&c. or out of the public ftock of fuch city, town corporate, cinque port, &c. fuch fum as has been ufually paid upon that occafion, not exceeding thirteen fhillings and four pence for every prifoner fo difcharged, to the fheriff, gaoler, or keeper of the prifon, whence the prifoner fhall have been discharged; which feveral fums, fo paid in purfuance of this act, fhall be refpectively allowed to the treasurers and officers by the juftices before whom their accounts fhall be paffed. An authentic Account of the miferable Fate of ten Men belonging to the Adventure, lately returned from the South Seas, who were furprixed by the Savages in New Zealand, put to death, and eaten. Extraded from the Journal of one of the Crew that was ordered to make Search for the unhappy Sufferers. N the 30th of November, ON 1773, we came to Navancher, in Charlotta Sound, on the coast of New Zealand, where the fhip being moored, and the boat fent afhore, a letter was found, which informed that the Refolution had been there, and had failed fix days before we arrived. On the first day of December we fent the tents and empty cafks on fhore to the watering place. The Indians came and visited us, and brought us fish and other refreshments, which we purchased for pieces of cloth and old nails; and they continued this traffic for ten or twelve days, seemingly very well pleased. On the 13th fome of them came down in the night and robbed the tents: the aftronomer, getting up to make an obfervation, miffed fome things, and charged the fentinel with taking them; but while they were in difcourfe. they fpied an Indian creeping from the fhore towards them; they fired at him, and wounded him, but he got off and retired to the woods. The report of the gun had alarmed his companions, who deferted the canoe in which they came, and fled likewife into the woods. The waterers, who were now apprised of what had happened, and were out upon the search, found the canoe, and in it most of the things that had been stolen. Nothing remarkable happened after this till the 17th, when preparing for our departure, the large cutter, under the command of Mr. John Roe, the first mate, accompanied by Mr. Woodhoufe, midshipman, and James Tobias Swilly, the carpenter's fervant, was fent Sound to Grafs cove, to gather greens and wild At two in the afternoon the tents were truck, every thing got on board, and the fhip made ready for failing the next day. Night coming on, and no cutter appearing, the captain and officers began to exprefs great uneafinefs, fearing fome treachery from the favages. They fat up the whole night in expectation of her arrival; but to no purpose. At day-break, the captain ordered the long boat to be. hoifted out, and double manned, with Mr. Burney, fecond lieutenant, Mr. Freeman, mafter, the corporal of the marines, with five private men, all well armed, with plenty of ammunition, two wall[2] 2 pieces pieces, and three days provifion. Thus equipped, about nine in the morning we left the fhip, and failed and towed for Eaft-bay, keep ing clofe in fhore, and examining every creek we paffed, to find the cutter: we continued our fearch till two in the afternoon, when we put into a fmall cove to dress dinner. While that was getting ready, we obferved a company of Indians, feemingly very bufy, on the oppofite fhore; we left our dinner, and rowed precipitately to the place where the favages were affembled. On our approach they all fled; we followed them clofely to a little town which we found deferted: we fearched their huts, and while thus employed the favages returned, and made a fhew of refiftance; but fome trifling prefents being made to their chiefs, they were very foon appeafed. However, on our return to our boat, they followed us, and fome of them threw ftones. After After we had dined, we renewed our fearch, and at proper intervals kept firing our wall-pieces, as fignals to the cutter, if any of her people fhould happen to be within hearing. About five in the afternoon we opened a small bay, where we faw a large double canoe, and a body of Indians hauling her upon the beach. We quickened our course to come up with them, but they infantly fled on feeing us approach: this made us fufpect that fome mifchief had been done. On landing, the first thing we faw in the canoe was one of the cutter's rowlock boards and a pair of fhoes tied up together. On advancing farther upon the beach, we found feveral of their baskets, and faw one of their dogs eating a piece of broiled flesh: we examined it, and fufpected it to be human: and in one of their baskets having found a hand, which we knew to be the left hand of Thomas Hill, by the letters T. H. being marked on it, we were no longer in doubt about the event. We purfued the favages as far as was practicable; but without fuccefs. On our return we destroyed canoe, and continued our their fearch. At half after fix in the evening we opened Grafs-cove, where we faw a great many Indians affembled on the beach, and fix or feven canoes floating in the furf. We flood in fhore, and when the favages faw us, they retreated to a rifing hill, close by the water-fide. We were in doubt whether it was through fear that they retreated, or with a defign to decoy us to an ambufcade. Our lieutenant determined not to be furprized, and therefore, running clofe in fhore, ordered the grappling to be dropt near enough to reach them with our guns, but at too great a diftance to be under any apprehenfions from their treachery. In this pofition we began to engage, taking aim, and determining to kill as many of them as our guns could reach. It was fome time before we dislodged them; but at length, many of them being wounded, and fome killed, they began to difperfe. Our lieutenant improved their panic, and, fupported by the officers and marines, leapt on fhore, and purfued the fugitives. We had not advanced far from the water-fide, before we beheld the moft horrible fight that ever was feen by any European; the heads, hearts, livers, and lights, of three or four of our people broiling on the fire, and their bowels lying at at the diftance of about fix yards from the fire, with feveral of their hands and limbs in a mangled condition, fome broiled and fome raw; but no other parts of their bodies, which gave caufe to fufpect that the cannibals had feafted on and eaten all the reft. We obferved a large body of them affembled on the top of a hill, at about two miles diftance; but night coming on, we durft not advance to attack them neither was it thought fafe to quit the fhore to take account of the number killed, our body being but fmall, and the favages numerous and fierce. They were armed with long lances, and with weapons not unlike the halberts of our ferjeants in fhape, made of hard wood, and instead of iron, mount ed with bone. We could difcover nothing belonging to the cutter but one of the oars, which was broken and stuck in the fand, to which they had tied the fastenings of their canoes. It was fufpected that the dead bodies of our people had been divided among the different parties of favages that had been concerned in the maffacre; and it was not collecting the remains of our mangled companions, we made the best of our way from this polluted place. About four the next morning we weighed anchor, and about feven got under way, and purfued our courfe home. In the mean time, the furgeon examined the remains of the bodies brought on board, but could not make out to whom they belonged; fo they were decently laid together, and with the ufual folemnity on board fhips, committed to the deep. Authentic Account of a late unfortu nate Tranfaction, with respect to a Diving Machine at Plymouth. MANY reports of a very contrary nature having been spread concerning the fate of an unfortunate man, who was loft in a Diving Machine, the Gentleman, who was applied to by him, has thought it expedient to lay a full and authentic ftate of the matter before the public. improbable but that the party that MR.PAY (the fole projector was feen at a distance were feafting upon some of the others, as thofe on the fhore had been upon what were found, before they were difturbed by our crew in the longboat. Be that as it may, we could discover no traces of more than four of their bodies, nor could we tell where the favages had concealed the cutter. It was now near night, and our lieutenant not think ing it fafe to truft our crew in the dark, in an open boat, within reach of fuch cruel barbarians, ordered the canoes to be broken up and destroyed; and, after carefully of the scheme, and, as matters have turned out, the unhappy facrifice to his own ingenuity) employed his thoughts for fome years paft in planning a method of finking a veffel under water, with a man in it, who should live therein for a certain time, and then, by his own means only, bring himself up to the furface. After much ftudy he conceived that his plan could be reduced into practice: he communicated his idea inthe part of the country where he lived, and had the most fanguine hopes of fuccefs, He went to far as to try his project in the Broads [2] 3 near near Yarmouth. He fitted a Norwich market-boat for his purpose, funk himself 30 feet under water, where he continued during the fpace of 24 hours, and executed his defign to his own entire fatisfaction. Elate with this fuccefs, he then wanted to avail himself of his invention he converfed with his friends, perfectly convinced that he had brought his undertaking to a certainty; but how to reap the advantage of it was the difficulty that remained. The perfon in whom he confided fuggeited to him, that, if he acquainted the Sporting Gentlemen with the difcovery, and the certainty of the performance, confiderable betts would take place, as foon as the project should be mentioned in company. The Sporting Kalendar was immediately looked into, and the name of Blake foon occurred; that gentleman was fixed upon as the perfon to whom Mr. Day ought to addrefs himfelf. Accordingly Mr. Blake, in the month of November laft, received the following letter: SIR, I have found out an affair, by which many thousands may be won: It is of a paradoxical nature, but can be performed with eafe; but can be performed with eafe; therefore, Sir, if you chufe to be informed of it, and give me one hundred pounds of every thoufand you fhall win by it, I will very readily wait upon you, and inform you of it. I am, myself, but a poor mechanic, and not able to make any thing by it without your affiftance. Yours, &c. Mr. Blake had no conception of Mr. Day's defign, nor was he fure that the letter was ferious. To clear the matter up, he returned for answer. that, if Mr. Day would come to town, and explain himfelf, Mr. Blake would confider of the propofal. If he approved of it, Mr. Day fhould have the recompence he defired; it, on the other hand, the plan fhould be rejected, Mr. Blake would make him a prefent to defray the expences of his journey. of his journey. In a fhort time after Mr. Day came to town; Mr. Blake faw him, and defired to know what fecret he was poffeffed of. The man replied, That he could fink a fhip 100 yards deep in the fea with himself in it, and remain therein for the space of 24 hours, without communication with any thing above; and, at the expiration of the time, rife up again in the veffel.' The propofal, in all its parts, was new to Mr. Blake. He took down the particulars, and after confidering the matter, defired fome kind of proof of the practicability. The man added, that, if Mr. Blake would furnish him with the materials necessary he would give him occular demonftration. A model of the vessel in which he was to perform the experiment was then required, and in three or four weeks accomplished, fo as to give a perfect idea of the principle upon which the scheme was to be executed, and, indeed, a very plaufible promife of fuccefs, not to Mr. Blake only, but many other gentlemen who were confulted upon the occafion. The confequence was, that Mr. Blake, agreeably to the man's deJ. DAY.' fire, advanced money for the conAtruction 1 ftruction of a vessel fit for that purpofe. Mr. Day, thus affifted, went to Plymouth with his model, and fet the men at that place to work upon it. The preffure of the water at one hundred feet depth was a circumftance of which Mr. Blake was advised, and touching that article he gave the ftrongest precautions to Mr. Day, telling him, at any expence, to fortify the chamber in which he was to fubfift, against the weight of fuch a body of water. Mr. Day fet off in great fpirits for Plymouth, and feemed fo confident, that Mr. Blake made a bett that the project would fucceed, reducing, however, the depth of water from one hundred yards to one hundred feet, and the time from 24 to 12 hours. By the terms of the wager, the experiment was to be made within three months from the date; but fo much time was neceffary for due preparation, that on the appointed day things were not in readinefs, and Mr. Blake loft the bett. In some short time afterwards the veffel was finished, and Mr. Day ftill continued eager for the carrying of his plan into execution; he was uneafy at the idea of dropping the scheme, and wished for an opportunity to convince Mr. Blake, that he could perform what he had undertaken. He wrote from Plymouth that every thing was in readinefs, and should be executed the moment Mr. Blake arrived. Induced by this promife, Mr. Blake fet out for Plymouth; upon his arrival a trial was made in Catwater, where Mr. Day lay, during the flow of tide, fix hours, and fix more during the tide of ebb; confined-all the time in the room appropriated for his ufe. A day for the final determination was then fixed; the veffel was towed to the place agreed upon; Mr. Day provided himself with whatever he thought neceffary; went into the veffel, let the water into her, and with great composure retired to the room conftructed for him, and shut np the valve: The fhip went gra dually down + in 22 fathoms water, at 2 o'clock on Tuetday June 28, in the afternoon, being to return at 2 the next morning. He had three buoys or meffengers, which he could fend to the furface at option, to announce his fituation below; but, none appearing, Mr. Blake, who was near at hand in a barge, began to entertain fome fufpicion: he kept a ftrict look out, and at the time appointed, neither the buoys nor the veffel coming up, he applied to the Orpheus frigate, which lay just off the barge, for afliftance. The captain, with the moit ready benevolence, fupplied them with every thing in his power to feek for the fhip. Mr. Blake, in this alarming fituation, was not content with the help of the Orpheus only; he made immediate application to Lord Sandwich (who happened to be at Plymouth) for further relief. His The veffel had a falfe bottom, ftanding on feet like a butcher's block, which contained the ballaft; and, by the perfon in the veffel unfcrewing fome pins, fhe was to rife to the furface, leaving the false bottom behind. + Some accounts fay, that fhe went down ftern foremost, and is fuppofed to have bulged directly, as a very great rippling appeared inftantly after her finking. [2] 4 Lord. |