drowned poultry, and finding this was the best provision we were
likely to have; some were ordered to save all they could find, others
to raise a larger tent, and the rest sent down to the rocks to look
for people coming ashore. The surf greatly increasing with the flood,
and breaking upon the fore-part of the ship, she was divided into
three parts; the fore-part turned keel up, the middle part soon dashed
into a thousand pieces; the fore-part of the poop likewise fell at
this time, and about thirty men with it, eight of whom got ashore with
our help, but so bruised, that we despaired of their recovery. Nothing
but the after-part of the poop now remained above water, and a very
small part of the other decks, on which our captain, and about 130
more remained, expecting every wave to be their last. Every shock
threw some off; few or none of whom came on shore alive. During this
distress the Moors laughed uncommonly, and seemed much diverted, when
a wave larger than usual, threatened the destruction of the poor
wretches on the wreck. Between four and five o'clock the sea was
decreased with the ebb; the rope being still secure, the people began
to venture upon it; some tumbled off and perished, but others reached
the shore in safety.
About five, we beckoned as much as possible for the captain to come
upon the rope, as this seemed to be as good an opportunity as any we
had seen; and many arrived in safety with our assistance. Some told us
that the captain was determined to stay till all the men had quitted
the wreck however, we still continued to beckon for him, and before it
was dark, saw him come upon the rope. He was closely followed by a
good able seaman, who did all he could to keep up his spirits and
assist him in warping. As he could not swim, and had been so many
hours without refreshment, with the surf hurling him violently along,
he was unable to resist the force of the waves, had lost his hold of
the great rope, and must inevitably have perished had not a wave
thrown him within the reach of our ropes, which he had barely
sufficient sense to catch hold of. We pulled him up, and after resting
a short time on the rocks, he came to himself, and walked up to the
tent, desiring us to continue to assist the rest of the people in
coming on shore.
The villains, (the Moors), would have stripped him, though, he had
nothing on but a plain waistcoat and breeches, if we had not plucked
up a little spirit and opposed them; upon which they thought proper to
desist. The people continued to come ashore, though many perished in
the attempt. The Moors, at length, growing tired with waiting for so
little plunder, would not suffer us to remain on the rocks, but drove
us all away. I then, with the captain's approbation, went, and by
signs made humble supplication to the bashaw, who was in the tent,
dividing the valuable plunder. He understood us at last, and gave us
permission to go down, at the same time sending some Moors with us. We
carried fire-brands down to let the poor souls on the wreck see that
we were still there in readiness to assist them. About nine at night
finding that no more men would venture upon the rope, as the surf was
again greatly increased, we retired to the tent, leaving by the
account of the last man arrived, between thirty and forty souls still
upon the wreck. We now thought of stowing every body in the tent, and
began by fixing the captain in the middle. Then made every man lie
down on his side, as we could not afford them each a breadth; but,
after all, many took easier lodging in empty casks.
The next morning the weather was moderate and fair.--We found the
wreck all in pieces on the rocks, and the shore covered with lumber.
The people upon the wreck all perished about one in morning. In the
afternoon we called a muster, and found the number of the survivors to
be 220; so that 130 perished on this melancholy occasion.
On the 2d of December, the weather still continued moderate. We
subsisted entirely on the drowned stock, and a little pork to relish
it, and the flour made into cakes; all of which we issued regularly
and sparingly, being ignorant whether the Moors would furnish us with
any thing, they being still very troublesome, and even wanting to rob
us of the canvass which covered our tent.
At two in the afternoon a black servant arrived, sent by Mr. Butler, a
Dane, factor to the African Company at Saffy at the distance of about
thirty miles, to inquire into our condition and to offer us
assistance. The man having brought pens, ink and paper, the captain
sent back a letter by him.--Finding there was one who offered us help,
it greatly refreshed our afflicted hearts.
In the afternoon of the following day, we received a letter from Mr.
Butler, with some bread and a few other necessaries. On the 4th, the
people were employed in picking up pieces of sails, and whatever else
the Moors would permit them. We divided the crew into messes, and
served the necessaries we received the preceding day. They had bread
and the flesh of the drowned stock. In the afternoon we received
another letter from Mr. Butler, and one at the same time from Mr.
Andrews, an Irish gentleman, a merchant at Saffy. The Moors were not
so troublesome now as before, most of them going off with what they
had got.
On the 5th the drowned stock was entirely consumed, and at low water
the people were employed in collecting muscles. At ten in the morning,
Mr. Andrews arrived, bringing a French surgeon with medicines and
plaisters, of which, some of the men who had been dreadfully bruised,
stood in great need.--The following day, we served out one of the
blankets of the country to every two men, and pampooses, a kind of
slippers, to those who were in most want of them. These supplies were
likewise brought us by Mr. Andrews. The people were now obliged to
live upon muscles and bread, the Moors, who promised us a supply of
cattle, having deceived us, and never returned.
The people on the 7th were still employed in collecting muscles and
limpets. The Moors began to be a little civil to us, for fear the
emperor should punish them for their cruel treatment to us. In the
afternoon, a messenger arrived from the emperor at Sallee, with
general orders to the people to supply us with provisions. They
accordingly brought us some lean bullocks and sheep which Mr. Andrews
purchased for us; but at this time we had no pots to make broth in,
and the cattle were scarcely fit for any thing else.
In the morning of the 10th, we made preparations for marching to
Morocco, the emperor having sent orders for that purpose, and camels
to carry the lame and necessaries. At nine, set off with about thirty
camels, having got all our liquor with us, divided into hogsheads, for
the convenience of carriage on the camels. At noon, joined the crews
of one of the transports and a bomb-tender, that had been wrecked
about three leagues to the northward of us. We were then all mounted
upon camels, excepting the captain, who was furnished with a horse. We
never stopped till seven in the evening, when they procured two tents
only, which would not contain one third of the men, so that most of
them lay exposed to the dew, which was very heavy, and extremely cold.
We found our whole number to be 388, including officers, men, boys,
three women and a child, which one of the women brought ashore in her
teeth.
On the 11th, continued our journey, attended by a number of Moors on
horseback. At six in the evening we came to our resting place for that
night, and were furnished with tents sufficient to cover all our men.
At five in the morning of the 12th, we set out as before, and, at two
in the afternoon, saw the emperor's cavalcade at a distance. At three,
a relation of the emperor's, named Muli Adriz, came to us, and told
the captain it was the emperor's orders, he should that instant write
a letter to our governor at Gibraltar, to send to his Britanic Majesty
to inquire whether he would settle a peace with him or not. Captain
Barton immediately sat down upon the grass and wrote a letter, which,
being given to Muli Adriz, he went and joined the emperor again. At
six in the evening came to our resting place for the night, and were
well furnished with tents, but very little provisions.
We were, the following day, desired to continue on the same spot, till
the men were refreshed, and this repose they greatly needed, and we
received a better supply of provisions. That morning, Lieutenant
Harrison commanding the soldiers belonging to Lord Forbes's regiment
died suddenly in the tent. In the evening, while employed with his
interment, the inhuman Moors disturbed us by throwing stones and
mocking us. The next day we found that they had opened the grave and
stripped the body.
On the 16th, we continued our journey, came to our resting place at
four in the afternoon, pitched the tents, and served out the
provision. Here our people were ill-treated by the country Moors. As
they were taking water from a brook, the Moors would always spit into
the vessel before they would suffer them to take it away. Upon this
some of us went down to inquire into the affair, but were immediately
saluted with a shower of stones. We ran in upon them, beat some of
them pretty soundly, put them to flight, and brought away one who
thought to defend himself with a long knife. This fellow was severely
punished by the officer who had the charge of conducting us.
The two succeeding days continued our journey, and, at three in the
afternoon of the 18th, arrived at the City of Morocco, without having
seen a single habitation during the whole journey. Here we were
insulted by the rabble, and, at five, were carried before the emperor,
surrounded by five or six hundred of his guards. He was on horseback
before the gate of his palace, that being the place where he
distributes justice to his people. He told Captain Barton, by an
interpreter, that he was neither at peace nor war with England, and he
would detain us till an ambassador arrived from that country to
conclude a permanent treaty. The captain then desired that we might
not be treated as slaves. He answered hastily, that we should be taken
care of. We were then immediately hurried out of his presence,
conveyed to two old ruinous houses, shut up amidst dirt and
innumerable vermin of every description. Mr. Butler being at Morocco
on business, came and supplied us with victuals and drink, and
procured liberty for the captain to go home with him to his lodgings.
He likewise sent some blankets for the officers, and we made shift to
pass the night with tolerable comfort, being very much fatigued.
At nine in the morning of the 21st, the emperor sent orders for the
captain and every officer to appear before him. We immediately
repaired to his palace; we remained waiting in an outer yard two
hours; in the mean time he diverted himself with seeing a clumsy Dutch
boat rowed about in a pond by four of our petty officers. About noon
we were called before him, and placed in a line about thirty yards
from him. He was sitting in a chair by the side of the pond,
accompanied only by two of his chief alcaides. Having viewed us some
time, he ordered the captain to come forward, and after asking him a
good many questions concerning our navy, and the destination of the
squadron to which we had belonged, we were also called forward by two
and three at a time as we stood according to our rank. He then asked
most of us some very insignificant questions, and took some to be
Portuguese because they had black hair, and others to be Swedes
because their hair was light. He judged none of us to be English
excepting the captain, the second lieutenant, the ensign of the
soldiers, and myself. But assuring him we were all English, he cried
Bonno, and gave a nod for our departure, to which we returned a very
low bow, and were glad to return to our old ruined houses again. Our
total number amounted to thirty.
On the 25th, being Christmas-day, prayers were read to the people as
usual in the church of England. The captain this day received a
present of tea and loaves of sugar from one of the queens, whose
grandfather had been an English renegado.
In the afternoon of the 26th, we received the disagreeable
intelligence, that the emperor would oblige all the English to work,
like all the other Christian slaves, excepting the officers who were
before him on the 21st. The next day this account was confirmed; for,
at seven in the morning, an alcaide came and ordered all our people
out to work, excepting the sick. Upon our application eight were
allowed to stay at home every day to cook for the rest, and this
office was performed by turns throughout the whole number. At four in
the afternoon the people returned, some having been employed in
carrying wood, some in turning up the ground with hoes, and others in
picking weeds in the emperor's garden. Their victuals were prepared
for them against their return.
On the 28th all the people went to work as soon as they could see, and
returned at four in the afternoon. Two of the soldiers received one
hundred bastinadoes each, for behaving in a disrespectful manner while
the emperor was looking at their work.
On the 30th, Captain Barton received a kind message from the emperor,
with permission to ride out or take a walk in his garden with his
officers.
From this time the men continued in the same state of slavery till the
arrival, in April, of Captain Milbank, sent as an ambassador to the
emperor. He concluded a treaty for the ransom of the crew of the
Litchfield, together with the other English subjects in the emperor's
power, and the sum stipulated to be paid for their release, was
170,000 dollars. Our people accordingly set out for Sallee, attended
by a bashaw and two soldiers on horseback. On the fourth day of their
march, they had a skirmish with some of the country Moors. The dispute
began in consequence of some of our men in the rear stopping at a
village to buy some milk, for which, after they had drank it, the
Moors demanded an exorbitant price. This our men refused to give, on
which the Moors had recourse to blows, which our people returned; and
others coming to their assistance, they maintained a smart battle,
till the enemy became too numerous. In the meantime some rode off to
call the guard, who instantly came up with their drawn scimetars, and
dealt round them pretty briskly. During this interval we were not
idle, and had the pleasure to see the blood trickling down a good many
of their faces. The guards seized the chief man of the village, and
carried him before the bashaw, who was our conductor, and who having
heard the cause dismissed him without further punishment, in
consideration of his having been well drubbed by us.
On the 22d of April, we arrived at Sallee, and pitched our tents in an
old castle, whence we soon afterwards embarked on board the Gibraltar,
which landed us at Gibraltar on the 27th of June. From that place the
captain and crew were put on board the Marlborough store ship,
prepared expressly for their reception, and arrived in England in the
month of August, 1760.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
WRECK OF THE ROTHSAY CASTLE STEAMER.
The Rothsay Castle was a steam packet which formerly traded on the
Clyde. She belonged to the line of steamers which sailed from
Liverpool to Beaumaris and Bangor, and was furnished with one engine
only. She was commanded by Lieut. Atkinson. At ten o'clock on
the -- of August, 1831 the vessel was appointed to sail from the usual
place, George's Pierhead, but a casual delay took place in starting,
and it was eleven o'clock before she had got every thing in readiness.
Whilst taking passengers on board, a carriage arrived at the Pierhead
for embarkation. It belonged to M. W. Foster, Esq. of Regent's park,
London, who, with his wife and servant, were conveyed in it to the
packet, and took their passage at the same time. They were all
subsequently drowned, a little dog which accompanied them being the
only survivor of this unfortunate group. When the steamer left the
Pierhead her deck was thronged with passengers. The captain, crew,
musicians, &c. amounted to fifteen, in addition to whom, it was
supposed by persons who saw the vessel sail that one hundred and ten
or one hundred and twenty souls were on board. The majority of the
passengers consisted of holyday and family parties, chiefly from
country places; and in one of these companies, who came on a journey
of pleasure from Bury, the hand of death committed a merciless
devastation. It consisted of twenty-six persons; in the morning,
joyous with health and hilarity, they set out upon the waves, and when
the shades of that evening approached, every soul but two saw his last
of suns go down.
The weather was not particularly boisterous at the time she sailed. A
severe storm however, had raged in the morning and must have agitated
the water on the Banks more than usual. The wind too, blew strongly
from the north-west, and the vessel had to contend with the tide,
which began to flow soon after she passed the rock. When the steamer
arrived off the Floating-light, which is stationed about fifteen miles
from Liverpool, the roughness of the sea alarmed many of the
passengers.--One of the survivors stated, that Mr. Tarry, of Bury,
who, with his family, consisting of himself, his wife, their five
children, and servant, was on board, being, in common with others,
greatly alarmed for his own safety and the safety of those dear to
him, went down to the cabin, where the captain was at dinner, and
requested him to put back. His reply was, "I think there is a great
deal of fear on board, and very little danger. If we were to turn back
with passengers, it would never do--we should have no profit." To
another gentleman who urged him to put back, he is reported to have
said very angrily, "I'm not one of those that turn back." He remained
in the cabin two whole hours, and peremptorily refused to comply with
the repeated requests made to him by the more timid of his passengers
to return to Liverpool; observing that if they knew him, they would
not make the request. Before dinner, his behavior had been
unexceptionable; but, after he had dined, a very striking difference
was observed in his conduct. He became violent in his manner, and
abusive in his language to the men. When anxiously questioned by the
passengers, as to the progress the vessel was making, and the time at
which she was likely to reach her destination, he returned trifling,
and frequently very contradictory answers. During the early part of
the voyage, he had spoken confidently of being able to reach Beaumaris
by seven o'clock; but the evening wore away, night came on, and the
vessel was still a considerable distance from the termination of her
voyage. It was near twelve o'clock when they arrived at the mouth of
the Menai Strait, which is about five miles from Beaumaris. The tide,
which had been running out of the strait, and which had, consequently,
for some time previous retarded the steamer's progress towards her
destination, was just on the turn. The vessel, according to the
statement of two of the seamen and one of the firemen saved, had got
round the buoy on the north end of the Dutchman's Bank, and had
proceeded up the river as far as the tower on Puffin Island; when
suddenly the steam got so low that the engine would not keep her on
her proper course. When asked, why there was not steam on, the fireman
said that a deal of water had been finding its way into the vessel
all day, and that sometime before she got into the strait, the
bilge-pumps were choked. The water in the hold then overflowed the
coals; so that, in renewing the fires, a deal of water went in with
the coals, and made it impossible to keep the steam up. It was the
duty of the fireman to give notice of this occurrence; but he seems
not to have mentioned it to the captain. The vessel, which had
evidently come fair into the channel, though there was no light on the
coast to guide her, now drifted, with the ebb tide and north-west
wind, towards the Dutchman's Bank, on the north point of which she
struck, her bows sticking fast in the sand. Lieut. Atkinson
immediately ordered the man at the helm to put the helm a starboard.
The man refused to do so; but put it to port. The mate, perceiving
this, ran aft, took the helm from the man, and put it to starboard
again.--In the meantime, the captain and some of the passengers got
the jib up.--No doubt he did this intending to wear her round and
bring her head to the northward; but in the opinion of nautical men,
it could not make the least difference which way her head was turned,
as she was on a lee shore, and there was no steam to work her off. The
captain also ordered the passengers first to run aft, in the hope, by
removing the pressure from the vessel's stem, to make her float: this
failing to produce the desired effect, he then ordered them to run
forward. All the exertions of the captain, the crew and passengers
united were unavailing. The ill-fated vessel stuck still faster in the
sands, and all gave themselves up for lost. The terror of the
passengers became excessive. Several of them urged the captain to
hoist lights, and make other signals of distress; but he positively
refused to do so, assuring the passengers that there was no danger,
and telling them several times, that the packet was afloat, and doing
well, and on her way; when the passengers knew perfectly well that she
was sticking fast in the sand, and her cabins rapidly filling with
water. Doubtless the unfortunate man was perfectly aware of the
imminence of the danger; but we may charitably suppose, that he held
such language for the purpose of preventing alarm which might be
fatal. The alarm bell was now rung with so much violence that the
clapper broke, and some of the passengers continued to strike it for
some time with a stone. The bell was heard, it is said, at Beaumaris,
but, as there was no light hoisted on the mast of the steamer, (a
fatal neglect!) those who heard the signal were, of course, ignorant
whence it proceeded. The weather, at this awful moment, was
boisterous, but perfectly clear. The moon, though slightly overcast,
threw considerable light on the surrounding objects.--But a strong
breeze blew from the north-west, the tide began to set in with great
strength, and a heavy sea beat over the bank on which the steam packet
was now firmly and immovably fixed.
We cannot describe the scene which followed. Certain death seemed now
to present itself to all on board, and the most affecting scenes were
exhibited. The females, in particular, uttered the most piercing
shrieks; some locked themselves in each others arms, while others,
losing all self-command, tore off their caps and bonnets, in the
wildness of despair. A Liverpool pilot, who happened to be in the
packet, now raised his voice and exclaimed, "It is all over--we are
all lost!" At these words there was a universal despairing shriek. The
women and children collected in a knot together, and kept embracing
each other, keeping up, all the time, the most dismal lamentations.
When tired with crying they lay against each other, with their heads
reclined, like inanimate bodies. The steward of the vessel and his
wife, who was on board, lashed themselves to the mast, determined to
spend their last moments in each other's arms. Several husbands and
wives also met their fate locked in each other's arms; whilst parents
clung to their beloved children,--several mothers it is said, having
perished with their dear little ones firmly clasped in their arms. A
party of the passengers, about fifteen or twenty, lowered the boat and
crowded into it. It was impossible for any open boat to live in such a
sea, even though not overloaded, and she immediately swamped and went
to the bottom, with all who had made this last hopeless effort for
self-preservation.