17. The victim of ill-fate from the start of their voyage, the crew of the Ertuğrul faced setback after setback until they were eventually shipwrecked off the coast of Japan in 1890.
A frigate of the Ottoman Navy, originally launched in 1863, after twenty-five years of respectable service the Ertuğrul underwent welcome restoration. Departing from Constantinople on July 14, 1889, the renovated ship, carrying a crew of 607, set sail for Japan on a goodwill visit. Encountering complications almost immediately, the Ertuğrul ran aground in Great Bitter Lake just twelve days later requiring further repairs. Resuming their voyage on September 23, whilst traversing the Indian Ocean the ship suffered major damage after taking on water. Stopping for repairs in Singapore, the Ertuğrul eventually, after eleven months, arrived in Yokohama on June 7, 1890.
Returning to Constantinople on September 15, 1890, the following day the Ertuğrul became the victim of a ferocious storm. Forcing the sails to be folded up, the strength of the winds grew so great they caused the mizzen mast to collapse. Separating the bow from the front of the ship, the boiling room sprung a leak. Although attempting to repair the damage, without means of propulsion the ship drifted into rocks on the eastern coast of Kii Ōshima on September 18. Killing 533 sailors, including the ship’s captain Rear Admiral Ali Osman Pasha, only 63 sailors and 6 officers survived the incident to be rescued by the Japanese.