HMS Penelope wrecked at Pointe a la Frigate, 1815.

Navigating the Lower Saint Lawrence in the 19th Century.


Wreck of HMS Penelope at Pointe-à-la-Frégate, 1841 Part two of three.

Quebec Mercury #46 Page 355. Tuesday, November 14, 1815.

	INTERESTING NARRATIVE.
	Of the loss of the H.M.S. Penelope, Captain Galloway, on the 30th of April, 1815, by an officer then on board that ship. "We sailed from Spithead on the 31st of March, and had a favourable passage to the banks of Newfoundland, where we met with immense quantities of ice, thick fog and strong southeasterly winds; the ice increasing as we drew near the Gulf, and at length we were frozen up 12 hours near Cape North, and the thermometer 18 degrees below the freezing point. When the ice loosened to permit the ship to move, all sails were set, and we got her out; the frost was so intense as to preclude all possibility of working the ship; the ropes were so enlarged by the ice, that the sails which were not set were completely frozen into a solid body. On the 27th we had moderate weather, the frost was considerably gone, and we entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On the 28th we passed between Brion and Magdalen Islands. On the 29th, sailed through great quantities of field ice; the sea at the time appearing as one entire sheet, but one sufficiently strong to stop the ship's way. We soon saw the coast of Lower Canada, about Cape Rosiers, wind north." "On the 30th we stood to the eastward till the ship broke off to the southward of east. At three P.M. we tacked & stood for the Canada shore; at sunset laying a good course to clear all the land which was set by the master and first lieutenant; the supposed distance 3 or 4 leagues; the weather thick and cloudy, inclinable to snow and very cold. The lead was kept going, the master was ordered not to quit the deck, and to make all the watch keep a good look out. At 8 P.M., we sounded into 71 fathoms; at half past 8, while the line was passing forward, the captain and first lieutenant were looking at the chart, the ship going about four knot, when she was felt to strike the rocks, the atmosphere extremely dark and snowing. The helm was immediately put down, and the sails thrown aback; she came to about two points and remained fast; the boats were immediately lowered down and the stream anchor taken out on the starboard quarter, and let go in six fathom, which was effected with great difficulty, owing to a current (unknown to us) setting in from the southeast. We cut away the bower anchors and threw the foremost ones overboard, there being 3« fathoms aft. On our heaving round we found the anchor did not hold, the wind too increasing from the south, heavy snow, and extremely cold. The crew, with great difficulty and exertion of the officers, were kept at the necessary works; some of them actually got into their hammocks! The topmast were got over the side, with six pigs of ballast at their heel to keep the ship upright if possible, but the motion was so violent, the lashings were soon carried away. Great hopes, however, were entertained of getting the ship off in the morning, had the sea kept down, but unfortunately it increased fast. By 12 at night she was striking very heavy, and making water rapidly. Provisions were ordered to be got up, but before daylight the water was in the lower deck. All hopes of saving the ship being now given up, the masts were cut away to ease her; they fell in shore, which prevented the hull from heeling over. The master was sent away in the cutter, with a small hawser to make fast to the shore, if possible, but the surf was too great, and it breaking over large ridges of rocks, the boat was swamped and stove long before she got near the shore, and the crew with great difficulty were saved." "Three successive attempts were made with the other boats, one of which was the life boat, in which the purser was sent with the public dispatcher, which were saved. As none of the boats returned, the prospect of those on board became very alarming. The ship by this time (May the 31st) striking very heavy, it was impossible to stand on the deck; the quarter deck beams were giving way, and the sea was breaking into the captain's cabin, which destroyed the few bags of bread that were stowed there for safety. The pinnace being the only boat alongside, and in great danger of being stove, the captain was advised to go in her; he appeared much exhausted and fatigued, apparently unable to assist himself into the boat, from severe rheumatic pains. He was lowered out of one of the quarter parts, and with as many men as could safely carry, took another rope to try and reach the shore, but she had scarcely cleared the lee of the ship, when a sea half filled her; the next sea threw here upon a rock, when all were thrown out of her, but with the assistance of oars, and by swimming, they all got to the shore. The snow to the edge of the water was then four feet deep, and those on the shore were obliged to hand the other up, the weather extremely cold with severe frost and blowing hard. The gig and jolly boat were still on board, & after great difficulty, the gig was got alongside from the stern, when the 1st and 2nd lieutenants, with 18 men, got on shore in her better than any other of the boats. The gig succeeded in bringing on shore another party, but was unfortunately upset in the surf, and stove; the people were saved, though some of them were very drunk. "The jolly boat being on the booms could not be launched; about forty of the crew were still on board, and when they saw all hopes of being saved cut off, by the boats being all swamped on shore, they made most lamentable cries. We had still hopes of some of them being saved, by getting on shore on pieces of the wreck, which some attempted, but perished. Our prospects on shore were truly miserable; nothing to be seen but high mountains covered with snow. Some hands were employed collecting wood to endeavour to make a fire, which was accomplished after some hours perseverance; the consequence must have been fatal had we not succeeded, as the clothes on our back were actually freezing. Many of the men were frost-bitten in the feet and hands, some have lost their toes, and they have been in consequence left at the hospital at Quebec. A party was employed in making tents with branches of trees and wet blankets; others looking for provisions. Almost sixty pieces of pork were found, and that, with melted snow, was the only meat and drink to be obtained. Several cases of wine, which were stoved in the wardroom, belong to Major General Contan, were driven on shore, which some of the crew found, and they drank to such excess that they were discovered almost frozen to death." "The whole of that day we were truly miserable;, the cries of the poor sufferers on the wreck were beyond description, and when night approached it was still more dreadful. They were often heard to call the captain and the several officers by name, to send them assistance, which, I am sorry to say, it was not in human power to give. About 12 P.M. three tremendous crashes and loud screams were heard, and shortly after all was silent. At daylight, the ship was observed to be in three separate pieces, and all on board perished, except David Bruce, seaman, who with great difficulty, got on shore almost lifeless. The wreck appeared one entire body of ice, so severe was the frost that night, nothing but very large fires saved us from perishing, having no dry clothes on. The ship breaking up, the spirits floated on shore which the crew soon found, and before the officers knew it, there was scarcely a sober man to be seen; many had drank to such a degree that they lay lifeless in the snow. All the rum that could be found was stove, preserving a sufficient quantity to be used in a proper manner." "On the next day about 48 men deserted after plundering some of their shipmates, and every trunk that was washed on shore. Some of the men have since been found dead by the Canadians. With the remaining part of the crew, the boats were hauled up, which we began to repair in the best way we could. Sails were made from a lower and topmast studding sail, which were fortunately drove on shore; a cask of flour was also found, a part of which was made into dough, and every preparation was making to proceed to Quebec. On the third, a Canadian boat was passing, when the captain ordered her to be detained; they informed me of three transports laying in Gasp‚ Bay, and the captain determined to proceed to that part. With the assistance of the cooking utensils found in the Canadian boat, all the pork that could be found was cooked, and served out to the different boats, which was very short allowance for two days. On the sixth day of our misery (the weather moderate), the boats were launched, and all hands embarked, 68 persons in all, including two women. The wind was favourable, but light; with rowing and sailing we got to Great Fox River that night, where we were hospitably entertained with potatoes and salt at a Canadian's hut. Next morning we sailed for Gasp‚ Bay, and reached Douglas Town in the evening. The captain and officers were accommodated at Mr. Johnston's and the crew lodged in different huts about the place. After three days rest we walked nine miles over ice, to where the transports lay, leaving the sick at Douglas Town. The captain hoisted his pennant on board the Ann, transport, and put a lieutenant in each of the others, and an equal number of men; when the ice broke up, which was seven days after we got on board, we dropped down to Douglas Town, and embarked the sick, one of whom had died, and two deserted. The next morning we sailed for Quebec, where we arrived on the 23rd, many of us not having a change of clothes of any description. Seventeen of the crew that deserted got on board the three transports at Gasp‚, but hearing the captain's arrival at Douglas Town, they set off again; an equal number had returned to the wreck, and it was currently reported that fifteen of them were found dead on the snow and buried by them." "It is much to be lamented, that here, as in all similar cases of shipwreck, the seamen in general appear to have had no regard to their own or fellow creatures preservation, but the moment they got hold of any spirits, they made themselves intoxicated with it."

To follow part three on the wreck of the HMS Penelope, click here.

G.R. Bossé©1999-03.

Posted:
Mar. 5th, 1999.

Updated:
July 15, 2003.