Women Sailors & Sailors' Women

by David Cordingly

  Many wives were not prepared for the prolonged separation from their husbands, and as the whaling business expanded during the 1840s and 1850s, more and more captain’s wives accompanied their husbands to sea. The Reverend Samuel C. Damon was a missionary in Honolulu, much used by whalers as a base for operations in the Pacific. In 1858, he noted that just a few years earlier it was exceedingly rare for a whaling captain to be accompanied by his wife and children, but it was now very common. 3 A Honolulu newspaper observed that one in six of all whaling captains was accompanied by his wife in 1853. 4 These women were rarely called on to demonstrate the sort of heroism shown by Mary Patten, Mrs. Clarke, and the other wives of clipper-ship captains, but they nevertheless had to demonstrate considerable strength of character. The qualities required of whaling wives were physical and mental endurance over a long period, the ability to occupy themselves for days on end while the men worked, and an unswerving devotion to their husbands, whose word was law when at sea. These qualities are vividly demonstrated in the lives of two whaling wives whose journals have been the subject of special study in recent years. Mary Lawrence kept a journal that recorded her experiences during the course of a voyage on the whaler Addison between 1857 and 1860, and Mary Brewster kept a journal of her voyages on the Tiger from 1845 to 1851. Unlike the equivalent men’s journals, which tend to concentrate on the weather, working the ship, and the battles with the whales, the women’s journals are more thoughtful and more reflective. They frequently recall family and friends left behind at home. They comment on small things often overlooked by the men: the chickens and pigs that were let loose to wander the deck after days of being penned up during a storm, or the curious selection of hats worn by Hawaiian islanders to church on Sundays.

  The voyage of Mary Lawrence in the Addison makes an illuminating case study, because it was typical of so many whaling voyages and because her experiences en route reflect those of dozens of other whaling wives. The voyage began and ended in New Bedford, lasted three years and eight months, and consisted of seven separate cruises in search of whales. In the Hawaiian ports of Honolulu and Lahaina the Addison, in common with hundreds of other whaling ships, stocked up on provisions and carried out repairs before setting out on the extensive cruises to the Arctic Ocean in the north or the whaling grounds off New Zealand in the south.

  Mary Lawrence was twenty-nine when she sailed from New Bedford with her husband and their five-year-old daughter, Minnie. She was a small, bright woman with a ready wit and an indomitable personality. Like so many of the New England women who married sea captains, she was a devout Christian and trusted in God to see them through the dangers of the deep. In her journal she noted the storms that lasted for days on end; she recorded that the weather turned damp and foggy as they headed through the Bering Strait into the Arctic; but she rarely complained.

  She was born in 1827 in Sandwich, Massachusetts, and was one of the many children of Jonathan and Celia Chipman. In 1847, at the age of twenty, she married Samuel Lawrence, who was then mate of the Magnolia. Soon after their marriage, he was appointed captain of the whaler Lafayette of New Bedford and set off on a voyage to the Pacific that ended disastrously when his ship was wrecked off the Galápagos Islands. The ship struck a rock when they were close inshore at night and became a total loss. The captain and crew took to the boats and were picked up by other ships. Most of the cargo of whale oil was recovered, but it was a considerable setback for Lawrence’s career: He had to spend several years as a mate before being offered the command of the Addison. His brother had previously commanded the ship and still had a part share in her ownership.

  Having seen very little of her husband during the first nine years of their marriage, Mary Lawrence decided that she would accompany him on his next voyage and that she would take Minnie with them to sea. At no point in her journal does she ever question her decision or express regrets at exchanging the security of home and family for the unknown perils of a deep-sea voyage. They set sail from New Bedford on the morning of November 25, 1856. There was a fresh easterly wind, and they had a fine sail down the bay and out into the ocean. Before dark, Mary went on deck to take a last look at her native land before it vanished over the horizon. Her heart was sad at the thought that she might never again see the faces of her friends. The next day she embarked on her journal, and at the outset she explained her reasons for doing so:

  As this is my first experience in seafaring life, I have thought it advisable to attempt keeping a journal, not for the purpose of interesting anyone out of my own private family, but thinking it might be useful to myself or my child for future reference. 5

  On the second day the wind veered from the east to the west and blew a gale that lasted for ten days. For the first day of heavy weather Mary was seasick, and Minnie was sick for two days, but then they both recovered. They were fortunate; most whaling wives suffered horribly from seasickness for days on end. This was not because they were less adapted to seafaring than the men but because they were expected to remain below in their cabins, where they were disoriented by the rolling of the ship. Many wives also found the rancid stench of whale oil in the bilges contributed to their nausea. By contrast, the men were up on deck actively working the ship, which enabled most of them to recover from seasickness much more rapidly.

  Although Mary had not recovered her appetite sufficiently to eat any of Grandma’s turkey, which was served up to celebrate Thanksgiving on the third day out, she derived considerable pleasure from sitting on deck and watching the ocean, marveling at how their gallant ship rode the waves: “It is grand beyond anything I ever witnessed, sublimity itself.” By December 8, the gale had moderated and soon they were sailing on a calm sea under a pleasant, warm breeze. Mary watched several dolphins following the ship, and when a flying fish flew up and landed on the deck, she was delighted that the steward cooked it and served it up for her breakfast. She thought it tasted like fresh herring. During the calm weather, she passed the time reading, writing letters to her friends, and listening to the singing of the sailors. On Sabbath days she usually dressed up a little more than on other days and spent most of her time on deck reading the Bible. Her daughter, Minnie, seems to have taken remarkably well to shipboard life. Occasionally, she was sad when she thought of the friends she had left behind, and once when Mary broke a wishbone with her, she wished she could see her aunt Susan, but most of the time she ran about the deck making friends with the crew. She treated the hens as pets and played with the two pigs, Juba and Wiggie, who were remarkably tame.

  At intervals they would see other ships, and when another whaling ship hove in sight it was customary to come alongside and exchange news and pass on letters. On January 5, 1857, for instance, they encountered the Atlantic whaler Dr. Franklin of Westport. Her commander, Captain Russell, came on board the Addison and spent the evening with them. Before he sailed away, he presented Mary with two dozen oranges, which were much appreciated.

  On January 13, Mary saw her first whale. She heard the sound of the whale nearby and went up on deck in time to see the creature blow and heave the monstrous flukes of his tail in the air. Captain Lawrence immediately ordered the whaleboats to be launched, and the men rowed in pursuit but after a few hours returned empty-handed. They were just sitting down to dinner when the cry of “There she blows!” caused all the men to abandon their meal. Mary decided to finish her dinner with Minnie, but her husband and most of the crew took to the boats and headed for where the whale had been spotted. Mary waited anxiously and thought her worst fears had been realized when one boat returned with its planks stove in. She heard someone shout, “Another boat stove!” and she looked and saw an empty boat. “I had not the heart to ask whose boat it was but went down into the cabin. I could stand it no longer.” And then she thankfully heard Samuel’s voice as he came alongside. She learned that his boat had been stove in by the whale and all on board thrown into the water, but they had been picked up by the other two whaleboats. They l
ost the whale but were lucky to lose no men.

  The weather turned cold and stormy as they approached Cape Horn, but by February 2, they had sailed through Drake Passage and were heading north into the Pacific. By March 9, they were level with the Galápagos Islands on the equator, and as they headed northwest, a favorable breeze swept them along at a rate of 200 miles a day. On March 31, Mary noted in her journal that apart from her daughter, Minnie, it was over four months since she had spoken to one of her own sex, and she wondered whether she would remember how to speak to a lady when she next met one. By April 12, they were within three days’ sailing of the Hawaiian Islands, or the Sandwich Islands as they were then called, the name given them by Captain Cook.

  Mary was excited at the thought of setting foot on foreign soil for the first time in her life and watched the approaching landfall with keen interest. They sailed past Hawaii, the largest of the island group, and headed for the island of Maui and the town of Lahaina. Mary thought the high, barren mountains, with their summits in the clouds, and the trees and houses on the lower slopes were all so different from anything she had ever seen before. The Addison dropped anchor on April 17, 1857. There were only two other ships lying at anchor in the sheltered bay of Lahaina.

  The customs officer came on board, and Captain Lawrence accompanied him ashore to find a place for them to stay. He arranged for them to lodge in a straw-roofed house that had been built for the American consul. It was beautifully situated on the shore among trees, with shady walks laid out with flowers. A long sitting room extended the length of the house, and from its windows there was a spectacular view of the waves breaking on the beach. There were paintings and engravings hanging on the walls, straw matting on the floor, and furnishings including Chinese-style chairs, a sofa, and various tables. Their first visitor was a little girl named Lizzie Bigelow, who called to see Minnie. She was followed by her mother and a Mrs. Brayton. Mary later noted in her journal, “We were delighted to enjoy female society once more.”

  The next morning they went to church and heard Mr. Bishop, the seamen’s chaplain, preach on the appropriate text, “And they left their nets and followed him.” Mary was surprised by how few people were in the congregation but was thankful that they were able to worship the God of their fathers in a strange land. In the afternoon they went along to the native church, where the singing was excellent. Mary was amused by the Sunday fashions of the Hawaiian women and bore their curious stares with good grace. She was not so amused by the everyday appearance of the local people:

  Many of them go without clothing; both sexes bathe in the water entirely naked, unabashed. As I am writing, two men are close by my door without an article of clothing, Minnie says, “I have to turn my head the other way.” There are but very few that can be depended upon, even members of the church. 6

  Mary’s pious upbringing and her Protestant work ethic caused her to deplore the Hawaiians’ easygoing ways. She judged them to be low, degraded, indolent, and much given to stealing. In her journal, she confessed that many scenes she encountered made her blush, and she was particularly upset to hear even young children using English swear words. She blamed the influence of the foreign sailors, but like the majority of Westerners who encountered the Pacific Islanders during that period, she was completely ignorant of the very different customs and beliefs that governed their lives.

  In spite of her disappointment with the uncivilized behavior of the Hawaiian people, Mary much enjoyed the ten days they stayed at Lahaina. She found the climate delightful and would happily have spent many more weeks there, but Captain Lawrence was impatient to be off. The friends they had made among the foreign residents came to see them before they left and brought them presents. Mary was given chocolate, walnuts, tamarinds, a box of cologne, and other luxuries, and Minnie was given baskets, toys, and books.

  On April 27, they sailed for the nearby island of Oahu, and the next day they dropped anchor off the town of Honolulu. They spent a day ashore seeing the sights and meeting a number of American families before setting sail on the second cruise in search of whales. From the Hawaiian Islands, they headed northward to the Kodiak whaling grounds in the Gulf of Alaska. The weather grew steadily colder, and the days became damp and foggy. They met up with several other American whaling ships, all of which had experienced very rough weather. On several occasions they sighted whales, and lowered the boats and chased them, but without success. And then on June 6, after a day of very thick fog, they almost ran down a whale. Captain Lawrence turned the ship around and lowered the boats. By seven o’clock in the evening, a large whale had been caught and was lying alongside the ship. It was reckoned that it would produce 135 barrels of whale oil. Mary missed much of the excitement because she had been suffering from a severe headache and was so sick that she could not even sit up in bed. She heard the men engaged in cutting up the whale’s carcass and swinging the pieces on board but was disappointed that she could not see what was happening.

  Five weeks later they were again successful, capturing a female whale and her calf. Whether it was because she had been so sick on the last occasion or whether she found the capture and cutting up of the whales too unpleasant to watch, she dismissed the whole operation in a couple of sentences and was much more concerned about a pretty brown-and-yellow bird that flew on board from nearby Mount Fairweather. She converted one of her work baskets into a cage, gave the bird some flaxseed and rice to eat, and hoped it would sing. Sadly, the little bird died two days later.

  On July 22, they left the Kodiak whaling grounds and headed west for Bristol Bay. All the whale oil had been collected and stored, and they now had 600 barrels. By mid-August they were negotiating the Unimak Strait, a passage ten miles wide between the islands off southwest Alaska, but were becalmed before they were safely through. They could see great mountains in the distance, their snow-covered peaks rising above the clouds. To prevent the ship from being swept ashore by the current, they dropped anchor, and some of the men took a boat ashore and collected some strawberries, blackberries, and huckleberries, and a large bunch of flowers for Mary and Minnie. They were both delighted by the fragrant flowers and decorated the cabin with them.

  After a month of searching for whales in Bristol Bay, they headed south. They frequently found themselves in damp, clammy fog so thick that nothing could be seen beyond the ship’s rail. On one occasion the boats were out searching for whales when the fog enveloped them, and they had to fire guns on the Addison and blow horns so that the men in the boats could find their way back to the mother ship. Food stocks were getting low, but they managed to catch large numbers of cod and flatfish, of which Mary noted, “We are now living on fresh fish, which are very nice.”

  The passage back from the whaling grounds took them three weeks, and on October 14, 1857, they returned to the Hawaiian Islands and dropped anchor off Honolulu. As on the previous stay in Lahaina, Mary’s days were filled with social visits. Most of her acquaintances were expatriate Americans or whaling captains and their families. She visited the Sailors’ Home and was invited on board the St. Mary, an American man-of-war lying in the harbor. On November 13, 1857, they set off on the third cruise of the voyage. This time they headed south to the New Zealand whaling grounds. As they crossed the equator, Mary noted in her journal that one year had passed since they had left New Bedford and that they had sailed a total of 35,985 miles. On this cruise they made a great sweep across the South Pacific to Sunday Island, and down level with New Zealand, across to Pitcairn Island, and then north to the Marquesas. They were back in Honolulu on March 7, 1858, after four months at sea.

  More social visits followed, and after a stay in port of three weeks they set off on March 28 for another cruise, this time to the far north across the Bering Sea, through the Bering Strait to the Arctic Ocean.

  The fifth cruise took them to Cape Lucas in California, and the sixth was a repeat of the fourth, taking them up into the Arctic Ocean again. Finally, on December 5, 1859, they set o
ff on their seventh and final cruise, which was to take them home via New Zealand. Mary set off with a sad heart because she had learned that her father had died while she was away: “Home will hardly be home—that vacant chair. How my heart aches to think of it, and I shall not realize it fully until I get home. It will be a sad meeting should we live to reach home.” 7

  They spent another Christmas at sea. On Christmas Eve they met up with the bark Lagonda, commanded by Captain Willard. Minnie hung up her stocking and the next day found in it some candies, a pair of ivory candlesticks that had been turned on the lathe by her father, a book from her mother, and a portmanteau from Captain Willard.