Back Matter

A Ship's Sails

The Spars and Rigging of a Ship

Ship. —A ship is square-rigged throughout; that is, she has tops, and carries square sails on all three of her masts.

Bark. —A bark is square-rigged at her fore and mainmasts, and differs frcm a ship in having no top, and carrying only fore-and-aft sails at her mizzenmast.

Brig. —A full-rigged brig is square-rigged at both her masts.

Hermaphrodite Brig. —An hermaphrodite brig is square-rigged at her foremast; but has no top, and only fore-and-aft sails at her mainmast.

Hermaphrodite Brigs sometimes carry small square sails aloft at the main; in which case they are called Brigantines, and differ from a Full-Rigged Brig in that they have no top at the mainmast, and carry a fore-and-aft mainsail instead of a square mainsail and trysail.

Appendix

extracts from unofficial log of andrew b. amazeen on board the alert on the home passage from san diego, california, to boston, massachusetts.

N. B. The nautical day in a ship's log always runs from noon of one day to noon of the next, and is called by the calendar day on which it ends, while the day in Mr. Dana's journal is a land day, running from midnight to midnight. This explains the difference of dates which occasionally appears, as for example, in Mr. Dana's journal they leave San Diego Sunday afternoon, May 8th, while in the log it is on Monday, May 9th.

Monday 9 day of May  1836
Lying at Port Diego—At noon got underway with a fine breeze from the westward in running out the Harbour got on a sand bank Shortly after floated and stood to sea in CompY with Ship California (p 350 ante). . . . . . . . .v .at 5 a m carried away F. Top Mast Studding Sail Boom

Saturday  14 day of May  1836
Fresh Trades and fine weather all drawing sail set

Sundy  3d day of July  1836
Commences with strong breezes and heavy Squalls of rain and Snow Shortened Sail—Now here comes trouble at 1 p. m. Discovered a great Number of Islands of Ice ahead At 3 do. Counted 18 Islands of Deck—at Sun Set we were completely surrounded this may seem incredible to some persons but it is a positive fact—Midnight Squally & Islands of Ice all around Hove to to avoid running into it (p 382 ante)

Mondy 4th day of July  1836 Islands of Ice all around in sight here We have to Cut and Shear like a struck Dolphin 9-30 P. m. thick Weather and in the midst of danger hove too not being safe to run Midnight Squally 4 Islands of Ice in sight Day light kept away Ice still in sight and very large highest of these IsId of Ice from the water is from I so to zoo feet and ½ mile in length rather more

Tuesdy  5th day of July 
Strong breezes and Squally with Snow and plenty of Ice in Sight 6 p. m. hove too under Close reefd Maintop Sail it not being Safe to run on account of the Ice—Midnight heavy breezes Kept away to run clear of an Island of Ice & hove too on the other tack . . . . . . . .Several Islads of Ice in Sight

Thursdy  7th day of July  1836
 . . . . . . . . At 1 p. m. Saw Several Large Isld of Ice and Shortly afterwards we were completely surrounded by an innumerable Number ofSmall ones . . . . . . . . Midnight heavy gale & Cloudy . . . . . . . . Several Islds of Ice in Sight

Friday  8th day of July  1836
 . . . . . . . . Saw an l-sld of Ice on the weather Bow wore Ship and hove too—The Capt. is frightened and in a quandary he says there is no prospects of Making a passage around Cape Horn but that is all nonsense—if he would take courage—make Sail and Crack on when there is a Chance we should soon get out of this—our Situation is dangerous tis true, but I think it better to try to get out of Dangers way than to Stand and let him run over us Morning wore Ship . . . . . . . . one Island of Ice in sight Just enough to keep the Capt. in the quivers

Saturdy  9th day of July  1836
Commences fresh breezes and rainy—Ship still Lying too . . . . . . . . The Capt. thinks it to dangerous to undertake to go round Cape Horn on account the Ice—therefore be has Concluded to go through the Straights of Magellan—he is not acquainted there and it being in the winter & the Ship very deep—I think it is jumping out the Frying pan Slap into the Fire (p 394 ante) . . . . . . . . At 10 a. m. Light breezes from the Sd and Ed kept away & made sail for the Straits

Sundy  10 day of July  1836
 . . . . . . . . Employed getting the anchors on the Bows . . . . . . . . Ends light airs and very pleasant I hope the Ice has bid us adieu (p 396 ante)

Monday  11th day of July  1836
 . . . . . . . . At 3 p m the wind being ahead to proceed for the Straights—the Capt. altered his mind and Bore away for the Cape (397 ante)

Thursdy  14th day of July  1836
 . . . . . . . . 1 p m Saw a Small Isid of Ice ahead . . . . . . . . Wore Ship . . . . . . . . Ship under Short Sail

Sundy  17 day of July  1836
Fine breezes and pleasant weather 2 p m Saw a Large Island if Ice on the lee Bow & 2 Smaller ones ahed

Friday  22 day of July  1836
 . . . . . . . . 8 a. m. Clear Weather made Staten Land bearing N W per Compass Dist 35 miles—Passed a large Island of Ice & this I hope is the fag End of the Ice—

Satdy  23 day of July  1836
 . . . . . . . . 4 p m Cape St. Johns bore W N W Dist 20 Miles

Mundy  4 day of August  1836
 . . . . . . . . from 6 to 8 heavy rain attended with Sharp Lightn'g and a Cemplizant at the Fore & Main royal mast heads

Sundy  7 day of August  1836
8 a m spoke the English Barque Mary Catharine from Bahia Bound to Calcutta (p 428 ante)

Mondy  8 day of August  1836
10 a m Passed a Large English Ship Standing to the Sd Ed (p 428 ante)

Friday  12 day of August  1836
. . . . 5 a. m. Saw the Island Trinidad bearing per Compass N W Dist about 40 miles (p 429 ante)

Tuesday  16 day of August  1836
. . . . . . Midnight Squally Carried away the flying jib-boom (p 440 ante).

Weddy  17 day of August  1836
. . . . . . Midnight Carried away another flying jib-boom It seems that these trades dont approve of a flying jib being Set and I think he is half right—However they are making preparations to give him another—(p 440 ante).

Friday  19 day of August  1836
. . . . . . . . . 3 p m. made the Island Ferdinand Noronha bearing per Comp. N N W Dist 30 Miles—(p 429 ante)

Satdy  20 day of August  1836
. . . . . . . . . —27 days from Statten Land—that is going the whole figure (p 440 ante)

Monday  12 day of Sept.  1836
. . . . . . . . . A: 8 a. m. Spoke the Brig Solon from N York bound to Curacoa & Supplied us with Some vegetables (p 441-2 ante)

Sunday  18 day of Sept  1836
. . . . . . . . . at 10 Do Struck Soundings in 65 fathoms Muddy Bottom (p 451 ante)

Mondy  19 day of Sept  1836
. . . . . . 4 a. m. 40 fathoms Sandy Bottom (p 451-2 ante)

Crew Lists and Registers of Vessels

The following lists were copied in 1892 from the United States Custom House records at Boston. These records have since been destroyed.

The "purser's names," that is the names and data on shipping lists, are often inaccurate. Sometimes men enlist under names not their own. If an error once occurs on the official rolls the error is handed down, as the name for each new voyage must correspond with the transfer papers from which it is taken. This may explain, for example, the height of James Hall, put at five feet ten (probably his height when younger). He was about six feet.

The index gives the references to the persons in addition to what is found in the following notes.

List of Persons Composing the Crew of the Brig Pilgrim of Boston, Whereof is
Master Francis A. Thompson, Round for California

Pilgrim

1. Born in Maine about 1804. Transferred as Capt. of the Alert on return voyage. 2. Lowered to rank of seaman (pp. 21-20 and deserted (p. 554). 3. There was no third mate. 4. Promoted to second mate (p. 21). 5. Flogged (p. 123). 6. Flogged (p. 125). 7. Left to be agent's clerk on shore. 8. Transferred to the Alert. 9. Transferred to the Alert. to Lost overboard (pp. 42-46).

From Official Registry, May 5, 182.5.

The Brig Pilgrim "was built in the year 182.5 at Medford, Mass., as appears by certificate of Sprague and James, master carpenters; under whose direction she was built"—"has 2 decks and 2. masts"—"her length is 86 feet and 6 inches, her breadth at feet 7½ inches, her depth so feet 9¾ inches"—"and she measures one hundred and eighty tons and ⁵⁶/₉₅ths"—"has a figure head and a square stern; and no galleries."

"Joshua Blake of Boston, Mass."—"with Francis Stanton and George Hallet of Boston aforesaid are the only owners."

List of Persons Composing the Crew of the Ship Alert, of Boston, Whereof Is
Master E. H. Faucon Hound for California, 1834

Alert

2. Called "Chips and became 3d mate on next voyage of the Alert.

3. Also given as Laych.

4. Called "Doctor" (p. 381).

5. Age 26 must be a mistake. He had been at sea 22 years (p.226), called "Sails," also" oldest man on board "(p.354). Capt. Faucon said he was "fine looking," a regular man-of-war's man at least 40 years old.

6. Full name William Hyson Meyers. Son of James & Abigail Meyers. Born Feb. 9, 1801

7. Called Englishman. Birthplace given as Charlestown must be wrong (see pp. 313, 490-491.)

8. Also spelt Libbey on later list & "station bill," is probably the other Kennebec man (p. 285), and either he or Brewer the "Joe" (p. 443).

9. If the "oldest man" of the crew (p. 353) must have been more than 31. According to Capt. Faucon he was go at least.

10. Did not sail. Capt. Faucon could not remember such a man & Mr. Hatch wrote, "The Cotton Pratt I never heard of before." Probably "John the Frenchman "or Jack Stewart was taken In his place, or presented his papers as sailors sometimes did. Pratt's name was not in the Alert's "station bill."  "John the Frenchman so often mentioned (pp. z3o-261, 274, 375, 428, 495) does not appear on this crew list There is no John and no one born in France. John C. Stewart is not on the regular crew list, but was on another and on the "station bill."

11. The later list says be "ran away at Callao" on the outward voyage.

12. Called the" Bucket-maker" (p. 2;0) & "Cape Cod Boy," also "Nat" pp. 264-5. b. Jan. 17,1817, son of a blacksmith Nathaniel Prouty and Matilda B. Gregory his wife, both of Hingham. He married in Quincy, Nov. 18,1847, Hannah Brown of Hingham He died in Quincy 23 April, 1868.

13. Always mentioned as English, specially on pp. 339-40.

14. Went out again in the Alert Nov. 26, 1836. He died about 1838. The physician (p. 499) who saw to him was the Dr. George Parkman for whose murder Prof. Webster was convicted and hanged.

15. Called "Harry Bluff" (p.317).

George P. Marsh, an "Englishman" whose real name was George Walker Marsh, was shipped on board the Alert at San Pedro in Fall of 1835 (pp. 237-40).

From the Official Registry

The Alert "was built in the year 1828 at Boston"—"has two decks, and three masts and that her length is is] feet 4 inches, her breadth twenty eight feet, her depth fourteen feet and that she measures Three hundred and ninety eight & ¹⁸/₉₅ tons,"—"has a billet head, and a square stern, no galleries." [The builder was Noah Brooks of Boston.]