The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

St. John's (in Antigua) Jan. 27.

In our last we mentioned the arrival of the Snow Rodney, Nicholas Purdy, from London for Maryland, with convicts; since which we have received an extract from the ship's log-book, which we insert, that the public may be acquainted with the hardships these poor wretches sustained during their terrible voyage. JOURNAL,

Sept. 17. Came through the Downs.--Oct. 5. Came too on the Mother Bank after beating, &c.--7th, discovered a scheme of the convicts to take away the Ship--10th, set sail with clear weather and steady breeze: wind N. by E.--Dec. 12th, convicts wet --14th, 15th, 16th, no observation; cloudy weather; a very heavy gale on the 15th, with thunder and lightning; the ship laboured very much; the convicts wet below, as all the upper works are open--19th, convict James Alleyn died--21st, ship opens more than usual; a gale--23d, William Brown, a convict died: ship makes much water--25th no observation; a heavy gale, and a great sea, ship labours very much and makes a great deal of water--26th, found the bolts of the standards between decks broke by yesterday's gale, so that they are of no service to the ship, which opens fore and aft, and leaks much--27th, more water --28th, a great deal of water--29th, a very heavy gale of wind, and high sea; a stroke of the Sea upon the star-board quarter, broke the tiller short off in the rudder head; pump every half hour; nailed canvas over the bows, and seams of the forecastle :: 30th, obliged to make some of the convicts assist in working and pumping the ship: Every thing in a bad situation; only 35 pieces of pork, and 700 lb. of bread, for one hundred and five people, and no probability of getting into Virginia.--31st, the people wrote to the Captain, desired to know what he intended to do with the ship in that situation, expecting every moment to founder: and the-convicts almost starved for want of food, and almost drowned with water between decks; only two biscuits a day.

At 7. A. M. the ship received so severe a shock from a stroke of the sea, that it was necessary to keep one pump continually going; at 8 not being able to lay too any longer, was obliged to bear away to the southward, hoping to get into South-Carolina, lat. 35:36, lon. 72:27. W.-- Jan. 1, John Jay, convict, died:--2d, being near the lat. of Carolina, and by account 10 degrees to the Eastward of it in a heavy gale of wind, and having only 24 pieces of beef, 22 pieces of pork, 600 weight of bread, to feed 104 people, to bear away for Antigua; the vessel being much wrecked in hull and rigging, and it being impossible to get into any port upon the continent; 4. P. M. found four of the fore-shrouds broke; Richard Owen, convict, died--3d, convicts in a very poor con-dition, very low and many sick--5th, in lat. 31. lon. 25. 57. contrary winds, and provisions almost expended, convicts only three ounces of bread a day, and so great was their distress that they eat the very vermin which they picked off themselves.

The Ship's company, upon whose lives depended the welfare of the whole, fared but little better; their 24 hours allowance, being insufficient for one man's meal.--7th, examined the convicts, their condition truly miserable, full of sores and ulcers, very low, and have lain for three weeks absolutely in water, the vessel being almost tore to pieces, by the many severe storms she encountered--10th, 14th, and 17th, William Smith, Joseph Green, Joseph James, William Stude, and John Cole, convicts, died--20th, having no provisions of any kind to issue to the poor unhappy creatures, the company and myself, I opened a cask of cheese containing 100 lb. consigned to Charles Carroll, Esq; the poor wretches having long ago eat their leather breeches, and every hole they found in the vessel-- At noon they saw Antigua, distant seven leagues.