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Extract of a letter from St. Peter's, May 19.
"On Sunday the 14th a vessel in distress was seen off the
entrance of this bay. I sent off a shallop immediately to give
assistance, and went myself with my boats, and fortunately got her
here at midnight. She was found without a soul on board, full of
water and all her spars gone, except the foremast; the cargo being
rum, prevented her from sinking, 96 puncheons and 9 hogsheads rum
have been landed, also 15 barrels of pitch. Nothing has yet been
seen to show where she belongs, but I am of opinion she is a Quebec
vessel, she is from 80 to 90 tons burthen, her length on deck 55
feet, breadth of beam, 18 feet 4 inches, about 8 feet hold. An old
vessel; the top timbers much decayed. I have no doubt she has been
plundered, previous to her coming here, as nothing was found in her
cabin, and holes were cut with an axe in several rum puncheons;
full of salt water. The puncheons have different marks, viz:
B.P.H.B.B.S.R., on a water cask is branded Young & Ainsley, Quebec.
"Since writing the above, the schooner has been hauled nearer the
shore, but not sufficiently so to discover if any thing is
remaining under the cabin floor.
The wood for stowing the cargo appears like Newfoundland fir; and
now that the hull can be seen, she is thought to be Newfoundland
built, about the bends she is planked with spruce. |
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