 Alceste was a little undermanned , carrying a complement of 257 , including Lord Amherst and his entourage . It would have been usual practice to remove some of the guns in order to create more space for distinguished guests , and it is likely that this had been done . Fewer guns allowed for a smaller crew and this may have been a contributing factor . With waters that remain uncharted even today and the many shoals and reefs which rise so steeply that even modern equipment could fail to spot them , the South China Seas , with its frequent storms and typhoons remain some of the most dangerous waters in the world . Despite the continual use of a sounding lead , on 18 February 1817 , Alceste grounded on one of the many hidden reefs in the Java Sea . Maxwell ordered the anchor dropped to prevent the ship from slipping into deeper water , an undesirable situation if the hull had been breached , which indeed turned out to be the case . The pumps were unable to cope with the influx of water and the ship 's carpenter , Cheffy , reported that Alceste was beyond repair . 
