The ship Indian, a fine East Indiaman of 500 tons
burden, has been lost on the outward voyage from England to Bombay, on the Cargados, Garayos, or Narerett reef of rocks. The loss of life and property was .deplorable. The ship had been insured for 25,0001.; the sufferings of the people are narrated in a letter by a gentleman who was a passenger on board- " Nothing of any note occurred until the night of the 4th of April last, when at eight o'clock the captain informed us, that, if his reckoning was correct, we should either be clear or very. nearly upon the Cargados reef. Being rather taken aback at the cool way in which he expressed himself, I ran forward to the forecastle, followed by the captain and one of the passen- gers. Twenty minutes had not elapsed before I distinctly saw breakers ahead, which I immediately pointed out to the captain; who turned to one of the aeamen standing near him at the time, (named Peter Martina and asked him if he thought they were breakers. He replied, Yes, they are ' ; at the same time the look-out man on the foreyard sang out Breakers
ahead We were then going six knots, with the starboard tacks about two points free, wind East, steering North. The captain ordered the helm to be put up, and she fell off to the W.N.W.; and in far less time than it has taken me to write she struck, at first slightly, then went on with a fearful crash, starting every timber in her, pieces of wreck floating up all around us. We sow in a moment that all hopes of saving the vessel were at -an end, as she heeled over to the leeward suddenly, the sea snaking a clear breach over her every roller. This was the work of a few minutes only. Three parts of the crew were by this time on their knees, crying and making
the most frantic appeals to Heaven for aid. All artier and discipline were now at an end. The carpenter and two seamen attempted to out away the masts; but, owing, I suppose, to the excitement of the moment., they cut away the weather rigging only. The masts.of course went by the botu d ; but, being still attached to the vessel by the lee rigging and falling over to seaward, they served as a .battering-ram, beating the vessel to pieces every successive roller. After the first burst of excitement was over, a simultaneous rush was made for the :boats: but we found the only one that was available was the starboard quarter boat ; the other two had been staved to pieces by the wreck. The captain was not slow in taking to our only apparent chance of escape—the remaining boat ; eight of the seamen speediTy following him. They shoved off, but pulled back once or twice pear to the vessel, asking for water and bread ; which of courseit was out of our power to supply them with. Ile then pulled away altogether, which was the last we saw of him. The ship by this time was breaking up fast ; the stern-frame burst out and Was thrown op on the starboard quarter; and in a few minutes afterwards she parted amidships, leaving thirteen persons exposed to the fury of the surf on the forepart of the starboard broadside, where we remained till the morning broke. The tide turned about this time from ebb to aged, when* rollers came in with redoubled violence, and dashed the remainder of the wreck into pieces. All were immediately buffeting With the waves. Short* innumerable surrounded 1113 on all sides ; which very much increased the terrors of our situation. Owing to my being hurled on tho..malts by the, surf two or three times, I lost my senses, and was perfeetly unconscious as to what occurred till I found myself resting on a spar with a sailor. I found the ship had gone to pieces, and that five of Gunn-miracles had perished.. Water surrounded us in every direction, with nOthMg in view but one or two small sandbanks, and those a long distance off. By night we had cone structed a zude land of raft, on which we slept; but as the tide ebbed we grounded, and, with the exception of our heads, we were literally sleeping in the water, cold Ana wretched, but still, conmanitively speaking, safe. We remained on the raft in this state two days and nights.; the BUD scorching us by day, said the wind, owing to our being wet, making us dreadfully cold at.night. On Sunday, the third day, having found a small quantity of oatmeal, we determined to start for the nearest sandbank. sixty-gallon cask of beer, two six-dozen cases of wine, a piece of bad pork, and the oatmeal, were the only thins saved from the wreck. We turned the raft, and after a severe day's work reached the bank about sunset, and once more put our feet upon dry-land. We had only eaten once, and then but sparingly. Thus we lived fourteen days and nights, subsisting on shark( flesh and the wine and beer we saved. Not a drop of water was to be had. On the 20th April we saw a vessel to the leeward Of us, and endeavoured to attract her attention by means of a boat-book and a shirt attached; but she did not or would not see us. The next 'day, about one hour before sunset, another vessel hove in sight, and about the same spot the ship of the previous evening was seen. We again hoisted our signal, and walked about the bank, to show there were living creatures on it. We thought she did not see us-; and after taking our allowance of oatmeal and shark's flesh we lay down for the night's rest. In a short time, however, we Were alarmed by the barking of our dog ; and on getting on our legs discovered to our delight a boat close in upon the sands. She belonged to the vessel we had seen in the evening. The mate and one of the passengers went on board that night, and the rest of the survivors were taken off the next morning ; when we were conveyed safely to the Mauritius."
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