Page 9 - SAMPLE The Big Book of Mysteries

THE FLYING DUtCHmAN
In 1881, Prince George of Wales was serving on a Royal Navy ship off the coast of Australia when he spotted something extraordinary. Out of the gloom, a ghostly ship appeared, glowing red.
In 1939, dozens of people on a beach in Cape Town, South Africa, saw a ship sailing directly for the shore, only for it to vanish moments before it ploughed into the sand.
These are just two of many strange sightings throughout history. The ship, named the Flying Dutchman, is said to sail the oceans for the rest of time. And that’s not all, once the ship has been spotted by a ship’s crew, legend has it a great disaster will follow.
But who’s onboard? The captain is said to be Hendrick Vanderdecken, a Dutchman who, sometime in the 1600s, was bringing silks and spices from Indonesia to Holland. Approaching the Cape of Good Hope at the southern
tip of Africa, the ship hit a mighty storm. The crew pleaded with their captain to turn the ship around, but Vanderdecken refused. Worse, he promised that they would make it around the Cape, even if it meant they had to sail forever. And with this curse . . .
But could there be another explanation? The mind can play tricks on people who spend a lot of time at sea. Unusual atmospheric conditions, moisture in the air and changing temperatures can lead to strange illusions known as mirages. Ships that are almost out of sight can appear strangely close and, sometimes, they can even seem to float above the water. Throw
in some sailor’s superstition, and it’s the perfect ingredients for a ghostly tale.
DISAPPEARInG PEOPLE • 17
THE FLYING DUtCHmAN AnD ITS CREW WERE DOoMED FoR ALL ETErNItY