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ILLUSTRATED WHALING SHIP JOURNAL

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208. ILLUSTRATED WHALING SHIP JOURNAL A wonderful whaling journal, 177pp. folio, written in period ink with approximately 680 entries, bearing 117 whale stamps, and devoted to two separate voyages of the Fall River, Ma. whaler Gold Hunt. The journal begins on Feb. 5, 1838, and covers an expedition to the Cape of Good Hope, and along the coast of New Zealand. The second voyage covers a trek to the South Pacific and begins June 1, 1839. The journal's writer appears to be by a certain Charles A. Wood of Nantucket, reading in very small part: "...[Feb. 5, 1838]...made the Cape of Good Hope...spoke [with] ship Rodman of N. Bedford...at 12 p.m. Simons Bay...took a pilot...anchored in Simons Bay in 8 fathoms water...[Feb. 9]...delivered 1 barrel of flour to ship George & Martha and received 5 oars and 1 chart in return...[Apr. 19]...spoke [with] ship Luminary Capt. Mayhew of Warren 400 blls. sperm oil...[Akaroa Bay, May 16]...saw 2 whales none taken...flogged John Crawford for disorderly drunkenness and mutinous conduct...[June 15]...at 12 p.m. saw a whale struck and killed him. Towed him into the Bay...anchored him with 2 anchors. At 8 p.m. finished boiling...[June 22]...took onboard 3 tons of potatoes and delivered 560 lbs of Bone. Our boats returned to the ship safe...[July 2]...snow and rain...went out to tow in our whale but could not find him...[it] dragged away 2 anchors weighing 110 lbs each with 2 tow lines and 4 irons...[July 27]...David Henry deserted taking with him all his clothing...[Aug. 9]...raised John Crawford up to the riggling for drunken riotous conduct. Caleb Howland came aft and attempted to cut him down but did not succeed. Took him out of the rigging and put him in irons [he] was very noisy and abusive...[Aug. 10]...took off John Crawford's Irons with a promise that he would return to his duty and conduct himself properly the remainder of the voyage...[Sept. 6]...struck a whale. Killed and sunk him. Lost 4 harpoons...[Sept. 11]...saw a number of whales. At 4 p.m. struck two...and killed the other. At 6 took him along side and put on 2 fluke chains...he sunk and parted both chains...[Sept. 12]...spoke [with] ship Heinken and got 18 harpoons...all hands employed boiling and cleaning bone saw Humpbacks...[Sept. 29]...saw sperm whales going quick. Lowered our boats but did not see them afterwards...[Oct. 2]...saw whales. Lowered at 3 p.m. got fast to one. Got one boat stove. Killed the whale at 6...at 3 a.m. finished boiling...[Oct. 24]...struck a whale killed and sunk him. Struck another the Irons broke. The whale went off spouting blood...[Nov. 3]...all hands employed bundling bones...[Nov. 8]...picked up an oar marked Navy...[Jan. 17, 1839]...consigned to the deep the remains of Samuel Jones who died yesterday...after about 1 months sickness...[Jan. 29]...anchored in 5 fathoms water Great Boton Isle...Fort Vera Cruz...[Jan. 30]...called all hands to git our water on board. They refused to do any duty whatever...[Jan 31]...took on board 50 barrels of water with the assistance of 5 men from the shore...[Feb. 1]...took on board Jacob Hathaway to work for his passage home...[Mar. 8]...light winds with rain. Caught 20 barrels water...[Mar 17]...heavy swell from the N.N.W. whipped a sea over the bow...broke our stove...[Apr. 10]...at 4 made Long Island...[New Voyage, June 1, 1839]...Commenced ship Gold Hunter's voyage at 6 a.m...took our anchor at New Port...discharged our pilot at 8...[July 8]...sent our boat ashore to trade for hogs...[July 15]...[blank] in the rigging and gave him a flogging for abuse to the 3rd mate...[Nov. 6]...saw a whale. Lowered and got him at 4...commenced cutting at 8...lost the head and throat...at 9 a.m. commenced boiling...[Nov. 15]...saw a whale...got one boat stove. Lost the whale and 2 irons and about 40 fathoms of line. Saw a ship cutting a whale...[Dec. 15]...too rugged to hook to our whale...a hard gale...with 2 fluke chains on our whale too rugged for cutting...[Apr. 11, 1840]...saw whales lowered and got one...". Apr. 15, 1840, is the last entry of a voyage that ended five months later. Overall a great piece of whaling history with a quaint black and white water color rendition of a sailing ship entitled: "Ship Alpha Bound out Great Point light bearing N. S. W. distant 7 miles, 1840", and other period doodling including another rendition of a ship, a face, and views of houses. Some negligible paper loss, damp stains, and glue residue after being used as a scrap album. Overall very good. $3,000-5,000

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