Royal Captain (1773)

In 1773 the Royal Captain, a British East Indiaman, hit a shoal and was lost on its way to Balambangan from Canton while transporting goods, which consisted of 100,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain, as well as tea, silk, glass beads and gold. The captain and most of the crew were able to rescue some of the Company’s treasures and eventually made it to Balambangan.

In 1999 an expedition discovered the wreck and salvaged some of her cargo. The ship measured 43.6 metres from bow to rudder and 11 metres across the beam. Five percent of the Royal Captain was excavated, with 1,847 artefacts brought to the surface, which included the ship’s bell, porcelain, statuettes, vases, and cups. The remaining 95 per cent of the vessel has not been touched.