USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Marion > Lands of Sippican on Buzzards Bay > Part 14
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And the young mate writes as one's day's work -
"Thursday Jan. 20th at 0.30 took in Fore & Main topgallant sails & outer jib, at 1 P. M. double reef the Fore & Main topsail, single reefed the courses & Mizzen topsail. At 2 P. M. reefed the spankers, at 3.30 P. M. close reefed the topsail and stowed
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SUCH AS THESE SAILED THE SEVEN SEAS
the courses hauled down the jib. At 5. P. M. took in the Spanker & clewed up the Mizzen topsail and stowed it. Blowing a com- plete gale. At 10 P. M. wore ship to the S. W. set whole Fore sail close reefed Mizzen topsail, reefed spanker & reefed main sails. At 3 A. M. shook a reef out the main topsail, at 6 shook a reef out the Fore & Mizzen Topsails & main sail & set the jib. At 9 shook both reefs out Main topsail and one reef out Fore top sail, at 10 shook the single reef out Fore topsail. Ends with a strong N. W. wind."
And so on, all night and all day.
The days go by: the ship plunging along, the flying spray veiling the little figures climbing with the wind whistling in the rigging clinging with numb fingers to the sawing ropes, trying to follow the hoarse trumpet commands from the deck; and the boy mate writes on Jan. 28 "tremendous seas running. Ship laboring. Very bad indeed."
"Very bad indeed," and then next day when the calm came "Jan. 29. Crew employed in tarring and scrubbing ship out- side."
In three days again the fight!
"Feb. 1, Gale heavy. Lost a Fore Topmast studding sail boom" and on the next day "Lying to Reefed." Two months and 23 days on the voyage back to New York!
Not discouraged-this young captain in the making! "July 16, 1848" he is moved to write in his diary "commences with clear beautiful weather with a fine 9 knot breeze from the S.W. All sail set except spankers, all the starboard studding sails set and the ship moving along like a thing of life and if. the people that are now hived up in a hot dusty town could but take a view of the ship and those on board they might truly envy us our happiness" ... On July 21 he comments on the number of sailing vessels in sight - 16 nearly all "square riggers." Aug. 2, again at Waterloo Dock, and on Monday Dec. 11 he is sailing on the B. R. Milan with Capt. Henry Allen, down to Galveston, for sugar and cotton, sometimes with 40 ships in company.
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Then he is at home in Rochester, "attending Church in Sippican today" he writes; and two days later he is off again to New York.
By 1849 he is sailing to Galveston, Captain of his own ship the Brig Herald.
Back and forth he goes! Home to go fishing! "Father, myself and brother Alfred left in the boat Wave for Bobel at 8.20 made fast to the buoy on Bobel Ledge and commenced fishing - found fishing very good, very good."
He goes out to tea, and three times to church on Sunday, and then he is writing in his diary.
"Go to Astor Place, and Niblo's."
And Capt. Nathan's boys grew to be real sailors. Oliver, off for himself, comes home after three years absence to his family in Rose Cottage. He is 21 years old, and has been a mate for nine months, and the next time he comes home he will be a captain.
And Capt. Emerson Hadley's large estate grows beautiful, and his brother Capt. Stephen Hadley opposite sets out shrubs, and trees, and great hedges, and builds stone walls.
Within hail were a dozen captain's houses and barns; Capt. Peleg Blankinship, Capt. Obed Delano, Capt. Pardon Tripp, Capt. Henry Delano. "Old Landing" Captains; of each one could be said he had slept while "under his very pillow" "rushed bands of walruses and whales."
On hot summer Sabbaths when Minister Cobb's voice went on to the "finally my brethren", the old captains and the young captains, who were home from voyages, were all at div- ine worship. There was no question about it. Unless you were "sick in your naked bed" you appeared in your family pew in the meeting house on the Sabbath Day.
But strange scenes must be printed on the walls of the white meeting house on . the corner. Pleasant shining islands, roaring seas, slippery dark docks of foreign ports, and women and men a long way from the elm lined, sandy roads of New England.
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SUCH AS THESE SAILED THE SEVEN SEAS
Perhaps there is the soft sound of "Si! Signor!" in a captain's ear, that makes him look dazed as with a rustle his family rises and faces the choir for the last hymn.
Perhaps instead of the organ note rolling out and the voices of Sippican and the Old Landing singing
'"Hasten sinner, to be wise, Stay not for the morrow's sun."
the meeting house is ringing with the sailors' voices in the harbors of Sing-a-pore - Hong Kong!
"We'll sing Ay, And we'll heave ay And pay Paddy Doyle for his boots! We'll heave
ay With a swing ay And pay Paddy Doyle for his boots!"
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CHAPTER XI.
A PHILOPENA FROM SIPPICAN.
"But the standing toast That pleased the most
Was the wind that blows The ship that goes And the lass that loves a sailor."
FORECASTLE SONGSTER.
It wasn't only the farm boys on the whalers that got home sick!
Eighty years ago, Thursday Nov. 28, young Captain George was writing forlornly in his diary:
"This day is Thanksgiving in Massachusetts, and it re- minds me of home, and of those friends and relatives whom I left a few months since. Methinks I would like to be among them enjoying a New England Thanksgiving, but it is impos- sible."
Out in mid-ocean he watches the porpoises gamboling about the ship, and jots down "If human beings were as active as they appear to be there would be less idleness. We are now in the Florida stream and a head wind or a calm we move along by the current. The cause of this remarkable stream is a problem yet to be solved. At daybreak find ourselves not alone on the mighty deep, as there are three vessels in company."
In December, 1850 for the old whaling captain, Elisha, the earthly voyage ended, and young Captain George came home to find his father gone to a far country.
But ships do not wait; sailors cannot stay at home; so he is back in New York again in a few weeks to find that "brother Henry" has made a voyage to Liverpool with Capt. James Luce in the steamship Arctic.
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A PHILOPENA FROM SIPPICAN
"Rode over to the Arctic, bid my Brother good bye", he writes, "and at 12m saw one of the greatest specimens of naval architecture as she commenced her movements on the water bound across the wide Atlantic. God speed her on her passage, and may she carry those safely who have trusted to her safety."
Back home again, takes tea with relatives and day of day in his life, he receives a Philopena, a little ring with date and initials, from Sophia M. Delano, a pretty girl of Sippican!
Then off he sails, taking the same route that he has been over so many, many times.
In his diary Dec. 17, he complains "I should like to pass Cape Hatteras once with a fair wind and good weather. I have passed it many times, but have not yet seen it."
The girls at home are going to the meeting house to services and choir rehearsals; and to revival services up at the Methodist meeting house in "Happy Alley"; and reading Godey's Lady's Book; and sewing seams in sheets; putting the cover down on chests full of quilts and pillow slips, all marked, tidily with indelible ink in fine penmanship decorated with flourishes, with the name they are so soon to change; taking their knitting and patchwork up at all spare moments; spend- ing the afternoons and evenings at parties in genteel company. And their young beaux, captains and mates far out at sea!
"11-30 A. M. a heavy sea hove her upon her beam ends, carried some of the lee bulwarks, started water casks, and started the boat and davits. So ends the day one of the most un- pleasant of my life," writes the young captain George.
And then he is in New York hearing "Forrest the great Tragedian at the Broadway, I admire him much", and he is calling on Sippican captains, Captain Henry Allen of Ship B. R. Milan, Capt. Brown, Capt. J. Bolles, Capt. Alvin Young on the steamship Southerner, Capt. Joseph Briggs, Capt. Henry Delano, and sending letters by Captains bound home.
Sophie's chest was filled long ago, and her wedding clothes are ready; and there is the little brig Herald coming around Bird Island home to the wharf in Sippican.
And young Capt. George Luce and Sophie are married. He must away on another voyage, and on this pleasant day in
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August, with the wind from the North he is "Engaged in getting the Brig ready for sea."
The Herald lies off Island Wharf, and it must be fit, for he is taking his bride with him for their honeymoon in New York City.
He finishes his duties on the ship, and at 6 p. m. accompan- ied by his bride and her sister Bessie, he goes to a launching. It is the schooner "Broadfield, and she went into the water in fine style."
Busy every day overseeing work on the brig until Aug. 31 then he writes in his diary:
"At 8 P. M. I succeeded in getting into the stream and came to anchor off Sherman's Wharf. I am now ready to start for New York."
"Sept. 1, at 7 A. M. went on board the brig and got under way. My wife and five others being on board. Proceeded down the harbor with a light north wind," and so the honey- moon begins.
On Sept. 4 "came to anchor near City Island." Off Blackwell's Island they "watch persons endeavoring to make their escape by swimming. At 3.30 came to anchor off the Battery."
While painters are at work on the vessel the young Cap- tain shows his bride the city, and with the group of Rochester Captains coming and going, they are among friends. They visit cousin Capt. James Luce on the steamer Arctic; they go to Barnum's Museum and "saw an act called the Orphan's Dream, after which took a look at the different curiosities, many of which were very interesting, after which Capt. C. Delano came on board and spent the evening."
They "walk up to Taylor's on Broadway and got some very good ice cream."
They go to Washington's Headquarters; call on relatives; Capt. Henry Allen came on board and took breakfast with them; they "walk to the Croton reservoir for the excellent view of the surrounding country," to Christies Minstrels, to Greenwood Cemetery, to the Tabernacle to church.
Y
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A PHILOPENA FROM SIPPICAN
On Friday Sept. 24, they "went to the Broadway Theatre and saw Mr. Forrest in the character of Othello."
Called on Capt. Nathan Briggs on the ship Winchester, and went to see "the celebrated Indian Chief and Warrior Billy Bowlegs, and a few others of his tribe." One Sunday the little bride in all her wedding finery went to Trinity Church, and then to hear Henry Ward Beecher in the evening.
On the 29th the young Captain puts Sophie in her bridal bonnet and hoop skirts, on the steam boat Bay State, in care of Capt. Nathan Briggs, and Capt. Isaac Delano, who were on board bound home to Sippican.
And he is off for St. Marks, this captain of twenty-six years.
It is winter before he is at home again. Arrives on Dec. 15 'and must be off again Dec. 30.
"At 2 P. M. I left home, but feeling so bad I could not say Good Bye to any one" he confided to his diary.
And the young wives, too, were sad and absent minded. They walked and talked in Rochester Towne, but their hearts and minds were out on the wide ocean following like sea birds the little ships battling the waves. Sophie went to quilting parties, and out to tea like all the captains' wives in the Roch- ester villages; but always when the winds blew hard and fierce, there were Rochester wives praying in their hearts.
"I always get nervous", said Mary "although Jim says it may be as flat as a pancake out where he is."
And the captains in New York go to see the acts of Pro- fessor Anderson, the wizard of the. North and "he did per- form some wonderful feats."
But young Captain George is homesick for Sippican. He writes in his diary "I feel very lonely. Remain on board and commenced a letter to my S -. "
A group of Captains went to Broadway Theatre and saw Madame Celeste act, and Capt. George writes "I must say I do not love theatres and I would not go to see Madame C again if I could go free." But when the ship is towed down the har-
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bor, he remains on shore and goes with Capt. Grey to Christie's Minstrels which he likes better.
Of South! The Sabbath Day depresses him. "This is my lonely day. I wish I could be at home every Sunday, in- stead of being tossed about on the ocean."
Loading cotton, and back again in New York buying "Delane" for his wife, for his mother. He buys "gift ticket no. 78,173 and writes: 'Capt. Grey's wife came from home today. Sent a check to Uncle Stephen for $1,000." He sees Uncle Tom's Cabin, with Capt. and Mrs. Grey; takes supper with Capt. Grey; calls on Capt. Briggs; goes to the Museum; and is off South again, taking and stowing cotton! Cotton! Cotton!
Back again. "Discharged all hands except the mate" and "Sent a package containing a silk dress, two muslin dress- es home."
It is June, 1852. He sees "a riot in Brooklyn between a few hundred New Yorkers and a number of thousand of Irish Catholics."
He is a father now, and he comes home to Sippican engaging board for himself, wife and child for $5.00 a week, and when he gets back to N. Y. he goes to an "Aquerian Sal- oon" to have a miniature taken for the new mother.
Back and forth with a dozen other captains he sails, sometimes staying with one, sometimes another, dining, and going to the theatre.
May 26, 1853 he is "staying on board the John Frazer, with Capt. Emerson Hadley and his lady," sending letters home by Capt. Henry Allen, and taking a look at the Crystal Palace. "On the Arctic with Capt. Luce, afterwards came down to Astor House. Have now got all hands on board. Some pretty drunk."
And the years fly until he is lamenting that he is 29 years old. He is leaving the coasting trade.
Monday July 16, 1855 he writes in his diary:
"Commences pleasant. Remained about home most of the day."
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The Captains' Meeting House
Captain George and Sophia Luce - "Whose ring lies under the Cape Horn seas" r
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A PHILOPENA FROM SIPPICAN
"Making preparations to leave home for a voyage around the world, oh dear, it is hard to leave home."
But he is a sailor, and he clears from New York on the long, long voyage with 1372 tons of coal for the Nicaragua' Steam Ship Co. to be landed at San Juan Del Sud, Pacific Ocean.
As the ship plows the Atlantic his mind is on his young wife, his child, and he writes:
"Many say August is the most tedious month to make a passage to the Equator and I agree with them." He speaks whalers, and hears home news; the greasy voyage of the Ad- miral Blake, 110 bbls. sperm in 2 months.
Sometimes he is alone in a waste of waters, not a sail for a week. He recognized a spot where he took a sperm whale once, and comments on the fact that "16 days in the Horse Latt has caused an unusual long passage."
Sept. 29, 1855 he writes "This A. M. I met with a loss which has grieved me much. In trying to catch a dolphin I lost a plain gold ring marked 'Philopena from S. M. Delano'. It was a Philopena present from Sophia Matilda Delano (now my wife, presented to me in the winter of 1850-51). I will when I get to San Juan (if there is time to get a return to my first letters) get her to buy another and marked in the same manner. It was prized very highly by me as a present from her before I commenced paying her any particular attention. Well do I remember when I secured the present at Mr. Sis- son's where a company of us had gone to visit Sophie's sister Bessie."
He is dreaming of his love story.
In two days his mood has changed. He is writing "A sad accident occurred in taking in the topmost studding sail John Jacob Urgo of Hanover, Germany, fell overboard and was lost. Hove the ship to, but did not see or hear him after he fell. It was blowing heavy and very dark." And the captain writes how "one must be prepared for death at any time. The morn- ing I left my wife to depart on this voyage we knelt in prayer" and on board ship in the loneliness of a captain's life at sea
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LANDS OF SIPPICAN
he says that prayer, while John Jacob Urgo lies "where the Trades and the tides roll over him and the great ships go by."
When the days are beautiful, they remind him of New : England. He can see the sandy roads, the elms, the meeting house, watch in memory his wife and child, but his mind must be on the cold hard facts of a captain's control of his ship.
On Tuesday Oct. 16 he writes:
"I will remark that my mate took the sulks, would eat no dinner because there was nothing but an excellent piece of salt beef, shoulder of salt pork, soft bread, pilot bread, pea soup, Tapioca pudding, butter, catsup, pickles and etc. How many would fall on their knees and bless the Maker if they could but have such a meal. It is somewhat singular that you will seldom hear a complaint of bad living from those who have been brought up with high living but nearly always such complaint comes from those who have been brought up on almost nothing. I always make up my mind when I have such a complaint that the complainant was brought up with hard living and poor food."
So wrote Sippican in going around Cape Horn!
The ship "went through the straights aflying" and then on Sat. Oct. 27, "Gale, Ship rolling hard and laboring tre- mendously, a till of water casks broke adrift and lost 2200 galls. water. - Shipped a heavy sea which did some damage and injured the third mate."
Oct. 31. "The ship whirled around, the current appears to change sometimes running well towards the East and then again towards the North.
6 P. M. double reefed the topsails, 3.30 took the most sudden most heavy squall I ever experienced ran before the wind expected to lose everything but everything being good and strong lost nothing except splitting a new fore topsail. The sea was smooth and white with foam. The Barometer had fallen but rose rapidly during the squall."
Day after day he writes "commences with gales. Ends with heavy gales."
"Two clipper ships in company. Land in sight about the Cape."
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A PHILOPENA FROM SIPPICAN
The ships tossing like corks on the "Cape Horn seas." Nothing very unusual!
Most of the captains of the three Rochester villages could have written the same words.
"22 days ago we were just about where we are now. 6-30 P. M. took a sudden and severe gale from the W. S. W. split the main topsail, hove to under a reefed fore sail and main spencer."
· The days go by! Heavy gales! Heavy sea!
Cape Horn fifty miles away!
"Running under double reefed topsails. Ends severe squalls."
"Gale from the West."
"Heavy gales from the West" and a young captain learn- ing patience and determination, and at home they are going to the singing school and out to tea.
"Nov. 28. Commenced with gale. 4 A. M. close reefed the topsails, 8 A. M. heavy gale, took in Fore & Mizzen topsails. Bark Lord Burleigh in company. 4 P. M. took in Foresail. A very heavy gale. 10 P. M. a heavy sea struck the ship which broke as high as the main top. Took the main spencer clear of every hook upon the gaft, tore the ring bolts from the dirk and carried the Lucy boat & two other boats with spare spars to leeward smashing the boats to pieces, broke in the sky lights & took away much of the bulwarks. Ends with a tremendous heavy gale."
The next day he writes:
"Commences with an uncommon heavy gale from the West, 4.30 A. M. a heavy sea struck the ship broke 13 stanch- ions and took nearly all the bulwarks, stove in the doors of the forward house taking lockers and galley fixings from the galley, stove a hole in the upper between decks & doing much other damage, broke a deck beam and stanchion & started up the deck. Very heavy sea running. 8 P. M. moderate more to the N. W. & set reefed fore sail & mizzen topsail. Cargo of coal shifted badly. End with heavy gale from W. S. W."
So small they were, these little figures with quick beating hearts. The great trees of the forest called masts, mere splint-
٢٠٥٠٠ ٢٠ شبيبة بسيط بيت . كوم جين
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ers of wood in this wet world between the great currents of sea and sky.
With a surly mate watching; with water rushing and whirling beneath and the air whirling and rushing above; the timbers bending and snapping, and the little wooden world they are in groaning. Brave little New Englanders battling to put China and India shawls, and delane, and schools, and church services in the lives of the loved ones at home.
It is a long way from Sippican, and Sunday School Pic- nics, and Plum Porridge Parties, and fishing on "Bobel".
The young wife with a new delane frock on bends this way and that, looking down at the village dressmaker, who, in the house for the day, is kneeling on the big patterned Ingrain carpet, with pins in her mouth, while she loops the ribbon around the full skirt, and makes comments on the gossip of the village.
"Mrs. Cap'n Grey's gone to New York, and Mary Will did up 16 qts. beach plums, and Cap'n Allen's is thinkin' of puttin' in a new cranberry bog back of his house, and they are goin' to pack a missionary barrel Tuesday at the Benevolent Society."
And the wife chats with the kneeling figure while the autumn haze lies on the Bay, and the "Indian summer" days come in Sippican.
"Friday, Nov. 30, commences with a heavy gale from W. S. W. 2 A. M. took in mizzen topsail, sea breaking over the ship fore and aft. My mate badly frightened told me the vessel was leaking very bad and had 5 ft. of water in her hold. I told him the ship's leaking was one of the least of my troubles; wanted me to run the ship before the wind & have all hands at the pumps, the second mate went down the pump well & found so little water that the watch sucked the pump 30 minutes or less, but he wouldn't believe no man but that she was leaking and had water in her & after sucking the pump he said he did not believe it. I never saw an officer so frightened. He hove (or ordered) overboard all the empty barrels from the deck and between decks, wash deck tub, etc. without any orders. I hope it will never be my misfortune to be at sea in another gale with such a mate. We have worked too hard to get West
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A PHILOPENA FROM SIPPICAN
to run off East for nothing and his council I heeded not. This has been one of the most severe and longest gales I ever ex- perienced and I never saw the Barometer so low down to 28.22". On Dec. 7 he is exchanging signals with Bark Harder that he saw - 40 days ago off Staten Island and on Dec. 11 he passed the Whaler Nautilus of New Bedford which had sailed 9 days before he did.
"Wednesday, Dec. 13, commences stormy. 4 A. M. from the South fresh breeze, took a sudden squall from the S. W. the Barometer gave truly warning but I heeded it not supposing we had got clear of bad weather. My mate had the sulks very bad, and had the men about an hour and a half trying to reef the fore topsail with the gear not hauled out sufficient. After getting in one reef & wasting so much time trying to put in another finding they could not reef it & the gale increasing I called the men down & close reefed the main and mizzen top- sails and then let the mate try the fore topsail again but after trying gave it up, split the sail, cleared it up & stowed it. Reefed the foresail. Coal shifted badly."
"Monday, Dec. 17, pleasant at daylight made Juan Fer- nandes, bearing N. by W. dist. 30 miles."
He calls the Island a hard looking spot, with its mountain peaks some above the clouds.
"I cannot see a green spot" he writes, "It is inhabited by some Chilians who bring off to vessels who touch for water, Lobsters, goates, potatoes, etc., in exchange for clothing."
Christmas Day not noticed by this New England captain, but they at last have pleasant weather, and fly along at 160 - 170 miles a day.
But the mate! "I shall be obliged to put him off duty. He said he didn't care whether the ship went to Jamaica or the coast of Africa."
In Sippican the singing school meets; and young Capt. George is around the Horn at last on the great Pacific. But water is scarce, and mutiny is stalking the ship! "My 1st officer I discovered last night had given in to the men an order to take the water from the water cask to wash some of his (sailor's) clothes & I went to ask (all hands being on an allow-
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ance of water) the man about it but did not & this morning he came to me upon deck & attempted to get up a disturbance & knowing that he has times a number made complaints before the men of his living such as this that he was agoing to have one or two bbls. of beef when we arrive at San Juan & that everyone aft was entitled to a bbl. each because he did not eat much when there was great plenty & thereby saved that much for the ship. He made a remark that he was agoing to cut royal sheets sometime ago. I requested him to keep the coil as we should have no ropes to discharge with as I thought I could get no new rope in San Juan; he said he didn't care whether I could or not, and other times he has said he didn't care about things that he should care. This morning instead of giving the second mate the ship's course he said 'I have steered N. N. W. but I don't know what you'll steer' in a very sulky insulting manner so that it awoke me from my sleep. Some time ago he had trouble with the carpenter, and the carpenter told him he would do it (the work he wished) if the Capt. told him. He (the mate) made the remark that he did not care for the Capt. & he (the carpenter) had got to do as he (the mate) wished."
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