A True and Perfect ACCOUNT Of a Strange and Dreadful APPARITION VVhich lately Infested and Sunk a Ship bound for New-Castle, Called, The Hope-well of London.

And of the Strange Deliverance of JOHN PYE MASTER, and Nine Men more; VVho were all Examined and Sworn to the following RELATION before Justice WOOD of London.

With Allowance.

Roger L'Estrange, March 30. 1672.

EDINBƲRGH, Re-printed in the Year, 1672.

[...]

A LETTER from a Friend, in reference to the following Relation.

Mr. Clavel:

I Have sent you enclosed, an account of a strange Accident lately hapned in my journey, to a Newcastle Ship, called, The Hope-well of London, being Infested with an Apparition, and sunk with a stroke of that influence, I wish it might be exposed to publick view, being satisfied, that no­thing is exprest therein but the truth; hav­ing heard the Examination of the said John Pye Master, and nine men, all belonging to the said Ship, before the Mayor of Grims­by: [Page 4] And since their arrival at London, I have received an account that they were not only examined, but all sworn before Ju­stice Wood; and besides all the concur­ring Circumstances of the whole number of men in the Ship, nothing can be more con­vincing, then of the Masters face being burnt and blasted, especially on the left side. I hope to be with you in London shortly: I rest,

Your Affectionat Friend, Nathan Jemson.
Grimsby in Hull River, March 27. 1672.

A True and Perfect Relation of the Strange and Dreadful Apparition which lately Infested and Sunk a Ship bound for New-castle, called, The Hope-well of London.

THe 22. of February, 1672 we sailed from Graves­end; and the 26. by Gods Providence we sailed over the Bar of Newcastle, and there Loaded the 2. of March. About Nine or Ten of the Clock in the Night following, we having made all clear and ready for the furtherance of our Voyage, some time after Supper I went to rest, when about Twelve of the Clock in the Night, to the best of my remembrance, I was awaked out of my sleep by a great noise, (but saw nothing) which to the best of my capacity, bid me Be gone, and that I had nothing to do there. But being so ha­stily disturbed, and not certain what might be the cause, I gave it over for a Dream, and past that accident as uncertain of the truth. Now after the first Day was past, about Eight or Nine of the Clock at Night I went to rest; and about twelve, my Mate was striking a Light to take a Pipe of Tobacco, (as I suppose) and expecting the Wherry to go up to the Town, being the Tide fell out about Two in the Morning, I desired the Candle might not be put out; and being as well awake as now I am, to the best of my judgement, I was then pulled by the Hair of my Head off from my Pillow, and the same words declared to me as be­fore; [Page 6] and then I saw the perfect face and proportion of a Man, in a black Hat, stuff Coat, and striped Neck-cloth, with hanging down Hair, and a sowre-down-looking Countenance, and his Teeth being set in his Head, I had then time to say, Lord have mercy upon me▪ What art? at which he vanished: Yet the Candle burned very blew, and almost went out: Hereupon being much discontented, I did by the following Post give my Owners a just account of what had befaln me.

The Fifth of that instant, we set sail: about four of the Clock in the day, the Wind at W. S. W. fair VVeather, and a brave Gale off the shore, which continued until half an hour after a Ele­ven on Wednesday Night; at which time the man at the Helm called out that he could not stir the Helm: but after I had pul­led off the VVhip-staff, the Ship steered as before, being still fair VVeather, the VVind then coming to the N. W. and Snowing VVeather, but very fair and clear. I was yet doubtful of more VVind, and therefore caused the Men to furl the fore Top-sail, and lower down the main Top-sail upon the back of the main Sail, but could not with all the strength we had hale in; the Weather brake off the fore Top-sail, when this was still in my judgement, that our Ship did hale as much, as when our Sails were out. Then we haled up our main Sail, and still the Ship had the same list as with a large Wind, which to my judgment might be half a streak or thereabout.

By this time it was Two of the Clock, then our Men tried the the Pump, and found little or no water in her: the Man at the Helm called out, That the Candle burned so blew in the Lan­thorn, That it gave little or no light, and three several times went out, so that I held the Candle to the Look-out, which Candle did burn very well, and shewed a good light; but of a suddain our Ship would not feel her Helm so kindly as before, and brought all our Sails aback. Then our Ship heeled as much to Windward as before to Leeward: the Glass being out, we went to the Pump, and found no water in the Ship, but she did not steer well, neither could I find the reason, being still so fair wea­ther: This unkind steerage, made me urgent to try the Pump yet more, but I could not get the upper box to work, nor stir; but having taken that up, and trying with the Pump-hook, we could not come near the lower box by a foot and a half, which to [Page 7] my judgement was hindred by something like a Bull-fish, or Woolsack, that as we forced down, gave up again with the hook: Whereupon Mistrusting that all was not well, I caused our men to keep the Coat of our pump up, and my self loosned the tack; in the mean time I ordered two men to loose the Boat, which they did, being lashed in three places: Yet they do not remember to this hour, that they loosned any of them but the middlemost; and with three men in her, the Boat went over the top of the Fore-sheet, which lay above the stem, without touching it, with such violence, as even amazed us that saw it: And they that were in the Boat gave such loud cryes, as frighted him at the Helm who came running out unknown to me. But then finding the ship coming nearer the wind then formerly, I ran to the stair-case, to bid him put the Helm over, but could not: And hearing one jump down at the hatch, which was open at the half Deck, did suppose that the Helms man came down again; and calling him by his name to come and help me, the word was no sooner out of my mouth, but I perceived the same person that I had formerly seen before we came out of the Harbour; who came violently to me, saying, Be gone, you have no more to do here; throw­ing me in at the Cabbin door, clear upon the top of the table; when I crying out, In the name of God what art, he vanished away in a flash of fire: thinking withal, that the ship had split in a thou­sand peeces, it giving such a crack. The men thereupon calling out, Master if ye be a man come away, did something revive me; and striving to have got to my chest, being I had some money in it, I found that something hindred me, but what it was I could not tell. Then perceiving the main Sea coming in so fast, that I was up to the waste, before I could get out of the Cabbin; and finding all our men in the Boat but only one, I desired him to get a compass; which he did, yet could never after know what became of it. We were no sooner in the Boat, but the Ship sank down, and yet having a great Sea Fur Gown, which lay upon the dicker upon the ships going down, the very upset of the water brought it to the Boats side, and one of our men took it in. We reckoned our selves to be ten or twelve Leagues E. S. E. From the spern, I perceived the Fane at the Main-top-mast head, when the ship was sunk: We continued in the Boat from three in the morning, till ten or eleven that day, when we were taken up by a Whitby Ketch, who used us very kindly, and towed our Boat [Page 8] at his stern with two ends of a hauser, till she brake away: She being bound for Newcastle, and the wind being contrary, did on the Saurday following, set us a shore at Grimsby in Hull River, where the Maior gave us a Pass for London.

This is a true and perfect relation to the best of my knowledge in every respect,

John Pye Master.
And attested by nine men more, all be­longing to my Ship.

Postscript.

I Had forgot to express, that one side of my face is burnt and blasted sorely, which I felt within half an hour after I was gone out of the Ship; but how it came upon me in the Ship I could not tell, being then in a great horror and amazement.

John Pye.

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