Hi Naomi. I was most interested to read your posting about the Van Capellan and the death of your ancestor Captain Sewell. My husbands great grandfather was also on that ill-fated voyage but was one of the 4 survivors. His name was Charles Eade. He was 20yrs old on the trip, which was I believe his one and only long ocean voyage. Prior to this trip and after the wrecking he spent his life working the coastal shipping trade around the British Isles. He died in Bristol aged 86yrs. You will no doubt be familiar with the dire circumstances the ship wrecked sailors faced adrift in the Indian Ocean from the numerous reports that filled the world press during the following year. Tales of cannibalism make good press then as now. The experience haunted him and the stories were passed down the family. In 1912 following the sinking of the Titanic he wrote an article for his son's works paper " Wills Works Magazine" entitled " Shipwrecked! and what it once meant. 14 days in an open boat." Reading your post reminded me of the lives lost on that voyage and made be think of all the lost crew. Recently I have also learnt that the ship " The Naturalist" which rescued Charles Eade, was itself lost at sea. It left Calcutta in 1879 and disappeared in that same Indian Ocean that swallowed the Van Capellan.