The White Slaves Of The Zahara: The James Riley Story

In August 1815, the American brig Commerce ran aground in the fog off Cape Bojador, on the desolate coast of Western Sahara. Captain James Riley and his crew survived the wreck, but they landed in the territory of nomadic tribes who saw them not as castaways, but as property.

This is the harrowing true story that Abraham Lincoln later cited as one of the most influential books of his youth.

This video documents the crew's descent into a brutal form of slavery. Stripped naked and forced to march hundreds of miles across the scorching desert, they survived on camel urine and their own determination. We break down Captain Riley’s incredible ""Great Gamble""—how he convinced a master named Sidi Hamet to buy them on the promise of a massive ransom he didn't actually have.

We analyze the psychology of their survival, the ""skeleton trek"" that reduced Riley from 240 pounds to just 90 pounds, and the sheer luck that led to their salvation by a British consul.

If you are fascinated by history’s most extreme survival stories, make sure to subscribe to Expedition Gone Wrong for more documentaries.

In this video:

The wreck of the Commerce

Capture and enslavement by the Sahrawi tribes

The psychological manipulation of Sidi Hamet

The ""Skeleton Trek"" (Drinking camel blood and urine)

The weigh-in at Mogador (Riley at 90lbs)

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Видео The White Slaves Of The Zahara: The James Riley Story канала Expedition Gone Wrong