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John Sen Inches Thomson (1845–1933), was a Scottish whaler and sealer, ship owner, captain and author. In 1877, Inches Thomson and his crew were sailing on the ''Bencleugh'' when she shipwrecked during a terrific gale off Macquarie Island, Tasmania, Australia. After four months on the island the crew was rescued by the ''Bencleugh's'' sister ship, ''Friendship''. In 1912, Inches Thomson released a book detailing the highlights of his sea voyages, including his time as a castaway. ==Shipwreck== John Sen Inches Thomson and his brother, Andrew, were sealers and whalers in the waters surrounding Australia and New Zealand. They were partial owners in the sailing ships ''Friendship'' and ''Bencleugh''. The ''Bencleugh'' was a 66 ton wooden schooner built at Port Chalmers, New Zealand in 1872 by Sutherland & Co., and registered out of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.〔 In early July in 1877, with a crew of 19, the ''Bencleugh'' left Port Chalmers, New Zealand, on a sealing trip.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?55326 )〕 They originally sailed beyond Macquarie Island looking for Emerald Island.〔 Emerald Island had first been reported in 1821 by the sailing ship ''Emerald''.〔 After finding no trace of the island, they concluded it never existed and began their return to Macquarie Island.〔 The crew spent the next three weeks fighting storms of wind, snow, fog and hail, never able to land at Macquarie.〔 During a break in the gales, the crew was able to land a whaling boat filled with supplies.〔 The next day, 6 August 1877,〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/macquarie-main.html )〕 a large wave overtook the ''Bencleugh'' and pushed it into the breakers.〔 The storm had driven the ship into a natural cleft in a reef, but the row boats had been washed ashore.〔 The crew determined that the only viable option to get off the ''Bencleugh'' before it broke up was for a volunteer to swim to shore with a rope.〔 Inches Thomson determined that as the ship's owner, he should be the one to attempt this dangerous feat.〔 His first attempt failed and he was pushed back by the sea, but his second effort to swim through the kelp fields and the icy water was successful.〔 Using the rope as their guide, the entire crew was able to make their way off the ship and onto Macquarie Island.〔 As a sealing island, Macquarie Island had several crude sealing huts on it.〔 The ''Bencleaugh'' crew was able to seek refuge in them.〔 Many of the crew had tossed their coats and shoes in preparation for their swim to shore, so even the minimal protection the huts provided were a welcome relief.〔 Two of the crew had either broken or dislocated legs, and several others had other injuries.〔 The night after the shipwreck, chief harpooner, Henry Whalley, died in one of the huts of his injuries.〔 Whalley was buried on the island.〔 The day after the shipwreck the crew was able to salvage additional supplies from the ''Bencleugh'' before it broke up.〔 These were used to supplement the provisions the crew had offloaded the day before.〔 The sails were cut up and used as blankets and to cover the tops of the huts.〔 The men also combed the beaches daily for tossed items that the tide eventually washed in.〔 Included in the items the crew was able to salvage were several casks of food, a whole box of tobacco and a rifle.〔 Fourteen days after the ''Bencleugh'' shipwrecked, her sister ship ''Friendship'' arrived at Macquarie Island.〔 The ''Friendship'' had left Port Chalmers shortly after the ''Bencleugh''.〔 After a short sealing run, the ''Friendship'' left with the ''Bencleugh's'' three injured sailors and as many of the remainder of the ''Bencleugh'' crew as could be arranged and returned to Port Chalmers.〔 After arriving at Port Chalmers, the ''Friendship'' was immediately fitted out again and dispatched back to Macquarie Island.〔 The ''Friendship'' finally returned nearly four months after the wreck of the ''Bencleugh''.〔 The ''Bencleugh'' crew busied themselves on the island by sealing and had made 15 tons of oil by the time of the ''Friendship's'' return.〔 After four challenging months, with many of the crew wearing sailcloth for clothes, the ''Bencleugh'' crew arrived back in New Zealand in time to celebrate Christmas 1877.〔〔 The ''Bencleugh'' was insured in the Victoria, Australia, office for £800.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Sen Inches Thomson」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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