THE MYSTERY OF THE MARY CELESTE!
‘Ghost Ship’ Found Near Azores PASSENGERS & CREW MISSING December 4th, 1872
ship of the Dei Gratia. ‘She left a week before us,’ says Captain Morehouse. ‘She should be in Genoa by now. And why is there nobody on deck?’ ‘I don’t know , sir,’ says the first mate. A Friend More men came out onto the
It’s a hot afternoon. A Canadian ship called the Dei Gratia is sailing from the Azores towards the Portuguese coast. e sea is calm. e first mate is looking out to sea through his telescope. In the distance he sees another ship. He watches it for a few minutes. en he calls to his captain. ‘Look at the ship over there, sir’ he tells Captain Morehouse. Captain Morehouse looks through the telescope. en turns to the first mate. ‘What’s the Mary Celeste doing here?’ he says. e Mary Celeste is the sister
First mate spots ship drifting in the ocean
deck. ey watch the Mary Celeste drifting on the tide. ‘What’s happening, Captain?’ ‘I don’t know,’ says Captain Morehouse. ‘But something is wrong. Briggs wouldn’t allow his ship to drift like that ’ Morehouse has known Captain Briggs for many years. On the night before the Mary Celeste left New York the two old friends had dinner together.
Crew - workers on a s Captain - commands/leads ship First mate - 2nd in command Telescope - to see objects in distance
‘We need to find out what is going on,’ Captain Morehouse tells the first mate. ‘Prepare a party to board the ship. ’ Boarding Party e first mate and two other men form the boarding party. ey sail out towards the Mary Celeste in a small boat. As they get closer to the ship all conversation stops. ey can hear the sound of the sails blowing in the wind. But nobody comes on deck to greet them. e men from the Dei Gratia board the ship. ‘Ahoy there!’ they call out. ‘Is anyone here?’ But there’s no answer. Captain Briggs is not on board. Nor are his wife and daughter. Nor are his seven crew. ‘ey’ve all gone,’ the first mate later tells his captain. ‘It’s like a ghost ship’.
Genoa - port in Italy Drift - move slowly without direction. Board - enter a ship Boarding-party - team boarding ship
The Mary Celeste Teaching Pack © 2013 Kieran McGovern |