The pleasant and surprising adventures of Robert Drury, during his fifteen years' captivity on the island of Madagascar

In 1702 a sixteen‑year‑old seaman finds himself washed ashore on the rugged southern coast of Madagascar after the East Indiaman Degrave is wrecked in a storm. He is the sole survivor of his crew, rescued not by fellow sailors but by the island’s native people, who immediately make him their captive. The first weeks are a stark mix of fear, hunger and bewilderment as he struggles to understand an unfamiliar language and the harsh realities of a landscape both beautiful and hostile.

Gradually he is drawn into the daily rhythms of the community, learning to eat from their gardens, to observe their rites and to adopt their modes of dress and speech. His account offers a vivid, unvarnished picture of a society little known in Europe, full of surprising customs, pragmatic survival strategies and moments of unexpected kindness. Listeners will find a genuine, first‑hand portrait of cross‑cultural encounter that feels both intimate and historically significant.