Survival

George Reynolds’ sketch of a shipmate clinging to some wreckage before being rescued by one of the boats.

The survivors’ accounts and drawings of their three days on a small sand cay, and 18 days at sea in open boats, give us an idea of the hardships sailors endured after they lost their ship in Great Barrier Reef waters.

Captain Edwards:

“Upon mustering we discovered that 89 of the ship’s company and 10 of the pirates that were onboard were saved, and that 31 of the ship’s company and 4 pirates were lost with the ship.”