“On Wednesday evening the gale increased most violently, when at nine o’clock, the French brig L’Amitie, from Havre de Grace to the Isle of Bourbon, of 300 tons burthen, laden with various merchandise, came ashore on Portland Sands, having cut away all her masts. In consequence of firing guns of distress, and hoisting signal lights, the Portland men, at the most imminent danger of their lives, got on board, and the vessel’s head was brought towards the shore, and prevented from going to pieces. During this critical period, the captain and crew were preparing a raft for conveying themselves and passengers to the shore; but by timely and fortunate arrival of the Dutch Consul at this port (who also underwent extreme peril in getting aboard) he with much difficulty persuaded the whole to remain till next morning, when upwards of 20 ladies and children, with other passengers and crew, amounting to upwards of fifty souls, were let down by ropes into the boats, and safely landed (although the sea was running tremendously high), and conducted to the hotel in that island. The vessel and cargo, it is supposed, will be saved.”
Times: Wednesday, December 28, 1814, Issue 9403 – Weymouth 23 December, 1814 – Extreme Gales: This week we have experienced one of the most tremendous gales of wind at S.E. ever known at this port. A great number of deals and other wreck have been driven on shore at Portland, and being burnt in many parts, plainly indicate to have been part of a cargo in a vessel set fire to by the enemy; the latter with her bottom uppermost, was also described this morning in the road of Portland. Several pilot boats have put to sea with a view of towing it into port. On Wednesday evening the gale increased most violently, when at nine o’clock, the French brig L’Amitie from Havre de Grace to the Isle of Bourbon, of 300 tons burden, laden with various merchandise, came ashore on Portland sands, having cutaway all her masts. In consequence of firing guns of distress, and hoisting signal lights, the Portland men, at the most imminent danger of their lives, got onboard, and the vessel’s head was brought towards the shore, and prevented from going to pieces. During the critical period the captain and crew were preparing a raft for conveying themselves and the passengers to the shore, but by the timely and fortunate arrival of the Dutch Consul; at this port(who also underwent extreme peril in getting aboard) he with much difficulty persuaded the whole to remain till next morning, when upwards of 20 ladies and children, with other passengers and crew, amounting to upward of 50 souls, were let down by ropes into the boats, and safely landed (although the sea was running tremendously high) and continued to the hotel in that island. The vessel and cargo, it is supposed, will be saved. Upon the whole this storm had been the most serious of it kind in the memory of the oldest persons living and appears only to have been exceeded by the remarkable hurricane in 1703. The End. Ship Incident
Times, Wednesday, December 28, 1814, Issue 9403. 300 tons. From Havre de Grace to the Isle of Bourbon. Ended up on Portland Sands (Portland Beach?). Times Report. Dodsley’s Annual Register. Vol LVI, page 113.
Day of Loss: 23
Month of Loss: 12
Year of Loss: 1814
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