in the Custom House, but what value in each Chest is unknown, but sume of them is as much as two men can carry, and this After noon one barrel is brought to the Custom House full of silver and I think as heavy as any of the Chests ; the one Chest as was missing is since found, but Emty, the rest of her Cargo in particular cannot learn, but in general they Answer, all sorts of goods. They have been at Sea 2 Months, in which time have lost 50 men by Sickness, and several more have died since the Ship has been a Shore. She came in Sunday 3 a Clock in the Affter noon, while the people was at Church with fireing a great many guns."
From Mr. Worge to Mr. Collier, at Bath. 17th January, 1748.
"Sunday last n the afternoon, a Dutch East Indiaman was drove a Shore at Bulverhith, and yesterday I rode down to see her, and from one of her Officers, who spoke a little English, I had this acct, that she was called the Amsterdam, of that place, and bound for Batavia ; abt 700 Tons and 52 Guns, and had, when she came out abt two months agoe, Three hundred men, abt halfe of wch had been lost by Sickness and washed over Board, and loaded with money, Bale Goods and Stores of all kinds. She was a new Ship, and had been all this time beating abt and never got beyond Beachy in her way. She Struck in Pvensey Bay, and Lost her Rudder, and has lain oif Bexhill at Anchor Severall day's. Some of the Hasting people got to her and undertook to Carry her to Portsmouth when the wheather would permit, but she could hold out no longer than Sunday."
"She stands in a good place, and in appearance quite whole, and may do so for some months, But no possibility of getting her off. I Believe they will Save everything that is worth saveing, to the great Disappointmt of the wreckers who come from all parts of the Country for plunder, there was yesterday, when I was there, more than a thousand of these wretches with long poles and hooks at the Ends. But all the Soldiers on the Coast are there, and Behave well at present they keep the Country people off, and their Officers keep the Soldiers to rights. They have carried to the Custom House at Hasting 27 Chests of money, and the other pt of her Ladeing will be carried to Hasting as fast as it can be got out. One Chest was Emptied of its money by somebody, and, as it's said, was so before it came out of the Ship. But it's gone, and by whome is not known. I could get no certain acct of the quantity of money, some said threescore thousand pounds, others made it a great deal more, and others much less. The value of the Ship and Cargoe is uncertain, but two hundred thousand pounds was the genl Estimate.
There was three Women on Board, which are now at Hasting. When I was down there were then abt forty Sick Men in the Ship, which they afterwards got out and sent to Hasting. I saw Sr Chs Eversheld. there who told me he was down when she came on Shore, and that all the Crew were drunk, and so were all of them I saw yesterday, -
