Friends come through again. Who would have guessed.

Who would have guessed that 20 mile south of Ashland WI I would have a friend that owns a whale vertebra? The hole is where the spinal cord would pass.

The dollar bill is 6 inches long.

Final preparations for the May 3rd 1876 departure.

According to Clifford W. Ashley in his 1926 book The Yankee Whaler sailing on a whaling ship in 1904 was as it has aways been. When speaking of the country's early industries he tells us ........

"of all pursuits it [whaling] has preserved, to the greatest degree its original picturesqueness"..... sperm whaling remains the same as it has been for a century."

In 1854 one hundred and thirteen whaling ships sailed from the port in
New Bedford MA. By the turn of the century there were only five remaining ships.

For all of those years, the day of sailing was one of sadness, anticipation and for many reluctance and denial.

Each of the ships that sailed from any port had an agent. Agents were responsible for securing and delivering the crews to the ship. This often, was a case of herding those crew members from their life on shore to their departing ship. Some reluctant crew members failed to show at all.

Ashley describes a typical scene at one agents office, a room in the rear of the agents clothing and outfitting establishment.

"the front office was crowded and noisy, but the real hubbub was in the small back room. Here the sailors, howling and pounding, were locked up when caught, and held till the return of a wagon to take them to the waterfront."

Many had excuses to avoid the inevitable. One forgot to say goodbye to his mother yet another had left his overcoat home. The agents rushed frantically about rounding up each man, not once, but for some, a half a dozen times.

With this picture in mind lets get ready to gather our crew, The crew of the bark Tropic Bird for there up coming 30 month voyage to the South Atlantic. The master for this voyage Owen H. Tilton.

Each man including the Captain had agreed to his compensation for the voyage. Ashley explains the system of "a lay" used rather than that of wages. Each man earns a portion of the gross earning for the voyage. The captain might receive as much as one seventh and the cabin boy as little as two hundred and twenty fifth or the long lay.

So on this May 3, 2009 133 years after the original voyage of the Tropic Bird we invite you along on this voyage as we read each log entry.

Hi Shutterwi

 

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Hello shutterwi

Hi shutterwi



http://spb.musicweek.org/May.php?difficult=besrp1xg657vq0

Moby Dick's (Pequod). Two Brothers wreckage found.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pequod_(Moby-Dick)

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/gallery/2011/02/thar-she-blows-divers-discover-wreckage-belonging-to-captain-who-inspired-moby-dick.php?img=1&ref=fpb

It seems the Captain hasn't got back his sea legs after shore leave.

Sorry for the late posts... logbook entries below. Week 15 and 16.

Week 16 at sea. Aug. 14th to Aug. 20, 1876. Four months out.

Monday August th/14
Begins with light airs from N. and pleasant
weather at 4 1/2 P.M. gamed the Janet Capt
Gartland with 750 bls oil Lat part light wind from
NW. ship heading N.N.E. one sail in sight
Lat 34-00 N Lon 44-47 W
[Bark Janet, Capt. Peter Gartland, left New Bedford
14 Apr 1875, returning 4 Nov 1876]

Tuesday Aug th/15
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind
from N.W. stearing N.N.E. the Janet in
sight Lat part pleasant SHip heading N.E. wind
light from N.N.W. crew employed about the Ship
Lat 34-20 N Lon 44-19 W

Wednesday Aug th/16
Begins with fine weather and light wind from
N.N.W. Ship heading N.E. at 1 P.M. raised whales
ahead and lowared the boats at 8 and each boat
got a whale got them to the ship about 10 P.M.
Lat part Cut in our whales. saw one sail
weather fine with light wind
Lat 34-10 N Lon 48-56 W

Thursday Aug th/17
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind
from N. spoke the Janet Lat Part Calm
and light airs employed boiling nothing
in sight
Lat 34-06 N Lon 43 42 W

Friday Aug th/18
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind
from N.W. ship heading NN.E. employed
boiling Mid part finished boiling Lat part
Strong wind with some rain heading to north
Lat 35-10 N Lon 43-43 W

Saturday Aug th/1
Begins with Strong wind from W with squalls
of rain saw a Steamer going to Eastward
Lat part strong wind from W.S.W. engaged
stowing oil, sw Blackfish so ends this day
Lat 35-22 N Lon 44-52 W

Sunday Aug th/20
Com with strong wind and rough sea engaged
stowing oil finished at 5 PM. stowed 95 bls weather
Cloudy with a little rain Lat part strong wind and rough
sea wind from south west ship heading S.S.E. had
squally weather with rain
Lat 35-00 N Lon 45-12 W

Week 15 at sea. Aug. 7th to Aug. 13, 1876

Monday Aug th/7
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind got
the whale to the ship at 3 PM and commenced
to cut at 8 sent all hands below at 4 AM
Called all hands and started cutting worked all
day got his head off and cut part of the body
Saw two sails wind increasing
Lat 36-10 N Lon 45-41 W

Tuesday Aug th/8
Begins with strong wind and Cloudy weather at
night blowing a morderate gail at 4 1/2 AM
Commenced to cut again blowing a morderate gail
with heavy rain squalls finished the body and left
the head along side wind from W.N.W.

Wednesday Aug th/9
Begins with better weather and sea going down
at 3 PM Com to boil ship on starboard tack
Lat part took in the Junk and baled what was
left of the case most of it had run out weather
more morderate, boiling as fast as posable [possible]
Lat 35-22 Lon 44-49

Thursday Aug th/10
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind from
westward ship heading to North employed boiling
Lat part the same wind from N.N.W. and light
saw nothing
Lat 35-30 N Lon 44-42 W

Friday Aug th/11
Begins with fair weather and light wind from
N.N.W. ship heading W. employed boiling Lat part
weather the same finished boiling about 80 bls
wind from N.W. nothing in sight
Lat 35-10 N Lon 44-41 W

Saturday Aug th/12
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind from
NW nothing in sight Ship heading N.N.E.
Lat part weather fine heading to N. E. employed
stowing oil
Lat 34-59 Lon 44-24 W

Sunday Aug th/13
Com with pleasant weather and light wind from
N.N.W. finished stowing at 4 PM. 78 bls at 6 p.M.
tacked ship heading W. Lat part light wind and
fine weather saw a sail to South
Lat 34-23 N Lon 45-06 W

Well the Captain and mates have been on shore leave.

This should get us shipshape again.

Week 14 - Monday Jul 31 - Sunday Aug 6, 1876

Monday July th/31
Com with pleasant weather and light
air from S. employed cutting Lat Part
weather the same employed Cutting one
sail in sight
Lat 36-34 N Lon 44-51 W
Com boiling

Tuesday Aug th/1
Com with fine weather and light wind finished
baling Case at 3 P.M.
Lat part weather the same. saw a ship heading
to the west ship heading NE by E wind from S
Lat 36-42 N Lon 44-41 W
[bailing the contents of the Case, or head of the sperm whale]

Wednesday Aug th/2
Com with pleasant weather and light wind
employed boiling Lat part weather the same
employed boiling wind from S ship heading SS
E with light wind
Lat 36-30 N Lon 43-43 W

Thursday Aug th/3
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind
from S ship heading to Eastward Lat part
weather the same heading to SE. saw nothing
employed boiling and stowing oil
Lat 35-51 N Lon 42 47 W

Friday Aug th/4
Com with pleasant weather and fresh wind
from W. heading on diferant tacks. employed
boiling and stowing oil. saw a steamer heading
S.W. brig riged with red smoke stack. stowed
80 bls oil finished boiling at 11 P.M. Lat part fine
weather saw a whaler to South
Lat 35-55 N Lon 43-04 W

Saturday Aug th/5
Com with pleasant weather and light wind from
S.W. ship heading W.N.W. one sail in sight
Lat part weather the same employed stowing oil
nothing in sight ship heading to West wind
from SSW.
Lat 35-49 N Lon 44-40 W

Sunday Aug th/6
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind
heading to westward wind from SS.W. Lat part
fine weather Saw a Bark supposed to bee the
Janet about two Miles to leward both standing to
westward at 9 AM saw white watter on Lee bow
kept off a little run down acrost the other ships head
about one mile off she wished to gam but we
kept on the whales in sight all the time when he
found we would not stop he wore ship and went
on the other tack and when th was about four
miles off we lowared and struck in a short time
and got a whale. got fast quarter to 12. Saw an-
nother whaler to windward supposed to bee Minasota [Minnesota]
Lat 35-40 N Lon 44-42 W

Whale photos from a friend of a friend in Alaska. Taken yesterday.

Whalers use to call the flukes (tail fins) "the hand of god". Many a whale boat and whaler were crushed and killed by flukes like these.


These photos had this note attached.

this morning at Mary's Flats (for those of you who know where/what this is) these whales surface directly in front of our boat...Not more that 50 feet from us...and then began their beautiful dance....in and out of the water...gosh it was so amazing.

Whale in the news.

This news from Alaska. Fin whale wedged on a cruise ship bow.

Thirteen weeks at sea. July 24th to July 30, 1876

Monday July th/24
Begins with pleasant weather and wind
from S.S.W working to southward at sundown
shortened sail for the night as usual
Lat part weather the same saw one sail
Lat 36-08 N Lon 45-45 W

Tuesday July th/25
Com with pleasant weather and good wind from
S.S.W. ship working to south on diferant tacks
Lat part pleasant with light wind saw a sail
Saw Blackfish lowared the boats but did not
get fast
Lat 35 51 N Lon 46-08 W

Wednesday July th/26
Com. with light airs and hazy weather one sail
in sight heading W. by S. at 6 P.M. Came
up to S.W. by S Mid part heavy rain
Lat part pleasant weather Saw two sails
Lat 36-00 N Lon 46-48 W

Thursday July th/27
Com with pleasant weather wind from S.E.
at 1 P.M. spoke Bark Minasota Allen two weeks
out and got late papers Lat part strong wind
from S.E. ship on diferent tack
Lat 36-04 N Lon 45-54 W
[Bark Minnesota, Capt. David E. Allen - p. 654 Starbucks,
left New Bedford July 11, 1876]

Friday July th/28
Com. with pleasant weather and strong wind
from S.E ship working to S. on diferant tacks
Mid part had some rain Lat part fair with
wind S.E. ship heading to Eastward
Lat 36-00 N Lon 46-41 W

Saturday July th/29
Com - with wind from S.S.E. heading E.
nothing in sight Lat part light wind Stearing
to Eastward on the wind Saw one sail
Lat 36-33 N Lon 44-44 W

Sunday July th/30
Com - with pleasant weather and light wind
from S at 1 P.M. raised a large whale and
lowared for him Waste Boat got fast about 5 P.M. and
got to the ship with it about 1 AM commenced
cutting at 5.
Lat 36-37 N Lon 44 57 W

"A Window Back: Photography in a Whaling Port" by Nicholas Whitman

A Window Back: Photography in a Whaling Port, by Nicholas Whitman
Spinner Publication Inc. 1994, page 51. ISBN 0932027-180

This photo of the Bark Tropic Bird was taken in 1876 on the New Bedford waterfront. Photographer unknown. This might be the only photo of the Bark Tropic Bird.

I was lucky when I decided to buy this book. I had no idea there was a photo of the Bark Tropic Bird in the book before it arrived earlier today.

Note: This is essentially the same photo I used in my April 20, 2009 post. It is however, I feel, a better version.

Twelfth week (3 months) at sea. July 17th to July 23, 1876

Monday July th/17
Com - with strong wind from W.S.W. Stearing
E.S.E. weather pleasant at sundown lufed to the wind
heading S at 5 AM kept off E.N.E. had strong
wind from W.S.W.
Lat 36-16 N Lon 45-39 W

Tuesday July th/18
Begins with pleasant weather and strong wind
at two P.M. lufed to the wind heading S.S.E.
two sail in sight Lat part strong wind saw
three whalers at 9 AM spoke Bark Swallow - Ellis
with 481 bls the Capt went on board for a
short time
Lat 36-25 Lon 45-37 W
[Bark, Swallow, Capt. Thomas L. Ellis, p. 65 Starbucks]

Wednesday July th/19
Begins with strong wind and hazy weather
standing to the S.W. under topsails at sundown
shortened sail for the night Lat part light
wind and pleasant weather heading to westward
saw nothing
Lat 34-50 N Lon 45-35 W

Thursday July th/20
Com - with pleasant weather and light wind
from N. ship heading W.N.W. at sundown
took in light sails Lat part Calm sent down
fore topsail and repaired it
Lat 34-33 N Lon 45-57 W

Friday July th/21
Com - with Calm and pleasant weather sent
down Main topgallant sail and repaired it
Lat part squally with thunder and rain
stearing North saw grampases
Lat 35-25 N Lon 46-08 W

Saturday July th/22
Begins with pleasant weather and light wind from
E stearing N. nothing in sight Lat part light
wind from S Stearing N. saw a whaler heading
to S. E.
Lat 36-20 N Lon 46-22 W

Sunday July th/23
Begins with pleasant weather and wind from S
heading W.S.W. on the wind Lat part weather
the same wind from SS.W. saw one sail
Lat 36-28 N Lon 45-41 W

Whales in the news. July 12, 2009. "Watching Whales Watching Us"

The following quote is from a current news article in The New York Times which can be read in it's entirety here. This article discusses current whale research and a recent Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision.

Whales, we now know, teach and learn. They scheme. They cooperate, and they grieve. They recognize themselves and their friends. They know and fight back against their enemies. And perhaps most stunningly, given all of our transgressions against them, they may even, in certain circumstances, have learned to trust us again.

Eleven weeks at sea. July 10 to July 16, 1876

Monday, July th/10
Begins with Strong wind and squally at
7 PM wore ship heading N.W. by W. saw black
fish Lat part blowing with squalls of wind
and rain wore ship at 6 AM. saw a
brig going to East.
Lat 35-26 N Lon 50-10 W
[black fish - possibly pilot whale or right whale]


Tuesday July th/11
Com - with strong wind from W.S.W ship
heading S.E. with rain ship under Close reefed
Main topsail reefed foresail fore topmast staysail
and main spencer Lat part wind and weather
the same at 11 1/2 AM wind let go one sail
in sight
Lat 35-08 N Lon 49-27 W


Wednesday July th/12
Begins with Calm and cloudy weather with a
little rain at 5 1/2 P.M. the captain went on board
the A. Hicks. Mid part rainy at 10 AM Cleared
up Stearing N.W. wind from NE.
Lat 35-26 N Lon 50-18 W


Thursday July th/13
Begins with pleasant weather and wind from E.
ship on the wind heading N. the Hicks in sight
Last part Calm with pleasant weather one
sail in sight.
Lat 36-24 N Lon 50-50 W


Friday July th14
Begins with pleasant weather and Calm nothing
in sight Lat part weather the same with light
wind from S.W. heading S.E. by S sent down
Main topsail and repaired it. Saw Blackfish
Lat 36-08 N Lon 50-48 W


Saturday July th/15
Com - with cloudy weather wind from S.W.
stearing full and by on starboard tack
Lat part weather Clear at 7 AM spoke Bark
Sparten from Barbadoes had taken 65 bls. oil [unable to identify vessel]
kept to N.W. on the wind
Lat 25-56 N Lon 50-28 W


Sunday July th/16
Com - with pleasant weather and fine wind from
W.S.W. kept off East. saw a steamer going East
at sundown. lufed to heading to the S. at 5 AM kept
off stearing E.N.E. signaled Bark Niphon of Bath [Bath, Maine]
heading to the south
Lat 36-00 N Lon 48-08 W
[Vessel: Niphon (bark) Master: Day
Register: Record of American and Foreign Shipping, 1876 can be seen here.

Eliza R. Cottle Tilton.

Eliza R. Cottle Tilton. According to family this is a wedding photo. The picture below is the wedding dress jacket seen in the photo. Eliza R. Cottle was born June 26, 1838. She married Owen H Tilton on July 31, 1859 in Chilmark MA. She died February 11, 1913.

Owen H. Tilton was born on February 16, 1836 in Chilmark MA. He died September 2, 1901.

The above photo was edited to clean up speckles, scratches and other aging marks.



A little mystery in these photos. I took two photos during our 2002 visit with the Tilton family. Both photos were taken with a digital camera (no negatives). Look closely at the two photos. Notice anything? To me it appears the buttons and the dark "stripe" are reversed.

Below are two additional photos.


The wedding photos as they are in the original frames.



This photo was digitally "flipped" by me to match the actual dress. My guess is that the original photo had a negative and it was reversed when the photo was printed.... or the old box cameras flipped the image. I'll have to do some more research about photographic technology in 1859. In either case I would guess this is what Eliza looked like on the day her photo was taken.

Ten weeks at sea. July 3 to July 9, 1876

Monday July th/3
Begins with Cloudy weather and light wind from SSW.
searing E by S half S. Lat part weather the same
Saw a sail to East. employed setting up topmast
riging. Stearing E. wind from. S.W.
Lat 32.29 N Lon 54-07 W

Tuesday July th/4
Begins with light wind from W. Stearing E.
weather pleasant one sail in sight
Lat Part weather much the same nothing
in sight
Lat 32-55 N Lon 52-30 W

Wednesday July th/5
First part pleasant weather and light wind
from W. stearing west Lat part weather the
same saw one sail. going to N.W. ship stearing
E. crew employed about the ship as usual
Lat 33-12 N Lon 50 39 W

Thursday July th/6
Com with pleasant weather and light wind from W
Stearing E at 3 PM lufed to the wind heading N by W
Lat part a little squally with rain wind from W.
Lat 34-32 N Lon 51-52 W

Friday July 7
Begins with pleasant weather, and wind from N.W
Stearing N.E. saw one sail Stearing to South
Lat part weather much the same saw one sail
towards noon breezed up a little
Lat 35-55 N Lon W (no Lon)

Saturday July th/8
Begins with pleasant weather and fine wind from
S.W. saw white watter ran off but saw nothing more
at 4 P.M. spoke and gamed the A. Hicks West Port
Lat part strong wind from S.W. ship heading to S.S.E.
Lat 35-30 N Lon 49-49. W.
[Speak (spoke): v., to communicate with another ship using flags or voice (as opposed to gamming) http://www.powermobydick.com/Moby138.html#G
[Bark, A. (Andrew) Hicks, of Westport, Mass., p. 644 Starbucks

Sunday July th/9
Com- with strong wind and pleasant weather
at 2 P.M. wore ship heading W.N.W. one sail
in sight Lat part Strong wind with squally
weather and some rain wore ship at 9 AM
heading S.
Lat 35-40 N Lon 50-25 W.

What is it?....... answer a Bodkin (see update below).

This is a photo I took in 2002 during a visit to the Tilton family on Martha's Vineyard.

First, this is not one of my better photos. It's blurry...sorry.

There are a dozen or so other photos that were taken the same day. I will post them over the next few weeks.

BUT.....the question of the day.... What is this object used for? Maybe it was just an easyimplement to craft while on a voyage? Did it have a use aboard the ship?

The object is being held by Owen H. Tilton's great great granddaughter Donna.
UPDATE 1:
Bev the "research wizard" provides this answer to the "What is it?" question.

" WHALERS ONLY MADE BODKINS FOR THEIR MOTHERS, WIVES, SWEETHEARTS, AND DAUGHTERS. WHALERS NEVER SOLD BODKINS, AS THIS WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO POTENTIAL COMPETITION FOR THE NANTUCKET WOMEN IN THE MAKING OF DOILIES."

Pictures and descriptions of bodkins can be seen here, here and here.

UPDATE 2:

This much smaller bodkin is from the other side of the family. The Lockhart-Blacks from London mid to late 1800's. It's rumored that one of the aunts was a "lace maker for the Queen". More on that later when I find the documentation.

Gravesite of Owen H. Tilton and Eliza R. Cottle

Owen H. Tilton and Eliza R. Cottle


Great Grandson R. Tilton and great great granddaughter at the family grave site in Tisbury MA

These photos were taken in 2002. Thanks to the Tilton family members for making these photos possible.

Note: Click on images for a larger version.