An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce: Wrecked on the Western Coast of Africa, in the Month of August, 1815

Experience one of the most extraordinary survival narratives of the nineteenth century in this gripping firsthand account of shipwreck, slavery, and endurance against overwhelming odds.

Captain James Riley recounts the harrowing true story of the wreck of the American brig Commerce off the desolate coast of the Sahara in 1815. Stranded in one of the harshest environments on earth, Riley and his crew faced starvation, thirst, enslavement, and constant danger as they struggled to survive among the tribes of the North African desert.

What follows is nearly beyond belief: a desperate march across the burning sands, capture by slave-trading tribes, prolonged suffering in captivity, and a near-miraculous escape. Written with immediacy and honesty, the narrative provides readers with a rare firsthand glimpse into a world that was, for most Americans and Europeans, almost unknown and unimaginable.

This carefully restored reprint revives a classic masterpiece of survival literature for modern audiences. Ideal for lovers of maritime history, exploration narratives, and true adventure, it remains one of the great firsthand accounts of endurance ever written.

About the author: James Riley (1777–1840) was an American sea captain whose remarkable survival after the wreck of the Commerce made him one of the most widely read travel writers of his era. Despite receiving little formal education, he pursued a career at sea from an early age. Following his rescue from captivity in North Africa, Riley became an outspoken opponent of slavery and spent several years promoting abolitionist causes before returning to maritime life. He died aboard his vessel, the William Tell, while sailing between New York and St. Thomas. Contemporary accounts attributed his death to physical ailments stemming from the extraordinary hardships he endured more than twenty years earlier during his shipwreck and captivity in the Sahara Desert.