Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
A shocking shipwreck
ISLES OF SCILLY, 1707
How do you know where you are at sea? The consequences of error are evident on this chart,
which, despite the fantastic array of creatures in its margins, has a serious purpose. It shows
the scene of one of the greatest maritime disasters in British history when, on 22 October
1707, the Royal Navy lost four ships and nearly 2,000 men, in just one incident. Although
Britain was at war with France, these losses were not due to enemy action. They happened
because the sailors wrongly thought that they were in safe waters, and had no way to check
their course.
