YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Purchased from the income
of the bequest of
WILLIAM ROBERTSON COE
Honorary M.A. 1949, for
material in the field
of American Studies.

Call
number

E 530
C37

Beinecke Library

Carlow, John
A journal of adventures at sea...
Portland [Maine]... 1839

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A
JOURNAL

OF
ADVENTURES AT SEA,

BEFORE AND DURING THE
LATE WAR

BETWEEN
GREAT BRITAIN

AND THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

What one nation gains by Commerce and Manufactures another does not lose. Capitals cannot be changed in their directions and forced by Government regulations out of their habitual channels without injury to individuals and disadvantage to National Wealth.—Political Economy.

BY JOHN CARLOW.

PORTLAND:

C. W. PENNELL...PRINTER.

1839.

DESTRUCTION OF THE YOUNG TEAZER BY POWDER.

JOURNAL OF ADVENTURES AT SEA.

I sailed from Boston in the ship Four Sisters, Capt. Increase Blake, bound for the port of Copenhagen, Denmark, in the year 1801. I had previously served two years in the coasting trade between the Kennebec and Boston, and had become pretty well acquainted with a seafaring life. I was now desirous of sailing in deeper water. Therefore leaving the paternal roof, and bidding adieu to my friends on the beautiful banks of the Kennebec, I started for Boston with the intention of shipping for an European voyage.

Twelve days out of the harbor of Boston we experienced a severe gale, wind about west. We scudded under the goose wings of our foresail; a young man named Andrew Sherman was at the helm; the weather tiller rope broke and hove him into the lee-waist; before he could recover, she broached too and shipped a sea, which brought her down on her beam ends; her fore topmast and mizen topmast were carried away. Before she righted, all hands were called to clear away the wreck, which we did, and she righted. We got her mizen staysail set and lay her to forty eight hours before we put her away,

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A JOURNAL OF

after the gale abated. On the third day it be-
came calm, and we repaired damages as well as
we could, to enable us to proceed on our voyage.
In forty five days we arrived on the Irish coast,
and made the land; we then had favorable
weather down the coast and in fifteen days after
arrived at our destined port. We arrived there
about the 26th of June, and immediately com-
menced discharging the vessel, so that on the
morning of the Fourth of July, a day dear to
every American tar, we had nearly discharged
the whole cargo. Our Captain, who was a man
of very stern manners and treated his sailors
with great severity, said to us on that morning,
“Come, my boys, discharge the remainder of
the cargo, and you may have the rest of the day
and to-morrow until 12 o’clock, to enjoy your-
selves; be on board at that hour.”

We finished discharging our cargo, and after
obtaining some change of the captain, to bear
our expenses, we went on shore. As we found
means of enjoying ourselves to our satisfaction,
we thought it no great harm to disobey the strict
orders of our captain, with regard to the time
of our return, and we did not see the ship for
three days. When we returned he had shipped
a new crew. When I came on board, he said
to me, “Well, sir, I have shipped a new crew

ADVENTURES AT SEA.

7

and you can take your dunnage ashore." While
we were talking, the rest of the old crew came
aboard and went forward into the forecastle. I
followed them, and we consulted what was best
to be done. I advised them to stay by the ship,
but one of the crew replied that a new crew
was shipped and therefore we could not stay. I
soon after went on deck. The captain was
pacing the quarter deck; he saw me forward
and called me to him, saying, "don't you feel
sorry for the way you have proceeded? I will
tell you what I will do with you; if you will all
stay and do your duty I will give you your grub
but no wages." I consented to this proposition,
as I knew we had forfeited our wages, and that
our chance of reaching home was uncertain, as
there were not many American vessels there,
and seamen were not in great demand. I went
forward and informed my shipmates of the ar-
rangement between the captain and myself, to
which they all readily agreed, when the captain
discharged the new crew. We then prepared
ship to go up the Baltic. We sailed and arrived
at Cronstadt in 17 days passage; we took in our
cargo and sailed for Copenhagen to clear out for
Boston. When we arrived at Copenhagen an
English fleet of armed vessels passed Elsinore
Castle, which is about 23 miles below the city,

8

A JOURNAL OF

and the Danish Government laid an embargo on all foreign vessels. The English Admiral, it was reported, had told the commanders of both the Swedish and Danish castles, that he was going to Russia for a demand which the British government had against that country. They then sailed up abreast of the city of Copenhagen.— The citizens manned a small fort of fifty guns, and fought the fleet manfully, and caused great destruction to the English. The screams of men, women and children in the city were horrible and beggar description, the city being all in flames from the bombs and hot shot of the English fleet. Terror was depicted in every countenance. The Danes fought like tigers, and not until the city was laid waste and thousands of Danes lay killed and wounded, was the signal given to surrender. So dense was the smoke from the fire and cannon, that the sun was darkened as in an eclipse.

During the action our three topinasts were shot away and fell alongside, striking the gunwale and breaking down the starboard bulwarks, severely injuring two of our men. The great height and strength of the pier at which we lay, being made of granite and about forty feet Sigh, alone saved our vessel from becoming a total wreck.

ADVENTURES AT SEA.

9

The commander of Elsinore castle, who was supposed to have been bribed by the British to allow them to pass, was arrested by the Danish Government and executed in the most brutal manner, being literally cut into inch pieces.

We had to remain there until the city gave up their fleet and paid a ransom. We were glad to escape the general destruction, and went down the Baltic. Three days after leaving port we were put on short allowance. Our passage from Copenhagen to Boston was ninety eight days, for sixty of which we had an allowance of half a pint of water and one biscuit per day, and were obliged to make use of two casks of water in which a number of dead rats had been drowned by knawing holes near the bung to get water.

We had a young man as cabin boy named William Dunn. The ship had a forecastle and steerage. We were one night called to reef topsails; Dunn came among us while we were turning out; Andrew Sherman, for some words which he said, knocked him down. The captain came in to know what the matter was. Sherman answered that he had been saucy to him. After we had got through reefing topsails it was Sherman's trick at the helm. The captain went to him and began upon him for striking Dunn, and

10

A JOURNAL OF

knocked him down. Sherman cried murder but still held on the tiller rope. We then all murdered aft, and he was still beating him, while Sherman still held the helm. We took the captain off. The captain said to us, "You have come here to take the advantage of me;" but we paid no attention to what he said.

About a week after this affair, we had a violent gale of wind; we were called up in the night to take in sail; we did so, and hove the vessel to. We were so feeble, from excessive toil and want of sustenance, that we could not properly perform duty. I went down into the lower hold and went aft to a bread room and took a barrel of bread, which I carried into the forward part and emptied of its contents. I gave the barrel to old Neptune for a cradle for his mermaids, and hid the bread among the hemp, &c. I took some of it and distributed among my shipmates to put in their chests, cautioning them to say nothing about it. In a few days the barrel of bread was missing; all hands were called aft to undergo an examination with regard to it; but no one knew any thing about it. Thus it went on for about 10 days. I then thought of a scheme to get our wages. I went down to the captain and told him I could tell him who took the barrel of bread. "Well, John," said he, "tell me."

ADVENTURES AT SEA.

11

I told him that I would if he would promise not to prosecute the man for it. He said that he would give me that promise upon certain conditions, as he hoped that Sherman was the thief, so that he might bring an action against him for embezzlement, in case that Sherman should bring one against the captain for striking him while in the faithful discharge of his duty. I told him that conditions would not answer, and started to leave the cabin, when he called me back and again desired me to inform him who took the bread. I replied that I would not unless he gave me his word of honor that the man should not be prosecuted, which he finally did in presence of the mate and cabin boy. I then told him that I had taken it. "How came you to take it?" said he, in a great passion; "did you not know the consequences of taking it without permission?" I informed him that I well knew the consequences, but that I and the crew were literally starving to death, and that we should have broken through a stone wall to get at any thing to eat—that I knew that there was bread on board and I was determined not to starve. He had not had the least suspicion that I was the rogue, as I was the only favorite he had on board. I had contrived this plan to prevent him from having any demand against us