Loss
On 17 December 1773, the Royal Captain struck an uncharted reef in the South China Sea at 2:30 in the morning. The place where she struck is now known as Royal Captain Shoal and is some 46 miles (76 kilometers) from Palawan.
When she struck, in addition to her captain, Royal Captain was carrying six passengers and 99 crew members. Her cargo consisted of 100,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain, as well as tea, silk, glass beads and gold.
Even though the crew managed to free the ship twice, a third collision with the reef sealed her fate and she sank with the bulk of her cargo. All but three crewmen survived the sinking; the three sailors who drowned were apparently drunk and refused to take to the lifeboats.
The British ship Union picked up the survivors and carried them to Balambangan Island where, between 1761 and 1805, the East India Company maintained a free port. The crew returned home on Syren.
Read more about this topic: Royal Captain (East Indiaman)
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