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Saturday, August 11, 2012

The wreck of the privateer

The stark newspaper notification of the wrecking of the Port au Prince has been uncovered by maritime historian Michael Dun.




In nothing less than Lloyds List, of course.  And it makes interesting viewing, demonstrating how unexcited reporters got about wrecks in those days, partly because of the long time-lag between the actual wreck and the arrival of the news, thereof, and partly because it happened so often, back then.

As reported earlier, there is some excitement in Tonga, as local divers think they have located the wreck.  Back when the Port au Prince landed on the reef, only the iron in the hull was valued.  Accordingly, the copper that sheathed the bottom (as a guard against shipworms) and whatever loot the ship had taken from American prizes went down with the wreck, which makes it well worth salvaging, now.

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