Shipwreck story unearthed in national library

A BOOK published in South Africa almost two centuries ago about a dash to safety by the survivors of a shipwreck has been unearthed in Cape Town.

British academic Dr David Culpin came across the book - written 182 years ago in French - at the national library while researching the collection of Sir George Grey, governor of the Cape Colony between 1854 and 1861.

Written by adopted Capetonian Charles Etienne-Boniface, it recounts the sinking of the merchant ship, The Eole, near Butterworth on the Wild Coast in April 1829.

The vessel was battered by a storm en route to France from Calcutta. Eight of the 20 crew survived. After watching their cargo of sugar melt into the sea, they trekked for three weeks to the Cape Colony.

Culpin, a researcher in the Department of French at St Andrews University in Scotland, said: "It's a fascinating story of how these survivors managed to find their way back to Cape Colony."

The author "was a playwright, journalist, actor, musician, French teacher and translator at the supreme court and was well known in Cape Town".

Only nine copies of the book are known to exist.

It is thought to be the first book in French and likely one of the first travel narratives published in South Africa.

When they reached the Cape Colony by sea from Port Elizabeth , the eight told their story to Boniface who published the account in November 1829.

"When they first came ashore the survivors needed to light a fire to cook food, so they took a burning stick from a village hut that had recently been burned down. To their surprise this aroused the anger of the local population because they were unwittingly disturbing an important funeral rite," said Culpin.

"Also, because they had no water, the survivors collected crates of Bordeaux that had been washed up on the beach and drank them."

Culpin is hoping to publish his book next year and plans to tour South Africa to highlight the story.