THE STORY BEHIND 'LORD JIM'

When Joseph Conrad wrote 'Lord Jim',no mention was made that the book was based on true events on board the 'S.S. JEDDAH'.I wonder if Conrad knew the hotel he stayed while conceiving 'Lord Jim',Raffles Hotel,was owned by the late Syed Mohamed Alsagoff.Coincidently so is Alsagoff & Co and henceforth 'S.S. Jeddah'.Although Conrad never confirmed this, there seems to be too much similarity for mere coincidence. On 17 July 1880, S.S. Jeddah sailed from Singapore bound for Penang and Jeddah, with 778 men, 147 women and 67 children on board. The passengers were Muslims from the Malay states, traveling to Mecca for the hajj (holy pilgrimage).Conrad read S.S. Jeddah's mishap in the papers,he must have known the hotel he resided was owned by Alsagoff & Co,a well-established company in Singapore.