Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-01-26
,Oard Of the MyrOnns, Captain Hig.

her. When / got ready to start
meeting was held in New Bedford,
my native town, to wish us Cod
speed on our journey. Rev. Mr.
Butler presided and friends assem-
bled. Gable, compass, ensign,
water kegs, etc., were given me for
the voyage. The New Bedford is
schooner-rigged, with two masts,
carrying leg-of-mutton sails. She
draws only one foot Of water; her
keel is thirteen feet; her total
length barely twenty feet; her ton
mage l 62-10O. She is thirty.four
inches deep. We carried the Amer
ican ensign and our own burgee.
THE VOYAGE.
"We sailed from New Bedford at
half-past twelve, May 2Sth, amid
the cheers of the crowd on Roach's
wharf, and all the vess Is at anchor
fired salutes in our honor. We
made our real start, however, from
Chatham at two o'clock in the af-
ternoon of June 2. AS my vessel
was too small to have a marine doc
ument issued to her got a letter
from Mr.. j. A. P. Allen, collector of
customs at New Bedford, in which,
after describing my boat, he said !:
| therefore desire to make known
to all whom it may concern that
Captain Crapo is well known here,
and his purpose is entirely legiti-
mate, and he has the good wishes Of
this community that his voyage
may be successfully accomplished.
"Once fairly out of sight of land
we had enough to do and to think
about. Our chief diet was canned
meats, fish and fruit. Our bread
was rather 'bardish,' you may be-
lieve. Our provisions were calcu-
lated to last out the voyage, even
if more than ordinarily delayed
but the passage was so bad-more
like a stormy, winter one-that il
we had not got from passing yes
sells fresh meat, bread, vegetables
and water we should have perished
On several occasions we found our
selves in a shoal of whales, who
spouted a good deal, and these
frightened my wife. Sometimes
for two days at a stretch we expe
rienced such rough weather We hat
to lay to, attached to what we cal
a drag or buoy. At such times
could get a little rest, as when tn,
winds were favorable l had to b
at the helm the whole time. Ono,
| kept at my post seventy hour
without rest. My wife scarcely go
a good nights rest during tn,
whole voyage.
"0n June 10 we spoke the Eng
lish bark America in a heavy sea
latitude 43 deg. AZ min, Longitude
so deg. 10 min. On the 21st W
spoke the steamer Batavia, boun(
from Liverpool to Boston. Their
was a heavy gale blowing, and m,
leg notes that / tended the draJ
line eighteen hours at a stretch
On the 93d a Swansea brig Offered
to tow us into port, but l did no
see it in that light, although tn
sea was running mountains high
At II on the morning of the 25tl
my wife and l boarded the Am
phitrite bark, bound from Bremen
to New York, and here we wer,
received with great kindness, an(
on leaving the captain gave us pro
visions and couple Of bottles o
wine. The officers of a good man,
other vessels that we met between
this date ahd July Sth were ais,
kind. On the latter date we were
alongside the English steamer Den
mark, from New York to London
and we were given provisions anC
two bottles OF brandy. On tn,
18th, during a gale, the German
bark Astronom spoke to us, anC
the captain asked ii we wanted as
sistance. Shortly after our rudde
was twisted off, but l rugged a new
one. On the 21st we sighted Sell
ly; the next day we sighted Vol
Rock light, off Lands End, and a
half-past five pm. that day W,
passed the light, anchoring at II OF
Newland, Penzance. At midnigh
| turned in for sleep, having beer
on duty for seventy hours, aud th,
: next morning Sunday the mis-
sus' and | went ashore. And that
sir, is a true history Of the true triI
of the New Bedford"
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