From a confideration of the strenuous and perfevering exertions which Captain Inglefield made before he left the fhip, it is almoft unneceffary to add, that he was honourably acquitted for her lofs. This was the leaft confolation he had a right to expect from the juftice and impartiality of his countrymen: but his fortitude and diftreffes deferved more; and the heart of fenfibility will not refuse its homage to his deferts.

NARRATIVE

OF THE LOSS OF THE

GROSVENOR INDIAMAN,

WHICH WAS WRECKED ON THE

COAST OF CAFFRARIA,

On the 4th of August, 1782.

COMPILED FROM THE EXAMINATION OF ONE OF THE
CREW; TO WHICH ARE ADDED AN ABSTRACT OF

VAN REENEN'S JOURNAL,

And other Particulars relative to the unfortunate
Survivors of the Wreck.

IN

N the melancholy catalogue of human woes, few things appear more eminently disastrous than the general fate of the Grofvenor's crew. Shipwreck is always, in its mildest form, a calamity which fills the mind with horror; but what is inftant death, compared to the fituation of those who had hunger, thirft, and nakedness to contend with? who only escaped the fury of the waves, to enter into conflicts with the favages of the forest, or the greater favages of the human race; who were cut off from all civilized society, and felt the prolongation of life, to be only the lengthened pains of death. Humanity recoils at the thought: to fuch diftreffes no defcription can do juftice; all the pathos of language is weak. M

VOL. X.

The

1

The Grosvenor failed from Trincomalé, June 13th, 1782, on her homeward bound voyage, and met with no memorable occurrence till the 4th of Auguft, the fatal day on which she went on fhore.

For fome preceding days it had blown very hard, the fky was overcaft, fo that they had not been able to get a correct observation; and it is likewife probable that, from their vicinity to the fhore, which they little expected, they had been carried out of their course by currents.

Thefe circumftances combining, may account for that error in their reckoning, which occafioned the lofs of the fhip. It appears that Captain Coxon had declared only a few hours before the difafter took place, that he computed they were one hundred leagues from the nearest land, and this opinion lulled them into a falfe fecurity.

John Hynes, one of the survivors, being aloft with fome others in the night watch, faw breakers ahead, and asked his companions if they did not think that land was near. To this opinion they affented, and immediately ran to inform the third mate, who was the officer of the watch. This infatuated young man laughed at their apprehenfions, on which one of them ran into the cabin to inform the captain of fuch an alarming circumftance, who immediately ordered the thip to wear; but before this could be accomplished her keel ftruck with great force, and in an inftant every perfon on board haftened on deck, with horror and apprehenfion painted in their faces.

The captain endeavoured to difpel their fears of death, and begged them to be compofed. The pumps were tried, but no water found in the hold, the ftern lay high on the rocks. In a few mi

nutes

nutes the wind blew off the fhore, which gave additional ftrength to their apprehenfions, left they thould be driven out to fea, and thus lofe the only chance of life.

The powder-room by this time was full of water; the mafts were then ordered to be cut away, without any effect, and as the fhip lay within about three hundred yards of the thore, her deftruction was now found to be inevitable.

Diftraction and despair took place at this difmal profpect, and no words can defcribe the scene that prefented itself. Those who were most compofed fet about framing a raft, by which means the women, children, and fick might be conveyed to land. Meanwhile three men attempted to fwim to the fhore, with the deep fea line; one perished in the attempt; the other two reached land. By their affiftance, a hawfer was at last conveyed to the fhore, and faftened round the rocks.

Numbers of the natives were affembled to behold the uncommon fight, and these affifted the two men on fhore. The raft being by this time completed, was launched overboard, and four men got upon it to affift the ladies who were paffengers; but they had fcarcely taken their station, before the hawfer, that furrounded the raft, fnapped in two, by which accident it was upset and three of the men drowned.

In this dilemma every one began to think of the beft means of faving himself. The yawl and jolly-boat had already been dafhed to pieces by the violence of the furf; and the only means of prefervation was the hawfer, by which feveral of the men got safe to fhore, while fifteen were drowned in the difficult attempt.

M 2

The