Two months after they weighed weigh anchor and cleared clear from the port of Freetown a half dozen British war vessels were scouring scour the south Atlantic for trace of them or their little vessel , and it was almost immediately that the wreckage was found upon the shores of St. Helena which convinced the world that the Fuwalda had gone down with all on board , and hence the search was stopped stop ere it had scarce begun ; though hope lingered in longing hearts for many years .