Sir Fowell Buxton (ship) facts for kids
The barque Sir Fowel Buxton on shore at Capin Assu, on the north-east coast of Brazil
|
|
| History | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Owner | Peter Tindall |
| Launched | 1851 |
| Fate | Wrecked 1852 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 446 |
The Sir Fowell Buxton was a sailing ship weighing 446 tons. She was officially registered in London in 1851. This ship was part of the Australian Line of Packets, which helped people travel to Australia. The ship was named after Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, a famous British person who worked to end slavery. Her first captain was John Hacker. Later, during her last trip, George Woodcock was the captain.
Contents
The Ship's Last Journey
In late 1852, the Sir Fowell Buxton began her final voyage. She left London on October 22, 1852, and then Plymouth, England, on November 9, 1852. There were 230 people on board, heading for Geelong and Port Phillip in Australia.
Hitting the Shoals
On December 16, 1852, the ship hit some underwater rocks called Tapioca Shoals. This happened off the coast of Brazil, near Cape San Roque. Luckily, even though the ship was damaged, no one died.
Life After the Shipwreck
Local people, called natives, came to help in their small boats. The passengers and crew safely landed on the sandy shore. There were not many trees, so it was hard to find shade from the sun. The shipwrecked people had some biscuits. The natives also gave them fish, coconuts, and melon seeds to eat.
A few days later, the ship's masts were cut down. The crew worked to remove the luggage from the ship. Some people got hurt during this process. Many boxes in the ship's storage area were also opened. The survivors stayed in Capin Assu for about a week and three days.
Moving to Macau
After Capin Assu, the survivors were moved by canoes to a place called Macau. Here, they found several houses in a row. They were given beef to eat. From Macau, they wrote to the English Consul, who is like a government representative.
The Consul from Pernambuco came to Macau. He told everyone they should travel to Pernambuco. Some people started their journey by boat. However, another Consul from Paraiba stopped them. He said the shipwreck happened in his area, so he would take care of them. He planned to send them to Paraiba.
Arrival in Paraiba
After more than two months in Macau, and a week on a small boat, they finally arrived in Paraiba on March 1, 1853. A small ship called the Richard had just arrived there. The Consul had rented this ship to take the survivors to Australia.
After staying in Paraiba for a month, they boarded the Richard on April 1, 1853. Sadly, 13 of their fellow passengers who had gone ashore in Cabedelo later died from Yellow Fever. A week after leaving Cabedelo, the Richard arrived in Pernambuco.
Reaching Australia
The Richard finally arrived at Port Phillip in Australia on July 5, 1853. This was after three months at sea. The passengers stayed on board the ship until the following Saturday before they could finally go ashore.
