking. That they might
have failed in reaching it, is possible. That
they would not attempt it in these circum-
stances, seems extremely incredible.
, Such an account may turn out to be cor
rect; but there is great necessity for max
} ing further inquiry.
THE MERINo SPECULATION. This is
/, matter long since gone by, and we shall,
perhaps, never see the like again. Some
of the facts look strangely enough in these
days. The following will hardly be belev-
ed by those who never had touch of such
a fever "A gentleman in Connecticut Wis
tied relative, at some distance, who had a
merino buck, and proposed buying it. The
owner demanded $40. The price was enor-
nous and the bargain declined. But the
gentleman had taken the fever, and on his
, journey home it rose so high that he deter
/ mined to have the buck. A messenger was
} accordingly despatched with letter, beg
| ging that the price might be no more than
; could be charged "with good con-
: science" The bill came for $3.50. This
fortunate adventurer sold the same sheen,
not long after, to four most respectable far
mers, reputed men of sense, and who were
never crazy on any other subject before or