THe Ann, one of his Majesties Third-Rate Fri­gats carrying Sixty Guns, having been out at Sea a Crusing, not unsuccesfully off the Coast of Holland, came the last Month into the Dock at Sherness to Wash and Tallow, and provide other necessaries, having endured much bad weather, and some damage, being design'd after that Recruit to have kept out all this Winter: For this purpose her Guns and (as it is generally reported by the Ships Crew) all her Powder was taken out of her, and secured on shore, Being [Page 4] there in short time Refitted, she was brought forth again, and when the dreadful Disaster we are going to relate befel her: viz On the Second Day of December, was Riding at Anchor neer Quinborough Swail, expecting that very After­noon, to have her Stores again brought Aboard. During this time many of the Seamen that had belong'd to her a considerable time, were allowed to go on shore, but the Prest-men and other new comers were kept on Board; where that morning about Nine a Clock they were Muster'd, and after Dinner all hands apply themselves with Diligence to get their Ship Rigged, looking every hour for their Stores coming in, for which the Gunner was gone, and the Cap­tain and most of the Officers gone a shore, except Mr. Agres the Purser, whose Wife was now unhapily come on board, with an intent only to visit, but as it proved in the fatal Event, to dye with her Husband upon which little-thought of Errand several other women were also led thither by their own ill Destinies, amongst whom some had brought their Children too, as if Fate had thought a Sacrifice of the strength of Men, and beauty of Women not enough, without adding the Inocence of Babes to compleat the Tra­gedy.

Stop here good Reader! and think it no Digression to consider a little seriously what a bubble is Humane-Life! How silent are the approaches of Death? how unforeseen the Trap-doors of the Grave? Man that in pride of Health will needs now and then bluster as if he could pluck down Stars, or throw the world off from its poles, what is he still but a little brittle Clay? kneaded at first with Tears, and then hardned by the Sun-shine of Prosperity, into a lump of vanity, which yet a Feavers Fire can scorch into dust, a shower of Rhume wash away into durt, or a blast, in a moment scatter into irrecoverable Atoms.

Here might you have seen almost two hundred Souls, thinking of nothing less than their impending Fate, and in­deed [Page 5] in the eye of Humane Reason they were safe, being in Health, on board a good Ship, no Enemy neer, no Tempest, no Powder neither as they poor souls imagined, to hurt them: But alas! here they mistake, and Death in a pri­vate corner lays his Ambuscade; for about two a clock that Afternoon, as the Joyners (several being come from Sher­ness) were busie at their work neer the powder room, and all the rest aboard imployed, some managing and preparing the Tackle, other walking on the Decks, some merry with their Friends, and others securely snoaring out their last breath in their Hammocks, behold! in an instant, sudden as a flash of Lightning, or the springing of a Thought, comes a dreadful blast that blows up all before it, and rends not only this Ship, but a Fire-ship that lay neer her, to pieces, Heaven is eclipsed with an ascending cloud of Sulpher, and the bodies of men, women, and children pro­miscuously hurl'd with a furious impetuosity a loft into the Air, some having their brains beaten out, with, or against the shattered pieces of the Masts and Decks, others disani­mated with the violence of the motion, or drowned at their fall. In brief, in the twinkling of an eye, there appear'd such a Scene of Destruction, and spectacle of Horror as would puzle the ablest Orator to express it fully; nor in­deed do we delight to agravate that Affliction in the Read­ers breast which all good Natures out of a generous com­passion, will be sufficiently sencible of on such deplorable occasions: 'Tis too sad a truth, that one hundred and thirty odd persons of the Ships Crew, six Women, four or five Children, about eight Joyners, and four Cawkers then imployed there, were hereby without a moments warning or consideration dispatcht into another world, and only seventeen men, and one woman that were then Aboard sa­ved, of whom the greatest part were wounded or grievously hurt, but escaped through infinite mercy with their Lives, being quickly taken up by the charitable assistance of some Boats from Ships that lay neer.

To tell the manner how the Powder took fire, is more we conceive than can certainly be done by any, but it is thought some of the Workmen not imagining any Powder to be aboard at all, might be less careful then otherwise, and so contributed to their own destruction; For what ill end it lay there unhappily concealed may be gathered from the Sequel: For soon after the Confusion of the Blow was over, the Officers coming together concluded to take in­to Custody both the Gunner of the Ann, and of the Fire­ship that perished with her: But the Latter giving a very satisfactory account of his Innocence, was soon discharged of his Confinement: But the former could not so handsomly clear himself, and therefore was continued under a Guard, and after some time sent up to the Marshalses, in Order to receiving his Tryal at a Councel of War.

Accordingly on Munday the 22. of this instant Decem­ber a Councel of War was held on board one of his Maje­sties Yatches, lying over-against Towerwharf, where a­mongst other things this business was Examined, and the Prisoner charged with imbezelling his Majesties Stores committed to his Charge: and that by Concealing this Powder (which he design'd to have disposed of to his own advantage) he had been the Occasion of destroying so ma­ny of his Majesties brave Subjects, and of the loss of the Ship; but desiring to Examine some other Witnesses for clearing the matter, they Ordered him to be brought a­gain on the Wednesday following.

On which day the Judge Advocate and Councel of War siting in the place aforesaid, the Prisoner was again brought aboard, and upon a full Examination it was proved by Two Witnesses that he ordered them to lay in Sixteen Barrels of Powder in a private unusual place, to be concealed, which he intended secretly to have got out and sold; and this was the quantity of Powder which gave the Fatal Blow: Besides; another gave Evidence that a [Page 7] Hundred and Forty Barrels of Powder were delivered out of the Ship, whereas he had placed only One Hundred and Thirty Barrels to Account, so that it was evident he had slighly designed at least the converting of no less then Twenty six Barrels of Powder to his own use, and was thereby the unhappy Cause (by Accident) of all this mi­serable disaster: whereupon the Councel finding him Guilty, the Honourable Judge Advocate proceeded to give Sentence against him, That for such his Offence he should be Hanged.

This Thunderbolt leveld against his life, he received with a becoming subjection, yet with a Courage that might cast blushes on the Gallantry of a dying Roman; and though all Spectators could not but Applaud the di­screet proceedings and justice of the Councel of War, yet at the same time they no less heartily Commiserated the Prisoners unhappy Fate; many that Abominated his Offence, haveing a love for the man, who was indeed a person before reputed honest, and of a quiet, industrious, obligeing Temper, quallities that much recommended him to the Affections of all the Common Seamen con­cerned with him: besides, what added much to the Scale of Compassion, he had a disconsolate Wife, and Four or Five small Children to leave behind him: But we see how far that cursed desire of Money prevails even upon the best Natures, so as to prompt them for the smallest advantage, to prostitute their Honesty, Honour, Con­science and all, and venture on the most Nefarious Crimes, Fellonies, Burglaries; and other too common violations of Law, though Heinous and Insufferable in themselves, are yet but Private Injuries, and Damnifie only some parti­cular persons, but Embeseling or Purloyning the Stores or Munitions of War, especially in such a junct [...] (besides the Horrid Ingratitude of abusing his Majesties Graci­ous Trust) is a kind of Civil Sacriledge, and of a more [Page 8] mischeivous consequence in Relation to the publique, than any thing else (almost) in the whole Catalogue of Villany; If there be yet Any (as for the Honour of our Country we most passionately wish she may never be guilty of producing one of that viperous brood) who Traiterously prefer their own Private Lucre and Emolument before the Honour, Safety, and Advantage of their King and Country, who shall endeavour to misdispose publique provisions, or by mixing the Dust of Sea-coals with their Powder render it more weak, and less effectual, to the unspeakable abuse of his Majesty, and prejudice of his Service against his Enemies, or that use any such or the like hellish cheating devices. Oh! may they with Confusion behold their errors timely discovered by the prudent vigilancy of our Superi­ors, and as they have lived without any true Honour, be proceeded against without mercy, and dye without Pitty.