Bristol, Dec. 18. Last Tuesday Night, between the Hours of 8 and 9, the Chepstow Boat, Richard Thomas, Master, was lost in a dreadful Storm of Wind and Rain upon the Stones called the Shutes. She had about Sixty Souls on board, Twenty-Eight of whom were drowned, and the rest saved. Twenty-Two were taken up next Morning about 9, and carried to Chepstow to be buried. There were but 14 Men, the rest Women, among the Deceased. When the Vessel first struck, the People were all on Deck, which was so crowded with Baskets of Fowls, &c. the Men had no room to work the Vessel, otherwise 'tis believed she might have got off safe: While the Vessel hung upon the Shutes, the Sailors, to a Man, got into the Boat, and took as many of the Passengers in, as the Boat with Safety would carry, and got safe on Shore, leaving the rest to shift for themselves, 'til such Time as the Tide had left them on the bare Stones; where they that were yet living (to the Number of Sixteen or Seventeen,) continued in the perishing Cold 'til Five in the Morning, expecting every Moment the Return of the Boat, who had Time enough to go to King-Road for Assistance; but the Tide returning upon them, deprived them of all Hope, by putting an End to their miserable Lives. We believe 'tis hardly possible for Tongue to express the Anxiety these poor Creatures endured; their lamentable Cries and Moanings were piercing to every Creature who was so unhappy as to hear them, without being able to afford them the least Help; whilst those who got safe on Shore, instead of returning to their Assistance when the Tide was out, were deaf to all they uttered. There was an old Man on board upwards of Sixty, who was bringing his Son, a Youth, to be cured of a Cancer. He remained on board 'til the Vessel fell on one Side, and seeing himself in imminent Danger, got up the Mast as it lay on the Surface of the Water; as he was crawling up, he fancied he felt something tug at the Skirts of his Coat, and turning himself about, saw it was his Son, whom he succour'd as well as he cou'd, by taking him up, and making him hold fast by his Shoulders; but the poor Youth was so spent, that in a short Time he fell from his Father's Shoulders, and was drowned, The old Man was taken off the Mat alive, by the Boat before mentioned. Among the Unfortunate, was Mr. Samuel Rogers, Bookseller, of Abergavenny, who had with him a Collection of Books, to sell in Bristol; which Books a Gentleman at Abergavenny had come so near the Price of, that only 5 s. was between them; and unhappy it was for Mr. Rogers in refusing the Offer, which was the only Motive of putting him on a Resolution to dispose of them in this City. One of the Boatmen was the first that discovered the Water making in at the Fore-castle while those in the Cabin and on Deck were insensible of it, and the Fellow being eager to get his Wife from among those in the Cabin, gave her very rough Language, without acquainting her of the Reason, for fear of alarming all the People, which she not regarding, he left her, and whispering the Danger to the rest of the Boatmen, they all got into the Boat, which was in an Instant full; so that divers perished by their unsuccessful Endeavour to jump in when the Boat put off; one of the Women got fast hold of the Boat, but a Fellow on board was so inhuman and barbarous as to beat her Hand till she quitted, and was drowned. By all the Circumstances we can hear, the Master and all the Boatmen deserve to be punished in the most severe Manner, it being agreed by all Hands, that it was in their Power to have preserved the Lives of all the Passengers, by making several Trips from the Shore, and fetch them off the Wreck, which they never once attempted. Several Informations have been made against them to the Justices on the Welsh Shore.
