Bibliograph

The Wager disaster, mayem, mutiny and murder in the South Seas, Rear Admiral C.H. Layman, CB, DSO, LVO

Type

Label

The Wager disaster, mayem, mutiny and murder in the South Seas, Rear Admiral C.H. Layman, CB, DSO, LVO

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The Wager disaster

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Responsibility statement

Rear Admiral C.H. Layman, CB, DSO, LVO

Sub title

mayem, mutiny and murder in the South Seas

Summary

This is the astounding story of HMS Wager, driven ashore in foul weather onto the inhospitable coast of Patagonian Chile in 1741. Shipwreck was followed by murder, starvation, mutiny, and the fearful ordeal of 36 survivors out of about 140 men. Some were enslaved, some defected; many drowned. The captain shot one of his officers. There was an epic open-boat voyage of 2500 nautical miles through the world's most hostile seas, probably the greatest castaway voyage in the annals of the sea, and the least known. Midshipman Byron, the grandfather of the poet, was prominent among the survivors. The story is placed in its historical context, using eye-witness accounts where possible, with some previously unpublished material. It finishes with the finding of the wreck by a British expedition in 2006. Foreword written by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

Target audience

adult

Classification