s 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



boat, in which about 20 men at- 

 tempted to save themselves, but it 

 upset alongside the ship, and they 

 were all drowned. On the after- 

 noon of Christmas-day, when the 

 lastof the eleven men left the ship, 

 on a small piece of plank, admiral 

 Reynolds and captain Guion, the 

 commander of the ship, were lying 

 dead aside each other, upon the 

 quarter-deck, as were also about 

 508 men ofthecrew, who had died 

 through fatigue and cold, and from 

 the sea breaking over them ; only 

 about fifty men remaining still 

 alive, whose cries were heard until 

 it became dark, when, it is to be 

 hoped, that an end was put to their 

 misery. Two days afterwards, when 

 the gale was abated, and the wind, 

 being easterly, was off the shore, 

 a Danish boat, with two of the 

 English sailors, went on board to 

 bring away the corpses of the ad- 

 miral, the captain, and several other 

 persons ; but they found the deck 

 was washed away by the sea, with 

 all the bodies lying on it. It is 

 supposed the ship must now be 

 broken right athwart, although 

 both ends of her are still percepti- 

 ble, and thatitmust be the ammu- 

 nition lying in the bottom, which 

 holds her together. Among the 

 ship's crew,, which is said to have 

 been no more than 750, about 40 

 were reckoned in the class of offi- 

 cers ; and of these, exclusive of 

 the admiral and captain, ten were 

 lieutenants, one secretary, one 

 captain, and three lieutenants of 

 marines. The secretary, who was 

 a married man, was half dead 

 when lie came on shore, and ex- 

 pired immediately after. A quan- 

 tity of gold coins found upon his 

 person, such as whole and half 

 guineas, Dutch ducats, &c. and 



likewise some English Bank-notes, 

 is, so far as yet known, all the 

 money saved. According to the 

 report given by the survivors, the 

 admiral must have been a most 

 gallant man. He would not quit 

 his ship, but die on board her. He 

 was a widower, and has left two 

 daughters behind him, and a son, 

 who is a captain. 



A great number of dead bodies 

 have driven on shore between 

 Hausbye and Nessum, all of which 

 were interred with military ho- 

 nours. Forty-seven barrels of gun- 

 powder have been saved out of the 

 Defence. 



Narrative, by a Persononhoard 

 the Grasshopper, of the circum- 

 stances attending the loss of that 

 Vessel and the Hero. — On Wed- 

 nesday thel8thofDecember,1811, 

 we sailed from Wingo Sound, in 

 company with his majesty's ships 

 Hero, Egeria, and Prince William 

 armed ship, with a convoy of 120^ 

 sail or upwards. The Egeria and 

 Prince William, with the greatest 

 part of the convoy, separated from 

 us in the tremendous weather we 

 had shortly after leaving the 

 Sleeve ; and on the23rd instant, we 

 found ourselves in company with 

 the Hero, and about eighteen sail, 

 mostly government transports. 

 At half-past eleven on that day, 

 captain Newman made signal to 

 come within hail ; when he told 

 us, as he conceived we were near 

 about the Silver Pitts, he should 

 steer S. W. after noon, which was 

 accordingly done ;.and at the close 

 of the day, we steering that course, 

 running at the rate of nine knots 

 per hour, at about ten o'clock, the 

 nia;ht-fcional was made to alter 

 course to port two pomts, which 

 was repeated by us. At this time 



only 



