CROSSING THE ATLANTIC IN A SMALL BOAT.

West Coast Times, Issue 693, 13 December 1867, Page 2

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC IN A SMALL BOAT.

(rttOM THE EUROPEAN TIMES.)

The Mary Slake, fro n Antigua, has arrived in tho Thames with a seaman named Andrew Armstrong on board, tho only survivor of a crew of four of a schooner- rigged boat, called the John T. Ford, which wa-i lost while on a voyage from Baltimore to Paris via Havre. The John T. Ford was about two and a half tons, and of less size than the Red, White, and B'ue, but, unlike her, she was not constructed on the lifeboat principle, being more of a whaleboat. Her dimentions were — 19ft. length of keel, 22ft. 6ins. over all, 7ft. beam, 2ft. Gins, depth of bold. She wa3 the joint property of Iho master, Gould ; Armstrong, the survivor ; an J two or three others ; and tho citizens of JBaltiniore took great interest in the success of the expedition to Paris. The John T. Ford left Baltimore on the 22nd of Jimp, but, getting short of water — one of her tanks being damaged — she put into Halifax on (lie Bth of July, aud one of her hands leaving, Armstrong, who is a fisherman, joined her, an 1 on the morning of tho 16th July she left Halifax, accompanied by several boats, which escorted her out to sea. On the 28th they sighted a French schooner at anchor on the banks of Newfoundland, and went alongside about 7 p.m., and ltft at 4 a.m. on the next dny. They then experienced very heavy weathpr, the wind beiug from the north. "The boat labored and shipped so much water that the crew were unable to keep their clothes dry or have anyresb. Indeed, therawas only room for two below, and that in rulher a cramped position, so that two of the bands were always on deck. On the 29th, the boat being under a foresail, shipped a heavy sea and capsized. She righted in about a minute, but the water damaged the bread and welted the stores and clothes. Armstrong states that their con.lition was then getting very miserable. Oa the 2nd of August, weat'icr moderate and wind N., at one p.m. spoke a barque belonging to Shields, from Montreal for Cork, mid asked for a little bread. They could not supply any, but gave them a bottle of rum and some tobacco. On tho sth, at 4 p.m., the wind was strong, at S.W., and there was a heavy sea, which si ruck the b >at, and turned over again. She righted almost immediately, but, unfortunately, they lost all their stock of their oil, and tho principal stock of their supply of water, which ailded much to their distress, suffering as they wi re severely from cramp and pains in their legs. On tho Bth they spoko a ship belonging to Liverpool, bound to Quebec, and obtained a supply of bread and a little oil and tobacco. Shortly afterwards they exhausted their small stock of oil, and had no light for the compass or the means to warm any food. They then cut up the boards that secured the ballast and all the internal fittings of the boat to burn and procure a light. On tho 17th August they spoke a barquo bound to Portsmouth from Quebec, and sho furnished them with « little broad w\s ft fow candles.

Then they encountered very heavy weather, wind from S.W, to E.N.E., with a cross sea. On Monday, the 19th, wind S.S.W., they bore up for Cork. Cape Clear, by their reckoning, being N.E., about thirty miles distant. At 10.30 p.m. a heavy sea struck the boat and turned her, and the ballast boards having boon burned in order to obtain a light, the ballast sbiftul and all on board were thrown into the sea. The boat kept turning right over as the four hands struggled to geb into her, until tho lad (Murphy) got entangled between tho rigging and the mast, when sho was so steadied that the other three of the crow managed lo keep hold of her. Tho craft continued in this position, two of tbe hands being on her masb and two on the side of the keel. They remained in this position the whole of that night, frequently being washed off and on by the heavy sea 3, and 11.30 a.m. on the following day they observed a brig bearing down towards them. Armstrong states that they were all cheered with the hope of speedy relief, but, instead of rendering them aid, she came close to them, hoisted Dutch colors, and stood away without offering the least assistance. About an hour after this, the mate, John Shanny, asked Armstron to pray for him. They all praye.l together for some time, but were often interrupted by tho heavy seas washing one or the other of them off the bottom of tho boat. The ears of the mate were then noticed to swell very much, and his eyes protruded ; he shook hands with bis companions, and kissed his wife's likeness, which he had about him. He then became greatly excited, and bit the captain's thigh. The captain pushed him gently on one side, saying, "For God's sake, John, don't bite me." The mate then fell back into the water and sank immediately. About 7 p.m , tho* lad, Edward Murphy, asked Armstrong to make him in some way fast, and he was secured by his belt. Ho was not in that pojition long before a sea swept awny, and he perished, j and afterwards the captain and tho survivor, | Armstrong, were washed off. The captain cried out, " God help ray poor wife and family," and then disappeared. After gseafc exertion Armstrong succeeded in regaining the boat, bufc he wa3 often swept off by the seas which clashed over the craft, the succeeding wave frequently washing him on again. He continued pling to the bottom of the boat, until 4 a.m. of the 23rd, when the ship Aerolite, Captain A'loyne, of Liverpool, hovu iv sight, and seeing the piece of ragged canvas on tho mid of an oar, which he held up, bore down to his nid and picked him up. When taken on board he was very much exhausted and almost insensible from the want of food and exposure. Ho was also much injured about the legs and other parts of his body through being dashed so often against the boat. As may bo imagined, his sufferings were most severe during the long period ho was drifted about on tho bottom of the boat. He suffered much from imbibing salt water. He kept chewing a piece of an olrl tobacco pouch, which, he says, at times brought some moisture to liis parched throat, lie was fallen in with in lat. 49 5 N., and long. G53 W. On board the Aerolite ho was throated with every kindness, but for which he believes he must have died. On the following day, the 24th, lie was transferred to the schooner Mary Blake, Captain Brown, of Brixham, from Antigua, on board of which lie was also treated with overy attention. On being landed in the West* India Dock the American consul provided the necessary accommodation for him afc the Sailora' Homo in Well street, and in a few days ho will be forwarded to his native place in'Aracrica.

Naebow Escape or 11. B. M. Guxboat Dove.— ll. T!. 11. gunboat Dove, which left Amoy on the 2lst July, experienced one of the heaviest gales on record, on the morning of the 23rJ instant, while at anchor to the southward of Hai-Tan Island. About noon on the 23rd, while to the northward of the island, and standing towards the Warring Rock, the wind freshened rapidly, the barometer shandingHtfc^S 73. The vessel then tacked and stood off the land. At 4 p.m. the barometer wus 29*54, and it was blowing very hard from the north. Tho vessel ran for the anchorage at tho entrance to tho Hai-Tan Straits to the north of Chin Island, which, however, it was unable to reach owing to the weather becoming very thick. They, therefore, anchored under the lee of Kai Ilead. During the first hour and a half that they were running, the wind veered by jerks to the tf.E., E.N.E., E. and E.S.E., and then back again to the old quarter at one jump ; and when at the anchorage, at 8 p.m. it was blowing steadily from N.N.E. About midnight it veered suddenly' to E , and at 1 a.m. to S.E. and S., from which quarter ifc blew steadily until 8 a.m. ; — a perfect hurricane. Barometer 29'-i(5, and a tremendous sea, running. Shortly after the wind went down, and by 10 a.m. we were able to slip the cubic and just make sufficient; headway to • gain offing enough to bear away and weather the head The barometer stood as follows during the night ; ut 6 p.m ,29 55 ; at 1.15 a.m, 29* i 9, at 2 a.m. 29*46 at 8.30 a.m. 29*62. It was by tbe greatest mercy that the gunboat weathered the storm. They were anchored in ten fathoms, have felt their way in with the lead the night before. The dismay on board may be well imagined, when at dawn they discovered a rock about fifty yards right astern of them, and twenty yarrls further behind that a dreadful reeky coast. Tho waves ran so heavily that, tho gunboat was completely buried at every other sea, and it wus necessary to knock out the lower half porfs to allow the water to go off the decks. The whole time there could hardly have been less than a foot of water all over the decks. One sea came so high that the captain, who was standing on tho lower poop rail ana hanging on by the ridge i-opes, had his cap, which was of course jamed on his heaJ, washed clean overboard without touching the deck. Everyone on board considered tho gale one of the heaviest they have experienced; -and ceitainly tho narrowest escape for their lives. The general opinion was that no gunboat could steam out in such weather ; and it was a matter of wonder to all to find her slowly but surely gaining ground. Afc times a sea would strike her, when she would stop short and then gradually crawl ahead again. — " Overland China Mail," August 12.