Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-03

schooner Charter Oak, from Boston
which had two women and child or
board We had not expected such
prisoners, and their presence .omewhat
embarrassed US; so that we were glad y
few days later to put them on n Danish
brig and pay their passage TO Rio
Later we captured the large ship Kate
Prince, the bark d. Godfrey, brig Susan
and schooner Lizzie NJ. Stacey all Of
which we burned From each of these
captures we received recruits TO our
ships company, in one, case the captain
expressing desire to ship WITH us. BY
the latter part of November, 1851, we
were pretty well to the southwark, and
early in Decent er entered the whaling
grounds of the South Atlantic, and in
passing picked up the bark Edward, OF
New Bedford, with good sized whale
beside her. We secured fresh pro-
visonsiat the Tristan d Arcane Island,
put ashore our prisoners and shaped
our couise around Good Hope.
"One the way to Australia the pro-
pellor shaft of the Shenandoah became
disabled, and we had to rely upon sails,
being favored with fair weather until
Christmas, when heavy storms beset us.
An elaborate Christmas dinner that had
been prepared was completely knocked
out by the gale During the last hours
Of the storm, we unexpectedly captured
he bark Dclpine, of Bangor
Maine, which ran close to us
TO exchange signals. AT Melbourne,
where we put in for repairs, we were
detained over three weeks, and came
near having serious trouble because Of
the efforts OF the American consul and
some unfriendly officials to detain us.
1t looked at one time as if the cruise OF
The Shenandoah would end right there,
but we succeeded finally in getting
away on the morning of February is.
Our crew OF twenty-five or thirty men
had been depleted from desertions dur
ing our stay at Melbourne, and when
we found, on getting to sea again,
about forty stowaways on board, we
gladly shipped them for the cruise.
Among these was the captain of an
English steamer lying at Melbourne.
After cruising few weeks on the
coast of New Zealand, we steered for
the North Pacific, capturing four
whalers at anchor at Ascension Island.
We remained here for some little time,
and entertained the king Of the island
on our ship. The dress of these peo-
pie was admirably adapted to the eli
mate. 1t consisted of elaborate tattoo
ing, with a dressing of cocoanut oil.
On April Is we went to sea again, and
reached the Arctic regions on May 20.
Tie foe ice there was very heavy, and
we had great difficulty in getting
through it. We began to see pieces OF
whale meat floating on the surface-a
sure indication that whalers were at
work. The week that .ensued was
the busiest Of the cruise.
Not day passed without several
captures. In all we took twenty-five
whaling vessels all of them, with four
or five exceptions, being burned. One
prize in every six or seven was bonded:
all the prisoners placed on her and she
was started for home. One of the ships
thus bonded was commanded by a
woman, her husband having died at
sea. OttI luSu CdptuiC was maui vi
June IS, when we took eleven vessels,
nine of which were on fire at one time
within few miles of each other. One
of the vessels had been so badly in
iured in an ice foe that she was con-
demned, and the captain announced
that everything on board would be
sold. The other vessels had gathered
to attend this auction when they fell
into our hands
We were then in Behring Straits and
soon got into the Arctic Ocean, but the
drift ice was so heavy we returned to
the North Pacific. We were steering
for the California coast, to get in the
track of China traders, when, on Au-
gust >, 1860, we spoke an English bark,
and learned of the collapse of the con-
federacy. We at once dismantled our
guns, slowed away our munitions of
war aud started for the Atlantic by way
of Cape Horn. The voyage home was
uneventful and quiet. We did not meet
a single ship, aud on November we
reached Liverpool, and the cruise Of
the Shenandoah was over.