Aug 6 - 10 1862

Atlantic Ocean. D. D. Baxter Master

Wednesday August 6th

We have had all sorts of weather rains & sunshine and the wind was flying around from one quarter to another like a flea on a hot tin pan. And wehave had some thunder & lightening as well. Ends with rain so of course it was cloudy and we got no Obs.

Thursday Aug 7th

Commences with a fresh gale and rain from SW. Lying to under close reefed main Topsail. During the latter part had fine weather with the wind from W. heading S. SW and N. NW. Two sails in sight.

Lat 39 38 N Long 39 13 W

Friday Aug 8th

Had light winds and calm. Rattlined1 down the Fore Top Mast Rigging on the Port side.

Lat 39 46 North Long 39 06 W

Saturday Aug 9th

Commences with brisk wind from S SE. Steering NW. At 6pm spoke the Bark Millwood2 & George3 of New Bedford. The George has a 100 barrels and the Millwood 25 bbls of Sperm oil. During the latter port had seven squalls of wind & rain.

Lat 31 36 N Long 39 32 W

Sunday August 10th

Had brisk wind from SW. Spoke the Bark Lafayette. Capt Lewis4. 2 1/2 mos out 200 Bbls of Sperm .

Lat 31 10 N Long 38 47 W

1 Rattlines (also spelled ratlines) are the horizontal lines that sailors tie between the vertical shrouds of a mast’s standing rigging. Together, shrouds + rattlines form the familiar rope ladder on the sides of a square-rigged vessel.

2 Master of Bark Milwood in 1862 was Richard W. Hathaway (https://www.whalingmuseum.org/online_exhibits/crewlist/search.php?term=Richard+W+Hathaway&by_name=on&by_vessel=on)

3 Actual name of ship is “George and Susan” of New Bedford, MA. Voyage 28 August 1861 - 25 August 1864. Master Nathaniel M. Jernegan (aka Jerningham). Logbook keeper: John B. Wade. The logbook is not digitized but housed at https://www.whalingmuseum.org/about/

4 Bark Lafayette (No 2), New Bedford, MA Master: William Lewis, sailed 20 May 1862, provisioned for a 20 month sperm-whaling voyage. Captured 15 April 1863 by CSS Alabama off the coast of Brazil. It was burned. News item about two men recalling their time on the Bark Lafayette No 2 in 1862. (https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2025/07/24/grand-gam?utm_source=chatgpt.com) “On the Lafayette, Ben was a foremast hand, and Lyss was cabin boy. The skipper was William Lewis, a noted whaler…We were taken completely by surprise when one of the trio steamed toward us; and by the way she maneuvered we became suspicious, and soon saw our fate was sealed — it was the Alabama!”