The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-04-20
Massacre Ofthe OMcers ofthe British snip
Berenice, and BurAing Of the VesseI.

A most ,ragical event has unhaPPiiy peiaiier
the master, his lady, and officers OF the Engiish
ship Berenice, in the Strats OF GasPar, whlie
| On q voyage to Sydney, who were horrloie niur'
dered on board and their ship, afterwatd oes-
troved by fire. A previous mail had gwen r'se
to some fears Of vessel having been burnt ~
the Straits, and an impression was entertained
that the illfated ship was the Berenice initials,
little doubt was felt in the matter Nucn anx-
ety then arose as to the fate of those on BOARD,
who comprised second mates, Frenchman,
passenger for Australia, two servants OF Mrs
Candy, and about IS hands. With the excep.
ton IF the officers, there was but few Europe
ans among the crew, who, for the most part,
were Java and Manillamen. The ship sailed
on the 9th Of June, from Singapore to Shang-
hae, and then from that port to Sidney on The
4th OF November with the intention OF calling at
Java. Several of the crew evinced strong de-
sire to leave the vessel her reaching that ISL
and. but the Captain holding out an increase OF
wages and additional rations, to take the ship
on to Sydney, they were induced to remain and
the vessel proceeded. Nothing was heard of
her until about the 10th Of December, when
report reached Marabaya, the residence of Tog-
ul, of The remains of burned wreck having
been discovered in the Straits. A day or two
previously, a boat containing Is persons arrived
selves inland before the authorities had time t.
institute inquiries about them and on the day
following another boat came in with similar
number and same character of men, mixture OF
Java and Manillamen. When inerrogated,
they stated that the were the crew of a pr iha
belonging to RHO, laden with cambria, which
they repre- sented had capsized, and that boy
had been drowned The whole of them adher-
ing to that one statement, they were released.
their story at that time being believed 10 be
true.
The police, however, had their suspicion a.
reused by the conduct Of some OF the men, As
they displayed much anxiety to part from each
others. and to leave the place, and it was not
until they had been subjected to most search
ing inquiry that the truth was revealed Some
OF them at length confessed to having belonged
to the Berence, and t. the horrible fate whlci
the captain and his officers met with. Accord
ing to their representations, it seems that, on
The 2nd of December, mutiny broke out among
several of the Manilamen, on account, as al
eged, of the master not having allowed the ad
iitional rations which he had previously prom
sed. About midnight, the got MIR. Candy on
he quarterback, when they horribly mu dered
him. His wife, hearing his cries, rusned on
ieck with two of the officers when they also i'm
nediately fell a sacrifice. The third mate and
he French passenger, who witnessed the ira
.edy, leaped overheard to escape the vcngen-
lnce of the wretches, and persisted MIR. Can
ly IS servants shared a similar fate as their
unhappy mistress. The whole of the bodies,
With weights attached to them, were hurled into
he sea The ringIeaders then took t. plund
ring the ship of everything that was portable
md after some rlstous living on board, they
commenced destroying her. Having lowered
he boats, they kndled fire in several parts of
Ter, and whrn she had got completely aligh',
hey abandoned her By the last accounts, the
authorities were using every effort to bring the
principal actors in the barbarous acts of murder
nd piracy to justice, and as many as nine bad
een lodged in the jail of rogel The Beren-
CO was frightene d with valuable cargo of tea,
nd her loss Is, therefore, conside rable.-Eng-
ish paper.