Virginia Argus

Extract of a letter from Mr. George Wilson, on board the ship Elizabeth of Boston, Capt. Philip Bessom, dated Marseilles, March 6, 1816, to his father in Marblehead.

"I have but little time to write, part of which I shall employ in communicating to you a very singular occurrence. On Friday, Feb. 2, 1816, lat. 36, 28. N. long. 20 W. 28 days out, at midnight I was awakened by the officer of the watch, who exclaimed 'the ship is on shore.' I sprang from my birth and ran on deck; the lead was hove repeatedly, by one of the officers and no soundings in 17 fathoms. There was a dreadful rumbling noise which continued for eight or ten minutes, during which interval, I was expecting to hear the ship thump and bilge on the rocks. but it commenced and went off very gradually from stem to stern. Previous to and succeeding this strange event the wind was blowing fresh from W. N. W. and a heavy sea running; while it continued, the wind decreased and the water became quite smooth. At 5 A.M. the rumbling noise returned, after the ship had run the distance of thirty miles; the wind and appearance of the sea was almost instantaneously changed as in the first instance; the lead was hove and the pumps manned as before, but could not discover the least alteration. Nothing could be discovered round or near the ship this last was less severe, and continued 3 or 4 minutes. I imputed it to something afloat under water, or an Earthquake. I am now fully satisfied it was the latter, as the captain of a ship now in this port, and lying alongside of us says he was alarmed the same day, and about the same time, with a like rumbling noise."