Year: 1879

Mr.. Charles Osgood, in his recently-pub-
lished interesting history of Salem. men,
tions several instances of successful voy-
ages made by the ships of the princey
merchants of that city Of the oldcn time
As the present business boom finds what
is left of our once magnificent merchant
marine in quarters of the globe where a
demand for tonnage exists and will contin-
Tie to exist for some time, it may not be
nninteresting to those who remember, or
have been told of, the fleets that once
crowded Boston harbor. to recall the for
tues that were made through lucky voy-
ages. We used the word lucky advisedly,
for experience has proved that very few
successful or unsuccessful voyages owe
their results to any foresight on the part
of the owners. In olden times there were
two kinds of voyages made by our ships,
the trading voyage and the freighting voy-
age. The trading voyages are generally
planned by the owners, and the cargoes
entrusted to the supercargo to be disposed
of, or to permanent agent at the point OF
destination. Such voyages could be cal
culated but the result ola general trading
voyage was more often owing to luck than
to any calculations of the owners or super
cargo.


At one time it was custom for owners to
give their captains letters of instructions,
to be opened after the discharge of the
pilot, or such letters met them at certain
points. These instructions bound down
and hampered the master and prevented
him from taking advantage Of circumstanc-
es in a foreign port that the owner could
by no means have knowledge Of The
cable has done away with this custom.


In A L -xx,l,o x.f r1ac al
ship of 600 tons and dispatched her from
Boston to New Orleans, and from thence
to Liverpool. On the arrival of the ship
at the latter port, the captain was met
with letters of instructions or orders from
and the owners these orders were explicit
admitted of no discretion. Immediately
on his arrival, the captain was offered
charter to load for New Orleans and re-
turn thence to Liverpool with full freight
at three faIthings-an exceptionally high
one for the season. Accepting this freight
would have enable the ship to load at both
ports without loss of time and without
commissions. and also place her in the line
of winter freight; but the captains orders
were explicit, and the result was the ship
lost every good freight during the year,
and at the end of the year the ship had run
in debt $4,000, making total difference Of
$50, 900


Another instance occurred the same
year, when a merchant instructed his CAP
tain to hold on for a certain rate /: he held
on six months, and netted loss Of $1S,-
600.


But to return to our subject, lucky
VOYAGES. From 1910 to 1860 the COM
merce of Boston reached its highest maxi
mum. Included in this time we're excep-
tional causes that gave impetus to our
freighting business,-the Irish famine. the
Mexican war, and the discovery of gold in
California.


Some of the highest freghts ever given
from Boston to Europe were given during
the famine. One remarkable instance was
that where ship was contracted for
to be built in Medford, and in ninety
days from the day her keel was laid she
was loaded with grain, in bulk, for Bel
fast, and when she returned to Boston she
to use mercantile phrase-stood on her
own bottom.


But the fortunes made by shipowners
during the first years of the California fe-
yer exceeded anything on record, and to
Boston fell the greater share of these lucky
hits. Vessels of all descriptions, from
ships of five and six hundred tons to
fore-and-aft schooner, were pressed into
the service. Many of these in ordinary
times could hardly obtain insurance. Their
holds were filled with building gmaterial and
the between-decks with passengers. When
these ships put on for freight, the amount
received in cash would frequently be
double the cost of the ships. But some of
where the ships were loaded on owners
Evar 1n1
the length of the passage and the condi-
ton of the market ON arrival One of the
most notable instances we give as an illus
tration.


The ship L. III. P-s, belonging to Sa-
| lem, between five and six hundred tons,
| loaded at Boston with a full cargo of lum-
ber, lime, cement, etc. She had every
thing to contend with. A large fleet SIM
| ilarlv loaded was on the way; If she got
| i'm ahead and the market was bare she
would have everything her own way; if
| she arrived late and the market was well
supplied the cargo was as good as a dead
| loss Luck went with her from the start
and remained with her till the end of
| twenty-five months she returned to New
York For full ship she made remark
| able passage. The market on her arrival
was completely bare, and her cargo was
Immediately disposed of at three hundred
per cent. profit. With the proceeds she
Immediately left for Hong Kong. On her
arrival the tea market was depressed and
the agent of the owners purchased a full
cargo OF choice chops, and the ship set
sail for new York. On her arrival the tea
market was buoyant, and the cargo was
readily disposed of at one hundred per
cent. profit. The total net profit of the
round voyage to the owners was one hun
dred and seventy thousand dollars.
Another remarkable instance of great
luck was connected with the Mexican war,
California, and the sudden demand for
American tonnage between the East Indies
and Europe. A fine ship of 800 tons load
ed at Boston with an assorted cargo for
New Orleans. On her passage out she got
ashore on the Tortugas. The expenses Of