gratefully acknowledges his obligations to the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty, for allowing him to have access to their Records, he
desires also to express his most cordial thanks for the assistance he
has received from those friends, who have kindly revised and improved
his pages as they passed through the press. Without such aid, his own
literary inexperience would have left the work more defective than it
is. He is especially indebted to some naval friends for correcting
his errors in the use of nautical terms and descriptions.

A list of all the shipwrecks that have occurred in the Royal Navy
since the year 1793 has been appended to this volume, in the hope that
it may be useful as a table of reference. The ships are classed,
first, under the initial letter of their names; and secondly, they are
arranged in chronological order as regards the time of their wreck.

W.O.S.G




PREFACE.


At the request of my son, the Author of this volume, I have undertaken
to write the Preface, and to say a few words on the very peculiar and
noble traits of character, which distinguish the British seaman on all
trying occasions, and especially in the terrible hour of shipwreck.

Many circumstances have combined to make me take a warm interest in
all that concerns the navy. In early life, having passed several