Edward Riou's earlier career explains his reputation aboard Amazon. He had served as a midshipman on James Cook's last voyage to the South Seas and as a lieutenant in the West Indies during the American War. In 1789, Guardian struck an iceberg while carrying stores and convicts toward Botany Bay. Riou allowed those who wished to depart in boats to do so, then remained with sixty people and nursed the deck-awash ship roughly 1,200 miles over nine weeks to the Cape. Only fifteen of the 260 people who left in the boats survived. The contrast supports the practical lesson that a damaged ship may still be the best lifeboat available in the open ocean.
Notable Point · 8:52-9:40
Edward Riou saves HMS Guardian after an iceberg strike
Amazon's captain Edward Riou had already brought the crippled HMS Guardian back to the Cape after an iceberg collision, while most who abandoned ship were lost.