No. 69, 
 
 LIBRARY of 
 
 Cape Cod 
 
 HISTORY & GENEALOGY 
 
 CAPE COD SEA 
 REMINISCENCES 
 
 G. V. C. 
 
 YARMOUTHPORT, MASS.: 
 
 C. W. SWIFT, PUBLISHBR AND PRINTER, 
 
 The "Register" Press, 
 1913. 
 

CAPE COD SEA REMINISCENCES. G. V. C. 
 
 IQ — 
 
 '^^v In reading the daily press and Maine furnished two-thirds of the 
 
 noticing the comments and reports bone, muscle and brain that built, 
 therein under the head of News managed and sailed those ships-, 
 of the Waterfront, it is observed The cause of the decline of the 
 that as the prelude to each and American merchant marine to near 
 every report stands the initials extinction has been threshe<:l out 
 that show the shipping to he um'cr by the press, and from the floor of 
 a foreign flag. To one of many, Congress down to the corner 
 who lias been a humble factor in store; but to those whom it l'.as 
 the merchant marine of his conn- affected it is as vivid as was the 
 try, this question will unbidden handwriting on the wall: 
 arise: Lack of national pride, that once 
 
 What has become of the Anier- was the breastwork of our coun- 
 ican ship? try; the introduction of foreign 
 
 Where are those who once pauper labor and foreign officials, 
 manned them? and last but not least, railroad con- 
 
 The latter question is compara- trol; and when railroads control 
 • tively easy to answer. Many; yes, shipping, either by officials or by 
 a greater number of them have capital, in the words of the late 
 crossed the Great Divide, and, let Evangelist Sam Jones when calling 
 us hope, are resting in the Harbor his hearers to repentance^ "Repent, 
 of Heaven. Those yet remaining or with you it will be ..'Goodbye, 
 are but waiting the Pilot's sura- John'." 
 
 mons, when they too must answer The master's judgment counts for 
 the eternal roll call. naught; the three sailors "L. L.L.," 
 
 In reading some of the above namely "Lead, Log and Lookout," 
 stated reports the gates of memory are a myth. The orders of rail- 
 will but open to days gone by— to road management and the average 
 days when our country could boast trans-Atlantic steamship company 
 of a merchant marine; to days defy the omnipotent and are a 
 when the United States led the direct challenge to the elements 
 world by half a million tons in in which they move. The master, 
 merchant marine. The New Eng- who once was king in his own 
 land states were the center of right when at sea, is now but a 
 shipbuilding; Massachusetts and pilot, so to speak. He leaves his 
 
 ^(^03^ d 
 
home office with his pockets filled last act of a British Parliament, 
 
 with sailing orders; how to steer the seventy-second act of our 
 
 and how fast to go and where to American Congress or the decision 
 
 go. "iMake that time or you for- of some Western judge for "his 
 
 feit your position;" the lives of text book," 
 
 your passengers are naught to our When sailing ships were built, 
 
 interests. Result: a Titanic ocean safety for life and property as 
 
 horror. well as speed was driven into 
 
 Many of the rising generation of them with every bolt, and seamen 
 
 today have no correct knowledge handled them. With modern ships 
 
 of the part Cape Cod so manluUy in ocean service, the bow and 
 
 accepted and nobly carried to a stern may resemble a ship, but 
 
 sucfi'ss,— the American merchant the midship secion is but a ten 
 
 marine. story hotel, with elevators in the 
 
 There was a well-known saying center; those in command have a 
 
 that the average Cape Cod boy string of letters tacked onto their 
 
 goes from the cradle to the sea, names, both as a badge of ser- 
 
 and when the mother found her vitude and for supposed safety, 
 
 boy big enough to haul a brick And the end of ocean horrors is 
 
 with a half-inch rope attached not yet. 
 
 hand over hand, sailor fashion, up R. B. Forbes, who was a big 
 
 and into the chamber window he factor in our countrj^'s merchant 
 
 was big enough to go to sea. And marine, was reported to have once 
 
 to sea he went, with ambition to said, "I would not be at all sur- 
 
 go from the hawse pipes to the prised if, when the North Pole is 
 
 quarterdeck. discovered, a Cape Cod man will be 
 
 In these modern days the Amer- found there fisliing." As Or Cook 
 
 ican boy has no calling for the made no report of any find of that 
 
 sea; he will tell you (in all truth) nature the prophecy has not boon 
 
 that there is nothing in it. He verified. But this much we have 
 
 therefore takes to the baseball ample proof of: there is no part 
 
 field, because there is "more of the world that can be reached 
 
 money in it." by water that has not been visited 
 
 Then, again, we have no ships, by or where a sou of Cape Cod has 
 
 Steam has driven the once lamous not placed his foot; and nobly liave 
 
 clipper ship from the seas. "Wind the daughters of Cape Cod gone 
 
 and canvass make the true sail- side by side with husband and 
 
 or." Reef-hand and steer and father— the wife sharing the hus- 
 
 obey orders was his sea Bible, and band's hardships as well as his 
 
 the marlin-spike his text book. success — in every part of the world 
 
 With modern steam and electric- where civilization has made it 
 
 ity, sailors are not required. In possible for her to go. 
 their place are what are known as In the year 1858, the writer, then 
 
 "rouseabouts" or "deckswabs"— the a boy, was on a sailing ship in 
 
Callao, Peru. A large fleet of to place her under a foreign flag. 
 American ships was laying there My route was Aia Suez canal, call- 
 awaiting charters. They came ing at Singapore, Hong Kong and 
 from different parts of the world, Honolulu, and as I had placed my 
 "seeking." It was a year doubtless ship under the Hawaiian flag I 
 remembei-ed by many to this day called at the latter port for a por- 
 as one of hard times for com- manent register, 
 merce. On my arrival at Hong Kong I 
 
 The Fourth of July came, and found my agent there — a typical 
 our ship was selected on which to Englishman— was connected with a 
 celebrate the day. At the banquet trans-Pacific line of steamships, 
 table were seated sixty-four. In My ship being under a foreign flag 
 answer to the toast "Sweethearts he accepted it for a fact that I was 
 and wives on Cape Cod," twenty- of his nationality, as "none but the 
 eight masters of ships at that English can command ships." One 
 port stood at attention. Every day I invited him to dine with me 
 town on Cape Cod from Chatham on board my ship. As an induce- 
 to Barnstable, both on the north ment (knowing the feelings of the 
 and south sides, was represented; average Englishman when food is 
 and beside eight of the above num- the subject) I informed him I had 
 ber, with the beauty and dignity on board three French cooks 
 of queens, as they were, stood selected in London for their skilL 
 their wives. Chatham, Brewster, With all the dignity imaginable he 
 North and East Dennis, Hyannis, replied, "Captain, I shall expect 
 Yarmouth and Barnstable wei'e you to dine with me tomorrow, 
 represented by the daughters of My wife is a New England woman, 
 Cape Cod. Should they yet be sir; she can grace the kitchen as 
 counted with the living and the well as the parlor. I shall ask her 
 above reach their eye, possibly to prepare something I daresay 
 they may remember the little boy you never enjoyed — I never until 
 who was detailed by them to look Mrs H. became my wife — a *New 
 after their little ones, with which England dinner." 
 three of them were blessed. Silence for one moment reign(?d. 
 
 In the year 1888 the writer was The French cooks vanished. "I ac- 
 detached from his command by cept your invitation, sir," I re- 
 the late GoUis P. Huntington and plied. 
 
 ordered to London, there to take The morrow came and with it 
 command of a steamship pur- one poor hungry mortal. On ar- 
 chased by the company for the rival at Mr H.'s home I found 
 China and trans-Pacific route. I that Mrs H. had taken charge of 
 was ordered to deliver her at San her kitchen. Her Chinese servants- 
 Francisco. As she was for- were bidden to obey orders, and 
 eign built, yet ship and cargo Mrs H. surely had awaiting her 
 owned by Americans, I was foiced guest a New England diimer suclt 
 
as our mothers used to gi\e us. 
 
 During the conversation at the 
 table I asked Mrs H. what part of 
 New England she claimed by birth, 
 and I was not surprised when she 
 replied, "Massachusetts." A light 
 luid slowly dawned on me, "They 
 carry the marks in word and 
 gesture." To the further question 
 of "What part of Massachusetts?" 
 With a slight toss of the head 
 tlial spoke plainer than words 
 the pride she held in the land of 
 her birth, Mrs H. replied, "Cape 
 Cod." Again the question, "What 
 part of Gape Cod?" Evidently by 
 her face a light was dawning on 
 her, for with a half look of expec- 
 tation she answered, "East J^ennis." 
 Arising from my chair T made the 
 best Chesterfieldian l)ow I knew 
 huw to make and replied, "West 
 Harwich! At your service, Mr H." 
 
 I met Mr H. several ■ times in 
 later years at the same port, and 
 lie nev(3r forgot to relate how he 
 Invited a Down East Yankee, as he 
 termed me, to his home in order to 
 sui'prise him with a New England 
 dinner. It appears Mrs H. had vis- 
 ited Hong Kong with her parents 
 oil a sailing ship and there met her 
 future husband. 
 
 Cape Cod men can be found in 
 all parts of the world. They never 
 losi' their love for the place of 
 their birth, and if the ocean or 
 some foreign land is not their last 
 re.-^ling place, as the years pass and 
 agf places them on the shelf of 
 usefulness, their desire to return 
 to the place where they first saw 
 light predominates. 
 
 Twice during the writer's career 
 
 has he had the conceit taken out 
 of him when he was egotistic 
 enough to think he was the first 
 Cape Cod man to place his foot 
 in certain parts of the earth. 
 
 In 1803 I was officer on a ship 
 that entered the port of Japan, 
 which had then been open to com- 
 merce but a few days. The ship 
 ,1 was attached to was under the 
 British flag. But one vessel, a 
 brig, was laying in the harbor, and 
 she flew the American flag. "Of 
 course," thought I, "there cannot 
 be a Cape Cod man on her." I was 
 detailed to go on shore (after per- 
 mission had been given by the 
 shore officials) to make some pur- 
 chases for ship's use. I will not 
 deny that my hat was just a trifle 
 to one side as I walked up from 
 my boat with native Japs staring 
 in wonder at me, doubtless to see 
 if I had horns or a cloven foot. 
 "The first," I thought, "from my 
 section of the state!" 
 
 Looking to the right in the cen- 
 ter of a group of low thatched 
 huls, I saw this sign in English, 
 
 Ship Stores. 
 I entered the hut, so called, and 
 found that its owner was a native 
 of Hyannis, and the captain and 
 first mate of the brig in the har- 
 bor were natives of Chatham. My 
 hat went to its proper place and I 
 just "faded away." 
 
 Again, one year later, I was chief 
 officer on an Amei'ican ship in the 
 port of Yiloilo, Philippine Islan*. 
 We were informed but tlu-ee shils 
 had touched at that port previous 
 to ours, one being an English ship. 
 But one white man was there, the 
 
U. S. commercial agent, a native words of the old sailor who 
 
 of Boston. In due time I was in- was trying to navigate one of 
 
 vited to visit the shore and re- ^^^^ ^^^^^^g ^^^^ ^^^ waterfront 
 
 quested to write my name m the ^, , ^, , . . , - 
 
 agent's book, which 1 did with ^^'^ ^ay after his arrival from sea, 
 
 pleasure, signing name, state, town with as usual at that time of day, 
 
 and with an extra flourisli adding a heavy cargo on board. With a 
 
 Gape God. Laying aside the pen, lurch to the leeward he collided 
 
 I exclaimed, "The first Gape Cod with an apple stand. An old lady, 
 
 man in this section!" "I think the owner — an ex-stewardess — seiz- 
 
 not," said the agent, "turn the leaf ing him by the shoulder quickly 
 
 of that book back, please." 1 did turned him around and shouted, 
 
 so, and there in bold and plain "Tack ship. Jack, and deepen your 
 
 English was written, "-^ , water." Looking at her for a 
 
 Chatham, U. S. of America, clip- moment he answered, "What do 
 
 per ship Mountain Wave." T did you know about tacking ship?" 
 
 not "fade away," but I just "fcshort yarns, my man," she re- 
 
 "wilted" and then and there de- plied, "Heave ahead. Ten voyages 
 
 termined never again to allow my across the Western ocean." And 
 
 conceit to lead me to believe I was Jack hove ahead, with an extra 
 
 the first son of Gape Cod to place hitch of his clothing, muttering as 
 
 my feet on any part of our Cre- he went, "What in — is the Amer- 
 
 ator's green earth before any other ican merchant marine coming to!" 
 
 Cape God man. Seldom do we meet men who 
 
 The word skipper is of English will not admit that sometime in 
 
 coinage and was given to the mas- their early days they had a desire 
 
 ters of fishing boats in the North to go to sea. There was some- 
 
 of England. It found its way here thing about the bounding billow 
 
 and was given to the masters of that was fascinating to their young 
 
 our fishing schooners. The title of minds. 
 
 Captain was given to those who The late Jay Gould, when a 
 
 commanded vessels that sailed the guest on board J. P. Morgan's 
 
 ocean. yacht Corsair, once said to the 
 
 Modern usages assisted by our writer, "Why, Captain, in my 
 
 sagegrass statesmen have driven young days I had a strong desire 
 
 our ships from the sea, our ex- to go to sea, and many times since 
 
 presidents adding the finish by then I have wished I had." Had I 
 
 granting that title to doctors and been J. P. Morgan I could have 
 
 machinist engineers; the former answered him, but being a servant 
 
 known on shipboard as "Pills," the of his for the moment, I could but 
 
 latter as "underground savages." remain silent. 
 
 Yot they are now Captains and Ad- The average Cape Cod boy of 
 
 mirals. ' r!ays gone by had committed to 
 
 One is compelled to repeat the memory before he had his evening 
 
prayer that song so familiar to 
 landsman as well as seaman: 
 Life on the ocean wave, 
 
 A home on the I'olling deep, 
 Where the scattered waters rave, 
 
 The winds their revels keep. 
 
 If he had taken to the sea with 
 the luring words of that song in 
 his ears and followed that calling, 
 before he had reached manhood 
 he had learned by experience the 
 answer to it, which says in part: 
 The man that wrote that song. 
 
 He never had been to sea; 
 He never a gale had seen 
 
 But upon his mother's knee. 
 
 Every town on the Cape fur- 
 nished its full quota of builders, 
 owners and masters. On the north 
 side up to Barnstable we have the 
 names of Knowles, Howes, Free- 
 man, Sears and Taylor, with a 
 Crowell thrown in here and there 
 in order to make stowage. These 
 men in the fifties commanded the 
 finest fleet of clipper ships the 
 world ever produced. Their nanie 
 was legion. 
 
 On the south side from Ghal- 
 ham to Hyannis, the former held 
 the lead for many years in what 
 is known as deep water captains. 
 All sections but one of Har- 
 wich furnished its masters; the 
 west section its deep water quota. 
 Many of them are in the writei's 
 memory at the moment. All of 
 them commanded different ships, 
 but I will only name one or moi-e 
 that come to memory as I wi'ite: 
 
 Isaiah Chace, ships Starlight and 
 Orpheus. His son, Edwin Chace, 
 ship Black Prince. Lost at sea. 
 
 Refused to abandon his ship. No 
 further tidings. 
 
 Thomas L. Snow, ships Camallia, 
 Hercules and Ringleader, the lat- 
 ter in her time a famous clipper. 
 
 Thomas Ellis, ship MaNei'ick and 
 others. 
 
 Thomas Snow, 2d, bark J. W. 
 Seaver. 
 
 The following was endorsed on 
 the J. W. Seaver register when on 
 a voyage from Boston to the 
 Amoor river, Siljeria, during oiu" 
 Civil war: 
 
 "The American bark J. W. 
 Seaver was this day boarded by 
 the Confederate steamer Georgia, 
 and satisfactory evidence being 
 given that most of her cargo be- 
 longs to the Russian government 
 she is ransomed wilh the sum of 
 816,000.00 and allowed to proceed 
 on her voyage." A hundred or 
 more prisoners, the crews of ships 
 destroyed by the Georgia, were 
 placed on board the bark, to be 
 disposed of as the master deemed 
 besl. They were landed at Rio de 
 Janeiro. 
 
 After endorsing the register. 
 Captain Snow, seeing the name of 
 Lieutenant Maurey, recognized in 
 him on old school fellow when at 
 their home in Fredericksburg, Va., 
 and asked him, "Maurey, how 
 would you trade jack knives?" 
 Maurey looked up and replied, 
 "Tom Snow!" "Yes, Tom Snow; T 
 am the fellow." With more ex- 
 change of schoolday stories, they 
 parted, Maurey saying, "This is^ 
 tlie fortune of war." 
 
 Lieutenant Maurey will be re- 
 membered by seamen as once at 
 
the head of the hydrographic of- Franklin S. Doane, bark New 
 
 fice in Washington. The delay of Light. 
 
 going into Rio de Janeiro, and Isaac M. Bearse, ship Centennial. 
 
 meeting a typhoon in the China j^^^^^ ^ g^j. ^j^. j^^^.j. 
 
 sea and losing some spars and y^^orth 
 
 sails, when Captain Snow put into „ ' ,, ^ , . ^ 
 
 the port of Shanghai for repairs, ^ "^^^^^^^ N- B^^'^^'' ^^ip George M. 
 
 prevented the bark from getting to ^^^'"a™- 
 
 the Amoor river before it was David Kelley, ship Robinhood 
 
 closed with ice. Therefore the a"d others. 
 
 bark was detained nine months Anthony Kelley, ship Lizzie Oak- 
 
 until the next season. The Amer- ford. 
 
 ican consul at Shanghai copied J. G. Parks, a successful captain 
 
 the endorsement from ships, and on many ships, now on Standard 
 
 later on handed it to the captain's Oil company's ship Acme. 
 
 son, Alexander F. Snow, who was Nehemiah D. Kelley, ship Osborn 
 
 Si that port commanding bark Howes. 
 
 Japan, then in the San Fransico James Berry, ship Hercules. 
 
 and China trade. In the later years Henry G. Berry, ship Golden 
 
 Captain Snow built the three State. 
 
 masted schooner Maggie Andrews, Benjamin F. Chase, ship Ack- 
 
 making many voyages to South bar. 
 
 America. Gustavus Kelley. Captain Kel- 
 
 Remark Chase, 2d, bark Garead. ley built and sailed three different 
 
 Martin L. Chase, schooner Cen- vessels, namely, schooners Charles 
 
 tral America and bark Garead. H. Trickey, Thomas B. Garland 
 
 Later on Captain Chase made a and the J. Frank Seavey. The lat- 
 
 voyage to the East Indies in ter he sailed for twenty-two years, 
 
 schooner Henry Lippett (three from Maine to Mexico. 
 
 masted) and as far as the writer Judah Berry, Jr., bark Gray 
 
 can learn was one of the first to Eagle. 
 
 make a voyage of that kind in a Horatio Kelley, ship Eagle Wing, 
 
 vessel of that rig. At 87 years, to Osmyn Berry, schooner Jonathan 
 
 all appearance he is able to dupli- Bourne (four masted). Now com- 
 
 rate that voyage. manding steamer Essex. 
 
 Benajah Crowell, Jr., ship Wild Benjamin Chace, schooner Hat- 
 Rover, tie M. Crowell. 
 
 W. B. Crowell, bark Wild Gazelle. Horatio Chapman, bark Spotless. 
 
 Erastus Crowell, ship Golden Edwin F. Taylor, bark General 
 
 Rule, lost at sea; later on in Fairchild. 
 
 steamer Dianna (no tidings). Isaiah C. Kelley, bark Macon. 
 
 Uriel Doane, ship Fleetwing. Lost at sea. No tidings. 
 
 Lewis B, Doane, bark Ralph M. Alfred Nickerson, bark Ira Sea- 
 
 Haywood. ver. 
 
A great many of the a)jo\e have distiess. This is part oi' his life 
 
 passed on to their reward, leaving training. Broad minded from his 
 
 behind them the record of some intercourse with the world, taught 
 
 of Cape God's famous ship masters, by that intercourse not to inter- 
 
 IS'ot only did they conmiand their fere with anyone's creed, lie it 
 
 ships, but they superintended their what it may, he learns to respect 
 
 construction and were part owners, all creeds, or in other words, 
 
 Many of them who li\ed to see to steer his own ship and allow 
 
 the decline of the deep water ship others to do the same, 
 
 turned their ability to our coast- In the writer's whole career in 
 
 wise commerce that included every every port of the world, he never 
 
 poll from Maine to Mexico. Many met but one Atheist in the full 
 
 went into the foreign trade, show- sense of that word. It is next to 
 
 ing to the world the finest fleet of an impossibility for a sailor to Le 
 
 three, four and fi\e masted ves- an Atheist, from the naturt; '-f 
 
 sels that ever floated. the elements in which he moves. 
 
 When they in turn noted the en- Lieutenant Maurcy once paused 
 
 croachment of railroads and for- in pacing the deck (for he was a 
 
 eign tramp ships, majiy gave up great seeker after light) and turn- 
 
 the sea. Those remaining turned ing to a quartermaster nearby he 
 
 to steam. In the words of one said, "Bob, do you believe there is 
 
 captain, "I was tired of hearing a a God?" "Yes, sir," said Bob. 
 
 boom tackle block jingle over niy "Why do you believe there is a 
 
 head." God?" asked the lieutenant. Bob 
 
 Seamen as a rule are classed by standing at attenlion, paused for a 
 landsmen in street parlance as moment as if to collect himself to 
 "tough characters." Granted, for answer, and said, "Because, sir, I 
 there never was a class or body of see His handiwork 'in every move- 
 people that all were white, yet ment of the sea; I feel His pres- 
 the average landsman can give ence in every breeze that fans my 
 the sailor nine points in a ten cheek." The lieutenant was an- 
 point game of toughness and then swered. The sailor may not be a 
 beat him. professor or a possessor, yet when 
 
 Rough in exterior to all appear- questioned will say in all sincer- 
 
 ance, yet under the heavy jacket ity that he hopes to meet his Pilot 
 
 beats a heart that never will turn face to face when he must cross 
 
 from a flag union down, showing the bar. G. V. C.