Melville Castle (1786 EIC ship)

EIC voyage #1 (1787–1788): Captain Philip Dundas sailed from The Downs on 6 January 1787, bound for Bombay and China. Melville Castle reached Bombay on 22 May and arrived at Whampoa anchorage on 21 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 11 January 1788, reached St Helena on 17 April, and arrived at The Downs on 24 June. While Melville Castle was at Spithead, a mutiny broke out among the crew of the similarly detained after her captain had sent for a boat from a nearby warship to press some unruly members of his crew. Haldane rowed over to Dutton. He went on board where he talked with the mutineers, convincing them to return to work. Also while he was waiting to sail, Haldane started reading the Bible. This had a profound effect on him and he decided to resign his command. Fortunately, he was able to find a replacement who was both acceptable to the EIC and as was the practice at the time, who could afford to purchase the command from Haldane. ==Fate==

Her owners sold Melville Castle to Dutch owners who renamed her Vreede (or Vryheid). She was repaired before the Batavian Republic chartered her to carry troops to the Dutch Cape Colony and Batavia, Dutch East Indies. Vreede set sail from Amsterdam on 21 November 1802, though two days later she was wrecked near Hythe, Kent. There were only 20 survivors (eight soldiers and 12 sailors), from a total complement of 474. The dead numbered 61 sailors, 312 enlisted soldiers, 12 officers, 20 male passengers, 22 female passengers and seven child passengers. ==Citations==