| The Flying Dutchman is ghost
ship, said to be crewed by cowards, rogues, and shirkers. In some ways
it has even become a generic term meaning any ghost ship. Often it
appears in fogs or the edge of storms. It is said that seeing it is a
bad omen, and that doom is sure to follow for the unlucky sailor and his
ship.
The legend of The Flying Dutchman is said
to have started in 1641 when a Dutch ship sank off the coast of the Cape
of Good Hope:
Captain Van Der Decken was pleased. The
trip to the Far East had been highly successful and at last, they were
on their way home to Holland. As the ship approached the tip of Africa,
the captain thought that he should make a suggestion to the Dutch East
India Company (his employers) to start a settlement at the Cape on the
tip of Africa, thereby providing a welcome respite to ships at sea.
He was so deep in thought that he failed
to notice the dark clouds looming and only when he heard the lookout
scream out in terror, did he realize that they had sailed straight into
a fierce storm. The captain and his crew battled for hours to get out of
the storm and at one stage it looked like they would make it. Then they
heard a sickening crunch - the ship had hit treacherous rocks and began
to sink. As the ship plunged downwards, Captain Van Der Decken knew that
death was approaching. He was not ready to die and screamed out a curse:
"I WILL round this Cape even if I have to keep sailing until
doomsday!"
So, even today whenever a storm brews off
the Cape of Good Hope, if you look into the eye of the storm, you will
be able to see the ship and its captain - The Flying Dutchman. Don't
look too carefully, for the old folk claim that whoever sights the ship
will die a terrible death.
Many people have claimed to have seen The
Flying Dutchman, including the crew of a German submarine boat during
World War II and holidaymakers.
On 11 July 1881, the Royal Navy ship, the
Bacchante was rounding the tip of Africa, when they were confronted with
the sight of The Flying Dutchman. The midshipman, a prince who later
became King George V, recorded that the lookout man and the officer of
the watch had seen the Flying Dutchman and he used these words to
describe the ship:
"A strange red light as of a phantom
ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the mast, spars and sails of
a brig 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief."
It's pity that the lookout saw the Flying
Dutchman, for soon after on the same trip, he accidentally fell from a
mast and died. Fortunately for the English royal family, the young
midshipman survived the curse. |
