10. The Exact Representation of the Stern Part of the Ship as it was left on the Shore.
11. Three Portuguese Guarding it.
12. The body of the Doctor who was Drown'd attempting to save himself by Swimming.
13. A Small Sloop Sailing to Shore (persued by a French Privateer), Sav'd by ye fireing from Crowlink Battery.
14. The Boats as they Appear'd with the Men taking up the Quick-silver.
Barrodell Lambert (Pinxt et sculp.)
Published according to Act of Parliament, June the 28th, 1748. This wreck is referred to in the "Collier Letters," of which the following is an extract of an official report of the wreck made to Mr. John Collier, the Surveyor-General of the Riding Officers of the Customs, at Hastings, by his brother-in-law, Mr. James Cranston, and son of the Rev. James Cranston, the Rector of All Saints' and St. Clement's, Hastings : "5th December, 1747. The Nympha,. a Spanish Corsair, wrecked at East Dean, makes a sad noise in town ; all the Councill at the Bar retained one way or t'other. The Insurances from Portsmouth to the Downs amounts to upwards of £120,000 £30,000 of it ye Royal Exchange, £20,000 ye London Assurance ; the rest an infinite number of underwriters, and what is very extraordinary, many of ye proprietors have insur'd her to their Companies, as Belchair and Ironside (two owners), £8,000 to other Owners, so as not to lose their own share, but have £8,000 to pay to others, and none done at more than 4 per cent. The major part of the people will have it that she was run ashore on purpose."
It will be noted that large gangs of smugglers and wreckers were engaged in a desperate encounter with the Customs Officers, whilst plundering the valuable cargo, and many met their deaths by drinking to excess of the spirituous liquors taken from the ship.
The Wreck of the Amsterdam A Dutch Prize.
This remarkable occurrence took place at Bulverhythe, a few months after that of the Nympha Americana, and is mentioned in the Local Guide Books.
I am enabled, through the courtesy of the Editor of the ' 'Collier Letters," to give the official account of this wreck, in the following correspondence to Mr. John Collier, Surveyor-General to the Customs.
From Mr. Patrick to Mr. Collier, at Bath. Hastings, 17th January, 1748. "Thear is a large Dutch Ship a Shore a bout half a Mille to the East of Bullverhithe, which I hope it will not be trouble some to give you a Short Account off, her names the Amsterdam, of Amsterdam, bound to Batavia in the East Indies, burden about 600 or 700 Tons, 333 men, 54 Guns, Capt. Williams, Klump, Commander, haveing on board 28 Chest of Silver, of which 27 are lodg'd -
