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''Arniston'' was an
East Indiaman East Indiaman was a general name for any sailing ship operating under charter or licence to any of the East India trading companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries. The term is used to refer to vesse ...
that made eight voyages for the British
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sout ...
(EIC). She was wrecked on 30 May 1815 during a storm at Waenhuiskrans, near
Cape Agulhas Cape Agulhas (; pt, Cabo das Agulhas , "Cape of the Needles") is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indi ...
, South Africa, with the loss of 372 lives – only six on board survived. She had been chartered as a
troopship A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
and was underway from
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
to England on a journey to repatriate wounded soldiers from the Kandyan Wars. Controversially, the ship did not have a
marine chronometer A marine chronometer is a precision timepiece that is carried on a ship and employed in the determination of the ship's position by celestial navigation. It is used to determine longitude by comparing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or in the mode ...
on board, a comparatively new navigational instrument that was an "easy and cheap addition to her equipment" that would have enabled her to determine her longitude accurately. Instead, she was forced to navigate through the heavy storm and strong currents using older, less reliable navigational aids and
dead reckoning In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating current position of some moving object by using a previously determined position, or fix, and then incorporating estimates of speed, heading direction, and course over elapsed time. T ...
. Navigational difficulties and a lack of headway led to an incorrect assumption that Cape Agulhas was
Cape Point Cape Point ( af, Kaappunt) is a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula, a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometres at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in South Afri ...
. Consequently, ''Arniston'' was wrecked when her captain headed north for
St Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
, operating on the incorrect belief the ship had already passed Cape Point.


Overview

East Indiamen operated under charter or licence to the Honourable East India Company, which held a monopoly granted by
Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...
of England for all English trade between the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is ...
and
Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramí ...
. ''Arniston'' was built by William Barnard at Barnard's Thames Yard at
Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a Ford (crossing), ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home ...
on the
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...
and launched in 1794.Mitchell 2007, tertiary sources. She was probably named after Lord Arniston rather than the tiny village of Arniston near
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. ''Arniston'' was heavily armed, with her fifty-eight guns making her the equivalent of a
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...
fourth-rate In 1603 all English warships with a compliment of fewer than 160 men were known as 'small ships'. In 1625/26 to establish pay rates for officers a six tier naval ship rating system was introduced.Winfield 2009 These small ships were divided i ...
ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
. A classification of "ship of the line" – a class of ship that later evolved into the battleship – meant that a ship was powerful enough to stand in a
line of battle The line of battle is a tactic in naval warfare in which a fleet of ships forms a line end to end. The first example of its use as a tactic is disputed—it has been variously claimed for dates ranging from 1502 to 1652. Line-of-battle tacti ...
and explained why these ships of commerce were sometimes mistaken for men-o-war. The armament was necessary for the ship to protect herself and her valuable cargo from
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
s and
commerce raiders Commerce raiding (french: guerre de course, "war of the chase"; german: Handelskrieg, "trade war") is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than eng ...
of other nations during long voyages between Europe and the Far East. ''Arniston'', like other East Indiamen, was slow and unmanoeuvrable, but able to carry a large quantity of cargo.Port Cities UK, secondary sources


Voyages (1794–1812)

For her first five voyages she sailed under the ownership and management of John Wedderburn (probably John Wedderburn of Ballindean) and the next three EIC voyages under ownership of Robert Hudson. ''Arniston'' sailed from Great Britain to the Far East eight times before her last voyage.BL 1812, primary sources. On one of her homeward journeys from China, she struck an uncharted rock at , near the island of Pulo Goondy (modern day Pulau Legundi), located just south of Sumatra. She did not suffer any ill effects as a result of this incident however, which is mentioned in journals of the time only for its noteworthiness as a navigation hazard to other shipping. Apart from this and another incident in 1800, ''Arniston''s first eight voyages were uneventful.


Voyage number 1: St Helena, Madras, and China (1795–1797)

Captain Campbell Marjoribanks: * 3 April 1795:
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is admi ...
* 14 April:
Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the Archipelago, archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitant ...
* 2 June:
St Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
* 9 August:
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is ...
* 27 September:
Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Tamil Nadu, the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and territories of India, Indian state. The largest city ...
* 14 November:
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...
* 3 December:
Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site s ...
* 11 March 1796: Whampoa * 23 April: Second Bar * 29 June:
Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
* 20 November:
St Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
* 1 March 1797:
Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a Ford (crossing), ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home ...
While ''Arniston'' was at St Helena on her outward journey, she undertook to transport troops from there to join Lord Elphinstone, who was undertaking an expedition to capture
Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with t ...
from the Dutch. On 10 July
George Vancouver Post-captain, Captain George Vancouver (22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a British Royal Navy officer best known for his Vancouver Expedition, 1791–1795 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern West Coast of the Un ...
arrived in . Vancouver was returning to England after his four-and-a-half-year long voyage of exploration. He transferred to ''Arniston'' four field guns that he had been carrying, together with what ammunition he had left for them, for onward transmission to Elphinstone. ''Discovery''s boats also helped in the ferrying of troops from shore to ''Arniston''. ''Arniston'' was to ferry nine field pieces, as well as a company of artillery and three of infantry (393 men in all), to Elphinstone.


Voyage number 2: China (1797–1798)

On this voyage ''Arniston'' sailed under a letter of marque in the name of Captain William Macnamara, and dated 13 May 1797. Her itinerary was: * 5 June 1797: Portsmouth * 29 August: Cape of Good Hope * 9 December: Whampoa * 14 February 1798: Second Bar * 26 March: Macau * 5 August: St Helena * 23 October:
Long Reach Long Reach or Longreach may refer to: Places *Long Reach, Columbia, Maryland, United States * Long Reach, Kent, UK *Long Reach, at Gravesend, Kent, UK *Long Reach, West Virginia, United States * Longreach, Queensland, Australia *Long Reach, Tasmani ...


Voyage number 3: St Helena, Benkulen, and China (1800–1801)

On this voyage ''Arniston'' sailed under a letter of marque in the name of Captain Campbell Marjoribanks, and dated 29 November 1799. Her itinerary was: * 7 January 1800: Portsmouth * 4 April: St Helena * 27 June:
Benkulen Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It was formed on 18 November 1968 by separating out the former Bencoolen Residency area from the province of South Sumatra under Law No. 9 of 1967 and was ...
* 29 July: Penang * 27 August: Malacca * 21 September: Whampoa * 29 November: Second Bar * 18 January 1801: Macau * 15 April: St Helena * 17 June: Long Reach During this voyage ''Arniston'' had just anchored at
Benkulen Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It was formed on 18 November 1968 by separating out the former Bencoolen Residency area from the province of South Sumatra under Law No. 9 of 1967 and was ...
on 27 June 1800, when the 26-gun French
privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
''Confiance'' attacked her. ''Arniston'' cut her anchor and gave chase, firing several broadsides into the other ship, but the faster French ship was able to make an escape.Lindsay 1874, primary sources. On 9 October 1800, the East Indiaman ''Kent'' would be less fortunate; ''Confiance'' would capture ''Kent'' after a two-hour engagement.


Voyage number 4: St Helena, Benkulen, and China (1801–1803)

Captain Campbell Marjoribanks: * 31 December 1801: Downs * 9 March 1802: St Helena * 10 June: Benkulen * 12 July: Penang * 31 August: Whampoa * 24 October: Second Bar * 11 February 1803: St Helena * 26 April: Long Reach


Voyage number 5: China (1804–1805)

On this voyage ''Arniston'' sailed under a letter of marque in the name of Captain James Jameson, and dated 24 March 1804. Her itinerary was: On 9 June 1804, ''Arniston'' left St. Helens, Isle of Wight, as part of a convoy of nine
East Indiamen East Indiaman was a general name for any sailing ship operating under charter or licence to any of the East India trading companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries. The term is used to refer to vesse ...
of the British
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sout ...
, all bound for China. The Indiamen were , , ''Cuffnells'', , , , , and . provided the escort.Evans: ''Finding my ancestors: Voyage of the Athenienne to China in 1804/1805''.
/ref> The fleet arrived at Rio de Janeiro around 14–18 August. It then passed the Cape of Good Hope. From here, rather than passing through the Indian Ocean and the
Straits of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, conne ...
, the fleet sailed south of Western Australia and through
Bass Strait Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct wat ...
. The objectives were two-fold: to avoid French ships reported to be in the Indian Ocean, and to improve the charting of Bass Strait. The ships then sailed to Norfolk Island, which was the next rendezvous point after Saint Paul Island, for members that had separated. ''Taunton Castle'' had separated in the South Atlantic and although she arrived at Norfolk Island three days after the fleet had sailed on, did not rejoin the rest of the fleet until she arrived at Haerlem Bay, in China. The arrival of ''Athenienne'' and the East Indiamen at Norfolk Island sowed panic among the colonists there who feared that a French flotilla had arrived. The fleet arrived at Whampoa in mid-January 1805. The fleet then returned to England via the Straits of Malacca. ''Arniston'', for example, crossed the second Bar on 14 February, reached Malacca on 21 March and
St Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
on 30 June, and arrived at Long Reach on 15 September.


Voyage number 6: China (1806–1807)

On this voyage ''Arniston'' sailed under a letter of marque in the name of Captain Peter Wedderburn dated 20 March 1806. Her itinerary was: * 14 May 1806: Portsmouth * 7 August: Cape of Good Hope * 10 October: Penang * 21 January 1807: Whampoa * 4 May: off
Lintin Island Nei or Inner Lingding Island, formerly romanized as Lintin or is an island in the Pearl River estuary in the southeastern Chinese province of Guangdong. Although it is located closer to the eastern (Hong Kong and Shenzhen) shore of the estuar ...
* 1 July: Penang * 17 July:
Acheh Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
* 19 September: Cape of Good Hope * 13 October: St Helena * 6 January 1808: Lower Hope


Voyage number 7: Bombay and China (1810–1811)

Captain Samuel Landon: * 21 January 1810: Portsmouth * 9 April: Cape of Good Hope * 26 May:
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the '' de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the sec ...
* 1 September: Penang * 12 October: Whampoa * 29 December: Second Bar * 28 May 1811: St Helena * 13 August: Long Reach


Voyage number 8: Bombay and China (1812–1813)

On this voyage ''Arniston'' sailed under a letter of marque in the name of Captain Walter Campbell. Her itinerary was: * 4 January 1812:
Torbay Torbay is a borough and unitary authority in Devon, south west England. It is governed by Torbay Council and consists of of land, including the resort towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, located on east-facing Tor Bay, part of Lyme ...
* 5 April:
Johanna Johanna is a feminine name, a variant form of Joanna that originated in Latin in the Middle Ages, including an -h- by analogy with the Latin masculine name Johannes. The original Greek form ''Iōanna'' lacks a medial /h/ because in Greek Spiritus ...
* 7 May: Bombay * 11 September: Whampoa * 4 January 1813: Macau * 27 March: St Helena * 7 June: Long Reach The British government then chartered ''Arniston'' as a
troop transport A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
to the Cape and India.


Voyage number 9: Madeira, Cape, and Ceylon (1814–1815)

Captain George Simpson left England on 8 June 1814. At Ceylon, ''Arniston'' embarked soldiers of the 73rd Regiment, who were wounded in the Kandyan Wars in
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, to repatriate them to England.


Wreck (1815)

Critically, the ship did not have a chronometer—a comparatively new navigational instrument that was an "easy and cheap addition to her equipment" at the time—for this voyage. Captain George Simpson could not afford the 60–100
guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where ...
for one,Hall 1820, primary sources. and the ship's owners were also unwilling to purchase one, even threatening to replace him with another captain if he refused to set sail without one.Hall 1833, primary sources. ''Arniston'' sailed from Port de Galle on 4 April 1815 in a convoy of six other East Indiamen, under the escort of HMS ''Africaine'' and .Grocott 1997, primary sources Among her 378 passengers were many invalid soldiers and sailors, plus 14 women and 25 children. During the passage from Ceylon, at one o'clock every day, the ships signalled each other their longitude that they calculated using their chronometers. In this way, the ships were able to compare their respective instruments, and the master of the ''Arniston'' was able to learn his longitude too, as long as he remained in the convoy. On 26 May, while rounding the southern tip of Africa, ''Arniston'' separated from the convoy in bad weather after her sails were damaged. Without accurate daily longitudinal information from the other ships, ''Arniston'' had to rely instead on older, less accurate navigation methods. Navigation via
dead reckoning In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating current position of some moving object by using a previously determined position, or fix, and then incorporating estimates of speed, heading direction, and course over elapsed time. T ...
proved particularly difficult as there were strong ocean currents combined with inclement weather that prevented a
fix Fix or FIX may refer to: People with the name * Fix (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Fix'' (film), a feature film by Tao Ruspoli Music * ''Fix'' (album), 2015 album by Chris Lane * "Fix" (Blackstreet song), 1997 song by Black ...
being obtained for several days via
celestial navigation Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, is the practice of position fixing using stars and other celestial bodies that enables a navigator to accurately determine their actual current physical position in space (or on the surface ...
. On 29 May, land was sighted to the north at 7 am, and given the dead reckoning estimates, was presumed to be the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is ...
. The ship sailed west until 4:30 pm on 29 May, then turned north to run for
St Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
. However the land sighted had in fact been
Cape Agulhas Cape Agulhas (; pt, Cabo das Agulhas , "Cape of the Needles") is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indi ...
(then known as "Cape L'Agullas") and the ship had also not made good headway against the current since this sighting. Compounding these navigational errors, the master had not taken any depth soundings (which would have confirmed his location over the
Agulhas Bank The Agulhas Bank (, from Portuguese for Cape Agulhas, ''Cabo das Agulhas'', "Cape of Needles") is a broad, shallow part of the southern African continental shelf which extends up to south of Cape Agulhas before falling steeply to the abyssal ...
), before heading north. Consequently, instead of being west of the Cape of Good Hope as presumed, the ship was closing on the reef at Waenhuiskrans near Cape Agulhas. The anchors were unable to hold the heavy ship in the storm, so on 30 May near 4 pm, Lieutenant Brice advised Captain Simpson to ground the ship to save the lives of those aboard. Eight minutes later, at about 8 pm, the ship struck rocks half a mile offshore and heeled into the wind. The guns on the opposite side were cut away in a failed attempt to level the ship, which soon started to break up in the waves.AJ 1816, primary sources. Only six men (the ship's carpenter and five sailors of the 378 people on board survived, after reaching the shore only with great difficulty through the high surf. The following morning the
sternpost A sternpost is the upright structural member or post at the stern of a (generally wooden) ship or a boat, to which are attached the transoms and the rearmost left corner part of the stern. The sternpost may either be completely vertical or m ...
was the only part of the vessel still visible. The ship and her passengers had been lost for lack of a chronometer, or as an officer from the same convoy later wrote:


Aftermath

The six survivors buried the bodies found on the beach, then travelled east along the beach, expecting to reach
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second larges ...
. However, after four and a half days, they realised their error and returned to the site of the wreck. Here they subsisted off a cask of oatmeal, while trying to effect repairs to the ship's pinnace, which had been washed ashore. They were discovered six days later on 14 June by a farmer's son, who was out hunting. * Among the victims were: Captain George Simpson, Lieutenant Brice, 6th Viscount Lord and Lady
Molesworth Molesworth may refer to: Places *Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, a village in Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, England *Molesworth (crater), a crater on Mars *Molesworth Station, New Zealand's largest farm *Molesworth Street, Dublin, Ireland * Moleswo ...
. * The six survivors were: Dr. Gunter (
boatswain A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervises ...
), John Barrett (carpenter), Charles Stewart Scott (carpenter's mate), William Grung (second class), Gibbs (third class), Robinson (fourth class). A memorial, a replica of which can be seen today, was erected on the beach by the wife of Colonel Giels, whose four children were lost in the tragedy on their homeward journey, having visited him in
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. The memorial bears the following inscription: Over time, the seaside village of Waenhuiskrans has become so associated with the wreck, that it now is also known as Arniston. The nearby town of
Bredasdorp Bredasdorp is a town in the Southern Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa, and the main economic and service hub of that region. It lies on the northern edge of the Agulhas Plain, about south-east of Cape Town and north of Cape A ...
has a museum dedicated to the wreck. The wreck had a direct influence on the decision to build a lighthouse at
Cape Agulhas Cape Agulhas (; pt, Cabo das Agulhas , "Cape of the Needles") is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indi ...
to the west in 1847–1848.Proposals for a Lighthouse at L'Agulhas, secondary sources. Thirty seven years later, the 73rd Regiment once again suffered hundreds of casualties on this coast when was wrecked away at
Gansbaai Gansbaai (Dutch/Afrikaans for "bay of geese," sometimes referred to as Gans Bay or Gangs Bay) is a fishing town and popular tourist destination in the Overberg District Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa. It is known for its dense populatio ...
.


Archaeological excavation

The wreck, which lies in about of water, was surveyed by an archaeological team from the
University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
(UCT) in 1982. The National Monuments Council issued a permit to UCT student Jim Jobling to conduct an underwater survey of the site, as well as a limited excavation. A number of artefacts were recovered, which were donated to the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum.


Notes, citations, and references


Notes


Citations


References

*
Primary source In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called an original source) is an Artifact (archaeology), artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of information that was cre ...
s consulted * * * Hackman, Rowan (2001) ''Ships of the East India Company''. (Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society). * – The Arniston cautionary tale (concluding an exposé of
dead reckoning In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating current position of some moving object by using a previously determined position, or fix, and then incorporating estimates of speed, heading direction, and course over elapsed time. T ...
with a map p. 276). * – Chapter reprinted from his ''Fragments of Voyages and Travels'', 3rd series (1833). * Hardy, Charles (1835) ''Supplement to a Register of Ships Employed in the Service of the ... East India Company from 1760 to the Conclusion of the Commercial Charter, Etc.'' * * * * * * Vancouver, George (1798) ''A voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean and round the world''. (London: G.G. and J. Robinson). * Secondary sources consulted * * (A partnership of websites with material from the heritage organisations of the five key maritime cities in the UK –
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...
,
Hartlepool Hartlepool () is a seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Borough of Hartlepool. With an estimated population of 90,123, it is the second-largest settlement in County ...
, Liverpool, London and
Southampton Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...
) * Tertiary sources consulted * – Citin

Wexham, Brian. ''Shipwrecks of the Western Cape''. And: Turner, Malcolm. ''Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa''.


External links

*
The history of HMS ''Arniston'' in connection with the village Arniston
{{coord, 34, 39, 36, S, 20, 15, 7, E, type:landmark_region:ZA, name=Wreck of Arniston, display=title Maritime incidents in 1815 Shipwrecks of the South African Indian Ocean coast Monuments and memorials in South Africa Troop ships of the United Kingdom 1815 in South Africa Ships built in Deptford Ships of the British East India Company 1794 ships Maritime incidents in South Africa Age of Sail merchant ships Merchant ships of the United Kingdom