USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > New Bedford > The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time > Part 7
USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Westport > The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time > Part 7
USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Dartmouth > The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time > Part 7
USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time > Part 7
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destruction of the ship Ann Alexander, of New Bed- - ford, Capt. John S. Deblois, by a whale, in the Pa- - cific Ocean, August 20th, 1851, and which gave occasion to the following humorous lines in the London " Punch " of December 6th, 1851, will be remembered by many.
THE WONDERFUL WHALERS.
( See the Bedford [ U. S.] Mercury.)
Fathers of the oratory, List to my surprising tale,
Hearken to a wondrous story More than very like a whale; Each mesmeric marvel-monger, Lend to me your ears likewise;
If for miracles you hunger, You shall ope both mouth and eyes.
In the ship Ann Alexander, Cruising in pursuit of whales, Bold John S. Deblois, commander, With a crew so gallant, sails. In the South Pacific Ocean, Reaching to the Off-Shore Ground,
'Mong the waves in wild commotion, Several monstrous whales they found.
These two boats did follow after, Larboard boat, and starboard too, And with shouts of glee and laughter, The leviathans pursue;
time, as if stunned by the blow, swam towards the vessel, as if with the intention of repeating the attack. It was a moment of intense anxiety on board. But fortunately when close to the stern the mon- ster wheeled round in the opposite direction, and dived, throwing with his tail as he did so a quantity of blood and water on board. It was a moonlight night, and the bulk of the huge animal could be seen distinctly, towering to a considerable height above the surface. When he dived, his tail appeared to those on board to be from 30 to 40 feet out of the water. The pumps were sounded, but the ship was found to be making no water. From the force of the blow, and the fact that the second mate thought he heard a whale blowing a short time before the shock occurred, it is supposed that the fish made a regular attack upon the ship, and was not come in contact with while asleep. An estimate of its immense size and power may formed from the fact of its bringing to a stand-still a deeply laden ship of 500 tons, sailing at the rate of nearly 10 knots an hour."
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When the larboard boat, commanded By the stout first mate, did soon In a whale, with force strong-handed, Deeply plunge a sharp harpoon.
Of the mighty monster started; Pain and anguish gave him cause; Suddenly he backwards darted, Seized the boat between his jaws; Into smithereens he cracked it; Or, as witnesses declare, Who beheld the thing transacted, Bits no bigger than a chair!
In the starboard boat, the captain Quickly to the rescue struck, And, although the bark was snapt in Pieces, saved the crew - by luck. Now the good Ann Alexander To their aid the waist-boat sent; Half the band then having manned her, At the whale again they went.
Soon the ocean-giant nearing, They prepared to give him fight, Little thinking, never fearing, That the beast again would bite. But without their host they reckoned; At their boat he also flew; Like the first he served the second, Snapped it into pieces too.
Sure his jaws, together clapping, Had the gallant seamen crushed ; But, when they perceived him snapping, Straight into the sea they rushed. To afford the help they needed, Bold Deblois repaired again ; Once more, also, he succeeded, In the aim to save his men.
Tired, perhaps, of sport renewing, To their ship this time they hied, When, behold the whale pursuing, With his jaws extended wide. Gloating with revenge, he sought 'em; But, with blubber pierced, and gored, He was crippled, or had caught 'em; But they all got safe on board.
Risk the heroes little cared for; Speedily they set their sail In the ship herself - prepared for One more tussle with the whale.
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Now they reached him - plunged a lance in The infuriate monster's head; Then - of course they had no chance in Close encounter - onward sped.
For the ship they saw him making, But the chase he soon gave o'er, Which the animal forsaking, Down on him again they bore: Fifty rods below the water, There they saw the monster lie; So, despairing him to slaughter, They resolved no more to try.
At this time, Deblois was standing Sternly on the larboard bow, Ready, with harpoon his hand in, To inflict a deadly blow: Up he saw the monster rising, With velocity and power, At the rate of speed surprising Of full fifteen knots an hour.
In an instant - Heaven defend us !- Lo, the whale had, near the keel Struck, with such a force tremendous, That it made the vessel reel; And her bottom knocked a hole in, Into which the water poured; And the sea so fierce did roll in, That the billows rushed and roared!
Yet the ship was saved from sinking, Though so riddled by the whale, . And Deblois and his unshrinking Crew survive to tell the tale. Strong are those daring fellows, Doubtless, the harpoon to throw; And -to judge from what they tell us - Stronger still to draw the bow!
Truly the perils of the whale-fishery are great, and a record of the adventures and escapes on the part of our seamen would make a volume that for ro- mantic interest the most fertile imagination would in vain attempt to excel, But for the present my object is to enter a little more minutely into the origin, rise and progress of the whale-fishery than was given in my former article.
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Although from their greater enterprise in the whale-fishery, its origin is usually acceded to Nan- tucket, still the early settlers of Cape Cod, accord- ing to the historian of Nantucket, Obed Macy, had made greater proficiency in the art of whale-catch- ing than themselves ; " so that in the year 1690 they sent thither and employed a man by the name of Ichabod Paddock to instruct them in the best man- ner of killing whales, and extracting their oil."
The attention of the people of Nantucket was peculiarly directed to the whale-fishery, for the first whale, "of the kind called 'scragg,' killed by them, came into the harbor, and there remained for three days, giving them time to manufacture suitable weapons for their purpose;" and "the first sperm- aceti whale known to the inhabitants of Nantucket was found dead and ashore upon the south-west part of the island."
As previously stated, the whale-fishery was at first carried on in boats near the shore, and subse- quently in small sloops, which ventured along the coast, and extended their cruises to several weeks. The process of trying out the oil, it will be remem- bered, was done on shore, the "blubber," or pieces of the whale in the crude state, forming the cargo.
" The first spermaceti whale taken by the Nan- tucket whalers [according to the before-mentioned author] was killed by Christopher Hussey. He was cruising 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. At what date this adventure
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took place is not fully ascertained, but it is sup- posed not far from 1712.
In 1715, the number of vessels engaged in the whaling business was six, all sloops of from thirty to forty tons burthen each, which produced £1100 sterling or $4,888.88."
At this period, and for many years afterwards, the whale-fishery was confined to the island of Nantucket; but by the middle of this century (the 18th) it had been commenced in a small way in New Bedford by Joseph Russell and others. As I have already given this part of its history as con- nected with New Bedford, I shall hasten on to events of a later date.
The enterprise of our early merchants had been severely tested by the complete prostration of their business during the Revolutionary War, by the ruinous effects of the embargo, the war with Eng- land, and the later European war; and it was not until the year 1818 that the whale-fishery in New Bedford was entered into with that spirit and perseverance which has brought it up to its present important and elevated position in commercial pursuits.
At this time the older class of ship-masters had relinquished their calling, and many of them had settled down with their families to enjoy the prod- ucts of their honestly acquired wealth. From a familiar acquaintance with the practical part of the whaling business, their knowledge was of great value, and as most of them were interested still as owners in the whaling vessels, they soon became
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among our most enterprising and successful mer- chants. As a body, no marine service has produced a larger number of high and honorable-minded men and valuable citizens than the whale-fishery. From an extensive acquaintance, not only with their own particular department of business, but in their intercourse with the people of foreign na- tions during the time of the freighting business previous to 1812, our older class of ship-masters in particular were men of extensive practical knowledge, and marked for their general kindness, hospitality, and urbanity of manners. The foun- dation of the wealth now enjoyed by a large number of our inhabitants was laid by them, and it is desirable that their example may be cherished. " The following is an abstract of the duties col- lected in this port" for the years inclusive:
Years.
Duties.
Ycars.
Duties.
1801,
$58,964
1806,
$26,972
1802,
15,527
1807,
40,018
1803,
13,824
1808,
1,324
1804,
27,344
1809,
6,306
1805,
35,163
1810,
10,703
At this date (1810) the whole township of New Bedford, which then included that of Fairhaven, contained but 5651 inhabitants.
Although to Joseph Russell must be accredited the honor of being the father of New Bedford, the founder of its whale-fishery, and the first manu- facturer of spemaceti into candles, yet to Nantuck- et we are indebted for those distinguished merchants and noble-minded men, the Rotches-Joseph, William, and William, Jr .- as well as for other enterprising citizens, merchants, and shipmasters.
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Joseph Rotch, the first of the name that went to Nantucket, was born in Salisbury, Eng., 3d mo. 6th, 1704, N. S. He was an enterprising merchant, and as a man was held in high estimation. His family consisted of three sons, William, Joseph, and Francis. He removed to New Bedford in the year 1765, but returned to Nantucket during the war of the Revolution, and remained until 3d mo. 25th, 1782, when he again removed to New Bed- ford. He died 11th mo. 24th, 1784, in his eighty- first year, and was buried in the ground belonging to the old Friends' meeting-house in Dartmouth. His wife was Love Macy, daughter of Thomas Macy, 2d, and Deborah Coffin, of Nantucket. She was born 4th mo. 20th, 1713, N. S., and died at Nantucket 3d mo. 25th, 1767, aged 54 years.
William Rotch, Sen., son of Joseph and Love Rotch, was born in Nantucket 10th mo. 4th, 1734, O. S., or 12th mo. 15th, 1734, N. S., and died in New Bedford 5th mo. 16th, 1828, aged 93 years 5 months and 24 days. Elizabeth Rotch, his wife, the daughter of Benjamin and Lydia Barney, was born 4th mo. 3d, 1735, N. S. They were married 10th mo. 31st, 1754. She died in New Bedford 5th mo. 14th, 1824, aged 89 years 1 month and 11 days. Their residence was the "Mansion House," corner of Main (now Union) and Second streetsi
William Rotch, Jr., was born, as per record, on Nantucket 11th mo. 29th, 1759, and died in New · Bedford 4th mo. 17th, 1850, in his 91st year. Elizabeth Rotch, his wife, sister of Samuel Rodman,
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Sen., died in New Bedford 1st mo: 30th, 1828, in her 69th year.
Joseph Rotch, the ancestor of the Rotch family, lived during the last part of his life in the old house at the corner of Main (now Union) and First streets, lately taken down ; and the spot is now occu- pied by the east end of "Thornton Block." His former house, which stood where his grandson, William Rotch, Jr., afterwards built, on what was formerly known as "Rotch's Hill," Water street, was burnt by the British troops during the Rev- olutionary War, at the time of the general con- flagration.
. William Rotch, Sen., by whose judicious and persevering efforts his native island was saved from the twofold danger of the refugees and the British troops in the time of the Revolution, did not make his residence here until the year 1795. Soon after the Revolutionary War he had gone to England, with the intention of establishing himself in the whale-fishery there, the business being ruined in this country by the heavy alien duty imposed by the British government upon oil, Great Britain being then "the only market of any consequence for sperm oil." Sperm oil was sold at Nantucket after the peace at £17 sterling per ton, which before the war was worth nearly £30; and £25 was necessary to cover the expenses, and leave a very moderate profit for the owners. In this desperate state of things, Mr. Rotch saw no alternative for the prosecution of his business, "but to proceed to England, and thence endeavor to
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pursue the whale-fishery." He accordingly, in his fifty-first year, in company with his son Benjamin, sailed from Nantucket 7th mo. 4th, 1785, in the ship Maria, William Mooers, master, and arrived in England after a passage of twenty-three days. Not being able to make satisfactory arrangements for the pursuit of his business with the English government, he proceeded next to France, and there receiving favorable terms from that govern- ment, in connection with his son Benjamin, estab- lished their business at Dunkirk. After having so settled his business that his son could attend to its prosecution in Dunkirk, Mr. Rotch prepared to return to his native country. Having purchased a ship in England, the name of which I have not learned, but of which William Mooers was master, he left the Downs 10th mo. 11th, 1786, and " after a tremendous passage of sixty-eight days, in which they had twelve heavy storms, they arrived in Boston."
" After remaining at home nearly four years," he again, taking his family, or a part thereof, with him, embarked from New Bedford in the ship Maria & Eliza, Abisha Hayden, master, for Dun- kirk, 7th mo. 29th, 1790, and after a passage of thirty-eight days they arrived. Here he remained until the beginning of 1793, when the war between England and France being expected, Mr. Rotch was obliged to relinquish his business at Dunkirk, and after a year's or more residence in London, finally left Europe on the 24th of the 7th month, 1794, with his family, in the ship Barclay, David
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Swain, master, and after a long passage of sixty-one days once more reached his native land.
After a year's residence on Nantucket, he togeth- er with his family removed to New Bedford in 1795, then in his 61st year. Here he remained un- til his death in 1828, in his 95th year, beloved and respected by all. His venerable and patriarchal appearance during the latter part of his life is well remembered by the writer. Tall and dignified in his person, his face, expressive of benevolence, with his long silvery locks, and the drab-colored suit of the style of the Society of Friends, com- bined with his noble and philanthropic charac- ter, rendered him an object of profound respect to his fellow-citizens, as well as to his numerous friends among distinguished merchants, and men in public life at home and abroad.
"Friend Rotch," as he was called, was a fine spec- imen of a merchant, a man of the strictest integ- rity, frank, generous, high-minded in its truest sense, but truly humble in his own self-estimation, of broad and liberal views, devoted to the principles of peace and good will, a friend of the oppressed and down-trodden; in fine, a more perfect character has. never fallen to our lot to know, and is probably rarely to be met with in any community. May his noble example encourage others engaged in mer- cantile pursuits to emulate his virtues. And truly in this community the sweet savor of his life and influence should not be suffered to die out. The writer remembers often to have seen him in one of the old-fashioned square-topped chaises, with a fa-
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vorite colored man upon a seat in front of the foot- board, driving, as faithfully depicted in the pleas- ant picture of "the old Four Corners " by William A. Wall.
It is pleasant to recall by the aid of memory those days of simplicity and peace, when our busy, bustling place was little more than a village. Al- though the streets have been graded and many new ones added, and many large and costly edifices have since been built, in the eye of the lover of simple beauty, the village of New Bedford then afforded a far more agreeable sight. The old houses that stood at respectful distances apart, upon what was then and should now be known as Main street, with their front yards, the rows of the now despised but then thrifty and admired Lombardy pop- lars that graced either side for most of the way, the stately mansion of Abraham Russell at its head, and the mansion of the venerable Friend Rotch, then possessing ample grounds, with exten- sive out-buildings, stables, carriage-houses, &c., all these, and much more of the same character, have been, so far as beauty and comfort are con- cerned, poorly supplanted by our modern improve- ments. The buildings of that day, not only the houses, but the old shops with their bow windows in the best of them, and the warehouses where the old merchants had their counting-rooms, were far more graceful in their outlines than those of a later date. Some of these houses and their surround- ings have been rarely surpassed, and please the eye of the cultivated architect, even at the pres-
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ent day, much more than the pseudo attempts, and generally abortions, in the way of town and coun- try residences. The houses of the two distinguished merchants, William Rotch, Sen., and his son William, with their fine gardens and grounds, were substantial and pleasant residences, but more par- ticularly that of Mr. Russell before mentioned on County street, and further down, that of Gilbert Russell, before mentioned. The latter, now owned by William R. Rotch, is still, although wanting its former extensive surroundings, one of the finest specimens of a genteel residence to be found in our "city of palaces," as it has been called by strangers.
Now that I am upon this subject, it may not be inappropriate to make a few suggestions upon our style of. building. It is to be regretted that so many of our more costly houses are built in a style. of architecture which, however imposing at the time of their construction, will not bear a judicious criticism. The form of the Greek and Roman temple, however beautiful and classic, was never intended for domestic residences. The houses of the ancient cities were built in an altogether differ- ent style from their public buildings, and their villas were models of grace, domestic ease, and retire- ment. Every building, whether public or private, should express the purpose for which it was in- tended to be used. In a climate like our own, any style of building which does not admit of the sight of those objects that are essential to domestic comfort is at once to be set aside. The temple form, from the necessity of concealing as much as
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possible the chimneys as incongruous, is particularly objectionable. The chimneys, in fact, are con- sidered by all good architects, when properly built and located, as among the most expressive and ornamental features of a domestic residence; and they have been by some old writer very appro- priately called "the windpipes of hospitality." There are but few styles of domestic architecture of European origin adapted to the climate of our country as well as to the wants and genius of our people. Those edifices, with their rich ornamental work built of enduring stone, when imitated in perishable wood, are always disgusting to the eye of a person of taste, and suggestive of weakness and decay. The style called the Elizabethan, however beautiful in the old substantial stone or brick houses of England, surrounded by their ex- tensive lawns, parks, and pleasure-grounds, is simply ridiculous when built of wood, and as usual with some of the most important details omitted, or supplanted by an altogether different style, and placed in a lot of perhaps not more than half an acre of ground. If wood is to be the chief material for our dwelling-houses, and there is much to be said in its favor, owing to its exemp- tion from that internal dampness which, on account of our penetrating frosts, renders most houses of stone or brick so objectionable, let us adopt a less ornate style of building than that which appears now to be so much in fashion. Every house, no matter how small and humble or how large and imposing in appearance, should have a home look;
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and if this idea is kept in mind, instead of the present glaring, staring, illy constructed edifices, we shall witness a harmony of effect which all must admire. Several of our public buildings and blocks are very good; and the new Library build- ing is generally considered an ornament to the city : but the churches or meeting-houses, with one or two exceptions, are too outrageous to attempt a criticism upon. The Court-House, for which the citizens of New Bedford are not alone responsible, is a perfect abomination. The architect of this monster should have been indicted for malefeasance. These strictures do not apply any more, and per- haps less, to New Bedford than to most other places in New England; for we have really many not only elegant but graceful residences, and a few plain but substantial mansions upon County street which are almost unexceptionable. A very little alteration, and that generally in the roof, would render many of the at present distasteful though costly mansions of our citizens beautiful residences. In such a case, the so-called "pediment end," and huge pillars of wood, would speedily disappear.
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CHAPTER XI.
BUZZARD'S BAY -ITS DISCOVERY BY THE NORTHMEN, AFTERWARDS BY BARTHOLOMEW GOSNOLD-ORIGIN OF ITS PRESENT NAME-THE ELIZABETH ISLANDS- NAUSHON AND THE BOWDOIN HOUSE-TRIP TO NAU- SHON IN 1856.
BUZZARD'S BAY was discovered by the Northmen in the tenth century,* and by them named Straum- fiord; } by Gosnold in 1602, and named " Gosnold's Hope;" and by the early settlers of Dartmouth, " Buzzard's Bay;"-the latter name probably giv- en from the fish-hawk, (which in old works upon natural history is called the buzzardet, or little buz- zard,) as I suppose, from the great number of this bird of prey being seen about the shores and isl-
* Antiquitates Americana: ante Colum. in Amer. Hafnia, 1837.
f Straumfiord: Stream Bay, or Bay of Currents.
The Northmen resided in New England eight years, as appears from the following summary made from the account given in the American Antiquities by the author of " The Northmen in New Eng- land," Joshua Toulmin Smith:
" They left Greenland in the spring of 1007; stayed at Straumford (Buzzard's Bay,) during the following winter (1007-8,) in the autumn preceding which Snorri Thorfinnson was born; stayed the following winter (1008-9) at Hop; and the next (1009-10) again at Straum- fiord; and returned to Greenland in the spring of 1010, after an absence of three years. You will remember that Thorvald's party resided here for the space of three years also, from the summer of 1002 to the spring of 1005; and that Leif's party resided here one year, from 1000 to 1001; in addition to which Freydis and her husband remained here one year, from 1011 to 1012."
While the Northmen were living upon the shores of our bay a son was born, in the year 1007, to one of the commanders of the expedi- tion, Thorfinn and named Snorri Thorfinnson. There were six wom- en in the company. From this child the celebrated sculptor, Thor- waldsen, is said to be descended.
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ands of the bay. To a maritime people like our- selves, this noble sheet of water becomes an object of great interest. In fact, this "stately sound," as it is termed by the old journalist, Gabriel Archer, who accompanied Bartholomew Gosnold on his voyage to these shores, in 1602, is one of the noblest bays upon the coast of North America. To the people of New Bedford, as well as those who border upon its coast, our bay has always been highly valued. How beautiful its broad and blue expanse of wa- ters must have appeared to those early and hardy adventurers, who upon the deck of their little ves- sel first beheld it on the morning of the 25th of May, 1602! They were indeed much delighted with its noble and attractive appearance. Here they came to anchor in eight fathoms of water, a quarter of a mile from the north shore of Cuttyhunk. The same old journalist whose account I am tracing says " This island Captain Gosnold called Elizabeth Isle, where we determined to make our abode. From Eliza- beth Island unto the main is four leagues. On the north side, near adjoining unto the island Elizabeth, is an islet in compass half a mile, full of cedars, by me called Hill's Hap, [now called Penekese,] to the northward of which, in the mouth of an open- ing on the main, appeareth another, the like, that I call Hap's Hill, [probably the Round Hills,] for I hope much hap may be expected from it."
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