Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-06-05
Horrible rats Of Missionaries sent 70
Patagonia from England

Horrible Fats Of Missionaries sent Il
/ Patagonia from England
Our latest English papers contain the
official particulars Of the deaths by starva
ton Of Commodore Alien Gardiner and
the whole Of the party sent out by the
Patagonian Missionary Society, in Sep
tember, 1850, to Picton Island, the south
ern extremity Of South America. Beside,
Captain Gardiner, there were OF the party
MIR. Williams, surgeon; Mr.. Maidment,
catechist; John Erwin, carpenter; John
Badcock. John Bryant and John Pearce,
Cornish fishermen. These people left En.
gland, iii September, 1850, in the bark
Ocean Queen Provisions aud reinforce
ments were sent out TO them last June,
/ but from some cause never reached the
unfortunate men. The British man-of. war
dido, which was OH the coast, from some
representations made to her commander,
went to look for them, and after tedious
search over the islands In the vicinity Of
Terra del Fuego. and many curious adven.
lures among the savages, he discovered
ths unburied bodies Of Captain Gardiner
and Mr Maidment in place called Span.
lard Harbor, and llear the same place were
found the bodies Of Mr.. Williams aud Jno.
Pearce, From papers found with these
bodies, II was ascertailed that all the rest
OF the party had died aud were buried. -
Ihe following account Of the papers found
on the dead bodies Of these unfortunate
missionaries il by Captain w. H. More
head OF the Dido:
In looking over the papers found in the
cavern, am enabled to trace out the wan.
defings and many Of the sufTerings which
beset the party up to the time Of their un-
happy end. Having arrived at Pictor Is-
land Oh thu 9th Of December. 1860. they
landed and pitched their tents on the 9th,
but were compelled to re.embark in con-
sequence Of the annoyance of The natives,
until their boats could be ready.
Their boats were named the Pioneer and
Speedwell and they finally disembarked,
and slept in them on December 16. The
ship sailed the next day, and their trou-
bles seemed to have commenced. Both
boats Immediately got under weigh for the
opposite shore, OH the south coast of Ter.
Ta del Fnego, to q place they have named
Bloomfield hafbor, as the natives annoy.
ed them; but before clearing the anchorage
the Speedwell got on the rocks, lost her
anchor. and injured her rudder ii appears
10 have been blowing fresh, as both boats
swanped their dingies and lost them
The Pioneer reached Bloomfield harbor,
but returned again the next day, and Join.
ed the Speedwell. Both loats then wei
ghed for Bloomfield harbor, but on this oc.
casion the Pioneer grounded, and the
Speedwell having been out all night, re.
joined her the next morning. On Janu.
ary 8. find both boats in Lennox .harbor,
where they had gone to beach them and
stop their leaks, but in tacking, the Pic.
neer was thrown by squall into nest
Of rocks, aud she was not afloat again ,1n-
I'll the 18th Of January. They left Len
nox-harlor on the 26th Of January for
Bloomfield barber to reft their boats, but,
finding the natives there ia great force,
they bore up for Spaniard.harbor which
they reached on the 24th Of January,
Here they seemed to have experienced
many vicissitrdes from the surfs and storms
till the 1st Of February, when the Pioneer
was driven on the rocks, her bow stove
in. irreparable. The party In this boat
then took TO cavern, bur finding il damp,
and the tide washing into ii, they hauled
the wreck Of the Pioneer higher upon the
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