Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-05-26


quarter boats lowered TO those rolling bill
lows, and in them leaped the gallant mate
(Moore) and some of our crew to. pull for
the brig, now nearly alongside of us; but
at moment when the wave threw this
little boat some eighty TO hundred feet
in one direction, tremendous heave of
the ocean brought the brig alongside and
within twenty feet of the Montezuma on her
starboard quarter. The violence of the
sea heavng both vessels terrific distance
up and down made us fear an awful crash
perhaps fatal to both. The next swell came
and crash came the two together. Our
starboard stern being raised up in the air,
came with tremendous force down upon
the larboard quarter of the brig, crushing
her bulwark and part of her deck, and SHOW
ing her of some thirty or forty feet, when,
by dexterous use of our helm and sails, we
kept clear of her. Moore, our mate, in this
moment Of peril had boarded her, and was
seen at her helm. Thenceforth she was
kept clear Of us, and our two boats went
dancing and rolling between us some four
or FIVE times each, till these poor sailors,
sixteen IN number, aud most of their vaua-
bles, were brought on board our ship
The captain, the last one to quit his sink
ing vessel, half starved, oppressed with grief
and care, looked the stoid image of mute
despair
"None ofthem could understand or speak
a word of English but luckily Moore and
Mr.. Cipriant spoke the French, through
whom we learnt that the brig had been dis
masted aud shattered as we then saw her,
seven days previous, and all by one single
sea, since which they had been tumbling as
we saw them, having been passed by five
vessels, TO only one of which could they
raise the signal Of distress but the violence
OF the storm prevented them having any
succor. A most remarkable providential
circumstance occurred to heighten on our
minds this scene, and not only had our ship
for>the 24 hours previously run exactly in
the direction of this brig, the unusual dis
lance Of $50 knots, but at the moment of
our nearing her the intense violence ofthe
wind ceased, causing a comparative calm,
and during the taking of the wrecked, an
entire calm, the first and only one during
the passage, after which the breeze sprung
up and away we flew again at the rate oil |
or IL knots; next day, after the rescue,
up rose the storm about the same hour, the |
wind covering the sea with white foam,
IN which the. French commander said his
hulk would not have survived ten minutes,
and attributing the safety Of their lives to
Captain Lowber, who treated them through |
out with the most liberal and generous hos
pitality.
mot the least happy of the rescued seem
ed noble dog, who seized and saved boy
as he was being swept exhausted from the |
deck, which he offered to Captain Lowber,
who declined taking from him his favorite
animal. The providential saving of this
crew was more iorcibly impressed upon us
by our having just arisen from sermon by
The Rev. MIR. May, passenger, on the sub
Jet of the care Of providence of those 'who
go do'cn to the sea in ships Our admira-
lion of the magnanimous and truly admra-
bic conduct of Captain Lowber produced
an immediate meeting of the passengers,
who voted unanimously to present him with
4 piece of plate, not for its value, But as
testimony of esteem"