consisted of sugar, rum,
molasses, and turtle; she was heavily laden, and had been about six
weeks on her voyage. The preceding evening was fine, and the breeze
favorable, and the passengers retired to rest in fancied security,
with the pleasing hope of safely reaching their destination on the
following day. After midnight the wind increased; but though the
ship drove rapidly before it, no danger was perceived till about
day-break,--when, already in the surf, there was no longer a
possibility of escape. The crew immediately proceeded to set all
sail the storm would permit, in hopes of weathering the point; but
their gallant efforts could not long delay the fate of the doomed
vessel, she continued to drift towards the beach, on which she
struck a little before six o'clock, and within five minutes was
totally demolished. It would be a useless attempt to describe the
horrors of that short but fearful period: all that could be
gathered from the statements of the survivors was, that she twice
touched the ground lightly, forward, at which time all her people
were assembled on the deck; and presently one mountain wave hurled
her broadside on the beach with such stupendous force, that the
huge hull at once parted into a thousand fragments! The frightful
brevity of the whole catastrophe prevented any measures being taken
for the relief of the passengers and crew, although the ship was
scarcely twice her own length from the cliff; and all perished
except the mate and two seamen, who were rescued by the courageous
exertions of some countrymen who had hastened to the spot as soon
as dawn disclosed the inevitable danger of the vessel.--For some
hours afterwards a hideous spectacle was here presented,--the naked
and mangled bodies of the unfortunate sufferers, with the remains
of the vessel and cargo, were tossed about in dire confusion by the
raging waves, or dashed again and again on the stony beach; but
before the close of the day, most of the former had been drawn
ashore, and the broken fragments of the wreck were strewed on the
beach for several miles. Six of the passengers (an officer named
Shore, his wife, and daughters,) were buried in Newport churchyard,
where a monument has since been erected to their memory; and it is
a strange fact that the premises wh