Shipwreck - Arniston
The Indian and Atlantic oceans meet at Cape Agulhas, the seas are very rough and there are over 140 ships that have been wrecked on that coast at Waenhuiskrans.
There was a convoy of ships sailing from Ceylon to England in 1815. One of the ships was the Arniston which was taking mainly wounded soldiers back to England to recuperate. There were 378 passengers on board the Arniston.
The Arniston didn't have a chronometer because they were too expensive, he depended on the other ships in the convoy, but he got separated from the convoy by heavy seas and turned north heading for what he thought was for St Helena, and ended up on the rocks near Waenhuiskrans.
Fisherman's Cottage, Cape Dutch Architecture, Arniston
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Only six of the passengers managed to reach the shore, where they spent some days before being found by the locals.
A monument was erected by Mrs Giels to her four sons who died in the wreck.
Nowadays the names of Waenhuiskrans and Arniston are both used for the small settlement.
It has been made a monument site and is still a fishing village, with tourists visiting regularly.
Arniston
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