Wager Narratives, Three riveting accounts of shipwreck, mutiny, marooning and survival: A Voyage to

Three first hand accounts of a notorious naval disaster and its aftermath

The famous wreck of HMS Wager occurred in 1741 during the 'War of Jenkins' Ear, ' . As a part of a naval squadron sent to raid Spanish shipping in the Pacific, the ship, while rounding Cape Horn, struck rocks and ran aground on a desolate, uninhabited island off the coast of Chile. Many crew members died from starvation and hypothermia. The breakdown of discipline led to infighting, murder, and mutiny against Captain David Cheap. This book provides insights into the incident from the perspectives of three seaman who were personally involved. John Bulkeley was a veteran ships gunner and navigator. He foresaw the wreck, but was ignored by Cheap .Once stranded, he became the leader of the mutineers, opposing the captain's plan to sail into Spanish territory. Instead, he navigated a modified open boat crafted by Cummins, (who was the ship's carpenter) with 81 initial survivors, to safety in Portuguese Brazil, though 48 of them perished on the journey. Morris was a Midshipman, who joined Bulkeley's mutinous faction but found himself marooned for over a year in Patagonia before being captured by indigenous people and later imprisoned by the Spanish. However, he survived the ordeal and he eventually returned to England years later.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.