87-529: The Wager Mutiny took place in 1741, after the British warship HMS Wager was wrecked on a desolate island off the south coast of present-day Chile. Wager was part of a naval squadron bound to attack Spanish interests in the Pacific. She lost contact with the squadron while rounding Cape Horn , ran aground during a storm and wrecked on what would become known as Wager Island . The main body of
174-588: A cost of £7,096.2.4d, and was registered as a sixth rate on 22 April 1740, being established with 120 men and 28 guns. Anson's expedition to the Pacific in August 1740 comprised six warships and two transports, manned by a total of 1,854 men. The Navy commissioned Wager under Captain Dandy Kidd, who died before the ship reached Cape Horn ; Lieutenant David Cheap was promoted to captain (acting). The squadron rounded Cape Horn in terrible weather, which scattered
261-425: A desperate condition. Twenty men remained on the island after the departure of Speedwell . Poor weather during October and November continued. One man died of exposure after being marooned for three days on a rock for stealing food. By December and the summer solstice , it was decided to launch the barge and the yawl and skirt up the coast 300 miles (480 km) to an inhabited part of Chile. During bad weather,
348-486: A few days later by a small group from Speedwell , who were sent back in the longboat to collect some sails that were left behind. Two midshipmen , Alexander Campbell and John Byron, contrived to be part of this group after they were misled into believing that Cheap would be accompanying them in Speedwell . When the longboat failed to return, Speedwell returned to Wager Island to look for it, but by that time everybody on
435-409: A few of his followers. With the crew of Wager frightened at their situation and angry with Cheap, dissent and insubordination grew. King fired a four-pounder cannon from Wager at the captain's hut to induce someone to collect him and his mates once they began to fear for their safety on the wreck. The crew knew that they were in danger of harsh justice if they mutinied , so they worked to build
522-649: A foul wind. During one particularly severe night, Wager became separated from the rest of the squadron and was unable to make contact; the squadron assumed she was lost and continued on. As Wager , now alone, continued beating to the west, debate arose amongst the crew as to the appropriate time to turn north and hopefully rejoin the squadron. However, the ship was still afflicted by scurvy and dangerously close to running out of able-bodied men. The dilemma became contentious when Cheap stated his intention to make for Socorro Island . The gunner , John Bulkley, objected strongly to this proposal, arguing that they should proceed to
609-733: A project to advance the frontiers of the Spanish Empire in the Southeast Pacific and prevent the establishment of a British base. As a result of this plan the Juan Fernández Islands were settled and the fort of Tenquehuen established in Chonos Archipelago near Taitao Peninsula . This last fort was manned for a year and a half before being abandoned. After the Tenquehuen fort was dismantled
696-435: A regular beauty", and this seems to have sealed her fate. On 2 January 1743, the group left on a ship bound for Valparaíso . Cheap and Hamilton removed to Santiago , as they were officers who had preserved their commissions; Byron and Campbell were unceremoniously jailed. Byron and Campbell were confined in a single cell infested with insects and placed on a starvation diet. Many locals visited their cell, paying officials for
783-579: A series of disasters, over five years later, six of Bulkley's group and four of Captain Cheap's group returned to England. Wager had left England with 120 men on board. The British arrival caused great alarm among the Spanish who extensively searched the Patagonian archipelagoes to cleanse them of any possible British presence. In the 1740s the viceroy of Peru and the governor of Chile converged in
870-514: A squadron under Commodore George Anson that would attack Spanish interests on the Pacific west coast of South America. Her role was to carry additional stores of small arms, ball and powder to arm shore raiding parties. It was apt that it carried the name of the principal sponsor of the voyage, Admiral Sir Charles Wager , First Lord of the Admiralty. It was fitted for naval service at Deptford Dockyard between 23 November 1739 and 23 May 1740 at
957-620: A story to justify their actions. Full mutiny would likely not have occurred had Cheap agreed to a plan of escape devised by Bulkley, who had the confidence of most of the men. He proposed that Cummins, the carpenter, would lengthen the longboat and convert it into a schooner which could accommodate more men. They would make their way home via the Strait of Magellan to either Brazil or the British West Indies , and then home to England. The smaller barge and cutter would accompany
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#17327809410551044-468: A superior force of French frigates which his vessel encountered when cruising. As a result, Bulkley's exploits were reported in popular London papers and gained him some celebrity. He began thinking that it would not be long before the Admiralty would offer him the coveted command of a Royal Navy ship. On 9 April 1745, however, Cheap arrived back in England. By January 1742 (January 1743 in modern calendar,
1131-495: A virtual death sentence. Sixty men remained aboard Speedwell . Eventually the schooner entered the Strait of Magellan, in monstrous seas which threatened the boat with every swell. Men were dying from starvation regularly. Some days after exiting the Strait, the boat moved closer to land in order to take in water and hunt for food. Later, as the last of their supplies were being taken on board, Bulkley made sail, abandoning eight men on
1218-662: Is available on YouTube called "The Quest for HMS Wager V1A". In 2007 the Transpatagonia Expedition visited the wreck site and saw more remains. The novel The Unknown Shore (pub. 1959) by Patrick O'Brian is based on the accounts of the survivors. One of the crew on Wager was Midshipman John Byron , later Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy and grandfather of the famous poet Lord Byron . O'Brian's novel closely follows John Byron's account. Glyndwr Williams Glyndwr Williams (1932–24 January 2022)
1305-542: The Gulf of Penas , and the land to the west was later to be called the Tres Montes Peninsula . At 2 pm, land was positively sighted to the west and northwest. All surviving hands were mustered to make sail and turn the ship to the southwest. During the frantic operations which followed, Cheap fell down the quarterdeck ladder and dislocated his shoulder, resulting in his being confined below. What followed
1392-675: The Marquis of the Ensenada , being briefed on local affairs, recommended the establishment of a fort in the Guaitecas Archipelago , but this never happened. For Governor Antonio Narciso de Santa María , Chiloé Island was the most important part of the Patagonian Archipelago recommending to concentrate on the defense of Chiloé. It was following Narciso de Santa María's recommendations that the Spanish founded
1479-491: The River Plate , where the crew were fleeced by the locals for meagre provisions and cheated by a priest who disappeared with their fowling pieces ( shotguns ) on the promise of returning with game, Speedwell set sail once more. On 28 January 1742, it sighted Rio Grande , after a journey of over two thousand miles in an open boat over fifteen weeks. Of the eighty-one men who set off from the island, thirty arrived at Rio in
1566-594: The Saint Tubes , which set sail on 20 May 1742. They gladly left King behind to continue causing criminal havoc in Rio. On 11 September 1742, Saint Tubes left Bahia bound for Lisbon , and from there they embarked in HMS Stirling Castle on 20 December bound for Spithead , England. They arrived on New Year's Day 1743, after an absence of more than two years. Events were also reported back to London from
1653-468: The "city-fort" of Ancud in 1767–1768. Spanish charts of the mid-eighteenth century show the approximate location of the wreck, indicating that it was well known to the local elite at the time. In late 2006, a Scientific Exploration Society (SES) expedition searched for the wreck of the Wager and found at the north west corner of Wager Island, in shallow water, a 5 × 5 m piece of a wooden hull with some of
1740-437: The Admiralty for permission to publish his journal; it responded that it was his business and he could do as he liked. Bulkley released a book containing his journal, but the initial reaction from some was that he should have been hanged as a mutineer. Bulkley found employment when he assumed command of a forty-gun privateer Saphire . It was not long before his competence and nerve found him success as he tricked his way around
1827-466: The Admiralty investigated the loss of Wager . The mutineers later justified their actions based on other events, including Cheap's shooting of a midshipman named Cozens. Cheap heard an altercation outside his tent, came out in a rage, and shot Cozens in the face at point blank range without any warning. This incident further raised tensions, as Cheap refused to allow medical aid for Cozens, who took ten days to die of his wound. Cummins continued modifying
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#17327809410551914-455: The British consul in Lisbon, in a dispatch dated 1 October 1742 (see images): Pack's book describes a similar report: Baynes rushed ahead of Bulkley and Cummins to the Admiralty and gave an account of what happened to Wager , which reflected badly on Bulkley and Cummins but not himself. Baynes was a weak man and an incompetent officer, as was recorded by all those who provided a narrative of
2001-572: The Captain will refuse the signing of it; but he is so self-willed, the best step we can take, is to put him under arrest for the killing of Mr. Cozens. In this case I will, with your approbation, assume command. Then our affairs will be concluded to the satisfaction of the whole company, without being any longer liable to the obstruction they now meet from the Captain's perverseness and chicanery. Cheap refused to sign Bulkley's letter. Armed seamen entered his hut on 9 October and bound him, claiming that he
2088-839: The Chono as this metal was scarce even in the Spanish settlements further north. Martín Olleta led the survivors through an unusual route across Presidente Ríos Lake in the Taitao Peninsula , avoiding the common route through the San Tadeo River and San Rafael Lake . Byron gives a detailed account of the journey to the Spanish village of Castro in the Chiloé Archipelago , as does Campbell. The ordeal took four months, during which another ten men died of starvation, exhaustion and fatigue. Marine Lieutenant Hamilton, Midshipmen Byron and Campbell, and Captain Cheap were
2175-702: The Downs on 13 February 1735, arriving in Madras on 18 July and returning to England via St Helena in July 1736. It made her second and final run for the Company to India in 1738, sailing via the Cape of Good Hope to Madras and Bengal, and returning to the Downs on 27 August 1739. The Admiralty purchased Wager from Mr J. Raymond on 21 November 1739, and rated her as a 28-gun sixth rate . The Admiralty bought her to fill in
2262-584: The EIC in 1738, sailing via the Cape of Good Hope to Madras and Bengal , and returning to the Downs on 27 August 1739. The Admiralty purchased Wager from Mr J. Raymond on 21 November 1739, and rated her as a 28-gun sixth-rate. Wager was to fill in a squadron under Commodore George Anson that would attack Spanish interests on the Pacific coast of South America. Her role was to carry additional stores of small arms, ball and powder to arm shore raiding parties. She
2349-571: The People separating into Parties, which must consequently end in the Destruction of the whole Body; and as also there have been great robberies committed on the Stores and every Thing is now at a Stand; therefore, to prevent all future Frauds and Animosoties, we are unanimously agreed to proceed as above-mentioned. Baynes was presented with the letter to read, after which he said: I cannot suppose
2436-442: The Spanish interest in foreigners and of the valuable loot to be found at the wreck site. The surviving mutineers had an anxious time before eventually securing passage to Rio de Janeiro on the brigantine Saint Catherine , which set sail on 28 March 1742. Once in Rio, internal and external diplomatic wrangling continually threatened to terminally complicate either their lives, or at least their return to England. King did not help
2523-406: The Spanish sponsored salvors in the late 1700s hacking pieces off the wreck, dragging them to the nearest beach, and then burning them to release the valuable metal from the structure. If so then the site of a larger section of the wreck, where HMS Wager actually came to grief, may still remain to be discovered nearby offshore. The SES 2006 expedition made a 68 minute film (by Lynwen Griffiths) which
2610-444: The barge and were among the nine who returned. When Bulkley realised they were onboard he tried to get them to return, but the barge set sail quickly and rounded the point of land whilst Speedwell was at anchor. Once back at the island, the barge party was greeted by Cheap, who was delighted to hear of their wish to remain with him. By the time Bulkley sailed back in search of the barge and its men, all had disappeared. Speedwell and
2697-421: The boats and made it safely on shore. On the following day, Friday 15 May, the ship bilged amidships, water flooded in below, and many of the drunken crew still on board drowned. In the Royal Navy of 1741, officers' commissions were valid only for the ship to which they had been appointed; thus the loss of the ship implied the loss of any official authority. Seamen ceased to be paid on the loss of their ship. After
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2784-522: The boats for an undetermined plan of escape, and outright mutiny remained only a possibility so long as his work continued. Once the schooner was ready, however, events happened quickly. Bulkley set the wheels in motion by drafting the following letter for Cheap to sign: Whereas upon a General Consultation, it has been agreed to go from this Place through the Streights of Magellan, for the coast of Brazil, in our way for England: We do, notwithstanding, find
2871-591: The coast of what would subsequently be known as Wager Island in position 47°40′43″S 75°02′57″W / 47.67861°S 75.04917°W / -47.67861; -75.04917 in Guayaneco Archipelago . A nearby island just to the west is named Byron Island ( es:Isla Byron ), in honour of loyal midshipman John Byron . Some of the crew broke into the spirit room and got drunk, armed themselves and began looting, dressing up in officers' clothes and fighting. The other 140 men and officers took to
2958-494: The command of Lieutenant Colonel Cracherode. Most of these men were the first to die during the hardships of the voyage. Their inclusion in place of regular troops was severely criticized by historian Glyndwr Williams as cruel and ineffective. The squadron took forty days to reach Funchal where they replenished supplies of water, wood and food before making the Atlantic crossing to Santa Catarina . Two weeks into this leg of
3045-485: The countryside before his move to the town itself. All of the ladies were fond of Byron and became extremely reluctant to let him leave, successfully getting the governor to agree to Byron staying with them for a few extra weeks. He finally left, amidst many tears. Once in Chacao, Byron was also offered the hand in marriage of the richest heiress in the town. Her beau said, although "her person was good, she could not be called
3132-440: The crew mutinied against their captain, David Cheap , abandoned him and a group of loyal crew members on the island, and set off in a modified schooner (named Speedwell ) via the Strait of Magellan to Portuguese-administered Rio de Janeiro . Most of the mutineers either died or were abandoned on shore during the journey, but the survivors eventually returned to England. Cheap and his loyalists on Wager Island were rejoined
3219-432: The cutter and rejoining it. Soon after, at night, she broke loose from her consort's tow line and was wrecked on the coast. Of the eighty-one men who had departed about two weeks before, ten had already perished. As food began to run out, the situation became desperate. Ten men were picked out and forced to sign a paper consenting to being cast ashore on the uninhabited, frozen, bog-ridden southern coast of present-day Chile,
3306-429: The cutter turned around and sailed south. The journey was arduous and food was in very short supply. On 3 November the cutter parted company; this was serious as she was needed for inshore foraging work. By now Bulkley was despairing of the men aboard the schooner; most were in the advanced stages of starvation, exposed in a desperately cold, open boat, and had lapsed into apathy. Some days later they had good news, sighting
3393-401: The desolate shore 300 miles (480 km) south of Buenos Aires . For the second time he would abandon men to a seemingly certain death, only to confront some of them back in England years later; three of the party he left behind, after much exertion, made it back to England alive. Only thirty-three men remained aboard Speedwell . Eventually, and after a brief stop at a Portuguese outpost on
3480-418: The destitute group embarked for England on a Dutch ship. On 9 April 1745 they landed at Dover , three men of the twenty who had left in the barge with Cheap on 15 December 1741. News of their arrival quickly reached the Admiralty, and Bulkley. Cheap went directly to London with his version of events. A court martial was organised, with Bulkley being at risk of execution. HMS Wager (1739) HMS Wager
3567-422: The disaster in 1741. It is now bigger and higher. What is now an inland lake at the north west corner of the island was once an inlet connected to the sea, as shown on Admiralty charts of the early 1800s. Somewhere in this inlet, now an inland lake, was the likely location of the survivors camp in 1741, rather than on the current coastline. "The spot which we occupied was a bay formed by hilly promontories; that to
Wager Mutiny - Misplaced Pages Continue
3654-421: The first time Cheap had been put in command of a large vessel, which was crewed by sick and dispirited men. He compounded these handicaps by denigrating the technical abilities of many of the officers, and being easily moved to fits of rage. Cheap was, however, a capable seaman and navigator, a big and imposing man, and a loyal and determined officer. Anson impressed on Cheap the importance of Wager and her role in
3741-448: The frames and external planking. It lay on the bottom of a small river, which had temporarily become a torrent after a three-day storm, which had the effect of removing a covering layer of sand. Carbon-14 dating indicated a date contemporary with the Wager . The expedition also identified "Mount Misery", named by the survivors in the contemporary accounts and used as a viewpoint, as being the 180 m high hill about 3 km south and inland from
3828-419: The group were offered passage on a ship to Spain; all agreed, except Campbell. He chose to travel overland with some Spanish naval officers to Buenos Aires and from there to connect to a different ship also bound for Spain. Campbell deeply resented Cheap's giving him less money in a cash allowance than he gave to Hamilton and Byron. Campbell was suspected to be edging toward marrying a Spanish colonial woman, which
3915-530: The island had left in an attempt to sail north and re-join the squadron. Cheap's group could not weather a cape in the voyage north and therefore returned to Wager Island three months after they had left, having given up hope of escape. A few days later, however, a group of indigenous Chonos visited the island and, after some negotiation, agreed to guide the group north to the Spanish-inhabited Chiloé Archipelago in return for
4002-462: The island, Cheap's group returned. The thirteen survivors were close to death, and one man died of starvation shortly after arriving. Back at the island, Cheap's health was observed to deteriorate markedly, with his legs swelling to twice their normal size. He also attracted criticism in Byron's subsequent narrative for taking more food than the others but doing less work. Fifteen days after returning to
4089-418: The island, the men were visited by a party of indigenous Chono nomads led by Martín Olleta , who were astonished to find castaways there. After some negotiation, with the surgeon speaking halting Spanish , the Chono agreed to guide Cheap's group to a small Spanish settlement up the coast, using an overland route to avoid the peninsula. The castaways traded the barge for the journey. Iron was highly valued by
4176-489: The journey, the store ship Industry signaled to Anson that it required to speak to him. The captain of Industry told the commodore that his contract had been fulfilled and Industry needed to turn back for England. Her stores were distributed among the remaining ships, with a large quantity of rum sent aboard Wager . Her cargo now consisted of rum, siege guns to attack fortified Spanish holdings and trading goods for use with coastal inhabitants, to be traded for supplies for
4263-435: The longboat and some guns. Most of the group died on the journey from starvation and exposure, but Cheap and several others survived and returned to England in 1745, two years after the surviving mutineers. The adventures of the crew of Wager were a public sensation and inspired many narratives written by survivors and others to the present day. HMS Wager was a square-rigged, sixth-rate Royal Navy warship of 28 guns. She
4350-405: The mission, as the squadron would draw on her store of small arms and ammunition to attack shore bases along the coast of present-day Chile. The delays of the voyage were most keenly felt when the squadron rounded Cape Horn. Weather conditions were atrocious; high sea states and contrary winds meant that progress west was very slow. Added to this was the deteriorating health of Wager ' s crew:
4437-467: The morning the ship struck again; this time, the hull was damaged beyond repair and Wager began to sink. Wager struck rocks on the coast of a small, uninhabited island . Some of the crew broke into the spirit room and got drunk, armed themselves and began looting , dressing up in officers' clothes and fighting, while 140 other men and officers took to the boats and made it safely to shore. Their prospects were desperate, as they were shipwrecked far into
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#17327809410554524-419: The navy, and a strong likelihood of a lifetime of poverty and isolation. At worst, he could be found guilty of cowardice and executed by firing squad , as demonstrated a few years later by the 1757 execution of Admiral John Byng . Cheap wanted to head north along the coast to rendezvous with Anson at Valdivia. His warrant officers had warned him against some of his actions, which would reflect badly on him when
4611-462: The officers on board, was held in thinly disguised contempt by Cheap. Bulkley repeatedly tried to persuade Cheap to change his mind, arguing that the ship was in such poor condition that the crew's ability to sail was compromised, making Cheap's decision to head for Socorro too hazardous, especially given that the whole area was poorly charted. In the event Bulkley was to prove exactly correct, but Cheap refused to change course. What Bulkley did not know
4698-481: The ongoing scurvy outbreak meant few able-bodied seamen were available to work the ship and carry out running repairs to the continually battered rigging. After many weeks working westwards to clear the Horn, the squadron turned north when navigational reckoning suggested enough westerly had been made. At this time latitudinal determination was relatively easy with the use of a sextant ; however, longitudinal determination
4785-470: The only survivors. Before handing over the English to Spanish authorities, Olleta's party stopped somewhere south of Chiloé Island to hide all iron objects, likely to avoid having them confiscated. Scholar Ximena Urbina conjectures that Olleta must have lived close to the Spanish and heard from other natives of the wreckage; thus the rescue was not by chance but an enterprise done with prior knowledge of
4872-541: The privilege of looking at the 'terrible Englishmen', people they had heard much about, but never seen before. However, the harsh conditions moved not only their curious visitors but also the sentry at their cell door, who allowed food and money to be taken to them. Eventually Cheap's whole group made it to Santiago, where conditions were much better. They stayed there on parole for the rest of 1743 and 1744. Exactly why becomes clearer in Campbell's account: After two years,
4959-456: The remains. Thus Mount Misery was not either of the two more distant higher points on modern maps named Mount Wager and Mount Anson. There is a 28 page summary of the SES 2006 expedition by the leader Major Chris Holt in C H Layman's 2015 book. This includes extensive maps and colour photographs of the locations and objects. It explains and illustrates that Wager Island has been pushed upwards out of
5046-418: The schooner and be important for inshore foraging work along their journey. Bulkley was skillful enough to give the plan a chance of success. Despite much prevarication, Cheap would not agree to Bulkley's plan. He preferred to head north and try to catch up with Anson's squadron. Cheap was in a predicament. By being shipwrecked he would automatically be subject to court martial, the possibility of expulsion from
5133-405: The schooner, now named the Speedwell , got under sail with the cutter and barge in company. Cheap refused to go, and to the relief of the mutineers he agreed to be left behind with two marines who were earlier shunned for stealing food. Everyone expected Cheap to die on the island, making their arrival in England much easier to explain. Bulkley assumed this by writing in his journal that day, "[T]his
5220-543: The sea by about 7 m due to a total of 94 earthquakes since 1741. One of these actually happened during the disaster itself as is recorded in John Bulkeley's journal. The island is close to the boundary of active tectonic plates on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The largest earthquake ever recorded occurred in the region in 1960. This major seismic activity has significantly changed the shape of Wager Island since
5307-417: The secondary squadron rendezvous, the island of Juan Fernández , their primary destination; it was not as close to the mainland as Socorro and was less likely to result in the wrecking of the ship on a lee shore. Bulkley was recognized as probably the most capable seaman on the ship and held an officer's rank. Navigation was technically the responsibility of the master, Thomas Clark, but he, along with most of
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#17327809410555394-416: The ship's chainplates . Whilst there he thought he caught a fleeting glimpse of land to the west. The lieutenant, Baynes, was also on deck but saw nothing, and thus the sighting was not reported. Baynes was later reprimanded at a court martial for failing to alert the captain and thus losing a precious opportunity to save the ship. Unbeknownst to the crew, Wager had entered a large uncharted bay, now called
5481-407: The ships of the squadron. Wager became separated and then needed to make her rendezvous. Unfortunately, it turned north before it had sailed sufficiently far to the west, and in foul weather closed the coast of modern-day Chile. On 13 May 1741 at 9:00am, the carpenter went forward to inspect the chain plates. Whilst there he thought he caught a fleeting glimpse of land to the west. Lieutenant Baynes
5568-412: The shipwreck and mutiny. As a result of Baynes' report, Bulkley and Cummins were detained aboard Stirling Castle for two weeks whilst the Admiralty decided how to act. It was eventually decided to release them and defer any formal court martial proceedings until the return of either Anson or Cheap. When Anson did return in 1744, it was decided that no trial would proceed until Cheap returned. Bulkley asked
5655-536: The situation, having formed a violent gang that repeatedly terrorised his former shipmates on various pretexts, causing them to move to the opposite side of the city to avoid King. After many episodes of fleeing their accommodations, Bulkley, Cummins and the cooper , John Young, eventually sought protection from Portuguese authorities, as related by Captain Stanley Walter Croucher Pack : The mutineers eventually secured passage to Bahia aboard
5742-399: The south so exceeding steep, that in order to ascend it (for there was no going round, the bottom being washed by the sea) we were at labour of cutting steps. This, which we called Mount Misery, was of use to us in taking some observations afterwards, when the weather would permit." The piece of discovered wooden hull had evidence of burn marks. This would be consistent with descriptions of
5829-471: The southern latitudes at the start of winter with little food on a desolate island without resources to sustain them. The crew were dangerously divided, with many blaming Cheap for their predicament. On 15 May, Wager bilged (the bottom of the hull broke open) amidships, and many of the drunken crew drowned. The only crewmembers left aboard were boatswain John King, a rebellious and difficult individual, and
5916-465: The squadron and used to subvert Spanish rule. Many men in the squadron died of scurvy due to lack of fresh citrus fruits or meats. The high contingent of invalids, coupled with disease among the crew, meant that Anson's squadron was in poor condition for the arduous rounding of Cape Horn . Anson moved Captain Dandy Kidd from Wager to Pearl and Captain Murray to Wager . Kidd died of sickness after
6003-400: The squadron left Santa Catarina and before they reached the straits of Staten Island . He allegedly made a deathbed prediction of success and riches for some, but death and devastating hardship for the crew of Wager . Anson now moved Captain Murray from Wager to Pearl . He then moved Lieutenant David Cheap from the small sloop Tryal and promoted him to captain of Wager . This marked
6090-589: The survivors who found themselves marooned on the desolate Wager Island in the middle of a Patagonian winter, and in particular because of the Wager Mutiny that followed. Wager was an East Indiaman , an armed trading vessel built mainly to accommodate large cargoes of goods from the Far East. As an Indiaman it carried 30 guns and had a crew of 98. Under Captain Charles Raymond it sailed from
6177-482: The very dangerous island chain between Grenada and St Vincent , the ship headed for Puerto Rico . The crew was alarmed at seeing abandoned barrels from British warships, as Britain was now at war with France . After narrowly avoiding being captured off San Domingo , the ship made her way to Brest , arriving on 31 October 1744. After six months in Brest being virtually abandoned with no money, shelter, food or clothing,
6264-508: The wreck of Wager , these factors, combined with terrible conditions and murderous in-fighting between officers and men, caused discipline to break down. The party divided into two: 81 men under the gunner, John Bulkeley , took to small boats with the aim of returning to England via the East coast of South America, and 20 men, including Captain Cheap and Midshipman John Byron (later Vice Admiral "Foulweather Jack") remained on Wager Island . After
6351-524: The yawl was overturned and lost, with the quartermaster drowned. There was not enough room for everyone in the barge, and four of the most helpless men, all marines, were left on the shore to fend for themselves. In his account, Campbell describes events thus: Fourteen men were now left, all in the barge. After repeated failed attempts to round the headland, they decided to return to the island and give up all hope of escape. The four stranded marines were looked for but had disappeared. Two months after leaving
6438-415: The year changed on 25 March in those days), as Bulkley was returning to Spithead, the four survivors of Cheap's group had spent seven months in Chacao. Nominal prisoners of the local governor , they were allowed to live with local hosts and were left unmolested. The biggest obstacle in Byron's efforts to return to England began firstly with the old lady who initially looked after him (and her two daughters) in
6525-437: Was a night of terrible weather, with Wager becoming difficult to steer as her lack of maintenance left the hull and rigging at breaking point. At 4:30 am, the ship struck rocks repeatedly and broke her tiller . The hull was punctured and water quickly flooded the lower decks, drowning dozens of ill and disabled crewmen. Bulkley and another sailor, John Jones, began steering the ship with sail alone towards land, but later in
6612-496: Was a professor of history at Queen Mary, University of London since 1974, specialising in the history of exploration and the history of Europe overseas. He was appointed a professor emeritus of the University of London in 1997. Williams earned his bachelor's degree and PhD at the University of London . He became reader in history at Queen Mary College, London and was then promoted to professor. He served as general editor of
6699-471: Was a square-rigged sixth-rate Royal Navy ship of 28 guns. It was built as an East Indiaman in about 1734 and made two voyages to India for the East India Company before the Royal Navy purchased her in 1739. It formed part of a squadron under Commodore George Anson and was wrecked on the south coast of Chile on 14 May 1741. The wreck of Wager became famous for the subsequent adventures of
6786-563: Was against the rules of the Royal Navy at that time. Campbell was furious at this treatment. He wrote: On 20 December 1744, Cheap, Hamilton and Byron embarked on the French ship Lys , which had to return to Valparaiso after springing a leak. On 1 March 1744 (modern 1745) Lys set out for Europe, and after a good passage round the Horn she dropped anchor in Tobago in late June 1745. After managing to get lost and sail obliviously by night through
6873-428: Was also there but he saw nothing, and the sighting was not reported. Consequently, no one realised that Wager had entered a large, uncharted bay, the Gulf of Penas . At 2:00pm land was positively sighted to the west and northwest and all hands were mustered to make sail and turn the ship to the southwest. During the operations that followed, Captain Cheap fell down the quarterdeck ladder, dislocated his shoulder, and
6960-475: Was built as an East Indiaman in approximately 1734 and made two voyages to India for the East India Company (EIC) before the navy purchased her in 1739. As an Indiaman she carried 30 guns and had a crew of 98. Under Captain Charles Raymond, Wager sailed from the Downs on 13 February 1735, arriving in Madras on 18 July and returning to England via St Helena in July 1736. She made her second and final run for
7047-466: Was confined below. The ship's disabled and worn-out condition severely hampered efforts to get clear of the bay. At 4:30am the next day the ship struck rocks repeatedly, broke her tiller, and although still afloat, was partially flooded. Invalids below who were too sick to get out of their hammocks drowned. The ship was steered with sail alone towards land, but later in the morning the ship struck again, and this time became hard aground. Wager had struck
7134-624: Was fitted for naval service at Deptford Dockyard between 23 November 1739 and 23 May 1740 at a cost of £7,096.2.4d and was registered as a sixth rate on 22 April 1740, being established with 120 men and 28 guns. Anson's squadron consisted of some 1,980 men (crew plus infantry), of whom only 188 would survive the voyage. It included six warships and two victuallers (supply ships) in addition to Wager : The two merchant vessels were Anna (400 tons, 16 men) and Industry (200 tons), and they carried additional stores. The squadron also included 470 invalids and wounded soldiers from Chelsea hospital under
7221-418: Was much harder to predict: it required accurate timepieces or a good view of the stars on stable ground, neither of which were available to the squadron. Longitude was predicted by dead reckoning , an impossible task given the storm conditions, strong unfamiliar currents and length of time involved. The intention was to turn north only when Anson was reasonably certain that the Horn had been cleared. The result
7308-540: Was nearly a complete disaster. In the middle of the night, the moon shone through the cloud for a few minutes, revealing to diligent sentinels aboard Anna towering waves breaking onto the Patagonian coastline. Anna fired guns and set up lights to warn the other ships of the danger. Without this sighting, the whole of Anson's squadron would have been dashed upon the coast, with the likely loss of all hands. The ships turned around and headed south again into huge seas and
7395-488: Was now their prisoner and they were taking him to England for trial for Cozens' murder. Lieutenant Hamilton of the Royal Marines was also confined, the mutineers fearing his resistance to their plan. Cheap was completely taken aback, having no real idea how far things had gone. He said to Lieutenant Baynes, "Well 'Captain' Baynes! You will doubtless be called to account for this hereafter." At noon on 13 October 1741,
7482-424: Was that Cheap was following his orders and it had been impressed upon him that the siege guns in the hold of Wager were required for attacking Valdivia ; he was unwilling to abandon hope of reuniting with Anson. These orders were secret and Bulkley's belief that Juan Fernández was their secondary rendezvous was incorrect. On 13 May 1741, at 9 am, John Cummins, Wager ' s carpenter, went forward to inspect
7569-462: Was the last I ever saw of the captain." In the event, both men would make it back to England alive to tell their version of events, Cheap some two years after Bulkley. The voyage got off to a bad start. After repeatedly splitting sails, the barge was sent back to the island, where there were additional stores. Two midshipmen, John Byron and Alexander Campbell, who had been tricked into thinking Cheap would be taken home with them, quietly slipped aboard
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