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Our fufferings were now as great as human ftrength could bear but we were convinced that good spirits were a better fupport than great bodily ftrength; for, on this day, Thomas Matthews, quarter-mafter, the ftouteft man in the boat, perished from hunger and cold. On the day before he had complained of want of ftrength in his throat, as he expreffed it, to fwallow his morfel, and in the night drank falt water, grew delirious, and died without a groan. As it became next to a certainty that we should all perish in the fame manner in a day or two, it was fomewhat comfortable to reflect, that dying of hunger was not fo dreadful as our imaginations had reprefented. Others had complained of the fymptoms in their throats: fome had drank their own urine; and all, but myself, had drank falt wa

ter.

As yet despair and gloom had been fuccefsfully prohibited; and as the evenings clofed in, the men had been encouraged by turns to fing a fong, or relate a story, instead of a fupper; but this evening I found it impoffible to raise either. As the night came on it fell calm, and about midnight a breeze of wind fpang up from the weftward, as we gueffed by the fwell; but there not being a ftar to be feen, we were afraid of running out of the way, and waited impatiently for the rifing fun to be our compass.

As foon as the dawn appeared, we found the wind to be exactly as we had wifhed, at W. S. W. and immediately spread our fail, running before the fea at the rate of four miles an hour. Our last breakfast had been served with the bread and water remaining; when John Gregory, quarter-mafter, declared, with much confidence, that he faw the land in S. E. We had feen fog-banks fo often, which had the appearance of land, that I did not truft myself to believe it, and cautioned the people, (who were extravagantly elated,) that they might not feel the effects of difappointment; 'till at length one of them broke out into a moft immoderate fwearing fit of joy, which I could not reftrain, and declared he had never feen land in his life, if what he now faw was not it.

We immediately fhaped our courfe for it, though on my part with very little faith. The wind freshened; the boat went through the water at the rate of five or fix miles an hour, and in two hours time the land was plainly feen by every man in the boat, but at a very great distance; fo that we did not reach it before ten at night. It must have been at least twenty leagues from us when firft difcovered; and I cannot help remarking, with much thankfulness, on the providential favour shewn to us in this inftance.

In every part of the horizon, except where the land was difcovered, there was fo thick a haze, that we could not have seen any thing for more than three or four leagues. Fayall, by our reckoning, bore E. by N. which courfe we were fteering; and in a few hours, had not the fky opened for our preservation,, we fhould have encreafed our distance from the land, got to the eastward, and of courfe miffed all the islands.

As we approached the land, our belief had ftrengthened that it was Fayall. The island of Pico, which might have revealed it to us, had the weather been perfectly clear, was at this time capped with clouds; and it was fome time before we were quite fatisfied, having traverfed for two hours a great part of the ifland, where the fteep and rocky fhore refufed us a landing. This circumftance was borne with the utmost impatience, for we had flattered ourselves that we should meet with fresh water at the first part of the land we might approach; and being difappointed, the thirst of some had encreased anxiety almost to a degree of madness; fo that we were near making the attempt to land in fome places where the boat must have been dashed to pieces by the furf.

At length we difcovered a fishing canoe, which conducted us into the road of Fayall about midnight, but where the regulation of the port did not permit us to land 'till examined by the health officers; however, I did not think much of fleeping this night in the boat, our pilot having brought us fome refreshments of bread, wine, and water.

In the morning we were vifited by Mr. Graham, the English conful, whofe humane attention made very ample amends for the formality of the Portuguefe. Indeed I can never sufficiently exprefs the fenfe I have of his kindness and humanity, both to myfelf and people; for I believe it was the whole of his employment, for feveral days, to contrive the best means of restoring us to health and ftrength. It is true, I believe there never were more pitiable objects. Some of the ftouteft men be longing to the Centaur were obliged to be fupported through the streets of Fayall. Mr. Rainy, the mafter, and myself, were, I think, in better health than the reft; but I could not walk without being fupported; and for feveral days, with the best and most comfortable provifions of diet and lodging, we grew rather worse than better.

J. N. INGLEFIELD.

FAYALL, October 2, 1782. Names of the Officers and Men who were faved in the Pinnace. Captain Inglefield; Mr. Thomas Rainy, mafter; Mr. Robert Bayles, midshipman; Mr. James Clark, furgeon's mate;

Timothy

Timothy Sullivan, captain's coxfwain ; John Gregory, quartermafter; Charles M'Carty, Charles Flinn, Gallobar, Theodore Hutchins, Thomas Stevenfon, feamen. Thomas Matthews, quarter-mafter, died in the boat the day before they faw the land.

Scott, 4th;

Names of the Officers left in the Ship, fuppofed to have perished.
John Jordan, 1ft lieutenant;
Trelevan, 2d; George
Lindfay, 3d; —
Breton, 5th; John
Bell, captain of the marines; Thomas Hunter, purfer;
Williamfon, furgeon; Thomas Wood, boatfwain; Charles
Penlarick, gunner; Allan Woodriff, carpenter; Meffrs. Dob-
fon, Warden, Hay, Everhart, Minfhaw, Sampfon, Lindsay,
Chalmers, Thomas, and Young, mates and midshipmen.

At a Meeting of the CONSTITUTIONAL SOCIETY, beld on Friday, September the 6th, 1782.

Refolved,

T'

HAT the following ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN, by a member of the fociety, be made public.

TO THE PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

IT is a melancholy truth, that though all men have a natural right to liberty, there are few, comparatively, who are permitted to enjoy it. In most countries, this invaluable inheritance has been furrendered fo long, that fcarce a veftige of it remains. We may, however, frequently trace flavery to its origin; and when we do, we always difcover that it was founded by injuftice, and fubmitted to through ignorance and pufillanimity.

Had they who firft inftituted civil focieties ufed the precaution to define precifely the form and bounds of them, the leaft alteration would have been vifible, and fo many difputes could not have arifen concerning the right to correct innovations. For want of fuch a flandard, imperceptible encroachments were made on men's focial privileges; and by eafy gradations they were, at length, reduced to the dire neceffity of wearing the heaviest chains of despotifm !

It is the peculiar happiness of Great Britain to have had, very early, a fixed conftitution; and to that it is principally owing, that all efforts to deftroy its liberties, from the conqueft to the revolution, have proved ineffectual.

Hiftory informs us, that as foon as our brave ancestors difcovered that a novelty was introduced which prejudiced their con

ftitutional

ftitutional rights, they never refted 'till they had got rid of it. On this principle they fhook off the burthenfome part of the feudal fyftem, though fupported by a power that once feemed infurmountable: nor could the moft refined policy reconcile them to the ufurpations of the church, when they perceived that its pretenfions were incompatible with the freedom of their civil government: in fhort, in all political contefts the conftitution was the compass that directed them; and though loyal by inclination, they even depofed, punished, and difinherited their fovereigns, when they would not be guided by that unerring rule.

We can never fufficiently applaud the wife and noble spirit of our ancestors; and I now recall your attention to it, that the example may animate you to regain the valuable privilege of electing your reprefentatives in parliament annually.

Although the British conftitution is highly excellent, it is fo ample in its conftruction, that a fhort defcription will be fufficient to fhew its perfections, and the relation of its various parts; and I hope your own reflection will cause you to infer how much you are interested to restore it to its former purity. I have feen, and deplored the wretched ftate of mankind, where liberty was wanted, and would willingly avert from my native Country fo heavy an affliction.

The fupreme legislative power in Great Britain is lodged in the three eftates of the realm. The king is the firft in dignity; and, provided there be no legal difqualification, the crown, on his demife, defcends to his next heir; but fubject in all circumftances to any limitations of parliament that the general welfare of the people, and the fecurity of the conftitution, may require. The fecond branch is the Houfe of Lords. The privileges of the peerage are hereditary, and the king may create a peer at his pleafure. The third is the Houfe of Commons, which is intended to reprefent the people, and not their property, with an exactness that may reasonably be fuppofed to exprefs their general fentiments.

The words prerogative, privilege, and reprefentation, are frequently used by thofe who either do not perfectly understand their juft import, or defignedly pervert it. But, when explained, it is evident they mean no more than powers vefted by the community in certain individuals, to enable them to promote, more effectually, the general welfare of the fociety.

The king is entrusted with feveral of thefe diftin&t privileges, which are called, in the fenfe I have defined, his prerogatives. They were granted to fupply the defects of the law; and can aever be exercifed, juftly, but with a real view to public good.

By

By this rule, all claims to prerogative must be judged; and every deviation from it, inftantly converts an act of prerogative into an ufurpation of power. To give an example: the king, by his prerogative, can pardon a criminal whom the law has condemned; but if he ufes this privilege to screen from justice a delinquent, with an intention that he may commit future depredations, the apparent legality of the act would not render it juft, nor deprive the people of their right to protection.

To diffolve the parliament, is another royal prerogative, and was granted as a protection both to the privileges vested in the crown, and to thofe retained by the people. Were the two houfes of parliament to require the royal affent to an act that would take away any of the people's referved rights, as was the cafe in the feptennial act, the king would abuse his power, if he gave it not his negative; and if they perfifted in preferring a bill of fo evil a tendency, he ought to exert his prerogative yet further; and by diffolving the parliament to afford his fubjects an opportunity of electing more worthy reprefentatives. But were he to diffolve it prematurely, to prevent a complaint, and reform of public grievances, he would obftruct juftice, and violate the end for which his prerogatives were inftituted.

We fee, then, that these antient customs, for the same reason ing will apply to every act of prerogative, were not vested in the crown for the intereft of an individual, but to enable it to give a more effectual protection to thofe whom it had undertaken to ferve as the firft executive magiftrate: and fuch prerogatives, when properly employed, add great dignity to the king, by affording him an opportunity of expreffing an affectionate attention to the welfare and happiness of his people.

The privileges of the peers may be accounted for on the fame principle of public utility. It is expedient that there fhould be a body of refpectable citizens to interpofe and mediate, when any difputes arife between the crown and the third eftate. Without this fanction, the king's moft legal prerogatives might want fome power to protect them. To give him an army for this purpofe, would make him abfolute and uncontroulable. It should then be a body ftrong, and yet independent both of the crown and the people; and fuch is, or ought to be, the House of Lords.-If their rank could be revoked, or their privileges taken away, they would be too dependent on the king; and might be converted, like mercenary folaiers into inftruments of oppreffion : if they had not the privilege of trial among themselves, they might ftand in awe of the commons, and be afraid to interpofe in defence of the juft rights of the crown.

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