Perils by Sea and Land; A Narrative of the loss of the Brig AUSTRALIA by Fire, on her voyage from Leith to Sydney, with an account of the sufferings, religious excercises, and final rescue of the crew and passengers
Author
Adam Yule
Editor
Reverend James R McGavin
Date1845
Object number00047037
NameBook
MediumCardboard, cloth, paper
DimensionsOverall: 156 x 98 x 9 mm, 92.18 g
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Ron and Pamela Walker
DescriptionThis short account of a shipwreck survival story from the 1840s describes the destruction by fire of the Irish brig AUSTRALIA off the west African coast and the subsequent struggles of the 28 crew and passengers. It was written by the ship's master Adam Yule. Yule places the reasons for their survival firmly with the 'wonderful providence of God'.
Perils by Sea and Land was widely published and is a classic example of a nineteenth century genre of religious instruction through true accounts of hardship and survival against the odds.HistoryThe Brig AUSTRALIA was loaded with passengers and cargo from Ireland to Australia in 1840 and off the African coast a fire was discovered in the hold. The fire was initially fought, but grew out of control and the ship's master Adam Yule ordered the crew and passengers to abandon ship.
In his published book of the affair, Yule recounts - with a firm conviction in the 'providence of God' - how after the crew and passengers escaped the fire, they miraculously landed safely on a treacherous shore of south-western Africa, and walked to a Dutch settlement, and then to Cape Town.
The Rev. James McGarvie was approached by Yule with a manuscript and he published the story. It was subsequently reviewed in the The Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle, Volume 32, 1845 as a 'deeply affecting narrative... illustrative of the wonderful providence of God'. Perils by Sea and Land was widely published and is a classic example of a nineteenth century genre of religious instruction through true accounts of hardship.
SignificancePerils by Sea and Land was widely published and is a classic example of a nineteenth century genre of religious instruction through true accounts of hardship.
