The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-10-04

Gently the widow of the captain has arrives
in England, and gives the following story o
I her own almost unparalleled sufferings. On
cannot read it without fearful recollection
/ that several American sailors are believed
to be yet enduring the horrors of such cap.
lyity, in the same quarter of the world.
MANSION House.
ACCOUNT OF THE CREW or THE sHrP STIR
LING CASTLE, AND THE CONDUCT OF THE
ISAvAGEs.-Ye Yesterday Mrs. Eliza Frazer,
the widow Of Capt. Frazer, Of the ship Stir
ling Castle, which was wrecked on coral
reef of the passage from Sydney to Singa-
pore in May, 1885, came to the justice room
accompanied by the captain of the vessel
/ in which she arrived in this country, and a
! female, at whose house she was received on
her coming to London, for the purpose OF
mentioning the particulars of her dreadful
adventures among the inhabitants of the
shore to which the crew resortcd as ref
uge from the not less appalling dangers Of
the ocean.
On the 10Th May, 1885, the Stirling
Castle left Sydney for Singapore. On the
23d, when they were approaching Torres
Straits, it blew very fresh, and there was a
current near the Eliza Coral reefs, which
the vessel was unable to resist; she struck
on the reefs at about nine o'clock at night,
when the captain was incapable, on account
of the hazy weather, of making observa-
tions. There were about eighteen men on
board, two boys, and Mrs. Frazer, the cap
,an's wife, who was far advanced in preg-
nancy. Two ofthc men, who were labor
ing at the wheel, were killed when the ship
struck, and the cabins were dashed into the
hold, together with all the bread, beef, pork
and other provisions.
The crew, when the tempest ceased, de-
termined to get away rs well as they could
they had con,rived to keep secure, the two
other boats, which were attached to the
ship, having been swept away. Accord
ingly, having worked with the most desper-
ate industry until four o'clock on Sunday,
they disenbarked from The vessel and tool,
to the boats. The ships carpenter, the
cook, the cooks mate, John Frazer, the
carpenters nephew, the boatswain, Edward
Stone, and Bill Lorton, seaman, took Ia
the pinnace, while the captain, his wife, the
chief and second mates, the two boys, aud
the rest of the crew, took, to the long boat
Four days after they had committed them
selves to the care of providence, Mrs. Fra
ger was delivered of child, while up To
her waist in the long boat. The infant was
born alive, but after few gasps was drown
ed, and the first lieutenant wrapped up the
body in part of his shirt, which he tore
from his back for the purpose, aud let it 90
along with the tide. The poor mother
could not account for the extraordinary
against this calamity, added to he other
calamities to which she was doomed to be-
Iexposel. Fortunately she for some time
in "A state of insensibiity, and was not, uu-
I'll considerable time after the child was
consigned to the deep, aware that it wa
brought irio world from which it was SO
rapidly hurried away.
For great many days they endeavored
in vain to reach Moreton Bay, being all the
time without any food, except small guam
tiiy of The lees of hops which they had found
in cask. They suffered dreadfully from
thirst as well as hunger while in this awful
situation. At last they reached large
rock, to which they iastended their boats
and went in quest of oysters and water, bu
their disappointmenis were multiplied up
on them, aud they stretched themselves a.
long in expectation of a speedy release frou,
their sufi'erings, by the lnterposition of an
other tempest. In the morning those who
belonged to the long boat were. ns,orisbcd
to find that the pinhace, and the men who
had occupied her, had altogether disappear
ed. These untortun1,e fellows were never
heard of more.
The captains aim was all along, after
they had been obliged to quit the ship, it
reach Moreton Bay, bu, finding that wint
and current were dead against his object
aud his companions being reduced to the
extremity oflying on their backs in the boat
with their tongues out, to catch the damr
of the dews that fell, he resolved to maxi,
for the nearest land. II was n choice o
most awful evils, for he knew that the shore
which it was probable they would reach
was visited by tribes of savagcs. AT last
they came within S,ybt ,,c l,nI onI .....,,