The vessel
Lancier does not appear in Lloyd's Register; however, it is recorded
by the Port Louis Controller of Customs in the Register of Ships. It was
built by Messrs Crook and Naz in 1834 for Mr Charles Fourette.
Under Captain Durocher, Lancier left Port Louis in Mauritius and
set sail for Hobart, intending to call at Fremantle. The vessel made the
land off Fremantle on 28 September and signalled to both Garden Island and
Carnac Island. The Captain was unfamiliar with the passage and, since no
buoys were laid down, was hesitant to make the approach. At approximately
12.9 kilometres to the northward, the vessel entered the passage between
Carnac Island and Rottnest Island. On the chart there were two rocks known
to be located in this area.
The wreck event
Once opposite the passage, the signal was made for the pilot. When none
appeared the vessel ventured forth with a lead hove and good look-out. The
first rock was passed on the port side; however, the second rock was struck
(Henderson, 1980:162).
The vessel's stern sank immediately and the bow stuck fast on the rock.
There was 1.2 metres of water in the hold, a substantial wind, and the sea
was running strong. The captain entertained the idea of forcing the vessel
higher up on the rock to prevent damage from the waves, but the sails did
not produce the force required and the aft hold filled further with water.
Waves began to come over the poop deck.
With no option, the yawl was launched but due to the conditions the two
whale-boats could not be let go. The former was too small to take all passengers
and crew, and it only had one oar. Observers of the scene conveyed the predicament
of the vessel to the harbour-master. He first had to be convinced that it
was flying the flag of a merchant ship and was not in fact a Man-of-War
making nautical observations (Henderson, 1981:161).
The harbour-master and another vessel under Captain Dempster of Fremantle
arrived at the wreck to find little in the way of wreckage material. Only
two chests remained floating alongside. At this stage the bow of the vessel
was still out of the water but the water in the hold had risen to the foremast
and the stern had sunk so far in the sea that the mast was almost perpendicular
to the surface.
Back in Fremantle the crew were housed in the jail and much hospitality
was offered by Dempster, while the actions of the harbour-master were a
source of complaint. The South Australian Register reported:
there were no buoys laid down in the dangerous entrance to the harbour, nor pilots to take people in. Unless the people of Swan River take means to render their harbour safe, they will get few persons to go near them, for no person will send his vessel to a port where it is almost certain she will be cast away (Extract from Le Mauricien article, SAR, 8 February 1840, quoted in Henderson, 1980:164).
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In 1946 a publication by Frank Goldsmith referred to the log of Captain
Dempster who had tried to receive in his vessel a chest of 7 000 specie
when he was rescuing the last four crew members. The chest was lost overboard
but Captain Dempster was said to have taken note of its location. There
is, however, no mention of the specie in official correspondence. The vessel
and its cargo were sold at auction for £6. 10 and £7. 10 respectively.
There are few references to the vessel after this time and the extent of
the salvage has not been determined. The possible presence of specie on
board certainly led to numerous expeditions to relocate the vessel in more
recent times, and in the 1950s the wreck was confused with that of Zedora
located just several hundred metres further south.
Site location
The site is located at the northern end of Hugél Passage, south
of Stragglers Rocks, on Mewstone Reef.
Site description
Little remains of the structure of the vessel as a result of prevalent
weather conditions which expose the reef to swell and surge. The depths
over the site range between 7 and 8 metres, with the remains of the wreck
being situated on a sandy bottom in holes in the reef. The wreckage is spread
over 25 metres length. Two anchors together with pieces of concretion lie
at the northern part of the site in a hole in the reef. The bow and stern
lie along an axis of 032°. Toward the mid section of the wreckage there
is a trypot standing proud of the sea-bed and in places broken bottles and
Willow Pattern china fragments are visible. About 8 metres further toward
the stern of the vessel from the trypot there is copper sheathing, bottles
and concretions, wood and a small lead piece, in the sand. Protection of
the remains is offered by the surrounding reef and ledges of rock (Kenderdine,
1994c:46).
Artefacts
In 1971, a carronade was recovered from the site and at the time of publication
is being treated at the Department of Materials Conservation at the Western
Australian Museum. Although desalination has been completed, extensive exfoliation
occurred on the iron surface due to partial drying of the object before
treatment was commenced.
Statement of significance
Historical and social
This site is of historical significance as the remains of a vessel involved
in the intercolonial and overseas trades, and whaling. The shipwreck soon
after the establishment of the colony led to identification of the problems
of negotiating the approaches to Fremantle. The loss of this vessel together
with Elizabeth in the same period would have amounted to a value
exceeding the total produce of the colony in that year, and was a bitter
blow to the fledgling economy. Subsequent speculation about the specie has
become enshrined in the lore of the local community.
References
Kenderdine, S., 1994c, Lancier, unpub. Wreck Inspection Report, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, No. 111.
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