The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04
AN OCEAN TRIP 80 YEARS AGO.
SOLOMON TOWNSENDS DIARY OF
A VOYAGE TO CHINA.


washington a. Supercargo and Set
Down His Observations - Contrasts
with Sea going Experiences OF To-day.
In these days OF swift moving, comfort
able vessels, a trip to China and back is not
a very formidable undertaking. But eighty
years ago q similar trip on sailing vessel
was Q different matter. A story OF such
voyage Is told in diary recently found by
Col Robert Townsend, an Assistant Dis
trict Attorney on Mr.. Jerome's stan.
Col Townsend found the diary among
some old papers belonging to his father
Solomon Townsend, who died in 1880. The
elder Mr.. Townsend was q member OF the
State Legislature for i've years, from 1870
to ls4s, and member Of the constitutional
Conventions Of 184o and 1889. With James
Clinch. q brother in-law Of A. T. Stewart,
and Oscar Dyke he founded the hrm
Townsend, Clinoh 4 Dyke, importers OF
teas and spioes, which was IN existence Tor
fifty years In this city.
Mr.. Townsend was lad Of 20 when, In
1926, he went q supercargo on the good ship
Washington for voyage to China and
back, and kept record Of his impressions
and q description Of everything he saw.
The voyage took I3l days going and lso
days returning. Although Mr.. Townsend
spent ninety-one days in Canton. he makes
no mention OF anything he saw there.
1t was fourteen days after he sailed
out OF New York harbor before the youth
full voyaeer was we'll enough to put his OBJ
servations into writing. And the reason
for this he oandidly explains in his intro
duction: 49,.
1T may no doubt appear somewhat
singular" he wrote, 'to these who may
hereafter peruse this. that journal should
commence at a distance OF upwards Of
1000 miles from the place OF departure.
But the mystery will be readily accounted
for when l inform the reader that this IL
my first voyage and that have suffered
much from its almost constant attendant.
viz, seasicknees, q malady which has not
entirely left me"
The young man must have been con-
slderably better few days later, Tor ne
speaks Of sighting brig and remarks
that "She was sharp built boat, but showed
TO disposition TO speak us. and we suspect
chat she was one OF the few vessels still
engaged in the slave trade.
He encountered his first storm the next
day. The vessels foretopgaliant mast and
main skysall we're blown away Then he
wrote the following and maybe at the time
he suffered from . recurrence OF the llness
that caused him so much trouble during
the drst part Of the voyage
II have often read beautiful descrip-
tions OF the boundless ocean, but can
not agree with many Of the admirers Of
nature in their fanciful delineation OF THU
part OF her works. As yet, at any rate
I have seen nothing that has excited my
admiration in viewing the Dreams surface
whether in comlnotion or at ease.
The night view, however, was more
pleasing, as the author depicts it a little
THE ship Is bounding over the long
wavee, nine or ten miles an hour, the waves
snrnounted by whitecaps for several miles
The different objects on the deck are clearly
outlined; the steerAman az the wheel, the
officer OF the watch pacing pear him and
the crew dispeI sed at theif several STA
tione, ready to cast OF the ha,liards when
ever sudden increase OF wind makes ii
necessary.
acted BY the recollection that every wave
ne IL hurried over is q barrier between
him and the country ana those friends
whom, perhaps. he Will nsy err see again.,
Mr.. TOWNSEND tells OF cAtcnlng ny.
ine Ash, which the crew called q "beneter
It was booked, but ne didn't like it. They
also harpooned a porpoise, which weighed
| about 100 pounds He liked the porpoise
he was much tickled when he caught
! an albatross on q hook and line baitet
1 with pork The bird measured feet between
the tips Of its wings and weighed nearly
seventeen pounds.
On the ave Of the Fourth Of July the
| thoughts Of the traveller turned TO home ir
| the following entry:
| AS this day 10 within but one Of oul
| Independence. my thoughts naturally re-
| vert TO what I was occupied with at TIM
| time last year, and J cannot but renec
how little ! thought then that at this tint
| j would be on the Indian Ocean.
Instead Of being, awakened on the morn
| ing OF the Fourth by the sound OF cannon
/ he was called from his sleep by the CRASH
Of the msinyard on the deck The shin
rolled all day and the gale did not moderate
until midnight.
There Is a mention Of meeting an Englisl
| vessel
we did not give them . chance to hal