Duncan Dunbar

The Duncan Dunbar was a clipper constructed for the Scottish ship owner Duncan Dunbar in 1853. It was shipwrecked off the coast of Brazil on 7 October 1865 on the way to Sydney, Australia.

A contemporary report states:

DUNCAN DUNBAR : Built by James Laing, Sunderland. Launched November 30, 1853. Length 201 9, Beam 35, Depth of hold 22 7, 1320 grt. At the time, was the largest ship to be built at Sunderland.

The ship left London, under Captain Swanson, on 28 August 1865 and Plymouth on 2 September 1865, with passengers and cargo for Sydney. On the 7th October, 1865 she was wrecked on the reef Las Roccas 33.45 W., 3.52 S., on the coast of Brazil. She struck about 20:30. The Captain went in one of the boats to take soundings around her but she had gone aground at high tide. There were not enough boats to accommodate all the passengers and crew so he determined to wait until daylight to see if there was any dry land to which survivors could be taken by boat and raft. The passengers were in fear because the vessel was rolling heavily and striking violently with each roll. At daybreak on 8 October, the Captain succeeded in getting through the breakers to a landing place on one of the two sand islets which rose about 7 above ordinary high-water mark. Preparations were at once made to transfer the passengers and crew to the spot, the passengers being lowered in a chair over the stern because it was impossible to keep a boat alongside due to the heavy rolling. By 07:00, all were landed. The islet was covered with pig-weed but there was no water so this was ferried from the wreck. Four of the five water-puncheons were lost, being stove-in by debris or having drifted away. There were 117 persons on the reef. For the first two days they had a pint of water each in temperatures of 112 degrees. A tent was constructed for shelter. The islet was infested with land-crabs and various vermin. They stayed on the islet for 10 days and during that period had recovered from the wreck sufficient water and stores to serve a hundred people for a hundred days.Captain Swanson had left, in the lifeboat, on 11 October, 1865, to sail towards Pernambuco. After making 120 miles he was picked up by the American ship Hayara and dropped 15 miles from his destination. There, he procured the assistance of the Oneida, Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., which came to the island and took all hands safely to Southampton. The Captain remained in Pernambuco.