Virginia Argus

NEW-YORK, April 29.

The following interesting though melancholy information, we yesterday received from a friend in Boston.

Boston, April 25.

LOSS OF THE SHIP JUPITER, OF NEW YORK.

It is seldom we have to record a more melancholy relation than that which follows, of the loss of the ship Jupiter of New-York, of 350 tons, laden with bale goods, &c. one of the regular traders between that city and London. The persons preserved in the yawl have arrived in town.

Marblehead, April 24. 1805

Arrived this day, the schr. Joanna, capt. Henry Quiner, having picked up on the eastern part of the Grand Bank of Newfoundland, the yawl of the ship Jupiter, late of N York, with the capt. mate, one seaman, and five passengers, which ship was foundered by the ice at 12 o'clock on the night of the 6th instant, on her passage from London to New-York, having on board 73 souls, 27 of whom were lost in the ship. 33 including the second mate and remainder of the crew, took to the long-boat, which parted company from the yawl, on Monday the 8th, in heavy squalls, after having left the ice that morning.

The following particulars of the loss of the Jupiter, are communicated to us by capt. Law:

Sailed in the ship Jupiter From the Downs for New York, March 6th. Nothing remarkable occurred, excepting frequent gales and bad weather, until April 6th, being then in lat. 44, 20, lon by account, 49, at 8 o'clock in the morning saw a great number of pieces of broken ice which was passed in about three hours, when we supposed ourselves clear, steering W. by N. wind ENE, and foggy, moderate weather, at 2 P. M. began to discover islands of ice, and by 3 o'clock saw a large field ahead which appeared to have no opening, then wore ship and kept off to the S. and E continually passing small islands, until 5 P. M. when we found the ice extending so far to the North and South, that we could not clear it, hove about and stretched to the North among broken ice until night came on and no prospect of getting clear, hove too under double reefed topsails, in hopes to have sufficient drift to keep clear of the fields to leeward until day light, but found, at 11, that we were drifting fast on a large island, was obliged to wear ship and haul to the southward, under easy sail, luffing and bearing away for the broken ice, as occasion required, until 12, when we struck upon a small piece which penetrated through the starboard bow: immediately rigged both pumps, and the boats out: 58 men, women and children got into the long-boat, and 8 in the yawl, and put off from the ship, which went down in about half an hour from the time she struck, having on board at the time the boats left her, twenty seven souls, who perished with the ship; we then shaped our course to the westward, continually relieving the oars, and with difficulty finding a passage for the boats thro' the fields of ice which we were passing during the remainder of that night, the next day and night, until about 12 o'clock on Monday, A. M having gone about 100 miles WSW from the time of leaving the ship; at 12, finding after we had cleared the ice, a rough sea beginning to make, so that the yawl was unsafe in tow, and they not being willing to increase their number in the long-boat, requested them to cut us adrift, when they immediately left us steering north, with a sail set, and a fresh breeze from the southward; our situation was now such, that we were obliged to keep before the wind, it being very squally with heavy rain, and the yawl being so deeply laden as to make us apprehensive that she would immediately fill. About sunset the wind abated, and the sea moderated, so that we were enabled to pull to the westward, which we did from 7 o'clock, until 8 A. M. on Tuesday the 9th, when we had the happiness to discover a sail which we found to be the schr. Joanna, captain Quiner, who humanely received us on board, and paid us every attention which was in his power, and which our situation after suffering much from fatigue and being considerably injured by frost, rendered necessary for the preservation of our lives.

When we parted company with the long boat, they had plenty of provisions on board, and strong hopes are entertained that they were so fortunate as to meet with a vessel shortly after, there being several at no great distance to the westward, or that they would be able to reach some port in Newfoundland.

Names of persons saved in the yawl.

Richard Law, jun. of New-York, captain;

Eliab Sturtevant, of do. 1st mate; George Pearson, of do. seaman; hon. Robert Kennedy,

James B. Temple, John Tappan, of Boston;

James Ilberry, of London, cabin passenger;

Thomas Trice, steerage passenger.

Names of those left in the long boat at sea.

Gilbert J. E. Smiessaert. of Amsterdam, cabin passenger; Mr. Ashley. wife and three daughters: Mr. Medcalf, wife and infant; Mr. Merritt, wife and apprentice boy; James Trice and mother; Isaac Paine, wife and child;

George Slowman, Rachel Luff, Eleazer Wood,

Mr. Mitchell and wife, James Williams, Mr. Temple's servant, two Germans, (names unknown,) Thos. Williams, 2d mate, and eleven of the crew; one unknown steerage passenger.

Names of those lost in the ship.

Mrs. and Miss Merritt; Mr. Breach, wife,

and two children; Mr. Giles, wife, and seven children; Mrs. Grange; Mrs Leete and four

children; David Brand and two sons; three

persons (names unknown,) steerage passengers.