Navigating the Lower Saint Lawrence in the 19th Century.
Quebec Gazette #3166 08/11/1821 Page 2, Col. 2C. | ||
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Extract from the log of the brig Harriet, Saturday, 22nd September, 1821. | ||
"At daylight observed the false cape bearing by compass north by west and Cape St. Antoine, northwest by north, distance about 12 miles. Saw two schooners off the Cape, distant from us about four miles. Continued on our course; observed the first schooner standing under all sail, and rowing with her sweeps down towards us, under Spanish colours. Light airs and nearly calm. At 7:30, the schooner fired a gun over us, and obliged us to heave to; the other schooner being then on the lee bow, she then laid us alongside, and about 30 men armed with cutlasses, pistols and stilettos, leaped on board, forced the crew under hatches, and took possession of the vessel. The other schooner bore down and boarded up on the starboard quarter, having also about 30 or 40 men on board, they proceeded to plunder the vessel, using the most violent threats to the captain, supercargo and passenger, and beating the former very severely in order to discover if there was any money on board. In the mean time, these who were searching discovered the money to the amount of six thousand dollars, and conveyed it on board their schooner; they still continued to plunder, at the same time running the vessel in shore. At 11 A.M. they brought her to close in, about two fathom water, rocky bottom, and obliged the crew to rig tackles for hoisting the rum out, and part of them employed stripping the brig of sails, cordage, &c. At this time they observed two sails in the offing, when they desisted from further plunder, and went on board of their vessels, after having been in possession of us for the space of five hours. On their leaving us, got the anchor up and made all sail off the land, bearing down for the two vessels to join company and put them upon their guard. |
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| G. R. Bossé©200-03 | Posted: Nov. 1, 1999. |
Updated: July 15, 2003. |
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