The Surgeons Tell of the Astrea and James (1834)

A C Buchanan, His Majesty’s Chief Agent for Emigration to Upper and Lower Canada, sent in his end of the year emigration report for 1834 with the following information: “Before concluding this report, it is with regret that I feel myself compelled to notice the increasing number of shipwrecks to emigrant vessels, particularly during the past season, attended with a very serious loss of life. The list shows the number of vessels lost last season to be 17, and the loss of lives to amount to 731.” He would follow this by blaming the use of “ardent spirits” on emigrant vessels, but his next paragraph seems to have placed the blame more accurately. “Public attention having been of late often directed to the subject of light-houses, as a means of additional security of navigation…”  Ship Name: JamesTonnage: 363Ship Type: Brig Nationality: British Year Wrecked: 1834Reason Wrecked: Sprang Leak in Storm Location Wrecked: Off Great Bank, Newfoundland Lives Lost: 250Ship Name: Astrea Tonnage: 300Ship Type: Barque Nationality: BritishYear Wrecked: 1834Reason Wrecked: Struck Rock Location Wrecked: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Lives Lost: 271Sources: https://limericklocalstudies.ie/wp-content/uploads/obits/1834/06%2028%201834%20james.pdfhttps://capebretonsmagazine.com/modules/publisher/makepdf_php-itemid-766.pdfhttps://newspapers.library.wales/view/4459875/4459877/7/astrea%2BOR%2Bshipwreck?from=searchhttps://newspaperarchive.com/saint-johns-newfoundl-and-patriot-jun-17-1834-p-3/https://newspaperarchive.com/lancaster-examiner-and-herald-jun-12-1834-p-2/https://newspaperarchive.com/london-standard-jul-10-1834-p-2/https://newspaperarchive.com/albion-and-the-star-apr-20-1835-p-4/https://newspaperarchive.com/london-standard-jul-08-1834-p-3/https://newspaperarchive.com/christian-advocate-jul-14-1834-p-7/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Nautical_Magazine/f09WAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=laidler+james+shipwreck+1834&pg=PA508&printsec=frontcover