Captain Riou and the Iceberg
Edward Riou was born near Faversham in Kent in 1762, the son of a junior officer in the British army. In 1774 the 12-year-old Riou joined the navy as a midshipman. Why he chose the navy rather than follow his father into the army is unknown, but he did well. After two years serving in the Channel Fleet he was selected to join the Discovery, one of the ships that Captain James Cook led on his third and final voyage of exploration. This must have been an extraordinary experienc
