Chapters 5-6 Summary

Chapter 5, "The Shipwreck," details the sailing of the Medusa and other members of a flotilla. The ships set sail from a port on the Island of Aix on June 17, 1816. There were 365 people on board. In total there were four ships: a corvette, frigate, brig, and a flute.

The voyage was immediately plagued by trouble. A cabin boy fell overboard. The boy was 15 years old and a strong swimmer. However, the crew took a long time in lowering a barge to find the boy. In the end, both the boy and the barge were lost.

The flotilla stopped at Teneriffe for supplies. The locals were thought to be depraved, with the wives of the locals offering their bodies to sailors.

The boats traveled through the tropics. The sea contained many rocks and often prevented some of the ships from following the same...