The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Extrait of a Letter from a Merchant in Madeira, Oct. 25, to the Owner of the Ship Robert & Betty, Capt. Cottington, bound from Liverpool to the new Settlements near South Carolina.

Your ship arrived at this port the 11th inst. and took in here a fresh supply of wine, water, &c. On the 12th, about twelve at night, a storm arose, and drove her from her anchors on a ledge of rocks, on the east side of the harbour, about two, where she was totally destroyed. Your Supercargo, the Captain, the Surgeon, and 194 persons, perished on board her. As they proposed sailing the next day, Capt. Cottington did not moor the ship, but they let go a second anchor as soon as the storm came on. Dreadful was the scene! the air resounded with the shrieks of so many men and women's cries who could receive little assistance from the natives. We recovered 60 dead bodies, mangled amongst the rocks, which were sewed up decently in coarse linen, carried out of the harbour, and sunk in the open sea; no member of the Protestant church being allowed a burial place on this island.

Your Chief Mate, Mr. John Davis, was taken from a piece of the wreck, on Friday morning the 14th, very weak, much bruised and hurt, and has been very assiduous in saving what was possible from the wreck, and he deserves to be taken notice of, as a good Sea officer, and to be rewarded.

This vessel was the first fitted out from England since the ceding of Florida to the British Government, and had two hundred and six passengers, all Protestants, on board, and consisting chiefly of handicraftsmen and husbandmen, with their wives and families (exclusive of the ship's company) and designed to settle part of the Colonies.