The New Hampshire Gazette

BOSTON, Jan. 23.

Extract of a Letter from a young Gentleman, belonging to this Town, who was on board the Schooner Nancy, which sailed from Piscataqua for Surinam, but overset at Sea, as lately mentioned.
Williamsburg, in Virginia, December 4. 1757.

Gentlemen - I sailed from Portsmouth the 20th of August when we had fine Weather, which lasted till Monday 5th Sept. about 12 o'Clock P. M. we observed the Sea to rise, and every thing appeared very wild: we handed all our small Sails, and got a snug Ship long before Night; the Gale came on very violent, and lasted till the 7th of the Month, in which time three of the Men were drowned upon Deck being 23 in Number.

About 12 at Night the Vessel overset, when we all got upon her Side, but capsized off several times after; at last we cast off the Shrouds, when she righted directly, and we all got safe in her Bows, and so we continued 24 hours, without any thing to eat or drink: When the Weather cleared up we went into the Cabin, which was almost under water, where we found the Iron Crow, two Dishes, the Hinge of one of the Chests, and my old blue Coat, which the Captain kept, but no Bread or Provisions of any kind: we got part of the Main Sail, of which we made a Tent forward in the Bows; then the Mate and myself went to the Hatchway, and dove, where we found a Pipe of Wine, which we got out, and stowed forward of the Windlass, which served us for Drink: and in a few Days after we got two Barrels of Mackerel, one Barrel we emptied to catch water in, the other we kept to eat: we made a Dart of the Hinge of the Chest and fixed it on the Pump spear, with which we struck Dolphin; and had no other Nourishment but raw Fish and Wine and Water, on which we subsisted for 46 Days; in which time we saw six Sail of Vessels, but none of them came to our Relief, 'til happily on the 21st of October just at Night we saw a Sail to windward standing right for us; she did not come up with us 'till after dark, nor indeed did they see us 'till they were within Pistol shot, when the Captain hailed us, and immediately hauled up his Sails, and laid to under his Mizen, hoisted his Boat out, in which he put a Lanthorn, and was two Hours endeavouring to get on board us, but all to no effect; the Boat was obliged to return to the Ship, as the Sea ran so high, they liked to have perished; the Ship drove so fast to Leeward, that they soon left us: the Captain tacked and stood two Hours N, and two Hours S, all Night, by which Means he found us the next Day at 11 o'Clock A. M. the Boat came along side us, hove a Rope on board, which we made fast to the Cat-head, the Sea ran so high we were almost buried in it, and we were obliged to swim to the Boat for fear of Staving; the Ship proved to be the King George from Bristol, a Letter of Marque, James Wallace Master, bound for Virginia, who with his second Captain treated us with a great deal of Tenderness: We arrived safe the 27th of November. William Tucker one of the Sailors died the Friday week before we were relieved; and Joseph Gooch the Cooper is in such a Condition that I expect his Death every moment: Thanks be to God I am as well as ever I was in my Life.