Carpet of Silver

The Wreck of the Zuytdorp

Plot

The Zuytdorp, one of the great ships of the Dutch East India Company, disappeared without a trace after leaving Cape Town in 1712. The ship was carrying a rich cargo including some 250,000 guilders in silver coins. It was nearly two and a half centuries before the mystery of its fate was finally solved. In Carpet of Silver: The Wreck of the Zuytdorp-winner of the Western Australian Premier's Books Awards 1997 (Historical/Critical Studies) and now back in print-Phillip Playford, one of the wreck's discoverers, gives an engrossing account of an incredible true story. Yet, two intriguing mysteries remain. What became of the survivors of the wreck? Did they perhaps join the Aborigines, becoming Australia's first European inhabitants? And where is the three tons of treasure the ship carried, the fabled 'carpet of silver'?