Navigating the Lower Saint Lawrence in the 19th Century.
M42/9} Pages 1719-1724} Martin Sheppard |
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| No. 72, 31st May, Joseph Bryant, Master of the late Schooner Caroline |
1826 Protest By this public instrument of declaration and protest, be it known and made manifest unto all to whom these presents shall come, whom the same may in any wise concern. That on the thirty first day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six, before the undersigned Notary Public, duly admitted and sworn for the Province of Lower Canada and residing at the place called Paspébiac in the District of Gaspé and Province aforesaid and the witnesses having afternamed personally came, appeared and were present, John Byrant, master mariner and late master of the schooner or vessel called the Caroline, of Quebec, of the burthen of one hundred and one and 42/94 tons register measure, and William Harris, mate, and John Robertson, seaman, of and on board of the said vessel. |
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full and complete and owing to the heavy swell of |
Who of their own free will and voluntary accord, in the presence of the said Notary and witnesses, did and by these presence do jointly and severally allege, affirm, declare, protest and say, that the said vessel called the Caroline being tight, staunch and strong, well and sufficiently manned, provided, equipped and furnished with all things needful and necessary for a voyage to sea and her hatches well and sufficiently caulked and covered, they, the said appearers set sail onboard of the said vessel from the Port of Quebec on the seventeenth day of May, loaded with a # cargo of deals and staves on a voyage to the Port of Cork in that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Ireland. | |||
| the waves & the extraordinary pitching of their vessel, one of the anchors of the said vessel was washed off from the gunwale also secured with the greatest care, & and in order to prevent the anchor from getting afoul of the vessels bottom & starting her, they were obliged to cut the cables made fast whereby the same was totally lost. | That they the said appearers proceeded on with the sail vessel on the said voyage without any thing very particular or extraordinary occurring till twenty fifth day of the said month of May when it came on to blow a very heavy gale from the northeast (then in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence) which caused their said vessel to strain and labour very considerably and to make a great deal of water, * Worked at the pumps night and day without interruption, but notwithstanding the unremitted exertions and labour of the said appearers and the rest of the crew of the said vessel, the leak still continued increasing and gaining upon them to an alarming degree, insomuch that the crew was in momentary expectation of seeing the said vessel capsize, the pumps having become choked and absolutely useless and thereto unserviceable. At daylight of the twenty sixth of the said month of May, the leak had so far gained upon them that the water had risen as high up as the cabin deck. Tried the pumps again but without effect, they being rendered entirely useless from the cause before explained, their vessel being by this time water-logged and unmanageable and the lives of the crew in the greatest danger of perishing by shipwreck. | ||||
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which proved to be
the Prince of Orange, Captain Johnson, bound New Richmond in
Bay of Chaleur. which the said appearers and the remainder of the crew were abandoned near the Bird Islands in Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and in getting from their said vessel on board of the barque Prince of Orange, their boat was stove, and entirely lost. One of the crew of the said barque, at the time in the boat, was with difficulty saved from drown afterwhich the which the said |
At eight o'clock A.M.
of the same day, a vessel was perceived
standing to the westward. Made signals of
distress which were obeyed and the vessel #
bore down to their said vessel* took the
said appearers and the remainder of the crew
on board and rescued there in all likelihood
from a watery grave. The said appearers further declare that they remained on board of the said schooner Caroline as long as there was the least chance of saving their said vessel and cargo, and did not leave the same till obliged to do so by the peril of their situation, and that they the said appearers and the remainder of the crew of their said vessel arrived in safety at New Richmond aforesaid on board the said barque Prince of Orange on Monday morning last, the twenty ninth day of that said month of May instant, without anything further particular occurring. And the said appearers do further jointly and several allege, affirm, declare, protest and say, that all and singularly the injuries, losses damages and detriments which have happened to the said vessel and the cargo loaded onboard of her, and the total loss of thereof were in no way owing to or occasioned by any unseamenship, mismanagement or neglect of any of them the said appearers or any of the rest of the crew of the said schooner Caroline ^ and that during the said time they and the remainder of the crew of the said vessel used their utmost endeavour and exertions to preserve the said vessel and her cargo from loss and damage. To the truth of all which said several matters and things being before alleged and declared that the appearers have duly and severally under oath on the Holy Evangelists before me the undersigned Notarie and witnesses. |
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but solely and entirely the causes and perils before mentioned.
on the same or whomsoever it shall or may in any wise concern. |
Now therefore that these presents may
enjoy full force and effect, the said notary
did protest, and by these presents do most
solemnly protest against all and every person
or persons whom the same doth, shall, or may
in any wise concern, and do declare that all
injuries, losses, damages and detriments
which have happened to the said vessel and
cargo and the total loss thereof, are and
ought to be borne by the merchants and
freighters interested or the underwriter or
underwriters To the truth of all which said several matters and things have before alleged and declared, they the said appearers have duly and severally made oath on the Holy Evangelist before me the said Notary and the undersigned witnesses. Thus done, protested and sworn to at Bonaventure in the Bay of Chaleur, District of Gaspé, at the residence of Mr. James McCracken, on the day, month and year first above written. In faith and testimony whereof the said appearers have to these presents first duly read and explained to them, set and subscribe, that is to say, the said John Bryant and John Robertson their names and signatures, and the said William Harris, his ordinary mark (being a cross) in the presents of me the said Notary and Mr. James McCracken and James Waddell, witnesses to these presents, also hereunto subscribing. Six marginal notes approved and fifty four words struck out are null, and twenty one words interlined are good. |
| John Bryant | ||||
| his | ||||
| William X Harris | ||||
| mark. | ||||
| James Waddell | John Robertson | |||
| }witness | es: | M. Sheppard | ||
| James McCracken | N.P. | |||
| Quebec Gazette, 29th June, 1826. | ||
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| Richibucto, 7th June. | ||
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On Saturday last the pilots, Messrs.
Powell and Robleheaux, brought into this port the hermaphrodite
brig Caroline, of Quebec, about 100 tons burthen, laden with
dimension deals, which had been abandoned in the Gulf. When
found, had 5 feet water in the hold, her sails loose, her
bowsprit sprung close to the stem; some bread and beef on deck,
and had the appearance of the crew having lived there some time.
She was picked up about 20 miles to the north of Cape Breton.
(The Caroline, belonged to this port, sailed from Quebec May 23rd for Cork. The captain and crew have, we understand, safely arrived at Richibucto. The vessel was abandoned in the Gulf about the 1st instant.) | ||
G.R. Bossé© |
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