History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 41

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 41

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tries from Calcutta of vessels bringing cargoes of jute | her voyages was surprisingly regular, varying but a butts to the factories here.

A detailed history of these Iudia voyages could not fail to be interesting, and would contain many thrill- ing accounts of the perils of the sea. In January, 1788, the ship "Juno," Henry Elkins, master, and owned by E. H. Derby, cleared for the East Indies, and when forty hours out was found to be sinking. Every effort was made to free her, but without suc- cess, and in twenty minutes she went down. The crew escaped in one of the ship's boats, and were picked up and taken to Demerara. In 1793 the ship "Astrea," on a trading voyage from Madras to Pegu, was seized by the king of the latter place as a trans- port for stores to his army in Siam, who had gone thither to attack that empire. Captain Gibant and his second mate were detained as hostages for the performance of the voyage. In March, 1807, the ship " Howard," Benjamin Bray, master, from Calcutta, was lost at Grapevine Cove, Gloucester. The captain, second mate and two seamen were drowned. On Thursday, October 28, 1819, the brig "Naiad," Na- thaniel Osgood, master, arrived at Salem from Cal- cutta, with a cargo consigned to Pickering Dodge. On the Monday night previous the "Naiad " was struck by lightning, and the second mate, Mr. Wil- liam Griffen, of Salem, was instantly killed. He was on the maintopsail yard at the time, and, on being struck, fell into the water with his clothes on fire. The first mate was knocked down and one of the men severely injured. The vessel received but trifling damage.

From the year 1800 to 1842, inclusive, only the years 1809, '14, '15, '38, '39 and '41 passed without an entry at Salem from some of the ports of India. The whole number of entries during that period from Calcutta were one hundred and fifteen, the years 1805, '06 and '07 showing seventeen, and the years 1816, '17 and '18 showing twenty-one. There were twenty entries from Bombay during the same time, six from Bengal, six from Madras, three from Siam, and two from Ceylon. During the periods from 1802 to 1807, and from 1816 to 1822, there was the greatest activity in the Calcutta trade.

From 1816 to 1840 the Salem trade with Calcutta was mainly carried on by Joseph Peabody. He was the owner of the famous ship " George," which made voyages between Salem and Calcutta with the regn- larity of a steamer. The "George" was built in 1814 for a privateer by an association of ship-carpenters, who were thrown out of employment by the War of 1812. Peace came on before she was sold, and Cap- tain Peabody bought her for sixteen dollars per ton. She measured three hundred and twenty-eight tons, and was a full-rigged ship. The "George" made twenty-one voyages to Calcutta between 1815 and 1837. She sailed from Salem May 23, 1815, on her first voyage, and arrived home June 13, 1816, one hundred and nine days from Calcutta. The length of 5%

few days in all her passages between Calcutta and Salem. She sailed from Salem August 5, 1836, on her last voyage, reaching Salem on her return May 17, 1837, one hundred and eleven days from Calcutta. Previous to her leaving Calcutta on her twenty-first voyage, the Banian merchants of that port presented to the ship a complete and beautiful " freedom suit" of silk signals and colors. Her commanders were William Haskell, Thomas West, Samuel Endicott, Thomas M. Saunders, Jonathan H. Lovett, Jr., and Benjamin Balch, Jr. Her supercargoes were Daniel H. Mansfield, Ephraim Emmerton, Jr., George W. Endicott, Samuel Endicott, Samuel Barton and James B. Briggs. Her cargoes paid in duties $651,743.32. After her last voyage to Calcutta she was sold to Jef- ferson Adams and Caleb Smith, and went to Rio Janeiro, where she was condemned about January 12, 1838. Mr. Peabody imported from Calcutta, between 1807 and 1840, about 1,050,000 pounds of indigo, of which the ship "George" brought, in seventeen voyages, 755,000 pounds.

THE BATAVIA TRADE .- In the Indian Ocean, near the island of Sumatra, lies the island of Java, and here again Salem vessels were the first to display the American ensign. There was quite an extensive trade with this island in the early days of Salem's commerce. Of the seventy-two arrivals from Batavia between the years 1796 and 1855, thirty-five were pre- vious to the year 1807, and seventeen during the years 1817, '18, '19 and '20. From 1806 to 1816 there was no arrival.

The brig " Sally," Benjamin Webb, master, cleared for Batavia Sept. 30, 1795, and entered from the same place Sept. 6, 1796, with a cargo of pepper and sugar to Thomas Saunders & Co. The schooner " Patty," Edward West, master, cleared for Batavia Sept. 26, 1795, with wine, brandy, gin, tobacco, lead and iron, and entered from that place, on her return, Oct. 3, 1796, with pepper and sugar, consigned to Nathaniel West. The bark " Vigilant," John Murphy, master, entered in February, 1797, with 238,746 pounds of coffee and 168,604 pounds of sugar, consigned to Simon Forrester. The brig " Eunice," Enoch Sweet, master, entered in July, 1797, with coffee and pepper to George Dodge and others. The brig "Star," John Burchmore, master, entered in November, 1797, to John Norris & Co. The bark "Eliza," Gamaliel Hodges, master, entered in February, 1798, and again in December, 1799, to Joseph White." The brig "Olive Branch," Jonathan Lambert, Jr., master, en- tered in 1798, consigned to Ashton & Lambert. The ship " Friendship," Israel Williams, master, entered July 4, 1798, with 301,687 pounds of coffee and 111,- 087 pounds of sugar, to Pierce & Wait, and paying a duty of $18,376.13. The brig " Exchange," William Richardson, master, entered in August, 1798, to Ezekiel H. Derby. The ship "Hazen," Jonathan Hodges, master, entered in August, 1798, consigned

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

to William Orne. The ship "Franklin," James Devereux, master, entered in October, 1801, with 315,742 pounds of coffee, 164,699 of pepper and 155,- 797 of sugar, consigned to Joseph Peabody, and pay- ing a duty of $29,709.40. The same vessel, with the same master and consignee, entered in March, 1804, and May, 1805.

The ship " Margaret," Samuel Derby, master. en- tered in June, 1802, with coffee and other merchan- dise, consigned to John Derby and Benjamin Pick- man. The " Margaret " cleared for Sumatra Nov. 19, 1800, with fifty thousand dollars in specie, twelve casks of Malaga wine and two hogsheads of bacon. She left Salem Harbor on the 25th of November, and anchored in Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, Feb. 4, 1801. Leaving Table Bay February 10, she reached Bencooleu Roads, Sumatra, on the 10th of April, one hundred and thirty-six days from Salem. Without stopping to trade at Sumatra, the vessel proceeded to Batavia, arriving there on the 25th of April. While at Batavia Captain Derby made a bargain with the Dutch East India Company to take the annual freights to and from Japan, and left for that place with his cargo June 20, 1801.

The " Margaret arrived at the port of Nagasaki July 19, being obliged to fire salntes and dress the vessel with flags before entering port. Mr. George Cleveland, who was clerk for Captain Derby, gives an interesting description of his visit to the city of Naga- saki. "In the first place," he says, "we went to Facquia's, an eminent stuff merchant. Here we were entertained in such manner as we little expected. We had set before us, for a repast, pork, fowls, meso, eggs, boiled fish, sweetmeats, cake, various kinds of fruit and sacky and tea. The lady of the house was intro- duced, who drank tea with each of us, as is the cus- tom of Japan. She appeared to be a modest woman. The place we next visited was a temple, to which we ascended from the street by at least two hundred stone steps. Adjoining this was the burying-ground. We went next to the glass-house, which was on a small scale; thence to a lac-ware merchant's, where we were entertained with great hospitality. Thence we went to a tea-honse, or hotel, where we dined. After dinner we were entertained with various feats of dancing and tumbling. Towards dark we returned to the island, and so great was the crowd in the streets to see us pass that it was with difficulty that we could get along. The number of children we saw was truly astonishing. The streets are narrow, and at the end of every street is a gate, which is locked at night. The houses are of two stories, built of wood.

"The Japanese observed one fast when we were there. It was in remembrance of the dead. The cer. emonies were principally in the night. The first was devoted to feasting, at which they fancy their friends to be present ; the second and third nights the graves are lighted with paper Jamps and, situated as they are on the side of a hill, make a most brilliant ap-

pearance. On the fourth night, at three o'clock, the lamps are all brought down to the water and put into small straw barques with paper sails, made for the occasion, and, after putting in rice, fruit, etc., they are set afloat. The exhibition was very fine.

" As the time was approaching for our departure, we began to receive our returns from the interior, brought many hundred miles. These consisted of the most beautiful lacquered ware, such as waiters, writ- ing-desks, tea-caddies, knife-boxes and tables. We also received a great variety of silks, fans in large quantities and a great variety of porcelain. The East India Company's cargo had already been put on board. The principal article was copper in small bars. The company's ships have been obliged to take their departure from the anchorage opposite Nagasaki on a certain day to the lower roads, no matter whether it blew high or low, fair or foul, even if a thousand boats should be required to tow them down. We, of course, had to do as our predecessors had done. Early in November we went to this anchorage and remained a few days, when we sailed for Batavia, where we arrived safely after a passage of a month."

This account is interesting because the " Margaret" was the first Salem vessel and the second Ameri- can vessel to visit Japan. The ship " Franklin," of Boston, commanded by Captain James Devereux, of Salem, was the first American vessel which traded with Japan, having been employed to make the same voyage as the "Margaret" two years previously. Commercial intercourse was not opened with Japan till half a century later ; the American Treaty, the result of the expedition under Commodore Perry, which opened her ports to the world, being dated March 31, 1854. Previous to this time all the trade with Japan was in the hands of the Dutch, who were obliged to submit to the grossest indignities.

The ship "Henry," John Barton, master, entered from Batavia in July, 1802, to John Derby and Ben- jamin Pickman. The ship " Herald," Zachariah F. Silsbee, master, entered in May, 1804, to Nathaniel Silsbee. The brig " William " arrived Aug. 31, 1802, consigned to Jonathan Mason. She lost her captain, John Felt, and her mate by sickness during the voy- age. The ship " Mary and Eliza," Nathaniel Haw- thorne, master, arrived in October, 1804, with coffee, nutmegs, sugar and mace, to Joseph White. The bark " Georgetown," George Ropes, master, arrived in April, 1806, to Stephen Phillips. The ship " Henry," Benjamin Russell, master, arrived in May, 1806, to Edward Russell and others. The ship " Her- cules " made two voyages, entering in March, 1816, and March, 1817, to Nathaniel West, commanded on the first voyage by Edward West and on the second by James King, Jr. The ship " Erin," Nathan Cook, master, entered in November, 1819, to Henry Picker- ing. The brig " Franklin," John White, master, en- tered in September, 1820, to Stephen White. The brig "Roscoe," J. M. Ropes, master, entered in Au-

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gust, 1827, to Charles Saunders. The bark "Henry," R. Wheatland, master, entered in December, 1835, consigned to Samuel Cook and others.

The ship " Union," William Osgood, master, from Pulo Penang, with a cargo of pepper aud tin, con- signed to Stephen Phillips, was cast away on the northwest point of Baker's Island, Feb. 24, 1810, dur- ing a snowstorm and lost with most of her cargo.

The brig " Java," Nathaniel Osgood, master, from Batavia, went ashore on the bar off Nauset, Cape Cod, on the night of February 9, 1832, in a snowstorm. The crew narrowly ascaped in the boats. The cargo, consisting of 585,000 pounds of coffee, 13,500 pounds of nutmegs and 94,000 pounds of block-tin, was owned by Jonathan Neal. The vessel was a total wreck.

The ship "Sumatra," Peter Silver, master, made two voyages from Batavia, arriving at Salem in Sep- tember, 1842, and August, 1843, consigned to Joseph Peabody. Captain Silver has a strange experience on one of these voyages. He sees a vessel in distress, and bearing down finds her to be the bark "Kilmars," of Glasgow, with no person on deck except a female, who seems almost frantic. He sends a boat and brings her on board. She was about eighteen years old, and wife of the commander of the bark. Two months before the vessel had sailed from Batavia with a cargo of sugar for Europe. The crew, shipped at Batavia, were many of them discharged convicts. The captain received an intimation that the crew contemplated obtaining possession of the vessel, and when it became certain that such was their intention, he charged the ringleader with the design and, in the altercation that followed, shot and wounded him. He then succeeded in confining the crew in different parts of the vessel, and endeavored with the help of two boys, to navigate his vessel back to Batavia. In the early morning, before the vessel was discovered by Captain Silver, the captain with the two boys had started in a boat for the shore to procure help. The captain's wife finding her husband missing was fear- ful that he had been killed by the mutineers, but she found that they were still confined. Dreading lest they would soon break out, she took her stand on the rail, determined to throw herself overboard if they regained the deck. Only twenty minutes after she was taken from the " Kilmars " the crew broke out, took charge of the vessel and made sail. In order to avoid a collision, Captain Silver steered away from the vessel and arrived at Batavia, where he placed the lady under the charge of the Dutch Government. The " Kilmars " subsequently reached Angier, where the authorities took possession of her and adopted measures for the trial of her crew. The captain and the boys were picked up in the Straits of Sunda. Anxiety and overwork had made him partially in- sane. When he left his vessel he had expected to be able to return at once with help.

The ship "Rome," Nathaniel Brown, master

arrived from Batavia in December, 1842, consigned to B. W. Stone. The last arrivals in our harbor from Batavia, were the " Buckeye," in August, 1853, and "Witch," in November, 1855, both consigned to Edward D. Kimball.

THE SUMATRA TRADE .- Salem sent the first ves- sel that ever sailed direct from this country to Suma- tra, and a Salem captain commanded the last American vessel that brought a cargo of pepper from that island. In the year 1793, Captain Jonathan Carnes of Salem, being at the port of Bencoolen, learned that pepper grew wild on the northwestern coast of Sumatra. On his return to Salem he made known his discovery to Mr. Jonathan Peele, who immediately built a schooner and gave Carnes the command. The vessel was called the "Rajah," and was of one hundred and thirty tons burden, carrying, four guns and ten men. In 1795 he set sail for Sumatra, the destination of the vessel and the object of the voyage being kept a profound secret. The "Rajah " cleared at Salem November 3, 1795, for India, having on board two pipes of brandy, fifty-eight cases of gin, twelve tons of iron, two hogsheads of tobacco and two boxes of salmon. The vessel was absent eighteen months, during which time her owner Mr, Peele had no tidings from her. At last she entered Salem harbor, with a cargo of pepper in bulk, the first to be so imported into this country. This cargo was sold at a profit of seven hundred per cent. Such an extraordinary voyage created great excitement among the merchants of Salem, and they were all anxious to discover in what part of the Eastern World the cargo had been procured. But the matter still remained a secret. Captain Carnes was prepar- ing for another voyage; and the Salem merchants determined if possible to penetrate the mystery, despatched several vessels to the port of Bencoolen where it was known Carnes got his first knowledge of the trade. They were not successful, however, and had to make up their voyages in some of the ports of India. But the secret voyages to Sumatra did not long continue. By the first of the present century the mystery was penetrated, and the whole ground open to competition.

The brig "Rajah " made several voyages to Suma- tra, under command of Captain Carnes, entering at Salem in October, 1799, with 158,544 pounds of pep- per, and in July, 1801, with 147,776 pounds, the last consigned to Jonathan & Willard Peele.

The firm of George Crowninshield & Sons were largely engaged in the early Sumatra trade. The ship " Belisarius," Samuel Skerry, Jr., master, made several voyages for this firm, entering at Salem in July, 1801, with 320,000 pounds of pepper ; in July, 1802, with 306,542 pounds ; and in September, 1803, with 276,459 pounds. The ship "America" made two voyages, commanded by John Crowninshield on the first and Jeremiah Briggs on the second, and entering in November, 1801, with 815,792 pounds of

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

pepper, paying a duty of $53,842,27, and clearing January 2, 1802, on the second voyage, returning in October, 1802, with 760,000 pounds, paying $50,031.76. The ship " Concord," Jonathan Carnes, master, made two voyages, entering in November, 1803, and in August, 1805. The ship " John," John Dodge, mas- ter, entered in October, 1807, and the ship "Fame," Holten J. Breed, master, in April, 1812, with 623,277 pounds of pepper, paying a duty of $37,396.62, all consigned to this firm.

Joseph Peabody entered upon this trade early. Among his vessels were the ship " Cincinnatus, John Endicott, master, which entered in September, 1803, with 307,824 pounds of pepper ; and in November, 1807, commanded by William Haskell, with 347,000 pounds. The ship "Franklin," Samuel Tucker, master, which entered in September, 1810, with 539,- 585 pounds. The ship "Janus," John Endicott, master, which entered in December, 1809, with 537,- 989 pounds, and in December, 1810, with 547,795 pounds. The "Janus" sailed from Salem April 1, 1810, and arrived at the Vineyard on her return, November 26, 1810, making one of the shortest voyages ever made from Salem to Sumatra and back. These were among Mr. Peabody's early voyages. He continued the trade until about the time of his death, in 1844. The ship "Sumatra," Peter Silver, master, which entered in July, 1838, and the ship " Eclipse," George Whitemarsh, master, which en- tered in February, 1840, in February, 1841 and in December, 1842, and the ship "Lotos," Benjamin Balch, Jr., master, which entered in November, 1841, were among the later voyages.

Abel Lawrence & Co. were the consignees of the brig "George Washington," Timothy Bryant, master, which entered in November, 1803, and of the ship " Putnam," Nathaniel Bowditch, master, which en- tered in December, 1803, with 425,000 pounds of pepper and 42,000 pounds of coffee from Sumatra and the Isle of France, and paying a duty of $27,634.67. Captain Bowditch afterwards became distinguished for his mathematical works and as an astronomer, and achieved a world-wide reputation by his treatises on navigation.

Captain Bowditch writes in his journal of this voyage :

risen there being now thirty sail of American vessels on the coast.

" The pepper season commences in January, when they begin to gather the small pepper at the bottom of the vine; in March, April and May is the height of the crop. The best pepper grows at the top of the vines and is gathered the last. It is larger and more solid than that gathered at an earlier period. Some suppose that the pepper is all gathered in May, but I was in some of the gardens in July, and found at the top of the vines large quantities which would be ripe in a few days. Some calculate on two crops, but from the best information I could procure, there. is only one. The pepper is generally weighed on American scales. It is sold by the picul, equal to one hundred and thirty-three and one-third pounds .; What is weighed in the day is paid for in the even- ing, they being unwilling to trust their property in the hands of those they deal with; in the same mauuer it is not prudent to pay in advance to the Datoo, as it would often be difficult to get pepper or money of him again."

The ship " Good Hope," George Cleveland. master, entered in January, 1805, consigned to Nathaniel. West. The ship " Freedom," John Reith, master, in January, 1805, consigned to Jonathan & Willard Peele. The bark "Eliza," Joseph Beadle, master, entered in August, 180G, consigned to Joseph White & Co. The ship "Union," George Pierce, master, entered in October, 1806, consigned to Stephen Phil- lips, with four hundred and sixty-five thousand two hundred and seventy-one pounds of pepper, paying a duty of $28,506.26. The ship "Eliza," James Cook, master, entered in October, 1807, with one million twelve thousand one hundred and forty eight pounds of pepper, consigned to James Cook, and paying a duty of $66,903.90. The ship "Herald," Z. F. Silsbec, master, entered in December, 1809, consigned to James Devereux. The bark " Active," William P. Richardson, master, entered in December, 1809, con- signed to John Dodge, Jr. The bark "Camel," Holten J. Breed, master, entered in July, 1816, con- signed to William Silsbee. The bark "Eliza and Mary, Nathaniel Griffen, master, consigned to Wil- liam Fettyplace, entered April, 1823. The brig " Jane," Thomas Saul, master, entered in November, 1823, consigned to Willard Peele. The brig " Persia," Moses Endicott, master, in July, 1824, with one hun- dred and sixty thousand pounds of pepper to Dudley L. Pickman. The ship "Friendship," Charles M. Endicott, master, entered in July, 1831, consigned to William Silsbee, and the ship " Delphos," James D. Gillis, master, entered in October, 1831, consigned to Z. F. Silsbee and others, The bark "Malay," J. B. Silsbee, master, entered in November, 1836. The bark " Borneo," C. S. Huntington, master, in April, 1842, consigned to Z. F. Silsbee.

"On your arrival at Sumatra you contract with the Datoo for the pepper and fix the price. If more than one vessel is at the port the pepper which comes daily to the scales is shared between them as they agree. Sometimes the Datoo contracts to load one vessel before any other is allowed to take any, and he holds to this agreement as long as he finds it for his inter- est to do so, and no longer, for a handsome present or an increase of the price will prevent the pepper from heing brought in for several days, and the person who made the agreement must either quit the port or else give an additional price. The price in 1803 was David Pingrec was the consignee of the ship from ten to eleven dollars per picul. The price has ' "Caroline Augusta," which entered in August, 1842,

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and in November, 1845. She was commanded on the first voyage by E. D. Winn. Tucker Daland was the consignee of the brig "Lucilla," which entered in June, 1842 and in November, 1846. H. W. Perkins was the master on the first voyage and D. Marshall on the second. This was the last vessel to arrive at Salem from the coa-t of Sumatra.

The trade with Sumatra was, at one time, mainly carried on by Salem merchants, and a large propor- tion of the pepper consumed was distributed to all countries from the port of Salem. From the year 1799 to 1846 inclusive, but five years (1813, '14, '15, '22 and '37) passed without an entry at Salem from the island of Sumatra. During that period there were one hundred and seventy-nine arrivals, the years 1809, '10 and '23 showing ten each, the largest number in any single year.

Although the direct trade between Salem and Su- matra ceased in 1846, Salem vessels and Salem ship- masters were engaged in it until a much later date. The last Salem vessel on the coast was the ship "Aus- tralia," J. Dudley, master, owned by Stone, Silsbee & Pickman. She was there in 1860. There is no direct trade to-day between the United States and Sumatra. Captain Jonathan Carnes, of Salem, commanded the first American vessel that ever procured a cargo of pep- per in bulk from the Island of Sumatra, and a Salem captain was master of the last American vessel that visited that coast. The bark "Tarquin," Thomas Kimball, master, and William F. Jelly, mate, both of Salem, arrived at New York in 1867, and this arrival closed the American trade with the Island of Sn- matra. The "Tarquin " was owned by John L. Gard- ner, of Boston.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 41

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538