May 2017 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 27. HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Hancock Gazette - 1827


Almost the fi rst question Judge Parvor asked me, was, “Who is President of the United States, now?” And when I informed him Mr. Adams was, he called for a pen, and wrote the President’s name on a memorandum which he carries with him, remarking, “A happy country the United States – governed without a King.” The missionaries have wrought won-


ders among these people; but their work is yet far from being complete; and I fear, about this time, their labors will be interrupted by civil war. The Queen, in whom the regency of the island is vested, during the minority of young Pomar, the heir apparent to the throne, has recently married, contrary to the wishes of many of her subjects, particularly those who inhabit the South side of the island – and they are the stronger party, and insist upon the Queens abdication, or a dissolution of the marriage. But as her Majesty does not think proper to comply with either of these demands, in which refusal she will be subhorted by this district, and most of the enlightened men, a recourse to arms will be the probable result – and, if ever resorted to, it is not easy to say what will be the conse- quence. A general Council of all the Chiefs and Missionaries is to be held at the great Council House, near this, in a few days, to discuss the merits of the Royal matrimony, at which the question of peace or war will be determined. The Missionaries have packed up their movable eff ects, and some have embarked their most valuable things, ready to decamp upon the fi rst commencement of hostilities. Our arrival at Tahiti at this crisis, is


considered, by the Missionaries and the Queen’s party, as very opportune, and they have requested us to visit and attend the contemplated Council. The Queen paid us a visit, some days past, and was saluted with thirteen guns, which greatly pleased her Tahitian majesty and suite, composed of the civil and military Chiefs, and a numerous retinue of the various orders of society, &c. Matavia Bay is not a safe harbor at all times, we therefore moved to this, which is one of the best and most secure we have ever seen. It is about eight miles West of Point Ve- nus, [Matavia] and is much resorted to by our whalemen, during the months of September and October, when they are obliged to leave the coast of Japan on account of the season. Our stay here is rather uncertain, as Captain Jones wishes to see the result of the contem- plated Council, and to visit some other ports in this and the neighboring islands.”


The Greek Supply Ship. – The ship CHANCELLOR, Captain Barker, sailed from New York recently for the Napeli di Romania, with a cargo of provisions, &c. for the Greeks. The value of the cargo is said to be $18,000. It consists principally of cornmeal, fl our, rice, and the like articles. Mr. Miller of Vermont who was three years in Greece, and eighteen months in active service, goes out in the vessel. He will have the charge of the supplies, and pay attention to their distribution.


Kennebec Journal New York March 27. – We regret being


under the necessity of announcing the return into port in distress, of the ship CHAN- CELLOR, Captain Baker, which sailed on the 11th


inst. for Napoli di Romania, with a


cargo of provisions, &c. for the relief of the suff ering Greeks. We learn from Captain Baker that on the 14th


, in Lat. 38 30, Long.


76, he experienced a severe hurricane from the northeast, which shifted to the northwest, and did considerable damage to the ship. Her decks were completely swept of everything; the bulwarks, stanchions and rails broken


and stove; the longboat, stern boat, all the spare spars, water casks, royal masts stud- ding sails, camboose, house, and part of the camboose, were carried away, and the ship very leaky in her upper works. Two of the seamen were considerably injured. On the 18th


, experienced another gale from SE to


SSE and lay to until it abated. The crew have suff ered very much. The CHANCELLOR will, we understand, be repaired and refi tted immediately and proceed on her voyage. – N. Y. Gazette


* * * * * The British schooner MORNING


STAR, which arrived here on Saturday evening from St. John, NB was ordered to depart within 24 hours. We understand an American vessel, which arrived from the same port, having an article of British West Indians produce on board, is not allowed to enter. – Mer. Adv.


FOREIGN Captain Lyon, the accomplished navi-


gator, seems to be a man marked out for mis- fortune. After having spent some time in the British service in Africa, he was appointed to command part of an expedition to the North Pole, where he endured incredible hardship. On his return he accepted a situation in a Mexican mining company, and proceeded down the channel with his newly married bride, he was wrecked on the coast of Corn- wall, and lost all his property. Reluctantly obliged to leave his wife in England, whose constitution appeared to suff er from a sea voyage, he proceeded to America; returning in the ship PANTHEA, he was wrecked at Holyhead, and again lost everything belong- ing to him. And as a last blow, on reaching the land, he was informed of the death of his wife.


It is said to be the intention of the


British Admiralty, to build six steamships of the largest size, capable of carrying 100 carronade guns of increased caliber, and to be propelled by two engines of two hundred horsepower each.


A man named John Smith, a ship car-


penter, has been committed to jail in Port- land, to await his trial for a brutal outrage upon a female child in Scarborough.


The brig TONTINE, Harris, sailed from


Philadelphia on Friday for Candia, with 2300 barrels of provisions for the relief of the suff ering Greeks.


Advertisements: For Gibraltar and Marseilles


The schooner SAXON, Martin master, will sail for the above ports the 20th


inst.


For passage, having good accommodations, apply to the subscriber at Castine. S. H. Martin Castine, April 3, 1827


Schooner WASHINGTON at Auction Will be sold on Saturday the 28th


of


April next at 2:00 PM (unless previously disposed of) at Stanley’s wharf. One half of the staunch schooner


WASHINGTON 35 tons to the highest bidder. She is built particular for the fi shing business well found in every respect and ready for sea. She may be examined previ- ous to the sale. The sale will be positive to close a


concern; and all lawful demands against her for the past fi shing season will be thankfully received in pay. J. W. Appleton, auctioneer Belfast, March 28, 1827


11 April New York, March 31. – The ship LA-


FAYETTE, which arrived here on Saturday last, was boarded on the 16th


inst. off Key


West, by a boat from a brig of war, one of the Spanish squadron. The boarding offi cer was an acquaintance of a Spanish gentle- man, passenger in the LAFAYETTE, and informed him that Commodore Laborde had sent a formal challenge to Commodore Porter, to meet him in a fair engagement, promising that his force should be grad- uated precisely to suit the means of the Commander of the Mexican squadron. To this challenge, according to the statement of the boarding offi cer, Commodore Porter replied that in the course of a week or two, he should be prepared to meet the Spanish Commander with all the force he could bring to an engagement. – Mer. Adv.


letter from Capt. Dominick, dated Samos, 2nd


New York, March 30. – Extract of a December giving some particulars of


an attack, by the Greek Pirates, on the brig FALCON: – “I had the pleasure to address you last


from Milo, where we made a harbor, in a gale, and took a pilot to this port. When with- in a few hours of Vathi, (island of Samos) we encountered for Greek misticks, armed, and with 35 to 40 men each: they approached us with much caution – when about two miles off , it fell a dead calm: we prepared for ac- tion, when the boats put out their sweeps, and rowed up directly under our stern, placing themselves partially on each quarter. The brig lay completely unmanageable, and all we could possibly bring to bear were a few muskets. All resistance considered helpless, and the arms were put below. The Greeks rushed on deck, to the num-


ber of 75 to 80, from the two fi rst boats, and the others, who it appears were commanded by the fi rst, were ordered to remain astern. Their fi rst movement was to drive our crew down forward, with the exception of the of- fi cers, and next to give their own men food, as they said they had eaten little for nearly three days; this lasted for 25 minutes, after which they went below, and commenced a strict search for money. I had previously deposited, in a secret place, $ ----, in another ---- doubloons, and a small bag was kept out to meet any immediate use. They pinioned the boy in the cabin, and consulted whether it would not be advisable to kill him, to strike terror in the others – some proposed to cut his ears off only. They finally concluded to lay him


down, and see what eff ect a good fl ogging might have – this brought out to little bags, containing $ ----. “They were sure there must be more, and if not found would tear the brig to pieces.” To be brief, a general search and plunder commenced, but not until they had given the mates a fl ogging on the gun – the fi rst mate most severely, with their scimitars and a two inch rope, yet to their credit be a told, not one of them intimated where the major part of the specie was. Some dou- bloons were secretive among the pipes of an old hand organ, standing in my state room. Twenty of these hell deserving mis-


creants examined the instrument, without suspecting, until their Chief came to take a farewell search; he discovered them, and in a twinkling they were heard to jingle in the pockets of his Greek breeches. He then called his ruffi ans off , and they left us, after holding complete and entire possession of us for 5¼ hours. They did not leave us a blanket or a second jacket. The crew were left with what they stood in. The cabin was completely gutted. They took nearly all the stores, canvas, cordage, charts, arms, pow- der, &c. Our pilot, though a Greek, fared little better. They told him, very calmly, that had we resisted when our situation was so


helpless, and injured one of them, they had determined to butcher every one of us, and from their manner we could not doubt his sincerity. They advised us not to enter the archipelago again, without convoy, as some of their profession might not be so lenient with us. They expressed their determination to massacre every Austrian they fell in with. After they had severely beaten the fi rst mate, they very considerately informed him that pounded onions was an excellent remedy for the bruises on his back, their kindness will remain fresh in his memory for ever.


The wreck of the schooner LEANDER,


Lovett, of Portsmouth, has been stated to have been fallen in with at sea, and the sur- viving part of her crew taken off . A schooner of the above named, Leavitt, cleared at Port- land, about the last of January; probably the vessel alluded to. – Boston Palladium


A daily mail by steamboat lines between


New York and Boston is contemplated, a regular communication between the two cities may then be had in about thirty hours.


Commodore Bainbridge and Captains


Warrington and Morris, accompanied by Samuel Humphreys, naval architect, have arrived in Philadelphia, on their way east- ward.


Two British vessels from the West


Indies, have been denied entrance at New York, agreeably to the president’s late proc- lamation.


A new and useful invention has lately


been patented by Captain Thomas Brownell, of New York, for pumping ships at sea by the power of wind. The machinery is beautiful, simple, and manageable, and has been proved capable of relieving a leaky vessel of almost any quantity of water she can be supposed to make, without fatiguing the crew, and adequate to save both vessel and lives in the most eminent danger. The model has been submitted to the inspection of the Commissioners of the Navy, and is recommended in the strongest manner to the Merchants’ service.


Boston, April 4. – The captain of the


sloop BEDFORD, states that he saw a large fi re at Falmouth on Monday evening be- tween seven and eight o’clock, and supposes that a great part of the village was destroyed.


The ship CHANCELLOR, Capt. Baker,


with provisions for the Greeks, sailed again from New York on Tuesday week last


18 April Smyrna papers, received in Boston


by the brig GANGES mentioned Canaris has been appointed captain of the frigate HELAS, under Admiral Miaulis. The British commodore Hamilton has


taken at Hydra, after the use of force, the Greek brig LEONIDAS, charged with com- mitting some piracies. Several Greeks were killed and wounded.


Journal of Paul Jones. A copy of this


valuable and interesting manuscript, in the best of binding and writing, is now in Ports- mouth, NH. It was copied from the original by Paul Jones himself, and presented to Louis XVI on the 1st


of January 1786, as


will be seen by referring to Jones’ life, page 353. It is shortly to be published, together with some correspondence relating to our revolutionary war.


Continued in Next Issue.


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