Whaling Letter from Henry White to Parents, dated October 24, 1859
date: label: Date made
content: 1859
notes: label: Description
content: Letter 4, dated October 24, 1859, Honolulu
label: Description
content: Three crew deserted at Swan River. One man fell overboard from fore futtock shrouds into water but was largely unhurt. Vessel searched by police seeking convicts. Bad storm hit. Detailed description of watch system. Chased blue whales but failed to capture. Made port of Mongonui, New Zealand 28 January. "Mowray" natives formerly "cannibles". Had "Sailors Liberty". Took on fresh food and water. Caught shark and sting ray. Three more crew deserted but were captured by Mowray, returned to ship and lectured and watch extended. Sailed from there to vowvow in the friendly islands, where they traded sea biscuits and calico with the native "banackas" for fruit, hogs, coconuts, oranges. Then bounced around the Pacific before heading into the Arctic. Took 7 live and two "stinkers" (dead) whales for 1,000 bbl of oil and 18330 lbs bone. Collided with New Bedford bark Mary & Susan at bows and both vessels lost some bits. Comparatively they are doing well as whalers. Won't describe whaling but "I will state that both accounts and pictures are the greatest exageration that I ever see." Brief description of Honolulu. Good health. Request for information on a "certain person for that person is the cause of my being herewe captured 3 large Polar bears on the ice"
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Whalers
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
label: See more items in
content: Family & Social Life
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Hazel H. and Kathryn J. White
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0102.04
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0102.04
label: accession number
content: 2005.0102
objectType: label: Object Name
content: letter
label: Object Name
content: whaling letter