The Wreck of the General Grant

In May 1866 the full rigged ship General Grant, bound for Britain from Melbourne via Cape Horn, was wreck of the desolate sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands.As the ship sailed at the time of the gold rush in Victoria the ship carried at least 2500 ounces of gold, but probably a great deal more that was not recorded in the manifest. As the ship struck land at the base of a steep cliff, and partially in a cavern, 68 persons, many of them women and children, were drowned. There were only 15 survivors, one a woman. One died ashore, four others set out for NZ (200 miles to the north) in a small boat and were never seen again. It was 18 months before the remainder were rescued, after terrible privation and starvation. There have been numerous attempts to recover bullion from the wreck, none with any notable success. All aspects of this rivetting story are recorded in this excellent book. First edition of 1947, 168 pages including appendix and index, 30 b/w illustrations (photos and art), three maps. Blue hard covers with gilt spine titles VG with trace wear lower front corner/spine base, internally excellent, no inscriptions. Colour art DJ is VG+.