As planned, the schooner Grafton duly sailed to Campbell Island, through tempest-driven sub-Antarctic seas, only to find that the story of a tin mine was nothing but a myth. And so, the decision was made to sail for the Auckland Islands, in the hope of harvesting seal skins. No sooner had the schooner reached the southern end of the main island, however, than a storm blew up, forcing the crew to find a refuge in Carnley Harbour.
Disaster struck. Precisely at midnight, on January 2, 1864, the Grafton was driven onto the rocks.
It was only because of the gallantry of Alick, who was a strong swimmer, that all five survived ... to face a grim future on the uninhabited island.
And then they settled down to a grim routine of staying alive while they waited for rescue. That the five men survived at all was a testament to their remarkable character -- and the strong, steady leadership of Captain Thomas Musgrave. How they did it is worthy of a story of its own.
2 comments:
I just finished reading “Island of the Lost” and it was a fantastic account of incredible survival. I could hardly put it down. The amount of research put into creating the book, making it as accurate and enthralling as possible, was evident on every page.
Thank you so much for the kind comment. Take care -- kia kaha
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