Maritime adventures at Natal 1: the Princeza and Bell

This snippet from the Natal Mercury 21 July 1859 emphasises that once a ship reached its destination, Natal, there could still be any number of complications before a passenger actually set foot ashore. The Reliance dragged her anchors and nearly came to grief, but was eventually hauled to safety. The Jan Van Brakel lost both her anchors, spares being supplied from the shore. This incident led to a lawsuit. On board the Van Brakel were nearly fifty Dutch immigrants destined for New Guelderland on the Natal North Coast, part of Colenbrander's scheme. 

The Princeza mentioned in the above report was a schooner of Liverpool commanded by Captain W Lee. She was almost the cause of a disaster in September 1854 when the Port Boat - whose crew on that occasion included Captain William Bell and the harbour pilot/coxswain George Archer - coming ashore in the early hours from the schooner which lay outside at anchor, had a narrow escape from drowning. The night was very dark and the Port Boat filled with water in the heavy surf. Bell and his crew were immersed chest-deep before they abandoned her and slowly groped their way to land without a light. If the incident had taken place a yard or two nearer the deep water channel all the men would have been lost. 

[Source: The Natal Mercury Supplement 27 September 1854 ‘Boat Accidents’.]

Schooner

Passenger arrivals Natal April 1859

Shipping column from The Natal Mercury 14 April 1859
Note that, as usual, the rank and file of troops on board the transport
Himalaya are not individually named.
Two Dutch ships, the Hermanus Isaak and the Jan Van Brakel,
 part of the New Guelderland emigration scheme arranged by Colenbrander,
are mentioned under Vessels Expected.

Tracking details of a ship arrival

By patiently going through, column by column, a relevant time-frame for the arrival of a ship in South Africa it is sometimes possible to put together a detailed account of her history from the moment of her embarkation until reaching her destination.

In the case of the Jan van Brakel, a Dutch emigrant ship, we find a report in the Natal Mercury of 23 June 1859 of her arrival at Simon's Bay (Simonstown in the Cape) on her way to Natal:

Then there is a reference on 14 July to her 'standing off the port' (Durban) and in some danger as a result - she had lost both her anchors:

There follows a mention, on 21 July 1859, of her lying at the outer anchorage off Port Natal. A long wait aboard after a lengthy voyage from Holland for her cargo of immigrants (given variously as 75 or over fifty).

Reading each separate report as well as the shipping column once she had officially arrived at Durban we find she had left Amsterdam on 15 March, so her voyage lasted four months.

Finally we find an advertisement published prior to her departure, homeward-bound:

The press had a few tries at the Captain's name but appear to have finally settled on De Roever.

Shipping and Passengers Port Natal 1859

This snippet from the Natal Mercury 21 July 1859 emphasises that once the ancestor's ship reached its destination, Natal, there could still be any number of complications before he actually set foot ashore. The Reliance dragged her anchors and nearly came to grief, but was eventually hauled to safety.  The Jan Van Brakel lost both her anchors, spares being supplied from the shore. Apparently this incident led to a lawsuit. On board the Van Brakel were nearly fifty Dutch immigrants destined for New Guelderland on the Natal North Coast, part of Colenbrander's scheme. Note that they are merely given as a group, no individual names being supplied. These are however available in other contemporary sources. 

See molegenealogy.blogspot.co.za/2012/06/dutch-immigrants-on-jan-van-brakel.html

The Princeza, incidentally, nearly brought about the end of Captain Bell who with other men went out to this vessel in the port boat which capsized in the surf on its return nearly drowning all those on board.

Passenger lists from the Natal Mercury April 1859

Passenger lists for the barque L'Imperatrice Eugenie and the screw-steamer Himalaya.
 Typically, there are no names given for troops of the 85th Regiment on board Himalaya.
Note also under Vessels Expected the two Dutch barques, Hermanus Isaak and Jan Van Brakel
bringing emigrants to New Gelderland, Natal under Colenbrander's scheme.
Natal Mercury 14 April, 1849