A Whaling Master's Adventuresome Life

11

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 grandfather, 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 afterwards, 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

A WHALING MASTER'S ADVENTURESOME LIFE 13

put aboard a vessel bound to Nantucket which had been taken by the same frigate, the Armada, and liberated. "In March, 1814, I went to New York and joined the Letter of Marque, Sparta, trading to Savannah. The vessel was well armed and sailed very fast, but our captain chose rather to run than fight. The latter part of 1814, New York was threatened with invasion by a British fleet and was closely blockaded. It was not thought safe to try to get to sea and we took the Sparta up the river and laid her up at Poughkeepsie. "I was then employed in coasting up the river with Captain Gardner who commanded the Sparta. "About this time I made a visit to Nantucket, but soon returned, hoping they would send the Sparta to sea, as I had the promise of being first officer; but New York was so closely blockaded that the Captain did not like to make the attempt. Having no business, I concluded to make a land trip and went up to Hudson to visit relatives I had never seen. "They were Quakers, very much opposed to war, and they easily persuaded me to stop there, not approving of my going to sea in an armed vessel, as at that time it was my only chance for business. I found employment in Hudson and stopped there till the end of 1814. In February, 1815, peace took place between the United States and Great Britain and I was again let loose; went to New York and shipped 2d officer of the Ship Martha, bound to New Orleans. Before sailing, I got a letter from home with a very pressing request to come home and go on a whaling voyage with my former Captain. "And now, as I had but little experience in that business. I had only performed one voyage, and that when I was quite young, I thought best to go home and employ myself in the whaling business until I was qualified to command. I then could go again into the Merchant Service, if that was best. I returned home and shipped boat-steerer to the Tarquin. The ship Tarquin was bought in Boston, brought to Nantucket and fitted for a whaling voyage. "In July, 1815, she sailed for the coast of Brazil with James Bunker as Captain; Barzilla Luce, 1st mate; Frederick Swain 2d mate; Alexander Macy, James Swain and William Hussey, boat-steerers. Six days out, we took a large sperm whale, and in cutting it, the ship sprung a leak and it became necessary to return for repairs. After beating thirty days against adverse winds, anchored back of the bar, off Nantucket. The ship was lightened, taken over the bar and into the wharf. "After undergoing thorough repairs, we sailed again in August of the same year and arrived on Brazil Banks in September. Having obtained about 800 barrels of oil, found that the ship's rudder-post was so badly sprung that we were obliged to leave for the nearest port, which was Saint Catharine Island. When once more ready for sea, the season had expired on the Banks and we cleared, April 1816, for the west coast of Africa.

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"Soon after leaving Saint Catharine's, we fell in with a Portuguese Man-of-War in distress. We offered to take the crew from her but they declined and obliged us to keep company with them and assist them into the nearest port, which was Santos. They had on board General Selvaro with his staff and recruits for the army stationed at Saint Catharine's, bound to Montevideo which was then at war with Brazil. "After considerable difficulty in towing, the ship came to anchor off Santos. While approaching Santos, the General called on Capt. Bunker to see if he would send a boat with crew into Santos for a pilot for each ship. Capt. Bunker told him that was something he could not do, but if one of his officers would volunteer, he would make no objection. They sent for me to come on board the frigate and I had an interview with the General; I told him I would undertake to do what he desired if I could find a crew of our own men who would be willing to accompany me. He accepted my proposal and promised to reward me handsomely, which, by the way, was never done. "At four in the afternoon we left the ship with a lieutenant from the frigate on board; but the wind being light we did not reach land till daylight the next morning, though we had made all possible speed with sails and oars. Next day had a pilot aboard of each ship. Before we could get the ship into port, had a very heavy gale and the Tarquin parted her cables. Our pilot saved our ship by running her into a river. The frigate was driven to sea again and fell in with a Portuguese Man-of-War, that carried her into Rio Janeiro. "General Selvaro was taken out without landing and the frigate that took him on board carried him to Saint Catharine's Island to join his forces. At the time of assisting the frigate (I have lost her name) there was an agreement between the General and Capt. Bunker, that the Portuguese government should fill our ship with oil, as our voyage for whaling had been abandoned. We received orders from the government to proceed to Rio Janeiro and made our demands according to agreement with the General. But the Portuguese Government at that time was very corrupt. King John had been driven from Portugal and at that time held his Court at Rio Janeiro. After contending with them for six months, we found that our documents had never reached the King. No doubt the General was honorable in his intentions to do us justice, but not being in the city, we had no friend at court, for the officers of the ship were probably unwilling to acknowledge that they had received aid from a whaler. "Major Cottrell, an Irishman, had been detached from the frigate and left at Rio Janeiro to recruit, and was quartered on a ninety-gun ship lying in the harbor. Major C. had married a Portuguese lady, and she, while on board the ship with her husband, overheard a conversation between the officers, wherein she

A WHALING MASTER'S ADVENTURESOME LIFE 15

learned that our documents had never reached the King. She informed her husband, and he, being a friend of Capt. Bunker, got him to make out new papers and said he would see that they were acknowledged. "After being made out, I started with a boat's crew, Major Cottrell, and Capt. Bunker up the bay to King John's palace, where he was in the habit of spending the night with his family. The gates were closed when we arrived and we were obliged to wait a long time. "By and by, a cloud of dust announced their approach, the gates were thrown open and the king's coach drawn by four mules, and all his retinue, passed in. They stopped just within the gates but in full sight of us who stood outside. Those only who had business with the king were allowed to enter. These formed a semicircle around the royal carriage. The king now descended and announced that he was ready to give them audience. The one who stood nearest to him knelt on the ground, kissed his hand and gave him his papers. These were handed to an official who placed them in the carriage. He stepped aside and the second went through the same ceremony. "I stood silently viewing the scene and thought, 'Capt. James Bunker will never kiss the King of Portugal's hand.' However, he complied with the required forms and put his documents into the king's hands. We then returned to our boat and the ship. Two days afterwards received a visit from two of the king's officers, who came to ascertain what quantity of oil would fill the ship. They made their report to the king and he sent a written order to Capt. Bunker that his ship should be filled. "At that time the Portuguese government had no oil stored at Rio Janeiro, so they sent a vessel to Saint Catharine's Island where they had a whale fishery, which soon returned and reported that they were ready to fill our ship with oil. We went to the vessel and took out 900 barrels of whale oil; but we now found that they had made miscalculations and we lacked 400 barrels to fill the ship. "We made another demand but received no reply. At last, wearied with contending with the government, Capt. Bunker had an interview with General Sumpter, U. S. Minister to Brazil, who told him he had had trouble enough, to clear the ship and head for home, and he would attend to the business. He made a formal protest which was sent to Washington and filed; our owners also sending another after the arrival of the ship on the last of June, 1817. No notice was taken of either till 35 years afterwards. , _ , "Our government then called on the Brazilian government which had assumed all former debts, to settle all accounts with our government. Commissioners were sent out to Rio Janeiro and our claims were acknowledged among others. They agreed to settle all claims that our citizens had against them by their

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

paying to our government the sum of 800,000 millres. Our government acknowledged the payment and a commissioner was appointed to see what distribution should be made of the money, and after some time we were awarded the sum of $68,000. After all expenses were paid this was reduced to $52,000. It was decided by the commissioner that the sum awarded to us would be divided amongst officers and crew according to lays on shipping paper. I was boat steerer and received a 48th lay. At the end of ,35 years, the only survivors of our ship's company were Frederick Swain, 2d mate, Charles Barnard, a boy, and myself.

"The 3d of July, 1.817, a memorable day, I was married to Maria Pinkham. Soon after we were married, I shipped as 1st officer to the General Lincoln, Capt. Shubael Chase, master. We sailed in September, 1817 for the Brazil Banks on a whaling voyage and returned in August, 1818. The business being dull at that time, I could not get charge of a ship and concluded to go again as 1st officer with Capt. Chase in the General Lincoln. "The ship General Lincoln of Nantucket sailed from Edgartown the 22nd of September, 1818, on a whaling voyage to the Brazil Banks, Shubael Chase, master, Alexander Macy, first officer, William Hussey, 2d mate. In a few days nothing happened and we made good progress on our voyage. At that time, the wind shifted to the southeast and blew a very heavy gale. The ship behaved well under storm sails, and we had full confidence in our ship as she had made one voyage previous to the Banks with the same captain and officers. The gale continued for twelve hours, then died away almost instantly and became a perfect calm, but at the same time there was a rough sea. After being calm for about fifteen minutes the wind struck us in a Iremendous hurricane from the northwest. The ship was thrown on her beam ends and in a very short time we lost all three masts. The ship was then a mere wreck with only one whole spar and that was the bowsprit. "The hurricane lasted about six hours. In the mean time the ship righted some and the pumps were manned. Four of the men with myself commenced clearing the wreck, the 2d mate being employed keeping the pumps going and attending to other duties. While engaged in clearing the wreck a tremendous sea broke over the forward part of the ship and washed overboard the four men on duty with me, and myself. After great exertion I, with one of the men, reached the ship's side. "Those on board were so paralyzed with fear and fatigue that they did not see me and my shouts could not be heard above the roar of the storm. The ropes had all been cut in clearing away the wreck and I tried one after another, only to pull it into the sea. At last one held, caught in the rigging, and to this I clung for life. At length when I had been in the water more than half

A WHALING MASTER'S ADVENTURESOME LIFE 17

an hour, they discovered my situation and threw me a rope that I could fasten myself to and be drawn on board. "When I reached the deck I was quite helpless from fatigue, but by the aid of the captain and steward was taken below and soon revived. Then I knew that my presence on deck was needed for the pumps had stopped. I went on deck, rallied the men and got them to the pumps, working myself, they losing all presence of mind and not realizing their situation. I now told the captain it was necessary to examine the ship forward to see what damage had been done. "I made a rope fast around my body, which the captain held while standing in the cabin gangway. I went forward and found the forecastle gangway washed away and the water rushing down with every sea. I made my way aft and procured some sail canvas, a hammer and scupper nails, with which I battened down the holes in the deck. "After blowing with great fury for about six hours, it commenced moderating (the hurricane had commenced about ten in the morning) and the ship lay quite comfortable through the night, and by the help of both pumps were able to keep her clear. In the morning discovered that the remains of the wreck were endangering the ship by the sea washing them against her side. I told the captain I would go forward and with a whale-spade endeavor to cut the lee-lanyards. In this way I succeeded in clearbig the wrecked spars from the weather side, a difficult undertaking, as I was many times under water. "The storm having abated we commenced to rig a jury-mast, a long and tedious job, accomplished at last so as to set a few small sails, and began working the ship back, hoping to get her into port. Having fine weather, succeeded in about thirty days in getting her to about 150 miles east of Cape Hatteras. "While working westward we were spoken by the ship Albion, of New York, which offered assistance, but we declined, hoping' to get her into port. A heavy gale had now commecned from the north, the ship was laboring very hard and leaking badly and the captain thought it best to put her before the wind, hoping to make better weather. It was contrary to my advice, but according to his instructions we got the ship before the wind and she ran comfortably for about twelve hours. "Near sunset we sighted a vessel to the windward, set colors in distress and she came down to us. It proved to be the bi ig Telegraph, from Savannah for New York. The captain of the brig agreed to lie by us through the night.

(Continued in the next issue)