Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-05-20
INTERESTING NARRATIVE.

We are indebted to friend at Canton,
China, for the Singapore Times of the
l4th January, containing the following in
teresting narrative of the sufIerings of part
of the crew of the American whale ship
Lawrence, wrecked on the coast of Japan
BATAVIA, 2sth December, 1S47.
SlR,-Under the impression that it would
not be wholly uninteresting to you and
your readers, l take the liberty to send you
herewith for publication in your paper, if
YOU choose, short account of the loss of
the American whaler Laurence, and my
captivity, together with of the crew, in
Japan.
The Laurence, under command of Cap
tain BAKER, sailed from the port of Pough-
keepsie, n. Y, on the 10th July, 1S45,
bound on whaling voyage. On the 9th
Nav, 1916, in lat. A 80 n, long. 1873 E.
in the vicinity of the Japan Islands we en-
countered heavy gale, at which time we
had whale alongside, and kept the ship
drifting free. AT about 10 or IL O'Clock at
night she struck on some rocks and imme-
diately fell over on her starboard side and
bilged. Captain Baker then ordered his
boat to be lowered, and, taking some men
with him, got into the boat, saying as he
left the ships side, sseach man for himself"
or other words to that effect. 1t was very
dark at the time, and after he left the ship
l saw nothing more of him. The first mate,
Mr.. Myers, then attempted to lower his
boat with eight men in her, in doing which
he accidentally slipped the bow tackle,
which plunged her bows under water, and
on the boats coming up under the counter,
she was stove to pieces, and all, with the
exception of one man who | saved, must
have perished. l could hear their cries in
the water but could not see any one Of
them, as it was so dark.
then got the remaining boat ready ant
left the ship with 7 men, who think were
all that were left of the crew. W.
took with us a little bread and wate
J. and some harpoons and cordage and steer
ed about S. w. On the second day all thu
water and food we had were consumed ant
from that day to our making the land, W.
had nothing to subsist on. 1t showed al
!, the time and we had hardly any GOVERN;
J. on our bodies to protect us from the pier
), cling cold. One of the men named Hiram
; Yates, who was sick when he left the YES
:, u sci, died on the Sd day and we buried hin
in the sea. AT last, on the Sd June, w
y perceived land, for which we steered an
Of entered into large bay where we coul
:. discover no marks of any living being
=. We landed and caught seal, the meat c
which we cooked and ate together wit
Y some grass we found near the beach.
e. was the only food we had tasted since tn
= last days. We then strolled along tn
beach leaving one man to take care OF tn
10 boat, and striking inland for about mi
al we came to bamboo cottage with rive
Cd running between it and us. We halle
PC them repeatedly but nothing made its al
" pearance. We then sat down for about a
c. hour expecting to see some body go in (
or out of the house, but as this did not happe
;, and it was getting dark we returned to Il
a. a, boat. The man we had left in her told
il that during our absence he had been visit'
az by two men whom he invited to come al
IT. sit with him but they refused to do so.-
He They then inquired of him by signs no
lin many of us there were, and on his iutim
led ting to them our number they appear
IN. frightened and ran away.
n; The next morning we got into the be
an. and steered for the mouth of a river on o
to. side of the bay-as we approached II,
ing saw what appeared to us to be q fort wi
m spears clustering in the sun above the wal
~ but on coming nearer we found It was
piece of cloth extended about three qu