Flying Dutchman, The

The, a spectral ship which sailors claim is seen in stormy weather off the Cape of Good Hope. The stories vary as to why the ship haunts this particular locality. One account is to the effect that on approaching this point the passage of which is ever attended with difficulty, the captain of the ill-fated ship swore a fearful oath that he would round the cape though he beat there till the Judgment Day. He was taken at his word and is still struggling to make the point. Another story is that a murder was committed on the ship, and in consequence the vessel is doomed never to enter a harbor. It is believed that the story started from a mirage seen near this place, but not understood. Captain Marryat has written a novel entitled The Phantom Ship, and one of Wagner's operas, Der Fliegende Hollander, is based on the story.