Herman Melville's Moby Dick is thought to be based upon the true story of the American whaling ship Essex, which was charged and sunk in mid-ocean by a 40 foot sperm whale in the vicinity of the Marquesas. The survivors landed on Henderson, after sailing in an open boat from the distant site of their shipwreck.
The majority of the survivors set off again in an endeavour to get to South America, leaving the Mate, Thomas Chappel, and two others on the island. Their lives were saved from death from lack of water by a shower of rain. But they had no food. As they had no tackle they could not fish: they had to suck the blood of the few birds they could catch. A few turtles supplemented their food supply. They lived on Henderson Island for several months in 1820-21 and were rescued by the Surrey.
