More information : 'The BEE, Naishen, from London to the West Indies, is on shore near Poole; the cargo is expected to be saved.' (1)
February.
'1st. Yesterday morning a small cutter called the BEE, John Nation, master, bound from London for the West Indies, went on shore on the sands near Poole, Dorset, in a heavy gale of wind at East. There was a tremendous sea running, and a very heavy snow falling, which rendered it extremely difficult, as well as hazardous, to afford any assistance to the unfortunate crew. The boats from his majesty's [sic] gun-vessel the TICKLER, as well as several other boats, attempted it without success, and the poor fellows, after cutting away the masts and otherwise doing all in their power to relieve the vessel, were left, without hope, to the horrid expectation that every coming sea would overwhelm them, or to the still more dreadful one, that they must shortly perish by the inclemency of the weather. They remained in this shocking situation until the middle of the day, when Charles Sturt, esq., of Brownsea-castle, happily succeeded in rescuing them from the very jaws of death, and brought them to his hospitable mansion, where every refreshment and comfort was administered to them, which their exhausted state required. Mr Sturt, on this occasion, merits the warmest thanks of every friend of humanity; regardless of his personal safety, which was endangered in an imminent degree, to his active exertion and perseverance alone are these poor people indebted for their lives. The sea was tremendous beyond description, and the shoals on which the vessel lay extremely dangerous to approach. Mr Sturt's boat was several times filled by the seas, and himself and people once or twice absolutely thrown out of her into the breakers.' (4), on which (3) is primarily based.
(3) is substantially as (4), but describes the rescue attempt slightly differently, suggesting perhaps that it is derived from an alternative source: 'But always in these moments of great distress men appeared who would risk their lives in the cause of humanity, and one such man was Charles Sturt, Member of Parliament for Bridport, of Brownsea Castle and of Crichel House, Dorset, who was then 35 years old. About the middle of the day, Mr Sturt, with a makeshift crew, boarded his sea-going yacht, and although the shoal on which the BEE was stranded was very dangerous to approach with the seas then running, yet the gallant Mr Sturt and his crew managed to take off everyone on board the BEE and carry them to his hospitable mansion, where they received every attention that their state required.'
Source (2) expresses the date of loss as the LL. reporting date of 05-FEB-1799.
Master: Naishen (1); Naisher (2); John Nation (3)(4)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss
Additional sources cited in Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Eras:
Mariners' Chronicle, Vol.2, p75
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