Phatisalam
The Phatisalam was a ship that was wrecked in 1821 leading to the death of eight people.
The Phatisalam, a ship of 259 tons, was built in 1816 in Cochin, India. Under the command of Captain Peter Dillon the ship left Calcutta on 25 January 1821. It was a slow journey and in early poor weather the ship began to leak badly, taking on board nearly 50cm per hour. The crew of Lascars faired badly on the slow and arduous trip with several dying and the rest suffering from starvation and illness. In a gale on the night of 9 July 1821 the ship was beached on Hunter Island, Bass Strait. Nobody was injured in the beaching, however after waiting several months for rescue, it was decided to try and make Port Dalrymple. When one of the longboats was launched it capsized leading to the deaths of six crew and two prisoners. The only survivor was a female passenger. [1]
The remaining passengers and crew reached George Town, Tasmania after a stormy trip of some twelve days. [2] In mid October the wreck was surveyed and burnt by the surveyors.
References
- ↑ Australian Shipwrecks - vol 1 1622-1850, Charles Bateson, AH and AW Reed, Sydney, 1972, ISBN 0 589 07112 2 p61
- ↑ Something about old Colonists by J.E. Galber in The Mercury 29 Jan 1881, p15
