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A Whaling Master's Adventuresome Life The Autobiography of Captain Alexander Macy
THE MASTER MARINERS of Nantucket, for the most part, left very little in written accounts of their lives, and this has always been a matter of considerable regret. Among those who were persuaded to record something of their experiences was Captain Alexander Macy, and his brief biography contains merely the summary of a life which could have become a book. Born on Nantucket August 11, 1792, he was the son of Job and Anna Way Macy. His maternal grandfather, Captain Seth Way, was lost at sea with his only son, Seth, Jr. When he was only 8 years old, Alexander Macy received instructions in farming from his grand father, Richard Macy, lessons to serve him in good stead in later years. In his own words, copied down by his daughter, Captain Macy described his seafaring life as follows: "In this period on Nantucket (1800) and many years after wards, there were no public schools, and what schools there were kept were taught by women and invalid men. Following my first introduction to farming, I was only able to attend school about four months. At the age of 10, I was sick for a long time and it terminated in a fever sore and at different times there were extracted from it the sore pieces of rib-bone. This confined one to the house for a long time and I was unable to labor. "When about 14 years old, I made an attempt to learn a boat builder's trade, but soon found work too hard for me, as my side now was weak. At 15, I was employed in coasting to New York. I was now getting quite strong and thought of going to sea, and after much entreaty, my parents consented. "I then shipped to the Ship Chili, bound on a whaling voyage to the Pacific Ocean, with James Bunker, master. We sailed on December, 1809, made our voyage in 23 months, arriving home in November 1811. I was offered the berth of boat-steerer in the same ship, but as she was to sail immediately, I declined and stopped at home through the winter and went to school. "In the Spring of 1812, I shipped boat-steerer to the ship Thomas bound to the Pacific Ocean on a whaling voyage. When ready for sea, in June 1812, war was declared between the United States and England, and our voyage was abandoned. We then took the ship to Providence and hauled her into the mud for safe keeping. I returned home and helped my father in farming. "The next year, in June 1813, I shipped mate of a small vessel belonging to Boston, took in our cargo at Hyannis, bound to Charleston, S. Carolina and sailed July 3d. She was taken a few days out by an English frigate, our cargo taken out and our vessel destroyed. The Captain, George Chadwick, and myself were soon after discharged and I soon arrived home, being fortunate to be
