The Virginia Gazette

March 20. The following is a particular account of the distress of the sloop Peggy, which was taken at Dartmouth from the Captain's own mouth.

"On the 9th of November, in lat. 39:10, and 32:15, he met with a very heavy gale of wind, which carried away all his sails, and tore his rigging to pieces. Being in this miserable situation, he then put the ship's company to an allowance; that on the 25th day of December all their stock of provisions was quite exhausted; they were then obliged to kill what living creatures they had on board, which were two pair of pigeons, a dog, and a cat, which served them for that day and the day following; they afterwards fed two days on barnacles, which they took off the sloop's bottom. From the 28th of December, until the 9th of January, they had nothing to subsist on; and being almost famished with hunger, it was resolved among the ship's crew to cast lots which of them should be killed. They accordingly drew lots, and it happened to fall on a Negro man whom they had on board, and he was immediately killed, and they fed on him for seven days; and from the 16th of January, until the 29th, they had nothing to live on, when they resolved a second time to cast lots for another man to be killed. The lot fell on a foremast man, whom they allowed twenty-four hours to prepare himself for death; but on the 30th day, in the morning (which was the day he was to be killed) they observed a sail at some distance; but having no canvas to spread, were unable to make towards her; but the ship observing their distress, stood for them, and hoisted out her boat and took them on board. She proved to be the Susanna of London, Captain Thomas Evers, from Virginia, who behaved to Captain Harrison and his distressed crew with great kindness and humanity.

It must be observed that Captain Harrison had not the least food for upwards of 30 days, as he would rather have chose to die than to have eaten part of the Negro. One of the ship's company died raving mad; occasioned, as they imagined, by eating the Negro's flesh raw. The other poor fellow, whose lot it was to have died (had not Providence sent Captain Evers in their way) has been out of his senses ever since his lot was drawn. The mate is dead since his arrival at Dartmouth, and another of them is now at the point of death.

Captain Harrison could not omit mentioning the great inhumanity of the Captain of a snow from N-, bound to Boston, which he fell in with on the 26th of December, who promised to supply them with some provisions; but instead of doing so immediately made sail again, without giving them the least morsel of any thing; and on that same day they were obliged to eat part of the cat and dog which they killed."