Essex County, Massachusetts - The Commercial History, 1888 (part 2 of 4)

This served as a signal to begin their savage attack, in which Mr. Pierson fell, mortally wounded. The Malays in the boat immediately reinforced their comrades in the ship. The first officer received a slight wound, and, being closely pursued, escaped over the bows. Richard Hunt followed, but afterwards got up by a rope into the fore-channels, where one of the Malays creased him through the netting and he dropped below the channels and held on for some timC; but was probably badly wounded and fell into the water and was seen no more. A number of others fled at the onset of the Malays. The cook, a black fellow, by the name of George Cowley, was heard to say a few minutes before the Malays began the massacre that he would not fight if they did attempt to take the ship ; he accordingly concealed himself below and was not seen after the action. A black man, by the name of Henry Annuls, was killed on deck as soon as the action began, Ciesar Thomson, the steward, a mulatto, was struck at the same time, but, being a brave man, he seized a handspike and knocked the assailant down and another after him ; but a third gave him a mortal wound. Stephen Holland, a seaman, at the beginning of the attack, got over the bows, where he stood for a few minutes, when, spying a handspike on the deck, he sprang and seized it. With this he knocked down several of the Malays, but, unfortunately, received a mortal stab at last. At length, what with those who were killed and wounded and those who had escaped to places of safety, Wm. Brown, a carpenter of the ship, was left to maintain the contest alone ; which he did with great bravery and success, and was thereby the means of saving the lives of those who survived the rencontre. He had seized a strong stick, of about three feet in length, on the end of which the cook had fastened an iron coffeemill ; this was an excellent weapon, and he dealt such deadly blows among his antagonists with it that, after a severe contest, he cleared the decks of them. He received two wounds ; the first was between the shoulders, but nnt deep, as he caught the hand of the Malay and broke the force of the blow, and with a well-aimed stroke he laid the fellow at his feet. Immediately he had three more upon him, who, finding him resolute, retreated aft, and in following them he observed a fourth, who was standing upon a cask above him, aiming at him ; he attempted to seize his hand, but was not so fortunate as before ; he caught his arm, however, but, his hand being bloody, it slipped up to his elbow, and the fellow creased him over the left shoulder ; the force of the weapon was in some measure stopped by its striking the spine, though it went through his back on the right side of the spine. Notwithstanding this, he drove all the Malays abaft the mizzenmast, when Henry Pettit came down from the fore-top, where he had been during the action. He brought aft a handspike and kept the Malays at bay until Brown went below and brought up a spear, with which he quickly drove them all into the water, where they were picked up by their boat, which had cut their fastenings and dropped astern for that purpose. There were twelve or thirteen of the Malays who had been engaged on board ; one was left dead upon deck ; four were carried off wounded, some, it was supposed, mortally, during the struggle, and seven or eight were driven overboard by Mr. Brown.

Brown and Pettit then attempted to fire a swivel into the boat as she passed under the stern ; but the confusion of the scene probably prevented their priming it properly, so that it did not go off. The Malaya being thus driven out of the ship. Brown ran fore and aft, in order to rally those of his shipmates who had abandoned him in the conflict, calling out that the decks were clear and they might return with safety. Having collected them together. Brown advised the chief officer to display a signal that would bring them assistance from the ships in the inner roads ; but the officer being fearful of their returning to a second attack, gave orders for abandoning the ship, though the boat had by this time pulled off two or three miles, more in fear, no doubt, of being destroyed by a shot from the ship than with any idea of renewing their attack upon her ; only half of their number remaining in a condition for action, one having been killed and seven others wounded. The Malays observing the ship to be thus abandoned by the crew, returned, of course, and took possession of her.

The mortification of Captatn Carlton at being in this sudden and unhappy manner deprived of his ship is not to be described. He immediately applied to the English vessels to assist him in attempting her recovery. Captain Fenwick, of the "Malcolm," Aery promptly, and Captain Matthews, of the " Transfer," with reluctance, consented to pursue the pirates. They accordingly set sail, and at eight that evening anchored in the straits of Lingen. At daylight the next morning they weighed anchor and steered for Lingen ; at eight a.m. saw the pirates from the top gallant-yards ; at half past past five p.m. the "Malcolm" was within cannon-shot, but the " Transfer,'' not sailing so well, three or four leagues astern ; at six, within pistol-shot of the ship, and the pirate brig about musket-shot distance, on the lee quarter of the "Malcolm." The ship then commenced firing and the " Malcolm " immediately returned a broadside with a discharge of musketry. The brig also hauled to and brought her bow-chasers, the only guns she had to bear, on the " Malcolm " and fired them once, without any judgment or efl'ect. The ship, whose guns were in excellent order, well-leveled and supplied with plenty of powder and round shot, kept up a well-directed fire for half an hour, and the "Malcolm " received considerable damage in her hull, rigging and boats ; and Mr. Trask, the first officer of the " Transfer," but who had gone on board the " Malcolm" as a volunteer, was unfortunately killed. The "Malcolm," during this rencontre, kept up as brisk a fire as circumstances would admit of. She was badly equipped for fighting. She had no gun-tackle and only two rammers and sponges, and one of those was lost early in the action, and only seven men to work the guns. Her deck was extremely round, and the brig very crank ; and the guns being fought to leeward, they upset every time they were discharged, and several times pitched out of the ports, breech up, and stood perpendicularly. Yet, under all these disadvantages, the " Malcolm " discharged as many as ten broadsides ; the musketry, also, was well served, and the pirates were completely silenced in half an hour and bore away, and had it been earlier in the day, the ship would probably have been recovered. At the close of the action the third officer of the " Putnam" was badly wounded in his right hand and arm by the going off" of a gun while he was loading her. When the " Transfer " came up Captain Matthews was requested to follow on and renew the action, but he declined, and, as he was depended on as the pilot. Captain Fenwick was obliged to follow him, and they hauled to, to the eastward, and anchored, while the pirates were left to proceed unmolested. At daylight next morning they hove up and made sail for Lingen ; again discovered the pirates, and at three p.m. were on the point of renewing the attack upon them, when Matthews tacked about, and they were obliged again to give up the ship when she seemed almost to be in their possession, and follow the " Transfer " towards Lingen.

At daylight, December 1st, they found that they were in shore of the pirates. Matthews got first under way; but, to the astonishment of those on board the "Malcolm," hauled on a course directly from them. Captain Fenwick, judging it not prudent to pursue alone, followed the "Transfer" into Lingen roads, leaving the pirates in quiet possession of their prize, when another opportunity had presented of recovering her with little effort. Captain Carlton, after this, made application to the Governor of Malacca and to Admiral Trowbridge for assistance to recover his ship, but could obtain none, and was obliged to submit to the mortification of giving her up as a total loss.

The ship " Marquis de Somerulas," Captain Story, was attacked by the Malays at Sumatra September 18, 1806, and one man was killed and several wounded, but the crew succeeded in driving away the attacking party.

The ship " Friendship," Charles M. Endicott, master, was attacked at the port of Quallah-Battoo by the native Malays. The first mate, Charles Knight, was killed and several of the seamen wounded.

Captain Endicott was ashore at the time, receiving pepper to be sent on board. Observing something unusual in the conduct of those aboard the ship, Captain Endicott determined to return to her at once, but hardly had he started with his men when crowds of Malays began to assemble on the banks of the river, brandishing their weapons and otherwise menacing him. At the same time three Malav boats, with forty or fifty men each, came out of the river and pulled toward the ship. Convinced that the only way to recover the ship was by obtaining assistance from some other vessel, Captain Endicott directed his boat's course to Muckie, a port about twenty-five miles distant, where he knew two or three American vessels were lying. Arriving there, he found three vessels, among them the brig " Governor Endicott," of Salem, H. H. Jenks, master, and the ship " James Monroe," J. Porter, master, of New York. These vessels proceeded at once to Quallah-Battoo. The " Friendship " was meanwhile in the possession of the Malays, who plundered her of the specie and every other movable article. Four of her crew jumped overboard at the time of the attack, and swam a distance of two miles before they could find a safe place to land. After wandering about in the bushes, almost without food, for three days, they found a canoe, and made their way to the residence of a friendly native, named Po Adam, who furnished them with clothing and carried them aboard one of the American vessels. Upon the arrival at Quallah-Battoo of the three vessels, before mentioned, an attack was made upon the town, and the " Friendship " was boarded and recaptured. Her voyage having been broken up, the "Friendship" returned to Salem, where she arrived July 16, 1831. About a year thereafter the United States frigate " Potomac," before referred to, bombarded Quallah-Battoo as a punishment for the conduct of the natives towards an American vessel.

Another Salem vessel, the " Eclipse," had a somewhat similar experience on the coast of Sumatra in 1838. While the mate and four hands were ashore, a party of Malays boarded the vessel and killed the captain, Charles P. Wilkins. The crew, finding themselves overpowered, escaped, some by ascending the shrouds, and some by jumping overboard and swimming ashore. The Malays then plundered the ship of specie, opium and everything else of value, and departed with their ill-gotten gains. The men aloft descended, lowered their boat, and rowed to a French bark lying at an adjoining port. The next morning the crew returned to the vessel, and during the night they set sail and left the island. The "Eclipse" had a sad ending. She sailed from Sumatra July 10, 1849, under command of Captain Daniel Cross, and was never after heard from. She had on board a cargo of pepper, consigned to Tucker Daland and Henry L. Williams.

The Manila Trade. - In the early days of Salem commerce, when her enterprising and energetic merchants were seeking to establish trade with hitherto unknown countries, and her ships were ploughing the seas which had never before floated an American vessel, the ship "Astrea," commanded by Henry Prince, and owned by that king among merchants, Elias Hasket Derby, entered the harbor of Manila, the capital city of the Phillipine Islands, situated on the island of Luzon. Obtaining there a cargo of 750,- 000 pounds of sugar, 63,695 pounds of pepper, and 29,767 pounds of indigo, she entered at Salem in May, 1797, and paid a duty on her cargo of $24,020. A journal of this voyage, kept by Nathaniel Bowditch, afterwards so famous as a mathematician, is on the files of the East India Marine Society. The "Astrea" left Salem March 27, 1796, and went to Lisbon, Madeira and Manila, arriving at the latter place October 3, 1796. On the passage home, February 18, 1797, the ship sprung a leak, and two men were obliged to be kept at the pumps constantly from that time till the 22d of May, 1797, when the vessel arrived at Salem.

" The city of Manila is about three or four miles in circumference, is walled all round, and cannon are placed at proper intervals ; but we were unable to get much information with respect to the state of the place, as they were shy of giving any information to foreigners. The buildings within the walls are all of stone, and none except the churches are more than two stories high, on account of the violent earthquakes, which they have generally at the breaking up of the Monsoon. The month of March is when they most expect them, but on the 5th of November, 1797, we experienced several violent shocks at about two P.M., which came from the northward and proceeded in a southerly direction, continuing with violence nearly two minutes. It threw down a large house a half a league from the city, untiled several buildings, and did much other damage. It was not observed on board the ship lying off the bar. The motion of the earthquake was quicker than those usual in America, as the latter are generally preceded by a rumbling noise ; the former was not.

"The suburbs of Manila are very extensive, and most ot the business is done there. The houses of the wealthier class are of two stories, built of stone; the poorer sort live in bamboo houses with thatched roofs. No house can be built in the suburbs without the particular permission of the Governor, in which the dimensions of the buildings are stated, fearing, if they are too high, that an enemy might make use of them for attacking the city, as was the case when the English took the place formerly, for one of the churches near the walls was very serviceable to them; it has since been pulled down.

" There are but few Europeans in the settlement ; all the women have a little of the Indian blood in their veins, excepting the lady of the Governor and two or three others, though by successive intermarriages with Europeans they have obtained a fair complexion. The natives (like all other Malays) are excessively fond of gaming and cock-fighting. A theatre is established for the latter business, from which the government draws an immense revenue, this diversion being prohibited at any other place ; sometimes there are 5,000 or 6,000 spectators, each of which pays half a rial. A large sum arises from the duties on tobacco and cocoa wine. Tobacco is prohibited, but if you smuggle any on shore, it cannot be sold for more than the cost in America, notwithstanding the retail price is very high ; particular people, licensed by the king, are the only persons allowed to deal in it. All the natives chew dreca and betel, though not mixed with opium, as in Batavia. This, with chewing and smoking tobacco, makes the teeth very black. The cigars used by the women, and which they smoke all day, are made as large as they can possibly get into their mouths. The natives are about as honest as their neighbors, the Chinese ; they stole several things from us, but, by the goodness of the police, we recovered most of them. On the 3d of

December, 1797, they broke into the house where we lived, entered the chamber where Captain Prince and myself were asleep, and carried off a bag containing one thousand dollars without awaking either of us or any of the crew of the long boat, sleeping in the adjoining chamber. The guard boat discovered them as they were escaping and pursued them; they, in endeavoring to escape, ran afoul of a large boat, which, upsetting them, the money went to the bottom, and, what was worse, the bag burst and the money was all scattered in the mud, where the water was eight feet deep ; however, by the honesty of the captain of the guard, most of it was recovered. The thieves were caught, and, when we were there in 1800, Mr. Kerr informed ua that they had been whipped and were to be kept in servitude several years.

"The same day another robbery was committed equally as daring. The day the indigo was shipped the second mate came ashore with several of the people to see it safe on board. The boats we had provided not taking all of it, we sent the remainder aboard with a black fellow to guard, who was esteemed by Mr. Kerr as an honest fellow, but he had been centriving to steal a couple of boxes. When the * Casco,' containing the indigo, had passed the bar, a small boat came aboard with two boxes filled with chips, stones, etc., appearing in every respect exactly like those full of indigo, and pretending that we had put on board two wrong boxes, they exchanged their boxes for two real boxes of indigo, but in bringing them ashore they were detected and the indigo returned.

" There are great numbers of Chinese at Manila, but they are all obliged to become Catholics. It is from them that most of the sugar is purchased. They trade considerably with China. Their junks arrive at Manila in January, and all their goods are deposited and sold from the Custom-House."

From 1797 to 1858, the date of the last arrival from this port, there were eighty-two entries at Salem from Manila. The period from 1829 to 1839 shows the largest number of arrivals, thirty of the eighty-two entries being made during that time.

The ship " Folansbe," Jonathan Mason, Jr., master, entered in May, 1799, with sugar and indigo, consigned to John Collins & Co. The ship " Laurel," Daniel Sage, master, entered in July, 1801, with 115,- 133 pounds of indigo and 124,683 of sugar, consigned to William Gray, and paying a duty of $32,382.26.

The ship " Fame," Jeremiah Briggs, master, entered in March, 1804, consigned to Jacob Crowninshield. The "Fame" visited the coast of Cochin China in search of sugar and Captain Briggs in his journal relates the following interesting incidents connected with his visit : four hundred tons, rigged and sailed European method. The boats that are reserved for the use of the royal family are the most elegant work that I ever saw ; the j^ainting was superb. The one which is called the king's is one hundred feet long and not a butt in her. She mounts eight guns, six pounders, and one twenty-four pounder. I saw a great number of brass cannon, eighteen and twenty-four pounders, that were cast in the country. Elephants are kept to the number of five hundred, trained for war. The first mandarin is captain of two companies and likewise these animals. They are manoeuvered by a boy sitting on their head with a hook, with which he turns them. The city is composed of an astonishing number of small huts thatched. There is no other kind of house except those of the first mandarins. The council-house is a large building. I suppose it would contain one thousand people. It is entirely open in front, they having a looking-glass about ten feet long in it. There was a very large stone, about eight feet long, two and a half wide and one and a half thick ; it was hung with a bolt through the middle and so nicely balanced that the touch of a finger would set it going ; by striking it with a stick it would ring like a bell. The citadel or fort is about three-fourths of a mile in circumference ; it has a wall of twenty-five feet, which the present king is now extending two miles. The streets are laid out in European style. He has now one hundred thousand men at work laying out the roads, building the walls, etc. The king himself attends every day. He is mounted on an elephant. His dress is yellow silk, and he is attended by a guard of two hundred men armed with spears, each spear with hair upon it dyed red. He keeps thirtytwo concubines. They all live together in one house which they are not allowed to leave. It is built upon the water and communicates with the land by a bridge. The king is thirty-one years of age, a man very well infoi-med. Their churches are entirely without ornament. I saw a number of the Cochin Chinese that were Christians. They appeared very mild in their manners."

The ship " Essex," Joseph Orne, master, entered in May, 1805, with sugar and indigo from Manila, consigned to William Orne, and paying a duty of $18,- 443.70. The ship " Horace," John Parker, master, entered in May, 1806, consigned to William Gray. The ship " Exeter," Thomas B. Osgood, master, entered in June, 1806, with 14,589 pounds of indigo and 702,064 of sugar, consigned to Benjamin Pickman, Jr., and paying a duty of $23,526.33.

From 1806 to 1816, there seems to have been no entry from Manila at the port of Salem. The ship " Endeavour," Timothy Bryant, master, entered in May, 1816, consigned to Nathan Robinson. The ship " Perseverance," Samuel Hodgdon, master, in May, 1820, consigned to Williard Peele. The brig " Ann," Charles Millett, master, in July, 1824, consigned to Henry Prince. The brig " Peru," William Johnson,

Jr., master, in April, 1825, consigned to Stephen C. Phillips. The ship " Endeavour," James D. Gillis, master, in September, 1826, consigned to Nathaniel Silsbee. The bark "Derby," Allen Putnam, master; entered in March, 1827; in April, 1829; J. H. Eagleston, master; and again in July, 1832, J. W. Cheever, master, consigned to Stephen C. Phillips. The ship " Mandarin," William Osgood, master, entered in March, 1830, consigned to Pickering Dodge. The ship " Sumatra," Charles Roundy, master, entered in November, 1832, consigned to Joseph Peabody. The brig "Charles Doggett," William Driver, master, entered in November, 1832, consigned to Richard S. Rogers. The ship "Lotus," George W. Jenks, master, entered in June, 1832, consigned to Pickering Dodge. The ship " Brookline," Charles H. Allen, master, entered in April, 1837, consigned to Stephen C. Phillips. The ship " Caroline," Charles H. Fabens, master, entered in April, 1842, consigned to David Pingree. The ship "St. Paul," belonging to Stephen C. Phillips, was almost as famous in connection with Salem's trade with Manila as was the ship "George" in the Calcutta trade. The " St. Paul " made twelve voyages between Salem and Manila. She sailed on her first voyage from Salem June 3, 1838, and arrived at Manila in one hundred days, which was the shortest passage made by the ship from Salem to Manila. She reached Salem, on her return, in April, 1839, in one hundred and fortyeight days from Manila. Joseph Winn, Jr., commanded the ship on this voyage, having also been master on her previous voyage from New York to Manila, and back to Salem, where she arrived, for the first time, April 29, 1838. On her second and third voyages she was commanded by George Pierce, and entered at Salem April 4, 1840, and July 7, 1841. Joseph Warren Osborn was master on the fourth and fifth voyages, and she arrived at Salem August 8, 1842, and January 8, 1844, making on the last voyage the long passage of one hundred and eightyeight days. On her sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth voyages, she was commanded by Charles H. Allen, entering at Salem March 17, 1845, March 12, 1846, March 19, 1847, and April 6, 1848. William B.Davis was master on her tenth voyage, sailing from Salem May 18, 1848, and returning March 26, 1849. Cn her elveventh and twelfth voyages she was commanded by Charles H. Allen, returning to Salem on her eleventh voyage January 7, 1851, and sailing from Salem, on her twelfth voyage, July 6, 1851. On the 9th of December, 1851, she went ashore on Masbata Island, in the Straits of San Bernardino. She was subsequently raised and sold to Spanish parties, but never returned to Salem.

The last arrival at Salem from Manila was the bark " Dragon," Thomas C. Dunn, master, which entered in July, 1858, with a cargo of hemp, consigned to Benjamin A. West. Salem merchants continued the trade with Manila for some time thereafter, but their vessels entered and cleared at other ports. Tucker Daland and Henry L. Williams, Henry Gardner, B. W. Stone & Brothers and Silsbee & Pickman were extensively engaged in this trade. The last-named firm still continues the trade with Manila.

The Isle of Feance Tbade. - In the Indian Ocean, not far from the eastern coast of Madagascar, lies a small island, called the Isle of France, or Mauritius. The climate of this island is remarkably fine. Throughout the year the thermometer ranges from 76° to 90° in the shade. The Dutch formed a settlement there in 1644, but subsequently abandoned it. A more successful attempt to form a permanent establishment was made by the French in 1721. It remained in French hands until the year 1810, when it was taken by the British in an expedition under General Abercromby, and has since remained a British possession.

When the merchants of Salem, after the close of the Revolutionary War, sought to establish commercial intercourse with foreign ports never before visited by American vessels, the Isle of France was among the first places to which they sent their ships to bring home cargoes of sugar, which was the staple article of export. Elias Hasket Derby dispatched the " Grand Turk," Ebeuezer West, master, there in November, 1785, and she returned to Salem in June, 1787, making the first voyage from New England to the Isle of France. In December, 1787, the " Grand Turk " made another voyage to the Isle of France, under the charge of Elias Hasket Derby, Jr. He sold the vessel, and remained on the island about a year, when he went to India and thence back to Salem.

Of the arrivals at the Isle of France in 1789, ten were from Salem, five from Boston, two from Philadelphia, one from Virginia, three from Baltimore, one from Beverly and one from Providence.

The schooner " Richard and Edward," George Crowninshield, master, entered January 4, 1790, consigned to George Crowninshield. The brig " William," Thomas West, master, entered in December, 1791, consigned to William Gray. The ship "Henry," Jacob Crowninshield, master, cleared for the Isle of France June 25, 1791. She was of one hundred and ninety tons burden, and carried ten men. Her outward cargo consisted of 60 boxes of wax and 50 boxes of sperm candles, 18 barrels hams, 3000 feet of oars, 14 tons iron, 13 hogsheads tobacco, 17 casks oil, 102 barrels beef and pork, 27 casks ale, 6 kegs flints, 287 barrels flour, 424 cases and 190 jugs of Geneva, 25 boxes soap, 6 boxes chocolate, 43 kegs lard, 62 quintals fish, 6 hogsheads West India rum, 12 bags pimento, 16 cannon, 88 hundredweight shot, 1 hogshead, 4 crates ware, 40 barrels tar, 4 barrels pitch, 30,000 feet lumber, 175 casks powder, 7 saddles and bridles, 12 tables and 5 desks. She entered on her return in November, 1792, with 172,749 pounds of sugar, consigned to Elias Hasket Derby. The brig " Hind," John Beckford, master, entered in January, 1793, consigned to William Gray. The brig " Peggy," Amos Hilton, master, entered in August, 1793, consigned to John Fisk. The ship " Aurora," Thomas Meek, master, entered in March, 1794, with 424,034 pounds of sugar, consigned to William Gray.

The ship "Benjamin," one hundred and sixty-one tons, Nathaniel Silsbee, master, cleared for India December 10, 1792, and entered in July, 1794, from the Isle of France with cotton, indigo, sugar and pepper, consigned to Elias H. Derby. Her outward cargo consisted of tobacco, cordage, shooks, iron, lead, salt, provisions and earthen ware. Twelve thousand glass tumblers, costing less than $1000, were exported in this ship and arriving when there was no glassware on the island, sold for $12,000. Captain Silsbee was but twenty years old when he assumed command of the " Benjamin." The brig " Peggy," John Edwards, Jr., master, entered in May, 1795, consigned to John Fisk. The brig " Rose," John Felt, master, entered in July, 1795, consigned to Elias H. Derby. The ship " Belisarius," George Crowninshield, Jr., master, entered in July, 1795, with tea, coffee and indigo, consigned to George Crowninshield & Co., and again in October, 1796, with the same description of cargo. The brig " Hope," Samuel Lambert, master, entered in June, 1796, consigned to Ashton & Lambert. The ship " Martha." George Ropes, master, entered from the Isles of France and Bourbon in May, 1797, with 416,993 pounds of coffee, 136,617 pounds of sugar and 13,262 pounds of cotton, consigned to Elias H. Derby, and paying a duty of $23,317 88. The ketch " Eliza," Stephen Phillips, master, entered in July, 1797, consigned to Elias H. Derby. The brig " Katy," Job Trask, master, entered in July, 1797, consigned to Benjamin Pickman, Jr.

There were nine entries at Salem from the Isle of France in 1798, the largest number in any single year. Among the entries were the ketch " Brothers," John Felt, master, in April, consigned to Ezekiel H. Derby ; the ship "Martha," John Prince, Jr., master, in June, consigned to Elias H. Derby, with 260,000 pounds of coffee, 336,603 of sugar and 17,803 of cotton, paying a duty of $24,943 47, and the bark "Vigilant," Daniel Hathorne, master, in October, consigned to Simon Forrester.

The trade with the Isla of France was largely carried on by Elias Hasket Derby, and after his death, in 1799, the Salem trade with this island decreased. The years 1797 and 1798 show seventeen arrivals and were the years when the most trade was carried on between Salem and this island. There were a few direct arrivals after 1798. The bark " Two Brothers," Samuel Rea, master, entered in April, 1806, consigned to Thorndike Deland. The brig "Sukey," Henry Prince, Jr., master, entered in August, 1808, consigned to Stephen Phillips. There were a few arrivals in later years, and some vessels bound to or from other ports touched at this island ; but the largest direct trade was prior to the year 1800.

The Mocha Trade. - On the 26th of April, 1798, Captain Joseph Ropes, in the ship "Recovery," left Salem, bound direct for Mocha, Arabia Felix, with fifty thousand dollars in specie, and arrived at that port on the 9th of September. This was the first American vessel that ever displayed the stars and stripes in that part of the world. The captain says that the arrival of the strange ship was viewed with great interest by the authorities, who could not divine from whence she came, and made frequent inquiries to know how many moons she had been coming. Captain Ropes went from Mocha to Calcutta, and thence to Salem. The first vessel to arrive at Salem from Mocha with a full cargo of coffee was the ship " Recovery," Luther Dana, master, which arrived in October, 1801, with 216,286 pounds of coffee consigned to Elias H. Derby, 7,485 pounds to Henry Prince, 11,825 pounds to Nathaniel Bowditch, 34,917 pounds to Clifford Crowninshield and 33,181 pounds to Nathan Robinson, and paying a duty of $16,844.39. The ship " Ulysses," Henry Elkins, master, entered from Mocha and Muscat in January, 1802, consigned to George Crowninshield & Sons. The brig " Edwin," Joseph J. Knapp, master, entered in November, 1803, consigned to Charles Cleveland & Co. The ship "Bonetta," Benjamin Russell, master, entered from Mocha in February, 1804, with 268,851 pounds of coffee consigned to Benjamin Pickman, Jr.

In 1805, there were eight arrivals from Mocha, the largest number in any single year ; and during that year there was landed at Salem over two million pounds of Mocha coffee. The entries were: the ship "Margaret," Henry Elkins, master; the ship " Two Sons," Thomas Ball, master ; and the ship " America," Benjamin Crowninshield, master, - all consigned to George Crowninshield & Sons ; the brig " Suwarrow," William Leach, Jr., master, consigned to William Leach and others ; the bark " Eliza," Joseph Beadle, master, consigned to Joseph White; the ship " Mary," Samuel King, master, from Aden, consigned to John Norris ; the ship " Commerce," Thomas Bancroft, master, consigned to Nathaniel West ; and the bark " Mary," Daniel Bray, Jr., master, consigned to Benjamin Derby and John Derby.

George Crowninshield & Sons had three vessels which entered from Mocha in 1806 ; the ship " Margaret," Henry Elkins, master; the ship "John," William Fairfield, master; and the brig "Telemachus," Benjamin Frye, master. The ship " Franklin," Timothy Wellman, 3d, from Mocha and Aden, entered in December, 1808, with 532,365 pounds of coffee consigned to Joseph Peabody, and paying a duty of $26,618.25. The brig " Coromandel," William Messervy, master, entered in October, 1813, with a cargo of coffee consigned to John Derby, and paying a duty of $28,587.60. The brig " Beulah," Charles Forbes, master, entered from Mocha in April, 1820, consigned to John W. Rogers. The brig "Ann," Charles Millett, master, entered in

May, 1827, consigued to Michael Shepard. After the opening of the Zanzibar trade the vessels engaged in that trade visited Mocha and obtained a part of their cargo there, and to the account of that trade reference may be had for later dates.

The Madagascar Trade. - The American trade with the island of Madagascar was opened by Nathaniel L. Rogers & Brothers, eminent and enterprising merchants of Salem. Robert Brookhouse was also among the pioneers of this trade. The brig " Thetis," Charles Forbes, master, appears to be the first vessel to enter, with a full cargo from that island. She arrived in November, 1821, with 216,519 pounds of tallow, consigned to J. W. & R. S. Rogers. The brig " Beulah," Charles Forbes, master, which entered from Mocha in April, 1820, consigned to John W. Rogers, touched at Madagascar on her passage, and brought from there a small quantity of tallow. This appears to be the first American vessel to trade at Madagascar. The brig " Climax," G. W. Grafton, master, entered in March, 1822, consigned to Robert Brookhouse. The brig "Thetis," William Bates, master, made three voyages, entering in January, 1828, in February, 1824, and in January, 1825, consigned to Richard S. Rogers. The brig " Reaper," Robert Brookhouse, Jr., master, entered in December, 1824, consigned to Robert Brookhouse. The brig " Nereus," B. W. Brookhouse, master, entered in December, 1825, consigned to Nathaniel L. Rogers. The brig " Susan," Stephen Burchmore, master, entered in August, 1826, consigned to Robert Bi-ookhouse.

At the time of the opening of the trade with Madagascar Zanzibar was a small settlement, and no trade was carried on there, gum-copal, the principal staple, being carried to India by the Sultan's vessels, to be cleaned. The trade with Zanzibar was an extension of the Madagascar trade. The vessels subsequently engaged in that trade usually touched at Madagascar and Mocha, and made up their cargoes in part in each place. In the account of the Zanzibar trade will be found the later arrivals.

The Zanzibar Trade. - As Salem had been first at Sumatra and Madagascar, so she was first at Zanzibar. But little of the uncleaned gum-copal, which was the staple article of export, was brought to this country until after the " Black Warrior," belonging largely to N. L. Rogers, and commanded by John Bertram, was there in 1831. Captain Bertram arrived at Zanzibar while the Sultan's frigate was lying in the harbor, ready to carry the gum-copal to India, and made a bargain for what was on hand and for future cargoes. The "Black Warrior" arrived in Salem in March, 1832, with the first large quantity of uncleaned gum- copal that had been imported into this country. For some time thereafter the gum-copal trade was monopolized by Salem merchants, and all the gum-copal used was distributed from the port of Salem.

But the " Black Warrior," although taking the first large cargo from Zanzibar, was not the first vessel to open trade with that port. The brig " Ann," Charles Millett, master, and owned by Henry Prince & Son, left Salem March 12, 1826, for Mocha. When she arrived there, in June, Captain Millet found a great scarcity of bread-stuffs, and, leaving a clerk in charge of the business, he left Mocha for Zanzibar and Lamo, where he obtained a cargo of small grain, and purchased ivory and other articles for the homeward cargo. The " Ann " went from Zanzibar to Mocha, and from thence to Salem, arriving May 9, 1827. This was the opening of American trade with Zanzibar. The same vessel made a second voyage to Zanzibar, leaving Salem August 9, 1827, arriving home April 10, 1829, having visited many new ports on the east coast of Africa. On the passage home, February 20, the " Ann " lost her masts and was otherwise badly wrecked. She also lost her mate and two men. For their skill in navigating the vessel into port the insurance companies presented the commander with a service of plate ; his clerk, John Webster, with a silver pitcher ; and the rest of his men with three hundred and thirty dollars.

The three-masted schooner "Spy," Andrew Ward, master, ninety-one tons, appears to be the first vessel to enter at the Salem Custom-House from Zanzibar. She arrived at Salem August 11, 1827, one hundred and ten days from Zanzibar, with a cargo consigned to Nathaniel L. Rogers & Brothers. Captain Ward reported that the " Susan," Burchard, master, touched at Zanzibar about the 1st of March, and that the " Fawn," of Salem, had also been there. The " Spy " was built at Essex in 1823, and was the first threemasted schooner of which there is any record. On the 12th of January, 1825, the brig " Laurel," Lovett, master, owned by Robert Brookhouse, left Salem for South America. Finding markets dull, the captain sailed for ports east of the Cape of Good Hope, and, about the 10th of July, left Port Louis, Mauritius, for Zanzibar, stopping at the island of Johanna on the way. This was the first time the American flag was displayed at that Island, and the king gave a reception in honor of the event. The vessel arrived at Zanzibar the 20th of July, 1825, and, although not the first to open trade, seems to be the first to have displayed the American flag at that port. From Zanzibar the " Laurel " proceeded to Mombas, and from there to Patta, Lamo and other small places, in all of which she appears to have displayed the American flag for the first time. The " Laurel " arrived in Salem, on her return passage, June 3, 1826.

From the year 1827, when the " Spy " entered from Zanzibar, to the year 1870, when the last entry from that port was made at Salem, there were one hundred and eighty-nine arrivals from Zanzibar. The period from 1840 to 1860 was the time of the greatest activity in this trade, one hundred and forty-five of the one hundred and eighty-nine entries being made be- tween those years. Nathaniel L. Rogers & Brothers, John Bertram, Michael Shepard, David Pingree, Joseph Peabody, Andrew Ward, Nathaniel Weston, James B. Curwen, Ephraim Emmerton, Tucker Daland, Michael W. Shepard, George West and Benjamin A. West were among those engaged in this trade.

Among the earlier arrivals were the brig "Cipher," S. Smith, master, in March, 1834; the brig "Tigris," John G. Waters, master, in July, 1834, consigned to David Pingree ; the brig " Thomas Perkins," J. P. Page, master, in November, 1834, consigned to Putnam I. Farnham; the brig "Leander," J. S. Kimball, master, in April 1836, and again in August, 1837, consigned to Joseph Peabody; the brig " Palm," N. W. Andrews, master, in November, 1836, consigned to John Bertram ; the brig " Cherokee," W. B. Smith, master, in April, 1837, consigned to Michael Shepard; the bark "Star," E. Brown, master, in November, 1839, again in 1842, W. B. Smith, master, and again in September, 1846, in October, 1847, and in January, 1849, William McFarland, master, consigned to Michael Shepard; the brig "Richmond," William B. Bates, master, in October, 1840, to Ephraim Emmerton ; the brig " Rolla," A. S. Perkins, master, in January, 18'11, and again in January,

1843, consigned to David Pingree ; the brig " Rattler," F. Brown, master, in May, 1841, and again in 1843, J. Lambert, master, consigned to Michael Shepard ; the bark "Brenda," Andrew Ward, master, in March,

1844, with one hundred and forty-two thousand one hundred and twenty-four pounds of dates and other merchandise, consigned to Michael Shepard and John Bertram ; the brig " Richmond," William B. Bates, master, entered in December, 1845, consigned to Ephraim Emmerton ; the bark 'Eliza," A. S. Perkins, master, entered in May, 1846, consigned to George West and David Pingree ; the bark " Orb," W. Cross, master, entered in November, 1846, and again in March, 1848, C. F. Rhoades, master, consigned to Tucker Daland; the bark " Sophronia," B. R. Peabody, master, entered in January 1849, and again, E, A. Emmerton, master, in October, 1850, consigned to Ephraim Emmerton ; the bark " Iosco," Groves, master, entered in January, 1852, consigned to Michael W. Shepard, and again in December, 1852, consigned to John Bertram.

Space will not permit the enumeration of any large proportion of the arrivals from this port, but enough have been given to indicate the merchants who were engaged in the Zanzibar trade. Many of the vessels touched at Madagascar and Mocha, and obtained a part of their cargoes at those places. For years this trade was largely in the hands of Salem merchants, and Salem was the principal point of distribution for ivory, gum-copal and Mocha coffee.

Among the vessels lost while engaged in this trade was the bark '' Peacock," Joseph Moseley, master, and owned by John Bertram, which was wrecked on a reef near Majunga, Madagascar, August 0, 1855, and with the cargo was a total loss. The bark "Arabia," John Wallis, mastei", and owned by Benjamin A. W^est, sailed from Salem, on her first voyage, July 4, 1857. On the passage home. May 9, 1858, while off the Cape of Good Hope, she fell in with the "Ariadne," bound from Bombay to Boston. This being in a crippled and sinking condition, her crew, twenty-three in number, were taken on board the " Arabia." The supply of water was inadequate for so large an addition to their number, and Captain Wallis thought it prudent to enter Table Bay and procure an additional supply. At the entrance to the bay the "Arabia" was becalmed. The night was dark, and about 2 A.M., the vessel struck on a reef and became a total loss. The cargo was saved and sold. The bark "Iosco," Claussen, master, and owned by John Bertram, was wrecked on a reef off Zanzibar, July 7, 1858. Both vessel and cargo were lost. The bark " Guide," McMullen, master, and owned by John Bertram, was wrecked on the Ras Hoforn, east coast of Africa, on the night of September 4, 1860, and with her cargo was a total loss. The bark " Jersey," James S. Williams, master, owned by John Bertram, was built at Salem in 1869, and was wrecked at Madagascar on her first voyage.

The large importation of uncleaned gum-copal, an article which, prior to 1832, had been sent to India to be cleaned, led to the establishment by Jonathan Whipple of a factory at the foot of Turner Street, in Salem, to clean and prepare the gum for the market. Prior to the establishment of Mr. Whipple's factory, Daniel Hammond had been engaged in cleaning the gum, but Mr. Whipple was the first to establish the business on an extensive scale. At first the gum was cleaned by being scraped with a knife. Mr. Whipple soon introduced the process of washing it with an alkali. The uncleaned gum was deposited in tubs of alkali liquor and allowed to stand over night. It was then taken and placed upon large platforms in the open air, and carefully dried and brushed. The gum was then sorted as to size and color.

This business was established about 1835, and increased very rapidly. Mr. Whipple commenced by employing four or five men, but at the time of his death, in 1850, the number of men employed averaged thirty-five or forty, and the amount of gum cleaned each year was about one million five hundred thousand pounds, the gum losing in weight about onequarter part during the process of cleaning. Mr. Whipple was succeeded by his sons, who continued the business under the name of Stephen Whipple & Brothers. The business was prosperous until the year 1861, when an import duty of ten cents a pound was imposed on the uncleaned gum. The gum was thereafter cleaned on the coast of Africa before shipment, and the business diminished until it was finally abandoned altogether.

the east coast of Africa has been continued by Salem merchants from the summer of 1826, when the -' Ann " was there, to the present day. In 1846, Salem had nine vessels there. The successors of the firm of John Bertram still continue the trade, but their vessels no longer enter the port of Salem. The last arrival at Salem from Zanzibar was the bark " Glide," May 1, 1870, and this was also the last arrival at Salem of any vessel owned in Salem from beyond the Cape of Good Hope.

The Cape of Good Hope Trade. - When the merchants of Salem, at the close of the Revolutionary War, sent their vessels on long voyages, the Cape of Good Hope was among the first places visited. In this as in most other trades established with distant countries Elias Hasket Derby was the first to lead the way. In 1781 he built at the South Shore a fast sailing ship of three hundred tons called the " Grand Turk " for use as a privateer. She carried twentytwo guns, and was remarkably successful in capturing prizes. In November, 1784, Mr. Derby despatched this vessel, under command of Jonathan Ingersoll, on the first voyage from Salem to the Cape of Good Hope. The cargo of the "Grand Turk " consisted, in part, of rum, which was sold to an English East India-man and delivered at the Island of St. Helena. From there she returned to Salem, via the West Indies, arriving in 1785. He bought in the West Indies, Grenada rum enough to load two vessels, sent home the " Grand Turk, " and returned himself in the " Atlantic."

A striking incident is connected with this voyage of Captain Ingersoll. On his passage to Salem he rescued the master and mate of the English schooner " Amity,'' whose crew had mutinied and set their officers adrift in a boat. After their arrival at Salem, Captain Duncanson of the " Amity " was sitting one day with Mr. Derby in his counting-room, and while using his spy-glass he saw his own vessel in theofiing. Mr. Derby promptly manned one of his own brigs, put two pieces of ordnance on board of her, and, taking with him the English captain, boarded and recaptured the " Amity."

Mr. Derby purchased a vessel which had been captured from the British during the Revolutionary War. He named her the " Light Horse." This bark he sent, in January, 1787, to the Cape of Good Hope, under command of John Tucker.

The captain wrote his first letter from Table Bay, dated May 15, 1787, giving an accountof asaleof part of the cargo. From the Cape he went to the Isle of France, sold the remainder of his cargo, loaded with coffee and some India goods, and returned to Salem, arriving in January, 1788.

The brig " Hope," of one hundred and sixty tons burden, carrying eight men, made an annual voyage between Salem and the Cape of Good Hope for six consecutive years, entering at Salem in February, 1790, in August, 1791, in July, 1792, in June, 1793, in May, 1794, and in July 1795. She was commanded on the first three voyages by Jonathan Lambert, and on the last three by Samuel Lambert, and her cargo was consigned, on each voyage, to Jacob Ashton and others. The schooner " Ruth," Jonathan Lambert, Jr., master, entered in July, 1796, consigned to Jacob Ashton and others. The ship " Betsey," Jeremiah L. Page, master, entered in May, 1804, consigned to Abel Lawrence & Co.

Coffee, wine, pepper, sugar, ivory and aloes were among the articles imported. Most of the direct trade with the Cape of Good Hope, was carried on before the commencement of the present century, and Jacob Ashton and Jonathan Lambert appear to have been largely engaged in it.

The Australian Trade. - Wherever a new channel of trade was opened for Americans, Salem was either the first to open it, or her vessels followed closely after the pioneers. She was found asking for admission to the port of Sydney, in 1832, and by a special order of the council, passed that year, the ship " Tybee," Charles Millett, master, was allowed to enter that port. This vessel was owned by Nathaniel L. Rogers and others, and was the first American vessel to enter the ports of Australia. The " Tybee " entered at Salem from Sydney January 20, 1835, again in March, 1836, and again in June, 1837. Joseph Rogers commanded her on these voyages, and her cargo consisted mainly of wool. The ship " Black Warrior," William Driver, master, entered from Sydney in September, 1835, and the ship "Shepherdess," J. Kinsman, master, in May, 1836, both bringing cargoes of wool. All the above-mentioned cargoes were consigned to Nathaniel L. Rogers & Brothers. This trade did not prove profitable and it was not long continued, the direct entries at Salem, from Sydney, being confined to the years 1835, '36 and '37.

The Feejee Islands Trade. - The enterprise of Salem merchants seems not to have been confined by the limits of the civilized world, but to have extended to all habitable countries, however remote and however peopled. Salem was as familiar a name to the cannibals of the Feejee Islands, during the first half of the present century, as it was to the savages of Africa and Madagascar. In many of those wild countries, the untutored natives thought Salem comprised all the remainder of the outer world about which they knew so little. Captain William P. Richardson, of Salem, was at the Feejee Islands in the bark "Active," in 1811. He sailed from Salem June 1, 1810, and left the Feejee Islands July 26, 1811, for Canton. He arrived at Salem March 27, 1812, one hundred and eighteen days from Canton. This was the first trading voyage from Salem to the Feejee Islauds. Commercial intercourse with these islands began about 1806, probably by the vessels of the East India Company.

preter, Captain Benjamin Vanderford, a Salem shipmaster, who, having made many voyages to these islands, was familiar with the customs and language of the natives. Captain Vanderford died March 23, 1842, on the passage home; and the commodore, writing of him says : " During the cruise I had often experienced his usefulness. He had formerly been in command of various vessels sailing from Salem, and had made many voyages to the Feejee Islands. During our stay there, he was particularly useful in superintending all trade carried on to supply the ship." Commodore Wilkes was indebted to another Salem captain for bringing one of the vessels of his squadron, - the " Peacock," - safely into port, on the 12th of July, -1840. Captain J. H. Eagleston, of Salem, who was trading there at the time, rendered him this important service. The commodore, in his report to the government, says : " The squadron is much indebted to Captain Eagleston for his attention and assistance. I am also indebted to him for observations relating to gales."

Captain Eagleston made voyages to these islands between 1830 and 1840, in the bark " Peru," the ship " Emerald," the brig " Mermaid " and the ship " Leonidas." On one of his passages in the " Leonidas " he caught several albatrosses, and tied to the neck of each a quill containing a slip of paper, on which was written "Ship Leonidas, of Salem, bound to New Zealand." One of these birds was caught by a French vessel off the Cape of Good Hope, several hundred miles away from the spot where it was first caught by Captain Eagleston. The news reached Salem March 21, 1840, and was the first news of this vessel since she sailed, on the 9th of August. Captain Eagleston sailed for Stephen C. Phillips, who was a prominent merchant of Salem from about 1828 to the time of his death, in 1857. Mr. Phillips was largely engaged in trade with the Feejee Islands, with Manila and other Eastern ports. In 1846 Salem had six vessels engaged in trade with the Feejee Islands. The usual voyage was from Salem to the Feejee Islands, where the vessel would remain, collecting the beche-de-mer, a sort of sea slug, found on reefs and in shallow water, and after drying and preparing them for the market, carry them either to Manila to exchange for sugar and hemp, or to China to exchange for tea, the voyage usually consuming about two years. Salem almost monopolized this trade, and, in a work written in London, in 1858, by Thomas Williams and James Calvert, missionaries at these islands, it is stated that the traffic in sandal-wood, tortoise-shell and beche-de-mer, " has been, and still is, chiefly in the hands of Americans from the port of Salem." There are many curious articles at the Peabody Academy of Science at Salem, which were brought from the Feejee Islands during the early voyages.

Among the Salem merchants engaged in this trade were Nathaniel L. Rogers & Bros., Stephen C. Phillips, Samuel Chamberlain & Co. and Benjamin A. West. The bark " Zotoff," Benjamin Wallis, master, made several voyages to the Feejee Islands. Captain Wallis, on two of these voyages, covering a period from 1844 to 1850, was accompanied by his wife, who, upon her final return, wrote an account of her travels, in a book entitled, " Life in Feejee." She mentions seeing the brig " Elizabeth," the bark " Samos," Captain H. J. Archer, the bark "Pilot," Captain Hartwell and the brig " Tim Pickering," all of Salem, during the first voyage. The " Samos " was afterwards condemned at Manila. The " Tim Pickering," Walden, master, while lying at Ovalou, in the Feejee Islands, was driven ashore in a severe gale, April 5, 1848, and became a total loss. Captain Benjamin Vanderford was at the Feejee Islands about 1819, in the ship "Indus," and about 1822 in the " Roscoe." The bark " Dragon," Thomas C. Dunn, master, sailed from Salem February 22, 1854, and arrived at the Feejee Islands, a distance of sixteen thousand seven hundred and seventy miles, in eightyfive days, making the shortest passage ever made from the United States. She crossed the equator in twenty days, and passed Port Phillip, New Holland, seventy-three days out. She reached Salem from Manila September 4, 1856, with one thousand one hundred and seventy bales of hemp, consigned to Benjamin A. West.

The seamen of Salem, visiting these islands, were exposed to peril of their lives from the ignorant and deceitful inhabitants, and to disaster to their ships from hidden reefs, of the existence of which they were unaware. In August, 1830, the brig " Fawn," James Briant master, and owned by Robert Brookhouse, was lost at the Feejee Islands, and Captain Charles Millett, of the ship " Clay," gave captain and crew a passage to Manila. The ship "Glide," in March, 1832, was driven ashore at Tackanova, and lost. Her boat's crew were attacked by the natives, at Ovalou, December 26, 1831, and two of them killed* In the same gale which destroyed the " Glide," another Salem vessel, the brig " Niagara," was lost, at an island one hundred and forty miles from Tackanova.

The brig " Charles Doggett," owned by Nathaniel L. Rogers & Bros., and commanded by George Batchelder, was at Kandora, one of the Feejee Islands, in September, 1833, and her crew were curing the bechede-mer for the East India market. They were attacked by the natives for the sake of plunder, and five of the crew were killed, including Charles Shipman, the mate. The remainder escaped in the boats, but were all more or less injured. James Magoun, of Salem, who had lived among the islanders several years, was dangerously wounded. On the way to Manila, the vessel touched at the Pelew Islands, and the crew were again attacked by the natives, and a boy was killed. The vessel reached Salem, from Manila, in October, 1834.

The story of a previous voyage of the " Charles Doggett," under the command of William Driver, is one of most romantic interest, and deserves a place in history. As an introduction, it may be well to give a brief account of the mutiny of the " Bounty," which, though an oft-repeated tale, is still one of thrilling interest. Captain William Bligh was sent by the British Government in the "Bounty" in December, 1787, to Tahiti. He reached that island in October of the following year, and remained there six months, collecting bread-fruit plants, with which he started for Jamaica. Twenty-four days out, on the 28th of April, 1789, a part of the crew mutinied, and forced Captain Bligh and eighteen men into the ship's launch, which they cast adrift, turning their own course back to Tahiti. The captain and his companions arrived on the 14th of June, after suffering almost incredible hardships, at the island of Timor, a distance of three thousand six hundred nautical miles from the place where they were abandoned. The mutineers, after staying at Tahiti for some time, fearing pursuit, sailed eastward, taking with them eighteen natives, six men and twelve women, and leaving part of their comrades at Tahiti. They landed at Pitcairn Island, a solitary island in the Pacific Ocean, lying at the southeast corner of the great Polynesian Archipelago, having an area of only one and a quarter square miles. Here they took up their residence, and burned the " Bounty." From the time they left Tahiti, in 1792, nothing was heard of them, until an American, Captain Folger, touched at the island in 1808. At this time, all the men, save' Alexander Smith, and several of the women, were dead. The island was visited by British vessels in 1825 and 1830.

In 1831 their numbers had increased to eightyseven, and the island was scantily provided with water. At their own request, they were transported by the British Government to Tahiti. All the original settlers were dead, and their descendants had been reared away from contact with the world, and were, despite their wild ancestry, virtuous and religious. Never having looked upon vice, they found themselves among a people where virtue was unknown. Disgusted with the immoralities of the Tahitians, the most loose, voluptuous and unchaste people that exist under the tropic sun, they yearned with a homesick longing for the isolation and quiet of the little island that had so recently been their home.

It was at this time that the brig "Charles Doggett," William Driver, master, and owned by Nathaniel L. Rogers & Brothers, arrived at Tahiti. These poor homesick people besought Captain Driver to take them back to their native island. For their own sake, but above all for the sake of their children, they desired to leave this land of sensual indulgence. Captain Driver finally consented to carry them, sixtyfive in number, back to the island, fourteen hundred miles away, from whence they had so recently arrived, taking in pay some old copper, twelve blankets and one hundred and twenty-nine dollars in missionary drafts. They left on the 15th of August, 1831, and were landed on Pitcairn Island on September 3rd, after an absence of about nine months. In 1855, finding their numbers again too large for the island, for they now numbered two hundred and two, they petitioned the British Government, and, in 1856, were removed to Norfolk Island. In 1859, two families, in all seventeen, returned to Pitcairn Island. An English writer, in speaking of them, says: "From their frequent intercourse with Europeans, the Pitcairn Islanders have, while retaining their virtuous simplicity of character and cheerful, hospitable disposition, acquired the manners and polish of civilized life, with its education and taste."

May it not well be said that a Salem vessel saved this people from sinking into the immoral life that surrounded them at Tahiti, and that in their strange and romantic history there is no chapter more important than that which records the assistance rendered them by Salem in their time of need ?

The South American Trade. - The trade between Salem and South America has been quite extensive. This trade began early, and continued to be prosecuted after trade with other foreign countries had been abandoned. On the 25th of August, 1789, the schooner " Lark" arrived from Surinam with sugar and cocoa. The brig " Katy," Nathaniel Brown, master, cleared for Cayenne in April, 1798, with fish, flour, bacon, butter, oil, tobacco, candles and potter's ware. The schooner "Sally," Daniel Proctor, master, cleared for Cayenne in March, 1802. For forty years, from 1820 to 1 860, there was constant commercial intercourse between Salem and the ports of South America.

Para was the port most frequently visited, there having been four hundred and thirty-five arrivals at Salem from that port, mainly between the years 1826 and 1860. The largest number of arrivals in a single year was in 1853, when twenty vessels entered. The last entries were in 1861. Rubber, hides, cocoa, coffee and castana nuts were among the articles imported. A few of the entries from Para are given, to indicate the merchants engaged in this traffic : The schooner " Betsey," James Meagher, master, entered from Para in March, 1811, with cassia, coffee and cocoa, consigned to John Howard ; the schooner " Four Sisters," Joseph Ervin, master, in August,

1811, with one hundred and thirty-eight thousand pounds of cocoa, to William Orne ; the schooner " Resolution," Edward Brown, Jr., master, in July,

1812, consigned to Jeremiah L. Page; the brig "Mercator," Samuel B. Graves, master, in September, 1817, to Robert Upton; the schooner "Cyrus,'' Benjamin Russell, master, in March, 1820, to Robert Upton ; the schooner " Charles," Richard Smith, master, in August, 1822, to Michael Shepard ; the schooner

"Phcebe," Benjamin Upton, master, in December, 1824, to Robert Upton ; the schooner " Leader," Nathaniel Griffen, master, in April, 1826, to Richard Savory; the schooner "Dollar," Thomas Holmes, master, in April, 1826, to David Pingree; the schooner " Cepheus," Charles Holland, master, in August, 1826, to Joseph Howard ; the brig " Romp," Clarke, master, in December, 1828, to Thomas P. Pingree and Michael Shepard ; the schooner " Gazelle," Warren Strickland, master, in August, 1830, to James Brown ; the brig " Abby M.," R. Wheatland, master, in October, 1830, to Gideon Tucker ; the brig " Amethyst," John Willis, master, in July, 1831, to Robert Upton ; the brig " Fredonia," S. K. Appleton, master, in September, 1832, to Benjamin Creamer ; the brig " Deposit," G. E. Bailey, master, in January, 1842, to James Upton (this vessel made regular trips between Salem and Para) ; the brig " Mermaid," C. Conway, master, in April, 1842, to P. I. Farnham ; the brig "Eagle," M. S. Wheeler, master, in December, 1842, to Benjamin Upton ; the brig "Deposit," under command of Charles Upton, entered in March, 1844, and made several voyages thereafter, consigned to Luther Upton ; the brig " Granite," S. Upton, master, entered in October, 1844, and made regular trips, to SF. Upton ; the brig " Rattler," C. W. Trumbull, master, entered in July, 1846, and made a number o voyages, consigned to John Bertram ; the brig " M* Shepard," H. B, Manning, master, entered in March 1853, and continued for some time in the trade, consigned to John Bertram. Messrs. Phippen and Endicott were the last among the Salem merchants engaged in this trade. There were two entries in the year 1861, and these entries closed the trade of Salem with Para.

There has been a large trade between Salem and Cayenne, beginning in the last century. The whole number of arrivals from this port between the years 1810 and 1877 was about three hundred. The largest number of entries in a single year was in 1835, when there were eleven entries from that port. From 1835 to 1840 inclusive, there were fifty-eight entries. The Cayenne trade was the last foreign trade engaged in by Salem merchants at the port of Salem.

Among the entries from that port was that of the brig " Trial," Eben Learock, master, in June, 1810, with molasses and coffee, consigned to Francis Quarles ; the schooner " Rachel," Mark Knowlton, master, in August, 1812, to John Winn ; the brig "Return," Henry King, master, in March, 1813, to Thomas Perkins ; the schooner " Essex," Thomas Cloutman, master, in May, 1816, with cocoa, molasses and almonds, to William Fabens ; the brig " Rambler," W. D. Shatswell, master, in February, 1821, to William Fabens, and in February, 1828, to Benjamin Fabens ; the brig " Cynthia," in July, 1821, to J. H. Andrews ; in 1824, to Michael Shepard, and in 1825, to David Pingree ; the brig " General Jackson," Shatswell, master, in May, 1826, to P. I. Farnham ; the brig " Jeremiah," Joshua F. Safford, master, in June, 1821, to David Pingree; the brig " Rotund," Joseph R. Winn, master, in May, 1825, to Benjamin Fabens; the schooner "Betsey and Eliza," Benjamin Pickering, master, in August, 1829, to Joseph Shatswell ; the schooner " Nuraa," D. R. Upton, master, in March, 1833, to Robert Upton ; the brig " Romp," Peter Lassen, master, in September, 1851, to Joseph Shatswell ; the brig " Esther," W. H. Fabens, master, in February, 1850, to Benjamin Fabens, Jr., and in August, 1850, Peter Lassen, master, to Charles H. Fabens; the bark "Lawrence," Fabens, master, in September, 1851, to Charles H. Fabens.

David Pingree and Joseph Shatswell were largely engaged in this trade. The Fabens family for four generations have carried on the trade between Salem and Cayenne. William Fabens began it about 1816, Benjamin Fabens about 1825, Charles H. Fabens about 1850, and Charles E. and Benjamin H. Fabens about 1869. The successive generations have prose^ cuted the trade continuously from 1816 to the present day. The last named removed the business to Boston in 1877, and now carry it on from that port. The last arrival at Salem from a South American port was the schooner "Mattie F," which was entered from Cayenne, by Messrs. C. E. & B. H. Fabens, March 21,1877. The entry of the "Mattie F." closed the foreign trade of Salem.

The trade between Salem and Buenos Ayres is the next in importance. From 1816 to 1860, inclusive, there were one hundred and twenty-one arrivals at Salem from this port. The period of greatest activity was from 1841 to 1860. Robert Upton, James LTpton, David Pingree and Benjamin A. West were among the merchants principally engaged in this trade. The entries from this port include that of the brig "Nancy Ann," John B. Osgood, master, in April, 1816, to Stephen Phillips ; the ship " Diomede," Samuel L. Page, master, in March, 1817, to Philip Chase ; the brig "Cambrian," H. G. Bridges, master, in June, 1823, to Joseph Peabody ; the brig "Bolivar Liberator," James Garney, master, in January, 1831, to P. I. Farnham ; the bark " Chalcedony," J, E. A. Todd, master, entered in April, 1841, and made several voyages thereafter, commanded by Captain Todd, and a number after 1849, with George Upton as master (she was consignedjon these voyages to James Upton) ; the bark " Three Brothers," Welch, master, entered in May, 1843, consigned to David Pingree; the brig " Cherokee," Mansfield, master, entered in October, 1843, consigned to Michael Shepard; the brig "Gazelle," Dewing, master, in November, 1843, to John Bertram; the brig " Olinda," S. Hutchinson, master, in December, 1843, to Gideon Tucker; the bark "King Philip," George Upton, master, in June, 1844, to James Upton ; the brig " Gambia," G. E. Bailey, master, in September, 1848, to Benjamin A. West ; the bark "Maid of Orleans," Charles Upton, master in September, 1848, and on several subsequent voy- ages, consigned to James Upton ; the bark " Manchester," S. Upton, master, in May, 1853, to Eobert Upton; the brig "Kussell," in August, 1854, to Geo. Savory ; the bark " Salem," in August, 1860, to Jas. Upton. The last entry at Salem from Buenos Ayres was in 1860.

Eio Grande was a place with which Salem merchants traded quite extensively. Hides and horns were the principal articles imported. From 1817 to 1860 there were one hundred and fifty-five arrivals at Salem from that province, and of that number, one hundred were during the period from 1845 to 1854 inclusive. The largest number of arrivals in a single year was seventeen, in the year 1851. The Uptons were largely interested in this trade, as they were in most of the Salem trade with the ports on the eastern coast of South America. Eobert Upton, James Upton, Benjamin Upton, Luther Upton and H. P. Upton and David Pingree, George Savory, Thomas P. Pingree, Benjamin Webb and David Moore were among those engaged in trade with Eio Grande,

From the list of entries from that place at Salem a few are given. A complete list would hardly interest the general reader. The brig " Trader," John Eveleth, master, entered in June, 1817, with tallow consigned to Edward Lander ; the brig " Eotund," John Ingersoll, master, in July, 1822, to Gideon Tucker ; the brig "Cynthia," Shillaber, master, in October, 1828, to David Pingree; the brig "Abby M.," R. Wheatland, master, in October, 1829, to Putnam I. Farnham and others ; the brig " Quill," Thomas Farley, master, in November, 1831, to Nathaniel L. Eogera & Bros. ; the brig " Mermaid," George Savory, master, in May, 1841 to Benjamin Upton ; the brig " Northumberland," Kane, master, in November, 1842, to Thomas P. Pingree ; the bark " Chalcedony," J. E. A. Todd, master, in October, 1846, to James Upton, and in May, 1847, to Luther Upton ; the brig " Eussell," E. F. Savory, master, in May, 1847, to H. P. Upton ; the bark " William Schroder," J. E. A. Todd, master, in March, 1848, to Eobert Upton ; the bark " Wyman," J. Madison, master, in July, 1849, to James Upton (this vessel made many trips between Salem and Eio Grande, commanded by George Harrington); the bark "Sophronia," E. A. Emmerton, master, in July, 1849, to Ephraim Emmerton ; the schooner " Maria Theresa," O. Baker, Jr., master, in August, 1849, to D. E. Bowker ; the brig "Draco," E. S. Johnson, master, in October, 1849, and in April, 1850, to David Moore ; the brig " Prairie," E. Upton, master, in November, 1850, to George Savory and others ; the bark " Delegate," D. Marshall, master, in January, 1851, to Benjamin Webb and others; the bark "Arrow," in June, 1860, to .Tames Upton. There were two entries from Eio Grande in 1860, and with those entries the Salem trade with that place closed. There was a single entry from Eio Grande in 1870, but neither vessel nor cargo was owned by Salem merchants.

The Salem trade with Montevideo began about 1811, and ended in 1861. There was no entry from this port between 1811 and 1823. The largest number of entries was during the years 1847, '48 and '53. Eobert Upton, James Upton and Benjamin A. West were among those engaged in trading with that port. Hides and horns were the principal articles imported. The brig "Hope," Benjamin Jacobs, master, entered in June, 1811, consigned to Thomas Perkins; the ship " Glide," Nathan Endicott, master, entered in November, 1823, consigned to Joseph Peabody ; the brig "Chalcedony," George Upton, master, in May, 1839, and in October, 1847, to James Upton ; and in March, 1848, to Luther Upton ; the bark " Zotoff," G. E. Bailey, master, in January, 1853, and again in August, 1853, to Benjamin A. West ; the bark " Peacock," Upton, master, in April, 1853, to Eobert Upton ; the bark " Argentine," George Upton, master, in June, 1853, to James Upton ; the bark " Miquelon," S. Hutchinson, in July, 1853, to E. H. Folmer; the brig "Mary A. Jones," in January, 1860, and again in July 1860, to Benjamin A. West. There was a single entry in 1861, the last entry at Salem from Montevideo.

In the years 1824 and 1825 there were twenty-four entries from Maranham. From 1817 to 1858 there were one hundred and ten entries. Joseph Howard and James Brown were among those most largely interested in this trade. The brig " Henry," George Burchmore, master, entered from Maranham in January, 1817, consigned to Stephen White ; the brig " Anson," Haskett D. Lang, master, in May, 1819, to P. & A. Chase ; the brig " Alonzo," George K. Smith, master, in August, 1819, to Joseph Howard ; the brig " Betsey," Timothy Eopes, master, in August, 1819, to George Nichols ; the schooner " Mermaid," John Willis, master, in April, 1824, to Pickering Dodge ; the schooner " General Brewer," George Gale, master, in August, 1825, to Stephen White ; the brig "Stork," Stephen Gale, master, in November, 1825, to James Brown and others; the brig "Calliope," George Creamer, master, in March, 1826, to Robert Upton ; the schooner " Spy," Benjamin Eussell, master, in April, 1826, to Nathaniel L. Eogers & Bros.; the brig " Edward," Thomas C. Whittredge, master, in May,

1826, to Thomas Whittredge; the schooner " Sally Barker," F. Quarles, master, in June, 1826, to Michael Shepard ; the brig " Stork," Oliver Thayer, master, in July, 1826, to Joseph Howard ; the brig " Cynthia," Benjamin Shillaber, master, in April,

1827, to David Pingree; the brig " Wm. Penn," S. K. Appleton, master, in January, 1836, to John F. Allen; the brig "Amethyst," E. Hill, Jr., master, in February, 1837, to James Upton ; the brig " Palm," in September, 1840, to Thomas P. Pingree; the schooner " East Wind," in June, 1858, to Phippen & Endicott ; and this entry closed the Salem trade with Maranham.

period of the greatest activity in this trade was between the years 1797 and 1810. There were twelve arrivals at Salem from this place in 1799, and the same number in 1804. There were two entries in 1860, the last made at Salem from Surinam. Coffee, cocoa, sugar, cotton, molasses and distilled spirits, were the principal articles imported.

The schooner "Saint John,'" W. Grafton, master, entered from Surinam in October, 1791, consigned to Joseph Waters. The brig " Lydia," Eben Shillaber, master, in August, 1796, to William Gray. The brig " Three Friends," John Endicott, master, in October, 1796, to Jonathan Gardner and Joseph Peabody. The schooner " Cynthia," Hezekiah Flint, master, in December, 1796, to Joseph Peabody and Thomas Perkins. The schooner " Diligent," James Buffi ngton, master, in February, 1797, to Joseph Sprague & Sons. The brig "Katy," Nathaniel Brown, master, in August, 1798, to Benjamin Pickman, Jr. The schooner " Fame," Downing Lee, master, in April, 1798, to Samuel Gray and John Osgood. The brig " Neptune," Robert Barr, master, in May, 1797, to John Barr. The ship " Henry," Stephen Webb, master, in June, 1799, to Elias H. Derby. The ship "Belisarius," Edward Allen, master, in August, 1799, to George Crowninshield & Sons. The schooner "Helen," Samuel King, master, in November, 1799, to Benjamin West. The ship "Atlantic," Eben Learock, master, in April, 1804, to Joseph Peabody. The bark " Active," John Endicott, master, in July, 1804, to Benjamin Hodges. The schooner "Union," Moses Yell, master, in December, 1807, to Michael Shepard. The brig "Nabby," Hardy Phippen, master, in April, 1808, to Samuel Archer, 8d. The brig " Union," Timothy Ropes, master, in October, 1823, to John H. Andrews. The brig "Rambler," S. Upton, master, in March, 1829, to Benjamin Fabens. The brig " Cynthia," John G. Waters, master, in August, 1829, to David Pingree. The ship " William and Henry," C. H. Fabens, master, in January, 1838, to David Pingree. The brig " Mary Francis," in July, 1855, to Joseph Shatswell. The bark " Lawrence," in April, 1857, to Charles H. Fabens. The brig " Elizabeth," in April, 1860, and in August, 1860, to Benjamin Webb. The abovementioned entries show the names of the Salem merchants engaged in trade with Surinam.

There were three entries at Salem from Rio Janeiro in 1810. The largest number of entries in a single year was in 1824, when six vessels entered from that port. The schooner " Mercury," Edward Barnard, Jr., master, entered from that port in June, 1810, consigned to Nathaniel West. The brig " New Hazard," Edward Stanley, master, in July, 1810, to John Gardner, Jr. The ship " Marquis de Someruelas," Thomas Russell, master, in July, 1810, to John Gardner, Jr. and Michael Shepard. The ship "John," Jeremiah Briggs, master, in March, 1811, to George Crowninshield. The brig " Cora," P. P. Pinel, master, in December, 1811, to Jerathmael Pierce. The brig "Alonzo," Philemon Putnam, master, in April, 1823, to Joseph Howard. The ship " Friendship," Richard Meek, master, in November, 1823, and again in November, 1824, to George Nichols. The brig "Pioneer," Andrew Ward, master, in April, 1824, to John W. Rogers. The brig " Edward," Thomas C. Whittredge, master, in August, 1824, to Thomas Whittredge. The brig " Roscius," J. Kinsman, master, in November, 1824, to Robert Upton. The brig " Thomas Perkins," B. Shillaber, master, in September, 1832, to Michael Shepard. The bark " Richard," J. Hodges, master, in November, 1832, to Joseph Hodges. The bark " Imaun," Batchelder, master, in April, 1852, to Benjamin A. West. The entry of the " Imaun " closed the Salem trade with Rio Janeiro. The principal articles imported were coffee and sugar.

In August, 1832, the brig "Mexican," of Salem, owned by Joseph Peabody, and commanded by John G. Butman, of Beverly, left Salem for Rio Janeiro, having on board twenty thousand dollars in specie. On September 20th, between the hours of eight and nine A. M., she was hailed by the piratical Spanish, schooner, " Pinda," Commander Gilbert. The pirates came on board the " Mexican," and threatened all hands with instant death unless the specie was immediately produced. They obliged the crew to bring the boxes containing it on deck, when they at once transferred it to the schooner. They then ransacked the cabin and rifled the captain's pockets, taking his watch and money. Not being successful in finding any more specie aboard the brig, the pirates returned on board their schooner. In eight or ten minutes they came back, apparently in great haste, shut all the crew below, fastened the companion-way, fore scuttle and after hatchway ; stove the compasses to pieces in the binnacles, and cut away tiller-ropes, halliards, braces and most of the running rigging. They then took a tub of tarred rope-yarn, and what they could find combustible about the deck, put it into the caboose-house and set it on fire. As soon as the pirates left, the crew of the "Mexican " reached the deck through the cabin scuttle, which the pirates had neglected to secure, and extinguished the fire, which, in a few moments, would have set the main sail on fire and destroyed the masts. The crew immediately repaired damages, as far as possible, and set sail for home, where they arrived October 12th. It was, doubtless, the intention of the pirates to burn the brig, but seeing another vessel in the distance, and being eager for more plunder, they did not stop to fully accomplish their design, and the crew thus escaped a horrible fate. The " Mexican " had a crew of thirteen men ; among those now living are John Battis, Jacob Anderson and Thomas Fuller, all of Salem.

Our government ordered a vessel to cruise in pursuit of the pirate, but she soon gave up the chase as hopeless. The piratical vessel was afterwards cap- tured by an English vessel, and on August 27, 1834, H. B. M. brig "Savage," Lieutenant Commander Loney, commanding, from Portsmouth, England, arrived in Salem harbor with sixteen of the pirates as prisoners. They had an examination in Salem, and then were taken to Boston, and tried before Chief- Justice Story. Five of them were hanged June 11, 1835. Bernardo de Soto, the mate of the "Pinda," when master of the Spanish brig, "Leon," had, in 1831, at great personal risk, rescued seventy-two persons from the burning ship " Minerva," of Salem, Captain George W. Putnam, and for the bravery and humanity displayed by him on this occasion, he was pardoned by President Jackson.

Pernambuco was a port at which many Salem vessels touched for orders. There were not a great many direct entries at Salem from that port. The largest number was in 1826, when there were six entries. Among the entries were the brig "Welcome Return," Jeremiah Briggs, master, in September, 1809, consigned to Josiah Dow. The schooner " Hannah," Edward Briggs, master, in June, 1810, to Josiah Dow. The brig " Alonzo," Isaac Killam, master, in August, 1811, to John Derby. The schooner "Rising States," Samuel Lamson, master, in March, 1812, to James Cook. The ship " Endeavor," Nathaniel L. Rogers, master, in May, 1812, to John Forrester. The brig " Levant," Samuel Rea, ma>ter, in October, 1812, to Joseph Peabody. The brig " Cora," Philip P. Pinel, master, in September, 1815, to Jerathmael Peirce. The brig " Eliza," Stephen Gale, master, in November, 1819, to Benjamin Barstow. The brig " Eliza and Mary," S. Benson, master, in November,

1825, to S. White and F. H. Story. The brig " Olinda," R. Wheatland, master, in December, 1825, and in June, 1826, to Gideon Tucker. The brig " Washington," A. Marshall, master, in August, 1826, to William Fettyplace. The brig " Amethyst," R. Hill, Jr., master, in May, 1836, to Robert Upton. The brig " Mermaid," George Savory, master, in May, 1840, to Putnam I. Faruham. The brig " Gazelle/' J. Dewing, master, in March, 1841, to Joseph Shatswell. The entry of the " Gazelle " closed the direct trade between Salem and Pernambuco. The principal article imported thence was sugar.

Bahia, Paraiba and Patagonia on the eastern coast, and Valparaiso, Lima and Guayaquil on the western coast of South America, were among the places from which vessels entered at the port of Salem. The trade with these places was not very extensive. The brig " Blakely," Benjamin Fabens^ master, entered from Bahia in July, 1819, with molasses, consigned to William Fabens. The brig "Lion," J. P. Felt, master, entered from Bahia in June, 1821, consigned to John Dike. The brig "Augusta," Seth Rogers, master, entered from Bahia in March, 1824, consigned to Gideon Tucker. The brig " Mercator," Aaron Miller, master, entered from Bahia in September,

" Generous," E. B. Hooper, master, made several voyages in 1832 and '33 between Salem and Paraiba, consigned to Michael Shepard. The ship " China," H. Putnam, master, entered from Lima in July, 1828, consigned to Joseph Peabody. The brig "Herald," Aaron W. Williams, master, entered from Guayaquil in August, 1824, consigned to George Nichols. The brig "Phoenix," George Hodges, Jr., master, entered from Guayaquil in December, 1826, with one hundred and sixty-six thousand one hundred and twenty pounds of cocoa, consigned to Mosea Townsend. The brig " Java," Nathaniel Osgood, master, entered, from Guayaquil in January, 1829, and proceeded to New York.

The West Coast of Afkica Trade. - If the natives on the west coast of Africa have been temperate they have been so in spite of the efforts of the Salem merchants, to supply them with the materials for intemperance. The trade opened early, and October 6, 1789, the schooner " Sally," and October 8, 1789, the schooner "Polly," cleared for Senegal, each with a cargo of New England rum ; and from that time forward, Salem has contributed largely to spread a knowledge of the potent qualities of New England rum, of the astounding effects of gunpowder and of the consoling influences of Virginia tobacco, among the savage tribes of the West Coast. The Salem trade with this coast has been quite extensive. The period of the greatest activity was between the years 1832 and 1864. During that time, there were five hundred and fifty-eight arrivals at Salem from the West Coast of Africa. From 1844 to 1860, only the years 1854 and 1855 show less than twenty entries. Robert Brookhouse, Daniel Abbot, Putnam I. Farnham, David Pingree, William Hunt, Charles Hoffman, Edward D. Kimball and George West, were among those engaged in this trade. Hides, palmoil, peanuts and gum-copal, were the principal articles imported. Among the entries were the brig " St. John," Thomas Bowditch, master, which entered from Sierra Leone in June, 1796, consigned to Henry Gardner & Co. The brig " Sukey," John Edwards, master, which entered from Senegal in July, 1801, consigned to Henry Prince & Co. The brig " Star," Richard J. Cleveland, master, entered from Goree in July, 1808, consigned to John Derby. The brig " Siren," James Vent, master, entered in March, 1828, consigned to Robert Brookhouse. The schooner " Fredonia," Charles Hoftman, master, in September, 1829. to Daniel Abbot. The brig "Shawmut," J. Emerton, master, in July, 1831, to Robert Brookhouse. The schooner " Complex," J. Burnham, master, in June, 1832, to Richard S. Rogers. The schooner " Dollar," John Stickney, master, in September, 1835, to Putnam I. Farnham. The brig " Selina and Jane," Joseph Rider, master, in August, 1836, to David Pingree. The brig " Elizabeth," N. Frye, master, in March, 1837, and in November, 1837, J. A. Phipps, master, consigned to William Hunt.

The brig " Cipher," J. Rider, master, in August, 1839, to Charles Hoffman. The brig "Tigris," N. A. Frye, master, in December, 1840, to Robert Brookhouse. The brig " Malaga," S. Varney, master, in October, 1844, to E. G. Kimball. The brig "Herald," P. Ayres, master, in February, 1845, to William Hunt. The brig " Hamilton," H. Tufts, master, in March, 1847, to Edward D. Kimball. The brig " Fawn," J. Rider, master, in June, 1847, to George. West. The brig " Tam O'Shanter," J. R. Francks, master, in February, 1848, to Benjamin Webb. The brig " Ohio," Josiah Webber, master, in April, 1848, to Edward D. Kimball. After 1848 the trade was largely in the hands of Robert Brookhouse, Edward D. Kimball and Charles Hoffman, The last arrival at Salem from the Wes*. Coast of Africa was the brig "Ann Elizabeth," from Sierra Leone, which was entered by Charles Hoffman in July, 1873. Salem merchants are still engaged in this trade, but their vessels do not enter the harbor of Salem.

The West India Trade - The early trade of Salem was mainly in the product of her fisheries. The first settlers came hither for the purpose of establishing a fishing and trading post, and among their first acts was the building of stages on which fish could be dried and prepared for consumption. The islands of the West Indies offered a market for the exchange of the fish for other products, such as sugar, cotton and tobacco, and it was natural that a trade between Salem and those islands should commence at a very early jseriod. The island of Barbadoes, one of the Carribbean group, was one of the earliest places at which Salem vessels traded. Salem was trading with Barbadoes as early as 1647. William Hollingworth, then a merchant in Barbadoes, writes to his mother, Mrs. Eleanor Hollingworth, at Salem, under date of September 19, 1687, that " fish now att present bares a good rate by reason ye Newfoundland men are not yet come in but I believe itt will be low anuffe about three months hence. Oyle will be ye principal commoditie. Pray lett my brother see this letter. I cannot tell what to advise him to send as yett besides oyle but in a short time wee shall see what these Newfoundland men will doe, what quantity of fish they bring in, and then I will advise him further."

The ketch " Providence," John Grafton, master, on her passage from Salem to the West Indies, in September, 1669, was cast away on a rock in a rainy night, and six of the crew were drowned. The master, mate and a seaman remained on the rock till morning. They then succeeded, with difficulty, in reaching an island about half a mile away, where they found another of their company. There they remained eight days sustained by salt fish ; and the last four days by cakes made from a barrel of flour which had been washed ashore. After four days they found a piece of touch-wood and a flint, and with the aid of a small knife, they struck fire. They framed a boat with a tarred mainsail and some hoops, and then fastened pieces of boards to them. With this boat, so made, they sailed ten leagues to Anguilla and St. Martin's, where they were kindly received. Joshua Ward was one of these sufferers.

The dangers to which these early navigators were exposed we can hardly realize. With no correct charts and with the rudest instruments, they had no method of fixing their exact location while at sea. The dangers of approaching coasts were also vastly greater, owing to the want of light-houses. Boston light-house was first lit up in 1716 ; Thatcher's Island light-house in 1771 ; and Baker's Island light-house in 1798. It is related that in 1788 a schooner from Bilboa, bound for Marblehead, was only saved from shipwreck by a seaman first seeing the rock in our harbor called " Satan," close to the bows (there was a snowstorm at the time), and shouting the fact to the crew ; the captain being then for the first time aware of his true longitude on the coast,

Salem was trading with the Barbadoes for cotton in 1685, for in September of that year, as the smallpox raged there, the selectmen order " that all cottonwool imported thence shall be landed on Baker's Island." In 1686 the Governor issues a pass to the pink "Speedwell," Thomas Beadle, master, to go to Barbadoes; to the ketch " Hannah," John Ingersoll, master, for Fayal and Barbadoes; to the ketch "Industry," Lewis Hunt, master, for St. Christopher's ; and to the ketch " Penelope," Edward Hilliard, master, also for St. Christopher's. In 1688 a similar pass is issued to the ketch " Diligence," Gamaliel Hawkins, master, and the ketch "Virgin," John Allin, master, both bound for Antigua ; and in 1689, to the pink " Dove," Zebulon Hill, master, and the ketch " James Bonaventure," Philip Prance, master, both bound for Barbadoes. In 1688 Philip English is trading with St. Christopher's.

The records of our early commerce are vague and fragmentary, but enough is known to indicate that the Salem trade with the West Indies was continued, in a greater or less degree, from the year 1638, when the ship " Desire " made a voyage to New Providence and Tortuga, and returned laden with cotton, tobacco, salt and negroes (slaves), the latter the first imported into New England, to a very late period in her commercial history. In 1639 the first importation of indigo and sugar seems to have been made, and in 1642 eleven vessels sailed from New England for the West Indies with lumber. The custom-house records prior to the Revolution have disappeared. Possibly they were destroyed in the great fire of 1774, when the custom-house was burned, or, it may be, carried to Halifax at the breaking out of the war. They have never been found, and we must content ourselves with such information as can be gleaned from other sources.

The law imposing a tax on sugar and molasses created great dissatisfaction among the Salem merchants, and there were many forfeitures in conse- quence. It was upon a petition of James Cockle, Collector at Salem, for a warrant to search for smuggled molasses, heard at the old State House in Boston, February, 1761, that James Otis made his immortal plea against writs of assistance.

The temper of the usually law-abiding people of Salem regarding the imposition of these duties may be judged by their treatment of poor Thomas Row, who seems to have performed only his duty as a customs officer. From a local paper under the date of September 13, 1768, the following extract is made :