Huntress (Ship) of New Bedford, Mass., 25 June 1844 - 27 May 1847

This page is not transcribed, please help transcribe this page

[Page number possibly added later] [29] 1844 Cruiseing of Newholland October 30

Wednesday October the 30^th commences with brisk bree zes at 3 P M turned all the reefs out of the tops ails at sundown took in the jib and and main sail and double reeft the topsails saw finbacks mid dal and latter part plesant weather and clear at 7 AM Cept of N by E saw nothing employed coopering bread Lat 38-14 Longitude 121-38

Thursday October the 31^st commences with lite breez es from [SE?] by [E?] steering [by the wind?] at 5 1/2 PM Saw a sail steering too the southward and wes tward and kept of for him employed coopering bread and starting watter middle and latter part moderat Breezes at 9 PM luft too the wind to the south E by E at [-] PM saw the ship that we kept of for The nite before kept of for him [again?] and spoke ship in [-] that for [-] sees some [-] But found him abord of [-] [-] saw Plenty of finbacks Arabella of sag harbor Captain Bab Cock 5 months clean Lat 38 26 Long 121 01 [Stamp of a full-rigged ship]

Friday November the 1^st commences with clear plea sent weather saw lots of finbacks 9 occurances bank in mein topgallant sail middle part brisk breezes at 6 AM saw 2 rite whales lowered struk and Drew saw the arabella [boiling?] and saw plenty of fin backs and humpbacks so ends day [Stamp of a whale sounding, with letters] W B sounded

39 40

Saturday November the 2^nd commences with lite Baffling winds saw plenty of finbacks and hum pbacks at 7 PM took in all sail too Double reeft Mein topsail and foresail middle part strong bree zes from the westward squalley latter part wind The same at Daylight set close reeft top sails at 11 AM Cept of N E saw the arabella standing too her Northward saw finbacks in all Directions

Lat 39 28

_____________________________________________________________________ NOTES: Line 23: The Arabella sailed on 28 May 1844 Lines 24-35: Yankee whalers never chased finbacks because they swim too fast. They rarely chased humpbacks because the oil if of poor quality, the baleen is short, and the whales tend to sink shortly after death. Line 36: This records that the waist boat struck, but iron drawed.

1844 Remarks on bord Ship Huntress Sunday november the 3^rd commences with heavy gales From the westward at 2 PM took in all sail [-] close reeft main topsail and spancer and hove too heading to the Southward and westward at 7 PM wore too the northward Middle part strong winds from the south west latter Part the same at 11 AM saw a sail heading too The [-] [saw] finbacks so ends

Lat 39 07

Monday november the 4^th commences a gale and [Heavy seas?] [kept off?] [-] too the southward [-] [-] mid and latter part gales from the [-] at 11 AM wore ship too the westward Gan back in [-] [-] topmast [-] [-]

Tuesday november the 5^th commences with strong gales From the westward heading for the N N W saw noth ing middle and latter part [strong breezes?] with man ly swel from the westward saw plenty of finba cks saw 3 whales going quick too windward Feedook called them Humpbacks saw a sail Employed breaking out of ham beans and flour Lat 39 08 Longitud 121-25

Wednesday November the 6^th commences with mode rate breezes from the westward at 1 PM spoke the ship Luminary of warren capt Cleveland 6 Months out 100 whale [sketch of a ship] middle and latter winds Heavey from the North employed at repairing [fore] Sail saw the luminary too leeward at 7 AM [-] [-]

Lat 39 32

Thursday November the 7^th commences with strong gales From NW employed mending and bending for top s ail at 7 PM spoke the loominery saw Midel and latter part Moderate breezes from E S [South?] Too sails in site at 8 AM set [?] Saw plenty of finbacks so ends

Lat 39-14 Longitude 121-45 _____________________________________________________________________ NOTES: Lines 13-17: Mostly illegible. It likely records efforts by the watch to deal with heavy winds and rough seas. Line 24: This appears to be Feederick Sanford, the cooper, who may have been taking his turn at masthead.

Cruiseing on Newholland 1844

Friday November the 8^th commences with lite Baffiling winds 2 sails in site middle part [-] Winds at Day lite made all sail latter part mo derate breezes steering [south?] saw too sails and Several finbacks so ends the day Lat [39?] 21

Saturday november the 9^th commences with mo derate breezes saw the luminary with too Whales [raised?] [-] [-] [-] did not see the spout [again?] [-] kept of and [Crused?] [-] the [-] [-] at [-] get too the whales [lowered? ] for porpose middle and latter part strong breezes from S W [-] set close reeft topsails at 8 AM made sail [-] at 11 AM luft too the wind and tookin all sail [-] close reeft Main Topsail and spencer [-]

Lat 39 59

Sunday November the 10^th commences with str ong breezes and foggy at 1 PM set the manesail and fore sail and gallant sail [steering?] N N E saw Nothing but porpoises middle and latter mod erate breezes and foggy at daylite [set?] main sail at 10 AM [-] [-] a rite whale and Lowered all botes the starboard bote Struck [-] [-] and took him too the Ship [Whale stamp with boat code above and estimated barrels below] S B [Leit]. for the longitude 124 46 60

Monday November the 11^th commences with Moderate breezes employed cutting at 5 PM Finished cutting saw [-] whales [-] windward And lowered for them without success at 8 ½ P M Started the works middle part brisk breezes from N E at 8 AM doubel reeft the topsailes [steeri?] ng too the north employed boiling so ends

Now observes [breeze?] ________________________________________________________ NOTES: Hand-written Page number possibly added later: [31]. Lines 7 & 12: This keeper uses the spelling "too" no matter the usage. Lines 11-20: From the legible words in this group it appears that whales were sighted, but not chased due to bad weather or rough seas.

1844 Ship Huntress Remarks on Board

Tuesday November the 12^th commences with a strong Brezes from NE saw one sail and several finba cks employed boiling at 6 PM Hove too heading too N N W middle and latter part moderate breezes fro m the N N W employed boiling at 8 AM made all sail saw nothing but finpbacks so ends the day

Lat 40 47 Longitude 125 12

Wednesday November the 13^th commences with a strong Brezes from [NE?] at 2 PM cooled down the works saw nothing but finpbacks at 7 PM took in sail middle part fine breezes latter part the same At 1 A M took trim fom the ship so ends

[A whale stamp with written above:] B B70 Lat 40 48 Longitude 144 48

Thursday November the 14^th commences with a modera ate breezes with [rain squales?] swell the piece tore of one lost the [-] saw many whales too leeward Lowered the boats [too boats?] struck [-] [-] [-] Whales one sunk the other one [-] [-] up For [-] [back to?] the ship [-] see cut [-] Lost [standing?] blood cut [-] [-] [Two right whale stamps, one sinking, with boat names] S B sunk L B Latter part moderate breezes Saw nothing but one sail and Some humpbacks at Daylite mad sail and [-] of too The eastward employed boiling so ends the Day lat 40 31 Longitude 135 23

Friday November the 15^th commences with brisk Brezes from s s e saw nothing but one sail emp loyed boiling at 7 PM back the sail close reeft mane sail and foresail middle part strong breezes From s s e at 5 P M [hauled to the?] southward and westward saw nothing but humpbacks and finbacks the watch employed boiling

[-] observation

_____________________________________________________________________ NOTES: Line 9: Whalers could not chase finbacks, sulphur bottoms (blue whales) or killers since they swam too fast for a whaleboat. Lines 22-27: many illegible words. It appears that a bad swell or series of swells resulted in some damage. It also appears that the Larboard boat had to cut away from a sinking whale. Line 40: Whalers generally ignored humpbacks since they produced a low grade oil, had short baleen, and tended to sink after killing.