Sarawak - a general history

Launched as Sarawak; completed September 1858; Official No. 25166; Code Letters PDTQ.

Owners: 1858 Greek & Oriental Steam Navigation Co (Stefanos Xenos) London-renamed Marco Bozzaris.

Masters: 1858 G Burn; 1859 Samuel Dudliston (C.N.12316 London 1855); 1861 George Hindhaugh (C.N.10522 Sunderland 1854); 1861 Hughes.

Voyages: October 1858 left London for Athens & Constantinople; November 1859 London for Gibraltar with Admiralty stores; 1860 from London for Galatz with a cargo of Indian corn; 19 January 1861 for Malta; 3 July 1861 from Constantinople.

On 16 October 1861 bound for Galatz with a cargo of Indian corn & a total crew of 26, during a thick fog & a heavy storm, she foundered at sea about 200 miles from Malta. Ten men left in their lifeboat to board a Norwegian barque that had hove in sight & four of them were supposed to return for the six men, including the master, who had stayed aboard the Marco Bozzaris. On reaching the safety of the barque, however, all but two refused to return to the sinking vessel to save their comrades. On seeing there was to be no rescue for them, five of the six men remaining on the Marco Bozzaris managed to get the other lifeboat into the water &, although she was stove in, she floated. In their hurry to get away one man, Edward Dawson of Hull, was left aboard the sinking vessel. Although they could hear his cries they dared not return for him as the lifeboat would not have made it & they would have all drowned. Insurance paid on the vessel & cargo was £5,000.

Life lost October 1861:

Dawson, Edward, seaman, Hull

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