The Cruel Wreck Of H.M.S. Nautilus

The island of Cerigo, modernly called Kythira, is situated off one of the southern-jutting fingers of the Greek peninsula.  Greece’s rocky shores have without doubt claimed more than their fair share of shipwrecks; and in 1807, near the end of the Napoleonic wars, they became the scene of a terrible tale of maritime suffering and survival, which we will now relate. 

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The Leadership Of Captain Thrupp

Tales of superlative leadership abound in naval history. Through the study of historical examples, we are instructed in the qualities and characteristics of proper command. In early 1871 the British Admiralty sent a detachment of soldiers and marines to Australia aboard the iron screw frigate Megaera.  The ship carried 42 officers, 44 marines, 180 seamen, and 67 boys, for a total of 333.  After stopping briefly at the Cape of Good Hope, the Megaera embarked on the long journey across the Indian Ocean to Sydney.  It was anticipated that the vessel would reach its destination by July 5. 

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