Young William (1794 Whitby ship)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Young William |
| Builder: | Whitby |
| Launched: | 1794 |
| Fate: | Wrecked September 1802 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 460 (bm) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament: |
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Young William was launched in 1794 at Whitby. She made a voyage to Botany Bay for the British East India Company (EIC), and then on her way to China discovered or rediscovered several Pacific Islands. Later, she made two voyages as a slave ship. She was wrecked in September 1802.
On 11 September 1794 Young William, with James Mortlock, master, started taking on stores at Deptford on the account of the Government of New South Wales. She then waited at Portsmouth and Plymouth for a convoy to Australia.
Captain Mortlock sailed from Portsmouth on 25 May 1795, bound for China via Port Jackson. Young William reached Rio de Janeiro on 11 July. There she revictualed and stayed until 22 July. On 19 August she passed the Cape of Good Hope. She finally arrived at Port Jackson on 4 October. She unloaded her stores and then on 29 October left for China.
Mortlock sailed for China via New Guinea. On 14 November a flotilla of war canoe approached Young William, clearly intending to board. Mortlock fired a warning shot from one of his cannon, which sufficed to deter them.
On his way, Mortlock rediscovered two sets of islands. At noon on 20 November Mortlock gave his position as 4°56′S 157°5′E / 4.933°S 157.083°E. This is about 10 miles from the Takuu Atoll, a Polynesian outlier atoll northeast of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. On 28 November Mortlock identified another atoll, this one at 5°17′N 153°28′E / 5.283°N 153.467°E. This is Satawan, which is part of the Nomoi or Mortlock Islands in the Carolines and administratively it is part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Both sets are in the Federated States of Micronesia: the Nomoi Islands and the Upper Mortlock Islands.
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Wikipedia