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 SECOND SEEIES OF 
 
 VOYAGES 
 
 VAEIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD, 
 
 BETWEEN THE YEARS 1802 AND 1841. 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE COGGESHALL. 
 
 SELECTED FI10]1 HIS MS. JOURNAL OF EIGHTY VOYAGES 
 
 NEW-YOEK : 
 D. APPLETON & COMPANY, 
 
 200 BROADWAY. 
 
 1852.
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by 
 
 GEORGE COGGESHALL, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern 
 District of New-York.
 
 Q 
 
 c 
 
 %3 
 
 TO 
 
 COMMODORE CnAELES STEWAET, 
 Of the United States Navy, 
 
 Who, for more than half a century, has dignified and adorned 
 his profession by his character and achievements ; — who has, 
 during his whole hfe, practically vindicated the rights of 
 American seamen from British impressment ; — to whom was 
 struck more than once the flag of France, when at war with 
 his country ; — who was conspicuous in humbling and taming 
 the barbarian power of Tripoli ; — to whom, as captain of the 
 " Constitution," were surrendered, in one action, the " meteor 
 flags" of the " Cyane" and " Levant ;" — who, while command- 
 ing squadrons, was charged with the duties, and displayed 
 the abilities and wisdom of a statesman on occasions of deli- 
 cacy and difficulty with the nations of the Mediterranean and 
 the Pacific ; — who has received the thanks and commendations 
 of Cities, States, Congress, and of the Government ; — who is re- 
 warded in his advanced years for the services of his earlier 
 life by the love, veneration, and respect of his countrymen, 
 this volume is dedicated, as a slight token of the hidividual 
 esteem and regard in which he is held 
 
 By his friend and obedient servant, 
 
 GEORGE COGGESHALL. 
 New-York, April, 1852. 
 
 956S08
 
 PREFACE 
 
 DuniNG tlie last year I puLlislied a few voyages to 
 various parts of tlie world, whicli were so well 
 received, that I am induced to narrate a second 
 series. As a considerable portion of these voyages 
 were made to Europe, and to places well known,* 
 I can hardly expect them to excite much curiosity 
 or interest for the general reader ; still, it may be 
 interesting to those concerned in commercial affaii's, 
 and particularly to the younger part of the commu- 
 nity, to trace the progress of our growing commercial 
 marine during the last half century. The first voy- 
 age of this series was made in 1802, and the last 
 in 1841, consequently they extend over a space of 
 more than thii'ty-niue years. I have been travelling 
 and voyaging about the world for a period of fifty- 
 two years, and have kept a regular journal from the 
 commencement of my career until the present time. 
 I have, of course, passed through many perilous
 
 PEEFACE. 
 
 and exciting scenes not given to the public, but I 
 have related -enougli to prove tlie hardships and trials 
 of a seaman's life, and also to show that mine has been 
 a checkered one. In narrating these voyages it has 
 been my constant aim to do justice to all, and need- 
 lessly to hurt the feelings of no individual named in 
 my work. Still I have strictly adhered to the truth 
 under all circumstances, and have never called good 
 evil, nor evil good ; and as I am now drawing near the 
 close of life, I hope to die at peace with God and all 
 mankind. In conclusion, I would say to those of my 
 readers who may have the patience to follow me 
 through a portion of my various wanderings, that 
 whatever may be their opinion with respect to its 
 literary merits, they will do me the justice to believe 
 that candor and impartiality have been my sincere 
 desu-e. 
 
 G. C. 
 New-Yoek, April, 1852.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 Dedication, .,.,.... 5 
 
 Preface, ......... 7 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Voyage in the Schooner Thomas to Berbice. — Ashore on Fisher's Island. — 
 Violent gale, which lasted three days. — Lost a man overboard. — 
 Remarks on Berbice. In 1802, 1803, .... 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Voyage in the Schooner T/teresa to tholsland of Terceira. — Leave Montauk 
 Point. — Arrive at Terceira. — Load with fruit. — Remarks on the Azores, 
 or Western Islands. — Sail from that place. In the year 1804, . 24 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Voyage in the Schooner Betsey and Polly, to the West India Islands.— Dis- 
 . pose of our cattle at sea. — Men-of-war firing upon the boats of the mer- 
 chant ships. — Arrive at Barbadoes. — St. Lucie and St. Martin's. In 
 the year 1804, 28 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Voyage in the Ship Marshall, to Leghorn and New Orleans.— Arrive at Gib- 
 raltar.— Catch a great uupiber of turtle. — Arrive at Leghorn. — Re-
 
 10 CONTENTS. 
 
 marks on Leghorn and Pisa. — Arrive at the mouth of the Mississippi. 
 — Remarks on that river. — A Deserter reprieved. — Remarks on New 
 Orleans. In the years 1806, 1807, 33 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 First Voyage in the Schooner CentiirloJi, from New Orleans to Vera Cruz. 
 — Sail from New Orleans.— Arrive at Vera Cruz.— 3Iake a short voy- 
 age, and return to New Orleans. In the year 1807, . • 40 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Second Voyage in the same vessel to Vera Cruz, and back to New Orleans. 
 — Sail from New Orleans. — Arrive at Vera Cruz. — Difficulty with the 
 Custom-House Officers. — Go on board of a Spanish sloop-of-war. — 
 Leave Vera Cruz. — Return to New Orleans. — Sail from New Orleans to 
 Now- York, in the Schooner Ildty. — Remarks on the attack of the Brit- 
 ish ship-of-war Leopard on the U. S. Frigate Chesapeake. In the 
 year 1807, ... 42 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 First Voyage in the Pilot-Boat Schooner Hamilton, from New- York to 
 Vera Cruz. — Sail from New-York. — Robbed by Pirates. — Arrive at Vera 
 Cruz. — Sail from Vera Cruz. — Return to Now- York. In the year 1807, 40 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Second Voyage in the Pilot-Boat Schooner Ilajiiilloyi, from New- York to Vera 
 Cruz, and back to New- York. — Arrive at Vera Cruz. — Harbor of Vera 
 Cruz. — High prices of merchandise at that place. — Violence of north- 
 ers. — General remarks on the Port and City of Vera Cruz. — Sail for 
 home, and arrive at New- York. In the year 1808, , . 52 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Third Voyage in the Pilot-Boat Scliooncr IlamiUon, from New- York to Vera 
 Cruz, from thence to Philaduli)liia.— Sail from New-York. — Arrive 
 at Vera Cruz.— Climate and liealth of that place.— Take on board Don 
 Jose C. do Villaiuieva and his family. — Sail from Vera Cruz. — Arrive 
 at Philadelphia. In the year 1808, . . . . . 55
 
 CONTENTS. 11 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Voyage in the Brig Henry and Isabella, from New- York to St. Bartholomew 
 and back to New- York.— Sail from Now- York.— Arrive at St. Bartholo- 
 mew. — Sail from that place.— First voyage Captain. — His Motto. In 
 the year 1809, 58 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Voyage in the Ship Virginia, from New-York to Petersburg, Va., from 
 thence to England and Tonningen. — Sail from Norfolk. — Arrive at Fal- 
 mouth. — Arrive at Heligoland. — Enter the Eyder. — Remarks on Ton- 
 ningen. — Also on Hamburg. — Sail from Tonningen. — Pass Fair Island 
 Passage.— Get near the Coast of Iceland. — Arrive at New- York. In 
 the year 1809, CI 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 First Voyage in the Pilot-Boat Schooner Eliza, from New-York to Tonnin- 
 gen and back to New- York.— Sail from New- York. — Get among the 
 ice on the Banks of Newfoundland. — Loss of the Ship Jupiter among 
 the ice. — Speak the Ship Pilgrim. — Pass through the Pentland Firth. 
 — Arrive at Tonningen. — Visit to Hamburg. — Sail from Tonningen. — 
 Arrive at NewYork. In the year 1810, . . . .71 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Second Voyage in the Pilot-Boat Schooner Eliza, from New- York to Swe- 
 den, and from thence to Russia, and back to New- York.— Sail from 
 New-York. — Arrive at Gottenburg. — Remarks on that City. — Pass 
 through the Great Belt.— Danish Gun-Boats. — Arrive at Carlsliam.— 
 Taken by the English.— Sail from Carlsham. — Arrive at Riga.— Re- 
 marks on wintering in Russia. — Sail from Riga. — Lose a man overboard. 
 — Arrive at New-York. In the years 1810 and 1811, . . 80 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 First Voyage in the Ship America, from Philadelphia to Lisbon, and from 
 thence to New-York. — Drunken mutiny on the Delaware River. — Sail 
 from the Capes. — Ship takes the ground. — Arrive at Lisbon. — Sail 
 from that place. — INIake a good voyage for the owners. — Return to 
 New- York. In the years 1811 and 1812, . . " . • 100
 
 12 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Second Voyage in the Ship America, from New-York to Lisbon, and back 
 to New- York. — Sail from New-York.— Arrive at Lisbon.— Remarks on 
 the probability of war. — Religious Mate. — Five days calm weather. — 
 Escape from the enemy. — News of war with England. — Arrive at New- 
 York. In the year 1812, 113 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Voyage in the Schooner Iris, from New- York to TenerifFe, St. Thomas, Ha- 
 vana, and from thence to New- York. Preliminary Remarks. — Sail 
 from New-York. — Pass through Long Island Sound. — A severe gale. — 
 Novelty of Ocean scenery. — Arrive at TenerifFe. — Hire a house in 
 Santa Cruz. — Costume of the Spanish ladies. — A jaunt to the interior 
 of the Island. — A visit to the churches and nunneries. — Conversation 
 with the nuns. — Magnificent view of the Peak. — Port of Orotava. — 
 Load with brandy. — General remarks on the Canary Islands. — Sail 
 from Tenerifle. — Arrive at St. Thomas. — Get supplies of fruit, &c. — Sail 
 from St. Tliomas. — Pass through Sail Rock Passage. — Make the Hole- 
 in-the-Wall. — Bahama Banks. — Arrive at the Havana. — Remarks on 
 that place. — Load the Iris in the Havana. — Sail from that place. — 
 Arrive at New-York In the years 1818 and 1819. . . .121 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Voyage in the United States Brig jE^t/erpmc, with Captain Lawrence Kear- 
 ney, from Ncw-i''ork to Omoa, thence to Vera Cruz, in the Schooner 
 Retrieve, and back to New-York, in the year 1819. — Remarks on the 
 object of the voyage. — Sail from New- York. — Mona Passage. — Coast 
 of San Domingo. — Coast of Jamaica. — Lose a man overboard. — 
 Swan Islands. — Bay of Honduras.— Arrive at Omoa.— Salute the 
 Castle.— Good Governor.— Remarks on Omoa.— Sail from that place 
 in the Retrieve in company with the Enterprise. — Separate from the 
 Enterprise. — Intemperate crew. — Arrive at Vera Cruz. — Ingrati- 
 tude of Baker Smith. — Superstition of a sailor. — Troubles in Vera 
 Cruz.— Sail from Vera Cruz.- Alacrane Islands.— Narrow escape 
 from a Water-si)out. — Put into Savannah.— Arrive at New- York. — 
 Settle the voyage.— Execution of JNIr. Brown, mate of the Retrieve, 135
 
 CONTENTS. 13 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Voyage in the Sloop Volusia, from New- York to St. Jago de Cuba and 
 Omoa, and from tlicnce to New Orleans, and back to Truxillo, Bon- 
 aca, and from thence to New- York, in the 3'ears 1820 and 1821. — Sail 
 from New- York. — Make Tnrli's Island, and San Domingo. — Arrive 
 at St. Jago de Cuba. — Not allowed to sell my cargo. — Description of 
 that place. — Leave St. Jago de Cuba. — Make Bonaca. — Sail down to 
 the southward of Rattan Island. — Appearance of the coast of Hon- 
 duras. — Arrive at Omoa. — Terrible earthquakes. — Indolence of the 
 people. — General remarks on Omoa. — Sail from that place. — Melan- 
 choly death of Mr. Fricker. — Arrive at Truxillo. — Variegated plu- 
 mage of the Birds, and brilliant colors of the Fish.^Sell the residue 
 of my cargo at that place. — General character of the people. — Sail 
 from Truxillo. — Arrive at the mouth of the Mississippi. — Tedious 
 passage up that river. — Arrive at New Orleans. — Low prices of pro- 
 visions, etc. — Sail from New Orleans. — Leave the Mississippi. — Ar- 
 rival at Truxillo. — Description of that place. — Recover a large brass 
 cannon. — Meanness of its Governor. — Remarks on the Caribs. — Sail 
 from Truxillo. — Arrive at Bonaca. — Collect cocoanuts. — Large ser- 
 pent, and turtle. — Description of that Island. — Sail for New- York. 
 — Arrive at that city, — Settle the Voyage. — Letter from Captain 
 Baker, '150 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Voyage from New- York to the Havana, and back to New- York, in the 
 Schooner Swan, in the year 1823. — Agreement with the Owners. — Sail 
 from New-York. — Inefficient Mate. — Bad crew. — Make the Hole-in- 
 the-Wall. — Isaac Rocks. — Bahama Banks. — Escape from a Piratical 
 vessel. — Arrive at the Havana. — Trials and troubles at that place. — 
 Take a cargo for New- York. — Remarks on the frecpient Piracies at that 
 time. — Sail under convoy of two United States Schooners. — Passage 
 home. — Arrive at New- York. — Death of Mr. Patterson. — Quaran- 
 tine Ground. — Settle the Voyage. — General remarks and comments 
 on the Piracies in the West Indies, in the year 1823. — Connection 
 between the Pirates and the Inhabitants of Cuba.— Dreadful mur- 
 ders and barbarities conmiitted by Pirates at this period. — Awful 
 murder of Cai)tain Thornby and his Mate, Jlr. Roberts.— Burning 
 of the brig Vineyard. — How to make a Pirate, as related by Gibbs. 
 — Condemnation and execution of the Pirates, Gibbs and Walmsley, 170
 
 14 COXTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Voyage in the Ship Governor Clinton, David Hepburn, JNIaster, from New- 
 York to Chili, Peru, and Colombia ; namclj^, on the western coast of 
 South America, and from thence to Gibraltar, and back to New- 
 York, in the years 1825, 1826, and 1827. Myself Supercargo.— Sail 
 from New- York. — Sea-sickness. — Make the island of St. Antonio. — 
 Cross the Equinox. — Make Terra del Fucgo. — Loss of a Spanish 
 seventy-four. — French sloop-of-war, her sails in tatters. — Storms and 
 tempests off Cape Horn. — Bland climate of the Pacific. — Make the 
 St. Felix Isles. — Arrive at Callao.— Proceed to Chorillos.— Commercial 
 affairs at Lima.— Sail from Chorillos.— Arrive at Arica.-Go to Tacua.— 
 Remarks on that place. — Character of the people.— Value of Guano.— 
 Return to Arica. — Character of the People. — Sail from that place. — 
 Cabin passengers. — Arrive at Valparaiso. — Description of that place. 
 — Take a cargo of wild mules. — Sail from that place. — Arrive at Lima. 
 — Peacock and Georgia Packet. — Accident to the Packet. — Robberies 
 on the Callao road. — Sail from Callao. — Arrive at Eton. — Chai-acter 
 of the people. — Proceed by land to Lambaycque. — Description of 
 that place. — Procession of grotesque figures. — Sail from Lam- 
 baycque. — Touch at Payta. — Description of that place. — Sail from 
 Payta. — Arrive at Guayaquil. — Take a cargo of cocoa. — Descrip- 
 tion of that place. — Sail from Guayaquil. — Arrive at Payta. — Take 
 in bark. — Sail from that place. — Arrive at Lambayeque. — Take on 
 board Plata-pina. — Loss of one pataca. — Sail from that place. — 
 Quick and pleasant passage round Cape Horn. — Cross the Equinox. 
 — Speak an English ship, with monkeys. — Arrive at Gibraltar. — Get 
 Letters from home. — Sail from that place. — Arrive at New-York. 
 Severe winter, — Settle the Voyage, ..... 186 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Preliminary remarks and observations, preceding several vo3'ages made 
 in the brig Brilliant , during a space of four years, namely, from the 
 year 1807 to 1841, inclusive. 
 
 First Voyage in the Brig Brilliant, from New- York to the Isle of May, 
 and Rio do Janeiro, from thence to New Orleans and Boston, in the 
 years 1837 and 18,38. — Sail from New- York. — Strong gales from the 
 westward during the whole jiassagc. — Make the Isle of Sol, one of 
 the Cape de Verds. — Pass down throiigh this group. — Arrive at the 
 Lsle of May. — Take a cargo of salt. — Description of that Island. — 
 Character of the people. — Sail from that place. — Cross the Line. —
 
 CONTENTS. 15 
 
 Arrive at Rio dc Janeiro. — Capacious harbor of Rio. — Magnificent 
 and bold scenery. — N^umber of Inliabitants. — Commercial impor- 
 tance. — Purchase a cargo of coffee. — Sail from that place. — View of 
 Pornambuco and Olinda. — Make Barbadoes. — Pass down tlirough 
 the Caribbean Islands. — Arrive at New Orleans. — Take a freight of 
 cotton to Boston. — Arrive at that place. — Send the Brilliant to Nova 
 Scotia. — Return home, ...... 277 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Second Voyage in the Brig Brilliant, from New- York to the Isle of May, 
 Rio de Janeiro, and from thence to New Orleans and Connecticut, 
 in the years 1838 and 1839. — Remarks preceding a Second Voyage 
 in the Brilliant. — Make an arrangement for a credit on London. — 
 Leave New- York for Rio de Janeiro in the Brig Himmclah. — Arrive 
 at Rio. — Brilliant sails from New- York on the 13th of October. — 
 Arrive at the Isle of May. — Brilliant arrives at Rio. — City of Rio. — 
 Remarks on the Inhabitants. — Emperor's birthday. — The churches 
 and public buildings. — Botanical garden. — Mixing of races. — Bra- 
 zilian navy. — Fine gardens in the vicinity of Rio. — Increase of 
 coffee. — Importation of slaves. — Load with coffee. — Sail from Rio. 
 — Pass Cape St. Augustine. — See Pernambuco and Olinda. — Make 
 Barbadoes. — Pass through the West India Islands. — Mouth of the 
 Mississippi. — Arrive at New Orleans. — Dispose of the cargo. — 
 Freight with cotton. — Sail from New Orleans. — Arrive at Saybrook. 
 —Settle the Voyage, ....... 295 
 
 CHAPTER XXIIL 
 
 Third Voyage in the Brig Brilliant, from Saybrook to Sydney, N. S., and 
 from thence to Philadelphia, in the year 1839. — Preliminary Re- 
 marks. — Sail from Saybrook. — Departure from Montauk Point. — 
 Make the Island of Cape Breton. — Cold, foggy weather. — Make 
 Flint Island. — Remarks on the cod fishery. — Make Scattery Island. 
 — Arrive at Sydnc}'. — Hospitality of its Inhabitants. — Coal mines. — 
 Number of Inhabitants.— An Indian Tribe. — Birch canoe.— Sail 
 from Sydney.— Catch codfish and halibut.— Capes of the Dela- 
 ware. — Cape Henlopen. — The Breakwater. — River Delaware. — Arrive 
 at Philadelphia. — Settle the Voyage, ..... o07 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Fourth and last Voyage in the Brig Brilliant, from New-York to Rio 
 de Janeiro, and from thence to New Orleans, in the years 1840
 
 16 CONTENTS. 
 
 and 1841. — Preliminary Remarks. — Sail from New-York. — Severe 
 tempest. — Make the Island of ' St. Antonio. — Cross the Line. — 
 Southeast trades. — Clear skies and fine weather. — Arrive at Rio. — 
 American INIissionary and his Family. — Climate in the mountains. — 
 Load with coffee. — Sail from Rio. — Make Cape St. Augustine. — 
 INIake Barbadoes. — Pass through the West India Islands. — Mouth 
 of the Mississippi. — Shipwreck in that river. — Bayou Carrion 
 Crow. — Send the coffee in lighters to New Orleans. — Remarks on 
 the ]VIississippi and its mouths. — The Inhabitants. — Region of 
 Carrion Crow. — Oystermen. — Arrive at New Orleans. — Sell the ma- 
 terials of the Brilliant. — Dispose of the coffee. — Settle the^Voyage. — 
 Return to New-York.— Insurance Companies,— The End, . . 318
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER THOMAS, WITH CAPT. HENEY TURNER, 
 FROM MILFORD, CONNECTICUT, TO BERBICE AND THE WEST IN- 
 DIA ISLANDS, AND BACK TO MILFORD, IN THE YEARS 1802 AND 
 1803. 
 
 In the early part of my sea-life, I made several voyages from 
 Miiford and New Haven, in Connecticut, to the West India 
 Islands, in a miserable class of small brigs and schoon- 
 ers. These vessels were employed in exchanging the pro- 
 duce of the soil of Connecticut for the produce of the 
 Caribbean Islands;, namely, for rum, sugar, molasses, cof- 
 fee, and the indigenous fruits of these islands, such as oranges, 
 limes, tamarinds, cocoanuts, etc. These vessels carried the 
 produce of New England under deck, and live cattle, such as 
 horses, oxen, sheep, pigs and poultry on deck, and were, in 
 familiar jgrms, called horse-jockeys. Though the reader may 
 find nothmg very striking or interesting in these voyages, still 
 I have decided to narrate a few of them to serve as a specimen 
 of our commerce to these islands, and to exhibit the ineffi- 
 ciency of the ships and vessels in common use at that period 
 of our commercial history, that the present generation may be 
 able to contrast our then infant commerce, and the inefficiency 
 of our merchant marine, with the rapid strides it has since 
 made in wealth and importance, during the last half century. 
 I have said that the brigs and schooners in common use in 
 Connecticut at that period, were miserably constructed, and 
 very badly adapted to commercial purposes. In New- York, and 
 2
 
 18 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER THOMAS. 
 
 some Other cities of the Union, they were a Httle better, but still 
 small and very inefficient ; and not one in fifty of them were 
 coppered ; so that on long voyages they would be covered with 
 barnacles and sea-grass, which impeded their speed at least 
 one-third; forexample,aship with a clean copper bottom, which 
 could with ease sail nine miles the hour, with a foul wooden 
 one could not be driven over six, consequently their passages 
 from the East Indies would be one-third longer. A ship in 
 those days, of 300 or 400 tons burden, was considered enor- 
 mously large, and when advertised for sale, freight, or charter, 
 was represented as a very capacious ship, coppered and copper 
 fastened, and well found in rigging, sails, etc. 
 
 Methinks I liear some of the seamen of the present day 
 inquire how men could be found to go to sea in such misera- 
 ble craft? I answer, they must either go in them or stay on 
 shore, for these were the vessels in general use at that period. 
 
 I hardly need remind any one at this time that our sail- 
 ing ships are floating palaces, and measure from 1000 to 
 2500 tons, and frequently cost from 100,000 to 150,000 dollars. 
 Such, then, is the improvement in the merchant marine ser- 
 vice during the last fifty year^■, and it is hardly less striking 
 in our ships of war. Other nations, also, have made great 
 progress in naval science ; look, for example, at the engravings 
 of Lord Nelson's fleet as represented at the battle of Trafiilgar, 
 what ungainly, clumsy-looking floating batteries were then in 
 service, Avitli their bowsprits standing almost perpendicular. 
 How it would oflend the eye of one of our naval olficers at the 
 present day, to gaze upon one of these obsolete ships of a by- 
 gone age. Perliaps tliore is no branch of art or of science that 
 has made such rapid progress as naval architecture, and the 
 management of ships. 
 
 With these preliminaries, I will proceed to copy from my 
 journal, a voyage in the schooner Thomas, to Bcrbice, Guiana, 
 with Captain Henry Turner, commenced in December. The 
 Thomas was an old vessel, of 80 tons burden, badly built, 
 and badly-.equippcd, and were she in existence at this time 
 (1852), a crew could not be obtained for her in the United
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER THOMAS. 19 
 
 Stales. Our crew consisted of the captain aforesaid, Mr. 
 John Mallet (an old man), the mate, with two seamen, 
 two landsmen, and a cook. This comprised the whole, being 
 seven in number. Mr. Stephen Trowbridge, a native of Milford, 
 was one of the seamen, and myself the other. He was, in 
 truth, a good sailor, and a worthy, honest man, and later in 
 life made many voyages with me to various parts of the world, 
 as my chief mate. It is with sincere pleasure that I now call 
 to mind his efficient and honest fidelity, in many trying scenes 
 through which we were destined to pass in our various wan- 
 derings for a period of more than five years. We took on board 
 the usual cargo under, deck, namely, beef, pork, hams, some 
 flour, butter, cheese, etc. On deck, we had twenty-four low 
 priced horses, with sundry sheep and pigs, and were provided 
 with the usual quantity of grain, hay, etc., to supply the ani- 
 mals' with food. Thus manned and equipped, we sailed from 
 Milford in the morning of the 10th of December, for Berbice. 
 It was a very cold day, and there was a great deal of field and 
 floating ice in the Sound ; but the wind being favorable and 
 strong from the N. W., we made fair pr6gress on our course 
 towards Montauk Point, but as the schooner was at best a slow 
 sailer, we did not get down to Fisher's Island until near mid- 
 night, and when we approached it, our captain was deceived 
 in the appearance of the land ; in fact it was difficult to dis- 
 criminate it from the water, there being so much floating ice 
 which was covered over with snow, that it was almost impos- 
 sible to find the true channel or passage, called The Race, 
 leading to Montauk Point. We however steered boldly on, 
 and soon found ourselves on the rocks, but a short distance 
 from Fisher's Island. Here we lay thumping for about an 
 hour, expectmg every moment to go to pieces ; some of the 
 sheathing was knocked off the schooner's bottom, and came 
 floating up alongside. She soon began to leak badly, and to 
 thump so severely, that we could scarcely stand on our feet. 
 In this trying dilemma we got out the boat (the only one we 
 had), to save our lives by landing on the island ; but it fortu*
 
 20 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER THOMAS. 
 
 nately happened that we ran on at young flood, so that when 
 the tide rose, she drifted off tfie rocks. We then steered for 
 New London, but as the wind was blowing strong from the 
 N. N. W., we could not fetch into that port, and being able to 
 keep the schooner free with one pump, our captain ordered the 
 helm to be put np and the sails filled for sea. It would be 
 ditficult to descj'ibe our perilous situation while thumping on 
 these black rocks, some of which were above water, the 
 weather intensely cold, the cattle restless and frightened, so 
 that we could with difficulty keep them from falling down at 
 every surge or roll the schooner made. I expected every mo- 
 ment she would bilge and go to pieces, and ardently wished 
 myself on the island, and would gladly have resigned every 
 thing I had on board, and all that I expected to make by the 
 voyage, to have been placed once more upon Terra Firma. 
 After passing Fisher's Island, the wind increased to a Strong 
 gale from the N. W., and we continued to scud before it to the 
 S. E. for a period of three days. During the whole of this vio- 
 lent gale, one pump was constantly employed, and sometimes 
 both, to keep her free. We had a quantity of loose oats 
 stowed in the run, under the cabin floor ; at times the pumps 
 would choke with them, so that we were obliged to bail the 
 water out of the run with buckets. During the whole of this 
 furious gale, which lasted three days, the schooner was steer- 
 ed by Trowbridge and myself alternately, four hours and four 
 hours, while the mate and the remainder of the crew were 
 employed at the pumps and taking care of the horses. There 
 was little or nothing to do with trimming or shifting the sails; 
 we constantly scudded under a reefed fore-topsail and a double 
 reefed foresail, and all we could do was to steer directly before 
 the wind and sea, and fet the gale expend its fury, and thus 
 waft us onward to a milder chmate. The sea was lashed 
 into a white foam, and our little bark was forced along like a 
 sea-bird that flies with the raging tempest. After passing the 
 Gulf Stream and getting into fine weather, our horses were in 
 a miserable condition, and were scarcely able to stand.
 
 VOYAGE IN Tllh SCHOONER THOMAS. 21 
 
 Nothing occurred worthy of remark until tlie 24th of De- 
 cember, fourteen days out, when in tlie act of letting a reef out 
 of the mainsail on a fine morning, one of the landsmen slipped 
 overboard from the lee-quarter. At this time, the schooner was 
 only going at the rate of one or two miles the hour. All hands 
 being on deck, the boat was immediately thrown from the 
 forecastle into the water, and Trowbridge and myself instantly 
 jumped into it with two oars in pursuit of him ; he was then 
 about one hundred yards astern of the schooner. In the hurry 
 the plug-hole in the bottom of the boat was left open, and no 
 plug to be found. The water was rushing in with great vio- 
 lence ; my friend T. thrust his thumb into the hole, while I 
 snatched off my neck-handkerchief and stopped it. This de- 
 tained us a minute or two, but we soon pulled up to the man, 
 when my friend T. had just time to save him by the hair of 
 his head ; he was fast sinking, and would in another moment 
 have been drowned. We soon pulled him into the boat, and 
 took him on board. He was a stout young farmer, about 
 nineteen years old, from some small interior town in Connecti- 
 cut, and this was his first voyage from home. His name I do 
 not recollect. He soon recovered, and when asked what were 
 his feelings at the time he was sinking, he said he thought 
 he was dying, and that all the sins he had ever committed 
 rushed into his mind ; and the thought of having left home 
 without the consent of his mother, was to him perfect torture. 
 He was a humble man, and seemed to have no idea that the 
 boat would be got out for him, and during the whole voyage 
 appeared to be very grateful to all on board for so kindly sav- 
 ing him from a watery grave. I had twice before this acci- 
 dent assisted in rescuing men from drowning, and have asked 
 them the same question respecting their thoughts, when thus 
 struggling for life. Their answers have been uniformly the 
 same in substance ; namely, that in a single moment all their 
 evil deeds rushed like lightning into their minds, and appear- 
 ed as if the transactions of a whole life were condensed in a 
 moment of time.
 
 22 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER THOMAS. 
 
 AYe made but slow progress on our passage, and had fre- 
 quent calms and very light breezes, so that we wereobhged to 
 put the cattle on a short allowance of water. We lost ten of 
 our horses during the voyage, and when we arrived at Ber- 
 bice the remaining fourteen were reduced almost to skeletons, 
 and could scarcely stand on their legs. We landed the poor 
 animals, and the captain disposed of them for what he could 
 get, which I believe was very little. We were fifty-five days 
 making the passage, which was long and tedious, and when 
 we arrived, we were all nearljr worn out with labor at the 
 pumps and other severe duties. The captain retailed the cargo 
 to the planters residing on the banks of the Berbice river, and 
 frequently sold articles to be delivered at their plantations, some 
 ten or fifteen miles from the river's mouth. The articles sold 
 to the planters were delivered to them in our own boat, so that 
 we frequently had to row up the river a distance of from ten 
 to fifteen miles, unprotected against the hot rays of the sun by 
 day. and the unhealthy dews of evening. What would the 
 seamen of the present day say. if they had to perform such 
 severe duty? Yet this is only a small specimen of what I en- 
 dured for many years, when trading to the West India Islands. 
 We disposed of our cargo in detail, and received coffee in pay- 
 ment, all of which we put into tight puncheons to keep it dry. 
 After we had landed all our cargo, we hauled the schooner on 
 shore with the intention, if possible, of stopping the leaks. When 
 we came to examine the ends of the planks under the counter 
 we found the wood so rotten, that it was almost impossible to 
 hold oakum ; we however, calked all the bad places the best 
 way we could, and took on board our coffee and got ready for 
 sea. The coast near the river Berbice, and for many miles 
 along its banks, is extremely low and flat, not unlike the land 
 about the mouth of the Mississippi. At this period Berbice 
 was a colony of England ; coffee was its staple production 
 along the banks of the river, though I believe there were also 
 a few sugar estates. The general appearance of the country 
 is flat, and where the land is not cleared up for plantations, it
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER THOMAS. 23 
 
 has a wil(3, savage aspect. The forest-trees are large, and the 
 undergrowth is full and luxuriant, and I have no doubt 
 abounds with a great variety of wild animals, and small game 
 for sportsmen. When we were there it was healthy, but I 
 should judge it must be sickly at certain seasons of the year, 
 like other places in low latitudes, where the land is rich, vege- 
 tation rank and luxuriant, and the weather naturally liot and 
 sultry. 
 
 The little settlement at the mouth of the Berbice river, 
 lies in latitude 0° 23' north, longitude 57° 11' west of London. 
 We left this port on the first of March, bound for the leeward 
 West India Islands, in pursuit of a freight for the United 
 States. We ran down to the island of Tobago, and at this 
 place sent the boat on shore for information. We found no 
 freight here, and soon made sail for Nevis and St. Kitts, where 
 we had no better success, and after filling up our water, and 
 procuring sea-stores, and a quantity of fruit at the latter island, 
 we again sailed for the United States. We ran down among 
 the leeward islands, and passed through Sail Rock Passage, 
 and returned home to Milford on the 10th of April, 1803, thus 
 completing this disagreeable voyage in just four months.
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE THERESA, WITH CAPTAIN ADAM POND, 
 FROM MILFOED, CONNECTICUT, TO TEECEIEA, AND FROM THENCE 
 TO NEW-YORK, IN THE YEAR 1804. 
 
 I HAD recently returned from a voyage to Teneriffe, Madeira, 
 and Terceira, in the schooner Rover. From the last named 
 place we brought a cargo of oranges and lemons to New- York, 
 and from the information which I commmiicated to the owner 
 of the Theresa, he decided to dispatch her forthwith for a car- 
 go of fruit for the New- York market. The Theresa was a 
 new schooner of 80 tons burden, a fast sailer, and in every 
 respect a fine little vessel ; she was commanded by a son of 
 the owner, a young man about 22 years of age : the crew com- 
 prised the captain (myself, Mate), four seamen, and a cook. 
 To enable the captain to purchase a cargo of oranges and 
 lemons, the owners supplied him with a small cargo of pine 
 boards, scantling, whale oil, nankeens, bees-wax, and sundry 
 other articles, the whole invoice of which amounted to eight 
 hundred dollars, and after getting ready for sea, we sailed from 
 Milford on the 10th of February. We passed through Long 
 Island Sound and took our departure from Montauk Point with 
 a strong gale from the westward, with clear, cold weather, and 
 as usual at this season of the year, we had a continuation of 
 N. W. and W, N. W. winds during the whole passage, and 
 thus, on the 25tli of the same month, we came to anchor in
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER THERESA. 25 
 
 Angra Bay at the Island of Terceira, fifteen days after leaving 
 Miiford. 
 
 Our captain soon disposed of our little cargo at good prices^ 
 and in five days after our arrival we were ready to receive 
 our fruit, but as it was necessary to pick it from the trees some 
 miles in the country, it consequently occupied some eight or 
 ten days to bring it to town and pack it in boxes before putting 
 it on board. The whole consisted of twelve hundred boxes of 
 oranges and lemons, and cost one dollar each. After paying 
 for our cargo of fruit, together with the expenses of shipping it, 
 port charges, etc., we had a considerable sum to receive in sil- 
 ver, and as there was no other current money but pistareens, 
 we received the balance due us in this old-fashioned silver 
 coin. Before leaving, I will make some general remarks on 
 this island, and also on the whole group, which are called the 
 Azores or Western Islands. They are nine in number, and 
 are named as follows : Terceira, St. Michael, Fayal, St. Mary's, 
 Pico, St. George, Graciosa, Corvo, and Flores ; they all belong 
 to Portugal, and are about 800 miles distant from that country. 
 The southernmost of the group, St. Mary's, lies in lat. 36° 59', 
 and the northernmost, Corvo, lies in lat. 39° 44' N., and all 
 the others between these extremes, and their mean longitude 
 is about 28° 0' west. The climate of these islands is gener- 
 ally mild and healthy, though subject to severe gales in the 
 winter season ; they are also at times visited by destructive 
 earthquakes ; but with all these drawbacks they would become 
 vastly more important to the world if blessed with good har- 
 bors ; there is not a safe one in the whole Archipelago. Fayal 
 has a tolerable port, and the harbor on this island I will attempt 
 to describe after I have concluded my remarks. St. Michael's 
 is the largest, and Pico the most elevated ; the peak of this 
 island is seven thousand feet above the level of the sea, and 
 may be seen on a clear day some sixty or seventy miles off, 
 rising like a sugar loaf above the surface of the water. The 
 principal exports of these islands are wine and fruit, the great- 
 est part of which is consumed in England, though a portion of
 
 26 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER THERESA. 
 
 the wine is shipped to Madeira* and to Brazil. The entire 
 population of these islands is said to be about two hundred 
 and fifty thousand, and as they have but little intercourse 
 with other nations, they are of course extremely ignorant and 
 very superstitious, intolerant, and bigoted to the Roman Cath- 
 olic religion ; they consequently remain from age to age with 
 but little progress or improvement of any kind. Terceira is 
 the capital or seat of government for these islands ; here the 
 Governor-General resides, and to him they all appeal for ulti- 
 mate justice. 
 
 It is about 30 miles long and 20 broad, and lies in lat. 38° 
 39 north, longitude 27° 13' west of London. Tiie port of 
 Angra is rather a pleasant little bay, pretty well sheltered from 
 west and N. W. winds, but when it blows from the northeast 
 and east or round to the S. E. it soon raises a high sea, and 
 renders it a rough and dangerous port. The town of Angra 
 is situated on a hill rising gradually from the sea, and contains 
 about 12,000 inhabitants. The streets are broad and regular, 
 the houses are generally three stories high and constructed of 
 stone, and though well built, have rather a gloomy aspect. 
 There are many churches and convents; some of the former 
 are large, and rather handsome. From the convents we pur- 
 chased artificial flowers, preserved fruits, and other little curi- 
 osities, and found their inmates polite and friendly. 
 
 Fresh provisions, wild game, goats, poultry, eggs and fruit 
 are abundant and cheap, particularly oranges and lemons. 
 While here I observed a primitive custom, which struck me as 
 well worthy of imitation by villages and small towns in om* 
 own country ; namely, it is a general custom for the peasants 
 to drive into town a large herd of milch goats, stop at every 
 house, and supply each family with whatever quantity of milk 
 they may require, and in this way the inhabitants get it fresh 
 and pure. 
 
 * Tlic wine shipped from these islands to IMadeira, is there so mixed and 
 refined as to give it a new character, and from thence is exported as Madeira 
 wine.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER THERESA. 27 
 
 This island is in many respects a convenient stopping- 
 place to procure supplies of water, fresh provisions, fruit, etc., 
 etc. I regret that my stay here was too short for me to get 
 acquainted with the moral and social condition of the people, 
 but from what I saw, I should think them simple-hearted and 
 kind, though very ignorant and superstitious ; they have so 
 little intercourse with visitors or strangers from abroad, that 
 they cannot be expected to know much of what is going on in 
 the world ; still, from all I could learn, they are extremely at- 
 tached to their own island and rarely emigrate to foreign lands. 
 On our arrival we found lying here a brig belonging and bound 
 for New-York. She was from Liverpool, ballasted with coal, 
 and had been as far west as the Banks of Newfoundland, and 
 after having lost her sails and several spars, bore away for 
 this port leaking badly. On her arrival her captain found it 
 impossible to procure sails, spars, rigging, and other necessary 
 supplies at this place, and she was consequently condemned 
 and sold at public auction. The captain, James Kennedy, his 
 mate and crew, together with two of his cabin passengers, 
 went with us to New- York, and after getting all necessary 
 stores on board, we sailed from Terceira on the 10th of April. 
 We had a rough and unpleasant passage of twenty-three days ; 
 it was rendered disagreeable from the fact of having so many 
 persons crowded together in so small a cabin. We, however, 
 completed the whole voyage out and home in eighty-two days, 
 and made a good one, considering the size of the schooner and 
 the amount of capital employed.
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER BETSEY AND POLLY, WITH CAPTAIN 
 CALEB A. TOWNSEND, FKOM NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, TO 
 BARBADOES, ST. LUCIE, AND ST. MARTIN'S, AND BACK TO NEW 
 HAVEN, IN 1804. 
 
 It was in the month of June that I joined the schooner Betsey 
 and Polly, under the command of Captain Caleb A. Townsend, 
 then lying at New Haven. Connecticut, nearly loaded, for the 
 West Indies. This vessel was about 150 tons burden, and 
 was owned by Messrs. Gillet & Townsend, merchants, at this 
 place. Our crew was nine in number, viz. : the captain, 
 chief mate, second mate, cook, and five seamen. Mr. Ed- 
 ward Brown, of Milford, was chief mate, and myself second 
 mate. 
 
 Our cargo under deck, was composed of corn-meal, flour, 
 beef, pork, butter, cheese, hams, etc., etc. On deck, we had 
 44 oxen, besides many sheep, pigs, and a great variety of 
 poultry, with the usual quantity of hay, corn, oats, etc., etc. 
 Thus loaded and lumbered up, on deck and below, we sailed 
 from New-Haven on the 20th of June, bound for Barbadoes 
 and a market. That niglit, we got down near Fisher's 
 Island. The passage near this island leading out to sea, is 
 called The Race, probably because the tides in tbis vicinity 
 are so extremely rapid. At midnight, it became very dark, 
 and the wind light ; and, for fear of being driven on shore, we 
 let go our bower anchor, which brought up the schooner in
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER BETSEY AND POLLY. 29 
 
 10 fathoms of water, in mid-channel, and at the full strength 
 of the ebb-tide. 
 
 When the weather cleared up a little, we found ourselves in 
 a good position, with a fair wind, and a favorable tide ; but 
 how to weigh the anchor was the question ; for in bringing up, 
 one of the windlass bits was carried away, and to heave it up 
 with our broken windlass was impossible ; we were therefore 
 compelled to cut the cable, and make sail with the loss of our best 
 bower, and about 20 fathoms of rope cable. After this incident, 
 nothing worth noticing occurred for three weeks. We generally 
 had light baffling winds and fine weather, so that we did not 
 pass the Island of Bermuda until we had been 22 days at sea. 
 
 One fine morning, when in the latitude of Bermuda, and 
 about 20 leagues to the eastward of it, we fell in with an 
 English homeward-bound fleet from Barbadoes, but last from 
 the Island of St. Thomas. This fleet consisted of about 150 
 sail of merchantmen, under convoy of the Blenheim 74, a 
 frigate, and two or three sloops-of-war. The flag-ship brought 
 ns to, and purchased from our captain 22 head of cattle, at 
 ^75 each, and nearly all our small stock of hogs, sheep, geese, 
 turkeys, fowls, etc., etc. In these stock- vessels, the mates and 
 seamen were allowed (freight free) to take for their private 
 adventure from one to three coops of ducks and fowls, with 
 the privilege of several barrels under deck. After our captain 
 had agreed with the purser of the Blenheim upon the price of 
 the cattle and all the other articles, with a portion of hay, 
 grain, etc., etc., to save time, or rather not to lose theirs, the 
 Blenheim took our schooner in tow, for the purpose of trans- 
 porting the articles purchased from the schooner to the flag- 
 ship; they took a large rope hawser from the stern of the 
 Blenheim, and made it fast to our foremast. When this was 
 done, they filled away, and stood on their course to the N. E., 
 under easy sail, taking our little bark along with them. The 
 contrast in the size of the 74 and the "Betsey and Polly," was 
 as striking as would be a jolly-boat towed by a large merchant 
 ship. The oxen were transported from our schooner to the 
 Blenheim with great rapidity ; a strap was fastened round the
 
 30 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER BETSEY AND POLLY. 
 
 horns of the animal, which was then thrown overboard, and, 
 with a hne attached, hauled alongside, and hoisted on board 
 by the head with the capstan, with the cheering music of the 
 shrill fife, to keep time, and give life and animation to the 
 novelty of the scene. In fine, the seamen and marines seemed 
 to make a frolic of getting a supply of fresh provisions, where 
 they so little expected to find it. In the course of five or six 
 hours, we sold and delivered a large portion of our cargo. 
 For the cattle and other large articles, our captain received 
 his pay in British government bills, while the officers, passen- 
 gers, and seamen, paid for all they purchased in gold and 
 silver. They paid liberal prices for all they bought, and 
 treated us politely ; and, under all the circumstances of the 
 case, our captain did not much complain against being taken 
 some 30 or 40 miles out of our course. The poor merchant 
 ships, however, did not fare quite so well as the men-of-war. 
 
 The admiral gave a general order that the boats of the 
 merchant ships should not be permitted to go on board of our 
 schooner until the men-of-war were supplied. I recollect one 
 poor merchant captain pulled up under our lee, and came on 
 board for some fowls. He said he had several sick passengers 
 on board (ladies and gentlemen), and must liave some poultry 
 at all hazards. They hailed him from the flag-ship, and 
 threatened to punish him if he did not leave the schooner, and 
 that they would certainly fire upon him. He told our cap- 
 tain, in an under-tone, that they might fire and be d — d, if 
 they chose, — supplies for his sick passengers he would have, 
 if they shot him dead on the spot. In this dilemma, our mate 
 assisted him to smuggle a dozen fowls into his boat, when he 
 shoved off. At first it was anuising to sec quite a number of 
 boats sent from the merchant ships attempt to come on board ; 
 but after a few muskets were discharged with balls whistling 
 about their vars, they were glad to return to their respective 
 ships, and accommodate themselves to circumstances. After 
 all the men-of-war were sujiplicMl, a fresh breeze sprung up, 
 and we were cast off from the IJlonheim. It was then too 
 late for the merchant ships to purchase any thing. As it hap-
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER BETSEY AND POLLY, 31 
 
 penod, we found a better market on the broad ocean tlian we 
 eventually met with, on our arrival at our destined port. We 
 soon got clear of the fleet, and proceeded on our way, rejoic- 
 ing at our good fortune. I was told the admiral of the fleet 
 had lately married the daughter of some rich planter, in one of 
 the West India Islands, and had his wife with him, on the way 
 to England ; so that they were probably spending their honey- 
 moon at sea. Captain Townsend was a gentleman, in all his 
 tastes and habits of life, very well educated, a good navigator, 
 and an excellent lunarian. He had recently made a sealing 
 voyage to Massafuero, in the Pacific, with Captain Daniel T. 
 Green, in the ship Neptune, of New Haven, and in that ship 
 had circumnavigated the globe. He wrote a good hand, and 
 kept a neat journal. While on board of the Blenheim, the 
 admiral inquired of him, whether he knew what longitude 
 they were in ? Captain T. sent for his journal, and pointed 
 out the exact position of the fleet, and explained every thing 
 so clearly to the satisfaction of the admiral and his officers, 
 that they appeared astonished to find in the captain of a little 
 horse-jockey schooner, a man so an fait on all subjects re- 
 lating to the navigation of distant seas ; for at this period, it 
 was rare to meet with a scientific, efficient navigator, and not 
 one ship in a hundred was furnished with a chronometer. 
 
 After separating from the English fleet, nothing happened 
 worth recording. We generally had good weather, but very 
 light, baffling winds, and did not arrive at Barbadoes until the 
 4th of August, after a long and tedious passage of 44 days. 
 The captain landed in our own boat to try the market, while 
 the schooner stood oft' and on opposite the harbor. In a few 
 hours Captain T, returned on board, finding he could dispose 
 of nothing to any advantage. We then made sail for the 
 neighboring Island of St, Lucie. At this place we disposed of 
 the rest of our cargo, except the corn-meal, and a few other 
 small articles. St, Lucie is a high, mountainous island, 30 
 miles long and about 12 broad. It possesses an excellent har- 
 bor, decidedly the best in the West Indies, But unfortunately,
 
 82 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER BETSEY AND POLLY. 
 
 it is often very sickly. Its principal produce is sugar, coffee, 
 rum, and molasses. We lay in this port about 20 days, and 
 then sailed for the Island of St. Martin's. Here we sold the 
 residue of our cargo, and took on board sugar, rum, and molas- 
 ses in payment, and after lying here three weeks, we again 
 sailed for home, and had a pleasant passage of 22 days, to 
 New Haven. In a few days after our arrival I was discharged. 
 I will liere take occasion to say that Captain Townsend is one 
 of the most gentlemanly men I ever sailed with. He was 
 kind and humane, and in a word, is a most excellent, worthy 
 man.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP MAKSIIALL FROM NEW-YOEK TO LEGHORN, 
 AND FROM THENCE TO NEW ORLEANS, WITH CAPT. WILLIAM 
 HETH, IN THE YEARS 180G AND 1807. 
 
 I HAD at this period just returned from a voyage to 
 Teneriffe ; and being anxious for active employment, I 
 shipped (on the 20th of June) as chief mate with Cap- 
 tain Heth, on board the Marshall, bound to Leghorn. The 
 principal part of her cargo was Calcutta sugar in bags. The 
 ship was about 280 tons burden, and was owned by Messrs. 
 Archibald Gracie and George M. Woolsey, Esquires. We 
 sailed from New- York on the first of July, and after a pleasant 
 passage of 38 days, arrived at Gibraltar, where we lay two 
 days. Here we took on board several casks of water, sea- 
 stores, etc., when we again made sail for our destined port. I 
 do not recollect any thing worth noticing, until we got near 
 Cape de Gatt, where we were becalmed for two days. The 
 weather was very warm, the sky bright and clear, the sea as 
 smooth as glass, and literally covered with turtle. 
 
 We got out our boats, and took a great number of them 
 with little or no trouble. They generally weighed from 30 to 
 601bs., and appeared to be asleep on the surface of the water. 
 While we lay here, we saw another ship and a brig, with their 
 boats out also catching turtle. This was to me a novel sight : 
 I had never before, nor have I ever since, seen so great a num- 
 ber of them together. 
 
 During the remainder of the passage we had generally 
 3
 
 34 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP MARSHALL. 
 
 light winds and fine weather, until we arrived at Leghorn, on 
 the 23d of August, 54 days from New- York. We were visited 
 by the health boat, and were ordered to remain in quarantine 
 in the Roads, until all our cargo was discharged and stored at 
 the Lazaretto. (At this place we were consigned to the com- 
 mercial house of Messrs. Grant, Webb & Co.) 
 
 At the Lazaretto there were several large stone warehouses, 
 around which was a high wall, separating it entirely from the 
 city ; and here all vessels in quarantine were allowed to store 
 their cargoes. We soon commenced discharging, and when 
 the cargo was about half out, a strong gale from the W. S. W. 
 drove our ship on shore, taking both anchors along with her. 
 Fortunately the bottom was soft, and she received no damage ; 
 and when the remainder of the cargo was taken out, we hove 
 her otr without much difficulty. 
 
 We then got pratique, and went into the inner harbor. 
 During the time we were in quarantine, all letters from us were 
 taken with a pair of long tongs, and smoked with brimstone. 
 
 It sometimes happened that a ship not in quarantine was 
 forced, by some unavoidable circumstance, to touch another 
 lying in quarantine ; and if it should so happen that any part 
 of her tackle came in contact, for example, a gib or any small 
 sail, it was immediately unbent and sent to the Lazaretto, 
 there to remain for a certain number of days. 
 
 After the foregoing recital, it must be acknowledged that 
 here these laws are fully carried out, both as to the letter and 
 spirit. 
 
 The captain of the Marshall was a native of Richmond, 
 Virginia, well educated, polite and gentlemanly in his deport- 
 ment. He was kind and generous to a fault, but extremely 
 quick and passionate. He, however, treated me with great 
 kindness, and allowed me every reasonable indulgence. While 
 lying here, he gave me leave of absence for three days to 
 visit Pisa, which was in ancient times a great city, but now 
 contains only about 20,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the 
 banks of the river Arno, 13 miles from Leghorn, and lying N. 
 N. E. from that city.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP MARSHALL. 35 
 
 Pisa, though a dull town, still retains many marks of its 
 former grandeur, viz., its fine marble bridges, magnificent ca- 
 thedral, fine stone quays, and ancient palaces. The old lean- 
 ing tower, 202 feet high, is also a great curiosity. From the 
 top of this I had a fine view of the Arno, and the surrounding 
 country. While walking about this town, I met with many 
 objects which reminded one of its extreme antiquity, and when 
 I reflected on its bygone importance, and considered what it 
 now is, it produced feelings not unlike those which we expe- 
 rience while gazing on the mouldering ruins of a once mag- 
 nificent cathedral. 
 
 At Pisa, the living is good and cheap, but a stranger meets 
 with many annoyances ; importuned at every step by beggars, 
 and while at the hotels ; bands of musicians both vocal and 
 instrumental, never cease their singing and their playing until 
 they are paid to retire ; bating these and some other lesser evils, 
 there are many things to admire. The climate is generally 
 good and healthful, the fruit and wine delicious. The ancient 
 and modern pictures and sculptures in the churches are well 
 worth the attention of strangers. At the expiration of the 
 allotted time, I returned to the ship well pleased with my visit. 
 We now commenced in good earnest taking in our cargo, 
 which consisted of variegated marble slabs, wine, oil, olives, 
 soap, almonds, etc., etc., and after lying in this port about two 
 months, sailed on the 23d of October. We had a pleasant 
 passage down the Mediterranean, passed Gibraltar on the 3d 
 of November, and the next day were fairly out on the broad 
 Atlantic. We ran down to the southward and westward, and 
 soon got into the regular trade-winds. When drawing near 
 the Bahama Islands, we steered for the Hole-in the-Wall, on 
 the south end of Abaco, in the parallel of latitude 26° 10', as 
 laid down in the navigation books in general use at that time, 
 particularly the one by Hamilton Moore. 
 
 We made the land about twenty miles to the northward of 
 the Hole-in-the-Wall, and came very near getting aground by 
 taking this erroneous latitude. We were consequently obliged
 
 36 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP MARSHALL. 
 
 to make several tacks to the southward, and were thus detain- 
 ed several hours. It is now ascertained that the true position 
 of the Hole-in-the-Wall is latitude 25^51' north, longitude, 77° 
 9' west. I will here remark, that the old navigation books are 
 not at all to be depended upon, particularly those relating to 
 the Bahama Islands and Banks, At that time there were no 
 light-houses along the Florida shore, and the charts were mis- 
 erable. Our voyage was very much prolonged in consequence 
 of the ship not being coppered. She was sheathed with pine 
 boards, and her bottom was literally covered with barnacles and 
 sea-grass. 
 
 After a long and tedious passage of seventy-six days, we 
 arrived off the mouth of the Mississippi on the 11th of January, 
 1807, where we had a severe gale from the N. W. which lasted 
 about a week, and prevented our getting into the river until 
 the 18th. We entered by the N. E. pass (where the block- 
 house now stands), which was then the deepest and best chan- 
 nel. The pilots, at that time, were all iiired by the month, 
 and regulated by Messrs. Johnson & Bradish ; they were gen- 
 erally old sailors. Messrs. J. &. B. likewise owned several 
 small schooners, em})loyed as lighters. 
 
 On our passage up the Mississippi we got the ship aground, 
 and were obliged to discharge a large portion of the cargo on 
 the bank of the river ; we also hired a schooner from Johnson 
 & Bradish to take a part of it up to New Orleans. After get- 
 ting the ship afloat, we reloaded with our own boats. This 
 unfortunate affair detained us eight days. We at length ar- 
 rived at New Orleans on the 8th of February, twenty-one 
 days after entering the river, and ahimdred and four days from 
 Leghorn. 
 
 At this time there was not a steamboat on the Mississippi, 
 and vessels were frequently from ten to twenty, and large 
 heavy ships even thirty days, getting up from the Balize to 
 New Orleans. It was, indeed, a tiresome, laborious business 
 to ascend the river against the current, sailing when the wind 
 was fair, and when ahead warping and tracking, and often to
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP MARSHALL. 37 
 
 gain but a few miles a day. Wlieii the wind was ahead and 
 the current running very strong, we often made fast a large 
 hawser to a tree on the bank of the river, and heaved the ship 
 ahead by the capstan or windlass ; and thus by main force, 
 after many hours of hard labor, we found we had gained only 
 a mile or two. 
 
 On the 30th of April, 1803, the United States Government 
 purchased Louisiana from France, and on the 30th of Novem- 
 ber of the same year. General Wilivinson was sent with a suf- 
 ficient number of U. S. troops to garrison and protect New- 
 Orleans, which at that time contained only about 8,000 inhab- 
 itants, who were principally French and Spanish. At this 
 time, March, I should judge, there were about 9,500 to 10,000 
 souls. 
 
 I will now relate an incident which occurred during my stay 
 in this city. It was as follows : A soldier belonging to the U. 
 S. army, under the command of General Wilkinson, had de- 
 serted twice, was taken and brought back, and after some sHght 
 punishment was pardoned. Not long after this he deserted a 
 third time ; he was again taken, brought back, tried by a court- 
 martial, and condemned to be shot. 
 
 On the day of the execution, the troops were all paraded 
 on the public square, witii a large band of music, muffled 
 drums, etc. In the centre of thetroo))s four men were bearing 
 a coffin on a bier, when the culprit was taken from prison with 
 his hands bound behind him, and ordered to walk behind the 
 men who bore his coffin. Thus prepared, the whole squadron 
 commenced marching with slow and solemn steps, the band 
 playing the "Dead March ;" while thousands of spectators fol- 
 lowed on, as was supposed to witness the execution. 
 
 In this manner the whole cortege proceeded just outside of 
 the town, to a lonely place, where there was a grave prepared. 
 Here the music ceased playing, the coffin was placed near 
 the grave of the culprit, twelve men were ordered out of the 
 ranks, with their muskets loaded, ready for the execution. 
 
 The deserter saw all the preparations, and was then blind-
 
 38 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP MARSHALL. 
 
 folded. All were waiting with breathless expectation to hear 
 the fatal word given to fire, when an officer took from his 
 pocket and read a \vritten reprieve from Mr. Madison, the Pres- 
 ident of the United States. I was near enough to witness the 
 whole transaction, and up to this moment the man bore his 
 fate with great fortitude ; but when the word reprieve caught 
 his ear, it completely overpowered him, and he could with 
 difficulty stand without assistance. 
 
 At this moment a sentiment of thrilling gladness seemed to 
 pervade the whole assemblage, and with shouts of joy every 
 body appeared to return to town with light hearts. It was 
 said the mother and sisters of the soldier obtained his pardon 
 through Mrs. Madison. I understood, that by a military order 
 the man was dismissed from the army ; had his head shav^ed, 
 and was drummed out of town. 
 
 The consignee of our ship was Mr. George M. Phillips. 
 This gentleman sold a part of our cargo on the levee, and 
 put the residue into his warehouse. This occupied some ten 
 or fifteen days. There being at this period no steamboats, all 
 the merchandise that was sent into the interior was taken in 
 long, narrow keel-boats, propelled by oars, and furnished with 
 long boat-hooks, to haul up by the trees and bushes along the 
 banks of the river. By this mode of transportation, it neces- 
 sarily occupied some months to make a voyage to St. Louis. 
 
 At this period, 1807, Mexico was a colony of Spain, and no 
 ship or vessel was allowed to trade there except by a special 
 license from the Spanish Government. The colony manufac- 
 tured little or nothing, and of course was entirely dependent on 
 Europe and tlie United States for almost all their clothing and 
 articles of luxury. To pay for these maiuitactured goods they 
 had nothing ])ut the precious metals, and a few articles of 
 drugs and dye-stnlls, such as jalap, sarsaparilla, cochineal, 
 etc., etc., and Vera Cruz was the only port in the Gulf of Mex- 
 ico where foreign ships were allowed to enter, and here cen- 
 tered nearly all its commerce. This circumstance will ac- 
 count for the high prices of almost all kinds of European 
 goods.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP MAESHALL. 39 
 
 Vast quantities of dollars were brought down from the city 
 of Mexico, and all exported from this place. It had long been 
 the policy of Spain to exclude her American colonies from any 
 commerce or intercourse with other nations, and thus they 
 were shut out from the rest of the world, and kept in ignorance 
 of their own rights and privileges, in order to enrich the mo- 
 ther country at their expense. 
 
 At this time I had frequent conversations with intelligent 
 Spaniards on this subject, and they all agieed, that if they 
 could exclude strangers from South America, they would be 
 able to retain their colonies for at least another century. 
 
 They said, moreover, that if the people could be kept in 
 ignorance, they would be far happier, enjoying their religion 
 unmolested, and live in a simple state, void of ambition and a 
 thousand artificial wants ; they furthermore added, your coun- 
 trymen, the North Americans, are the most to be feared, for if 
 the seeds of Republicanism are once sown among them, they 
 will be lost to us forever. 
 
 After our ship was discharged she was advertised for sale, 
 and lay idle for some weeks. Captain Heth, who was always 
 a kind friend of mine, was willing to discharge me, to promote 
 my interest; and thus, by mutual consent, I left his ship, and 
 joined the schooner Centurion in March, 1807.
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CENTURION FROM NEW ORLEANS 
 TO VERA CRUZ, AND BACK TO NEW ORLEANS, WITH CAPT. JOHN 
 WALLER, IN THE YEAR 1807. 
 
 At this period there was lying in this port a fine, fast-saihng 
 schooner, called the Centurion, commanded by John Waller, 
 and was in part or wholly owned by Archibald Gracie, Esq., 
 of New- York. The owners or agents of this schooner had ob- 
 tained a license from the Government of Old Spain, with direc- 
 tions to the Viceroy of Mexico to admit a certain amount of 
 merchandise, such as German linens, and other articles of mer- 
 chandise, all of which were to correspond with the license. 
 The business of this vessel was conducted by a German mer- 
 chant residing here, by the name of Vincent Nolte, Esq. 
 
 In this schooner I obtained a situation as chief mate ; she 
 was soon loaded and ready for sea. On the lOth of March we 
 sailed down the river, bound for Vera Cruz : in two days we 
 got clear of the Balize, and seven days after came to anchor 
 at our destined port. 'We soon landed the cargo according to 
 the license. I had a small adventure, which I disposed of at 
 an enormous profit ; common printed calico sold for one dollar 
 per yard, mock Madras handkerchiefs at $12 per dozen, and 
 most other kinds of European goods in like proportion ; in fine, 
 they appeared to be in want of every thing, and had money in 
 abundance to pay for all they bought. After landing the cargo, 
 we took on board a quantity of stone ballast, and many thou- 
 sand dollars in specie, the exact Amount of which I do not re-
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CENTURION. 41 
 
 collect. We lay here about a fortnight, when we again sailed, 
 and after a pleasant passage of 15 days, got safe back to New 
 Orleans on the 7th of April, thus making the entire voyage in 
 38 days. This voyage proved so successful, that it induced 
 the owners or agents at New Orleans to make another forth- 
 with in the same vessel ; and as every person on board partici- 
 pated in a greater or less degree in the success of the enter- 
 prise, the captain, mate, and all hands remained by the good 
 Centurion.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CENTURION TO VERA CRUZ AND 
 BACK TO NEW ORLEANS, WITH CAPT. J. WALLER, IN THE YEAR 
 1807. 
 
 We were soon loaded again, and growing bold by success, and 
 believing the King of Spain had no right to deprive his Ameri- 
 can subjects of a few European luxuries, both agents, officers, 
 and seamen, took goods not manifested ; and thus we sailed 
 on a second voyage, on the 20th of May. I do not recollect 
 any thing on our passage down to Vera Cruz worth recording, 
 except that we had more calms and adverse winds than on the 
 last voyage, and did not arrive until the first of June, making 
 our passage eleven days. We soon commenced unloading the 
 cargo, and after we had discharged one lighter load, the cus- 
 tom house officers came on board, and began to search for 
 contraband goods ; unfortunately they found a large amount of 
 mercliandise not manifested. 1 sufiered severely with the 
 rest ; they seized the greater part of my private adventure, as 
 well as whatever belonged to the agents and seamen. What 
 the difficulty was I was not able to learn correctly, but think 
 it proceeded from the consignees not paying the custom house 
 officers a fair compensation on the last voyage ; at any rate 
 there was a breach of good faith somewhere, and we all suf- 
 fered in consequence of bad management on the part of those 
 whose business it was to have arranged every thing upon ami- 
 cable terms. I have almost always found that if good faith
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CENTURION. 43 
 
 by fliose enga2;ed in smuggling is kept, tliat the Spanish cus- 
 tom house officers will never betray you ; but, on the con- 
 trary, if they find more goods than you represent, and deceive 
 them in the quantity, they are always on the watch to have 
 their revenge. After they had loaded a lighter with goods not 
 specified in the license, they were all taken on shore and no 
 one dared to own them, and to allay the excitement and stop 
 the public clamor, it was necessary to account for these articles ; 
 it was therefore judged best to throw the blame upon some 
 one, and I was persuaded to assume the ownership of all goods 
 not manifested, and thus it was asserted that they all belonged 
 to the mate, and that he had decamped and left every thing 
 behind ; and to carry out this arrangement, that night I went 
 quietly on board a Spanish sloop-of-war which was lying in 
 port. In the morning it was reported that the mate had de- 
 serted, and the whole business was hushed up and settled. 
 The few remaining goods that had not been found, were taken 
 on shore by the boats of a Spanish man of- war, and given up 
 to our consignee. The Captain of the ship-of-war was a 
 great friend of his, and used to dine with him almost daily ; 
 he gave orders to his officers to furnish me with a state room 
 while I remained on board his ship ; and also told his Steward 
 to provide me with every thing I wanted. 
 
 At night I occasionally made a visit to our schooner, and 
 when she was ready for sea I went on board. We sailed 
 from Vera Cruz on the 23d of June, and here the farce was 
 concluded, and my golden dreams at an end. We had no re- 
 turn cargo, except specie — the number of dollars I do not 
 remember; it was, however, very large; but, for fear of mis- 
 take, I will leave it indefinite. 
 
 We had a short and pleasant passage of eight days to the 
 Balize, and got to New Orleans on tlie 7th of July. About a 
 week after our arrival, the schooner was sold, when tlie cap- 
 tain, mate, and all hands were discharged ; and here ended my 
 second voyage in the schooner Centurion. 
 
 About a week after being discharged from the Centurion,
 
 *♦ 
 
 44 SECOISTD VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CENTURION. 
 
 Captain Waller got the command of a little pilot-boat schooner, 
 called the Hetty, and as I was desirous to return to New- York, 
 I shipped with him as mate. We got ready for sea, and left 
 New Orleans on the 1st of August, bound to New- York. 
 This was a poor little craft, and leaked badly all the passage ; 
 and had it not been a fine season of the year, she would 
 probably never have reached her destined port. We, how- 
 ever, got along pretty well, and arrived safe at the quarantine 
 ground, Staten Island, on the 22d of August. We performed 
 four days quarantine, and were then allowed to proceed to 
 the city, where we were all discharged. 
 
 After getting to New- York, we found this city, and in 
 short the whole country, in a state of great agitation, in conse- 
 quence of the dastardly attack of the British ship-of-war 
 Leopard on the United States frigate Chesapeake, Commodore 
 James Barron. This cowardly transaction occurred on the 
 22d of June, 1807, just two months previous to our arrival ; 
 still the agitation and intense excitement had not much sub- 
 sided. This unnatural and barbarous attack took place in a 
 time of profound peace, when the Chesapeake was but a few 
 hours out of port, bound to the Mediterranean — more in the 
 position of a store-ship than a man-of-war; her decks were 
 lumbered up, and she not at all in a situation to use her guns, 
 and in all human probability never dreaming it possible that 
 she would be molested ; in short, it was more like the treachery 
 of an Algerine cruiser than a transaction of a Christian nation. 
 If the captain of the Leopard had possessed the honorable 
 feelings of a gentleman, he would have said to Captain Barron, 
 I have positive orders from my admiral to take three English 
 seamen out of your ship, and if you are not willing to give 
 them up, I must take them by force ; and if your ship is not 
 in fighting trim, I will wait two hours to give you sufficient 
 time to prepare for action. 
 
 I say, had he taken this honorable course, the United 
 States and the world at large would have sustained him, 
 whatever might have been the result, and every honest and 
 true-hearted American would have been satisfied.
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CENTURION. 45 
 
 Such a course of conduct would not liave engendered the 
 bitter feehngs of resentment which at this period pervaded the 
 whole nation. Every patriot said and felt, that justice may 
 slumber for a while, but the day of reckoning must and will 
 come, when, in the fair field of open-handed combat, the 
 world will see that the Americans can and will avenge the 
 many wrongs they have so often received from England. I 
 do not say that Commodore Barron was entirely free from 
 censure, in not having his ship ready for action ; but 1 do 
 assert, from a personal acquaintance witli him, and a knowl- 
 edge of his character for many years, that he was a brave 
 man, and well worthy the confidence of his country. 
 
 This affair, though at the time so mortifying to every 
 American bosom, has been of immense advantage to the 
 United States navy ; it has taught all who belong to it to be 
 ever ready, at the first tap of the drum, to rush to quarters, 
 and then look up at the emblem of liberty, with its stars and 
 stripes gracefully waving over their heads, and with one 
 heart and one voice to exclaim, — Strike, for God and our 
 country ! 
 
 After an absence of thirteen months, I was extremely 
 anxious to visit my mother, and other near relatives in Con- 
 necticut. I had long anticipated the pleasure of meeting 
 those so dear to my heart, and it was a sad disappointment 
 not to be able to accomplish this long-cherished desire ; but, 
 alas ! I was deprived of all my fond hopes, from the peculiar 
 circumstances of the case. 
 
 On my arrival I found my former owner, Archibald Gracie, 
 Esq., had built a beautiful pilot-boat schooner for the Vera Cruz 
 trade, and called her the Hamilton. He requested me to go 
 chief mate of this fine vessel, and I forthwith repaired on 
 board.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 FIEST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON FEOM NEW-YORK, 
 TO VERA CRUZ, AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, WITH CAPTAIN J. 
 WALLER, IN 1807. 
 
 The Hamilton was about one hundred tons burden, quite 
 new, and surpassed in speed and beauty any sailing vessel 
 of this description in the United States. No pains or expense 
 had been spared to make her perfect in every respect. She 
 was built under the inspection of Mr. Thomas Williams, one 
 of the most experienced New- York pilots of his day ; and, to 
 insure safety in flight, Mr. W. was hired to go a voyage to 
 Vera Cruz in this schooner, as pilot and assistant sailing- 
 master. 
 
 I found this fine vessel nearly loaded with a rich cargo of 
 German and English goods, and John Waller was appointed 
 to the command ; myself, chief mate ; Robert Adamson, second 
 mate ; Captain James Brown, supercargo ; with a crew of 
 fifteen men. 
 
 Though we had a numerous crew, they were not taken to 
 fight — for we had no guns — but to make and take in sail with 
 all possible dispatch, and to run, when it became necessary ; 
 and, for this purpose, were supplied with ten large oars or 
 sweeps, to use in light winds and calm weather ; with orders 
 from the owner to speak nothing, and run away from every 
 sail we saw on the ocean. And being thus completely fitted,
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON. 47 
 
 we sailed from New- York on the 31st of August, and had a 
 pleasant passage off the coast ; but owing to some mistake on 
 the part of the captain, in lieu of making Turk's Island, we 
 fell to leeward, and on the 12th of September, at 10 in the 
 morning, made the island of Grand Caycos, bearing south 
 15 miles distant. In consequence of falling in so far to the 
 leeward, we were obliged to make several tacks to windward, 
 and did not get fairly into Turk's Island passage until 4 
 o'clock, P. M. We, however, passed through it without any 
 difficulty. 
 
 The first part of the next day the wind was light, and we 
 made but little progress. About noon, this day, we saw two 
 small sail on our starboard beam, in chase of us ; in the after- 
 noon, a fresh N. E. trade sprung up, when we soon ran them 
 both out of sight astern. About 9 o'clock, P. M., it became 
 almost calm, so much so that our vessel made but very little 
 way through the water; at 11 o'clock, two hours after, we saw 
 a small sail astern, coming up very fast, with light sails and 
 long sweeps. We immediately manned our sweeps, and 
 endeavored to make our escape, but all to no purpose. She 
 soon commenced firing upon us with small arms, and as we 
 could make no resistance, the captain ordered the men to lay 
 in the sweeps and go below. She was a small lateen-rigged 
 craft, of some 30 or 40 tons, full of men, all armed to the 
 teeth, with pistols and long knives. They soon pulled up on 
 our lee-quarter, and jumped on board — calling out for every 
 body to go below. When they found we were not armed, and 
 could make no resistance, they ordered us to lower down all 
 our sails, and wait for their consort to come up. The other 
 vessel was much larger, schooner-rigged, and mounted 6 
 guns, with a crew of fifty or sixty men, of all colors and of 
 all nations, but principally Spaniards and Frenchmen. 
 
 The captain of the schooner boarded us in his own boat, 
 when they all commenced overhauling our papers and stealing 
 every thing from the deck they could lay their hands upon ; 
 they took all our live stock, pigs, ducks, fowls, etc., all our oars.
 
 48 FIRST VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER HAMILTON. 
 
 spare cordage, paints, etc.. etc. ; fortunately our hatches were 
 battened down, and the boat stowed in such a manner that 
 they could not get into the main hold without much labor ; so 
 that they took nothing of the cargo. The captain of the small 
 privateer was the most savage-looking rascal I ever saw. He 
 was tall, with a dark, ferocious visage, large nose and huge 
 mustachios, and, in short, he was a perfect model of a cut- 
 throat. I am not sure what countryman he was, but I think 
 he was an Italian. He spoke bad French and broken English, 
 and from that day to this, whenever an assassin or robber is 
 spoken of, this fellow's visage returns to my memory. He 
 sadly abused Capt. AValler, striking him several times in the 
 face with his hat, and threatened to flog him before he left the 
 vessel, because he did not heave to and prevent so long a 
 chase. The captain of the schooner appeared to be a French- 
 man, and quite a different character ; he used no bad language 
 to any person while on board our vessel, took nothing from us, 
 and appeared ashamed of the conduct of his associate. He 
 remarked to the other captain, " If the schooner is a lawful 
 prize, let us take her ; if not, let her go, and not rob and plun- 
 der in this disgraceful manner." 
 
 Captain Brown, our supercargo, with a great deal of tact 
 and good sense, tipped them the Masonic signs, and ordered 
 the table spread with cold ham, bread and butter, cheese, wine, 
 and porter, in short every good thing that the steward could 
 muster, and then invited them to eat and drink, setting the ex- 
 ample himself; they soon commenced drinidng freely and sing- 
 ing in high glee, and all became good-natured and mellow ex- 
 cept the captain of the small privateer, who would every now 
 and then break off to abuse our captain, who understood not 
 a word of French or Spanish. Our steward was a French- 
 man, and a very good fellow. He was full of humor, and 
 filled up the glasses so often, that even the cut-throat captain 
 soon became better natured. In the midst of this scene of 
 noise and plunder, I put on a fine new hat in hopes by that 
 means to save it, and went on deck ; soon after one of the
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON. 49 
 
 crew of the small craft, stole it from off my head and returned 
 to the boat lying alongside. I immediately ran down below, 
 and asked his captain whether he allow^ed his men to steal my 
 hat from my head. He replied in Spanish, " No, mate ; no man 
 belonging to my vessel shall steal your hat." He told me to go 
 to the man in his name, and get it back ; I did so, but the ras- 
 cal refused to obey the order. I then returned to the cabin, 
 and told the captain that the sailor would not give it to me. 
 The captain ran on deck, and with a threatening oath ordered 
 the man to return the hat ; the fellow was so angry that he 
 threw it overboard, when one of our men picked it up and 
 gave it to me ; this put the scoundrel into a furious passion, he 
 drew a long knife, and swore that for one rial he would take 
 my life. In the altercation between the captain and the sailor, 
 I overheard him tell his captain, that while he was plunder- 
 ing every thing for himself, he allowed him to take nothing ; 
 the captain replied, " D — n you, 1 don't steal hats." 
 
 In this manner they detained us until about 3 o'clock in 
 the morning, the most of them drunk, or nearly so. At this 
 time a breeze sprung up, when they allowed us to make sail, 
 and we were soon out of sight of these vile robbers. We never 
 learned to what place these pirates belonged, but, from the best 
 information we could obtain, concluded that they were from 
 Baracca in Cuba. During the remainder of the passage we 
 met with no incident worth noticing, and on the 23d of Sep- 
 tember, came safe to anchor in the harbor of Vera Cruz, after 
 a passage of 23 days. We discharged our cargo, and had no 
 diliiculty with the custom-house. We here learned that about 
 ten days before our arrival there had been a violent gale from 
 the north, which extended all along the coast ; that sixteen ves- 
 sels had been driven on shore, and that many lives were lost 
 in this terrible norther. When we had discharged our cargo, 
 we took in some stone ballast, and fifty boxes of dollars, each 
 containing three thousand, making a sum total of $150,000. 
 
 I sold my little adventure at a profit of 150 percent., which 
 gave me, as the sailors say, a good chuck under the lee bow. 
 
 4
 
 50 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON. 
 
 We remained in port three weeks, and then sailed on the 16th 
 of October, and after a passage of 18 days, got safe back to 
 New- York on the 4tli of November, making the entire voyage 
 in 65 days. 
 
 I will here remark, that although Mr. Williams was a good 
 pilot, and a good man, we found it unnecessary to take a New- 
 York pilot with us to Vera Cruz, and that the captain and offi- 
 cers were fully competent to sail and manage a pilot-boat 
 without one ; and the practice was, therefore, discontinued. 
 
 Besides the schooner Hamilton, Mr. A. Gracie owned 
 another pilot-boat schooner called the Collector. They were 
 both of them employed in the Yera Cruz trade ; sometimes 
 they were ordered from Yera Cruz to Philadelphia, but gene- 
 rally to New- York. Mr. Oliver owned, I think, three pilot-boat 
 schooners in the same trade from Baltimore. I was young at 
 this time, and in a subordinate situation, and therefore was 
 unacquainted with the arrangements made by my employers 
 in transporting such an immense amount of dollars from Yera 
 Cruz to the United States. I will therefore relate my conjec- 
 tures on the subject, without being able to vouch for the truth 
 of what I am about to narrate, which is as follows : That the 
 house of Hope & Co., of Amsterdam, made a large loan to 
 the government of old Spain upon certain conditions, one of 
 wliich was, that they should receive the payment of the loan 
 in Mexican dollars in the port of Yera Cruz, at a given rate ; 
 and in this agreement the house of Hope & Co., or their agents, 
 should have the privilege of introducing into Mexico a certain 
 amount of European goods free from duty ; and that licenses 
 and orders were given from the King of Spain to his Yiceroy 
 in Mexico to carry out these measures. 
 
 These arrangements being made between the Spanish 
 Government and the house of Hope 6c Co., the next step was 
 to get the goods safe to Yera Cruz, and there receive the pay 
 for them, and also the amount of the loan in dollars, and trans- 
 port them to the United States. To accomplish this part of 
 the business, tlie house of Hope & Co. made an agreement
 
 FIEST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON. 51 
 
 with Archibald Gracie, Esq., of this city, and also with Mr. 
 Ohver, of Bahimore, to performt his part of the duty ; that is 
 to say, to take the goods to Vera Cruz, and bring bacic the pro- 
 ceeds in dollars, together with the amount of the government 
 loan. I think the house of Parish &. Co., of Hamburg, was 
 concerned with them in this transaction, but in what way I 
 am unable to say ; nor do I pretend to know how much per 
 centage or profit was paid to Messrs. Gracie & Oliver for doing 
 the business, but am inclined to think they were liberally re- 
 warded, and that they made a great deal of money by this 
 transaction. I likewise understood that these schooners were 
 limited to 160,000 dollars each, and that the insurance com^ 
 panics would not insure a greater amount in any one vessel. 
 
 After the crew were paid off, I got leave of absence for a 
 few days to visit my mother and friends in Connecticut, where 
 I found them all well.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON FROM NEW-YORK 
 TO VERA CRUZ, AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, WITH CAPTAIN JOHN 
 WALLER, IN THE YEAR 180S. 
 
 I REMAINED at home about a week, and then returned to New- 
 York, and commenced loading the schooner on the second voy- 
 age for Vera Cruz. Captain Waller retained the same second 
 mate and a part of the old crew ; the residue were strangers. 
 After getting ready for sea, we sailed from New- York on the 
 10th of December, ran rapidly off the coast, and in ten days 
 after leaving New- York, made Turk's Island, got safe through 
 the passage, and ran down between Cuba and Jamaica, and 
 arrived at Vera Cruz on the 4th of January, twenty-three days 
 from New- York, without any occurrence worth noticing. In 
 the winter we were allowed to anchor close under the Castles 
 of St. Juan d'Ulloa, which circumstance gave us considerable 
 shelter from the north winds, which often blow violently at 
 this season of the year. We had landed about half our cargo, 
 when one of these gales commenced blowing with great fury. 
 Whenever these northers set in, those that are on board must 
 remain there ; all communication with the town being com- 
 pletely cut off. Yards and topmast were housed or got down 
 on deck, boats all hoisted on board, cables secured and clinched 
 round the masts ; thus prepared we rode out this norther, which 
 lasted three days. Often, diu-ing these gales, the sky is per- 
 fectly clear; still the wind is so violent, that the surf and sands
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON. 53 
 
 are blown quite over the high sea wall into the town of Vera 
 Cruz ; and even in the city there are such clouds of dust, that 
 it is very difficult to go from house to house. After the 
 norther subsided, we landed the remainder of the cargo, and 
 got smoothly through the custom-house. My private adven- 
 ture cost me ,<$600 in New-York, and here I sold it for 125 per 
 cent, profit, clear of all charges. We took on board a quantity 
 of stone ballast, and then the specie, viz., fifty-five boxes, 
 containing three thousand dollars in each, making a total of 
 $165,000. Besides the specie, we had also, as cargo, twenty- 
 five ceroons of cochineal, and on the 25th of January sailed for 
 New- York, returned through the Gulf, and had only a tolerable 
 passage until we got to the Bahama Banks ; but from Cat Key, 
 one of the Bahamas, we had a remarkably fine run ; namely, 
 six days to New. York, at which city we arrived on the 15th 
 of February, after a passage of eighteen days. Thus ends my 
 second voyage to Vera Cruz in the schooner Hamilton. 
 
 On our return to New- York, we found the United States 
 government had laid a general embargo on all American ves- 
 sels within the jurisdiction of the United States. This law 
 was made on the 22d December, 1807, consequently our vessel 
 was laid up, and we were all discharged except the second 
 mate, who was retained as ship-keeper. Captain Waller went 
 to New Orleans in search of employment. I returned home. 
 This was a sad disappointment to me, as I had become well 
 acquainted with these voyages, and was making money very 
 fast ; besides, the owner had promised me the command of a 
 vessel in the trade, the first vacancy. I had however, thank 
 God, laid up a few thousand dollars, and up to this time had 
 never eaten much idle bread. 
 
 After remaining in Milford about six weeks, I very unex- 
 pectedly received a letter from the owner of the Hamilton, re- 
 questing me to repair forthwith to New- York, and join the 
 same schooner again, under the command of Captain .John 
 Richards. I immediately obeyed the order, and on the 7th of 
 April went on board, and commenced getting ready for the voy-
 
 54 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON. 
 
 age, taking in stone ballast, stores, etc. About this time the 
 government of the United States granted permission to the 
 merchants who had property and debts abroad, to send out 
 vessels in ballast, to collect and bring home whatever they 
 could gather together, either in money or other available proper- 
 ty ; and as ships and vessels were allowed to take sufficient 
 stores for the voyage, the merchants, of course, were in all 
 cases wise enough to take a full supply, to have nothing to 
 buy but something to spare, so that in many instances vessels 
 were half loaded with ship and cabin stores. We had a very 
 large crew, and of course required a large supply of provisions 
 of almost every description. In consequence of the embargo, 
 seamen's wages were extremely low ; our crew consisted of 
 twenty picked men before the mast, and their wages were but 
 six dollars per month.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER HAMILTON, WITH CAPTAIN JOHN 
 RICHARDS, FROM NEW-YORK TO VERA CRUZ, AND FROM THENCE 
 TO PHILADELPHIA, AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, IN THE YEAR 
 
 1808. 
 
 We got ready for sea, and sailed from New- York on the lOtli 
 of April, and took the same route as on the two former voyages, 
 namely, through Turk's Island passage. We met with no 
 incident worth recording, and after a pleasant passage of 
 twenty days, arrived at Vera Cruz on the 1st of May. The 
 object of this voyage was twofold ; in the first place, to collect 
 and bring to New- York all debts due to Mr. Gracie from the 
 merchants in Mexico, and in the second, to convey Mr. Villa- 
 nueva and his family to the United States. As we had no 
 cargo to land, we had very little to do but to wait for our 
 funds, and be ready to receive onboard our distinguished pas- 
 senger and his family. My private adventure cost me in New- 
 York $600, and here I sold it for a clear profit of one hundred 
 and fifty per cent. This was the most profitable voyage I 
 ever made up to this date, I was also paid very liberal wages 
 by the owners. The two preceding voyages I was allowed 
 $50 per month, and on this voj^age, where we carried no cargo, 
 I was paid $35. 
 
 As this will probably be my last voyage to Very Cruz, I 
 will here give a short description of the place. It is situated 
 on the S. W. side of the Gulf of Mexico, and lies in latitude
 
 56 THIRD VOYAGE IX THE SCHOONER HAMILTON. 
 
 19° 12' north, longitude 96° 9' west of London. This town, 
 like most other Spanish places, is surrounded by a high wall 
 with some six or eight gates, which are all closed at night. 
 It has ten or twelve churches, and several other public build- 
 ings. Many of the houses are large and well built. Nearly 
 all the public edifices and many of the houses are plastered 
 and v/hitened ; and when approaching the city from the sea, 
 it has rather an imposing appearance. I should think it con- 
 tained from twelve to fifteen tliousand inhabitants. It is built 
 on the margin of the sea, and surrounded by a sand barren. 
 The weather is excessively hot in the summer season, and 
 this, with other local causes, renders it very unhealthy during 
 the hot months, particularly for foreigners ; in fine, the town 
 has but few redeeming qualities, and generally strangers only 
 visit it for the sake of gain, or to pass through it to go to the 
 city of Mexico, and are always glad to leave as soon as possi- 
 ble. The harbor is formed by a small sand island called St. 
 Juan d'Ulloa, which lies directly opposite the town, and is 
 nearly covered with walls and fortifications. This island and 
 some six or eight sand banks called the Sacrificios, lying in 
 a S. E. direction from St. Juan d'Ulloa, form the port of Vera 
 Cruz ; some of these banks are above water and others below, 
 they, however, serve to break the sea, and in the summer time 
 it is pretty safe, and a very tolerable harbor. In the winter 
 season shipmasters should take care to anchor closee nder 
 the lee of the castles, in four or five fathoms of water, where 
 they may ride out with comparative safety a severe norther. 
 
 At length after waiting about twenty days in this port, our 
 gentleman passenger came down here from Mexico with his 
 family. Don .lose C. dc Villanueva, was the agent of the 
 house of Hope 6c Co., of Amsterdam. He had resided several 
 years in this country, where he had lately married a Mexican 
 lady, and had acquired a very large fortune during his stay in 
 that country. He was highly esteemed and beloved by all 
 classes of people, and was a very accomplished gentleman ; he 
 spoke fluently the French, Spanish, German and English lan- 
 guages. We got ready for sea, and took on board a large sum
 
 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE .SCHOONER HAMILTON. 57 
 
 in dollars (the amount I am unable to state with precision), 
 and after remaining twenty-four days in this port, we sailed 
 for Philadelphia on the 24tli of May. We had a pleasant pas- 
 sage of eighteen days, and arrived at the quarantine grounds, 
 fourteen miles below the city, on the 12th of June. Here we 
 were detained three days, and then permitted to proceed to 
 Philadelphia, where we landed Mr. Villanueva and his family, 
 and after taking the specie on shore remained here a few days, 
 and then sailed for New-Yorlc, where we arrived on the 22d 
 of June, and were all discharged except the second mate, Mr. 
 Adamson, who was retained to take care of the vessel, which 
 was laid up. 
 
 On the first of July I returned home to Milford, to visit my 
 mother and family ; and as the embargo was still in force, 
 I was without employment. After remaining idle for about 
 a month, I took np my residence in Stamford, and commenced 
 studying the French language, under the instruction of a 
 Frenchman residing there, by the name of Ferry. He had 
 about half-a-dozen scholars, and was an efficient teacher, and 
 a pleasant, gentlemanly man. I had friends and relations 
 living at this time in Stamford, which rendered my slay there 
 very agreeable ; and thus, between New- York, Stamford, and 
 Milford, I managed to pass my leisure time very pleasantly. 
 
 I was desirous that the embargo should be taken off, and 
 not compel men bred to the sea to abandon their occupations ; 
 and was always opposed to the Chinese policy of crawling 
 along shore, and leaving the dominion of the ocean undis- 
 puted to Great Britain, or any other nation. On the contrary, 
 I was in favor of an armed neutrality, and if that could not be 
 effected and sustained, deemed open and absolute war far 
 preferable to the practice of always acting on the defensive. 
 As with individuals, so with nations : if they do not respect 
 themselves, they are always liable to insult. 
 
 After having spent the winter in inactivity, I returned to 
 New- York on the first of March, where I found the beautiful 
 little schooner Hamilton sold, and the trade to Vera Cruz 
 abandoned.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG HENRY AND ISABELLA, FROM NEW-YORK TO 
 ST. BARTHOLOMEW, AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, IN THE YEAR 
 1809. 
 
 On the first of March of this year the embargo was repealed 
 by the government of the United States, and thus its citizens 
 were left at liberty to pursue whatever course they might 
 choose to adopt with respect to foreign voyages. 
 
 I had been residing in Connecticut about eight months, from 
 the time I left the pilot-boat Hamihon, on the first of July of last 
 year ; and on the earliest notice of the repeal of the embargo, I 
 hastened to New- York, and was there offered the command of 
 a small brig, called the Henry and Isabella, of 103 tons bur- 
 den, and owned by Messrs. Lawrence & Whitney, of this city. 
 I forthwith accepted the offer — being delighted at the idea of 
 getting to sea once more, particularly as this was my first es- 
 say as captain. I took with me as mate my old friend and 
 shipmate, Stephen Trowbridge. Our crew was composed of 
 four seamen, a black cook, and cabin-boy. This boy was a 
 bright lad of fifteen, called David Hepburn ; he was a native 
 of Milford, Connecticut ; and as I shall have frequent occasion 
 to mention his name hereafter, in the narrative of my subse- 
 quent voyages, I am tlius minute on this subject. We had 
 also two cabin passengers — one of these was an English gen- 
 tleman, Robert Cartmcl, Esq., who liad resided several years 
 fn the West Indies, and owned a small portion of the cargo.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG HENRY AND ISABELLA. 59 
 
 He was a kind-heaited and a very intelligent man ; the other 
 was a Mr. Rice, of whom I knew but little. He appeared to 
 be going abroad to seek liis fortune among the West India 
 islands, and without much stability of purpose. After getting 
 the cargo on board, and every thing ready, we left New- York, 
 on the 3d of April, for St. Bartholomew. 
 
 We had a pleasant passage of twenty days, and arrived safe 
 at our destined port on the 23d of the same month. Here we 
 lay several weeks waiting a return cargo, during which period 
 I received much kind hospitality from the merchants, and 
 passed the time very pleasantly. This island, which is no 
 more than a barren rock, has a tolerable harbor at its lee end, 
 and belongs to Sweden. There is here but very little cultiva- 
 tion, consequently the inhabitants are almost entirely supported 
 by commerce. 
 
 I was consigned to Wm. Cock, Esq., the principal mer- 
 chant at this place ; he in fact transacts the greater part of the 
 business done on the island. After taking on board about 60 
 tierces of coffee, some casks of cocoa, and a few puncheons of 
 rum, we got ready for sea. I had also six French gentlemen 
 as cabin-passengers ; they were captains and lieutenants be- 
 longing to the French navy, and were from Guadaloiipe. 
 They took passage with me to New- York, in order to return 
 from that city to France. They were attended by their own 
 servants, and were pleasant, agreeable men. 
 
 We lay in this port about five weeks, and then sailed for 
 New- York, namely, on the 25th of May, and had a very 
 pleasant passage of fifteen days. We made a fair saving 
 voyage for so small a vessel. As this was my first voyage as 
 master, I was happy that every thing turned out so satisfacto- 
 rily to all parties concerned. 1 had hardly got the little brig 
 discharged, before my former friend, Archibald Gracie, Esq., 
 gave me the command of his ship Virginia, then lying at 
 New- York. I resigned the command of the Henry and Isa- 
 bella to my eldest brother, William Coggeshall, with the con- 
 sent of the owners, and took charge of the ship Virginia.
 
 60 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG HENRY AND ISABELLA. 
 
 I had now fairly embarked on my career as a young ship- 
 master, and adopted as my motto the following stanza from 
 Scotia's favorite bard, with a firm resolve to carry it out to the 
 best of my abilities : 
 
 " To catch dame fortune's golden smile, 
 
 Assiduous wait upon her, 
 And gather gear by ev'ry wile 
 
 That's justified by honor; 
 Not for to hide it in a hedge, 
 
 Nor for a train-attendant ; 
 But for the glorious privilege 
 
 Of being independent."
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP VIRGINIA, FEOM NEW-YORK TO PETERSBURG, 
 VA., AND FROM THENCE TO EUROPE, AND BACK TO NEW -YORK, IN 
 THE YEAR 1809. 
 
 On the 1st of July, 1809, I took charge of the Virginia. This 
 ship was about 385 tons burden, coppered and copper fastened, 
 and was considered a very good ship for those days. She had 
 just returned from Holland under the command of Archibald 
 Crockett, a worthy old Scotch gentleman, who had spent the 
 greater part of his life at sea, and now of his own free will 
 gave up the command of the Virginia, resolved to spend the 
 remainder of his days on shore. This ship returned from Am- 
 sterdam in ballast, so that it required but a few days to fit her 
 for the voyage. I therefore shipped two mates and a crew, 
 and forthwith got ready for sea. I took Mr. Trowbridge, who 
 was with me in the Henry and Isabella, as chief mate, and a Mr. 
 Thomas Hardy, second mate, with a crew of ten men, who 
 shipped by the run for City Point. Thus manned and equip- 
 ped, we sailed from Sandy Hook on the 6th of July. The 
 first day out we had light winds from the southward ; the next 
 day the wind shifted to the N. E. and E. N. E., and continued 
 to blow from that quarter for six days, which enabled us to get 
 safe to City Point on the.l4thinst., eight days from New- York. 
 The owner of the Virginia, Archibald Gracie, Esq., ordered 
 me to proceed to City Point with the ship, and apply to Messrs. 
 Gracie, Anderson ct Co., at Petersburg, Va., for a cargo of to-
 
 62 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP VIRGINIA. 
 
 bacco, with staves sufficient for dunnage. This tobacco was 
 purchased during the long embargo, at a very low price ; I 
 believe from one and a half to two dollars per hundred pounds. 
 I lost no time in discharging the sand ballast, and taking in 
 the cargo. I received on board 540 hogsheads for the owner, 
 and ten for my own account. This ship had a large cabin, 
 and as we had no passengers, I put my ten hogsheads into it. 
 It was of a superior quality, and cost me, when on board, 
 $615. 
 
 The owner of the Yirginia, Archibald Gracie, Esq., was 
 one of the most liberal and benevolent men I ever knew, I 
 always left him to make his own terms with respect to my 
 wages and other perquisites, for nothing gave him more plea- 
 sure than to see his captains, officers, and, in fine, all those in 
 his employment, make money for themselves, as well as for 
 him. As a proof of what I have here stated, he authorized 
 me, at his own suggestion, to take ten hogsheads of tobacco for 
 my private adventure. I was at this time but twenty-four 
 years old, and had no expectations of such liberal allowance 
 for my services. 
 
 During my stay here, I got acquainted with several fami- 
 lies some miles below City Point, generally planters, residing 
 on the banks of the James River ; and I am happy \o say I 
 found them well bred, kind, and generous, and without excep- 
 tion the most hospitable people I ever met with ; and when I 
 sailed from City Point, I left these excellent people with much 
 regret, and even down to the present day, I often retrace the 
 pleasant associations connected with the agreeable days spent 
 on the banks of the river a few miles below City Point. 
 
 On the 3dof August the ship was loaded, when I hired eight 
 negroes, and proceeded with her down to Hampton Roads, which 
 occupied four days, and then went in a pilot-boat to Norfolk, 
 where I shipped ten men at $28 per month. When the embar- 
 go was taken off, there were so many vessels fitting out that 
 seamen's wages became very high. After getting the men and 
 all necessary sea-stores on board, we sailed from Norfolk, and
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP yiRGINIA. 63 
 
 left the Capes of Virginia on the 11th of August, for Falmouth, 
 England. We had a pleasant passage, without any remark- 
 able occurrence, until we reached Lat. 47° 22' N., Long, 49° 
 W., on the 31st of September, where we experienced a severe 
 gale from the N. N. W., which lasted only about six hours, but 
 during that time the sea washed away my stern-boat, stove 
 the long-boat, swept away the waist boards, and split in pieces 
 the maintopsail, with some other damage of less importance. 
 After this, we had pleasant weather until we arrived off Fal- 
 mouth, on the 11th of September, just one montli after leaving 
 Norfolk. On my arrival I hired a shore boat for two guineas 
 and a half, to take a letter on shore to Messrs. George Fox 6c 
 Sons, and to bring back another from them. We stood off and 
 on for about three or four hours, when the boat returned with 
 a letter from Messrs. Fox &- Sons, and also one from Messrs. 
 Baring, Brothers 6o Co., of London, advising me to proceed up 
 channel, and make the best of my way to Tonningen, calling 
 at Heligoland for further information. After paying the boat- 
 man for taking my letter on shore and bringing off another, I 
 observed to him that it was better for him to take two guineas 
 and a half (he having first demanded five for this ser- 
 vice), than to have refnsed it ; for had he not complied 
 with my offer, I certainly should have sent my own boat on 
 shore, in which case he would have earned nothing. He re- 
 plied, in his provincial jargon, " Why, yees, maister, it is bet- 
 ter for ou, and better for we." The wind being fair, we pro- 
 ceeded up channel, keeping close in with the English coast, 
 to avoid being detained by any men-of-war I might meet on 
 my way. As the Virginia was an English built ship, she 
 caused no suspicion. I passed very near several ships of war, 
 who appeared not to notice us, taking her, as I suppose, for 
 one of their own nation. I ran up channel as far as T3over, 
 without having been spoken. Oft' this place, however, I was 
 hailed by a man-of-war brig, and ordered to heave to, and that 
 he would send his boat on board. I accordingly hove to, 
 when, instead of sending a lieutenant and a midshipman on 
 board as is customary, the captain came himself, with a mid-
 
 64 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP VIRGINIA. 
 
 shipman. He examined my papers strictly, and said he was 
 very much surprised that I had not been boarded by any Brit- 
 ish ship of war since I entered the channel. He did not inti- 
 mate to me that he was captain of the brig, but from the great 
 deference and respect paid him by the midshipman, I conclud- 
 ed he must be. I therefore ordered my second mate to ascer- 
 tain from the coxswain of the boat whether the boarding offi- 
 cer was the captain, or one of the lieutenants. Both he 
 and the boat's crew confirmed my suspicions, and said the 
 gentleman in question was the captain of the brig. He hesi- 
 tated some time, whether he should send me into some port in 
 England, or let me go. At length, after a vexatious and scru- 
 tinizing examination, I was allowed to proceed on my voyage 
 towards Heligoland. 
 
 At this period, there was no respect paid to the rights of 
 neutral ships, either by England or France. On the contrary, 
 it was almost a daily occurrence, that upon the slightest sus- 
 picion, or even at the mere caprice of English naval command- 
 ers, that American ships were sent into British ports, for adju- 
 dication. Sometimes, they were condemned upon the most 
 frivolous pretences, and if they were eventually cleared, their 
 owners were subject to exorbitant charges and vexatious de- 
 lays, and thus it often happened, that through this unjust and 
 arbitrary interference with the rights of peaceful commerce by 
 the two aforesaid belligerent nations, that many voyages were 
 broken up and entirely ruined. The poor neutral ships were 
 driven from pillar to post, and were treated with every kind of 
 indignity, and could find no safety in any part of Europe, except 
 in Russia. His Majesty, so called, was the great sea-robber, 
 while the selfish and unjust Bonaparte, was the great land-rob- 
 ber ; so that between them both, the whole world was laid under 
 contribution to support and carry on their devastating wars. 
 The world has been too long deceived by great names, and 
 dazzled by what military men call glory. It is time to call 
 things by their right names ; for a king that takes any thing 
 unjustly, is as much a robber as the captain of a 'band of bri-
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP VIRGINIA. 65 
 
 gands ; all the difference between them is, that the one robs 
 on a great, and the other on a small scale. 
 
 It is the legitimate duty of seamen to brave the tempest 
 and the storm, and to look out for rocks and shoals by night 
 and by day. These perils we can endure, but the injustice, 
 oppression, and cupidity of our fellow-men, are trials which 
 are hard to bear. 
 
 After the detention by the English brig-of-war, we met 
 with no further interruption, nor any thing worth recording, 
 until we arrived at Heligoland, on the 17th of September, 
 seven days from Falmouth. Here I was detained two days in 
 consequence of bad weather. This is a very singular little 
 island ; it belongs to England, and is about 25 miles off the 
 mouths of the Rivers Elbe and Eyder. It is, I think, about 
 two miles long, and one and a half wide ; has no good harbor, 
 but a roadstead, where there is tolerable anchorage during the 
 summer season. Its shores are very abrupt and somewhat 
 high. I should judge it was from 150 to 180 feet above the 
 level of the ocean, and its face may be termed table-land from 
 its smooth surface. It contains about 2000 inhabitants : the 
 richer classes inhabit the table-land, where they have a church, 
 and rather a pretty town ; while the lower classes dwell in a 
 dirty village on the shore below the hill ; they are mostly 
 pilots and fishermen, with their families. All the porters are 
 females ; they wear men's hats, and are a coarse, vulgar-look- 
 ing race. There is no other way of getting from the lower to 
 the upper town, but by winding wooden stairs, to ascend 
 which is very inconvenient and fatiguing, I landed on the 
 19th of September at Heligoland, and had a letter of introduc- 
 tion from Messrs. Baring, Brothers & Co., of London, to Mr. 
 A. E Herman, merchant, at this place, desiring him to assist 
 me in getting a pilot to take the ship into the river Eyder. 
 The pilots here are a vile set of extortioners, and would scarce- 
 ly save a drowning man without pay ; in a word, they are 
 a notorious set of unprincipled rascals. These fellows all 
 charged me five hundred Spanish dollars to take my ship into 
 
 5
 
 66 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP VIRGINIA. 
 
 the river, a distance of say 25 to 30 miles, but after a great 
 deal of chaffering one of them was persuaded, through the in- 
 fluence of Mr. E., to take the ship into the river for $400. 
 Many shipmasters were obhged to pay for this service as high 
 as $600, and in some instances even as high as one thousand. 
 At this time there were several ships standing off and on the 
 island, waiting to get pilots. Some would not pay the price 
 asked, and knew not what to do. After I got one on board, as 
 the wind was blowing strong from the westward, I filled away 
 for the river's mouth. There was at this time the ship Brutus 
 of New- York, Capt, Macy, standing off and on, but had fallen 
 to leeward two or three miles, and was beating up to get a 
 pilot from the island. I spoke him and inquired whether he 
 had one ; found he had none. He asked me if I would allow 
 him to follow my ship into the river, and that he would wil- 
 lingly pay half the pilotage. This was instantly agreed upon, 
 when we filled away and stood directly for the river's mouth. 
 We had not proceeded far before the pilot began to grumble, 
 and swear that he would not conduct two ships. I replied 
 that he had nothing to do with the other, but to attend to 
 mine, and that if she should touch the bottom, that moment 
 he was a dead man. 1 then showed him a loaded pistol, and 
 convinced him that I was ready to carry out the threat ; this 
 seemed to cool down the fellow's courage, and induced him to 
 plead for my intercession with the captain of the Brutus to 
 give him a handsome present. The wind continued fair, and 
 the weather clear enough to see our way into the mouth of the 
 river, which is very narrow, with dismal sand-banks on both 
 sides. In about four hours after the pilot came on board we 
 were safely anchored inside, on the ISth of September, 37 days 
 from Norfolk. It soon became very tiiick and dark, and dur- 
 ing the whole night it blew a severe gale from the westward 
 directly on shore; and while the wind and sea were roaring 
 terribly outside, we lay safe and snug within the mouth of the 
 narrow river, where the water was as smooth as a mill pond, 
 protected and sheltered by sand-banks on every side. None
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP VIRGINIA. 67 
 
 but a seaman can fully realize the joy and delight it gives one 
 to run from a stormy lee shore into a safe port. The feeling 
 of conscious security, contrasted with the exposure to the tem- 
 pest and the howling of the storm, is absolutely indescribable. 
 
 Early the next morning the ship was taken up to Vol- 
 lerick, and moored in the river. This place is about five 
 miles below Tonningen, By my orders from Messrs. Baring, 
 Brothers &; Co., I eijiployed Peter Todson, Esq., of this place, 
 as our commercial agent. I found here a great number of 
 American ships — I think from 40 to 50 sail. Tonningen is a 
 small, insignificant place, about 70 miles from Hamburg, and 
 only brought into notice from the fact of the many restrictions 
 on commerce by England and France. Both these nations, 
 at this time, acted upon the principle of forcing all other states 
 to take part in their quarrels, and not allow any of them to re- 
 main neutral. These vexatious restraints drove peaceful 
 trade out of its natural and regular channels, to small fishing- 
 towns on the borders of large kingdoms and states. 
 
 Agreeably to the orders of my owner, Archibald Gracie, 
 Esq., I wrote to Messrs. Hope &. Co., at Amsterdam, and also 
 to Messrs. Parish & Co., at Hamburg, advising them of my 
 arrival, and that I was waiting their orders what to do with 
 the cargo. In answer to my letters, the latter gentleman 
 wrote me to discharge the tobacco, and that Mr. Todson 
 would forward it to Hamburg. I forthwith commenced un- 
 loading, and after this was accomplished, I left the ship in 
 charge of the chief mate, and took a public conveyance, with 
 six other passengers, for Hamburg. We travelled through 
 Danish Holstein in wagons without springs, taking post-horses 
 the whole route. We frequently found the roads very rough, 
 and were consequently jolted to our heart's content. The 
 postillions are a dull, sluggish race of biped animals, and jog 
 along at the slow rate of about four English miles the hour. 
 They are all inveterate smokers, and are never seen without 
 pipes in their mouths. The face of the country is of a mode- 
 rate height, rather undulating, and generally pretty well culti-
 
 68 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP VIRGINIA. 
 
 vated. We passed through several towns and villages of some 
 note, the names of which I do not recollect. The public 
 houses and taverns in the towns along the road were tolerably 
 well kept, and their prices reasonable. The inhabitants of 
 Holstein are a hardy, good-looking race of men, with light 
 hair and blue eyes, and, I should think, generally a virtuous, 
 industrious people. The greater portion of them are agricul- 
 turists, and they also raise large numbers.of cattle and horses, 
 which are sold in the adjacent states. We left Tonningen at 
 noon, travelled all night, and got to Hamburg the next 
 morning. 
 
 I was politely received by Messrs. Parish & Co., and soon 
 felt at home in this agreeable city. These gentlemen con- 
 firmed in person what they had before written me, namely, 
 that Mr. Grade's orders to them were, that the tobacco should 
 be left in their hands, to be sold in Hamburg, and the avails 
 remitted to London for his account ; that the ship should be 
 ballasted with sand, and return without delay to New- York. 
 
 Hamburg is so well known, that it would be quite superflu- 
 ous in me to say much on the subject. I will therefore only 
 remark, that it lies on the north bank of the river Elbe, about 
 sixty miles above its mouth. It is a great commercial city, 
 and contains about 130,000 inhabitants. At this period it was 
 garrisoned by French troops, and had French doiidniers at the 
 gates. 
 
 I found Hamburg a gay, pleasant city — the living good 
 and cheap, and altogether it was one of the most desirable resi- 
 dences for a young man that I am acquainted with. After 
 spending about ten days in this delightful city, I returned to 
 Tonningen by the same route I came. Before sailing from this 
 place for home, I also left in the hands of Messrs. Parish & 
 Co. my ten hogsheads of tobacco, with a request to have them 
 disposed of without delay, and remit the proceeds to Samuel 
 Williams, Esq., of London, subject to my order. 
 
 T know not how much money Mr. Gracie made by the five 
 hundred and forty hogsheads of tobacco, but, judging from
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP VIRGINIA. 69 
 
 what I cleared on my ten hogsheads, we must have made a 
 very great voyage. I am aware that the charges and ex- 
 penses were very considerable ; still, considering the low price 
 of the article when purchased in Petersburg, and the high price 
 it sold for in Hamburg, I am confident it must have left a very 
 large profit. I believe this quality of tobacco was worth at 
 this time, in Hamburg, from $16 to $20 per hundred pounds. 
 Besides the large profit on the sale of the tobacco, there was 
 also a great gain on the exchange between England and the 
 United States. 
 
 As our cargo was in great demand, it was soon sold, and 
 the proceeds remitted to London. At Tonningen, ships are 
 ballasted with great facility, and at a moderate expense. 
 Thus, at high water, they anchor large lighters on a clean 
 sand-bank, and at low tide load them with shovels ; and when 
 they float, the lighters are taken alongside of the ship, and 
 soon discharged. 
 
 As a proof of my remarks on the rapacious character of 
 the Heligoland pilots, I will relate an incident which occurred 
 during my stay here. Several of tliese pilots having rescued 
 an American sailor from drowning, called the same day on 
 the American captains in this port to pay them for this service. 
 To prevent any evil consequences that might arise, we made 
 up a sum of ten dollars, and presented them to these uncon- 
 scionable extortioners. 
 
 After lying in this port forty-seven days, we sailed, on the 
 4th of November, for New- York, in company with ten or fif- 
 teen sail of ships and vessels bound mostly to England and 
 the United States. We took our departure from Heligoland, 
 and were favored with a fine fresh gale at E. and E. N. E., 
 and clear, pleasant weather for four days. I steered directly 
 for Fair Island passage, and three days after leaving Heligo- 
 land, made and passed this island, one of the Orkneys. The 
 next day the wind shifted to the S. W., and continued to blow 
 from that quarter for several days ; and as I could not weather 
 Ireland by tacking, I concluded to stand on to the N. W., and
 
 70 VOYAGE m THE SHIP VIRGINIA. 
 
 wait for a change of wind to the W. N. W. Although it was 
 now about the middle of November, and the days were very 
 short, still I continued on the same tack until I got within two 
 days' sail of Iceland, when, to my great joy, the wind shifted 
 to the N. W., and then I made a glorious run, and got sound- 
 ings on the banks of Newfoundland in seven days. After this 
 fortunate run, I met with variable winds and weather — some- 
 times fair and sometimes foul — until I arrived at New- York, 
 on the 16th of December, forty-two days from Tonningen. 
 Some of the ships that left in company with us, bound to the 
 United States, passed through the English channel, and some 
 few went through Fair Island passage. 
 
 The winter was uncommonly severe, with almost constant 
 gales from the westward. On my arrival at New- York, not 
 one of the vessels had arrived ; some of those that passed 
 through the English channel were compelled to put into Eng- 
 land to refit and repair damages. I claim no merit in making 
 a shorter passage than the ships that sailed when I did, as it 
 certainly grew out of the circumstances of the case ; the same 
 course taken on another passage from the same place, might 
 perhaps prove a complete failure. After discharging and pay- 
 ing oft' the officers and seamen, I again returned to my native 
 home ; and am happy to add, that I made a good voyage 
 both for myself and owners, and believe that all parties inter- 
 ested were satisfied.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE PILOT-BOAT SCHOONER ELIZA FROM NEW- 
 YORK TO TONNINGEN, AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, IN THE YEAR 
 1810. 
 
 I REMAINED a fsw weeks with my mother and friends in Con- 
 necticut, and then returned to New- York, and there found 
 the ship Virginia had been sold, and was loading with a cargo 
 of flax-seed for Ireland. My late employer, Mr. Gracie, had no 
 other ship at the moment that required a captain, or in other 
 words, there was no vacancy for me to fill at this time, and 
 being very desirous of employment, I was ready to embrace 
 the first fair offer. Messrs. Isaac Moses &. Sons, a very re- 
 spectable commercial house in this city, had lately purchased a 
 new pilot- boat schooner called the Eliza. This vessel was 
 built in Connecticut, and measmed 152 tons. I took the com- 
 mand of her on the 12th of February, and commenced loading 
 for Tonningen. Our cargo consisted of 142 large chests of in- 
 digo, 100 bales of cotton, several tons of logwood, and sundry 
 other valuable articles of less bulk. We finished loading the 
 schooner on the 5th of March, and soon got ready for sea. I 
 took with me my former mate, Mr. Stephen Trowbridge, six 
 men, and a cook. One of the crew was my brother, James 
 Coggeshall, a lad of 15 years. We sailed from New- York on 
 the 10th of March, and were favored with fresh and fair gales 
 from the westward for several days, and had a fine run off the 
 coast, and were once more on the bosom of the broad Atlantic. 
 All around us was one vast expanse of deep blue waters, and
 
 72 FIKST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 all above us beautiful azure sky, with occasional changes of 
 light and shade as the sun shone out or was obscured by pass- 
 ing clouds. It is true there is much monotony at sea, and the 
 same daily routine of duty to be performed ; still, to the con- 
 templative mind there is much to admire and many grand ob- 
 jects to view, both by night and by day, to exalt and elevate 
 the mind to higher scenes than those connected with our little 
 earth, which, in comparison with the revolving worlds around 
 us, is but a point or a speck in the universe. Thus far on our 
 passage nothing occurred worthy of notice, until the 20th of 
 March, on the tenth day from New-York, when on the eastern 
 edge of the grand bank of Newfoundland, in lat. 46° north, 
 and in Ion. from 50° to 47° west, at 10 o'clock at night we fell 
 in with immense quantities of field ice, and before we were 
 aware of our situation, we were completely surrounded and 
 blocked in on every side. The wind was light from the W. 
 N.W., and the sea smooth. I shortened sail and hauled up to 
 the S. E., and during the night made but little distance ; at 
 daylight, March the 21st, there was nothing to be seen but 
 one vast field of ice as far as the eye could extend. I con- 
 tinued on the same course during the day, working through it 
 the best way we could, sometimes going at the rate of two or 
 three miles the hour, at other times we could make no head- 
 way at all for an hour or two, fearing constantly that our little 
 vessel would be crushed, by forcing her through the dense 
 masses of ice. Just before night we providentially got into an 
 open space free from it. This space of open sea was perhaps 
 three miles in circumference ; here 1 resolved to remain all night, 
 deeming it more safe and prudent than to pursue our course 
 in doubt and darkness, and here in this little harbor we rested 
 for the night, tacking about under easy sail. The next morn- 
 ing at day Ugh t, March the 22d, I could see from aloft nothing 
 but fields of ice, as on the preceding day ; we therefore con- 
 cluded to pursue our S. E. course, and work through it by gen- 
 tly forcing the schooner along with the sails, while the crew 
 pried the ice from the bows of the vessel with oars and boat-
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 73 
 
 hooks. The weather was very cold, and it was a dreary sight 
 to behold these frozen fields, and no open sea. While strug- 
 gling through these compact masses, we saw a great number 
 of seals sporting and crawling about the ice cakes, apparently 
 happy and contented, at home, in their own native element. 
 About noon this day the ice became less dense, and we found 
 more open sea ; at 4 P. M. we were quite free from field ice, 
 and made more sail, and were enabled to steer more to the 
 eastward : we ran all night to the E. S. E. under easy sail, 
 and the next morning at daylight, March the 23d, saw no 
 more ice, but what was much more grand and sublime, namely, 
 immense numbers of large icebergs ; some of them I should 
 judge were 200 or 300 feet long, and from 70 to SO feet above 
 the surface of the water. We sailed through these islands 
 all the forenoon, and at 3 P. M., March the 24th, to our great 
 joy entirely lost sight of them, feeling ourselves fortunate in es- 
 caping from our late perilous situation. 
 
 On a fine day, when the sun shines out bright and clear, 
 icebergs are grand and imposing objects ; when seen at a dis- 
 tance they appear like a large fleet of ships under full sail, and 
 when drawing nearer to them, they are still more beautiful. 
 They are formed in every variety of shape, and with a little 
 help of the imagination, appear like crystal palaces and float- 
 ing castles, constructed in every style of architectural elegance. 
 Others again have very grotesque forms, and appear like huge 
 animals supporting each other on their backs, and thus form 
 a very interesting spectacle. 
 
 The Eliza was a good, strong little vessel, or she would 
 inevitably have been lost ; the ice raked the oakum out of the 
 seams, and made her leak a little ; it also tore the cutwater 
 from the stem, with some other trifling damage, but nothing to 
 render her unsafe to perform her destined voyage. 
 
 Five years previous to this period, not far from where we 
 fell in with the field ice, Capt. Richard Law of New London 
 lost the ship Jupiter of New- York ; and I herewith insert an 
 account of this melancholy catastrophe, which I have extract-
 
 74 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 ed from a newspaper of that day. Capt. Law was an old 
 friend of mine, and was a most worthy, excellent man. The 
 Jupiter was from London, bound to New- York ; nothing oc- 
 curred worthy of notice until the morning of the 6th of April, 
 1805, when in lat. 43° north, Ion. 49° west, they fell in with 
 numerous icebergs ; they were compelled to make their way 
 among them the best way they could, tacking for one and 
 keeping away for another, until they were obliged to shorten 
 sail, and steer wherever they could find an open passage 
 through the broken ice. During the whole day Captain Law 
 never left the deck, and by great vigilance managed through the 
 day to preserve the ship from injury. At nightfall their situ- 
 ation was truly appalUng ; large masses of ice were float- 
 ing, and dashing against their ill-fated vessel, until a blow from 
 a block of ice penetrated the starboard bow, and fixed the 
 doomed ship. Both pumps were rigged, but the water rushed in 
 so fast that it was soon found the ship was sinking, and their 
 only resource was to take to their boats with as little noise as 
 possible, so as not to alarm the passengers below. Accordingly 
 38 men, women, and children, embarked in the long boat ; 
 it was then given in charge to the second mate ; the captain, 
 chief mate, one seaman, and five cabin and steerage passen- 
 gers got into the jolly-boat and pushed off" to avoid being car- 
 ried down with the ship ; one young man who had a mother 
 and sister in the cabin, nobly refused to go into the boat, pre- 
 ferring to die with his friends rather than survive them. 
 
 Twenty-seven passengers were asleep below, and as the 
 boats were already full, they wisely judged it best to let them 
 remain ignorant of their fate. In their haste to leave the ship, 
 they had only time to take a bottle of water and a few trifling 
 eatables. In half an hour after the boats left, the waters 
 closed over the unfortunate ship and every soul on board. 
 
 The long-boat took tlie yawl in tow, during all that night 
 and a part of the next day, during which time they were 
 struggling through the ice, and suffering intensely from hun- 
 ger and cold, and after getting into clear water, the jolly-boat
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 75 
 
 was cut loose, when they separated, and saw no more of each 
 other. On tlie 9th, three days after leaving the ship. Captain 
 Law and his fellow- sufferers were picked up by the fishing 
 schooner .Toainia, Capt. Henry Q^uiner, and carried to Marble- 
 head. It was long before any intelligence was received from 
 those in the long-boat ; they were, however, taken up on the 
 9th of April (the same day on which Ca])tain Law and his 
 party were rescued by the schooner Joanna) by an outward 
 bound ship, and carried to London. 
 
 From this period to our making the island of Rona, off the 
 N. W. coast of Scotland, on the 10th of April, we had nothing 
 but severe gales and stormy weather ; in fact, it Avas the most 
 boisterous passage I had ever experienced up to this time. The 
 next day after making Rona, I saw the north coast of Scotland 
 about Cape Wrath ; here I spoke the ship Pilgrim, Captain 
 Littlefield, last frmn St. Sebastian, bound to Tonningen ; the 
 Pilgrim had been a long time at sea, and was short of provi- 
 sions, particularly bread. The captain said he had lost his 
 stern-boat, and that his long-boat would not float ; he there- 
 fore requested me to send my boat on board, and supply him 
 with some necessary stores, I accordingly sent my boat to 
 ascertain what he most wanted ; she soon returned with a 
 polite note from the supercargo, Mi'- Dcpeyster, stating that the 
 Pilgrim had been nearly four months from New- York, and 
 was in great want of almost every necessary of life. I then 
 put into the boat three barrels of pilot bread, some hams, and 
 a few bottles of Holland gin, and ordered the officer of the 
 boat not to go alongside of the ship, but to go astern, and let 
 them haul the bread and the other articles on board over the 
 taffrail, the sea being so high that I deemed it unsafe to go 
 alongside ; this order was promptly executed, when llie boat 
 returned and was hoisted in without accident. 
 
 The Pilgrim was an eastern ship, I think from Portland 
 or Portsmouth, was chartered in New-York, from whence she 
 sailed. She touched off St. Sebastian, and after communica- 
 ting with that place, was afraid to enter for fear of seizure, as
 
 76 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 Bonaparte had already laid his iron grasp upon several Amer- 
 ican ships and their cargoes, while lying in that port ; thus 
 situated, the supercargo concluded to proceed to Tonningen, and 
 was now on his way thither. I hailed the Pilgrim again, and 
 inquired of the captain whether he felt disposed to run for 
 the Pentland Firth ; he replied, that he was unacquainted 
 with the passage, and dare not attempt it. I told him I 
 had a fine chart of the Firth, and a good book of directions ; 
 still he concluded not to venture so dangerous a passage. The 
 wind was now at N. N. E. and N. E., and to beat up to 
 Fair Island passage would, in all probability, be a long and 
 tedious business, and thus, after mutual good wishes, we sep- 
 arated. I immediately filled away with a free wind for the 
 Pentland Firth, and he continued to beat up for Fair Island. 
 The next morning, April the 11th, I got down into the neigh- 
 borhood of the passage ; the wind being light at N. E. and the 
 ebb tide running out of the North Sea against us, I hauled in 
 shore not far to the westward of Duncansby Head, and there 
 ran into a little bay to keep out of the strength of the current, 
 until the change of the tide. Here 1 was boarded by a boat, 
 with six oarsmen and a Patroon, bound to South Ronaldsha ; he 
 inquired whether I wanted a pilot to take me through the 
 Firth, I answered that depended upon the price ; from my ex- 
 perience with Heligoland pilots, I was cautious, and fearing 
 extortion, demanded the price to take me through the Firth ; 
 he said he would charge but a guinea and a half, I told him 
 to come on board, that I would willingly give him two. I 
 recollect the name of the Patroon or captain of the boat was 
 Pitcairn, a very intelligent, clever fellow, and like the general- 
 ity of liis countrymen, very candid, honest, and sincere. Soon 
 after, the tide began to make in our favor, when we sailed out 
 into the middle of the passage to have the full benefit of the 
 current; the wind became very light and the current so strong 
 that we had no command of the vessel ; at this moment it ap- 
 peared as though the current was setting the schooner directly 
 on to Duncansby Head, a high, bold, abrupt cape, which in
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 77 
 
 our situation had a most terrific appearance. On my express- 
 ing my fears to the pilot, he said there was no kind of 
 danger ; that hefore we got to the head, the current would 
 carry us off again in safety. On the other side of the Firth, 
 were several small islands, called the Pentland Skerries, and 
 after passing Dunoansby Head, I began to fear these rocky 
 islands ; but here again the pilot assured me that I need be 
 under no apprehension, that the strength of the current would 
 take me directly through the passage, and that it was about 
 time for him to leave us. He then inquired whether I would 
 pay him in rum ; I asked what rum was worth a gallon ; 
 he said a guinea. 1 accordingly gave him two gallons, 
 with a quantity of bread, beef, etc., and we parted mutually 
 satisfied. I have never before or since seen the current run 
 so rapidly as in this passage ; at times it roars like distant 
 thunder, and not having on hand any books to refer to on the 
 subject, I am afraid to state its rate of running ; but am under 
 the impression that at the full and change of the moon, that is 
 to say, at spring tides, its force is eight or ten miles the hour. 
 After the pilot left us, I made sail with a pleasant breeze from 
 the N. E. and in six days got to Heligoland ; there I readily 
 obtained a pilot at a moderate price, say about fifty dollars, 
 and came safe to anchor in the Eyder, at the port of Tonningen, 
 on the 17th of April, thirty-seven days from New- York. I 
 will here observe that the Pilgrim did not get here until about 
 a month after, and that fears were expressed for her safety. 
 On her arrival, the supercargo told me they had been on short 
 allowance of bread for several days ; and both he and the 
 captain expressed a great deal of gratitude for the supply of 
 bread and other things they had received from me. 
 
 On my arrival, I wrote to Joshua Moses, Esq., one of the 
 owners of the Eliza, and also to Messrs. Parish (fc Co., at Ham- 
 burg, advising them of my being here, and in a few days got 
 answers from these gentlemen, requesting me to delay entering 
 the schooner at the custom-house for some days, as they had 
 not decided whether to dispose of the cargo at Hamburg, or to
 
 78 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE ELIZA. 
 
 proceed through the canal to Kiel, or some other port in the 
 Baltic. The markets here were not so good for colonial pro- 
 duce as they were on my last voyage, which caused Mr. Mo- 
 ses to delay selling for several weeks. On the 11th of May, 
 however, I received a letter from him informing me that he had 
 sold the indigo, deliverable in Tonningen, and that he had ap- 
 pointed Mr. Joachim Lexon, as our commercial agent ; that 
 he wished the cargo all landed as soon as possible, and that 
 he had purchased some portion ot our return cargo. We ac- 
 cordingly discharged the schooner without delay, and took on 
 board a quantity of iron ballast. A few days after the schooner 
 was discharged, Mr. Moses arrived here from Hamburg, and 
 politely invited me to return with him to that city, and aid 
 him in the purchase of our return cargo, for the New- York 
 market. I knew very little about the selection of French and 
 German goods, and of course received the invitation to spend a 
 week or ten days in Hamburg as a compliment from Mr. Mo- 
 ses, who Avas always polite and gentlemanly, and treated me 
 more like a friend and companion, than a hired captain in his 
 employment. He had with him his own post-chaise, and al- 
 ways travelled like a gentleman. We took post-horses on the 
 road, and had a very pleasant jaunt to Hamburg. I had been 
 hereonmy last voyage, in the ship Virginia, and as I had been 
 absent only about six or eight months, I found no diliiculty in re- 
 newing my former acquaintance with my commercial friends, 
 besides receiving much hospitality from my former consignees, 
 Messrs. Parish & Go. Mr. Moses introduced me to several 
 other mercantile houses, by whom we were politely entertain- 
 ed ; and thus I had the pleasure to spend ten days very satis- 
 factorily in this agreeable city. Although the German is the 
 language of this place, still a stranger has no difficulty in com- 
 municating with a great portion of the inhabitants. From its 
 extensive commerce all the modern languages are spoken here : 
 all the large dealers and the most of the shopkeepers, speak 
 two or three tongues, viz. : German, French and English, and 
 frequently Spanish and Italian.
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 79 
 
 I often dined with merchants and their families, during 
 my stay here, and have been dehghted to hear their children 
 converse with several captains and supercargoes of different 
 nations, each in their own language. In all my travels about 
 the world, I have never found a people acquire foreign lan- 
 guages with so much facility as the Germans. After Mr. 
 Moses had made all his purchases, and dispatched his goods 
 to Tonningen, I returned in a post-wagon, by the same road we 
 came, and arrived safe at Tonningen, on the 15th of May. The 
 goods purchased in Hamburg consisted of glass-ware, German 
 linens, and French silks, etc., etc., and altogether amounted to 
 152 bales and packages. A large portion of these goods were 
 very valuable, and very much wanted at this time in the United 
 States. We finished loading our schooner on the 4th, and 
 after waiting about a week for a fair wind, sailed on the 11th 
 of June, bound for New- York, making our stay here just 54 
 days. We took the northern route, viz., through Fair Island 
 passage, and met with nothing worth remarking, until we 
 arrived at New- York, on the 23d of July, 43 days from Tonnin- 
 gen. All our returned cargo sold well, and the little schooner 
 made an excellent voyage. Through the advice and assist-* 
 ance of Mr. Joshua Moses, I purchased while in Hamburg a 
 quantity of French and German goods, for my own private 
 adventure, which paid a very large profit. The voyage was 
 soon settled, to the satisfaction of all parties concerned, and I 
 again returned to my native place in Connecticut.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA, FROM NEW-TOEK TO 
 SWEDEN AND EUSSIA, AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, IN THE YEAES 
 
 1810 AND 1811. 
 
 I HAD but about a fortnight's leisure with my mother and sis- 
 ter in Milford, before I received a letter from my employers, 
 Messrs. Moses & Co., informing me that they had decided on 
 sending the Eliza on another voyage to the north of Europe, 
 and requested me to return to New- York, and commence load- 
 ing with as little delay as possible. I therefore lost no time, 
 jand forthwith returned and commenced loading the schooner, 
 for Gottenburg and a market. Our cargo consisted of Havana 
 sugar, coffee, rum, segars, nankeens, and a variety of other 
 valuable articles. 
 
 I took with me my former mate, Mr. Trowbridge, and 
 also my brother James — the remainder of the crew were 
 strangers. 
 
 On the 30th of August we were ready, and sailed the next 
 day, with a light breeze from the N. N. E., with open, cloudy 
 weather. 
 
 The wind was light during the day, and the ocean uncom- 
 monly smooth, so that we did not lose sight of the Highlands 
 of Ncversink until dark. Wo ran off to the E. S. E., and 
 soon got clear of the coast. We were favored with southerly 
 and westerly winds, and generally fnie weather, as is usual at 
 this season of the year.
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 81 
 
 Nothing worthy of leiiiark occurred until the 11th of Sep- 
 tember, on the eleventh day from New-York, when we got 
 soundings in forty fathoms of water, on the grand bank ol 
 Newfoundland. After this, we continued to have fair westerly 
 winds, until we reached the longitude 23° west ; here the 
 wind shifted to the S. E., and blew violently from that quarter 
 for several hours. It soon raised a high sea, and then gradu- 
 ally subsided to a calm, when, for want of wind to steady 
 her, our little schooner was terribly tossed about for the space 
 of two hours. After that, the wind suddenly returned to the 
 N. W., and blew a perfect hurricane. We shipped a sea, 
 which washed the binnacle and compasses overboard, and 
 many light things from the deck. I was driven with great 
 force into the lee-waist, and came very near being washed 
 overboard. The wind split our mainsail and jib in pieces, and 
 blew with such violence that we were obliged to lie to for 
 eight hours, under a double-reefed foresail. We were now 
 nineteen days out, and had thus far made good progress on 
 our passage. The next day it became more moderate, when 
 we again made sail, with the wind at W. and N. W. It con- 
 tinued favorable for four days, when we made the Island of 
 Barra, bearing S. S. E., distant about four leagues, twenty- 
 three days from New- York. Soon after, we saw Rona Island. 
 Barra and Rona are two high, rocky islands, not far asunder, 
 lying off the N. W. coast of Scotland, in latitude 59° north, 
 and longitude about 60° 15' west. The next day we saw the 
 light-house on North Ronaldsha, six miles distant. Fair 
 Island bore at this time cast about twenty miles distant ; light 
 airs from the southward, and fine weather. The next day, 
 September the 26th, at noon, passed quite near Fair Island — 
 I should think within a mile of its south shore. Two boats 
 full of men came alongside and supplied us with fish ; they 
 were a poor, miserable looking race, and filthy to the last de- 
 gree. They informed me that there were about 300 souls on 
 the island, and that they subsisted by catching fish, now and 
 then gaining a few dollars by piloting ships through the pas- 
 6
 
 82 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 sage, and sometimes selling a few eggs, stockings, &c. It is 
 a very small island — perhaps two miles long and one broad — 
 of a moderate height ; it lies in latitude 59° 29' north ; longi- 
 tude, 1° 47' west. We had light winds from the southward 
 for two days, when we made the land about Stowenger, in 
 Norway, 60 miles from the Naze, bearing from E. N. E. to S. 
 E., distant 11 or 12 leagues — fresh gales from the S. E. and a 
 high sea running. On the 1st of October the weather was 
 clear and fine, with light winds from the southward ; a fleet 
 of ships and brigs passed us, standing to the eastward ; saw 
 the land about the Naze of Norway, bearing from N. to N. E. 
 The next day, October 2d, saw the land, about 35 miles to 
 the southward and westward of the Skaw Point, in Jutland ; 
 at noon this day, the Skaw light-house bore S. W. two 
 leagues distant. The next day, October 3d, made Wingo 
 Island, bearing E. S. E., two leagues distant ; at 6 P. M., took 
 in sail and hauled off shore, it being too late to go into port ; 
 stood off and on all night, and at 9 A. M., October 4th, pro- 
 cured a pilot, and at 10 A. M. came to anchor in the port of 
 Gottenburg, about 12 miles from the city. While off this port 
 we found our rudder was out of order, and worked with great 
 difficulty. After coming to anchor we examined it, and dis- 
 covered that one of the copper pintals was broken, and I felt 
 myself fortunate to get into port without its entire loss. We 
 were soon visited by the health-boat, and though all well, still 
 we were requested to proceed immediately to the quarantine 
 ground, and remain there until further orders. We found the 
 quarantine a small, siuig harbor, four fathoms deep, and nearly 
 surrounded with high rocks. 
 
 October Ath. Wc were this day again visited by the health 
 boat and liberated from quarantine, after a day's detention. I 
 now wrote to Mr. Moses, one of my owners, who was at this 
 time residing at Copenhagen, and also to the house of Parish 
 &. Co. at Hamburg, advising them of my arrival, and stating 
 also that I should wait their orders where to proceed. I con- 
 cluded to let the schooner remain in this little harbor until I
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCnOONER ELIZA. 83 
 
 could repair the rudder. For this purpose I unshipped it and got 
 a new pintal made in Gottcnburg, and after it was repaired 
 and ready, I took sufficient cargo out of the run and after-part 
 of the vessel and placed it forward so that I was enabled to 
 ship the rudder without discharging the schooner. When I 
 again returned to the inner port of Gottenburg, 6 miles from 
 the town, there were lying there several English line of battle 
 ships, frigates and sloops of war. Many merchant ships of 
 different nations were daily arriving at this place of rendez- 
 vous to proceed up the Categat and Baltic. The flag ship at 
 this port was the Victory, Admiral Sir James Soumarez. The 
 merchant vessels had been collecting for several weeks, and as 
 this was the last convoy into the Baltic for the season, a great 
 number of them of all descriptions had assembled — -I believe 
 at least 600 sail. The whole of this vast fleet were nominally 
 neutral ships, sailing under the different flags of nearly all the 
 petty states of Germany, and their cargoes purporting to be the 
 bona fide property of their respective countries, while in point 
 of fact, the most of them were English property, cloaked or 
 covered by the flags of these different nations by simulated or 
 counterfeit papers. I was told at this period that it was an 
 every day occurrence in London to manufacture false papers 
 and invoices, and that an entire set of simulated papers for a 
 ship could be procured for 10 guineas, and so adroitly executed 
 that it was difficult to detect them. 
 
 On the continent Bonaparte was striving to carry out his 
 plan to conquer England, by cutting off all their commerce 
 with Europe, and he accordingly prohibited the introduction 
 of all British goods, and also of their colonial productions, and 
 frequently ordered a quantity of English manufactured goods 
 to be burnt on the public squares in the different towns and 
 cities on the continent. He said they were a nation of money- 
 loving shopkeepers devoid of honor or integrity, and the most 
 effectual way to subdue them, was to annihilate their trade 
 and commerce and thus create a revolution in England, so 
 that they should destroy themselves by civil war. In Eng-
 
 84: SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 land the government was compelled to sustain the manufac- 
 tures to keep the working classes from idleness, riot, and re- 
 bellion. The difficulty and risk of disposing of their manu- 
 factured articles on the continent of Europe, and the fear of 
 seizure, compelled them to resort to every stratagem that hu- 
 man ingenuity could invent ; and yet, notwithstanding all these 
 indirect expedients, their manufactured goods were constantly 
 accumulating, and sales were daily made at ruinous prices. 
 
 A few days before we sailed from Gottenburg, an order 
 was given for the captains of all neutral vessels to repair on 
 board of the flag-f^hip, for sailing orders or instructions how to 
 sail in the fleet. Signals were given them to enable each one 
 to comply with the order of sailing; and, among others, seve- 
 ral American captains went also for written instructions, and 
 on applying to the first lieutenant, and telling him that they 
 were Americans, he discourteously said — You certainly have 
 a great deal of assurance to call on us for protection, when 
 your country and government treat the British nation with 
 offensive barbarity — prohibiting us the use of your harbors, 
 and often refusing our ships-of-war water and fresh provisions. 
 After this tirade, he gave them their sailing orders, and left 
 them to repair on board, without the usual ceremony of seeing 
 them leave the ship. 
 
 When I heard this statement from my countrymen, I 
 resolved to ask for no orders. As mine was a fast-sailing 
 schooner, I knew I could choose my own position in the 
 fleet, and could not believe them such barbarians as to drive 
 me away from it. I therefore took the responsibility, and 
 sailed with the rest, without a scrap of paper. 
 
 None but those engaged in connnerce at this period can at 
 all realize the annoying persecutions neutral nations, and their 
 ships and commerce, experienced from the English and 
 French governments and their satellites ; and although I suf- 
 fered, in many instunces, much ill treatment and vexatious 
 detention, still I do not wish to exaggerate or amplify the 
 subject ; all I desire is, to impress upon the minds of the pres-
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 85 
 
 ent generation what their fathers have suffered, that they may 
 know by comparison how to prize the privileges they so richly 
 enjoy, namely, wealth, power, peace and prosperity. 
 
 About ten days after my arriA'^al, Mr. J. Moses came on 
 here from Hamburg, and appointed Messrs. Martin, Hatterman 
 & Sons, of this place, as my commercial agents, viz., to ad- 
 vance me all necessary funds, and assist me as business 
 friends. Mr. M. advised me to proceed with the convoy 
 through the Great Belt, and then leave it, and push on for 
 Carlsham in Sweden, where I would find letters directing me 
 where to go from thence. Mr. M. then left Gottenburg for Kiel, to 
 ascertain the state of the markets in Prussia, and also whether 
 American ships and goods would be free from seizure by the 
 French, in the Baltic ports along the Prussian coast, and 
 finally came to the conclusion that no American property was 
 safe on the Prussian side of the Baltic ; and although very 
 late in the season, under all the circumstances of the case he 
 thought it best for me to push on for some port in Russia. 
 
 Gottenburg is too well known to require any particular 
 description from me. I will therefore only make a few 
 general remarks on the subject. In point of size, it is the 
 second city in the kingdom of Sweden, and contains about 
 thirty thousand inhabitants ; it has a spacious harbor, and lies 
 in latitude 57° 42' north, longitude 11° 58' east of London, 
 and about 260 miles south-west of Stockholm. The land 
 about the harbor and in the vicinity of the city appears rocky, 
 rough, and barren, still the valleys must be very fertile. I 
 observed, while lying here, that besides supplying their city, 
 and a large number of their own ships and vessels, there were 
 lying in this port a numerous fleet of English men-of-war, and 
 some eight hundred sail of merchant ships, to be daily sup- 
 plied with fresh provisions and vegetables, and still there was 
 enough, and at very reasonable prices, besides fish in great 
 abundance. 
 
 We sailed on the morning of the 24th of October, bound 
 to Carlsham, by the way of the Great Belt. At this time there
 
 86 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 was war between England and Denmark, which prevented the 
 Enghsh from passmg through the sound of Elsineur and Co- 
 penhagen ; they were therefore compelled to pass through the 
 passage between Zealand and Funen, called the Great Belt ; 
 this is a rocky and dangerous passage, and not wide enough 
 for a large number of ships to beat to windward, so that when- 
 ever the wind was contrary, the whole fleet immediately came to 
 anchor, no matter how deep the water might be, or how rocky the 
 bottom. The first day after leaving Gottenburg, we had light 
 winds from the N. E,, and clear, pleasant weather. At meri- 
 dian,- Meddengin light bore S. S. E., 8 miles distant. The 
 next day, Oct. 25th, the wind continued light, and the weather 
 clear. At 8 A. M., Anholt bore S. S. W., five leagues distant. 
 We had light winds throughout this day. The schooner Eliza, 
 being pilot boat built, sailed remarkably fast, which enabled 
 me to run ahead of the fleet, that is to say, all except the flag 
 ship St. George, of 74 guns ; this vessel led the van ; of course, 
 no merchant vessel was allowed to go ahead of the Admiral. 
 I used often to amuse myself with speaking the American 
 vessels — the number of which was some eight or ten — and 
 after passing the merchant ships, would then take in all sail, 
 except the foretopsail, and thus under very little canvas I 
 had no difficulty in keeping up with the fleet. At night, the 
 standing signal was for the headmost ships to shorten sail 
 and close convoy, and it sometimes happened that one of the 
 frigates was ordered to make fast to a dull sailing ship, and 
 tow her up into the midst of the fleet. The ordinary mode of 
 sailing was thus : a line of battle ship ahead to lead the van, 
 one or two frigates astern, and a sloop of war, and a brig or 
 two to protect the flanks or outside ships, those nearest the 
 land on both sides of the passage, and notwithstanding all 
 these precautions, the Danish boats would now and then in- 
 tercept a straggler. One morning a gun-boat came out of a 
 little port on the Zealand side, and endeavored to cut off" a 
 brig that had ventured a little too near the shore. The flag 
 ship immediately hauled up to protect her. To witness the
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 87 
 
 firing, I ran my little schooner close under the stern of the St 
 George, 74. I was forcibly struck with the daring bravcny of 
 the gallant Danes, and to see with what apparent nonchalance 
 they regarded cannon balls. The St. George was obliged to 
 fire six or eight shot before the gun-boat could be induced 
 to haul off and give up the chase. To my surprise, 
 although the shot fell all around her, not one shot took 
 effect. When the seventy-four drew too near, these brave 
 fellows deliberately took to their oars and returned into port. 
 I was often amused to see the merchant ships, at nightfall, 
 huddle together ; they reminded me of a brood of chickens 
 gathering around the parent hen for protection. We used 
 to anchor at night clustered together ; the men-of-war were 
 stationed all around the fleet, to protect us from the privateers 
 and gun-boats from out of the adjacent ports on both sides of 
 the Great Belt. From the 25th to the 27th the winds con- 
 tinued light from the eastward, and fine weather. We usually 
 anchored at o'clock in the evening, and lay until daylight, 
 generally in about 10 to 15 fathoms of water — the Jutland 
 shore bearing from N. W. to W. S. W., eight miles distant. 
 From the 27th to the 29th we lay at anchor the greatest part 
 of the time — the wind being ahead. At G A. M., on the 29th, 
 all the fleet was ordered to get under way ; it was blowing 
 strong at the time, with a high sea running, and so many 
 ships crowded together that I found it impossible to weigh 
 our anchor, without getting foul of some other vessel ; we 
 were therefore obliged to cut the cable and lose the anchor, 
 with the greater part of the small bower. A great many ves- 
 sels were similarly situated, and were obliged to slip and cut, 
 and make sail, to keep up with the convoy. I think, without 
 the least exaggeration, I passed more than fifty buoys on an- 
 chors and cables that had been thus left. We had fresh gales 
 from the northward, with squalls of hail and snow, throughout 
 the day. On the 30th we had fresh breezes at north-west, 
 with squalls of hail and snow ; at 5 P. M., came to anchor in 
 15 fathoms of water, where we lay all night. On the 31st we
 
 88 SECOIST) VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 had light winds from the north-west and clear weather. At 
 noon this day the east end of the Island of Ferneron bore S. 
 W. 6 miles distant ; during the whole day we only made 5 
 leagues, when we anchored for the night. On the 1st of No- 
 vember we got through the Belt passage ; I then left the fleet, 
 and made sail alone for Carlsham ; at 4 P. M. got abreast of 
 Darshead ; at 5 P. M. it bore S. W. 8 miles distant ; at 6 P. 
 M. saw Sand Hamsur Hills, on the coast of Sweden, bearing 
 N. N. W., distant about 8 miles — several sail in sight plying 
 to windward ; during the night we had strong gales from the 
 N. E., with much hail and snow, attended with a bad sea. 
 On the 2d of November we had strong gales from the N. E., 
 with violent squalls of hail, sleet and snow ; at 4 P. M. the 
 Island of Bornholm bore south by compass, 2 leagues distant. 
 Strong gales still at N. E. ; handed the topsail, got down the 
 foreyard, and close reefed all the lower sails ; violent gales, 
 with snowy cold weather, with a high cross-sea running 
 through the day. On the 3d we had a continuation of the 
 same N. E. gale, with equally bad weather, viz., snow, hail, 
 and very cold, cloudy weather, and a high sea running. At 
 meridian, saw a bark near us, with her mainmast gone, just 
 above the deck. They showed Swedish colors, and appeared 
 to be in distress. I bore up, and ran under her lee, but could 
 render her no assistance, as it was blowing a severe gale, and 
 a very high sea on. At noon, saw Bornholm, again bearing 
 S. E. by S., 3 leagues distant. The 4th commenced with a 
 continuation of the same N. E. gale, and cold, snowy weather. 
 Towards night it moderated, and shifted to the S. S. E., when 
 we made sail and stood in for the Swedish coast. On the 5th 
 the weather was more moderate ; wind at S. W., but still 
 cloudy and dark. At noon, spoke the ship Lyon, of Philadel- 
 phia, Captain Bainbridge,* from St. Petersburg, bound to New- 
 
 * Captain William Bainbridge, of Ihe United States navy, afterwards 
 Commodore Bainbridge, who so gallantly distinguished himself about three 
 years after this period, by the capture and destruction of the British frigate 
 Java, on the coast of Brazil, on the 29th of December, 1813.
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 89 
 
 York. At 2 P. M. saw Bornholm again bearing E. by S., 5 
 leagues distant. On tlic 6th we had hght winds and hazy- 
 weather. At 6 in the morning saw the Island of Hano, bear- 
 ing N. N. W. ; here we got a pilot, and at 2 P. M. came to 
 anchor at Matwick Bay, in 6 fathoms of water. This is a 
 snug little harbor, sheltered by high rocks on almost every 
 side — a sort of outer port for the town of Carlsham. In an 
 adjacent one, a mile or two from where we lay, I saw lying 
 at anchor an English seventy-four and two frigates. 
 
 The newly appointed King of Sweden, Bernadotte, was 
 daily expected at Stockholm, and as it Avas imcertain what 
 course of policy he would pursue in the great contest between 
 England and Prance, this circumstance had created some diffi- 
 culty between England and Sweden, and though not abso- 
 lutely at war, neither were they exactly at peace ; the English 
 ships of war now lie in the outer ports of Sweden, and have 
 but little open intercourse with the towns and cities, and while 
 we lay here the officers of the English men-of-war frequently 
 went on shore in plain dress, and passed themselves off as 
 American captains and supercargoes. 
 
 Carlsham is a small town of about 4000 inhabitants ; it 
 has two churches, a hospital, and several manufactories of 
 canvas and woollen goods ; its principal exports are timber, 
 pine boards, pitch and tar. In the afternoon of the day of 
 my arrival, on the 6th of November, I went to Carlsham in a 
 shore boat, and delivered my letter of introduction to Messrs. 
 William Schmid &. Co., one of the principal mercantile houses 
 at this place, and inquired for letters from my owner, Mr. J. 
 Moses, but found none. I also endeavored to obtain a cable 
 and anchor for the Eliza, but could find none of a suitable 
 size in the town. On Iny return in the evening of the same 
 day, I found all the crew of my vessel, except the mate and 
 steward, had been taken out of the schooner and sent on board 
 the English seventy-four. This ship had sent a midshipman 
 and ten men and had taken possession of my schooner. They 
 had also seized my log-book and all the papers they could find,
 
 90 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 and said they expected my vessel and cargo would prove a 
 good prize to their ship. I of course was very much excited 
 and vexed at such arbitrary proceedings, and expressed my 
 anger very freely to the midshipman, who happened to be a 
 fine young gentleman. He was mild and collected, and said 
 he hoped I would not blame him, that it was no fault of his ; 
 he was only acting in the line of his duty in obeying his 
 superior officer. I saw he was right, and immediately apolo- 
 gized for what I had so hastily uttered. After we finally un- 
 derstood each other, he said it was too late to see the captain 
 that night, it being then eight o'clock ; that he had gone on 
 board one of the frigates to a card party, and that I had better 
 delay going to see him until morning. Accordingly at nine 
 next morning, I repaired on board the seventy-four, and was 
 told the captain was at breakfast ; I waited an hour, and then 
 sent another message desiring to speak a few words with him ; 
 the answer was, that he was making his toilet and could not 
 be seen. At eleven I saw this bashaw coming out of his 
 cabin ; he appeared to be going forward without noticing any 
 body on his way. I was determined to speak to him, and 
 advanced for that purpose ; without ceremony I told him that 
 my vessel had been taken by his order, and I would thank 
 him if he would have the goodness to explain the reason of 
 my capture : he said, Then you are, I suppose, the master of 
 the schooner that came into this port yesterday. On my an- 
 swering in the affirmative he said, I have not time to attend to 
 the cause of your capture myself, but have appointed two of 
 my officers to investigate your business, and then walked away 
 forward, leaving me to look after the two gentlemen appointed 
 to inquire into the legality of my voyage, and after waiting on 
 deck about an hour, I was requested to go below into the 
 wardroom, where I found the purser and one of the lieutenants 
 looking over my log-book, and examining and cross-question- 
 ing my sailors about the voyage -from the time of our leaving 
 New- York until we arrived at Carlsham. After getting 
 through with the seamen, they then commenced with me. I
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 91 
 
 told them my story was a short one, and required no lawyer to 
 state it ; that I was an American, that my vessel and cargo 
 were American property, that I came under convoy of an 
 English fleet from Gottcnhurg through the Belt passage, and 
 there left it, and had put into Carlsham for letters, and further- 
 more that my cargo was a valuable one, and from the late- 
 ness of the season I was extremely anxious to sail on the 
 morrow, and should do so the moment they released my ves- 
 sel and cargo from seizure ; on the contrary, if they did not 
 at once give me back my schooner, I would abandon the ves- 
 sel and cargo to my captors, and forthwith repair with my 
 mate to Carlsham, and there protest against their unlawful 
 proceedings. The two grave inquisitors then retired into the 
 cabin, and after a long consultation they returned and said 
 their captain had decided to release my vessel, and gave an 
 order to recall the midshipman and seamen, and allow me to 
 sail when I thought proper. Thus after having been detained 
 a night and a day without the slightest cause, 1 was graciously 
 permitted to proceed on my voyage. I deem it unnecessary to 
 comment much on the treatment I received at the hands of the 
 captain of this seventy-four gun ship, who being clothed with 
 a little brief authority, rendered it necessary for us poor mer- 
 chant captains at this time to submit to almost every kind of 
 indignity without any possible means of redress. I have 
 merely given a simple statement of facts, and will leave my 
 countrymen and all other neutral nations to judge for them- 
 selves. 
 
 After being liberated from seizure in the afternoon of No- 
 vember the 7th, I returned to Carlsham, where I found letters 
 from Mr. J. M. from Copenhagen, advising me to make the 
 best of my way to Riga, and that he would meet me at that 
 place. 
 
 The next day, November the 8th, I bought a quantity of 
 fresh provisions, sea stores, (fcc, while my crew were employed 
 repairing sails and other necessary preparations ; the winter 
 season was fast approaching, and I was very anxious to sail.
 
 92 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 On the 9th I came on board and got ready for sea. I had a 
 poor inefficient crew, and was destined to encounter a cold 
 stormy passage up the BaUic, a voyage which should never be 
 undertaken at this late season of the year except from dire 
 necessity. 
 
 The next day, November the 10th, at ten in the morning 
 we got under way, with a light air from the eastward, and 
 stood out to sea ; weather dark and cloudy. 
 
 On the 11th, the wind continued light from the E. S. E., 
 with dark, cloudy weather ; at 4 P. M., the island of Hano 
 bore west, two miles distant, several sail in sight standing 
 down the Baltic. Towards night the wind increased to a fresh 
 breeze from the eastward. Still plying to windward at six in the 
 evening, saw the Clipper Rocks, bearing E. by N. at a dis- 
 tance of six miles. I find here about one and one-half point 
 westerly variation of the compass. During the night the wind 
 continued at E. and E. N. E., with a bad head sea running. On 
 the 12th, the wind blew a fresh gale from the . same quarter, 
 with dark, gloomy weather, with sleet and snow ; double 
 reefed the sails and continued to ply to windward ; at noon, 
 saw the Clipper Rocks again, bearing N. by E. two leagues 
 off ; during the latter part of the day and througout the night, 
 we had strong gales from the eastward, with heavy squalls of 
 rain and hail. On the 13th, we had a continuation of the same 
 winds, but with more sea and worse weather. Still plying to 
 the eastward under a three-reefed mainsail and foresail, violent 
 squalls of hail and snow, with dark, gloomy weather. At 
 noon, the wind shifted to the northward, when it cleared up a 
 little, and we saw the Prussian coast bearing E. S. E. five leagues 
 distant ; during the remainder of this day and through the night 
 the winds were variable, and the weather cold and stormy 
 with considerable snow. My sailors were so worn down with 
 fatigue and exhaustion, that I removed the few that were able 
 to perform their duty into the cabin, and allowed the sick and 
 disabled ones to remain shut up below in the forecastle du- 
 ring the remainder of the passage. I daily supplied them
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 93 
 
 with such food and nourishment as I could procure, under the 
 circumstances in which we were placed. 
 
 The 14th commenced with strong gales from the N. E., 
 with violent squalls of hail and snow, and much sea ; in the 
 afternoon of this day saw the Prussian coast again, bearing S. 
 S. E. about twelve miles distant ; the wind a little more mod- 
 erate, but the weather dark and cold, with squalls of snow ; 
 found it necessary to take the main and flying jibs into the 
 cabin to repair ; about midnight the wind shifted to the N. 
 N. W. 
 
 On the 15th and 16th of November, we had a continuation 
 of gales from almost every point of the compass, with cold, 
 snowy weather ; I continued to beat to the eastward to get into 
 the Gulf of Livonia ; at noon on the 16th, made Windau 
 Church, bearing N. E. twelve miles distant, when the weather 
 cleared up so as to enable me to get an observation of the sun. 
 I found our latitude to be 57° 16' north, and the longitude 22° 
 30' east of London. 
 
 This is the first time I have been able to get the sun's alti- 
 tude at noon, since we left Carlsham. On the 17th, the 
 weather was a little better ; the wind being at S. E. it became 
 clear and comparatively pleasant ; at 1 P. M. got abreast of 
 Windau ; at 4 ditto Lyserct ; bore south six miles distant. 
 At 6 P. M. Dagerot light, bore N. N. E. nine miles distant. I 
 still kept plying to windward to get into the Gulf of Livonia, 
 tacking every two or three hours as we found it necessary. 
 Towards night the weather became dark and gloomy, with 
 strong 'gales at E. S. E., double-reefed the lower sails and 
 handed the topsail. At 6 P. M. sounded in five fathoms of 
 water, strong gales at E. S. E. during the night with much snow, 
 and very thick weather. The 18th commenced with a continu- 
 ation of the same easterly gales and snowy weather, with a 
 short, bad sea running. At 2 P. M. Domcncss lights bore S. E. 
 by S. four miles distant. I saw a brig and a galliot lying at an- 
 chor under the lee of Domeness Point ; we still continued to ply 
 to windward, tacking every two hours. At 8 P. M., Domeness
 
 9-i SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 light bore S. W. eight miles distant. During the night we had 
 strong gales at E. S. E. with sleet and snow, and dark gloomy- 
 weather. The 19th commenced with fresh gales at S. E. 
 with snowy weather ; at 6 in the afternoon, we made Runo 
 light, bearing S. E. three miles distant ; sounded in four 
 fathoms of water. During the night we had light winds from 
 the southward, and very cold weather ; at this time we had 
 much ice on deck and about, the sails and rigging. At 2 A. 
 M. we came to anchor in seven fathoms of water, where we 
 lay until daylight, viz. at 7 o'clock ; we then weighed anchor 
 and made sail with a light breeze from the S. S. E., and com- 
 menced beating up the Gulf to gain our port of destination. 
 November the 20th, the first part of this day we had fresh 
 breezes from the S. S. W., and foggy weather with a little rain. 
 At 2 o'clock in the afternoon got off the mouth of the river 
 Dwina ; here we took a pilot, and in half an hour afterwards 
 came to anohor at the Boldera, after a passage of nine days 
 from Carlsham, and certainly one of the most boisterous and 
 disagreeable I ever made. Two days after I arrived here, on 
 the 22d of this present month, the harbor at the Boldera was 
 entirely closed, so much so, that I walked around my vessel 
 on the ice with perfect safety. In our case, a kind Providence 
 seemed to guide and protect us during the whole of this long 
 and arduous voyage. Had I been two days later, I could not have 
 entered the river Dwina, but should have inevitably been 
 frozen up for the winter, in the Gulf of Livonia. 
 
 All the papers appertaining to the schooner Eliza and her 
 cargo, were forthwith sent up to St. Petersburg, for investiga- 
 tion. I found lying in this port eight American vessels ; the 
 most of them had arrived here in September and October • 
 their papers had all been sent up to St. Petersburg for examin- 
 ation, in fact I may say we were all under a kind of seques- 
 tration, and unable to discharge or dispose of our cargoes. I 
 also learned that a great many American ships had been taken 
 and sent into different places, some to Stralsund and Callem- 
 burg and others into different ports higher up the Baltic. The
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 95 
 
 ship Atlantic, of New- York, left Gottonburg under the same 
 convoy with myself, and after getting through the Belt was 
 captured by a French privateer and sent into Dantzic. There 
 were also several other American vessels, whose names I do 
 not recollect, sent into the same port. The petty othccrs and 
 crews of these vessels, I was told, were lashed two and two 
 and marched on foot by the French to Antwerp. The cap- 
 tains and supercargoes alone, were allowed to remain behind ; 
 so much for French clemency towards neutral nations in 1810, 
 under the iron rule of " Le grand Empereur," and his preto- 
 rians. The whole number of American vessels that wintered 
 in Russia, in the winters of 1810 and 1811, were twenty-three. 
 One in Liebau, eight in Riga, and fourteen in Revel, and other 
 ports in the Gulf of Finland. Thus after Bonaparte, with 
 his continental system, had driven trade and commerce in a 
 great measure from almost all Europe, he appeared determined 
 to force Russia into the same political policy ; and when the 
 property of neutral nations was no longer respected in Southern 
 and Western Europe, but on the contrary was seized and con- 
 demned with impunity, it became necessary to go as far as 
 possible from the grasp of his military power, and seek a mar- 
 ket in the high northern regions. Even here, among the ice 
 and snow, we did not feel quite safe from his powerful influ- 
 ence ; it therefore, became necessary for the Emperor of Russia 
 to disguise his intentions and keep up a show of compliance to 
 the views of France, while preparing for the grand struggle to 
 resist the mighty power of his adversary. These considera- 
 tions in my mind were sufficient to allay any unpleasant feel- 
 ings growing out of the long delay of getting our papers from 
 St. Petersburg. Here it was easy to see that a great storm was 
 gathering in the political atmosphere. All this winter, the 
 Russians were sledging down cannon from the interior to the 
 frontier towns, and making every preparation for the conflict, 
 with as little noise and bustle as possible. 
 
 When I reflect on the character and conduct of Bonaparte 
 at this period, it forcibly reminds me of Ilaman of old, when
 
 96 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 he exclaimed, " All this availeth me nothing, so long as I see 
 Mordecai, the Jew, sitting at the king's gate." Bonaparte 
 probably said to himself, What advantage have I gained in the 
 conquest of Europe, except I can compel Alexander to comply 
 with my measures and policy, and be subject to my dicta- 
 tion ; I will therefore convince him that my armies are invinci- 
 ble, and will soon humble his pride ; but before I strike the 
 final blow, I will endeavor to delude him by my adroit diplo- 
 macy. This he forthwith tried to accompHsh. He sent to 
 the court of St. Petersburg one of his most talented an 
 cunning diplomatic men, in the person of Marshal Caulain 
 court, to deceive him and throw him off his guard with respect 
 to his real intentions ; he also sent to beguile and amuse him 
 the best dramatic actors and actresses in France, and when 
 he found that stratagem and intrigue did not accomplish his 
 purpose, he decided on taking such a powerful army as should 
 enable him to crush his enemy in one campaign ; but now 
 mark the signal failure of the plans of this ambitious man, 
 this spoiled child of Fortune, who would not take the advice 
 of his old marshals and true friends to winter in Poland, and 
 then open the campaign early in the spring. No, his haughty 
 ambition and thirst for conquest impelled him to rush blindly 
 on to his own ruin. 
 
 We Americans had every reason to rejoice that we had at 
 this time the talented and accomplished John Q,uincy Adams, 
 for our ambassador at the Court of St. Petersburg. He was 
 always watchful for the interest and honor of his country, and 
 ever ready to assist his countrymen at home and abroad. I 
 have no doubt he was essentially useful in our commercial 
 relations with Russia at this trying period. I felt grateful to 
 him during his life, and will, so long as I live, cherish and 
 revere his memory. 
 
 Boldera is a small town about eight or nine miles below 
 Riga, near the mouth of the Dwina, and is in fact the port of 
 Riga. At this place there were many cheap houses, built ex- 
 pressly to rent to the ship-masters that winter here, to shelter
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEK ELIZA. 97 
 
 their mates and crews from the severity of this chmate, it 
 being always too cold to live on shipboard. These houses 
 were in a line at a convenient distance from each other ; and 
 thus each American captain in port hired one for their mates 
 and seamen, at a rent of ten dollars per month ; and were 
 tolerably well built, and as firewood was plenty and cheap, 
 they were comfortable residences for the winter. We unbent 
 our sails and stripped the masts of all the rigging, and in a 
 warm and comfortable room by the side of a large fire, my 
 mate and sailors overhauled the rigging, repaired all the old, 
 and made an entire new suit of sails during the winter. The 
 sailors gave names to these houses according to their own 
 fancy, sometimes after their ship or vessel ; others were called 
 New- York, Boston, or Salem, corresponding to the places where 
 they belonged ; and after the labor of the day, they would 
 visit their respective neighbors at New- York, Boston, or Salem, 
 and as there was no want of female society among the lower 
 classes, balls and dances were very frequent. The mates and 
 petty officers also enjoyed the society of each other, and in 
 this manner contrived to spend their time pleasantly during 
 the long, cold evenings in this dreary climate. During the 
 winter provisions and breadstiiffs were very cheap, so that we 
 were able to support our crews at a very moderate expense. 
 The peasants brought to this city in sledges, from Ijivonia 
 and Poland, all kinds of wild game and slaughtered domestic 
 animals, frozen to such a degree, that if necessary they could 
 be kept for months. The most of these articles were, of 
 course, badly dressed, and had sometimes a disgusting appear- 
 ance, having been killed and brought to market by these rude 
 and half savage people — for example, the liogs had their 
 throats cut and the hair partly singed off, but when our sailors 
 had scalded and redressed them, they were good and whole- 
 some food. The captains and supercargoes resided in Riga. I 
 hired very comfortable apartments in company with Captain 
 William Colwell, of the ship Venus of Boston, at a reasonable 
 rate, we also hired a man with a horse and sleigh to attend us
 
 98 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 by night and day, at the low rate of eight dollars per month ; 
 and as the river was frozen some two or three feet thick, 
 there was an excellent road for sleighs on the ice from the 
 town to the ships at the Boldera, so that in a very short time 
 we could visit our vessels whenever it became necessary. 
 About the first of December, one of my owners, Mr. J. M., 
 arrived here from Copenhagen, and appointed as our commis- 
 sion house or commercial agents, Messrs. Joach, Ebel, Schmidt 
 <fc Co., and then proceeded to St. Petersburg to get the vessel 
 and cargo clear of sequestration, and also to dispose of our 
 merchandise. After a delay of seven or eight weeks, the 
 government at St. Petersburg allowed us to discharge. All our 
 goods were taken from the vessel into one-horse sledges, and 
 from thence transported directly to the custom-house, and 
 from there, after being inspected, were forwarded to St. Peters- 
 burg and other large towns in the interior. The sugars and 
 other articles composing our cargo, were sold at the capital at 
 very high prices. 
 
 The expense for transporting goods over this extensive 
 empire in the winter season, was extremely low ; I will not 
 quote prices, for fear of making some mistake, but will state 
 the common mode of conveying goods to and from this city 
 to St. Petersburg and Moscow. Thus, twenty or thirty one- 
 horse sledges are loaded and secured, when one man and a 
 boy take charge of the whole caravan ; the man rides and 
 drives the leading horse, all the others follow in a direct line, 
 while the boy brings up the rear, and so tliey follow one another 
 by night and day ; the drivers clothed in sheepskins and nestled 
 in straw. They traverse the wide and wild regions of this 
 vast empire with perfect safety ; the price of horned cattle and 
 horses is extremely low, while the wages of the peasants and 
 working classes are merely nominal ; consequently, the trans- 
 portation of goods from ])lace to place, even at a great distance, 
 must be very reasonable. Iviga is the capital city of the pro- 
 vince of liivonia ; it lies on the right bank of the river Dwina, 
 and about nine miles from its mouth, in lat. 56° 57' N., long.
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 99 
 
 24° 4' E. It contains about 50,000 inhabitants including the 
 garrison, which generally numbers about eight or ten thou- 
 sand. It is a very ancient town, and was formerly strongly 
 fortified. The walls around the old city are still in good repair, 
 but its inhabitants have so increased and spread aromid ; that 
 the suburbs are more extensive and contain more souls than 
 the city itself. It is a great place for trade and commerce, there 
 are from 1,000 to 1,500 ships entered and cleared at this place 
 annually ; their principal exports arc manufactured goods 
 from Moscow ; wheat, flax, tallow, flaxseed, hemp, and iron, 
 besides timber, masts, deal boards and hides, brought down 
 the river from Poland. 
 
 Its public buildings are many of them large and well con- 
 structed ; the cathedral is very ancient, its tower is 440 feet in 
 height, from which there is a magnificent view of the sur- 
 rounding country. The town house, exchange and arsenal, 
 are built of massive stone, and are substantial, and well 
 adapted to this climate. There is also a tolerable theatre, 
 which, in the winter, is very well supported ; the principal 
 merchants are Germans ; the shopkeepers and petty dealers 
 are generally Russians, and though the language of the coun- 
 try is Russ, still German, English, and French are spoken by 
 all the upper or educated classes. The Rigarians may be 
 justly called a gay, social people ; during the winter months 
 they have frequent supper parties, masked and fancy balls, 
 and contrive in this way to beguile their long and dreary win- 
 ters. 
 
 Although the cold is intense, there appears to be little or 
 no suffering ; their houses are well adapted to the climate, be- 
 ing thick and strong, with double windows, to keep out the 
 frost. Firewood is abundant and cheap in this part of Russia, 
 so that all are enabled to partake of this blessing in a greater or 
 less degree. An individual in this country is generally recog- 
 nized, that is to say, his rank and standing in society acknow- 
 ledged, by the fineness of his furs ; for example, the emperor 
 and the higher order of nobility are wrapped in sable, ermine, 
 and other costly furs, and so the quality and price gradually
 
 100 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 descend through all classes, even down to the poor serf or com- 
 mon peasant, who is clothed in sheepskin. 
 
 (In Holland, a person is known by the size of his pipe ; for 
 instance, a burgomaster has a large silver-mounted pipe, while 
 the poorer classes are contented with small ones of less 
 value.) 
 
 The winters in this part of Russia are altogether different 
 from those in New- York and the northern States, where they 
 are extremely variable, sometimes very cold, and others com- 
 paratively mild — subject to violent storms, and inconstant, 
 changeable weather ; thus, to-day the sleighing may be very 
 good, and to-morrov\^ the snow may all be melted, so that the 
 weather is ever varying. 
 
 Not so in this region. When the winter fairly sets in, which 
 is generally about the middle of November, the ground is soon 
 covered with snow to tlie depth of two or three feet, and 
 though the air is clear, cold and bracing, it is still easy to re- 
 spire. 
 
 The Fahrenheit thermometer is generally down to zero, 
 and often falls eighteen or twenty degrees below it ; the rivers 
 are frozen to the thickness of three or four feet, and remain so 
 during the whole winter. There are no storms or violent 
 gales, the sky is clear, and the heavenly bodies are bright and 
 dazzling. The days are short, and generally whirled away in 
 business or pleasure, and in preparing for more active employ- 
 ment at the opening of the spring. I was told that it was a 
 standing order of the government to remove the sentries from 
 all military posts, when the thermometer was as low as eigh- 
 teen degrees ; anterior to this regulation, sentinels were some- 
 times found frozen to death, standing bolt upright at their 
 posts. 
 
 To strangers and people of distinction, the elite of Riga are 
 very hospitable. During tlie greater part of the winter, there were 
 here eight or ten American captains and supercargoes, and we 
 were generally social and friendly, giving occasionally supper 
 and whist parties ; tliesc were pleasant and not expensive meet-
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 101 
 
 ings. Some few, however, of the supercargoes, preferred visiting 
 the famihes of the rich merchants, where, I am sorry to say, in 
 some of them gambUng was introduced, and sometimes the par- 
 ties would play very deep, and even the ladies would not refuse 
 to join in this dangerous practice, so destructive to good 
 morals. One of our number, the supercargo of the ship V., a 
 handsome young gentleman of about twenty-two years of age. 
 became very fond of betting and playing, and for several eve- 
 nings was very successful, often boasting how many thousand 
 rubles he had gained the last night, and appeared very much 
 elated with his success. I frequently remonstrated with him 
 on the subject, told him of his youth and inexperience, and of 
 the sad consequences of this alluring passion, which had ru- 
 ined thousands older than him ; his reply was, " Although I 
 am young, 1 still know how to govern and take care of my- 
 self" Some weeks after this the young man became sullen, 
 and very low spirited, and would often remark that life was 
 not worth possessing, and that he had rather die than live. I 
 feared that all was not right with him, and endeavored to di- 
 vert his mind from dwelling on the dark side of life, but all to 
 no purpose ; he grew more discontented with himself, and 
 every body else, and finally shut himself up in his own room, 
 and with a pistol blew out his brains. After this melancholy 
 catastrophe, it was found that he had gambled away the 
 greater part of the cargo intrusted to his management. I have 
 entered minutely into this sad story, in hopes that if it should 
 ever meet the eyes of young gentlemen, it may serve as a 
 warning to them to avoid the baneful practice of gaming. 
 
 In the course of the winter there was a similar case of sui- 
 cide in this city. A young German gentleman, cashier to one 
 of the principal mercantile houses, had taken a considerable 
 sum of his employer's money ; the merchant, though de- 
 frauded by the young man, was persuaded, through the 
 anxious solicitations of his mother, to retain him in his count- 
 ing otfice ; and though he could no longer trust him in charge 
 of the cash, still, to gratify her, he was willing to retain him
 
 102 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 in his employ in a less responsible situation. The young 
 gentleman remained, a few- weeks in a subordinate capacity, 
 but was so wounded and mortified at the loss of reputation, 
 that he soon put an end to his heretofore valuable life. I knew 
 him personally, and record with deep regret his untimely end, 
 caused by the abominable vice of gambling. He was an ami- 
 able young man, and had a mother and two sisters almost en- 
 tirely dependent upon him for support. This young gentleman 
 had many influential friends, and bore an excellent character, 
 until led imperceptibly into the habit of gambling, not indeed 
 at gaming-houses, among the low and abandoned, but with 
 gentlemen and ladies. I wish not to be too severe against the 
 elite of this hospitable city, and if I have been wrongly in- 
 formed on the subject, I hope it will not be attributed to any 
 ill-will or pique against them ; but if I am right, I trust, ere 
 this, there has been a radical reform, and that the respectable 
 part of the community have set their faces against that terri- 
 ble vice, which leads to every moral and religious delinquency. 
 I believe that, with the exception of the field of battle, there is 
 nothing so exciting and seducing as the gaming-table. 
 
 Towards the latter part of February we began to ballast 
 the Eliza with a quantity of iron in bars, and 80 casks of tal- 
 low, each containing about 900 pounds, net weight ; we also 
 took on board some few tons of hemp, and got ready to receive 
 the manufactured goods whenever they should arrive from St. 
 Petersburg. During my stay here, I disposed of all my pri- 
 vate adventure in this city, except about 40 boxes of Havana 
 segars, which I sent by land to Libau, where they were sold 
 at a great profit. I had much leisure time here, and was en- 
 abled to select and purchase manufactured articles, such as 
 linens, duck, etc., etc., at very reasonable prices. The amount 
 thus invested in goods of different descriptions, at sailing, was 
 fifteen hundred dollars. My friend, Mr. J. M., remained at St. 
 Petersburg nearly all the winter, where he purchased the 
 greater part of our return cargo, which consisted principally of 
 sheetings, drillings, diapers, canvas, ravens' duck, etc., etc.,
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 103 
 
 all packed up in bales, with many coverings of cloth and mats 
 to secure them against damage from exposure on the road. 
 Through the months of March and April, as the goods 
 arrived, they were sent on board and stowed away. The 
 river began to break up about the lOth of April, and some 
 ships arrived on the 24th. I was informed by the inhabitants 
 of Riga, that the river and harbor at Boldera were open much 
 earlier than usual ; commonly there were no arrivals until the 
 middle of May, and often as late as the first of June. 
 
 We finished loading the Ehza on the fifteenth of May. set- 
 tled all our bills, and got ready for sea. Our little schooner 
 was in fine order, with an abundance of new rigging, and an 
 entire new suit of sails. I understood from Mr. J. M., that the 
 whole cost of our return cargo was $45,000 ; and after lying 
 in this port six months and four days, we sailed out of the 
 Dwina on the morning of the 25th of May, 1811, bound to NeW- 
 York. We soon discharged our pilot, and stood off shore, with 
 light, variable winds, and clear, pleasant weather. 
 
 Latitude, by observation at meridian, 57° 21' north. 
 
 In two days after leaving Riga, I got out of the Gulf of Li- 
 vonia, and steered down the Baltic, with light and variable 
 winds and very fine weather. It is delightful to navigate this 
 sea in the long days of summer, when the sun doos not leave 
 the horizon until after nine o'clock, and when the twilight 
 continues so long and bright, that it is not difficult to read a 
 book of ordinary sized type at midnight. Strong gales at this 
 season of the year are of rare occurrence, consequently the sea 
 is generally smooth and tranquil. 
 
 After getting out of the Gulf of Livonia, I ran over to the 
 Swedish coast, to avoid meeting French or Danish privateers, 
 that had in some instances ventured out and made short 
 cruises from Dantzig, and some other ports in Prussia. 
 
 On the 31st of May, I passed near a fleet of about fifty sail 
 of merchant ships, standing up the Baltic, under convoy of a 
 British frigate and two sloops-of-war. 
 
 June 1st, at noon, came to anchor at Hano, in eleven fathoms
 
 104 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 of water, after a pleasant passage of five days from Riga. Hano 
 is a small island on the coast of Sweden, in the neighborhood 
 of Carlsham ; between this island and the main land there is 
 good, safe anchorage — the entrance being open, and of easy- 
 access. These circumstances, and its favorable position, make 
 it a great rendezvous for the English men-of-war ; here they 
 lie until a sufficient number of merchant ships have collected, 
 when the admiral sends a frigate or two to convoy them 
 through the Belt and Cattegat to Gottenburg, When I arrived, 
 I found about 20 sail waiting convoy, and after lying here eight 
 days, the number had augmented to about 50 ; and on the 9th 
 of June we left Hano, under the protection of a frigate and 
 two sloops-of-war, and soon got into the Great Belt, where we 
 saw lying at anchor the Vigo seventy-four. Admiral Dixon, 
 and several frigates and sloops-of-war. At this season of the 
 year, the men-of-war can anchor with perfect safety in almost 
 any part of this passage. On the 10th of Jane an American 
 captain gave me a list of 20 sail of American ships and vessels 
 lying in Gottenburg and the Great Belt, all bound to St. Peters- 
 burg and other parts of the Gulf of Finland, On the lOth, in 
 the afternoon, the wind being light, we came to ancl:K)r in the 
 Belt, wliere I was boarded by the boats of the Vigo. I sold to 
 the officers of this ship a quantity of Russian linen, diaper, etc. 
 They were gentlemanly men, and paid liberally for all they 
 purchased. At three o'clock in the morning a light breeze 
 sprung up from the southward, and we got under way. We 
 met with light winds and calms for several days, and made 
 but slow progress, lying by at night, when the winds were 
 contrary, and were thus detained until the 17th of June, when 
 we arrived at the outer harbor of Gottenburg, after a passage 
 of eight days ; here wo filled up our water-casks, and replen- 
 ished our sea-stores, firewood, etc., and after waiting three 
 days for a fair wind, left this port on the 21st of June for 
 home. 
 
 On the 23d, at five A. M., saw the Naze of Norway, bearing 
 north twelve leagues distant — several sail in sight ; light winds
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 105 
 
 from the S. E., and fine weather. Latitude, by observation 
 at noon, 57° 42' north. 
 
 On the 25th, at six o'clock in the morning, made North Ron- 
 aldsha, one of the Orkney Islands, bearing N. N. W. four miles 
 distant ; at the same time saw the lighthouse on Sanda Island, 
 bearing S. W. one league distant, fresh breezes at N. E. and 
 hazy weather. At meridian, Mouldhead, on Papa Westra 
 Island, bore south thirteen miles distant. Latitude by obser- 
 vation 59° 34' north ; here the variation of the compass is 
 about two and three-fourths points westerly. We were now 
 only three days from Gottenburg, and had made good progress 
 on our passage ; before night we got to the westward of these 
 islands, and were once more on the broad Atlantic. Noth- 
 ing remarkable occurred during a period of nine days ; from 
 this date, we had light winds and fine weather until the 
 4th of July, when we had a strong gale from the S. W. At 
 two A. M. hove to under a three-reefed foresail ; at four 
 A. M. pitched away the jib-boom in the wake of the cap ; 
 strong gales with a high sea running during the day, 
 we had unbent the main-jib to repair it ; at ten in the 
 morning the wind moderated a little, and the sea was not 
 quite so high as it had been during the night. At this time 
 the mate and two men were bending the main-jib, when the 
 vessel gave a violent pitch, and washed one of them off the 
 bowsprit ; he was an ordinary seaman by the name of Thomas 
 Chatterton ; instantly a coil of rope was thrown over his head, 
 but to no purpose, he was unable to grasp it. We immediately 
 got out the boat though a high sea was running, and the poor 
 fellow was not twenty yards from the bows of the schooner ; 
 still he sunk to rise no more before the boat could reach him. 
 It was indeed a painful sight, thus to see a fellow-creature 
 perish so near the vessel, without being able to save him. 
 Here is a striking proof of the necessity of learning to swim in 
 early life ; had this man been able to swim, he would in all 
 human probability have been saved. This accident occurred 
 in latitude 56° 2' North, longitude 23" 40' West.
 
 106 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 On the 14th of July, at midnight, while blowing a strong 
 gale at N. N. W., we passed through a fleet of ships standing to the 
 eastward ; from this day until the 30th instant, we generally 
 had contrary winds, and made but slow progress getting to the 
 westward. At six o'clock in the morning, on the 30th of July, 
 we fell in with a fleet of eighty sail of merchant ships from 
 Jamaica bound to England, under convoy of two men-of-war 
 brigs ; from one of them a boat was sent on board our vessel 
 for information from Europe. From this period nothing occur- 
 red worthy of remark until we arrived at New-York, on the 
 9th of August, after a passage of forty-nine days from Gotten- 
 burg. I was attached to the schooner Eliza on this voyage to 
 Russia, from the 9th of August, 1810, to the 15th of August, 
 1811, being a period of twelve months and six days. I made 
 a very good voyage for my owners, and we settled all our ac- 
 counts to our mutual satisfaction ; and I am happy to add that 
 I always found Messrs. Isaac Moses & Sons, honest and hon- 
 orable merchants ; and during a period of eighteen months, 
 that I sailed in their employment, we never had the slightest 
 misunderstanding. After the schooner Eliza was discharged, 
 she was sold to Messrs. G. G. &. S. Rowland. These gentle- 
 men, through my recommendation, gave the command of her 
 to Mr. Stephen Trowbridge, who had been my mate for the last 
 two years. She was soon loaded and dispatched to some 
 port in Brazil. I returned home to my native place, where I 
 found my good mother and sister well, and I was rejoiced to 
 meet them again after so long an absence. I had now acquired 
 a fair competency, and was enabled to support them comforta- 
 bly, and to keep my younger brothers at the best school in 
 the town. 
 
 Here I remained a few weeks with my family, when my 
 friend and former employer, Archibald Gracie, Esq., wrote for 
 me to retm-n to New-York. He informed me he was about 
 purchasing a new ship in Philadelphia, and if agreeable to my 
 wishes, he would give me the command of her on a voyage to 
 Lisbon. I thanked him for the offer, and forthwith the busi-
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 107 
 
 ness was settled. I knew him too well to say a single word 
 on the subject of wages or emolument ; I preferred leaving the 
 terms with him, for he always allowed me better pay than I 
 should have dared to ask ; and I am now happy to speak of 
 this excellent man as I have ever found him, and to give my 
 feeble testimony to his generous and noble qualities. A more 
 honest, kind and benevolent man, never drew the breath of 
 life ; open-heartedness and candor were the leading traits of 
 his character. As a merchant, he had but few equals ; he dis- 
 pised all cunning and duplicity, and was in every sense a just 
 and good man. For many years his house was the seat of a 
 generous hospitality, and the poor never went away empty 
 from his door. He was indeed a father to me, for when a mere 
 boy I was mate of his vessels, and when old enough to com- 
 mand, he gave me charge of his ship Virginia, and was now 
 about to intrust me with the charge of a valuable new ship 
 and cargo. 
 
 I have from time to time in my narrative spoken of the 
 treatment of neutral nations by England and France, and of 
 the difficulty of prosecuting a voyage from the United States 
 to any part of the world without molestation and frequent 
 capture. On the one hand, Bonaparte was overrunning the 
 continent of Europe, and on the other, England claiming the 
 dominion of the sea ; in fine, both of these great powers ap- 
 peared determined to destroy all neutral rights, and force the 
 other nations of the earth to take part in their quarrels. With 
 respect to the United States, there was no doubt of the inju- 
 ries and persecutions we had received from both of these bel- 
 ligerent powers ; the only question was. which of the two have 
 done us the greatest wrong, and treated us with the greatest 
 indignity and contempt ? The French robbed us, but still 
 treated us politely, while the English affected to despise us, 
 and some of their impudent newspapers asserted that one 
 discharge of gunpowder in anger, would drive us all off the 
 ocean : we had borne persecution and insult so long, that in 
 Europe it was generally said, and became almost a by-word,
 
 108 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER ELIZA. 
 
 that the Americans had no national pride or character, and 
 for the sake of gain, they would sacrifice every principle of 
 honor. The peculiar position in which we were placed with 
 regard to England and France, engendered a malignant and 
 bitter party feeling throughout the whole of the United States. 
 The New Englanders accused the South and West of being 
 partial to France, while the South called their pohtical oppo- 
 nents partisans of England ; and thus by these feuds and civil 
 dissensions, the power of the government was in a measure 
 paralyzed ; still, something must be done, and finally it was 
 narrowed down to this simple question : " Shall we destroy 
 our ships and stay at home, like the Chinese ? or assert our 
 rights at the cannon's mouth ?" It was, therefore, evident to 
 every intelligent mind, that war was unavoidable, and must 
 soon come.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 FIKST VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA, FROM PHILADELPHIA TO LIS- 
 BON, AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, IN THE YEARS 1811 AND 1S12. 
 
 I LEFT New- York for Philadelphia, on the 29th of October. 
 At this time there was no public conveyance except by the 
 stage-coach, all the way by land. I recollect the fare was 
 eight dollars and a half, and the charge for two meals on the 
 road, brought the expense of going from New- York to Phila- 
 delphia, to about ten dollars. On my arrival at that city, I 
 called, agreeably to my instructions, on Messrs. Welling & 
 Francis, the friends and agents of Messrs, Archibald Gracie 
 &. Sons. They immediately placed me in command of the 
 America. I found her an excellently built ship, burden 525 
 tons, quite new, but requiring new sails, boats, running rig- 
 ging, etc., etc. ; and as she had been laid up from the time she 
 was launched, she of course required a thorough calking. 
 She was built of the best materials, and was considered at 
 this time as good a ship as belonged to the port of Philadel- 
 phia. I lost no time in ordering new sails, boats, etc. I em- 
 ployed carpenters and calkers, and in the course of eight or 
 ten days commenced loading, and on the 23d of November we 
 finished. Our cargo consisted of 5,382 barrels of flour, with 
 • white-oak staves for dunnage. The cargo of the America at 
 this period was considered enormously large. Our crew was 
 composed of two mates, a carpenter, cook, and steward, with 
 sixteen men and boys before the mast, exclusive of myself
 
 110 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA. 
 
 and the supercargo — the whole number being twenty-two 
 souls. 
 
 We had much trouble in getting the seamen on board, 
 many of them being intoxicated, and so maddened with liquor, 
 that they were very riotous and abusive to the officers, and 
 also to the pilot, who, agreeably to my orders, took charge of 
 the ship on the 2Sth of November, to proceed down to Reedy 
 Island, On their way down, one of the men jumped over- 
 board, and would inevitably have been lost, but for the noble 
 conduct of the second mate, who leaped into the river and 
 saved him from drowning, and after much trouble and diffi- 
 culty, they finally got safe down to the island. The next day, 
 Mr. Augustus Fleming (the supercargo) and myself went by 
 land to Reedy Island, and there joined the ship. We found 
 the crew in a very mutinous state ; they had refused to obey 
 the ofiicers, and swore they would not weigh the anchor with- 
 out more men, I consulted with my supercargo and officers for 
 a few moments, and asked them whether they would stand by 
 me, and support my authority ; they all agreed to do so, and 
 commenced arming themselves, Mr. Fleming and myself with 
 pistols, the carpenter (a powerful man) with a huge broad-axe, 
 the mates, pilot, steward and boys with crowbars, clubs, etc., 
 and thus the quarter-deck was arrayed against the forecastle. 
 We marched forward, myself at the head ; we found them all 
 seated on the forecastle and windlass, when I addressed the 
 two ringleaders, and asked them the cause of their disobedi- 
 ence ; they said we were two men short, and that was the 
 reason of their refusing to obey. I told them that I was the 
 best judge of the number of men the ship required, and in- 
 stantly ordered them to take the handspikes and heave up the 
 anchor. It was now evident that one or the other party must 
 yield, or an immediate conflict would ensue. They waited 
 about a minute for a reply, when looking upon us, and then • 
 upon themselves, the ringleader exclaimed, " Come, boys, let 
 us give three cheers for the America and her captain, and 
 then go to work." This was done with enthusiasm ; they
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SUIP AMERICA. Ill 
 
 then manned the windlass, hove up the anchor with alacrity, 
 and made sail on the ship in good earnest. After the ship was 
 fairly under way, I ordered the mates to go down into the 
 forecastle and throw overheard all the liquor they could fmd. 
 This was done without any resistance, and after these men 
 hecamc sober, they proved to be an excellent crew, and gave 
 me no further trouble during the whole voyage. This case 
 and many similar ones have convinced me that alcohol is the 
 bane of all peace and concord, and should, if possible, be ban- 
 ished from the earth, as the most deadly enemy of the human 
 race. We ran down the bay in company with the ships Re- 
 becca Sims and China Packet, the former bound to Lisbon, and 
 the latter to Gibraltar, and although the America was deep, 
 and drew 18^ feet water, she outsailed them both. When 
 nearly abreast of Cape Henlopen, on the 31st of October, I 
 imprudently discharged the pilot, and soon after he left us, the 
 ship struck on one of the outer shoals several times, very se- 
 verely. I immediately took in all the after sails, and as we 
 had a strong breeze from the N. N. W., and the tide was rising, 
 she only grounded for a few minutes, and was soon afloat 
 again. We had a brisk and favorable breeze, and soon lost 
 sight of the land. I have minutely dwelt on my ship's taking 
 the groiuid, that it may be a warning to all young captains, 
 who may chance to read this narrative, against committing 
 the same error, that is to say, in discharging their pilots too 
 soon. We generally had favorable winds and good weather 
 until we made the Island of Corvo, on the 17th of November; 
 from this time until the Stli of December, wc had a continua- 
 tion of boisterous gales and very bad weather until wc arrived 
 at Lisbon, on the 9th of the same month, after a long passage 
 of 38 days. I found the ships that left New- York and Phila- 
 delphia about the time I sailed, had had long passages as well 
 as myself; the new ship Phoenix had forty days from Philadel- 
 phia, and the R. Sims had not yet arrived. We met with an 
 excellent market for our cargo of flour, which cost nine dollars 
 per barrel, and brought here fifteen. Mr. Fleming employed
 
 112 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA. 
 
 H. T. Sampayo, Esq., at this place, to dispose of our cargo, and 
 to transact all the business connected with the ship. Our 
 flour was all landed in good order in about a fortnight. I will 
 here take occasion to say, that my supercargo, Augustus Flem- 
 ing, Esq., of New- York, was an excellent young man. He 
 was brave, generous, intelligent, and confiding, and when he 
 announced his intention to remain in Europe, and not return 
 in the ship, I received the intelligence with sincere regret, for 
 I felt confident that we could have sailed around the world 
 together, without the slightest disagreement. We soon bal- 
 lasted the ship with sand, and sailed from Lisbon on the 8th 
 of January, bound for New- York. I ran off" the coast of Por- 
 tugal with a fine fair wind and good weather, and do not re- 
 collect any incident worth recording during this passage. "We 
 arrived at New- York on the 10th of February, 1812 ; thirty- 
 three days from Lisbon, thus making the entire voyage from 
 Philadelphia to Lisbon, and back to New- York, in three and 
 a half months, and I am happy to add, to the satisfaction of 
 my owners, and all others interested in the voyage. I was also 
 successful, my employers having allowed me the privilege ol 
 one hundred barrels of flour, liberal wages, and other perqui- 
 sites.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA, FROM NEW-YORK TO LIS- 
 BON, AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, IN THE YEAR 1812. 
 
 I HAD made one voyage in this ship on a single botton* 
 (she being quite new). It was the desire of the owners to 
 have her coppered, and dispatched on another voyage to Lis- 
 bon, as soon as possible. No time was therefore lost in dis- 
 charging the ballast and coppering the ship. My presence was 
 therefore necessary, to superintend the fitting and loading of 
 the America ; consequently I had no leisure to visit my home 
 in Connecticut ; and after the necessary repairs were com- 
 pleted, we took on board an entire cargo of flour and Indian 
 corn — 3,000 barrels of flour, and 12,000 bushels of corn. I 
 sliipped an entire new crew of officers and seamen. The 
 name of my chief mate was Charles M. Hanstrom ; he was 
 a very religious man — a Swede by birth — somewhat advanced 
 in life, but still an efiicient, good officer, and bore an excellent 
 character. 
 
 Thus manned and equipped, we sailed from New-York on 
 the 29th of March — having been in port but forty-six days. 
 We had a pleasant run off" the coast, and had a fair prospect 
 of making a quick passage ; but after getting as far east as 
 the Western Islands, we had contrary and baffling winds, 
 which impeded our progress, and made our passage rather 
 long, so that we did not arrive at Lisbon until the 4th of May^ 
 36 days from New- York. But what in our case was very re- 
 8
 
 114 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA. 
 
 markable was, that our long passage proved of vast advantage 
 to my owners ; for had we arrived a fortnight sooner, our cargo 
 would probably have been sold at low prices ; but, as it hap- 
 pened, it sold at an enormous profit, owing to the United 
 States government having laid an embargo on all ships and 
 vessels in the United States, viz., on the 3d of April — three 
 days after we left New- York. This act was preparatory to a 
 declaration of war against Great Britain, which occurred on 
 the 18th of June, 1812. This, of course, augmented the price 
 of all kinds of provisions and breadstulis ; so that my entire 
 cargo sold at an immense profit. The flour brought $20 per 
 barrel, and the Indian corn sold at $3 the bushel. This is 
 not the first time in my life that my short-sighted ingratitude 
 evinced itself against a beneficent Providence ; for, during the 
 passage, I often repined at my hard fate in being so long de- 
 tained by contrary winds. After the cargo was discharged, we 
 ballasted the ship, and got ready for sea. Our consignee, H. 
 T. Sampayo, Esq., was at a loss what to do with the ships 
 belonging to Messrs. A. G. & Sons, which were three in num- 
 ber, besides a little schooner called the John and George, Cap- 
 tain Isaacs. This little vessel was dispatched on the 1st of 
 June for New- York. By Captain Isaacs I sent a piece of 
 linen, and some other small articles, as a present to my sister, 
 which unfortunately never arrived — Captain I. having been 
 captured by the English on his homeward passage, was sent 
 into Halifax ; there his little schooner and every thing on 
 board was condemned. Mr. Sampayo became daily more and 
 more anxious and uneasy about Messrs. Gracie &. Sons' ships. 
 To lay them up here upon expense, would be ruinous, and to 
 send them home, was a very responsible measure for him to 
 take upon himself. The last news from the United States 
 was, that our government had laid an embargo on all Ameri- 
 can ships and vessels. How long it would continue, none 
 could say, or what would be the next step our government 
 would take. Our situation was therefore surrounded by diffi- 
 culties on every side ; but, after a few weeks' deliberation, it
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA. 115 
 
 was finally decided to remit all the funds belonging to Messrs. 
 Gracie to London, and send the ships home in ballast the first 
 fair wind. There were many other American ships here, 
 similarly situated ; which circumstance created much bustle 
 and anxiety to get away. Many bets were made by the 
 American captains and supercargoes, on the passages of their 
 respective ships. 
 
 Some of my countrymen imagined there would be no war; 
 others thought they would have sufficient time to get home 
 before it would be declared. My own opinion was, however, 
 that it was inevitable. I accordingly decided not to speak any 
 thing, if I could avoid it, and to keep a little out of the general 
 track of homeward-bound ships. At length, on the morning 
 of the 14th of .Tune, we all sailed out of the port of Lisbon, 
 bound to New- York : — the Eliza Gracie, Captain Rodgers ; 
 the Oronoko, Captain J. Richards ; and the America, myself 
 master: besides several other American ships, in company 
 with us, all bound to the United States. At the time of sail- 
 ing, we had a fine, fresh breeze from the N. E., and clear, 
 pleasant weather. During the first day out, there was no ma- 
 terial difference in the sailing of our three ships ; we all 
 pushed to the westward, taking about the same course. At 
 nightfall, I edged the ship oft' a couple of points to the south- 
 ward, in order to get clear of the fleet — wishing to pursue my 
 destiny alone, whether for weal or woe — and at daylight the 
 next morning there was nothing in sight. 
 
 In consequence of the great competition to make the short- 
 est passage, I promised my officers a handsome present, as an 
 inducement to be watchful and vigilant: to the chief mate a 
 new suit of clothes, if we beat the other ships, and to the 
 second mate I also promised a corresponding reward. We 
 had favorable winds for several days, and proceeded rapidly 
 on our course, until we reached latitude 40° 10' north, longi- 
 tude 32° west— that is to say, a little west of the Western 
 Islands ; there we met with light airs and calms, which con- 
 tinued for five consecutive days, and during that time we did
 
 116 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA. 
 
 not make fifty miles distance. It was a severe trial to me to 
 lie day after day almost in the same position, with the sea as 
 smooth as a mirror, expecting to be beaten by the entire fleet, 
 offend my owners, and perhaps to lose my command, on my 
 return to New- York. In this anxious state of mind, I used 
 often to exclaim against my hard fate. My pious old mate 
 had always the same mild answer to make to all my com- 
 plaints — "You may rely upon it, Captain C, that it is all for 
 the best ; for I have ever found it so. Do not, therefore, fret 
 or complain ; God orders every thing in wisdom, and it will 
 eventually be for our good.'' It was, to me, strange philoso- 
 phy, that it would be for my interest to be beaten by the other 
 ships. At the expiration of five days, however, we took a fine 
 breeze from the southward, and made good progress to the 
 westward. I now steered for Nantucket south shoal, where I 
 got soundings and a good lunar observation, and thus ascer- 
 tained the exact position of the ship, and here I also spoke a 
 small schooner, bound to the eastward. The captain of this 
 vessel informed me, that war existed between England and 
 the United States, and that it was declared on the 18th of 
 June, and it was now the 15th of July. I therefore decided to 
 run at once for Montauk Point, and pass through Long Island 
 Sound. This was in the morning, and a strong breeze blow- 
 ing from the S. E. I accordingly got near Montauk Light 
 about midnight, when it became nearly calm, and soon after a 
 hght breeze sprung up to the northward, directly off the land. 
 I therefore concluded it. would be dangerous to be in this posi- 
 tion at daylight ; for if there should be any cruisers off the 
 Point, I should inevitably be taken. Consequently, I steered 
 close in with the Southampton beach, in eight or nine fathoms 
 of water, and at daylight saw nothing except a few small 
 craft in shore. 1 had no cargo or money on board, except two 
 thousand Spanish dollars, belonging to myself — the avails of 
 my own private adventure. This specie I put into small bags, 
 and got one of the boats ready, with a select crew, to start for 
 the shore at a moment's warning. For this service, I had ap-
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA. 117 
 
 pointed Mr. William Fitch, my second mate — a worthy, confi- 
 dential young man, whom I could trust, with perfect safety, to 
 manage this business. I then pointed out our danger to the 
 officers and men, and also the course I meant to pursue. My 
 plan was, if we met with an English cruiser, and could not 
 avoid capture, to run the ship on shore, set fire to her, and then 
 escape to the land in the two remaining boats. During the 
 whole of this day we had light, variable winds, and fine wea- 
 ther. We steered along shore, in eight or nine fathoms ot 
 water, and in the afternoon passed near Fire Island, where we 
 boarded a sloop, laden with wood, but, to our disappointment^' 
 could get no positive information about the war, or whether 
 there were any British cruisers off Sandy Hook. At 10 P. M. 
 we got close in with the Hook, where we took a pilot, and soon 
 learned that nothing had been heard of the Eliza Gracie or the 
 Oronoko. The next morning, July 17th, we got safe up to 
 New- York, rejoiced at our good fortune in having thus escaped 
 the enemy. About a week after our arrival we heard, with re- 
 gret, that the Oronoko and Eliza Gracie had both been taken 
 by Admiral Sawyer's fleet. They sent the Oronoko into Hali- 
 fax, and burned the Eliza Gracie. 
 
 Mr. Han Strom, my good old mate, continued to say, that 
 every thing had come right, and that the five days calm wea- 
 ther had saved us from capture. Upon examining the track 
 taken by the Eliza Gracie and Oronoko, it appeared that diey 
 passed but about fifty or sixty miles to the northward of us — 
 thus avoiding the calm — and soon fell in with the English 
 fleet. 
 
 After paying off the officers and men, I went home to 
 Connecticut for a few weeks, and then returned to New-York. 
 The times were bad for commerce, many merchant ships had 
 been taken by the enemy, and great numbers were laid up ; 
 some of them had been removed up the North River as far as 
 Hudson, and others dismantled and laid up here. Although it 
 was painful to see our ships rotting alongside the wliaves, 
 still, in my opinion, it was better and more patriotic than to
 
 118 SECOND VOYAGE IN" THE SHIP AMERICA. 
 
 submit any longer to tyrannical abiise and oppression. The 
 recent heavy losses experienced by my owners were very dis- 
 couraging, and on the 30th of July Mr, Gracie gave me orders 
 to transport the America up town, there dismantle and lay her 
 up. I complied with his request, and after having appointed 
 a ship-keeper, again returned to the home of my mother. 
 About the twentieth of August, while in Milford, we received 
 the joyful news of the capture and destruction of the British 
 frigate Guerriere, Captain Dacres, by the United States frigate 
 Constitution, under the command of Captain Isaac Hull. 
 ♦This brilliant action electrified the whole countrj^, and was 
 received as a joyous foreboding of good things to come. This 
 was the commencement of fair and open-handed combat, and 
 had no mixture of the crouching Leopard in its nature ; it was 
 brilliant, it was glorious ! 
 
 And here I cannot refrain from giving the following ex- 
 tract from a part of John C. Calhoun's speech, addressed 
 (June the 3d, 1S12) to Congress : 
 
 " Before I proceed to answer the gentleman particularly, 
 let me call the attention of the House to one circumstance ; 
 that is, that almost the whole of his arguments consisted of 
 an enumeration of evils always incident to war, however just 
 and necessary ; and that, if they have any force, it is calcu- 
 lated to produce unqualified submission to every species of 
 insult and injury. I do not feel myself bound to answer argu- 
 ments of the above description, and if I should touch on them, 
 it will only be incidentally, and not for the purpose of serious 
 refutation. The first argument of the gentleman which I 
 shall notice, is the unprepared state of the country. What- 
 ever weight this argument might have in a question of imme- 
 diate war, it surely has little in that of preparation for it. If 
 our country is unprepared, let us remedy the evil as soon as 
 possible. Let the gentleman submit his plan ; and, if a 
 reasonable one, I doubt not it will l)e supported by the House. 
 But, sir, let us admit the fact and the whole force of the argu- 
 ment, I ask whose is the fault ? Who has been a member for
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA. 119 
 
 many years past, and has seen the defenceless state of his 
 country even near home, under his own eyes, without a single 
 endeavor to remedy so serious an evil l Let him not say, ' I 
 have acted in a minority.' It is no less the duty of the 
 minority than the majority to endeavor to serve our country. 
 For that purpose we are sent here, and not for that of opposi- 
 tion. We are next told of the expenses of the war, and that 
 the people will not pay taxes. Why not ? Is it a want of 
 capacity? What ! with one million tons of shipping ; a trade 
 of nearly one hundred million dollars ; manufactures of one 
 hundred and fifty million dollars ; and agriculture of thrice 
 that amount, shall we be told the country wants the capacity 
 to raise and support ten thousand or fifteen thousand additional 
 regulars 'I No, it has the ability — that is admitted ; but will 
 it not have the disposition? Is not the course a just and ne- 
 cessary one? Shall we then utter this libel on the nation? 
 Where will proof be found of a fact so disgraceful? It is said 
 in the history of the country twelve or fifteen years ago, ' The 
 case is not parallel.' The ability of the country has greatly 
 increased since. The object of that tax was unpopular. But 
 on this, so well as my memory and almost infant observation 
 at that time served me, the objection was not to the tax, or its 
 amount, but the mode of collection. The eye of the nation 
 was frightened by the number of officers ; its love of liberty 
 shocked with the multiplicity of regulations. We, in the vile 
 spirit of imitation, copied from the most oppressive part of 
 European laws on that subject, and imposed on a young and 
 virtuous nation all the severe provisions made necessary by 
 corruption and long-growing chicane. If taxes should become 
 necessary, I do not hesitate to say the people will pay cheer-, 
 fully. It is for their government and their cause, and would 
 be their interest and duty to pay. But it may be, and I be- 
 lieve was said, that the nation will not pay taxes, because the 
 rights violated are not worth defending ; or that the defence 
 will cost more than the profit. 
 
 " Sir, I here enter my solemn protest against this low and
 
 120 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SHIP AMERICA. 
 
 'calculating avarice' entering this hall of legislation. It is 
 only fit for shops and counting-houses, and ought not to dis- 
 grace the seat of sovereignty by its squalid and vile appear- 
 ance. Whenever it touches sovereign power the nation is 
 ruined. It is too short-sighted to defend itself. It is an un- 
 promising spirit, always ready to yield a part to save the 
 balance. It is too timid to have in itself the laws of self- 
 preservation. It is never safe but under the shield of honor. 
 Sir, I only know of one principle to make a nation great, to 
 produce in this country not the form but real spirit of union 
 and that is, to protect every citizen in the lawful pursuit of his 
 business. He will then feel that he is backed by the govern- 
 ment — that its arm is his arms, and will rejoice in its increased 
 strength and prosperity. Protection and patriotism are reci- 
 procal. This is the road that all great nations have trod. 
 Sir, I am not versed in this calculating policy, and will not, 
 therefore, pretend to estimate in dollars and cents the value of 
 national independence or national affection. I cannot dare to 
 measure in shillings and pence the misery, the stripes and 
 the slavery of our impressed seamen ; nor even to value our 
 shipping, commercial, and agricultural losses under the orders 
 in council and the British system of blockade. I hope I have 
 not condemned any prudent estimate of the means of a country, 
 before it enters on a war. This is wisdom, the other folly." 
 
 For this speech, and also for his conduct as Chairman of 
 the Committee on foreign relations, where he recommended 
 our government to declare war against Great Britain, he is 
 entitled to my everlasting gratitude, and I hope and trust that 
 every individual wlio has an American heart will cherish and 
 revere his memory until the latest posterity. If there ever was 
 a just and holy war, it was ours against Great Britain in 1812.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER lEIS, TO TENERIFFE, ST. THOMAS, AND 
 THE HAVANA, AND BACK TO NEW-YOKK, IN THE YEARS 1818 
 AND 1819. 
 
 PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 
 
 At this period I owned a stanch and burthensome schooner, 
 called the Catherine ; she was commanded by my brother 
 Charles Coggeshall. On the 1st of October, I chartered this 
 vessel to Seiior Damaso Burdett, to proceed with an assorted 
 cargo out to Santa Crnz, Teneriffe, for a round sum of four- 
 teen hundred Spanish dollars ; in this agreement I retained 
 for my own account the privilege of all the cabin (which was 
 large). I accordingly purchased sundry articles of merchan- 
 dise and consigned them to my brother. Senor Burdett, was 
 a native of Teneriffe, and a friend of Peter Harmony, Esq., a 
 Spanish gentleman and a well known merchant residing in 
 New- York. Though the charter was made by Mr. B., it was 
 guaranteed by his friend, Mr. H, The cargo was composed of 
 Indian corn, pine boards, whale oil, beeswax, candles, etc. 
 The whole invoice amounted to six thousand four hundred 
 dollars. Senor B. took passage in the Catherine, and they 
 sailed from New- York for Teneriffe, on the 18th of October, 
 181S. 
 
 Soon after I dispatched the Catherine, I concluded to make 
 up a little adventure with my friends, Messrs. Lawrence and
 
 122 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 
 
 Betts, merchants at New- York, and proceed forthwith to Ten- 
 eriffe, and there meet my brother, and pursue our further oper- 
 ations according to circumstances, or as fortune sliould direct. 
 The Iris was a good Httle vessel, of eighty tons burthen, and 
 was in seamen's phrase, an excellent sea-boat. One-half of 
 this schooner belonged to my friends, Lawrence & Betts, and 
 the other half to myself. We agreed to load her for joint ac- 
 coimt, and that I should perform the voyage as captain and 
 supercargo. We forthwith purchased a suitable cargo, which 
 consisted of flour, Indian corn in bags, whale oil, soap, candles, 
 etc., and in a few days got ready for sea. The whole invoice 
 amounted to three thousand dollars. My wife was very much 
 opposed to my going to sea in such a small vessel ; she enumera- 
 ted the many hairbreadth escapes I had already experienced, 
 and fervently entreated me to remain on shore, but said, if 1 
 persisted in going, she begged that I would allow her to go 
 with me, that we might share the dangers and perils of the 
 ocean together. At length it was decided that she should ac- 
 company me. 
 
 I took with me as mate, Mr. Edward Brown, a Scotchman 
 by birth, but a resident of Milford. He was an excellent mate 
 and a first-rate seaman. In the early part of my career, I had 
 served under Mr. B. in the schooner Betsey and Polly, of New 
 Haven ; in that vessel he was the chief mate, and I was sec- 
 ond mate. A better seaman than Mr. B. never trod a ship's 
 deck. We sailed from New-Yoik on the 15th of October, 
 passing through Long-Island Sound, and out to sea by Mon- 
 tauk Point. We had a pretty good time ofl" the coast for the 
 first three or four days, after that we experienced a strong S. 
 E. gale and a high sea, which continued for about eighteen or 
 twenty hours ; and although the gale was very severe and the 
 sea high and rough, the little schooner made very good weather 
 of it, and rode over the billows like a gull on the top of every 
 sea. It certainly was an alarming spectacle for my wife, who 
 now for the first time, had ventured on the broad ocean. How- 
 ever, after the gale subsided wc had pleasant weather for
 
 VOYAGE IK THE SCHOONER IRIS. 123 
 
 a few days, and Mrs. Coggeshall daily gained confidence in 
 the safety of the vessel, and soon became reconciled to the 
 temporary inconvenience of living in a small cabin. 
 
 The novelty of the scene, although at times very terrific, 
 had nevertheless its pleasures, and then the idea of visiting 
 foreign lands far away over the dark blue sea, was also a 
 pleasing theme to dwell upon ; and above all, there was a 
 mysterious charm thrown over the anticipated pleasure of be- 
 holding the snowy peak of TenerifTe towering far above the 
 lofty clouds. I say these long cherished anticipations a thou- 
 sand times outweighed the inconvenience of now and then 
 eating a cold dinner, or a little rough tossing about witli a high 
 head sea. And thus like the ordinary transactions of life every 
 where, there are shades of light and darkness, sunshine and 
 rain; however, on one point I believe all agree, viz., that there 
 is no perfect bliss this side of the grave, nor ought we to ex- 
 pect it until we reach Heaven. And so it was with our pas- 
 sage out to Teneriffe, sometimes fair, sometimes foul weather. 
 And now to be candid and drop all metaphor, we had what 
 seamen call a stormy, rough and tough passage of twenty- 
 seven days, when we arrived at Santa Cruz, on the 14th of 
 December. Here we saw the Catherine lying at anchor, 
 nearly ready to leave for New-York. 
 
 About ten days previous to our arrival, a schooner called 
 the Express, put in here from Smyrna laden with fruit. She 
 belonged to New- York, and was owned by Mr. A. Leggett, 
 merchant residing in that city. She was commanded by a 
 Captain Summers, was leaking badly, and so much in distress 
 that the captain was afraid to leave the island, and after stand- 
 ing off and on a day or two, got liberty from the Governor to 
 tranship his cargo from the Express to the Catherine, upon 
 condition that the two vessels should remain in quarantine, 
 and have no communication with the shore. The quarantine 
 laws here are extremely rigid with respect to vessels coming 
 from the Mediterranean, and the moment they commenced 
 transhipping the fruit, nothing could be landed from either of
 
 124 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 
 
 them. It so happened, however, that the Catherine had dis- 
 charged her goods, and my brother had agreed with Captain 
 Alexander Summers, to take his cargo, himself, and the crew 
 all to New- York, for twelve hundred dollars. Captain S. was 
 to furnish himself and his seamen with provisions. 
 
 The Express was condemned as unseaworthy, and some 
 days after being discharged, she was driven on shore in a gale 
 of wind, and soon went to pieces. I detained my brother two 
 or three days to take out the money he had on board, and also 
 to give us a little time to get our letters ready for home to for- 
 ward by him, there being no other American vessel in port. 
 The Catherine sailed on the 17th of December from Santa 
 Cruz, bound for New- York. After one day's quarantine, we 
 were allowed to go on shore, and as there were no good hotels 
 or lodging-houses, I hired a house for my family, and we took 
 up our abode on shore. We found the living simple and 
 cheap ; house rent in particular was extremely low. We hired 
 a very large and convenient one for twelve dollars per month. 
 
 The consignee of the Catherine, Seiior Burdett, kindly in- 
 sisted on furnishing it frpm his mother's house, so that with 
 what articles I brought on shore from the Iris, and some other 
 trifling things purchased here, we were soon comfortably 
 established in our new home. Seuor Burdett was a bachelor, 
 living with his mother and several sisters, all polite, agreeable 
 people. 
 
 Mr. B. and his sisters introduced us to several other re- 
 spectable families, from whom we received many civilities : 
 the kind hospitality and attentions shown us by these friendly 
 and polite people, rendered our stay at Santa Cruz extremely 
 pleasant. 
 
 The ladies furnished my wife with suitable black veils 
 and church costumes, so that she was enabled to visit all the 
 principal churches and convents, without being observed as a 
 stranger. For it is a universal custom among the Spaniards, 
 for the ladies to dress in black, whenever they go to church. 
 During our stay here, a little party was made up of ladies and
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 125 
 
 gentlemen to spend a day at Laguna, a considerable town 
 situated in the interior of the island, about two or three leagues 
 from Santa Cruz. The roads are too rough to admit of car- 
 riages, so that riding on horseback and upon donkeys is the 
 general mode of travelling on this island. Our party consisted 
 of two or three ladies and about the same number of gentle- 
 men ; each one rode on a donkey, attended by a driver, with a 
 large stick, to run on foot and beat and drive the animal, and 
 attend to the wants of the gentleman or lady under his charge. 
 While here, I was told that this class of men were exceedingly 
 faithful and trustworthy ; and that when a gentleman resides 
 in the country, and his wife or child wishes to go to town or 
 to visit a neighboring village, the most perfect confidence can 
 be placed in one of these men to attend to and take care of the 
 person committed to his- charge. 
 
 Thus mounted, we started after breakfast for Laguna. 
 As it may be supposed, we travelled very slowly over the 
 rough roads, but the weather was -fine, and the company 
 agreeable, so that in three or four hours after leaving Santa 
 Cruz we got safe up to Laguna. In this ancient town there 
 are three churches, two convents, and several large and well- 
 built houses ; I can hardly say with any degree of precision 
 how many inhabitants it contains, but I should judge some 
 two or three thousand. It appears very quiet, and its stillness 
 would only suit persons fond of tranquillity and retirement. 
 It is located on very high table-land, and presents a magnifi- 
 cent view of the lofty Peak, and other parts of this singular 
 island. There is also a fine view of the broad ocean, which 
 appears like a great map spread out at your feet ; even large 
 ships in the offing appear on the broad expanse like little 
 boats. We visited two of the nunneries, and I was amused 
 at some of the questions asked and answered by the ladies ; 
 for example, the abbess, who was verging towards the yellow 
 leaf, inquired of Mrs. C. whether she did not think a secluded 
 life, shut up from all temptation and wicked contamination of 
 the world, was not more desirable than to live surromided
 
 126 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOOXER IRIS. 
 
 with indulgence of evil propensities, which had too often the 
 effect to lead the mind and heart off from holy penitence and 
 the high enjoyment of sincere devotion to God. My wife 
 looked at me, and answered the lady, that she had made a sol- 
 emn vow before God and man to be a faithful and devoted 
 wife to her husband, and felt that death only could dissolve 
 the duty and the sacred vow she had made. The lady of the 
 convent reflected for a moment or two, and then replied with 
 great good sense and liberality, "You are right, young lady; 
 your duty is to live with your husband, and strive to make 
 him happy. I also think I am right to live the life I have 
 chosen, and hope we may hereafter meet in heaven." There 
 were a number of other questions, mostly of this nature, asked 
 and answered by the ladies, in the spirit of kindness, all- of 
 which I do not recollect, but 1 clearly remember they were of 
 a religious character. We purchased a few artificial flowers 
 and some other trifles, and parted with mutual good wishes 
 for happiness both here and hereafter. After we had visited 
 the principal churches, and walked about the town, our little 
 party partook of an excellent dinner, and was then ready 
 to return to Santa Cruz. The gentlemen procured for each 
 lady an elegant bouquet of roses, jessamine, and orangQ flowers, 
 and thus we left the old town of Laguna well pleased with our 
 visit; and as the road was descending and the declining day 
 soft and fine, we returned pleasantly to our homes, without 
 fatigue, and at peace with ourselves and with all the world. • 
 I very much regretted that the season of the year would 
 not admit of our visiting the peak ; this can only be done at 
 midsummer — say in July or August — and even then it is at- 
 tended with much severe labor and fatigue. I was told tliat 
 several gentlemen, residing at Santa Cruz, had caused to be 
 erected a small but comfortable house, as high up the moun- 
 tain as a mule or donkey could ascend. It was suflicicntly 
 large to accommodate some six or eight persons for a night ; 
 and whenever a party designed to visit the peak, provisions, 
 mattresses, blankets, etc., etc., were provided, and sent up to
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCnOONER IRIS. 127 
 
 the lodging-place the previous day. These preparations hav- 
 ing been made, the party, well mounted on mules or don- 
 keys, start from Santa Cruz after breakfast, and generally have 
 a fatiguing day's ride, before they arrive at the mountain- 
 house ; there they remain all night, wrapped in cloaks and 
 blankets, and early the next morning, after drinking freely of 
 hot coffee, to fortify them against the cold, conmience the diffi- 
 cult journey of clambering on foot up the rugged mountain — 
 the peak of which is said, by scientific men, to be 12,172 
 English feet above the level of the sea. It is an exhausted 
 volcano, with a broad and deep crater, which is not seen until 
 you reach its summit. From this astounding height, I am 
 told, the view is magnificent. The whole group of the Canary 
 Islands, which are nine in number, is distinctly seen ; and it 
 is even asserted that, on a clear day. Cape Bajador, on the 
 coast of Africa, has been seen from the top of the peak, although 
 at a distance of 135 miles. 
 
 TenerifTe and the Grand Canary are the two largest and 
 most important islands of this group ; and had God blessed 
 them with good, safe harbors, they probably would have be- 
 come, long ere this period, of great importance to the world, in 
 a commercial point of view ; but I am sorry to say, there is not 
 a good, safe port in the whole of this Archipelago, with the 
 exception of Lanzarote, in which, I am told, there is a very 
 good harbor ; but as it produces but little for exportation, there 
 is nothing to induce foreign ships to visit that island. From 
 these islands, there are a great many small vessels employed 
 in the fishing business. These craft proceed to the coast of 
 yVfrica, and fish on the banks and shoals along the shore ; they 
 take salt along with them, and preserve the fish in the hold of 
 the vessel until they return to the islands. They represent 
 the inhabitants along that part of the coast as being in a very 
 barbarous state, and that it is dangerous to land. 
 
 While at Santa Cruz, I went on board one of these fishing- 
 vessels, which had just returned from Africa, deeply laden 
 with fish. They somewhat resembled the coinnion cod.
 
 128 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 
 
 though much larger and whiter ; they are sold to all the in- 
 habitants of the Canary Islands, and constitute an important 
 part of their daily food, besides giving employment to a large 
 number of men, who become hardy sailors, and if properly 
 trained under able commanders, would make very efficient 
 seamen. 
 
 I sold the little cargo I brought here in the Iris, to Messrs. 
 Little & Co., of Port Oratava, but deliverable here ; or perhaps 
 I ought to say, I exchanged it for 520 demijohns of brandy, 
 free from all duties, inward and outward, which were to be 
 put on board my schooner, at Oratava, at the sellers' expense. 
 I also purchased from the same house 600 more of the same 
 quality, to be delivered on or before the first of January. For 
 this brandy I paid seven dollars the demijohn — they generally 
 contain from five to six gallons each, and are prepared ex- 
 pressly for the Havana market — being distilled with an aro- 
 matic seed, somewhat like anise. The natives of these islands 
 use this liquor as a cordial ; and when they remove to a foreign 
 conntry, retain the same love for their native nectar ; and those 
 who emigrate to the Island of Cuba will purchase it, let the 
 price be ever so high. So it is with the Hollanders, who leave 
 their native land for the Island of Java, in the East Indies. I 
 am told they annually export from Amsterdam, to that island, 
 numerous puncheons of hard-baked gingerbread, from a simi- 
 lar partiality for whatever comes from their Fatherland. 
 
 The brandy I purchased here at seven dollars the demi- 
 john, would scarcely sell at any price, except to the natives of 
 these islands ; so that by their partiality, or prejudice, or by 
 whatever name it may be called, many people are benefited by 
 the trade, and it is therefore natural to presume that all parties 
 are satisfied. 
 
 We finished discharging our cargo on the 28th of Decem- 
 ber, and took on board a little stone ballast, and sailed the 
 next day for Port Oratava — which town is situated on the 
 north shore of this island. 
 
 We had a short passage round, and anchored in the after-
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 129 
 
 noon, on tlie 30th of December, directly opposite the town, 
 close to the mouth of a boat-harbor, which is sometimes occu- 
 pied by small vessels, in the summer season ; and when this 
 is resorted to, they are secured by rings fastened to the rocks. 
 The roadstead here is perhaps the worst in the world ; there 
 is no harbor on this side of the island ; and all the ships that 
 visit this place are obliged to lie in this wild, open anchorage, 
 in fifty or sixty fathoms of water, without any shelter, except 
 from the south winds. The ships roll, while lying here, more 
 than when on the broad ocean ; and upon the least appearance 
 of storms or gales, they are obliged to slip their cables, stand 
 off to sea, and wait for good weather before they resume their 
 anchorage ; in many instances the captains prefer standing off 
 and on, and taking in and out their cargoes while under easy 
 sail. 
 
 I took Mrs. Coggeshall on shore, where we were hospita- 
 bly received by the family of one of the partners of the House 
 of jMessrs. Little ct Co., who were successors to the firm of 
 Messrs. Pasley, long known for their hospitality, and sterling 
 integrity in all business matters. The weather being fine, we 
 had sufficient time, before night, to walk all over this little 
 town, which may, perhaps, contain four or five thousand in- 
 habitants, and has in its vicinity several pleasant walks, and 
 many highly-cultivated gardens. We lodged for the night 
 with the family of our hospitable and polite consignee. I re- 
 gret I do not recollect the name of the gentleman ; his wife 
 and his wife's sister were natives of Cadiz, in Old Spain, and 
 were highly educated, agreeable people. 
 
 I repaired on board the Iris early the next morning, Janu- 
 ary 1st, and left Mrs. Coggeshall on shore to enjoy the society 
 of these very social and agreeable ladies. The weather was 
 extremely fine, and soft as a summer's day ; there was no 
 wind, and the sea was perfectly calm, and as smooth as a 
 mirror. My consignee had the whole cargo put on board of 
 two large lighters, and employed a sufficient number of men 
 10 take it in, and stow it all away before sunset. 
 9
 
 130 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 
 
 The stevedores here are very active, adroit men, and un- 
 derstand their business perfectly. They had a large quantity 
 of. brushwood from the fir or pine trees prepared for dunnage ; 
 and took on board and stowed away the whole 1120 demijohns 
 of brand}'-, without breaking one. 
 
 I also provided all necessary stores, settled all our bills, 
 and embarked with Mrs. C. before the sun went down, and 
 was now ready for sea, bound for St. Thomas, and from 
 thence to Havana. Bat before taking leave of this delight- 
 ful island, I will make a few more remarks on the subject of 
 the scenery and general appearance of this singular place. 
 While lying at anchor in the port of Santa Cruz, I have gazed 
 for hours with wonder and delight at the towering peak which 
 is covered with snow for about nine months in the year. Like 
 most other sublime objects, it never fatigues the eye nor wearies 
 the mind — ever varying and still ever grand and beautiful. 
 Sometimes, when the weather is perfectly clear, the whole moun- 
 tain, even to the sunmiit, is seen without the shadow of a 
 cloud ; then again, the weather becomes thick, and no part of 
 the mountain is visible : wait perhaps a few minutes, and it 
 clears away, when you behold the high, white sugar-loaf 
 peak, towering far away above the clouds, and every other 
 part of the stupendous mountain entirely hidden. And thus 
 there is a never-ending variety that feasts the imagination and 
 charms and enchains the beholder. 
 
 I have often experienced a similar feeling while gazing on 
 the Falls of Niagara; the longer I continued to look upon that 
 stupendous cataract and heard its thunderiug roar, the more 1 
 admired this sublime object, and tlie greater was the intensity of 
 feeling whicli it excited. It is, if possible, even more so with 
 this high and lofty peak, which I have frequently seen while 
 at sea, at a distance of 00 miles. The north side of Tcneriffe 
 has also its peculiar beauties. I had, previous to this voy- 
 age, twice visited this ])lace, and had for several weeks in 
 succession been lying at anchor, or standing off and on at 
 Port Orolava, still, I never was tired of gazing on the grand
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 131 
 
 and beautiful scenery of this interesting island. Near the 
 surrmiit of the mountains, far above all vegetable life, you be- 
 hold their deep ravines, and rough, broken declivities there ; 
 every thing appears cold, barren and dreary ; look again, a 
 little lower down, and you observe stunted trees and shrubs ; 
 then let the eye rest still lower, and you perceive large trees and 
 considerable vegetation ; still further down the mountains, you 
 will see cultivation and the busy hand of man at work, beau- 
 tifying the fields and gardens ; descend still nearer the sea, 
 and you behold the orange groves, fig-trees, and vineyards in 
 full bearing, almost like a tropical climate. Here a man may 
 choose a climate according to his own taste. Any one from the 
 United States who is fond of mountain scenery, would be 
 richly rewarded for his loss of time and expenditure of money, 
 in visiting this island. 
 
 After this long digression, I will again resume my narra- 
 tive. The reader will observe that we finished lading our lit- 
 tle schooner on the first day of the New Year, just as the sun 
 was setting, and barely had time to clear the decks, and get 
 every thing in sea trim, when the scene changed from a state 
 of smooth and peaceful tranquillity, to a rough, boisterous sea, 
 and a strong gale of wind from the northward. We had only 
 time enough to pass round the west end of the island, and get clear 
 of the land, before it blew a severe gale, and the ocean was soon 
 lashed into a white foam ; but, thank God, the wind was fair, 
 and we had sea-room enough, and were thus enabled to run 
 off on our course at a rapid rate ; and I hope we were not 
 ungrateful to Him who rules in love and mercy for the benefit 
 of poor, short-sighted man, and regulates the universe in His 
 own wisdom, to gladden the hearts of all those who put their 
 trust in Him. ^ 
 
 We steered to the S. W. witH the northern gale, which 
 lasted for two days, when the wind moderated, and the weath- 
 er became warm and pleasant, so that in the course of a week 
 we got into the N. E. trades, and ran down to the westward, 
 and day after day had fair winds and fine weather, making
 
 132 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 
 
 daily about 160 to 200 miles, without any severe gales or 
 storms, which seldom occur at this season of the year in this 
 parallel of latitude on the Atlantic Ocean. On the 22d of 
 January, at 10 o'clock in the morning, we made St. Bartholo- 
 mew's, bearing west, eight leagues distant, 20 days from Ten- 
 eriffe. We ran down along its south side, and in passing, saw 
 several of the neighboring islands, viz., St. Eustatia, Saba, 
 St. Kitts, and St. Martin ; we continued on our course all 
 night, and arrived the next morning at St. Thomas. Here we 
 replenished our water, got on board a fresh supply of sea 
 stores, fruit, etc., and after remaining here three days, left this 
 place for the Havana. 
 
 We sailed out tln-ough Sail Rock Passage, and continued 
 our westerly course, inclining to the northward, to get gradu- 
 ally in the parallel of the Hole-in-the-Wall, on the south side 
 of the Island of Abaco. We were favored with the regular 
 N. E. trades, and clear pleasant weather, from the time we left 
 port until we made the Hole-in-the-Wall, on the 3d of Febru- 
 ary, eight days from St. Thomas. 
 
 We passed near this conspicuous landmark in the morning, 
 and got fairly on the Great Bahama bank before night. We 
 had generally light winds, and ran over the bank without 
 meeting with any incident worth noticing. Thus, after a 
 pleasant passage of twelve days from St, Thomas, we arrived 
 at Havai^a. I landed with Mrs. C. on the 7th of February, 
 and at the pressing request of my consignee, Senor Canes, we 
 took up our abode at his house. The fither of this family, 
 and the head of the firm of Felipe A. Canes & Co., was 
 originally from old Spain ; he had been a resident of Cuba for 
 many years, and married there. His wife was an agreeable, 
 elderly lady, born in Cuba, of Spanish parents. They had 
 several sons and daughters, and we found them polite, agree- 
 able people. 
 
 A few days after my arrival, I sold, through Messrs. Canes &- 
 Co. all my brandy on the wharf, at ten dollars and thirty cents 
 the demijohn, payable in cash on delivery, and we found but 
 four demijohns broken in the whole cargo.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 183 
 
 This is an excellent harbor, very easy of access, and gen- 
 erally safe from all winds. It is deep and capacious enough to 
 contain and accommodate twelve or fifteen hundred ships ; in 
 fine, it is one of the best ports in the world, and its commerce 
 is very extensive. It has a fine winter climate, and is gene- 
 rally healthy all the year round for the native inhabitants ; 
 though in the spring and summer months it is often unhealthy 
 for strangers. A great deal of wealth is concentrated here ; 
 business is done on a large scale, and many of its merchants 
 and planters have acquired considerable fortunes in a few 
 years. It is the capital city of Cuba, and probably contains 
 about 120,000 inhabitants. This city is too well known to 
 require a description from me. I was so much occupied dur- 
 ing my stay here that I had no opportunity of visiting the in- 
 terior of the island. Having disposed of my cargo, I pur- 
 chased ninety hogsheads of molasses, and a few barrels of 
 sugar ; the balance of my ' funds, say about six thousand 
 Spanish dollars, I concluded to take home with me; and after 
 lying here twenty-one days, we sailed from this port on the 
 first of March, bound for New- York. 
 
 During the first week out, we had light winds from the N. 
 E. and fine weather, but on approaching the coast of the Uni- 
 ted States, we met strong northerly gales with cold unpleasant 
 weather ; and after a long and disagreeable passage of twenty 
 days, arrived at New-York on the 20th of March. Mrs. Cogge- 
 shall soon left the city to visit her father and his family, in 
 Connecticut. I found my brother had returned here in the 
 Catherine, from Tenerifie, and had made a pretty good voyage. 
 
 My good friends, Messrs. Lawrence <fc Betts, soon sold our 
 little cargo of sugar and molasses, and as the Iris was too 
 small for our future purposes, we disposed of her, and settled 
 every thing to the entire satisfaction of all parties interested in 
 this little commercial enterprise. We made a very profitable 
 voyage considering the small amount of capital employed. I 
 had, previous to this period, and for many years afterwards, a 
 great many commercial transactions with these worthy gen-
 
 184 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER IRIS. 
 
 tlemen, and ever found them kind, honest, just and hberal. 
 To my long-tried and faithful friend, Jonathan Lawrence, Esq., 
 I am indebted for much fatherly counsel, and kind and disinter- 
 ested hospitality. For a series of years I thankfully enjoyed his 
 warm and generous sympathy ; in fine, he was one of that 
 class of men the Saviour called, the "salt of the earth," and 
 was very justly and truly beloved by all those who had the 
 good fortune to be acquainted with him. 
 
 I 
 
 I
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE U. S. BRIG ENTERPRISE, WITH CAPTAIN LAWRENCE 
 KEARNEY, FROM NEW-YORK TO OMOA, AND FROM THENCE TO 
 VERA CRUZ, IN THE SCHOONER RETRIEVE, AND BACK TO NEW- 
 YORK, IN THE YEAR 1819. 
 
 I HAD recently returned to New-York from a voyage to Ten- 
 erifFe and Havana, in the schooner Iris, and had only been 
 about three months with my family, when I was solicited by 
 two of the Insurance Companies in New- York, namely, the 
 Union and the National, to proceed with Captain Kearney, in 
 pursuit of the schooner Retrieve. 
 
 This vessel belonged to Peter Harmony, Esq. She was a 
 pilot-boat built schooner, of one hundred and three tons bur- 
 then, and was sent from New- York to Cadiz, with a cargo 
 adapted to that market, under the command of John Lewis ; 
 and here follows a list of the crew when she left New- York, 
 on the 1st of March, 1819, for Cadiz : 
 
 J. Lester, Charles Palamo, alias, Nicho- 
 Thomas Vincent, las Palamo, 
 
 W. P. Turner, William Loney, (cook, yellow 
 Charles Scuyter, or black.) 
 
 At Cadiz, this vessel was furnished with a cargo of mer- 
 chandise, as follows: four hundred and fifty barrels of brandy, 
 about one hundred bales of Spanish paper, a few boxes of saf- 
 fron, sweet oil in jars, and a small quantity of silk goods
 
 136 VOYAGE IX THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 
 
 black cloaks and veils. She sailed from Cadiz on the 10th of 
 April, bound for Vera Cruz. A week after leaving port, when 
 in the neighborhood of the Canary Islands, the mate conspired 
 with the crew to murder the captain, and run away with the 
 vessel and cargo. This was accomplished, and the first news 
 Mr. Harmony had of his schooner, was by the way of the Ha- 
 vana, that the Retrieve was lying in the little port of Omoa, 
 and that the mate and a portion of the crew were confined in 
 prison, by order of the Governor at that place. 
 
 Upon receiving this information, Mr. Harmony abandoned 
 the vessel and cargo to the insurance companies. The presi- 
 dents and directors of these companies applied to the United 
 States Government for a ship-of-war to proceed to Omoa, to 
 recover the schooner Retrieve, her cargo and the crew. This 
 request was promptly granted, and Captain L. Kearney was 
 appointed to perform this service. The insurance com- 
 panies made me their agent to act in concert with Captain 
 Kearney, and proceed with him in the brig Enterprise for that 
 purpose. As a compensation for my services, the two insur- 
 ance companies agreed to pay all my expenses, and allow me 
 one thousand dollars. After all these preliminaries were set- 
 tled, we sailed from New- York on the 2d of June, bound for 
 Omoa, in the Bay of Honduras. We had a good time off the 
 coast, and in ten days after leaving Sandy Hook, we got out to 
 the Mona Passage, passing between the east end of St, Do- 
 mingo, and the west end of Porto Rico. We ran down the South 
 side of St. Domingo, and also down the south of Jamaica. 
 We found the trade winds for several days rather light in the 
 neighborhood of these islands, but the weather was generally 
 fine, and the time passed off agreeably. We met with no in- 
 cident worth noting until we got down near the south side of 
 Jamaica, when the following painful accident occurred : 
 
 One fine evening, just at twilight, one of the carpenter's 
 mates was drawing water from the sea with a bucket to wash 
 the decks, when he lost his balance, and slipped overboard 
 from the gangway in the waist. There was but a light air at
 
 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 137 
 
 the time, and the brig was instantly brought up to the wind, 
 and a boat lowered to save the man ; but all to no purpose. 
 Captain Kearney made several tacks to windward, and proba- 
 bly passed over the same place where he fell overboard, and 
 kept the boat out on the look-out until there was no doubt the 
 poor fellow had sunk to rise no more. I understood that the 
 person drowned was a very sober, good man. It is always a 
 painful circumstance to lose a fellow-being in this untimely 
 way, and naturally throws a melancholy gloom over the 
 whole ship's company. 
 
 Some days after this, we made the Swan Islands. They 
 are two in number, and of moderate height, and lie in latitude 
 17° 22' north, longitude 83° 57' west, directly in the track from 
 Jamaica to the Bay of Honduras. It was about noon when we 
 got down to them. The weather being fine, Captain K. brought 
 the Enterprise to anchor in ten fathoms of water, under the 
 lee of the largest of the two islands. We then went on shore 
 and explored them both ; the largest of the two is about two 
 miles long, and three-quarters of a mile broad ; the smallest is 
 perhaps one mile long and half a mile broad, with a bad reef 
 running from one to the other. They are covered with small 
 trees and bushes, and are uninhabited and desolate. Here all 
 kinds of sea birds lay and hatch without being disturbed by 
 man, and we found them so tame and gentle, that we could 
 almost knock them down with sticks. After remaining on 
 shore about two hours, we returned on board and made sail 
 for the Island of Bonaca, which lies about W. S. W. from 
 Swan Islands, distant one hundred and ten miles. The 
 next day we passed near Bonaca ; this is a pretty high island, 
 covered with trees and bushes. And from thence we sailed 
 down along the south side of Rattan Island, which is moder- 
 ately high, and about twenty-five or thirty miles long. We 
 continued our course down the bay, until we arrived at tlie 
 port of Omoa, where we came to anchor on the 27th of June, 
 after a pleasant passage of twenty-four days. 
 
 Captain Kearney sent one of his lieutenants on shore with
 
 Ida VOYAGE IN THE BRIG ENTERPEISE. 
 
 an oiFer to salute the castle, and when these preliminaries 
 were arranged, a handsome salute was fired by the Enter- 
 prise. The officer of the fort, with the best intentions no doubt, 
 attempted to return it, but owing to their unskilful gunnery, 
 they made wild and awkward work of it. They probably 
 took the Enterprise for a Carthaginian brig-of-war, and as 
 Omoa, at that time, was a colony of Spain, they had all their 
 guns loaded, and in their hurry and confusion were unable to 
 draw the shot from them, so that on returning our salute their 
 grape and round shot flew all over the harbor. Fortunately no 
 mischief was done, and as Capt. Kearney was convinced that 
 there was no want of respect on the part of the commander of the 
 fort, and that no evil was intended, he very wisely overlooked 
 their agitation and ignorance. 
 
 We saw the Retrieve lying at anchor alone in this snug 
 little harbor, and not another ship or vessel in the port except 
 ourselves. Captain Kearney and myself soon repaired on 
 shore and waited on the Governor ; we showed him our creden- 
 tials and authority to recover the Retrieve, cargo and crew, 
 and soon explained every thing to his satisfaction. He was a 
 native of Old Spain, and a fine gentlemanly man. He said he 
 had no doubt that we were fully authorized to take charge of 
 the property and sailors in prison belonging to the vessel, still 
 he was fearful that if he gave up the schooner and men with- 
 out first writing to the Captain General at Guatimala, for his 
 permission, he might, perhaps, implicate himself The dis- 
 tance from this place to the capital is about 400 miles, and to 
 wait the answer of the Chief of the Province, would probably 
 occupy about fifteen or twenty days. The Governor, however, 
 was an obliging good man, and when we stated to him the neces- 
 sity of dispatch, and that it would be impossible for the Enter- 
 prise to remain long in this sultry climate with so many persons 
 on board, he consented to take the responsibility of displeasing 
 the Conmiandcr-in-Chicf at Gnatimala, and kindly gave up 
 the prisoners and property forthwith. Captain K. immediately 
 supplied me with carpenters, calkcrs, riggers and sailmakers,
 
 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 139 
 
 SO that in the course of a few days we had the schooner 
 calked throughout, sails repaired and bent, and every thing 
 ready to take in the cargo, which was stored in the town of 
 Omoa, about a mile distant from the port. Captain K., with 
 the consent of the Governor, had the two remaining prisoners 
 removed from the Castle to the Enterprise, and there in the 
 presence of the Governor and his principal officers, was held a 
 court of inquiry on the mate and the rascally sailor, who turned 
 evidence in favor of the State. 
 
 The substance of their story was as follows : — that they 
 were six in number exclusive of the captain ; that before leav- 
 ing Cadiz, the mate and crew had embezzled a few barrels of 
 brandy and some other trifling articles, which they sold while 
 Captain Lewis was on shore, and had divided the money 
 among them ; and that after getting to sea, the mate said they 
 would, on their arrival at Vera Cruz, be detected and pvmished 
 for what they had done ; therefore if they would join him to 
 throw Captain L. overboard, he would navigate the schooner 
 to some port in the Bay of Honduras, where they would sell 
 the vessel and cargo, and divide the amount in silver and gold, 
 and thus escape without detection. 
 
 Having agreed upon the plan to be adopted, about a week 
 after leaving Cadiz, when in the neighborhood of Palma, one 
 of the Canaries, about 7 o'clock in the evening, the steward, 
 who was also the cook, called Captain Lewis and the mate to 
 tea. He went below, and sent the steward on deck to request 
 the mate to come into the cabin and get his supper ; he replied 
 that he wanted none, and ordered the steward to bring him a 
 pitcher of water. The steward obeyed the order, when he 
 took the pitcher and dashed it on deck with great violence, 
 over the captain's head, who came immediately on deck to 
 know the reason why Mr. Brown had broken the pitcher, when 
 the mate drew a boat's tiller from beneath his pea-jacket, and 
 struck the captain a violent blow on the side of the head, so 
 that he fell bleeding and prostrate on the quarter-deck ; the 
 mate then called aloud for the crew to come aft, and '• throw
 
 140 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 
 
 the old rascal overboard ;" they all obeyed except the steward, 
 who was below at the time, and took no part in the murder ; 
 the mate and every one of the crew then laid hold of the 
 captain and threw him overboard. They all put their hands 
 upon him when performing this act, that they should all be 
 equally culpable. The wind was light at this time, and the 
 schooner only going at the rate of three or four miles the hour. 
 When he was thrown into the water he revived, and begged 
 them for God's sake to spare his life, and said he would forgive 
 them even then, if they would take him on board ; but they 
 were deaf to his entreaties, and steered directly on their course. 
 After this cruel and inhuman act, the mate called all hands 
 into the cabin, got a Bible, and they all swore never to reveal 
 the secret of the murder. It was agreed that Mr. Brown 
 should personate the captain ; assume his name, and wear his 
 clothes ; and for fear of detection, a consultation was held as 
 to what they had better do with the steward. As this man 
 had no hand in the murder, they feared he might betray them. 
 At length it was decided to spare his life, but to swear him to 
 keep the secret, and one and all swore to kill him should he 
 ever betray them. When these arrangements were finished, 
 they all drank freely of brandy to sustain their courage, and 
 sailed down through the West India Islands and into the Bay 
 of Honduras, always drinking brandy like water, and now and 
 then quarrelling among themselves. After getting into the Bay 
 of Honduras they ran off the town of Truxillo, but could not 
 agree among themselves about going into the harbor ; some 
 were for and some against going into port ; at length they stood 
 out and ran down the bay. That night they drank so freely 
 that some of them imagined they saw the captain's ghost, and 
 were terribly frightened, and thought they never could be 
 happy until they divulged the awful secret. However they 
 came to anchor at Omoa ; and here the narrative was continued 
 by the inhabitants of tiiis place. The mate (Brown), dressed 
 in the clothes of the late captain, and taking his name to cor- 
 respond with the schooner's papers, waited on the Governor,
 
 VOYAGE IN TUE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 141 
 
 and stated that they were from Cadiz, bound to Vera Cruz, but 
 as the schooner leaked badly, and they were otherwise in dis- 
 tress for sails, rigging, water and provisions, he had put into 
 this port to repair damages, and get supplies sufficient to 
 proceed on his voyage, and requested the Covernor would 
 give him permission to dispose of part of his cargo to pay for 
 the necessary repairs, provisions, etc. There being at this 
 time no suspicion of any thmg wrong against the mate and 
 crew, he readily gave the supposed Captain Lewis permission 
 to dispose of a part of the cargo to pay his expenses. The 
 fictitious captain then sold about twenty barrels of brandy, 
 and several jars of sweet oil at low prices, and was paid in 
 doubloons. When he returned on board with the gold, the 
 crew being heated with brandy, demanded a fair and equal dis- 
 tribution of the amount received. The self-made captain, on 
 the contrary, gave to onef a doubloon, and to another eight or 
 ten dollars, and endeavored to enforce obedience to his orders, 
 until from a quarrel it proceeded to an open fight. There 
 were at this time several negroes working on board who un- 
 derstood English, and heard them call Mr. B. a d — d rascal, 
 and no more a captain than themselves. Towards night one 
 of the crew, I believe he was a Swede, named Nicholas 
 Polamo, went on shore and acquainted the Governor with the 
 whole story. 
 
 He then sent for the negroes, and examined them also on 
 tlw3 subject ; their statement so far corresponded with the 
 sailor's, that he decided the next morning to confine them all 
 in the Castle ; but during the night, three of them stole the 
 schooner's boat, and were off for Balize, an English port, at 
 the bottom of the Bay of Honduras, and thus escaped punish- 
 ment. The next morning the Governor took Brown, the stew- 
 ard, and the sailor who had informed against the mate, and 
 put them all into the Castle as prisoners, and kept them in 
 close confinement. He then had the schooner discharged, and 
 the cargo safely stored in the town of Omoa, and laid her 
 up. He also wrote to the Governor of Havana, to advise the
 
 142 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG- ENTERPEISE. 
 
 owner of the Retrieve of the steps he had taken ; and from 
 the first to tlie last, acted lilce a just and honest man. The 
 poor steward died a few weeks previous to our arrival. The 
 other two scoundrels we found in prison. They were sent on 
 board the Enterprise to be transported to New- York, and there 
 to undergo a fair trial. I saw, and conversed several times 
 with the mate, who said his name was Brown. He was a 
 young man, say about twenty-five years of age, rather small 
 in stature, of a light brown complexion, and appeared very 
 humble and penitent, was constantly reading his Bible, and 
 lamenting his unhappy situation. In the course of our con- 
 versation, he said he hoped the punishment of death would 
 be commuted for the State Prison. The other man, Nicholas 
 Palamo, was a hardened, impudent looking rascal, with the 
 mark of villain stamped on every line of his countenance. In 
 the case of this fellow, the old procerb was literally verified, 
 that, " the greatest rogue always turns state's evidence." 
 
 In the course of a few days, we had so far repaired the 
 schooner, as to put on board all the cargo that had been stored 
 here by the governor. What remained was 380 barrels of 
 brandy, 81 bales of paper, 2 boxes of saffron, 19 jars of sweet 
 oil, and 20 black silk cloaks and veils. 
 
 After getting ready for sea, Captain Kearney supplied me 
 with all necessary stores, and a mate and four men as a crew for 
 the Retrieve. We agreed to beat out of the bay together, and 
 keep company until we got off Cape Catochc, when we were 
 to separate, he to proceed to New- York with the prisoners, and 
 I with the Retrieve and cargo to Vera Cruz. But before leav- 
 ing Omoa, I will make a few remarks on that place. It lies 
 in lat. 15° 47' N., long. 81° 1' W. The harbor is formed by a 
 little bay, with a low, sandy point, stretching out about half a 
 mile to the north, covered with mangrove trees and bushes, 
 which make a good shelter from the northern gales. The 
 fort, or castle, stands at tlie head of the bay, near which is 
 the best anchorage, in from sixteecn to four fathoms of water; 
 as you approach the shore it shallows, and you may choose
 
 VOYAGE IJS" THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 143 
 
 your own depth, say from sixteen to four fallioms, soft, muddy 
 bottom, and good holding ground ; in fine, it is a snug, safe 
 harbor. The castle is large, and— like most other fortifica- 
 tions built by the Spaniards — solid stone mason work, and 
 was formerly no doubt very strong, but it is now much neglected, 
 and I should think could make but a feeble resistance against an 
 enemy. When this province belonged to old Spain, this cas- 
 tle was a sort of Botany Bay, to which place they transported 
 convict prisoners, but is now no longer used for that purpose, 
 and has only a small garrison kept here to protect the little 
 town of Omoa and its commerce. This town is located about 
 a mile to the eastward of the landing-place at the castle. It 
 is now an insignificant place, containing about 200 inditferent 
 houses, and perhaps twelve or fifteen hundred inhabitants, the 
 greater part of whom are very poor. I regret I do not remem- 
 ber the Governor's name ; he was, as I have before said, a 
 worthy, gentlemanly man, and disposed to do justice to every 
 one that came within his power. I think there are very few 
 small places in any part of the world, where, if a vessel should 
 enter under like circumstances with the Retrieve, that the 
 property would have been as well preserved, and the men tak- 
 en up and brought to justice, as was the case with this vessel 
 and her crew. I therefore repeat, that great credit is due to 
 the old Governor. I also think the inhabitants of Omoa, -gen- 
 erally speaking, are a simple-hearted, honest people, and wish 
 to do justice and deal honestly with all the foreigners that visit 
 their place. The Governor was poor, and lived in homely 
 style, but he gave us the best he had and made us welcome, 
 and no one could ask more of this true-hearted, honest Span- 
 iard, of the old Hidalgo school. Thus, after lying in this lit- 
 tle port thirteen days, we sailed on the 9th of July, ISIO, and 
 commenced beating up the Bay of Honduras, against the trade 
 winds, which were generally at E. N. E., and in three days 
 after leaving the port of Omoa, we beat up to the west end of 
 Rattan Island, when we steered to the northward, and ran for 
 the passage, namely, between the west end of Cuba, and the
 
 144 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 
 
 east coast of Yucatan. This part of the distance we made 
 in two days, and after sending my letters for home on board 
 the Enterprise, and taking leave of my friend Capt. Kearney, 
 we separated on the 14th of Jnly, off Cape Catoche, the En- 
 terprise bound for New- York, and I in the Retrieve for Vera 
 Cruz. 
 
 During the time I was in company with the Enterprise, 
 my crew behaved well : but the very next day they broke 
 through the bulkhead in the forecastle, got at the brandy in 
 the hold, and all got drunk together. My mate proved to be a 
 poor, inefficient creature, and, in short, was good for nothing. 
 I was therefore under the necessity of nailing up the forecas- 
 tle, and compelling the men to live on deck until we arrived 
 at Vera Cruz ; and in order to keep every thing straight and 
 prevent mischief, I slept on deck also. This may appear like 
 rigid precaution, but I am convinced that stern duty required 
 it, and that there was no safety in trusting the men under deck. 
 In making these remarks, I wish not to implicate or reflect upon 
 Capt. K. for the bad conduct of these men ; on the contrary, he 
 always rendered me every assistance in his power, and could 
 have had no idea that the men were such a set of vagabonds. 
 While on board a man-of-war, they were kept in a perfect 
 state of discipline, but when this restraint was taken off, they 
 would run into the lowest state of brutal intoxication. I do 
 not say that the men were mutinous or impudent, that was 
 not the case ; on the contrary they were obedient ; but the mo- 
 ment they could procure liquor, they became perfect beasts. 
 With a good, efficient mate, 1 could have got along with less 
 trouble. By constant watchfulness and vigilance, however, I 
 surmounted every difficulty, and came safe to anchor in the 
 port of Vera Cruz, on the 22d of July, eight days after parting 
 with the Enterprise off Cape Catoche. 
 
 Here, agreeably to instructions from Peter Harmony, Esq., 
 former owner of the Retrieve, I consigned both vessel and 
 cargo to Don Francisco Antonio de la Sierra, merchant at this 
 place. Some days after our arrival, the cargo was all landed
 
 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 145 
 
 and placed in the hands of the consignee. This gentleman 
 disposed of it in tlie course of ten or fifteen days, and agree- 
 ably to his accounts, it netted only eleven thousand six hun- 
 dred and thirty-five dollars. Senor de la Sierra complained 
 that a great deal of the paper was badly damaged, and that 
 some of the brandy had been reduced with water, which 
 was the reason the cargo did not produce a greater amount. 
 
 During my stay here, my sailors were almost always in- 
 toxicated, three of them ran away and were replaced by others. 
 I shipped a man who told me his name was Baker Smith. He 
 said he was an Englishman, and had been left sick in Vera 
 Cruz, and unable to obtain any kind of employment. He was 
 wretchedly clad, and begged so hard for a berth, that I agreed 
 to take him, provided he would perform the duty of a steward. 
 He readily promised to do so, and shipped in that capacity. 
 He accordingly came on board, and behaved so well that I was 
 delighted with him. By his efiicient conduct and assiduity, he 
 in a few days so gained my confidence, that one day having 
 occasion for the mate on shore, I loft this man in charge of the 
 cabin. During my absence he called a boat alongside and 
 deserted the vessel, after having robbed me of three hundred 
 Spanish dollars ; and from that day to the present time, I have 
 never heard any thing further from Mr. Baker Smith. The 
 conduct of this rascal reminds me of the ancient fable of the 
 man who picked up a frozen viper and placed it in his bosom. 
 The warmth of his body soon restored it to life, when it mor- 
 tally stung its benefactor. 
 
 I will here relate an incident of one of the sailors that 
 formerly belonged to the Enterprise, merely to show the 
 superstition of the most ignorant of that class of men. One 
 evening I returned on board from Vera Cruz, when tliis sailor 
 met me in the gangway. He was terribly alarmed, and abso- 
 lutely trembling with fear. He said he was rejoiced that I 
 had come on board, that the murdered captain had just follow- 
 ed him all about the deck, and that the blood was streaming 
 rom his bruised head, and almost frightened him out of his 
 10
 
 146 VOYAGE IX THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 
 
 senses. I could not persuade him that it was his diseased im- 
 agination, and that lie saw nothing. I have often observed the 
 power of superstition among sailors where supernatural objects 
 are presented to their credulous minds. Though this man 
 shuddered so with fear at the imaginary sight of a ghost, he 
 probably, if ordered, would have marched to the cannon's 
 mouth in open daylight. 
 
 I finally picked up a motley crew ; some I took out of prison, 
 and had to take such as I could find, without inquiring very 
 closely into their characters. Fortunately I had two gentle- 
 men passengers ; one a Mr. James Brush, an Englishman, the 
 other, iMr. John Ramsay, an American. They had been cap- 
 tains for several years in the Mexican army, and had at length 
 been taken by the Spaniards and sent as prisoners to Vera 
 Cruz. Here they were set at liberty, and I gladly gave them 
 a passage to New- York. I took on board the Retrieve about 
 $7,000, and left the balance due the owners of the schooner, 
 say about $4,635, hi the hands of Senor F. A. de la Sierra, to 
 be remitted to Peter Harmony, Esq., by the way of the Ha- 
 vana, and after a great deal of trouble and difficulty, finally 
 sailed from Vera Cruz, on the 20th of August, bound for New- 
 York. We remained in this port twenty-nine days. For sev- 
 eral days we had light winds from the eastward, and a strong 
 lee current running, so that we gained but very little distance. 
 On the 29th of August, nine days out, we saw the Alacranes 
 bearing about S. E., three or four leagues distant. These 
 islands are four in number, they are composed of sand and are 
 quite low, not much above the level of the sea, and very dan- 
 gerous, being surrounded by shoals and sand-banks. From 
 the 20tli to the 31st of August, we still had a continuation of 
 light winds from the E. N. E., and a strong westerly current ; 
 of course, it was verydiflicult to get to the eastward. 
 
 Before leaving Vera Cruz, I found it impossible to procure 
 good water puncheons, and was therefore obliged to take wine 
 and brandy casks. As the weather was very warm, our water 
 soon became extremely bad, and would rope like molasses, and
 
 VOYAGE IN THE BEIG ENTERPRISE. 147 
 
 was, in fact, very offensive and unwholesome. This was a 
 sore evil, and whenever we could catch a glass of rain water, 
 it was a great luxury. 
 
 On the 11th of September, thirteen days after passing the 
 Alacranes, and being fairly out into the Bay of Mexico, we had 
 hght variable winds and somewhat squally weather, when at 
 about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, there were several water- 
 spouts in sight. One of them was frightfully large, and ap- 
 peared to be about a mile to windward. As it was moving 
 down slowly upon us, I wore sliip and steered away from it ; 
 but the wind being light, there seemed to be no way of escap- 
 ing this astounding column of water, which appeared to be con- 
 nected with an immensely large cloud. We closed every 
 hatchway and commenced firing musket balls into it, and at 
 the same time beating with axes on the anchors to make a 
 jarring noise. It had approached to within two or three hun- 
 dred yards of us, when there sprung up a light breeze, which 
 enabled us to escape inevitable destruction. The column was 
 several hundred feet high, and extremely large ; a few mo- 
 ments after passing us it broke, and thus we were relieved 
 from our perilous situation. Whether the firing of muskets 
 and beating on the anchors occasioned it to break sooner than 
 it otherwise would have done, I am not able to say ; but from 
 what I saw of this water-spout, I am inclined to believe that 
 ships may be destroyed by similar ones. 
 
 Mr. Brush, one of my passengers, was very ill with the 
 fever and ague, and we had no medicine on board. On the 15th 
 of September, I fell in with, and boarded the schooner Leo, of 
 New Providence, six days from Pensacola, bound home. 
 From the captain of this vessel I purchased a barrel of Hour, 
 and he kindly gave us some salts, bark, etc. etc., for Mr. B., 
 for which medicine he would receive no compensation. He 
 was a humane, kind man, and I regret that I do not recollect 
 his name. 
 
 For many days after this we had contrary winds, and our 
 passage thus far, has been long and extremely disagreeable.
 
 148 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG ENTERPRISE. 
 
 On the 24th of September we got off the mouth of the Savan- 
 nah River, and being short of provisions (having been out 
 thirty-five days), I determined to put into port for suppUes. 
 Accordingly the next day, September 25th, I ran into the 
 mouth of the river, and anchored at Tybee Island, near the 
 lighthouse. From this place I dispatched my boat to Savan- 
 nah for supplies ; and after getting a necessary supply of sea- 
 stores, we sailed the next day for New- York. In eight days 
 after we got safe to that city on the 3d of October, after a long 
 and very dis'agreeable passage of forty-three days. I am happy 
 to add I found all my family and friends well. 
 
 The Enterprise had a short run to New- York, after we 
 separated off Cape Catoche, and there the two mutineers were 
 tried. The sailor, Nicholas Palamo, was allowed to testify 
 for the State against the mate. Brown, who was found guilty, 
 and sentenced to be hung at the foreyard of the schooner 
 Retrieve, on Friday, the 22d of October, the same vessel on 
 board of which he had committed the murder. On the day 
 appointed, the Retrieve was anchored in the middle of the 
 East River, between New- York and Brooklyn, and thousands 
 from both shores witnessed the execution. 
 
 The voyage in the Retrieve being now settled, I had the 
 happiness of returning again to the bosom of my family. At this 
 period I owned two vessels, the ketch Maria and the schooner 
 Catherine, and as my sister was in very delicate healtli, I de- 
 cided to employ them in the freighting business between 
 Wilmington, N. C, and the West Indies, and take her with me 
 to the first-named place to spend the winter, that she might 
 have the benefit of a softer and more congenial climate. I ap- 
 pointed Mr. David Hepburn to command the Maria. I have, 
 in the early part of my narrative, noticed Mr. 11., when he 
 went cabin-boy with me in the brig Henry and Isabella, in the 
 year 1809, and from that time to the present day (t846), I 
 have never ceased to feci a lively interest in his welfare. 
 The Maria was the first vessel he ever commanded, and even 
 then he was a most efficient captain. He was for many years
 
 VOYAGE IN THE BKIG ENTERPRISE. 149 
 
 after this period employed as a captain and supercargo, and 
 had at different times commanded several of the finest ships 
 belonging to New- York, in the employment of Messrs. N. L. 
 and G. Grisvvold, in the East India trade ; and I am further- 
 more happy to give my testimony, not only to his abilities as 
 an efficient shipmaster, but to state that he was a person of 
 fine talents, and a most excellent man, a true-hearted, kind 
 friend, and every way worthy of the highest trust and confi- 
 dence. 
 
 As these short West India voyages can have very little 
 interest for the general reader, I will pass them over, and com- 
 mence another to the Bay of Honduras, in the sloop Volusia.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA, FEOM NEW-YOEK TO ST. JAGO 
 DE CUBA AND OMOA, AND FEOM THENCE TO NEW-OELEANS, 
 AND BACK TO NEW-YOEK, IN THE YEAES 1820 AND 1821. 
 
 I HAD recently returned from the Bay of Honduras, in the 
 U. S. brig Enterprise, and during that voyage I had made 
 myself acquainted with the commerce of Truxillo and Omoa .; 
 namely, their general wants, the amount of their imports 
 and exports. I found that commerce in these places was 
 transacted on a very small scale, and mostly confined to a 
 retail business, still, when taken in the aggregate, it amounted 
 to a considerable sum in the course of a year. I also learned 
 that small sloops and schooners were better adapted to this 
 trade than larger and more burthensome vessels. At this time 
 I owned a large schooner, named Catherine, and as she was 
 not adapted to the trade, I exchanged her for a sloop called 
 the Volusia, and although this vessel was old and of small 
 value, I concluded she would last for one winter in a mild 
 climate. She was eighty-three tons per register, and required 
 but few men. Soon after I came in possession of this vessel, I 
 sold one half of her to Captain Nathan Gillet. We were 
 natives of the same town in Connecticut, and had been ac- 
 quainted with each other from our earliest years. I knew 
 Captain G. to be an honest man and a good seaman, and 
 thought we should do very well together. We agreed to load 
 the sloop for our joint account, and to have but one common
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 151 
 
 interest, he to act in the capacity of captain, and I as super- 
 cargo. 
 
 We accordingly loaded the Yohisia with an assorted cargo, 
 consisting of flour, beef, pork, cliairs, hams, tobacco, and 
 sundry other things ; among others we took several perishable 
 articles, such as apples and other fruits. The whole amount 
 of our invoice at sailing was $1,600, Our plan was to touch 
 first at St, Jago, on the south side of Cuba, and there dispose 
 of all our perishable articles, and such other goods as would 
 sell at a large profit ; replace them with the produce of that 
 island, and proceed from thence down to Omoa, and dispose of 
 the remainder. We accordingly loaded the sloop, and got 
 ready for sea, with two mates, two seamen, and a cook, who 
 was also the steward. We sailed from New- York on the 10th 
 of December, 1820, bound for St, Jago, and had moderate 
 breezes and fine weather during the first three or four days. 
 We struck the Gulf Stream on the fourth day out, and fotmd 
 the temperature of the water from 73° to 76° Fahrenheit, 
 while the temperature of the air was only 68°. 
 
 The next day, December 15th, in lat. 36° N., long, 70° 38' 
 W., after getting to the southward of the Gulf, the temperature 
 was only 68°. We steered to the southward, intending to 
 make Turk's Island, and met with no incident worth relating 
 during the rest of the passage out to the before-named islands. 
 The weather was generally good, and the winds moderate 
 from the N. E. and E. N, E. On the 27th of December, I 
 took two good lunar observations of the sun and moon, and 
 found, by the mean of the two, that we were in longitude 69° 
 4' W, 
 
 The next day, December 28th, at meridian, we made 
 Turk's Island, bearing west twelve miles distant, and thus 
 found our observations correct. We ran down under its lee, 
 and within three or four miles of the town, and saw a great 
 many heaps of salt as we passed this famous salt isle. In an- 
 other hour after we passed near Sand Key, and sailed pleasantly 
 through the passage with a fine N. E. trade wind. The next
 
 152 VOYAGE m THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 day, we saw the islands of St. Domingo and Cuba, and thus 
 continued on our course until we arrived at St. Jago de Cuba, 
 on the 30th of December, after a pleasant passage of nineteen 
 days from New- York. 
 
 At this place I consigned my vessel to Messrs. Cartmel & 
 Giraud. I had met with these gentlemen in St. Bartholomew, 
 in 1809, and subsequently saw a great deal of them in New- 
 York, and am now happy to have it in my power to speak of 
 them as they deserve ; and if my feeble testimony can add 
 in the smallest degree to an appreciation of their merit, it will 
 give me heartfelt pleasure. I have seen a great deal of men 
 in my wanderings about the world, and have found many kind 
 and truly benevolent persons, but never have I met with more 
 true hospitality and pure benevolence than was concentrated 
 in these worthy men. They were full of talent and kind 
 feeling. The first named gentleman was an Englishman, and 
 the latter an American, and I with pleasure add that they were 
 both an honor to their respective countries. Daniel Giraud, 
 Esq., was the American consul, residing here, and was beloved 
 and esteemed by all classes of people. At a later period, I 
 met him in Paris, soon after his return from a long tour up 
 the Nile ; he read me his notes on those parts of Egypt which 
 he had recently visited ; the different scenes and objects were 
 graphically portrayed. I was particularly interested in his re- 
 marks on the great Pyramid of Cheops ; his was altogether 
 the best and most vivid description of that everlasting monu- 
 ment of time I have ever read. 1 advised him to have it pub- 
 lished, for the benefit of those who have not had the pleasure 
 of standing on its sunmiit, or visiting that interesting country, 
 so full of historical recollections ; but this he strenuously re- 
 fused. My friend G. is one of that class of modest, unobtru- 
 sive men, who shrink from the public gaze, and whose self- 
 respect and difildcnce will not expose themselves to the gall 
 and bitterness of merciless critics, or the coarse remarks of 
 those who cannot appreciate their high and honorable motives ; 
 they therefore keep the rich productions of their minds and 
 valuable information locked up from the world.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 153 
 
 The next day after our arrival, Messrs. Cartmel & Giraud 
 sold a considerable portion of our cargo at high prices, and we 
 had hauled alongside of the wharf to discharge what we had 
 disposed of, when an order came from the Governor for us to 
 leave the port forthwith, and further added, that we should not 
 land a single article, for the alleged reason, that we had brought 
 no certificate from the Spanish Consul in New- York, proving 
 that the cargo was American property. This was a sad dis- 
 appointment to all our hopes and prospects, particularly as it 
 respected the perishable part of the cargo, such as forty bar- 
 rels of apples, and other articles subject soon to decay in a 
 hot climate like this. I could have replaced these articles by 
 other merchandise suitable to the Omoa market, at extremely 
 low prices ; but this I was not permitted to do, and as the 
 Governor had the power in his own hands, we were forced to 
 submit to our hard destiny, and suffer from the whim or ca- 
 price of a single individual. This may be law, but I think 
 there is very little of the spirit of the gospel in such treatment 
 as we received from this man. 
 
 Thus, after lying here a week, and being put to considera- 
 ble expense, we were forced to leave the port without being 
 able to land a single article of our cargo. Before leaving, I 
 will make a few remarks on St. Jago de Cuba, or as this name 
 means when translated into English, Saint James of the Cask or 
 Pipe. This town contains about twenty or thirty thousand in- 
 habitants, of whom about one-third part are white, say 10,000, 
 and the other two-thirds negroes and mulattoes. It lies in lat. 
 19° 58' N., long. 76° 0' W. It has a spacious port, very much 
 like the Havana, except that at the entrance of St. Jago, the 
 course is north, up the harbor, while at the Havana, it is 
 south. So that in sailing up these harbors, the course is in di- 
 rectly opposite points of the compass. The entrance at its 
 mouth, like that of the Havana, is narrow, but soon widens 
 into a safe and perfectly well sheltered harbor, and is generally 
 safe from all winds. The town is tolerably well built ; many 
 of the houses are large, and constructed of stone, with broad
 
 154 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 Streets. It has a cathedral and several other churches. This 
 city, however, is so hemmed in by high hills, that the fresh 
 air does not circulate freely, and therefore renders the place 
 very unhealthy during the rainy season, when the yellow fe- 
 ver rages frightfully, and is particularly destructive to foreign- 
 ers. But with all these disadvantages, it is a desirable place 
 for trade, and the most important city on the island (with the 
 exception of the Havana) in a commercial poiui of view. 
 
 1 will here resume the thread of my narrative, and com- 
 mence by stating that after having been detained here six days 
 upon expense, we again sailed from this place on the 6th of 
 January for the port of Omoa, in the Bay of Honduras. Du- 
 ring the first day out, we had light variable winds and rain. 
 The next day it cleared up, when we had a light N. E. trade 
 wind, and fine weather. We passed near the east end of Ja- 
 maica, and ran down the regular course for the island of Bo- 
 naca, which island we made on the 10th of January, four days 
 from St. Jago; and from Bonaca we sailed down to the 
 southward of Rattan Island, and kept pretty close in with the 
 main land, which is generally high, except near the shore for a 
 few miles, when it rises until it becomes mountainous and well 
 covered with large trees and bushes, with little or no appear- 
 ance of cultivation ; and one can easily imagine that it now 
 appears about the same as when first discovered by Columbus, 
 in 1502. Three days after passing Bonaca, we arrived at 
 Omoa, on the 13th of January, seven days from St. Jago de 
 Cuba. On our arrival we found the whole community re- 
 joicing at the cessation of terrible earthquakes which had con- 
 tinued for several weeks previous to this date, and had now 
 subsided. The inhabitants had but recently returned to their 
 houses, which had been left tenantless for a space of three 
 weeks. Nealy all the people of Omoa had encamped in tents 
 and bamboo houses out on an open plain in the vicinity of the 
 town, bemg afraid to remain at their homes. Many of the 
 houses had been cracked and badly injured, and one merchant 
 with whom I was acquainted, had some thirty or forty dozen
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 155 
 
 bottles of wine and porter broken and destroyed by the late 
 earthquakes, which they represented as very severe and awful 
 in the extreme. Almost every body had something to relate 
 about the frightful "Trcmblors de Ticrra," and how much 
 they had suffered not only by fear, but by the loss of property. 
 
 We soon commenced selling our little cargo ourselves, 
 without the assistance of a merchant. In small places like 
 Omoa, almost every person in the village is individually known, 
 and there is very little risk of making bad debts. There is 
 no merchant in the place able or willing to purchase a whole 
 cargo, so that one is obliged to dispose of the goods at retail to 
 the whole town. It is rather a tedious way of doing business, 
 as it causes much delay, and consequently a great waste of 
 time in the eye of an American, but not so to these people ; 
 they appear to set no value on time, and always take an hour 
 or two in the middle of the day for a siesta. I have on a for- 
 mer voyage observed that they were a simple-hearted, honest 
 people, and am siill confirmed in this opinion, not having lost 
 a dollar by crediting a single person in this place. But like 
 most other people in sultry climates, they become very idle and 
 inactive. The ladies of the upper classes (or the elite of 
 Omoa) are extremely inefficient, and do not even make their own 
 clothing. While here, I saw a man quilting a silk underdress 
 for a lady ; I asked him what he was doing, he replied, he was 
 making a dress for La Sefiora. I then said, " Do the ladies not 
 make them ?" He answered, " No, they do not know how." I 
 inquired, " What do they do, how do they employ themselves ?" 
 He replied, " Elles Crian sus neilos, y se descansan en sus ham- 
 acas." 
 
 I found here but two vessels, namely, an American schoon- 
 er, from and belonging to Boston. I do not recollect the name 
 of the vessel : the captain's name was J. W. Baker. He, too, 
 was on a trading voyage, like myself. Captain Baker had 
 touched at Truxillo, and sold a portion of his cargo. Here he 
 was retailing what he could dispose of to advantage, and was 
 to leave Omoa for Balize, an English settlement at the
 
 156 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 bottom of the Bay of Honduras, where he expected to sell 
 what he had left, and from thence return home to the United 
 States. 
 
 Captain Baker was a highly educated man, spoke fluently 
 four languages, was tall and good-looking. He had travelled 
 a great deal about the world, and was extremely agreeable. 
 We had met many years before in Lisbon, and were now, of 
 course, very happy to meet again in this lonely little corner of 
 the world, so remote from what is called civilization. 
 
 The other vessel was an English schooner belonging to 
 the Balize, and was bound on a trading voyage up the coast 
 to windward of Omoa, at sundry landing places situated in 
 the different little bays between Omoa and Truxillo. I do not 
 recollect the name of the schooner nor that of the captain, but 
 I clearly remember the name of the supercargo, Mr. Fricker, a 
 fine, warm-hearted, gentlemanly young Englishman, about 
 twenty-three or twenty-five years of age. His vessel lay here 
 about a week, and during that period I saw him daily. We 
 formed an attachment for each other, and although almost a 
 stranger, I felt a great interest in Mr. F. from his warm-hearted, 
 confiding character. The day before he left port, I took sup- 
 per with him on board of his vessel, and the next morning be- 
 fore he sailed went on board to take leave of my young friend, 
 while the schooner was getting under way ; little dreaming 
 of the sad catastrophe which awaited his early career. 
 
 After lying at Omoa about a fortnight, we succeeded in 
 retailing about two-thirds of our cargo at pretty fair prices. 
 We received our pay for the portion of the cargo sold here in 
 silver dollars, with the exception of a few ceroons of sarsa- 
 parilla. 
 
 All along this coast are immense forest trees and jungle, or 
 brushwood. The frequent and copious rains, aided by the 
 burning sun in this hot climate, cause excessive vegetation, 
 and consequently render this country extremely unhealthy; 
 and so it will probably continue to be, until the hand of man 
 shall subdue the forest, clear the underwood, and thus let in
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 157 
 
 the sun to absorb the humidity, A stranger from a higher 
 northern latitude is forcibly struck with the saUow and siciily 
 appearance of the inhabitants of this coast, which is certainly 
 uncongenial to the white race. Negroes are adapted to this 
 sultry climate ; the mulattoes and mixed breeds also thrive 
 very well ; it is universally conceded that the mulatto and 
 quadroon women are more healthy and better looking than 
 the white ladies. Although Divine Providence has in this 
 country withheld from the white man health and a full develop- 
 ment of his physical and mental faculties, yet He has in no 
 way denied to the lower animals of His creation a large field 
 of action, and protection from the destructive hand of man. 
 The widespread forests abound with wild animals and game 
 of every description. In Omoa I purchased several skhis of 
 wild animals, and among others, one of what is here called 
 the tiger cat. It was beautifully spotted like the Bengal 
 tiger, but from a much smaller animal. I was told that these 
 tiger cats were very numerous. Wild monkeys are also 
 found here in great numbers ; and a young monkey roasted, is 
 considered by many in this country as a great delicacy. In a 
 little hunting excursion in this neighborhood, I shot a macaw, 
 a bird of the parrot genus, but very large ; it had a beautiful 
 plumage, the predominant colors of which were bright red and 
 deep sky-blue, beautifully shaded with green and yellow. 
 We saw large flocks of wild parrots, and a great variety of 
 birds of flaming colors, and others with brilliant, variegated 
 plumages, that are never seen in high latitudes ; in fine, I 
 found that in this country as in other hot climates, the greater 
 part of the birds and fish are decked by Providence in gor- 
 geous colors, such as are never found in colder regions. 
 
 After taking in a few boat loads of stone ballast, we sailed 
 for Truxillo on the 1st of February. 
 
 For two days after leaving port we met with strong E. N. 
 E. trade winds and a lee current ; we made but little progress 
 beating. The sloop was too light for turning to windward, 
 and we therefore decided to run into one of the little bays and
 
 158 VOYAGE IIS" THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 take ill more ballast, and perhaps at the same time dispose X)f 
 the residue of the cargo still remaining on board. Thus, on 
 the 4th of February, we ran in and anchored in one of the 
 small bays, some twenty or thirty miles to the windward of 
 Omoa, in order to obtain more ballast, and one or two boat 
 loads of firewood ; and for this purpose went on shore. We 
 saw no house or settlement. The whole country appeared 
 like a wild, uncultivated waste of trees and bushes. The 
 captain and myself were walking along the sand beach, when 
 we discovered something floating in the surf We approached 
 the object, and judge of my surprise, when I saw the corpse of 
 my young friend Fricker ! We lifted his lifeless body from 
 the water, carried it abov^e high-water, mark, and covered it 
 with bushes to keep olf the flies, and then went in pursuit of 
 our boat, to take the bocij'- of poor Fricker on board of our ves- 
 sel, and prepare a coffin to inter the remains. 
 
 Shortly after this, we met the mate and two of the crew 
 belonging to the English schooner, who were in search of the 
 body. They stated the schooner was lying in the next bay to 
 windward ; that the day before, Mr. Fricker was drowned by 
 the upsetting of their boat, while eiideavoring to land in a 
 high surf, and that the lee current during the night had taken 
 his body to the place where we found it. The mate took the 
 remains of the young man immediately on board, and returned 
 with it to his family at the Balize. Here ended this tragical 
 and very melancholy catastrophe, which will never be entirely 
 effiiccd from my mind. And thus I exclaimed, " Alas ! what 
 shadows we are — .what shadows we pursue !" 
 
 We saw no inhabitants at this place except about half a 
 dozen villanous-looking fellows, each ^armed with long knives 
 and machetes. They said if we would remain a day or two, 
 they would go to some town or village in the interior, where 
 they would collect a large numl)cr of men, and bring down 
 sarsapaiilla. and open a trade for whatever we had to dispose 
 of I did not, however, like the appearance of these fellows ; 
 besides, I iiad heard while in Omoa, some sad tales about the
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 159 
 
 inhabitants of this part of the coast, the substance of which 
 was as follows : that when Spain in former times used to send 
 convicts to the Castle of Omoa, they were occasionally par- 
 doned or released from prison, and that they would not long 
 remain to be watched and despised, and that the most of them, 
 as a last resource, had fled to this part of the country. 
 
 They said also, that sometimes a convict would make his 
 escape and join this roving band of desperate villains. They 
 were represented as having no permanent home, but leading a 
 sort of roving Arab kind of life, and in the lowest condition of 
 moral depravity, always living in a state of dread and fear, 
 having no confidence at all in each other. These stories were 
 probably highly colored, but with many grains of charitable 
 allowance, 1 have no doubt they are a most degraded race. 
 
 After getting a little ballast and firewood, we made sail 
 again the same day, and continued to beat up for Truxillo, and 
 on the 8th of February anchored in the bay nearly opposite 
 the town. As wc had but a small part of our cargo remain- 
 ing, we soon retailed it to the inhabitants. Here I got ac- 
 quainted with all the trading part of the community, and 
 ascertained what they most wanted, and took samples and a 
 memorandum of a great variety of articles. 
 
 I told the Governor and all the principal people, if they 
 would give me any encouragement to return, that in about 
 seven or eight weeks I would come back from New Orleans 
 with another cargo. They all promised to purchase freely, 
 and to allow me a fair profit on whatever I should bring, if 
 brought according to their directions. 
 
 On the 24th of February we sailed from Truxillo, bound 
 for New Orleans, and had on board for cargo .s3,S00 Spanish 
 dollars, sixteen ceroons of sarsaparilla, ten bales ditto, besides 
 some things which I could not dispose of, namely, one hogshead 
 of leaf tobacco, forty boxes of smoked herring, and a few 
 other trilling articles. We had rather a pleasant passage, and 
 met with nothing worthy of remark until we arrived off the 
 mouth of the Mississippi, on the 5th of IMarch, nine days from
 
 160 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 Truxillo, all well. In consequence of foggy weather, we were 
 detained two days off the Balize, before we got into the river. 
 We had a long and tedious passage up, and did not arrive at 
 New Orleans until the 24th of March. 
 
 A few days after our arrival, Capt. Giliet and myself divided 
 our funds, when I purchased hack his half of the sloop, and 
 commenced loading the Volusia again for Truxillo, on my 
 own account. Captain G. returned home to New-York. I 
 retained the same mates, the two seamen, and my faithful 
 black steward, Domingo, and thus commenced buying another 
 cargo, the greater part of which, suitable for Truxillo and 
 Omoa, was now very low and abundant. I bought one hun- 
 dred barrels of excellent flour, at two dollars and seventy-five 
 cents, hams at six cents per pound, and a great many other 
 articles at very low prices ; even commodities brought from 
 the northern States, were about as cheap here, as in New- 
 York or Boston. I purchased a great variety of goods and 
 merchandise. 
 
 The whole invoice amounted to $2,000, and after getting 
 ready for sea, I left New Orleans on the 8th of April, and the 
 next day, at two o'clock in the afternoon, got down to the 
 mouth of the river, where, meeting no pilot, I proceeded to sea 
 without one, and steered on our course for Truxillo. 
 
 I met with no incident during this passage worth relating; 
 we generally had pleasant trade winds and fine weather, and. 
 after a passage of twelve days, arrived ofl' the port, having 
 been absent eight weeks. 
 
 Before leaving Truxillo, I had told the inhabitants to look 
 out for me on the 20th of April, and that when I arrived off 
 the port, I would show a white flag under the American en- 
 sign, tliat they might instantly recognize my sloop. 
 
 I did not arrive on the 20th, but by good fortune, I got off" 
 the harbor on the 21st, in the morning, and when they saw 
 my signal flying, several boats, with many of the most re- 
 spectable ladies and gentlemen of the place came on board as 
 soon as wc dropped our anchor, and gave me a hearty wel- 
 come to Truxillo.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 161 
 
 The inhabitants of this place, hke the people of Omoa, I 
 found very honest. I allowed them to take away whatever 
 they bought without the least fear of incurring a loss, and in 
 the course of a week, when I called for the money, it was al- 
 ways ready ; I am, moreover, happy to add, that I never lost 
 a dollar in giving credit to any person in tliis town. I soon 
 sold the little cargo I brought here, and at very fair prices. 
 
 At this period, Truxillo and all the neighboring provinces 
 belonged to old Spain, and the inhabitants were in constant 
 fear of attacks from the brigs and schooners-of-war belonging 
 to the Carthaginian navy ; both this town and Omoa had 
 been once or twice assaulted, but had thus far defended them- 
 selves and adhered to Spain, and were still its colonies. In 
 order to strengthen the forts at Truxillo, the Governor had sent 
 to the Havana for two long brass twenty-four pound guns. 
 These two cannons were sent down to Truxillo in a small 
 vessel some weeks before I arrived, and while in the act of 
 landing, one of them unfortunately slipped out of the slings, 
 fell overboard, and sunk in four fathoms of water. They 
 were unable to get it up, and the small vessel returned to the 
 Havana, and left this fine long gun on the bottom. 
 
 On my arrival, the Governor inquired of me whether I 
 could raise the gun and get it on shore. He said it was very 
 important to the community that it should be recovered and 
 mounted to defend the town, in case they were again attacked. 
 I replied that if he would supply me with ten or fifteen men, 
 that with them and my crew I would raise the gun and bring 
 it on shore. He readily embraced my offer, and promised me 
 every favor I could ask in the way of compensation, such as 
 remitting a large portion of my duties, etc.. etc. I told him I 
 required nothing more than a fair remuneration for the labor 
 of my crew, and the detention of my vessel for two days. All 
 this he promised, and a thousand times more. Accordingly, 
 the next morning I hauled my vessel to the spot, and as the 
 water was very clear and the bottom hard sand. I soon got 
 lafge, new ropes fastened to the gun, and with a suitable pur- 
 11
 
 162 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 chase applied to the windlass of the Volusia, hove it up along- 
 side of the vessel ; but now the great difficulty was to get it 
 on shore ; there was no boat large enough to float it, and no 
 suitable timber in the town to make a raft. At length, some 
 logs were found, with which, together with what boards 1 had on 
 board, my people constructed a raft, and the next day the gun 
 was taken on shore, when some two or three hundred men, 
 with ropes and rollers, transported it to the fort, where it was 
 mounted in great triumph. 
 
 But mark the meanness of this miserable Governor ; he 
 gave my mates and crew nothing, and notwithstanding I had 
 injured and spoiled a great deal of new cordage, he made me 
 no remuneration for the damage, and in the way of favor in 
 remitting duties, it was only a piece of hypocritical deception ; 
 in fine, he was such a mean-spirited wretch, that I would ac- 
 cept nothing at his hands, and every honorable man in the 
 place appeared to be ashamed of his conduct. 
 
 TVhat a contrast between this paltry upstart, and the good 
 old Governor of Omoa ! The latter was fit for an emperor, 
 the former only for a spy or informer. 
 
 The town of Truxillo is situated at the head of a bay, 
 of the same name, and lies in lat. 15° 54' N., long. 86° 2' W. 
 The bay is about four leagues wide, and five deep ; it is spa- 
 cious, and easy to navigate, having good anchorage in from 
 five to twenty fathoms of water, according to the distance 
 from the shore. The anchorage from Truxillo is about three- 
 quarters of a mile from the town in five fathoms of water, 
 which is pleasantly located on the side of a hill of a moderate 
 height, and contains, I should think, about fifteen hundred to 
 two thousand inhabitants. Some of the houses are well built, 
 and it is rather a pleasant place ; it is better situated, more 
 healthy, and altogether a more desirable residence tlran Onioa. 
 It is defended by three forts, which at this time were manned 
 by about three hundred soldiers. 
 
 The inhabitants, like those of Omoa, are a simple-hearted, 
 honest people. They appear to be a mixed breed, of Spanish
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 163 
 
 and the original natives of the coinitiy. There were also here 
 a considerable number of Caribs, some of the oldest of whom 
 were brought from the Island of St. Vincent, West Indies, by 
 order of the British Government, and placed on the Island of 
 Rattan, in the year 1794. There were at that time, about one 
 hundred and fifty or two hundred families. These people are 
 the descendants of the original inhabitants of St. Vincent, 
 which island was discovered by Columbus, in 1493. After 
 remaining at Rattan about six months, they sent several of 
 their leaders to Truxillo, to obtain permission from the public 
 authorities to come to the continent with their wives and chil- 
 dren, and settle among the Spaniards. Their request was 
 granted, when they all left the island of Rattan, and came to 
 Truxillo. Some few remained there, and the rest of them 
 settled themselves about a league S. W. of that town, where 
 they formed a village, which they and their descendants still 
 occupy. I am told they have increased to some twenty-five 
 hundred in number, and are rather an industrious people. I 
 sold goods to some of them, and found them punctual and 
 honest in their dealings. 
 
 I saw a group of some six or eight of these old Indians 
 and their wives, in Truxillo, who were on a visit from their 
 village in the neighborhood, and I was told that they origi- 
 nally came from St. Vincent. They appeared quite old, and 
 were clad in the Indian style, with loose dresses wrapped 
 round them, their heads adorned with gay feathers, their faces 
 painted, and rings in their ears, and some of them even in 
 their noses. 
 
 They were, indeed, a remnant of a once numerous race of 
 men, now almost extinct. They arc a living monument of 
 the history of the Caribs, and carry the mind back to the days 
 when they were fust discovered by Columbus. No one can 
 look upon them but with a feeling of sympathy for tlie wrongs 
 and persecutiojis they and their ancestors have sutTered from 
 the sordid avarice of the white man. 
 
 I regretted that my short stay at Truxillo would not ad-
 
 164 VOYAGE IlSr THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 mit of my visiting their village, and hearing from their own 
 lips their history and present situation. The younger portion 
 of this little community speak Spanish, and the older ones un- 
 derstand enough of it to make themselves understood, though 
 they communicate with each other in their native tongue. 
 
 After remaining fifteen days at Truxillo, I left the port on 
 the 6th of May, at eight o'clock in the evening, and stood out 
 of Truxillo Bay for the island of Bonaca, and the next morn- 
 ing, at seven o'clock, got under the lee or the xvest end of the 
 island, where I stood off and on for an hour or two, and went 
 on shore in my boat in pursuit of a safe harbor. I soon found 
 a snug little bay, and after sounding and exploring it, return- 
 ed and beat the sloop into port, and came safe to anchor in 
 four fathoms of water within three cables' length of the shore. 
 It was a safe harbor with a fine sand beach all around it, with 
 abundance of cocoanut-trees growing all along the shore and 
 on the sand beach, even down to the edge of the salt water. 
 There were no inhabitants on the island. I touched at this 
 place to collect cocoanuts and firewood, and also to obtain a 
 few boat-loads of stone ballast. There were plenty of the 
 former growing on the trees, and a great many lying on the 
 ground under them. 
 
 As I intended to remain here for some days, I moored the 
 sloop, got every thing snug, and began with our two boats to 
 collect and bring on board the best cocoanuts we could find, 
 both from those lying under, and also from the trees. The 
 first day we took on board but four hundred, the next day, on 
 the Stli of May, we had fine weather and a pleasant breeze 
 from the N. E. Both boats were employed in getting cocoa- 
 nuts which we found in a bay about one league to windward 
 of our port. This day we collected and took on board three 
 thousand four hundred and twenty. The same day we fell in 
 with a boat from Truxillo, manned with four men ; two of 
 whom were mulattocs and two negroes. They were in pur- 
 suit of hawksbill turtle : the shell from this species is very valu- 
 able. These people had set nets on the reefs around the
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 165 
 
 island, and to each net was attached a decoy turtle made of 
 wood. In this way they had ah-eady caught a considerable 
 number, notwithstanding they had been here but about a week. 
 From them I purchased three large green turtle, weighing 
 from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and thirty pounds 
 each. These fishermen set but a very small value on them, 
 their shell being good for nothing, and the inhabitants of 
 Truxillo will scarcely purchase them at any price. 
 
 May 9th, fresh trade-winds from the E. N. E., and clear, 
 pleasant weather. While the mate and seamen were employ- 
 ed collecting cocoanuts with the long-boat, I took a boy with 
 me in the jolly-boat, and with a musket, went on a little ex- 
 ploring excursion to an adjacent bay about a mile to the north- 
 ward of where my vessel lay at anchor. This being the first 
 anchorage on our arrival, I called it after my sloop, Volusia 
 Bay. This small harbor was to us a sort of central point, 
 from which we started every morning in piu'suit of any object 
 of profit or curiosity. I had scarcely landed, before I discov- 
 ered a huge snake lying apparently in a torpid state by the 
 side of a large rock, and as there were no clubs or suitable 
 sticks at hand, I told the boy to bring me one of the boat's 
 oars in order to kill the serpent. I took it for this purpose, but 
 on the first stroke, it broke ; the butt end, however, made me a 
 fine club, with which I soon dispatched him, as I thought ; 
 when we tied a rope to him, and conveyed him to the boat. 
 We then covered him with cocoanuts, and started for the v^es- 
 sel, at anchor in the next bay. Soon after leaving the shore, 
 the snake revived and raised his head, and I found it neces- 
 sary to beat him with the oar to keep him from making his es- 
 cape into the water. We soon, however, got alongside of the 
 sloop, when the mate cut his throat and opened his stomach, 
 in which we found a rabbit partly decayed, which weighed 
 six and three-fourth pounds. The serpent was a boa-con- 
 strictor, between eight and nine feet long, fourteen inches in 
 circumference, and weighing eighteen poiuids. I gave it to the 
 mate, Mr. Sandy, who skinned him, and after keeping the
 
 166 VOYAGE US" THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 skin ill a strong pickle for several days, stuffed it with dry 
 oakum, and thus preserved it in a perfect state. On our re- 
 turn Mr. S. sold it to the proprietor of the New- York Museum, 
 for twenty dollars. 
 
 In order to keep fresh and liealthy the three turtles I had 
 purchased here, I took them, by the advice of the fishermen, 
 to what they call a turtle crawl, which is made by driving 
 stakes into the sand beach just below the edge of the sea, so 
 that they may swim in the water and still not be able to make 
 their escape. In this place I secured them, and then returned 
 on board my vessel. I had not been there long before we 
 heard a loud splashing of the water, and a great commotion in 
 the turtle crawl. I immediately took a musket and went to 
 ascertain what was the matter. On my arrival there, I found 
 an enormous alligator had just made his escape from the crawl. 
 He was, I should judge, about eight or ten feet long, and 
 swam so low in the water that I could not harm him with a 
 musket ball ; he soon eluded us and made his escape. I then 
 removed the turtle on board, and found one of them with his 
 flippers bitten off, and one of the others badly mangled by the 
 teeth of this sly and powerful monster. The one which was 
 so badly wounded, we killed and ate, the other two we brought 
 to New- York. 
 
 This day, just after sunset, we saw a very large and bril- 
 liant meteor. It appeared like an immense ball of fire shoot- 
 ing from the south in a northerly direction, and what rendered 
 it more remarkable to me, was, that it was so distinctly seen 
 while it was still twilight, and only one star in the heavens 
 visible. 
 
 May 10th. — This day we had a continuation of the north- 
 east trade-winds, and clear, pleasant weather. I sent the 
 mate and crew of the long-boat in pursuit of cocoanuts, which 
 had become rather scarce. They had to go to a greater dis- 
 tance than heretofore, even to the windward side of the island, 
 to obtain good ones. I then took a man with me, and being 
 armed with muskets, we endeavored to cross the island, and,
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 167 
 
 if possible, to shoot some wild hogs, of which there are enough 
 here. Upon entering the bushes, however, we found the un- 
 derwood so thick, that we could not penetrate far into the 
 interior, and were obliged to return. We started several of 
 them, but the bushes were so thick that we shot none. 
 
 May Wth. — This day we had moderate breezes from the 
 E. N. E., and open, cloudy weather. The cocoanuts have 
 now become scarce, and we begin to tire of this wild, Robinson 
 Crusoe kind of life. 
 
 Took on board three long-boat loads of stone ballast, and 
 several loads of firewood, filled up our water-casks with pure, 
 fresh water, and began to get ready for sea. I found, on ex- 
 amination, that we had collected 6640 cocoanuts, and some 
 twelve or fifteen plants or small trees, which we had planted 
 with sand, in barrels and half-barrels. 
 
 This lonely, but interesting island, lies in latitude 16° 
 24'' north, longitude 86° 00' west, about thirty miles north of 
 Truxillo, and fifteen or twenty to the eastward of Rattan 
 Island. Bonaca is generally of a moderate height, but there 
 are several high hills in the interior, well covered with trees 
 and bushes. All along the shore are numerous cocoanut 
 trees growing in the sand-beach, and, as I have before re- 
 marked, they frequently grow in the barren sand, in the surf, 
 on the very verge of the ocean ; and thus situated, they ap- 
 pear to thrive better than higher up in the dry soil. I should 
 think Bonaca was about three miles long and two broad. It 
 contains several fine bays, which make very good harbors for 
 small vessels ; and, taking every thing into consideration, I 
 think it a very pleasant little island, and capable of supporting 
 several families very comfortably. There are many little fer- 
 tile spots, which might be easily cnltivated. The climate, 
 although warm and sultry in the middle of the day, is never- 
 theless cooled and refreshed by the sea-breezes in the after- 
 noon, which must render it a healthy place. Fish and turtle 
 are abundant, so that a few families could live here with very 
 little labor, and listen to the gentle wailing of the ocean, far
 
 168 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 
 
 from the cares and anxieties of the world ; and I know of no 
 better place for a recluse, or one satiated with the vanities of 
 life, than Bonaca. 
 
 May 12th. — This day commenced with moderate breezes 
 from the eastward, and fine, pleasant weather. At six in the 
 morning, hoisted in the long-boat, and got ready for sea. At 
 nine, got under way, and sailed out of Volusia Bay, bound to 
 New- York, after remaining six days at Bonaca. 
 
 I steered to the northward, with a pleasant northeast trade- 
 wind, and had fine weather for three days after sailing, when 
 we made Cape Antonio, and the land about the west end of 
 Cuba, on the 15th of May, Five days after, we made the 
 Double-Headed Shot Keys, and from thence steered to the 
 northward, and on the 22d, passed near Cat Key. From this 
 time until we arrived in New- York, on the 30th of May, I find 
 nothing on my journal worth noticing. We made the passage 
 from Bonaca to New- York in eighteen days, and I am happy 
 to add, I made a very good voyage, or rather, two little ones, 
 after an absence of five months and twenty-one days. 
 
 On my return to Brooklyn I learned, with sorrow and 
 grief, that we had lost our only daughter. Soon after my 
 arrival, I received a letter from Captain Baker, dated from 
 Martha's Vineyard, in May, 1821, from which the following 
 is an extract : 
 
 " Since I left you in Omoa, I have not been very success- 
 ful ; my mate and two men were sick with the Omoa fever. 
 I lost one man, and this, out of a small crew of five in number, 
 was extremely unfortunate for me. I heard in the Balize of 
 your rescuing poor Fricker from a watery grave, and consign- 
 ing him to an earthly one ; this act has secured you the grati- 
 tude and esteem of his friends and connections there, and 
 shoidd you ever visit that place, will be a passport to their 
 society. When I reflect on the nmtal)iHty of all things in this 
 world, I am ready to repeat the sentiment so finely expressed 
 by Goldsmith :
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SLOOP VOLUSIA. 169 
 
 " Turn, pilgrim, turn, thy cares forego, 
 For earth-born cares are wrong ; 
 Man wants but little here below, 
 Nor wants that little long." 
 
 I hope to hear from you speedily, and remain 
 
 Yours, as ever, 
 
 J. W. B.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 VOYAGE FROM NEW-YOKK TO THE HAVANA, AND BACK TO NEW- 
 YOEK, IN THE SCHOONER SWAN, IN THE YEAR 1823. 
 
 In the month of April of this year, I agreed with the Messrs. 
 G. G. &. S. Howland, of New- York, to perform a voyage to 
 the Havana, in the Schooner Swan. This was a fine, large, 
 Baltimore-built vessel, three years old, and burthen 234 tons. 
 
 We took in an assorted cargo on freight, for the Havana. 
 The object of this voyage was twofold with the owners — 
 namely, to dispose of the schooner in Cuba, and take out funds 
 in gold to load a ship, belonging to them, called the Cir- 
 cassian. 
 
 The Messrs. Rowlands sent out a young man with me, from 
 their counting-office, to purchase a cargo of sugar and coffee, 
 at Matanzas. This cargo was intended for the Mediterranean 
 market. At this period there were many piratical vessels 
 marauding the West Indies, and particularly about the Island 
 of Cuba, so that fast-sailing, warlike-looking vessels, were 
 preferred to any other description of ships ; consequently, the 
 moment the Swan was announced as wanting freight for the 
 Havana, the whole cargo was obtained in a few days, and* 
 thus she was ready for sea in less than a week, with a full 
 freight. She was partially armed. We had four six-pounders, 
 sundry muskets, swords, pistols, etc. The crew consisted of 
 two mates, with fifteen men and boys. We had also two 
 cabin-passengers. The chief mate's name was L . and a
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 171 
 
 poorer and more inefficient creature ne\^er officiated as mate of 
 a vessel. To use a seaman's phrase, he was neither soldier nor 
 sailor; and when he conld obtain liquor, was always half-seas 
 over. With this mate, and a very inefficient crew, I was to 
 perform a voyage to the Havana, with a valuable freight, and 
 fifteen hundred and ninety-eight doubloons. 
 
 I became, in a measure, responsible for the vessel and 
 cargo, having signed bills of lading for the whole amount. It 
 was of course expected that I should be able, in this vessel, to 
 run away from every thing that floated the ocean ; and if not 
 able to escape by superior sailing, doubtless must fight to the 
 last extremity, to defend the property ; and what was the re- 
 muneration for my services? Why, fifty dollars per month, 
 and a portion of the passage-money. I do not blame the own- 
 ers for this small compensation, because it was a fair agree- 
 ment between us. I merely state these facts, to show how 
 poorly shipmasters were paid for the amount of responsibility 
 they assumed, and ask whether, as a body, they were not 
 worse paid than any other class of men, who have the same 
 arduous duties and responsibilities ; for when they have fami- 
 lies, it must be a difficult matter for them to live respectably 
 on the slender allowance they receive. I shall make no fur- 
 ther comments on this subject, but leave it to rest on its own 
 merits. 
 
 The young gentleman sent with me by the Messrs. IIow- 
 land, was Mr. H. Patterson, a Scotchman by birth, and well 
 educated ; he was one of the best men I ever knew. Although 
 young, was a good merchant, and indefatigable in his exertions 
 to promote the interest of his employers. 
 
 We left New- York at noon on the 27th of April, and as 
 we had strong breezes from the southward were obliged to 
 beat down the bay. A great portion of the crew were intoxi- 
 cated, so that I was compelled to hire four riggers to assist in 
 beating down to Sandy Hook, and from thence return in a 
 pilot-boat to New-York. At 6 o'clock in the evening the flood 
 tide made against us, when we came to anchor and lay until
 
 172 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 
 
 midnight ; we then made sail, and at one o'clock, A. M., got 
 outside of Sandy Hook, where we discharged the pilot and the 
 four riggers. At two, A. M., the lighthouse on Sandy Hook 
 bore W. N. W. ten miles distant, from which I took my depar- 
 ture. During the night we had strong breezes at N. N. E., 
 with dark cloudy weather. Monday, April 28th, at daylight 
 we had a continuation of fresh breezes at N. N. E., and disa- 
 greeable weather; all hands employed clearing ship and 
 securing every thing about decks. At 8, A. M., sent down 
 topgallant-mast and yards, double reefed the foresail and 
 mainsail, took the bonnet off the jib, and at 10, A. M., took in 
 the mainsail ; strong gales at N. E., now running off at the 
 rate of eight or nine knots the hour, with dark cloudy weather. 
 I was sorry to find the chief mate altogether incompetent to 
 perform his duty ; the second mate was a pretty good sailor, but 
 not accustomed to command, and was in fact only an along- 
 shore rigger ; and among the whole crew we had but three sea- 
 men, all the rest were ordinary sailors and very inefficient men. 
 The masts and sails of this fine vessel were large and heavy, 
 and required a great number of good able seamen ; conse- 
 quently I was obliged to carry but little sail, and endeavor by 
 vigilant and active discipline to break in and train the mates 
 and sailors by degrees to make and take in sail, and thus by 
 constant practice enable me to carry more canvas and profit by 
 the construction of this fine vessel. These schooners are 
 built expressly for fast sailing, but require very skilful manage- 
 ment and constant watchfulness ; otherwise they are very 
 dangerous. A captain only accustomed to sail a ship, is not 
 always competent to manage one of these sharp and delicately- 
 built schooners. They have often been compared to a race- 
 horse with an unskilful rider, when commanded by a man un- 
 accustomed to manage them. I do not mean to say that a 
 man thoroughly bred to the sea, and an able shipmaster, may 
 not become a good schooner sailor, but I wish to be understood 
 that it requires a great deal of practical experience to handle 
 them properly in all climates, and in all kinds of winds and 
 weather.
 
 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SWAN. 173 
 
 If it be asked why I took with me such inefficient officers 
 and men, I answer that I had no time to get better ; the owners 
 were in great haste, and in five days after we commenced 
 loading, we sailed on Sunday morning with nearly a full cargo, 
 and all was hurry, bustle and confusion until we got to sea. 
 After this digression I will continue my narrative. The sun 
 came out just before noon, when by a meridian observation we 
 were in latitude 39° 9' north. 
 
 From the 2Sth of April to the 9th of May, say for a period 
 of ten days, we met with nothing worthy of remark ; we had 
 a variety of winds and generally fine weather. On Friday, 
 May 9th, at 5 o'clock in the morning, at daylight, we made 
 the land near the south end of the Island of Abaco, bearing 
 W. N. W. four leagues distant ; the next day the winds were 
 light and baffling, and the weather extremely warm ; the 
 thermometer at noon stood at 88° in the cabin. The winds 
 were so light through the day, that we did not pass the Ilole- 
 in-the-Wall until 6 o'clock in the evening. 
 
 What is called the Hole-in-the-Wall is a natural arch in 
 the point forming the south end of Abaco, and lies in latitude 
 25° 54' north, longitude 77° 16' west. Through this large arch 
 the sea gently breaks, and thus forms a conspicuous landmark 
 for navigators that pass this island. The schooner Swan 
 drew at this time over thirteen feet of water, and I judged it 
 more prudent to pass round the Great and Little Isaac Rocks, 
 than to cross the Bank ; consequently I steered down to the 
 westward, leaving the Bahama Bank, Stirrup's Key, and the 
 Berry Islands on the larboard hand, and on this course passed 
 round the Isaac Rocks, and kept close along the western edge 
 of the Great Bahama Bank, to avoid getting into the Gulf 
 Stream. 
 
 May Wth. — First part of these twenty-four hours light 
 breezes from the E. S. E., and very warm M'eather. At 9 
 o'clock in the morning, the wind being light and baffling, I 
 came to anchor in eight fathoms of water, near the Little Isaac 
 Rocks. These are several small rock islands lying on the
 
 17-i VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 
 
 edge of the Bank, and are a very conspicuous mark for this 
 passage ; they are perhaps about seventy to one hundred feet 
 high. 
 
 There we lay until 5 o'clock, daylight, when we made sail 
 again with a moderate breeze from the S. E. and fine weather. 
 At S, A. M., passed near the Great Isaacs, with a stiff breeze 
 from the S. E. and E. S. E. ; sailing to the southward, close 
 along the edge of the Bank, and running at the rate of eight 
 and nine knots per hour, and were enabled, by keeping in 
 white water and close on the edge of the Bank, to avoid the 
 Gulf Stream. At meridian the island of Bermini bore south 
 eight miles distant, the wind became light and the weather 
 very hot, the thermometer stood at 90° in the shade. Latitude 
 by observation 25° 44' north, longitude 79° west. 
 
 May 12th. — These twenty-four hours commenced with 
 moderate breezes from the S. E. and fine weather. At 2, P. M., 
 passed within a league of Bermini ; we saw there a small pilot- 
 boat schooner lying at anchor, in a snug little harbor formed 
 by this and another small island. Thus we contmued to sail 
 during the whole of this day along the western edge of the 
 Bank, under the lee of those small islands which lie generally 
 in a straight north and south line, near the edge of the Bank. 
 These islands form many good harbors for pirates and wreck- 
 ers, and it always gives one a suspicious feeling to see small 
 sloops and schooners at anchor among these lonely islands, 
 notwithstanding they may sometimes be honest men working 
 in their vocation, watching for vessels in distress, and catching 
 turtle to fill up their leisure hours. At 4 o'clock in the after- 
 noon we passed within a mile and a half of Cat Key. During 
 the middle and latter part of these twenty-four liom-s we had 
 fresh breezes from the E. N. E., and fine weather, and were 
 enabled to make good progress on our course. At noon we 
 were in latitude by observation 23° 59' nortli, and have made 
 210 miles distance per log during the last twenty-four hours. 
 
 Tuesday, May 13th. — These 24 hours commenced with 
 moderate breezes, and fine weather. At eight o'clock in the
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 175 
 
 morning, the Double-headed Shot Keys bore S. S. E., twelve 
 or fifteen miles distant ; at 9 o'clock saw a small schooner, full of 
 men, coming out from among these keys ; she soon gave chase 
 to us. The wind being light, she came up very slowly, which 
 gave us time to load all our guns, and after getting on deck 
 our muskets, swords and pistols, I addressed the passengers, 
 officers, and crew, on the subject of defending ourselves 
 against the schooner in chase of us ; I told them I believed 
 him to be a pirate, and asked them whether they were, all wil- 
 ling to fight, and sell their lives as dearly as possible ? They 
 all, to a man, answered, Yes, and with three hearty cheers, 
 said they were willing and ready to commence the action. I 
 then observed that if any man wished to go below, to say so, 
 at once. No one availed himself of my offer, except one of 
 the cabin passengers, who was a Spaniard, by the name of 
 Don C. F. He said he did not wish to fight, and had rather 
 go below. I told him forthwith to retire into the cabin. I 
 then locked up the forecastle and cabin doors, hoisted our 
 pennant and ensign, and steered directly for the schooner. In 
 a few minutes he tacked ship, and got out his sweeps, pulled 
 and sailed off as fast as possible, and soon returned among 
 the keys. I suppose he took the Swan for a United States 
 schooner ; and thus ended our expected engagement. 
 
 The sea-breeze soon sprung up, and.\vc hauled in for Cu- 
 ba ; just before dark, we made the coast, about ten leagues to 
 the eastward of the Havana. We ran to the westward during 
 the night, under easy sail, and' at two o'clock, after midnight, 
 made the light on the Moro Castle. At six o'clock in the 
 morning, on the 13th of May, we ran into the harbor of Ha- 
 vana, and came to anchor, after a passage of fifteen days. 
 
 We were soon visited by the health-boat, and got permis- 
 sion to go on shore. 
 
 According to the directions from my owners, I consigned 
 the vessel and cargo to Messrs. Gutieres & jMorlaiid, whom 1 
 found to be excellent merchants, and very honorable men. 
 The next day we got a berth for the schooner at the Avliarf,
 
 176 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 
 
 and commenced discharging. We then advertised the schoon- 
 er for sale, freight or charter, and in a few days landed all our 
 cargo. Mr. Patterson left this place in the first steamboat, for 
 Matanzas, and took all the doubloons with him, which re- 
 lieved my mind from much care and anxiety. 
 
 I will here relate an incident to show the evil consequences 
 of having a drunken mate. After the schooner was discharg- 
 ed, I told the mate to haul the Swan off from the wharf, and 
 anchor her in a good berth, in the harbor. I was so much 
 occupied on shore, that I could not attend to it myself, and 
 therefore directed him to do it. The weather was fine, and 
 the water as smooth as a duck pond ; still, this miserable man 
 managed to get the vessel oft' into the harbor, and in letting 
 go one of the anchors, let all the chain run out, and the 
 schooner go adrift. The next day it cost me ten dollars to get 
 the anchor and chain again. He also abused and ill-treated 
 the men so much during the day, that six of them deserted 
 the vessel, on the following night. These are evils that we 
 poor shipmasters had to submit to in consequence of intem- 
 perance, at this period, and T am now rejoiced to add, that I 
 have lived to witness the glorious triumph of temperance socie- 
 ties over beastly intoxication and moral debasement among 
 seamen. Yes, it gladdens the heart of every humane man, to 
 witness the great and glorious reform among seafaring men, 
 brought about by the best of all societies, the temperance re- 
 formers of our age. And who could have, for a moment, im- 
 agined, that a few short years could have produced such a 
 radical change in this class of useful, though unfortunate 
 men? When the subject of temperance was proposed, not a 
 great many years ago, in New- York, T must confess, I was an 
 unbeliever in its practicability on shipboard. I said, it may, 
 perhaps, be carried out in some measure, on shore, but it never 
 can be with seamen — sailors cannot, and will not, do without 
 li(|uor, nor will they ever be willing to go to sea without it, for 
 it is, in fact, necessary to their very existence. I am now, 
 liowcver, happy to acknowledge that I was entirely mistaken;
 
 \ 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOOXER SWAN. 177 
 
 for, since that period, I have made many long voyages Avith- 
 out a drop of liquor on board, and now find that nearly all 
 the quarrels and corroding vexation that we used to have 
 with both officers and men, grew out of that curse to human 
 society, alcohol, in some shape or other. 
 
 After this long comment on the evils of intemperance, I will 
 resume my narrative, and state that, after waiting a few days, 
 and being unable to dispose of the vessel, I concluded to take 
 a freight, and return directly back to New- York. I will here 
 insert a copy of two letters that I wrote at this time to my 
 employers, which will tell the whole story, better than I can 
 now relate it. 
 
 Messrs. G. G. <fc S. Rowland,— 
 
 Gentlemen : — Your esteemed favors of the 1st and 7th 
 inst., are now before me. I have noted their contents, and re- 
 gret to inform you that I am unable to dispose of the Swan at 
 any thing like her fair value ; and the highest freight I can 
 get offered to Europe, including primage, say to Havre, is one 
 and a half cent per pound for coffee. This I consider too low, 
 particularly when I can obtain a full cargo of coffee for New- 
 York, at three-fourths of a cent per pound, and have agreed 
 with most of the shippers to consign their property to your 
 house. 1 have now on board more than half a cargo, and 
 hope to get full by the 28th inst., when I shall make the best 
 of my way back to New- York. I shall forward a duplicate 
 of this letter by a vessel which sails to-morrow for Norfolk, 
 that you may be fully apprised of my determination in time 
 to insure the Swan from this place to your city. I shall in all 
 probability soon return, therefore deem it unnecessary to de- 
 tail every occurrence that has transpired during my absence. 
 When we meet, trust I shall be able to explain every thing to 
 your satisfaction. I have a fair prospect of getting five or six 
 cabin passengers, and although I shall not make you a great 
 voyage, hope you will make at least fifteen hundred dollars, 
 and find the schooner in as good or better condition when she 
 12
 
 178 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 
 
 returns, than when she left New- York. Mr. Patterson writes 
 me from Matanzas, that your ship Circassian will probably sail 
 from that port about the 10th of June. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 I remain. Gentlemen, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 GEORGE COGGESHALL. 
 Havana, May 24th, 1823. 
 
 Messrs. G. G. <fc S. Rowland,— 
 
 Gentlemen : — For fear of accident, I herewith inclose 
 you a debenture certificate of goods shipped by your house, on 
 account of Don Carlos Fernando. I shall, of course, bring 
 the other copy along with jue, and am now happy to advise 
 you that I have a full cargo of coffee and sugar on freight. 
 Coffee at three-fourths of a cent per pound, and sugar at about 
 the same rate. The greater part of the cargo is consigned to 
 your house. I regret I am not able, at this moment, to send 
 you a freight list, neither can I say exactly how much it will 
 amount to, but at a rough guess, think about eighteen hundred 
 or two thousand dollars, including the passage money. I in- 
 tend to clear out this day, and sail with the convoy in the 
 morning. I have had much trouble with my chief mate, and 
 a bad crew ; in consequence of which, I have been obliged to 
 hire stevedores to stow the cargo, and am this day shipping 
 sailors, and hope I shall be in New- York before this reaches 
 you, and am very truly, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 GEORGE COGGESHALL. 
 
 Havana, May 31 St, 1823. 
 
 I fortunately obtained seven cabin passengers at fifty dol- 
 lars each. They were nearly all natives of Colombia and the 
 island of Cuba ; only one or two of them spoke English, but 
 they were all agreeable, gentlemanly men, and behaved with
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 179 
 
 great propriety. And I will here remark, that I have frequently- 
 had Spanish passengers, and have found them easily satisfied 
 and generally less troublesome than those of any other na- 
 tion. After getting every thing ready, we sailed out of the 
 harbor at two o'clock in the afternoon on the 1st of June, hav- 
 ing been here seventeen days, bound for New- York in com- 
 pany with six sail of American vessels for d life rent ports in the 
 United States, under convoy of the U. S. Schooners Greyhound 
 and Jackall. At this period there were so many piratical ves- 
 sels cruising around Cuba and the Bahama Islands, that it 
 was not safe for American merchant vessels to navigate these 
 seas without government protection. At six in the afternoon, 
 the Moro Castle bore south, seven leagues distant. At 9 o'clock 
 in the evening, I was boarded by an officer from the schooner 
 Greyhound, under the command of Lieutenant Kearney, all the 
 fleet still in sight. During the night we had light winds, and 
 made but little progress on our course. 
 
 Monday, June 2d. — Those twenty-four hours commenced 
 with light airs from the E. N. E., and clear pleasant weather. 
 At 10 A. M. the convoy still in sight to the southward. Lati- 
 tude by observation at noon, 23° 59' north. Longitude about 
 82° west. 
 
 Tuesday, June 3d. — Tiicso twenty-four hours commen- 
 ced with strong breezes at E. S. E., and cloudy weather, 
 with a high head sea running. At 7 A. M. made sail to the 
 northward and left the fleet. At 11 A. M. spoke the schooner 
 Jackall. She had also left the convoy, and was bound on a 
 cruise in pursuit of pirates. Latitude by an indifferent obser- 
 vation, 2G° 10' north. Longitude about SO'"" west ; two sail in 
 sight. 
 
 Wednesday, June Aih. — These twenty-four hours com- 
 menced with strong gales at E. S. E., and S. E., with dark 
 squally weather. The schooner under reefed sails, and going 
 at the rate often or eleven miles the liour, on a straight course 
 to the northward, and with the Gulf Stream in our lavor, we 
 were sailing at a great rate, and thus it continued to blow from
 
 ISO VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 
 
 the S. E. during the whole night. At noon, we found our- 
 selves, by a good observation, in latitude 30° 28' north, lon- 
 gitude 79° 3' west ; so that we have differed our latitude 4° and 
 eighteen miles the last twenty-four hours, thus making a di- 
 rect northerly course of two hundred and fifty-eight miles dis- 
 tance. 
 
 Thursday, June 5th. — First part of these twenty-four 
 hours strong gales at E. S. E., and dark, cloudy weather, with 
 a high sea running ; middle part dark and rainy, steering to 
 the northward under easy sail. At 2 A. M. split the jib ; close 
 reefed the fore and main-sails. At 6 o'clock, daylight, it be- 
 came more moderate ; turned the reefs out and made sail. 
 Latitude by observation, 32° 40' north. Longitude about 77° 
 13' west. During these last twenty-four hours, we have had 
 only about half a knot northerly current. 
 
 From the 5th to the 10th of June, nothing remarkable oc- 
 curred ; we generally had baffling and contrary winds, and 
 were obliged to beat about and ply to the northward the 
 best way we could. On this day, however, we made the 
 land near Cape Henlopen, bearing N. N. W., about three 
 leagues distant ; the wind being at N. E. directly ahead, with a 
 High sea running, we stood off and plied to the windward un- 
 der reefed sails-, as the wind was blowing a strong gale from 
 the N. E.; towards noon it moderated. Latitude, by observa- 
 tion, 38° 11 north. Several sail in sight, spoke the schooner 
 Curlew, bound to New-York. 
 
 Wednesday, June 14^/t. — We had light winds from the 
 eastward, and clear, pleasant weather throughout all these 
 twenty-four hours ; we were still beating to the northward, 
 tacking generally every four or six hours ; several sail in 
 sight. At meridian the winds were light, and the weather very 
 warm. Latitude, by observation, 39° 14' north. 
 
 Thursday, June \2lh. — These twenty-four hours com- 
 menced with moderate breezes from the southward, and fine 
 weatlier. At noon this day took a pilot, and at 2 o'clock in 
 the afternoon passed Sandy Hook. At 4 o'clock, came to
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 181 
 
 anchor at the quarantine ground at Staten Island, after a rough 
 and boisterous passage of eleven days from the Havana — all 
 well. 
 
 The health-boat soon visited us, and permitted all my pas- 
 sengers to go directly up to the city. The health-ofiicer 
 ordered me to discharge all our goods in lighters, which con- 
 sisted of sugar, coffee, indigo, and sundry other articles of 
 merchandise. This cargo was all taken directly up to the 
 city, while the schooner was compelled to lie in quarantine. 
 On the fallacy of this regulation it is unnecessary for me to 
 comment, and I will therefore leave the merchants and poli- 
 ticians to settle the question. 
 
 In six days all the cargo was discharged, in good order. 
 The owners, at my request, sent down several lighter-loads of 
 stone-ballast ; and on the 22d of June, I settled the voyage 
 with the Messrs. Howlands, was paid off, and I believe they 
 were satisfied with my conduct and management of their 
 business. t was just two months in their employment, 
 namely, from the 22d of April to the 22d of June. 
 
 And here I am sorry to add, that the worthy Mr. Patterson, 
 sent out with me to attend to loading and dispatching the ship 
 Circassian, took the yellow fever at Matanzas, soon after I left 
 the Havana, and died in a few days, sincerely regretted by all 
 those who had the pleasure of knowing him. 
 
 Remarks and Comments on the Piracies in the West Indies, 
 in the year 1823. 
 
 At this period, the leeward West India Islands swarmed 
 with pirates, particularly around the Island of Cuba. The 
 Isle of Pines, on the south side of the main land, was a fa- 
 mous rendezvous for them. There were also hoards of these 
 wretches in the bays and creeks about Cape Antonio; and 
 whenever an unarmed vessel passed near, these miscreants 
 would sally out and capture them, and not unfrcquently kill 
 every soul on board. Scarcely a week passed without ac-
 
 182 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 
 
 counts of robberies and murders having been committed by 
 these vile outlaws from all nations. I was personally ac- 
 quainted with several individuals who were nun-dered by 
 these desperate renegades. From month to month they in- 
 creased in numbers and ferocity, and their barbarities aug- 
 mented in proportion, until the indignation of England and 
 the United States was aroused to avenge the death of the 
 poor victims who fell into their hands, and whose blood cried 
 aloud for revenge. In this just retribution, England and the 
 United States combined to put them down ; and for that pur- 
 pose, equipped suitable brigs, schooners, and cutters. Avho 
 were able to pursue them into shoal water, and there ferret 
 them out in their hiding-places, and dens of death and pollu- 
 tion. Sometimes they shot them without mercy ; at others, 
 they carried them to Jamaica and New Orleans. At the 
 former place, more than fifty were hung at a time ; and at the 
 latter, several were executed — the number I do not now 
 recollect. 
 
 I deem it unnecessary to enumerate the diiferent ships and 
 vessels that were taken and destroyed about this time, and 
 will only mention a few which came within my own immedi- 
 ate knowledge, namely : The American brig Edward ; the 
 captain and part of the crew murdered, and their bodies 
 thrown into the sea. Brig Laura Ann, Captain Shaw, from 
 Buenos Ayres, loaded with jerked beef, bound to Havana ; the 
 captain, mates and crew were all murdered, except one man 
 who secreted himself below ; they set fire to the brig, and then 
 left her, after which he escaped on a piece of the wreck, and 
 finally got safe to the Havana. 
 
 While I was there in May, 1823, I conversed with an 
 American captain, wiio had recently arrived from the Isle of 
 Pines with his mate and a part of the crew. He told me his 
 brig was laden with salt from Cadiz, bound for New Orleans ; 
 that he was taken to the Isle of Pines, where his vessel was 
 stripped of all her sails and rigging, and then burned. The 
 captain said, while they were seeking for hidden treasure one
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 183 
 
 of his men told the leader of the pirate gang that there were 
 $2000 hid under the cabin floor, when they instantly seized 
 the captain, and were going to execute him on the spot ; he 
 begged for mercy, and said there was no money on board, but 
 if they found any he would not complain, but submit to his 
 fate; they accordingly took the sailor, and after searching 
 where he said the money was secreted, and finding none, the 
 pirate captain said to the sailor, " I will shoot you, you d — d 
 rascal, for lying against your captain," and instantly ordered 
 him to be lashed to the windlass, and had him shot on the 
 spot. The brig being destroyed, the captain, mate, and a few 
 of his men were released, and after landing on the Island of 
 Cuba they walked to the Havana, glad to escape with their 
 lives. I was told by several Americans who were concerned 
 in the Havana trade at this time, that it often happened that 
 the same colfee was sold in this market two or three times 
 over ; that the spies of the pirates watched the vessels about 
 to sail, and as soon as they left port would capture them ; take 
 their cargoes on shore to some part of the coast, put the coft'ee 
 into new bags, and bring it back to the city and dispose of it 
 as coming fresh from the plantations. At other times even 
 this precaution was not attended to ; they would merely oblite- 
 rate the marks and numbers, and dispose of it with impunity. 
 It often happened that the former shipper would recognize his 
 coffee, but was afraid to make a complaint. 
 
 A captain of a Baltimore vessel, in the t^-ade to this place, 
 told me he was robbed on one of his late voyages, near this 
 port, and that he recognized one of the principal pirates in the 
 streets of the Havana, but dare not divulge the fact, for fear of 
 assassination. I mention these circumstances to prove that 
 the pirates were aided by the inhabitants of Cuba, to an 
 alarming extent, and that these statements cannot, with truth, 
 be contradicted. During the height of these piratical days, I 
 made several voyages from Europe to New Orleans, and al- 
 ways took care to avoid coming in sight of Cuba, and, if pos- 
 sible, to pass by Cape St. Antonio in the night.
 
 18i VOYAGE IX THE SCHOONER SWAN. 
 
 After the piracies were suppressed, many of tliese miscre- 
 ants made their escape to New Orleans and other places, and 
 went into the merchant service again, mingling with their fel- 
 low-men, as though they had been guilty of no crime. 
 
 Seven years after this period, two or three of these despe- 
 rate men who had escaped from Cuba, and had thus far evad- 
 ed punishment, were in New Orleans, and there shipped with 
 Captain Thornby, in the brig Vineyard, for a passage to Phila- 
 delphia, in November. 1830. As soon as these men ascertained 
 that there was a considerable sum of money on board, they 
 decided to have it at all hazards, and not long after leaving 
 port, conspired to murder Captain T. and his mate, Mr. Wil- 
 liam Roberts, destroy the brig, and divide the money ; their 
 leader, Charles Gibbs, and his associate in crime. Thomas J. 
 Walmsley (a colored man), planned the bloody business. These 
 hardened pirates had been long accustomed to robbery and 
 murder, and probably desired a renewal of their former life. 
 
 The crew of the Vineyard consisted of seven men exclu- 
 sive of the captain and mate ; a portion of them probably uni- 
 ted with Gibbs and Walmsley from motives of cupidity, and the 
 remainder joined them from the fear of losing their own lives 
 by the hands of these desperate villains. Be that as it may, 
 on the night of the 23d of November, fourteen days after 
 leaving New Orleans, the bloody tragedy was performed ; the 
 unfortunate captain and his mate were murdered, and their 
 bodies thrown into the sea. There were fifty-four thousand 
 Spanish dollars on board, and the day after the murder, they 
 got the money and other valuable articles on deck, and divid- 
 ed the spoil. They then steered for Long Island, and after 
 getting near Southampton, they manned the two boats and 
 put half the money into each, scuttled and set fire to the brig, 
 and then pulled away for the shore. In the surf the jolly-boat 
 filled, and a considerable portion of the money was lost. At 
 length they landed on Barron Island, and there buried in the 
 sand what they had saved. Some of thorn soon divulged the 
 whole transaction to the inhabitants of Southampton, when
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SWAN. 185 
 
 they were all arrested and taken prisoners to New- York, and 
 there tried in the United States Court, in February, 1S31. 
 Gibbs and Walmsley were cond(!inned to be hung on the 23d of 
 April, and their bodies given to the College of Physicians and 
 Surgeons for dissection. The others were acquitted, 
 
 I had been for many years acquainted with Captain 
 Thornby, and always found him a kind, humane gentleman, 
 and I deeply regretted his untimely fate. 
 
 After these two men were condemned to death, a friend of 
 mine, who is a captain in the U. S. Navy, and who had been 
 long employed in the laudable service of hunting out and 
 punishing these desperate pirates, in and around the island of 
 Cuba — this gentleman told me he had the curiosity to visit 
 Gibbs while in prison, and there conversed with him about the 
 ditferent gangs of these brigands and their places of resort, 
 hiding-holes, etc. etc. And after a free communication, Gibbs 
 
 said to my friend, "I suppose. Captain , you think it 
 
 quite a difficult matter to make a pirate, but I can assure you 
 it is not so ; on the contrary, I can make an excellent pirate in 
 the course of a few weeks, even of a pious young man." On be- 
 ing questioned how, he replied as follows : " In one of our cruises 
 we took a vessel with a crew of some eight or ten men, and 
 among them were two stout young men, who we thought would 
 be useful to us, and therefore agreed among ourselves to make 
 them join us. Accordingly, all the crew were killed in their 
 presence ; after this we put a rope around each of their necks, 
 with a block to the main yard-arm, to hang them ; they were 
 then blindfolded, and when every thing was thus prepared, 
 we asked them whether, to save their lives, they would join 
 us, and become pirates ? They gladly assented to the terms, 
 which were not only to unite with us, but also agreed to do all 
 the killing that should be required of them. Accordingly, the 
 ]iext vessel we captured, they performed all the butchery, so 
 that in a few weeks they became first-rate pirates."
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOK CLINTON, DAVID HEPBURN, MAS- 
 TER, FROM NEW-YORK TO CHILI, PERU AND COLOMBIA, ON THE 
 "WESTERN COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA, AND FROM THENCE TO 
 GIBRALTAR AND BACK TO NEW-YORK, IN THE YEARS 1S25, 1826, 
 AND 1827. MYSELF SUPERCARGO. 
 
 About the 20th of March, 1825, I agreed with Messrs. N. L. 
 <fc G. Griswold, merchants in New- York, to perform a trad- 
 ing voyage from that city to the western coast of Chih, Peru, 
 and Colombia, in their ship "Governor Clinton." This was a 
 good, fast-sailing ship, about two years old, and burthen three 
 hundred and eighty-three tons, well fitted and found in every 
 respect. We had a valuable assorted cargo of flour, provisions, 
 white beeswax, chairs, soap, American cotton goods, such as 
 shirtings, sheetings, etc., German, English and Russian goods. 
 In fine, it would be useless and tedious to enumerate one-tenth 
 part of this extensive cargo of every kind of merchandise. For 
 we had, as the saying is, " every thing, from a German flute 
 to a penny whistle." 
 
 The invoice of Messrs. N. L. & G. Griswold alone, amount- 
 ed to the gross sum of $51,320. Benj. L. Swan, Esq., also ship- 
 ped on board of this ship, by an arrangement with his friends 
 the owners, an invoice of American, English and German 
 goods to the amount of $36,203, and consigned the same to 
 me. Besides the above invoice, there were sundry other 
 goods sent by diflTereht persons on half })rofits, such as chain
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 187 
 
 cables, saddles, etc. etc., so that the whole cargo amounted to 
 nearly one hundred thousand dollars, all of which was con- 
 signed to my management. 
 
 Knowing from experience the great length of time neces- 
 sary to retail such a cargo on the western coast of South 
 America, I proposed to the owners to employ a captain to act 
 under my directions, and also a young man as assistant super- 
 cargo and clerk. I told them that this arrangement would 
 eventuate to their interest : that I should never be able to fulfil 
 all the duties of a captain and supercargo. They readily 
 complied with my suggestions, and allowed me to appoint the 
 two gentlemen in question. I accordingly chose as captain, 
 David Hepburn, of Milford, who had been my cabin-boy on 
 his first voyage at sea, in the brig Henry and Isabella, to St, 
 Bartholomew, in the year 1809. He had also some years after 
 that period commanded two vessels in my employment, 
 namely, the ketch Maria, and the schooner Catherine, in the 
 West India trade. I chose for my assistant supercargo and 
 
 clerk, my young friend, Mr. . He had been liberally 
 
 educated, and had also been for several years initiated in com- 
 mercial affairs in the counting-house of one of the first mer- 
 cantile firms in the city of New- York. 
 
 Captain H. took for his mate or first officer Mr. L. B. Gris- 
 wold, with a crew of twelve men and boys, together with a 
 cook, steward and carpenter, so that we mustered in number 
 about eighteen or twenty souls. 
 
 We commenced loading on the 22d of March, and on the 
 13th of April got ready for sea. Here follows the substance 
 of Captain Hepburn's orders from the owners of the Governor 
 Clinton : 
 
 Captain D. Hepburn, — 
 Dear Sir : — 
 
 You will please take charge of the ship Governor Clinton 
 as master, and proceed with all possible dispatch to Lima; at 
 that port you will be guided by the instructions and advice of
 
 188 VOYAGE LN" THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 Captain George Coggeshall, who goes with you as supercargo. 
 Mr. C. holds our power of attorney to dispose of the ship and 
 cargo, and in short to do and act for our interest the same as 
 though we were personally present ; we therefore request you 
 will comply with his wishes, and should any untoward acci- 
 dent befall Captain C, we desire that you will strive to promote 
 our interest to the best of your abilities. Wishing you a pros- 
 perous voyage, we remain 
 
 Your obedient servants, 
 
 N. L. &. G. Griswold. 
 
 Substance of my agreement with the owners of the G. 
 Clinton on a trading voyage on the coast of Chili, Peru, and 
 Colombia. The owners agreed to allow me two and a half 
 per cent, clear commission on the gross sale of the whole out- 
 ward cargo, also two and a half on all purchases, and one per 
 cent, on returns in specie, with the further privilege of ten tons 
 of merchandise free of freight during the entire voyage, with 
 one quarter part of the net passage money. 
 
 After my agreement with the owners of the Governor 
 Clinton was completed and all the preliminaries settled relative 
 to the voyage, these gentlemen handed me a letter to Captain 
 Hatch, who commanded their brig Brazilian, which vessel was 
 then at Lima or trading on some part of the coast of Peru, and 
 I herewith insert a copy of that letter. 
 
 New-York, Ulh April, 1825. 
 Captain A. Hatch, — 
 
 Dear Sir : 
 
 This will be handed you by Captain George Coggeshall, 
 who is on the eve of' sailing in our ship Governor Clinton, 
 direct for Tjima. You will give Captain C. all the informa- 
 tion in your power, that will promote the object of his voyage ; 
 you will also consult with him relative to the business of the 
 ]3razilian. 
 
 Captain C. is an experienced shipmaster, and his advice 
 will be useful to you. We have requested him, if he thinks 
 
 I
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 189 
 
 best, to put such part of his cargo on board of the BraziHan, as 
 
 is suitable for other markets on the coast, and to let Mr. 
 
 go with you, to assist in disposing of them, together with such 
 remaining part of your cargo as is adapted to such ports. 
 You will please co-operate with Captain Coggeshall in such 
 arrangements as he may deem proper. 
 We are your obedient servants, 
 
 Nathaniel L. &. G. Griswold. 
 
 And now being assured that I had the entire confidence of 
 my enterprisirjg employers, and satisfied that they had allowed 
 me a Uberal compensation for my anticipated services, I felt 
 that they were entitled to my utmost exertions and untiring 
 industry to promote their interest in every honorable way in 
 my power. Under these circumstances I embarked with a 
 good heart and a willing mind, and on Friday, April the 15th, 
 1825, at 10 o'clock in the morning, we left New- York with a 
 light air from the N. E., and at noon the same day came to 
 anchor at the quarantine ground, Staten Island, where we lay 
 all night, the wind being light from the eastward. The next 
 morning, at eight o'clock, we made sail with a light variable 
 wind and ebb tide, and stood down the bay. At 3 o'clock in 
 the afternoon we got fairly outside of Sandy Hook, when a 
 breeze sprung up from the southward, and we discharged the 
 pilot, and proceeded on our course to the eastward. 
 
 There is so much sameness and monotony at sea, that T 
 shall pass over much of the dull routine comprising the record 
 of winds and weather, and only note the most prominent inci- 
 dents that occurred during this passage (except off Cape Horn, 
 where I shall insert detailed particulars from day to day). 
 The first day out we had a smooth sea and a favorable breeze 
 from the southwest, and ran off at the rate of eiglit and nine 
 knots the hour. The next day being Sunday, all hands had a 
 day of rest. I have always made it a standing rule never to 
 keep the officers and crew at work on Sunday, except in cases 
 of absolute necessity.
 
 190 VOYAGE IX THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 On the 20th of April, four days after leaving Sandy Hook, 
 the wind shifted to the S. E., and blew a strong gale from that 
 quarter attended with rain, and a high sea, which made it ne- 
 cessary to double-reef the topsails. As the motion of the ship 
 caused my young friend Mr. to feel sea-sick, the fol- 
 lowing dialogue took place between us. 
 
 " Well, Mr. C, this is a miserable life ; what fools men are 
 to let pride and ambition drive them to sea, and thus suffer 
 and endure sickness and every kind of discomfort. It is far 
 better to live on shore in the most humble manner, even in a 
 log-cabin on the wild prairies of the western States, than to 
 lead such a miserable dog's life as this. I oilly wish I was 
 once more on shore, and nothing should ever tempt me to leave 
 the land again." 
 
 " My young friend," said I, " your feelings on the subject 
 are perfectly natural ; I have heard the same resolves a thou- 
 sand times from the uninitiated in the mysteries of a sea life. 
 Just wait until you have seen foreign lands, and felt the excite- 
 ment which the dangers and vicissitudes of such a life are 
 sure to produce, and then after having made a good voyage 
 and got safe back, only think how delightful it is to meet one's 
 friends, and find every body glad to see you, and greet you 
 with a hearty welcome. Depend upon it, sir, you will not 
 willingly remain two months on shore, before you will sigh for 
 another voyage." 
 
 The Governor Clinton was a good sea-boat and a fast- 
 sailing ship, and when the winds were favorable, we made 
 great progress on our voyage. Although deeply laden, we 
 frequently made two hundred miles and over in twenty-fqur 
 hours. Before leaving New- York, I had purchased a new 
 chronometer, and as we were bound on a long voyage, I 
 judged it piudent to make one of the Cape de Verde Islands, 
 and test the correctness of the instrument, and therefore re- 
 quested ('aptain llopburn to make the Island of St, Anthony, 
 which lies nearly in the direct track out, and about in the 
 usual longitude of crossing the equator. Accordingly on the
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 191 
 
 12th of May we steered south for the aforesaid island, and 
 made it at six A. M., dayhght, bearing S. by W. seven leagues 
 distant. 
 
 Brisk breezes at N. E. and fine weather, latitude by ob- 
 servation at noon 17° 14' N. 
 
 When the body of the island bore south, I got severtil 
 sights of the chronometer, and found the mean result to be 25° 
 17' west longitude. The longitude of the same part of the 
 island is laid down in my nautical books in 25° 19' west, dif- 
 fering but two miles, consequently I found the chronometer 
 correct. St. Anthony is a high, barren, rocky-looking island, 
 and I should think not of much value for the purposes of 
 cultivation. 
 
 We were now twenty-seven days from New- York, and as 
 we had got into fine weather, I found abundant leisure to 
 read, and brush up what knowledge I had of the Spanish 
 language. 
 
 Temperature by Farhrenheit's thermometer this day was 
 80° at noon in the shade. W"e had light trade winds at N. E. 
 for several days while steering down south towards the line, 
 and met with nothing worthy of remark until we got near the 
 equator, where the weather is always hot and disagreeable. 
 The sun is generally hidden by clouds and mist during the 
 morning, but usually shines out at meridian. Being vertical, 
 the heat and vapor are extremely unpleasant. Generally 
 through the night there is much rain, and though at times the 
 clouds look frightfully black, and the squalls wild and threat- 
 ening, still they are, generally speaking, harmless, and end 
 with abundance of rain, with but little or no wind. 
 
 I can easily conceive that a stranger on visiting these 
 regions, should be at times very much alarmed with the 
 threatening aspect of the sky and the general appearance 
 of the weather, when in reality there is no danger. 
 
 It is in these latitudes that we generally fill up our wa- 
 ter casks, and the sailors always profit by washing all their 
 clothing.
 
 192 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 We are usually obliged to fan through these low lati- 
 tudes, say from two or three degrees north of the equator 
 to one degree south of it, and it is not imcommon to lose 
 several days here amidst calm and baffling weather. I have 
 found, by many years experience, that the best longitude for 
 crossing the line is in about 26° to 27° west. Some naviga- 
 tors prefer crossing further to the eastward, say in 23° W., butl 
 think there is more fear of meeting calm weather in 23° than 
 further to the westward ; namely, from 26° to 27°. Balti- 
 more vessels, which are generally fast-sailing clippers, cross 
 still further to leeward, some as far as twenty-eight or twenty- 
 nine degrees, and find the winds fresher and more favorable ; 
 still this would be a dangerous experiment for very heavy 
 sailing ships to attempt for fear of falling to leeward, and being 
 swept so far to the westward as not to be able to weather Cape 
 St. Roque. 
 
 On Saturday, May 28th, we crossed the equator in the lon- 
 gitude of 26° 16' W. The thermometer this day, and for sev- 
 eral consecutive days, has been from 82° to 85° Fahrenheit, 
 in the shade. Latitude at noon, 0° 52' south. And thus our 
 passage from New- York to the line has been forty-one days, 
 which is rather long for a fast-sailing ship. We have, how- 
 ever, for the last ten or twelve days, been sadly impeded by 
 light and baffling winds. 
 
 Sunday^ May 29th. — We are fortunate in falling in with 
 the S. E. trade winds so near the line, and have now fine, 
 pleasant weather, which is very agreeable after having been 
 for several days under a vertical sun, and soaking showers 
 of rain. We have made one hundred and fifty-four miles 
 distance per log, the last twenty-four hours, notwithstanding 
 the ship has been close-hauled upon the wind. This is 
 another welcome day of rest ; I read one of Bossuet's Ser- 
 mons, Locke and Bacon's Essays, and felt at peace with 
 ail \\\r. world. Latitude, by observation, 3° 5' south. Lon- 
 uiuidc at noon, 28° 12' west. Thermometer 83° in the cabin. 
 
 y/nirsday, June 2d. — During the last three days, we have
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 193 
 
 had fresh and steady breezes from the S. E., and clear, 
 pleasant weather, and have made, by the log, one hundred 
 and sixty-eight miles per day, with the yards braced up. 
 We are now sailing through those pleasant regions (men- 
 tioned on a former voyage in the Sea-Serpent), where the 
 weather is generally fine, the air pure, and the skies bright 
 and clear. Our captain is a good seaman, very watchful and 
 attentive to the duties of the ship, and has tact enough to 
 make the crew contented and happy. As we have a drum- 
 mer and a fifer, besides a man who plays the violin tolerably 
 well, we have music on board almost every evening when 
 the weather is fine, to keep up the spirits of the men ; and I 
 am pleased to add that every body appears contented. There 
 is of course some occasional remark or evil foreboding on the 
 subject of doubling Cape Horn ; but this reflection soon sub- 
 sides by the consoling fact that we have a good ship under 
 foot, and that she is ably commanded, with as good a crew as 
 ever floated on salt water, in proportion to their number. We 
 found ourselves this day in latitude 10° 51' south ; longitude 
 33^ 44' west. 
 
 From the 2d to the 9th of June, we had generally light 
 winds and pleasant weather, and have made but slow progress 
 on our course. We have kept a little too far to the westward, 
 and too near the Brazil coast, consequently have found the S. E. 
 trades very light. I would, therefore, advise all young and 
 inexperienced navigators bound round Cape Horn, to give the 
 coast of Brazil a good berth, and thus avoid light trades and 
 baffling winds. I have found from experience that by keeping 
 further to the eastward the trade winds are much stronger. 
 
 Saturday, June Wth. — This day, the weather being fine, 
 we took several observations of the sun's and moon's distance, 
 to ascertain our longitude ; and after taking the mean of the 
 whole, we found the longitude to be 35° 52' west of Green- 
 wich, which differs but a few miles from the chronometer ; we 
 therefore conclude they are both correct. Latitude at noon, 
 20° 19' south. 
 
 13
 
 19i VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 Thursday, June lfi//i.— Winds light, from S. E. to N. E., 
 with clear, pleasant Aveather. At one P. M. spoke the brig 
 " Syren," four days from Rio de Janeiro, boimd to Boston, 
 Several whales playing round the ship. Variation of the com- 
 pass, per amplitude, 2° 32' east. Latitude by observation, 28° 
 56' north ; longitude 38° 48' west. 
 
 Monday^ June 20ih. — Moderate breezes from the S. E. and 
 fine weather. This day, set up the lower shrouds, bent a new 
 main-topsail, and other storm sails, sent down royal masts 
 and yards, rove new braces, and are making every preparation 
 for bad weather as we draw up into higher latitudes, and ap- 
 proach Cape Horn. 
 
 Ju?ie 2oth. — Latitude 43° south; longitude 50° west. 
 The thermometer in the cabin stood at 52°. The days are get- 
 ting shorter, and the sky daily wears a more wintry aspect, as 
 we increase our latitude. The " Magellan Clouds" are now 
 about 45^ above the horizon, and are nightly seen when the 
 sky is clear. 
 
 In these high southern latitudes, besides the " Southern 
 Cross" there are many constellations and single bright stars 
 seen, that are not visible to the inhabitants of the Northern Hem- 
 isphere, and are therefore a fruitful theme of contemplation 
 for those who visit these distant regions of.the globe. From 
 the 26th of June to the end of the month, being a space of 
 four days, we generally had head winds, and squally, disa- 
 greeable weather ; consequently we have made but slow pro- 
 gress on our voyage. 
 
 July C)tJi. — At 7 o'clock this morning, by an observation of 
 the moon and the star Antares, found we were in longitude 
 53° 15', 30'', west longitude per chronometer, 53° 18' 0". Lati- 
 tude 46° 0' south, variation of the compass per amplitude, 23° 
 26' easterly. 
 
 Friday, July S(h. — During the whole of these twenty- 
 four hours, wc had fresh breezes from west to northwest, and 
 clear, pleasant weather. At 8 A M. made the land, namely, 
 the island of Terra del Fucgo, near the Straits of Lci Maire,
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 195 
 
 bearing from south to west about fifteen leagues distant. Lat- 
 itude by observation at noon, 54^' 3' south ; distance run, by 
 the log, one hundred andfifty-eight miles. At 11 o'clock A. 
 M. the longitude per chronometer was 04° 54' west. 
 
 At this time Cape Diego, at the entrance of the Straits of 
 Le Maire, bore S. AV. This cape is laid down by Bowditch 
 in latitude 54° 37' south ; longitude G5° 5' west, which dif- 
 fers little or nothing from my chronometer. 
 
 Saturday^ July 9ih. — Up to this period, we have been 
 favored with a fair share of good weather ; but, as it is now 
 in the dead of winter in this dreary region, I look for nothing 
 but stormy weather, and constant changes from bad to worse. 
 
 I believe I have remarked, in my narrative on a former 
 voyage, that the severe weather and mountainous seas off 
 Cape Horn and its vicinity, are, in reality, bad enough to en- 
 counter ; but the passage round this cape is rendered tenfold 
 more gloomy from its remote position ; for should any serious 
 accident occur, such as losing a rudder, there is no resource ; 
 for, many hundred miles along this coast, there is no vegetation, 
 except a few stunted trees, and a little moss and sorrel grow- 
 ing among the clefts of these dark gray and black rocks, piled 
 one upon another, to the height of several hundred feet ; and 
 no inhabitants, save a thin, scattered population of miserable 
 savage Indians, but one grade above the brute creation, and 
 no friendly port to obtain relief, short of Monte Video, which 
 is more than 1300 miles distant. 
 
 This reminds me of the melancholy loss of a Spanish 
 seventy-four gun-ship, with every soul on board — captain, 
 officers, crew, and passengers — amounting, in number, to be- 
 tween 700 and 800 men, women, and children. This ship 
 sailed from Cadiz, in company with a frigate bound to Lima, 
 some eight or ten years before Peru shook oft" the Spanish 
 yoke and became an independent State, These ships met 
 with no serious accident until they arrived oft' Cape Horn, 
 where, in a violent tempest, while lying to, the seventy-four 
 lost her rudder. She hoisted a signal of distress, but the sea
 
 196 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 was SO high, and the weather so bad, that the frigate was 
 afraid to approach her consort. Shortly after, the weather 
 became thick, when they separated, lost sight of each other, 
 and never again met. The frigate, a few weeks after, arrived 
 in safety at Lima, but the seventy-four was never afterwards 
 heard from, except a mere vestige of her — just enough to 
 establish the fact of the sad catastrophe of this ill-fated-ship. 
 Soon after the New South Shetland Islands off Cape Horn 
 were discovered, a gang of American sealers on one of these 
 islands report having seen the rudder of a large ship, which 
 they supposed to have belonged to a seventy-four, lying on the 
 shore of one of these desolate islands. 
 
 After this digression, 1 will resume my narrative. 
 
 July 10th. — Commenced with fresh gales from the west- 
 ward, directly ahead, with a high head sea running. During 
 the night we had strong gales from west to southwest, attended 
 with violent squalls of snow and hail. 
 
 At eight o'clock A. M. got down the main-topgallant yard, 
 and rigged in the jib-boom, close-reefed the topsails and courses, 
 and stood off shore to the southward. We have now met with 
 Cape Horn weather, in good earnest. No observation ; the 
 sun obscured. Latitude by dead-reckoning, 56° 18' south. 
 Distance made, by the log, 70 miles. Longitude by calcula- 
 tion, 62° 31' west. Thermometer at noon, 34° above zero. 
 
 Monday^ July Wth. — These twenty- four hours, like the 
 last, commenced with strong gales blowing from the west and 
 southwest, with violent squalls of snow and hail. At 4 P. M. 
 the wind blew so violently that we were obliged to take in all 
 sail, except a close-reefed main-topsail, and the main and 
 mizzcn staystails. At eight in the morning, the gale blew so 
 violently, that we took in the main staysail, and laid the ship's 
 head off shore to the southward. The gale continued to rage 
 with great fury from the westward, with a very high sea run- 
 ning directly ahead, through the night. At half-past 11 A. M. 
 the sun shone out, and by a sight at the chronometer, we 
 found the longitude to be 61° 52' 30" west. Latitude by ob-
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 197 
 
 scrvation at noon, 55° 40' south. Thermometer, at noon, in 
 tlie cabin, stood at 31° above zero. 
 
 Jiihj \2th. — These twenty-four hours are only a repetition 
 of the last — a continuation of strong gales from the westward, 
 with a high sea running. At 4 P. M. wore ship to the 
 northward, and lay to, all these twenty-four hours, under a 
 close-reefed main-topsail, and main and mizen staysail. We 
 lost about thirty-one miles drift to the eastward, which is about 
 one degree of longitude. We are now in latitude 5G° 8' south ; 
 longitude, per chronometer, 61° 30' west ; thermometer same 
 as yesterday. 
 
 Wednesday, July 13th. — These twenty-four hours com- 
 menced with strong gales from the southward. At midnight) 
 we set close-reefed topsails, reefed courses and storm stay- 
 sails. At one hour after midnight, wore ship to the southward. 
 The wind has again veered to the westward, and increased to 
 a violent tempest. At 4 P. M. took in all sail, except a close- 
 reefed main-topsail, and then hove to. We have now very 
 cold weather and much snow, with a high sea running from 
 the westward. At 8 A. M. the gale moderated a little, when 
 we set a close-reefed topsail and a reefed foresail. Latitude, 
 by observation at noon, 56° 3' south ; longitude, by chronome- 
 ter, 60° 38' west. Thermometer down to 27° in the cabin. We 
 have now much ice and snow about the rigging and decks. 
 
 July lith. — These twentj^-four hours commenced with 
 moderate gales from the S. S. E. At meridian we made sail, 
 set close-reefed topsails, and reefed courses. Strong gales and 
 a high sea, with heavy squalls of snow and sleet throughout 
 the night. At 9 A. M. the wind moderated, and the sky 
 cleared up a little, when we saw a ship, bearing about south, 
 two or three miles distant, lying to, under a fore and mizzen 
 staysail, with the most of her sails blown to pieces. Her top- 
 sails and courses were hanging to the yards, half-furled, and 
 flapping in tatters and ribbons in the wind. We set our col- 
 ors, when she, being to windward, set a French ensign, bore 
 up, and ran down near us, and hove to again. We were un-
 
 198 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVEENOK CLINTON. 
 
 der close-reefed topsails and reefed courses, and had every 
 thing snug and comfortable. We gazed at each other for a 
 few seconds, when I requested Cajjtain Hepburn to inquire 
 of the captain of the French ship whether he was in distress 
 or wanted any thing, and whether we could render him any 
 assistance ; and thus, when in the act of asking him these 
 questions, he hailed to know whether lue were in want of 
 any thing, and whether he could be of any service to iis. 
 We, of course, thanked him, and told him we wanted nothing. 
 She appeared like a French sloop-of-war, mounting twenty- 
 two guns, and a great number of men on board ; still she la}?- 
 looking like the picture of distress, with nearly all her sails 
 blown to ribbons, and every thing hanging about in a careless, 
 slovenly manner, worse than any merchant ship I ever saw 
 with less than one-tenth her number of men ; and what most 
 surprised us, was the careless inactivity displayed on board. 
 No move was made to repair damages, and everything ap- 
 peared to be left to the mercy of the winds. Finding we 
 wanted nothing of each other, we wore ship and stood on 
 opposite tacks, when we soon lost sight of this mysterious 
 ship. No observation — the sun obscured. Latitude, by ac- 
 count, 55° 44' south. Distance per log, eighty-one miles. 
 Longitude, per chronometer, 62° 32' west, 
 
 Friday^ July 15ih, 1825. — These twenty-four hours com- 
 menced with moderate breezes from the S. W. At six A. M. 
 wore ship to the S. S. E. At seven A. M. the wind hauled to 
 the N. W., and blew a fresh gale from that quarter, attended 
 with squalls of snow, and a high sea running from the west- 
 ward. At 9 A, M. the wind moderated a little, when we again 
 made sail, set double-reefed topsails, and a reefed foresail. At 
 meridian, the wind and weather moderated, and the sea be- 
 came somewhat smoother. Lat. by account, 55° 40' S. Dis- 
 tance per log, 100 miles. Long, about 65° W. Ther. in the 
 cabin, 38° above zero. 
 
 I am fully aware that the record of making and taking in 
 sail, and in giving a daily account of the winds and weather
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOll CLINTON. 199 
 
 in the log-book style, must often be extremely tedious and un- 
 interesting to those unacquainted with the sea, but to seafaring 
 men, it is quite the reverse ; for to them it is often a source of 
 amusement, and sometimes beneficial to read in detail the ex- 
 perience of their seafaring brethren. It enables them to com- 
 pare and contrast the dillerent tracks taken by ships on long 
 voyages, and it is for them that I have given the particulars 
 of our passage off and around Cape Horn. 
 
 It will therefore be easy for those who feel no interest in 
 storms, gales, or ships' courses on the ocean, or such as have 
 no disposition to trace on a map the track of a ship, to turn 
 over the leaves of this part of my narrative without reading 
 them. I have therefore concluded to give an exact copy of 
 my journal, as it occurred from day to day, and although it 
 may possess but little interest, it will, at least, show a spirit of 
 determined perseverance to surmount every obstacle. 
 
 Saturday, July I6th. — During the whole of these twenty- 
 four hours we experienced a continuation of strong westerly 
 gales, with a high head sea running against us, still plying to 
 windward, under close-reefed topsails and a reefed foresail. In 
 this dismal region, now in the dead of winter, we have long, 
 dreary nights, and short days, the sun appearing for a few 
 hours, making, as it were, but a small circle to the north of us. 
 and then sinking into deep banks of dark clouds. 
 
 Lat. by obs. 5(3° 55' S. Long, per chron. G5° 7' 30" W. ; 
 distance run per log, 90 miles. The variation of the compass 
 at sunsetting, was 22° 57' E. Found a strong current setting 
 to the eastward, all these twenty-four hours, so that we gained 
 little or nothing. In fine, it is very difficult to hold our own 
 against these strong gales and lee currents. 
 
 Sunday, July 17th. — These twenty-four hours, like the 
 last, commenced with strong gales from the westward, and a 
 high sea running. At 4 P. M. the gale wiis so violent that 
 we took in all sail except a close-reefed main-topsail, and a 
 storm main-staysail. At midnight, it suddenly became calm, 
 when the ship rolled and tumbled about for several hours in
 
 200 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 the trough of the sea, with not wind enough to keep her 
 steady. At 6 A. M. a Hght breeze sprung up from the east- 
 ward, when we sent up the main-topgallant yard, and set the 
 sail with a foretopmast studding-sail, to steady the ship. Saw 
 a sail bearing E. S. E., some eight or ten miles distant. No 
 observation ; the sun obscured. Lat. by D. R. 57° 10' S., 
 long, about 65° 8' W. 
 
 Monday, July \Sth. — These tWenty-four hours commenced 
 with light airs from the eastward, but owing to a high sea still 
 running from the westward, we made but little progress on our 
 course. At 12, midnight, a strong breeze sprung up from the 
 S. W., attended with heavy squalls of snow and hail. Close 
 reefed the topsails, and handed the main and foresails. At 7 
 A. M., the gale moderated a little, and at 8 A. M., daylight, 
 saw the land about Cape Horn, bearing by the compass N. W". 
 half W., distant about eight leagues. The land being at this 
 time covered with snow, gave it a very dreary appearance. 
 We soon saw the high snowy mountains in the interior of 
 Terra del Fuego, bearing about N. E. some sixty or seventy 
 miles distant. We also saw several small islands near Cape 
 Deceit. At noon, the weather being clear and fine, we had 
 an uncommonly good view of Cape Horn, and the land in its 
 vicinity. It was about seven or eight leagues to the north- 
 ward of us. 1 may say we were directly off the pitch of the 
 Cape, beating to windward day after day, to weather this con- 
 spicuous landmark, placed, as it were, in the midst of storms 
 and tempests. Latitude, by a good observation at noon, 
 56° 21' south ; longitude, by chronometer, 67° 40' 30' west. 
 The longitude of the Cape, as laid down by Bowditch, is 67° 
 21' 0" W. Making a just allowance for the bearing and dis- 
 tance of the Cape, I fuid the chron, diflers but a mere trifle 
 from the longitude laid down in the nautical books referred to. 
 
 Tuesday, July \Sitli. — These twenty-four hours com- 
 menced with fresh gales from the W. and W. N. W., with 
 squally, snowy weather. The land about Cape Horn still in 
 sight. At 2 P. M. saw a ship bearing about S. E., standing
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 201 
 
 upon the wind, to the northward. We continued to have 
 strong gales from the westward, with frequent and heavy- 
 snow squalls throughout all these twenty-four hours. Still 
 beating against the westerly gales, tacking and wearing every 
 four or six hours. At meridian, saw the land about Cape 
 Horn, bearing N. W. by compass, ten or twelve leagues dis- 
 tant. Lat. by obs. 56° 31' S. Long, the same as yesterday, 
 67° 21' W. 
 
 Wednesday, July 20th. — These twenty-four hours, lilce the 
 last, commenced with fresh gales from the westward, with a 
 high sea running, attended with squalls of snow and hail. At 
 midnight it blew so violently, that we could only carry a close- 
 reefed main-topsail, and a reefed foresail, with now and then 
 the storm, main, and mizzen staysails. At noon this day, the 
 ther. fell down to 28° in the cabin, and the water that came 
 on deck instantly froze. The decks and rigging were covered 
 with ice and snow, so that it was difficnlt to work the ship, 
 and almost impossible to gain any thing by beating to wind- 
 ward, against these violent storms and tempests. Lat. by 
 obs. 56° 44' S. Long, about the same as yesterday, say 67° 
 20' W. 
 
 Thursday, July 2lst. — These twenty-four hours, like the 
 last, commenced with a violent gale from the westward, with 
 squally weather. Still plying to windward under close reefed 
 main-topsail and reefed foresail. At midnight, wore ship to 
 the S. S. E. — the gale a little more moderate ; set close-reefed 
 topsails, and reefed courses. At 4 P. M. wore ship to the 
 northward and westward. The wind now hauled to the S. 
 S. W., with much snow, and dark gloomy weather. At 8 A. 
 M., soon after daylight saw Cape Horn again, bearing N. by 
 W. by compass, distant six or seven leagues. At the same 
 time, Barnevelts Island, near Cape Horn, bore N. by E. by 
 compass, distant nine or ten leagues. At this time the 
 weather became clear, which gave us another good view of 
 Cape Horn, St. Francis' Bay, and the adjacent land. Cape 
 Horn is the extreme southern point of Hermile's Island. It is
 
 202 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 a high hill, or small mountain, and is, at this time, covered 
 with snow. The land immediately adjoining the Cape to the 
 northward being low makes it appear, at a distance, like a de- 
 tached headland, or a separate island. The mouth of St. 
 Francis' Bay seemed to be about five or six leagues wide, and 
 I should judge very easy of access ; I conclude, if compelled 
 by necessity to seek a port for shelter, that many good har- 
 bors may be found in the Bay of St. Francis, and to the north- 
 ward and eastward of Cape Horn, in what is called, on the 
 charts, Nassau Bay. I also observed, that when we approach- 
 ed near the land, the wind and weather became more mild 
 and moderate, and the sea much smoother. During these 
 twenty-four hours we have had little or no current, notwith- 
 standing the gales have been so violent from the westward ; 
 still it is very difficult to make much progress mider close- 
 reefed sails, with a high head sea always running against us. 
 At 7 A. M. wore ship, and stood off shore to the southward ; 
 wind more moderate. 
 
 At 11 h. 0' 19" A. M. the longitude per the chronometer 
 was 67° 35' 0" W. At this time Cape Horn bore N. by E. 
 true course, distant thirty-eight miles, which makes the chro- 
 nometer differ but two miles from the longitude of the Cape, as 
 laid down by Bowditch. No observation of the sun at noon, 
 it being dark and cloudy. 
 
 Friday, July 22c/. — These twenty-four hours commenced 
 with brisk breezes at S. W., with dark, cloudy weather. At 
 one o'clock P. M. passed near a ship. We showed our en- 
 signs to each other ; she standing on shore to the N. W., and 
 we standing off shore to the S. S. E. ; wind about S. W. by 
 W. At six o'clock in the evening it blew so violently from 
 the S. W., and the sea so high, that we were obliged to take in 
 all sail again, except a close-reefed main-topsail and mizzen 
 staysail. The weather was now very cold and dreary, with 
 much ice and snow about the decks, so that the ship was com- 
 pletely cased with ice. Thermometer in the cabin down to 
 27°. I think this gale was more severe than any of the pre-
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 203 
 
 ceding ones. These twenty-four honrs end with a continua- 
 tion of the same violent tempest from the S. W., witli a moun- 
 tainous sea running. Latitude by observation 57° G' south ; 
 longitude per account, say 67° 10' W. 
 
 Our seamen are a fine set of men ; not one of them has 
 flinched from his duty since we left New- York, although they 
 have been so severely tried by heat, cold, tempest, and storm. 
 Perfect order and good discipline reigns throughout the ship, 
 every man obeys with alacrity, and they seem to vie with each 
 other to buffet the tempest, and with the most indomitable 
 perseverance to weather Cape Horn at all hazards. 
 
 Saturday^ July 23c/. — These twenty-four hours commenced 
 with a continuation of the same S. W. gale which we had 
 yesterday, and it has been decidedly the worst and most disa- 
 greeable one we have encountered since we left New- York. 
 Throughout the night it blew a perfect hurricane, with violent 
 squalls of hail and snow, with a mountainous sea running. 
 We have been lying to all these twenty-four hours under a 
 close-reefed main- topsail and mizzen staysail. The decks are 
 now loaded with ice and snow, and the ropes about the bows 
 of the ship are all cased and covered with ice to thrice their 
 usual size. 
 
 At a moderate calculation we have on deck and about the 
 sides of the ship, at least fifteen tons of snow and ice. Our 
 situation at daylight this morning was very gloomy ; lying to 
 ofl' Cape Horn in the depth of winter, the ship covered with 
 ice and snow, with constant and violent gales from the west- 
 ward, roaring at times like letting olf the steam from a power- 
 ful engine. 
 
 No observation of the sun. Latitude by D. R. 57° 0' south ; 
 longitude by account, about 66° 45' W. Thermometer in the 
 cabin at 24° above zero, 
 
 Sunday, July 2ith. — These twenty-four hours commenced 
 with fresh gales at south, with a high sea still running from 
 the westward, from the effect of the late severe gales from 
 that quarter. At one P. M. wore ship to westward, and
 
 204: VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 set close-reefed topsails and storm staysails. The weather 
 being a little more moderate, we were enabled to proceed 
 on our course at the rate of two or three knots the hour. 
 
 At G P. M. strong gales, with squalls of snow and hail, 
 handed the fore and mizzen topsails. At 6 A. M. set close- 
 reefed fore and mizzen topsails again. At 10 A. M. saw the 
 land about Cape Horn, bearing W. by S. per compass, distant 
 about six or seven leagues. Wore ship to the S. E., and stood 
 off shore, not being able to weather the land about Cape 
 Horn : much ice and snow still about the decks and rigging ; 
 the thermometer in the cabin generally down to 24° above 
 zero. Latitude by an indifferent observation, 56° 6' south. 
 Longitude per account, about 67° 0' W. The gales are so 
 violent, and always so contrary, that it is with the greatest 
 difficulty we are able to hold our ground, with the utmost vigi- 
 lance and unremitting perseverance. 
 
 Monday^ July 25/A.-— These twenty-four hours commenced 
 with fresh gales at S. by W., with violent squalls of hail and 
 snow, attended with a high sea : now under close-reefed 
 topsails and reefed courses. At 4 P. M. saw Barnevelts 
 Island, near Cape Horn, bearing S. W. by compass, about six 
 leagues distant, and notwithstanding we now have a southerly 
 wind, we are riot able to profit by it, as we are not far enough 
 to the westward to weather Cape Horn. We are still doomed 
 to beat to windward, under close-reefed sails, and can barely 
 hold our own against the stormy tempest and high, prevailing, 
 contrary sea, which we are daily struggling against, and 
 hoping for some favorable change. We have generally stood 
 off eight hours, and on shore six, and with great exertion have 
 thus far nearly held our ground against a long continuation of 
 contrary gales, adverse ciu'rents, and a high rolling sea. Lati- 
 tude by observation, 55° 5 L' S. Longitude by account, about 
 66° 50' west. 
 
 Our seamen all hold out remarkably well. Up to this date 
 not one of them has been sick, or disabled in any way from 
 doing his duty manfully.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 205 
 
 Tuesday^ July 26th. — These twenty- four hours commenced 
 with fresh breezes from the southward, with occasional snow 
 squalls. At 8 P. M. saw tlie land about Cape Horn, bearing 
 W. S. W., about three or four leagues distant. Wore ship ofl" 
 shore to the eastward, not being able to stand any longer on 
 the other tack. During the night we wore and tacked ship 
 generally every four or six houis, under double-reefed topsails 
 and reefed courses. At 7 A. M., daylight, Cape Horn bore W. 
 S. W., distant about six or seven leagues. At 8 A. M. made 
 several short tacks to windward, hoping to weather the Cape ; 
 but the wind being contrary and baffling, with a strong cur- 
 rent setting to the N. E., we were not able to do so. Moderate 
 breezes from the southward, and dark cloudy weather. No 
 observation of the sun this day. Latitude by D. R. 55° 59' S. 
 Longitude about 66° 20' W. One of our largest hogs died last 
 night with cold and fatigue, notwithstanding the animal was 
 sheltered and covered with a sail along with four others, who 
 thus far have survived the cold and bad weather. 
 
 Wednesday, July 27th. — First part of these twenty-four 
 hours, moderate breezes from the S. S. E., and open cloudy 
 weather. At 4 P. M. Cape Horn bore by compass S. W., dis- 
 tant ten or eleven leagues. 
 
 We found a current setting to the N. E., say about half a 
 mile the hour. The wind being moderate and the weather 
 clear, we stood in near the land until nightfall, when we 
 tacked ship and stood offshore for several hours. Strong 
 breezes at S. W. by S. At 9 o'clock in the morning, saw 
 Cape Horn again, bearing S. W. by S., about twelve leagues 
 distant. Strong gales at S. W. and clear weather. We found 
 during the whole of the last twenty-four hours, a sensible dif- 
 ference in the temperature of the air. At noon this day, the 
 thermometer rose to 37° above zero, and all the ice and snow 
 have disappeared from the decks and rigging ; and not- 
 withstanding the wind is contrary, things generally wear a 
 much better appearance than usual. Latitude by a good 
 observation, 55° 56' S. At noon Cape Horn bore W. S. W.
 
 206 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 by compass, ten leagues distant. The variation of the com- 
 pass is about 22°, or say two points easterly. 
 
 Thursday, July 2Sth. — First part of these twenty-four 
 hours, we had fresh gales from Ihe S. W., and open, cloudy 
 weather. At 3 P. M. Cape Horn bore S. W. by compass, 
 eleven leagues distant ; and Barnevelts Island W. N. W. by 
 compass, about five leagues. Took in fore and mizzen top- 
 sails, fresh gales at S. W., and a high sea running. At 6 
 P. M. wore ship, and stood off shore to the S. E. It con- 
 tinued to blow a strong gale from the S. S. W. during the 
 night. At 7 A. M., daylight, it became a little more moder- 
 ate. Set close-reefed topsails, and a reefed foresail. We have 
 had one and a half knot current, setting to the S. E. all 
 these twenty-four hours. Latitude by observation, 55° 52' 
 south. Longitude per account, 66° 0' west. 
 
 Friday, July 29th. — These twenty-four hours commenced 
 with fresh breezes at S. S. W., with open, cloudy weather ; 
 now standing off to the E. S. E., under close-reefed topsails 
 and reefed courses. At 8 P. M. let one reef out of the top- 
 sails, and 7 A. M., soon after daylight, saw the snowy moun- 
 tains on Terra del Fuego, bearing about N. W. by the com- 
 pass. At 9 o'clock A. M. wore ship to the S. E., the wind 
 having hauled to S. S. W. These twenty-four hours end with 
 dark gloomy weather, the current still setting to the N. E. 
 at the rate of a mile and a half the hour. No observation of 
 the sun. Latitude by D. R. 55° 50' south. Longitude about 
 65° 0' west. 
 
 Saturday, July 30th. — First part of these twenty-four 
 hours we had fresh breezes at S. S. W., with dark, disagree- 
 able weather ; now under double-reefed topsails and whole 
 courses. Middle and latter part of these twenty-four hours 
 we had a continuation of fresh breezes from the same quar- 
 ter ; although we have had occasional squalls of snow, still 
 the weather is milder. Thermometer at noon, in the cabin, 
 stood at 35° above zero. Distance per log seventy miles, 
 and the latitude by an indilferent observation was 56° 37'
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 207 
 
 south ; and the longitude per accovint, 04° 30' west. Still 
 beating off dreary Cape Horn, and not able to weather it. 
 
 Sunday, July "iist. — These twenty-four hours, as usual, 
 commenced with strong gales from the S. S. W., and dark, 
 cloudy weather ; steering otf to the S. S. E., at the rate of 
 three or four knots the hour. Middle part, fresh breezes at 
 W. by S., and cloudy weather. At lOh. 44' 52" xi. M. the 
 longitude, per chronometer, was 64° 50' ; and the latitude, 
 by a good observation, was 58^ 6' south. Distance made 
 per log, seventy miles. At noon this day, the sky was clear, 
 and the temperature milder, which is very remarkable weather 
 to meet with off Cape Horn, particularly at this season of the 
 year. 
 
 Monday^ August \st. — These twenty-four hours com- 
 menced with moderate breezes from the westward, and a high 
 rolling swell from the same quarter, with very pleasant 
 weather, which continued through the day. At sunsetting we 
 found the variation of the compass to be 22° easterly. Lati- 
 tude at noon 58° 48' south. Longitude about 65° 30' west. 
 
 Tuesday, August 2d. — First and middle part of these 
 twenty-four hours we had light airs and calm, cloudy weather. 
 At two hours after midnight, there sprung up a light breeze 
 from the N. E., which continued about an hour, and then 
 hauled round to the westward again, and began to snow. At 
 noon single-reefed the topsails, and took in the main-topgallant 
 sail. Latitude by a good observation, 58° 43' south. Distance 
 run per log, 52 miles. Longitude per account, 67° 10' west. 
 Thermometer in the cabin 34° above zero. 
 
 Wednesday, August 3c?. — First part of these twenty-four 
 hours we had light breezes from tiie W. N. AV., with light 
 squalls of snow, and dark, hazy weather. Toward the latter 
 part of these twenty-four hours, the weather became warmer 
 and the winds light. Our prospects begin to brighten, and 
 our hopes to revive. We have this day gained about seventy- 
 two miles on a southwest course. Latitude by a good 
 observation, 59° 18' south. Longitude per chronometer, 68° 
 28' west.
 
 208 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 We are now, after a hard struggle, a few miles to west- 
 ward of Cape Horn ; but having been detained so long off the 
 cape, we concluded to husband the water, and consequently, 
 put every soul on board on an allowance of three quarts per 
 day. 
 
 Thursday^ August Ath. — First and middle part of these 
 twenty-four hours we had fresh breezes from the northeast, 
 and fine, pleasant weather. At 4 A. M. the wind suddenly 
 shifted to the southward, and continued to blow a fresh gale 
 from that quarter. During the remainder of these twenty- 
 four hours we had fine, fresh breezes from the southeast, with 
 occasional squalls of snow ; and it is worthy of remark, that 
 this is the first day of fair wind we have had since we made 
 Staten Land, on the 9th of last month. We have made 144 
 miles, per log, on a direct course, and we have now a fair 
 prospect of weathering the Cape in a few days from this date. 
 Latitude by observation at noon, 58° 36' south ; longitude per 
 chronometer, 72° 31' west. 
 
 Friday, August 5th. — Fresh gales from S. S. W. to S. E., 
 with squalls of snow and sleet throughout all these twenty- 
 four hours. We have generally been running under double- 
 reefed topsails and whole courses, with a main-topgallant-sail 
 .^et, all these twenty-four hours, and have made 161 miles, log 
 distance, on a direct course. Latitude, by a good observation, 
 56° 50' south ; longitude per chronometer, 76° 53' west. 
 Thermometer in the cabin, at noon, 33° above zero. 
 
 /Saturday, Aiigust Gth. — First part of these twenty-four 
 hours, we had fine fresh breezes from the S. S. E., with light 
 squalls of snow ; middle part, light and baffling winds from 
 the westward, and somewhat squally. At two hours after 
 midnight, there sprung up a fresh gale from the southward, 
 attended with snow and sleet ; but as the wind was fair, we 
 were haj)py to proceed on our course, without complaining of 
 the weather. In fine, we have become so much accustomed 
 to hail, sleet, and snow, that we look upon these storms with 
 but little dread or fear ; and whenever we were favored with
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 209 
 
 a few hours of fair wind, wc considered ourselves very fortu- 
 nate. We made 161 miles per log, and at noon found the 
 latitude to be 54'^ 40' south, and the longitude, by the chro- 
 nometer, 77° 0' west. 
 
 Sunday, August 7th. — It is now twenty-nine days since 
 we made Staten Land, since which time we have been con- 
 stantly beating and battling against violent gales from the 
 westward ; and I am now happy to say that, after this long 
 and severe struggle, we have fairly weathered Cape Horn, and 
 got once more into the mild and gentle Pacific. Latitude, at 
 noon, 50° 0' south ; longitude, 78° 57' west. 
 
 I shall hereafter discontinue my daily journal, and only 
 notice the little incidents that occasionally transpire, while 
 sailing on this tranquil sea. None but those who have doubled 
 Cape Horn in the winter season, can fully realize the delight- 
 ful sensations produced by leaving that dreary Cape, with its 
 cold, stormy blasts, and then, in the course of a few days, 
 getting into the bland and exhilarating Pacific. 
 
 We are now sending up topgallant mast, and preparing to 
 set all our light sails, to waft us over the deep blue waters to 
 where the skies are bright and clear, there to inhale the pure 
 air, and luxuriate in a lovely climate. 
 
 After fairly getting into the southeast trades, the winds are 
 so fresh and constant, that it is scarcely necessary to shift or 
 change a sail for several consecutive days. 
 
 August \2tli. — This day, at eleven o'clock in the morning, 
 we saw four strange fish ; they were but a short distance 
 from the ship, and appeared to be about twenty or thirty feet 
 long, with large heads — say about the size of a barrel— and 
 in swimming, held them above the water. They seemed 
 to be in pairs, and were to us a great curiosity, as no one on 
 board had ever seen fish of this description. Latitude, by ob- 
 servation, 42° 40' ; longitude, 81° 0' west. 
 
 Sunday, August 2\st. — Throughout this day we had 
 fresh trades and fine weather. At ten o'clock in the morning 
 we made the St. Felix Isles ; they are two in number, of a 
 14
 
 210 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 moderate height, and but a short distance asunder. We ran 
 within two miles of them ; they appeared rocky and barren — 
 have but a few stunted trees and bushes on them ; they are 
 uninhabited, and of no importance to the world, except to a 
 few small sealing vessels that occasionally touch here for seal- 
 skins. They have no good harbor, and lay in latitude 26° 20' 
 south ; longitude, 80° 4' west. 
 
 Tuesday, August 23rf. — We continue to have the same 
 fine, fresh southeast trade-winds daily, with studding-sails 
 set below and aloft. We this day got the anchors on the 
 bows, bent the cables, cleared out the cabin, and made every 
 preparation for going into port. The thermometer daily ranges 
 from 75° to 78°. 
 
 Sunday, August 2Sth. — At five o'clock in the morning, at 
 daylight, made the Island of St. Lorenzo ; we soon hauled in 
 shore, and ran round the north end of it, and steered up the 
 bay for the harbor of Callao ; but as we approached the port, I 
 saw a Spanish flag flying on the castle, and a Peruvian en- 
 sign at a little distance on a fort, in a little village called Bel- 
 lavista. These forts were perhaps a mile asunder, and kept 
 up a constant firing at each other. At 7 x\. M. I boarded the 
 American brig Herald, of Salem, then lying at anchor near St. 
 Lorenzo. The captain of this vessel informed me that it was 
 unsafe lying at anchor in the harbor of Callao. He said the 
 Spaniards and Peruvians were at war — that the castles at 
 Callao were in possession of the Spaniards, and that they 
 were besieged by the Peruvians, both by land and water — 
 that all the merchant ships had left Callao, and gone to a lit- 
 tle port called Chorillos, about five leagues to the southward. 
 
 We accordingly tacked ship, and stood out of the bay. 
 While standing out, we were boarded by an oiRcer from the 
 Peruvian frigate Maria Isabella, under command of Admiral 
 Blanco. The officer treated us politely, and confirmed the 
 information given us by the captain of the Herald ; that 
 nothing could be done, in a commercial point of view, at 
 Callao, and that Chorillos had for the present become the
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 211 
 
 port of Lima. We accordingly stood out the bay, bound to 
 Chorillos, with a hght breeze at S. E., and somewhat hazy 
 weather. We continued to hear firing at intervals of four or 
 five minutes during the whole of these last twenty-four hours. 
 In the afternoon of this day the wind freshened, and enabled 
 us to reach the httle bay of Chorillos about six o'clock, P. M., 
 when we came to anchor in six fathoms of water, and moored 
 ship — having had 133 days passage from New-York. We 
 found lying here about forty ships and vessels of all descrip- 
 tions, including several English, French, and American men- 
 of-war. I remained on board all night, and the next morning 
 proceeded on horseback to Lima — the distance being twelve 
 miles, over a pretty good road. 
 
 The following is an extract from my first letter to my own- 
 ers : 
 
 Lima, Sept. 3d, 1825. 
 Messrs. N. L. & G. Griswold, 
 
 Gentlemen : — I am happy to advise you of my safe ar- 
 rival at this port, on the 29th ultnno, after a passage of 133 
 days. It has been rather long, still, its length is not to be re- 
 gretted, as I fear I have come to an overstocked market, par- 
 ticularly for flour ; in this case, therefore, it is better to delay 
 selling (except such articles as are in active demand), and 
 wait for a further advance in prices, for such goods as will not 
 command a profit at present. 
 
 On my arrival, I found all my mercantile friends anxious 
 to get the consignment of the Governor Clinton and her cargo, 
 but none of them were willing to divide commissions with 
 me, or to abate any thing from their very high charges, par- 
 ticularly the three American houses established here, and thus, 
 after repeated trials and offers to these commercial gentlemen, 
 I could do nothing towards an arrangement. 
 
 I then agreed with an English merchant, by the name of 
 Thomas Green, who had every privilege of a native citizen; 
 he agreed to do my custom-house business for a reasonable
 
 212 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 compensation ; I have hired a warehouse at $40 per month, 
 into which I shall put a small portion of my cargo, and keep 
 samples of what I have on board ; by this arrangement I shall 
 be able to dispose of such articles as are in demand, without 
 the assistance of a merchant or a broker, and hope, by so 
 doing, to save you several thousand dollars. I have already 
 sold all my white beeswax, viz., twenty-two bales, at $105 
 the quintal ; my claret wine, I have also disposed of at $6 
 per box, and several other articles at a corresponding profit. 
 
 As the ship that conveys this letter is on the eve of sailing, 
 I have not time to enter into a detailed account of my trans- 
 actions, I can only assure you that I shall do all in my power 
 to promote your interest. 
 
 A person acquainted with commercial affairs, will readily 
 perceive that I must have met with numerous difficulties, in 
 thus attempting to transact my own business in a country 
 where it is a universal custom to employ an established 
 commercial house, to perform and manage the business of 
 strangers ; consequently I had a powerful combination of ba- 
 kers, speculators, and merchants to contend with, not, indeed, 
 openly, for many of them were too liberal and gentlemanly to 
 avow it ; still it was a bold and daring experiment for a stran- 
 ger to attempt, and brought down on my head much ill- 
 feeling, and secret wishes that I should not accomplish suc- 
 cessfully what I had so presumptuously undertaken. 
 
 On the other hand, I found lying at Chorillos the ship 
 Ann Maria, and the brig Brazilian, belonging to my owners, 
 who, it will be perceived, had authorized me to employ the 
 latter vessel in any way that I should find expedient, to pro- 
 mote the interest of my voyage. 1 had also the efficient aid 
 
 of Mr. , my assistant supercargo, and Captain Hepburn, 
 
 to manage the ship, and dispose of whatever portion of the 
 cargo he could do to advantage at Chorillos, together with 
 considerable assistance from Captains Griswold and Hatch, of 
 the before-named vessels.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 213 
 
 Not long previous to my arrival at Peru, so many cargoes 
 of flour had been imported from the United States and Chili, 
 that the market had absolutely been glutted for many months. 
 It had at one time been sold as low as four dollars per barrel, 
 and was now getting more in demand, and as none had re- 
 cently arrived, I had, in a measure, the control of the market, 
 still I could not get ofl'ered over ten dollars. I had 1800 
 barrels of this article, and deemed it advisable to dispose of it, 
 for fear of other arrivals; accordingly, in a few days after this 
 period, I sold to Messrs, Robinet & Wheelright, a Guayaquil 
 house, 1000 barrels, at twelve dollars and a half, deliverable 
 at that place ; the balance I soon retailed, say about a hun- 
 dred barrels at a time, to the bakers, at thirteen dollars, and 
 thus weathered upon a powerful combination of speculators, 
 who imagined that I should never be able to carry out my in- 
 dependent plan. I also shipped toGuayaquil, by Captain Hatch, 
 in the Brazilian, a quantity of crockery ware, sheet-lead, and 
 sundry other articles, that were not saleable here. 
 
 After I had dispatched the Brazilian to Guayaquil, I con- 
 tinued, from day to day, to dispose of whatever portion of my 
 cargo would pay a fair profit. It was my intention, when 
 this object was accomplished, to leave Chorillos, with the resi- 
 due, for Guayaquil ; this, however, depended on the news I 
 should receive from Valparaiso, and the intermediate ports. 
 
 It \iras the prevailing opinion here, that Gen. Rodil would 
 not be able to hold out, and keep possession of the castles but 
 a few months longer, and should he receive no succor from 
 Spain, it was confidently asserted that he would be obliged to 
 surrender in the course of six months from this date. 
 
 On my arrival at Lima, I learned tlu; following facts : that 
 Generals Bolivar and Sucre had, on the Gth of August, 1S24, 
 compelled the royalists, under General Cantarac, to evacuate 
 Lima, and retire into the interior, where, after much skirmish- 
 ing, a general battle took place at Ayacuacho, on the 9th of 
 December, 1824, which resulted in the entire defeat of the 
 royalist force, consisting of 9,300 strong, while that of the pa- 
 triots only amounted to 5.800. Two of th.e Spanish generals
 
 214 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 were taken prisoners, and Cantarac, the commander-in-chief 
 of the Spanish army, capitulated on the field of battle, and 
 agreed that the Spanish army should lay down their arms, and 
 evacuate the whole country. Thus, the battle of Ayacuacho 
 decided the fate of South America. 
 
 At the time Cantarac left Lima for the interior. General 
 !^odil, with about 1,500 or 2,000 Spanish soldiers, threw him- 
 self into the castles, at Callao, and there refused to surrender 
 to the patriots, and would not submit to the capitulation of 
 General Cantarac. 
 
 The fortifications of Callao consist of two round castles, 
 connected by subterranean arches, and another fort, or castle, 
 on the point, stretching towards San Lorenzo — all command- 
 ing the inner harbor of Callao Bay. All these forts together 
 contain more than sixty pieces of cannon, mostly of a large 
 calibre. 
 
 The principal castle was formerly called by the Spaniards, 
 "St. Felipe," but is now called "Independencia." 
 
 General Rodil, as I have before stated, retired to the cas- 
 tles of Callao, on the 6th of August, 1824 ; consequently, 
 when I arrived in Callao Bay, on the 28th of August, 1825, he 
 had already been shut up and closely besieged (both by sea 
 and land) in these castles, for more than a year, and at this 
 time strenuously refused to listen to any terms of capitulation 
 from the Peruvians. Rodil was a stern, iron-hearted warrior, 
 and, it was said, very regardless of human life. 
 
 He had scarcely a hope of any succor or relief from Spain, 
 and in my opinion, should have capitulated upon honorable 
 terms, and thus saved the Jives of hundreds of his unfor- 
 tunate fellow-beings, who were subsequently sacrificed by 
 famine and disease to gratify his inordinate and selfish am- 
 bition. 
 
 A large portion of the Spanish population and others, sus- 
 pected of belonging to the Spanish party, men, women and 
 children left Lima, and took refuge with Rodil in the castles 
 and town of Callao. I was told their number amounted to
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 215 
 
 from 800 to 1000 souls. My worthy old friend and consignee 
 on a former voyage, Don Francisco X. Iscue, was one of the 
 number. This gentleman finally died of extreme suffering 
 and starvation. 
 
 I was informed that the authorities of Lima would not al- 
 low these unfortunate people to return there again. Some 
 months after the commencement of the siege, when provi- 
 sions became scarce and very difficult to be obtained, Rodil 
 turned them out of the castle into the town of Callao, and re- 
 served all his eatables for himself and his soldiers, so that these 
 poor ill-fated beings were thrust out between the fire of the 
 two belligerent parties, and were left literally to starve to death. 
 A great portion of the garrison, and particularly the civilians, 
 had already died of hunger. They had eaten all their horses, 
 and what provision they had left was sparingly served out to 
 sustain the officers and soldiers of the garrison. About this 
 time my old friend, Iscue, contrived to get a letter to his family 
 in Lima, stating that he was very ill, that he had now and 
 then been able to purchase a few eggs at a dollar each, and 
 for a small chicken he was obliged to pay from four to five 
 dollars, and for all other eatables in a like proportion. The 
 poorer part of their number who had no money, of course were 
 left to starve. Such was the treatment these miserable beings 
 received from the two fighting parties, who no doubt called 
 themselves Christians. I will here relate a barbarous butchery 
 that occurred about eight months previous to my arrival at 
 that place. It was as follows : 
 
 On the 3d of November, 1824, a patriot force of new re- 
 cruits which had been collected on the northern coast, entered 
 the city. It was commanded by the Colombian General, 
 Urdaneta, and consisted of about seven himdred men. As 
 soon as it entered, all the bells were rung, and in a (c\v mo- 
 ments the streets near the Grand Plaza were thronged with 
 people mixed in a promiscuous and dense crowd of all ages 
 and conditions. The Cabildo, or city authorities, assembled, 
 and a dinner was got ready immediately ; thirty covers were
 
 216 VOYAGE IN- THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 ordered for the officers, the troops did not halt. Being fatigued 
 with marching, they passed through tlie city in a very disor- 
 derly manner and took the road for Callao. As they ap- 
 proached the half-way house (La Legua), they were set upon 
 by Alaix, an officer sent by Rodil, from the castles at Callao. 
 This officer with his men, about two hundred dragoons, were 
 lying in ambush, and when these raw troops approached, they 
 sallied out, speared and cut to pieces this patriot divi- 
 sion in every direction ; no quarter was given, and all 
 who came within the reach of cutlasses and lances, 
 were put to death. The fugitives were panic struck, and 
 fled in every direction. Those that escaped to the city 
 were pursued to the very gates, and the dragoons even en- 
 tered the town. The fugitives continued their flight to 
 Chancay. a distance of fifteen leagues, in complete disper- 
 sion. More than seventy were killed on the road, and twelve 
 within the gates of the city. The Spanish loss was only one 
 man killed, and he was stabbed by a citizen while in the act 
 of plundering an officer, whom he had cut down in the street. 
 An American gentleman told me, that from a balcony he 
 saw the bodies of the patriot officer and the Spanish soldier, 
 and that he afterwards saw the twelve men that were killed 
 within the gate. That their mangled bodies were collected 
 and laid side by side immediately after the action (if such it 
 could be called). One man had received, at least five mortal 
 wounds, and I was told by an English gentleman who resided 
 near the gate, that he saw from his balcony, that the poor 
 wretch who received the five wounds, was attacked by at least 
 half a dozen Spanish cavalry; that he was on foot, without 
 arms, and while begging on his knees for quarter, they told 
 him " they would give him quarter in hell." And immediately 
 a lance was driven through his body, the lower part of his 
 face was chopped oil by a stroke of a cutlass, two balls passed 
 through his throat, and one through his breast. Two or three 
 of those killed within the city, were recognized as citizens; 
 and were without arms or uniforms. They had followed 
 the patriot troops on their advance towards Callao, as much
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 217 
 
 from curiositv as from any other motive. There were only 
 about twelve of the Spanish dragoons who entered within the 
 gates, and the slaughter was committed in a few minutes, 
 when ihey rapidly retreated back to Callao. 
 
 General Bolivar had just left the patriot army in the inte- 
 rior, and arrived in Chancay, at the moment the fugitives 
 entered that place. He inquired into the cowardly affair, and 
 by his order three or four of the officers were shot, and several 
 others cashiered. He said the men would have stood their 
 ground if the officers had set them tlie example ; for it ap- 
 peared on the trial that the officers of the leading platoons first 
 turned to the right-about, and this threw the whole column 
 into confusion. The Commanding General, Urdaneta, upon 
 whom the chief censure ought to have fallen, escaped without 
 punishment. In extenuation of this dastardly affair, it is true 
 that these raw troops had that day marched many leagues 
 over a bad stony road, and had not halted during the heat of 
 the day, and were consequently very much fatigued, as well 
 as their horses, and did not expect to meet an enemy lying in 
 ambush. Thus this column was evidently taken by surprise, 
 dispersed, and butchered without resistance, like a flock of 
 sheep. 
 
 Immediately after this affair, Rodil decreed the punishment 
 of death for the removal of the remains of those who fell on 
 the Callao road on this occasion, and said they should be left 
 there to be devoured by the dogs and turkey-buzzards. He 
 also said he would make fifes of all the bones of the d — d 
 rebels that fell into his hands. Forty-two bodies were lying 
 on or near the road, and there they remained, until they were 
 in fact devoured as Rodil had decreed. They were frequently 
 ridden over by the Spanish cavalry on passing up and down 
 the road, and their skulls trampled upon and crushed to pieces 
 by the horses' hoofs, as if another pang could be inflicted on 
 the dead. 
 
 These, it is true, are minute details, but they will serve to 
 show the scenes of vindictive murder and butchery practised
 
 218 VOYAGE IX THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 during the fierce and stormy war of the South American 
 Revolution. 
 
 From this period, November 3d, until after the battle of 
 Ayacuacho, which took place on the 9th of December follow- 
 ing, Rodil had not only the command of the castles at Callao, 
 but over all the grounds between the two places, and strictly en- 
 forced his decree with respect to the before-mentioned dead 
 bodies on and near the Callao road. And when General 
 Bolivar returned to Lima wuh his victorious army, he would 
 not bury the remains of these slaughtered victims; and thus, 
 I suppose, from state policy they were left to incite a vindictive 
 feeling of revenge among the natives of South America against 
 their deadly enemies, the Old Spaniards or "Godoas,"* as 
 they were familiarly called by the South Americans. 
 
 Soon after the patriot army returned to the capital. Rodil 
 and his troops were soon shut up in the castles at Callao. 
 The Peruvian party had erected at Bella-Vista (a small vil- 
 lage about a mile from the castle) a strong fort of twelve or 
 fifteen pieces of heavy cannon, and thus Rodil was closely and 
 rigidly besieged both by sea and land. From this position 
 (Bella- Vista), they cannonaded the town and castles during the 
 whole siege, which lasted until .lanuary 22d, 182G ; and from 
 this battery constant firing was kept up night and day, with 
 the exception of short intervals of an hour or two to eat and 
 sleep; and in the same manner it was returned from the forts 
 and castles of Callao. From the fort at Bella-Vista they dug 
 a ditch m a zig-zag direction towards the castle ; this ditch 
 was about four feet deep and six feet wide, and by stooping a 
 little, the men could not be seen from the forts. General Rodil 
 had a canvas tent erected on the principal fort in the castle, 
 under which he and some of his principal staff oflicers sat, 
 watching daily with spy-glasses the effect of the shot and 
 shells thrown from the castle at his enemy at Bella-Vista. In 
 the bay at Callao the Peruvians had a frigate, several sloops- 
 
 * The word " Godoas," means Goths or Vandals.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON, 219 
 
 of-\var, and a number of gun-boats, so that nothing could go 
 out or enter the castle by water. Occasionally, as if for mere 
 sport, the ships-of-war and gun-boats would run in near 
 enough to fire into the castle and town of Callao, and thus 
 after keeping up a warm contest for fifteen or twenty minutes, 
 would haul off again, sometimes with the loss of a few poor 
 devils on both sides. They all appeared to enjoy the sport of 
 shooting at each other without any definite object. 
 
 One day I rode down, in company with several American 
 gentlemen, from Lima to Bella-Vista, where we arrived about 
 one hour after noon, when both parties had ceased firing, to 
 dine and take their siesta. There was scarcely a house in the 
 village standing that was not riddled like a grater with shot, 
 and the ground in every direction torn and ploughed up with 
 shot and shells. We entered the ditch, or covered way, duck- 
 ing our heads low enough so as not to be seen from the castles. 
 The ditch was made to approach the castle in this man- 
 ner /\/'\/\' We went to the last angle of the covered 
 way, where they had planted a gun and a mortar or two ; I 
 should think it was somewhat less than half a mile from the 
 castle, at the turning of these angles. It was always neces- 
 sary to have a great quantity of fascines, or bundles of brush- 
 wood and bags of sand, to form a shelter from the shot. 
 
 The engineer then directing the progress of the work, was 
 a French gentleman, with whom I was acquainted. He told 
 me they had a short time before completed the last angle, and 
 showed me the handle of a shovel, which had just been shot 
 asunder ; the shot had covered the men with dust and dirt, 
 but no one had been hit that day. 
 
 For the amusement of our party, a soldier, with a long 
 speaking-trumpet, stood upon the top of the works and hailed 
 the fort, calling General Rodil all sorts of bad names, such as 
 "Rodil, tu llijo de p — a picaro — Bribon," and other low, vul- 
 gar names. Fortunately the man was not noticed from the 
 castle, and no firing took place while we remained there. 
 
 A few weeks, however, previous to our visit, while tlie Pe-
 
 220 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 ruvian soldiers were turning one of these angles, the men were 
 dodging and ducking to avoid the shot, when a colonel of en- 
 gineers, somewhat provoked at them for dodging, sharply re- 
 proved them for their fears, and placed himself on the top of 
 the works, and there exposed his whole person to the shot of 
 the enemy, to show his men that he was not afraid. In ano- 
 ther instant, a shot came and severed his body. He was taken 
 to Lima, and had a pompous military funeral. I saw his re- 
 mains in a church, laid out in great state, and after a solemn 
 Te Deurn was chanted, he was interred with great eclat. 
 The roaring of cannon, and the sound of solemn music pro- 
 duced a profound, patriotic sensation, and no doubt the youth- 
 ful portion of the community envied him his glorious, heroic 
 death. Such has ever been, and will long continue to be, the 
 feeling in favor of the barbarous trade of war, and its vain- 
 glorious attendants. Perhaps, at some future period of the 
 world, when the pure spirit of Christianity shall become gen- 
 eral, and the peaceful and benevolent principles of Jesus Christ 
 shall be carried out, both in the letter and spirit, the barba- 
 rous profession of arms will be laid aside for a more just and hu- 
 mane method of settling disputes among the children of men. 
 
 Although more than eight months had elapsed since the 
 butchery on the Callao road, I often saw, while riding between 
 Lima and that place, the carcasses and bones of these slaugh- 
 tered victims, and I can truly say, they presented a spectacle 
 too disgusting for language to describe. 
 
 During my stay at Lima, I frequently saw General Boli- 
 var, and regret I had not the pleasure of his personal ac- 
 quaintance. Several Americans possessed his entire confi- 
 dence, and one of my American friends was on very intimate 
 terms wilii him, and spent many days at his residence. From 
 him I gathered many particulars of the life and character of 
 this great man. lie was slightly built, and I should judge, 
 was about five feet seven inches in height, thin visage, dark 
 complexion, with a dark piercing eye, high forehead, and a 
 very expressive intellectual countenance, quick m all his mo-
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 221 
 
 tions, and possessed a very irascible temper. He was ex- 
 tremely generous in money matters, and very regardless of 
 wealth. In February, 1825, the Peruvian Congress voted 
 to the Liberator, as General Bolivar was called, a million 
 of dollars, which he thrice refused, but afterwards re- 
 quested that it should be given to the army. lie also refused 
 a salary of $50,000 a year, and, like Washington, asked only 
 that his expenses should be paid, which, though arbitrary, 
 doubtless, amounted to a less sum. He was not avaricious, 
 though extremely fond of military fame. About tliis time the 
 Peruvian Congress presented him, and his friend. General 
 Sucre, each an elegant sword, with a gold scabbard, and the 
 hill richly set with diamonds. General Bolivar left Peru in 
 September, 1826, and returned to his native country, Colombia. 
 
 I heard, from the person alluded to, many little sayings 
 and anecdotes relating to this iron-hearted warrior, whom the 
 Peruvians called the Washington of the South — a few of 
 which I will narrate. He once said, "I suppose you and your 
 countrymen take me for a savage, which is true, in a jneasure : I 
 am not so by nature, but have been made almost one by cam- 
 paigning so many years over the wild mountains of Colombia 
 and Peru." 
 
 " Your Washington had to manage men that were moral 
 and patriotic, and could therefore pursue a different course from 
 what 1 am compelled to do : I am leading and governing a 
 race of half-civilized beings, and must cut down all opposition 
 with the sword ; were they more enlightened, I could pursue 
 a different course ; but situated as I am. and knowing the 
 character of those I command, I am constrained to shed much 
 blood for the benefit of these unfortunate States, which have 
 been so long kept in superstition and darkness by the wicked 
 policy of Spain." 
 
 The same gentleman once observed to him, that no perma- 
 nent peace or tranquillity could be sustained in Peru, until the 
 power of the clergy was reduced or abolished ; and then ob- 
 served, that the sooner the church property was confiscated to
 
 222 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 the State, and all the bells of the churches run up and cast 
 into cannon, the sooner the country would be regenerated and 
 become intelligent ; and farther observed, that the eternal 
 jingling of bells helped to perpetuate and keep alive the old 
 Spanish superstition. Bolivar replied, "You are right in your 
 opinion on this subject ; but the time to do this has not yet 
 arrived ; it must be done not suddenly, but gradually ; and 
 when the younger portion of the country come upon the stage, 
 it can be effected, but not at present." 
 
 I often witnessed one judicious arrangement of General 
 Bolivar, while I remained at Lima. On Sundays and holidays 
 he ordered all the schoolmasters, with their pupils, to assem- 
 ble on the Grand Plaza, in front of the Palace, where himself 
 and his principal officers were seated in the balconies, and 
 here accompanied by a fine band of military music, they were 
 all taught to sing hymns and national songs of liberty and in- 
 dependence. I shall never forget the joy and enthusiasm with 
 which these patriotic songs seemed to inspire the numerous 
 young hearts who were chanting in the presence of the brave 
 and distinguished warriors who had achieved their independ- 
 ence, and driven from their country the tyrants who had so 
 long enslaved and oppressed their fathers. And when they 
 were addressed by an orator appointed for the occasion, and 
 beheld the Peruvian flag wave over their heads, the applause 
 and enthusiasm were astounding. 
 
 While trading up and down this coast, whether at Guaya- 
 quil or Lima, I never felt that my person or property was safe, 
 when far from the influence of General Bolivar, or some one 
 acting immediately under his command. In short, to sum up 
 all in one word, the Liberator was in these States what Bona- 
 parte was in France, in the height of his power. 
 
 In my visit to Callao, I was forcibly struck with the etfect 
 of habit on the minds of those who were employed in carrying 
 on the siege. To the uninitiated of every clime and nation, I 
 believe there is, on the first firing of shot and shells, an in- 
 voluntary desire to dodge and duck, as the shot approaches.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 223 
 
 It no doubt proceeds from the sense of fear implanted in every 
 human bosom, and is overcome only by a feeling of duty or 
 pride, in the man of education and refmcmcnt ; while in the_ 
 masses of soldiers and sailors, it is nothing but habit and sto- 
 ical indifference to life or death. I was told that, at tlie com- 
 mencement of the siege, it was difficult to keep the men at 
 their places to receive the fire of the enemy ; and now, after 
 the firing had continued for the last ten montlis, the sense of 
 fear appeared to be entirely banished from the camp, by the 
 daily habit of exposure. Even the women appeared to disre- 
 gard the danger of a shell or cannon-ball. 
 
 The following conversation occurred between a good-look- 
 ing young woman, whom 1 saw sitting at the door of her 
 house, and myself. She was apparently unmoved at the dan- 
 ger, for at any moment a shower of shot or shells might have 
 been hurled about her head. " Good woman," said I, " are 
 you not afraid to sit thus exposed to the shot from the forts, 
 when your house has already been so often hit by cannon 
 balls, and you are liable to be killed at any moment?" Her 
 answer was, '• No, Senor, I am not at all afraid, thougli I unist 
 confess I was very much alarmed for the first week or two ; 
 but now I have become quite accustomed to the firing." I 
 could not but reflect, that from habit, this woman felt less fear 
 than many an epauletted general unaccustomed to war and 
 the impartiality of a cannon ball, which is just as likely to liit 
 the captain as a private soldier. In truth ihc profession of 
 arms, and the constant habit of exposure, render men almost 
 entirely devoid of the fear of shot, and thus it follows that one 
 thousand such men will accomplish more than ten thousand 
 new recruits who have never stood fire. 
 
 While in Lima, about this period, I witnessed the execu- 
 tion of two distinguish.Ml individuals for high treason com- 
 mitted against the State and Government of Peru. Onv. o( the 
 two was Seiior Berin-Doago. a celebrated lawyer, who had 
 been Secretary of State under the patriot govermnent, and a
 
 224: VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 leader in the revolution against the Spaniards. Under his 
 administration a law was passed (I was told at his suggestion), 
 that any person found guilty of treason, should sutler capital 
 punishment, and that his body should be publicly exposed as 
 a degraded spectacle, for several hours after death ; and 
 strange to relate, he was the first person to suffer the penalty 
 of this law. 
 
 He was a good-looking man, about five feet ten inches in 
 height, and from his appearance I should judge, was about 
 forty or forty- five years old. 
 
 I do not recollect the name of the other person ; he was a 
 tall, good-looking man, about sixty or sixty-five years of age, 
 straight in stature, with hair almost entirely gray, and when 
 standing erect had a venerable, and I may add, an imposing 
 appearance. These men had wives and children living in 
 Lima, and previous to this act of treachery and treason, were 
 highly respected and esteemed by their friends and fellow- 
 countrymen. 
 
 Their families resided within the sound of the muskets 
 which were the instruments of their disgraceful death. 
 To render the sad catastrophe more distressing, the wife of 
 Berin-Doago, was at this time enceinte. 
 
 The history of their treason as related to me, at the time 
 of their trial and conviction, was in substance, as follows : — 
 
 While the Spanish army, under the command of General 
 Cantarac, was encamped in the interior of Peru, Berin-Doago, 
 with several others, were in communication with Cantarac 
 and Ills principal officers, and secretly concerted a plot to de- 
 liver up the city of Lima, and consequently the whole of 
 Peru, into the hands of the old Spaniards. In order to perfect 
 their plan, the ci-devant Secretary of State employed this ven- 
 erable gentleman to visit and communicate with General C. 
 in person ; and in order to carry out their scheme and avoid 
 suspicion, the old gentleman assumed the character of father 
 confessor, and adopted the costume of a friar. In this disguise 
 he made frequent visits from Lima to the army in the interior,
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 225 
 
 and from time to time advised the Spaniards of the exact 
 strength and position of the patriot force in Lima. 
 
 Tills intercourse was carried on for a considerable time, 
 until at length their wicked plot to betray their country into 
 the hands of the enemy partially leaked out, and Berin-Doago 
 made his escape from Lima and took refuge in the castle at 
 Callao, and there placed himself under the protection of Gen- 
 eral Rodil. The old man, his friend and associate in the 
 plot, continued to reside quietly in Lima unsuspected. 
 
 Some months after, while Rodil was closely besieged in 
 the castles of Callao, both by sea and land, Berin-Doago con- 
 trived, in the darkness of the night, to escape from the castle 
 and seek protection on board of the frigate Preuba, the flag 
 ship of the blockading squadron. The first lieutenant of this 
 ship was Mr. Coe, an American; and at the time officer of 
 he deck. Mr. C. told me that Barin-Doago came on board 
 the Preuba on a very dark night in a small boat, and claimed 
 the protection of the captain of the frigate. He said the ex- 
 secretary appeared to have no fears with respect to his situa- 
 tion, and evidently expected to be set at liberty the next morn- 
 ing, and be allowed to proceed to Lima unmolested. 
 
 In this opinion, however, he was disappointed, for the next 
 day he was sent a prisoner to Lima, and in a few weeks after 
 was tried by a military court martial and condemned to death. 
 Berin-Doago, being a lawyer, was so confident of his acquittal, 
 that he employed no counsel, but defended and plead liis own 
 cause. In the course of the trial he implicated the old man, 
 who was convicted as an accomplice in the treason, and thus 
 they were condemned to be shot together on the grand plaza, 
 or public square, and their bodies, after death, to be hung for 
 several hours on a gallows subject to the gaze of the public, 
 as objects of utter degradation. 
 
 After their condemnation the family and friends of the de- 
 linquents made every exertion in their power to get them re- 
 prieved, and as a last resort, appealed to General Bolivar to 
 interfere in their behalf, and save them from an ignominious 
 15
 
 226 VOYAGE liSr the ship GOVEEXOR CLINTON". 
 
 death. This he refused to do ; he said they had had a fair 
 trial by their own countrymen, and were found guilty of death, 
 that a sahitary example was absolutely necessary for the 
 safety of the state ; and that the law ought, and should be en- 
 forced. He referred to the case of the British Major Andre, 
 who was condemned as a spy in the American Revolution, 
 and said General Washington would not pardon him ; and 
 concluded by repeating that they ought to suffer death. 
 
 Accordingly, on the day appointed, several regiments of in- 
 fantry were drawn up on the public square, where a gallows 
 was erected, and these doomed men were taken from prison 
 to a neighboring church to attend mass, and from thence tliey 
 were escorted by a strong guard under arms, to the public 
 square to be executed. The spectacle was exciting and highly 
 imposing. With muffled drums and solemn music, they 
 marched slowly towards the fatal spot in front of the cathe- 
 dral, only a few yards from it, so that the balls from the 
 muskets should pass to the walls of the church, and harm no 
 other person than those for whom they were intended. The 
 two prisoners were each attended by a priest bearing a silver 
 image of the Saviour on the cross, and every now and then a 
 halt was made, when the priest presented the crucifix to them 
 to kiss, and after a short prayer their march was resumed. 
 There was every appearance of deep and sincere repentance 
 on the part of the prisoners, and a devout and solemn feeling 
 visible on the countenance of each of their clerical attendants- 
 In this way they moved slowly on, stopping at short intervals 
 to repeat prayers and devoutly salute the crucifix. When 
 near the centre of the plaza, the troops opened to the right and 
 left to make room for these unfortunate men to pass to the 
 seats placed for their reception. They were soon seated in 
 high-backed chairs placed a few yards asunder, when a ne- 
 gro tied a napkin over their eyes and round the chair ; he also 
 tied another round their waists to secure their bodies just above 
 the seat. I stood with a friend on the steps of the cathedral) 
 only a few yards from the prisoners, and distinctly saw every 
 movement that was made. 
 
 1
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 227 
 
 Every thing being arranged, twelve soldiers with loaded 
 muskets were detailed to perform the execution. Six of them 
 were placed directly in front of each of the prisoners, at a dis- 
 tance of ten or twelve feet. An officer directed them how and 
 when to fue ; he or(iered three of the six to aim at the breast, 
 and the other three at the forehead. At the word given to fire, 
 the twelve muskets were simultaneously discharged. The 
 bandage round the head of Berin-Doago was shot in two, and 
 his body instantly writhed and bent forward, and was partly 
 suspended by the napkin around his waist attached to the 
 chair, and thns in an instant death ensued. The old man re- 
 mained bolt upright, without the least convulsion or sign of 
 life. He was without doubt quite dead, but owing to the up- 
 right and motionless position of his body, the officer who di- 
 rected the execution, appeared uncertain whether he was dead 
 or alive ; and therefore ordered two other soldiers to discharge 
 their muskets into his breast ; this order was instantly obeyed. 
 In a few moments after, their bodies were put into largo gray 
 sacks and suspended on the gallows for several hours. The 
 remains were afterwards given to their friends for interment. 
 I would here remark that these men both bore their fate with 
 fortitude and composure, particularly the old gentleman ; he 
 died like a hero. He was perfectly composed and firm, and 
 appeared altogether self-possessed, and as far as I could>judge 
 seemed to have no fear of death. It was not quite so with 
 Berin-Doago, although as I have before said, he bore his fate 
 with becoming fortitude. I thought he appeared to struggle 
 hard to sustain himself, and in haste to be seated, for fear his 
 courage should fail him at the trying moment. 
 
 From the time the prisoners left the church under a mili- 
 tary escort, to the ternnnalion of the execution, the most per- 
 fect order and silence prevailed. Not a sound was heard, save 
 the solemn dirge of martial music, and the voice of the officer 
 who directed the execution, and even after their bodies were 
 hung up on the gallows, no noise was heard. The scene was 
 silent and solemn. It was the first military execution i ever
 
 228 VOYAGPJ IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 saw, and I hope and trust it will be the last. One circum- 
 stance struck me with peculiar force, that was the small 
 number of spectators present on the occasion. With the ex- 
 ception of the militar}'", there were but very few individuals 
 present, and to the honor of the fair sex I saw not a single 
 female on the plaza. 
 
 It was now about two months since I arrived at Chorillos, 
 and had already disposed of a considerable portion of my car- 
 go, still I had many articles of merchandise that were unsale- 
 able, and as the ship Ann Maria, Captain Henry Griswold, 
 was about sailing for Valparaiso, and the intermediate ports 
 between Lima and that place, I determined to send by this 
 ship an invoice of such goods as were adapted to that market, 
 
 and send Mr. , my assistant supercargo, to take charge of 
 
 this shipment. As the Governor Clinton and the Ann Maria 
 both belonged to N. L. & G. Griswold, 1 considered it my duty 
 to unite with Captain H., for the mutual benefit of our em- 
 ployers, and here follows the substance of my letter of instruc- 
 tions to Mr. on the subject, 
 
 Mr. , 
 
 Dear Sir : — I have this day shipped on board the Ann 
 Maria, Captain Griswold, an invoice of Calcutta goods, rice, 
 loaf-sugar, and some other articles, the whole amounting to 
 the round sum of $5,500 ; you will accordingly proceed in 
 said ship with Captain G. to Valparaiso, and there dispose of 
 the above invoice to the best advantage, for the benefit of our 
 employers. Captain Griswold will doubtless assist you with 
 his advice and kind offices. 
 
 Please write me by every oppoitunity. Wishing you health 
 and prosperity, 
 
 I remain, your friend 
 
 and obed't serv't, 
 
 G. C. 
 Lima, Oct. 29th, 1825.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 229 
 
 Mr. left Chorillos with Captain Griswold, in the ship 
 
 Ann Maria, on the 4th of Nov., 1825, hound for Valparaiso 
 and the intermediate ports. 
 
 Extract of a letter to my owners, written from Lima, on 
 the 8th of Nov., 1825. 
 
 Gentlejmen : — As Captain Copeland, late of the General 
 Brown, is about returning to New- York by the Avay of Pana- 
 ma, I improve this opportunity of writing to you llie substance 
 of my transactions since I last wrote. I dispatched the Bra- 
 zilian for Guayaquil, on the 24th of September, with the Hour 
 sold to Messrs. Robinet & Wheelright, and also shipped by 
 this vessel sundry articles of my cargo that I could not sell to 
 advantage in this place. I have requested Capt, Hatch to dis- 
 pose of what articles he could at a profit, and take what 
 freight he could obtain without waiting over one week, and 
 then return direct to Lima. 
 
 The Ann Maria, Captain Griswold, will leave here in a few 
 days, for Valparaiso, and the intermediate ports in Peru and 
 Chili. 
 
 I have now disposed of nearly all that part of my cargo 
 that was saleable, and hav^e sent the ship to the Island of San 
 Lorenzo, for stone-ballast. I am collecting as fast as I am 
 able what is due me in this place, and thus preparing to leave 
 it as soon as possible. My funds up to this date are about as 
 follows, viz., deposited on board the U. S. frigate United States, 
 Commodore Hull, twenty thousand dollars, and also in the 
 British sloop-of-war Mersey, eight thousand, and have on hand 
 fifteen thousand dollars, in doubloons, making a sum total of 
 forty-three thousand. 
 
 I have thus given you a hasty sketch, or general outline of 
 my business up to this period, of course, I have not time to 
 enter into particulars. If I am not detained collecting my 
 funds, I shall probably be able to leave Lima in about a week 
 from this date. 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 G. C.
 
 230 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 Captain Hepburn returned to Chorillos with the Governor 
 CHnton, on the 25th of November, after having ballasted the 
 ship, and we soon got ready for sea. I had now sold at this 
 port, including the goods sold in Guayaquil, to the amount of 
 seventy-five thousand dollars, and had still remaining a large 
 inv^oice of English and German goods, which were not saleable 
 here ; I therefore considered it safer to proceed up to wind- 
 ward, namely to Arica and Valparaiso, than to run to the lee- 
 ward, and trade in the northern parts of Peru. We accord- 
 ingly sailed on the 2Sth of November, bound for Arica and 
 Valparaiso. 
 
 We stood off shore to the southward and westward with a 
 moderate breeze from the S. E. and E. S. E., and very pleasant 
 weather. I employed myself for about a week arranging all 
 my accounts, and drawing samples from the cargo, so that on 
 my arrival at Arica, I should be ready to dispose of my goods 
 at a moment's warning. 
 
 We continued to stand oif shore on the same tack for ten 
 days, generally laying up S. and S. S. W., with pleasant 
 breezes at E. S. E. and S. E., with remarkably fine weather- 
 On the 8th of December, when in latitude 25^^ 30' south, longi- 
 tude 86° W., we tacked ship and stood to the eastward for our 
 port of destination. We judged it better thus to stand wide off 
 shore, than to hazard beating up along the land, where light 
 baffling winds and calms generally prevail. It is rather re- 
 markable that during this passage we did not see a single sail 
 of any description, until we got into the neighborhood of 
 Arica. 
 
 On Saturday, December 17th, we made the high moun- 
 tains in the interior of Peru, some sixty or seventy miles dis- 
 tant. The next day, Sunday the 18th, the wind being light, we 
 caught fifteen dolphin, a large albicore, and a turtle weighing 
 about twenty pounds. These fish were very palatable to us, 
 having had nothing but salt provisions since leaving Chorillos. 
 In tjie afternoon of this day we approached within five 
 leagues of the land, and then ran down along shore to the
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 231 
 
 northward towards our port, being now about fifty or sixty- 
 miles to tho southward of Arica. We found the coast high 
 and rocky, and it had aUogether a barren and dreary appear- 
 ance. We continued to run down along shore to the north- 
 ward until the next day, Monday, December 10th, when wo 
 came to anchor in the bay of Arica, twenty-one days from 
 Chorillos, which, I believe, is about a fair medium passage. 
 We had fine weather during the whole time, and I generally 
 found occupation in arranging my accounts, taking lunar ob- 
 servations with Captain Hepburn, to fill up the leisure hours, 
 so that the time passed ofi"" agreeably, though without much 
 incident. 
 
 Arica is a small, poorly built town, of some five or six 
 thousand inhabitants, lying along a bay of the same name, in 
 latitude 18° 29' south, longitude 70° 19' west. It belongs to 
 Bolivia, and lies about 210 miles northwest of the city of 
 Potosi, and although not a good harbor, is still the principal 
 and best port along the coast of Upper Peru. This place, like 
 most others in this country, is very subject to earthquakes, and 
 was, in the year 1605, almost totally destroyed by one of these 
 terrible convulsions of nature. Although this port affords very 
 good shelter for shipping in this mild and peaceful climate, 
 still at times the surf is so high as to render it difficult to land 
 in our own boats. The Indians and natives here, employ 
 balsas instead of boats. These arc two inflated skins of large 
 seal, commonly called the sea-lion. They lay them parallel 
 with each other, place and secure boards across them, and in 
 this manner they form light and convenient floats, which the 
 natives manage with great dexterity, and thus transport pas- 
 sengers and goods with perfect safety. We found lying here 
 some eight or ten brigs and schooners and several small coast- 
 ing vessels. I think there were three English brigs, one 
 American brig, one ship, and one or two Chilian vessels, and 
 about half a dozen small craft, belonging to this port. Two 
 or three of them were employed in the coasting trade, the 
 residue in bringing guano from the small islands lying along 
 the adjacent coast.
 
 232 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOE CLINTON. 
 
 On my arrival at this place, I employed Messrs. McFadon 
 &■ Cobb to assist me in disposing of my goods, and in the 
 general management of my ship and cargo. These gentlemen 
 were Americans, belonging to Baltimore, and were established 
 at this place and at Tacua as a general commission house. 
 They were both of them good merchants, and I am pleased to 
 add, they were also honest, hospitable gentlemen, and a 
 fair specimen of the open-hearted, generous Baltimorean char- 
 acter — ever ready to communicate and confer kind offices on 
 their fellow men. 
 
 After remaining here one day, I started on horseback very 
 early in the morning, with three other gentlemen, for Tacua. 
 Our company consisted of two Peruvian military officers, one 
 English merchant, and myself. We provided ourselves with 
 provisions and water for a journey of thirteen leagues, over a 
 sandy desert, where there is not a human habitation to be 
 seen, or a drop of fresh water to be obtained, nor a spear of 
 green grass for the eye to light upon — nothing but a dreary, 
 solitary, widespread, sandy desert. It had every appearance 
 of having been, at no verj'' distant period, the bottom of the 
 sea ; and in confirmation of this opinion, it is only necessary 
 to dig into this barren waste a few feet, to find immense quan- 
 tities of salt of a reddish color ; in fine, there appears to be a 
 sufficient quantity to supply the whole world. Many small 
 craft are employed transporting this salt from place to place 
 along the coast, from thence it is taken to the towns and cities 
 in the interior. The natives of this country cut it into small 
 blocks, and when thus prepared, it somewhat resembles brick- 
 bats. 
 
 On our route, we overtook great numbers of men with 
 mules and donkeys, laden with various articles of merchan- 
 dise, going into the interior. We also saw great numbers of 
 asses laden with guano, on their way to Tacua ; the men 
 were whipping and urging them along as fast as possible, so 
 thac neither themselves nor their animals should die of thirst. 
 While passing over this dreary desert, we were continually im-
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 233 
 
 portuned for water ; and though we had not much to spare, 
 we gave them nearly all we had. As we were well mounted, 
 we felt that we should reach our journey's end before night, 
 and could not, therefore, deny these poor creatures a draught 
 of water, so long as it was in our power to relieve them. 
 During the day we saw, on the road-side, quite a number of 
 dead mules and asses, that had perished for the want of it. 
 
 The weather was excessively hot, and the reflection of 
 the sun from the heated sand was almost enough to blind one. 
 The military gentlemen, my companions, had furnished them- 
 selves with green gauze veils to protect their eyes. I being a 
 novice in desert travelling, had not provided myself with one, 
 and therefore suffered severely with the heat and dust. My 
 fellow-travellers were polite, agreeable men, and related many 
 pleasant incidents of their journeys in this country, to amuse 
 us on the road. They were excellent horsemen, and appeared 
 to ride without the least inconvenience, while I could with dif- 
 ficulty urge my horse to keep up with theirs, and at the end 
 of the day's ride I was excessively fatigued. 
 
 After this dreary journey, we arrived at Tacua at twilight. 
 This little town contains, perhaps, 1500 or 2000 inhabitants. 
 It is located on the bank of a small river (the name of which I 
 do not recollect), at the foot of the lofty Cordilleras, about ten 
 leagues east of the Pacific Ocean. In this singular country, 
 a man may choose his own climate : by going a few miles 
 among the mountains, the weather becomes cold and bracing, 
 while in the valley, and near this place, the temperature is 
 generally very warm during the day, but gradually cools at 
 night, when the cold air rushes down from the mountains. 
 
 The whole of this region appears to be badly watered, and 
 therefore can never be a populous country. The little river or 
 stream that runs down the sandy valley at Tacua, takes its 
 rise in the mountains, and appears in the morning like melted 
 snow and ice-water. I found it quite too cold for l)athing 
 until about noon ; after the effect of a hot sun, it was rendered 
 sufficiently warm and pleasant.
 
 234- VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 The land in this region is generally sandy and barren, but 
 with the help of the guano, and much fresh water, a good pro- 
 ductive soil is soon made from a sandy desert. I can truly 
 say, I never knew the full value of fresh water until I came to 
 this country. I observed, that wherever there was a running 
 stream, there were found inhabitants ; and during my stay at 
 Arica, I was told that, in many of the mining villages to the 
 southward of that place, the inhabitants were obliged often to 
 go two or three leagues to obtain it. At Tacua, they husband 
 the water with the greatest possible care. On certain days of 
 the week the river was diverted from its course, and made to 
 run through the fields and gardens to irrigate the land ; con- 
 sequently, the inhabitants were obliged to lay in sufficient 
 water to last them during the absence of the river. 
 
 While in this town, I was forcibly struck with the wisdom 
 and goodness of God towards the children of men. In and 
 about this place, where the soil is sandy and barren — along the 
 coast, and on the neighboring islands — there is an abundance 
 of guano to manure the land ; consequently its transportation 
 furnishes employment for a great number of people, where the 
 land would produce nothing without it, 
 
 I met with a warm and friendly reception from one of the 
 partners of the house of McFadon &. Cobb, and after a day's 
 rest, commenced disposing of my goods — the samples of which 
 had been sent up from Arica the day previous. I found here 
 several merchants from the cities in the interior, namely, La 
 Paz, Potosi, and other towns of less note. In a few days we 
 sold goods 4o a considerable amount, and generally at good 
 prices. 
 
 I found the people simple in their manners and habits, 
 kind, honest, and hospitable, and remarkably fond of and at- 
 tentive to strangers. The revolutionary war with Spain, their 
 mother country, and the civil wars that had so long demoral- 
 ized and debased several other parts of Peru, seemed not to 
 have reached this little sequestered village, at the foot of tliese 
 stupendous mountains. Perhaps their poverty proved their
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 235 
 
 best protection — not being an object for military ambition or 
 party spirit to batten npon. 
 
 I was amnsed to see the people of this town in their holi- 
 day dresses, on Snndays and " dias de fiesta,^'' meet together 
 to enjoy each other's society, and eat figs and other fruits that 
 are here cultivated in abundance. Their unsophisticated, 
 joyous feelings of sympathy and affection enlivened the scene, 
 and soon led to the merry and amusing fandango. Their 
 simplicity and open-heartedness made me feel quite at my 
 ease with the whole of this little interesting community. 
 With or without an invitation, I went into their houses, and 
 was always kindly received, and, to the best of their abilities, 
 hospitably entertained. Since I have been travelling about 
 the world, I have never met with a more honest-hearted, social 
 pftople. They appeared to me unknown and uncontaminated 
 by what is called the civilized world, and brought to my mind 
 the trite proverb, that "If ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be 
 wise." 
 
 After having remained at Tacua about ten days, I again 
 returned to Arica. I left the former place with regret, and 
 shall never forget the happy days I spent with its kind and 
 hospitable inhabitants. I found Arica a more bustling, busy 
 place. Its inhabitants were composed of different races of 
 men, but to me not so primitive and agreeable as Tacua. The 
 commercial part of this conmiunity was made up of English, 
 French, Germans, and Americans ; and the masses, a mixed 
 breed, originally Spanish and native Indians, and from having 
 been occasionally crossed by strangers from different countries, 
 they are now a motley race, developing all the colors of the 
 rainbow, and have very little national character. 
 
 In the neighborhood of this town, there is a pond of stag- 
 nant fresh water, which at certain seasons of the year, engen- 
 ders the fever and ague. In the immediate vicinity of this 
 little lake was growing the Jesuit or Peruvian bark tree, and 
 when the inhabitants were seized with the above-named 
 disease, they forthwith stripped a small quantity of bark from
 
 236 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 these trees, and after it was pounded, made a strong decoction. 
 A few doses uniformly restored them to heaUh. And thus it 
 may be truly and literally said, here are the bane and the anti- 
 dote placed side by side. 
 
 I continued to dispose of what goods I could sell to advan- 
 tage, and after having decided to proceed from this place to 
 Chili, I took what freight I could hastily obtain and got ready 
 for sea ; it was only about $14,000 in specie, belonging to 
 British merchants, and consigned to their friends in Valparaiso. 
 I also took on board a few passengers, the most distinguished 
 of whom was an Englishman, by the name of Andrews, who 
 had been for many years captain of a large ship in the service 
 of the East India Company between London and China. He 
 was an intelligent, gentlemanly man, and was at this time em- 
 ployed by a company in England to purchase mines in Upper 
 Peru. He landed at Buenos Ayres from London with a young 
 Spanish gentleman, his secretary and interpreter, and proceeded 
 thence across the Andes to Tacua and Arica, and after having 
 purchased a number of valuable mines, as I understood, had 
 successfully accomplished his mission ; he then took passage 
 with us to Valparaiso, and from thence subsequently returned 
 home to England by the way of Cape Horn. While I am on 
 this subject I will here remark, that I found Captain Andrews 
 to be an accomplished gentleman, an agreeable companion, 
 and a most worthy man. The name of his secretary I do 
 not recollect, but he was also a well educated, agreeable 
 young man, and spoke English with great fluency, he having 
 resided several years in England. And after remaining at 
 Arica eight days, we sailed on the 6th of January for Valpa- 
 raiso. 
 
 During the first two or three days we had very light airs 
 from the southward, when the wind gradually increased and 
 hauled to the S. E. Wc lay up generally about S. S. W., and 
 continued to stand off shore, always on the same tack, with 
 pleasant breezes from the S. E., and very fine weather. We 
 stood to the westward for about a week, when we were favored
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 237 
 
 with a fine fresh gale tVoni the N. W., and soon ran into the 
 latitude of Valparaiso, and then steered to the eastward for 
 our destined port. Thus, afier a very pleasant passage of 19 
 days, we arrived at Valparaiso on the 25th of January, 182(). 
 
 As this was my first visit to this port, I will endeavor to 
 give a short description of the " Vale of Paradise," as (Ik.' name 
 Valparaiso indicates in the Spanish language. 
 
 It is the principal seaport of Chili, and lies in lat. 33° 12' 
 S., long. 77° 31' W. of London, and about ninety miles dis- 
 tant from Santiago, the capital of this Republic. The bay is 
 large, and free from rocks and shoals, and is very well shel- 
 tered except from the northward. In the winter months, say 
 from May to October, it is dangerous lying there. On the 
 whole, I consider it a safe harbor, except in these months, at 
 which season the wind sometimes blows very strong, and ren- 
 ders it unsafe to lie at anchor. In fme, it is customary during 
 this season to remove and lay up ships-of-war and merchant ves- 
 sels in the neighboring port of Coquimbo, where I am told they 
 are safe from all winds. The common anchorage here for mer- 
 chant vessels is opposite the custom-house, but a short distance 
 from the shore, in about five to nine fathoms of water. Ships-of- 
 war anchor farther off, in twenty-five or thirty fathoms. The 
 harbor is defended by a castle, and two smaller forts, at the 
 north end of the Almendral, and another fort farther inland. 
 There are no wharves, and all goods are landed on the sand 
 beach either from ships' boats or lighters, and taken on shore 
 on men's shoulders. When the wind blows strong, and the 
 surf high, it is difticult to land goods at the custom-house, 
 without wetting them. 
 
 The town lies along the bay, in a circular form, perhaps 
 for a distance of two miles, and, I should judge, contained 
 about twelve or fifteen thousand inhabitants. There is a 
 range of high hills immediately in the rear of the town, 
 which leaves but little room for any regularity of streets, or 
 for the building of houses ; consequently, it is very irregular, 
 and the streets mostly crooked and uneven. There are two con-
 
 238 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 siderable churches, and several of less note. The climate is 
 mild and healthful, and the country produces all the necessa- 
 ries of life in great abundance. The market is well supplied 
 with meat, poultry, fish, bread, fruit, and vegetables, and at 
 very reasonable prices. 
 
 I found the fruit in Valparaiso excellent and cheap, such 
 as grapes, apples, pears, nuts, melons, etc. In short, all the 
 necessaries of life are more abundant, and are cheaper here 
 than in any other port I have visited on the western coast of 
 South America. Although the climate of this place is delight- 
 ful, and there are so many things to render it a desirable resi- 
 dence, still it is not without its drawbacks. It is very subject 
 to earthquakes, and there are no theatres or places of public 
 amusement. A person who has enjoyed the variety and ex- 
 citement of a large European city, will often sigh for recrea- 
 tions that this place does not afford. 
 
 On my arrival at this port, I employed the commercial 
 house of Messrs. Huth, Coit & Co., to transact my business, 
 and soon commenced selling my goods the best way I could, 
 as I had come to a bad market for the most of the articles I 
 had brought here. 
 
 Mr. , my assistant supercargo, had disposed of the in- 
 voice of goods he brought to this port in the ship Ann Maria, 
 at good prices, and had returned to Lima, to wait my return 
 to that city, to join the Governor Clinton. 
 
 After lying here about a fortnight, I succeeded in disposing 
 of the greater part of my domestic cotton goods, English 
 calicoes, etc., etc., at pretty fair prices, and then dispatched 
 Captain Hepburn to Arica, in the brig Bolivar, Captain 
 Myrick, to collect my funds in that place and at Tacua. which 
 being accomplished, I rccjuested him to join me at Lima, and 
 take charge of the Governor Clinton again, at Callao. 
 
 About the tenth of March, Captain Hepburn sailed as a 
 passenger in the Bolivar, for Arica, and left me in charge of 
 the Governor Clinton. 
 
 Being unable to obtain a freight for the ship to Lima, I at
 
 VOYAGE m THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 239 
 
 length made an arrangement with a house here to take a 
 cargo or part of a cargo of wild mules, upon the following 
 terms : The owners of these animals agreed to furnish me 
 with 150 mules, to be brought to the beach opposite the ship, 
 and to provide them with barley and grass for the passage to 
 Lima, with three or four peons or muleteers, to assist in taking 
 care of them on the passage, free of expense. On my part, I 
 agreed to furnish ship-room and water, and on our arrival at 
 Callao, the owners of the mules were to give me the half of 
 all I should deliver alive at that port. 
 
 After the contract was signed, 1 distributed the cargo 1 had 
 left at each end of the ship — before the foremast and abaft the 
 mizzenmast ; I then placed the water-casks amidships, and 
 ballasted with shingles ; that is to say, with small stones from 
 off the sea-beach, about the size of hens' eggs. I then sheathed 
 with rough boards the upper deck, and also between decks, 
 placing the water-casks amidships, secured with stancheons, 
 as in the lower hold. Thus prepared, I hauled the ship close 
 to the shore, and received the mules and horses on board, 
 in the following manner. 'We had prepared eight or ten 
 pairs of canvas slings, made to pass around the body of 
 the animals. These slings were arranged with iron thimbles, 
 to hook on to a tackle, to hoist them on board. We had also 
 two floating-stages made, each sufficiently large and buoyant 
 to take six or eight mules or horses. 
 
 When every thing was ready, on the Gth of March, the 
 whole drove of about one hundred and eighty were driven to 
 the beach opposite the ship, according to agreement; one hun- 
 dred and fifty of the best of the herd were to be selected. 
 These animals being closely huddled together, the muleteers 
 commenced throwing their lassos round the necks of the mules, 
 and when thus caught, another lasso was tluown around their 
 legs which brought them all together, and tripped up and sub- 
 dued the mule until tlie slings could be fastened around him, 
 when he was forced upon the float or stage. In this manner, 
 six or eight were soon tied and secured, and were then haul-
 
 240 VOYAGE I^^ the ship governor clixtok. 
 
 ed by a line to the ship, when the seamen hooked on a tackle, 
 hoisted them on board and lowered them down into the hold. 
 So that with these two stages, the whole number were rapidly- 
 embarked. 
 
 It was amusing to see with what adroitness and dexterity 
 the peons could handle these wild mules ; in fine they appeared 
 to break in and manage them with almost the same facility 
 that a farmer would handle his sheep in our country. 
 
 After selecting one hundred and fifteen of the best of these 
 animals, the remainder were so poor and small that I refused 
 to take them on board. The person with whom I agreed, was 
 to furnish me with large, fine mules, and as he did not comply 
 with the contract, I considered myself fully justified in not 
 taking on board indifferent poor animals, not worth their pas- 
 sage to Lima. In the course of a few hours we got on board 
 one hundred and fifteen, and the next day, March 7th, I re- 
 ceived eighteen horses on freight, at two doubloons each, and 
 then hauled off to our former anchorage and got ready for sea. 
 After being detained two days by light winds and calm 
 weather, we succeeded in getting out of the harbor on the 10th 
 of March, bound to Callao, in company with a French mer- 
 chant ship bound to Lima; and the American brig Bolivar. 
 Captain Myrick, bound to Arica. 
 
 At 2 P. id. the port of Valparaiso bore S. E. by compass, 
 about six leagues distant. Moderate breezes at S. W. and 
 very fine weather. The next day, March 11th, we had strong 
 breezes from the S. W., and considerable sea running. All the 
 muleteers sent to take care of the animals were sea-sick, and 
 not able to come on deck. Latitude by observation, 33^ 26' 
 south ; longitude 74° 6' west. 
 
 We continued to have fine weather and fair winds from 
 day to day, and were enabled to carry all our light sails, and 
 generally had studding-sails set during the whole passage. I 
 do not recollect any incident worth remarking, and have only 
 to add, that being before the wind in a mild, gentle climate, 
 the nnilcs and horses were well attended to, and as we had a 
 
 1
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 241 
 
 large supply of grass and barley, and water in abundance, 
 they rather gained than lost in flesh. 
 
 After a pleasant passage of nine days, we came to anchor 
 at Callao on the lOtli of March, without having lost a single 
 horse or mule during the passage. 
 
 On my arrival at Lima, I employed William S. Wetmore, 
 Esq., to assist me in the transaction of my business, and in a 
 few days after we sold to the agent of an English mining 
 company my share of the mules, namely fifty-seven in num- 
 ber, at $50 each, and after collecting the freight on the horses 
 and other little articles brought down from A^alparaiso to this 
 place, found that it amounted to about $3,500. 
 
 We soon had the ship cleaned and fresh painted, and ready 
 for Captain Hepburn to resume his command, but he was so 
 long detained in Arica, that I was finally obliged to proceed 
 down the coast to Guayaquil, and there wait his arrival. He 
 was detained in Arica collecting my funds much longer than 
 
 I had anticipated. I found here, waiting my arrival, Mr. , 
 
 whom I was very happy to take by the hand again ; he was a 
 kind friend, and at all times very useful to me. 
 
 I will here waive the subject of commercial affairs for a 
 time, and relate what I heard on the subject of the capitula- 
 tion of the castles at Callao by General Rodil, which hap- 
 pened on the 22d of January, 1826, after a close siege of 
 eighteen months' duration. Rodil held out until nearly all the 
 civilians and a large portion of his soldiers were starved to 
 death : his provisions spoiled and exhausted, and when driven 
 to the necessity of a capitulation, he would not treat with 
 the Peruvians, except through the medium of a third power. 
 He openly avowed he had no confidence in the word or honor 
 of his enemy, and finally agreed upon terms of capitulation 
 with the commissioners of the Peruvian govenmient on the 
 quarter-deck of the English frigate Breton, commanded by Sir 
 Murray Maxwell. He would not surrender himself and his 
 officers into the hands of the Peruvians, and thus himself and 
 his officers went directly from the castles to the frigate, and, I 
 16
 
 242 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 believe, were taken from Callao to Valparaiso, and from thence 
 to Spain in British ships of war. All the articles of the capitu- 
 lation, I was told, were guaranteed by Sir Murray Maxwell, 
 the belligerent parties having no confidence in 'each other. 
 
 I was also informed by an eye-witness who visited the cas- 
 tles and town of Callao the day after the surrender, that it was 
 an appalling sight to behold. The dead and the dying were 
 lying about, and large numbers of the former were found un- 
 buried ; and for fear of engendering disease they were obliged 
 to cleanse the town, and purify the air by burning tar and 
 other combustible matter for several days. Notwithstanding I 
 did not arrive at Callao until nearly two months after the sur- 
 render of the town, and castles, the stench from the land, 
 when the wind blew from that quarter, was so offensive, that 
 I was obliged to unmoor our ship and remove farther from the • 
 shore. 
 
 The dead were thrown into large vaults and pits along the 
 shore, and were, in truth, not half buried. It was a most dis- 
 gusting sight to witness the effects of savage warfare, for, in 
 truth, it deserves no better name. 
 
 These revolting scenes prove how soon men become har- 
 dened and brutalized by the dreadful scourge of war. Men 
 may call it honorable warfare, and talk of covering themselves 
 with glory, and make fine speeches in its praise, still I fear, in 
 the eye of God, it will be viewed but as murder on a great 
 scale. 
 
 I continued to sell, in the best way I could, all the articles 
 of merchandise I had remaining of my outward cargo, even at 
 very low prices ; the market at this time being overstocked 
 with almost every kind of manufactured goods, particularly 
 German linens and British calicoes. 
 
 I also continued to collect all my specie funds and deposit 
 them on board the American ships of war lying in port, namely 
 the U. S. frigate "United States," Captain Hull, and the sloop- 
 of-war "Peacock," Captain Jones, and was now anxiously 
 waiting letters from mv owners from home, relative to the
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 243 
 
 future destination of the Governor Clinton, whether we should 
 proceed with the ship to Manilla and Canton, and purchase a 
 cargo of India goods for New- York, or remit home a large por- 
 tion of my funds, and only retain sufficient money to purchase 
 a cargo of cocoa at Guayaquil, for Europe or the United 
 States. 
 
 Not long after this I received letters from my employers, 
 advising that the prospect of proceeding to Canton for a China 
 cargo was not good, and on the whole they appeared to think 
 it best for me to go with tlie ship to Guayaquil and purchase a 
 cargo of cocoa (for their account), and proceed to Gibraltar. 
 
 At this time there had been a great many failures in 
 Europe and the United States, which made me fearful of pur- 
 chasing private bills of exchange, and as I was unable to pro- 
 cure bills on the United States government for any considera- 
 ble amount, I was obliged to ship specie dollars. I accordingly 
 agreed on the 24th of April to ship on board the ship " Georgia 
 Packet," of Philadelphia, Captain Charles Erwin, fifty thou- 
 sand dollars, at a freight of 1^ per cent., to be delivered at 
 Philadelphia ; and in order to facilitate this shipment, Captain 
 Jones consented to go out of the port of Callao with the Pea- 
 cock, and deliver my money to the Georgia Packet, outside of 
 the Island of San Lorenzo, and then convoy her to sea. 
 After every thing was arranged, the two ships got under way 
 together, on the 27th of April, and stood out of the port of 
 Callao before night ; an arrangement was made by all the 
 parties concerned, that the two ships should stand off and on 
 all night, and at daylight the fifty thousand dollars should be 
 transhipped from the Peacock to the Georgia Packet ; the two 
 commanders having agreed upon the manner of standing off 
 and on. I believe the regulation was that the Packet should 
 keep under the lee-beam or lee-quarter of the Peacock, and 
 tack during the night, whenever the sloop-of-war should make 
 a signal for that purpose. This signal was to be the hoisting 
 of a lantern at the mizzen-gaft end. After these preliminaries 
 were settled, I retired to my berth on board the Packet, and, as
 
 244 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 it was a fine starlight night, and only |^blowing a moderate 
 breeze from the S. E., I congratulated myself upon the pros- 
 pect of getting a good night's rest, and be ready to proceed to 
 business at daylight in the morning. But, on this head, I was 
 sadly disappointed ; for I had not retired long before I heard a 
 terrible noise overhead. I immediately came on deck, and 
 found the two ships foul of each other. I believe the jib-boom 
 of the Packet had passed over the forecastle of the Peacock, 
 and thus placed the bowsprit of the Packet in great danger of 
 being carried away. Although the night was fine, there was 
 a rolling swell on, and our little ship was in a very unpleasant 
 position. Our sails were immediately braced aback, and Cap- 
 tain Jones, with great presence of mind, ordered one of his 
 officers to take twenty men and bear oft' the Packet, and clear 
 the ships of each other. There was no noise or confusion on 
 board the Peacock, and I could now and then hear the voices 
 of Captain Jones and the officer of the deck directing the men 
 how to disengage the two ships. In a short time the Packet 
 was shoved clear of the sloop-of-war, but not until the bow- 
 sprit of the Packet was carried away, together with some 
 trifling damage about her bows. 
 
 The accident happened at about half past ten in the eve- 
 ning. Lieutenant , had charge of the deck, on board of 
 
 the Peacock, and the mate of the Packet had charge of the 
 deck on board that ship. I believe the captains of both ships 
 were below, and consequently had no hand in getting foul of 
 each other. I was a passenger on board the Packet, and of 
 course had no responsibility in the unfortunate affair, neither 
 do 1 know who was most to blame ; whether the lieutenant of 
 the ship of war or the mate of the Packet, There was doubt- 
 less bad management between them, and I will make no other 
 reflections on the subject. I have, as I think, stated impar- 
 tially all the facts of the case, and hope, if it should ever 
 meet the eye of a young oflicer in charge of a ship placed 
 in like circumstances, he will strive to avoid collision with 
 other ships, which is at all times dangerous, and sometimes 
 proves fatal to both parties.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 245 
 
 After the accident we gave up all hope of transhipping 
 the specie, and having cleared away the wreck, both ships 
 made the best of their way into Callao again. This acci- 
 dent caused a delay of about eight or ten days, to get a new 
 bowsprit for the Packet, repair damages, etc. And it was 
 not until the 7lh of May, that we were enabled to go out- 
 side the port again and tranship the specie, which ^was at 
 length accomplished without any further accident. 
 
 ] subsequently learned that after an ordinary passage, 
 the Georgia Packet arrived at Philadelphia, and that the 
 fifty thousand dollars were safely delivered to my owners. 
 In these troublesome revolutionary times, it was a great re- 
 lief to my mind, to have remitted so large a portion of my 
 funds to my employers, as it lessened my responsibility in 
 the management of so large an amount of property com- 
 mitted to my care. On the 24th of April, I received a letter 
 from Captain Hepburn, dated Arica, the 9tli of that month, 
 informing me that he found it difficult to collect the funds 
 due at that place, and that he feared he should be detained 
 two or three weeks longer, before he should be able to re- 
 alize them. 
 
 Previous to leaving Lima, I wrote to two of the prin- 
 cipal commercial houses of Guayaquil, authorizing them each 
 to purchase for my account in that city 3000 cargas of cocoa, 
 making together GOOO of eighty-one pounds each, if they could 
 be purchased within a certain limit. Guayaquil, like all other 
 places that have a limited market, is easily afiected by the ap- 
 pearance of several purchasers ; therefore it is always best for 
 those who wish to procure a cargo of cocoa, to purchase the 
 hulk of it in a silent way before the ship makes her appear- 
 ance, otherwise the sellers will hold on for high prices, and 
 perhaps defeat the object of the voyage. I required something 
 over 8000 cargas for a full load, but now having secured GOOO. 
 from my knowledge of the place I knew I should find no dif- 
 ficulty in procuring the remainder at the same rate, or even at 
 a lower price. After having sold all the goods I could dispose
 
 246 VOYAGE IN" THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 of to any advantage, and procured what freight I could collect 
 for the leeward ports, I concluded to proceed with the Governor 
 Clinton, and let Captain Hepburn join the ship at Guayaquil. 
 Having on a former voyage, in the Sea-Serpent, given a 
 sketch of Callao and Lima, I deem it unnecessary to say any 
 more on that subject at this time, and will only make a few 
 remarks on the robberies committed on the Callao road. In 
 the midst of war and revolution in this distracted country, 
 there were many lesser evils at this period to contend with. 
 Peaceful citizens were in great danger while travelling through 
 this part of the country. Even on the high road between 
 Lima and Callao, robberies were committed almost weekly. 
 
 One day I was travelling in company with Mr. Fanning, 
 of Lambayeque, from Callao to Lima, and when about mid- 
 way we met with a young German gentleman, an assistant 
 supercargo belonging to a Baltimore ship. He was from Lima 
 on his way to Callao, and had just been robbed. Being 
 mounted on a fine horse and very genteelly dressed, he was 
 accosted by three ruffians, who knocked him down, and after 
 beating him terribly, stole his horse, watch, coat and money, 
 and left him bleeding and almost naked. A few moments af- 
 ter the robbers left him, Mr. F. and myself found him in this 
 deplorable condition ; we assisted him to return to the half-way 
 house on the road, where his wounds were bound up and he 
 was soon taken to Lima. Several other robberies were com- 
 mitted about this time, so that it became absolutely necessary 
 lor two or three persons, well armed, to travel in company''. 
 These dastardly rascals rarely attacked a well-armed, resolute 
 man, but would generally wait for an easy prey to pounce 
 upon. 
 
 While I was here on a former voyage, the Callao road was 
 badly infested with these vile robbers, and in some instances, 
 even nnn-der had been committed. These scoundrels went 
 unpunished so long, that they robbed with impunity. Fortu- 
 nately for the peaceable part of the community. General Mil- 
 ler, an Englishman, belonging to the Peruvian army, happened
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 247 
 
 to be in Lima, and was placed at the head of the military gov- 
 ernment of the city, and when made acquainted widi the acts 
 of these wretches, determined to make an example of some of 
 them as soon as possible. Not long after this, one of these 
 fellows, who, it was said, had committed many robberies and 
 one murder, was taken and brought to Lima ; but it so hap- 
 pened that the miscreant contrived to get loose from his cap- 
 tors, and immediately ran into one of the churches, and tliere 
 kneeling at the altar, claimed the protection of the priests ; but 
 his manoeuvre, however, availed him nothing, for General Miller 
 forthwith sent a guard of soldiers and dragged the villain from 
 the altar, tried him by a court martial, and had him shot the 
 next morning. This example soon put a stop to the crimes on 
 this road. 
 
 When this country belonged to old Spain, robbers and 
 murderers, if pursued, would escape to some church and claim 
 protection from the priest, and. as the ecclesiastical power was 
 above the civil or military, they were generally acquitted after 
 doing penance, and performing other rigid religious ceremo- 
 nies. 
 
 And now, after having made every necessary arrangement, 
 we left Callao on the 20th of May, bound for Lambayeque ; 
 we sailed in the morning, and during the forepart of the day 
 had light and variable winds, but soon after noon took the reg- 
 ular S. E. trade, and steered to the northward, along shore. 
 Lambayeque is rather a blind port. The town lies some four 
 or five miles from the shore, and cannot be seen from the ship. 
 At the landing, there are only a few small store-houses, or 
 fanchos, which makes this place very difficult for a stranger to 
 find. Along this coast the towns generally lie back from the 
 sea-shore, from six to twelve miles ; and, as there are no pilots 
 except at Guayaquil, it is highly necessary to ascertain the 
 latitude of the place you wish to find, and be governed accord- 
 ingly. 
 
 For fear of running by our port, we were obliged to keep 
 close in shore, and take the hazard of being detained by light
 
 248 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 winds and calms, which often prevail near the land ; when at 
 a little distance oflf shore, the fresh sea breeze continues to 
 blow the whole twenty-four hours. Being therefore obliged 
 to keep close in, we continued to have light winds and calm 
 weather for several days. We, however, had remarkably 
 pleasant weather, and although we made but slow progress on 
 our course, it was agreeable to run along the land in this very 
 mild and gentle sea, where there are no violent gales or storms 
 to hazard life or limb, and where it is rarely necessary to reef 
 a sail ; and should a ship be lost or stranded on this coast, it 
 must occur from carelessness or gross stupidity. 
 
 The land near the sea-shore is generally low, sandy, and 
 barren ; but after advancing a few miles into the interior, it 
 gradually rises from hills to mountains, often towering far 
 above the clouds. On a fine morning, it is a beautiful sight to 
 gaze on these cloud-capped peaks, and witness the change 
 these lofty scenes present. Sometimes they are entirely ob- 
 scured by mist, and then break out clear and free from clouds, 
 and stand aloft, stupendous and sublime. On the 27th of 
 May, in the morning, seven days from Callao, we found our- 
 selves off the town of Eton, and not knowing precisely where 
 we were, I brought the siiip to anchor, near a little bay, in ten 
 fathoms of water, about a mile from the shore, with the view 
 of ascertaining our position, and also to inquire for the an- 
 chorage of Lambayeque, We set our ensign, in hopes some 
 boat would come and give 'us the desired information: but 
 all in vain ; no one came, though we could plainly see with 
 our glasses a few Indians on shore; still no movement was 
 made, and after waiting an hour or two, 1 decided to land in 
 our own boat. For that ])urposc manned two, the jolly-boat 
 and pinnace. The first, with four young men, volunteers, and 
 the latter prepared to anchor just outside the surf, so that in 
 cas9 any accident should befall the jolly-boat, the other would 
 be at hand to save myself and crew from drowning among 
 the breakers. It was a fine, calm morning, but still there was 
 an awful surf rolling on the beach, which was exposed to the 
 whole rake of the broad Pacific, without any thing to protect
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 249 
 
 or break its violence. Thus equipped, we pulled into the little 
 bay, and anchored the pinnace just outside the breakers, and 
 calmly looked on the scene of action. I then addressed the 
 boat's crew, and told them, that if any one feared the result 
 of landing, to express it openly, and that I would not insist on 
 their going, if they were afraid of the consequences. The 
 answer was unanimous, that they were not afraid lo go where 
 their captain was disposed to lead them. I now arranged 
 with the officer in charge of the anchored boat, to wait the re- 
 turn of the jolly-boat, and then proceed to the ship together, 
 with directions to the chief mate of the Governor Clinton, to 
 wait further orders from mc, before he got the ship underway 
 agahi ; and after having settled the preliminaries, I waited a 
 smooth time and pulled away for the shore. I steered the boat 
 with an oar, and fortunately she flew like an arrow over the 
 foaming surf, without broaching to, and in a few minutes we 
 were safely landed on a dry sand beach. I left one man with 
 the boat, and took the other three with me in search of the town, 
 which was located about a mile from the beach, over a sandy 
 desert. On our way to the village, we saw several Indians, 
 but they all fled as we approached them. The cause, I after- 
 wards learned, was the fear of being impressed, and taken 
 forcibly away, as they doubtless took us for a Peruvian ship- 
 of-war. We soon reached the village, and found it was called 
 Eton, some twelve or fifteen miles to the southward of Lam- 
 bayeque. 
 
 After a little conversation with the curate and the alcalde, 
 I returned to the beach, and waited about an hour for the surf 
 to run down a little, when I dispatched the boat for the ship, 
 retaining a favorite sailor, by the name of Brown, to accom- 
 pany me as a sort of aid and humble companion, to ascertain 
 how the land lay, and whether I could carry on any trade 
 with the inhabitants of Eton. I staid on the shore imtil I 
 saw both boats safe alongside of the ship, and then, with my 
 faithful attendant, returned to the Indian village, where we 
 received a hearty welcome from the cura, alcaUle, and all the 
 principal men and women of this little town. They all
 
 250 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERXOR CLINTON. 
 
 crowded round us, with great apparent delight and curiosity ; 
 the women, particularly, examined our clothing, and seemed 
 anxious to see how they were cut, and scrutinized the sewing 
 with the most intense curiosity. The cura occupied a house 
 adjoining the church, and said, if I had any articles of mer- 
 chandise, contraband or not contraband, that he would give 
 me every facility in his power. He said he would deposit 
 them in a secret room in the church, where they would be 
 safe and sacred, as nobody had access to that part of it but 
 himself; that he was the only white man in the village; and 
 that the people were simple, honest, and ignorant ; that 
 through their confiding ignorance and superstition, he gov- 
 erned them with perfect ease, and always kept them quiet and 
 peaceable ; that if I could dispose of any thing to advantage, 
 he should be satisfied with Avhatever compensation I should 
 think proper to give him. He treated me with chocolate, 
 bread, aud dulces, sweetmeats, etc., and then led me all over 
 the town. I soon learned from the alcalde and the principal 
 shopkeepers, that I could dispose of but very few articles, and 
 the difficulty of landing was so great, that I resolved to 
 abandon the idea of trading with them. 
 
 I then wrote the following note to the chief mate, and 
 agreed with an Indian, through the alcalde, to take it on board 
 the ship, and return with another from him. 
 
 To L. B. Griswold, Chief Mate of the Governor Clinton : 
 
 Sir, — 1 find this place is not Lambayeque, but an Indian 
 village called Eton, about twelve or fifteen miles to the south- 
 ward of our port. You will, therefore, on the reception of this 
 note, please get the ship under way, and make the best of your 
 way to our place of destination. I will retain Brown with 
 me, and shall leave here to-morrow morning, on horseback, 
 for Lambayeque. 
 
 Wishing you a safe and speedy passage, 
 
 I remain your friend and obed't scrv't, 
 
 GEORGE COGGESHALL. 
 Eton, Friday, May 27ih.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON, 251 
 
 In a few minutes the liulian fastened the note in his hiiir, 
 and swam off through the surf to the ship; and in al)out an 
 hour, this amj)hihious animal returned with the following 
 note from the chief mate of the Governor Clinton (for this 
 service I think I paid the Indian one dollar). 
 
 Ship Governor Clinton, off Eton, May lllh, 182G. 
 
 Captain George Coggeshall : 
 
 Sir, — I have just received your note hy an Indian, and 
 will obey your order without delay. I can now see two brigs 
 at anchor, bearing from us about N. W. by N., 10 or 12 miles 
 distant, which I suppose is the port we are looking after. 
 I remain. 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 L. B. GRISWOLD. 
 
 I had now decided to remain at Eton during the remainder 
 of this day, and after a night's rest, take horses and start at 
 daylight to-morrow morning for Lambayeque. The Indian 
 village of Eton lies in G° 56' south latitude ; longitude 79° 
 49' west, and about fifteen miles by land from Lambayeque. 
 It is situated about a mile from the sea-shore, on a plain, and 
 I should judge contains about a thousand or twelve hundred 
 souls — all Indians, except the cura. They generally speak 
 Spanish, though they all understand and often converse in 
 the original Peruvian language. They are a good-looking 
 race of Indians, of a light copper-color, and some of tiie fe- 
 males are handsome. The women mostly dress in long flow- 
 ing robes of blue cotton cloth, made by themselves. The men 
 wear short jackets and trowsers, of different colors — some of 
 their own making, and others of foreign stuffs, bought in Lam- 
 bayeque. They weave cotton and woollen ponchos, and other 
 articles of dress, of bright colors — many of which are very in- 
 genious and pretty. They seem to be a harmless, docile race.
 
 252 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERXOR CLINTON. 
 
 and have none of the haughty bearing of the North American 
 Indians. Their rehgion is all deriv^ed from the Roman Catho- 
 hc priests, and of course abounds in forms and ceremonies. 
 They are credulous to the last degree ; believe all they are 
 taught by the cura ; will recount many miracles that have 
 been performed by sundry saints ; and believe that their village 
 is under the special protection of the Virgin Mary, whom they 
 term the " Mother of God." 
 
 There is rather a pretty church in the village, and, I should 
 think, about two hundred houses — the most of which are one 
 story high, and are built of sun-burnt brick, with thatched 
 roofs. They have also a small chapel, built near the sea- 
 shore where we landed. This church, I was told, was built 
 in commemoration of some pious saint, who, by his prayers, 
 saved the lives of the crew of a small vessel that was stranded 
 near the spot where it stands. The cura told me, that once 
 a year all the inhabitants of the town marched in solemn 
 procession to this little edifice, to offer their prayers to its 
 patron saint, and also to thank the Holy Virgin for her kind 
 protection during the last year. During the evening of my 
 sojourn here there was a great procession formed, and marched 
 about the streets with rude music, both vocal and instru- 
 mental ; and after this ceremony had been performed, they 
 entered the churchy listened to the prayers, and received the 
 blessing of the cura, and then retired quietly to their respective 
 homes, apparently pleased and happy. 
 
 They had at Eton a tolerable market, which was pretty 
 well supplied with beef, mutton, poultry and fruit, and at very 
 reasonable prices. Brown and myself ate and lodged with 
 the alcalde, and fared very well. His charges for our food 
 and lodgings were reasonable. I arranged with him, to furnish 
 me with two horses, and a man, also mounted, to serve as a 
 guide to Lambayeque, and to take back the horses. We pro- 
 vided ourselves with provisions before starting, as I understood 
 we could get nothing on the road. For the guide and the 
 horses, 1 agreed to pay Seiior Alcalde six dollars : and after
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 253 
 
 making sundry presents to niy^ friend the pudre, \vc started at 
 six o'clock the next morning, May twenty-eighth, lor the city 
 of Lambayeque, and bade adieu for ever to Eton. 
 
 We travelled at a moderate rate over a very irregular road, 
 sometimes nnal and pleasant, at others, rough and barren, 
 with now and then a few ranchos and some patches of cul- 
 tivation, but no regular carriage road. Our guide was a mer- 
 ry social fellow, and amused inc by relating in detail, many 
 wonderful miracles that had been wrought hy various saints 
 in and about Eton, at diflerent periods. One among others, 
 I recollect, was, that the Virgin Mary, in company with an 
 Angel, descended one night at a certain place near their vil- 
 lage, and ever since they set their feet upon the ground that 
 spot has a hollow vibrating sound, and has since been con- 
 secrated hy their saint-like cura, and is now considered as a 
 holy place. 
 
 I heard him relate these miracles, which he appeared to 
 think were as true as Holy Writ. When at length 1 asked 
 him whether he was foolish enough to believe such absurd 
 stories, which I assured him had not a shadow of truth in 
 them, and were only got up to deceive him and his credulous 
 countrymen, the poor fellow was terribly shocked at my in- 
 credulity, and began to cross himself in a most serious and 
 devout manner, and his countenance seemed to say, " Oh 
 God, deliver me from this unbelieving heretic!" After this, 
 we rode on for some fifteen or twenty minutes in perfect 
 silence. We were about three hours on the road, and arrived 
 at Lambayeque at nine o'clock, after rather a pleasant ride; 
 the weather was fine, and there is always much to admire in 
 wild and loaiantic scenery. 
 
 I had a letter of introduction to an American gentleman, 
 who was the principal merchant residing in this town. He 
 was a most worthy man, and received me in a kind, friendly 
 manner ; he made me feel quite at home in his hos[)itable 
 mansion. John J. Fanning was a native of Mystic, near 
 Stonington, Connecticut, and had been absent from his home
 
 254 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 and country about twenty years ; here he married a respect- 
 ble young lady, a native of this place, where he had been 
 residing for the last fifteen years, with the exception of now 
 and then making a voyage to Lima and other places along 
 the Peruvian coast. He had a family of six children, and 
 was one of the richest and most influential men in Lamba- 
 yeque. He had been in this country so long that he had for- 
 gotten a great deal of his own language, and spoke English 
 with the Spanish accent, and appeared more like a Peruvian 
 than a native of Connecticut. He was a man of strong mind, 
 open-hearted and generous to a fault ; and although he had 
 been so many years absent from the United States, he ap- 
 peared to have lost nothing of his patriotism. He was 
 always delighted to meet his countrymen, and loved to dwell on 
 the growth, prosperity and power of his beloved country. His 
 wife and children spoke not a word of English, but whenever 
 Mr. F. introduced an American to them, Mrs. Fanning and 
 her children seemed to have a kindred feeling for the country- 
 men of the husband and father. 
 
 The weather had been pleasant for the last two days, but 
 the winds so light and baffling, that the Governor Clinton did 
 not get to the anchorage at Lambayeque until the thirty-first 
 of May, four days after I left her off Eton. 
 
 Although Lambayeque was a place of some importance 
 in a commercial point of view, still there was not a comfort- 
 able hotel in the town. This circumstance induced Mr. Fan- 
 ning to hire a house, and establish a Swedish sailor, by the 
 name of Joseph Menich, to take charge of this establishment, 
 that strangers coming to this place should be made more com- 
 fortable ; and it was at this house that myself and my assist- 
 ant supercargo took up our abode. We soon became ac 
 quainted with the leading families in this place, so that after 
 the labor of the day was over, we could spend our evenings 
 m the society of several agreeable families. 
 
 On the 2d of June, I agreed with Mr. Fanning to land sev- 
 eral bales of German platillas, ten boxes of hyson tea, sundry
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 255 
 
 trunks of printed calicoes, fifty boxes of claret wine, and many 
 other articles of merchandise, and leave them in his hands to 
 dispose of on commission, for account of the owners of the 
 Governor Clinton ; and that I would return here after I had 
 purchased a cargo of cocoa at Guayaquil on my way up the 
 coast, before my fmal departure from this country for Gibral- 
 tar. 
 
 Fortunately the weather continued mild and fair for several 
 days, and we landed all our goods in safety ; using the balsas 
 which are owned and manned by the Indian watermen who 
 reside near the sea-shore, and are very expert in the manage- 
 ment of these buoyant floating craft. Without the aid of these 
 balsas, there could be little or no communication with the 
 shore on this part of the Peruvian coast, where there are no 
 harbors for several hundred miles ; and thus all the goods that 
 are landed or shipped from this part of the coast, are transport- 
 ed by the Indians on balsas. They are made in the following 
 manner: by placing eight or ten large pieces of very light 
 buoyant wood, say about the size of a barrel, parallel with each 
 other, tightly bound and secured together, then cross-pieces of 
 smaller logs are laid amidships, when a platform is erected of 
 boards, over which are spread dry mats, and then a mast and 
 sail to conform to the size of the balsa. They float very 
 lightly and high out of the water, and are capable of carrying 
 large cargoes. They are made large or small according to the 
 taste or desire of those who make them. Thus constructed 
 and equipped, they ply up and down the coast to most of the 
 neighboring towns and villages lying along the sea-shore in 
 this part of Peru. They are admirably adapted to landing 
 and going off through the surf, where no other boat could live 
 or be safe under like circumstances. While here I went on 
 board one of these balsas, which was about sailing on a fish- 
 ing expedition to the Lobos Islands. They expected to be 
 absent about a week or ten days. These islands are two in 
 number, are uninhabited, but abound in fish. They lie very 
 near the coast, in latitude 6° 58' south, and longitude 80^ 4^
 
 256 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 west. All the stores I saw prepared for the voyage, were a 
 httle sah, a few bags of parched corn, and a barrel of wa- 
 ter ; with a crew of eight or ten men. They appeared to be 
 quite happy, and anticipated a profitable voyage, by returning 
 with a cargo of pickled and dried fish. 
 
 I think these frail floating vessels fairly illustrate the uni- 
 form mildness of this fine climate, where for several hundred 
 miles in extent, the sea can be navigated in open boats and 
 floating rafts with perfect safety.* Here are no gales to alarm 
 tlie mariner, or render it necessary for him to watch the clouds 
 or observe the symptoms of the coming storm ; and I repeat 
 that there never was a sea more appropriately named than this 
 Pacific. 
 
 I find no mention made, or notice taken, in any book with- 
 in my reach, of Lambayeque, and have nothing to refer to on 
 the subject. 1 will, however, here attempt to give a slight 
 sketch of the place, extracted from my journal. This town 
 lies in latitude 6° 40' S., longitude 79° 50' W. of London, 
 and is located on a plain, about six miles from the sea, and 
 probably contains about ten or twelve thousand inhabitants, a 
 large portion of whom are Indians, and a mixture of the 
 Spanish race with the original Peruvians, with an occasional 
 crossing by the African breed; here one meets with all the 
 intermediate shades of the white and black races. 
 
 The public buildings are small and insignificant, except 
 the principal church, or cathedral. This is large, and has a 
 tower snfliciently high to overlook tlio adjacent country, and 
 the shi|ii)ing lying at anchor in the roadstead. To this tower 
 I used often to repair, with a spy-glass, to 'observe the ships- 
 lying at anchor, or standing off and on the lan.ding-place. I 
 believe there are one or two other little churches, of not much 
 nolo. The inlial)itants of Lambayeque are all Roman Catho- 
 lics, and a great niajority of them are extremely ignorant and 
 
 * Tf nskc'd liow tliese buoyant rafts can beat to windward, I answer by 
 inserthijr pieces of l)oard3 down between tlic logs to act as a keel.
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 257 
 
 SLiperstilious, bclieviiiir in all sorts of miracles and absurdi- 
 ties. For example, I once met a grand procession in the 
 streets, Ibllowing three innnense wax figures some six or 
 eight feet high, dressed in long, loose robes, and mounted 
 upon the heads of three stout negroes, in such a manner 
 that their feet only could be seen. The first one represent- 
 ed an old man with a gray head ; the second, a person 
 much younger; and the third was intended to represent a 
 person somewhere between the other two. These grotesque 
 figures were immediately followed by a Padre, and a large 
 number of people, generally of the lower classes. In the 
 train they had also various kinds of rude music, such as 
 drums, fifes, fiddles, tambourines, etc., all playing and sing- 
 ing about the streets. This ceremony lasted perhaps two 
 hours, when the whole cortege marched to the cathedral, 
 where the images were deposited, and the assembly dismissed. 
 I was standing in the street, with a friend, near where the 
 procession passed, when the following dialogue took place, be-- 
 tween an inhabitant of the town and myself, thus: "My 
 friend, can you tell me what those large images mean to re- 
 present ?*' when he answered wnth much apparent surprise, 
 " Si, Scilor, Aquellas representan, El Padre, el Hijo y, el Espi- 
 ritu Santo ;" and at the same time gave me a look, which 
 seemed to say, Oh ! how I pity your profound ignorance ! 
 
 They have here a tolerable market for the ordinary 
 necessaries of life ; beef, mutton, and poultry, are pretty good. 
 I ought, however, to qualify tiieso remarks, and observe that 
 in all warm countries and in low latitudes generally, beef is 
 not very good, so I found it in this place : though it was but 
 indifierent, the mutton and poultry were excellent, and not 
 very dear. The prices 1 paid for the supplies of our ship,, 
 were as follows : — for beef, five to six cents per pound ; sheep^ 
 three dollars each ; fowls, one dollar a pair; rice, three and a 
 half cents per pound ; sweet potatoes, fruit and vegetables 
 generally, abundant and clieaj). They have })lenty of Indian 
 17
 
 258 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 corn, but no wheat, except what is brought from Cliih and 
 other countries. 
 
 Many of the houses of the richer classes are well built 
 and comfortable : those of the poor, are but one story high, 
 and built of sun-burnt brick. The gardens and grounds in 
 the southern and eastern vicinity of the city, are pleasant and 
 tolerably well cultivated ; but the land between the town and 
 the sea-shore, is but a wide space of barren sand. 
 
 There is considerable commerce carried on at this place, 
 notwithstanding it has no harbor for shipping. There was 
 here one English brig, one Peruvian schooner, and our ship, 
 the Governor Clinton. They have but little to export save the 
 precious metals, and these consist principally of crude silver, 
 called in the Spanish language, plata-pina. They sometimes 
 export a few ox-hides, goat-skins, and some other articles ; but 
 the whole of these exports amount to very little compared 
 with what they import, or rather what is brought to them from 
 England, France, and the United States of North America ; 
 consequently it follows that this country must continue poor so 
 long as they manufacture little or nothing for themselves, and 
 have to purchase every thing with the produce of their gold 
 and silver mines. In fine, they do not wait long enough to 
 have it coined, but dispose of it in its crude state ; it is cast in 
 all manner of shapes, in pieces from the size of a man's list to 
 that of a seven pound sugar loaf. 
 
 After landing all the merchandise intended for this port, 
 and getting on board a few casks of water, and a supply of 
 fresh provisions, fruit and vegetables, we got ready for sea ; 
 but before sailing, I made an arrangement with my friend and 
 fellow-countryman, I'\vnning, to purchase for my account a 
 considerable quantity of plata-pina, if to be obtained at a cer- 
 J^^ain limit. 
 
 On the morning of the 4th of June I took leave of my 
 friends in Lamljayeque, repaired immediately on board the 
 Governor Clinton, and got under way, bound to Payta, The 
 win', was light during the morning, but in the afternoon the
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERXOR CLINTON. 259 
 
 regular sea breeze sprung up, when we proceeded rapidly on 
 our course before the wind along shore, towards our destined 
 port. We had a fine fresh breeze during the night, and at 
 daylight in the morning found ourselves near Point de Payta, 
 and being quite familiar with the bay and harbor, we hauled 
 close in with the point, steered up the bay and came to an- 
 chor on the 5th of June, directly opposite the town, in ten 
 fathoms of water. 
 
 For a description of the bay, harbor and town, I beg leave 
 to refer the reader to my former voyage in the brig Dick, in 
 August, 1822. 
 
 On my arrival here I employed Don Francisco Tabara to 
 assist me in my business. He is a native of this place, and is 
 one of the richest and most influential merchants belonging to 
 Payta, and to this gentleman I sold goods to a very considera- 
 ble amount, and agreed to receive my pay in Peruvian bark, it 
 being at this time diff^icult to obtain cash for articles which 
 were not in immediate demand. Four days after my arrival, 
 the United States ship Peacock, Captain Thomas Ap Catesby 
 Jones, arrived here from Lima, and being unable to obtain 
 what supplies she required, lay here but one day, and then 
 made sail for Guayaquil. I, however, continued to retail 
 what goods I could for cash, and such as were not adapted to 
 this market to take to Guayaquil ; still I had simdry articles of 
 merchandise which I judged advisable to leave in the hands of 
 Don F. Tabara, to dispose of for account of my owners ; and 
 among other things, left with him fifty barrels of beef and 
 pork to dispose of during my absence. I agreed with 3Ir. T. 
 to return here from (Juayaquil, after I had taken on board a 
 cargo of cocoa, and receive the bark and specie which he 
 promised to have ready on my return. After lying in this port 
 just one week, we made sail for Guayaquil on the 12tli of June, 
 at four o'clock in the afternoon, with a fresh S. E. trade wind, 
 and steered down along shore towards Cape Blanco. When 
 near this cape, we found it necessary to hand our top-gallant 
 sails and single-reef the topsails. This is a very conspicuous
 
 260 VOYAGE IX THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 point, and a very remarkable place for strong breezes. It is a 
 common saying among seamen in this part of the world, that 
 it is impossible to pass this cape without meeting with strong 
 gales, which almost always render it necessary to hand all 
 light sails, and reef topsails. Cape Blanco lies in latitude 4° 
 19' south, and 81° 6' Avest. The next day, June 13th, after 
 passing this cape, the wind moderated and the weather was 
 fine. We saw the land about Point Los Picos, bearing S. E., 
 about four or five leagues distant. Latitude, by observation at 
 noon, 3° 35' south. 
 
 The next day, June 14th, the wind was light from the 
 southward, with fine pleasant weather, the land in sight all 
 along shore. At four in the afternoon passed near the mouth 
 of the River Tumbes, and steered up the bay, with a pleasant 
 breeze from the southwest. At 10 P. M. it fell calm, when 
 we anchored for the night in five fathoms of water. 
 
 June 15th. — Got under way at daylight, with light, bafiiing 
 winds, and stood up the river. At six in the afternoon arrived 
 at the Island of Puna, when we met the ebb-tide and came to 
 anchor for the night in four and a half fathoms of water. 
 Light winds and fair weather. 
 
 Jime 16th. — At 7 A. M. received a river pilot on board, 
 and at 8 A. M. got under way, and stood up the river with a 
 fair wind from the S. W., and clear, pleasant weather. 
 
 At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon wc came to anchor op- 
 posite Guayaquil, in six fathoms of water, after a pleasant 
 passage of four days from Payta. 
 
 On my arrival here, I found the two American houses, 
 Messrs. Wheelright &. Boully, and Messrs. Bartlett & Swett, 
 had purchased all the cocoa I had ordered, say 8,000 cargas, 
 at a price within my limits, and that it was all ready to go on 
 board. But I had still remaining of my outward cargo unsold, 
 about 100 barrels of snlt beef and pork, and a considerable 
 quantity of English and Gorman goods. I, however, lost no 
 time in discharging my ballast, and getting the ship ready to 
 receive the cocoa ; when, to n)y great joy, my efficient friend
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 261 
 
 and former captain, arrived here from Arica via Lima, on 
 the 3d of July, and again took the command of the Governor 
 CHnton. This circumstance reheved my mind very much, 
 and left me at liberty to write to my correspondents at Payta 
 and Lambayeque, requesting them to get every thing in readi- 
 ness, against my return to their respective ports. I also had 
 more leisure to attend to the sale of what goods I had still re- 
 maining. I found lying here, on my arrival, the U. S. ship 
 Peacock, taking in stores, and preparing for a voyage to the 
 Sandwich Islands. There were also several merchant ships 
 of dilferent nations, principally English and Americans. I 
 should think there were about fifteen or twenty sail in port, 
 including seven or eight coasting vessels. I recollect the 
 names of but iwo of the American vessels lying in this port, 
 namely, the brig Phoenix, of Salem, and the brig Nile, Capt. 
 George Newell, of Boston. ^ 
 
 On a former voyage to this place, in the brig Dick, in Au- 
 gust, 1822, I remarked, that floating rafts, or balsas, were used 
 as lighters, for loading and unloading ships at this port, and 
 all the other little places lying on this river. 
 
 On the 1st of July, we commenced taking on board our 
 cargo, in the following manner. The cocoa is all put into 
 sacks and weighed on shore, in the warehouses, and from 
 thence taken on the shoulders of Peons, then put on board of 
 the balsas, floated to the ship, and poured into the ship's hold 
 in bulk. Cocoa loads a ship very deep, and it is not always 
 prudent to fill her entirely. We finished loading on the 17th 
 of July, and had on board 8,600 cargas, each weighing 81 
 pounds. We had also 300 dry ox hides, and a quantity of old 
 copper ; and after taking in sundry ship stores, cleared out 
 and got ready for sea, and on tlie 20th of July, made sail for 
 Payta. Two days after leaving Guayaquil, we got out of 
 the rivei-'s mouth. We came to anchor in that port on the 
 26th of July, after a passage of six days, without meeting with 
 any incident worth recording. 
 
 I found, on my arrival here, that Don Francisco Tabara 
 had disposed of nearly all the goods, and had the avails ready
 
 262 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON, 
 
 to go on board, namely, bark and specie. On the 28th of Ju- 
 ly, I took on board 160 ceroons of Peruvian bark, and after 
 filling up all our water-casks, and receiving a quantity of 
 stores, got ready for sea. 
 
 Having on a former voyage given a sketch of this little place, 
 I will only make a few remarks on its pure air and healthful 
 location. Many of its inhabitants live to a very great age. 
 While I was here, a man died who was said to be 111 years 
 old. I went with Don F. Tabara from curiosity, to see seve- 
 ral old people, that were from 90 to 100 years. Among others, 
 we visited an old man and his wife, the latter was 100 years 
 of age, and the husband probably somewhat older. He ap- 
 peared to retain his mental faculties, and was able to walk 
 about ; he told us he clearly recollected when the town was 
 taken and sacked by the English — or to use his own words,. 
 " Me acuerdo del tiempo quando mi padre me llevo para ver 
 los soldados Ingleses que tomaron esta villa y que estaban 
 vestidos de Colorado." In corroboration of his statement, I 
 find, on referring to Lord Anson's voyages to the Pacific, that 
 in the year 1741, he took this little town, and that, after hav- 
 ing driven away the garrison, he sacked and burnt the place, 
 and the spoils amounted to £30,000 sterling (or say about 
 $150,000), besides jewels and silver plate, to a very large 
 amount. The old man's wife, though not so aged as himself, 
 had lost her memory, and looked very much like an Egyptian 
 mummy. I gave these people a trifling sum of money, with 
 a few bottles of wine, and in return received their blessing, 
 and a thousand thanks for what they termed my liberality. 
 They live extremely simple, retire to rest at nightfall, and rise 
 at daylight. 
 
 On the 30th of July, after staying in this port four days, 
 we made sail for Lambayequc. We stood off to the S. S. W., 
 with a fine fresh S. E. trade wind to get off shore far enough 
 to avoid calms and baffling winds, and were favored with fine, 
 pleasant weather for several days. We continued to beat up 
 against strong breezes, with a considerable Ice current against
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOK CLINTON. 263 
 
 US, and did not arrive at Lumbayeque roads luitil the morning 
 of the 6th of August, after a passage of six days. 
 
 Assoon as wccame to anchor, my friend, Mr. John I. Fanning, 
 
 sent otf a small balsa, and took Mr. and myself on shore, 
 
 where we remained all night. The next day, August 7th, we 
 took horses, and rode to the landing ; the weather being fine, 
 we repaired on board the Governor Clinton, on a balsa, and 
 brought with us all the dollars and doubloons we had on board, 
 to pay for the plata-piila purchased by Mr. F., for account of 
 myself and the owners of the Go\jernor Clinton. This was 
 happily performed without any accident. The next day, Au- 
 gust 8th, Mr. Fanning purchased what plata-piua was needed 
 to complete the amount required by me, together with all ne- 
 cessary sea-stores, such as sheep, poultry, rice, potatoes, and 
 other vegetables. The next day, August 9th, we saw weighed 
 and packed all our plata-piQa. It was put into ten patacas or 
 strong baskets, filled in with small cakes of chancaca, or half- 
 boiled sugar, to confine the piiia, and prevent it from shifting 
 about in the baskets. There were 2,200 marks. This pina 
 cost on shore, eight dollars per mark, exclusive of commissions 
 and shipping charges, and ultimately proved a better remit- 
 tance than either dollars or doubloons. Early in the morning, 
 on the 12th of August, these patacas were placed upon the 
 backs of mules, and after several donkeys were loaded with 
 our live stock, vegetables and other sea-stores, the whole cav- 
 alcade started for the landing-place. We had with us Mr. 
 Fanning, his clerks, and several custom-house officers, but on 
 our arrival at the beach, to our great disappointment, we found 
 the Indians had no balsa ready to transport our treasure on 
 board, consequently we were obliged to put every thing into 
 Mr. Fanning's warehouse, near the shore, and wait for the In- 
 dians to get the balsa ready, which detained us until four 
 o'clock in the afternoon. 
 
 There had been during the day a fresh sea-breeze, which 
 produced considerable surf, that did not exist in the morn- 
 ing, so that all our trouble and difficulty arose from the care-
 
 264 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 less indolence of the Indian watermen — of whom there were 
 three — to sail and manage the balsa ; beside these, there were 
 
 also Mr. , myself, and two sailors belonging to the ship. 
 
 We at length got every thing on board, and made sail to pass 
 through the surf in the ordinffry way. The wind, at the time, 
 was blowing a moderate breeze directly along the shore, so 
 that the sail of the balsa was full, and it moved off apparently 
 very well for two or three minutes, until we met with three 
 heavy seas, which rolled in upon us with such violence, that 
 one of the logs on which the plata-piiia was stowed broke, and 
 one of tlie patacas was washed overboard and entirely lost, 
 with a considerable portion of our sea-stores ; and it was with 
 the greatest difficulty we could keep the whole of our valuable 
 cargo from washing overboard ; and though it might be a 
 severe trial to lose so much property, still I felt, at the mo- 
 ment, that it was nothing in comparison to the loss of life ; for 
 we certainly were in the most imminent danger. We how- 
 ever escaped with a thorough drenching, and felt that we had 
 been providentially preserved. 
 
 After we got through the surf, the sea was smooth, and we 
 sailed off and came to anchor near the ship. Captain Hep- 
 burn soon came to our assistance with the ship's boats, and in 
 a few minutes the balsa was discharged, and every thing 
 taken on board. The pataca that was lost contained 255 
 marks of plata-piiia. 
 
 These Indian watermen are extremely superstitious; for 
 while in our perilous situation among the surf and rolling 
 breakers, they spoke not a word, but made a low hissing 
 sound, and kept perfectly still. 
 
 I will not, however, judge them too harshly ; perhaps they 
 were addressing the Great Spirit ; for although men may wor- 
 ship in different forms, still we find that the different races of 
 the earth almost all acknowledge a Supreme Being. 
 
 After getting our letters and bills of lading ready, which 
 we designed to leave in the hands of Mr. Fanning, I dispatched 
 the balsa on shore ; and at eight o'clock the same evening,
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 265 
 
 August 12th, we got under way, and stood out to sea, bound 
 to Gibraltar, with a fine, fresh southeast trade. We had 
 now left our last port on this coast, after a long and tedious 
 period of more than eleven months, trading up and down on 
 the western coast of Chili, Peru, and Colombia. I arrived at 
 Chorillos on the 28th of August, 1825 ; and it is now nearly 
 twelve months that we have been in this country, and absent 
 from our dear native land nearly sixteen. I feel rejoiced at 
 the idea of leaving the Southern Hemisphere, and in once 
 more pursuing our homeward course, although we have still 
 to make several thousand miles to the southward before we 
 can steer towards our beloved country. It is, nevertheless, the 
 commencement of a homeward-bound passage. It is also 
 true we have to double stormy Cape Horn, and from thence 
 proceed to Europe ; but to us, who have been so long absent, 
 sailing over distant seas, the delay consequent on touching at 
 Gibraltar on our way home, seems but a mere bagatelle ; and 
 the moment the order was given by Captain Hepburn to man 
 the windlass and loose the topsails, to get under way, I sliall 
 never forget with what alacrity the officers and men sprang to 
 their duty : — the yards flew up aloft as if by magic, and in a 
 few moments every sail was spread to the breeze ; joy was de- 
 picted on every countenance ; and I have no doubt that every 
 heart was swelling with gratitude, while dwelling with fond 
 anticipation on a joyful meeting with a father, mother, wife, 
 sister, brother, or some near, beloved friend, far away in the 
 " land of the brave and the home of the free." There is some- 
 thing connected with our home and country that no language 
 can precisely define ; though the feeling, perhaps, is better 
 expressed in the following lines by Sir Walter Scott, than by 
 any thing I could add on the subject : 
 
 " Breathes there a man, with soul so dead, 
 Wlio never to Iiimself hath sakl, 
 This is my own, my nntive land?" 
 
 Those who do not understand the true cluiracter of sea-
 
 266 VOYAGE IN -THE SHIP GOVEKNOR CLINTOX. 
 
 men, judge from their rude and rough exterior, that they are 
 callous and void of feeling. Tliis is a great mistake. Any 
 one thoroughly acquainted with them knows, that beneath the 
 often assumed bluntness of the common sailor, there frequently 
 exists a fine vein of sentimental, unwritten poetry. I have 
 often had occasion to witness the generous qualities of their 
 noble hearts, when they are fairly dealt with and justly 
 treated. They are faithful and constant even to romance, and 
 will follow their leader to death, without flinching. 
 
 I recollect once addressing the officers and crew of the 
 schooner David Porter, when I was about parting with them, 
 off" I'lle Dieu, that many of them were melted to tears ; and I 
 have generally found, that when I appealed to their grati- 
 tude and better judgment, they were easily moved to a sense 
 of duty. 
 
 The above observations I wish to qualify, and of course 
 except individual instances of villany and ingratitude, which 
 exist among sailors as well as among other men. 
 
 The weather was fine during the first watch, from S o'clock 
 till midnight, and no one felt much inclination to sleep. On 
 the quarter-deck, the conversation ran on the length of time 
 we had been on the coast, and the troubles and difficulties we 
 had surmounted ; the joy we all felt at the idea of getting 
 once more clear of the land and fairly started on our return 
 homeward. This idea was so exciting that we felt no incli- 
 nation to sleep. While on the i^Drecastle the sailors were group- 
 ed together singing appropriate old songs in fine glee, such as, 
 
 " Come, loose every sail to the breeze, 
 The course of our vessel improve, 
 I've done with the toils of the seas, 
 Yes, sailors, I'm hound to my love." 
 
 During the night, the anticipated joy of getting home ab- 
 sorbed every other thought, and the dread of doubling Cape 
 Horn never for a moment entered into our minds. To a sea-
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOll CLINTON. 267 
 
 faring man there is something dehghtful in a well-organized 
 and well-regulated ship's company. In a good ship where 
 every man does his duty, beginning with the caplain, every 
 thing goes on like clock-work, and its regularity gives a feel- 
 ing of perfect security, that is only appreciated by those long 
 accustomed to a sea-life. 
 
 The weather continued fine through the night, and we made 
 good progress to the southward and westward. From the day 
 of our sailing, on the ]2ih of August, to the 23d of the same 
 month, we generally had regular S. E. trades and fine, pleas- 
 ant weather, always standing upon the same tack, laying up 
 S. S. W. and falling ofi" to S. W., making, upon an average, 
 about one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty miles 
 per log daily. On the 23d of August, 1826, our latitude at 
 noon, was 26° 40' south ; and our longitude, by an observation 
 of the sun and moon, 95° 22' west. 
 
 After getting up into about the latitude of 28° south, we 
 lost the S. E. trades, and the weather gradually became cooler 
 and more changeable. For the last ten or fifteen days, we 
 have been sailing alone on thp wide ocean. We saw not a 
 sail, neither did any thing occur to break the dull monotony 
 
 of the daily routine of making and taking in sail. Mr. , 
 
 my assistant supercargo, and myself have been employed al- 
 most daily since we left Lambayeque, making out and arrang- 
 ing our accounts, and fortunately for us we have been favored 
 with very fine, pleasant weather ; but as we increase our lati- 
 tude, the weather is daily growing more and more cold and 
 boisterous, so that on the 1st of September, we gave up 
 writing and found it necessary to put on winter clothing, 
 and take a great deal of exercise on deck, not only to 
 promote health but to keep warm, as we had no fire in 
 the cabin. Our captain and his officers and crew have 
 been occupied for several days past getting ready to buf- 
 fet the gales and storms which we expect to encounter olf 
 Cape Horn ; bending new sails, reeving new ropes, sending 
 down pole, and getting up stimip top-gallant-masts, lashing 
 and securing every thing below and aloft, and from time to 
 
 S%^
 
 268 VOYAGE IN" THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLIXTOX. 
 
 time exercising and drilling the crew by reefing and taking in 
 sail, so that when we meet the violent storms and tempests 
 that prevail in these wild regions, we shall not be caught by 
 surprise. Since we left the trade winds, we have been favored 
 with strong breezes from the northward and westward, and 
 have made great progress on our course ; though our ship is 
 almost full of cocoa, bark, and other articles of merchandise, 
 and is rather deeply laden, still she sails fast and works well, 
 and we have anexcellent set of men, all active and willing at 
 all times to do their duty. On Saturday, September 9tli, we 
 were in latitude 58° 13' south ; longitude, by an observation of 
 the sun and moon, 77° 53' west. At noon this day, we were 
 a little over two degrees to the southward, and say ten and a 
 half degrees to the westward of Cape Horn, and thus far 
 have had no severe gales nor any remarkably bad weather, 
 which is a rare circumstance in these high latitudes. 
 
 A degree of longitude where we now are, is only about 
 thirty miles, consequently when we have fresh and fair gales, 
 we make great strides on the chart, so that on Monday, Sep- 
 tember lllh, we had fairly doubled Cape Horn, without meet- 
 ing with the smallest accident. For once in my life, I am hap- 
 py to say, I have passed Cape Horn with a constant succession 
 of fine westerly winds, and without storm or tempest. We 
 stood on our homeward-bound course to the northward and 
 eastward with favorable gales ; and without seeing land or 
 strand, and have seen, I think, but two sail since we leftLam- 
 bayeque. 
 
 On the 17th of September, we found ourselves at noon, in 
 latitude 45° 12' south ; and on that evening at 7h. 44' 44", by 
 an observation of the moon and the star Aquila, we were in 
 longitude 45° 25' west of Greenwich. We are now only thir- 
 ty-six days out from Lambayeque, and have proceeded well 
 on our passage without any accident or mishap to mar our 
 bright anticipations of a short and agreeable passage to 
 Gibraltar. From this time to the 6th of October, that is^ to say, 
 for a period of eighteen or twenty days, we occasionally saw 
 
 W»*
 
 VOYAGE IN TUE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 269 
 
 a sail at a distance, but spoke nothing. Wc'gencially had favor- 
 able winds, and no severe gales to contend with. Since we got 
 down into lower latitudes, we have found the weather fine and 
 pleasant. Mr. and myself have again resumed the ar- 
 rangement of our accounts, namely, making out account-sales, 
 and adjusting every thing pertaining to the sale of the outward 
 cargo, and to the purchase of the cocoa, etc. etc. 
 
 While on the coast of Peru, Chili, and Colombia, we kept 
 a sales book and memorandums of all the articles sold, and 
 to whom they belonged, also of all charges on the ship and 
 cargo with disbursements of every kind, letter books, and 
 copies of every letter and document of any consequence 
 during the whole period of our remaining on the western 
 coast of South America ; consequently we were now enabled, 
 from these papers, to adjust and apportion every charge and 
 arrange every thing in the true spirit of justice and equity ; 
 and before we got down to the equinoctial line, the whole 
 labor of this part of the voyage was completed, so that on 
 our return every paper was ready to hand in to our employ- 
 ers. 
 
 On Friday, Oct. 6th, we found ourselves in latitude 26° 
 12' S., and by a good observation of the sun and moon, in 
 longitude 23° 17' 6" west of Greenwich. We are now steering 
 to the Northward with a fine S. E. trade wind and remark- 
 ably agreeable weather, and are approaciiing a most delightful 
 region of the earth. I believe I have before remarked on a 
 former voyage, that I found this part of the south Atlantic a 
 charming sea to navigate, namely, from the equator to as high 
 up as say 20° to 25° south. ]n these latitudes the S. E. 
 trade winds generally prevail all the year, with beautiful 
 clear skies, both night and day. The air is so perfectly pure 
 and serene, that at night the heavens appear more thickly 
 studded with stars than any portion of the earth I have ever 
 visited. The temperature is generally about 70° to 75° 
 Fahrenheit's Therm., which is neither too hot nor too cold: 
 even the birds and flying fish seem to enjoy tliese mild seas
 
 270 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 and clear skies ; for here are seen innumerable flocks, both 
 of birds and fish, sporting about, apparently happy in both 
 elements. The air is so elastic and easy to respire, that I 
 always felt refreshed and invigorated by inhaling it, and men- 
 tally exclaimed, that if a small island was planted and peo- 
 pled in this region, its inhabitants would never die except 
 with old age. I say a small island, for it is always conced- 
 ed that small sea islands are more healthy than large ones, 
 particularly where there are forests and stagnant pools to 
 poison the atmosphere. We continued to sail from day to' 
 day through these delightful regions with all sail set below 
 and aloft, generally making from 180 to 220 miles per day, 
 scarcely changing or shifting a single sail. 
 
 On Saturday, Oct. 14th, 1S26, our latitude at noon was 
 18° 50' south ; and in the evening of the same day, at 8h. 10' 
 P. M. the longitude, by an observation of the moon and the 
 star Antares, was 23° 50' west. From this time to Oct. 19th, 
 that is, for five days, we continued to have the same winds 
 with a continuation of fine weather. But when we got down 
 near the Equinoctial line, the winds became light and baffling, 
 with showers of rain and dark cloudy weather. We crossed 
 the line in about the longitude of 26° west, and on Saturday 
 Oct. 21st at noon were, by observation, in latitude 3° 0' north 
 of the Equator, At 9h. 3' A. M., by a good observation of the 
 sun and moon, we found the ship in longitude 28^ 23' 0" 
 west of Greenwich. We are now only seventy days from 
 Lambaycque and have already crossed the Equator without 
 losing a single sail or spar; and thus far have been highly 
 favored with fair winds. All on board were in the enjoy- 
 ment of perfect health. 
 
 On Monday, Oct. 23d, we fell in with, and spoke an 
 English ship from Singapore, bound to London. The wind 
 being light, and the weather fine, the captain of the English 
 ship politely invited our captain, myself, and my assistant 
 supercargo, to come on board his ship, and take a social glass 
 of wine whh him and his supercargo ; and, as both ships
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 271 
 
 were steering the same course, we accepted his friendly invi- 
 tation, and repaired forthwith on board, without further cere- 
 mony. We exchanged several small articles with these polite 
 gentlemanly men, thus ; we supplied them with cocoa, and re- 
 ceived tea and other little articles in return. They also present- 
 ed us with several English and East India newspapers. Wc 
 also gave them some North American and Peruvian papers, 
 and, notwithstanding they were all rather old, the exchange 
 was agreeable to both parties, and we were mutually rejoiced 
 to meet with any pleasant incident to break the dull monotony 
 of a long sea voyage. Those unacquainted with long pas- 
 sages, cannot realize the gratification it affords to see a strange 
 face, and hear the news, and learn what is going on in the 
 world, after having been, as it were, shut out from all inter- 
 course with our fellow-men for a long period of time. 
 
 The captain of the English ship of which I have spoken, 
 had on board a large family of monkeys — I should judge some 
 twenty or thirty in number, some large and others small. 
 He confined them in cages during the night, and when the 
 weatlier was fine, he allowed them to run loose about the 
 decks. It was very amusing to see these animals chase each 
 other up and down the rigging, and in their merry gambols 
 cut up all manner of monkey tricks. The captain and super- 
 cargo told us that it had been a great source of amusement to 
 tliem, during the passage to see these mischievous animals 
 play up and down the mast and rigging, whenever they were 
 favored with fine weather. 
 
 After partaking of a friendly repast and some excellent 
 old wine, a breeze sprung up, and we took our leave of these 
 polite English gentlemen, and repaired on board our ship, 
 when we separated, never to meet again. I regret that this 
 leaf of my journal is so mutilated, that 1 can neither make out 
 the name of the ship, nor of the captain and supercargo. 
 
 TiiesiUnj, October 2\th. — At noon, we were in latitude 8^ 
 6' north of the Equator, and, by a good observation of the sun 
 and moon, in longitude 26° 40' west of Greenwich.
 
 272 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 We continued on our course to the northward, from the 
 24th of October until the 9th of November — a space of sixteen 
 days — without meeting with any incident worlh recording. 
 On tliis day, however, November 9th, when nearly in the lati- 
 tude of Madeira, we fell in with and boarded the hermaphrodite 
 brig Parmelia, Captain John Jordan (belonging to Boston). 
 She was thirty days out from Marseilles, bound for Philadel- 
 phia, loaded with brimstone, fruit, etc. Captain Jordan po- 
 litely took charge of all the letters and packages we wished to 
 send home ; and as we had now got all our account-sales and 
 other important papers ready, we embraced this opportunity to 
 send to our employers a copy of all accounts and transactions 
 up to this date, with a few hasty letters to our friends. These 
 were all inclosed in two packages, and directed to Messrs. N. 
 L. &. G. Gris\^fold, and Benjamin L. Swan, Esq., in New- 
 York. I subsequently learned that these letters and docu- 
 ments all arrived safely. We were now in latitude 32° north, 
 and longitude 36° west. 
 
 After' this we pushed on towards Gibraltar, where we 
 arrived on the 27th of November, 1826, after a pleasant pas- 
 sage of 107 days. At this place I employed Horatio Sprague, 
 Esq., to assist me in the management of my business. I 
 found here waiting oin- arrival quite a number of letters from 
 my owners, and several from my family and friends. 
 
 I was rejoiced to learn that my fanrily were well, and very 
 much gratified at receiving letters from my emplo^'-ers, approv- 
 ing of my conduct in the management of their ship and cargo ; 
 they also kindly assured me that I had their entire confidence ; 
 and after quoting prices of cocoa and bark in the United States, 
 left me to dcicide whether it would be for their interest to dis- 
 pose of my cargo in Gibraltar and Cadiz, or to return direct to 
 New- York ; ami I now felt that these kind letters from my 
 owners more tliiin reccimpcnsed me for all the care, anxiety 
 and trouble I had experienced during this long voyage. I be- 
 lieve 1 have ever been willing to exert myself to my uttermost 
 capacity for promoting the interest of my employers and
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 273 
 
 friends ; and when this is accomphshed, and my services are 
 appreciated, I feel richly rewarded. 
 
 I was also once more extremely gratified at meeting my 
 old and worthy friend, Horatio Sprague ; he befriended me in 
 the hour of trial, when I made my escape from Gibraltar, 
 during our late war with England, in 1814. 
 
 At that time I resided at his house in Algesiras, for several 
 weeks, and was always treated by Mr. S. and his family like 
 a brother ; and now, after twelve years had elapsed, I found 
 him the same kind, benevolent man ; and I think it would be 
 difficult to find one more worthy. During our sojourn in this 
 place, I dined almost daily at his house, and spent my eve- 
 nings in the society of his estimable wife and family, where I 
 was always sure of meeting the best and most intelligent per- 
 sons in Gibraltar. 
 
 In the midst of all the happiness I felt at getting glad 
 tidings from home, and the pleasure of meeting old friends in 
 Gibraltar, my joy was suddenly damped by an unexpected and 
 sad communication, and I mentally said, there is certainly no 
 perfect bliss in this life. Here we meet with light and dark- 
 ness, sunshine and shade ; for, among my other letters, there 
 was one from George Griswold, Esq., by which I learned that 
 our mutual friend, the Rev. S. S. Woodhull, was no more. He 
 died in March, IS^f), of typhus fever, after ten days' illness, 
 leaving a widow and five children to mourn their irreparable 
 loss, of a good husband and a devoted father. 
 
 He was a kind friend and neighbor for many years, and I 
 was deeply grieved at the news of his death. I felt that an 
 excellent pastor and a devout and useful Christian had left the 
 world. 
 
 The Messrs. Griswolds sent me introductory letters to 
 their friends and correspondents in Cadiz, viz., to the respectable 
 house of Mrs. Widow Roberts &• Co. of that place, requesting 
 me to write them on the subject of disposing of my cargo in 
 that city, and also what was the prospect of obtaining a freight 
 18
 
 274 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 or charter for the Governor Clinton to the western coast of Chili 
 and Peru. 
 
 I accordingly wrote as directed by my owners, and in about 
 a week received a polite letter from that House, stating 
 that they could not advise me to proceed to Cadiz, as the 
 market was low and dull for cocoa, and that there was no sale 
 at all for bark ; neither was there any prospect of obtaining a 
 charter for the Pacific Ocean, and concluded their letter by 
 remarking that they were sorry to say the trade to their city 
 had, in a measure, disappeared. 
 
 On the reception of this letter, Mr. Sprague and myself 
 strove to dispose of the cargo of the Governor Clinton, even 
 upon terms of gaining only a moderate freight on the cocoa 
 and bark, and after a fair trial of ten days, we relinquished 
 the idea of selling it, and concluded lo take on board what 
 light freight we could obtain, and got ready for sea. As I 
 have, on a former voyage, when brought here as a prisoner in 
 1814, given a sketch of the location of Gibraltar, its ample 
 bay, etc., I deem it unnecessary to say any more on this subject. 
 After lying here fifteen days, we took leave of our kind friends 
 on the 12th of December, and sailed out of the bay, bound to 
 New- York ; we ran out through the Straits with a fine 
 Levanter, and got clear of the land the next day. It being 
 now in the depth of winter, we concluded to push down to 
 the southward, and run to the westward in the N. E. trade 
 winds. For about six days after leaving port, we were favored 
 with fresh and fair breezes, so that in a week we passed to the 
 westward of the Canary Islands, and although \vc soon got into 
 the N. E. trade winds, we found them so light and baffling, that 
 we made but slow progress on our passage. When wc had 
 got as far to the westward as longitude 68^, we hauled to 
 the northward, where we met with strong N. W. gales, and 
 did not get to New- York until the 31st January, 1827, after a 
 long and disagreeable passage of forty-nine days, and from 
 the time of leaving New- York, until we returned to it again, 
 was one year nine months and fifteen days. Wc were, of
 
 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 275 
 
 course, all rejoiced at once more landing on our dear native soil. 
 The joy of meeting one's family and friends after so long an 
 absence, is more easily felt than described. 
 
 The winters of 1826 and 1827 were extremoly cold. At 
 the time we landed all the rivers were frozen up, and there 
 was much floating ice in the bay and harbor of New- York, 
 and it was with great risk and difficulty we got from Sandy 
 Hook to the city with the ship, on account of the immense 
 fields of floating ice. As soon as she was secured to the 
 wharf. Captain Hepburn discharged the crew, and I left the 
 owners to look after their ship and cargo. We soon settled 
 our accounts to the satisfaction of all parties concerned in the 
 
 voyage. Captain Hepburn, Mr. and myself, received a 
 
 warm-hearted welcome and much kind hospitality from our 
 employers. 
 
 Captain H. soon got the command of a large ship, called 
 the Beaver, in the Canton trade, and sailed on the 14th of 
 February for that place. The mate of the Governor Clinton 
 was promoted to the command of that ship, and soon sailed 
 on a freighting voyage to Liverpool, On her return from that 
 port, the Messrs. Gris wolds again fitted her out for the Pacific, 
 under the command of our late mate, Mr. L. B. Griswold, and 
 employed my young friend, Mr. , as supercargo, to per- 
 form another trading voyage to the western coast of Chili and 
 Peru, so that we were soon separated, probably never to meet 
 again in this changeable world. 
 
 I found Benjamin L. Swan, Esq., imiformly hospitable, 
 polite, and friendly, and, in a word, a perfect gentleman. 
 
 Subsequently to this voyage, I owned a freighting ship 
 with the Messrs. Griswolds, and had many business transac- 
 tions with them, and for more than twenty years I enjoyed the 
 generous hospitality of these gentlemen. I have ever found 
 them strictly honest, just, and liberal; and during our long 
 acquaintance, nothing ever occurred to mar our friendly re- 
 lations. Theirs is a house of long standing, and belongs to 
 that class of merchants who have done so much to ciuich and 
 build up our great commercial emporium.
 
 276 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP GOVERNOR CLINTON. 
 
 The pataca of plata-piiia lost overboard at Lambayeque, 
 belonged to me, and contained ten pieces ; it weighed two 
 hundred and fifty-five marks, and cost eight dollars and a half 
 per mark, which together with some other trifling shipping 
 charges, amounted to two thousand one hundred and sixty- 
 seven dollars. 
 
 This property was insured in the American and Union In- 
 surance Companies in this city ; and when I presented my 
 claim for indemnity, they refused to pay it, alleging that they 
 were not liable for accidents in boats and lighters, but only for 
 property on board of the ship ; and after waiting a reasonable 
 time for the amount of my loss, I employed Messrs, Strong & 
 Gnlfin, as advocates, to prosecute the suit in law. After a de- 
 lay of two years and four months, I gained the cause, and 
 recovered the money, with seven per cent, interest. 
 
 This was an important decision in maritime law, and 
 clearly determined the principle, that underwriters are liable 
 for all losses from boats and lighters on trading voyages, even 
 when not expressed in the policies ; and in my opinion it was 
 a most righteous decision, otherwise there would be no safety 
 in trading to many parts of the world, where boats and balsas 
 are indispensable. 
 
 1
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BKIG BRILLIANT, FROM NEW-YORK TO THE 
 ISLE OF MAY, AND RIO DE JANEIRO, AND FROM THENCE TO 
 NEW-ORLEANS AND BOSTON, IN THE YEARS 1837 AND 1838. 
 
 Before commencing this voyage, I will make a few prelimi- 
 nary remarks. 
 
 In the year 1833, I had, by persevering industry and 
 economy, acquired sufficient property to retire from active 
 pursuits. I accordinly repaired to New Haven, Connecticut, 
 with my family, where I resolved to spend the down-hill of 
 life in quiet repose ; but scarcely had I lived in that city 
 two years, before the great conflagration occurred in New- 
 York, on the 16tli of December, 1835. This great fire spread 
 over an area of fifteen or eighteen acres of ground, and de- 
 stroyed, as was estimated at the time, about eighteen or twenty 
 millions of dollars. It ruined nearly all the fire-insurance 
 companies in the city, and seriously involved very many indi- 
 viduals ; among others, I also sutfered severely. I was a 
 stockholder to a considerable amount in five different fire com- 
 panies, and lost nearly all my stock, to the amount of $15,000, 
 which was to mo a sad calamity — being the fruit of many long 
 years of hard toil ; this misfortune, with others, the deprecia- 
 tion of property, bad debts, etc., augmented my losses to about 
 twenty thousand dollars. This was a great crisis in my life, 
 and led me seriously to reflect on my pecuniary situation, and 
 I soon came to the conclusion either to retire into the country,
 
 278 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BEIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 namely, into some one of the Western States, where 1 could 
 live on a small income, or go to sea again, and labor in my 
 vocation ; and thus, after consulting with a few friends on the 
 subject, finally concluded to rely upon my own resources, and 
 once more try my fortune on the broad ocean. I accordingly 
 purchased a low-priced brig, called the Brilliant ; this vessel 
 was 245 tons, and although old, proved to be a good sea-boat. 
 At this period there was great commercial distress throughout 
 the United States, and business generally at a very low ebb ; 
 there were no freights to be had ; and in consequence of the 
 great number of failures among business men, it was ex- 
 tremely difficult to obtain credit abroad. The large and rich 
 houses with whom I had been for many years connected, did 
 not wish at this time to enter upon foreign voyages ; so that I 
 was, in fact, thrown upon my own resources. I therefore re- 
 solved to go upon my own hook, and try what I could do 
 abroad on a small scale. With this view, I ballasted the 
 Brilliant with stone, and resolved to proceed to the Isle of May, 
 for a cargo of salt for Rio de Janeiro, and there be governed by 
 circumstances with respect to my future operations. 
 
 After my vessel was ballasted, I purchased nine bales of 
 brown domestic cotton shirtings, containing seven thousand 
 yards, at six and a quarter cents. These cottons, with sundry 
 other trifling articles, amounted to about five hundred dollars. 
 I also laid in sufficient bread and salt provisions for a five 
 months' voyage. 
 
 Money stocks were at this period low and dull ; and in 
 order not to sacrifice them, I obtained a loan of ten thousand 
 dollars for eight months, and pledged my stocks as collateral 
 security. AVith this money, I purchased doubloons for nearly 
 the ;jjijj|ple amount, to take with me, as a small capital to trade 
 upon. 
 
 At this time, my eldest and only daughter, Sarah Meheta- 
 ble, was about five years old, and being a feeble child, I resolv- 
 ed, with the consent of her mother, to take her along with 
 me ; hoping a sea-voyage would restore her to health.
 
 FIRST voyagp: in the brig brilliant. 279 
 
 I thou shipped Mr, George Brock, as cliief mate ; I had 
 also a second iiuite, six men and a cook, wliich comprised the 
 entire crew of the Brilliant. 
 
 We left New- York, on the 5th of December, with a fine N. 
 W. wind, and at noon discharged the pilot, when Sandy Hook 
 bore west six miles distant. 
 
 During the afternoon we continued to have pleasant breezes 
 from the westward, with fine weather. Towards eve- 
 ning my little daughter inquired whether it was not time to 
 return home again to see her mother, being under the impres- 
 sion that we were only making a little excursion for tlie day, 
 and that wc should return home at night. I told her we were 
 going a great way from home, and that after seeing other coun- 
 tries, and getting a great many pretty things, and plenty of 
 oranges to bring back to her mother, we should return. This 
 answer seemed to satisfy her for the moment ; still she often 
 inquired why her mother did not come along with us, and 
 asked many other childlike questions. 
 
 At 8 o'clock in the evening, I put her to bed in my berth, 
 when she soon dropped to sleep (as I expected for the night). 
 It being my first watch on deck from 8 o'clo^^k to midnight, at 
 10 I went below to look after the child ; I found her sitting up. 
 She said she could not sleep without her fither in this strange 
 place, so unlike her own home. To soothe and quiet her, I 
 laid down beside her ; she soon fell asleep, and did not awake 
 until 7 o'clock the next morning. 
 
 The wind for the first two days continued moderate from 
 the westward, with fine weather ; and as the brig was in light 
 ballast trim, she ran off before the wind with great rapidity. 
 On the third day out, December 8th, it increased to a fresh 
 gale, always blowing from AV. to N. W., with oprn, ^IJaudy 
 weather. The Brilliant thus far proves to be a good vessel, 
 strong, stanch, and tight ; and off the wind, sails very fast for 
 one of her class. We this day made one hundred and sixty- 
 three miles log distance, and were at meridian in latitude by 
 observation^ 36° 53' north ; and longitude by the chronometer, 
 66° 24' west of London.
 
 280 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 From the Sth to the 25th of December, say for a period of 
 seventeen days, we had continuous gales from the westward, 
 always blowing strong, with a high sea driving us along ; but 
 as the brig was light, we ran off with great speed before these 
 violent gales, without shipping a sea or scarcely taking a drop 
 of water on deck, and generally averaged about two hundred 
 miles per day. 
 
 My little daughter had now become so accustomed to the 
 sea that she felt quite at home, and was contented and happy 
 when the sea was smooth enough for her to play about the 
 quarter-deck. And when the brig had too much motion for 
 her to stand up and play, I secured her in a little place built 
 for the purpose in the companion-way, where she could see the 
 water, study her daily lessons, and amuse herself looking at 
 pictures in sundry small books provided for her before leaving 
 New- York ; in this way she passed her time pleasantly, and 
 gave no trouble. 
 
 She was the only female on board, and soon became a 
 great pet with my officers, and was a source of pleasure and 
 amusement to me. 
 
 On the 2Gth of December, we were far enough to the east- 
 ward, and had now got fairly into the N. E. trade-winds, and 
 here we of course found gentle breezes, and clear, pleasant 
 weather. At noon this day, oiu- latitude by observation was 
 18° 37' north ; and the longitude by the chronometer, 22° 50' 
 west. I accordingly shaped my course for the Isle of Sol, or 
 Salt Island, and steered south to make it. 
 
 We had fresh trades during the night, and fine weather ; 
 at midnight we took in studding-sails, shortened sail, and kept 
 a sharp look-out for the land. At 4 o'clock A. M. we made the 
 Isjg^gLSol ahead, bearing S. S. W., twelve or fourteen miles 
 distant; we then hauled upon the wind under easy sail until 
 G A. M., daylight, when we again made sail and steered to- 
 wards the land. This island is one of the group of the Cape 
 de Verds ; the body or centre of it lies in latitude 16° 40' north, 
 longitude 22° 53' west.
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BKIG BRILLIANT. 281 
 
 We had thus matlo onr passage from Sandy Hook to tliis 
 place in twenty-one days, and without meeting with the shglit- 
 est accident. We steered down the west side of this island, 
 keeping about eight or ten miles off shore, and at noon, by a 
 good observation, we were in latitude 1G° 18' north ; longitude 
 about 23° 14' west. Sol or Salt Island is pretty high, and may 
 be seen in clear weather at fifty miles distance. It is about 
 twenty miles long and eight or ten broad ; the harbor lies on 
 the west side of the island. It is, I believe, seldom visited, ex- 
 cept by those who go there to purchase salt, which I am told 
 is here abundant and cheap. 
 
 We had fine fresh breezes at N. E. during the day, with 
 clear pleasant weather. In the afternoon we passed in sight 
 of the Island of Bonavista, another of this group. This island 
 lies about twenty miles to the southward of the Isle of Sol, 
 and is larger and more productive. 
 
 We steered down to the southward towards the Isle of 
 May until S o'clock in the evening ; it being too late to enter 
 the harbor during daylight, we accordingly shortened sail, and 
 the next morning at 9 o'clock, December the 28th, came to 
 anchor in a little bay in seven fathoms of water, opposite the 
 town, about half a mile from the shore, twenty-two days from 
 New- York. In a few minutes after we came to anchor several 
 boats came alongside, to offer their services and solicit my 
 business. I soon repaired on shore, and employed the Gov- 
 ernor, Don Antonia Cardozo de Mello, to assist me in disposing 
 of what few articles I had for sale, and to procure a cargo of 
 salt. Don A. C. M. was a mulatto gentleman, and besides being 
 the Governor of the island, was also a pretty good merchant, 
 and a man of considerable property. With him I soon made 
 a bargain that he should take all my cotton shirting at fourteen 
 cents per yard, payable in salt, at six dollars the moyo, which 
 is at the rate of ten cents the bushel ; and for the other little 
 articles I received a corresponding profit, so that when I left 
 the island with a full cargo of salt, say 8,500 bushels, I re- 
 ceived some forty or fifty dollars in silver money, besides pay-
 
 282 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 ing the port charges and other expenses" during my stay here. 
 In the afternoon of the day of my arrival we commenced dis- 
 charging our ballast, and the next day began taking in salt, 
 which is piled up in immense heaps all about the town. It is 
 measured, put into small bags, and carried on asses, and deli- 
 vered on a flat cliff" of rocks at the water side, at the expense 
 of the seller. From the top of this rock it is lowered or slid 
 into boats, and taken on board at the purchaser's expense. 
 The whole of the community, or at least all the inhabitants of 
 the town, own a portion of these heaps, and although but few 
 agents are appointed to dispose of it, still they are bound to 
 account to the numerous owners, and are obligated when a 
 cargo of salt is sold, to pay each individual the amount of his 
 interest in each heap. All the salt on this island is made in 
 one large pond, which is located about a mile from the town, 
 near the sand beach. I should think it was about two miles 
 long and one broad. I am told it is made by opening a sluice 
 or passage through a sand-bank to the sea at a certain time 
 of the year, probably in the rainy season, and after the pond is 
 filled with salt water, the passage is closed up, and it is then 
 left to the powerful action of the sun, which in the summer is 
 so intense, that all the fresh water in the pond soon evaporates, 
 and the whole sheet becomes pure brine. It soon crystallizes 
 on the surface, and then settles at the bottom. On a given day 
 appointed by the government, the whole community com- 
 mence raking and picking the salt from the pond, generally in 
 boats ; some rake it upon the shore ; others wade and collect 
 it in baskets : each person or family keep theirs separate, until 
 it is transported by jackasses to the town, there measured and 
 deposited in large heaps. A person is employed by the public 
 authorities to receive and measure each one's salt, and register 
 the amount in a book kept fort hat purpose ; so that almost 
 every person on the island is interested in these heaps, which are 
 often very large ; some of them may perhaps contain 70 or 
 80,000 bushels. These large heaps are generally made in 
 the shape of a sugar-loaf, very broad at the base, and so placed
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 283 
 
 that the water will run off and not lodge near the foundation. 
 A heap made in this way soon forms a smooth crust on the 
 surface, and will turn the rain without melting, and may be 
 preserved in this way for years. The appearance of these 
 immense heaps is of a dusky brown color, owing to the brown 
 sand and dust being blown by the wind and lodged on the ex- 
 terior surface ; this tint, however, is extremely thin, and when 
 the iieap is opened the whole mass is generally coarse white 
 rock salt. 
 
 I hired a large launch of the Governor, and with my own 
 long-boat managed to take on board from six to eight hundred 
 bushels per day. The mode of shipping it here is as follows : 
 a kedge anchor, with one end of a hawser attached to it, is 
 dropped at a distance of forty or fifty fathoms from the shore, 
 and the other end is taken to the table laud on a cliff some 
 twenty or thirty feet high, and placed over the crotch of a pair 
 of shears, erected for that purpose, sufficiently high to be out 
 of the way of the heads of the workmen ; a tackle is then 
 made fast to the other end of the hawser and attached to the 
 rocks at some distance from the platform, and then hauled 
 taut ; the boats are secured to the hawser near the water with 
 their heads off shore. When thus prepared, the bags are 
 placed in straps or selvedges made for the purpose, and with a 
 travelling becket they are slid rapidly down the hawser into 
 the boats. In this way a boat is soon loaded when the 
 weather is fine and the water smooth in the bay, but when the 
 sea is rough and there is much siuf on, it is very difficult and 
 even dangerous to send it on board. On the top of the cliff 
 there is a large flat, open space, perhaps two hundred feet 
 square, which affords sufficient room for four or five ships to 
 take in salt at the same time, but not more. Each captain 
 furnishes his own boats, kedge, hawser, shears, and all the 
 ropes and tackles that may be necessary, and prepares every 
 thing with his own officers and crew, and when his ship is 
 loaded, the whole is removed to make room for another. I 
 was told there are generally here from five to eight ships and
 
 284 FIEST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 vessels at a time to purchase salt. I lay here twelve days, 
 and during that period there were, I think, eight brigs and 
 schooners loaded, and thus they were daily coming and going; 
 and from the magnitude of the heaps left in the town, I should 
 think there was enough to load a very large number of ships, 
 even if they should pick no more for a year. But as these poor 
 people have no other employment, they will probably go on 
 picking and selling salt as their fathers have done, perhaps for 
 ages yet to come. 
 
 The American consul here was a Portuguese, a native of 
 Lisbon ; he had lived for some years at Rio de Janeiro, and 
 was a gentleman of some education and intelligence. I found 
 him hospitable and polite. He had a daughter about the age 
 of my child, and kindly invited myself and little daughter to 
 his house. 
 
 I found the Governor a plain, honest man, and always 
 kind and hospitable. There were two or three other mer- 
 chants here, one of whom was quite black ; he was, perhaps, 
 the richest person on the island, and lived in good style. I 
 dined with him on one occasion during my stay here, when in 
 the course of conversation he said that he had several corres- 
 spondents in England, and also in the United States ; and 
 observed to me that he often had serious thoughts of visiting 
 the States, but that a damper was thrown on this desire when 
 he was told that black and colored people were not nuich 
 respected there ; I evaded the subject as much as possible, and 
 merely remarked that there certainly was a prejudice against 
 colored persons in the United States, still there were those who 
 respected virtuous and intelligent people of all colors. On 
 this island, as far as I could judge, there was no preference or 
 distinction on that account ; white, black, and all the interme- 
 diate sliades were respected alike, bating the difference of 
 wealth, talents and education. 
 
 The Cape de Vcrd Islands are too well known to the 
 world to need any description from me, still I will make a few 
 general remarks on the subject, and commence with this
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG I3RILLIANT. 285 
 
 island. The Isle of May lies in latitude 15° 6' north, longi- 
 tude 23° 5' west. It is about 10 miles long and as many 
 broad, or in other words it is nearly round. It is of a moder- 
 ate height ; the harbor is situated in a little bay, on the S. 
 W. side of the island, and may, with more propriety, be call- 
 ed a port than a secure harbor. The anchorage in this little 
 bay is opposite the town, in from 7 to 12 fathoms of water, 
 and from a half to three quarters of a mile distant from the 
 shore. The town lies along the bay, and is composed of one 
 church and some 70 or SO dwelling houses, which are gener- 
 ally of a moderate size, and are built of stone. Some of them, 
 however, which are occupied by the poorer classes, are small 
 and uncomfortable ; these are built of mud, without floors, and 
 appear mean and dirty. 
 
 The whole number of inhabitants on the island is about 
 1,300, of all colors ; nine tenths of them are poor, and the 
 others only comparatively rich — perhaps there are not six 
 men on the island worth $20,000 each, and but two individu- 
 als worth over that sum. They are a simple, ignorant people, 
 and are sadly imposed upon and deceived by those who come 
 here to trade with them. They have but little of any thing to 
 sell except salt ; they raise a little Indian corn, and a few 
 sweet potatoes and melons, and also sell some poultry and a 
 few eggs. Fish is abundant and cheap, and may be caught 
 without difliculty all around the island. 
 
 There are but few trees, and the land appears burnt and 
 parched up with the intense heat of the sun ; the weather is 
 almost always clear at this season of the year. The few 
 clouds that one sees in the heavens, are as white as snow, and 
 the sun is so bright and powerful as almost to blind the eyes 
 of a stranger; and to sum up the whole in one word, I should 
 think it a very uncomfortable place for a permanent resi- 
 dence. 
 
 The Cape de Verd Islands are ten in number, large and 
 small, and their names are as follows : St. Anthony, St. Vin- 
 cent, St. Lucia, St. Nicholas, Salt Island, Bonavista, Isle of
 
 286 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 May, St. Jago, P'ogo and Brava. They are all owned by 
 Portugal, and nominally owe allegiance to that nation, and 
 whenever the mother country can reap any benefit from them, 
 it is ready to do so. They appoint governors and tax-gather- 
 ers where there is any thing to be gained ; they neglect the 
 small, poor islands, and whenever any of them suffer by 
 drought and famine they are left to starve, or to look to other 
 countries for support and assistance. This certainly is a dark 
 picture of their treatment by the mother country, but from the 
 best information I can obtain, it is nevertheless strictly true. 
 Three or four of the largest of this group are of some import- 
 ance to the world in a commercial point of view. Besides 
 the salt produced at the Isles of May, Sol, and Bonavista, 
 St. Jago and St. Nicholas produce cattle, sheep, and goats in 
 great numbers ; independently of the large supplies taken 
 from these islands by the men-of-war and whalemen of the 
 different nations of Europe and America, many cattle, sheep, 
 and swine are shipped from these islands to the West Indies. 
 Porco Praya, on the south side of St. Jago, is the largest and 
 best harbor m the whole group: this is a great stopping 
 place for men-of-war and whale ships, and here they obtain 
 water and fiesh provisions in great abundance, and generally 
 at very reasonable prices. This is a large high island, and 
 lies only 12 miles from the Isle of Ma}'-, and contains about 
 20,000 inhabitants. It produces almost all the necessaries of 
 life, and is probably the most important of the ten. The Isle 
 of May lies about west from Cape Vcrd, on the coast of 
 Senegal, Africa, say 320 miles distant. During my stay here 
 a small English cutler arrived in ballast at this port, three 
 days from Gambia, for a cargo of salt. The^ captain of this 
 cutter was a polite, gentlemanly man, and kindly presented 
 my little daughter with a dozen fine oranges brought from 
 Africa. Every person on board his vessel was black, except 
 himself ; he was a native of London, and had made a great 
 man)'' voyages in the same vessel between that place and 
 Gambia.
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 287 
 
 The Cape de Verd Islands often suffer from drought, par- 
 ticularly the small ones, where there are but few trees. Dar- 
 ing my stay here, for a period of twelve days, I was kindly 
 treated by all classes of people, and found the Governor, my 
 consignee, an honest, good man ; from him and the American 
 consul, Don L. A. Arango, I received much friendly hospitali- 
 ty. I was also indebted to Don S. A. Evora for many civili- 
 ties ; he was a colored man, and one of the principal mer- 
 chants. 
 
 After loading the Brilliant, and settling all my business at 
 this place, we left it, on the 9th of January, 1838, at 6 o'clock 
 in the evening, bound for Rio de Janeiro. 
 
 From the intense heat of the sun, the upper works of the 
 Brilliant became very open, and after she was deeply loaded 
 with salt, she made a great deal of water. She leaked so 
 much the first week out, that it was very painful to see the 
 poor sailors labor so hard at the pumps to keep her free. 
 
 I steered to the southward for nine days after leaving the 
 Isle of May, with light N. E. trade winds, averaging one hun- 
 dred and ten miles distance per day, and on the 18th of Jan- 
 uary crossed the Equator, in 27° 53' west longitude. After 
 crossing the line we had light, baffling winds, with a strong 
 westerly current setting us to leeward about one mile the hour 
 for several days, so that I began to fear that I should not be 
 able to weather the Island of Ferdinand de Noronha. This 
 island is a sort of Botany Bay for Brazil ; to this place they 
 transport their convicts. It lies in latitude 3° 55' south, longi- 
 tude 32° 35' west. Fortunately for us, on January 20th, the 
 wind favored, and on Sunday, the next day, at noon, we found 
 ourselves in latitude 4° 9' south, so that we have now passed 
 about sixty or seventy miles to the eastward of Ferdinand de 
 Noronha, and have a fine fresh S. E. trade- wind, with clear, 
 pleasant weather, and from this period to the 2d of February, 
 we continued to have fresh S. E. trades, and met with nothing 
 remarkable after leaving the latitud^of the Island of Ferdi- 
 nand de Noronha, until we arrived at l^io de Janeiro. We
 
 288 FIKST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 averaged 129 miles log distance per day, and had a continua- 
 tion of fine weather. We arrived at Rio de Janeiro on the 2d 
 of February, 22 days from the Isle of May, and 22 days from 
 New- York to that island, making the whole passage out to Rio 
 44 days. 
 
 Rio de Janeiro, February 3d. — My vessel was visited this 
 morning by the custom-house boat, and permission given me 
 to land. I accordingly went on shore, and delivered several 
 introductory letters to sundry merchants, and conversed with 
 several of my countrymen residing at this place. After ob- 
 taining the necessary information on the subject, I decided to 
 employ the house of Messrs. Maxwell, Wright &. Co., to assist 
 me in my business. After all the preliminaries were settled, 
 my brig was removed into the inner harbor, and every prepa- 
 ration made to discharge. It would be a waste of time and pa- 
 tience to enter into all the details of selling a small cargo of 
 salt and noting its delivery ; suffice then to say, that in a few 
 days after my arrival, my consignees, Messrs. Maxwell, 
 Wright & Co., sold my cargo, at 580 reis the alquair, and 
 agreed that it should all be received in 20 days. The agree- 
 ment with respect to the sale and purchase was complied with, 
 and eventually settled to the mutual satisfaction of all parties 
 concerned. 
 
 While we were discharging, I endeavored to procure a 
 freight for the Brilliant, either to Europe or the United States, 
 but in this desire I did not succeed, and after lying several 
 days waiting a favorable change, I decided to ballast the brig 
 with stone, purchase all the coffee I could with the small 
 amount of funds I possessed (this, it will be recollected, 
 consisted in the doubloons I brought with me from New-York 
 and the avails of my salt,) and proceed as soon as possible to 
 New Orleans, and try my fortune at that place. My cargo 
 measured 8,500 bushels, and paid a net freight of fifteen hun- 
 dred dollars. After paying all my port charges, disbursements, 
 commissions, money advanced to the crew, etc., I had only 
 enough to purchase 770 bags of coffee ; each bag weighed IGO
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 289 
 
 pounds net, and cost on board eight and a quarter cents per 
 pound. The wliole invoice amounted to $10,5U0. I made all 
 necessary repairs on the Brilliant, and laid in a good supply of 
 provisions, and got ready for sea, well satisfied with the excel- 
 lent -house I had employed ; and without wishing to detract 
 from the merits of any other commercial firm in Rio, I can 
 safely say that Maxwell, Wright & Co., is one of the best 
 managed mercantile houses I ever had business with, and 
 with pleasui'C add, that every thing pertaining to my affairs, 
 was transacted to my entire satisfaction. 
 
 Before leaving Rio de Janeiro, I cannot refrain from mak- 
 ing a few remarks on this great commercial metropolis of Bra- 
 zil, and will commence by saying that Rio lies i)i the mild 
 latitude of 22° 56' south, longitude 43° 14' west of London. 
 It has by nature one of the finest harbors to be found on the 
 globe, and is sufiiciently large to contain all the ships in the 
 world ; the entrance into this spacious bay and harbor is only 
 about a mile and a quarter wide, having a singular peaked 
 hill or small mountain at its mouth, on the southern side, 
 called the Sugar Loaf, while on the northern and opposite side 
 of the entrance is located a strong fort, called Santa Cruz, on 
 moderately high ground, and in a very commanding position. 
 After passing the gorge, the bay opens beautifully into a wide 
 expanse of pure still water for several miles in extent. On 
 the left, passing up the capacious bay, about three miles from 
 its mouth, is located the city of Rio de Janeiro, and here, in 
 front of the city is placed Ilha das Cob'ras. It is, perhaps, 
 a mile long, and about a quarter of a mile broad. It was 
 doubtless designed by Providence to give double protection 
 and security to ships. For all these blessings God requires 
 nothing in return but reverence and gratitude. The passage 
 between this island and the city is about a quarter of a mile 
 wide, and admits small ships and vessels to lie along its whole 
 extent. There is also on the outside of the island room for 
 any number of large vessels ; line-of-battle ships and frigates 
 19
 
 290 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 generally anchor further out in the bay, where there is a great- 
 er depth of water. 
 
 This extensive bay is beautifully sprinkled with small 
 islands and innumerable coves in every direction, all around 
 its shores. These little indentations are perfectly smooth and 
 tranquil, each having a fine clean sand beach, which renders 
 them the best boat harbors that can be imagined, and those 
 who are fond of sea-bathing and boat-sailing will find them 
 excel all others in charming variety. 
 
 I regret I have not the power of conveying any adequate 
 idea of the magnificent scenery around Rio de Janeiro. Its 
 prominent features are grand and sublime ; still there are 
 many other objects of interest ; sailing-boats, and numerous 
 small crafts are passing and repassing, which animate and give 
 life and freshness to this pictuiesque scene. Looking to the 
 westward, far away in the background, the mind is filled with 
 wonder and delight on beholding the stupendous Cordilleras 
 towering far away above the clouds ; then letting the eye 
 fall from these lofty heights and rest on the north shore. And 
 there are seen every variety of the palm, cocoa-nut and orange 
 trees, peculiar to a tropical climate, growing luxuriantly, even 
 down to the water's edge. Then turn a little to the south- 
 ward, and you behold hills, valleys and small mountains, 
 with their cragged peaks, wild barren cliffs and deep ravines, 
 filled with trees and rank vegetation. Turn to any point of 
 the compass, and you are presented with an entire new scene, 
 always c)ianging at every step. 13ut to see the bay in all its 
 extent and magnificence, I would recommend going out to 
 Tejuca, and there from the top of one of the mountains six miles 
 from town, one may see the city, bay, and all the surrounding 
 country spread out like a map at your feet. Perhaps there is 
 not in the world, a greater variety of grand and beautiful 
 scenery than is here presented to the view of the beholder. 
 
 There is nothing striking about the city of Rio. It is situ- 
 ated on the southwest side of the bay, on rather level ground, 
 at the foot of several high iiills, and when sailing up the har-
 
 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 291 
 
 bor, it appears well built, and one would imagine it a much 
 finer city than it really is. It is, however, a place of great 
 commercial importance, and probably contains about two hun- 
 dred thousand inhabitants, of all colors — white, black, and all 
 the intermediate shades. I have decided to return to this 
 place soon ; and when I have become better acquainted with 
 the people and the resources of the country, I will make fur- 
 ther remarks on this subject, and also on the moral and social 
 state of society. 
 
 After remaining in Rio thirty-eight days, we sailed on the 
 12th of March, bound for New-Orleans. AVe soon passed out 
 by the Sugar Loaf and Fort Santa Cruz, and went to sea in 
 company with several other vessels bound to different parts of 
 the world. The wind was light, from the E. N. E., and as 
 there was considerable swell against us, we made but slow 
 progress during this day. 
 
 The next day, March 13th, the winds continued light from 
 the eastward, and we had clear, pleasant weather. At three 
 o'clock in the afternoon we passed near Raza, or Flat Island, 
 lying about ten or twelve miles outside of the Sugar Loaf. On 
 this island there is erected a light-house, with a fine revolving 
 light, said to be three hundred feet above the level of the sea, 
 which may be seen at a great distance, and is one of the finest 
 I ever saw. The wind during the day continued light, and 
 the weather very hot. 
 
 From the time of leaving Rio, on the 12tli of March, I find 
 nothing worth noticing until the 26th ; we generally had light 
 winds from the southeast, and fine weather. On that day we 
 made the Brazil coast, in the vicinity of Pernambuco ; saw 
 several small craft beating along shore to the northward. At 
 noon, the cities of Pernambuco and Olinda bore southwest 
 about twenty miles distant. In the afternoon of this day, we 
 counted seventy fishing craft, or balsas — called by seamen 
 catamorans ; they are composed of some four or five light, 
 buoyant logs, laid parallel with each otiier, and a few cross- 
 pieces attached, to hold them together, with a mast and sail
 
 292 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 rigged to them. They sail, in pursuit of fish, quite out of sight 
 of land ; they had each a barrel of fresh water lashed to the 
 mast, and with a few plantains or some other trifling stores, 
 go off on a voyage with the most perfect confidence. I ran 
 near two of them, in hopes of purchasing some fish, but could 
 not prevail upon any of them to come near us. They are a very 
 unsocial race, and appear to avoid intercourse with strangers. 
 In all my voyaging along this coast, I have never been able 
 to induce these amphibious animals to come alongside. In 
 the Pacific, on the coast of Payta and Guayaquil, I have made 
 many remarks on these rafts, and therefore deem it unneces- 
 sary to enlarge upon the subject. 
 
 After passing Pernambuco. we continued to steer to the 
 northward, and met with nothing worth noticing until the 4th 
 of April. In the morning of that day, we fell in with the 
 bark Henry, of Salem. This vessel left Rio in company with 
 us, and was bound to New-York. As the winds were light, 
 and the weather fine, I wrote a few hasty letters to my friends, 
 and sent them on board. Not long after this, a fine breeze 
 sprung up, when we soon lost sight of each other. We con- 
 tinued on our course to the northward, until the 13th of 
 April, when we made the Island of Barbadoes at 2 o'clock 
 P. M.. bearing west, twenty miles distant ; fresh breezes 
 at E. N. E., and very squally, rainy weather. At four 
 o'clock in the afternoon we got within four miles of the 
 island, and then ran along down on its south side. At seven 
 in the evening, we passed near Bridgetown, and saw the ship- 
 ping lying at anchor in that port. The Island of Barbadoes is 
 moderately high, well cultivated, and is one of the finest 
 windward islands in the West Indies. After leaving Barba- 
 does in the evening, on the 13th of April, we ran down for St. 
 Lucia, and passed between it and St. Vincent, and from thence 
 along the south side of St. Domingo ; we continued to steer 
 on our course between the north side of Jamaica and the 
 south side of Cuba. In this broad passage, we found the 
 northeast trade-winds fresh and strong ; and on the 22d, we
 
 FIKST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BEILLIANT. 293 
 
 hauled to the northward, to pass Cape St. Antonio, lying on the 
 west end of Cuba ; and from this point, we shaped our course 
 for the mouth of the Mississippi ; and on the 27th we entered 
 that river, after a short and pleasant passage of forty-five days 
 from Rio, without any loss or accident worth noting. We 
 were fortunate in obtaining a steamboat to tow us up to New 
 Orleans, without delay ; so that on the next day, April 28th, 
 we got safe up to the city. On my arrival, I employed Wil- 
 liam G. Hewes, Esq., to assist me in transacting my business ; 
 and as coifee was high, and in demand, Mr. H. soon disposed 
 of it at a fair profit. We sold the entire invoice for cash, at 
 thirteen cents per pound ; so that the whole of my coffee 
 paid a freight of four dollars and fifty cents per bag ; and after 
 deducting insurance, commissions, etc., etc., it netted a clear 
 freight of three thousand dollars. If, while in Rio, I had had 
 sufficient funds to have purchased a full cargo, instead of be- 
 ing confined to the seveu hundred and seventy bags, I should 
 have made a glorious Voyage, there being at this time but 
 very little in the market. 
 
 Soon after I sold my coffee, I fortunately met here a New- 
 York friend, in the person of Andrew Foster, Jun., Esq. This 
 gentleman, who always takes pleasure in the performance of 
 good deeds, and is ever ready to serve his friends, kindly in- 
 troduced me to Samuel Henshaw, Esq., of Boston, and thus 
 through the influence of Mr. F. I obtained a full freight of cot- 
 ton for that city. Freights being high at this time in New Or- 
 leans, Mr. H. allowed me one cent per pound, with five per 
 cent, primage. This gentleman was agent for several large 
 commercial houses in Massachusetts, and was highly respect- 
 ed for his integrity and commercial talent. 
 
 I got the cotton compressed, and was by this arrangement 
 enabled to stow six hundred bales under, and eighty bales on 
 deck. I also obtained twenty-two tons of lead at two dollars 
 per ton ; with this and some other small articles, my freight 
 and primage amounted to three thousand dollars. The chief 
 mate and crew, w^io joined the brig at the commencement of
 
 294 FIRST VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 the voyage in New-York^ remained with me ; the second mate, 
 at his own request, was discharged here, being desirous to 
 return direct to his family in New- York. To his situation I 
 promoted one of the crew, Mr. Richard Hepburn, a talented 
 young man, only twenty years of age. And thus after lying 
 here sixteen days, we sailed on the 14th of May, bound for 
 Boston. 
 
 We got out of the river the next day, and met with nothing 
 remarkable on the passage. On the 8th of June, at daylight 
 in the morning, we made the land near Chatham, and ran 
 along shore in ten fathoms of water to the light-house on Cape 
 Cod. Here I had an excellent opportunity of testing my chro- 
 nometer ; and thus, from the mean of several sights, I found 
 the instrument only differed two seconds after an absence of 
 six months from New- York ; that is to say from the longitude 
 of Cape Cod light as laid down by Bowditch. 
 
 At the time these observations were made, the light-house 
 bore due west two miles distant. The next day, June 9th, 
 we took a pilot in the morning, and in the afternoon got safe 
 to Boston. I here concluded to transact my own business, 
 and accordingly entered the Brilliant at the custom house, 
 and then notified all the owners and consignees of the cargo 
 that I was ready to deliver their goods. It all came out in 
 good order, and I received my freight without trouble or diffi- 
 culty. In a few days after I ballasted the brig with sand, and 
 promoted Mr. Brock, my chief mate, to the command ; I also 
 advanced Mr. Hepburn, the second officer, to the situation of 
 chief mate. I furnished Captain Brock with gold and silver 
 coin to the amount of eight hundred dollars, to purchase coals, 
 and forthwith ordered him to proceed to Sidney, Cape Breton, 
 for a cargo, and return from thence direct to New- York. After 
 getting every thing ready, he sailed from Boston on the 17th 
 of June for Sydney, Nova Scotia, In a few days after the 
 Brilliant sailed, I returned to New- York to meet my family. 
 
 Thus ends my first voyage in the Brilliant.
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BEIG BRILLIANT FEOM NEW-YOEK TO 
 THE ISLE OF MAY, EIO DE JANEIEO, AND FEOM THENCE TO 
 NEW OELEANS AND CONNECTICUT, IN THE YEAES 1838, AND 
 1839. 
 
 REMARKS PRECEDING THE SECOND VOYAGE IN THE SAME 
 
 VESSEL. 
 
 It will be recollected that the brig Brilliant left Boston on the 
 17th of June, for Sydney, Nova Scotia, for a cargo of coal, with 
 orders to proceed from thence to New- York. Captain Brock 
 performed this voyage in one month, and after I had disposed 
 of his cargo, I forthwith dispatched him a second time to the 
 same place, and when the neceseary preparations were made, 
 he left New- York for Sidney, on the first of August, 1838. 
 He made this voyage without accident, and returned again on 
 the 20th of September, with a full cargo of coal, which I read- 
 ily sold. 1 found by experience, that importing coals from 
 Sydney, was a poor business, and left me but a very small 
 profit ; still I preferred keeping the Brilliant employed even if 
 I made but little, to letting her He idle, and dry up during the 
 summer months. 
 
 On the first of October of this year, I made an arrangement 
 with J. Comrie, Esq., the talented and worthy agent of Messrs. 
 Raid, Irving & Co., of London, for a credit of fifteen thousand 
 pounds sterling, to purchase coflee at Rio de Janeiro, for the
 
 296 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 New Orleans market, at a commission of one and a half per 
 cent, for the use of their credit ; with an agreement that they 
 would charge me nothing, if not used. This arrangement 
 with Reid, Irving & Co., I obtained through the kind influence 
 of my excellent friends, Messrs. Maitland, Kennedy &; Co., of 
 New- York. For this and many other friendly favors received 
 from them, they are entitled to my warmest gratitude. 
 
 Independently of the credit these gentlemen obtained for 
 me from their London friends, they also gave me credit on 
 their own house for five thousand pounds, to use or not, ac- 
 cording as I should judge best, during my absence. They 
 have ever been to me true, sincere, and disinterested friends. 
 
 After making all my arrangements for the prosecution of 
 another voyage to Rio, I left Captain Brock in charge of the 
 Brilliant, with orders to leave as soon as possible, proceed in 
 ballast to the Isle of May, and there purchase a cargo of salt, 
 and meet me in Rio without delay. After having supplied 
 Captain B. with sufficient funds in doubloons to purchase a 
 cargo at the Isle of May, I took passage for Rio, on board the 
 brig Himmelah, of New- York, Captain Beauvoise. 
 
 The Himmel a was a pilot-boat built brig of two hundred 
 tons burthen, and owned by Messrs. William W. De Forest 6c 
 Co. The supercargo was Mr. Joseph Bento, a very worthy intel- 
 ligent gentleman ; there were four cabin passengers besides my- 
 self We had also three French passengers who quartered in 
 the forecastle, so that our little brig was literally filled, both 
 fore and aft. Our captain was a good seaman and a skilful 
 navigator, and performed his duty with ability and good sense. 
 
 Owing to contrary and baffling winds, we were forty-two 
 days at sea before crossing the equator, in longitude 27° 30' 
 west, but after getting fairly into the S. E. trades, we had 
 fresh breezes and fine weather, and in eleven days after cross- 
 ing the line, we reached Rio on the twenty-fourth of Novem- 
 ber, fifty-three days from Now- York. Our passengers were 
 kind and social to each other, so that peace and harmony pre- 
 vailed during the whole passage. A few days after our arrival
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 297 
 
 we all dined together at a hotel on shore, and parted with mu- 
 tual good wishes. 
 
 I had been here but fifteen days, when Capt. Broclc arriv- 
 ed with a full cargo of salt ; he left New- York on the 13th 
 October, and had 22 days passage to the Isle of May, from 
 thence to this port 22, making together 44 days. 
 
 Two days after the arrival of the Brilliant, I sold her cargo 
 through my friends and consignees, Messrs. Maxwell, Wright 
 <fc Co., all to be received in 15 days. This cargo paid a 
 freight of thirteen hundred dollars, after deducting all charges 
 for commissions, (fcc, &c. We took on board a little stone 
 ballast, and prepared the Brilliant to receive a full cargo of 
 coffee. I found it, too high to purchase at the then current 
 prices, and therefore concluded to delay buying until I could 
 procure one upon more favorable terms. This gave me leis- 
 ure to become better acquainted with the mercantile classes, 
 and to see the metropolis of Brazil and its environs. On my 
 last voyage I made several remarks on the spacious and mag- 
 nificent bay of Rio de Janeiro and its delightful scenery. At 
 Rio, though the climate is generally hot, it is still a healthful 
 location, owing, I suppose to its immediate proximity to the 
 ocean, and the dryness of the atmosphere. This city is very 
 irregularly built ; the old part resembles its model, Lisbon. 
 
 A great portion of the people, I fear, inherit the filthy hab- 
 its and idle propensities of their ancestors. In this city as in 
 Lisbon, if the climate was not extremely healthful, its inhab- 
 itants would soon die with the plague ; as a great proportion 
 of the filth is thrown into the streets and along the bayside. 
 In this respect, however, I am told they are improving ; with- 
 in a few years, many strangers have come here to reside. 
 There are at present several English, French, American, and 
 German merchants living here with their families ; these all 
 tend to refine and civilize the inhabitants, who originally came 
 from a degenerate stock. There are several streets and 
 squares in the new part of the city, that appear very well ; 
 many of the houses of the richer classes are well built and 
 comfortable residences.
 
 298 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 The city contains about forty churches, but few of them, 
 however, will compare with those of Europe or North Am(;- 
 rica. 
 
 At this period the httle Emperor was a fine-looking boy, 
 with a hght complexion ; of course he acted under a Regent, 
 but expected soon to take the reins of government into his 
 own hands. His title was Don Pedro the II.; he inherited the 
 palace of his father, called Christovao ; this Imperial residence 
 is situated about three miles from town. There is also anoth- 
 er government palace on one of the principal squares, near 
 the bay side ; this is a large irregular pile of buildings, occu- 
 pying one side of it. It has been enlarged and rebuilt, from 
 time to time, and now presents a heterogeneous style of archi- 
 tecture, unlike any other I ever saw. It is not occupied as a 
 permanent residence by the Emperor and royal family, but 
 only used on public days, and fetes of ceremony. It contains 
 several large halls and reception rooms, which are here used 
 for the transaction of public business, as are town halls in 
 other countries. During my stay here, I witnessed a grand 
 fete given by the government in honor of the Emperor's birth- 
 day. He was born on the 2nd of December, 1825, consequent- 
 ly he was on this day, 13 years old. In the morning firing 
 was heard from the forts and ships-of-war lying in port ; all 
 the military, both the regular troops and the national guards, 
 were assembled in their best uniforms. Triumphal arches 
 were erected, and green boughs and orange leaves profusely 
 covered the principal street leading to the palace. About 
 noon, amid the roaring of cannon and the ringing of bells, 
 was seen entering the city the royal cortege preceded by the 
 military with banners and bands of music. In the first state 
 coach, drawn by six black mules, were placed the little 
 Emperor and his high officers of state ; next his two sisters 
 with their maiden aunt, then the ladies of honor and royal 
 household, all in coaches. After them followed, in the 
 royal train, carriages filled with ladies and gentlemen, I sup- 
 pose of high distinction, behind them. A long line of gentlemen 
 of all colors, mounted on horseback, brought up the rear.
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 299 
 
 The houses on both sides of the principal streets tlirongh 
 which the procession passed, were filled with the inhabitants 
 in their best holiday dresses, while the ladies from the windows 
 and balconies waved their white handkerchiefs, and threw 
 bouquets of flowers into the coaches of the Imperial Family, 
 as they moved slowly forward towards the palace. The 
 streets were filled with dense masses of human beings, of 
 every variety of color. No two were exactly of the same 
 shade (except the blacks). Perhaps some idea may be formed 
 of this mongrel race, by saying there was every diversity of 
 tint between the crow-black and the pure white, and this as- 
 semblage is a fair specimen of the people of Brazil. 
 
 At length the Emperor and the whole procession arrived 
 at the palace. There the foreign ambassadors, consuls, cap- 
 tains of ships-of-war and their officers, were presented to 
 him and his sisters, who were fine-looking, genteel young la- 
 dies. 
 
 Among the officers of the army were white and black ma- 
 jors, colonels, generals, and other official dignitaries, with their 
 croix d' honneur attached to their button-holes, all moving 
 about in the assemblee without any apparent distinction. The 
 troops of the line, and the militia, or national guards, com- 
 prised also every variety of shade, hi fine, to a stranger, it 
 was a novel sight to witness such a grand display among this 
 mixed race of human beings ; and to one accustomed to see 
 the movements of the royal families of France and England 
 upon like occasions, this exhibition appeared like a perfect farce, 
 or burlesque ; still, it is, perhaps, as good a government as they 
 ought to expect until they become more enlightened. 
 
 From all I could learn on the subject of morals and reli- 
 gion, they are in a very low state, both here and in most other 
 parts of the empire. Their navy consists of one linc-of-battle 
 ship, the Don Pedro, five frigates, six sloops-of-war, and a few 
 steamboats, all badly appointed and equipped, and in a misera- 
 ble state of discipline. Whenever a few ships-of-war are re- 
 quired to proceed to Bahia, or any other port on the coast, to put
 
 300 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 down a revolt or rebellion, they are obliged to impress sailors 
 for the occasion. It cannot, therefore, be expected that such 
 men will fight, except by compulsion. If their army is as 
 badly organized as their navy, I should think they would 
 make but a feeble resistance in defending their metropolis 
 against any powerful maritime nation. 
 
 From my remarks upon the military and social condition 
 of this empire, it may appear that I am prejudiced against the 
 nation, and do not treat the subject with impartiality. In an- 
 swer to this, I aver that 1 have no prejudice against them, but 
 feel bound, as a stranger, to relate the truth to the best of my 
 abilities. As a friend to the human race, I hope they may re- 
 form and become a wiser and a better nation, though I fear it 
 will require many generations. 
 
 They are so deeply imbued with ignorance and supersti- 
 tion, and so firmly wedded to obsolete religious mummeries, 
 that it will take a great many years to transform them to a 
 great people. 
 
 One of the most agreeable features connected with Rio, is 
 the beautiful gardens and private residences in its immediate 
 vicinity. A large portion of the foreign merchants reside in 
 the country, and are spread around some eight or ten miles 
 from the city. There they enjoy more tranquillity, fresher and 
 purer air than they could find in the town. The shrubbery, 
 fruits and flowers are exceedingly fragrant and fine ; all the 
 tropical fruits grow here in great abundance ; the melons and 
 oranges in particular, are as delicious as in any part of the 
 world. 
 
 The foreign merchants and gentlemen who reside in their 
 country-houses, come to the city in the cool of the morning to 
 attend to their business, dine in town, and then return home 
 in the evening, to avoid the intense heat of the noonday's sun. 
 Thus they manage to enjoy the society of each other, and 
 live better and with more comfort than they could possibly do 
 in town. About six miles to the southward of Rio, near the 
 sea, is a spacious botanical garden, belonging to the govern-
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN TUE BRIG BRILLIANT. 301 
 
 ment ; it covers about four acres of ground, and is certainly a 
 beautiful place, and kept in fine order ; it contains many ex- 
 otics, and among others, a great variety of the tea-plant im- 
 ported from China. The commerce of Rio has increased 
 within the last fifteen or twenty years from apparent insignifi- 
 cance to vast importance. Their grand staple of exportation, 
 coffee, has within a few years gradually augmented from a 
 few hundred bags to the enormous amount of a million, or 
 more, which are annually exported from this city to different 
 parts of the world ; each bag is computed at IGO pounds, Eng- 
 lish weight, but I have generally found them to contain 1G2 
 upon an average. 
 
 Besides this immense amount of coffee, there is annually 
 shipped from this port large quantities of sugar, hides, rice, 
 tobacco, tapioca, ipecacuanha, and other articles of commerce. 
 The increase of coffee is owing to the immense extent of rich 
 lands spreading far and wide over this productive region ; add 
 to this the facility these people have enjoyed for many years 
 in procuring black slaves from the coast of Africa. They 
 have imported into Brazil from three hundred thousand to half 
 a million per annum, and, until lately, without any kind of 
 obstruction. The proximity of this coast to the shores of Africa 
 renders the importation of negroes to this country extremely 
 easy ; with constant and favorable winds, they are enabled to 
 perform the passage in ten or fifteen days, and dispose of their 
 slaves at reasonable prices ; so that with these facilities the 
 planters may cultivate coffee to any extent. What effect the 
 interruption or interference of the European powers with the 
 slave trade will have on its cultivation in Brazil, remains to 
 be proved hereafter. The importation of negroes and mixing 
 up of the races, appear to degenerate and debase the white 
 man, without elevating the black. 
 
 Nature has done much for Rio, and the people have accom- 
 plished something for themselves, though they should have done 
 much more ; they have partially supplied tlie city with pure 
 water by an aqueduct from a neighboring hill, called the Cor-
 
 302 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 covado. It is conveyed to fountains in different parts of the 
 town, and as far as it goes, is good and useful, but the quan- 
 tity is too Hmited. It should have been conducted in pipes, to 
 all parts of the city, and to private houses. The shipping are 
 badly supplied, and have frequently to wait for hours, and 
 meet with great difficulty in getting what they require. At 
 the main fountain, near the Grand Palace, where they are fur- 
 nished, there is a perfect throng of men and boats waiting 
 turns, and what with the noise and confusion of tongues, it is 
 a perfect Babel. 
 
 Among the public buildings worthy of notice are the Mer- 
 chants' Exchange and a new Theatre ; these are handsome ed- 
 ifices. The National Museum is well filled, and is worth the 
 attention of strangers. 
 
 The market consists of a collection of filthy booths for the 
 sale of vegetables, which are generally abundant and cheap. 
 Butchers' meat is sold in shops scattered about the town, and 
 at reasonable prices. Beef here, as in other hot climates, is 
 but indifferent. Young goats and kids are good, fresh pork 
 soft and unpalatable. Fish are abundant, excellent, and 
 cheap. 
 
 There are very few hotels in Rio, and none of any note 
 kept by the natives of the country ; there is one kept by a 
 Frenchman, near the Grand Plaza, fronting the water, which 
 is a pretty good house ; but in general, strangers are misera- 
 bly accommodated ; they can scarcely get a good dinner, ex- 
 cept at the table of some resident foreigner. The gentle- 
 men merchants here are always polite and hospitable to 
 strangers ; their houses are ever open to respectable persons ; 
 and were it not for their kindness, a visitor at Rio would find 
 himself very much at a loss for society, and even for the ordi- 
 nary comforts of civilized life. In consequence of the great 
 influx of Africans into tliis country for several years past, the 
 blacks have become so nimicrous, that the whole nation have 
 adopted the policy of amalgamation, for their own security. 
 Though they consent to mix their blood with the black race,
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 803 
 
 they all unite upon the broad principle of sustaining slavery 
 to the letter and to the spirit. For example : if a slave (which 
 is frequently the case) acquires suflicient money to purchase 
 his freedom, he is allowed the privilege of doing so ; and as 
 soon as the emancipated negro acquij'os enough means to pur- 
 chase one, he does it, and by this act, he also unites himself 
 with the slave-holding aristocracy to sustain the system. 
 Thus it becomes the interest of the whole community to sup- 
 port this institution, which is here carried out to its full ex- 
 tent, even among some of the richer classes. If a white man 
 should lose his wife by death, and she should have been a 
 white woman, by whom he may have had children, his next 
 wife may perhaps be quite black, and his third, yellow ; so 
 that, in the same family, it is not uncommon to see three sorts 
 of children, all of different shades. In the churches, and in 
 the first boxes in the theatre, I have seen every variety of 
 color, mixed up in perfect harmony, and have frequently ac- 
 cepted the polite offer of the snuff-box from a black gentleman, 
 as readily as I should have done from a white one, and have 
 found this to be the ordinary custom among the elite of Rio. 
 
 After stating these facts, 1 deem it unnecessary to enlarge 
 upon the moral and social state of society, but will leave every 
 intelligent person to judge for himself It is not from a few 
 of the upper classes, or leaders, that one can form a just idea 
 of a nation ; on the contrary, he must look into the con- 
 dition of the great body of the people, to arrive at a correct 
 opinion. 
 
 The price of coffee had now declined to a point that en- 
 abled me to buy a cargo of that article, through my friends 
 and consignees, Messrs. Maxwell, Wright & Co. ; and ac- 
 cordingly, on the 1st of January, 1839, we commenced pur- 
 chasing, and in the course of a few days, bought the whole 
 amount, comprising three thousand bags, and in three or four 
 days had it all shipped, in good order, on board the Brilliant. 
 This cargo was all bought for my own account ; and cost 
 when on board — all charges paid — eight cents per pound, or.
 
 304 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 say a fraction over $13 per bag. I paid for this coffee in bills 
 on Messrs. Reid, Irving & Co., of London. These bills of ex- 
 change amounted to the gross, sum of eight thousand one hun- 
 dred and thirty pounds sterling, or, in round numbers, forty- 
 one thousand dollars. 
 
 We soon purchased all our sea-stores, and left Rio on the 
 12th of January, bound for New Orleans. After leaving port, 
 we stood off to the southward and eastward for two days — 
 having met with a strong gale from the eastward, near Cape 
 Frio — but on the third day it moderated, when we tacked ship, 
 steered to the northward, and weathered the Cape, and fortu- 
 nately met with favorable breezes from the southeast for seve- 
 ral days, and proceeded rapidly on our course. 
 
 I find nothing in my journal worth noticing until we made 
 the land about Cape St. Augustine, and the next day saw the 
 cities of Pernambuco and Olinda. After passing these places, 
 we had light but favorable breezes from the southeast ; and 
 when we struck the northeast trades, we had strong gales and 
 squally weather for several days. I took the same track on 
 this passage as on the last voyage, namely, to the Island of 
 Barbadocs, and from thence ran down between the Islands of 
 St. Lucia and St. Vincent, and then down the south sides of 
 Porto Rico and St. Domingo, and so along the passage be- 
 tween Cuba and Jamaica ; and after passing Cape St. Anto- 
 nio, we hauled to the northward for the mouth of the Missis- 
 sippi, at which place I arrived, without any accident, on the 
 5th of March, and two days after got safe up to New Orleans. 
 Here I met with a good market for my cofffie, and in the 
 course of eight or ten days sold the whole cargo, through my 
 friends, Messrs. William G. Hewes 6c Co., at an average price 
 of eleven and a half cents per pound, or, say seventeen dollars 
 and twenty-six cents per bag. The whole invoice netted the 
 round sum of fifty-one thousand seven hundred dollars; so 
 that, after paying the commissions, insurance, and all other 
 charges, it gave me a clear freight of three dollars per bag — 
 makinff on the whole invoice nine thousand dollars. In a few
 
 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 805 
 
 days after discharging my coffee, I obtained from Samuel 
 Henshaw, Esq., a full freight of cotton for Hartford, Connecti- 
 cut, at the rate of three-fourths«»)f a cent per pound, with five 
 per cent, primage. I had it compressed, and was therefore 
 enabled to take six hundred and seventy-four bales. The 
 total amount of my freight and primage, was two thousand 
 and forty-eight dollars; add to this, I had four cabin and three 
 steerage passengers. On the 4th of April we left New Orleans 
 in tow of a steamboat, and steered down the river, bound to 
 Hartford. I had now been but twenty-seven days in this city, 
 during which time I had sold a cargo of coffee, settled all my 
 business, obtained a full freight of cotton, and was now on 
 my way home, with a fine prospect of making an excellent 
 voyage. A few days before leaving port, I discharged Mr. 
 George Brock, my chief mate, and promoted my second mate, 
 Mr. Richard Hepburn, to his situation — Mr. H. being an active, 
 efficient officer, and a young man of decided talent. 
 
 We got safe to sea the same evening after leaving New 
 Orleans, and met with no incident worth recording during the 
 passage. We made Montauk Point on the 24th of April. In 
 the afternoon of the same day, we arrived at Saybrook, at the 
 mouth of the Connecticut River, after a pleasant passage of 
 twenty days. The next day all my passengers took a steam- 
 boat for New- York, well pleased with their voyage. 
 
 As there was not sufficient water for the Brilliant to enter 
 the river, I hired a sloop to take about a hundred bales of cot- 
 ton up to Hartford ; this lightened the brig enough to pass the 
 bar ; so that in a few days we got safe up to Essex, seven 
 miles above the month of the river, where we discharged the 
 residue of our cotton into large flat boats, or scows, and by 
 these craft it was transported to Hartford. In a few days 
 after, I collected the freight, and discharged all the crew of 
 the Brilliant, except the second mate, whom I retained as 
 ship-keeper. 
 
 Essex is a considerable village, lying on the west bank of 
 the Connecticut River. 
 20
 
 S06 SECOND VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 I returned to my family, in New- York, on the 15th of 
 May, and settled the voyage, namely : from New- York to the 
 Isle of May, Rio de Janeiro, and New Orleans, and from that 
 port to Saybrook, comprising a period of seven months — during 
 which time the net gains on the salt and coffee, with what I 
 cleared on the freight of cotton, left me a clear sum of ten 
 thousand dollars, after paying every expense. 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
 \
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT FROM SAYBROOK TO 
 SYDNEY, N. S., AND FROM THENCE TO PHILADELPHIA, IN THE 
 YEAR 1889. 
 
 My young mate, Mr. Richard Hepburn, was an active, effi- 
 cient officer, and on the first of June I promoted him to the 
 command of the BriUiant. I also advanced the second mate, 
 Mr. Peter Hanson, to the situation of chief mate. I had now 
 decided to send the brig to Sydney, for another load of coals 
 for the New-York market, and as seamen and ship stores 
 could not readily be obtained at Saybrook, Captain Hepburn 
 shipped a crew, and purchased all necessary sea stores in 
 New- York, and from thence proceeded with them in a steam- 
 boat to Saybrook, where he joined the Brilliant. He forthwith 
 ballasted the brig, and got ready for sea. It being a fine 
 season of the year, I subsequently concluded to go with him 
 and make a voyage to Nova Scotia. We left Saybrook in the 
 morning on the 27th of June, and with a moderate breeze and 
 ebb tide, soon passed Gull Island ; at three o'clock in the after- 
 noon of this day we took our departure from Montauk Point, 
 and stood out to sea. As usual at this season of the year, we 
 had light winds and fine weather for several consecutive days ; 
 we passed just outside of Nantucket south shoal, and then 
 near the southern edge of George's Bank, and from thence to 
 the eastward along the coast of Nova Scotia, not far from 
 Halifax.
 
 308 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLI.iNT, 
 
 On the 4th of July we had strong breezes from the S. W., 
 with foggy, damp, and comparatively cold weather. Our 
 large pea-jackets and gloves were very useful. At 5 o'clock 
 in the afternoon of this day we made the land, namely, the 
 Island of Cape Breton, not far from old Louisburg, Here we 
 found strong gales at S. S. W., with thick, foggy weather, so 
 that we were obliged to reef topsails, and stand off and on all 
 night under easy sail. 
 
 Next day we had a continuation of the same weather ; we 
 therefore deemed it unsafe to approach the land, and thus we 
 were groping about in a dense fog during forty hours, with- 
 out being able to get an observation of the sun. On the 7th 
 of July the wind moderated, and the weather clearing a little, 
 we made Flint Island, six miles distant. This island lies near 
 the main land of Cape Breton, and is an excellent landmark 
 for Sydney. Near this place and all along the shore, we saw 
 great numbers of boats employed in catching codfish ; one of 
 them came alongside, and supplied us with eight or ten large 
 ones for half a dollar. These fish are so abundant, that the 
 fishermen set but little value upon them : two men can catch 
 a large boat load in a few hours. 
 
 Halibut are also extremely abundant in this region and all 
 along the coast of Cape Breton. Great numbers of men obtain 
 a living by the cod fishery ; they employ themselves during 
 the spring and summer months by taking fish in boats, and 
 drying (or making them), as it is here called, on the shore, 
 near where they are caught. 
 
 In the fall of the year, say in October, and in the early 
 part of November, they are brought to market, either to Sydney 
 or some other considerable town, and from these places they 
 are shipped to ports in the Mediterranean, and also to the West 
 India Islands. The codfish taken here and at Newfoundland, 
 when preserved and cured, are said to be the best in the world, 
 and bear a higher price in Spain and other foreign countries 
 than those from any part of the globe. This morning we 
 passed near Scattery ; tiiis is a singular little island, quite bare
 
 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 809 
 
 of trees, and is also an excellent landmark for vessels bound 
 to Sydney. We continued to sail along shore towards the 
 harbor, and as the weather had now become clear and pleasant, 
 we had a fine view of the coast ; the land was moderately 
 high, and had rather a barren appearance. At noon this day 
 we got off the mouth of the harbor, where we took a pilot 
 near the light-house, but as the wind was contrary, we did not 
 reach Sydney until three o'clock in the afternoon, which made 
 our passage nine days from Saybrook. The day after being 
 Sunday, we made it a day of rest ; I dined with my corres- 
 pondents, the Messrs. Archibalds, who are the principal mer- 
 chants at this place. 
 
 At the table of our host, I met six or eight gentlemen, all 
 English, except one American and myself; they were all 
 social, polite, and intelligent. There were no ladies present, 
 Mr. A. being at this time a bachelor ; he lived in good style, 
 and was very urbane and agreeable. 
 
 Towards evening I returned on board the Brilliant, pleased 
 with the kind hospitality of Mr. A., and with my first ac- 
 quaintance with Sydney, and mentally said. Let a man wan- 
 der to whatever part of the world he may, he will always find 
 some good and agreeable people. Kindness and social hospi- 
 tality are not confined to any country or clime, but spring up 
 like good seed, and bear fruit even in the cold and foggy re- 
 gions of the north. While on the eve of loading the Brilliant, 
 I was offered a freight of coals for Philadelphia, which I con- 
 sidered a little more conducive to my interest than purchasing 
 for my own account. I accordingly accepted the offer, and 
 forthwith commenced loading for that city. 
 
 As I had an efficient captain to attend to the Brilliant, it 
 gave me sufficient leisure to explore Sydney and its environs, 
 and also to visit the coal mines. 
 
 These mines are situated about two miles from Sydney, on 
 the north side of the harbor, not far from the sea. They are 
 owned by a company in England, and are wrought by agents 
 living at this place. There is a railroad from the pits to the
 
 310 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 wharves, where the ships and vessels he to receive the coal. 
 At the pits it is put into large cars containing two chaldrons 
 each, with their bottoms so arranged with hinges as to open 
 directly into the hatchway of the ship ; in this way it is rapidly 
 taken on board. I took two hundred chaldrons into my brig 
 in the course of six hours. A large ship of five or six hun- 
 dred tons burthen, by receiving coal at two hatchways, can 
 take in a full cargo in a day ; and if it could be stowed 
 away as fast as it can be put on board, a large ship might 
 be loaded in a very few hours ; the only delay is to keep 
 the hatchways clear to receive it. I visited the mines, and 
 found immense quantities of it lying in large heaps at and 
 near the mouth of the pits. This coal is similar to the Liver- 
 pool, but not quite so bituminous ; it burns freely, but con- 
 sumes quicker than the Orrel. It appeared that the greatest 
 difficulty the owners or agents of the mines had to contend 
 with, was to dispose of it ; they can dig out almost any 
 quantity, if they could find a ready market. During the four 
 or five days that I remained here, there were some eight or 
 ten vessels loaded with coal, viz., two ships from Boston, and 
 several brigs and schooners from other parts of the United 
 States, besides sundry small coasting vessels from Halifax and 
 Newfoundland. Perhaps if the price was reduced to a lower 
 scale, more vessels would come here to purchase it, but whether 
 the owners of the mines can afford to sell it lower, I am not 
 able to say. At any rate it is a great source of wealth and 
 comfort, to have such an abundant supply of this necessary 
 article in this dreary climate during the long and severe win- 
 ter months. Independently of these considerations, the coal 
 mines directly or indirectly give employment to hundreds, or 
 perhaps thousands, who otherwise would find nothing to do. 
 Thus one is led to reflect on the bounty and Avisdom of God 
 in His provision for man in almost every part of the globe. 
 Here in this cold region, where genial suns and fertile lands 
 are denied those who inhabit this country, the surrounding 
 seas and rivers are filled with excellent fish ; and though the
 
 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 311 
 
 summers are short and the soil not rich, it is sufficiently good 
 to produce abundance of the best quality of potatoes, while the 
 bowels of the earth are charged with bituminous coal, which 
 here may be purchased very low, so that a poor man with the 
 least industry may live and support his family comfortably. 
 He can provide his fish and potatoes in the summer, and pur- 
 chase his coal with but little labor. Still, with all these bless- 
 ings at hand, one meets with much poverty and moral deg- 
 radation. 
 
 And after the many bounties here bestowed upon man, 
 methinks I hear the inquiry, What then is the cause of this 
 sad state of things, and why are the people so poor, ignorant, 
 and debased ? The answer is short but true. Rum ! Rum ! 
 or alcohol in some shape or other. This is the bane that 
 poisons and pollutes the pure, moral, and social state of society ; 
 and although the upper classes are so polite, well-bred, and 
 hospitable, I am constrained to say I fear they do not adhere 
 to temperance as much as they ought. If they would set the 
 example of strict and total abstinence, I think a great reform 
 would soon take place, and that temperance and sobriety would 
 soon banish the low and drunken debauchery which now de- 
 bases and degrades the working classes in this region. This 
 colony is England on a small scale ; the rich and educated 
 live well, and are abundantly supplied with all the necessa- 
 ries, and most of the luxuries of life, while the great mass of 
 English, Scotch, and Irish emigrants are poor and wretchedly 
 debased ; the contrast between the working-classes of New Eng- 
 land and this place, is as great as can well be imagined. In Mas- 
 sachusetts and Connecticut there are no marks of extreme 
 poverty ; all appear well clothed and well fed ; here poverty 
 and drunkenness riot without shame or remorse. 
 
 The face of the country about Sydney is undulating, and 
 I may add, rather hilly ; in many of the valleys the ground is 
 somewhat ])roductive, and though the warm season is short, 
 still I am told it is a pretty good grazing country ; and that 
 they not only supply themselves with all the butler and cheese
 
 812 THIRD VOYAGE IN" THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 they require, but export considerable quantities to the West 
 Indies. Sydney is a small town, containing probably about 
 one hundred and fifty houses ; the richer classes have large 
 and comfortable gardens attached, and as the streets are wide, 
 the place has a respectable appearance. It probably contains 
 about five or six hundred inhabitants, exclusive of those who 
 live near the coal mines. There are also many farm-houses 
 in the vicinity of the town for several miles in extent, and in 
 the summer season the country has a pleasant aspect. The most 
 striking feature of the place to a stranger, is the abundance offish. 
 Cod and halibut come quite into the port of Sydney, and may 
 be taken with but little labor, or purchased for a trifling sum 
 of money. Besides the fish taken in the bays and harbors all 
 along the coast, the lakes and rivers abound with them, so 
 that, in a word, this is the greatest country for the finny tribe 
 that I have ever visited. 
 
 During my sojourn here, I strolled to the camp of an Indian 
 tribe ; they were in a pleasant grove, not far from the town. 
 There were perhaps one hundred men, women and children, 
 all employed making baskets, moccasons, and other articles for 
 use or ornament. They were comfortably clad, and behaved 
 with great propriety, I purchased a quantity of baskets, and 
 found them social and friendly ; they were generally good 
 looking, and some of the young women were even handsome, 
 
 I have every reason to speak well of Sydney, for during my 
 short stay here I received a great deal of liospitality and kind 
 attention from several families, particularly from the Messrs, 
 Archibalds, and also from Captain IJarriugton, and their fami- 
 lies, and shall ever hold them in grateful remembrance, 
 
 I have, within a few months, had the pleasure of enjoying 
 three spring seasons ; being in New Orleans during the month 
 of March, I partook of green peas, strawberries and other early 
 fruits, and saw many fragrant flowers in full bloom, 
 
 I was in New York and Coimecticut during the month of 
 May ; there I also enjoyed another spring, and here I am again 
 in the midst of another, notwithstanding it is now the lOlh
 
 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 313 
 
 of July. I have been gradually moving northward, from the 
 hot suns of New Orleans to the cold fogs of Nova Scotia, 
 and during the greater portion of the time, have been favored 
 with fine weather. Notwithstanding I met with cold and 
 damp fogs for several days before entering the port of Sydney, 
 it has been remarkably fine and clear during my stay here. 
 
 On the 11th of July we finislied loading the Brilliant, got 
 all our stores on board, and made ready for sea. 
 
 While lying at anchor this day, two female Indians came 
 ofrfi'om the shore in a beautiful bark canoe. It was so light and 
 buoyant that it sat like a gull on the water, and was truly 
 a fine specimen of exquisite workmanship. The youngest 
 of these females was a fine model of feminine simplicity and 
 artless beauty : her long black hair was gracefully braided ; 
 in front it was parted sufiiciently to show a light brown fore- 
 head, with jet black eyes and regular features, that might 
 serve as a model for a sculptor to imitate the perfection of the 
 human form. Her dress was made close around the waist, 
 and so arranged as to show a full bust ; and thus with close, 
 ornamented pantaloons, and high-wrought moccasons, was 
 gracefully seated, at her ease, this simple child of Nature. 
 We may call her a savage, and sneer at her want of elegance 
 and taste, but has she no charms to kindle the flame of love 
 in the human bosom ? A fine lady, it is true, may excel her in 
 the gaudy decorated drawing-room, but can she balance her- 
 self with perfect case, confidence and grace, in this exquisite 
 boat, that a two-pound weiglit would overturn in unskilful 
 hands J can she manage the frail canoe, and force it through 
 the water with an arrow's speed — anon let it gently float like a 
 swan on its peaceful bosom? To complete the picture, and 
 add a new charm to the scene, was their gentle deportment. 
 When I invited them on board, they modestly declined, but 
 spread out before them a variety of little articles of their own 
 production, many of which were prettily made, and gracefully 
 displayed slight little parti-colored baskets, slippers, and other 
 ornamented trifies, exquisitely wrought and tastefully exhibit-
 
 314 THIRD VOYAGE IX THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 ed. There was no importunity on their part to induce me to 
 purchase ; they patiently waited my pleasure to take what I 
 desired, and leave the rest. I was so captivated with these 
 children of the forest, that I purchased their whole stock, ask- 
 ing but one simple question, and that was, " how much do 
 the whole of these beautiful articles amount to 1 " Had this 
 scene occurred some twenty-five years earlier, when I was a 
 single man, I should have been led a willing captive into the 
 forest, with this child of Nature. Mark Anthony abandoned 
 fame and country for the beauty of Egypt's Q,ueen — her 
 barge was so magnificent, and herself so beautiful, that the 
 gorgeous spectacle, combined with sweet music, overpowered 
 the ambition of the warrior, and rendered him a captive slave 
 to the aflurements of this luxurious queen. I too should have 
 been overpowered and subdued, not by the gorgeous display 
 of refined art and magnificent splendor, but by the simplicity 
 and purity of unsophisticated life, among the wild scenes of 
 nature. I would there have taken lessons from my sylvan 
 queen, how to manage the birch bark canoe, and to thread 
 my devious way through the pathless woods. This may, 
 perhaps, appear to some, like a high-wrought description of 
 two Indian girls in a bark canoe ; but I assure them that it is 
 not ; on the contrary, it falls far short of the truth, and is but a 
 tame representation of the whole scene. 
 
 The next day, July the 12th, we sailed out of Sydney, 
 bound for Philadelphia, and at 6 o'clock in the afternoon got 
 outside of the light-house at the moutli of the harbor, where 
 we discharged our pilot, and steered on our course to the 
 southward. 
 
 The next day, we passed near Flint Island ; the winds 
 being light, we caught six codfish ; — the weather was too 
 thick and foggy to get the latitude by the sun, but as we now 
 had sea-room enough to navigate, we could make our way 
 along shore without knowing our exact position. We contin- 
 ued sailing and beating about, from the 13th to the 17th of 
 July, for four days, without seeing land, or being able to get
 
 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 315 
 
 an observation of the sun; and during the whole of the time 
 the weather has been dark and foggy, attended with a damp 
 mist. On the 17th it cleared up a little, when there were eight 
 brigs and schooners in sight ; we spoke one of them, an 
 English brig, 7 days from Pictou, bound to Boston. At 10 
 o'clock this morning, we saw a schooner at anchor, fishing in 
 38 fathoms of water ; we ran down near her and hove to, and 
 put out our lines. In the course of an hour we caught three 
 halibut and some 20 or 30 large codfish ; one of the halibut 
 weighed over one hundred pounds, the other two about sixty 
 each. I have generally found during this voyage, that wher- 
 ever we could find bottom on any of the banks along the 
 coast of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, we could always catch 
 plenty of fish. 
 
 From this period, viz., the 17th of July, until the 2d of Au- 
 gust, for fifteen days, I find nothing but a history of the winds 
 and weather, taking in and making sail, and a continuous ac- 
 count of reefing, tacking, wearing ship, etc., etc., terms alto- 
 gether uninteresting except to nautical men, and even to them 
 there is too much monotony to interest where the gales are 
 not severe enough to carry away a mast, or split a maintop- 
 sail into ribbons. Seafaring men love to read of tempests and 
 storms, water-spouts and tornadoes ; but the dull routine of 
 calm, baffling weather, is too tame to raise the pulse or send 
 the blood with a rush to the heart ; they therefore skip over 
 these scenes, and feed on something more bold and daring — 
 such, for example, as a boat having been broken to pieces by 
 the tail of a whale, and the whole crew escaped by swimming 
 on oars and broken pieces of the wreck. 
 
 As the firing of cannon and the sound of martial music 
 animate and excite the heart of a soldier, so in like manner 
 the howling of the tempest and the roaring of thunder animate 
 the soul of a true son of Neptune, and prompt him to deeds 
 of noble daring, such as saving the crew of a sinking ship ; 
 but as I have here no such scenes to record, I will return to my 
 dull narrative. On the 2d of August, at 2 o'clock in the after-
 
 816 THIED VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 noon, we took on board Mr. C, a Cape May pilot, and stcTod 
 in shore. At nine in the evening, we made Cape May light, 
 and at ten, next morning, passed near Cape Henlopen. The 
 weather became thick and rainy, so that we were obliged to 
 run under easy sail, and feel onr way along by the land ; the 
 wind shifted to the S. E. at two o'clock in the afternoon, and 
 blew a strong gale from that quarter. At 3 P. M. we ran in, 
 and made a good harbor under the lee of the breakwater, 
 where we lay all night, in company with some twenty or thir- 
 ty sail of ships,' brigs, and schooners. While lying here at an- 
 chor in five fathoms of water, safe from all winds, I fully re- 
 alized the strong protecting arm of the United States govern- 
 ment, in constructing this fine harbor, to save the lives of 
 seamen, and the property of all classes of our common coun- 
 try ; and thus, after passing a comfortable night in this smooth 
 and peaceful haven, we made sail in the morning, at 8 o'clock, 
 and commenced beating up the bay, with the wind from the 
 northward, which continued contrary for two days ; this pro- 
 longed our passage, so that we did not arrive at Philadelphia until 
 Tuesday, August the 6th, making it twenty-four days from 
 Sydney. The Brilliant was deeply loaded, and we had ad- 
 verse winds almost all the way, which rendered the passage 
 long and tedious, and, to add to my disappointment, the con- 
 signee, to whom the coal was addressed, refused to receive it 
 and pay the freight, so that I was compelled to employ a com- 
 mission house, Messrs. G. & S., to sell the coal for my account, 
 to secure the freight, which was at the rate of four dollars the 
 chaldron, and amounted to something over ^800. We sold it 
 to a gas company, and when the freight, commissions, demur- 
 rage, and other just charges were paid, I placed the balance 
 accruing from the sale of the coal, in the hands of Messrs. 
 G. &. S., to be paid over to the party best entitled to it accord- 
 ing to law. This was no business of mine ; I agreed to perform 
 a certain duty for a specific sum, and as the parties would not 
 pay me for performing my part of the contract, I sold it, paid 
 myself, and handed over the balance to the shippers ; the re-
 
 THIRD VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 317 
 
 suit was, that I took the proper steps in the premises, and was 
 justified in so doing, on the fnial decision of the case in a court 
 of justice. 
 
 After discharging the coal, and settling the voyage, I paid 
 off the crew, and laid up the brig Brilliant, under the charge 
 of Captain Richard Hepburn ; and when every necessary ar- 
 rangement was made, I left Philadelphia on the 20th of Au- 
 gust, and returned home to my family.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 rOUETH AND LAST VOYAGE IN THE BEIG BEILLIANT, FEOM NEW- 
 YOEK TO EIO DE JANEIEO, AND EEOM THENCE TO NEW OE- 
 LEANS, IN THE YEAES 1840 AND 1841. 
 
 • 
 
 On my return home to Connecticut from Rio and New Or- 
 leans, on the 24th of April, I concluded to employ the BriUiant 
 in the freighting business, and, with this object in view, I ap- 
 pointed my late mate, Mr. Richard Hepburn, to command her. 
 He had made one voyage from Philadelphia to Sydney, N. S., 
 and another to New Orleans and Marseilles, and from thence 
 to New- York, where he arrived on the 13th of July, 1840. 
 As the Brilliant required a thorough overhauling, I forthwith 
 placed her in the carpenter's hands, where she was faithfully 
 calked and repaired; I also procured a new suit of sails, boats, 
 cordage, and every thing else necessary to perform another 
 voyage to Rio, and after mature deliberation, made an arrange- 
 ment with a commercial friend in New- York, and also with 
 my friends, Messrs. W. G. Hewes & Company, of New Or- 
 leans, to be interested with me in the purchase of a full cargo 
 of coffee at Rio. I had thus far been fortunate on my late 
 voyages, and begun to fear a reaction, and thought I had bet- 
 ter act a prudent part, and therefore agreed with Messrs. 
 Hewes &. Co., to take 1,600 bags for their account, and also 
 with my commercial friend to take 600 ; this left me but one 
 thousand for my own account. With these gentlemen I made 
 an agreement, that I should receive one dollar per bag, freight,
 
 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 31 
 
 with five per cent, primage, and that the whole cargo should 
 be consigned to my friends in New Orleans, they receiving the 
 customary commissions for transacting the business in that 
 city. The before-named gentlemen, with whom I was con- 
 cerned, intrusted me with the management of their affairs in 
 Rio ; that is to say, I was to direct what quality of coffee should 
 be purchased, and with the assistance and advice of Messrs. 
 Maxwell, Wright &. Co., to buy at a proper time, etc., etc. The 
 funds for the purchase of the cargo were provided by each 
 party, and the accounts were to be kept distinct and separate. 
 For the amount of my 1000 bags I was authorized to draw on 
 Messrs. Reid, Irving & Co., of London ; and thus, after all the 
 preliminaries were arranged, I dispatched two small sloops to 
 Albany, to purchase boards, plank, and scantling, for my ac- 
 count. I also laid in sundry other bulky articles, and was 
 fortunate in obtaining the residue of a cargo on freight, viz., 
 flour, cotton drillings, etc. The amount of my freight and 
 primage, exclusive of my own property, amounted to seven 
 hundred dollars. I had also one cabin passenger — a native of 
 the Island of Cuba, who spoke not a word of English. 
 
 I laid in ample stores, and was well supplied with every 
 thing necessary and convenient. I took with me as chief 
 mate, Mr. Richard Hepburn, who had commanded the Bril- 
 liant on her last voyage to Marseilles ; I also took my former 
 second mate, Mr. Peter Hanson, and a crew of five seamen, 
 and a cook, comprising nine in number, including myself. I 
 am particular in detailing every thing relating to this voyage, 
 it being the last I ever made, either as captain or supercargo. 
 Thus equipped, I embarked on board the Brilliant, with my 
 wife and second daughter, Mary S., then a child of two years 
 and a half old, on the 2Stli of September, bound to Rio. We 
 left New- York in the morning, with a fine breeze from the N. 
 W., and steered down the bay ; at noon, when near Sandy 
 Hook, we discharged the pilot, and stood out to sea, with a 
 pleasant breeze at N. W., and fine, clear weather. We 
 steered off S. S. E., in company with the ship Canada, bound
 
 820 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 to Montevideo : there were also several ships, brigs, and 
 schooners, leaving port at the same time ; each of these ves- 
 selspursued her respective course over the trackless ocean, some, 
 no doubt, with heavy hearts at the idea of leaving wife, chil- 
 dren, and dear friends, while they were about to tempt the 
 treacherous main, with lurking doubts and fears for a joyful 
 return ; others, who had no strong or tender ties to leave be- 
 hind were, perhaps, rejoiced to embark, and, if fond of their 
 profession, experienced the feeling so happily expressed by 
 Lord Byron : 
 
 "Once more upon the waters ! yet once more! 
 And the billows bound beneath me as a steed 
 That knows his rider. Welcome to their roar! 
 Swift be their guidance wheresoe'er it lead, 
 Though the strain'd mast should quiver as a reed ; 
 And the rent canvas flutter through the gale, 
 Still must I on, for I am as a weed 
 Flung from the rock, on ocean's foam to sail 
 Where'er the surge may sweep, the tempest's breath prevail." 
 
 With me, though much of the enthusiasm of youth had 
 passed away, still I retained a lingering fondness for my pro- 
 fession, and at times love to recall the scenes of early life, 
 when it was my joy and delight to embark on the dark and 
 deep, blue ocean, and revel, like a sea-bird, in the tempest and 
 the storm. At this moment my feelings and affections were 
 divided ; I was leaving children, friends, and my dear country 
 behind, and had a beloved wife and child thrown on me for 
 protection ; I therefore felt a double responsibility to exercise 
 watchfulness and prudence to preserve the lives of those who 
 were thus placed in my hands, to sliield from every danger. 
 For the first two days out we had clear, pleasant weather, with 
 moderate breezes from the westward, which enabled us to 
 carry studding-sails alow and aloft ; we had the decks cleared 
 and every thing stowed away, lashed and secured, below and 
 on deck, every preparation made for bad weather, should it over-
 
 FOUETH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 321 
 
 take us, and be ready with calmness to encounter the wild fury of 
 the elements. On the third day out we got into the Gulf Stream, 
 where we had light, baffling winds, with a little rain, and at 
 noon found ourselves in latitude 37° 47' north, longitude 68° 
 47' west. From this period nothing occurred worth noticing, 
 except during the last two days I observed a high rolling swell 
 from the N. N. E., notwithstanding the wind was not blowing 
 from that direction ; my barometer was also falling ; these indi- 
 cations induced me to be on the qui vive. I told my officers to be 
 vigilant and watchful, as I expected a severe gale from that 
 quarter. On the 10th of October, when in latitude 35° 44' 
 north, longitude 57° west, at noon it commenced blowing a 
 strong gale from the S. W., with dark, squally weather ; as it 
 increased we reefed down and took in sail until we had nothing 
 set except a close-reefed main-topsail ; the wind shifted from S. 
 W. to N. N. E,, and threw up a high cross sea which broke 
 and foamed like a boiling caldron. Early in the morning, in 
 anticipation of a severe gale, we had sent down the topgallant- 
 yards, and got every thing snug to encounter the coming 
 storm, so that at present we had nothing to do but lie to and 
 let it expend its fury, and trust to a kind Providence to carry 
 us through this terrific tempest. At midnight it increased to a 
 perfect hurricane; the spray and foam were driven with so 
 much violence by the force of the wind that one could scarcely 
 look to windward ; the elements roarec] like thunder ; every 
 now and then an occasional flash of vivid lightning served to 
 render the gloom of night still more awful. The next morn- 
 ing at daylight, October the 11th, the gale was raging at the 
 height of its fury, lashing the ocean into a violent foam, which 
 threatened to swallow our little vessel in every hollow of the 
 sea; still amidst the tempest and mountain billows she rose 
 like a stormy petrel on the water, and though she was as it 
 were but a speck on the ocean, that unseen Hand, that " tem- 
 pers the wind to the shorn lamb," kept our little bark on the 
 top of the angry billows, and conducted us through this awful 
 crisis. I cannot say I was afraid during this protracted tem- 
 21
 
 322 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 pest, which lasted for a space of forty-eight hours ; still I 
 do not deny that I felt sensibly a solemn awe, reflecting on 
 onr perilous situation. I watched with intense anxiety every 
 symptom of its abatement., and when I saw the clouds break 
 away near the horizon, and the wind lull a little, I said, " God 
 is indeed every where, and it is He alone who has snatched us 
 from the very jaws of death." Scenes like these cause us to 
 feel our own insignificance, and lead us to exclaim with heart- 
 felt joy and gratitude, " It is Thou, O God ! who hast saved 
 us from a watery' grave, and may we ever bless and adore 
 Thy holy name, and place our entire dependence upon Him 
 who rules and governs the mighty deep, and hath said in His 
 wisdom, ' Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther, and here 
 shall thy proud waves be stayed.' " 
 
 In an hour or two after the gale began to break, it mode- 
 rated, so that at 2 o'clock in the afternoon on the 12th of Octo- 
 ber we again made sail, and went on our course rejoicing. 
 After this terrific and almost unparalleled storm, we met with 
 no incident worth noting until we fell in with the N. E. trade- 
 winds on the 29th of October, in latitude 26° 33' north, longi- 
 tude per chronometer 27° 26' west. We continued to steer to 
 the southward, with fine weather and fair winds, and on the 
 morning of the 2d of November at 5 A. M., daylight, we made 
 St. Antonio, one of the Cape de Yerd group, bearing south, 
 five or six leagues distant. We sailed down along the west 
 side of this high, rocky, barren-looking island, and at 10 o'clock 
 in the forenoon the body of it bore east, eighteen miles distant. 
 It lies in latitude 17° 25' north, longitude 25° 19' west of 
 London. After losing sight of St. Antonio we continued our 
 course to the southward, and were favored with fresh N. E. 
 trades until the 11th of November, when we entirely lost 
 them. After that we met with light, bafiling winds and much 
 rain, as is usual near ihc equator ; here we found it very hot, 
 and the weather dark and impleasant. This day at noon we 
 were in latitude by observation 2° 6' north, longitude 26° 17' 
 west.
 
 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 323 
 
 We continued to experience light and baffling winds foi 
 two or three days, with much rain, until November the Hth, 
 when we had fanned across the equinoctial line, and got as 
 far south as 2° 55'; we fell in with the S. E. trade-winds, and 
 had fine, pleasant weather ; we crossed the line in longitude 
 27° 32' west. During the remainder of the passage, I fmd 
 very little in my journal worth recording. We continued to 
 have from day to day (with few interruptions) constant S. 
 E. trades and pleasant weather, which is almost always the 
 case along this part of the Brazil coast. We occasionally saw 
 a sail or two to break the monotony, and if by chance we 
 caught a bonito or an albicore, it was quite an incident where 
 there is so little change from one day to another. At sea there 
 are very few objects to divert the attention save the two grand- 
 est and most sublime to human view, and these are the im- 
 mense world of waters on which we float, and the azure vault 
 of heaven studded with innumerable worlds. He that has 
 no taste for the sublime, and finds no pleasure in gazing on 
 and contemplating Avith awe and wonder these beautiful 
 objects, had better remain on the land ; for without this re- 
 source and books, life on the ocean is but a dead blank. But 
 to use the words of J. J. Rousseau, " He that can look through 
 nature up to nature's God," may enjoy a rich feast in com- 
 muning with the Author of his being, and gratify intellectual 
 inquiry when sailing over the different regions of the globe.' 
 He may observe God's fostering hand over all his creatures in 
 every part of the earth ; — in the north and in the south, in the 
 east and in the west, in the low and burning latitudes, there is 
 the same wise provision made for man and for all the lower 
 animals of creation — the same kind hand has bountilully sup- 
 plied their wants, and all He requires in return for this good- 
 ness is our fervent love and gratitude ; to feel that we are 
 His children, and that He is our Father, and will provide for 
 and take care of us, if we put our trust in Him ; with a 
 firm, unbending hope and faith, through the mediation and 
 teachings of the lowly Jesus, the l)lessed Saviour of the
 
 824 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 world. This faith and hope will enable us to press forward 
 in the path of duty, and in the hour of peril, or deep grief, 
 to exclaim with the holy man of old, " Though he slay me. 
 yet will I trust in Him." 
 
 On Wednesday the 25th, at four o'clock in the afternoon, 
 we made Cape Frio, bearing W. N. W. 30 miles distant, and at 
 nine o'clock the same evening, we passed near it. At eight 
 the next morning, Nov, 26th, we saw the Sugar Loaf Hill, 
 at the entrance of Rio, and at two in the afternoon of this day, 
 we passed the fort of St. Cruz, and came to anchor at Rio, 58 
 days from New-York, without having met with any serious 
 accident. 
 
 The next day, I left the Brilliant in charge of the mate, 
 and took lodgings for myself and family with the Rev. J. 
 Spaulding, an American Missionary, residing with his family 
 in Rio. I of course employed the same house to transact 
 my business, as I had done on the two former voyages, viz., 
 Messrs. Maxwell, Wright &-. Co. In the course of a few days 
 we landed all our freight, and I sold the greater part of my own 
 goods for a fair profit, and soon had the Brilliant ready to re- 
 ceive on board a cargo of coffee. I was now waiting a favor- 
 able change in the market, to purchase the amount I wanted; 
 in the mean time I had leisure to look about the city of Rio^ 
 and its vicinity ; but, as I have on the last voyage made so 
 many remarks on this place, it is unnecessary to repeat or 
 amplify my observations on this subject. I will only observe 
 that the trade and commerce here seem to increase with 
 wonderful rapidity. 
 
 After remaining in the city with our good friend the mis- 
 sionary a few days, we removed with him and his family 
 eight miles into the interior. This Rev. gentleman had hired 
 a small house among the mountains of Tejuca, where the air 
 was fresher, and the weather not so warm by at least ten 
 degrees — for example, when the thcr. stood at 88 and 90° in 
 the city, at his residence among the mountains the mean 
 heat of the weather was about 75° to 78°, so that one might
 
 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 325 
 
 almost choose his own cHiiiate : the road to this mountain 
 house was pretty good for 5 or 6 miles of the distance, after 
 that there was no carriage road, nor could it be travelled at all 
 except on a mule or on foot ; the ladies were conveyed up these 
 mountain paths in a hammock or palanquin, slung upon a 
 long pole, and borne on the shoulders of two stout negroes. 
 In this retired residence, my wife and child lodged two weeks, 
 in the family of the worthy Missionary, and found it pleasant 
 and comfortable. My business required my constant attention 
 in town, so that I could only remain in the mountains with 
 my friends, from Saturday evening to Monday morning, when 
 I again returned to die city. 
 
 I observed that those who resided here constantly appear- 
 ed to like the mountain air, and to them it was a healthful 
 residence ; I, on the contrary, found the change of climate too 
 severe, and felt myself altogether better in the city, even with 
 the thermometer standing at 90° of Fahrenheit, and soon came 
 to the conclusion that this diversity of climate was not condu- 
 cive to health, and that it was far better to endure a tempo- 
 rary inconvenience than to seek a sudden change for relief 
 After remaining at Rio about twenty days, the price of cotfee 
 fell so as to authorize me to buy a cargo, which was soon 
 done through Blessrs. Maxwell, Wright &. Co. In the course 
 of a few days we purchased the whole amount, comprising 
 three thousand two hundred bags, averaging one hundred and 
 sixty pounds English weight. In about a week after the pur- 
 chase of the coffee, it was all shipped, together with all neces- 
 sary provisions and stores ; so that on the 24th of December, 
 after lying in this port about a month, we bade adieu to our 
 friends, and the next day at 9 o'clock in the morning made 
 sail, with a light land breeze, and left the harbor of Rio bound 
 for New Orleans. At 10 o'clock, we took the sea-breeze and 
 stood off to the southward ; at meridian Raza Island bore west, 
 ten miles distant. We left this harbor in company with sev- 
 eral ships bound todilTerent parts of the world ; among others, 
 there were three American vessels, the bark Leda of and from
 
 326 FOUKTH VOYAGE IN" THE BRIG BEILLIANT. 
 
 Baltimore, the brig Orleans for the same place, and the brig 
 Shawmiit bound for Boston. After leaving port, each pursued 
 his respective course. For several days we encountered strong 
 breezes from the N. N. E. directly ahead, and of course made 
 but little progress on our homeward passage. These strong 
 and contrary winds continued for about a week, when they 
 moderated and came out from E. N. E., and continued light 
 for the space of ten days, forcing us down to leeward ; these 
 light airs, together with a strong Ice-current, set us so far to the 
 westward, that on the 13th of January we made the coast of 
 Brazil on the lee-bow, bearing north, twelve miles distant. At 
 noon tliis day, the latitude by observation was 10° 16' south; 
 longitude by the land 35° 58 west. From the 13th to the 23d 
 of January, Ave continued to have light winds from the N. E., 
 with a strong current setting to the westward, so that we made 
 slow progress beating to the northward, and could not weather 
 Cape St. Augustine, when we tacked and stood to the south- 
 ward ; we could gain nothing to the eastward ; and thus day 
 after day we continued to beat up along shore, standing off and 
 on, and tacking every four or six hours, according as the wind 
 headed or favored us. The coast along this part of Brazil is 
 clean and free from rocks and shoals, and very easy to navi- 
 gate, still I would not advise any one to keep in shore when 
 bound to the United States from Rio ; it is far better to stand 
 boldly off to the southward, and by all means keep clear of the 
 land until far enough to the eastward to weather Cape St. Au- 
 gustine. By getting too far in shore, I lost nearly a week be- 
 fore I was able to double the cape. On the 22d, at noon this 
 day, we sailed by Cape St. Augustine; it is ofa moderate height 
 and free from dangers of every kind ; we passed within seven 
 miles distance. It lies in latitude 8° 21' nortli, longitude 34° 57' 
 west. The next day we passed near Olinda and Pernambuco, 
 and saw the church towers, etc., and also the shipping lying at 
 anchor in that harbor. 
 
 After passing these places, the wind f^ivorcd us so that we 
 were enabled to set studding-sails alow and aloft, and thus
 
 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 327 
 
 pursued our coinso at the rate of eight miles the hour. For 
 several days we had hrisk breezes from tlie eastward, and a 
 strong current setting in our favor, I should judge at the rate 
 of one mile the hour. We soon fell into the regular N. E. 
 trade-winds, and proceeded rapidly on our course. 
 
 On tiie 6th of February, at 11 o'clock P. M., there was a 
 total eclipse of the moon. The weather being fine and the 
 sky serene, it was indeed a beautiful spectacle, for after a 
 period of entire obscurity she was relieved, and again seemed 
 to shine with renewed splendor. 
 
 At one hour after midnight, we made the Island of I3arba- 
 does, bearing W. by N. ten miles distant. We ran down along 
 its south side, and took the same route through the West India 
 islands as on the two last voyages, and met with nothing 
 worthy of remark until we made the Island of Grand Cayman, 
 on the ISth of February, bearing N. W. fourteen miles distant, 
 and after passing Cape Antonio, we steered for the mouth of the 
 Mississippi; we generally had favorable winds until the 1st of 
 March, when drawing near the mouth of that river, where we 
 met with strong gales and very disagreeable weather. It how- 
 ever moderated the next day, so that at daylight we made the 
 light-house at the mouth of the S. W. Pass, bearing N. W. 
 about eight miles distant, but the weather was so thick and 
 stormy, that we were obliged to stand oil shore for several 
 hours, and after beating about until .11 o'clock in the fore- 
 noon, Captain Wilder, of the steamboat Prairie, came off and 
 towed the Brilliant into the river at the N. E. Pass without 
 touching the bottom, and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon we 
 came to anchor two miles above the Pass, sixty-eight days from 
 Rio. 
 
 At 7 in the evening, March 3d, the Prairie took the ship 
 Talleyrand, of Boston, the Brilliant, brig Africa, and a little 
 Spanish schooner, all in tow, and proceeded up the river ; at 
 this time we had a fair prospect of making a good passage to 
 New Orleans. During the first part of the night we had fine, 
 clear weather, and I lelt that my troubles were at an end, and
 
 328 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 that we were in a place of perfect safety — but mark the re- 
 suh. About midnight it became very dark, so that one could 
 scarcely see the banks of the river, and had the captain of 
 the steamboat acted a prudent part, he would have brought us 
 all to anchor, until the weather should become more clear ; 
 this, however, he did not do, but continued to proceed on his 
 course, until, about three o'clock in the morning on the 4th of 
 March, in a thick fog, he ran the whole fleet aground, at the 
 mouth of a creek, or bayou, called Carrion Crow, on the south 
 side of the Mississippi, about 22 miles above its mouth ; my 
 brig being the in shore vessel, was, by the force of the current, 
 driven fast aground, and partly into the creek. When daylight 
 appeared, the little schooner and the brig Africa were hauled 
 off" without much difficulty, and in the course of the day, with 
 the assistance of another steamboat, the Talleyrand was also 
 taken afloat ; consequently, there remained the steamboat 
 Prairie and the Brilliant, still hard and fast aground. The 
 water was running out of the Mississippi into the bayou, at 
 the rate of six or seven miles the hour, with a fall of two and 
 a half or three feet, roaring like a cataract. The Prairie lay 
 athwart our bows, and was partly forced into the bayou. 
 
 The next day, March the 5th, it blew a severe gale of 
 wind from the N. E ; at ten o'clock in the morning, the Prai- 
 rie and the Brilliant were grinding severely against each other, 
 and as the water became more agitated and rough, I feared 
 they might sink ; and thus, to prevent the loss of my cargo, I 
 ordered the bowsprit of the brig to be cut away, and every 
 thing else about the bows, that they should not entangle each 
 other ; when this was done, the Prairie broke loose, and was 
 forced by the gale and current into the bayou, and there se- 
 cured to the bank. The wind and current continued to force 
 the brig more and more upon the bar, at the mouth of the 
 creek, notwithstanding we had got out an anchor to prevent 
 her from being forced over it into the outlet. The Prairie lay 
 two days within the bayou, when, with the assistance of ano- 
 ther steamboat, with cables, anchors, blocks, and falls, she was
 
 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 329 
 
 finally taken out of the creek into the Mississippi. On tlie 
 7th of March, the owner of the Prairie sent down from New 
 Orleans a very large anchor, with 90 fiithomsof heavy chain; 
 this was taken out on our starboard quarter, and hove taut, to pre- 
 vent the brig from being forced into the bayou : the next morn- 
 ing, March the 8th, I liired one of the most powerful steam- 
 boats on the river, to force ofi" the Brilliant, with an agreement 
 with the captain, that if he succeeded, I would give him two 
 hundred dollars, and if he did not, after a fair trial, I would 
 give him one hundred and thirty for his trouble. He tried, 
 but to no purpose ; and after parting a new ten-inch cable, 
 gave it up, remarking, that if the brig was lying on the bank, 
 entirely out of the water, he would drag her off ; but that she 
 was so bedded in the sand, and lay broadside against the cur- 
 rent, that she could not be got off without taking out a part 
 of the cargo. I then sent my mate, Mr. Hepburn, to New 
 Orleans, for a lighter. On the 10th, he returned with a 
 schooner, when we took out one thousand and fifty bags of 
 coffee, and dispatched her to New Orleans ; and notwithstand- 
 ing we had lightened the Brilliant, we could not get her off; 
 on the contrary, the more we lightened, the further she was 
 forced over the bar, into the outlet. After this we made ano- 
 ther attempt with two steamboats, in a line, with a large cable 
 led through the hawse hole and fastened to the mainmast, and 
 then, after a fair trial, with almost force enough to tear the 
 mast out of her. they gave it up as a hopeless case. I then 
 ordered another lighter down, and took out another thousand 
 bags ; thus far we had been almost constantly employed, day 
 and night ; besides our own crew I hired some six or eight 
 laboring men to assist us, at the rate of two dollars per day. 
 On the 26th of March, after getting out the greater part of 
 the cargo, the owner of the Prairie, Mr. R., came down from 
 New Orleans with the steamboats Prairie and Porpoise, and 
 made the following agreement with me, viz., that he would 
 make another trial with the two boats to haul off the Brilliant, 
 and if they succeeded, I should pay him s500, and if they
 
 330 FOUETH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 did not, they should have nothing for their trouble. They 
 then placed both boats in a line, with cables fastened to our 
 masts and gave such tremendous jerks, that I almost feared 
 they would be dragged out of our unfortunate brig : still they 
 could not get her off, and, according to agreement, got nothing 
 for their pains. 
 
 On the 27th of March, notwithstanding we had out two 
 large anchors with heavy cables, the Brilliant, this day, at 
 four o'clock in the afternoon, went into the bayou, and was 
 secured alongside the west bank of the creek, in seven fathoms 
 of water. During our stay thus far at this disagreeable place, 
 we had been terribly annoyed with sand flies and musquitoes, 
 and had suffered every inconvenience that shipwrecked seamen 
 are destined to experience, such as being in the midst of a 
 mixed population, made up from almost all the nations of Eu- 
 rope, and rather a bad specimen from the United States. I 
 state with pleasure, however, that there were some honorable 
 exceptions, and that Mr. Donelson, the principal proprietor of 
 the land in this vicinity, was a kind, humane man. My fam- 
 ily and crew were always well treated by him, and during 
 our stay at Carrion Crow he was always obliging, and ren- 
 dered us many favors. 
 
 On the 31st of March, we commenced discharging coffee, 
 and found it necessary to transport it by land from the bayou 
 to the bank of the Mississipi, and there put it into boats, and 
 in this way shipped it on board of a schooner/lighter, called 
 the Gladiator. We had ten men employed besides our own 
 crew, so that in the course of two days, we finished discharging 
 the Brilliant, and had now on board the Gladiator the balance 
 of the cargo, comprising 500 bags of coffee. 
 
 The next morning, April 2d, I embarked with my family 
 and all the crew of the Brilliant (except the chief mate, Mr. 
 H.) on board the Gladiator, for New Orleans ; we were soon 
 taken in tow of the steamboat Phoenix, and proceeded up to 
 the city, at which place we arrived at one o'clock in the after- 
 noon.
 
 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 331 
 
 Mr. H. hired a man to cook on board, and remained quietly 
 there until I returned. 
 
 After paying ofT the crew of the IJrilliant, I agreed with 
 the owner of the l^raiiie to proceed with that boat down to 
 the bayou, and make one more trial to get the brig into the 
 Mississippi, and to settle all our difficulties amicably ; and on 
 the lOth of April we went down the river with tlic I^iairie, 
 and the next day, wiUi a long cable fastened to the bows of 
 the brig, at the momh of the creek (the steamboat being in the 
 Mississippi), took the brig again in tow, and almost succeeded 
 in getting her out ; but just at the very moment when she 
 was nearly over the bar, she gave a rank sheer, parted the cable, 
 and was again driven by the current back into the bayou; 
 and although there was no insurance upon her, I concluded 
 to let her remain there. I then employed eight or ten men, 
 stripped oft' all the rigging, sails, anchors, cables, boats — in 
 fine, all I could get from the wreck. I hired an Eastern 
 schooner, called the Choctaw, to carry all her materials to 
 New Orleans, to be disposed of for the most they would bring ; 
 and here ends the life of the good brig Brilliant. We left 
 Carrion Crow in the schooner Choctaw, on the 2 1st of April, 
 and the next day got up to New Orleans. On the 28th, the 
 hull, rigging, sails, and every thing appertaining to the Bril- 
 liant, was sold at auction on the Levee. 
 
 General Remarks on Carrion Croiv, and the Region about 
 the Months of the Mississippi. 
 
 I remained at the bayou from the 4th of March until the 
 21st of April, and dining that period I saw a good deal of this 
 singular place. As every body knows, the land for some 
 twenty or thirty miles above the mouths of this great river is 
 alluvial, and made up of logs and mud, that come down and 
 are lodged on each side of this mighty stream. After ascend- 
 ing the river about twenty miles from its mouth, by going up
 
 332 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 the rigging a little way above the deck, one can see the ocean 
 on both sides, only a short distance from its bank ; and when 
 landing on the banks of the river, one can walk for miles on 
 mud and logs, among the reeds and rushes that grow up in 
 the crevices between them. It frequently happens, when the 
 Mississippi is very high, that it breaks loose from its pent-up 
 channel, and thus forms creeks or bayous, which soon become 
 large and rapid steams ; such a one is the Carrion Crow Bayou, 
 which had no existence until a few years ago. There is 
 little or no security for the permanent continuance of any lo- 
 cation in this region ; a creek may close up in one place, and 
 break out in another, and to-day, where the land appears firm 
 and solid, it may sink to-morrow. During our stay at this 
 bayou, whole acres of land would disappear in a day. Along- 
 side the bank where my brig lay, there were seven or eight 
 fathoms of water — the land was constantly giving way ; and 
 when we discharged our coffee, we were obliged to procure 
 very long planks to slide it down upon, and thus place it at 
 least fifteen or twenty feet from the bank ; and even at this 
 distance, it was unsafe to leave any considerable quantity, as 
 it might all be submerged in an instant. 
 
 We had several strong gales of wind while lying here, and 
 it was absolutely astonishing to see the changes made along 
 the banks of the creek, even in a single day. 
 
 There is here a sparse population spread over a large 
 space. They mostly live in small houses or huts planted 
 along the main river, and occasionally on the bayous. They 
 are generally a mixture of all nations, with a pretty large 
 sprinkling of Creole French ; besides these, there are many 
 sailors of different nations, who are too lazy to pursue any 
 regular business, and prefer leading here a sort of vagabond 
 life — going about in boats from place to place, catching fish 
 and oysters, and sometimes obtaining an accidental job from 
 some shipwrecked captain like myself Many of tlicm have 
 wives or women with whom they live, who are probably 
 more dissolute than themselves. Some of them, a little more
 
 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 333 
 
 cunning than their fellows, contrive to keep little shops, and re- 
 tail liquor at an enormous profit. In the fall and winter there are 
 some few shrewd men who own large boats, and follow the busi- 
 ness of catching and opening oysters on the shoals and banks 
 along the sea-coast, or on some of the neighboring islands. 
 These men hire the stragglers by the month to catch and open 
 oysters, which are found here in great abundance. For many 
 miles the shoals and banks are covered with them. They 
 appear to be inexhaustible, and if necessary, I think the whole 
 United States might be supplied from this region. They are 
 put into large kegs or half-barrels, taken to New Orleans, and 
 from thence they are sent into the interior States, and produce 
 large sums of money ; and although, as I have before said, 
 the most of them are a drunken, improvident set of beings, 
 still, I am told, there are some of them who pick up considera- 
 ble property. 
 
 I saw a female, wife to one of the leaders of these oyster 
 colonies, who appeared shrewd and very intelligent. She 
 often encamped for weeks and months with these men who 
 were hired by her husband, and I was told she could open 
 more oysters in a day than any man belonging to the gang. 
 She was a middle-aged woman, and rather a good-looking 
 person, and was, I think, a native of Sweden. I visited seve- 
 ral pf the huts of these people, and sometimes found them 
 comfortable habitations, but generally badly built and very 
 dirty. They are terribly annoyed with sand-flies and mus- 
 quitoes. Therefore, taking every thing into consideration, I 
 should pronounce theirs a wretched mode of life, and only 
 suitable for idle vagabonds, who are unfit subjects for a more 
 civilized state of society. During my stay there, I employed 
 many of them to labor on board the Brilliant, and often pur- 
 chased from them oysters, chickens, eggs, etc. I managed to 
 get along with this heterogeneous population without dilfi- 
 culty, and found them generally ready to labor or assist me 
 whenever I made the given signal of setting my colors and 
 firing a gun. It was curious to see how soon this straggling
 
 334 FOUETH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 
 
 population could be called together upon any exciting occasion. 
 In a neighborhood where there could scarcely be seen more 
 than two or three huts, I could, in less than thirty minutes, 
 assemble twenty or thirty men, women, and children. From 
 the fact of my lying here so long, I became well known to the 
 inhabitants for many miles in extent ; so that the Bayou 
 Carrion Crow and the brig Brilliant became somewhat con- 
 spicuous objects, and many idlers paid us a visit, and fre- 
 quently strolled about the precincts of the outlet. My friend 
 D. knew the character of most of these people, and often gave 
 me a hint to avoid those of dubious standing. Whenever 
 these abandoned scoundrels came on board, I took the pre- 
 caution to get our muskets, pikes, and swords on deck, to 
 clean, and often took care to discharge a few muskets, to con- 
 vince these marauders that we were ready for them, and were 
 not to be caught napping. In fine, if it were not for the fre- 
 quent visits of the United States revenue cutters at the mouths 
 of the Mississippi, it would be unsafe to live in a shipwrecked 
 vessel with a valuable cargo. 
 
 After the sale of the Brilliant and her materials, on the 28th 
 of April, I employed an insurance broker, to make up a gen- 
 eral average on the Brilliant, her cargo and freight, according 
 to the custom and usage of the State of Louisiana. Messrs. 
 Wm. G. Hewes &. Co. had now sold the cargo at very good 
 prices, so that the A^oyage was soon closed. I took a state- 
 ment of the average with me, to present to the underwriters 
 in New- York, and left a second copy in the hands of my friends. 
 I settled every thing appertaining to the brig, with my con- 
 signees, to our mutual satisfaction. 
 
 And now, concluding this account of my last and final 
 voyage in the Brilliant, I add with pleasure, that I have ever 
 found William G. Hewes, Esq., strictly honest and just, and a 
 most worthy intelligent gentleman. In a few days, I arrang- 
 ed all my business in New Orleans, namely, on the 27th of 
 May, and proceeded with my wife and daughter up the Mis- 
 sissippi on my way to Now- York, and after a pleasant voy-
 
 FOURTH VOYAGE IN THE BRIG BRILLIANT. 335 
 
 age of 15 days, arrived safe at that city on the lllh of June, 
 1841. On my return, I called on the two insurance compa- 
 nies who had insured the freight and cargo of my brig, and 
 presented tliem all the documents relating to the unfortunate 
 loss of this vessel. We had an amicable settlement, when they 
 paid me the balance due, agreeably to the general average 
 made and adjusted in New Orleans. I believe the under- 
 writers were satisfied with my conduct, during the whole of 
 our late disastrous voyage, and final shipwreck in the Missis- 
 sippi ; I think they were convinced that I saved tliem every 
 expense in my power in getting the coffee up to New Orleans, 
 and guarding it from theft and plunder during our long and 
 tedious detention at the Bayou Carrion Crow. I have now 
 closed the last voyage in the Brilliant, and though I met with 
 many trials and difficulties in this brig, still, in the end, she 
 proved a fortunate vessel for me. It will be remembered that I 
 purchased her in 1837, with the hope of retrieving, if possible, 
 what I had lost by the Great Fire and other casualties in 
 Dec. 1835. AVlth this object in view, I pressed forward with 
 persevering industry and self-denial, and, notwithstanding 
 my brig was finally lost, without having one cent insured up- 
 on her, still I am happy to add, that at the end of four years 
 I cleared the round sum of twenty thousand dollars, and thus 
 repaired all my losses by the extensive conflagration. I 
 now began to feel that I was growing old, and that it v/as 
 about time for me to withdraw from active life, leaving the 
 field of enterprise and conmiercial pursuits to the rising gen- 
 eration ; and purpose hereafter to attend to the education of 
 my children, and to spend the residue of life in quiet repose. 
 
 THE END.
 
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