Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1852-07-07
Starvation OF Missionaries.

The London papers contain the following distress
sing account of the death of party Of missionaries,
from starvation
An English officer, Capt. Gardiner, of the Royal
Navy, who was sent with six conpanions by the
Patagonan Missionary Society," to the ncighborhood
OF Cape Horn, lins been literally starved to death
he, and his companions with him. The party con-
sisted of Capt Allen Gardiner Il. N, supcriutend-
en; Mr.. Williams, surgeon aud catechist Mr..
Mudment, catechist John Erwin, carpenter John
Babcock, John Bryant. md John Pierce Cornish
! fishermen. They left England in September, 1850,
in the bark Ocean Qufen; it having been promised
that stores should he forwarded to them in June, via
the Falkland Islands shohld they he unable to main
tain their position nj Picou Island, Bengle Channel,
il was supposed that being provided with partially
decked aunches theV would l; back Oh Stated Is
land.
The Inflated party landed on Pctou Island towards
the close of the year 1850. From the first, they
seem to have been annoyed, in some measure, by the
natives and TO have been hunted backwards and for
wards from the little island 10 what may be called
! the mainland Of Terra del-Fuego. About the mid
die of April 1851, Capt. Gardiner begins to record
in his diary, which has been preserved to us. that
iliey have provisions enough TO last for two months
some being very low They shoot an occasional
fox, which serves them for food and besides if they
did not destroy Tie animal, he would do his best TO
steal the reminder OF their little stock Of provisions.
| The scurvy breaks out among the party. They are
driven to take refuge IN cavern but the tide rolls
wv, ullu NHIi NHIullef anu Nh malNlneU tlB CHe-
chisi, are obliged to swim ont for their lives, and
take refuge upon n clump of rock, round the base of
which the of the South Atlantic are breaking.
Upon this the two poor creatures knecl down III
prayer. John Bahcock, Cornish fisherman, dies
+ ly July the party have been seven weeks on short
allowance; their only hope is in the expected ship
from the Falkland Islands, but no ship They
greedily eat a penguin, shay hali-devonred fish
washed upon shore. Six mice spoken of in the
journal as dainties. The gardcn-scetls have been
used for broth, and are all spent. Nlusses and linn
pets are the next reSource--and then rock-weed is
boiled down to a jelly. Erwin, carpenter and
Bryant another Cornish fisherman, die Two of the
party, Mr. Williams, the surgeon, and Pierce, third
Cornishmnn, has gone away from the main body of
the party, for some object other, probably for the
discovery of food Their dead bodies discov-
cred at Cooks River, some distance of.-Tho pre-
sumption is that they must have died about the same
time Capt Gardiner himself, who probably eX-
PRED on the 9th Of September. The last entry in
his diary is the 9th of September and in this he
mentions that lie has not tasted food or water for
four days Mr.. Madment, the catechist had died Il
II few days before. As it was the 9th of January,
1852, before Capt Morsehend to whom orders were
sent by the Admiralty in October, arrived at the Is
land the value of the precautions which had been
, taken for maintaining the expedition can be left to
the public Judgment
, After many hours of fiuess search on the coast
, of Pictou Island on the Goth of January some wri-
ting was seen by Capt. Morseheads party a rock
across n river The words were, Go TO Spanish
llarbor.' On another rock adjoining was, You will
find us in Spanish lIarhor. On third piece OF
rock, dig below, which they instantly did, but iotnd
only broken bottle, without any paper or directions
On searching Of the Mnnlerprs "'gwnr:ss in tSe
y neighborlood, they read one of their poles, "A
! bottle under This pole but they could not find it
y but il was evident from some scattered fragments Of
stores found the spot that the mission had rested
= here. On the following morning Capt Morsehcad
+ sailed for Spanish llardor, where they saw boat
lying on the beach, and where they found the bod
les Of Capt. Gardiner and Mr. Alaidinent nnhuried
, On Of the papers found was written legiby, but
without date If you will walk along the beach for
2 mile and BALI you viii find us in the other boat
hauled up in the month of river at the head Of the
harbor, on the south side. Delay not-vYe are star
a wing Close TO the spot where Capt Gardiner was
q lying cavern, TO which attention directed
f by II hand painted OIL the rocks with Psalm xii. v
= IS, under it, Here found the papers referred
n to- and two unfinished letters written TO his
C son and daughter Ivy Capt. Gardiner The remains
buried close 10 this spot by The ships company