USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Boothbay > The shipping days of old Boothbay from the revolution to the world war : with mention of adjacent towns > Part 21
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I had a fair passage out of twenty-two days. We are discharged and shall commence to load for New York in a few days, hope to get away by the first of next month. Capt. [Harvey] Mills and Mary [John's cousin] are well; I spend about every evening with them very pleasantly. They will sail for New York, too. With much love and affection.
John
Dear Mary Liverpool May 5th 1866
I expect to sail for New York to-morrow, hope to be there by the first of July. I am glad to hear of Uncle John [Brown Emerson] and wife coming, give my love to them and I hope to see them soon. How is little Capt. Rice? Remember me to the Doctor and Sis. Tell Char that he must consider and
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reflect before he decides to go to sea, for once started he will have to keep on. My love to Mother and you must keep up good spirits at home.
Brother John
Capt. John B. Emerson, Boston June 15, 1866
I was very glad to notice the safe arrival in New York of the good Ship Valley Forge and yourself and trust you have been well; the ship made rather a longer passage across than I expected, if you sailed at the time re- ported. . . .
Of course it is now so late that we cannot expect to see the Dresden again, it is hard to have no tidings at all. I have clung to the hope that if the Bark was lost some ship might have picked up the crew and officers, but even that hope seems to have no realization.
I trust you will keep by the Valley Forge and make some money for her owners and yourself, though there is a poor sight everywhere for business.
Yours truly Thomas H. Lord
Dear Mother
New York June 21st 1866
I had a very pleasant passage from Liverpool and have just commenced discharging, which will take about ten days. I have no idea when I can leave to go home, for I look for Mr. Bradstreet here in about a week. I see Capt. [Harvey] Mills and wife every day. It is only about two minutes' walk to their Ship. Mary is not going home until he does, not for some time. I despair of ever hearing of poor Miller or George again. It is a terrible thing, but cannot be helped.
With much love, John
The following August the Valley Forge, of 1286 tons, was chartered to take out a cargo of about 1800 tons of coal to the Pacific Mail Steam- ship Company. Accordingly, on the evening of the twenty-second she passed the lightship outside Sandy Hook bound to Panama, crossed the equator October fifth and on the seventh of November John wrote: 'Saw the land in the vicinity of Port Desire, Patagonia.' Colder and stronger grew the winds. First officer Loring H. Fossett, of Bristol, had old sails unbent and new ones bent on in preparation for rounding that bleak precipitous cape, discovered by Le Maire and named after his home town, Hoorn. Eighty-two days out and off the weather-beaten rock the force of freshening western blasts was felt as the ship crashed through heavy seas with every inch of canvas straining on creaking yards. Three days later she was off a fortalice of rock, islet of Diego
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Ramariez, gained sea-room and coursed northwesterly by Juan Fer- nandez.
A little later officers of Her Majesty's ship Topaz landed there and high above the sea erected a tablet in memory of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor set ashore in 1704, whose solitary experience, as boys know, gave rise to the tale of Robinson Crusoe. A few years later he was taken off by the privateer Duke.
The sun now rose upon the right; Out of the sea came he, Still hid in mist, and on the left Went down into the sea. -- COLERIDGE
The equator in the Pacific was crossed December seventeenth, 117 days out and soon after the ship arrived at Panama, a free port with a large export and transit trade. After discharging she sailed for Callao and nine days out in February 1867, aided by the southward flowing current El Nino, was in the Gulf of Guayaquil, having passed, nearly on the equator, Cape Francisco.
Rounding the world in the Pelican Sir Francis Drake captured the Spanish galleon Cacafuego. Hakluyt narrates: 'We found in her great riches, as jewels and precious stones, thirteene chests full of royals of plate, foure score pound weight of golde, and sixe and twentie tunne of silver. The place where we tooke this prize, was called Cabo de San Francisco, about 150 leagues from Panama.'
From Callao Captain John proceeded to the 'Chinchas,' three small barren islands near the Peruvian coast, where he found ten ships, in- cluding the newly built Uncle Toby, loading guano. When first dis- covered the islands contained a layer of guano over 100 feet in depth, but now the deposits are exhausted. A slight idea of the catastrophe there the following year is available in a letter from an officer of ship Orient:
On the afternoon and throughout the night of the thirteenth of August, several shocks of earthquake were felt vibrating the ship as though we were striking the bottom. At 8:30 P.M. a large wave passed between the islands tearing every ship's stern moorings away and many of their bower anchors. All ships are moored here with both bowers and also stern anchors. About
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thirty ships were thrown into a confused mass in about a quarter of a square mile, cutting and tearing others to pieces and doing a great deal of damage. The current ran past the rocks with such tremendous force that it kept us fifteen or twenty feet from the rocks, moored as we were, and there we lay the whole night expecting every minute to strike and sink in fifteen fathoms water.
After loading guano the Valley Forge returned to Callao for stores and clearance and sailed in midsummer for Hampton Roads for or- ders. On the passage toward Cape Horn the Uncle Toby was spoken, also bound to Hampton Roads, and in October John anchored off Fortress Monroe, ninety-six days from Callao. The ship was ordered to Baltimore.
The next voyage was an eventful one in the life of Captain John. At Thomaston, as scarlet and crimson-hued oak leaves fluttered down- ward amid evergreens, the autumnal air crisp with approaching win- tertime, he married a daughter of one of the foremost shipbuilders of Maine, Captain Samuel Watts. The wedding tour, the bride wrote, was 'to the land of the Tycoon,' Japan, in the good ship Valley Forge. The Captain's youngest brother, aged fourteen, accompanied them on his first deep-water voyage.
Mrs. Harvey Mills Baltimore December 6, 1867
Dear Aunt Mary
John and I are really married. Amen! The long talked of event has taken place at last and we had a beautiful sunny day. It hardly seems possible that I am going so far away from home and to be gone so long, too, fourteen or fifteen months at least. After I get over seasickness and accustomed to a sea-life I shall enjoy it, and I like the idea of being off all alone with my husband ('who'd a thunk it?').
The ship is now ready for sea, cleared to-day. We shall go down to An- napolis to-morrow and sail first chance. I have not been on board or even had a sight of her yet, so I cannot tell you how I shall like my new quarters. We shall be at least 150 days making the passage. Remember me to Uncle Harvey, Warren and Eda.
Sarah W. Emerson
Dear Mother
Chesapeake Bay December 8th
We got under way at four this morning and are proceeding down the Bay with a pleasant breeze from the west. My fourth mate [Ralph] is flying
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around as smart as possible-he seems contented and at home-and of course I shall keep a good lookout for him. I invited him into my cabin this „afternoon and gave him a piece of wedding cake. Our voyage is as pleasant a one as we can go; only it is a very long one, possibly 200 days' passage.
Mrs. Emerson is contented and we are very happy together. We have a good reed organ in the cabin and I was favored with some good old church music to-day, Sunday. My cabin does not seem at all as it used to. Sarah sends her love to you and the rest of the family, and says she 'will take good care of your two boys.' We are now about thirty miles from Cape Henry, don't know whether we shall get to sea or not as the wind threatens easterly. My heartfelt prayer is that God may bless you and preserve you all.
Valley Forge sailed from Cape Henry Good-bye John December 9, 1867. J. B. E.
The pilot took the letter ashore as the ship stood seaward under easy canvas and coursed eastward for several days with strong gales, fol- lowed by favorable winds resulting in a good run to the equator. The bride's diary with occasional entries by John relates:
January 7th. Saw Island of Fernando de Noronha (a few miles to the westward). Warm muggy weather. Venture on deck only in the evening. (9th) Off Pernambuco to-day. Very warm, feel the heat very sensibly. (10th) Encouraged John by letting him beat me at checkers. The medicine had a good effect. Too much elated, I had to take the conceit out of him by skunking him. Resorts to his pipe and is silent on games. (17th) Pleasant long days. Smooth. Had quite a comfortable day.
. Came the doldrums and southeast trades where the mate's order: 'Lay aft to the braces, brace sharp up; down main-tack and sheet and haul the bowlines' was heard frequently as the ship was worked to weather Cape Saint Roque. They had good fair winds from Rio to the Cape of Good Hope and left a ship spoken behind, and off the Cape in latitude forty encountered strong west and southwest gales with high following seas. There Ralph saw cape pigeons, an attractive species of petrel with alternate black and white markings, and albatrosses, and caught one with hook and line, reminiscent of a similar incident de- scribed in Two Years Before the Mast. With fair winds and clouds of white canvas alow and aloft the ship ran her easting down.
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February 13th. Longitude of Mauritius to-day (57º 30' E.). Smooth, cool and pleasant like our fall weather at home. (18th) The last two or three days -ship has been rolling and pitching about in a most uncomfortable manner. (19th) Passed St. Paul to-day in latitude 40° 30'-getting along beautifully. (22nd) Japan NE by N, 5420 miles distant. (23rd) Good clear sunshiny weather. (24th) Some squally - beautiful rainbow this afternoon. (26th) Light wind, slow progress- only seventy-six miles. (27th) About four days' sail from King George's Sound (southwestern Australia).
March grd. We are having now beautiful warm weather, golden sunsets and charming moonlight evenings, but not strong breeze - about calm to- day. Saw shark. Birds have left us. (4th) Fine weather and good wind. In latitude 27° 18', longitude 110° 33'; about 160 miles from land. (7th) Lati- tude 19° 30', longitude 113°; good wind and fine weather but hot. (10th- 14th) Beautiful day-hot again. Thomaston, home, home. Little more wind. Reading Empress Josephine. Slow progress - fifty-two miles - and so hot, among the nineties. Idle, idle, idle. (17th) Pleasant, light wind and hot. Most uncomfortable day to me. Saw Sandalwood Island this morning. (18th) Passed Savu and Benjoar Islands, (southwest of Timor). (21st) In sight of Flores to-day. (30th) Off Timor this morning.
Ralph wrote: 'Was several days getting up to the north shore of Timor with light head winds and calms; beat about off shore a week with winds northeast, at length went into Koepang and anchored in a few fathoms.'
On sailing from the Capes the ship's anchors had been taken in, stowed and lashed securely in place. Old salts disliked numerous short trips with frequent anchoring; for bending on heavy chains to anchors, getting them outboard to catheads and later taking up fathoms of slack chain and getting the anchor inboard required laborious toil. How- ever, after the long passage the order: 'Lay forward and get the hook out' was obeyed with alacrity. As the cable scraped and rattled through the hawse-pipe down came the jibs, the courses were clewed up and light sails taken in and snugly furled.
Arrival of the American ship aroused interest among the natives, who surrounded her in their long sharp proas. The boy gazed in wonder at the tatooed Malays who, with that exception, appeared well- featured people. Willing hands rowed the boat ashore for water, and he wrote: 'Filled our water [casks] out of a creek, or brook which was
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muddy and dirty and wasn't clear for about a week. Also got some yams and fresh meat.'
My dear Mother
Koepang Bay Timor April 3rd 1868
We put in here yesterday evening to replenish our water, and shall pro- ceed to-morrow. We had a fine run to the eastward of this passage, since then (about three weeks) we have had it calm and hot. The monsoons are changing now and we shall have light winds and calms for the next month and it may be sixty days yet before we reach Yokohama.
Sadie is well and seems contented. She was seasick the first part of the voyage, but has got all over it now. I don't think Ralph has been seasick at all. I was surprised to find him so smart and quick to learn. I go into his room very often in his watch below and talk with him, and I make him spend his Sundays in my cabin. He is contented and I take good care of him. We are well and trust you are at home. My love to all and God bless you. John
Dear Folks
Island of Timor April 4, 1868
We are now at anchor in Koepang Bay, on the southwest side of the island of Timor, having put in here for water. Shall get away to-night or to-morrow. We are well so far. I was seasick some at first, but not so sick as when I went to Liverpool. I think I am a very good sailor. The time has passed quickly and I can hardly realize that it is spring. I want to hear from you all and tell Mary Mills to write me at Yokohama.
We crossed the equator the fourth of January in just twenty-six days from Cape Henry. Soon after crossing the line we spoke ship S. F. Hersey, of Sears- port, from New York for Yokohama, and had a call from Capt. [Albert, V.] Nickels one Sunday afternoon. We passed meridian Cape of Good Hope second of February, fifty-five days out; St. Paul seventy-two days out; and on the twenty-seventh were about four days' sail of King George's Sound. A splendid run so far, was it not? If our good winds had continued I expect the Valley would have distinguished herself for her quick passage to Yoko- hama. We made Sandalwood [Soemba] Island the seventeenth of March, but since then we have made slow progress having had light winds and calms. We got here at the wrong time for good winds - on the change of the monsoons, but we don't complain for we have had thus far a safe and pleasant passage.
We are about half a mile from the town of Koepang, a Dutch settlement. John and I were on shore yesterday and called on our Dutch friends (by previous invitation of course), took a walk in the woods and came back to
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the Valley in the evening. It seemed beautiful to get on the land and I en- joyed it very much. The people are very pleasant and social. Several whom -we met were on board this morning and we treated them with mother's fruit cake, wine and figs. Some speak good English. John is on shore now and has sent off two goats, two pigs, coconuts, limes and oranges. One lady brought me two bottles of buffalo's milk and coconut cakes, so we fare sumptuously.
Sarah W. Emerson
With 'Farewell to Koepang' the voyagers coursed to the westward, passed Soembawa and northward through Alas Strait. Ralph noted a mountain on the island, visible far at sea, undoubtably Tambora, whose tremendous eruption in 1815 caused volcanic ash to fall on Sumatra, a thousand miles away. Cast away on a shoal at the farther end of the strait lay an old wreck, with naught to tell the dismal story. Clearing a bank by sounding they entered the Java Sea, passed Rotter- dam Island and Cape Mandar, Celebes, in mid-April; and had fair southerly winds to the north part of the Strait of Makassar, a sea pas- sage separating Celebes from Borneo. Came the ripple of the sea, the flapping of idle sails and 'Calm, no progress for a week.'
Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion: As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean.
-COLERIDGE
April 25th. A ship and a bark and a whaler in sight. Ship and bark com- municate. (26th) Hubby's bright eyes make out the ship, the Mindoro. Whaler calls upon ship. We are neglected though we desire to be noticed - too far off. (27th) Very warm. Celebes in sight. (28th) Capt. Allen, of ship Mindoro, on board; 164 days from Newport for Hong Kong. Whaler, bark Stratford, 156 days from New London. (29th) Went on board Mindoro, of Salem, Capt. Charles H. Allen jr., and took dinner. Spent the time very pleasantly. Borneo in sight. (30th) Latitude to-day: 0° 41' N., longitude 118° 20' E. Mindoro in close company.
May ist. Off Cape Dondo this morning. Calm, drifting astern. (2d) Min- doro eight to ten miles ahead; good-bye to Capt. Allen. (gd) Calm, variable airs and no progress. A Spanish bark in close company. North Watcher SSE, eight miles distant; Cape Dondo E by N. (4th) Wind and rain squalls
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from all points and some progress. (5th) Off Cape Rivers, our last sight of Celebes I hope. John in good spirits: Valley is making some progress and the recollection of the Mills and Watts' sail of 1864 [when John met Sarah], which resulted so happily to him.
Sunday, 10th. Calm. 'He that is at sea has not the wind in his hands.' (11th) No progress. With the calms, hot weather, flies and mosquitoes we have a hard time. (12th) My birthday [John], thirty-three years old. Decid- ed, after some doubt, to go through Basilan Strait and west of the Philip- pine Islands. (13th) Exchanged signals with an American Ship homeward bound. (13th) Made some progress. Basilan in sight. (15th) Hot and calm. Johnny and I took a siesta this afternoon, after which we played checkers till he had to leave to see how the wind was. (He gets beaten.) Some wind this evening.
Sunday, 17th. Passed Point Matanob, Basilan Island, this afternoon. (18th) Two Spanish barks in company, the Manuel and the Jesus. Zam- boanga, a Spanish settlement on Mindanao, in sight. Poor John is about tired out, think he will not fancy another bridal tour to Japan. (19th, John) In Basilan Strait, find strong but regular tides running six hours each way; have gained by keeping on Basilan side. Cleared the strait this evening. (20th) Off the west coast of Mindanao. (21st) Six months ago to-day Johnny and I plighted our troth in the presence of many witnesses. (22nd) Mindoro Sea, latitude 9° 04' N. Negros Island in sight.
Sunday, 24th. Calm. Squall this evening, rain fell in torrents. About ten miles off Negros Island, Philippines. (25th) Off Island of Panay. Exchanged signals with bark Kadosh of Boston, supposed bound to Batavia. (27th) Islands of Mindoro and Busuanga in sight. (28th) In Mindoro Strait at six P.M., passing Appo Island and shoal, on the west side, about two miles dis- tant. No monsoon yet, light land and sea breeze and calms. (29th) John says we shall be in port in twenty days more. All afternoon passing Cape Calavite, which clears us of Mindoro Strait. (30th) In China Sea, off Manila.
June 4th. Variable winds and calms. Latitude 17º 31' N., coast of Luzon about fifteen miles distant. My Sadie ill [John]. (5th) Up with the north cape of Luzon; took a fresh breeze from the east. (7th) About ten miles off the southeast point of Formosa, and begin to feel the influence of the Kiru- Siroo, or black stream. (From Bashi Channel to Yedo Bay the wind, with exception of a bad squall, was favorable.) (19th) Came to anchor in Yoko- hama Bay this evening, 192 days from the Capes. No pilot on hand the Capt. brought us safely in.
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By Commodore Perry's diplomacy in the 'fifties Kanagawa was opened as a treaty port, followed by Yokohama becoming a port of call -for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company; to which was consigned the Valley's cargo of 1800 tons of hard coal. There were several merchant ships, including the Uncle Toby and the S. F. Hersey, and five frigates in port. A news item notes: 'The foreign naval forces in pursuance of agreement in conference have jointly occupied Yokohama for the de- fense of the foreign settlements. No serious disturbances have taken place ... and Rear Admiral Rowan was awaiting the progress of events between the contending parties [the Tycoon and the Mikado].'
U. S. Flagship Piscataqua, Asiatic Squadron Hon. Gideon Wells, Secretary of the Navy, Sir,
I have the honor to inform the Department that on the 4th [of July], the ships were dressed at sunrise, and a salute of twenty-one guns fired at noon. All the foreign ships-of-war in the harbor, English, French and Dutch par- ticipating. I also informed the Japanese authorities on shore, who joined in our celebration with pleasure, and fired a salute from the fort in Kanagawa, hoisting the American flag in place of the Japanese flag during the salute.
I am, sir, Very respectfully, J. C. Rowan, Rear Admiral Commanding
A few other happenings may be mentioned: Captain Nickels re- newed acquaintance and later sailed for Callao; a severe gale one night slightly damaged the Valley; and one evening the ship's cook asked the mate's permission to go ashore, on refusal he jumped overboard and swam toward a distant sampan. It did not stop to pick him up. He turned back to swim to the ship, but was drowned.
Meantime Sarah had been very sick and cared for on shore. She im- proved somewhat and John, for her greater comfort, decided to ac- company her to San Francisco on a steamship; and to place his compe- tent first officer, George Ferguson, in charge of the Valley with orders to proceed there also. Accordingly she sailed in August, and later Ralph wrote:
After we got in our ballast, took pilot and went to sea; the first half of the passage had westerly gales with rain squalls blowing up in the night and
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moderating in daytime; latter part moderate breezes from various quarters and fine pleasant weather. We had thirty-three days' passage. The crew was discharged, the ship loaded wheat and a new captain [Arthur C. Berry] took her to New York. I was in San Francisco three weeks, saw the city and a fleet of American ships in port; the Pactolus, Swallow, Herald of the Morning, White Swallow, Sea Serpent, Ellen Austin, Uncle Toby and others.
Late in August John wrote: 'Sailed for San Francisco in the noble steamship Great Republic, Captain Seth Doane. Passed the south- eastern point of Japan about noon. Good-bye, Yokohama.' She was a wooden bark-rigged steamer with paddle wheels and on the passage of twenty days, mostly good weather, averaged about 220 miles per day. In 1879 she was lost on Columbia River bar with fourteen of crew.
Dear Mother
San Francisco, October 3oth 1868
We all leave for home to-day in the steamship Montana, connecting at Aspinwall with the Arizona for New York. Ralph comes with us, also the remains of my dear wife- you know what a loss I have suffered and what my feelings must be. Sarah died the twenty-first, three days before her mother and sister arrived. With love to all.
John
Ralph concludes:
Came back via Isthmus of Darien and the Arizona; had fine warm weather and smooth water most of the time, thirteen days on the West Coast and eight on this side. Arrived home making the voyage around the world in less than a year. We had very little sickness on the voyage, except the Captain's wife died in Oakland, California.
The mourners continued on to the pleasant village where Sarah blossomed into womanhood, and on rising ground overlooking the beautiful Saint George's River she was laid at rest to await the call of her Maker. In later sea journals of Captain John one may find here and there a reference to her, as he lived over in memory their first voyage in life together, which began auspiciously and ended in sorrow. *
Capt. John B. Emerson, New York Boston January 18, 1871
We expected from a conversation with P. G. Bradstreet last week that you would be called to the command of the Valley Forge, and hope that it will
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prove satisfactory to you and that you will be successful. We shall be happy to hear from you at any time and when we can be of service here to you · command us.
Yours truly Bridge, Lord and Co.
After a long period of life on shore the call of the sea awakened a dormant interest in shipping and activity, consequently John was eager to take the Valley although, of course, it revived sad memories. Via Kingston and the Isthmian railway he proceeded to Panama and relieved Captain Carney, who was ill. The ship was in ballast and well found.
Sister Mary
Callao April 3d 1871
I had a good passage from Panama and have been here two weeks. Shall sail to-day for Mejillones, on the coast of Bolivia, to load for Cork for orders, and hope to be in England the first of October. It will take about twenty days to make the passage to Mejillones, two months there to load and 120 days to England. I am busy getting the ship away. Tell Ralph to learn a good trade and stick to it, for there is no chance to get along going to sea now.
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