The Virginia Gazette

We have received the following extract of a letter from Antigua, January 25.

Keys, just arrived here, whose ship was lost in it: On the 8th of December last the gale came on, which obliged all the shipping then in the bay to put to sea, among which a large Dutch ship bound for Surinam was drove ashore, and totally lost; also a Portuguese brig, of which no account has been received since, and is supposed to have foundered at sea.

On the 17th, being fine weather, and the wind easterly, the shipping all returned to anchor in the bay of Funchall. It continued fair till Sunday the 18th, about 3 o'clock P. M. when a sudden and heavy squall came on from the south, and continued to blow with such unrelenting fury, as to prevent the shipping from getting out, attended with thunder, lightning, and rain.

About midnight six sail out of seven were dashed in pieces, their names as follows: The Aurora, Capt. George Keys, from London; the Captain happily was ashore, but the ship was lost, with three of the crew. The Betty Gregg, Capt. John Griffiths; vessel lost, the Captain, with the whole crew, in number fifteen, perished. The Peggy and Betty, from Maryland, Capt. Lewes; ship lost, the crew saved. A Danish ship, Capt. Bee; the vessel lost, fourteen hands, and one woman passenger, perished; the Captain being ashore, his life was saved. Two Portuguese vessels, the commanders and crews leaving them in the beginning of the gale, saved their lives; the vessels totally lost. Capt. Stewport, of the ship Dawkins, from London, for Jamaica, was the only vessel that rode out the storm, having parted one cable, and the other near going, when the dreadful tempest abated. So terrible and tremendous a gale has never been known in the memory of the oldest man living in Madeira.