November 5th- 115 days out. Latitude 10 degrees, o minutes North.
Another Sunday has gone and we are still jogging along, and we have only 10 degrees further west to go. We are in the tropics and the NE Trades with ________ clear marine _________ weather with occasionally a refreshing shower . But the thermometer begins to go down a little, telling us plainly, that very soon a great change must come in the weather. We are steering now for
Cape Hatteras, while we have got the Easterly winds…
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On our last voyage home, we lost poor Charles Makens overboard. We have lost 
nobody this voyage, and God grant, we may continue safe to the end.
I began to think we were never going to see any vessels, but Friday we saw two and yesterday three. One was a little English fore and aft schooner, very near us. We hoisted our colors and saluted him and he gracefully returned it. They were steering towards”______ Cape”. 19 years ago, my first voyage in the Tropics I passed into the Caribbean Sea by that passage. I have had a stormy life since that. The day we passed….
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…voyage journal I’ve _______ it in the same place, the same water, X days out.
Today I have been thinking of the old days. One by one they come back to me. How ________ it is that these long forgotten _____ will spring up again, but my guitar is broken. I broke it in Ilo-ilo. I have hardly played it t his voyage. Yesterday I get it out and glued it together. It seemed like an old friend _____ ______ ______ to try and play a little this evening, but I have got an awful headache, and all I can do is to think.
The cockroaches give me some fun. They run like the old when I am round. They are afraid of my slippers. The ______ are always on watch and as soon as I kill a cockroach, they will run out from their hiding places and grab his carcass and run off with it. And so I lay on my sofa and watch them.
Monday, November 13th
124 days out. Latitude 27 degrees North. Longitude 66 degrees West.
Since writing the foregoing, a long tedious time has passed. We have been in the place called “Horse Latitudes” very near the West Indies, almost becalmed, never making more than 60 miles a day, some days thirty. It seems _______ to be laying idle here, when winter is coming on so rapidly. But no doubt it is all for the best. The weather has been so warm that we have slept without blankets with the windows open, longing for a breath of air. I have had a severe attack of “Dyspepsia”, and it has made me long to get _______. I have made a couple of baskets to work it off, but it won’t go. Our ship is painted to the water’s edge and shines and glistens like a new dollar, and is all agog to get in Boston in about…
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… the most impatient we get. We had a serious accident last week. Our Bowsprit 
broke, but not so bad that we couldn’t patch it by fixing as they do a broken ________.
Yesterday after service, a little _____ came to us from the North. After it the wind came snorting along at great rate. Running dead before it was a Yankee rig and a schooner. It done us good to see them. This sent the thermometer down bout 5 degrees and last night was quite comfortable. Though the wind sighed and moaned through the rigging like a real wintry wind, as it was, and put me in mind of other days….
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“Maine heath(?) on my _____”
Now Chin the steward is rigging up the stove, for soon it will be too cold for birdy 
and the plants. They are all doing well. I call the little bird “Sing Song”. The kittens have found out that the cabin is a nice place, and forsaken old Dunn and taken up their abode aft. So I have quite a family of pets.
My traps are nearly all packed, and there is a pile of them, 18 or 20 boxes and barrels. But I think it will be too late for the Atlantic Steamer. My boys are a study. They came away from Boston young lads, they are returning men. The young Reginald Clary is sporting a pair of whiskers and it is fun to see him feel of them when he thinks no one is looking. I asked him last night if he was going home to see his mother. (She is a widow and lives in Spanish Connecticut, and he is her only child) He said he thought not. I asked him how he thought she would feel…
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…for Clary. A boy that has probably cause his mother many nights of anguish.
I have been reading the private history of the life of _______ Napoleon. He was a queer character. Now I am reading Lamastuel’s(?), History of the French Revolution of 1848. It’s very interesting and paved the way for Napoleon’s Empire. Looking over some English papers, I find the following notice, so it seems there is now more than one W. Drew in the world, more than one clergyman by that name. he was not much younger than my uncle of that name.
(News clipping here)
Death! What an awful mysterious word. The ________ of the future, the translator from this life, to what? No man knows. We only know that he will surely come…
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Saturday, Nov. 17th, 1871. 128 days out. Latitude 33 degrees North, Longitude 77 degrees West.
I must write this in black ink, my blue one is so poor, and it is very appropriate 
for what is to follow. Since my last writing, we have had great changes. The wind went round to the South with the sun and came out from West in true Yankee style- spitting rain at us. But we did not mind that, we were expecting it. Last Tuesday, the new moon shone itself like a pale gold ribbon setting in the West, and I thought it would light our way to Boston, and that my darling would see it, and say their father was looking at it too. I have often heard say that it was bad luck to see the new moon over the left shoulder. But it was something I never cared about, or believed in. I saw this over my left shoulder. Since tha,t it has been blow-
-ing heavy. Our sails and spars and rigging are getting old, and we can’t curry 
sail so hard as I could ______. Thursday evening, the wind was increasing, with that cold, leaden misty sky and great hungry sea running that is so dismal to look at. We took in top gallant sails at 8 PM , and at 9 I wished to go below. I had been on my feet ever since 5 that morning. Mr. Graves, the second mate, was the officer of the deck. I told to keep a sharp look out and if it blowed harder to let me know. So I went to my cabin and laid down. The weather was not very cool.. I had not been asleep 5 minutes before the second mate in that shrill voice of his, that the upper foretopsail clew-some(?) was gone. I asked him if it was blowing harder. He…
…said no Sir. Only puffy. I told him to free the topsail and let her go, but I could 
not get to sleep again- I got up and sat in my chair. Presently a door got to slamming and I was crossing the cabin to shut it, when I heard an awful cry. I have heard it too many times to not know what it meant. Still, I did not realize ‘till the man at the wheel give it that shake that strikes dismay to a sailors heart- “A Man Overboard!” A man overboard in such a night as this! What chance is there for him? And the thoughts that quicken the electricity flash through my mind. In an instant I was on deck. From the mad roar of the waves, there came up a cry of despair, so near as if it whirled about the ship- Oh!
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Oh! Oh! Save Oh! Where are you? Look out for this rope, but the rope was afoul 
and could not reach him. Hard down your wheel. Al hands- man overboard! And I grabbed the wheel platform, some pieces of board for the helmsman to stand on and I hove it after the drowning. I reached forward not a man was in sight. I called the Mate, asleep in his berth below. I tore open the forecastle door and called the watch below up. I looked aloft, every one of the Second mates watch was on the topsail yard. Now was the time for the Captain to decide quickly what to do. The boats- not one of them could be put over the side. Must I leave him to his fate? God Forbid!
We must near ship was the quickest, and cruise for him, there is a _____ chance, 
that he may get to rest on that platform, and we might pick him up. Stranger things have been done. Well! Haul up the mainsail! Hard up your wheel! Now the scene was gloomy enough- the cry of the sailors at the ropes, the whistling and shrieking of the winds, the thundering and ____ of the sails, the sharp orders of the Mate, the water pouring over the ships as she fell into the trough of the sea, and lurching so as to heave everything that was not lashed, head over heels. All this mingled with the echoing cry of the doomed man and added to the awful anxiety of my position- filled me with a weight that seemed to ____ me to the deck. Half of the men were aloft yet. The watch on deck could not attend the yards fast enough. Every roll of the ship threatened to take the masts out of her. Every slat of the sails might shake them to pieces, and we had no more to replace them with. The yards were aback and any moment might break them in two, and lastly, the rudder was in danger. All this night we crawled
…with care and time, and the men all at their proper places. But time! Every 
moment lost was to insure his death, who I determined to save if possible. I staked all for his life. But now the top Gallant sheet had parted and got into the fore topsail _____ block, and the yard could not be started. It seemed an age before we could get it clear. I had to keep all this time, the exact course the ship was making, so we could retrace our steps. Now who was it that fell overboard? Nobody knew. Mr. Graves? Who fell had been aloft. Mr. Graves! Mr. Graves! No answer, a weight like lead froze to my heart. Mr. Graves was lost! Well, no time for grief now. _______ must not give way in times like this. At last we got the ship round on the other tack. It was just an hour from the time he went over the ship & peer into the water and see if we could see him. I was chilled though the thermometer had fallen 10 degrees. I calculate we arrived at the place he went over at 11:30 o’clock, but no signs of him. Should I cruise til daylight and try and find him then? There was a lame chance. So we kept to…
…that spot until daylight. The days have grown very short, and it was not till 6AM 
that we could see anything. Aloft, below, everybody was straining their eyes- but no Mr. Graves. Just before light, a light was discovered- it was a vessel steering before the wind, coming right for us. We showed him our lights. We kept off but we had taken in so much of our canvas that the ship did not move fast enough to get out of the strangers way. I called all hands, thinking that we might soon be following poor Mr. Graves, but all at once, the strangers vessel saw us and steered clear. It was a narrow escape. And my heart grew increasingly lighter as I saw him ______ _______ clear.
Now we gave up our poor Sec. Mate and kept sorrowfully on our way. I enquired 
of the men on the topsail yard how he went. No one knew. No one saw him go. He was the last one that came up, they said- and one man saw him go out to windward. That was the last. Everybody is sorrow stricken now. When a man dies on shore the gap is instantly filled up, and it is not so much minded. But here, in our little lone world, where we have been together so long, and know one another so well, that it seems peculiarly hard. More so when taken so suddenly. More so because it is the loss of a strong willing arm we so much need, and doubly so when it is an officer. I have seen many men go in my time in various appalling ways, but I never felt grieved than at this time. Augustus…
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…Graves belonged in Duxbury, Mass. He was 25 years old, and had been at sea 
six or seven years. He was the smartest man to perform feats of agility aloft I ever saw. He would go where he could get a handhold. His disposition was sweet and kind. His brother Frank was with me last voyage, and this one came out with me before the mast this time. He said no one would help him along, so, when I protected him, he was very grateful. Just before we sailed from Ilo-ilo, he sent his father and mother, who are poor, an order for one hundred dollars to be drawn on his wages. His familial affections were strong. And now he is gone! Cut down in the flower of his youth, gallantly doing his duty, and so near home, after eighteen months absence, that he could almost count the days. What sweet visions of home were blotted out by those cold waves.
The cold cruel Atlantic claimed him and into its great hungry maw, he went to his 
“Ocean graveyard.” But that is not all. He is better off- no more trouble for him. No more storms. But that poor mother, who is now counting down the hours that will bring him back to her. How can I tell her that her precious boy was lost from my ship. That I- his Captain could not save him. Oh Lord help me! I have been through that scene once! I never want to behold it again. One brother of mine lays very near here, another not far off. I saw my mother receive the news of the last one, it nearly broke my heart to see her. But there is One that can help her. May she and her family all be drawn near to Him “who suffereth the Sparrow not to fall in the rain.” “The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away. Blessed by the ____ of the Lord.”
The blew falls heavy here. I thought a great deal more of him than I knew for. Perhaps I had a pride in promoting him. He was so smart, and so fair and so 
steady, and good. Then he was almost the image of my brother, “Edwin”, and I was in hopes of seeing them together. And we needed him here so much. But I have done all that could be done to save him- and I have shed bitter scalding tears to think of his end. I try to think of it as the Lords will. He wanted him more than I. And then the dear boy is at rest. There is comfort in that. Sharp and dreadful as the agony of death was, he reigns on High now. He will have none of the bitter trials that I have had- there is gain in that.
Everything seems so uncertain now, the other day, I was thinking of the joy of getting in, and meeting my wife, my children, my little Mary, my boys. And as I looked at the new moon, I called it the Thanksgiving moon, for I thought it would take me to then to get there about that time. Now all is changed. This awful visitation has made me feel as though it were no use to think of anything but death. God forgive if it is wrong. I have been dreadfully tired lately. My eyes grow weak…
…and sore from looking for the plants to get observations. They get filled 
saltwater. And at 8 last night I had no sleep for nearly two days. I am Sec. Mate as well as Captain and standing my watch as I am to do. I hate to put in a Sec. Mate now when we are so near our port- only five hundred miles. But we may be a good while yet. I was one, when Mate of the Dolphin- 28 days from here in December. Seven days we laid in one gale, with nothing but the Lee clew of the main topsail, all buried up in water- no fire- little ____ and mighty poor at that. I don’t like to think of those times much.
We got our fire going in the cabin for the first time today- more for the bird and the plants then anything else. But it will be cold in a day or two. The wind is North now and we are standing in for _______ so the next time the wind goes round to the West, we can run for Cape Cod
“Brother rest from your Sin and Sorrow
Death is over and Life is won
Upon thy slumber dawns no ______
Rest, thine earthly race is run.”
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Sunday –the- 19th Nov. 130 days out.
Latitude 33 degrees 30 minutes. Longitude 72 degrees 00 minutes West.
“And I heard a voice from Heaven saying, Write. Blessed are the dead that die in 
the Lord from henceforth. Yea, for they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.”
We hold funeral for the lost one this morning. Reading the whole of the sublime service of the English Church. The death has made _________ impressions on us all. There is no disguising it. It is all over now, but we can’t forget it. Let us leave him to God who loves his children better than we knew, and ….
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130 days out. The days we allowed to get to Boston. It’s no use to _______ 
anything. Man ______ and God _______. It seems now that if we get there in ten days more, we should be lucky. Though it is only five hundred miles to Cape Cod, it is all for the best, no doubt. Today is pleasant and beautiful. The wind is from the North, but the sun shines warm- and with our fire in the cabin, the bird and the plants are as comfortable as possible.
So we go- another week and I hope we will be in the Promised Land. Can we hear what may be in store for us?
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Sunday the 28th
Home Again!
Our voyage is up! Our distance met. Thank God. Our ship is safe, our storm as 
are over. The last week has been a hard one. Last Wednesday was a regular whirlwind of storms. We passed through it all safe as usual- and got our way through the _______________ the water going up from 70 to 82 and as suddenly down to 68. We got our soundings all right. 45 fathoms. Fine grey sand Sir! A strong current swept us quickly up between Nantucket and George’s shoal. Next day it was cloudy out came…
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…________ up the water as we go swiftly along- at 3 in the afternoon a long dark 
bank perging out of the mist ahead. Land Ho! Sweet America I see thee at last. On in we fly, but night is coming on. At 6 it is pitchy dark and raining from SE. Cape Cod light twinkles from astern – at 8 the winter’s care is very great. A long dark night coming on, a Lee shore. Shall we stand on? Or stop while it is time? The risk is too great. He decides for the latter, hauls his hip to the Eastward. At ten o’clock her, turn her round, and lets her go in again.
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Yet Lo! He looks to Leeward. A pilot by jove. Yes, one passed him in the night! 
He sets his colors, we answer. Now a horrible thought torments me. He may have orders for me to go to New York. But no- he springs over the rail, salutes and takes over command, but the wind has come out dead ahead and we have 20 miles further to beat, so we stretch away toward the Kennebec river. At 12 o’clock we are off of Thatcher’s Island. It is _______ a living gale, the water is so white with froth. The Spars _____ and crack! About ship, and with a noise like thunder, our noble ship springs round another tack. Now pilot anchor my ship inside Boston lights tonight and I’ll send your wife a fan! I’ll do it responds the pilot.
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The look cold and tires, and some of them have as many as four shirts on. But 
they see the dome of Boston State House and they don’t care.
The ship is so still that seems strange. We take our frugal tea by a cozy fire, then write up our journals, finish our manifests for the Custom House f__t up the sailor’s accounts to see how much it will take to pay them up. Go on deck. Boston light flames like “______” of old right over our heads.
“Oh, beacon to the vessel here.” But it is cold and snowing here, we go to bed and wrap ourselves in half a dozen blankets, and know nothing more ‘till five this morning- when we wake to a fine day. At 8 o’clock the steamer came, and we were swiftly towed up, but had to anchor again…
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The reporter has come and gone. We have had a chance to go and look 
______… Old Boston, it looks so ____ good. That does us good. There is _____ and ______ perhaps, where are discharged and loaded so many times. Where so long we went again and again, total and disappointment. And we would be glad to go onshore, but our letters are all at WF Weld’s or perhaps seized with the rest of their books, and if we went to Dorchester, perhaps there would be no one there, so we couched.
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This is the last of the pages, with obvious water damage, from Captain John Drew’s Journal aboard The Franklin’s voyage, June 1870 through November 1871.
Equator. Then four or five to Boston, if we have ordinary luck.” Then you’ll have us in Boston about the 18th of November. “Yes I hope so. Please God.”
rolling more. Things have to be well lashed to stand it. Sleep!- it is out of the question, but it is over now- I _____. St. Helena is a long way astern. We passed 300 miles to Westward of it, thinking to get better winds. In fact it is considerable out of the currents to America, but ships often sight it to make some of their longitude. It is one of the land marks that divide the distance from East India home. We saw one solitary vessel just at night, last week. Deck Bucket been busy pouring over accounts, making balance sheets, for a dollar out of the way be disgraceful.
little fellow with his brother and sister. There was an open fireplace in the sitting room and his mother ____ to let the children ______ by the fire, Put on their night gowns (his was a __ one made of yellow flannel and they called it John’s ____jerry. Ah! How well he remembers it.) Then gave them a dose of Sulphur, if they were unwell and they would get all aglow and scamper off upstairs to bed in the cold unfinished chambers or attics. The cottage was sold a long way ago. The toiling mother hopeful mother has no children near her now. They are all in Scotland, some in Heaven, and John, the oldest. Come Pilgarlic- enough of this. Dreaming again. How much money have you remitted _____ ______ _____ ____ voyage? How much will you make? Hush! Bucket, it is Sunday….
high rays on a thousand light waves that dance and foam around us in our noble ship moves on bound for our native land with steady speed that is grand.
under an alias for? I don’t know Sir! What ship was you in before you joined this one in Hong Kong? I was Second Mate of a Siamese Steamer! What did you leave it for to go before the mast? I was sick and went to the hospital. Why didn’t you go in your own country ships? Because Sir, No boarding house would take me in without money, which I hadn’t got. But the American ship Master took me in. How long was you in his house? Two days Sir, and you let him take twenty dollars, your ________ money for two day’s pay and the chance to get on this ship. Yes Sir! I couldn’t help myself. So that’s the way land sharks got ….
had with them. He got twenty dollars advance apiece = $160.00. But why some will ask need you employ this shipping master to ship your crew. Because the American Consul has a hand in it. He won’t allow only such men shipped as he has security for, and Northall(?), the shipping master is the security, and probably gives the Consul half the fees.
all those clothes out of the forecastle? Steve Sir. I never knew that anything was stolen. I thought they were all Steve’s clothes. Did you take any water? No Sir. Did you take much bread? Only what was in the bread bags, about two pounds. What time did you start? About two in the morning Sir. How far did you go? We paddled to the North with a fair tide ‘till about 8 o’clock, then we went into a lagoon to try and get some water, but the shore was too sh_____ to get the boat up to where there was open water, so we had to start out again. Where you not afraid of being caught? Yes Sir! How long did you keep on them? Two days Sir! What did you live on then? A little bread dipped in salt water. We were almost famished then. What did you do then? We went on shore at a ….
deserters from a ship. Then What? Then he sent some men with me to get Steve. When we got to the beach, they was gone. We went along the ______ about three miles and found them. Steve was crying with a lot of natives round him. He said they had tied his hands behind him and plundered the boat. What did you do then? We went back to the town and stayed there. What did they ___ you on? We lived with the priest and we got the same as he got. Who was it you told the story to of being the only survivors of an English ship that had foundered, and you was the Captain? I never told anyone that Sir! Yes, you did. Well Sir! I told that to the Captain of the Port. It was the priest I told the true story to…____ _____I….
the shipwreck. How was you sent back to Ilo-ilo? Under a guard with spears. Was you ever in the British Army? No Sir. What made you tell me you was a deserter from the British Army? I thought the British Consul would interfere and get me ______. That would be jumping from the frying pan into the fire, for you would be punished then a s a deserter by court martial. Yes Sir, but anything was better than going back on that ship with those men. What was you going to do with my boat if you had ________? Oh, we would have given her up. But what good would that do me after the ship was gone? What did I ever do to you, that you should steal my boat? I know it Sir, and I felt so bad about it that when……
And now you know the charges and expenses against you are heavy? Yes Sir, but we must meet them as ______ as our wages go.
somebody on the poop and could not make out who it was, whether it was some broken nosed Paddy, or who, I couldn’t tell. But finally it proved to be him. He had been fighting with Steve, and his face was a mass of black and blue. He did not like to tell anything about it, but finally he said that Steve could fight better than he could. A pretty sight he would be to go home to his mother!, after 18 months absence, and suppose the Captain or Officers had done it! What _____ they would have deen! It would cost one hundred dollars to do that to one of those. Still, they will do it…..
in the Orient and what has done for us, what for the loved ones at home?
degrees in the shade- getting our lives well-cooked again. We are well into the Western hemisphere too. That is one comfort, and please God, we will be in cooler weather very soon, for don’t you see? It is the 15th of October! The wind comes down from the NW and whistles round our New England homes and whirls the dust up in the roads. The farms are getting ready with their crops and thinking of winter. We are near the Equator, which we shall _____ in a few days, and that is another land mark. The last week has been hard for old D.B. Four days and nights of steady, constant tooth ache. Ugh! What would he have given for a Dentist! But as usual today is the Sabbath, he has crawled out of….
he must lay down on his lonely couch and breathe out the last breath. No one to care for him or smooth his hard pillow- ‘tis all right.
to take their places. Yet I hope we shall see the _______ birds in their time and reason.
our lights burning and good eyes on the water nights, for many a good ship has gone down here never to be heard of again. I suppose they have got our letters at home now that we sent from “Anjer”. And the children be given to think of their Papa and tell little flaxen haired darlings about “Uncle John”. Bless them all. Perhaps in a few weeks more _____ _______, we shall be there. We can’t get there _______ Birthday ______ I think I know somebody that would get a present that day.
with me, about 3 or 4 years ago. Now he was Mate of the ship Otago of Rockland, Captain Thorndike bound to San Francisco. He sent me a bundle of papers, and I stowed them away overhead in my room. One day when the ship was rolling heavily, they fell down. When I went to pick them up, I noticed they had Gazette in fancy type. I thought it was some story paper, the Evening Gazette or something of that sort. When I detected Hallowell in one of the columns, thinks I to myself. Hallowell is getting very notorious, and opened it. It was a quarter sheet entirely new to me. I looked again and it was full of Hallowell advertisements, and sure enough it was a Hallowell paper. Can this be the old Hallowell Gazette? ….
Wicked Hallowell! What would he say now?
be driven away from their old haunts. The sailors have been turned out from the forecastle to have it cleaned, painted, and varnished. And now like Alexander who wept because there were no more worlds to conquer, D.B weeps because there are no more places to clean out. He has got another attack of liver, and it is excruciating. However there is no help for it. I am reading lives of celebrated travelers now. Nice English work in three volumes given me by Mr. Pearson at Batavia. I shall finish nearly all my books. D.B. has written an abstract journal of the voyage through the Eastern seas to send to London at the request of the Captain of HBM ship Nassau(?) And is now amusing himself with Drawing a _________ chart of the whole voyage. But he can’t make any baskets! I don’t know why, it’s no use to try.
ground between the SE and NE where we beat so hard to get south on the passage out last year. If we get the same wind this time, hard we will go it. We have had a long spell of fine weather now. _____ ______ since putting out our Studding sails both sides. It seems an age to us “homeward bounds” How the sun comes out!The thermometer is at 81 degrees in the shade and we are all rigged up in white cloths again. What is there so nice and cool as clean white sheets? Soon it will be cold enough though and we will….
weather is clear and beautiful, but sluggish. No vigor in it. I am now reading lectures on Geology. How much there is to learn! Like mine, I am amusing myself, drawing of course the Franklin and Fearless are drawn and _________ to death. Last night, one of those incidents occurred on board, which are so harrowing to the Capt. Of course, Deck Bucket can’t _____ is _____ his _____. It can’t be written here. But sleep has been from his eyelids for many a night. The following piece of paper will tell where we were a year ago.
Program of note save by Captain Drew.
part of this chronicle. Such pleasures come to us like Angels Visits. It is hard sometimes to think we are shut up, imprisoned on our “floating graves” for Ever. But it is all right, no doubt.
hardly ever see it nearer the Equator on account of its small altitude and the clarity of the atmosphere. It seems like an old friend and now three weeks from today, we ought to be in Boston, Please God.
once more. The wind is _____ and fair, and our glad Bark is bounding on. The sun shines out beautiful and fair. A year ago, we were very near here bound to the Orient. Now, here for the ________. Nothing in particular to write about. Everything is drawing well and ______/____ /_____ has got the tow rope, hauling with a will. I have got nearly through the third volume of Bancroft, and have read Mrs(?) Stowe’s Sunny memories in foreign lands…
the ______ and shining bright, and no one would ever know this ocean could be ______ into such a fury as it often is. The pets are all doing well. There is an old gray headed sailor forward who went to sea when I was born. A _____ old genius and stutters. His name is H_____ Dunn McColeman(?) He took charge of Nancy (the cat) and her kittens as soon as he came aboard. Feeds them all with ____ and gives them coffee to drink, and they all know he is their patron. One of her second litter (Nancy’s), he called Mucha, and tied a ribbon around its neck. Finally Mucha was found dead down below and Dunn mourned for it as a child. The next day being warm and still, Dunn got paper and pencil and went under the forecastle. The mate spied him out, and after giving…
seems Dunn is a literary sailor. One day the mate spied him asleep with his paper and pencil. I forgot to say Dunn is Pious, and has _________ all the different _____ and tracts from aft, so these were all laying round him with a bible and a pair of horn-rimmed scpectacles. Hallao Dunn says the mate” What are you doing here?” Dunn woke up and rubbed his eyes said he was comp-p-p-posing a p-p-p-prayer! Dunn don’t mix much with the other sailors, eats his hash…
about the cook or something of the sort, and told him to speak out. “Can you tell me sir if OG was R-R-R____ him or a P-P-P_______? I gave him the bible dictionary and told him to “Enquire Within.” Today he got Nancy’s kittens down from under the box where he kept them. He has them in a small box, lined with old stocking legs, so- on the box was their names. One was “Lady Alice” and the other I have forgotten.
voyage was up. From youth to age, they spend lives of every conceivable toil, danger and hardship. They go to the bottom of _____ mostly too. Do not _______, avarice, great dishonesty, intrigue, cowardice are unknown to them. There is no helping hand for them- no comforts-nothing but to tumble overboard, and be eaten up by some hungry shark.
food for fancy. Imagination can weave a thousand bright or melancholy lines out of it. I have never seen anything upon the subject ‘till lately. While in Batavia, a lady passenger in the ship “George Peabody” was stopping at the same hotel with me. She had been a schoolteacher and her scholars as they grew old were in the habit of sending her trials of poetry. She entertained us evenings with reading some of their verses among the rest were her adjoining. I think worthy of a place here, though they tell lovely of the new …
Indies. I have got six small hogs I got Ilo-ilo. They are comical looking things. Don’t grow a bit. I should like to have father ______ because of them, how he would laugh.
from Duxburg. He came out with me before ______/_________. He was very smart and told me he has been to Sea six years and nobody would help him. But he wanted to get on board very much so when I came to need to Second mate, I procured him from Hind, which ______ I have given him. He is not buff so I ______ as he was, and I have to scold to him for sitting down when he is on duty. That makes him downhearted and even sulky. So one day, he said he did not know what to do, he knew he did not know his place and wished I would tell him. I was struck all aback. I ______ he was an officer or a sailor before _______/_______/_________ himself on knowing his place whether he did or not.
winds, and ______ we usually ____ head gales. It is a pleasure to look on the chart. Where the days ______ / _______/ ______ of many voyages are dragging. In three of this, we wipe out nine days of the last voyage, a clear gain of six days. ______ before we saw any land, a change in the color of the water from deep blue to dirty green told us we were on the bank that skirts the southern expanse of Africa..
land peered out of the smoky horizon and-
“All ready Sir! Heave! Heave Sir! Watch those ! Watch!! The line was __________ over the side ‘til lit stops with the lead on the _______. The little K gets on the line- “Show 50 fathoms in the captains hand, all right! Fill away the _____ yard, let go and ______! The sails fill, the ship gathers level way, and the sailors hand the lead up. There is fish down there, they have bitten one hook into and took all the bait off the other, and night comes on and we steer away into the southern ocean.
o’clock plant puts out flowers as regular as can be. I take great comfort in looking at it. We have been living high the last week off and on, Piggy and I have had to suffer for it. Sometimes I have seen my grandfather then the hog itself coming after me with jaws wide open, and other terrible various _____ in my sleep of course.
This time we made -Round the Cape! 66 days out! A gain of five days and by far a new ______/________ , and a ship nearly three feet deeper. Our track on the chart looks well. Not a day lost, only off Anjer, while waiting for supplies. Not a gale, and the ______ sails never taken in. Surely we are highly favored. Yesterday, soon as we cleared the Cape, a gale sprung up, but luckily we were in a position to work it fair. Our siege(?), she has fairly bounded before it, carrying all sails. Sometimes she jumps. It is magnificent to stand on the quarter deck and see her noble bow crack(?) the sea aside and leap on and every leap brings us nearer home. We are steering directly for Cape Cod. The sea is deep blue again- bright and sparkling. Now 60 days more, and ______ please God, “My papa has come!” I can hardly ______ it. This is so different from…
September we left it. A roasting time we had of it, and it makes us gone old. The Mate said today was his 27th birthday. That set me to thinking how old is was. I have to stop now and count up. Well! 38 next 1st of Jan’y. Dear me! I did not think I was such an ancient mariner, but I get the hand mirror and looked in the _________ and I found it so, just as mama told me.”Oh!” Yes, a wasted, broiled wrinkled old fellow, but I can’t help it. My little canary has been rather silent lately, shedding his feathers, etc. But as soon as we got round the Cape, he bust out in the prettiest little carol one ever heard. It went clear to me….
Drifting, _________ since passing Cape of Good Hope one week ago, and we have been drifting _____ 104 miles a day. But this would have been good in the “India Sea”. Today the sun crossed the Equator, three seconds past twelve o’clock, so ______/________ Equitorial is passed. It _______ dreadful hard for a storm. The sky perfect itself ____ ____ all sorts of grimaces. There was a large halo round the moon- a sure sign of a storm. There were “Markered Skies and mare’s(?) tails, that ______ lofty ship’s ______ _____ sails.” But no storm. It was perfectly calm. All our kites were out…
Cape at one time. I suppose they have all gone through the Suez Canal. The nights are delicious now. I can sleep nine hours as easy as possible.
good mind to give it up.
know that someone is near, and not going any faster than we are. As soon as a sail appears on the horizon, the experienced eye of the seamen pronounces the rig , the nation, the destination almost before he has had a good look at her. His practiced vision, will tell if she is large or small. They are miles off. From the proportion of her mast and placing of her sails, her water’s(?) and from the angle of her masts describe to his own, her destination, and generally without mistake. This is a large English ship bound to the United States.
swiftly by. All hands are busy working on rigging, getting all ready for _______. Chin is busy in the cabin, clearing out store rooms and ________. It seems only yesterday that we were doing all this, yet it is a year. Capt. D.B. writing, making up accounts, etc. and the world moves on.
solitude, no life, no nothing. Still there was one fine feature- when the sun set on the next opposite Selebes, she used to _____ her rays into _____ gulley and _______ and light them up to the very mountain tops in array that was something sublime. It was north all the rest and now we are coming to where the ______……
morning, the 9th, we saw the light on the north watchet Island, our first land mark after entering the Java Sea. Soon after lots of vessels- one was the “Bunker Hill”, my old friend Davis- bound to Manila, a large _____ was bound to Batavia, beating it just as I was ten months ago. The sea, sky, _____, and wind is just the same, but all else, how changed! Just 28 days from Ilo-ilo, we made Anjer sight. How welcome it looked, it seemed like an old friend. But our fair wind died away and we drifted very near the ugly rock called the “Butcher”, however they say a ship can’t strike on that anyhow, at least we didn’t. We tried very hard to get to anchor at Anjer but drifted right past it at 8 o’clock. All night we were _______ _____ with a fair wind…..
decks were filled with native _____ us in fowls, $1.00 a dozen…Ducks same price. Potatoes $1.00 a ______ (187 pounds). Eggs, rice, fruit, coconuts, all as cheap as dirt. Then came men with all sorts of birds. And the sailors were perfectly frantic, selling their shirts, shoes, and anything they had for a curiosity, fruit, birds, etc. But fate seems against our anchoring, the wind died away again. By chance a ship chandler and a pilot had pulled off to see if I was going to stop so? I concluded to send the mate to enquire for letters, etc. while we drifted about becalmed. Had I kept on all….
seemed to say to us, “Good Bye” Deck Bucket, “come again and bring your ______ with you next time”. At 8 in the evening, the last ray of Anjer light twinkled itself to us 20 miles off and was felt that we were indeed toward Boston. The regular S.E.Trade sprung up and our glad Bark was bowling over the Indian Ocean, as ___ as a lark. The spray was far and wide and rolling things around the cabin perfectly. Regardless, everything was in a grand frolic ‘til Chin got to work, and stopped here. So I thought it all over as I lay back on the quarter deck, gazing at the stars, nearly a year since we left this ocean to begin a long Islands cruise. Nothing since that but Sands, rocks, and shoals, and currents, and ….
be to them.” Well, the ______ ship, Agnes Bowfield, struck them a couple of weeks ago, and went right down. The crew barely escaped with their lives!” “You don’t tell me so!” “Yes! And two months ago, another English ship was lost right there!” “And the Cap.(rock) Indeed! Any other cheerful intelligence? The American ship, Emily McNear(?), was lost, on Klapper Island, a few weeks ago, Capt. Scott has just gone home here! Hallra(?) says Pilgarlic. D.Bucket you are not in that category yet, but tell us of the civil war in Paris. Well the communists have been beaten by the Versailles government and they are quiet now, but they have nearly destroyed the beautiful city. ______ ______ any ships from Manila or Ilo-ilo…
noticed a boat coming along side this morning, I heard a rough voice sing out- How de do Capt. Drew. I wonder who don’t know me, I thought to myself. It turned out to be a man who pilots ships into Batavia, who had seen me at the hotel, last year.. He said he piloted the Orpheus into Batavia last year, and that my brother was apprentice on board. In Hong Kong, the pilot told me he was third mate, and some else told me he was a mid-shipman. So it seems he has held a number of offices. Everybody seems to know he is my brother. I wonder where he is. Well! The mate did not get any letters and….
you. That’s so. A good balance sheet at the end of this voyage will be ________ to my ears. Poetry is no disgrace, but it is mighty inconvenient and I begin to see that. Well placed speculations will do me most good in the years to come. I wish I had done more of that thing before, but they say “All’s well that ends well.” And Pil. You and I will try and make it end well, so let us think of home. Haying was long ago, and before, they had good crops. The Circus and caravan have been along, and now it is ______- I so ______. I hope next fall they will get a crop of potatoes and apples. Apples did you say? How long is it D. Bucket since you have had an apple? Let me see… Three years next fall, I believe. Yes, all that. I guess they will taste good. ____ by that time they’ll have a _______ picked …
great change has come over our heretofore quiet voyage. Cool weather has come. Heavy masses of Caper clouds fly over us, though we are in the tropics yet. Strong breezes are blowing us along, and the sea rolls and seethes and surges after us, as with days of yore. The spray flies over us fore and aft. The ships groans and creaks, but on, on, we go. 200 miles a day, as we used to say…
man, when Saturday night came, he would say- What Captain! ____we toast his loved ones? With all my heart, Capt. Mongford, and then calling the passengers and officers, he would pour the wine, and raising his venerable form, with sailor locks streaming in the air, thus he would say-“Friends, ‘tis Saturday nights, let us remember; Absent friends, sweethearts, and wives. God Bless them.” And we had a fine passage home, the best I ever made. The old man has gone home. I shall never forget him. Would, that my end might be like his. And tho this all ______ far and wide. And Deck Bucket is but little better off than them.(rest of page is unreadable)
sea chasing us, and it strikes us with a noise like the sound of artillery, but we laugh at it so far- _______ we have to rig our pumps, and pump her out once in four hours. We never had to do it before, but we never had her so deep before.
“Roderigue Island”- but did not see it. Now we are approaching the Isle of France, commonly called the “Maniteros”. We hope to pass that tonight and see B______ Isle tomorrow. These island all in the Western part of the Indian Ocean ___ show that over half of the great sea is passed- it is a beautiful day. The wind has moderate ______, the sea has gone down, so the decks are dry, and the…..
not be moved. The ship payed off before the wind, then got by lee, then gathered stern way, with the wind a gale, and driving the ship astern into the heavy sea. This about the worst thing that can happen. But we soon got the wheel to rights. A Pin had worked out and the screw were unshipped(?) So, a little a thing can cause a ship wreck. Glad enough we were when we got her before it again.
the reason you have not been writing since you left?
making sail. The ship began to drag. The “Clymere” was right astern of us and a strong breeze driving us into her. But fortunately the second anchor was all ready and we let it go and it brought us up just in time. The ____ a hard leave to get the anchor up. At last the first one came up the stock entirely gone. The worms had eaten it up. That was the reason we dragged. At last we got started and our friends left giving us many adieus. We had to passage out with a stone’s throw of the beautiful Island of Guinereras. The channel is only a half a mile wide, but it seems as though good fortune favored us, for ____ in the strength of the SW Monsoon which is dead ahead. The wind performed an amazing feat of coming round fresh and fair for us, it would have been hard…
Straits of Basilan, the gateway from the Sulu to the Alibos Sea. We was nearly two days getting through being beset by strong head currents, heavy squalls with rain, and a night as dark as pitch. There is no anchorage, and ships have to stand and take it. We saw the small Spanish town of “Samboangan” at the foot of the mountains, with its fort, church and barracks. It was a pretty sight in the setting sun, a perfect “Voyager’s dream of Land”. After we got through the straits, we had a very nasty night in the Alibos Sea and we blessed our stars we had sea room. So Providence is everkind. Now we are passed the Islands of the Sulu Archipelago, where the Pirate king lives, and have reached our greatest Eastern Longitude-210 degrees east of Boston, and are steering away for the Moroccan Straits
and passengers and everything that was nice, and was only three months getting to Boston. Yes, Deck Bucket, everything was bright and beautiful then. I have learned, as the niggers say, “heaps of things since then” the passengers are gone, the beautiful “Fearless” is an old ship now, and well, it’s the old story, “The world Moves”. But we are growing old, Deck Bucket. Now let us go back to Ilo-ilo and tell about it. We undertook to live onshore at the American Consul but oftentimes we got caught in a storm on board ship and had to stay. It seemed more like home after all. Up to the time of our arrival all sugar was exported free of duty. But on 1st of July a duty of 1(Pral?)(121/2 cents per Picile (137-1/2 pounds ) was to be levied, so there was great scratching to see how much could be put on board the different ships before that time.
steamer, the “Caviteno” ran thrice a day to the ship. Sailor’s and coolies all worked night and day. The sugar is all weighed on shore, and I had two young men from the ship checking the weights as they passed over the scales. They took their breakfast before daylight, took their dinner with them and came in the market boat, that’s sent from the ship at six every morning, stayed all day long, and the boat was sent for at six again.
orders. It was amusing to hear Capt. Pike tell about it. When he got his orders for Ilo-ilo nobody could tell him where it was. It was on no charts he could get, and what to do, he did not know. He telegraphed to Batavia, but all in vain. At last he found an old chart with it on, and started and after many weeks and nearly losing his ship, he arrived. He is one of those old Sea Dogs that fairly roars when he talks. We found Mrs. P. a real intelligent pleasant old lady. She told us quietly they had been married 39 years and that she was 57 years old. She always liked going to sea she said, and was never a bit frightened. She thought the scenery about the Philippine Isles was splendid. He was very anxious to hear about the politics, etc. at home.
Capt. Chimmo, an Irish gentleman is in command and a very intelligent person. He called on me and we exchanged specimens of curious shells, etc. The ward room officers all came to breakfast one morning- and I was on board and then on to dinner. We compared charts- chronometers, which was of great value to me, and I was able to give them some new reports of shoals which they had not heard of. The artist on board was a young English Nobleman, The Hon. Mr. Verica. A real nice fellow, the first blooded gent, I have ever acquainted with. His drawings and water colors are very fine. They are engaged in surveying these seas, taking deep sea soundings, and making microscopic drawings of all that the lead brings up from the bottom of the sea. Also, making collections of everything that comes their way, in the natural history, etc. –live- I was able to give them some ferns which they very much prized. Good luck to the “Nassau”, I say.
was crazy ever, with one of them, the youngest- they had been on board the Nassau in great state and left their photographs there. They were making the voyage around the world on the Golden Fleece-which Capt. Adams commands.
letters, papers, etc. from Hong Kong, so we got quite excited over it. Gardiner hurried up his carriage and got his skyglass and we started for the old fort down on the beach. Away ____, and sure enough there was a large vessel coming but bow on so we could not tell whether it was a black or a ship- but we would have bet any money it was the G. I began to think about giving up my room to Capt. Gardiner, who commanders her, etc. but directly as she turned the port lo! A Norwegian Bark. What a come down! Next day another Bark reported coming in- we guessed right this time. It was the Penang- my old friend White from Hong Kong, going off to the ship that afternoon. I got the Captain of the Steamer to go down to her. It was dark when we got there, and the Captain was asleep, but we soon had him…
great Pilgarlic here. Next day was St. John’s day- 24th June. A day that everyone name is John gets letters of congratulation. Nobody knew Deck Buckets name was John, so he was spared that trouble, but a number of us had planned a trip to St. Anna to look for coral fossils, shells, etc. as it was a holiday and no work to be done, but Lo! In the morning the boat was gone and with two sailors, Seth Linnus, an Englishman, and Steven Power, an Englishman who deserted from one of the Majesty’s regiments at Rangoon, and stowed himself away in the Franklin. It seems the mate had been on the Bark the Penang the night before and returning late, did not hoist the boat up to the ____ as usual. It was these men’s watch from 12 AM in the night and they took this opportunity to stark- taking all the clothes they could get a hold of that was good for anything, a box of ____…
big Launch- or long boat, and arranged to have a party go for fresh water- The Sec. mate and 4 men with water casks, buckets, etc. started for Guimasas (the opposite Island) and Capt. White and myself attached ourselves to the exhibition. We took the Penang’s boat and four men and started after them- had a nice lunch put-up when we got to the opposite shore, we hunted round ‘till we came to a spring- leaving the men getting water. Capt. W. took his gun and we started over the hills on a trip of discovery. It was hard work. The brush was so thick. Soon we saw monkeys as large as a dog grinning at us, but White wouldn’t shoot. Soon we came into a pretty valley- we went up to a native hut and saw a woman and her child. We called for water (agua), and got a drink, and asked W. for a cigar, which pleased her much.
number of ____ shells. Trees with cocoa nuts were plenty and we soon had a delicious drink from one shook down by a boy. After a bit we found a deserted hut and ordered up our lunch basket where we finished its contents in short order. In the morning before leaving ______, the mail had arrived bringing me a letter from home and there in the wilds I lay, reading it over and over. It put me in the mind of the first one I this voyage. I was away in the interior of Java, in something such a scene as this, little thought then that I should be reading my last. Eight months after, among chattering monkeys and screeching _____ in the wilds of the Philippine’s, but “such is life” to me. After this, we started
descending the next side steeply, we were in a lovely little valley which met an arm of the sea. Here was a little port where the natives were building small vessels. There were small grocery and fruit shops with liquor for sale. Looking up was a beautiful view, a romantic road led up to a quite a town with its white church. So off we started, crossing a stream and a submerged bridge of logs (we had to wade over). I took off my stockings and laid them aside to see if they would be there when we came back. Our guide was very garrulous and I learned more Spanish today than I have before for ____ . He showed us _______ /____ . White had got tired of his_____ and left it behind. The kids looked to me something like Black ______.
our Alder bushes at home, and every little while, a brook ran across the road with a rustic bridge and down in the water were some little fish we used to call “Minnows”, and over its surface glided the ____ skaters we used to watch so well in our boyhood. Soon, we got nearly up the hill. They made the church bell as a separate wooden tower was calling to some sort of worship. White declared he would go no further but Pil was bound to go to the top of the hill. The houses were scattered ‘round promiscuously something as they are in ___________- and the faces at the windows were as numerous as they were on a memorable time 31 years ago, in the _____ have that lived the ___ I went to Palermo or when I was 6 years old, yet how well I remember the this ride-
ship so plain and it did not look bigger than a cockle shell. How delicious the cool breeze played around my head- and how it sighed and soughed through the trees. A thousand memories came trooping back to me. I was in the ___ and ___ of my own native land again laying under the apple trees looking at the river- hating my school and longing for the time when I should be a sailor. First thing I knew Pil was saying out that it was time to go and White was waiting a little way down the hill- Says D. Bucket don’t you wish this was Bowdoinham ridge and this old Catholic church was Congregationalist hey? Yes. I do! But Pil was thirsty and so we picked out the most consequential house there was and walked modestly in- White says “you be spokesperson.”
Captain le frigate Grande le Barka Americano. Si Senor. Buenos dias. And they started off for some water for us- so I ransacked my memory for all the Spanish I could muster- “Mucho Calor” Si senor (very warm). Mio no ables mucha Spaniole. Mio suabe Englise. _____ suabe Englise? Mio suabe senor. We were in the building occupied by the captain le pueblo (captain of the town)- something like a justice of the piece- mayor of a city etc.- all put together ___ was when he held court. And _____ spears, knives, cullains(?) __ set of poisoned arrows- captured from robbers etc.- were hanging around the walls of the casa (house) I examined them all- They were much pleased at my inquisitiveness- and gave me a little walking stick, to which I returned, ‘Muchos gracias senor” – and White _____…
at work, mostly shipbuilding. White took an _____ from one fellow and showed him how they done it down at boathouse Navy yard at which the _____ Carpentero slapped his shoulders and said” quien suabe”. I did not find my stockings. We determined this time to go around the _______ between us and the boat before we came over. White said he would set down and die first before he would go over that mountain again, so the guide told us by wading we could get ‘round. We took off our shoes and rolled up our pants- and went in for it. It was awful for the feet. No smooth beach, but sharp stones- there was no help for it and we got some shells by the way. At last we came to a cave- more wonderful than any in the ‘Arabian Nights” and it was low water we walked in. It was a long subterraneous cavern- with its mouth closed up at high tide. It was like the cave Victor…
the hideous monsters approaching. We soon got to our boats and found it was low water and to keep them afloat the sailors had waded along way of with them- so we set down and rested and discussed how we should get off to the boats- there was no help for it, we must wade. The boats could not be got _____ or __________ -out of the sharp pointed rocks. I took off my pants and sent them to the boat by a boy, and waded out, keeping everything else on- hauling up my upper garments as I deepened the water. But the going was awful- the bottom was sharp pointed coral rocks. I cut my feet and legs badly- and it seemed sometimes as though I should faint. White was no better off. He had a ____ of drawers and stripped off everything….
small boat, bleeding at every pore. It was impossible to get the big boat (she was now loaded with fresh water)- outside of the reef and it would be some hours before she could come out, so I told the Sec. Mate to wait until high water at 11 at night when there would not be too much currents, and as no _______ to start before- and we made sail and started. There was just as much wind as we could carry too- and White declared he would have nothing to do with the boat and made me work her. The masts and booms ____ and cracked- but held on. And in a short while we were alongside “ Le Grande Fragate Americanna Franklin” -as the Spaniards call her, and glad ever we were. Bad weather was coming on and I did not sleep that night much. I set on deck with my night glasses looking for the ______. I was worried that the Sea would steer her on the rocks- but at midnight, she came just as the storm broke over the ship.
cup of coffee. No one, not a sailor, can tell how much he thinks of his cup of coffee early in the morning. How wise it was to learn, when I was mate, after a hard night’s storm, with my eyes full of salt spray. After we had the ship sailing long before daylight, to hear the steward’s coffee sak- sailors _______allowed it ____ if there was a good boy at the wheel, it done me lots of good to give him ______. I give it to all hands every morning at 4:30. One morning while I was ____ the ______ a friend on shore hailed and said he wanted me to ride out to Harrow with him. It was a market day and ____/ _____ /_____/ ______. ____ _____. (Water Damage next few pages…)
of Moro and Haro four miles inland. A well-built road takes you to Haro, then from there to Moro and back to Pleido(?) bt another is a fine ride and the only ones which the inhabitants have- a pretty little river runs along between the two roads, and rice fields, and sugar cane line the way, with many beautiful trees. The Mango, is the finest I think and yields an abundance of the finest fruit I know of, except our own apples. At Moro is the Archbishop of the whole territory. He is said to be a bigoted Catholic. He is building a ____ new cathedral. I saw him showing some naval officers through it. Its walls of solid stone and six feet ______. (Rest of this page is illegible)
_______. We rode out toady because it is market day which only comes once a week on Thursday. This is the best time to see the country people- buyers and sellers. It was a queer sight and I suppose it is the old Spanish custom- a large field, some acres in extent, was the market grounds. Dry goods dealers had their goods hung up on lines, as our folks do clothes to dry. The embrioderys were very pretty, that was all in that line worth seeing. Dealers in ____ forward a larger …(again- water damage-illegible)
and wear no shoes. Men wear no coats, but a highly ornamented shirt worn outside- a nice hat, and that’s all. A better natured, well-behaved looking multitude, I never saw. It puts one in mind of being at a cattle show and fair. There were plenty of booths, where confectionary and pastry was sold. They seem to be infinitely fond of sweet things. They reverence their priests and do pretty much what they are told by them. I was thinking what a scattering there would be if a good rain should come up. These people are easily governed and there is little for magistrates and other officials to do. And whether the Roman church is the best for them, or not, is a question. I should not think their condition could be bettered much. So after all this, we _____ up our_______ and started…
hoosy(?) I had intended to order one made, as you can have any design you want for a pattern, but I was beat by a lady. I told Gardiner that I should like to ride out with him and have Mrs. Gardiner go and help me select a dress. The next day, he sent me a pattern and said if I liked it, the price would be $9.00, and as it was pretty, I of course kept it, but I could not afford another. I oftentimes heard she had four friends in the business who looked to her for help, but I could not help think this was rather a _____ way of dis______ of her______
men are Scotch. They are great walkers, and walk out ten miles, “after office” as they call it. The next thing is a bath, then “Shery and fritters”, then ____ at about______. This occupies most of the evening. Perhaps they have a quiet game of whist or two. People walking or dining out think nothing of calling on their neighbors just before dinner. A calls on B, dinner is announced, B says “Will you have a plate of ______?” A says no and is off. Invitations to dinner are generally given sometime beforehand. Breakfast is served at ____ and only on Sundays, when there is nothing to do.
on the table, but is put before you on a little china tea___ and consists of ___/___ coffee and toast. Eggs and fruit and is usually brought in directly after the morning bath. These baths are grand affairs. You stand before an _______/______ jar full of rainwater and with a vessel of two or six quarts, send the water all over you. ____/____/____. I was out to breakfast with most of the merchants, and always had a good time. It is the old ______ custom. Mrs.Stowe _______ it very well in her Sunday .
the market only richer. But it did look queer to see them picking their way through the mud on a rainy day. They only wear sandals and it is hard work to keep them on, and gives them a peculiar gait. The service is performed by a full _____ as there is no ______ and was always chosen without any regard to the day- it was mostly opera. ______was a great _______ and when the heart is elevated, they always play the Spanish march
very highly ornamented and gilded with a canopy. It’s some kind of a theatrical procession says I. “so says Mr. Kerr Hats the _____! Dear me said I, how queer and so it was. A lot of boys were drawing it with ropes and when it was hard, more would go and give it a shove. A few _______ pretty women were walking behind. Immediately it entered the square, the church bell began to toll quick. They told me it was a call for the priest
curled on its heart. It looked ghastly. The few women mourners were mostly ________ and laughing and looked up at us as much to say, “Don’t this look well.” It was a rainy day and one Indian walked behind carrying the coffin lid over his head to keep the rain off. I was informed they had probably______/_____/______ copper on this show and went three rounds of the square to show it off another _______. I heard a low wailing and going to the balcony, I saw another funeral. The coffin was carried by young _______ and dressed impeccably and carried long staffs __________ with crosses. ______ were chanting a….
business all under one roof. Each one has a balcony on this side of the street, where the inmates(?) resort to see what is passing on the street. The campo-______ is about a mile out of town. I walked out there one evening. The Spanish burying ground is conventional and no heretic can buried there. _____ six _____ years ago, where , Ilo-Ilo was made a port of entry. A Mr. Lovey, an Englishman, came here in search of fortune, and established the first foreign commercial house here. By _____/_______ and _____ he rose to the top of his profession and ____ a great…
followed him to the grave, of course he could not be with _____ Santo, but just outside stands his grave. A ___ Captain read the service for there was no clergyman to attend. A magnificent tomb has been erected by subscription, the epitaph is in English, Spanish, and ______. Near it was a little lovely grave. I went to the headboard and read that a ________ boy, 19 years of age, had come way out here to die. Once, a good many years ago, I went to the small Dutch seaport of _______, on the coast of Sumatra. One day I went ashore to gather skills, and I suddenly came across a lone grave. It was of a sailor boy buried…
charge of all the shipping that comes here. His family consists of a wife, and four daughters, her sister, and her three daughters. All the daughters are near of an age, and some very pretty. They are the ladies of the house. They are always looking out of the window, which forever seems to be the custom here, or rather to be on the balcony- Poor things, there is hardly any society for them. Every evening they take long walks, generally down to the old_____. It’s a pretty sight to see, seven of them with their mothers, who hardly look older than they do. ( name here) dares to marry me of them, for the old captain is poor, and he who would take one would soon be saddled with the whole. I thought they dressed with great taste _____ ____ certainly nicely behaved young ladies.
Barnard? Why! Who has not heard of Banard? Most every place has a Banard. Where first I met Banard in Manilla six years ago, he was the manager of a one man circus, rambling around the provinces. A well read, well educated, fine looking fellow. Stock well built and smart as lightning. Before that he had been a traveling photographer. Next voyage at Manilla he had set up as a ship chandler. He told _____ that he was an American from Eastport. But I knew better than that all the time. ________ said he was a hand ticket(?) and to beware of him. When he first came to Manilla, he got a position in Messers Smith, Bill & Co. as book keeper, and told them he would show them how to keep books.
chandlers, ship wrights, machinists, etc. and old were Tecul Davis of the Bunkers Hill, christened them the “Forty Thieves”, which name they have held ever since. Next time I went there, he was Banard, Mitchell & Co. ship owners and commission merchants, etc. he had taken all the profits from his forty thieves and kicked the ______ to pieces. Well he goes to Hong Kong, gets acquainted with Capt. John Purchase’s family, marries the daughter and his new brother-in-law sends him to Ilo-Ilo as agent of the Hong Kong ______/_______ as agent, with a fixed salary, etc. …
every place I had been, and in fact was “All things to All men.”, forgetting he had once told me his birth place. He said he was from Manchester England, showed me his fathers and mothers pictures and said his brothers were in school in London.
Ilo-Ilo. He is a Dutchman, and at the head of the above mentioned commercial house, the oldest merchant of the province. He is about six feet tall or more, a rough looking and spoken man. He is agent for Lloyd’s celebrated Insurance Co. and calling on me to survey a vessel for him. I became acquainted him when he came to the East many years ago and settled in Java. Misfortune followed him. His wife died, and after many wanderings, he settled in the Philippines. After some years he came to Ilo-Ilo. Not generally a sociable man. He is a great study, thinker, reader, and ______.
conversed with before. I believe he accepts the Bible as Jewish history, but not as ______ and does not believe Christ the incarnate son of God at all.
find time. It is pleasant to see how all rivalry and distinction between English and Americans disappearing in these out of the way places. No one would ever know the difference.
into Ilo-Ilo by a fife of native soldiers, and imprisoned in the old fort to await my pleasure, which was, that they should remain there and ____ the end of bitter fancy, till we were ready for sea. The boat was also returned though in a bad condition. In a few days, I thought it my duty, as their rightful “Lord and master” to go down to the fort, which, stands on a point making out into the water the extreme end of town. Tis fort was built two or three hundred years ago, and is now ______ in ruins. I believe it only merits two guns. It is now used as a prison and has a guard of soldiers with a Captain. I had _____/_____/_____ before I could get in as I approached the gate, two soldiers______…
Fragata American Franklin. Doce Marineros por me fragata akie?” Si Senor. “ Mios possible palabres- marineros? Mio me suabe mucha Spaniole”
the British consul. But that was no use. They wrote him a letter, but I knew better than to notice it. They are very careful when they meddle with American ships now. So we get an order from the governor to deliver them up. And next day, I sent a boat and second mate with a pair of handcuffs, and they were carried on board in disgrace. They soon gave up and begged to be allowed to go to work. They were almost starved and had lost everything. So, after we got to sea, I let them out of irons, thinking to myself…
white man of his darky spouse. ______ White said the moment she came in the cabin. Santos heard me peering in at the cabin door, asking what she was doing ____ what made her belong, etc. Finally she was taken sick, asked her berth. Being next to the galley and from the heat of the stove in ___ climate was slow death to anybody, much less a colored lady. So White told the steward she could have a berth in the cabin. Sah! Growled Cuffy, “Trust my wife in the cabin? No Sah! White’s blood boiled but he cooled down and told him he could take her on shore to a home, where a ______ that could talk English….
agreed to do and isn’t done yet. Or by the holy, I will make you and your wife see stars. Poor old darkie was taken all aback. So off he marched to the American consul and demanded protection as an American citizen. Used the fourteenth(?) amendment and said his life was in danger. Where then the consul asked me what I thought about it. I told him Capt. White was an honest man and would not kill anybody without cause, but no doubt was ______ frustrated and said more than he meant. Mr. Cuffy went and found a _____ for his wife and next morning he was seen ______ shore with his lovely bride _____ _______, refusing assistance from anybody…
When he got on shore he let these poor china cooks there know he was ______. He spoke in a different tone of voice, and I expect, astonished them with an account of his voyages and travels. He had ____ cakes and cooked quantities of “_______ beans” to send ____ _____ before, so he was a prince of cooks among them.
he sent out and had a veritable “flying Dragon” caught for me, a very rare specimen of lizard with wings. He has a nephew with him, a youngster of 20 or so- A perfect English snob who wears his hair down over his forehead and puts on his eye glass to look at you and says ”Aw…I am my unks newphew, Aw…” and all that sort of thing, Aw..” I heard some of the fellows here say they would that eye glass down his throat before long. One day I went on board the Penong and found them ____ _____ ______ a strange kind of ______ had flown on board and _____ ____ and caught it. It was some strange kind of locust. I Had…
near the ship where the boat was to go for it in the morning. One morning I was with the boys waiting for the beef when I noticed a pretty …
moored at Neems, Russel, & Sturgis’ place, where our sugar was embarked. I soon got well acquainted with the Captain and found him a fine fellow, a perfect specimen of a Norseman, a sort of a Viking brought up at sea from his babyhood. He had his wife, a fair young lady with flaxen hair who seemed to be as much part and parcel of the vessel as himself. He professed to be fond of Americans, and he was certainly very polite to me. His two little boys were ___ years old and born on board, and new great _____ while they were at Ilo-Ilo. White chicken was rare here. It is the custom in North Country ships to have coffee in the afternoon at ______. So, I generally was invited to partake…
made quite a home scene. They talked in four different languages with ease, and quite put me into a total blush, who could only speak a few sentences of any other language but my own. She told me they obliged to learn to read and write English at school, and how hard it was. She had often cried over it. She said she took charge of the cabin because they had such a poor steward he could not do anything. But I suspect she liked it. The coffee was good at any rate. She has been with her husband ever since their marriage. But she longed for home, to show her children. They told me of one affair that is worth repeating here, and it was told with so much modesty and kindness that it was doubly interesting to me. So I will ________…
acquainted with a Danish Captain. He was a fine ______ fellow. He sailed the same day we did for the same port. After we had crossed the Equator and was steering past South America, we spied one day two ships- one of which proved to be an old friend of the Dane. After a while, he lowered his boat and came on board. He said that the other ship was an “American” that the captain had his wife and at his request, he had been on board to see the lady who was in a sad state of health, and her husband was much alarmed. He now came to seek Mrs. Ohalson is she would go with her husband and see what she could do for the poor woman, and promised to bring them back. It was hard to _____ so she left her little babe, six months old, and ________ _______…
for San Francisco, but Lilly(?) did not remember the Ship’s or the Captain’s name. The Captain was in great agony about his wife, and begged of them to stay as long as they could, so it was nearly dark before they left. On their way to their own ship, a squall came up with rain, and to their horror saw their ship square yards and sail away from them, and they were in an open boat, a dark rainy night coming in. “Oh, my poor babe”,________ the mother. But the two Captains kept up stout hearts.
the nearest _______. Capt. O waited for no more. He gave him such a whaling as he never got over. They never saw the American any more, and the captain can never know the anguish of poor Mrs. Ohalson, alone in the nights perilous passage.
and marched up to the residence of the ladies and called. They were delighted and kissed the little fellow over and over, but though the Captain looked prettiest, they never kissed him and he was forced to come away singing;
British ship, Assyriane, Capt. Finister is trying to beat out of PLi-Ilo got onshore and had to come back to see if she shows damaged any. So a very pretty note from Messers Lovey reached me saying they wished I would repair on that ship immediately, have her pushed out, seal the _______, and survey the vessel carefully. As there was nothing the matter with her, I done it in ten visits of about ten minutes each, for I had to go next day, check the seal and have her pumped out to see if she was leaking.
and his wife would be glad to but from you!” What day could we come off and look at them? I told him any morning. So of course when I get to the house I told E.and L., my friends, that his high __________ the Alcalde was coming off to look at my stock of dry goods. “Oh!” said they. Why didn’t you tell us that you had such things for sale, we would be glad to buy. It isn’t too late now said I. Go off with me this afternoon, and see if there is anything you want. So they did. When I displayed my wares, their eyes sparkled. “Those are nice” said E. “Do you think so?” Said I. “ How much aught I to ask the “Alcalde” for such goods, 50 percent quoted E., in the mean time, he selected 5 dresses. “How much?” said he. “50 percent” said I. “You have set your price yourself.” “He’s got you now!” says L….
few gentlemen from the _______/_________ Captains came. Every ship in the port was decorated and it was a pretty sight. It was a great treat to show people to get off a float. The Consul was so disappointed about his ladies, he wouldn’t come. We had a good supper, and plenty of Babest(?) beans. Beer was the principle beverage drank. After the usual toasts, etc. we went on deck and ________ evening had tea, coffee, cake, _______, etc. and plenty of songs. Mr. Robertson, a young Scotchman of the firm of Kerr & Co., sang the ….
Bowdoinham Ridge, would not been more at home. Much was said about America and England, but all in the kindest spirit, and many good wishes were circulated for the future of both countries. Finally ten o’clock came and people began to talk of going home, so, the usual toasts, etc. were again given. Deck Bucket’s health was given in a kind _________ and Mrs. Bucket, and all the little buckets came in for a show of remembrance. And at last, all joined hands in a circle and sang “Auld lang sygne”, all shaking hands. I suppose this is the Scotch style. I _______ saw it before, it was good form at any rate, and so we parted. And six different boats pulled away into the darkness…
land, and it floats in peace with those of our friends here. And though thousands of miles of Ocean roll between us and the fair land we love, we cannot help going back to the hills our fathers trod. Let us hope that all is well with our country today, that not a jot(?)of the honor we were about in days of tore to give our fatherland, has abated.
loaded with sixteen hundred tons of sugar, (no small affair). We hurried and got our stock of fowls, pigs, eggs, vegetable etc. all on board. One ship after another was dropping off _______ some for the Franklin….
at a great rate. “Scott for ever I saw” I never was pay that bill, it was not recht it wasn’t. _______ should pay forty two dollars. I should not pay it. Get for a damn…..
cannot course and to meet you again to go along, because, I thought my master, Ah Wah want to charge any ship to Rangoon again, perhaps, I like to get any captain so kindly the same as you, I glad to do with my best compliments when I _____ again.-Please report me, on the next mail, where your ships for, I pay with my respectful to asked: are you well safely voyage.
educated, nice young fellow, and I often asked him to go to America with me. He was fond of the _______, and often wished he could go. The letter I included here. His English grammar was not very good , but far better than any Englishman or American’s Chinese grammar.
when I came here. The resident doctor is a man I have not described yet. He is a Spaniard and was a surgeon in the Navy. He is a very pleasant cheery fellow, but his charges are horrible, about $10.00 for a prescription, then you have to send away to Harro, about three miles for the medicine and well _____ lucky if that doesn’t cost ten dollars more. The Apothecary is a German as most all the apothecaries in the East are, and they generally marry _______ women with ____ Spanish fathers and _____ a mixed mother. To marry a woman of this country, one has to renounce his religion, if he has any, and be baptized in the Roman Catholic Church. Husbands do it _______ to support the catholic faith, and as soon as they have got their woman, never think any more about it. The wife does though. She must have her priest and go to confession, and if children (have no mistake- there are plenty of them) must be educated as Catholic….
Their eyes always coal black, but they chew beetle nut, which stains their teeth, and they have an ugly waddling gate. They are very fond of money (who isn’t!) and become great nuisance. Many of them themselves, carry on and own sugar estates and do their own buying and selling. Many of the Protestants _______ of them when they come here, wont marry. But they have difficulty in getting women who are all the same as ____ with ______ and just as faithful and _____. Yet it is hard for the children when they ______ …
York to run at Shanghai, and was called the ”Fire Dart”. After a while she was sent to Hong Kong to run on the Canton route, and after several years of hard service then she found her way to Manila and was sold there. She is a fine Steamer, and now called the “ Visayas”- after one of the large ________ provinces in the Philipines. They think her a wonder here. So we see that American ideas and enterprises go everywhere. And so they will as they ought to do.
cleared out. But the host would not excuse him, so he had to stick it out. The last dance was something like, our “Virginia Reel”, the set was forward clear around the room, and he was the only person _____ _____, so he threw himself in a settee in a half sitting posture, one leg up on the seat, not dreaming he was doing any harm, when a Mr. Lutguyer(?), a Swiss, came from the other side of the room and wanted to know if I wasn’t very tired, then ______ in a very haughty tone, said it was not the proper thing for a gentleman to sit in that style in the presence of the Spanish ladies. D.B. was in an awful rage. He called the fellow one side and ask what he ….
to offend a lady of any nation, it is never thought of in my country. But I will tell you Sir, since you have undertaken to teach me, that no gentleman would dare to put a cigar in a ladies face then as I have seen you do all the evening. And a little more- No such dance as I have seen danced here tonight (the Hoatimero) would be allowed in any decent society anywhere else. So the next time you wish to teach anybody manners, please select somebody else. Mean time if I have offended anybody here, it should be _________ and to him, I shall go immediately as the proper person to apologize to…..
of Maccassas(?). We have seen no sun for latitude for three days now- and if it was not for one thing it would be quite ________. This morning at 8 o’clock, the rain cleared up a little, and just showed me the north end of Celebs(?) forty miles away- that settled the matter- as well as though I had got the sun a dozen times. My poor eyes begin to feel this endless strain in them- like my fathers and grandfathers. They were wonderfully strong until middle age began to come on- then they give out- but my eyes have done a thousand times the work theirs ever did. I suppose I must get specs. I don’t think they will get any worse- I should be in a pretty fix if they did- Pilgarlic says I am getting old- and lots of folks have to use glasses before they _______…
rains every other moment- so it’s uncomfortable walking the deck. I left a gold pen in Ilo-ilo- and I hate to write with this thing- and “what’s a poor old nigger going to do?” When it gets dark and the cockroaches begin to fly into my room, I have some sport. They are about as large as hummingbirds and make something such a noise- I take a slipper and lay back and wait for them. First I kill one of them, then a half dozen light near him to see “what’s the matter”, then I light on the whole of them. As soon as I kill one, others will come and try to drag him off- and get as spiteful about it as can be- sometimes I hit one and he is not hurt much. He will lay down and make believe dead, and soon as my back is turned, will get up and run away. Then again, I will disable one, turn him on his back and then the ants will come for him in a very few moments. Myriads of them will be torturing him to death, till they come…
me.
to read what I can. I am reading Bancroft’s History of the United States now, and I can only ask, what our all we can call sufferings when compared with those of the early voyagers who settled our coasts! Vessels of very small size, leaking in ______ ______ on an unpiloted coast in ice and snow. But then one gets used to suffering. One time it would have been agony enough for me to be put down in the darkest of some of these __________, among shoals and sand-banks, and unknown currents and _______ squalls, with a valuable ship and plenty more valuable lives to save. But now I don’t mind it so much. So we go- my plants are doing splendid. My sacred plant is in bloom again-(I love that plant). My four o’clocks –though wandering things, do nicely- and I have an orange plant that I would give fifty dollars rather than not give it to my bride.
Cape Lemoil of Selebes(?)- we could see 20 miles off, this is slow progress- but it is good as I expected. This is the region of the “light airs and variables”- we last crossed the “Line” going from Batavia to Singapore, the fifteenth last November, and so we go. There is nothing for a poor old Pilgarlic to write about. Deck Bucket is _____ is papers and reading them us he can get a chance- I began to read “The Illiad of Homer”, translated by Bryant, yesterday. Rather late in life to read this, but it does not lose anything by it. I wish I had more such books-“it is no disgrace to be poor, but it is mighty inconvenient” as the fellow said. If I only had the money, what lots of books I would have. Some tiny little oranges are coming on my plant, and the Japonicas are budding. It ain’t all the rich folks that can have such_______.
it is almost calm as usual with us. And it seems most impossible for us to get anywhere. How I long for a good cool day once more. “I expect it will cool enough when you get to Maine Pilgarlic.” Yes Deck Bucket, but the way is so long it seems as though it was a great way ahead, to get to Boston. Only think it is a year since we sailed from there, and we’ve been baking, roasting, and sweating nearly ever since, and shall be for some time to come. Well, Pilgarlic, if you was in Boston now, you would find it hot enough. That’s just t, when we get there- Oh dear, what’s the use in talking- I have been thinking often of that dreary day one year ago, as though my heart went out there. It seemed as though, I wanted to die. Oh, those dreadful separations. A most sad pale weary face has been haunting me ever since- a pretty little…
“Creator, Savior, Strengthening Guide,
we are glued to this one spot as it were. And only a breath of air would see us all right. It can’t be otherwise. The pride is not all out of us yet.
The sea is full of dangerous rocks, shoals, and Islands, and does not give much rest to the navigator, but I am getting pretty well drilled, having been constantly at it since last ist of October, when I passed through the straits of Lunda. I have got so I can take short cat naps as ____ used to it if not more than half an hour. They are better than nothing. The scenery here is very fine. On one hand there is the beautiful Isle of Panay on which is our port of ____ contiguous to this and forming the bay which we are now trying to enter is the Island of Grimamas. And we now have to beat P. between them to our anchorage, about forty five miles. Negoro Island is close too with it’s volcano of “Malasapina” and a little further on is Zebu, whose the immortal Magalhaes (Magellan)was killed, his tomb is there to this day. The ship he was in was the first to circumnavigate the globe, but he never liked to see it accomplished.
We pulled past an old tumbled down fort, and up a winding river with low banks, and in a few moments landed at the door of Messers R & S office, and dwelling. It is a pretty place, and commands the road on one side and the river on the other. By the kind of invitation of the firm, we tookup our abode here, glad to be away from the toils of the ship for a few days. A heavy gale was brewing and the boat had just time to get back to the ship when the storm began. Our household consisted of Mr. Heron, one of the firm of R & S at Manila down here on a visit. Mr. Ernest one of the firm here, and myself and we whisked away the stormy night, with many a story of days gone by, for we had…
__/____ his finer feelings here. On Sunday evening we were all invited out to dine at Mr. Latesinger’s, a Swiss merchant of the place. He is an exception to the rule, and has recently taken a wife, young Spanish girl of high family, the very pretty Senorita Marie. Dinner commenced at 7 ½ PM and lasted about two hours. Senora’s tongue ran like everything but it was all in Spanish, though it is a beautiful language, it was excessively stupid and tiresome to me.
down. So after a bit Mr. Ernest, Mr. heron and myself got a boat and went off to the ship. We had a good breakfast and came back, calling on the English surveying ship, Maslan to get my charts corrected and report some dangers not known to them. I found them a splendid set of fellows, and had a nice time. They have a large room arranged on deck for a drawing room, filled with the best materials. There are artists, scientists men, and all sorts among them. Their business is to survey the seas abroad, to make drawings, and measure the heights of the land they see, and describe it all. They dredge the sea…
under a powerful microscope and drawn. Commander Chimo, a Captain in the Royal Navy was very polite to me, showed me all his specimens and drawings and his turning apparatus for making all sorts of curios. He said he heard I was collecting for a cabinet and begged to know when he might come on board and see my collection. He is an Irish man, and a jolly fellow. I told him I would be on board in the afternoon, and be most happy to see him. Meantime, the navigating officer offered to give me the proper time for regulating my chronometer, so they both came together. They expressed themselves delighted with the ship, her appearance, etc. and we had a very pleasant time…
for my pains, was taken violently sick while on board and had to go on board my own ship at an early hour. Wednesday was our first pleasant day, and I went on board and I went on board the man o’ war again, and got a god supply of paper, pencils, etc. I found the artist on board, a young English nobleman and a very fine fellow. The Steamer from Manila arrived today- bringing the mail. The Capt. was an old acquaintance, and we had a jolly good time. And so it goes. We are weighing the sugar(cargo) on shore and I have two boys from the ship to attend the scales, and it gives me employment to lookout for it. Friday night I went to the British Consuls to dine, had rather a dry time, but I got dining enough.
news from home, and here ends this chronicle, with all its faults. It has been badly written. Sometimes badly spelled. Deck Bucket often tells me, I am forgetting to spell. Much of it has been written in a hurry, much under excitement, but such as it is, I submit it to her. I love better than everything else in this world. She will find it a “mixed up mess”. Still I hope it will please her. In a few days I shall begin another. This, I send to San Francisco by the P. Mail “China”, bidding it Godspeed. May it find them all well at home.
Oh, this long, long tedious voyage.
any assistance. Keep her husband’s accounts, looks after all the cabin. Has a strong woman to help her, and makes everything go straight. Also this evening, an old friend, Mr. Joseph Hamlin and his wife were present. He was mate when I was, many voyages in the same trade. He has now been on the coast of China 26 years, and his wife came out to meet him. He is expecting to have the Steamer, “____” in a month. They have a pretty little boy, “Benny”. His name is quite equal to “Danny”. We had lots of music. Hamlin being a fine base singer, we carried the old songs with fine effect. Nearby lay another old acquaintance, the Bark, “Benefactor” Capt. Berry and it was arranged that we should all go to tea next evening at his Ship. So, after the labors of the day were run, we all went, and a nice social time we had. I went early and it amused me to see…
eyes, and Pilgarlic thought of another to ought to have been there. We sang all the old songs and hymns. Capt. Thorndike and all the old Captains got young again, and it was midnight before we thought of breaking up. So much society was new to me, and so Saturday night I decided to rest. Mean time the American mail Steamer had come in- no letters, but the English Steamer coming in thro’ Sunday, brought me the long looked for precious letter. They were all well at home. This week the Ship, Sapphire, from Boston Capt. Seiders of Damariscotta, arrived from ____. Capt. ____ his wife. Mrs. Seiders was once Miss Trufant of Bath, but her father moved to London. She is now an English Lady. At the same time the Ship, Port Law came in, Capt. Rice of Boston. We were old mates together years ago, but he had entirely forgotten me, how funny that some…
service was short. On the way home, I met Mr. Perry who came out passenger with me. He pressed me to go to the club with him to lunch, or tiffen as they call it here. There was a good of the English about it, and I was glad to get away. In the evening, I called on board the Pacific mail Steamship,”china”. Found another old acquaintance in the Capt., Capt. Cobb. Got back on my ship in time for tea. Capt. Clark of the “Sauronada” and Capt. Benning of the ____, came on board. They were old friends, trading out here in Steamers, and getting rich. So my Sunday was not much of ____ after all.
airs and frills of England and society grafted on them. One was almost killed with the ____ bend, and it was fun to see the condescension she used towards the rest.
me much good. ____ day ____, I dined by invitation at Russell & Co.s house on the hill. It is a splendid place and commands a fir view of the harbor. They call it “Rose Hill”. I have always been welcome at Russell & co.s. It is one of the oldest houses in China and I always have a good time. We had a capital dinner, but there was one face missing, Mr. H. D’Almieda. He had gone to God, some months ago. His brother died on the passage home with me four years ago in the “Fearless”. They were only sons, and leave no kith or kin, behind them. This week my sailors go on shore on liberty- four of them to a time, and they get a month’s pay, and 24 hours to themselves. What capers they cut up when they get on shore. Some of them go and get drink first thing. Their twenty dollars don’t last long.
here is having a lot of trouble with the “Heathen Chinese”. The government at home as ____ to ascertain from each Chinaman leaving for the U. States if he comes of his own free will or is he forced on board Ship or not, and as they have given him no force to do this with, he has levied a tax of two dollars on each passenger to defray the expenses of an examination so they call him; thief, robber, etc, and say they will sue government, for this money and tell all sorts of stories. It took Mr. Bailey two days to examine the Otago passengers, as Capt. Thorndike was determined the Ship, she should not go ‘till he had the Consular certificate, that all men were going of their own free will. There was an awful hubbub at the consulate. The fact is, the American Consul’s Officer is a mean, degrading, disgraceful position and nobody would accept it that knew anything about it.
my account of the Franklin in Java Burma, Malacca and China. The two ships looked real pretty going out, side and side. I have heard considerable from my acquaintances about a lady from Maine. I don’t remember her name, who has been sent out to Japan and China by a new Ladies Tea company, recently started at home as a taster, i.e. to select teas. She was here just before I arrived, buying all sorts of things as an agent. She is called a failure. I believe she was very much disappointed and disgusted with that part of it, but she went everywhere, where our Europeans never dared to go, and she went alone. She is from Gorham, Me. And said to be immensely rich. As I have collect a number of curios, the ladies here thought I might have exchanged with her, and got many additions to mine. I have done very well getting coins here and have got about all I want, in one sense of the word. Although I never shall get all the coin I want. My friends here have given me coins considerable. It is strange how liberal everybody is in China.
American Consul will want one month’s pay for discharging you, his fee will be 50 cents, 50 cent for shipping another man. The shipping master will have to have two dollars, the Harbor Master one. You have shipped for US currency. And as Mexican dollars are the currency of this port, I shall have to charge you the difference in exchange or 20 percent discount on the wages due you. Now you can do as you please- stay or go. You see you won’t have out of a whole years work, a great deal coming to you, and by the time the Sharks on shore have got through with you, you won’t have anything. Very well Sir! I will go, so Tom went, and so did the drunken sailmaker. But Tom had sense enough after he got on shore to realize what I had told him, and next day he came back penitent enough. But the sailmaker was too much ashamed for to come back again, so Pete Benson, the Dane, and Charlie Allen have followed after him.
we were gentlemen, and would be offended at money. My Compradore, Old Boston Jack is an institution, and deserves notice in this chronicle- many years ago, when Canton was first opened to foreign ships. They had to be at anchor 15 miles below at Whampoa. His father was then in the same business, i.e. supplying ships. He sent his son to Boston, and gave him quite an English education, and on the voyage he learned a good deal of seamanship, so he has borne the name of Boston Jack ever since. He is one of the smartest Chinamen in Hong Kong. It is his pride to attend the American ships. He delights to go on board and pilot them into a good berth for mooring, and though he is an old man, he can do it in good shape. He loves to tell of the ols standard Captains who he has known as boys, then as officers, then he has supplied as Captains, etc.- it is the old story. Jack has made a great deal of money, but he is one of the kind that supports all his relatives, and has a great many hangers on, besides. We see it in America sometimes. I believe Jack would do anything for me
not closed our eyes. There were many things to write about, but we were too tired and _______. We bought fresh fish out of tiny boats, with whole Malay families on board. We saw many gallant ships and steamers pass, the other way, as we toiled on. We saw the rocks and shore close to that would have piled us up for ever. The Plummet, the never failing monitor of danger, kept it’s unceasing ______ like a pendulum and at last we found rest! And how sweet that Sunday. We kept it sacred. Performed ____ service in the cabin at 2 o’clock, reading the passage of Israel through the Red Sea. The squalls and rain of Malacca ______ _______…
Singapore? Yes, I got a short one from home. They were all well. Thank God. What a burden was lifted from me. They had heard of my arrival at Batavia. The wind and tide was directly ahead in Singapore, so I laid there three days. It rained in torrents most of the time. The first night I spent on shore with my agent. I get lots of fresh stock for the ship’s company to eat; fresh water, wood, etc. new Chests, and plenty of late news from Boston, New York, , and California. A rich treat to me, when in my tedious passage up the China Sea. I feel so much better now. I feel as though I could get along now, for we have plenty of sea room.
from California, bound to Rangoon. I went on board and saw Capt. Windsor of Fairhaven and his amiable wife, and have a real homelike visit. Heard all the news from California, and got lots of papers. So we have some bright spots. The Chinaman who chartered the ship came on board, was delighted with his cargo. And after the China custom, gave me a present. A nice satin dress for my wife, a box of Ginger, and a Canary bird. Luckily for me, an American whaling Bark The Kathleen was bound home to New Bedford and would take it home to my wife.
pleasant time. They told me most of the political news from Washington and I got some rare coins from him to help my collection. I visited New Harbor where we coppered our ship a few months ago, and found things there about as I left them. Got a pretty bouquet, some slips and hid them all. A long ____.
day we anchor at Pt. Romania, to stop the tide, and at 12 midnight, started again. It is no foolish job heaving up the anchor. It tires everybody completely out. And now we are fairly at it once more. The N.E. Trades though ahead are fresh and nice. The sky looks clear, the deck men are getting well and all goes merry like a “Marriage Bell”. But now I have got time to stop and think. I am growing old, turning grey, but no matter. I will try hard to make up for lost time. In reading over the papers, I see the loss of the S.S. Steamer, Laginan- on a desert Island in the __1__ of the Pacific Ocean. What have our troubles been to theirs? And the passage of the boat crew, of thirty days to the Sandwich Islands? Still, I have…
baffled down to us from the sails as they slat to and fro. So be it. The sea is so glassy. I go and lean over the (Taffrail?) and I see a northern ship- her gilded carved work, her motionless rudder. A shadow of a man, which waves to all from within the beams of light which penetrate full many a fathom down. He has a white sun hat on and he looks swarthy with long black whiskers and moustache. He looks old and careworn- That must be Deck Bucket, floating about him are immense fields of Medusae. Bits of seaweed. Sometimes a fragment of tree torn from some…
ones, swim lazily along. What a world is this deep! Did you want a cuttlefish for your Canary? Quick, the draw bucket! Here, give it to me, and up it came onto the deck, and our life wears on. No motion, no action, we are living in a dream. Sleep! I should think so. No land to trouble now, no unknown currents. Not even a spindly squall, how changed all in the last few days. Our anxiety now is, will we ever have any wind? Yes, patience, the monsoon in turn, in weeks, comes from the south fast, it is the change now.
fire and blood do we trace the ____ through our nature. In fire and in blood does it cross our own experience. Sufferer, faint not through terror of this burning evidence. Tired wayfarer, gird up thy loins; look upward, march onward. Pilgrims and brother mourners join in friendly company. Dark through the wilderness of the world stretches the way for most of us; equal and steady be our tread; be our cross, our banner. For Staff we have His promise, where “Word is tried, where way perfect,” for present hope this providence. “Who gives the shield of Salvation, whose gentleness make great, for final home, His Bosom, Who Dwells in the light of Heaven”, for crowning prize a glory, exuding and Eternal. Let us so run that we may obtain. “Let us endure hardness as good soldiers, let us finish our course, and keep the faith, reliant in the issue to come off more the conquerors.” Art thou not from everlasting mine Holy One? We shall not Die!
have every protection. How long since you learned of the passage of that Lapinain’s ____ bout of thirty days on the dark sea, and death, as the gates of deliverance opened. What ____ have you suffered like that? Come, come!
thermometer stands (temp missing here in the shade all day. A sweltering heat glowers all through the sky, so thick at the horizon as to nearly hide it.
the cabin for us to feed. Poor old thing she looks poor enough, and asks so pitiful for something to eat. We have got a stranger on board, A Mr. Jackson of Plymouth, Mass. A journeyman who was recently mate of the Ship Bengal of Boston. Capt. Burgess, he was loading in java for Boston, when he was taken with fever and and had to leave his ship for the hospital. After a while he found he way to Singapore, and I gave him his passage to Hong Kong (if we ever get there.) It is his first voyage mate, and it is hard to go among strangers sick, and lose so much time. The Bengal of which he was mate, had a near…
they could see nothing, and the ship going 10 knots, when suddenly the lookout sang out “Sail Ho!” In an instant a terrific shriek, they had struck another ship right amidships. They ran to the side and saw her keel over and go down. It was an English Bark from Mauritias bound for Liverpool. They had got short of water, and all hands were, even the man who should have been at the wheel, was busy catching it, when the Bengal ran into them. Half a dozen men clambered up the ship’s side, the rest went down. They saw the Captain run up from below, and they threw him a rope and hauled him nearly up to the side of the B. when he exclaimed, “I must give up and let go, and went down in the whirlpool. He had his sister with him. How sad!
How few of our friends at home have seen monies of different nations, whose names they are so familiar with. And another thing, their intrinsic value is always equal to all they cost, and to collectors of coins, more. I have much pleasure and amusement in getting them. One day in Rangoon. I was introduced to a Norwegian Captain of the Bark Gazelle. He was much a of a gentleman, spoke English perfectly, and had even been in the United States since I had. We talk of the War, etc.- until finally I asked him if he had any Norwegian currency. He said he believed he had. I told him I was collecting and should like just a coin or two. He said if I would come on board, he would give me some, if he was out, then his wife would be happy to get them for me. Of course I went. It was not there. The ship was discharging Cardiff coal, the dirtiest, smuttiest cargo, that ever was put in a vessel. Why the dust will penetrate to your inner trunks and soil your linens through and through.
boy (as dirty as his mother) down and gave me her hand, says, ”My husband spoke of you. Welcome Sir. I cannot ask you to sit down. You will be covered with dirt, but will excuse us, you know how it is.. I do not try to keep clean. It is no use ‘til this villainous coal is out. She spoke in fine English, only with her foreign accent. She was Prussian from (Steltin?). I would not stay to annoy her about the coin, but she must come again. I did afterwards when her husband was there and he gave me Danish, Prussian, Russian, Norwegian, and Swedish, and Spanish coins. At par, he was collecting for his father on a large scale, had full sets of all our coins as high as 20 dollar gold pieces. I only get a few in silver and copper. But I was delighted to see this lady so frank about her appearance. How many would have been mortified and refused to be seen.
Sherman’s legions, as they marched to the sea.
coming towards me with some catholic priests behind them. When I got close to them, I saw the children were carrying something white. It was a tiny little white coffin, all covered with flowers. It was a strange sight to me. I suppose it was an infants funeral- but there didn’t seem to be any parents or friends, only the schoolchildren I took them to be.
kill. (The women paint their faces white and their eyebrows black) They were country folk coming into town on a picnic or pleasant excursion. I should like to see them going through Farmingdale-
one he killed just now, and gave me his head. I wonder if ever I shall have it stuck up in my garden? One day the King sent an ambassador down to Rangoon and called on Mr. V. to go to the Governors with him, after that he said he would like to go on an American ship so they called on me. The Ambassador looked gravely on everything. At last he spied my guitar and asked me to play him a tune. He never moved a muscle. When he got on shore, someone asked him etc., when asked hoe large she was (He was very careful when in the hold to lean in close) he gravely replied”as large as 1500 hundred elephants.” That was his way of measuring. It brought out a tremendous roar of laughter. Our visitor was much excited to over a snake I got in Java. The next time I saw him was at ____ meeting, he had found out. It pleased him to be able to tell what it was.
hundred days more to get to Hong Kong. Capt. Deck Bucket sounded the fresh water and ordered the officers not to use any more for washing. Took account of stock, found we were in our last barrel of flour, joined the cook, told him to “Splice” with Indian meal. Measured the molasses, and oil, and went round like a madman, as I think he is sometimes. But I hope his fears were groundless for with this breeze we can go to our port in 15 days. You see, everything depends upon the breeze. “____”, have you seen my ____ of apple sauce says ____/____. But really this breeze is delicious, and how quick we begin to think of Hong Kong, news, letters from home, etc.
Chrysanthemum is rooted nicely, in the place of the others, Chutah, the China boy has got a thick growth of rice, or paddy. It looks real pretty waving in the breeze. He is a coon, he picks little bunches and ties it up for Pepy, the Canary, who is awful fond of it.
business, etc., so I mingled with them. I kind of felt as I had, when I was waiting for the Steamer in New York to bring my loved one. Deck Bucket was there and laughed at me. I had been reading Dickens, Sketches of Boz, when ____ old clothes with ____ /_____ etc., and so I said to D.B. I am just trying to tell what those people are on board the boat. That Man, no mistaking him is an officer of the British Army, there is another in the Civil Service. “But those young Ladies, says D.B? They are rather pretty, but most too familiar with the gentlemen for me. How- they show their necks. I guess they are “Girls of the period.” But then seen that chap, he looks just like Sam Lamb, a fancy plaid suit, a knobly hat, heavy moustache, long piggled hair. A “bonnet to his jib”, and rakish eyes. There is another one more stately looking, rather melancholy. They are professional men. I should think one was a manager, for a nigger minstrel ____ the other agent, etc. Next day, sure enough! The first thing I saw as I went on the shore was “just arrived. The great American Circus”-wonderful performance- Mr. Abel- Madame Louise & Co.
seen her before somewhere. They take care out here of the natives, who look upon their performances as something supernatural . They will work a month for money enough to go to circus one night.
cigars. In turn they sent me a nice fish and some London papers. (A terrible lonely life they have- no land in sight. Their vessel pitched and rolled about to a great rate, for they have no sail to keep her steady. A steamer visits them once a month, and then after six months they have a furlough three months. I should not like it. They do not have their wives. How much better it would be if they had.
trust and hope.
them some water. Meanwhile the Junk came nearer, as they passed their empty tubs up the ship’s side. I took my glass and looked at the Junk to see the effect, up went their hands with a shout, and such a chattering and hollering, one never heard. Meantime the first bucket that was filled went down over the side- good God what a sight. They stuck their heads into it, fought over it drank it, spilled it, ‘till we had to stop them. I could write a volume about those mute upturned faces a as they looked their mute appeal for a drink of water. Sentiment is it? Yes! Very likely. Such a scene will find sentiment if there is such a thing. One is very apt to think of the time when he will want a drop of water to cool his burning lips, then will ring the trumpet tones, “In as much as you have done it to the least of them, thy brethren, so shall it be done to you.” We gave them all their tubs full, and one of our boat (carks?) (which we always have ____) beside and a bag of ice of 200 lbs. out of the cargo. Yes, stole it from the cargo, which did…
old jar of curious shape. I at once “blackmailed” that to keep as souvenir of the occasion. When they left, the attitude of devotion they made beat the Rangoon Pilot all to pieces. The wind was up and the Sun was setting but they started back from their Junk with the empty bag. Seeing this I waved them to keep on their way. I told them how far it was to Singapore and that they must take care of their water. They did not know how many miles they had sailed. I suppose they would go by the land when they see it.
Henry L. Keene of Augusta was one of the crew. How he would growl over his lot. We had a Swede, a splendid fellow from the city of Stockholm. He would drink his all down at a swig and go without all day. I had cut a picture out of Godey’s Lady’s Book and pasted it on the till of my chart. He would beg of me to let him look at it. It was “The old Oaken Bucket” At last we got very low, great clouds of rain would sweep up close to us and we would get all ready to catch water, then, they would move tauntingly away. No work was done, nothing said. But one morning, at early dawn, a spec was seen on the horizon. A sail! Quick! Run the boat! Put in a cask! And off we went, the mate steering, I pulled the boat oar. We had a long pull, the Sun came out pouring fire on us, and it was breakfast time when we got alongside The Stranger. It was the ship Coquimbo of Boston, from New Orleans bound to Liverpool, Capt. Grimsby. If Charles Dickens had given him that name he couldnot have hit it better. There he stood, grim as his name. A tall white __1__ hat on, Lord of all…
Captain’s wife and sister. ’Well, well!” Send us up your cask, for which he gave us an old cask half filled with muddy Mississippi water, about 90 gallons. We get it safe into the boat, also a barrel of pork. The mate went up to pay for it, and as their breakfast was ready, he could not do more than ask him in, beside the $18.00 dollars in gold, softened him some. How quick we boys followed up the side. “Come in my Leasties. Come in here shipmates, and take “potluck”, said the sailors, calling us into their forecastle. Generous pots of coffee were steaming on the floor. A ____ potato hash was in the middle and clean nice white biscuits set modestly on one side, while a huge boulder of beef flanked the other. I always did like hash, but from that moment on it was mine forever, and the…
We could go to Hong Kong in sixteen days at that rate. I was on the bow looking for cuttlefish for my canary bird, when I saw something glittering and shining far down in the water. It looked like a streak of silver, the light shining through the waves made, represents something like this( small sketch here). It was a snake coming up to have a look at us. When he came to the surface, he lifted his head up and looked at us, astonished as could be. He was fully five feet long and shaped like an eel in the belly. We are scrubbing everything now, moving everything, and Oh!, the ants and cockroaches and moths and mosquitoes. It is awful…
Russell that was lost just before then. When he came up to ship, I asked him his name. He replied Reginald Harold Clary Sir! Well Mr. Reginald Harold Clary, how old are you? Eighteen Sir! Where do you belong? To Greenwich Connecticut Sir! He is the prettiest boy I ever saw, or ever may. Features and complexion as fair as any girl I ever saw. He said his mother was a widow and he the only child. He had been fitted for college, but took it into his head to go sea. It almost killed his mother. The other Captain told me she came up to New York to see him off, and prayed the Captain to take good care of him for he was her all, but as soon as we got out, what an old salt. The first time he came to the wheel he had a __1__ of tobacco in his mouth nearly as large as an egg. Not long after that I heard a string of oaths coming out of him as long as the (Title of something here). I very soon made him stop….
The other one came out with a goddess of liberty pricked into his. I was amused enough. The artist that does this ornamenting is Tom Burgess. I shipped him in Rangoon, but he says he is from Baltimore, married in Bengal, where he has been an engine driver on one of the India railways. From the locomotive to the forecastle is quite a step. My boy, Lynn B. Ladd of Haverhill, is a fine young handsome fellow now, and very intelligent. One of the missionary ladies at Rangoon, asked him after church one night, what denomination he belonged to. He told her Universalist!! How she dropped him. I used to let several of them go at a time (to meeting) while in port. The best sailor boy I have got is Tom Ingalls of Bristol, Eng. I have another fine young fellow from Nova Scotia. The Liverpool men are bad treacherous customers. I have got one Portuguese, Frank DeSilvers, a prime good man- and Pete, the same. Another and one old grey headed sailor, Dunn, that reads his bible and hymns book, and all the tracts he can get.
Yesterday we passed one of the great landmarks, a kind of halfway milestone. Anxiously looked for always by navigators in this sea- “Pulo Sapatic” is it’s Malay name. Pulo means island, sapatic means shoes. “Shoe Island”- a great barren rock, 360 feet high, visible 30 miles in clear weather. It is of whitish-grey color, not a green thing on it, and it is almost inaccessible to man. Birds go there to lays their eggs, etc. It is an of God’s heavens to keep ships off the dangerous shoal that lies near it. We passed close to it at night, and at daylight were beyond it. Near it are two thers similar. They are all called the “Catinoks”. I had just been reading, Victor Haines’ ‘Toiles of the Sea”. How grandly he writes about these lone ocean rocks. Nothing could be more apropos of these terrible ocean monitors than his book’s description.
shall behold Him, but ____, Then shall come a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of the ____, and destroy all the children of (Sheth?)”
it is not very far from us. We are house cleaning, moving, scraping, and scrubbing everything. We have so much vermin it is quite a job. I can hardly realize we were going thro’ this same thing seven months bound to Batavia. We ought to be home to Boston now. Instead of that we are going backwards. We have three kinds of ants, and hordes of them- swarms of cockroaches of all sizes, crickets, moths, spiders, rats and mice. The rats lay low for as soon as one of them shows their heads, they are wanted by the cats. And last, though not least Mosquitos, any amount. I am almost discouraged about them sometimes, but we get to most everything.
shows plainly. They are a queer race. I was told they have no marriage, but live with one another as long as was agreeable. This would suit some of the American Burmese I think pretty well. They are not very ambitious, nor industrious, all they care about is having a good time.
blowing and although it is ahead, we are thankful for it. It gives new life vigor and all that a man needs. If we could get in tomorrow, it would be a Capital passage after all, for the Franklin at this ____ of the year. Many better sailors have been from sixty to 90 days, so no more grumbling about that .
A Maine Sea Captain's Journals From the Clipper Ship Era 