Hi Karen, What an interesting story! Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa by Malcolm Turner has 15 wrecks listed from 1830-1833 but none appear to be French. If you want a list of these please contact me off list. There was in 1829 L'Eole, a French ship on a voyage from Calcutta and Reunion, 12 men including the captain drowned. Then there was L'Aigle, a French whaler wrecked in 1834 at Slangkop where 3 men drowned. Later in 1840 La Lise was wrecked in Struis Bay while on a voyage from Mauritius to Bordeaux with 20 men drowned. I will have to do some more reading. Perhaps someone else could be of help here. Regards, Elva Qld, Australia > From: "Heather MacAlister - LearningOnline" > <Heather@learningonline.co.za> > Date: 19 May 2005 2:52:38 PM > To: SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: RE: [South-Africa-Cape-Town] Fw: New Member > > > Hello Karen > > The records you are looking for will be held in the Cape Government > Gazettes which are housed in the Cape Town Archives. > > These newspapers list the weekly intelligence shipping lists. > > www.familytree.co.za have done certain lists between the years of 1840 > and 1855 adding all the time. > > Some times passengers were mentioned but not always - generally only > 1st > class and 2nd class - the rest was just mentioned as a number. Eg and > 25 > passengers. > > There is a wonderful book on Shipwrecks off the Southern Coast of > Africa > but I am full of flu and I cannot remember the name but can see it in > front of me - it is on my wish list of books. > > Although there were hundreds of shipwrecks only the more notable ones > are mentioned in the book. > > My ancestors arrived because they were shipwrecked and I am also > looking > for that illusive missing ship and her passengers > > > Kind regards > > > Heather MacAlister > Site Manager > www.ancestry.mweb.co.za > www.familytree.co.za > > > Learning on Line > 46 Hof Street > Gardens > 8001 > > Tel: 021-481 8316 > -----Original Message----- > From: Karen Reynolds [mailto:kamp4@optusnet.com.au] > Sent: 18 May 2005 10:42 PM > To: SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [South-Africa-Cape-Town] Fw: New Member > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Karen Reynolds > To: SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L-request@rootsweb.com > Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 7:32 PM > Subject: New Member > > > Hello All, > I am from the lovely South West area of Western Australia. > I am looking for information on James Abraham Mathew Moulton or Abraham > Mathew Moulton. > I have the following partial letter and was wondering where do I go > from > here? > Where would I find more information. Is there a shipping list for > departing ships and shipwrecks, or a business register? The following > happened about 1830-1833. > Abraham's letter reads, "I began business as a horse dealer and after a > few years I acquired a sufficiency to become an importer of horses, > mules and sheep etc to a considerable amount yearly. > My last voyage to "The Cape of Good Hope" cleared me a net profit of > seven hundred and fifty pounds and the whole operation was concluded in > four months. > I then realized all my property and found I was worth between five to > six thousand pounds Stirling. Which I laid out in Sugar, tea and spices > and shipped the whole lot aboard a French ship bound for Bourduex, bid > adieu to a host of friends and set sail a happy man, full of hopes for > the future". > The letter goes on and then... > "Eighteen days after I had not a shirt to my sunburnt back, nought of > bread to eat. > All was swolled up by the relentless ocean or strewn the whole > unfrequented shores of Southern Africa. The ship lost and nine of my > unfortunate passenger served as "pate" to the forocious animals and > Africa.I and several others found ourselves on an almost unknown coast > in danger every minute do being devoured by wild beast, neither food > nor > clothing and several hundred miles from and human inhabitants. > Courage did not forsake us. At daylight we began our journey to the > Cape > of Good Hope. We were incessantly harassed by the caffers and in danger > of being murdered. Dying with hunger, continually harassed by savages > our comrades dropping down through exhaustion we travelled about 700 > miles and were fortunate enough to meet a missionary who protected us > from the natives, fed us for a few days and they sent us on about 100 > miles more till we arrived at the kraal of a Dutch Boer, who received > us > with astonishment and kindness. From here we were conveyed to Cape > Town > in wagons. From house to house, like paupers in England. On our arrival > in Cape Town we were treated with the utmost humanity by the > inhabitants, the theatre gave two nights performonces for our benefit > and we were soon clothed and well fed. But then the past came fresh on > my mind, meeting with an acquaintance whose ship was proceeding to the > Isle De France, I determined to accept a passage that he was so kind to > of! > fer" > Here he leaves and returns to Bournon. > Strangely enough in later years 1846 he was murdered by his Mascar > crewman at sea. > Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I would be grateful > for any information, help and direction that I could get > Thanks again > Karen