The New Hampshire Gazette

LONDON, May 1.

Letter from the Master of one of the Merchantmen that lately went out under Convoy of Admiral Broderick.

This is to acquaint you of my welfare, and safe arrival at Oporto the 22d of April. I am sorry to give you the particulars of the unfortunate Prince George, and her unhappy crew. Thursday April 13, distant bearing east 60 leagues, at noon, I saw Admiral Broderick hoisting a signal of distress; upon which I made what sail I could, and went down on him. At one in the afternoon I could discern her (the Prince George) on fire; at two drew pretty near her, but thought they might have quenched the fire. At three o'clock I saw plainly there was no quenching it. I was then within 100 yards of her stern, but durst not venture alongside, the sea beating high; besides, the going off of her guns, and danger of blowing up. But this the Admiral wisely prevented, by letting the water into the powder room. At four in the afternoon the Admiral quitted her in the barge, and out of forty souls, he and four more only were saved, and taken up swimming by a merchant ship's boat, as then the ships that had boats were all out, and a good many of them lost. The weather proving bad towards night, at five P. M. I was within pistol shot of her, and there remained some time; at which time I picked up four of her men; and had not two of my men run away with my boat the night before we sailed from St. Helens, I am confident I could have saved 60 or 80 of them at least, as I was all the time nearer to them than any ship in the fleet. What made me venture so near her was, that I knew my ship went well, and was under good command. At six o'clock, Oh! what a dreadful sight! the masts and sails all in a blaze; hundreds of souls hanging by the ropes alongside: I could count fifty of them hanging over in the stern ladder; others in the sea on oars and pieces of wood; A melancholy LAMENTATION: besides the dismal Cries from the ship still ring in my ears, and fill my soul with sadness. Half an hour past six the flames broke out of her broadside, and in less than five minutes every bit of her was in flames, and so continued till seven, when she overset, but did not sink. I then ran within twenty yards of her, but my people compelled me to go no farther for fear of striking the wreck. All I can further say of it, there never was a more shocking SIGHT; pray God that I may never see the like again. It was very grievous to me that I could not save more of her men, without running the risk of sharing her Fate.

The fire began in the boatswain's store-room, by the neglect of his new men. The 18th of April the Glasgow, a 20 gun ship, hoisted the signal for all masters of merchant ships to come on board of her, where the Admiral had his flag hoisted: Upon which I went on board. The reason for making the signal was to know, how many of the Prince George's people we had saved among us, and to deliver them up. By the then List it appeared, that the Admiral, Capt. Payton, and about 250 were saved. Poor Miller, the first lieutenant, perished, and, by the nearest computation then, there must be about four hundred lost, as they had a great many passengers; who, I am afraid, have all perished, unless some of them may be picked up by two ships belonging to the fleet, who are missing.