THE CREWLESS VESSEL.

63

In 1770. On Wednesday, died at Portsmouth, on the island, Mrs. Mary Thomas, and Mrs. Abigail Burrington, widows, both in the 81st year of their age: they were both born in one year, died in one day, and were both buried the same day.

"Some persons from Connecticut, came to town a few days since, with a large sum of money, in order to purchase goods; but failing of a supply here, they proceeded immediately to Newport." From the Providence Paper, 1770.

THE CREWLESS VESSEL.

1750. This year a remarkable circumstance occurred at Newport. A vessel was discovered one morning, apparently coming from the eastward, close in to Easton's Beach, with all sails standing; she seemed suddenly to alter her course, avoiding the rocks, and directly came on shore, at the north-west corner of the beach. No one having been seen on board, she was boarded by some fishermen, who were spectators of the scene, and to their great surprise and astonishment, no person was found on board, but they found the table set for breakfast, the kettle boiling, a dog and cat in the cabin, and every thing undisturbed, except the long-boat, which was missing, as if the crew had that moment left her.

The vessel proved to be a brig, belonging to Mr. Isaac Steele, a merchant of Newport, which had been hourly expected from the Bay of Honduras. She had been spoken a day or two before, by a vessel which had arrived in port. The brig was commanded by Capt. Huxham. No tidings were ever heard of him or his crew, and what became of them will probably remain forever a mystery.

"It is a fearful mystery,

That lies unfathom'dayet;

There never came a word or sign,
From those we still regret.

I dare not muse upon their fate,

Its horror, its despair;

But all among the gazers knew,
No mortal hand was there !"

The vessel was afterwards got off, and William Lee, the grandfather of Robert P. Lee, Esq., cashier of the Rhode Island Union Bank, assisted in getting her off. She was brought round to Godfrey Melbone's wharf, and sold to Henry Collins, then an eminent merchant of Newport, who changed her name to the Beach Bird, by which name she made many voyages. This vessel is said to have been in existence, as late as when the British forces took possession of this island; they found her dismantled at one of the wharves, cut her down, and converted her into an armed galley. The most probable conjecture which can be formed of this singular event is, that the crew, becoming terrified on hearing the sound of the breakers, and considering their danger to be imminent, had recourse to the long-boat, and thus perished.

EXECUTION OF PIRATES.

Two pirate sloops, the Ranger, and the Fortune, which had committed various piracies on the high seas, being in company, on the 8th of May, 1723, captured the ship Amsterdam Merchant, John Welland, master; the day after which capture they plundered and sunk the ship. On the 6th day of June, in lat. 39°, they took a Virginia sloop, rifled her, and let her go, who the next day fell in with His Majesty's ship, the Greyhound, Capt. Solgard, of 20 guns, to whom they related the circumstances of their late capture and release. Capt. Solgard imme diately pursued, and on the 10th, came up with the pirate sloops, about 14 leagues south of the east end of Long Island, who, mistaking him for a merchant ship, immediately gave chase, and soon commenced firing on the Greyhound, under a black flag, but then hauled down the black flag and hoisted a red one. The Greyhound succeeded in capturing one of the sloops, after having seven men wounded, but the other pirate escaped. The Greyhound came with the prize into the harbor of Newport, and the pirates, thirty-six in number, were com mitted for trial; twenty-six were sentenced to be hanged, which execution took place on Gravelly Point, opposite the town, on the 19th July, 1723. After execution, their bodies