THE BRITISH SOVEREIGN. - We have been favoured by Captain Nixon, of the Clarkstone, with the following particulars gathered by him respecting the loss of the above vessel at Sandwich Island, about eleven months since. One of the crew, named John Jones, and a boy, about six years of age, named Robert Pond, whom Captain Jones took with him from Twofold Bay, being now on board the Clarkstone:- "At daylight on Wednesday, the 16th June, 1847, made the south-east end of Sandwich Island, and during the day steered to the westward, along the south side of it, bound to the harbour situated round the south-west point, for the purpose of procuring wood and water.
At sunset the south-west point bore west half north, three leagues distant. Two canoes then came off from the shore, in which were three natives of the Navigator's Islands, who had been landed on the island by the Missionary barque John Williams, as teachers of the Gospel, and an [sic] European named John Jones, who reported himself as one of the crew of the barque British Sovereign, which vessel was wrecked on the south side of Sandwich on the morning of Thursday, the 22nd April, the captain and crew having been all massacred by the natives, with the exception of himself and a little boy, who was still on shore, and at that time very ill.
Stood off and on during the night, and the next morning sen two boats on shore, well armed, to rescue the boy, if possible; the two missionary natives, who remained on board for the purpose, proceeded with them. After some trouble they succeeding [sic] in getting him peaceably from the natives, by giving them a few yards of print and calico. When brought on board it was found he was seriously ill of the intermittent fever. They also rescued a native of Tanna, one of the crew of the British sovereign, who had made his escape at the time of the massacre, and had concealed himself in the bush from that time, when seeing the boats he flew to them for safety; the poor fellow was nearly reduced to a skeleton.
By what could be learned from the very contradictory statement given by Jones, it appeared that the British Sovereign was bound to the harbour of Sandwich, from Erromanga, where she had left her long-boat, in charge of the chief officer, with orders to follow. When about 4 A.M. on the 22nd April, breakers were seen close to, the ship at the time going free with a strong breeze, under double reefed top-sails only. She was instantly hauled to the wind on the starboard tack, and more sail made, but as she could not clear the dangers on that tack, and would not stay, the anchers were let go, (as there was no room to veer) but they did not hold.
Finding the loss of the ship was inevitable, before she struck two boats were lowered (one a seven oared boat, with her whaling gear in), with three men in each - the second officer (Mr. Lloyd) and the man Jones, being in one of them. They remained outside the breakers until daylight, when they saw the ship a total wreck.
The men then all got into the seven-oared boat, let the other go adrift, and pulled in shore. They had to go some distance before they could find a spot smooth enough to land. When they did so, Jones and another man, Davy, were left to take care of the boat, while Mr. Lloyd and the others walked to the wreck to ascertain the fate of the Captain and the remainder of the crew. After they were gone, Jones and Davy absconded with the boat, without, it would appear, knowing or caring for the fate of their unfortunate shipmates, leaving them without any means of escaping from the tomahaws [sic] and clubs of the cannibal natives.
These deserters, after sailing to the westward along the coast for a short distance, entered a smooth bay, intending to trade some of the boat's gear for a hog or what whey could get, when the natives got possession of the boat and hauled her up on shore. During the night the man Davy was killed, and Jones no doubt would have shared the same fate had not one of the native missionaries concealed him.
Captain Jones and the rest of the crew succeeded in getting safe on shore at the time of the wreck, with the exception of the cooper, who lost his life in attempting to lower a boat after the vessel struck. It is supposed they must have remained by the wreck sometime after they found the boat gone, perhaps having some slight hopes that she would return, but finding such not to be the case, at last started to walk to the harbour, having nothing to protect themselves, and only a small bag of wet biscuit.
They saved two or three muskets and a little gunpowder, but the latter unfortunately got wet in getting it on shore, so the former were of no use. It was on the afternoon of Sunday, the 25th April, when the massacre occured, at the same place and by the same natives that had taken the boat. Captain Jones was the first who fell, he had the boy Pond by the hand. At the time he was struck down, an old native caught up the latter, and conveyed him from the scene.
Two or three natives of Tanna made their escape at the time, but were subsequently caught and killed. A native of Were also made his escape, and got on board the Isabella Anna."
Captain Nixon states he cannot vouch for every part of the above statement, but believes that the principal facts will be found substantially correct. If so, certainly the conduct of Jones and Davy, in absconding with the boat is exceedingly reprehensible for while the crew had the boat their lives were comparitively safe, as we are informed she could have carried them all to the harbour (a distance of not more than six leagues), which was frequented by the sandal-wood traders, and the friendly natives, besides, perhaps, meeting their own longboat, which had been ordered there when leaving Erromanga, but of which, we are sorry to say, nothing has since been heard.
The fact of the natives having got possession of such a valuable thing to them as a boat, doubtless hastened the fate of Captain Jones and his unfortunate companions, for it is reasonable to suppose, that seeing the shipwrecked crew approach they thought they were going to take her away, and finding them unarmed, to prevent being deprived of the boat, as well as satisfy their bloodthirsty propensities, they rushed on the defenceless and doomed men and commenced their murderous attack.
Copyright © 2003 Peter Larson