The Survivors of the Chancellor: Diary of J. R. Kazallon, Passenger is an 1875

1875 in literature

The year 1875 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*October 1 - American poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe is reburied in Westminster Hall and Burying Ground with a larger memorial marker. Some controversy arose years later as to whether the correct body was exhumed.*...

 novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

 written by Jules Verne

Jules Verne

Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...

 about the final voyage of a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 sailing ship

Sailing ship

The term sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage "ship" became associated with all large...

, the Chancellor, told from the perspective of one of its passenger

Passenger

A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....

s (in the form of a diary

Diary

A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...

).

Characters

At the beginning of its voyage, the Chancellor carried eight passengers and twenty crew members. By the end, only eleven people (five passengers and six crew) remained alive.

Passengers

• J.R. Kazallon
• Mr. Kear, an American
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
   of Buffalo
  Buffalo, New York
  Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
  
  , is a wealthy and conceited man of about 50 years of age whose fortunes lie in the petroleum industry
  Petroleum industry
  The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
  
  . Leaving behind his fever
  Fever
  Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
  
  ish wife, he escapes the Chancellor in a whaleboat
  Whaleboat
  A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
  
   on the night of December 5 and is not seen again (his death, given the storminess of the ocean the next morning, is implied).
• Mrs. Kear
• Miss Herbey
• M. Letourneur
• Andre Letourneur
• William Falsten is a 45-year-old English
  English people
  The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
  
   engineer
  Engineer
  An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
  
   from Manchester
  Manchester
  Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
  
   who passes much of his time aboard the Chancellor engrossed in mechanical calculation
  Calculation
  A calculation is a deliberate process for transforming one or more inputs into one or more results, with variable change.The term is used in a variety of senses, from the very definite arithmetical calculation of using an algorithm to the vague heuristics of calculating a strategy in a competition...
  
  s. He is one of the eleven survivors.
• John Ruby is a Welsh
  Welsh people
  The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
  
   merchant
  Merchant
  A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
  
   originally of Cardiff
  Cardiff
  Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
  
   whose sole goal in life seems to be the pursuit of profit
  Profit (economics)
  In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
  
  . He loses his sanity
  Sanity
  Sanity refers to the soundness, rationality and healthiness of the human mind, as opposed to insanity. A person is sane if they are rational...
  
   after learning of the fire burning in the ship's hold
  Hold (ship)
  thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
  
   and realizing that it could detonate
  Detonation
  Detonation involves a supersonic exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually drives a shock front propagating directly in front of it. Detonations are observed in both conventional solid and liquid explosives, as well as in reactive gases...
  
   the thirty pounds
  Pound (mass)
  The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
  
   of potassium
  Potassium
  Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
  
   picrate
  Picric acid
  Picric acid is the chemical compound formally called 2,4,6-trinitrophenol . This yellow crystalline solid is one of the most acidic phenols. Like other highly nitrated compounds such as TNT, picric acid is an explosive...
  
   he had brought on board the ship. He dies on October 29, burned to death after jumping into the burning cargo hold.

Crew

• John Silas Huntly, an approximately 50-year-old Scotsman
  Scottish people
  The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
  
   of Dundee
  Dundee
  Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
  
  , is the captain
  Captain (nautical)
  A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
  
   of the Chancellor until he resigns his post to his first mate on October 23. He escapes the Chancellor in a whaleboat
  Whaleboat
  A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
  
   on the night of December 5 and is not seen again (his death, given the storminess of the ocean the next morning, is implied).
• Robert Curtis, the first mate on the Chancellor. John Silas Huntly passes over his post as captain to him on October 23 and he acts as a leader of sorts throughout the story. He survives the events.
• Lt. Walter
• The boatswain
• Hobart was the steward on the ship. Kazallon describes him as being in the best health during the raft trip, and it is eventually revealed that he was hoarding bacon. On this day, January 18, he commits suicide and several sailors cannibalize
  Cannibalism
  Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
  
   his remains. Kazallon, Miss Herbey, M. Letourneur, and Andre do not partake and it is unknown if Curtis does. His remains are thrown overboard on January 19, presumably by Andre.
• Jynxstrop

Timeline

The crew and passengers of the Chancellor are at sea for four months, from September 27, 1869 to January 27, 1870.

Note: This timeline omits any events for which the date cannot be precisely determined.

Onboard the Chancellor (September 27 - December 7, 1869)

• September 27: At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Chancellor departs Charleston, South Carolina
  Charleston, South Carolina
  Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
  
   with eight passengers, 20 crew, and 1,700 bales of cotton
  Cotton
  Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
  
  .
• October 7: The Chancellor arrives at latitude
  Latitude
  In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
  
   32°20' N and longitude
  Longitude
  Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
  
   64°50' W, not far off the coast of Bermuda
  Bermuda
  Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
  
  .
• October 11: The Chancellor enters the Sargasso Sea
  Sargasso Sea
  The Sargasso Sea is a region in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by ocean currents. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf Stream; on the north, by the North Atlantic Current; on the east, by the Canary Current; and on the south, by the North Atlantic Equatorial Current. This...
  
  .
• October 14: In early morning, the crew discovers a fire in the cargo hold
  Hold (ship)
  thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
  
  ; the passengers remain unaware. The Chancellor arrives at latitude
  Latitude
  In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
  
   21° 33' N and longitude
  Longitude
  Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
  
   50° 17' W.
• October 21: J.R. Kazallon, William Falsten, and Robert Curtis (the first mate) learn that John Ruby had smuggled thirty pounds
  Pound (mass)
  The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
  
   of potassium
  Potassium
  Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
  
   picrate
  Picric acid
  Picric acid is the chemical compound formally called 2,4,6-trinitrophenol . This yellow crystalline solid is one of the most acidic phenols. Like other highly nitrated compounds such as TNT, picric acid is an explosive...
  
   into the ship's hold
  Hold (ship)
  thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
  
  . All passengers become aware of the fire burning inside the ship after Ruby's outburst of Fire on board! Fire! Fire!.
• October 23: Captain
  Captain (nautical)
  A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
  
   John Silas Huntly resigns his post; Curtis, the first mate, becomes captain.
• October 29: Flames from the fire shoot through the deck
  Deck (ship)
  A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
  
  . Shortly before midnight, the Chancellor runs aground on a reef
  Reef
  In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
  
  .
  • John Ruby dies after plunging into the burning hold through an open hatchway.
• October 30: The ocean waves
  Ocean surface wave
  In fluid dynamics, wind waves or, more precisely, wind-generated waves are surface waves that occur on the free surface of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and canals or even on small puddles and ponds. They usually result from the wind blowing over a vast enough stretch of fluid surface. Waves in the...
  
   flood the ship's hold
  Hold (ship)
  thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
  
   and begin to extinguish the fire; repairs on the ship commence.
• October 31: Andre Letourneur proposes to name the newly-discovered reef
  Reef
  In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
  
   Ham Rock.
• November 6: The fire in the Chancellor's cargo hold
  Hold (ship)
  thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
  
   is extinguished.
• November 8: In a combined effort, the crew and passengers commence unloading the cotton
  Cotton
  Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
  
   into the ocean
  Ocean
  An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
  
  .
• November 20: Repairs to the Chancellor are completed.
• November 24: The Chancellor departs Ham Rock.
• November 30: At about two o'clock in the morning, a sailor discovers two feet of water in the hold
  Hold (ship)
  thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
  
  . The water rises to three feet by daybreak.
• December 1: The water inside the hold
  Hold (ship)
  thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
  
   is at five feet.
• December 3: The water inside the hold
  Hold (ship)
  thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
  
   is at six feet.
• December 4: Curtis, the captain, decides to abandon ship. Construction on a raft commences. The Chancellor stops sinking with the deck now two feet underwater. Near eleven o'clock at night, the ropes holding the uncompleted raft snap and it goes adrift.
• December 5: The Chancellor is now approximately at latitude
  Latitude
  In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
  
   16° N
  16th parallel north
  The 16th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 16 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean....
  
  . The hull
  Hull (watercraft)
  A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
  
   is three-fourths submerged.
• December 6: Near eight o'clock in the morning, the boatswain
  Boatswain
  A boatswain , bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The boatswain supervises the other unlicensed members of the ship's deck department, and typically is not a watchstander, except on vessels with small crews...
  
   discovers that the whaleboat
  Whaleboat
  A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
  
   is missing, along with Mr. Kear, John Silas Huntly, and three sailors. They escaped late the previous evening and their exact fate remains unknown (they are presumed to perish in the stormy waters).
  • At five o'clock, Mrs. Kear dies after experiencing (over the past three days) drowsiness, exhaustion, and fever.
• December 7: The construction of the second raft is completed. After eight o'clock in the morning, the Chancellor sinks after more than 70 days at sea.
  • At seven o'clock in the morning, two sailors and an apprentice drown after jumping overboard as the newly-completed raft begins drifting away from the foundering ship.

Onboard the raft (December 7, 1869 - January 27, 1870)

• December 7: The position of the raft is calculated as about latitude
  Latitude
  In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
  
   15° 07' N and longitude
  Longitude
  Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
  
   49° 35' W, approximately 650 miles northeast of Paramaribo
  Paramaribo
  Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
  
   in Dutch Guiana
  Suriname
  Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
  
  .
• December 17: Sharks begin following the drifting raft.
• December 22: A powerful storm ravages the occupants of the raft washing overboard two sailors as well as all of their meat and fish provisions.
  • At around three o'clock in the morning, two sailors (Austin and O'Ready) are washed overboard and perish in the storm.
• January 1: The last of the food provisions brought on board the raft from the Chancellor are exhausted.
• January 5: At six o'clock in the morning, a struggle takes place between six drunken crewmen led by Owen and Curtis, the boatswain, Dowlas, and some of the passengers. One of the mutineering
  Mutiny
  Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
  
   sailors, Wilson, dies after being struck in the chest by a hatchet
  Hatchet
  A hatchet is a single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade used to cut and split wood...
  
   wielded by Curties, and the mutiny is suppressed.
• January 7: At about half-past seven in the evening, Lt. Walter dies of tuberculosis
  Tuberculosis
  Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
  
   ("consumption").
• January 8: Before daylight, Curtis and Kazallon throw the body of Lt. Walter overboard, but not before discovering the right foot missing. Kazallon discovers later that night that the boatswain had cut off the foot for bait.
• January 10: Owen falls ill from copper oxide poisoning after secretly drinking from the previously untouched barrel of fresh water.
• January 11: Owen dies from copper oxide poisoning and his body is thrown overboard.
• January 13 or 14: At about eleven o'clock, Curtis and the boatswain sight a ship twelve miles from the raft. However, after the passage of several hours and despite the efforts of the raft's occupants (starting a fire aboard the raft), the ship disappears across the horizon.
• January 18: Hobart commits suicide by hanging sometime before dawn after Kazallon snatched away and ate a piece of bacon the steward had been (secretly) hiding away. To assuage their hunger, the sailors and Falsten proceed to cannibalize the body (Mr. Kazallon, Miss Herbey, Andre, and M. Letorneur do not join in; whether Curtis does is unknown).
• January 19 or 20: The uneaten remains of Hobart are thrown overboard (presumably by Andre) during the night.
• January 22: In a fit of madness, Jynxstrop jumps off the raft and is eaten by the circling sharks.
• January 26: A ten o'clock in the morning, Dowlas proposes that lots be drawn to determine who will be eaten by the rest. Hearing this, Mr. Kazallon refrains from attempting suicide by jumping overboard.

Footnotes

1. In Chapter XXX, Jules Verne
   Jules Verne
   Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
   
    writes that the Chancellor had been at sea 72 days before sinking. However, the actual length of its voyage is less than 71 days (it sailed only nine hours on September 27 and was afloat only eight hours on December 7). The precise length of the voyage is either 70 days, 17 hours (if the ship sank at 08:00 Charleston time) or 70 days, 15 hours (if the ship sank at 08:00 local time in the UTC-3
   UTC-3
   UTC−03:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −03:00.-As standard time :*Suriname*Falkland Islands*French Guiana*Brazil - East Northern and Northeastern States...
   
    time zone
   Time zone
   A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
   
   , which would be 06:00 in Charleston, which is located in the UTC-5
   UTC-5
   UTC−05:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −05.This offset is used in the Eastern Time Zone during standard time and in the Central Time Zone during Daylight Saving Time ....
   
    time zone
   Time zone
   A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
   
   ).

External links

(audiobook)

• Le Chancellor, available freely at http://jv.gilead.org.il (French text)