Famous Shipwrecks in Maldives

The Corbin

The Corbin was a French Ship of 400 tons which set sail from St. Malo with the Croissant on May 18, 1601, in search of trade with the east. Plagued by misfortune and ill discipline, the Corbin was destined for disaster and met its end on Goidhoo, or Horsburgh Atoll, on July 2, 1602. It was carrying a cargo of Silver and attempted salvage at the time of loss was unsuccessful.

Of the 40 or so survivors, one band of 12 men stole a boat and made it to India. Only four of the reminder survived the five-year captivity. One of them was François Pyrard, who wrote about his adventure when he returned. It wasn't untill February 1607, when an expedition from Chittagong invaded the capital, that Pyrard and his three remaining companions were taken to India and eventually returned to France . Ironically, it was the excellent cannon on board the Corbin that the raiding party was after, which eventually freed the captives.

Pyrard took pains to learn Maldivian language and by doing so was able to largely determine his own destiny and obtain an insight into Maldivian society never before seen by a western, on which he wrote extensively;

"I have remarked that nothing served me so much, or so conciliated the goodwill of the people, the lords, and even the king, as to have a knowledge of their language, and that was the reason why I was always preferred to my companions, and more esteemed than they." (The Voyage of François Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, The Maldives, The Molucas and Brazil)

The wreck of the Corbin may have passed unnoticed through history were it not for the historical accounts left by François Pyrard. His account of the wreck and ensuing captivity makes compelling reading and his description of life in the islands and the customs of the people make his book a valuable source of reference for historians and students of Maldivian history and culture.

The Hayston

The Hayston, a three-mast English vessel commanded by Captain Sartorius, set out from Isle-de-France (nowadays Mauritius ) for Calcutta on July 1, 1819. For several days of bad weather which prevented them from taking any observations and on July 20 at 8 pm, some reefs were noticed in the gloomy darkness. There was little time to tack and this ship struck the reef on Maamakunudhoo Atoll on the north west of the Maldives .

Next morning the sailors discovered they had run on to an enormous reef, as far as the eye could see, that turned out to be covered with water on the high tide. A small islet was seen by telescope 25 km away which they called the "Isle of Hope". On the 22nd, three sailors tried to reach this isle by raft but were never seen again.

On the 24th, every sailor was employed in building a raft large enough to carry them all but when it was nearly completed the Lascar sailors, from the west coast of India, cut the rope and sailed away.

Two more sailors, Serang and his brother, were separated from the remaining survivors when a raft on which they were paddling between the reef and the shipwreck, was caught in the current and drifted away to the south east. In another accident, a rope was stretched between the reef and the ship and a young boy died trying to return to the ship.

Finally, on the 26th some sailors embarked on the small dingy and sailed for the Isle of Hope. They were discovered by fishermen from the island of Makunudhoo survivors arrived in Malé on August 4 and were treated with much hospitality.

On August 10, Serang and his brother arrived in Malé. after drifting away on their raft, they spent three nights and four days out at sea and passed eleven islands before they landed on an uninhabited island. They were both very weak and survived on coconuts before being rescued by a passing fishing boat. They were conducted to the island where the fishermen lived and were treated with much kindness.

On August 14, the six Lascars who stole the large raft, arrived at Malé. They resorted to lies to explain the infamy of their behavior, claiming the raft had been broken, had gone drifting and the current had carried them away. Despite their treachery, they were treated equally by the Sultan.

The wreck of the Hayston is noted for the humanity of the Maldivians and generosity of the Sultan. In all cases, the castaways were well provided for and the sultan would not allow them to pay for anything in his country. Officer Schultz wrote:

"Let the Christians blush thinking that, through they profess a religion that enjoin the most tender charity, you turned out, in our minds, to be, as it were, superiors to them in the practice of virtue and humanity."

The Ravestein

The 800 Ton Dutch East Indiaman Ravestein was sailing to Jakarta from the Netherlands with a valuable cargo of gold and silver when it ran aground near Mathiveri Island in Ari Atoll on May 9, 1726. At the time of loss, nine chests of silver and one chest of Gold were recovered.

Persia Merchant

One night in August 1658, five months, after her departure from England , the Persia Merchant was wrecked on Maamakunudhoo Atoll, while en route to Bengal . On board were eight chests of Silver and probably gold from West Africa . Salvage was attempted at the time of loss but was unsuccessful.

Many were drowned, but the 50 survivors were well treated by the islanders and after one month they were given a good boat in which they sailed to Sri Lanka . Among the survivors was Captain Roger Eilliams and the mariner-captain Roger Middleton, who wrote an account of his adventures to his family after reaching India.

Middleton said the ship filled with water quickly, leaving the survivors with nothing and within four hours she had broken into pieces. One of the boats sunk under the ship, leaving just one other to rescue the victims. The survivors found their way by boat and broken pieces of the ship to an uninhabited island south of Makunudhoo, but without food, drink or arms.

Middleton wrote:

"Being without food, wee ranged about the island. Wee foun a well of water, of which wee dranke like pigeons, lifting head and harts for soe greate a mercy. Thus drinking watter, by good providence wee found coker butt trees, which is both food and rayment, soe wee went by the sea side and found little shell fish and the like, but wanting fire wee tooke sticks and rubbed them together untill they kindled, thsu wee lived heare twn or twelve dayes, not knowing weather it was better for us to be seen by the Neighbouring Islanders, for the ancient seamen sayd they would cutt our throats. Att last there arrived three of their boats full of men, which wee dreaded but could not resist."

The stricken castaways were taken to the island of Kuburudhoo (South Thiladhumnathee) "where we had fish and other good things, as hony and rice, on which wee fedd like farmers". For the price of a gold chain and a 100 dollars from one of the merchants, they obtained a vessel and sailed to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). 

Prazer E Allegria

The Prazer E Allegria left Lisbon , Portugal , on November 8, 1843 with 84 convicts and relief officers and others bound for Goa , India . She reached the "Cape of Good Hope" with the loss of 29 convicts from scurvy and on Match 16, 1844; the crew sighted several islands which the captain declared were the Maldives . With the current running at three miles an hour towards land, the captain continued on the same course.

Major de Quinhones, who was in charge of the convicts, said in a report of the disaster:

"At about 4 o'clock in the evening the ship was so near land that we could see the people distinctly; and it was then that a little boat manned by blacks, and with an English Jack fixed at the poop, came off from one of the islands. Approaching the ship one of the Moors pointed towards a channel which lies between three or four islands. The Captain hailed the Moors, and told them to come on board; but seeing the convicts they immediately departed through fear, lowering the Jack. Thus we were comitted to the current, which every moment drove us much nearer land, and upon a reef of coral which lies opposite the second island. The night was dark and there was lightning; the breakers dashed incessantly on the sides of the ship, forcing her more onto the reef; at length the rudder broke, and the ship rested; but a large leak was sprung. All of us worked the pumps, but it was impossible to reduce the water."

The ship had struck the reef off Muli Island in Mulaku Atoll and on the morning of the 18th, the passengers and crew were transported to Muli Island without loss of life. On the following day the cock-boat, the long boat and a hired boat from the villagers were dispatched in order to procure more provisions but all three boats were sunk by waves. Eleven lives were lost, mostly convicts.

The 104 survivors remained on the island of Muli for 5 days before being transported to the "King's Island ". It took 7 days sailing by day only and stopping the night at islands to reach Malé. The Captain hired 2 catamarans to transport the survivors to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), among who were 2 ladies and 3 children.

Guraidhoo Wreck

In the 16th century, a Chinese ship with a cargo of porcelain and Chinese merchandise was a racked near the island of Guraidhoo in South Malé Atoll. The story is best told by Pyrard , who visited the island in 1605.

"I was at that island one day, and saw the mast and rudder of the ship that was lost there. I was told it was the richest ship conceivable. It had onboard some 500 persons, men, women, and children, for the Indians take the greater part of their household to sea with them. These 500 persons were night all drowned, and there remained by a hundred saved. This ship came from Sunda ( Indonesia ), laden with all kind of spices and other merchandise of China and Sunda. Judging merely from the mast of this vessel, I thought it the largest I had ever seen, for the mast was taller and thicker than those of the Portuguese carracks; and the king of the Maldives built a shed of the length of the mast to keep it as a curiosity. I saw also another mast and a top much larger than those of portugal . Thus was I led to believe that in the Indies they build vessels larger and of better material than in Portugal or anywhere else in the world. The greatest ships come from the coast of Arabia, Persia , and Mogor, and some have as many as 2,000 persons on board."

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