The Raft of the Medusa, painted by Théodore Géricault in 1819, tells a tragic story. The boat transported politicians, administrators, engineers, geographers… Its mission was to dock in Senegal to make it a French colony, since the territory belonged to the British.
But on July 2d 1816, the vessel hit a shoal of sand off the cost of Mauritania and got damaged. The ship was about to sink so six lifeboats were launched but only with the most important men, those with the highest rank. The 150 others had to make do with a small hand-made raft. Fortunately it was connected to the lifeboats to reach the shore. Except that men sitting in the lifeboats complained about the raft slowing them down. They ended up cutting the ropes connecting it to them. The raft drifted for thirteen days before being rescued by a British vessel, the Argus. Only fifteen men had survived but five of them died before arriving to Senegal.