Eliza (1808)

The " Eliza " was an American brig wrecked in Fiji in 1808.

The "Eliza" was a brig of some 135 tons that had been constructed and registered at Providence, Rhode Island, USA. It carried a crew of ten and was owned by Brown & Ives.

On 22 April 1808 the "Eliza" left Sydney, Australia for Norfolk Island and Fiji. In June the ship was totally wrecked SSW of Nairai Island. One man, who had been rescued from earlier by the "Eliza" from the wreck of the "Port au Prince" was drowned. While the rest of the crew waited the Master of the "Eliza", E Hill Corri and his two mates travelled in a whaleboat to Sandalwood Bay where on 29 June 1808 they found the brig "Elizabeth" and the American ship "Jenny" lying at anchor. Corri and a rescue crew from both these ships travelled the sixty or seventy miles back to the "Eliza" wreck, where they were promptly attacked by natives. The cooper from the "Elizabeth" was killed but the remaining sailors, led by the second officer of the "Jenny", Seth Barton, counter attacked and defeated the natives.

Corri and his crew then sailed on the "Jenny" for China but the "Jenny" was dismasted in Guam and so he and his crew left the ship there. [ "Australian Shipwrecks - vol 1 1622-1850", Charles Bateson, AH and AW Reed, Sydney, 1972, ISBN 0 589 07112 2 p44 ]

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