Maa Makunudhoo Shipwreck

The Persia Merchant

In August 1658, five months after leaving England, the Persia Merchant was shipwrecked on Maamakunudhoo Atoll while heading to Bengal. Onboard were eight chests of silver and possibly gold from West Africa. Attempts to salvage the cargo at the time of the wreck were unsuccessful.

Many perished, but 50 survivors were treated kindly by the Islanders, and after a month, they were provided with a good boat to sail to Sri Lanka. Among the survivors were Captain Roger Williams and mariner-captain Roger Middleton, who wrote about his experiences to his family after reaching India.

Middleton recounted that the ship quickly filled with water, leaving the survivors with nothing, and within four hours, it had broken apart. One of the boats sank beneath the ship, leaving only one available to rescue the victims. The survivors managed to reach an uninhabited island south of Makunudhoo using the boat and debris from the ship, but they were without food, drink, or weapons. Middleton wrote:

“Being without food, we searched the island. We found a well of water, which we drank like pigeons, lifting our heads and hearts for such a great mercy. Thus drinking water, by good fortune we found coconut trees, which provided both food and clothing, so we went by the seaside and found small shellfish and the like, but lacking fire, we took sticks and rubbed them together until they ignited. We lived there for ten or twelve days, uncertain whether it was better for us to be discovered by the neighboring Islanders, as the old sailors said they would cut our throats. At last, three of their boats full of men arrived, whom we feared but could not resist.”

The stranded castaways were taken to the island of Kuburudhoo (South Thilahunmathee) “where we had fish and other good things, like honey (Dhiyaahakuru) and rice, on which we fed like farmers.” In exchange for a gold chain and $100 from one of the merchants, they secured a vessel and sailed to Ceylon.

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