Not to be confused with another ship named Eliza

Eliza (1808)

Not to be confused with another ship named Eliza, which was lost in 1797The Eliza was an American brig wrecked in Fiji in 1808.The Eliza was a brig of some 135 tons that had been constructed and registered at Providence, Rhode Island, USA...

, which wrecked in 1808.

The Eliza was a sloop-rigged longboat

Longboat

In the days of sailing ships, a vessel would carry several ship's boats for various uses. One would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by eight or ten oarsmen, two per thwart...

 that was involved in the rescue of the survivors of the wreck of the Sydney Cove

Sydney Cove (ship)

Sydney Cove was a sailing ship wrecked in 1797 on Preservation Island off Tasmania while on her way from Calcutta to Port Jackson. She was among the first ships wrecked on the east coast of Australia.- Voyage :...

in 1797.

The Eliza sailed from Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 on 30 May 1797 to Preservation Island

Preservation Island

Preservation Island is a low and undulating granite and calcarenite island, with an area of 207 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Preservation Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait south-west of Cape Barren Island in the Furneaux Group, and is an important historic...

 in Bass Strait

Bass Strait

Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...

. On arrival the Eliza took on board several survivors and some cargo. Under the command of Archibald Armstrong

Archibald Armstrong

Archibald Armstrong , court jester, called "Archy," was a native of Scotland or of Cumberland, and according to tradition first distinguished himself as a sheep-stealer; afterwards he entered the service of James VI, with whom he became a favourite.-At court:When the king succeeded to the English...

, Eliza sailed for Sydney but was never seen again. In 1803 a large boat was found between Port Phillip

Port Phillip

Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...

 and Westernport by HMS Calcutta

HMS Calcutta (1795)

HMS Calcutta was an East Indiaman converted to a Royal Navy 56-gun fourth rate. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia in a voyage that became a circumnavigation of the world. The French 74-gun Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805...

and it was thought that it was the Eliza.