and manifeftly dangerous to his majefty's fubjects returning from this country to Great Britain. VII. Refolved, That it is therefore becoming, and highly expedient for his majefty's fubjects in thefe provinces to endeavour by all legal and conftitutional means to obtain a repeal of fuch claufes in the faid act of parliament, as impofe thofe and other hardships upon them. And that for the purpofe of obtaining fuch repeal, petitions, humbly laying our grievances before his majefty and the two houfes of parliament, are advifeable, neceffary, and proper. VIII. Refolved, That a committee of fifteen gentlemen, felected for the inhabitants of Calcutta, be appointed to prepare petitions to his majefty and the two houses of parliament, and to correfpond with the inland ftations fubordinate to this government, and with the other prefidencies in India and that it be recommended to them to take all fuch measures as they fhall judge neceffary for tranfmitting the faid petitions to Europe, and for promoting and obtaining an effectual redrefs to his majesty's subjects in India. And that the faid committee be empowered to fill up vacancies, as they may happen in the course of time. IX. Refolved, That as confiderable expence must be unavoidably incurred by our endeavours to obtain redrefs of our grievances, a fubfcription fhall be opened by the committee who fhall be elected by this affembly; and that as foon as the petition fhall be ready for fignature, a book fhall be produced for the faid fubfcription, to the end that every man may have the opportunity of promoting, by a vo 2 luntary facrifice of a fmall share of his property, that fecurity of the whofe, which is the grand object of our petitions, X. Refolved, That all fubfcriptions be received, whether in fpecie, or in paper, and that the amount fubfcribed fhall be paid by each fubfcriber to fuch perfon or perfons as the faid committee, when elected, fhall appoint to receive the fame. XI. Refolved, That this affembly do authorize the faid committee to difpofe of and expend the whole, or any part of the fums of money fo paid, in fuch manner as fhall appear to them best calculated for the general benefit of the caufe for which they were subscribed. XII. Refolved, That Mr. Charles Purling be a member of the committee, and that he be requested to propofe fourteen other gentlemen to the meeting for their approval. XIII. Refolved, That the following gentlemen are elected for the purpofes mentioned in the foregoing refolutions, viz. Colonel Patrick Duff, Philip Yonge, Efqrs. XIV. Refolved, That the affembly of the British inhabitants of Calcutta, having the most perfect confidence confidence and truft in the uprightnefs, integrity, and abilities, of the committee chofen for the conduct and management of their intereft, and for the protection and defence of their rights, as fubjects of Great Britain, do, in order to give vigour and efficacy to their acts, and to free them from future trouble, embarrassment, and obftruction, delegate to them full authority; and do express a plenary reliance on them for the exercise of it, and do pledge to them the concurrence and fupport of the faid assembly, in the fulleft manner poffible, to all meafures they fhall legally adopt, for obtaining a repeal of the oppreffive parts of the aforefaid act of parlia ment. XV. Refolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the grand jury, for having convened a legal and conftitutional meeting of the British subjects in this fettlement, for the purpose of petitioning his majefty, and the two houses of parliament, for redrefs of those heavy grievances impofed on them by the before-mentioned act of the legislature. XVI. Refolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to Philip Yonge, Efq. the high fheriff, for his patriotic conduct in calling the affembly at the request of the grand jury. XVII. Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to Charles Purling, Efq. for the great preci fion, candour, and regularity, with which he has conducted the bufiness of the day. XVIII. Refolved, That the above refolutions be printed and made public. An Abstract of the Narrative of the Lofs of the Halfewell Eaft-Indiaman, Capt. R. Pierce, which was unfortunately wrecked at Seacombe in the Ifle of Purbeck, on the Coast of Dorfetfhire, on the Morning of Friday the 6th of January, 1786. Compiled from the Communications, and under the Authorities, of Mr. Henry Meriton and Mr. John Rogers, the two chief Officers who happily escaped the dreadful catastrophe. THE HE Halfewell Eaft-Indiaman, of 758 tons burthen, commanded by Richard Pierce, efq. having been taken up by the directors of the Eaft-India Company, to make her third voyage to Coaft and Bay, on the 16th day of November, 1785, fell down to Gravefend, where the completed her lading; and taking the ladies and other paffengers on board at the Hope, the failed through the Downs on Sunday the 1st of January, 1786, and the next morning being a-breaft of Dunnofe, it fell calm. "The fhip, one of the fineft in the fervice, and fuppofed to be in the most perfect condition for her voyage; the commander of diftinguifhed ability, and exemplary character; his officers, men of unqueftioned knowledge in their profeffion, and of approved fidelity; the crew, the best feamen that could be collected, and as numerous as the establifhment admits; to whom were added a confiderable body of foldiers, deftined to recruit the forces of the Company in Afia. The refpectable paffengers were: Mifs Eliza Pierce, Miss Mary Anne Pierce, daughters of the commander; Miss Amy Paul, Mifs Mary Paul, daughters of Mr. Paul of Somerfetfhire, and relations to Capt. Pierce; Mifs Elizabeth Blackburne, daughter of Capt. Blackburne, of the fame fervice; Mifs Mary Haggard, fifter to an officer on the Madras eftablishment; and Miss Anne Manfell, a native of Madras, but of European parents, returning from receiving her education in England; John George Schutz, efq. returning to Afia, where he had long refided, to collect a part of his fortune which he had left there. "Monday the 2d of January, at three in the afternoon, a breeze fprung up from the fouth, when they ran in fhore to land the pilot, but very thick weather coming on in the evening, and the wind baffling, at nine in the evening they were obliged to anchor in eighteen fathom water, furled their top-fails, but could not furl their courfes, the fnow falling thick, and freezing as it fell, Tucfday 86 Tuesday the 3d, at four in the morning, a ftrong gale came on from east-north-eaft, and the fhip driving, they were obliged to cut their cables, and run off to fea. At noon, they spoke with a brig bound to Dublin, and having put their pi. lot on board her, bore down Channel immediately. At eight in the evening, the wind freshening and coming to the fouthward, they reefed fuch fails as were judged neceffary. At ten at night it blew a violent gale of wind at fouth, and they were obliged to carry a prefs of fail to keep the fhip off fhore, in doing which the hawfe-plugs, which according to a new improvement were put infide, were washed in, and the hawfe-bags washed away; in confequence of which they shipped a large quantity of water on the gun-deck. 66 "On founding the well, and finding the fhip had fprung a leak, and had five feet water in her hold, they clued the main top-fail up, hauled up the main-fail, and immediately endeavoured to furl both, but could not effect it.—All the pumps were fet to work on discovering the leak. Wednesday the 4th, at two in the morning, they endeavoured to wear the fhip, but without fuccefs; and judging it neceffary to cut away the mizen-maft, it was immediately done, and a fecond attempt made to wear the fhip, which fucceeded no better than the former; and the ship having now feven feet water in her hold, and gaining faft on the pumps, it was thought expedient, for the prefervation of the fhip, to cut away the main-maft, the fhip appearing to be in immediate dan ger of foundering; in the fall of the maft, Jonathan Moreton, cockfwain, and four men, either fell or were drawn by the wreck overboard VOL, XXVIII. and drowned, and by eight in the morning the wreck was cleared, and the fhip got before the wind, in which pofition fhe was kept about two hours, in which time the pumps cleared the fhip of two feet of water in the hold: At this time the fhip's head was brought to the eastward with the fore-fail only. "At ten in the morning the wind abated confiderably, and the ship labouring extremely, rolled the fore top-maft over on the larboard fide; in the fall the wreck went through the fore-fail, and tore it to pieces. At eleven in the forenoon, the wind came to the weftward, and the wea-、 ther clearing up, the Berry-head was diftinguishable bearing north and by eat, diftant four or five leagues; they now immediately bent another fore-fail, erected a jury main-maft, and fet a top-gallantfail for a main-fail, under which fail they bore up for Portfmouth, and employed the remainder of the day in getting up a jury mizen-maft. 66 Thurfday the 5th, at two in the morning, the wind came to the fouthward, blew fresh, and the weather was very thick; at noon Portland was feen bearing north and by eaft, diftant two or three leagues. At eight at night it blew a ftrong gale at fouth, and at this time the Portland lights were feen bearing north-weft, diftant four or five leagues, when they wore the fhip, and got her head to the westward, but finding they loft ground on that tack, they wore her again, and kept ftretching on to the eastward, in hopes to have weathered Peverelpoint, in which cafe they intended to have anchored in Studland-bay. At eleven at night it cleared, and they faw St. Alban's-head a mile and half to the leeward of them, up[P] on on which they took in fail immediately, and let go, the fmall bower anchor, which brought up the fhip at a whole cable, and fhe rode for about an hour, but then drove; they now let go the fheet-anchor, and wore away a whole cable, and the fhip rode for about two hours longer, when the drove again. Whilst they were in this fituation, the captain fent for Mr. Henry Meriton, the chief officer who furvives, and afked his opinion as to the probability of faving their lives; to which he replied with equal calmness and candour, that he apprehended there was very little hope, as they were then driving faft on the fhore, and might expect every moment to strike; the boats were then mentioned, but it was agreed that at that time they could be of no ufe, yet in cafe an opportunity fhould prefent itself of making them ferviceable, it was propofed that the officers fhould be confidentially requested to referve the long-boat for the ladies and themselves; and this precaution was immediately taken. "About two in the morning of Friday the 6th, the fhip ftill driving, and approaching very faft to the fhore, the fame officer again went into the cuddy, where the captain then was, and another converfation took place, Captain Pierce expreffing extreme anxiety for the prefervation of his beloved daughters, and earneftly afking the officer if he could devife any means of faving them; and on his anfwering with great concern that he feared it would be impoffible, but that their only chance would be to wait for the morning, the captain lifted up his hands in filent and diftressful ejaculation. "At this dreadful moment the fhip ftruck with fuch violence as to dafh the heads of those who were ftanding in the cuddy against the deck above them; and the fatal blow was accompanied by a fhriek of horrow, which burft at one inftant from every quarter of the ship. "The feamen, many of whom had been remarkably inattentive and remifs in their duty during great part of the ftorm, and had actually fkulked in their hammocks, and left the exertions of the pump, and the other labours attending their fituation, to the officers of the fhip, and the foldiers, (who had been uncommonly active and affiduous during the whole tremendous conflict) rouzed by the deftructive blow to a fense of their danger, now poured upon the deck, to which no endeavours of their officers could keep them whilft their affiftance might have been useful, and in frantic exclamations demanded of heaven and their fellow-fufferers, that fuccour, which their timely efforts might poffibly have fucceeded in procuring; but it was now too late, the fhip continued to beat on the rocks, and foon bulged, and fell with her broadfide towards the fhore: When the fhip ftruck, a number of the men climbed up the enfign-staff, under an apprehenfion of her going to pieces immediately. "Mr. Meriton, the officer whom we have already mentioned, at this crifis of horror, offered to these unhappy beings the beft advice which could poffibly be given to them; he recommended their coming all to that fide of the fhip which lay lowest. on the rocks, and fingly to take the opportunities which might then of fer of efcaping to the fhore. And having thus provided to the utmost of his power for the fafety of the defponding |