Log Entries:  Aug 15 - Aug 21, 1844

Thu, Aug 15, 1844 (Sun Obscure)

… Made sail at daylight.  Cruising all day for whales.  Saw none but two humpbacks.

Fri, Aug 16, 1844 (Not Recorded)

… Saw a number of right whales; lowered and chased without success.  At noon spoke the bark Bayard of Greenport, 11 months out, 1000 bbls.  Gamming all the rest of the day.

Bark Bayard of Greenport, 339 tons,Captain Fordham. Departed Sep 27, 1843, returned Jul 31,1845 with 2,200 bbls.

Sat, Aug 17, 1844 (Not Taken)

Thick fog until noon, [then] cleared up some.  Lowered and chased twice without success.   Lowered again at 4:30 p.m.  Mr. Isham the First Mate’s boatsteerer darted to a whale.  The whale struck the boat – cut her in two amidships and killed a colored man by the name of Charles Conklin instantly, and he sunk to rise no more.  Also hurt another man – David Petty – some considerably.  Picked up the pieces of the boat and brought them on board… Put a new boat on the cranes.  This is surely an awful visitation of Providence and a warning for all us on board to be also ready.

A ”boatsteerer” is what landlubbers would call a “harpooner.”   There was a very peculiar “dance” that occurred on a whale boat during the hunt.   There are six men in a whaleboat.  The man in the rear was the “boat captain,” who steered the boat towards the whale. He was generally one of the ship’s officers.  The man up front (by the bow) would help row, until the boat was close to a whale, at which point he would stand up, face forward, grab a harpoon, and throw.  But then – the harpooner and boat captain would switch places; the “harpooner” would go aft and become the “boatsteerer” and the boat captain would go forward and be in charge of making the final killing blow of the whale with a lance. 

In reality, there was absolutely no practical reason to do this; the “harpooner” could just as easily pick up a lance and kill the whale.   In fact, switching positions was actually a very dangerous maneuver.  The only explanation seems to be one of rank and privilege.  It was the highest ranking man in the boat that would have the honor of killing the whale.

Sun, Aug 18, 1844 (Lat 53:10 Lon 160:18 E)

This day clear and pleasant…Made sail at daylight cruising for whales.  Saw 12 or 14 right whales. Lowered and chased five times without success – whales very wild.

Although the whales may have been “wild,” the death of Conklin the day before may have made the crewman understandably wary of any but the most docile looking of whales.

Mon, Aug 19, 1844 (Sun Invisible)

… Eight ships in sight.  Saw 8 or 10 right whales; lowered and chased three times without success.

Tue, Aug 20, 1844 (Sun Invisible)

This day had brisk gales from the N.E.  Weather rainy and somewhat thick.   At 6 a.m. spoke ship Addison of New Bedford; 900 bbls.  Saw two other ships.

Wed, Aug 21, 1844 (Lat 53.05 Lon 158.00 E)

… At 9 a.m. saw Kamchatka, bearing NW by W, distance 60 miles… Saw 8 right whales today – too rugged to lower.

R.I.P. Charles Conklin

“For God’s sake, be economical with your lamps and candles!  Not a gallon you burn, but at least one drop of man’s blood was spilled for it.”

- - Herman Melville, “Moby Dick”