Evening star., 1939-04-30
Verifies Mutiny on
the Lucy Ann
BIZ Frederic J. Hnskin.

torical figures. Even such national he
roes a. George Washington and Abra-
ham Lincoln have beer quite cavalierly
handled. There seems to have been
made special effort to take the Joy out
OF life for hero worshipers. So it is in--
teresting to note at least one current tae.
stance in which reverse process hay
been employed and matter of fact evt--
dence revealed for events which had been
regarded as fictitious.
OF recent years there has been great
revival of interest in Herman Melville,
that adventurous New Englander who q
century ago wrote such stirring ro----
mances Of the sea as "Moby Dick" and
"Typee." Melville was sailor on whale-z
ships, and for time, was in the United
States Navy. There is no doubt nor ever
has been that he had ample background
for writing of the sea. However, so wild.
ly adventurous were some Of his tales
that they were generally accepted as
sheer romance With the modern Mel
vile revival there have been researches
into his life. BY some he has been
looked upon as half-mad mystic. A
sort of Melville cult has arisen and books
have been written about him.
This revival of interest prompted q
special research into the reality of the
exploits concerning which Melville has
told In the form Of fiction. Sponsored by
Columbia University, the American
Council OF Learned Societies and the
Carnegie Corp. Of New York, compre.
hensive study has just appeared on Mel
vile in the South Seas. The study was
conducted by Charles Roberts Anderson
and involved patient research into rec
ords of the British admiralty and port
officials. French naval records and vart-
GUS South Sea insular data.
A story which has fascinated many
devotees of Melville is that contained in .
his novel "Omoo: A Narrative Of Adven-
lures in the South Seas" This was pub
lished in 1847. 1t concerns a mutiny
supposed to have taken place aboard the
barque Julia, on which Melville had q.
shipped before the mast.
Under Mr.. Anderson's researches this
fantastic mutiny has come alive. Off
cial records he has discovered and other
evidence show that there was such a
mutiny.
AS Melville told the story Of the fan
tastic voyage he said that he had shipped
aboard a Sidney whaling barque, the
Julia when she had touched at Nukahiva
to recruit men to replace members Of her
crew who had deserted. She was Yam
kee-built vessel Melville says command
ed by Capt. Guy, an English cockney,
who was so little sailor that the crew
christened him the Cabin Boy and Paper
Jack-behind his back, Of course.
The researchers have shown 1t Henry
Wise Of the United States Navy, who was
in Tahiti in 1848, left record, which, Of
itself, Identifies the whaler. She was
not the Julia but Xe Lucy Ann, and her
master was Capt. Vinton. She had sailed
from Sidney and chip and captain could
be identified wit( ship and captain OF
Melville's story. With this much known.
the task of tracing the history Of the
ship was somewhat simplihed, although
by no means simple. The Pacific is
broad ocean and there are thousands of
islands and there were hundreds Of whal-
ers and other merchant craft in those
waters at that time. But patient search
found old newspaper files and the vari-
Gus English, French and insular onicial
records. In the end the chief events OF
the mutiny were substantiated.
1t appears that the Lucy Ann had
unusually hard luck on the cruise on
which she set forth February 10, 1912.
The shipping entry at Sidney reads:
Lucy Ann, barque, left for sperm fishery
February IA, Capt. Ventom (Vinton) and
return" and Arrived May 20 1843), Lucy
Ann, whaler Ventun (Vinton). She has
had a remarkably unfortunate cruise,
having obtained only $50 barrels OF
sperm oil.'
First the Lucy Ann sailed for Vaitahu
to pick up some deserters the captain
had learned were there. This was done
with the aid of French corvette. Then
a course was shaped for Hivaoa In the
hope of adding some beachcombers to
the crew.
The condition Of the ship was bad.
She was leaky and poorly fitted. The
food was bad. She sailed and sailed
without sighting whale. Two men died
and the captain, who was i'll, became
worse. 1t was learned that the captain
intended to have himself set ashore on
Tahiti and then send the ship out again,
even in her bad condition, under the
mate looking for sperm. When the Lucy
Ann came abreast of Tahiti the crew
threatened mutiny. Melville drew UP
round robin to be sent to the British con-
sui ashore announcing defiance unless
conditions were bettered. 1t was signed
by DR.. Long Ghost Typee (the name by
which Melville went) Van, Navy Bob,
MCGEE, Jingling Joe, Antoine. Pat, Wy
montoo, Bungs, Long Jim. Salem, Black
Jack, Beauty and Bill Blunt, alias Liver
pool. The names were signed in a circle.
What names! And they were reall
&*k ~ 90,
This was sent ashore and the consul
came aboard. The men were declared
mutineers, and, indeed, there had been
riotous conduct and much deep drinking
aboard the sick captains ship, but no
assault upon the officers. The Lucy Ann
sailed to Papeete, where the mutineers
were placed aboard the French frigate La
RENE Blanche in irons. After some days
aboard, an officer came aboard from on
shore, had the men taken out Of irons