The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-07-07

S5eVef. lie naa Just ttiHe W Se'St t'4
rope, and give the word to The male, ~.lell
ihe vawning deep swallowed up the sup SUI
and passeng gers, accompanied oy terri
bic shrek. Not a fragment renamed llt 70
tellwhere she was after the sea ctoseed O. 9,
syerher, except large water cask: both
Boasssremained near the spot until next
Inorninq. when the horrors of their situa-
ton were fully disclosed. :,
Capt. Harris boat was IL feet long and
contained g persons, while the long boat
had crowded into it forty persons! He
,savs they we're so thick they could not
move. They literally stood and lay upon
each other. Most of the females were IN
their night clothes, and many of them
were chilled to insensibility the next
morning from the severity of the welher'
The oars could not be reached, the water
remained unbailed, and the boat lay utter
Nv helpless upon the surface OF the water;
After taking alist Of those on board ana
! advising. them to be Of good cheer Capt.
Harris determined to try and reach New
! f,undIand. He had in his boat forty
hounds Of bread and canister with hVe
gallons Of water. He Immediately put all
on on short allowance Of half a gill of water
three times day, nnd at morning and eve
ming one third Of sea buiscult. Inc
: case case OF his sail needles, which he exhlb'
sted to us, was the little vessel out OF Which
he drank this precious allowance ofwater.
During the six days and nights they were
in1he boat, it rained and hailed, and the
sailors suffered bitterly with cold in their
hands aud feet. They !conId not change
their position, and of course had no exeF-
Scisc, and the bottom of the boat was con-
iinually covered with water. l he ieet o'
J the men had been frozen badly, hut Inc
woman did mot suffer much as the sailors
each contributed of their clothing to pre-
serve her from the cold. During TINS perl
Cd Of time, Capt. Harris says he Is not
sconcioHs Of; having slept moment. lie
was al the helm constantly. II required
the utmost care, to prevent his little boat
sfromishippingkeas, which would at once
have swamped her. He had blanket
as a sail. Onlhe end Of the boat hook
led handke as signal of distress
Swas displayed:S d:S'rhe oars were kept IN mo-
ton during the day, but as the nights were
foeay aud dark, they remained molionless.
IS Two, days before they were rescued
Capt. Harris says schooner was seen ap-
preaching them. Theirjoy was intense,
hut when Within hall mile, she changed
Sller course. .A.fog came up, and they lost
sight:of each other. Almos. frantic, he
@made,erery possible cry of distress, and a
horn was heared in the fog. Two days
elasped ,afterihis before they were up
bythe French craft which rescued them.
lie said his resolution and courage were
strong to the last, although the iamished
condition Of his fellow sufferers told him
they could not hold out much longer
Vel when he reached The deck of the ship
and felt, that he was safe, his strength
failed and he fell lscnseless. AT this tlme'
lie supposed tie next day would have
enabled him to reach land. 1t was his
intention to get provisions and prosecute
ibis sperilons voyage. lie found he was
2a0miles from shore, among ice, and in
suffering state, and he abandoned the
,hought, and received every possible kind.
ness ness. from those who had rescued him and
his companions from their pcrilS.
Capt. Harris believes nothing was done
Oh board the Long Boat, but what inexora-
bie necessity demanded. The Mate said
before they parted, that some of them
would perish with exposure and want of
provisions and Z slight breeze would
swamp the. boat. He relieved her by
committing to watery grave, those who
were insensible and nearly dead, and thus
saves,.the living. The idle fictions about
Scruclties prac,ised, were set on float by
{ French news runners. In conclusion, out
of SO souls on board. 33 were swallowed
:up II, the fathomless ocean with the ship.
Their anguish was terrific, and the scene
apjpalling,;as they crowded upon her bull
warks and rigging, still imploring Of the
,hapIess survivors to save them. But IN
that hour Of terror, all considerations but
self.preservation were forgotten. While
yainiy pleading for help, the mighty deeP,
yawned, and husband and wife, child and
parent, were instantly in the ''deep ocean
buried" Capt Harris states that even
now, he starts involuntarily in his sleep al
/ therecollection of the appalling scenes he
has witnessed. Never from his memory
will be stricken out the horrors of that aw-
ful nigi2l!