USA > Massachusetts > Nantucket County > The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers > Part 45
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SANKOTY HEAD LIGHTHOUSE
though land for a house would have been assigned to him. The most plausible ground for belief that he came to Nantucket lies in its statement as a fact by Zaccheus Macyt, who died in 1797, aged 83 years and hence was contemporary with men who must have been knowing to it. That there was whaling carried on from the Island soon after that, is apparent from the Records of the Town Meeting of March, 1694, at which time the Town prescribed a penalty for cutting wood on Coatue, but provided "never-the-less Aney freholder may cut timber for whale bots or the Like any thing in this order to the contrary notwithstanding."
*Macy's Hist. p 33.
¡Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. iii, p 155.
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According to Macy, the first attempt at whaling at Nantucket was made by some of the original purchasers of the Island .* Mr Macy says "The circumstances are handed down by tradi- tion and are as follows :- A whale, of the kind called "scragg," came into the harbor and continued there three days. This excited the curiosity of the people, and led them to devise measures to prevent his return out of the harbor. They accordingly invented, and caused to be wrought for them a harpoon with which they attacked and killed the whale. The first success encouraged them to undertake whaling as a permanent business, whales being at that time numerous in the vicinity of the shores." Mr Macy does not record any date for the act which the tradition de- scribes, but the fact that the "original purchasers" were instru- mental in the pursuit and capture of the whale would seem to indicate that it might have occurred prior to 1672, and that the attempt to secure the services of James Loper as an expert in- structor might have been an aftermath of that first expedition. If that theory be correct the progress of the Islanders in the art must have been quite slow, since 18 years afterwards they desired the services of Ichabod Paddock to give them instruction.
Rapid progress seems to have been made, however, immediately after the beginning of the eighteenth century and the Town made a speedy advance as a whaling port. Whales were plentiful along the shores and good returns were had without the necessity of going out of sight of land. A noted writer, t describing the methods used, says-"The South side of the Island was divided into four equal parts, and each part was assigned to a company of six, which, though thus separated, still carried on their business in common. In the middle of this distance; they erected a mast, provided with a sufficient number of rounds, and near it they built a temporary hut where five of the associates lived, whilst the sixth from his high station carefully looked toward the sea in order to observe the spouting of whales." When a whale was seen, the boats were launched and the pursuit was on. A capture made, the whale was towed ashore, the blubber was "saved," cut up and tryed out in large try-pots erected on the beach. These try-works were used for many years, even after exclusive shore- fishing had ceased, the blubber of whales captured at sea being cut up, stowed away in casks and brought ashore for trying out.
Long-continued practice gave the men of Nantucket great dexterity in the business. De Crevecoeur says of them-"These people are become superior to any other whalemen." Many Indians
*Hist. of Nantucket, p 28. There must have been some attempt at whaling prior to 1681, for an inventory of the estate of Tristram Coffin returned to the Probate Court in Oct. 1706, enumerates 45 lbs. of whalebone at 10d. and 6 lbs. of short whalebone at 6d. Mr. Coffin died in 1681. The will of William Gayer made in 1710 enumerates among other things his try-house lot "toward Monomoy."
+J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur. Letters of an American Farmer 1782. Whether de Crevecoeur ever visited Nantucket or not is a dis- puted question. If he did not his description of customs and manners &c is remarkably accurate if based entirely on hearsay evidence.
#About three and a half miles to each division.
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were employed, each boat's crew being composed partially or wholly of aborigines some of the more dextrous of whom were promoted to the rank of boatsteerers, while occasionally one was found capable of commanding the boat. Macy says* that under the stimulus of such encouragement the Indians soon became ex- perienced whalemen and conversant with all the details of the business.
The whalemen of Nantucket seem to have made a specialty of sperm whaling, probably because the superior qualities of sperm oil as an illuminant and as a lubricant greatly increased its value over what is known as right-whale oil. The first sperm whale on record as having been taken by Nantucket whalemen was cap- tured by Christopher Hussey, about the year 1712, the capture being really accidental. "He was cruising," says Macy,; "near the shore for Right whales, and was blown off some distance from the land by a strong northerly wind, where he fell in with a school of that species of whales, and killed one and brought it home. * * This event gave new life to the business, for they immediately began with vessels of about 30 tons to whale out in the "deep" as it was then called, to distinguish it from shore whaling. They fitted out for cruises of about six weeks, carried a few hogsheads, enough probably to contain the blubber of one whale, with which, after obtaining it, they returned home. The owners then took charge of the blubber and tried out the oil, and immediately sent the vessels out again."tt Three years later, in 1715, Nantucket had six sloops engaged in this fishery, producing oil to the value of £1,100 sterling, the shore fishery being, in the meantime, still continued. There was no perceptible diminution in the number of whales taken from along the coast for quite a number of years after the establishment of the fishery.
In 1720 the people of Nantucket made a small shipment of oil to England in the ship Hanover, of Boston, William Chadder,
*Hist. of Nantucket, p. 30.
tIb. p. 36. This hardly seems to accord with the report of Jeffer- son on the Fisheries in 1791. He says "Having extended their" (Amer- ican whalemen) "pursuit to the western islands, they fell in acci- dentally with the spermacaeti whale." Doubtless Macy's statement is the more accurate.
ttThe first sperm whale known to Nantucket, says Macy, (p 32) was found dead and ashore, on the southwest part of the Island. It caused considerable excitement, some demanding a part of the prize under one pretence, some, under another, and all were anxious to behold so strange an animal. There were so many claimants for the prize that it was difficult to determine to whom it should belong. The natives claimed the whale because they found it, the whites, to whom the na- tives made known their discovery, claimed it by a right comprehended, as they affirmed, in the purchase of the island. An officer of the crown made his claim, and pretended to seize the fish in the name of His Majesty, as being property without any particular owner. * * * * It was finally settled that the white inhabitants who first found the whale, should share the prize equally amongst themselves." The teeth, con- sidered very valuable, and been prudently taken care of by a white man and an Indian before the discovery was made public; the final disposition of the whale certainly vindicated this precaution. "The sperm procured from the head was thought to be of great value for medical purposes. It was used both as an internal and external ap- plication; and such was the credulity of the people that they con- sidered it a certain cure for all diseases; it was sought for with avidity, and for awhile, was esteemed to be worth its weight in silver."
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master .* There is nothing on record to indicate whether this was the first adventure of this kind or not. It is perhaps fair to assume that it was successful for the English market appears in later years to be increasingly the purchaser of colonial oil.
It is quite likely that the increasing importance of the whale- fishery had much to do with the transfer of the site of the Town from the vicinity of Capaum Harbor to its present location, for between the years 1694 and 1714 the fleet of vessels increased materially. According to the records in the State House at Boston, the following named vessels were registered as belonging to Nan- tucket-April 28, 1698, Richard Gardner, trader, sloop Mary, 25 tons, built in Boston, in 1694; August 11, James Coffin, trader, sloop Dolphin, 25 tons, built in Boston, 1697; September 1, Richard Gardner, mariner, sloop Society, 15 tons, built in Salem, 1695; April 4, 1710, Peter Coffin, sloop Hope, 40 tons, built in Boston, 1709; April. 24, 1711, Silvanus Hussey, sloop Eagle, 30 tons, built at Scituate, 1711; July 30, 1713, Silvanus Hussey, sloop Bristol, 14 tons, built at Tiverton, 1711; April 27, 1713, Abigail Howse, sloop Thomas, 12 tons, built at Newport, R. I., 1713; May 4, 1714, Ebenezer Coffin, sloop Nonsuch, 25 tons, built at Boston, 1714, (the Nonsuch is registered as of Boston-Coffin, however, was of Nantucket where he died in 1730}); 1714, George Coffin, sloop Speedwell, 25 tons, built at Charlestown. It will be seen by the registration that the vessels in use then were very small: the Hope of 40 tons must have seemed a giant among them.}
The increase in the number of vessels necessitated better landing places and the temporary structures that were often de- stroyed by winter storms had to give way to those more substantial and convenient. In 1723, the "Straight" wharf was built to meet the need .** The usual custom of the period was to haul the vessels and boats on shore when the winter season came on, as that method was less expensive than wharfage. The boats were
*"Shipped by the grace of God. in good order and well conditioned by Paul Starbuck, in the good ship called the Hanover,
(N S) whereof is master under God for the present voyage, Wil- liam Chadder and now riding in the harbour of Boston; by God's grace bound for London; to say :- six barrels of traine oyle, being on the proper account & risque of Nathaniel Starbuck, of Nan- tucket, and goes consigned to Richard Patridge merchant (Prin. Paid)
in London. Being marked & numbered as in the margin & to be delivered in like good order & well conditioned at the afore- said port of London (The dangers of the seas only excepted) unto Richard Partridge aforesaid or to his assignees. He or they paying Freight for said goods, at the rate of fifty shillings per tonn, with primage & average accustomed.
In witness whereof the said Master or Purser of said Ship hath affirmed to Two Bills of Lading all of this Tenor and date, one of which two Bills being Accomplished."
+His will, probated in January 1730-1 mentions lands and hous- ing in Boston worth £300.
¿The size must have increased quite rapidly for it appears that Isaac Myrick built in 1732, at Nantucket, a snow of 118 tons (State Archives, Maritime, vol V, p. 510).
** Macy's History, p 37.
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placed bottom upwards and lashed together to prevent accidents from gales of wind, and the whaling "gear" was safely and care- fully stored in the warehouses. The custom in the early days of whaling was for each vessel to carry two boats-one of them held in reserve in case of any mishap to the one lowered for whales.
By 1730, Nantucket had a whaling fleet of 25 vessels, varying in size from 38 to 50 tons. and the product was about 3700 bar- rels of oil, worth at the current price of £7 per ton £3200. Holmes says *: "The whale-fishery on the North American coasts must, at this time (1730) have been very considerable; for there arrived in England from these coasts, about the month of July, 154 tons of train and whale oil, and 9,200 lbs of whalebone." At that time, Holmes states, there were nearly 500 ships, manned by 4,000 sailors, engaged in foreign traffic from Massachusetts.
The culminating point of shore whaling was probably reached in or about 1726, so far as the business related to Nantucket. Dur- ing that year there were 86 whales taken by boats from the Island, and chief among the men in charge of the boats that reaped this unctuous harvest were the Coffins, the Gardners, the Folgers, the Husseys, the Swains and the Paddocks, progenitors of those men who in later years vexed every sea with the keels of their vessels in pursuit of their prey, and carried the name and fame of the little Island of Nantucket to every quarter of the habitable globe.t
In 1722 a sloop, commanded by Elisha Coffin, while on a whal- ing voyage, was lost with all on board. This is the first recorded loss of a whaling vessel belonging to the Island. The second was another sloop commanded by Thomas Hathaway in 1731 and in 1742 a third, commanded by Daniel Paddack, was lost with all on board.#
* American Annals i, p. 126. "The names of those credited with the captures, who were prob- ably captains or owners of boats or vessels, were-John Swain took 4, Andrew Gardner 4, Jonathan Coffin 4, Paul Paddack 4, Jas. Johnston 5, Clothier Pierce, 3, Sylvanus Hussey 2, Nathan Coffin 4, Peter Gard- ner 4, Wm. Gardner 2, Abashai Folger 6, Nathan Folger 4, John Bun- ker 1, Shubael Folger 5, Shubael Coffin 3, Nath'l Allen 3, Edw'd Heath 4, Geo. Hussey 3, Benj. Gardner 3, Geo. Coffin 1, Rich'd Coffin 1, Nath'l Paddack 2, Jos. Gardner 1, Matthew Jenkins 3, Bartlett Coffin 4, Daniel Go. ld 1, Ebenezer Gardner 4,-Staples 1; total 86. The largest number captured in one day was 11. The New England Weekly Journal of December 21, 1730 contains an advertisement reading-"Just Reprinted, The Wonderful Providence of God, Exemplified in the Preservation of William Walling who was drove out to Sea from Sandy Hook, near New York in a leaky Boat, and was taken up by a Whaling Sloop & brought to Nantucket after he had floated on the Sea eight Days without Victuals or Drink." In 1732 a vessel of 118 tons was built at Nantucket, the ruling price being £8. 5s per ton. (Mass Archives, Mar- itime IV, p. 510).
#This is not in agreement with the statement made by Zaccheus Macy in his communication published in vol iii of the Collections of the Mass. Hist. Soc'y. Mr. Macy says (p. 157) that up to 1760 no man had been killed or drowned while whaling and Obed Macy repeats the er- ror. Zaccheus Macy must have intended to include only shore whaling, for prior to 1760 at least nine vessels with their crews had been lost, a fact he must have known. Dinah Coffin, of Nantucket, in a petition to the General Court (Mass. Archives, Domestic Relations Vol. i p. 181) sets forth that "her Husband, Elisha Coffin did on the Twenty (See next page)
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As the business increased in volume and importance not only were more vessels employed but larger ones were used. Schooners were added and the size was increased to between 40 and 50 tons. As whales began to be more scarce in the vicinity of the coast, still larger and more seaworthy craft were added to the service and sent to the "southward," as the expression of the day was, cruis- ing on that ground until about the first of July, when they returned, discharged whatever they had taken, refitted and cruised to the eastward of the Grand Banks during the remainder of the whaling season, unless they filled sooner, as they frequently did. Vessels for this service were usually sloops of some 60 or 70 tons burthen; manned in part by Indians, from four to eight natives being shipped for each vessel .*
The time came when Nantucket could not furnish men enough to man the vessels which the Island owners desired to fit out for the whale-fishery and other ports notably those on Cape Cod and even those so remote as Long Island were called upon to supply the deficiency. And then followed, quite naturally, an over supplied oil market with the usual result of unremuneratively low prices. Bos- ton had for many years been at once the market for the sale of oil and for the purchase of supplies. t Had prices been satisfactory this exchange would have continued, but they were not, and what seems to have developed into a bit of sharp practice by Boston merchants became responsible for a change of factors. "It was found," says Macy,¿ "that Nantucket had in many places become famed for
4
Seventh Day of April Annog Dom. 1722 Sail from sd Island of Nan- tucket in a sloop; on a whaling trip intending to return in a month or six weeks at most, And Instantly a hard & dismall Storm followed; which in all probability Swallowed him and those with him up; . for they were never heard of." She prays that she may now (1724) be allowed to marry again. The Court seems to have granted the peti- tion for June 21, 1725 she certifies to the inventory of his estate as Dinah Williams. .
*In an article in the Mass. Hist. Soc'y Collections, iii . p. 157, Zaccheus Macy says "It happened once, when there were about thirty boats about six miles from the shore, that the wind came around to the northward, and blew with great violence, attended with snow. The men all rowed hard, but made but little headway, In one of the boats were four Indians and two white men. An old Indian in : the head of the boat perceiving that the crew began to be disheartened, spake out loud in his own tongue and said, Momadichchator auqua sarsukee pinchee eynoo sememoochkee chaquanks wihchee pinchee eynoo; which in English is, "Pull ahead with courage; do not be dis- heartened; we shall not be lost now; there are too many Englishmen to be lost now." His speaking in this manner gave the crew new courage. They soon perceived that they made headway; and after a long rowing they all got safe on shore." The Boston News-Letter states that in 1744 a Nantucket Indian struck a black-fish and was caught by a foul line and carried down and drowned.
tThe inference would naturally be drawn that the shipment of oil made by Paul Starbuck in 1720 was not sufficiently remunerative to warrant a repetition. The Boston News Letter, however, reports the arrival at Portsmouth, England, December 8, 1729, of Captain Churchman from New England for London, with a cargo of logwood and oil.
¿History of Nantucket, p 51. The Boston News Letter of October 5, 1738, reports from Nantucket that an Indian plot to fire the Eng- lish houses and kill the inhabitants of the Island, had been disclosed by a friendly Indian. In consequence of the warning the plot had (See next page)
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whaling, and particularly so in England, where partial supplies of oil had been received through the medium of the Boston trade. The people, finding that merchants in Boston were making a good profit by first purchasing oil at Nantucket, then ordering it to Boston, and thence shipping it to London, determined to secure the advantages of the trade to themselves, by exporting their oil in their own vessels. They had good prospects of success in this undertaking, yet, it being a new one, they moved with great caution, for they knew that a small disappointment would lead to embarrass- ments that would, in the end, prove distressing. They, therefore, loaded and sent out one vessel, about the year 1745. The result of this small beginning proved profitable, and encouraged them to increase their shipments by sending out other vessels. They found, in addition to the profits on the sales, that the articles in return were such as their business required, viz., iron hardware, hemp, sailcloth, and many other goods, and at a much cheaper rate than they had hitherto been subjected to." The increased return gave renewed life to the whaling industry, inducing the use of larger vessels and developing a spirit for new ventures. Every voyage was not markedly successful but as a whole the business was remunerat- ive, and in its importance and financial returns was satisfactory. It was about this time (1746), according to Macy*, that colonial whalemen began their fishery in Davis's Straits.
Early in 1741, French and Spanish privateers began their as- saults upon English commerce and naturally whaling vessels were . among their victims. Those conditions compelled whalemen to resume coast whaling. The Davis's Straits fishery seems to have been abandoned for the records of several following years make no mention of departures to or arrivals from that locality. Occasion- ally the privateers would swoop down through Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds and capture any craft they were able to take care of. Such a raid occurred in the summer of 1744. A Captain Roach, (Rotch?) in a vessel from Cape Cod, arrived in Boston and reported that on June 24, just before night, being in a sloop from Nantucket for Boston, with a cargo of 330 barrels of oil, the weather
been abandoned, but fears were entertained for the safety of several whaling-vessels which sailed in the spring, and of the crews of which the natives formed an essential part. This threatened uprising was doubtless the outcome of the disturbed relations between the whites and the Indians which the native malcontents repeatedly stirred up.
*Page 54. Davis's Straits were visited by whalemen as early as 1732, when a Capt. Atkins, returning from a whaling voyage thence, brought with him a Greenland bear. Capt. Atkins went as far as 66° north. Among the entrances and clearances at the Boston Custom- house as recorded in the Boston News- Letter as early as 1737 are to be found several as to and from that locality. Beyond a doubt those vessels were whalemen, and in fact some of the names are common in the annals of this industry at Nantucket. The clearances were usually in March or April, and the arrivals from September to November, varying according to the degree of success, the season, etc. The News- Letter of August 2, 1739, says-"There is good Prospect of Success in the Whale Fishery to Greenland this Year for several Vessels are come in already, deeply laden, and others expected." This is not mentioned as a novel venture. The English had for 15 years been whaling in those waters and at that time had between 40 and 50 whale ships in those seas.
The News-Letter of October 4, 1744, states that a whale 40 feet long was found ashore on Nantucket by three men, who, in the ab- sence of more proper implements, killed it with their jack-knives.
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being calm and his vessel somewhat in advance of the others, another sloop came up showing but few men on deck and hoisting the English flag. Capt. Roach, suspecting, despite her appearance, that she was an enemy, and being only about two miles from the shore, took out the most necessary things, and, putting them into his boat, escaped with his crew to the shore. As soon as the pursuer found that the sloop was abandoned, he sent a boat of armed men to her, took possession of her and carried her off. The vessel proved to be a French privateer, and in September, she captured several small coasting and merchant vessels and one Nantucket whaling vessel, and landed many of her prisoners on the island of Nan- tucket. * "
It is not unlikely that whalemen from Nantucket introduced deep-sea whaling among the people of Martha's Vineyard. In 1738, Joseph Chase, of Nantucket, removed there, taking with him his sloop, the Diamond, of about 40 tons burden. ; He purchased a house and about 20 acres of land on the shores of Edgartown Harbor, erected a wharf with a try-house near by, and commenced the fishery with his vessel. He was not successful, and after two or three years trial he abandoned the business. In 1742, John Harper removed from Nantucket to the Vineyard, taking with him the sloop Humbird, of about 45 tons. For several years he endeavored to establish a paying fishery, but as he lost money year after year he too withdrew from the pursuit.
The period from 1750 to the close of the American Revolution was the most eventful era in its relation to the whale fishery that the business has ever experienced. During the larger portion of the time the business was carried on under imminent risk of the loss by capture of the vessels, in the earlier years by French and Spanish privateers, and later by English and Tory vessels of war. The Davis's Straits fishery seems to have been abandoned by the colonists, whose fishermen cruised mainly to the eastward of the Grand Banks, along the 'edge' of the Gulf Stream and in the vicinity of the Bahama Islands. In 1748, the English Parliament had passed a second Act# to encourage this fishery. Under it the premiums on inspection of masts, yards, and bowsprits, tar, pitch and turpentine, and on British-made sail-cloth were to continue, and the duties on foreign-made sail-cloth were remitted to vessels engaged in this pursuit. Among other encouragements was a bounty on all ships engaged in the whale-fishery during the war then existing, and the exemption of seamen engaged in the Greenland fishery from impressment. In the 6th year of the reign of George the Second a bounty of twenty shillings per ton for whaling vessels had been granted-by the Act of 1748, a second bounty of the same amount was added. Those which had already sailed in March or
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