The Sufferings and Escape of Capt. Chas. H. Brown From an Awful Imprisonment by Chilian ConvictsBrown, Charles H., captain of the bark Florida
History
The Sufferings and Escape of Capt. Chas. H. Brown From an Awful Imprisonment by Chilian Convicts
Brown, Charles H., captain of the bark Florida
Brown, Charles H., captain of the bark Florida; Florida (Ship); Punta Arenas (Chile) -- History
Despairing of obtaining justice, I returned to Valparaiso, and, on
the 27th of March, advertised for money on bottomry, to repair the
Florida and enable her to proceed to sea. I was forced to do this, as
I had literally nothing wherewith to pay the wages of my crew, much
less repair the vessel. The advertisement for bottomry remained in
the Daily Mercuria, of Valparaiso, until April 3d, when, no proposals
having been received, I was forced to put the barque up for sale, and
advertised her on the 7th. The next day, the 8th, Mr. Duer addressed
another letter to the Minister, Don Antonio Varas, in which he proposed
a compromise. This was done to avoid the necessity for the sale of
the vessel, and in hopes that an appeal to the sense of honor of the
government might have its effect. Mr. Duer, at first protesting that
in making this offer he by no means admitted, either for himself or
for me, that my claims were not in all respects just and sound, went
on to say that the price paid for the use of the vessel, in taking
the prisoners to Magellan, was much less than it would have been had
not the Florida been bound to the United States, via Rio Janeiro, and
therefore could stop on her way at Magellan with comparatively little
loss or expense. Nevertheless, he offered to accept for the use of
the vessel, from the time of her arrival at Magellan till she reached
Valparaiso again, a sum per day equal to that which she received
according to the contract made from Valparaiso to Magellan, with the
addition of ten per cent. The claim for salvage on the specie was not
waived, nor the compensation for my personal services. The personal
losses of Mr. Buela, the mate, and crew, were ascertained by Mr. Duer,
and stated at what he considered a low and reasonable amount.
I was induced to make the offer of this compromise, from my desire to
do the best in my power for my owners, and from my sense of the great
sacrifice to them which the forced sale of the vessel would cause;
and also from my utter inability to meet any more delay, or incur any
further expense, destitute as I was of even the necessaries of life,
and dependent as my crew were upon me.
This letter was dated April 8th; but no answer was received until
the 24th. In the meantime, proposals for the purchase of the vessel
were made by Messrs. F. A. Richardson & Co., offering the sum of
two thousand eight hundred dollars for the barque. The vessel being
advertised for sale on account of whom it might concern, and this being
the highest offer received, of course it was accepted.
On the 24th, Mr. Duer received a letter from Don Antonio Varas,
denying the right to any claim for services rendered or losses suffered
in consequence of the acts of the revolted colonists, and proposing
that in order to determine the time during which the Florida should
be considered as employed in the services of the government, an agent
should be employed to go between me and the government.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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