Abject in Patagonia: stories from the Wager

Abstract

The shipwreck of the Wager in 1741 on the western coast of Patagonia brought English seamen into contact with indigenous cultures already undergoing dramatic changes as a result of growing Spanish influence in the area. Many of the survivors wrote their own stories, notably the gunner, John Bulkeley, and one of the midshipmen, John Byron, who later became an Admiral. This essay compares and analyses those stories, paying particular attention to Byron's abjection.