French ship Chameau
Encyclopedia
The French ship Chameau or Le Chameau (Camel) was a wooden sailing ship of the French Navy
, built in 1717. She was used to transport passengers and supplies to New France
(in present day Canada
), making several trips. Nearing the end of her last voyage, a storm blew her onto some rocks on August 27, 1725. She sank, with the loss of all aboard; estimates range as high as 316 dead. Alex Storm located the wreckage near Chameau Rock, and in 1965 recovered a treasure of gold
and silver pieces.
The Chameau was built in Rochefort, France
, in 1717, the brainchild of young naval architect Blaise Ollivier. After visiting English and Dutch shipyards, he envisioned a fast, yet well-armed naval transport called a flute. The Chameau had a "keel of 135 feet (41.1 m), a width of 31 feet (9.4 m), and a draft of 15 feet (4.6 m)", and displaced 540, 600 or 650 tons. It was armed with "twenty 12-pounder cannons along the lower gun deck and two more in the stern. Twenty-two 6-pounders mounted on the upper deck completed a complement of 44 cannons."
From 1719 to 1725, she carried cargoes, passengers and funds from France to her colony in North America and returned with passengers and cargo such as wood, wood tar, and beaver pelts. Between 1720 and 1724, she was "commanded successively by de Voutron, de Lamirande, de Beauharnois and Meschi".
She set out from La Rochelle
on her final voyage in July 1725, under the command of Jean de Saint James. Aboard were a large quantity of gold, silver and copper coins, and dignitaries such as de Chazel, the new Intendant, and de Louvigny, the Governor-Elect of Trois-Rivières
. Several miles east of her destination of Louisbourg
, the ship was swept onto the rocks by a storm on August 27, 1725. The Chameau sank, and all aboard perished; the reported number of dead ranges from 216 to "over 300" to 316. 180 bodies were washed ashore and given a mass burial.
An unsuccessful attempt to salvage the cargo was not made until the following year. In 1965, Alex Storm and his associates found the wreck and brought up gold and silver coins. According to a letter dated May 14, 1726, from the Minister of Marine, the funds lost amounted to "83,308 livres
11 sols
1 denier
, including 27,258 livres 8 sols 9 deniers expended for clothing the troops at Quebec." By Storm's calculations, he "had made a nearly complete recovery of the funds shipped on the Chameau in 1725". In December 1971, most of the coins and artifacts were auctioned off. Some of the artifacts are displayed in the Louisbourg Maritime Museum.
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, built in 1717. She was used to transport passengers and supplies to New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
(in present day Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
), making several trips. Nearing the end of her last voyage, a storm blew her onto some rocks on August 27, 1725. She sank, with the loss of all aboard; estimates range as high as 316 dead. Alex Storm located the wreckage near Chameau Rock, and in 1965 recovered a treasure of gold
Louis d'or
The Louis d'or is any number of French coins first introduced by Louis XIII in 1640. The name derives from the depiction of the portrait of King Louis on one side of the coin; the French royal coat of arms is on the reverse...
and silver pieces.
The Chameau was built in Rochefort, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in 1717, the brainchild of young naval architect Blaise Ollivier. After visiting English and Dutch shipyards, he envisioned a fast, yet well-armed naval transport called a flute. The Chameau had a "keel of 135 feet (41.1 m), a width of 31 feet (9.4 m), and a draft of 15 feet (4.6 m)", and displaced 540, 600 or 650 tons. It was armed with "twenty 12-pounder cannons along the lower gun deck and two more in the stern. Twenty-two 6-pounders mounted on the upper deck completed a complement of 44 cannons."
From 1719 to 1725, she carried cargoes, passengers and funds from France to her colony in North America and returned with passengers and cargo such as wood, wood tar, and beaver pelts. Between 1720 and 1724, she was "commanded successively by de Voutron, de Lamirande, de Beauharnois and Meschi".
She set out from La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
on her final voyage in July 1725, under the command of Jean de Saint James. Aboard were a large quantity of gold, silver and copper coins, and dignitaries such as de Chazel, the new Intendant, and de Louvigny, the Governor-Elect of Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
. Several miles east of her destination of Louisbourg
Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
Louisbourg is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-History:The town's name was given by French military forces who founded the Fortress of Louisbourg and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, in honour of Louis XV...
, the ship was swept onto the rocks by a storm on August 27, 1725. The Chameau sank, and all aboard perished; the reported number of dead ranges from 216 to "over 300" to 316. 180 bodies were washed ashore and given a mass burial.
An unsuccessful attempt to salvage the cargo was not made until the following year. In 1965, Alex Storm and his associates found the wreck and brought up gold and silver coins. According to a letter dated May 14, 1726, from the Minister of Marine, the funds lost amounted to "83,308 livres
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
11 sols
French sol
The sol was a coin in use in Ancien Regime France, valued at a 20th of a livre tournois. The sol itself was subdivided into 12 deniers.Over the 17th century the term sol was, apart from in a few instances, progressively replaced by sou, reflecting its pronunciation. In 1787 a sol's buying power was...
1 denier
French denier
The denier was a Frankish coin created by Charlemagne in the Early Middle Ages. It was introduced together with an accounting system in which twelve deniers equaled one sou and twenty sous equalled one livre...
, including 27,258 livres 8 sols 9 deniers expended for clothing the troops at Quebec." By Storm's calculations, he "had made a nearly complete recovery of the funds shipped on the Chameau in 1725". In December 1971, most of the coins and artifacts were auctioned off. Some of the artifacts are displayed in the Louisbourg Maritime Museum.