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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m*thode. irrata to pelure, n A a 32X 1 2 3 1 8 t • ^' . • - ■ , :■ • rmm'ni jp|iiiP9«pip^n|Hipi*iiniM''«*«!n'Howed w(-il. but my father laughed at my fears, and in the blackness of nij^dit, with the sea raj;inj^ and the wind howl- intj, we drifted helplessly. At two o'clock the next morn in jj^ we were almost ashore on Crane Neck, but father wore the sloop around, and barely escaping luiton's Neck at daylight, by means of a new boat sail set in the pump. W(; arriv(!d in Loyd's Har- bor, one of the snuggest harbors in the world, where we found two large vess(;ls had dragged their anchors and gone ashore high and dry. The sloop Heroine, of Norwich, nearly new, was wrecked on Eaton's Neck early in the night and broke to pieces, the crew saving themselves, with one exception, b^swinging out the main boom and crawling from its end into the high bank, where they dug a hole with their hands, into which they huddled together for shelter from the severity of the elements. The unfortunate exception was an Indian who stead- fastly refused to desert the three hogsheads of rum which formed a part of the sloop's cargo. He was one of the mul- titudinous army which have lost their lives in conseijuence of their devotion to rum, My father bought the sails of the Heroine, which he altered to suit our sloop, and we proceeded to New York, and from thence to the vicinity of Staten Island, where he procured a cargo of oysters, which he brought home and planted in the l hames. 8 The (^Id Saiiors Sforv. James Madison was then IVesidcnt of tlu- L'nited States, 'I'here was a stronjj^ feelini^ of animosit)- between tlit; Ameri- cans and Kntjlish. Many of tlu; Rt^volutionary patriots were then livinj^ and Kn^^himl maintained the rii;ht of searching; American vessels and taking; therefrom those who apjjeared to be British subjects. By this means the mind of the pub- lic was constantly kept excited, and an incid(MU (Kxurred in Ma\- of this )t;ar which increased this leelini^. Commodore Rogers, in the Iniited .Stales frigate- Trcsi- ilent, oti" the coast of Virginia, on the evening of May i ith. fell in with a vessel and hailetl her with. " What ship is that ? What ship is that ?" and a shot which struck the main-mast of the President was the reply. Commodore; Rogers ordered a broadside, which silenced her guns and killed and .ounded many of h;'r men. Mailing again, the commodore received a courteous an- swer, that the ship was the " Little lielt," a British man-of- war brig. This was the first check the proud British IJon received from tlie American Eagle on the high seas, but by no mean^; the last. Proudly declining proffered assistance, the I'^nglishman bore away for Bermuda, and Commodore Riggers and the frigate President were the theme of every tongue antl made a strong impression on my boyish imagination. ihis also tended to fire the British heart and the proud English boasted that they could sw(;ep our feeble navy from the ocean in a verj' short time. But thf; s(:([U(d pro\(,-d \.o the contrary, as ev<;r)- hoy ■«sm.^ Till' Old Sailors Story who has read the history of the second war of the Ameri- cans with I'^ngland knows full well. No readint^ is more in- teresting to brave and manly Ix^ys than the captures of the " (uierriere" by the " Constitution," of the " I'rolic " by the " Wasp." of the " Macedoninp" by the " United States," of the "Java" by the " Constitution," of the " Boxer" by the " I^nterprise," of the " Cyane " and the " Levant " by " Old Ironsides." of the " l*en<^ in" by the " Hornet," and the (gal- lant victories of Perry on Lak'- l^rie and McDonoughon Lake Champlain. I'he news, incitlents and comments of these jjflorious victories are amoHLj the most vivid recoUec- tions of my boyhood. \\\ December, A. I). iSii, occurred the "Great Christ- mas Snow Storm." the most severe I have ever known, the snow drifts bein*^ ten and fifteen feet in heijj^ht. Many ves- sels were wrecked and their crews perished. In June, A. I). 1812, war was declared aj^ainst Great Britain by the Coiii^ress of the I'nited States, and from that time until the cessation of hostilities in A. I), 1S15, I fol- lowed fishing and boating in summer and attended school in winter. I accompanied my father and brother in the little sloo[), and after the war was over and the blockade was raisetl we launched out as far as Chesapeake Bay, taking out produce and returning with ousters for the New York market. In the summer of A. 1). iSi 7 I staitl at home and stud- ied arithmetic and navigat'on under the tuition of Norman B. Brown, an excellent t(;acher, very proficie-nt in penman- ship, who was ever pleased to instruct me. JO fJic Old Sailor s Story In A. I). 1819 I shii^ped mate of the sloop Thames, of for- ty-eight tons burthen, Captain Christopher Allyn, master, bound to Charleston, S. C. VVc inade two trips. On the second passage out we had a very boisterous time, gale succeeding gale, but the sloop was a good sea-boat and we arrived at Charleston after fif- teen days, where we loaded with cotton and rice which we safely conveyed to New York. In January, i\. I). 1S20, we started from Gales I'erry for New York with a load of cord-wood. The day was pleasant but at about nine o'clock in the evening it. hazed up and commenced snowing, with the wind from the east, and we hauled up for New Haven, but m(;eting with floating ice we anchored at the mouth of the harbor. The wind increased and we let go our s(?cond anchor, but the wind veered to the south, and having the wholi? rake of the sound we parted one cable and cut the otlu^r, and went head first, at very full tide, away above common high water mark on West HaviMi beach, where she bilged. Heing insur(;tl wt; abandoned her to the underwriters, who got her off and repairc^d her. In the first half of this year I mad(; two trips in the sloop " Romeo," Captain Alexander Allyn, one to Baltimore, Md., and one to Richmond, \'a., taking, out an assorted cargo, from New 1 ondon, of cheese, potatoes, coffee-mills, shoes, leather, gridirons, etc., and returning with Hour. On the; 23d of June, /\. 1). 1.S20, I was master of the sloop Thames, bound to th(^ West Indices with an .issort(!d cargo of Hour, bread, beef, pork, lard, butter, etc. The Oil! Sailor s Storv. II 1 had a long passage of about a month. l)eing becahned in the horse hxtitudes, but in course of time I disposed of my cargo at the island of St. Eustatia, and loading, partly there and partly at the island of St. Bartholomew, with sugar, proceeded safely to the port of .New London. At the conclusion of this voyage the sloop was sold to Mr. Amasa Hyde, of Norwich, wlio retained my services as commander, and, with his brother Lewis as supercargo, we sailed for Charleston, S. C. in th(; latter part of September, with a cargo of produce. Arriving there safelv. we continued in Carolina waters through the winter, conveying cotton from the plantations to the port of Charleston and carrying back loads of brick. In May we loaded with tar at Georgetown, which we carried to New York and discharged. I then made a trip from Norwich to the West Indies, with Captain Jonathan Lester as supercargo, and having disposed of the cargo to good ad\antage, we took in a tpiantity of rum which we con- veyed to Boston. Mr. ll\cle, the owner, was well pleased with this year's transactions, for the sloop hat! paid him, in one year's time, more money than she cost him, th(.' j^rice he paid for her be- ing $1,275. In the winter of A. I). ;.S2i and A. D. 1822 I was en- gaged in th(; coasting trade in Carolina waters, and in the spring 1 returned with a mixed cargo to New York. On the lUh of October, .X. I). icS22, I was married to Miss Sail) S. Bradford, of ( iaies I'erry. V\'e ceU^brated the fiftieth anniversary of our marriage in A. U. 1872, and at 12 The Old Sailor s Story, the present writing we have Hved together as man and wife a little more than tifty-six )ears. In the winter of A. 1). 1S22 and A. 1). 1823 my father was with me. We coasted in southern waters and bought a schooner of seventy-five tons burthen. P'ather took charge of her, and in the spring we loaded at Savannah for New York, where we arrived the same day although I sailed sever- al days in advance. 1 made a trip in the spring and early summer of A. 1). 1823 to Norfolk and Baltimore, carrying out potatoes and oats and returnin'"; with a full carifo of staves. In the summer of this year my brother Nathan and my- self loaded the sloop with a cargo of wood for New York. We took our wives along to see the wonders of the great metropolis and we had a verj enjoyable time. Disposing of the wood we proceeded to South Amboy where we loadtxl with potter's-clay for Norwich. My brother sailed with an old friend of ours, in Sep- tember, for .Savannah, but alas ! he never reached his pro- posed destination. lb; died of a fever on the passage and was buried where so many rest until the time when the "sea shall give up its dead." IVIy father having overhauled our schooner, the "Three Sisters," and his health being poor, he wished me to sail with him this fall which I accordingly did. W(; took a cargo to Maltimore ; thence a cargo of Hour antl oats to Charleston, rinding business dull in those [jarts we proc(;c;d(Hl to b^liza- beth City where we loadeil with stav(;s, shingU.'s and corn for th(! \\\'st Inilies. We stopptnl at Harbadoes and finding no The Old Sailor's Story. n market for our caroo we proceeded to' St. Vincent's where we found a i^ootl market. Mere my father's health failed, and in spite of medical assistance he .s^rew worse instead of better. I desired that h(; should have rooms on shore. To this he objected, but desired to be taken on deck for purer air. We had a thick sail-cloth awnino overhead. Under this he laid and took his medicine and drinks n^^idarly. On l^Viday he was able to go ashore and seemed quite cheerful. .Saturday he appeared more feeble ; and between Sunda)- night and Monday morning Ik; died without a strug- LiU; in the; tiftv-ninth Near of his age. This was 11^, .\pril, A. 1). 1S24, and of our family of five, death had taken two in less than eight months, leaving my widowed mother, my onl) sister and nnsell. Mr. Newbold, our consignee;, made proper and suitable arrangements for m\' father's burial ; and having attended to this solemn dut\ I. with a sad heart, turned my attention to m)' vessel and cargo. I took in about fift) puncheons of molasses and pro- ceeded to North Carolina where 1 discharged the same, and finding freight dull for the north. I made a bargain with Shaw cS: Co., '>| JTi/abeth Cit), to take another cargo of staves and shingles to the West Indies. I intended to have gone to Antigua but easterly winds prevailing 1 |)ut into Port Antone, Jamaica, where I nuule a rap for the whole ca-go — shingles, invoiced at $2.25, bringing $i.| i)er M.; red oak staves, iinoiced at SS, worth $(')5 per H TJic Old Sailor s Storv. M.; and white oak staves and heading-, invoiced at $'!>. worth 875 per M. But here I was stricken with the yellow bilious fever ; and although I was taken ashore and had o-ood care, lor ten days or more my life was despaired of, and in the mean time my mate died of the same dreadfvd scourj^e. As soon as my fever left me ami I had rained a little streny;th I became verv nerxous and at times delirious. At such times I had gloomy forebodintrs and imaij^ined all sorts of evil. One mornini"' I thou.dit 1 heard mv landladv ay : "That fellow is alive \et. I will have a ^rave du^' and bur)- him aiive." The window was open and the schooner was in siLjht. Out of the window I went, fourteen feel from the iLl^round, int(japile of ballast-stones ami broken bottles. Sus- taining; no material injur\- ( 1 believe I barked one of my shins) 1 chne from tlu; wharf and swam tor th<' schooner. The boat beloni^inL;' to her beiui^on its way ashore, tlu; sail- ors took me in and conxeved me on board. The caj)tain c^f a Newfoundland brii;, which !a\' near us. came on board, ami by his acKice and assistance 1 had a warm bath and was put to Ix:(.l, where 1 had a short nap which souKnvhat refr(.'shetl me. liut the h>'|)o taking" pos- session of 111)' l)rain, I doxc from the cabin window with an insane iU!sire to end m\- existence. Hut the water had a cooling", soothini^' etfecl on ni)- ner\i;s antl brain, and beinii^ taken on boartl ami carcfullx' watclnnl 1 ^railuall)- recox-ereil, I)y the. ad\ ice and assistance of a LjtMitlem.in of tht; place, K. .Sherwood. Ils*,., my vessel was loaded and 1 sailetl •^tmOXiA The Old Sailor X Story. 15 for home by the windward passage. But after live or six days of pU^asant weather, owing to some miscalcuhition, in- stead of safe!)' entering Crooked Ishmd passage we struck, in the night, on the Hogsties, a collection of reefs and islets situated to the south and east of our proposed passage ; and tile wind increasing the vessel was wrecked, that is, she pounded a hole in her bottom but did not break up. We landed on a little island about two miles from the wreck, where- we continued in camp for sixteen days, making occasional trips to the wreck for what we most needed. At the expiration of that time a ship hove in sight and seeing our signal came to our relief. The ship was bound from St. Domingo for New \ ork with a valuable cargo of coffee. The captain generously of- fered to take us and our tlunnage, but refused to have any- tliing to ilo with the wreck or cargo, thinking it woidd affect his iusuranct;, which was probably correct on his i>art. I loping to realize something from the wreck and wreckeil cargo. I re- fusi'tl to abanilon the same, and recpiesting him to report us and our conditit)n at Crooked Island, after putting one bo\- in his cari', we saw him sail away and we felt more lone- some antl melancholy than before. lU; it remembered we were far from home and in a cU-so- lale, iminhabited region, with poor accommodations, in what is known and feared as the hurricane season, on a little island perhaps ten feet above; the sea-level, which in case of a hur- ricane would probably be submerged. !»ut after weary, anxious days of waiting, a sloop from Crooked Island came to our r(;li(;f, and aftc^r securing all i6 The (V<^ Sai/or's Slory. available car^o and stripping- the wreck, slic took us on board and convened us to the port of Nassau. About the time of my arrival there 1 was taken sick with intermittent fever ; but I survived, and aft(n- sett!in«>- with the wreckers and payinL,^ ni)' crew I had less than fort) dollars. I took passa_t;e in a small schooner to Charleston, S. C, where I arrived in low spirits on the first of September, A. 1). 1824, in the height of a yellow fever scourge, and found that ni)- friends of that place were absent in the countrj-. With only about live dollars that I could call w\y own, utterl)- broken down in mind and body, I [)r()cured a permit antl went to the Marine Hospital, where- for six weeks 1 was very sick and very kindl)' cared for. When I had somewhat recov(n-(;d. the; doctor, or chief surgeon, Campbell, pointed me out to the visiting commit- tee as his " resurrection man." One morning in November I read in the paper of the arrival of the schooner Arkansas, Captain Wood, and slooj) Humbird, Captain Satterlee, both from the north and both captains particular friends of mine. This was cheering intelligenct; ami I soon ralli(;d. Cap- tain Wood offered me a free, passage to New \'ork. which 1 gladly accepted and arrived then; safel)'. Captain Charles I)avid.son, of the little steamer l^anny, gave me a free passage through the sound and landed me at Gales I'erry, where I found my friends in usual health and my wife wiin a fme boy, four months of age. in her arms. B)' hook or b) crook 1 weathered the v inter, and in r/ic Old Sailor s Slory 17 April, A. I). 1825, went mate of the sloop I^avorite, at $14 per month, with Captain San ford Stoddard, to Norfolk with potatoes. Here I receivc^d a satisfactory letter from John A, Shaw t^ Co., of North Carolina. 'I'he\- owed m(; about 8300 on m)- two West India car- L:^oes. They paid me $100 and [promised to pa)' the remain- der, but now, after the lapse of fift)-three years, the remain- der is still unpaid. Arrivintj^ home, via Providence, about the first of May, I made a short trip to New York, and on my return 1 was recommended b)' an old friend, Captain John Wood, to Mr. Joseph Lawrence, as sailing-master of a new schooner called the Spark, Captain I>ebbeus Gardner btiino- captain and half owner. I continued with Captain Gardner until about Thanks- givino-, in the New York and Baltimore trade, and ni)' fami- ly being sick staid at heme a lew weeks and then made six trips in the sloop Thames, carrying cord-wood to New York, which brings me to March, A. I). 1826. At this time Messrs. Bangs & Kilburn, of Hartford, of- fered me a mate's berth on the brig Merchant, Captain John King, which 1 accepted. Captain King was none too well versed in navigation, and made stupid calculations, for afte>. getting, according to m)' calculations, at least six degrees to the eiislward of the Hole- in-the-W^all, he was afraid of the land and ran three days and hove to three nights Lefore sighting the same ; and after getting on to the Bahama banks, he ran ashore to find out which side of the channel he was on, and if we liad not i8 The Old Sailor s Siorv kedijecl off as \vc did \\v. sliould liave been wrecked then and there. As it was he broke one of tlie rudtler j^udgeons which made steerinjj^ hard work. After a deal of miscalcidation we ran b\- the port of Matanzas, to which we were bound, so far that it took us nearly all of one da\- to beat back. But after a time we arrived and spent ti\e weeks in discharging and loading, all b)- means of our long boat, which carried five hogsh'jads, conveying articles from and to the vessel, a distance of two miles each way. About the first of June. A. I). i,S26 we sailed for New Lontlon, where we arrived and discharged part of our cargo, proceeding to Hartford with the remainder. WHien we unloaded we smoked her out and killed ui)- wards of two hundred rats. The remainder of the summiT I spent in overhauling vessels for I^angs & Kilburn. Most of the time I was at- tending to the brig .Sea Island, unloading, overhauling and reloading her. the brig Merchant in the meantime making a voyage to Demerara with bricks, flour, leaf tobacco, segars and horses. The Merchant returned in November and I had orders to repair on board of her; and after discharging she was loaded with provisions and produce, with ten horses and one hundred and fifty swine f)n deck. Captain Henry Barnard was to command, but the pa- pers were made out in my name as Captain Barnard was to remain in Cuba to i)rocure cargoes for other xcssels, whiU; I was to brinLi' the bri'> home. Our destination was Matan- The Old Sailor a Story, 19 zas, and alter waiting for a fav(irablti time vvc sailed from New London December loth, A. I). 1.S26. We sailed with the wind northwest, in hopes of havinj^ a ([uick |)assa!j^e, but the next day the wind veered to south- west, with a heavy head beat sea, and the swine were not only well washed, but, with the exception of seven, like the swine into which the devils entered, they perished in the wa- ter ; and of the seven that escaped, five were afterwards con- fiscated by the Cubans, Captain Barnard ne^dectin;^^ to put them on the manifest, intendinij; them for slaughtering on boanl. \V\; had constant gales during the entire passage of twenty-three days, the brig leaking badly, recjuiring con- stant pumping. We arrived at Cuba in January, A. 1). 1827, and sailed for home in I'ebruary. Hatl [)leasant weather for the first few days and made good progress, but, in latitude thirty-four degrees north, took a strouiT bree;ie from the south, and shortened down to close reefed top-sails, and after judging myself past Cape Hatteras hauled up north, having heavy squalls from the southwest and the pumps constantly going. We were in the Gulf Stream, bowling along at the rate of eleven knots, when the wind suddenly shifted to tht; north- wartl, and in two hours' time our climate seemed changed from summer's heat to winter's cold, and our rigging was covered with ice. The wind veered to tJK; northeast, and for three days wr wer<; close hauled on both tacks, and on the fourth morn- ing oik; of the sheathing planks floated off, and tlv.- leak in- :o ///( ( ^/(/ ,Sit//('/-'s S/oiY crcasetl fcarlully, so that both ininij).s constantl) workinjj; could not kcc'i) her tR:c-. Bfiiii^ north of the (iulf Stream, oil ihc coast of Delaware, in twent) fathoms of water, 1 hon^ off for the cajx's of \'ir- oinia, hut the weather In'came as thick as burgoo, and after standiiiL,'' in to five fathoms on the \'ir<;inia coast, hov(.' to, head oft" shore, with one; top-sail aback, and all hands and the cook i)umi)ed for their livt:s. Aftt^r pumping for a day and a night, without decreas- ing the depth of water in the hold, we stove the heads of the; twent) hogsheads of molasses which formed the deck- load, w hich se( med to ease her a little. About this time the wind changed to the; west, and, af- ter making all sail and heading to the north, we made a search for the leak ; staving three hogsheads of molasses in the port wing, and cutting away the ceiling plank, found a fearful leak just below the loaded water-line, in the vicinity of the port fore chains. With much difficult)- we succeeded in stojjping it par- tially, so that after a hard day's work all round, the men gave the cheering intelligence that the pumps sucked. Hut the danger was not over, for it required constant pumping to keep her free. But after a few more days of blowy, rough weather we arrived safely in New London on about the eighth of March, A. L). 1827. The work of pumping was confided to other hands, and I started for Gales PV^rry on foot, where I found ni)' wife with a line, plump bo) of five months in her arms. The Old Sailor s Story, 2t Antl so cncl(;d this wearisoiiK; and daiii^erous vo)aL;;(*. After discharL(iiiL^ sufficient cartj^o to brin*^ tlic leak out of watcT, proc(H;ded to Hartford with the residue, 'I'he Con- necticut Ri\(T hein<4' twenty-one fe(;t hi^lier than at common low water, we dischar^(;d into the scxond storj- of Morgan's warehouse, tlie lower story bein*; subinertred. 1 1 ere the old brii^ narrowly (escaped takinj^ fire fror the burnino- of a nei,^ro house in the inimcjdiate vicinity, but the sails beinor wet, and we U.'tting her swin<^ off into the stream with ureat haste, she escaped the conH aeration. After beinu- overhauled and thorous^hly calk'.^d antl re- fastcMKul the " Merchant" was atermin(*d to hold out as lono- as I could. Daylight broujj^ht no relief to our shattered bark. The gale raging no less fiercely great gloom was upon us. The; next morning our supercargo decided to throw the horses, fifty-six in number, into the raging deep, an opera- tion which was performed with great difliculty. It was sad to s(;e th(^ [)oor brutes struggling in the; sea with their h(;ads thrown frantically out of water, but our ha\- was washed away and tin; salvation of our lives seemed to demand the sacrifice of theirs, Frecid of their w(Mght th(; brig lalxjred less heavil}-, and th(; wind subsiding a little 1 was reliex'ed from the helm. The captain then called on me to lix one of the cabin windows, the dead-light being broken and a sea-bed jammed into it. I had been at the helm ov(;r twenty-foui hours and felt exhausted, and thought the drunken ca[)tain might fix Iiis own window ; !)ut as we had no second mate? I crawlcnl for- ward through the manger and obtained a piece of board, but a gust struck me on m)- wa)' back, and inst(\-ul of blowing away with the board I let the board blow awa\ without mv company. 1 steered, after a f(;\v hv)urs' relief, until about TJic Old Sailor s Story. niidni_L;ht, the brij4- steerint^ baJly and shipping; a great deal of water. 1 then \v(.'nt below for dry clothintj and some refresh- ment. Captain Lester informed me that the wind liail blown from all points of the compass, it bein_Lj a re^idar cy- clont! and a tremendous one. At nine o'clock the next morninL,^ th(; !j;^al(? broke and the sea smoothed down almost immediatcdy, and we turned our attention to clearint^ up th<' wreck. The brii,'' l)ets(;y Dole, of Middletown, which \\v had spoken three days before the i^ale, was one; of ma:i)- \(;ssels that were lost with all hands, and never h(!ard of more. We ri(;i^ed a jury-mast and in a crippled condition made our wa)- back to the American coast. One nij^ht we were; run into b\' a ship which s^avc us a L;lancinjj[ blow, bn^akin;^ top timbers and cat-head and rob- bing- us of out; anchor ; but in just one month from the time \\(\ sailec'. we reentered th(i harbor of X(;w Lomlon .Scjjtem- ber 13th, A. 1). iS2~. havinj^ sur.ived one of the most se- \>-\X(\ _L!,ales on r(;'^ord, and makiuL,'^ whiK; absent a circuit of mor(! than two thousand five hundred miles. The enterprisinLj owners wishinLj to prosecute this vo\- aju' bought the brii; ('jo\('rnor (iriswold, to whicli our in- board cari;o was transferretl with additions, and taking; sixty horses on deck we had a fair passa_L,fe to the mouth of the; Surinam l\i\-er. 1 he captain and supercari^^o proceeded to the town, about twent)' miles, and made arran_!4ht we drank our tea on deck under the awn- nv";. After unloadiuL,^ we proceeded to the Rio tie la Ilatche, where llour at that time was worth fifty tlollars [)er barrel, but unfortunately we had none to sell. We loaded there with dye-woods, which were brouL^ht to us in the night, and setting sail for home January loth, A. I). 1S28, we proceeded until detained by fog in the \icinity of somewhere. When the fog lightc;d we sighted (la)' 1 lead, and hav- ing strong westerl)' winds we took a [)ilot ami put into I'ar- paulin cove. After being tletained three or four da\s we jjroceedcd to New London, arriving there about the twelfth of I'ebruary. TIic Old Sailor s Sforv, Thu operation of takiiij^ the jjilot cost the owners about sixty-five dollars. We then loaded for Cuba with hoi^s on deck, sailinL,^ in March, and after a common kind of [^assan^e we arrived at Matanzas where we took in a full car^o of sui^ar and molas- ses, with which we returned after a r(;markably ([uick passaii^e. Con- \()\a<'"e to the; South Atlantic. My officers were lulward P. 1 )ew)', of Stonini^ton, first mate ; (leonm; Brewster, second mate; Al- fred Allyn, of Led)artl, third mate. ( )nc; Chase, cooper, and .Samuel Cooley, steward. .Amoni^" the seanuMi were Strong- 1 lolt, of New London, afterwards a succ(;ssful whaling captain, who was drowned from a pleasure bo.it in I'isher's Island .Sound ; Samuel I lart, William 1 lanks, ( jeorge Kings- bury, and William 1 lall, who aft(M-wards became a law)-er, all of llartfonl, aiul live others, making a total of si.\t(;en to man a little schooner which could be easil)' managcil b)- two m(;n and a bo)' in ordinary weather. Aft{;r twenty-three days we arrived at one of the C.'ip<' De \ erde Islands where we iound two sealing Mssels, the 30 The Old Sailor s Slow. brig Seraph, of Stonington, and the schooner General Put- nam, of Newhuryport. Procuring three hundred bushc^ls of salt we mated with the IVitnam and proceeded for sealing grounds. Crossing the ecjuator in the longitude of (.'ighteen degrees west, we proceeded with more or less celerity and arrived on the barren coast of Africa, in the latitude of twenty-six degrees south, on January 14th, A. I). 18,^0, At that place is a small ishunl, a mile or more from the coast, on the inside of which there is a fair anchorage. 'I'his island, called Ichabo, is the rendezvous of millions of sea- birds, which there lay their eggs and hatch their young ; and we obtained at this time and aft(^rwards cpiantities of eggs, many of which are excellent for food. The birds were so thick as to prevent our trave.ing on shore without first beat- ing a par.sage way with our seal-clubs, and yet we endeavored not to hurt them, although the\' regardetl us as intruders and attacked us with ferocity, scratching and biting with such effect as to draw blood through the legs of our [)anta- loons. We were plentiful!}' supplied with eggs during the fif- teen months that we were on this coast, our men eating gulls' and penguins' eggs without much distinction, although the former are much superior. We had arrived at this island too late for this season, for an examination of the shori; revi;aled about a th(nisand carcasses of seal which had been deprived of their skins by these who had arrived there on a simiUir errand to ours. The Old Sailors Slpry A few words descriptive of seal and sealing may not be amiss in this conncxtion. The males, called wigs, are much larger than the females, and weigh, when full grown, from fifty to eighty pounds. The females, called clapmatches, weigh from four to ten pounds, and commence breeding when they are three years of age. Ihe males come on shore about the tirst of November and land short distances from each other all along the coast of the uninhabited islands or reiiions which form their breeding grounds. A few days after this the females emerge from the water and are escorted, after a tierce battle anions' the males who are stationed in the vicinity, b)' the victo- rious male who escorts the newly-arrived female to a secure phice. At this time the males are very savage and will l)ite through each others napes which are of the thickness of a man's hand. Some are killed in the conllicts. which seems unwarrantal)le, for the females instead of being few are nu- merous in comparison with the males, and average about twenty of the former to one of the latter. The coast was well sealed and we coukl onlv <'lean a few from the roughest rocks. Six days passed and our c(Misort, the Putnam, arri\eil; anil as we were likeh' to fall short of water, this being a bar- ren, sandy coast, without rain ofteiier than once a year, wc; put our water-casks and our mate on board of her and des- patched her south to vSaldana Ha)-, while her captain came 32 TJic Old Sailor s Story on board of our vessel and proceeded with us to seal aK>ng the coast. We found a few seal at each landing, but as our con- sort did nt)t arrive in due time we beat towards Saldana Bay, the wind constant!)- prevailing from the south, and on our arrival there found tht; Putnam had left, and the whale ship Dauphin, Captain lluzzey, of Nantuckc^t, lying in the harbor with the captain on shore recruiting his health. At night, in a sudden scpiall from the southwest, the old Dauphin parted her cabh; and before the second anchor could be cast out she was nearly in the breakers ; the second cable parted and in less than an hour she was a compk^tc; wreck, with her masts all gone and deck uptorn, for being an old ship with a new top, the new part left the old and parted comjiany in a hurry. The captain rode down the next day and viewing the wreck, cpiite coolly rcMiiarked that if he pulled out his hair and threw it into the fire that would not ukmkI the matter. So he r(!turned to his (luarters aftt;r invinLT some directions to Mr. Russell his mate. Th(; nc'xt day I called on Mr. Marsh, the magistrate and chief man of this JMiglish out-post, who entertained me very civilly, and having pri^cured souk; wood from the wreck, and filled our spare casks with water of a poor (piality, \)XO- ceedcd to Angra Pecpiena harbor, whert; we found our con- sort and obtained from her our casks of water on March iSth, A. D. 1S30. It being betwe(Mi season, I concluded toreturn to Saldana Bay, if possible,', before the auction of the effects saved from TJic Old Sailor s Story 00 the Dauphin. iH'injrin want of an anchor; and the l'iitnan\ with my second mate; and boat's crew, procet^ded to seal alonij[ the coast, \\'(! ])rociired an anchor from the wreck of the 1 )aiiphin, also a main-top-sail, which we alte^red into a main-sail for our schooner. But minute account of any voyaii^e are too prolix and tedious for j^eneral readini^-. so I will ,y^ive a few extracts from memoranda which possibly ma)' b(,' interesting to some and of less interest to others. On the lifth of April, A. O. 1830, natives or Hottentots came twelve da)s' journey from the interior to the harbor of Angra where we were, with cattle and sheep to barter for powder and ball for hunting purposes. We bought Ine neat cattle and two sheep, paying two junk bottles of powder each for the former and one; bottle apiece for the latter. On th(; sixth of Ma)' the; captain of tlu* Putnam sent word that he should dissolve; [)artnershi[) with us from that date. lie had discovered, as we afterwards learnc^d, what he supposed was a gold mint;, but which proved to be a worth- less niineral substance, as he found after taking a ([uantity of it to Cape Town to hav(; it tested. I'Vom this time until September 6th, when we again joined in partnership, we took from five to six hundrctd se.. - skins, no part of which belonged to th(; I'utnani and her of- ficers and crew. On the thirteenth we obtainetl one himdred and sevent)'- five hea\) fur seal-skins. The Old Sailor s Story. The whole coast of this rer\\ Si'crv. ,■>/ .h After selling tlv rcniaiiidcr of our cari^o then' we loaded witli tloiir lor Now \ ork. W C next sailed on I )eceiiil)er c)th. with ail assorted c:arL;() and a lew j assen^crs, Ironi New \'ork to lla\ana, and had a nine da\s passage. W C wen- detained in 1 la\ana some time, owin^ partlx to the Cuban's ()l)ser\ ance ol the holidax season, ;ind then went to New ( )rleans with a load of coi'tee and sui^ar. In Ichruar)', iSj;2, we made a short trip u]) the rixcr lor molasses lor a Nf.-w Orleans ilistiller)' ; and business beine (luil we j)ur('hased, at Ha\'()u Lal'Ouche, a full car^o of molasses on the \css(d's ac- count, and after bein^ detained a loni; time in loadim^'. after a Ioiil;' passage arrixcd at New London al.'oiit |une ist, A. 1). I S3 2. I had three applications to <^() sealiiiL;, and Captain !'oole findine' he could tlispose ol the Talma to ^ood acKantaj^-' if I would l;(» in her, which 1 consented to do, sold her to Mr. Joseph Lawrence with whom 1 made arrangements for a prett\' o()od la\' ami bonus. We sailed in the latter part ol jnl\, at the height of th(; first cholera in New \()rk, and althoueh most of m\- crew W(;re from that city we had no cases ol it on board. My mates were Stephen Perkins, of Ciales bCrry ; John Mill, of Stoninsj^ton ; and ( )rlando Holies, ol New London, tirst, sec- ond and third rc^spectixcK'. We arri\'(nl at the Cajx' I )e \'erde Islands alter cpiite a len!L;th_\' passage, where we obtained salt. Leaxin^' the islands we had constant southerl\ wintls antl muth unpleas- ant w(!ather until r.ear the ecpiator, which 1 ihink wc- crossed on the twentieth of September, vvitJi the siyi vertical. We itftti 38 The 0/t^ Siii/ors S/orv. had adverse winds and he a\ y weather imich of the time un- til we had passed the mouth of the La Fhita, when the weather h(x'ame more mild, it heiuL,^ then past the middle of October. We siohte-d Ciape Corrienti^s. and with a frc^sh north- erl)' wind ran down tin- coast of Patagonia to St. Jose|)h's Peninsula ami sent the boats in shore to e.\plore. The boats re'tu.rned, havinL:^ seen onl)' a few hair lions on th e Oeacnes. W e proceeded soul wi d th, anchoretl in .St. Helena harbor, e wind nortlUNist, where the bottom is hard aiul tlint\'. and went on shore but made no tliscox'er}' of seals. I he n(^\t da\' we left this harbor ami went south, ex- amining rocks and islands, but found no seals. W'e stood in for ( )\(mi liay, a narrow creek, where we found the schooner Union, Captain Clark, of Boston. th th( W e anchored in th IS harbor, which is suul;' and has ex- cellent holdinL;- oroumls. 1 eavin*'' liere we co f ^y Wl th tl 1 fi le wind Irom nlinucd south, across .St. Geori.|^e's northwest, where tin- tides rise rom twenty to lhirt\- feet, and iht; current s(;ts north and south at the rate of three or four milc;'> an hour. We rounded Cape IManco and went to Staten Laml, where we arrix'ed about November ist. Ihis island is a lon^- rid^c of mountain pt;aks, thirty miles ill length, with three ^ood harbors, vi/.: I'^ast harbor, West harbor, and Port llatche. Ihe practice of scaliiiL; this sland is to leave the vessel in one ot tile harbors and w(»rk the l)(;aches with the boats. The Old Sailors Slfirv, Our boats tuted out antl fell in with a boat's crew left here b\' schooner Telesjranh. of l5ristol. antl the\- i)roceeilecl to seal m com]xiii\', Init ol)tainen but I ew skms ki In I inu.u'\' w (.' crossed the Straits of Lt;Mar. which separate Staten Land from Terra del I'uej^a), a danLjerous passaij^e on account ot its \\v. i\\- tide-rip. wht;re Commodore Porter nearly foundered the fri^^atc Hssex. Captain Cutler, in the sl(Kjp Only Son, of Stonint^ton, tountl himself one day driftini^f into this dantjerous rip in a calm. He closetl his hatches and all places where water could ti nd mroui)s of the T.ira de! bue^o archipt-la^o. The islands are hi^'h. roc i\\ an. we w ooded. Ikuiii'l^ a. plentiiul sup| )lv of th(,' most M;fres!iinL; wat(,'r I e\'er tasted. Where the fresh water empties iiHo th»r salt water a sort of oil ris(;s to tlie surface. Th )f »1 le inhai)itants of tins n-'-ion are a de'frac. decl rac<;, des- titute of all civilization, easily intimidateil, subsisting; on tish and mussels, and sjx'ndint; much ot their time in canoes m.ide of i)ark, in which th(-\ ( arry a hea]) ol sand, dirt and stones, on which lhe\ kccj. a tin- 'onsi.mtly burning'. This population in'.iabits a n-Ljion of moun'ainous island- land which cNlends s()me innr hmidrt'd miles on the South Atlantic and Souih I'acili (■ i'()asis. li'-\' ai"<' as s;idl\' m need 4o Tlir 0/(i Sai/or's S/ory of missionaries as an\' jicoplc on the face of tliis terrestrial ball, but the field would be neither lucrative nor self-sustaining'. The)' express no (h'sire to leaxc tlunr countr\ ; and two younLi" ttdlows who appeared to be eiiL^litcen or twent)- xcars of a^e, who came on board our scliooner one tlay. and who were baflled in their attem|)ts to tind the monke\s v!u< i' ;..>- peared to them to lurk in the mirror when the\' stoo.! IjcKi.' it, when made to think we sought their al)duction, how 'id so piteousl)' that we were L;lad to free them from our compan)'. 'Idle number of th(.'se hiunan beings, who fare we.rse than the brutes of most parts of the world, is hundreds and perhaps thousands. A mission was oiice starteil for their benc;flt, umler the auspices of the Idi_n"lish bpiscopalians, but the missionaries, uriable to procure supplies needful to life and health, sickened and diccl, tor au^ht I know ol star\ation. On one of the Diei^o Islands I lost a \aluable boy named W. v. Husse)'. He went with the male and nnself on to n steep, rock)' island to procure fowl, w hile the boat's crew laid off at a short distance waiting for us. TIk; last I saw of him he was on a |)innacle of rock wavint; a wounded bird. Proba- bly tin; rock on which he stood crundiled with his weight, and he fell into the water ami was killed or sexcrel) stunned 1))' the fall. lie was a Sandwich Islander !>)■ birth and an ad(.'pt at di\in^ and sw imnun^Jtut he suildeid>' tllsappean ■., ami although we seai'i lud dilii^c iul_\ lor his bod\ we did h(>i succetui in iindini' it. W (■ examined the rocks and ,sl;inds i;, this region, \ fr. !• i.s we shi we the car eri S u mm The Oh^ Sailors Slor\ 4t (nllcd by Captain Cook, I )(;solalion coast, and occasionally found a few seal. \\'(; oeneralh' anchored at ni^ht, for tlu' hays, coves, and islands in this re^^ion form nian\- e.\c(;llcMit harbors, and cruisinti; in the nij^ht is perilous, on account of sudden scpialls, which are of frecjuent occurrenct; and by no means pleasant. We |)rocured some provisions in Gren'ory's Ha)', Straits of Maj^ellan, of the I'ata^^onian Indians, a for fruits and vegetables. We crossed the ecjuator about the middle ol Ai)ril and arriwtl home (.-arly in Ma\', haxinj^' a speedy, sate passa«;e. 1 found ni\' famiU' well, ami the voN'as^e was prohtable, for seal-skins brought a hi''h price. Thus imhIs a teilious twent.-two months' xoxa^c. On the; twent\-eiL;hth of Jul)' I saiknl on an()tlu;r \'oy- a!^(' in the schooner l)etse\', of New London, with a comple- ment of twent\-onc; men, bound on a sealinij- and whalino- \-o\'a<'e. We stopped at the Cape De \'erile''s for salt, and found that the peo[)le' had been preserved from famine by the provi- dential sui)pl)" of lar^e numbers of small lish. Their crops failed, and had it not been for this mirac 1- lous su[)pl)' of food the; common |)eoplc; would \va\v. been without sustenance. The same Divine i*ow(,'r that sent food by the ravens to the; prophet I'dijah sent lish to these islanders, and ha\(^ we not witnessed the workini^s of the same power in this coun- tr\' ? I'dr when wood was L;cllinL; scarce \-ery rapidh', bo hold the tlisc:o\ <'r\' ;iiul iitili/iu;/ ol our imnn'iisc coal mines ; The 0/(/ Sai/ors S/a ')'• 43 and when whales \vt;rc few ami lar l)etwcen, then bubbles and spouts from mother earth a seemingly inexhaustible sup- ])!)■ of petroleum. These islands beloULT to I'ortUL-al and are inhabited by a mi.\."d race, of Portut^uese and African descent or consent, (ioverao. Martinez and his family were the onl\- full-blooded Portusj^uese which I saw on th(,'se islaiuh sons had a decidetlly Hainish appearance, UK I some o f h IS Pie- was c[uite extensively en^aj^^ed in the salt tratle, owning; several vessels ; one ol taku th em was the oh 1 1 •riL B oxer, ))■ the l'.nter|)rise m the war (jt iSi th( A IKl liese ves- sels conveved cars^oes of salt to PortULial and Pra/.il, \Vh lie we were here th« bru P impico, Captain fol mes, o f Mystic, arrived, and after j)rocurin^- a sufhcieiit ([uantity o f salt. we sailed in company w ith h er. she ijcim )Oun(.i on the same errantl as ourselves, for the southwest coast of Africa. We crossed the e([uator about the middle of .Sep- tember, and after siuhtiiiLr the islaiul of Ascension, an unu- sual occurrence on this passag'e, we took the south(;ast trade winds, which blew remarkably stronij, causing us to make ra|)id headway, and we arrived on the coast in ihe vicinity of Whale's Ba\', after a passage of sixty-hve ili)s, on or about (October 5th, A. D. 1S34. We stoppetl at PHi/abeth Bay, where we procureil a sup[)l)' of birds ami cigi^s, and [)ro- ceeded to Angra Pecpiena Bay, the b(;st harbor on the whole coast, to which I have formerlv alluded in this work. II ere we laiuuHl surplus [)rovisions, s hook^ etc., anc sent down yards and prepared for crnisiiii; ^enerall)'. 14 /"//<• Old Sai/or's S/ory On the third or fourth da)- we starteil northward, t'x- aminini; rocks and islands on our \\a\' with httlo success. We proceeded to Ichaho Ishmd where w(; found plenty of eo^'ail so far, with a head wind, to ^ct something to drink ? Some of tlie men wiiom I was about to leave grumbled and desired to j^o in th.e shi]). their object being to desert ; but I left them, ordering the mates to stop their allowance if they rebelled, and promising them a jollification in case of good behavior on my return. We macU; the trip to Cape Town where we procured water, fruits and vegetables, and on our return found affairs all straight. We landed our water on Penguin Islantl where we found the brig Roscoe, of New Px'dfortl, waiting for whale to onl\' just make their ai)pearance. The Tampico, being a short distance to the northward, arrived two da)s after ; and the ships Commodore I'erry, Captain llobron ; /Kronaut, Captain Mallorj-; Atlas, Cap- tain IniUer ; and tlu: Bingham, Captain Smith, soon after canu; in. It was now about June ist, A. 1 ). iSj^5, andwe con- sorted for a whiU.' with the Bingham, exchanging our first mates with their boat's crews, and cruisetl up antl down the coast seeking whales and fmding none. After a month and a half, during which time the Bingham secured one whale and we oni; less, we concluded whaling was rather slim ; so I started on a cruise to the southward, doubled tht; Cape of Good Hope antl landeil on iJyer's Island, where we pro- 46 The Old Sailors Story cured seven hundred [)riine seal-skins, which somewhat re- vived our droopini; sjjirits. We returned to An^ra, having procured wood at Cape V'oltas on our way. and found the Tampico absent on a cruise to the northward, and a lioston seaHng schooner, Captain Chirk, in the harl)or. It was September, and as no seal were to be taken, we (overhauled and painted the l)rig, waiting for the seal to come up, occasionall) examining the rocks but with little suc- cess. 1 he seal ha\ing been harrassed so much the prospect was slim tor the next season ; but by putting men on the small rocks to shoot th(;m, and b\ great diligence, we man- aged to secure about a thousand skins to both vessels, which was a slim season's work. After visiting .St. llelc;na Ba\', in Cape Colony, we skirted along \.\\v. coast to W'alwich Ha\', procured a bullock of the natives, also a lew ostrich feathers and tMiipty egg- shells, and proceeded! on to Tiger Peninsula, in latitude four- teen degrees south, but fuuling nothing we bore away for St. Helena in January, A. 1). 1.S36. We arrived then; in about eight da)'s after leaving the coast, where I found William Carroll, Esq., American consul, in good health ; and after jjrocuring water and dsposing of surplus provisions, took our departure from this noted island for home about the twenti(;th of January', and arrived safely at New London early in March. The; sealing business had ceascul to \w. remuncTative, on account of a decline in the price; of furs, so Mr. Lawrence The Old Sailor's Story 47 loaded the brig for the West Indies with horned cattle on ileck, and I sailed in her for Martinico on the eighth of April. We sailed with the wind west-southwest, but it hauled to the south and increased to a gale and we had a i)retty rough time for live stock. They kej^t sprawling and falling, and re([uired constant care and management. After crossing the raging gulf we had a moderate pas- sage to .St. Pierre, Martinico, where we found no market for our cargo and were advised to go to Gaudaloupe, which we accordingly did. There we found a dull market, especially for cattle ; and as several vessels were waiting to procure cargoes of mo- lasses, the article with which we wished to load, we had wearisome detention, but finallv obtained a ladino-, and after a (|uick jjassage of eleven days arrived at New London on June 30th, A. I). 1S36. Not wishing to go sealing again immediately, the owner, with my consent and according to my advice, sent the vessel to the coast of Chili, under command of Captain William Noyes. I stopped ashore until the latter part of August ; then made atrip to Norfolk aft(,'r a cargo of corn, and in October purchased an interest in the schooner Callao, and procured a freight in Ntnv York for Apalachicola, where I arrived and discharged after a lengthy |)assage. I went from there to New Orleans in ballast; and hnd- ing freighting gof)d, formtil a line of packets, with two other V(iss(;ls, betvv(;en that port and ;\palachicola. Aftctr making 4S The (Vd Sailor's S/ory threi; ooocl trips, which took me until Jamiar\-, ,\. 1). 1S37, the business ht-camc dull ; and after lyin.L;' idle and heini; ;uck with a fexer for some time, 1 hel[)ed \\ri;ck a scIkx^kt near the mouth of the Mississipjii, then procured a freight for Aj)alachicola, and from thence proceeded to New ^'f)rk and thence home. In June we had the vessel newly coppered, intendinij^ to have i^one to the Azores for a carij^o of potatot^s and onions, but failino in this, laid b) until October, and then took a freight from Hartford to .Savannah. There we; loaded, partly on the vessel's account, for Mobile, and thence we proceeded to New Orleans, whc:re we loaded with bale-rope and bag- ging for Savannah, arriving at the latter port on January 1st, A. I). 1S38. Here we load(,'d with lumber for Ha\ana, and leaving Tybee Februar)' 1st, in the evening, arri\ed at our destina- tion bebruary 4th, in the morning ; and after unloading we took a cargo of coffee, sugar and oranges to New Orleans. Thence we went to Apalachicola and obtained a freight of cotton for New Orleans, receiving one and one-quarter and one and one-eighth cents per pound freight foi under- deck and deck-load respectively. Hack to Apalachicola with a load of sugar and again to New Orleans in ballast ; and from thence a fr(Mght for 15os- ton, leaving the; Hali/e about the first of Jul)' and arriving in Boston the 12th. Then we went home and laid by until Octoljer. My next move was to Hrth, Me., for a cargo of jiota- toes, which, owing to a drouth, were scarce. After scouring The Ol(i Sailoi-'s Slory, 49 about that section for two or thr('(: wciiks, I procured part of a cargo and started for New London for orders. After pass- ing through the Vineyard Sound I i)ut into Newport on ac- count of a southeast gale and storm ; and as the wind shifted suddenly to the westward and blew hard I was detained there several dajs. I arrived at New London November ist ; sailed the second for Charleston, wh(;re I found no market. Thence I had a rough passage to Key West where the market was equally dull. I stopped at Tampa luiy and at Apalachicola, and at both places found no sak; ; and after taking them to New Orleans 1 was obliged to peddle them out in small ([uan- tities. After getting through with the potatoes I went to the Atchafalaya River, and with much exertion obtained a cargo of sugar from different plantations for New Orleans. The navigation of this part of the country is intricate and difficult, the land being ver)- low and marshy; the shoals or oyster banks extend off shore, out of sight of land, and the river is very narrow and crooked. Arriving at Franklin, La., I took horse and rode to dif- ferent plantations, being well received and hospitabl) enter- tained by the gentlemanly planters, many of whom, with their slaves, had emigrated from Virginia and Kentucky, l^referring to raise sugar-cane in this fertile region to the cultivation of corn on their soil-impoverished homesteads. Late one stormy day in January I called at the sugar plantation of a Mr. Wilkes, an old Virginia planter, who ■* 50 The O/,/ Sailors S/orv. Li;av(; me an t-pitoiiic ot his Iiistnry ; and as he was a xcry '\u- telli^tMit man bis conxiirsalioii was hii^iily riitcrtaininj;. \\v. preclict(;(l, at that t;arly tlax, that the hiri^est cit)- in the workl would tnentually sprinn' up on the Pacitic sid*,- ot tliis c(jnti- nent ; that there would he a ship.canal across the Isthmus; and that this future cit\ woul^^e a <;reat commercial emjjo- rium, a sort ot central depot for the world. Since tlie dfivelopment of th(; resources of Calilbrnia and the rapitl rise and growth of San brancisco. I luu'e- often thought of the old i4entl(jman's proph(,'cy on tha ormy Januar\' evening. riie next morning-, alter a sumptuous breakfast, my new-touml friend accompanied me on horseback to several plantations ; and nexer in my life did 1 ha\e more disinter- ested kindness shown me 1)\" a stranger. My recollections of him are a l)right spot in my memory. I also made the act[uaintanc(^ of a 1 )r. I'iekl, in Prank- lin, who, with his wife, an accomplished New \'ork lady, very hospitably entertained m\- wife, who accompanied me this winter, and rendered me kindly assistance in procuring cargo. After taking in dilferent lots of sugar, we dropped down the river, near the mouth of which 1 purchased some corn from the slaves of two tlifferent plantations, (with their own- er's consent, otherwise I should have lj(;en subject to im[)ris- onment), and we made our \\a\' to X(,'W ( )rl(tans, wher(; we arriv('d about tlie twentieth of January. 1 found frciglUs \(M-)- dull ; but after getting what I could and purchasing considerable on the \(;ss(d's account, 1 tlropped down the ri\er on March ist, and was v<.'r)' un- -^ ^r The 0/c/ Sai/ors S/ory, 51 fortuna t.-, f or oil tilt' <'\(Miin''" o r th; II (la\' our vessel was run down and sunk 1)\- a towd)oal with a h(;a\\' V \\\ called the ui ^^cttiuL;' h(.'r near llu: shon,-, \vher(i he left her lyin^" o n one skh; 1 took passatj^e with him to New ()rleans, where I pro- cured the assistance of the schooner Roh Ro\'. Captain lohn W . Miner, ot New Lomlon, with whom I proceeded to the wreck ; and with his and other assistance we hauled out the car L(o, much of which was badly damas^^ed. '1 he schooner was then floated, and both she and the carij^o were sold at auction in New Orleans, the former to liaile)' «S: Marcy, shipwrights, who afterwards repaired and usetl h(.'r to i^ood ad\anta_oe. Beins^" now, as Jack says, adrift, 1)1;* iiaviuLj some funds, I maile an aij^reement with Ca[)tain Miner for a passage north ; and a part freight offering' tor Savannah I made him out the balance, and after discharL^in^^ and loading at that i)ort we took a load of \-ellow pine to X(;w London, where we arri\ed i^i |une. A. 1). 1 S :;g. llaxing been unlortunate 1 concluded to try my fortune on the l;uul, so I purchasetl a farm of si.\t\- acres, with a 52 Thi- iVd Sailor s Story. saw and s^rist-niill thereon, in tlic town of Salem, Ct., and mf)\ecl there from dales !• err\' in ( )ctc)ber. I put the mills in rei)air and ground and sawed, workino; niirhts some of the time as well as 1)\' da\' ; hut farmint*; and millinu- interfered with each other, and the repairs on the mills were as destructive to the profits as IMiaraoh's lean kine were to the well-fa\ored ones, and it was a hard matter at the end of a )(;ar to makc> both ends meet, which was quite discouraging". Another drawback to mj- success was a depr(>ciation in the prict; of stock and produce. W hen 1 jjurchased my farm orain was worth seven shillinos per bushel, anil in one gear's time it could be bouL;ht for four shillings, and other pro- ducts fell oft in value in [proportion. This was another " up and down " in ni)- experience, l)y no means profitable to me. After nearl)- three \'ears' hard toilin*;, with aforemen- tioned results, I was cfferc^d a cliance to l;() to sea on a whalinu^ and sea-elejohantin^; voja^i; to the Crozette islands, Indian Ocean ; and accepting; the offer I sailet! for the firm of Perkins & Smith, in the schooner I'ranklin. on Au£(ust 1 2th, A. U. 1S42. We had a lengthy passage to the Cape I)e Verde's, where we stopped for salt ; then made our way to the Tris- tine Islands, and stocnl in under Ni^htinj^ak" Island October 26th, and tj^ivinL^ the mate orders to keep as near shore as v.as prudent, 1 took thi' second mate and boat's crew and went i«;-shore to prospect. i )iscoverini4 sc me fur s( al in a caw at tb.e north end of tile island, I nuule j)it paiations to land, but Itjokin*; to the The Old Sailor s Story 53 westward I saw a trcmrncloiis s(|iial] cominT(;es fi ftv minutes s(>ulh and Innijilude thirtv-se\'en de- L^rees fort , -six iuinutes east. It is of a triangular sluipe aiid has a coast line of about fifl)' nviles. Running; throuj^h the centre, iti a southeasterly ilirection fron> the north part, is a ridjM' of hi^h mountains whose peaks .re thousands of feet in heij^ht, coNcred with per pet ual snow. The marL;ins and sides of tiu-se mountains are? com- posed of volcanic cinders called clan\pers, the walking upon which will thoroui»hl)' demorali/.*' a new pair of boots in one ila)'s time. In some places thiis islaml can be approached 54 The Old Sailor s Story within a short distance, in other places damgerous reefs ex- tend off shore. In several places are strips of beaches which are more or less Irecjuented by sea-elephant ; in other places large masses of irregular shaped rocks renders walking along the shore impossible. There is one poor harbor, calletl Uxor, on account of a vessel b)- that name having been wrecked there by dragging ashore. The North Island is considerably smaller, and the best anchorage 'w, in a small bay or roadstead at the extreme southeast point. Here we found the holding ground good and rode out several severe gales in safety. Tlie land of Loth islands is similar. Piobablv both are of volcanic ori- gin, and they are a sterile, desolate region, unfitted for the abode of humanity, llore we found the schooner Emme- line, of Mystic, on the same errand as ourselves, and we anchored near her. It being late in the se'ason the elejjhants were poor, yield- ing only a few gallons apiece. We consorted with the luiimeline and worked the beaches together. We also f(nmd a gang of men here from the Cape of Good Hope taking oil for a schooner which the_, expectetl at a stated time. We worked the beaches of botli islands and obtained about oni- hundred antl s(:rent)-live barrels of oil, and left on the seventh of January, A. I). 1843, for the Cro/.ette Islands. This group is about lixe lumdrei.1 milc:s further east, and it took us about a week to get there, linil an anchorage and g(;t to work both ncsscIs still in compan). TJic Old Sailor s Storx 53 We anchored in American I^ay, Possession Island, and found tke elephant plenty. The men worked aioni,^ the heach(;s killiiiL;' and skin- niiv' ihe animals ; ami we hoateil off the blubber as circum- stanc(;s permitted ; mu ch of the time beinsjf so storiMV as to l)revent communication betwc^en the; vessel and tlie shore. On heavinj^ up our anchor on the third of l^'ebruary, the chain choked in the hawse-pipe ; and o\\ ascertaining; the cause found th(^ key to th(^ shackle-pin had worked out and the pin had partly worked out of thelink. In this condition we had been ridinj;, with a heavy sea rolliuL; in antl heavy breakers but a few fathoms astern. 'i he l"2mmeline's cliain was in a similar condition ; the shackle came around liie w ullass ami the pm dropped out lU th( on c leek. H; id our ciiams completely unshickled we shouUI have lost not (jnl)' our x'esst-ls but our lives. 1 would < lution all wiio use chain c.ibles in dangerous places never to trust to ir>)ii keys for shackle-pins. 1 Iow(;ver rusty and hard to st.irt, the)' arc; liable to work loose ; while white \V k e\s wi 11 sw(jll and grow tiL,dUer instead of looser, and they are easily boretl out when it is nec;essary to unshackle tlu- ch.iin. In the following year I km^w of si.xty vi.'ssik which ww- shackleil their chains by trustinj; to iron k(,'ys while ridiiii^at the i+sl;uul of Ichabo, olf the southwest coast of Africa. The sea-elephant, like the seal, come on shore for brcied- inj4, and when the)- lirst land ihcir bhThber or iat, which lies ue.xl to till- skin, is thick ami oil) , but the) ^row poorer rap- 'y \\\ w leinah's sla)' on shorr with llnir )()unL; until llu: 56 Tlic ^Vc/ Sailor s Story. latter are able to take to tlu* water. The)- then tj^o off shore and feed until sheddinjj^ time, or brown cow season, when they are fat a^ain. Some of the males when thi^y first land will N'ield from three to five barrels of oil. On th(; seventeenth of I'^ebruar)' we went over to Hast Island, and in one day s^ot off blubb(^r enouoh for fifty barrels of oil, althoiij^h the vv(\ath(,'r was very blowy. Leaving; men on shore at different placets to work the beaches, we laid off and on or anchored at timers, as circum- stances permitted, improvins^; the time; to such advantaij^e as wind and weathiM' permitted. One niijht my mate and I had a similar dream. We drc^amed of seeing' a span of black horses reariuL]^ furiously and standino- on their hind feet. This was an e\ il omen, for the next day the second mate's boat, in attempting- to com- municate with the shore, was stoven by the com!)ers and three of my best men, vi/.: Joseph Durfey, Richard Cad- well and l^>nest I Ian/., found a watery i^rave. We had a continual succession of scpialls and j^ales from this time until the twenty-first of March, when, having;" taken our men on board, ami haxin;^ also procnrctl a supi>ly of fresh water, we took our dcrjjarturt: for souk? inhabital)l(.' land. I will n^latehere one circumstance, to l^mvc an idea of th(; pleasures of sea-elephai-.tini; at tlu; Prince lulward Islands. Haviuj^' been informed that there were se4iie fur seal on a certain beach on the .'^ide ol the isUuid cj-i-esite to where The Old Sailor s Slovy ,■)/ we were ; and as there was no anchorage there for our ves- sels, and as goinjr around and landing in boats was both dif- ficult and dangerous ; the captain and mate of the Emme- line, together with mj' mate, six men and myself, formed a party to go across lots, which proved no easy task. We pro- vided ourselves with penguin-skin moccasins, as boots were too cumbersome and would soon cut through, and started early one morning. First, we waded through the fussock-bogs, then clam- bered up the sides of the motmtain, ov(;r the loose, rough clampers, to an altitude of three or four thousand feet, where the snow capped the summit, and down the other side, which was much steeper and equally jagged and uneven. The man who acted as guide made a mistake in his reckoning, and no wonder, for it snowed and blowed like fur)' let loose ; and behold, when we descended we were about one-half of a mile from our beach, and no way had we of getting to it but by ascending and descending in another gulch, for the mountain-wall between us and our intended landing place was perpendicular and impassable. Up we clambered to the very top, where the wind blew a tornado, and down we scrambled nearly half way when the guide dis- covt;red he was again on the wrong track. Up we went again, and being fatigued 1 asked the guid(; if bethought he could fmd this spot again when he returned. He replied in the affirmative, so 1 stuck the breech of mj- trusty fowling- piece in the snow crust, ai'id for aught I know it r( mains there till this da)', for when we did return we encountered 58 The Old Sailor s Storv another tornado and were glad to get hack in any way we could. The third time we reached the desired beach, where we camped for the night in a dismal den or cave, through the fissures of which water was constantly dripping. Three of our men, disgusted with the guide, were separated from our company and camped all night in the open air, and these men had the bread which we needed for provision. But although we \vere tired and foot-sore we secured a r>ea-elephant; and making a fire of his blubber and some sticks which we carried for stafts, we fried his liver in an old broken camp-kettle which we found in the cave; and after boiling some sea-water for salt with which to season it, we ate it with better relish than man}' have for bettiT viands. In two days' time we obtained sixteen seal-skins, and made our way back to our vessels, which we were vci)' glad to reach. Another incident on this vo) ige was our dragging off soundings in a heavy gale with a long scope of chain out. With our ordinary windlass it was impossible to heave in a single link ; and thus we drifted aiul pitched th(i whole night, the chain surging heavily in the hawse-pipe and jarring everything from truck to keelson. It took us tlu; whole of the next day, with falls and tackles, to h(,'ave u[) the; anchor, it being a very fatiguing and laborious job, especially in a gale of wind with a heavy sea. On March 21st, A. I). 1S43, we left the Crozettes; on April 13th we doubUnl the Cape of ("lootl llo[je; on the The Old Sailor s Story. 59 15th we anchored in Saldana Bay to obtain water, and here three of our crew deserted. Having obtained water, wood, fresh meat and vei^eta- bles, we left the African coast and crossing the South At- lantic arrived in the safe and commodious harbor of Rio Janerio on May 26th. HcTe I disposed of our four hundred and fifty barrels of oil at twent\-nine cents per gallon, and invested the funds in three hundred and hft) bags of excel- lent coffee, which I shipped home, where it found a good market and brought the oil up to fifty cents a gallon. Having refitted with second-hand casks and stores for another season's cruise, we left port on the nintli of June ; and after wooding and watering at Isle L(^ (irandc, we left the S(^uth American coast on June i6tb., .\. 1). 1S43. ['Or a description of Brazil, its vast resources and VcUua- ble productions, animal, vegetable and mineral, I would re- fer the reader to more able writers, and will only speak of the poor slaves, who toiled early and late, as being poorly fed, hard-worked and scantily clad. We made the land on the southwest coast of Africa, in the vfcinity of Whale's Bay, on the twenty-third of July, having seen three sperm whaU;s on the passage which we were unable to procure. From this time until August 4th we cruised along the coast searching for whales and seals ; finding none of the former and but few of the latter. On landing at the latter date on Ichabo or Round Island, 1 was surprisetl at finding planks, wheel-barrows, 6o 'J he Olel Sailors Story pick-axes and baj^s of miano, apparently left without cer- emony. I afterwards learned that the brig Ann, of iJristol, had been here for the purpose of obtaining this fertilizer. She had been sent here by a merchant of Bristol ; but being unacquainted with this part of the coast, and poorly provided with ground tackle, the captain, having parted his chains, was obliged to put to sea, leaving his implements in the manner in which I found them. He went to St. Helena for the purpose of obtaining anchors, thinking he would return and finish loading ; but changing his mind he proceeded to England with part of a cargo, and there gave information respecting the great amount of this valuable commodit)'. When I touched here on my way homt; from the Cro- zettes, in the February following, I found eighty ships and brigs loading at this island for the I'^nglish market. We proceeded to the Crozettes; had much scpially and blowy weather ; but we found the elephant plent)- and suc- ceeded in obtaining a full cargo of oil, filling up every cask ; and after touching at Cape Colon)* for supplies, 1 proceeded down the coast, where I found the guano fleet bt'fore men- tioned, from which I obtained information in relation to the value of the article and mtMitally resolved to make a voyage here after having finished the one in which I was engaged. i^eaving Africa I proceeded to St. Helena, where I found the ship Columbia, Captain James .Smith, and his tender the sloop .Shaw Perkins, Captain Stroud, both ves- sels loaded with sea-elephant oil fr( m Desolation Island. On the following day a pary of us took horse and went The Old Sui/or's Story, 6i up thi; mountain to Lon^wood, and xisitc-d the last carthl)" dwelling;" place of the L^rcat Na])ol(M)n. lien' he was incar- cerated as a prisoner of war ; hen; he li\ed for nearly six \cars, and ht^re he tliec 1 and was huned or nineteen y(;ars his r(Miiains wen; entombed on this lonel)- island ; and on this account St. Helena will occup)- a prominent mention in tlu; world's history until the entl of tim(;. \\'(; sailed for home in compan)' with th(; vessels last mentioned, and kept together for a o^r(;at part of the pas- saii'e We arriveil in New London early in April, A. 1). 1844, after a cruise of some cwentx' months, makint^ a voyaj^e which was profitahU; to the owners, payint; the best per- centa_L(e on her outfit of anj- \-o)ame she had e\-er made. Ha\ini' a mind to make a i^uano \'o\;me, Mr. I'^lias Per- kins, head of the firm, too-ethei with Ca[)tains James and I). 1*". Smith, went with me to Boston, where; we bought a burthensome ship called the; P)rook!ine. After some tlelay, I sailed from N(;w London June 20th, A. 1). 1844, bounil to the island of Ichabo, on th(; southwest coast of Africa. My wife and little daughter, five years of age, accompanied me on this \-oyao('. W" had a ([uick pas- sage of twent\' da\s to the Cape I )e "/erdes, where wc; touched for recruits ; then a continuation of head winds and calms to the equator, which we crossed in about longitude twent)-five degrees west. We arrixcd at our tlestination Sept(;n ber loth, where, to my great surprise, I found a Heet of three hundreil Lnglish ships, with a working force of two thousand men. 62 The Old Sailor s Storv The masters of these vessels had chosen a committee of twelve of their number for the regulation of affairs ; and at a meeting of this committee, with Sir John Marshall, of Her Britannic Majesty's navy, as chairman, it was voted that, as the island was occupied by British subjects, no for- eign vessels should be allowed to load guano until all of the English vessels were loaded. 1 received a letter and a copy of this resolution from the committee, and immediately wrote to the American con- sul at Cape Town, informing him of the state of affairs, and dispatched the same by a brig bound there for supplies. The brig had a quick passage, and Mr. Chase, the con- sul, laid the matter before Lord Percy, high admiral on that station, who sent instructions to the committee, dispatching a steamer called the Thunderbolt for that purpose, to let all foreign vessels load on the same terms, with the same rights and privileges as English vessels. Sir John Marshall was also recalled. This action was not only beneficial to me but also to the ship Shakespeare, of New York, and two French ships which the committee had refused to allow to load on any terms. This roadstead was completely tilled with vessels, vary- ing in capacity from two hundred to twelve hundred tons. When the heavy rollers came in the situation can be more easily imagined than described; bumping, thumping, dragging, pounding, chafing and breaking were the inevitable re: idts. Fourteen bowsprits were carried away at one time. One TJic Old Snilors Story, ship w.is totally disniastctl ami oik.' sunk. 1 assistt;tl in h^ad- in<^ one shi[j and obtained assistance in return. I succeeded in jj[ettin_Lj ni)- carij^o of six hundred tons and started for Bos- ton in December. We ran down the c(Kist some two hun- dred and fifty miles to W'alwich \Sa\\ where w(; stopped to obtain tVesh beef; and aft(.'r recruitin^i' our lariler we sailed from this place on m\' forty-tilth birthday, December 23d, A. 1). 1S44. We called at St. 1 li;l(.'na for water and vei^etables; crossed the e(|uator in the loni'itude of thirt\- iles/rees west. [)assini^ near St. Paul's rock; aiul after the usual routine o«f calms, tr'ule-winds and variables, toi^ether with s(|ualls, in one of which we blew awa\' our jib, we niade the hii^hlands of Cape Cod on Washinj^^ton's birthday, A. D. 1S45; and crowding sail we were; enai)leil to secure a Boston pilot as the shades of evenin''' settled around us, and we anchored olf Lon_i^ Wharf at midiiii^ht after an eis^ht months' cruise. After makino" arranjj^ements for discharging:;' the cargo, I pioceedetl, with m)' family, on the cars homeward, and when we passed through Worcester on March 4th, the Democrats were firing a hundred guns in honor of James K. Polk's in- auguration. We stopped at Greeneville and Gales Fer- ry, visiting relatives, and arrived at our home in Salem on March 12th. This was Wednesday, ami on the following Monday 1 rep.'iitcd to Boston with a crew to bring the ship around to New London, which we accomplished in about thirt)' hours aft(;r starting. About the middh; of Jul) 1 saiUni for Perkins (S: Smith 64 The Old Sailor s Slory. on a whaliii!^ \'())a^c, in the ship Charles Henry, boiinil to the North Pacific \ ia the IiKhan ( )cean. John Kimhall, Charles Smith, and All\ n i larris wen; \w\ first, second and tliird mates. My wilt.' and daui^diter accompanied nie on this \oya_<^e for the benefit of their health, to which the own- ers made no objection. We stopped at the Azores, where we obtained, jjotatoes; touched at the Cape l)e \'(^rdes, where W(; procurcnl a lot of pigs, poultr)- and tropical fruits. It was customar)- for whalers to stop at these islands to obtain the articles named. and also to ship younL;' mcMi on a lay represented by a frac- tion whose denominator was much larj^er than its numt^rator. \\'(; crossed the e(piator in the vicinity of the Brazilian coast; crossed the South Atlantic: proceeded to Prince lul- ward Islands, where we obtained some sea-elephant oil. Here we had the luck to draj^^ off th(; bank with ninety fathoms of chain out, antl ev(,'ry time the ship pitched it seemed almost as thouj^h sht; would \)v rent in twain ; but after oreat effort we succeeded in i^ettino- the anchor, havinj;- broken the '"«awse-pipe and incurrc-d other damai^e in the at- tempt. Think of a ship pitching and diving in a heavy sea, with a large anchor and ninet)' fathoms of heavy chain dangling from her bow. Description cannot make the situation intel- ligible to a landsman, and no one can fully ajjpreciate it who has not had similar expc-rience. We captured a lone whak?; went to the Crozettes, whert; by the terms of insnranc(! we were not p(;rmitted to anchor ; communicated with a shore ;'an»' ; obtained ( sjos and fish. Tlic Old Sailor s Story. 65 and bore away for I )esolation Island or Kcrtrulen's Land. We arrived off the north end some time in January, A. I). 1S46; and after g(*ttini,r moderate weather succeeded in get- ting two whaU^s, one of which proved a dry skin, not yield- ing much oil. Having tempestuous weather much of the time we were unable to lower our boats with safety; and after killing two more whales, both of which sunk, we proceeded, with con- stant gales from all quarters, to Van I3ieman's Land or Tas- mania, and we arrived at Hobart Town early in March, 1846. There we disposed of what oil we had taken at about thirty cents per gallon. As this place had been an English penal colon)' for man)- )ears, there was no lack of dissolute characters of both sexes; but English law is rigid and offenders are oftcMi se- verely punished, especiall)' old offenders. To take awa)' a convict was a heinous offence, punishable with fine, impris- onment and confiscation. This land produces the finest grains, fruits and vege- tables, the people are friendl)- and hospitable, and there is no finer country in the world for the abode of man. Many who were sent here as convicts had reformed, and by indus- try had succeeded in obtaining good homes and becoming more or less wealthy. After disposing of our oil and recruiting on the produc- tions of this land, we took a good supply of potatoes; and proceeding to New Zealand, about a thousand miles further, we rounded the .South Cape and had the whole I*acific Ocean before us in which to cruis', niter six o'clocl '.->' we fastened to three whales, two of whicli wt^ sa\ed but one sunk I wo tla\s a f- ter w(,' fastened to th.ree more, but. the iron drawetl out fro on(;~-a common (jccurrence tlu' other two we sc'cured. m Wh Jiles beiiiL" scarce we cruised anc m :ule the land of 77/. Old Sailors Slorv, 67 Kamtscbatka, and scciin-fl a wlialc which yiehled om; hun- drtxl and sixty barrels. We stcxxi alon<.{ ro the latitude of lih\-foiir decrees north, where we found sliijjs l»i.ilin;j; out. and thi-re we jj^ot another lar^e wiiale. On the seventei !uh of August we securetl one more, anci then w*.; cruised up and (h)vii t!"ie coast witliout success. About the twentieth of Scptendier we put into St. I'eter- Pauhiski to procure wood, w.it'-r .tnd ve^i^tables. I his is a Russi.m outpost for thi- coil-ctio'i of cduabU; turs. I he (hstancc; from St. i'eLersbur;.di <»\(Tland. at that time, was a \ear's jcnn'm-x' oi srv. Thev tra\('l in winter In' means of dotj; teams, with which the Heutenant-^ox'ernor intormt*! me he was ohliued to make lonj4" jonrnej-s on L;o\c;rnment biisinc'ss connected with the fvir trade. I'he doL;s are chained u|j in summer alonor the sides of the brooks and have the appearance of beino- scantily fed. We procurcxl wood and \eoetables and proceeded south to a more s^tMiial chmate, as it was now October and winter was fast ai:)proachino-. We continued aloni;- across the equa- tor without sei'iuLj any sperm whales, which we were an.vious to find. We finally captured three in the vicinity of the Navigator Islands; and as the shi|) was somewhat leak)- I concluded to put into some port and stop the leak. So I put into a fine laj^oon with a heathenish name, where 1 found an I'^nnlish missionar}- station, under the charo-e of a Mr. Murra)'. Althou_L;h missionar)' work is b) many lii^htl)' spoken of a striking example of its i^ood was here plainly svv.n. When the missionaries first came here they were lantU'd under the protc;ction of an l^nnlish man-of-war. The natives were of the wildest and most saxajj^e kind; now scores and huntlreds were cn^aLicel in learning' and practicing' the gn-at truths of th(! word of life. While here I witnessed the dedication of a new house. 'Vhv fri(!nds and relatives of the family assembled, and after prayer and singing a feast o( good things followed. Their method ol cooking is somewhat peculiar. The)' dig a hole some two or thre<' feet deep in the ground, into which the)' place a (ruantit) o\ small sized stones. Having The Old Sailor's Slory 69 licatcd these stones \'er)- hot h)' l>uil(lino' a lire on them, the)' wnqj the pii^s or iowls which they wish to cook in a kind ot hirj^e leaves called tarra-k^aves. and [jlace them on the heated stoiu^s. Closing the mouth of the excavation with earth to retain the heat; when a sutticitnU time has elapsed th(;)' prothice the; most nicel\- roasted and hneK' Ha- xored meat which 1 ever tasted. The lla\'or is owinL;^ part- ly to the stuffing-, which consists laroi;!)' of bread-fruit and cocoa-nut milk. We were kindly treated, and havini;" obtain(.'d footl, fuel and wat(;r, we proceedetl to the hriendly Isles, so named b)' Captain Cot)k, on our way to which we obtained a forty bar- rel sperm-whale. We went into an excellent harbor called \ a\()U, where In' careenin*^ the ship we succeeded in stop- |)inL;' the U;ak. 1 iere w<" also lountl a missionary station in a \er)' flour- ishing condition, and an abundance of pit^s, poultr)' yams and sweet potatoes, of which we obtained a j^ood supply. The missionaries, Messrs. Turner and WCst, inxited us to their houses and treated us veiy hospitabl)' ;ind kindly. 1 Iere was a church capable of h(/ldin^ five thousand peo- ple, in the buildinj; of which the soimil of the hammer was not hc;ard. 'I lu; root was thatched; the rafters were of bam- boo; the sides and iloorinj;' were curiousl) constructed mats; and the lashings or lastenini^s were maile ol j^rass. K\'er\' particle ol the wood-work was concealed b\' braided or \\o\-en work ol librous material, and the edilicc; was a monnnu nt ol native industr) and in^enuit)-. W (' were here at the time of the annual examination of 70 TJic Old Sailor s Story. the different schools; and tlie exercises, which were of no mean order, were conductt^d with the utmost propriety and decorum. Some hve hundred canoes, capable of holding from sevent)' to ei^ht)' persons a[)iece, arrixed while we were here; in fact the whole population seemed ilesirous to wit- ness and j>articij)ate in these anniversar)- exercises. The native kin<^' or L;c)\(;rnor inxited us to his house; treated us to water-melf)ns; and entertained us with an intel- liy,ent east: and refnuMiu-nt which man)' of the j)rominent men of the Caucasian race would do well to imitate. I never had a more pleasant sta)' at an\" i)ort. The climate was "genial; the people friendly; the fare was excellent; ami the welkin rang with the meloih- of spiritual songs, and the sounds of |)raise were heard in (;\-ery nook ami corner of this happN' little town. On leaxing this jjiace on the twenty-third of Hecember, A. 1). 1S46, m_/ forty-seventh birthda), we proceeded to- wards Cape I lorn, which we doubled in January, taking one whale on the passage, which owing to boisterous weather we were unable to finish cutting in, and lost him when he was only pf'.rtiall\- stripped of his blubber. Being short of wood I put into W'ood harl>or in the night, xv'liich my |)ri'\i()us knowledge of this part of the world en;il)led me to do; and next morning my otiicers were greati)' surprised at tnuling tlu;msel\es in a good harbor, completeh' land-locked, where good wood and water were t(> be had b\' the taking. This p.irt of the coast should be better understood b)' those who double the cape, as it .ibounds in excelleiu har- The 0/(/ Sai/ors S/ory. 71 liors, \vhiiano island near W'atcliman's Ca])c, in tlie latitude of forty- • lit d cioht decrees soutli, w hcrf; was a man named Henry I owell, ho had been wrecked on this coast two )ears previous to w this time. Being- a man ot enterprise Ik; had taken posses- sion ol the island, obtained a workiuij force from Monte- \uleo. and was enuaued m dii>vins' uid curuip- th e corn- Ill odity for the loading of vesst;ls. \\\ making arrangements with him I was enabled to ob- tain a cargo of excellent quality. It had to be dug, si)read, dried, bagged and boated to the ship, which was anchored at souk; distance from the shore. At one time ni)' ship broke adrilt in a heavy gale while I was on shore at work, and w hen it blows in this rc-t>ion there i; s no half-wa\' wor kal )OUt it. I felt no little ;'nxiety for her safet)-, but in course of time she made her appearance; ami .ifter more or less mis- haps and vicissitudes, occasioned by the severity of the winds, etc., we succeeded in getting loaded, and leaving in March, arrived, after a cjuick passage of fort)-si.x days, in New Lon- don, on or about the tenth of May, A. 1). 1848. The owners, finding a good market for the cargo, wished me to make another \'oyage to the same place; and as the inducements were tempting I consented to go, and sailed with the same ship and nearlj- the same crew in July, A. 1). 1 848. We stopped at the Cape De Verdes for recruits, and 1( eavmg the ship m charge ol iii)' m ate I went on shore to trad( Tl le sea was Jieaxnu in and it was calm under the lea of the island, 'llie mate I ( ci me intoxicated, and in- stead of keeping far enough to lia\e a w 01 king brte/e, he 74 The Olii Sailor s Storv. neglecteil his duty, allowed her to drift into the calm space under the high land, and the consequence was we had to an- chor to prevent drifting ashore, and had ^a full weeks' de- tention. After leaving these islands we had a succession of southerly winds and a lengthy passage, but we arrived at our destination in October; and being well provided with chains, anci^ors and boats, I succeeded in getting loaded on the twentieth of December; and after more boisterous weather than was comfortable or desirable, we made the Vir- ginia coast in Februarj', and after several more days of disa- greeable wintry weather and gales of wind, we arrived in New London in March, A. 1). 1849, after an eight months' voyage. At this date the California gold fever was raging, and the Palladium changed owners in part and was sent to San Francisco in charge of Captain McLane. who took his family with him and sought his fortune in that El Dorado; but alas ! for his human hopes, he made bad investments and had reverses, which so wrought on his physical organization that he soon went the way of all the earth. I purchased his interest in the bark Iris, and sailed in her on a guano voyage on the twelfth of November. I found the st(jck ;)retty well exhausted, but succeeded in procuring an inferior cargo and sailed for home in March, A. D. 1850, and arrived at iiome about th(; middle of May. 'Ihis cargo meeting with ready sak: the owners wished me to try another voyage;, and I again sailetl for Patagonia on Se'ptll hatl Till' Old Sailor s Stow. 75 chan^j^ecl his quarters to St-a Fiear Hay, and thither I re- paired, where I had to boat in)- cartjo a distance of four miles. While loadiuLj, in compan}- with other vessels, I made an .excursion, in a schooner l)elongin<;- to Mr. Powell, to the I'^alkland Islands for the purpose of obtaining fresh beef. At this time two larL(e ships laden with coal, from Penn- sN'lvania bound to San I'rancisco, in this vicinity took fire by the combustion of the coal, causetl by the violent rolling \\\\(\ shaking of the vessels, and one, the Nonantum, was abantloned and ne\er heard from. Tlu.' other, called the W'aldram, was taken into Port Stanley, where, after being scuttled to extinguish the fire, she was sold on the imder- writers' account at about one-tenth ol her original value. We got about fifteen beeves, which we carried to the coast, which was a cause of rejoicing to the one hundred and hft)- men there employed. After completing my cargo I proceeded homeward; and after an ordinary passage, so similar to others that I pass it over without note, arrived in New London in Ma)', A. D. Messrs. Perkins t^ Smith wished me to prosecute a whaling and sealing voxage in their employment; and having no suitable vessel they contracted for the building of a clip- per bark of three hundred tons, in which I took an interest, and she was christened the N. S. Pc;rkins, in honor of the l.it(^ I )r. PtM'kins, of New London. I sailed in her .September 2},i\, A. 1). 1S52, with a com- ]>li'm('nt of othcc;rs and a crew ol twent\-one men and boat- 'afcrfM's, lor the Indian and North Pacitic ( )ceans, antl m)' 76 'I he (yd Sa/7or's S/(W m \\ ite and Mrs. IMnkhaiii, llic wife (il nn- mate, l/ore lis com- pany. After ijettini^ fairly started we found that our new ves- sel was a \-er) fast sailer ; she could easily heat the pilot- hoat which accompanied us out to Montauk. .She was not only \cry fast hut also the wettest craft of her size in which I ever sailed; hut in pleasant weather she would skim alono like a hird. \\ e made a (|uick j)assaj;e ot twent\-one class f i^ to tl le c cl( ape De \ Cnles, where we made a call to obtain such arti- th f. es as the,se poor islanilers Jia\-e to dispose; ot, such as pii^s, oats and noultrw which the\- willinul\- barter h^r cheaij )th ciotnc's ant 1 lol )acco. On \\\v. eii4hte(;nth of October we bore away for more distant j)arts; on the twenty-third spoke the bark Dolphin, from New \'ork for Australia, with mining emii^rants; on the thirtieth we had crossed the e(juator; on the third of No- vember spoke an Hnglish bark, from Liverpool for Calcutta; on the fifteenth made the Tristine Islands; on th(; seven- teenth sent the l)oats in shore and caujj^ht some fish; on the eighteenth, with a strong breeze, let her slide for the Intlian Ocean. On the twenty-first of November we had crossed the meridian of (jreenwich; on the third of December made the Prince Edward group, where we tarried some da)s and suc- ceeded in obtaining a small (piantit)- of sea-elephant oil. Hut the prospect was slim, the animals were scarce and poor, ami we bore avay for (jther grounds. On Januar)- icuh, A. D. 1S53, we sp( ke the ship Prince The Old Sailor s Story. n of Wales, from Aherdet-n for Adelaide, from whom I ob- tained the correct loni^itiule, my chronometer being faulty, liaving .st()i)i)ed twice in windint^. On the eitjhteenth we made tht; extraordinary run of three hundred and thirty-six miles; on the twentieth \sv. had thick fog, with the wind northwest; and this foggy spell con- tinued some four or five days, and as we were in the vicinity of New Zealand, our situation was not the most pleasant, for our precise location was not known, and we had a calm, foggy time, with :i heav)- swell, which is much worse than a gale of wind in clear weather and plenty of sea-room. On the twenty-seventh we crossed the opposite me- ridian of Greenwich; on the twent)-(Mghth rais'-d sperm- whale and lowered for them, but the)' went so fast we could not fasten to them. So we continued on our course to the i^astward. On the twenty-ninth \\v. rais(;d spouts which proved to be killers. .\fter this, till I'ebruary 20th, we (experienced a succession of baflling, variable winds, with occasional s(|ualls and showers of rain, and as we had a heavy, rolling sea, we nearl)- wore out a suit of sails. On the twenty-second we made -Saunders Island, one of tht; Society group.and spoke the ship Alexander, from Hono- lulu, of and for New London. On the twenty-third we raistnl sperm whales and took one, cut him in and procet^deKl. On the twenty-fifth a boat with natives came off solicit- ing trade. ' On the fourth of March crossed the etpiator in longi- 78 The ON Sailor's Story. \M tiitlc one hundred and tlfty-three tlcj^rees fifteen minutes west. On the hfteenth made Owyhee, one of the Sandwich Ishmds. On the eiiL^hteenth, at seven bells in the morninj^, while at breakfast, we were struck b\ a combing" sea, which tilled the decks to the to|) of the rails, and rushed with irreat force into the cabin, nearly drowning us out. On the nineteenth !))■ our own time and the eighteenth by the shore time, we crosst;d tht; bar, with the assistance of a pilot, and hauled alonj^side of the j^overnment wharf at Honolulu. Here we landed oil, shooks, and surplus provisions, and taking- in salt and fresh water we remained until Ajiril 4th. Then we left, anil after obtaining wood and vegt;tables at Attowy we proceeded on our wa\- to the Japan Sea. On the fifteenth we crossed the one hundred and eightieth meridian in latitude eighteen degrees forty-five minutes north. , . On the twent)-fifth we made the Ladrone Islands. We sent in our b(jats and obtained cocoa-nuts and bananas. On the eighth of Ma)- we made Long Island of the Liu Kiu group. We saw two Japanese junks and found an island in our track not laid down on iIk- chart. These islands are very compact, with numerous small straits between them. On the ninth we passed three rocks, called the ass' ears, which resemble such ears in shape. And so we proceeded northerly, seeing occasionally fish- ing boats, which ai^peartxl to be sh\' of us. On the four- The Old Sailor's Storv. 79 tcciith saw huini)-l)ack(;(l whales. Lowered and cli.iscd. hut could not fasten, and also made the island of Corea. On the sixteenth we vv(;re throui^di the straits ot Corea and in the sea of Japan. And then w(.' proceeded north, lookini,^ for whales in the day and Ivint-- to at ni'du. When this s(^'i was lu-st visited h)- whalers, in A. 1). 1S45, it was literalK' ali\'e with them; i)ut a iar'^e 111 tleet DursuniL!' soon hrok e ui) the shoals ant ade the remnant difhcult to approach. ( )n the seventeenth of June we entered the ■' /chotsk Sea 1)\- tlie straits of La ere use. We cruised to the north; encountcn-ed ice; laid ofT and on; had much disao'rec'al^le w(;ather, hut we fountl a seal- island and went to work with a will, and on the nineteenth ot July we had taken eirhl thousand skins and wet most of our salt. rhes(,' skins \re convt.'\e'd to llonolul rrived (^n the sixteenth of Octolx^r, .\. I). iS Jo- u, wile re we We then went to Owyhee, when; we overhauled and painted the ship. The next seascn we proceedc^d to the Japan and ( )chotsk S(.;as, sto{iping at ditlerent islands to tratle with the natives, lily exchange fruits and vegetables for cloth and to- \\ ho reat icco Idle islands of the Pacific are innumerable; the climate and productions of thousands of tiiciii are excellent; most ot them arc; inhabitetl; and the (juesticju, " Whence came these motley tribes, tlu;si; deni/ens of ocean land ?" is mori; easily asked than answi;red. i\ (.k;scrij;tion of their ph)sio<^nomy, traits, pt;cuharities, rites, ct;remonies, hal)its, laws, customs ■iiiployments, etc., is subject matter tor unwritten v()lum<;s So 'Flic (')/(/ Sai/ors S/ory Our second season's cruise was successful, and we ol) tained about thirteen tliousand fur seal-skins and six hundred barrels of oil. which we lantled at I lonolulu for transhii)nient. Then, after overhauliiiL; antl retittini;, we cruised to the southward to while awa\' tin; time and s(;arched for whales; ana a_L.',ain, in the spring of A. 1) 1S55, we proceeded to the Ochotsk.but this season we hatl less success rii.d the result was about seven thousand skins and three hunchxnl barr- Is of oil. v)n the hrst of July, A. 1). fued him as he did some othcn- person woulil ha\-e relateti the consecjuences. I soon rallied and had the satisfaction of j)uttinn a rille ball throutrh the monster's cranium, lie was thirteen feet in l(MiL;th and well proportioned, capable of takint^ an)- man's head at a sinj;le mouthful. We arrived, after our third season's cruise, at Hono- lulu in October, A. I). 1S55, and among our letters was oi^e conveying the moiirnful intelligence of the decease of our youngest scjn, aged twentN-five, on the Isthmus of Panam.:, on his wa)- from Callao to .San I'Vancisco. Not wishing to go on another season's cruise, I ma(i<' arrangements with Mr. I'^lias Perkins, th(^ agent of our fu'u , wherebx' the command of the N. S. Perkins was transferred to Captain Asa Pish, a New London man, and I agreed lo take charge of and proceetl lo New London with the ship The O/ii Sailor s Slow. %l Hrookline; ni)- remuneration for the same was to be one hun- dred dollars \)v.x month. We sailed from tii Sandwich Islands in November witli a full can^o of oil and seal-skins; and as the Brf)okline was a slow sailer, or what seamen call ai;Ood monthl)- packet, I now come to a lon^ passa^re of which 1 will i-ive a few i)rief (.Uttails. On l)ecemb(;r 9th we crossed tlie ecpiator. On the twenty-second we stopped at ( )raton;4a, which lies near the southern tropic. 1 lere we w< n.- hospitabh" recei\t;d and en- tertained 1))' the missionary, the K.'\'. Mr. l^ussecot. This is a round, hiL;h island, one of tlv 1 larve\' s^roup, surroundc;d \)\ a coral reef Home thirt\ miles in circumference. Ihe cli- mate is mild, \.\\v soil fertile, and \\\v. natives appeared to Ix; inlellincnt and hon<'st. li'^rewe obtained fruits, vei^etables, wood and water, all at ( h(;a|) rates, for which we paid in calico at twv ut\-tive cc(Hh M yard. We then made -/-od proi^ress, consiri!; but after that time \\v made iietter proj^ress and we arrived at New London on April juth, aft<'r ( ne hiindre(' and ei^ht) chiys' passage from the Sandwich Islands. VVe had been ,ibs/7)ft from lioni' fort^-foiir months, and had sailed durinii ihat ^inie, ijccordinji to .1 rough 82 The Old Sailor s Siory calculation, a distance of some s(ncnt)'-tivt; thoifsaiid miles. I'Or the benefit of those' hoys who learn from their s^o o_i;rai)hies that the tlistance around the world is about twenty- five thousand miles, we will say that sailino aroun> •I MII.KS. 4,000 700 1 , 200 2.700 2,(S00 600 4.500 2,<>0O 4,600 10,2^ 'i'olal. y>.54^> TJir Old Sailor s S/orr S3 I will now commtMicti a narrative of my last \oyage around the world. 1 had Ix-t-n at home a whole year, and findino- it dull on the land after having' si)t;nt so much of ni)- life on the ocean, I thouj^ht I would try my luck as^ain. A Ouaker once told me thit we must try to L;row a lit- tle l)ett(.'r and a little richer every )ear, especialK' the latter. 1 his seems ro be a general j)ropensity of the human race. I lell in with a speculative acquaintance who, as I after- wards found out, was tinctured with aberration of mind, who iii'kiced me to ^o in tor the purchase ol a \'essel with him, sa»5t the weather contmutnl moderate. On tht^ sixth we succeeded In gaining open water b) keeping under slow headway and slun^ring clear of tharbarians that the\- w 1 11 11 et.'ce th e men o r all they ha\'e lo sj)are to p.i\ tlu'in tor coiicealinL; ihe poor sail ors; antl then th(;y endea\or to maki; the- captains pa\' the lots of tobacco for del iverine- up til'' runaways. r.ui accoi m \\v^ to 111) experience Chatham's island is not thi' onl\- j)lace in this wilderness \v()rld where Iraud and double-dealino are sometimes practiced mone y tol )acco ami ciotiinitr, ant W th 1)1) tamed our men b)- pa)in urocetaletl on our cruise b'ebruar)' j.Sth. Clear, [ileasant weather. We are a little to the north ot the tropic of capricorn, ll<)atin_i4 lazily alomj' en the vast acific. W !i<) can (lescrihe th e "grandeur an d sublimit)- of a iiiLiht in this loialit)', wh en .11, tl th th( e moon is le air inxiL'.or.'Uin:^, the sea traiicpul, and the muul ot man is in harmoii) with the whole ? So oiide aloUL;, little 1), irk, towards t hose iiorlhern rc-ions, where the leviathans ot the tU ( j) are si)ort iu< amoii!, Itle lloat n\L;, ic) mountains, go The Old Sailors Story littk: ihiiikiiiL; that we, art; coming; with harhtnl and iiuir- clerous iniphnncnts for their destruction. I'rom tliis chitc, forman\- da\'s, wc had moderate breezes and sultry \veathi;r. On the se\ eiueenth of March we raised a hirLje sperm-whale; out he went too tart tor our benefit, and after chasin^■ him a ^^ood twelve miles we w(;re oblig'ed to give up the chase, which was (|uitt; tliscouraj^ing. March iqth. At te-n A. M. made a small, low island surroundc;d by a reef and covered with cocoa-nut trees. This island, called tin; Duke of Y(jrk, we supposed to be unin- habited, but on our approach we were surprised to see six ca- not;s come boominir out over the ret;f with cocoa-nuts to sell. One of these canoe-f(;llovvs, a fme looking' lad, stowed hims(.'lf away in the hold of our vessel unbeknown to his chief; and his absence was not discoveretl by the chief until the canoes left the ship aiul were some distance off. We filled awa)*; and as the kdlow made si^ns to me that they would kill him if I suffered them to re- take him I stood away from the canoes; the men in which, after discovering the de- sertion of this lad, had headed for ms a^ain and were e.xert- in^' their arms and voices to the utmost. But the race was of short duration for we soon left them far in the rear, and the young fellow, who was sprightly antl intelligent, became a general favorite; and months after, when \\v. sickened and died with consum[)tion in a high northern latitude, we sin- cerc;ly mourned his decease. March 2 2d. .At two A M. discovered a reef half a mile in length, spoken ot on the chart as having an " existtmce doubtf']]." Hut it would be a hard customer to strike on in Till' (Vd Sailoi-'s Siory. ^t llu; nij^hl. Position ot tliis reef, laliludc live .Ic^frecs t\v(,MUy ininiitt.'s south, lonLi'itiulc one huinlrcd ami scvt;nty-four tlc- '^rtH'S tut'iitN-scvcn iniiuitcs wcrst. March 24th. I Icadinj^ to northwest passed the- Ivin^tr Mill '^rou|); the wind was Iii;ht and we made slow proij^rcss. Alter the tirst of April we hatl more wind and proc('(tded with mort; celerity towards our ilestinatioit, viz.: the Japan ami ( )chotsk Seas. April iith. I'illed thrc;e hundred barrels of ■ water at Cjuam, one of the Ladrone Islands. \\\\ also ol)tainc;d wood and fresh ])rovisions; painted ship and L;av(; thi- crew liberty to jj^o on shore, one watch at a time. We remained until .\pril 2T,(.\ at this place. On the twent)'-si.\th landed on a small \'olcanic island and ol)tain(;d a few fish. I'Vom the crater ut this island ^moke was constantly issuinj^ and the air was very hot and stillint,^ The rocks were too hot to be entlurable to naked feet. Idiis is the islaiul of Faxaros and its latitude is twenty degrees thirty minutes north. May 2(-l. At live A. M. made an island on the weather bow and passed it. At ten A. M. made a cluster of rocks and a high island ahead. We passed close under its lee and saw that it was wtdl wooded and inhabited. Its sides were nearly perjx-ndicnlar and rosj apparentlya thousand feet in i'li'ight. These islands b(;long to the Japanese dominions. May 4th. Calm,- and a rolling sea. Took in sails to save tlunn from Hopping to pit-ces. Latitude thirty-four de- grees north, longitude one hundred and fort)- degre(;s east. May 13th. I'^ntereil the Ochotsk .Sea, between the Ja- ^>, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V A 1.0 I.I LitTS |2.5 ISO ■^~ ■■■ ■^ 1^ i u^ iL 2.2 1.8 L25 III 1.4 i 1.6 V] (^ /] C^ 7 / a Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WfST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4S03 i^.r s f> 92 The Old Sailor s Story. pan aiul llic Kurilc Islands, and proceeded nortli until we (anic to ice. Ma)" 2nih. lla\ int^- worked to the iiortlnvcst, rais< d a li'.'!. I of foun I' in ships scarchiiii; tor w hahs aiul (jl)ser\(< thai thifc were hoihil!^ out. Ma\ jStii. 1 hirt)' ships in sii^ht, ( i^ht hoiiiuL; out Ma\' 2c)th. I'ound a dcail whale; hauled him alon'j sule aiHl eoniii"' :u:eu c uttin'j in; found him rather lender line isi. I'inished hoilini^r. The whale )ielded se\ ent\ f'n'e l)arrels. Ull> Sth. S; l\\ v hal es in th e ice hut eouiil not «>"et to th (■' 1. June I ith. Stihck a whal(>; ran him into the ire and had lo .:ul loo^e June :oth. W'eii^hed anchor, which we had previously let L^o to keep from driltins^ ashore, and found the stoi k gone and the anchor -.( oured brightly by dragging four miles on rock) bottom. Ca[)tain Norton, of the ship South Sea- ;ui, came on board and informed nn that lie had found a hah ni w e With ni)' line and irons, the one ni)' third mate lost on thi the <'le\enth. Went on boartl with him and t-ot ihe line. w And so we cruised ami searclKnl and drifted; and as the eather was lool and fogg) much of the time, inasi, uch that ice would make on the rigging at times two iiu hes in thickness, our cruising does not altogether partake of the nature; of a |)leasiire excursion; and as whales were few and shy, and ships were plent)', our cruising was not iml) un- pleas.irable bni also unprohlable. It is true wchad coni- ])an), ami " inis( i) lo\ es compaii)'" is an okl saw, but be the The Old Sailor s Slory. 93 compaii)- more or less, I al'.vays liked wlien I went fishini^ to i^t't some fish. July I4tli. Commenced with breezes from the north- cst. At three A. M. the ice caiiu; up and took th(! schooners 1'".. L. I'rost ami Alice I*" ra/ier adrift. I sent my second mat<* in s( irch of the third mate. At the turn of the tide the ice w ame afoul of us, takii ift W'^ us adritt clown \.\\(\ bay th( and LrnmlmL!" us terribly, cutting the stem nearl)' to the wood-ends. The bottom was rocky and the anchor tlra^'Ljin*^ over the rocks made a bi^. .imblin;^ noise; and how our little bark endured the strain the Lord knoweth, for she jarred all throui^h as thou«^h she wouKl start ev(!r\- joint. We wt re cl ose m slion and e\i)(;cted momentarily to strike rocks, and the fog was vcr)' thick at the lime. .At elcNcn .A. M. we emerii^ed from the foLj; and at twelve M., ^vhen the tid(! turned, we weighed anchor antl retrac(;tl our lost ground. We stood up the bay and at five P. M. raised our boats l\'in<'' fast to a whale. \\ C took him aloULTside and towed him Ml snore for f ear o f tl le ice 1 o nixe th e unmiluited some idea of whaling- in the bays of the ( )chotsk .Sea, 1 will stat<* that two of our boats, with six nun in each, hatl been fastened to this whale for three ilays, in a dense foj^, with no tuc and no protection from the weather except their cloth- inj;. The ba)' was partially filled with junks of floating- ice. four, six. and ei^ht feet abo\e tlu' surface of tlu; water, va- r\ini; in size from half an acre to tlu; size of a ship; and these pieces were constantly tloatin^- and _i;rindin_n together, it is not nt;cessar\ for me lo .aat<' that we cut in this whale and ij 94 The Old Sailor s Story. sfiit the boats to search for another, aiul thus the time wore away. Jul}- 20tli. More than a hundrecl vess(;ls were se.irch- inj4 for oil in tliis ret^ion. lyinL]^ around and in the ice; and wlien tlie fo|.( was thick, sound su!)|)lied the place- of siL,dit. and the tooting of fojj^-horns was simply trenK-ndous. And then we began to hi; ill in cons(.'(|UiMici: ol dam[>ness anil ex- posure. August 1 2th. The mate took a whale near the ship, killing him instantU- with a homh-lance. Spoke the Corea, of New London. August 13th. log. ^^">'~i,. plenty of fog. '! he mate and fourth mate returni;d and reported the second mate off in thi; l)a\' fast to a whale. Went in search of him, hut it was like looking for a needle in a ha)stack. On the seventeenth the second mati- returned, ha\ing fasteni'il his whale to the ship Navy, of Ni-w IJedford. ( )n the eighteenth we got the whale but he was l)adl\- blasted. August iqth. The mate, Mr. dibson, killed a whale in- stantly with a bomb-lance, August 24th. Spanker caught lire from the sto\e-pipe and was nearh' consumed with the ri''Lrin;r attached. The weather cleared u]) for the first lime in many weeks. August 25th. Dropped down the bay and came to an- chor near the ship Rapid, of New Hedfonl, Captain 1 ). P. W'est, an old friend of mine, broin him 1 obtained a storm- sjjankiM' and a bolt of duck, with which to head il up and re- place the sail we had lost b)' tin*. August 2;th. Ainhored, with t\\eni}i)ther ships, in El- The Old Sailor s Storv, 95 })()\v Islaml roads. Hoats awaw I will mention that when ihc boat' s crews are w hahni tl L^ near the sliore it is tlieir ciis th( toin Lo cain[) out oxer nii^liton the shore, the upturned boats forming a shelter; aiid with a cainp lire, cc^okintr utensils and provisions, the\- make ihenisehcs as comfortable as their miserable circumstances will ailmit. Hoats ha\(: been sepa- rated from their ships for a month at a time, the ship search- in*: in one direction ami the boats in another, Iwo boat's crews from the ship deneral W illiams once boarded us for pro\isions, ha\in^ been absent from th(Mr vessel more than fifteen days; and such cases were of fre(|uent occurrence. Hut to be more; brief. \\ C took one whale in Shanter ba\', one in Mercur\' ba)'; and after takin loLZether as a lleet. under «' one more we itl itner(.-i M ercur\' lb tl 1 ead and n('kl a council of war, the (|uestion bein^ W ier(,' next .' Captain W Cst hatl wintered in llakodadi and intendtxl lo winter there aj^ain. So w(; and \\\v. Chamller Price con- chicU'd to keep him compan\ ; and we bore aw.i\ for that port earl\' in October, and after a rouL;h passa«;e throuj^h the La Pcrouse Straits we reached llakodadi in safet\' about the middle of ( )ctol)er. riu! Japanese arc a peculiar people. Tlu'\' are indus- trious, but the women do the hardest and most disa_L;rec'al»le work. Their land is dixided into small larms or plantations, is well culti\"aled and \ ields abundaiuK. Potatoes, beans, buckwh(.'at and rice are the staple products. Tea is i^rown )uth of the |>arallel of thirty-five dej^rees north. ()urblack- iced their iron the best he ever worked. 'rhe\- S( smith nronoui .loll seemeil to prefer Abwuaii dollars to an\<)ther money. 1 heir 96 TJic Old Sailor s Story silk t^oods and lack(.'rcd wan-s arc loo extensively known to need any description. The American consul wishinLj to uo to Simoda, 1 agreed to carr\ him; and U^avini^ Hakodadi a little before the middle of No\'(!mber we had a v(M'y pleasant passaj^c to Simoda, a distance of six hundred miles. I found \\\(\ harhor not very commotlious ami the an- chora_L((' batl; hut we laid tin- bark ashore in a small creek, where we patched the copper and repaired tlu; stem, and oettiny; a j^ood sujjpl)- of tea, su_L,'^ar, rice and swet^t potatoes, we left on the fourth of December for Nani^aski, to meet our consorts, the Raj)itl and Chandler Price, with whom we in- t(Mided to whale in the southern bays of Niphon. We started with the wind from the northwest and U^ad- intj; but on ^c^ttini^' to sea found th(; wind broad from the west ami d(;ad alu^ad. and a stronnL; from the west, we concluded to L^ive up whalini^ on the coast of Japan, and we bore awa\ to the east-southeast, with a stroma, fair wind, to look for sperm whales in the vicinity of the Mulj;ra\cs. Uy keeping well to the sou th we ran out of the .vale and took the wind from the northeast. Then 1)\' keeping; close-hauled we made lioston Islands, helon^inLi" to the; Kalick L;r<»iip, situated in latitude the deiiree^s fifteen minutes south. '11 le natives came aboard; cUid learninij that the l\e\', Mr. 1 )oane, with whom I was acejuainted, was stationed th u;re as a missionarx', I sent nun a note re([uestniL; nun to come off, which he did the next tki)' in a native boat. lie in\iteil me ashore and 1 accept(;d his imitation, and was well entertained 1)\- him and his estimable lad), a dauj^hter of Robert Wilbur, of Mystic Conn. He had a comfortable dwelling, picketed enclosure, and he and his famil)- were seemini^l) cont(!nt(;d. Tnch^r his chart^e were some two hundred and lift\- stalwart, fierce look-' ino", savage men, besides women and ciiildren, all of whom li\('d on two sand\ cocoa-nut islands, neither of which woidd make a Liooti size ;dfi irm. The Old Sailor s Story. Mr. Doaiic infoniH-d mc tliat these natives wort^ (|iiilc adventurous; ucniltl tit out and voyage in open boats a dis- tance of hundreds of miles, and after an absence of months would return safeK'. 'rh(Mr canoes are large and they are verj' expert in thc-ir management. We found a canoe antl crew of these natives, who hail been blown awa)' from home, at Wellington Island, which is over four hundred miles west of the Boston Islands. We supplied this missionary with tea and sugar, and re- ci:ived in return all the cocoa-nuts we wanted, for he had thousamls stacked in his )ard. Leaxing our mission friends to their lonesome fate, we stood to the south to cruise for whales; but as the custom of northern whalers for years had been to proceed to the Sand- wich Islands to recruit, m)' crew, instigated in part by my third mate, whom I had taken from the ship Chandler Price, began to show tokens of dissatisfaction, and tmally sent me a note, saying that they should consider th('\i;;:"iV(is pressed men if I took them to the ( )chotsk another season without \isiting the Sandwich Islands. Hut as 1 had alread)- been in two ports of Japan. I diil not feel lik<," goiny so great a ilistance thu:; late in the season to gratif) th(;m. This brings me to January, A. I). 1.S59, and as our cruising was unsuccessful, I was not in the most happ)' frauK- of mind, with the pros|)ect t)f making a broken vo\age and having a dissatisded cr-.w. W t; touched at .\scension Island for wood and wat(;r; had a spl('?idid chanci! for killing a large s|>erm whale, which wouKl [)robal)ly have made usahunilred barrels. lUu The Old Sailor s Storv. 99 \.\\v. I)i<^f luhher of a hoat-steerer was jrallianl, and although the wlialo was in an iron pole's lenj^^th of the boat. th»- boat- stei;rer niisseil liis mark; and tiiis was very unfortunate, for sucli chanct;s sc^ldoni occur. If we had killed one we should |)r()l)al)ly have; found another, for whaU^s seldom roam singly. The capturing of tiiis whah? would probably have been as gootl as two thousand dollars to me, for I was the owner of one-([uarter of the bark and was sailing her on a twelfth lay We entered the Japan Sea about the first of April; fell in with the Rapid, Captain West, who had wintered in Ja- pan and like ourselves had taken nothing. Cruised for days; saw few whales and the)- were una|)proachable. So we pro- ceeded north into the Ochotsk again, and endured a repeti- tion of last )ear's experience; saw many whalers and few whales, and after much exertion succeetled in obtaining only live. The whales were very sh)-; tlu; lleet numerous; and although wt: tried hard we succeeded poorly. It is needless for me to speak of ici'. fog, gales of wind, peril and expo- sure, for 1 have dwelt on tliose sufficiently in relation to last xear's cruise. To shorten tlu- narrative. I proceeded in the fall to,^ llonohdu; shipped my oil to New London b) the bark Siam, Captain Rice, and having refitted the bark, made arrange- ments to deliver her into the charge of Captain Asa l^'itch, of W'w London, who had lieen a successful whaling captain, in hopes that he wouKl ilo better with her than I had done. Hut the whole affair was ruinous to me in a fmancial point of view, for 1 ullimatc.'l)- n-alized a loss of seven thousand liollars cash, and thne years' valuable time, by my dealings lOO The Old Sailor s Story. and eloinj^s in the bark ICinixist, which 1 (h'h\ert*cl to Cap- tain I'ish in the harbor of San I'rancisco, ht; ha\ int; aj^rt'cd to take^ a vessel to that place from the Sandwich Islands. 1 took passage in the (ioklen A^c Pacific mail r,teamer to ]*anania, and crossini^ the isthmus to Aspinwall, was trans- ferred to the steamer Haltic, which con\'ey(,'d m(- saf(.'ly to New York, and I arrived home in Janiiar)', after an absence of two years and eii^ht months. .Some may ask : " 1 low could you lose so much b\' such a transaction .-'" 1 will, by wa\' of reply, mention a few items antl the r(;ad(M' may draw his own inferences. Cost of v(^ss(d; in- tert;st on the same;; outfits; interest on outfits; pro\ isions for lar< ire crew; advance to crew; desertion of men iippmj n ew hands; advances to new hands; rei)airs on vessel; wear and t(*ar; stavini^ boats; clothin;^ for men; new sails; fe w hal eh.; msurance; commission; If'ak; \\ iLTe; ('aufinir; commis- sion; wharfage; port changes; taxes; more leakatj^e; outt^oes; freii^ht; fot^; thunder. Add these itt^ns careful!)', and make due allowance; lor lee-way, and remember one minute makes fil't(;en miles in lonj^itude, and see where )'ou will fetch u[>, especially if you do not start ri^ht and ha\e no true dejjartiire. After stopping at home; sixteen months I obtained a commission as Acting Master and Coast Pilot in the United States Navy, with orders to re[)ort for dut)' imm(,'diately at the navy yard in Philadelphia. IJear in mind that this was in May, A. 1). iSbi, in the beginning of that war between The Old Sailors Siorv. loi the northern and southern states, known in history as " 'IMie Great Rebell'on." My appointment bore the date of Ma) 25th, and I ar- rived in Philadelphia about the first of June; and after wait- in*^ somewhat impati(Mitly for several days, I received an or- der from Commodore (afterwards Admiral) Samuel V . Du- pont to report for duty on board the United States frigate St. Lawrence. The southern ports were ordered to be blockaded, and this vessel was to be one of the blockadinjj^ fleet. We left tlu; navy yard June 29th and towed down the river and came to anchor oft the powder-house. July 1st. Took in thirteen hundred shell and two boat loads of powder. July 2d. l'"inish(;d takin^,^ in powder. Jul)' 4th. i'lred a national salute of twenty-one t^uns and the men had an extra allowance of Ljrog. July 6th. Towed down to Chester and anchored. July 7th. Steamer towed us down. Camt; to anchor off "Joe FloLTtrer." ,,v, July 8th. Towed out past Cape Henlopen; made sail* and stood out to sea. July loth. At sea. Loaded all the ij^uns. July ! ith. Came to anchor off P'ortn^ss Monroe. July 14th. Put out to sea. Ju!\' 1 6th. Captured the brii^ Herod, from Windsor, North Carolina, for Liverpool, with resin. Put prize crew on board and ordered her to I'^ortress Monroe. I02 The Old Sailor s St-orv July 26th. Off Charleston harbor. Spoke the United States frigate Wabash. Stood off to southeast. July 28th. At six A. M. made a sail standin^^ towards us which put around to avoid us. We put chase to her and found her to be a fore and aft schooner. W'c; i^ained on her fast and at nine A. M. were in point-blank rans^e. Fired an unshotted j^un as a sii^nal for her to heave to, which he did not heed. We then fired a shot which fell short of her. He boldly hoisted the Secession Hag and sent us a shot from his long-tom, which struck our main yard slings harmlessly. We gave him a taste of our calibre, and down she went head first to the bottom, carrying six of her crew as we supposed by her muster roll. Lowered our boats and i)icked up thirty-seven men, in- cluding the Captain, and then we stood for the flag-ship Wabash. The vessel so luiceremoniously sent to " Davy Jones' locker" was the pilot boat Petrel, of and from Charles- ton, July 29th. Stood in and reported to the flag-ship. Re- ceived orders to keep the prisoners on board, August 2d, Anchored off Tybee light. Transferred prisoners to steamer Mag, bound to Hampton roads. August 5th. Received fresh beef, vegetables, ice, let- ters and papers from United States supply steamer Rhode Island, from New York, W^eighed anchor. One of the fore- castle men had his arm so badly jammed by the anchor that amputation was necessary. From this date till SeptembtT loth, we were blockading Tlic Old Sailor s Story. 103 off Tybce, when the sloop of war X'aiidaHa came to our sta- tion and we left for Chesai)(;ake Bay. September 15th. Anchored in llampton '■oads in com- pany with I'nited States tri^^ates Minnesota and Cum- berland. September 19th. Took in ; lot of stores out of a steamer from New N'ork. September 23d. Took in five thousand j^ailons of fresii water from water-boat. .September 24th. Took in two hundred barrels of wa- ter from a water-boat. I'nited States frigate Sainne arrived from Portsmouth to join the blockade scjuadron. .September 25th. Took in eijij^hteen thousand <;allons of fresh water. September 2Sth. Took in eii;ht thousaml j^^allons of water and a (juantit)- of provisions. X'cssels constant!)- ar- rivinof and departins^. October 5th. Put out to sea. I'roni this date till No- vember 6th, we were eUij^aged in oxcrhaulinj^ vessels, exam- ininir their papers and letting- them procc:eJ; but on this day we took a prize, vi/.: the schooner I'anny Lee. from Darien for Nassau, and put a prize crew on board of her. November 7th. .S(;nt off the prize with Actinj;' Master IJogart in charge. November Qtli. Received news of the cajjture of Port Royal, South Carolina, by I'lited States gunboats. November 20th. Commenctxl with a ligl'.t air from the north. At six thirt)- A. M. rais(;d a sail to th<^ windward, Mad(; her out to be a bark slandinij to the northwest. \\\: I04 The Old Sailor s Story hove short but the wind fell ofi, so we manned two boats and sent them to her, a distance of ten miles. At four P, M. one boa*^ returned and report(;d her to bt; the Neptune, from Glasgow, Scotland, for Quebec, with a load of coal. On ac- count of her being so lar out of her track it seemed e\ident that she intended to run the blockade. At six 1\ M. the boat in charge of our second lieutenant returned with the Nep- tune's captain, who gave a somewhat confused account of his proceedings. .So we put a guard on board of her to take her in charge, and the\- brought her to anchor astern of us, and her officers were lodged on our shi]) for the night. November 21st. HoarcU^d and searched the bark, and finding nothing contraband of war, endorsc^l her papt;rs and ordered her off the coast. She; stood off to the northeast and was soon out of sight. Probabl)' as soon as slu; was clear of us she retarded her progress and waited for a chanci: to get into some south- ern port; for our search was not sufficiently thorough, and we heard of her subse(|uent capture l)y officers who gave her a closer scrutiny. They obtained prize-mon(;y which might have fallen to us. December ist. Received orders to proceed to Port Royal, which we willingly obeyed, antl we arrived and an- chored in that harbor December 5th, where we found an Finglish frigate and a large fleet of IniKul States gunboats, supply vessels, etc. About this time the stone-tleet arrivcul from the north. This fleet consist(;d mainl)' of old whaling ships which were purchased of their owners by the l'nit(ul Stales (lovernment. The Old Sailor's Slory. jo: loaded with stones, and sent south for the purpose of beini^ sunk in the entrance of Charleston, Savannah, and perhaps other southern harbors; for the rebels, notwithstanding the blockade, were constantly' receivinj^ aid and encourajrement in the shape of hospital stores, munitions of war and what the)' needed; and cotton was scarce and hiiii'h, consequently the temptation to run the blockade was great. W'e remained at Port Royal from the fifth till the twenty-sixth; painted ship, obtained wood, water and mails; and a large number of vessels with troops. suppli(;s and mails were constantly arriving and departing. At the last mentioned date We put out to sea and stood off to the south- east. December 29th. Came to anchor in llftc^en fathoms, with Cumberland Island in sight from aloft. The next da)' we weighed anchor ami cruised off and on for several day;;. January 8th, 1862. A seaman fell from his hammock and fractured his skull, from which injury he soon died and we buried him in the deep the following da)'. January 12th. Spoke th(! packet steamer Columbia, from New York for Havana. Hoarded her and obtained pa- pers of the ninth instant. January i6th. Anchored in latitude thirty-one degrees forty-nine minutes north, longitude eighty degrees thirty-six minutes west. January 19th. Cot under v/ay and stood into Port Ro)'al, where we anchored in nine fathoms, (Mitside of the bar, with the light-shit) bearing north by west. io6 The Old Sailor s Story. January 25th. Sailed into the harbor, crossing the bar in four and one-half fathoms. We remained in port till January 31st, and then towed out over the bar and stood off to the southeast. We then proceeded to New York, took a pilot off Bar- nagat, and arrived at Brooklyn Navy Yard Februar\' 8th, at eight o'clock V. iM. Cold and stormy. We obtained stores, ammunition and water, and the men had liberty on shore. We towed round into the North River on the twenty-second and fired a salute of twent)'-one guns in honor of Washiuifton's birthda\-. Februar\' 28th. Receixed a draft of sixty-tive men, six mates and some ordnanct; from the navy yard. March 2d. I'owed cUnvn the \ya.\ and over the bar. A seaman fell overboard and came near being drowned. A boat put ofT from the shi|) Ocean Monarch and rescued him be- fore our boat coukl be lowerctl. March bth. Made Cape Henr\' and stood tlirectl)' in. 'I'ook a pilot aboard and stood up the ba)'. Came to an- chor off Lynn Haven Baj- in six and one-half fathoms. This da\' ends with a stront'- l)ree/c- and snow from the northeast. March ricson water batter)' Monitor arrived from io8 The Old Sailor & Stow. New York and proceeded up the roads to Newport News, the seat of action. March 9th, 1S62. I'his day, world renowned in the his- tory of naval warfare, commenced clear and calm. All hands called to quarters and ij^uns matle ready for immediate ac- tion. We discovered the Merrimac and three rebel gun- boats getting up steam off Sewall's Point, and moving slowl) towards the Minnesota which was still aground. The Moni- tor boldly advanced and attacked the Merrimac, which en- deavored to run over the comparatively small and insignifi- cant looking invention of the now famous Erricson. In this s.ie was foiled by the dexterous maneuverings of the Moni- tor, and soon withdrew in an apparently crippled condition, keeled over and seemingly sinking. After a while she righted up and moved off up the Elizabeth River where Uer consorts had previously tied. Thus ended one of the most important engagements re- corded in the annals of naval warfare; for the success of the Monitor was not only the salvation of the American Navy, but demonstrated the practical utility of another great American invention. After this memorable action we proceeded to Philadel- phia Navy Yard where our damages were repaired. W'c then returned to Eortress Monroe, where our commander, Captain Purviance, was relieved from active service and Captain J. l'\ Schencks succeeded him as commander of the St. Lawrence. We proceeded to b' .ckade duty on the North Atlantic coast; went as far south as Kev West, where, in course of The Old Sailor s S/oiy. 109 time our friyalc was made iIk; llaij-sliip of Commodore* Lardner's sciuadron; Ik; haxinj^ dispatched his fri<^at(;. tlie San Jacinto, north on account of the jellow fevc.T which v.\- tensivel)' prevailed amonjj^st his crew. Our m(;n were soon attacked with th(; scourge; the weather was very hot and man)' cHt^d with the chsease. Souk; (\\(i(\ on board, others were semt to th(; hos|)ital; some; recovered and returned to the shiji, and others died in the hospital. Thus the months wore away and on the tenth of Octo- ber I rec(,'ived orders to report on board the United States Li'un-boat Youni;" Ro\'er. for a passaL;'e north. Conjj^ress had passed a law that na\al men over sixt)- )'ears of ajj^e should b(; dismissed from active service; and as I was but a volun- teer this act was ('([ui\aletU to my discharge. We arrixi'd at IMiihideljjhia October 26th, and on No- V(MTii)er 4th I took passage on the cars to New \'()rk. brom thence I w<'nt to Saybrook on the steamer Oranitc; State;; visited an old ac([uaintance, Captain 1 )oIl)eare, who made; me W(,'lcome, and the following" Monday he convejctl me in his sail-i)oat to Old Hamburgh, from which [)lace' 1 tra\cled to my home in Sal(;m, Cl., where I found m\- wife and family in comfortable health.. This is a \-er)' brief sketch of m)" sixteen months in the llniteil .Stat(;s Navy. The remainder of ni) narr.nive is ([uickl)' told. In ,\. 1). iS(): 1 rcmoNcd from Sahnn to Ciales l''err\-, my birtpplac:*', where Uill resuu I 'I .\. 1). iS()4 1 made a trailing \o)aL;(: to Key West, I ID The Old Sailor's Story, I'cMisacola, and the Hahamas. which proved not only iinre- miinerative l)ut a losin