A Whaling Master's Adventuresome Life

15

The Autobiography of Captain Alexander Macy

(Continued from the July issue) "IN THE MORNING it was quite calm and the captain of the brig, with two passengers, came on board. Gapt. Chase took them over the ship to examine our crippled state and proposed to the captain of the brig to take us in tow and endeavor to get us into port. After viewing the situation, he declined, but said if we wished to leave the ship he would take us on board. Capt. Chase thought it best to abandon her. "The captain of the brig then requested us to transfer water and provisions sufficient for the additional crew. Capt. Chase went on board the brig; their long boat was sent to us and I received orders to send water and provisions. I complied with these and the orders for things most valuable, clothing, nautical instruments, etc., which used up the day. About sundown, a slight breeze sprung up. All were now on board except one boat's crew and myself. I sent my men into the boat, and finally, with much regret, went over the ship's side myself, for I still held the hope to the last of working the wreck into port. Such was the end of the General Lincoln, as fine a ship as ever floated. She was afterwards seen nearly under water. "After four days of pleasant weather, the brig Telegraph arrived in New York about the 15th of November. Thence we took passage in a sloop to Nantucket. After I arrived I was called on by a merchant of this place who told me that he had been awaiting my arrival from New York and wished me to go to Boston and see Israel Thorndike and confer with him about taking one of his ships to Havre in France. I was to procure a French flag and sail as a French ship on a whaling voyage, under a decree of Louis Philippe, King of the French, the government at that time offering a large bounty to the owners of the ship. "I agreed to the proposal and took command of the ship Columbus, bringing my officers from Nantucket. We sailed on Jan. 4, 1819, and reached Havre; thence sailing for the coast of Africa; thence to the Brazil Banks. After a voyage of 17 months, I returned with a full ship in August, 1820. "When I arrived in Havre, I found letters from Mr. Thornaike, my owner, to consign my cargo to 'Wells, Williams and Green' for sale, and, if I thought it best, to fit the ship for another voyage; but, if the prospect was not good for another whaling voyage, he wished me to advertise for freight for New York or Boston. If I could not obtain freight, to sell the ship.

A WHALING MASTER'S ADVENTURESOME LIFE 17

"I did not think the prospect was good for another voyage, as the price of oil was much reduced and I could not get suitable officers. I advertised for freight, but could not find any and I could not find an offer for the sale of the ship that would do; so I finally concluded to lay the ship up in Havre and return to Boston.

"I took passage in the brig Mary; arrived in Boston in November and reported to my owner, Mr. Thorndike, and he was fully satisfied with what I had done and engaged me to take charge of the ship Palladium in the spring and go on a spermwhale voyage in the Pacific Ocean.

"In May, 1821, I went to Boston and commenced fitting the Palladium, one of the best ships in the port of Boston. July 3d, the ship was ready for sea and we sailed on that day; made a good passage round Cape Horn and arrived at Coquimbo on the coast of Chili in October. After being fully recruited we cleared from Coquimbo, ran down the coast of Peru and about the first of March arrived at Owyher and anchored in Kalakuhua Bay; found the natives very friendly, but great thieves.

"While there, I many times stood on the rock where Capt. Cook, the great English navigator and explorer, was killed by the natives. One of the party that killed him was pointed out to me, and he looked like the man that would be unlikely to do anything of the kind.

"Not being able to get recruits in that place, we cleared for Mowee and anchored at Lahaina. From that place we ran down to Oahu. I had freight that I had taken in Boston to land at Honolulu, for the American Missionaries. I landed my freight for the Mission amongst which was the first printing press ever worked at the Sandwich Islands. This was about April 10th, 1822.

"The natives at this time were not far advanced in civilization and certainly not in Christianity; they were very intemperate, licentious and great thieves, so much so that the cook on board my ship could not leave his utensils exposed, if he did, they were sure to be missing. "About the 12th of April, we left for the coast of Japan and after a short passage arrived and cruised there till September. Being unsuccessful, not being acquainted with the best place for whaling, (though having one of the finest ships that arrived on that coast), I left Japan in September for California and arrived at Santa Barbara the 1st of December, 1822. We took on board water and vegetables, left Santa Barbara, ran down the coast of Mexico and returned to the Sandwich Islands; we arrived at Lahaina, Mowee (Maui) in April 1823.

18

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

"After being well recruited, we went to sea, made quite a successful cruise near the coast of Japan and returned to Santa Barbara in November; took in water, vegetables, etc., and being well recruited cleared for the Maria Islands in the Gulf of California, took in wood and sailed on a cruise; filled our ship with oil and arrived in Valpariso on the coast of Chili in May, 1824. We soon left for Coquimbo and arrived there after a short passage; fitted our ship for home and cleared the 8th of July, arriving in Boston the 15th of November, 1824, after a voyage of three years and five months. We obtained 2400 bbls. of sperm oil, but when we arrived home found a very poor market, sperm oil being 50 cts. per gallon. "We settled our voyage and I returned home with my wife who had come to Boston after our arrival. "I stopped at home through the winter and in the spring of 1825 I took charge of the ship Peruvian of this place, bound on a whaling voyage to the Pacific Ocean. We sailed the 10th of June and after a rough passage arrived in Coquimbo in October, 1826. After being well recruited we cleared for the coast of Peru, visited the Galapagos Islands and arrived at the Sandwich Islands, anchored at Lahaina, Maui, in April, 1826. We then took in water and provisions and sailed on a cruise; we were successful and arrived in San Francisco with 1800 bbls. of sperm oil. "In December, 1826, I visited many places that are now well known, but at that time we had but little knowledge of the country far back as they were constantly at war with the native Indians. We sailed on a cruise the last of December, completed our voyage, 2300 bbls. of sperm oil, and returned home in December, 1827. "Market for oil, 65 cts. per gallon. "The owners of the Peruvian being desirous for me to go in the ship again on a voyage to the Pacific Ocean, I consented to take the ship again and sailed June the 8th, and visited the Azores and Cape Verde Islands. Nothing happened until we arrived off Cape Horn in September, where we met with bad winds; we were sixty days south of Cape Horn, with heavy gales, entangled with icebergs, came near losing our ship on islands of ice. When we goc round the 'Horn' we had scarcely a well man on board and were barely able to sail the ship, our men having been so much exposed to the severe weather. "We arrived at Callao after a long passage and much suffering ; we visited Lima, got well recruited and sailed on a cruise. We stopped at the Galapagos Islands, got terrapin, etc., went to sea and arrived at the Sandwich Islands in May 1829. Soon after we sailed for our cruising ground and were quite successful. The last of October we anchored in Lahaina, took on board wood, water

and vegetables, and sailed for the coast of Mexico, returning to the Sandwich Islands in April, 1830. "From thence we cleared for a cruise near the North Sandwich Islands and returned again to the Sandwich Islands in November, 1830, our ship having been badly strained in a typhoon. After making the necessary repairs, we sailed, completed our voyage, (a full ship), and arrived at Coquimbo on the coast of Chili in May, 1831. Then fitted our ship for the passage home, cleared in June and arrived home in November, 1831. "Being now quite tired of a life on the seas, I had intended stopping at home but after being at home sometime my former owners of the Peruvian solicited me to take charge of one of their ships and I finally took command of the ship Maria. "I sailed in the Marixt in November, 1832 for the Pacific Ocean. We had a good passage round Cape Horn, visited Chili, Peru, Sandwich Islands, the coast of Japan and California, and returned March 12th, 1836, with a very leaky ship that we were just able to keep afloat. But we got her home with 1700 bbls. of sperm oil, our voyage having been much interfered with on account of the bad state of our ship. When we arrived our oil was worth ,80 cts. per gallon. But I always regretted that I ever consented to make that voyage as I was aware that the ship was not fit for the voyage, and the owners were fortunate that she was not condemned in a foreign port. At any rate, I suffered much in mind. "In consequence of the low price of oil during the time I was engaged in the whaling business I did not make much by my voyages. But by the strict economy of your mother at home, by the savings from my voyages, I was in hopes to stop on shore. With what little I had I now concluded to coil up my ropes and anchor on shore, although I had three ships offered me for another voyage, and one in the same employ. "And now at the age of forty-four, having been absent most of the time from my family and friends, and suffered much from exposure in my business, I was truly tired of a seafaring life. Knowing that I had something to do, and your mother being willing to take the indoors duties of a farm, and very desirous that I should go to sea no more and leave her and our family at home and as I had had some experience in farming in my young days, I concluded the best thing I could do was to purchase a farm. "About one month after my return from my last voyage, I bought a farm in the village of Polpis, five miles from town and moved on to it in May, 1836. I found the buildings on my farm much out of repair, and to put them in good order and to stock it cost me 800 dollars, making my farm, (the first cost was $2 200), cost me $3,000. Notwithstanding the cost, I thought I was well situated; had plenty of work, my family around me. and my friends in town five miles from me.

"I stopped on my farm sixteen years. About that time I strained myself badly and was not able to do the duties of a farm, and, in consequence, I removed to town and let my farm. "After purchasing my farm, and living on it with the exception of two years that I was overseer of the Poor Department and lived in the Town's farm near my own, as I said before, in 1852, I moved to town. During this time the whaling business had declined and finally died out, and with the downfall of commerce, real estate went down, so that farms and real estate were not worth one half their original cost. "My intention was, if I regained my strength, to move back to my farm, but not being able to return, and farms with other real estate depreciating every year, I concluded to sell my farm, which had cost me with all the additions $3,200. The first offer I had was $1,500 and I was glad to sell at that, as it proved that other farms near me sold for $700 that cost about the same as mine. I had other real estate in lots and sheep stock, that cost me $800, that I sold for $500. As I was living in town, I could do no other than sell, and that, with my losses by failures, brought me into quite close quarters. But after all that, with strict economy and what I have been able to do, I have lived comfortable. "After moving to town I kept my house and did some gardening. I also filled many town offices; was one of the overseers of the Poor Department and of the Selectmen of the town, also one of the Town and County Assessors. "In 1852, I was voted one of the directors of the Nantucket Institution for Savings, and afterwards one of the Committee on Investment of Deposits in the Institution. I was President of the Institution for four years and am still one of the directors and committee. All the above offices paid me nothing with the exception of the assessors; there was small pay attached to that. "And now, here I am, about worn out in the service, and 81 years old and you ask me to write something of my life and I have complied. I have omitted many incidents still fresh in my memory and have written a condensed history of my acts and doings, entirely from memory as I had no records to assist me. "I will add that during the time I commanded a ship, which was from 1818 to 1836, my officers and crew numbered from 25 to 30 men and never lost but four men in all that time, My first officer, Paul Bunker, was killed by a whale on board the Peruvian. One boy, Stephen, son of Gorham Coffin, one of my owners, fell from aloft and was killed. One colored man fell overboard in the night and was drowned, and one colored man died from dropsy. "I mention the above for the reason that many think a sea life, particularly whaling, very dangerous. "I will also add that this is copied from what I wrote." Captain Alexander Macy