THE MYSTERY OF THE MARY CELESTE!

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Ghost Ship Found Near Azores

PASSENGERS & CREW MISSING
December 4th, 1872 Celeste left New York the two old friends had dinner together. We need to nd out what is going on, Captain Morehouse tells the rst mate. Prepare a party to board the ship. Boarding Party e Mary Celeste is the sister ship of the Dei Gratia. She left a week before us, says Captain Morehouse. She should be in Genoa by now. And why is there nobody on deck? I dont know , sir, says the rst mate. A Friend More men came out onto the deck. ey watch the Mary Celeste drifting on the tide. Whats happening, Captain? I dont know, says Captain Morehouse. But something is wrong. Briggs wouldnt allow his ship to drift like that Morehouse has known Captain Briggs for many years. On the night before the Mary e rst mate and two other men form the boarding party. ey sail out towards the Mary Celeste in a small boat. As they get closer to the ship all conversation stops. ey can hear the sound of the sails blowing in the wind. But nobody comes on deck to greet them. e men from the Dei Gratia board the ship. Ahoy there! they call out. Is anyone here? But theres no answer. Captain Briggs is not on board. Nor are his wife and daughter. Nor are his seven crew. eyve all gone, the rst mate later tells his captain. Its like a ghost ship.

First mate spots ship drifting in the ocean

Its a hot afternoon. A Canadian ship called the Dei Gratia is sailing from the Azores towards the Portuguese coast. e sea is calm. e rst mate is looking out to sea through his telescope. In the distance he sees another ship. He watches it for a few minutes. en he calls to his captain. Look at the ship over there, sir he tells Captain Morehouse. Captain Morehouse looks through the telescope. en turns to the rst mate. Whats the Mary Celeste doing here? he says.

Crew - people working ship Captain - leader on ship First mate - 2nd in command Telescope - to see objects in distance

Genoa - port in Italy Drift - move slowly without direction Boarding-par ty - g roup sent to investigate a ship

The Mary Celeste 2012 Kieran McGovern | kieran@eslreading.org | http://maryceleste.esolebooks.com/

THE MYSTERY OF THE MARY CELESTE! PAGE2

What did they nd onboard the ship?

Captain Morehouse gave evidence to the Ofcial Enquiry into the Mary Celeste in 1873

Myths & Rumours

ere have been many false stories about what the boarding-party found. ere were half-eaten breakfasts & cups of hot tea A warm apple pie was found in the dining room of the ship. Washing was hung out to dry e ships cat was asleep e ship was clean & tidy ere was evidence of a ght e weather was good when the crew disappeared

Facts
Captain Morehouse described the Mary Celeste as in a bad state and not t for human habitation.

The ship was clearly abandoned in a hurry. There was no attempt to weigh the anchor, roll up the canvas, or tie up the

ere were no cups of hot tea, abandoned breakfasts or apple pies! e stove was knocked out of its place, and the cooking utensils were {thrown} around. e entire ship was a wet mess. e Captains bed was not t to sleep in and had to be dried.

T a w c w

steering

Sail

Focus on Vocabulary
abandoned Left suddenly and with preparation. In this case drift Float without direction. before the crew left the ship. in a bad state In very poor condition/ with serious problems wet mess Badly damaged by water mess! Ofcial Enquiry Legal investigation into something of public concern roll up the canvas Canvas it the material used to make sails and tent. human habitation where people can live. weigh the anchor An anchor is what holds a ship in the water. It is very unusual that the anchor was not dropped or xed

N c s a

Mast

l S n d d m

I e p a p

The Mary Celeste 2012 Kieran McGovern | kieran@eslreading.org | http://maryceleste.esolebooks.com/