The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-04-28

OLDEST SHIP IN THE UNITED SrATEs.-we insert.
herewith, a picture of the New Bedford ship, Maria,
the oldest specimen of ship-building in the United
States. She was built at the town of Pembroke, now
called Hanson, for a privateer, during the revolu-
tionary war. She was bought by William Rotch, a
merchant Of Nantucket, afterwards of New Bedford,
in the year 1888, and in the same year she made a
VOYAGE to London with a cargo of oil. Her register
is dated A. ID. 1882; and she is, consequently, IN her
seventy-seventh year. She claims to be the first ship
that displayed the United States flag in a British port
after the revolutionary war, which flag is now in
existence, though in shreds. Her model appears to
be the old French construction, tumbling home, or
rounding very much in her top sides, and is, conse-
quently, very narrow on deck. in proportion to her
size. Her present, like her former owners, do not
app3f to be inclined to make any improvement or
alterations in her model in the many repairs she has
had above water at many different times. 1t is said
that there stands to her credit over $3.50 900; and
from the earliest history Of this ship she never has
been any expense by loss to underwriters except once,
and that to a very small amount. She made two
voyages to the Pacific Ocean in the short space of
three years, and returned full of sperm oil both times.
INTERESTING TO WHALEMEN.-In the U. S. District
Court, Boston. 23d inst, in the case of Frederickson
and four other libellants VS.. the oil taken in the
schooner Ihrirer, Judge Sprague decided that the
libellan,s were entitled to their respective shares SUBJ
ject to deduction for any advances they had received.
1t was shown that the Thrirer sailed from Province
town on a whaling voyage, and after being at sea
seventeen months, put into Fayal, where the oil was
shipped home in bark flor, and the schooner was
fitted for another voyage. The seamen were there
discharged, and induced to receive $l6 each in lieu
of the usual three months wages, on condition that
they should keep out of the way until the vessel had
sailed, under an intimation that if these terms were
not accepted, they would be arrested and compelled
to go on the voyage against their will. In defence it
was contended that the libellants deserted at Fayal.
The Judge decided that the voyage was ended at
Fayal by the act of the master or agent of the owners;
that the libellants were entitled to their agreed shares
of the proceeds of the voyage and three months
wages to be paid to the consul, charged by law with
the duty of sending them home, if they so desired;
and that the SIG paid to each went for nothing un-
der the circumstances. All the oil taken was to be
considered as a unit, to be assessed in the proportion
of the lay agreed upon with each; and that one OF the
seamen who had been promoted to ship-keeper during
the voyage. was entitled to his lay as seaman up to
the time of such promotion, and subsequently to the
lay which the original ship-keeper was shipped for,
in proportion to the time during which he had served
in each capacity, and without regard to the quantity
of oil taken during either allotment of the time.-JN.
B. Shipping List.