FAMINE IN THE SHIP PEGGY. 205 
ged with new despatches, I again embarked at Havre de 
Grace on the 6th of May, 1787, and had the good fortune to 
arrive at the island of St. Louis without any accident. 
EXTRAORDINARY FAMINE IN THE AMERICAN 
SHIP PEGGY, 
0)1 her return from the Azores to New-York in 1765. 
Famine frequently leads men to the commission of the most 
horrible excesses : insensible on such occasions to the appeals 
of nature and reason, man assumes the character of a beast of 
prey ; he is deaf to every representation, and coolly meditates 
the death of his fellow-creature. 
One of these scenes so afflicting to humanity was, in the 
year 1765, exhibited in the brigantine the Peggy, David Har- 
rison commander, freighted by certain merchants of New 
York, and bound to the Azores. She arrived without accident 
at Fayal, one of those islands, and having disposed of her car 
go, took on board a lading of wine and spirits. On the 24th 
of October, of the same year, she set sail on her return to 
New- York. 
On the 29th, the wind, which had till then been favorable, 
s'addenly shifted. Violent storms, which succeeded each other 
almost without interruption, during the month of November, 
did mxuch damage to the vessel. In spite of all the exertions of 
the crew and the experience of the captain, the masts went by 
the board, and all the sails, excepting one, were tore to rags; 
and to add to their distress, several leaks were discovered in 
the hold. 
At the beginning of December the wind abated a little, but 
the vessel was driven out of her course; and, destitute of masts, 
sails, and rigging, she Vv'as perfectly unmanageable, and drifted 
to and fro at the merc}^ of the waves. This, however, was the 
smallest evil; another of a much more alarming nature soon 
manifested itself Upon examining the state of the provi- 
sions, they Avere found to be almost totally exhausted. In this 
deplorable situation the crew had no hope of relief but from 
chance. 
A few days after this unpleasant discovery, two vessels were 
18 
