Part 6

OTHER NEW ENGLAND WHALING PORTS

Rhode Island pursued whales in 1731, Newport and Providence being the two most successful ports. Fifty ships were owned by Connecticut and Rhode Island in 1775. Massachusetts owned over three hundred at this time. Rhode Island was more of a “slave” than a whaling State. New London became a great whaling port in 1846, and was the third in importance in New England.

The people of Cape Cod began sending ships to sea about 1726, and a few years later a dozen or so vessels were fitted out at Provincetown. Boston claimed twenty whaleships in 1775, and registered from one to eleven vessels almost every year until 1903, since which date no whaleship has been recorded from this port. Gloucester turned to whaling in 1833.

The following figures show the different whaling ports in Massachusetts and the largest number of vessels enrolled in any one year in each. New Bedford, of course, held first place with 329 in 1857, with Nantucket 88 in 1843, Provincetown claimed 54 in 1869; Fairhaven 50 in 1848 to 1852; Edgartown and Mattapoisett owned 19 each; Salem had 14 in 1840; Boston 11 in 1868; Dartmouth, 10; Plymouth, 9; Falmouth, 8; Wareham, Fall River, and Marion, 7 each; Beverly, Holmes’ Hole, Orleans, 5 each; Lynn, 4; Newburyport, 3; Gloucester, Dorchester, and Sandwich, 2 each; and the following claimed 1: Braintree, Hingham, Marblehead, Barnstable, Duxbury, Quincy, Truro, Yarmouth, and Wellfleet. Of the Rhode Island towns Warren owned 25; Newport, 12; Bristol, 10; Providence, 9. Connecticut towns that owned whalers were New London, 70; Stonington, 27; Mystic, 18; and a few scattered among half a dozen other places. Portsmouth, N.H., at one time owned two vessels, and between the years 1835 to 1845 Bath, Bucksport, Portland, and Wiscasset in Maine each had one. Massachusetts, however, could claim five-sixths of the total fleet.

A few words must be said in praise of Samuel Mulford of Long Island. Governor Hunter of New York claimed for his State a share of all whales caught, whereupon Mulford waged war against this act in every possible way. Finally he sailed to London and put his case before the Crown. The people in London were much amused at his country clothes, and the pickpockets in particular became a nuisance to him in the streets. Mulford, however, showed his resourcefulness by sewing fish hooks in his pockets and succeeded in capturing the thief. Another incident shows the ingenuity of the whaleman. The ship “Syren” was attacked by a horde of murderous savages, and the crew of the ship would, doubtless, have been murdered had it not been for a quick stratagem of the mate. He remembered a package of tacks in the cabin and yelled, “Break out the carpet tacks and sow ’em over the deck.” The natives, yelling with pain, jumped headlong into the sea, and the ship was saved.

The world owes many discoveries to the energy and determination of whaleship captains. Over four hundred islands in the Pacific were discovered and named by American whalemen, and the history of New Zealand is closely connected with the visits of New England whalers. Australia, too, was opened to the world by the whalemen.

It was to a certain extent due to the testimony of Captain Bryant, a whale captain of Mattapoisett, that Alaska was purchased by the United States government. That there was a northwest passage was also discovered by American whalemen in this way: the date and name of a ship were always marked on its harpoons, and in several instances whales were captured in the Pacific by ships that were known to have been cruising not long before in the Atlantic. It was Captain Timothy Folger, of Nantucket, who charted the Gulf Stream at the request of Benjamin Franklin, to whom he was related, and this drawing was engraved on an old chart and preserved in London. In this way English mariners discovered how to avoid the swift current and thereby gain much time. Our seamen in the early days were not very kindly treated by the Japanese, but, finally, several whalemen secured their good will by teaching them English. This encouraged the American government to send out Commodore Perry’s expedition, which succeeded in making our first treaty with Japan, thus opening that country to Western civilization.

It was difficult to make discoveries ahead of our whalemen. In 1834 two Russian discovery ships approached a forlorn little island in the Antarctic Ocean and the commander was about to take possession in the name of his Czar. There was a dense fog at the time, but when it cleared away they were very much surprised and vexed to see a little Connecticut ship at anchor between their two vessels. The name of this whaler was the “Hero” of Stonington, captained by Nathaniel B. Palmer, who was only twenty-one years of age and was just returning from his discovery of the Antarctic Continent. The Russian commander was so impressed by the achievement of this youthful captain that he cheerfully acquiesced in naming the place Palmer’s Land. This name has since been changed to Graham Land. It is an undisputed fact that the whalers prepared the way for the missionaries.

ABOARD A “BLUBBER HUNTER”

Nothing can be more romantic than to be attending a clam-bake on Mishaum Point or Barney’s Joy and to see a whaleship, or “blubber hunter” as she is often termed, round the point and start to sea. It is with quite different feelings that one peers down into her forecastle, which is often referred to as the Black Hole of Calcutta. This room, which is the home of thirty to forty men for three or four years, is reached by a perpendicular ladder through a small hatchway, which is the only means of ventilation. The bunks are in tiers and are about the size of a coffin, so narrow that it has often been said that one has to get out of them in order to turn over. A small table in the centre of this “hole” and the seamen’s chests lashed to the floor comprise all the furnishings, except possibly a few bottles of rum, which were often labelled “camphor.” In fact, one might speak of the dis-accommodations of the forecastle, and it is no wonder that a cruise in a whaler is often spoken of as a “sailor’s horror.” The odor of grease, dirt, oil, and lack of air are unbearable except to one thoroughly accustomed to a whaling trip, and sailors often say that this attractive place should not be approached without a clothespin on one’s nose. The utensils comprised a few tin plates and a bucket of water, with one cup for the use of every one. The food consisted of “longlick” and “scouse,” the former made of tea, coffee, and molasses, and the latter of hardtack, beans, and meat. It is not difficult to see, therefore, why most of the captains anchored their ships well out beyond the harbour, so as to prevent desertions after the novice seaman had glanced at his sleeping quarters. There have been cases of sailors jumping overboard on the chance of reaching land, and it is on record that the greater part of a whaleship’s crew once floated to shore on the cover of the try-works. A captain was very careful where he allowed his men to land, and, in case he was afraid of desertions, took care to allow them shore leave only at places where the natives were troublesome, or where for a ten-dollar bill he knew he could get the whole crew returned to him.

The whaleship looked very clumsy and was built for strength rather than for speed, the bow and stern looking as if they were made by the mile and chopped off in lengths to suit. It is a curious fact that the “Rousseau,” belonging to the Howlands, when caught in a storm off the Cape of Good Hope sailed astern for seven days faster than she had ever sailed ahead, and successfully weathered the point.

There is an amusing anecdote that has gone the whaling rounds, of a greenhorn, called Hezekiah Ellsprett, who arrived on board the night before sailing. One of the men told him that the first ones on board had the right to pick out their berths and suggested that he paint his name on the berth he should select. Hezekiah looked round, found the best-looking cabin, painted his name in big letters on the outside of the door, and made himself comfortable for the night. He had chosen the captain’s room, and in the morning the captain came on board, and in very violent terms informed him that he was in the wrong end of the ship.

The whaleman’s life was indeed a hard one, and his share of the profit, or “lay” as it was called, was so small that at the end of a moderately successful voyage if his share amounted to several hundred dollars he was doing well. His earnings were depleted by the captain’s “slop chest,” where the sailors had to purchase their tobacco and clothes at high prices, and if there were any kicks the answer was that he could “get skinned or go naked.” The most necessary part of the sailor’s equipment was the sheath knife which was used about the ship and to repair his clothes, and it was this same implement that he used to cut his food!

Regular deck watches were kept, and in good weather the officers often winked their eyes if some of the men slept. Among sailors this was called a “caulk,” and often some kind of a joke was played on the sleeper. In one case they tied a live pig to the slumberer’s feet and watched the fun from behind the try-works.

Whalers would rarely cruise past the Azores without stopping at Fayal, where they were most hospitably received by the American Consul, who for centuries was one of the Dabney family. In fact, the island is often referred to among whalemen as the “Isle de Dabney.”

“Gamming” or exchanging visits between two whalers at sea was thoroughly enjoyed and gave a chance to the sailors to swap experiences, and many a weird, sorrowful, or wonderful story must have been related. An incident is recorded of a meeting between two brothers who had lived in Nantucket, and who had not met for twenty-three years. There is an old adage among whalers that when a year from home, on “gamming” with a ship that has sailed subsequent to your own departure, you have the privilege of begging; when two years out, of stealing; and when three years away from home, of both stealing and begging.

A New London ship was once holding a reception on board for some natives, and each of the crew was endeavoring in some way to amuse the guests. One seaman took out his set of false teeth, thinking he would provide entertainment; but instead the natives became so alarmed that they tumbled over the side into their canoes and made their retreat as quickly as possible. The crew was asked on shore for a return visit; but an invitation to the exhibitor of the teeth was not forthcoming, and he was obliged to remain alone on the ship, much to his disappointment. Captain Gardner of Nantucket stated that in thirty-seven years he spent only four years and eight months at home, and Captain North, also of Nantucket, figured that he had sailed one million one hundred and ninety-one thousand miles.

Nothing could have equalled the joy of returning home after a long voyage, and the anxiety to reach port was almost unbearable. Often a vessel ran into bad winds and had to anchor for days a few miles off shore, and there is one case known of a ship being blown to sea and lost after having actually come within sight of New Bedford Harbour.

Many a whaleman has laughed at this story. It was customary for the first mate to keep the log book. One day he was intoxicated, so the captain entered the day’s events, noting that “the mate was drunk all day.” The next day the mate protested, but the captain said that it was true and must remain on the records. The mate resumed his charge of the diary, and got more than even with his superior officer by recording on the following day that “the Captain was sober all day.”

WHALING IMPLEMENTS AND WHALEBOATS

Figure 1. Harpoon with one barb. Figure 2. Harpoon with two barbs. Figure 3. The “toggle iron.” Figure 4. The lance for killing the whale by reaching its “life.” Figure 5. A spade used in small boats for making holes in the blubber after capture and on the whaleship for cutting the blubber from the body of the whale. Figure 6. A bomb lance. Figure 7. The “boarding knife” used for making holes in the strips of blubber for the hoisting hooks. Figure 8. The dipper used to bail oil out of the “case,” or head, and from the try-works into the cooler. Figure 9. A piece of whalebone as it comes from the whale. Figure 10. A strainer used for draining the scraps from the oil.]

The earliest method of killing whales was by means of the bow and arrow, and the first accounts of New England whaling refer to the harpoons as being made of stone or bone. There are three kinds, however, that have been popular among American whalemen: one had one barb (Figure 1), shown on the preceding page; another had two barbs (Figure 2); and the third was the “toggle iron” (Figure 3), which has already been described. The edges were sharpened like a razor and were protected by a wooden cover when not in use. They were so sharp that Melville in “Moby Dick” describes his whaling hero, Queequeg, as shaving with one. The lance (Figure 4) which was used after the harpoon had been driven in “to the hitches,” or its entire length, resembled a flat spoon, and was very sharp on the edges and on the point. The long line was attached to the harpoon, and shorter lines, called “monkey ropes,” were made fast to the lances.

It has been shown by the records of one James Durbee, a veteran harpoon maker of New Bedford, that between the years 1828 and 1868 he made and sold 58,517 harpoons, and he was only one of eight or ten manufacturers of whaling implements in that one port.

An interesting and authentic anecdote of a lost harpoon describes how a Captain Paddock in 1802 struck a whale, which escaped with his iron, and in 1815, thirteen years later, the same captain killed the same whale and recovered his lost weapon.

A whaler is supplied with from four to seven whaleboats, three of which are usually on the port side, one on the starboard side near the stern, and the rest are on deck; it was the improved early canoe, sharp at both ends so as to make a dash at the whale and then be able to retreat just as easily. The floor was very flat so as to enable the boat to be turned quickly in order to dodge a sudden movement of the whale. The boat was about twenty-eight feet long, was equipped with one long steering oar and five rowing oars, and a sail which was occasionally used; also paddles were sometimes resorted to in order to avoid noise. In the bow of the boat two seven-foot harpoons were placed ready for use. A warp was securely fastened to them, and to this warp was secured, after the boat was lowered, a line of two or three hundred fathoms of the best manila two-thirds of an inch in diameter, and with a tensile strength of about three tons. It ran from the harpoons through a chock or groove in the bow to a coil in a depressed box near by, and then lengthwise along the boat to the stout loggerhead or post in the stern, around which it made a turn or two, and then went forward to the line tub near the tub oarsman. Its twelve or eighteen hundred feet of line were coiled in this tub, with every possible precaution to prevent fouling in the outrun. When the rope was coiled and the tub was covered, it was said to resemble a Christmas cake ready to present to the whales. The loggerhead was for snubbing and managing the line as it ran out. A spare line was carried in another tub. A boat was also supplied with extra harpoons, lances, spades, hatchet with which to cut the line if necessary, lanterns, box of food, keg of water, and compass, weighing, all complete, about twelve hundred pounds.

Fig. 1. The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Fig. 2. The California Gray Whale (Rjachianectes glaucus). Fig. 3. The North Pacific Humpback (Megaptera versabilis). Fig. 4. The Sulphur Bottom (Sibbaldius sulfurens). Fig. 5. The Bowhead (Balaena mysticetus). Fig. 6. The Finback or Oregon Finner (Balaenoptera velifera). Fig. 7. The Pacific Right Whale (Balaena japonica). ]

DIFFERENT SPECIES OF WHALES AND THEIR PRODUCTS

There are many different kinds of whales; namely, sperm whale, right whale, finback, humpback, razor-back, sulphur bottom whale, and the narwhal. The two former species are the more often sought after. The sperm whale was so called because it was the only kind that furnished sperm oil, which is a richer and more valuable fluid than the ordinary whale oil. This species was also called “cachalot.” It has one spout hole through which it blows vapor (not water as is generally supposed), which resembles one’s breath on a frosty morning; it has also about fifty teeth on the lower jaw which fit into sockets in the upper jaw, and very small eyes and ears. This kind of whale usually employed its mouth as a means of defence, whereas the right whale used its immense tail. A large-sized whale will yield about eighty barrels of oil, but they have been known to boil even larger amounts. Captain John Howland of New Bedford captured two whales which produced over four hundred barrels together. The tongue alone often produced twenty-five barrels. In order to attract the squid, or cuttle-fish, which is often lured by a shiny object from the dark recesses in the great depths of the ocean, the jaw and inner side of the Brobdingnagian mouth are lined with a silvery membrane of phosphorescent whiteness, which is probably the only thing the squid sees when the dark body of the whale is at the great depths to which it sometimes descends for food. Huge pieces of shark and hundreds of mackerel have been found in the stomach of a sperm whale, showing what a carnivorous animal the sperm whale is.