William Alexander Mouat: Difference between revisions

The Hudson's Bay Company gave William Mouat command of the ''[[Otter (steamship)|Otter]]'' on 16 April 1854, appointed him as a chief trader on 27 February 1860 and made him master of the Enterprise on 3 April 1862. Gold was discovered in 1865 on the Big Bend of the ColumbianColumbia River (the [[Big Bend Gold Rush]]) and William Mouat was asked to investigate the possibility of steam navigation on the [[Kamloops Lake]], [[Shuswap Lake]] and the [[Thompson River]] between the lakes. His findings were favorable and the Hudson's Bay Company built the steamship ''Marten'' at [[Savona's Ferry, British Columbia]] on the Thompson River at the west end of Kamloops Lake.

In 1866 The Hudson's Bay Company won the contract for taking mail between [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]] and [[San Francisco]]. William Mouat, “one of the most careful and reliable men that ever handled a wheel”, was given command of the ''[[Labouchere (paddle steamer)|Labouchere]]'', which he took to [[San Francisco]] on 15 February 1866 to be fitted out for the accommodation of passengers. The British Colonist newspaper reported “The steamer ''Labouchere'', under the command of Captain Mouat, the popular captain of the ''[[Enterprise (sternwheeler)|Enterprise]]'', is announced to sail for San Francisco direct, carrying Her Majesty's mails under the new contract, on the 15th instant”.

The ''Labouchere'' left [[San Francisco]], after her refit, at six o’clock in the evening on 14 April 1866 in thick and foggy weather. She struck rocks off [[Point Reyes]]. After several hours trying to pump the water out, Captain Mouat issued the order to abandon ship. After all the available boats were launched eighteen men were left on board. Captain Mouat addressed them: “Gentlemen, we are now on a sinking ship without boats. Let us do something to save our lives”. Accordingly they began to make rafts. Captain Mouat produced some cigars and remarked that “if they had to go down, they might as well go down smoking”. Before the ship sank the men were rescued by the sailing ship Andrew.

William Mouat had displayed “admirable coolness, bravery and forethought” in saving his passengers but the official enquiry censured him for “very gross negligence…in not swinging the ''Labouchere'' to ascertain the deviation of the compasses before leaving San Francisco the steering apparatus having been shifted from aft forward” during the refit, and also for not having taken sufficient care of Her Majesty’s mail.