Historic Nantucket, January 1986, Vol. 33 No. 3

The Romantic Whaleman — Artist, Joseph Ray Logbook Keeper on the Ship Edward Cary by Edouard A. Stackpole THE LOGBOOK OF a whaleship, that becomes the official record of the voyage, is usually kept by the first mate, and turned over to the ship's owners on return to port. These are the authentic accounts of the long passage to the whaling grounds, of the areas where the whales were taken, the ports visited for supplies, and other incidents in the long months at sea, including the adventures of the crew and officers.

They are the priceless records which provide the whaling historian with the facts, and are, of a rule, terse and prosaic.

Whenever a separate journal is found, a personal account, kept by an individual, either an officer or foremast hand, it adds the extra in­ formation which completes the story of the voyage. These journals are the exception to the rule of logbook keeping and generally provide fascinating reading. One such a private journal is among the treasures in the Nantucket Historical Association's library and is an invaluable possession. It was written and illustrated by Joseph Edward Ray, 21-year-old crew member on board the whaleship Edward Cary, dur­ ing the years 1854-1858, a Nantucket whaler under the command of Cap­ tain Perry Winslow and one of the ships owned by the firm of Charles & Henry Coffin.

The voyage of the Edward Cary, as revealed by Joseph E. Ray in his journal has the unusual feature of having drawings in color by the talented young man, as these illustrations reveal incidents which help dramatize the voyage. As an example, in listing the names of officers and crew the artist has used an elaborate design as a head-piece on the top of the page, with an eagle holding a banner which identifies the ship's members by name and place of residence when they sign on. Ten of the crew were Portuguese from the Azores, with men from Fall River, Buffalo, Boston, Scoharie, and Nantucket. The officers were all from Nantucket. Joseph E. Ray was recorded as boatsteerer, (a harpooner), usually a post of importance for an experienced hand.

One of the unusual facts concerning this voyage was that Captain Perry Winslow had taken his wife and two of their children on board — a son, John M. Winslow, and a daughter Sarah Bunker Winslow.

Another fact of interest is that the Edward Cary, upon reaching the South Atlantic, did not go around Cape Horn but sailed for the Cape of Good Hope, thence to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.