The Lancier was built on Mahé in 1834. She is one of at least four ships that were built in Seychelles that ended in Australia. The others were the Arpenteur, built on Praslin in 1839; Marie Laure, built at Belombre in 1840, and Josephine Loizeau, built in 1840 on Mahé.
Built on Mahé, Seychelles
The Lancier was a barque that was built by Crook and Naz, Mahé, Seychelles for Mr. Charles Fourette. A barque is a sailing ship, typically with three masts, in which the foremast and mainmast are square-rigged and the mizzenmast is rigged fore and aft.
In the absence of a photo of Lancier I have used this photo to illustrate how a Barque looks like
She was sold to Mr Salome Hypolite Giguel in June 1839 and still owned by him when she was wrecked. Her master at that time was Captain Durocher. The Lancier does not appear in Lloyd’s Register; however, it is recorded by the Port Louis Controller of Customs in the Register of Ships.
Ship information
Gross tonnage (imperial tons): 285.0
Vessel length : Metres: 29.59
Vessel width : Metres: 7.3
Site of the wreck
Lancier was wrecked at the northern end of Hugél Passage, south of Stragglers Rocks, on Mewstone Reef, on West Australian coast. Her exact spot is:
Latitude-32.0798416667 Longitude 115.633525
Wreck location of the Lancier off West Australian Coast
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.
Wreck site of The Lancier
Protection of the remains is offered by the surrounding reef and ledges of rock.
Report of the Incident
The incidents surrounding the wreck of the Lancier is described at length by Le Mauricien Newspaper of the 6th of November 1839, and I have decided to reproduce below the full extract:
“…The Lancier, commanded by Captain Durocher, left Port Louis on the 25th of August and set sail for Hobart, intending to call at Fremantle. and made the land off Freemantle, on the 28th of September. Captain Durocher stood in for a passage between two islands, called Garden island and Cornac island, but there being no buoys laid down, and Captain Durocher being unacquainted with the navigation, never having been there before, was afraid to go in, but bore up for the passage between Cornac island and Rottenest island, about eight miles to the northward.
Map showing location of Cornac, Garden and Rottenest islands
In this passage, there are two rocks laid down in the chart, the one four, the other six feet under water. When the vessel got opposite the passage, Captain Durocher made a signal for a pilot and stood off and on till he could get aboard. A considerable time having elapsed, and no pilot appearing, nor any signal being made from the land, they determined to run in through the passage, trusting to the chart, the lead, and a good look out.
The first rock was passed safely on the starboard hand, and the vessel was steering so as to pass clear of the other; the lead, hove from the main chains, showed a depth of four and a half fathoms water, when the fore part of the ship struck with tremendous violence on a sunken rock, six feet under water. This rock is laid down considerably to the southward of the course the vessel was steering, and at the moment she struck, Captain Durocher considered himself out of any danger from it.
Immediately after the vessel struck, her stern sunk in the water, her bows being fast on the rock, and on the pumps being sounded, it was found there were four feet water in the hold. The wind blowing high, and a heavy sea running right in, Captain Durocher entertained the idea of forcing the vessel higher on the rock, hoping thus to save her from being broken up by the waves, but the sails were insufficient to force her higher, and the water which rushed into the hold, all flowing aft, sunk her stern very fast in the water. The sea was washing over, and a wave heavier than the rest, swept away her poop, and everything belonging to it into the sea. Seeing there was no chance of saving the vessel, they at length determined to abandon her and endeavour to save their own lives.
The yawl was first launched safely into the water, they then endeavoured to launch their two whale boats which were on deck, but the critical position of the vessel and the rolling of the water about the decks frustrated their attempts.
The passengers and crew then wished to get into the yawl, but it was too small to hold them all. They were obliged to leave four men on the forecastle of the wreck, and the yawl with the others shoved off for the shore. They had only one oar in the yawl, which they were obliged to use as a helm.
The boat was so loaded, and the wind so strong, that it was impossible to carry sail on her, and she drifted before the wind, towards the shore. The sea was very high, often threatening to engulf the feeble boat and its numerous passengers, who were obliged to continue bailing her out with their hats and shoes.
While this scene was going on almost within the Port of Swan River, some of the inhabitants of Freemantle were on a hill from which the roadstead and sea were visible. It is said that intelligence was thus conveyed to the harbour-master that there was a vessel in sight, and that he replied that it was a man of war making nautical observations.
It was however pointed out to him, that she had a signal flying at her fore, which showed that she was a merchant vessel. It was not till this was done that the harbourmaster went off for the vessel in his whale boat. Two other boats also pulled off towards the wreck—the one from the brig Fox, lying off Freemantle, the other belonging to and commanded by Captain Dempster, a resident at Freemantle.
About five miles from the wreck, the yawl was met by the harbourmaster’s boat; but it was in vain that Captain Durocher and mate asked him to re-conduct them back to the wreck to take off the four men who remained on it, and to endeavour to save some of the most valuable part of the cargo. The harbour-master would not even give them an oar to assist them in their perilous navigation. In the contemplation however that the men were every moment in danger of being drowned, the harbourmaster, wishing to dispense with taking a party of men into his own boat, promised to send another boat to take them off.
Shortly after, Captain Dempster met the yawl, and gave them an oar. He then took Captain Durocher, the mate, and one of the passeners into his boat, leaving the yawl to keep her course to the shore, while he proceeded towards the scene of the wreck. When they neared the wreck, the head of the vessel was still out of the water, but the water in the hold had risen to the fore-mast—the stern having sunk so much in the sea, that the bowsprit was almost perpendicular.
Soon after Captain Dempster’s boat got to the wreck, the harbour-master’s boat arrived, and took the four men from the wreck, and picked up two chests which were floating alongside. Not being able to find any of the books or charts, nor anything of value, Captain Dempster’s boat returned to the shore. On landing, Captain Durocher, being indignant at the treatment he had received, asked for the Governor, and was told that his Excellency resided at Perth, five leagues distant. He then went to the agent, who seemed to care little for what had happened, and the only information he could get from him was, that he and the passengers might live at a tavern, and that the crew might live at the jail.
Captain Durocher went to the tavern pointed out by the agent, but found it such a miserable place that he could not ask the passengers to it. He, however, succeeded in finding a house better fitted to receive himself and his companions in misfortune. The crew remained at the jail for three or four days, after which each man received an order from the agent to provide for his maintenance by work.
Captain Dempster showed great attention to the passengers during their stay at Freemantle, rendering them every assistance in his power. The Mauricien complains, and with justice, that there are no buoys laid down in the dangerous entrance to the harbour, nor pilots to take vessels 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”.
The story carries on…
Sarah Kenderline in her publication called A guide to historic wreck sites of Perth -Shipwrecks 1656–1942 , continued from where Le Mauricien stopped. Below is an extract from her publication.
“…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 description
Little remains of the structure of the Lancier as a result of prevalent weather conditions which expose guide to historic shipwrecks 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.
Artefacts
A large number of artefacts have been salvaged from the wreck site, including a copper staunchion, three copper rudder gudgeons, other rudder fittings and a pulley block. A full list of artifacts recovered from the wreck site is found catalogued in the Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database. To learn more, please click on the following links below:
https://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/wrecks/lancier
https://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/artefacts/search/Lancier
https://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/category/wrecks/lancier-stragglers
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