USA > Massachusetts > Nantucket County > The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers > Part 58
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On the 25th of November a bad leak was discovered in the mate's boat. It was found below the surface of the water and was repaired with much difficulty, the captain assisting. The boat nails they had fortunately secured proved their salvation.
On the night of November 28 the weather was tempestuous and extremely dark. Mr. Chase had laid down to sleep when he was awakened by one of his men who cried out that the captain was in distress. An investigation showed that a large fish, appar- ently a "killer-fish," so-called, had followed the boat and made an entirely unprovoked attack on her, staving her bow. The only defence they had was the sprit-pole and they managed to fight him but not until he had split the boat's stem with a second attack. Morning came after an anxious night and the boat was repaired.
It was at this time that their extreme sufferings began. Eat- ing their bread that had been wet with salt water induced ex- treme thrist which their scanty allowance of water could not allay. Speaking from a terrible experience, Mr. Chase says: "The priva- tion of water is justly ranked among the most dreadful of the mis- eries of our life; the violence of raving thirst has no parallel in the catalogue of human calamities."
November 29, they found themselves surrounded by a shoal of dolphins. They tried in vain a long time to take one, making a small fish-line from some rigging that was in the boat and fastening
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one of the fish hooks to it, to which was attached a small white rag. *
November 30 they killed one of their turtle, made a fire in the shell and cooked and ate it entrails and all. Some drank of the blood from, the reptile but others could not be forced, even by the exigences of thirst to taste it. The feast of the turtle however, recruited them all. By observation they were then in latitude 7º 53' S. and as nearly as they could determine about 480 miles from the wreck.
On the night of December 3 the second mate's boat was sud- denly found to be missing. The mate lighted a lantern and hoisted it to the masthead, and soon they were gladdened by seeing the answering light about quarter of a mile to leeward, and the boats soon joined company again. These separations were not infrequent and tended still further to delay their progress. It was finally agreed if a boat was missing not to heave to, but to continue until morning.
December 8 brought a violent gale with rain. An endeavor was made to catch some of the rain in the hollow of a sail, but the little that was caught was so impregnated with salt from the sail that it was little better than that of the ocean. By common con- sent the food and water in Mr. Chase's boat was put in his charge and he locked it up in his chest, never going to sleep but he was so placed that no one could get at the chest without his knowledge. There never was, however, the slightest attempt at wrong-doing.
December 10 a small shoal of flying fish passed over them four of which struck the mainsail and fell into the boat where they were seized and eaten. On December 14 the mate proposed to his crew to reduce their pitifully scanty ration one half, which was tacitly agreed to. So overwhelming was their thirst that by De- cember 16, they even sought relief by drinking their own urine. So hot did the rays of the sun beat upon them that they hung over the gunwale of the boat to cool their bodies. In doing this one of the crew observed the bottom of the boat to be covered with a species of small clam, which proved delicious to the taste and which they ate ravenously, gathering also large quantities and putting them in the boat. They were so weakened as to need each other's assistance in regaining their places in the boat. "Indeed," says Mr. Chase, t "had it not been for three of our crew, who could not swim, and who did not, therefore, get overboard, I know not by what means we should have been able to have resumed our situ- ations in the boat." So imperative were the pangs of hunger that in less than half an hour their stock of clams had disappeared.
December 20 land was discovered and their hopes ran high. It proved to be Ducie's Island, about six miles long and three wide,
*A fragment of the line, a few inches long, is among the collection of the Historical Association.
+Page 78.
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lying in latitude 24° 40' S. longitude 124° 4' W., with a high, rug- ged shore, surrounded by rocks. They did not know what shape of man or beast might be there to receive them, but they deter- mined to land. They remained on the Island until December 26 finding plenty to eat in fish, shell-fish, birds and eggs and a supply of water.
December 26 they got ready to depart for Easter Island of which they knew nothing save that it was nearer South America by 850 miles. Their boats had been patched and made as sea- worthy as possible. Three of the men, William Wright and Seth Weeks of Barnstable, Massachusetts, and Thomas Chapple of Plymouth, England, had determined to stay on the island rather than run any further risks in the boats, and they were accordingly left there. Letters were written by Captain Pollard telling their story and put into a tin case enclosed in a small wooden box and nailed to a tree so that it would be seen if anyone should land. The name of a ship, "The Elizabeth" cut out of the bark of the same tree proved that the island had been visited.
December 27 they sailed from the island, January 3 they were obliged to abandon the Easter Islands plan and steer for Juan Fernandez, distant 2500 miles. They had consumed the extra pro- visions they got on Ducie's Island and were now again on a short allowance of bread.
January 10 Matthew P. Joy, the second mate died. He had suffered from debility and privations more than either of the others for he was ill nearly all the voyage. One man was shifted from the captain's boat to take his place. On the 12th of January came the first infraction of the rigid law regarding food-one of the black men being detected stealing some bread. Mr. Chase taking his pistol in hand demanded of the man that he give up what he had taken under penalty of instant death. His penitent pleading and solemn swearing never to offend again saved his life .*
On the night of January 18th the spouting of a school of whales near by terrified them. They were too weak to use their oars to escape. Fortunately the whales passed them unharmed. January 20 Richard Peterson, a black man died. By the 24th of January boils began to break out on their bodies and Mr. Chase writes "our imaginations shortly became as diseased as our bodies." February 8 Isaac Cole, one of the crew became crazed by his sufferings and died that afternoon in horrible convulsions. For the first time cannibalism suggested itself and the suggestion that the body be taken for food was readily agreed to: On the morning of the 18th of February while Mr. Chase was asleep the man who was steering suddenly called out "There's a sail!" The vessel was standing on the same course as the boat and about seven miles off. To their
*On the night of January 12 in a heavy wind with severe rain Mr. Chase's boat was separated from the other two and saw no more of them.
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great joy they found their boat was sailing the faster. On seeing the boat the crew of the vessel shortened sail and waited for her to come up. They were too weak to get upon the vessel which proved to be the brig Indian, of London, Captain William Crozier, and the crew removed them. Everything possible was done to re- store them to health and strength, and February 25 they arrived in Valparaiso where every want was relieved.
The captain and the surviving members of his crew were taken up by the whale-ship Dauphin, of Nantucket, Captain Zimri Coffin off the island of St. Mary's, and they arrived in Valparaiso March 17. The third boat got separated from the captain's on January 28 and never was heard from afterwards. The sufferings in the captain's boat were a parallel to those in the mate's. January 14 all the provisions on the second mate's boat were exhausted and on the 25th the black man Lawson Thomas died and his body was eaten by the survivors. On the 21st the captain and his crew had exhausted their food, and on the 23d Charles Shorter, an- other colored man in the second mate's boat died and his body served as food for both boats. January 27, Isaac Shepherd of the Second mate's boat and the following day Samuel Ried, of the captain's boat, both blacks, died, and their bodies became food for the survivors.
On February 1, the last particle of food in the captain's boat was exhausted and the four survivors were reduced to the neces- sity of drawing lots to see who should die that the others might live awhile longer. The lot fell on Owen Coffin* who bravely and with the utmost fortitude prepared to meet the end. The lot of executioner fell upon Charles Ramsdale. February 11 Barzillai Ray died and these two bodies kept the two survivors alive until rescued by the Dauphin.
The following were the crews of the three boats and their fate:
Capt. George Pollard Jr.,
1st boat
Survived
Obed Hendricks,
Put in 3d boat
Barzillai Ray,
Died
Owen Coffin,
Shot
Samuel Reed (black)
Died'
Charles Ramsdale,
",
Survived
Seth Weeks,
Ducie's Island
Owen Chase,
2d
Survived
Benjamin Lawrence,
*It is said that Coffin was a nephew of Capt. Pollard who refused to partake of the sacrifice.
The men on Ducie's Island lived on berries and an occasional sea- gull. They were taken off April 8, 1821 by the English ship Surrey, Capt. Raine who was on a voyage from Valparaiso to New Holland. The Surrey was sent by the Commander of the United States Frigate Constellation who paid him liberally for the services although it was not six hours out of his way. Chapple remained in England where all three were taken on the English ship London Packet.
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497
Thomas Nicholson,
2d boat
Survived Died'
Isaac Cole,
Richard Peterson (black)
William Wright,
Matthew P. Joy,
3d
Ducie's Island Died'
Thomas Chapple,
Ducie's Island
Joseph West, .
Missing
Lawson Thomas, (black)
Died'
Charles Shorter, (black)
.
Isaiah Shepherd, (black)
William Bond, (black)
Missing
SHIP TWO BROTHERS
Captain Pollard was not discouraged by his frightful experi- ence in the Essex and soon after his return to Nantucket was put in command of the whaleship Two Brothers, a vessel of 217 tons burthen. The ship sailed from Nantucket November 26, 1821 for the Pacific Ocean. Everything seemed prosperous up to the night of February 11, 1823, when cruising about latitude 24° 9/ N. and longitude 167° 30' W., the ship struck a reef of rocks. An in- vestigation found her badly damaged and breaking up. In spite of the pumps the water gained and it was found necessary to leave her immediately regardless of the darkness of the night. The crew pushed off in two boats, within fifteen minutes of the time she struck. Within half an hour from the time they left the ship not a trace of her was to be seen. The crew of twenty-one was embarked in two boats with scarcely any provisions or water. So they passed the night not knowing what their situation was. Dur- ing the night by some accident the boats became separated.
When morning came they found the line of breakers stretched away as the eye could reach .* At sunrise a ship was seen at the southward and they shaped their course for her and at 11 o'clock they were taken on board. She proved to be the Martha, also of Nantucket, Capt. John H. Pease. About an hour later the second boat was in sight and soon arrived alongside. Her crew reported that they landed on an island in the vicinity of the reefs and found sea elephants and one green turtle. The wrecked seamen met a sailor's welcome among their fellow islanders and were treated with great kindness. The Martha made her way to the Sandwich Islands, anchoring at Woahee November 29. On December 21 the rescued ones sailed homeward bound.
*It must be remembered that the Pacific Ocean had not been chart- ed at that time. The larger number of the islands that were known were discovered by whalemen. Capt. Pollard abandoned whaling after his second distastrous voyage though not in any way to blame for either misfortune. He never cared to talk of his fearful experiences in the boat of the Essex. For several years he was one of the night watch for the Town of Nantucket. It is stated that he was a deck hand on Fulton's first steamboat in her early trips on the Hudson.
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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
SHIP LADY ADAMS
What became of the ship Lady Adams, a vessel of 230 tons burthen, Charles B. Tobey, Master, will always be a matter of con- jecture, no direct evidence ever has been brought to light. She left Nantucket March 11, 1822 on a whaling voyage in the Pacific Ocean. The last reports from her were dated in July, 1823, at which time she was on the coast of Japan with 800 barrels of oil. The captain of an English ship cruising in that vicinity soon after the date of that report stated that a great light was seen one night about where the Lady Adams was supposed to be but before he could reach the locality the light had disappeared and there was nothing to show what caused it. It is supposed that the Lady Addams caught fire and was totally consumed. If the crew es- caped it is not improbable that they landed on the Japanese Coast and were massacred. The Nantucket persons of the crew were- Charles B. Tobey, master, Fordom Pease, first mate, Robert G. Coleman, second mate, Frederick A Riddell, cooper, Peter Morse, boy.
THE GLOBE MUTINY
The most diobolical affair that ever occurred on board of any whaleship was the mutiny on the whaleship Globe of Nantucket. The Globe, a ship of 293 tons burthen, Thomas Worth, master, owned by Christopher Mitchell & Co., left Nantucket December 20, 1822, bound for the Pacific Ocean on a whaling voyage. Among her crew was one Samuel Comstock, a boatsteerer, a native of Nan- tucket but who moved away early in life. * Comstock was the lead- er of the mutineers, and, according to the account his brother Wil- liam, published of the brutal affair, plotted mutiny almost from the beginning of the voyage.
On Sunday January 26, 1823, the biographer states, the ship "Lyra," Captain Joy had been cruising in company; and Capt. Joy had visited the Globe, remaining until dusk. That day Capt. Worth had punished one of the crew for some offence, and one of six men who had shipped at the Sandwich Islands is reported to have said that it would be "the last time Worth would flog one of the crew."# That night in Comstock's watch on deck his brother George was at the helm and was forced by Samuel to keep the
*Nathan Comstock son of Samuel and Lucy was married on the 10th of the 12 mo. 1801 to Elizabeth Emmett daughter of Edward and Elizabeth as recorded on the records of the Nantucket Friends. The story of the mutiny as told by the brother of the mutineer seems like an effort to glorify his fiendish acts. William Comstock details quite at length the rascalities and immoralities of his black-hearted brother and frequently (perhaps ignorantly) refers to him as "our hero," and four horrible wood cuts, each of which illustrates some villainy of the mutineer, are fitting embellishments for a book re- plete with falsehoods.
¿Both Comstock's and Lay and Hussey's version of the mutiny mention the ship "Lyra," but there seems to be no such ship listed at any time among American whaling craft.
#Six men deserted at Oahu and five shipped to take their places proved fitting companions to Comstock.
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ship away from the vicinity of her consort. Comstock went below and soon reappeared with a boarding knife. This was given to Silas Payne, one of the men recently shipped, while Comstock armed himself with a broad-axe. They two were to murder the Captain and first mate. Two others were detailed to kill the second and third mates. Comstock killed Captain Worth and completed the butchery of First Mate Beetle which Payne had begun. The light which the mutineers had having been extinguished in the struggle Comstock relighted it at the binnacle, descended again into the cabin and loaded two muskets with which to kill Lumbard and Fisher, the second and third mates. He fired one musket through the cabin door in the direction in which the two mates were pre- sumed to be and then inquired if either was shot. Mr. Fisher re- plied that he was shot in the mouth. Mr. Lumbard (or Lumbert) asked Comstock, before the shooting if he intended to kill him, to which Comstock carelessly replied "Oh, no, I guess not." Opening the cabin door Comstock made a pass at Mr. Lumbard, missed him and fell into the stateroom. The Second Mate collared him but Comstock broke away from him. Mr. Fisher got the gun and pre- sented the bayonet to Comstock's heart, but on the mutineer's as- suring him that his life would be spared if he gave it up he at once did so, and Comstock immediately ran the bayonet several times through Lumbard's body. Turning then to Mr. Fisher, Com- stock told him, there was no hope for him and he had got to die. "Remember," he said, "the scrape you got me into, when in com- pany with the Enterprise of Nantucket." Finding Comstock deaf to his entreaties Fisher said "If there is no hope, I will at least die like a man," and turning his back to the murderer he said firmly "I am ready." Comstock then put the muzzle of his pistol to Mr. Fisher's head and fired, killing him instantly .*
Smith, the other boat-steerer had been marked for one of the victims and on seeing Comstock brandishing the boarding-knife hurried forward to the forecastle and asked the crew what he should do. Some advised him to secrete himself in the hold and others to go aloft until Comstock's rage abated, but reflection con- vinced him that no place on board the ship would long be safe and determined to face the danger, and if he could not save his life by fair means to sell it dearly. Comstock soon after called for him and, on meeting, embraced him and said "You are going to
*The heartlessness of this thoroughly depraved villian is ap- parent when it is known that Capt. Worth had taken particular care to favor him on the voyage; Mr. Beetle, the mate had incurred his anger simply for reporting some of his heartless work; Mr. Lombard was an entirely inoffensive man with six children depend- ent on him as Comstock well knew, and his enmity for Mr. Fisher arose from a challenge which Comstock gave to Mr. Fisher at the time mentioned to wrestle with him. Mr. Fisher being heavier and stronger threw Comstock with such ease that the latter, beside himself with anger, struck the conqueror, whereupon Mr. Fisher seized him and laid him on the deck several times quite roughly. He swore to be revenged on Mr. Fisher.
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be with us, are you not?" to which Smith, very naturally replied, "Oh, yes, I will do anything you require."*
Comstock appointed his brother George (who had no part what- ever in the crime) steward after the mutiny. Three days later George detected the negro Humphries loading a pistol. On being summoned to give his reason he finally said that Gilbert Smith, the boat-steerer and Peter Kidder were going to retake the ship a statement they emphatically denied. The next morning they. went through the farce of a trial and sentenced the wretch to be hanged ''rom a studding-sail boom, rigged out eight feet upon the fore-yard. The sentence was carried out and after his death the rope was cut and the body dropped overboard. Comstock com- pelled every man on board to take hold of the rope and assist in the execution.
The mutineers on February 7 sighted one of the King's Mill group of islands and the next day passed between Marshall's and Gilbert Islands. On February 11 they came to an island where they determined to land .; They constructed a raft on which to con- vey what they desired to carry ashore.
On February 16 there was a wordy clash between Payne and Comstock which ended by Comstock going aboard the ship, de- stroying the code of laws, returning to the shore, entering the tent they had erected, arming himself with a sword and joining a group of natives. It was presumed that he would prevail on the natives to kill them all, so Payne posted a guard around the tent with orders to shoot anyone who attempted to approach without the countersign. The night passed quietly, however.}
On the morning of February 17 Comstock was discovered some distance away coming towards the tent. Oliver, Payne and their fellow mutineers determined to kill him. As he drew near
*Comstock's brother biographer explains the mutineer's act thus (p. 87) "Smith was a religious young man; and with all his faults, our hero entertained a high respect for sacred things and a super- stitious awe of pious persons. He told George that if he had killed Smith, God would have avenged his death, and that while Smith was with them, the Almighty would smile on their enterprise for his sake. It is surprising that nothing could shake his faith in Ortho- doxy."
#Soon after the mutiny Comstock drew up a brief code of laws for the government. They specified "That if any one saw a sail and did not report it immediately he should be put to death. If any one refused to fight a ship he should be put to death; and the manner of his death; and manner of their death this: They shall be bound hand and foot and boiled in the try pots of boiling oil." Every- one was obliged to sign and seal these laws, the seals of the muti- neers being black and of the others blue and white. The island on which they finally landed was one of the Mulgrave group.
¿Comstock's biographer commenting on his object in taking the ship to the Mulgrave Islands to be dismantled says "It had long been a favorite scheme of his, to establish himself on one of the Pacific Isles-to gain sufficient influence over the natives to in- duce them to elect him their King-and to live a daring and dreaded outlaw in his adopted clime. I have no doubt that he intended to get in the good will of the natives as fast as possible, to enlist them on his side, and render them obedient to his wishes-in which case, he could cut off his partners in guilt, and the ship's company generally, at pleasure."
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they fired at him, killing him almost instantly. They dug a grave and buried him in the sand, and by one of those anomalies some- times shown by humanity read a chapter from the Bible over his remains. After this affair Payne selected six men to go aboard the ship under the command of Smith and take charge of her. Smith had already revealed his intention to a select few of his companions to run away with the ship.
By cautious management they got away without trouble and after a long and boisterous passage arrived in Valparaiso, where the vessel was taken charge of by the American Consul, Michael Hogan. The men on board were put in irons and put on board a French frigate-there being no American war vessel in port. The names of those who escaped were-Gilbert Smith, George Com- stock, Stephen Kidder, Joseph Thomas, Peter C. Kidder, and An- thony Hanson. The crew were all examined before the United States Consul. The ship was put in charge of Captain King and arrived in Nantucket on Sunday, November 21, 1824. At Nantuck- et the crew were again examined before Josiah Hussey Esq.
Payne was furious to fin'd the morning after that the ship got away from the island. The natives wondered what had become of her and Payne as a matter of policy told them the wind had forced her to sea and she would be lost. He at once set to work to tear one boat to pieces to build the other higher and to build on a deck. They discovered on an adjacent island, accessible at low tide a vil- lage of twenty or thirty families and found them very friendly. Eventually one of the natives, a man between fifty and sixty years old, who seemed to take a fancy to William Lay, persuaded him to tarry all night in his tent. This, later, stood Lay in good stead and doubtless was the means of saving his life.
Payne and Oliver went on an exploring trip on one of the boats. They were gone over one night and when they returned they brought two young women as wives. The one who accom- panied Payne went back to her tribe in the night unknown to him. In the morning he, Oliver and Liliston set out to find her. He finally caught her, brought her back, put her in irons and flogged her severely. This was the beginning of trouble that eventually ended in the massacreing of all save Lay and Hussey.
The next morning it was discovered that the tool chest had been broken open by the natives and a hatchet, chisel and other articles stolen. Payne was much enraged. During the day he in- formed several natives of what had been done. They expressed much regret at the acts. At night one of the natives came run- ning to the tent with one half of the stolen chisel. Instead of showing any gratitude for this friendly act Payne put the native in irons and told him that in the morning he must produce the rest of the articles and point out the thieves.
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