The Shipwreck Of The Hms Wager (1741): Its Sources, Editions And Historic Value

Abstract

Historiography has addressed the shipwreck of the Wager frigate as a specific episode within the expedition of George Anson to the Pacific (1740-1744), without paying much attention to its four sources. In this article we identify each of them and their editions, highlighting their value for the reconstruction of Western Patagonia’s geographical and ethnic-cultural reality in the 18 th century. We also highlight their value as travel writing, as it favors a more complete understanding of the context of European overseas expansion and the Enlightenment.

Keywords: Wager, shipwreck, traveling writing, Western Patagonia, Great Britain.