un-boat's gig, manned by
Lascars, whilst pulling along the reef, was pursued by five canoes.
The brig-of-war's cutter went to her assistance, when the canoes
pulled back to the reef and made off. The 50th detachment strengthened
their camp-guard and posted extra sentinels.
_Friday, 3rd._--The transport Agnes Lee arrived from Moulmein. The
invalid soldiers, women, and children, and heavy baggage were embarked
in the course of the day. At night the natives came round the camp in
great numbers; there were fires in every direction. A picquet was sent
out to drive them back; the picquet fired at a party moving in rear of
the tents, who fled, and extinguished their fires in a most
extraordinary manner, the whole, except a few scattered embers,
disappearing almost as if by magic. The brig of war despatched two
boats to pull along shore in front of the camp, and afterwards fired
two shots and a shell amongst a large body of natives gathered round a
fire a short distance to the left of the Briton. They took themselves
off and did not appear again that night.
_Saturday, 4th._--The remainder of the detachment of the 50th
embarked in the Agnes Lee. At night the natives again assembling in
and around the camp, the marines of the Pilot were landed to protect
the wrecks. Several shots were fired during the night.
_Sunday, 5th._--The last detachment of the wrecked troops, after a
sojourn of 55 days, sailed this day for Calcutta in the Agnes Lee, and
bid adieu to this inhospitable island, in words very different from
those of the poet, who sang
"Isle of beauty, fare thee well."
The voyage was most prosperous, the several ships having arrived at
their destination within a few days of each other. The only place of
note they passed on the voyage being Barren Island; they had a full
view of its volcano, which is a cone thrown up from a valley. It was
then in partial action, and was ejecting volumes of smoke as they
passed it.
_Monday, 13th._--Latitude, by observation, 20 deg. 59" north. A comet has
been seen for the last ten or twelve nights, in the south-west, about
equal to a star of the second magnitude, with a tail of about 8 or 10
degrees.
The detachments of the 10th and 50th regiments, on arriving at
Calcutta, proceeded on to Chinsmah by steam, and the detachment of the
80th landed at Calcutta, and took up their quarters in Fort William.
CONCLUSION.
Thus terminated one of the most remarkable shipwrecks
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