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The Unusual Career of the Whaleship "Hero" of Nantucket AMONG THE MANY Nantucket whaleships which experienced unusual adventures in the Pacific Ocean was the ship Hero, which began her long career in 1816, the year she was launched at Rochester, Mass. Her first voyage (1816-1819), under Captain James Russell, was most successful, returning with 2025 bbls. of sperm oil after two and a half years from home. It was on her next voyage, (1819-1822) that the most exciting incident in her career took place. While lying at the island of St. Mary's, a favorite rendezvous for whaleships off the coast of Chile, the Hero was captured by a bandit named Benevedes, who took Captain Russell and the ship's boy on shore after sailing the ship to Concepcion on the mainland. The ship's crew was driven below in the forecastle and locked up, and the Mate, Obed Starbuck, was imprisoned in his stateroom, in the main cabin. A brig sailed into the area and Benevedes was concerned that this was a government vessel, and he slipped the Hero's cables, thinking the ship would go ashore, and then left the whalemen locked up while he rowed to the shore. Mate Starbuck, aware that the ship was abandoned, broke down the door of his stateroom and immediately went forward to free the crew. Taking command, he got sail on the ship and took her to Valparaiso, managing to escape a boat's crew of the bandits who were returning to recapture the ship. When the authorities at Valparaiso learned of the situation, they sent a vessel to take Benevedes and his men. In the interim, Captain Russell and the boy were killed by the pirates, who were angered at the escape of the ship and her crew. When the Hero, stripped of her provisions and most of her oil by the bandits, sailed for home, the news of the near disaster preceded her arrival. Mate Obed Starbuck was duly rewarded by the ship's owners and given the command of the Hero on her next voyage. It was on this 1822-1824 voyage that Captain Obed Starbuck discovered a sandy island close to the equator, southwest of the Sand wich (Hawaiian) Islands, which he called New Nantucket. It was many years later renamed Baker Island by a whaling master of that name who believed it was a new discovery. Captain Starbuck on this same voyage discovered another island, which he also placed on his chart after determining her position, and called it Starbuck Island. He came home with a full ship - 2,173 barrels of sperm oil. On her next voyage, (1824-1827), the H e r o was under the command
