Wrecked on the Feejees
9781465682338
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
The "Oeno" set sail at an early hour on the morning of November 4, 1824. The wind was light but fair and the weather pleasant. At 10 o'clock a. m. we discharged the pilot and got the ship snug for sea. As we neared the Gulf Stream the wind gradually increased, and on the afternoon of the 5th blew a gale from the northeast, accompanied by heavy squalls and rain. The ship was hove to under close-reefed maintopsail, and our green hands experienced for a season all the agonies of seasickness. The next day, however, the weather moderated and we made sail and proceeded with a fair wind. We crossed the line on the 10th of December, and on the 16th sighted whales and captured three, which yielded 45 barrels of oil. On the 20th we sighted a large whale about half a mile ahead of the ship, and immediately lowered and fastened to him. He made 55 barrels. We proceeded on our course for the Cape of Good Hope, in doubling which we experienced considerable boisterous weather, and shaped our course for New Zealand. March 17th, 1825, we raised a school of whales and succeeded in taking four of them, which stowed down 50 barrels. On the 20th we arrived at the Bay of Islands, where we found the ship Ann, of London, and bark Pocklington, of Sydney, N. S. W., the latter seven months out with 700 barrels of oil, and most of her crew sick with the scurvy. Nothing of note occurred here except that two of the crew, Henry Gordon and James Furse, deserted and we shipped two English sailors in their stead, and a native boy. Having procured wood, water and vegetables, we set sail on the 7th of April in company with the ship Ann, bound home with 1800 barrels of oil. We intended to touch at Wallis' island, then proceed to the Kingsmill group to cruise for whales. We had strong trade winds, and on the 13th sighted and passed Pylstaat's island, one of the Friendly Islands. At sundown we shortened sail, by order of the captain who, on leaving the deck for the night, gave particular orders to the officers of the watches to have a good look-out kept and to call him immediately if anything unusual was seen.
