Essex County, Massachusetts - The Commercial History, 1888 (part 3 of 4)

"One Row, a Custom House waiter, on Wednesday last, by informing an officer of the Customs that some measures were taken on board a vessel in this Harbor, to elude the payment of certain duties, engaged the attention of a number of the inhabitants, who determined to distinguish him in a conspicuous manner for his conduct in this service. Between the hours of ten and eleven A. M. he was taken from one of the wharves and conducted to the Common, where his head, body and limbs were covered with warm tar, and then a large quantity of feathers were applied to all parts which, by closely adhering to the tar, exhibited an odd figure, the drollery of which can easily be imagined. The poor waiter was then exalted to a seat on the front of a cart, and in this manner led into the Main Street, where a paper, with the word ' Informer ' thereon, in large letters, was affixed to his breast, and another paper with the same word to his back. The scene drew together, within a few minutes, several hundred people, who proceeded with Huzzas and loud acclamation, through the town ; and when arrived at the bounds of the compact part, opened to the Right and Left, when the waiter, the confused object of their ridicule descended from his seat, walked through the crowd and having received the strongest assurances that he should, the next time he came to this place, receive higher marks of distinction than those which were now conferred upon him, went immediately out of town."

While the trade between Salem and the West Indies was probably continuous from 1638 down to quite recent times, the last entry from Havana being in 1854, the period of the greatest activity was from 1798 to 1812. The entries from Havana and Martinico were four each in the year 1797, while in 1798 there were twenty-one from Havana and thirteen from Martinico. The largest number of arrivals from Havana in a single year was in 1800, when there were fortyone entries from that port. During that year there was imported into Salem over eight million pounds of sugar. In 1805 there were twenty-eight entries from Havana, and forty-four from Martinico. Between 1798 and 1812 there were three hundred and thirtytwo entries from Havana, and two hundred and thirtytwo from Martinico. There was a large trade in the latter part of the last century between Salem and Aux Cayes, Port-au-Prince and the other ports of the island of St. Domingo, and with the island of St. Eustatia. But while Salem vessels were found in almost every port in the West Indies, Havana and Martinico were the principal places with which trade was carried on.

A list of the merchants engaged in this trade would include the names of almost every one interested in commerce during the years that the West India trade flourished. Benjamin Pickman was engaged extensively in this trade and amassed a large fortune in it.

It is not possible, in the space allotted to this chapter, to give any extended list of the vessels entering from the West Indies. In the palmy days of this trade Salem was a point of distribution for large quantities of sugar and coffee, and the buyers from all parts of the country must have given a bustling and busy aspect to streets now quiet and almost deserted. It was a custom in those days to make up the cargo of a large vessel by inducing various persons to send adventures, the owner of the vessel getting a commission for buying and selling. The brig " Massafuero," Andrew Haraden, master, entered from Havana in September, 1805, with 150,000 pounds of sugar consigned to Joshua Ward, Jr. ; 9000 to Timothy Wellman ; 6000 to Eben Seccomb ; 62,000 to S. B. Doane ; 2000 to William Monroe; 20,000 to Robert Hooper & Sons ; 4000 to John Jenks; 65,000 to William Gray; 4000 to Benjamin H. Hathorne ; 5000 to Joshua Pope ; 3000 to Joshua Phippen, Jr., and with a small quantity of merchandise consigned to Benjamin West. Among other entries from Havana, we find the ship " Mount Vernon," Elias H. Derby, Jr., master, which entered in May, 1799, with five hundred thousand pounds of sugar, consigned to Elias Hasket Derby, and paying a duty of $12,842.15, and the ship " Martha," Nicholas Thorndike, master, which entered in December, 1799, with four hundred thousand pounds of sugar; the two vessels landing nearly a million pounds of this commodity. In October, 1809, the schooner " Neutrality," Benjamin Fabens, master, entered from St. Bartholomew's with sugar and coffee consigned to William Fabens. The Fabens family for several generations have been engaged in trade with the West Indies as well as Cayenne. The last vessel to enter at Salem from Havana was the brig " Vincennes," on June 29, 1854, consigned to Phillips, Goodhue & Bowker,

The Russia Trade. - Salem vessels opened the American trade with St. Petersburg. On the 15th of June, 1784, the bark " Light Horse," Captain Buffinton, was sent by Elias Hasket Derby with a cargo of sugar, and she was the first American vessel to trade at St. Petersburg.

Salem merchants, in the palmy days of her commerce, were largely engaged in trade with Russia, There have been two hundred and eighty-nine arrivals from the ports of Russia at Salem. The period of the greatest activity in this trade was from 1797 to 1811 inclusive, one hundred and sixty-two of the two hundred and eighty-nine entries having been made during that time. The largest number in a single year was in 1811, when there were thirty-one entries. The war caused a suspension of the trade, and in 1812 there were but three entries and none in 1813 and 1814. In 1815 there were nine entries, and the trade continued till 1829, when it ceased almost entirely, there having been but about six entries after that year. The last vessel to enter from St. Petersburg was the ship " Eclipse," Johnson, master, to H. L. Williams, in September, 1843. All the East India merchants carried on more or less trade with Russia, and brought from there duck, hemp and iron, with which to make up their cargoes for the East. Elias Hasket Derby, William Gray, Joseph Peabody, Nathaniel West, William Orne, Nathaniel Silsbee, Gideon Barstow, Thomas Perkins, Pierce & Waite, Stephen Phillips, Joseph White, Pickering Dodge, Simon Forrester, William Silsbee, Stephen White, Dudley L. Pickman, John H. Andrews, James Devereux and Samuel Orne were among the Salem merchants engaged in this trade. A few of the earlier entries are given, showing the ports from which the vessels arrived.

The brig " Ceres," Thomas Simmons, master, entered from Russia, in October, 1789, with 1,546 pieces of sail-cloth and sheeting, 180 bundles of hemp, 948 bars of iron, and 359 hundredweight cordage. The brig " Iris," Benjamin Ives, master, entered from St. Petersburg in October,1790. The brig " Hind," John Bickford, master, cleared for the Baltic, June 17, 1790, with 600 barrels of tar, lObarrelsof turpentine, 4 hogsheads tobacco, 27 casks of rice, 21 hogsheads New England rum and 73 chests of Hyson tea, and entered from St. Petersburg, on her return, in November, 1790. The ship " Commerce," John Osgood, master, entered from St. Petersburg in December, 1790, again in November, 1791, and again in September, 1792. All these vessels were owned by William Gray. The brig '' Good Intent," M. Haskell, master, entered from Russia in December, 1791, again in November, 1792, and again in November, 1793, consigned to Simon Forrester. The brig " Polly and Betsey," Gamaliel Hodges, master, entered from St. Petersburg in November, 1794, consigned to Joseph White. The bark " Essex," John Green, master, entered from Russia in January, 1795, and again in October, 1795, consigned to William Orne. The bark "Vigilant," Richard Wheatland, master, entered from Russia in October, 1795, consigned to Simon Forrester. The brig " Hopewell," James Dowling, master, entered from St. Petersburg in September, 1797, consigned to Nathaniel West. The bark " William," Benjamin Beckford, Jr., master, entered from St. Petersburg in January, 1798, and again in August, 1798, consigned to William Gray. The brig " Neptune," Robert Barr, master, entered from Russia in October, 1798, consigned to John Barr,

The first entry from Archangel apjjears to be that of the ship " Perseverance," Richard Wheatland, master, in October, 1798. She proceeded to Boston with her cargo. The brig " Fanny," Jesse Smith, master, entered from Archangel in November, 1798, with hemp, cordage, candles and soap, consigned to John Derby, Jr. The ship " Cincinnatus," Samuel Endicott, master, entered from St. Petersburg in November, 1799, consigned to Joseph Peabody. The brig '- Good Hope," Nicholas Thorndyke, master, entered from St. Petersburg in October, 1801, consigned to Nathaniel West. The ship " Mount Vernon," Samuel Endicott, master, entered from St. Petersburg in September, 1804, consigned to Joseph Peabody. The brig "Admittance," C. Sampson, master, entered from St. Petersburg in September, 1805, consigned to John Osgood. The brig "Augusta," Timothy Haraden, master, entered from Archangel in September, 1810, consigned to Joseph Peabody. The ship " Friendship," Edward Stanley, master, entered from this same port in September, 1811, consigned to Jerathmael Peirce. The ship " America," Samuel Briggs, master, entered from Riga in April, 1812, consigned to Benjamin W. Crowninshield. The ship " Herald," Eleazer Graves, master, entered from Archangel in August, 1815, consigned to Nathaniel Silsbee. The brig " Saucy Jack," Nathaniel Osgood, master, entered from Archangel in November, 1815, consigned to Pickering Dodge.

Among the later arrivals was the brig " Niagara," Oliver Thayer, master, which entered from Cronstadt in September, 1828, consigned "to Joseph Peabody.

The last two arrivals from Archangel appear to have been the ship " Diomede," Samuel L. Page, master, which entered from that port in October, 1820, and the schooner " Regulus," George Chinn, master, which entered in November, 1820, consigned to Edward Lander and others. The last arrival from Cronstadt was the brig "Mexican," H. Johnson, master, which entered in August, 1836, consigned to Joseph Peabody. There was no other arrival from Russia until September, 1843, when the ship " Eclipse," Johnson, master, entered from St. Petersburg, the last vessel to arrive at Salem from that port.

Trade with Spain and Portugal. - Among the earliest ports to which Salem sent the products of her fisheries for a market, were those of Spain and Portugal. This trade began before the year 1700, in which year Higginson speaks of the foreign trade of Salem, as being in "dry merchantable codfish for the markets of Spain and Portugal." Bilboa and Lisbon were among the ports earliest visited. In 1710 the ship " Macklesfield," a frigate of three hundred tons, belonging to London and from Lisbon, was cast away outside of Baker's Island and lost. In February, 1715, the ship "Hopewell," loaded with fish for Bilboa and anchored in the harbor, was driven ashore on the rocks in South Field. Most of her cargo was unloaded before she was got off,

Philip English was trading at Spanish ports from 1694 to 1720 ; and Richard Derby, from 1732 to 1757. The last entry from Bilboa was in 1809. The years 1803 and 1807 show each eight entries from Lisbon. From 1800 to 1808 the trade with Spain and Portugal was at its height. Bilboa, Cadiz, Barcelona, Malaga, Tarragona, Alicant, Lisbon and Oporto were among the ports from which Salem vessels brought cargoes. After the War of 1812 there were but few entries from either of those ports, saving that of an occasional cargo of salt from Cadiz.

The ship " Astrea," Henry Prince, master, entered from Alicant in April, 1799, with fifty-eight thousand and three gallons of brandy and four thousand four hundred and forty-six gallons of wine, consigned to Ellas H. Derby, and paying a duty of $20,930.59. The brig " Favorite," Henry Rust, Jr., master, entered from Bilboa in December, 1800, consigned to Peter Lander & Co. The schooner " Willard,'' from Alicant in July, 1800, with red wine and brandy, to Willard, Peele & Co. The brig " Essex," Joseph Orne, master, from Barcelona in July, 1800, with red wine and soap to William Orne. The brig " Nancy,'' Thomas Barker, master, from Tarragona in October' 1801, with brandy to Samuel Gray. The snow " Concord," William Leech, Jr., master, from Oporto in September, 1802, with port wine, etc., to William Gray. The brig " Hannah,'^ Clifford C. Byrne, master, from Malaga in November, 1802, with wine, etc., to Joseph White. The ship " Restitution," John Derby (3d), master, from Lisbon in April, 1805, with wine, figs and salt to Simon Forrester. The bark " Active," William P. Richardson, master, from Malaga in June, 1807, with twenty-three thousand seven hundred and forty-six gallons of Malaga wine to Timothy Wellman, Jr. The brig " Washington," Nathan Story, master, from Barcelona in July, 1807, with red wine, brandy and soap, consigned to Stephen Phillips. The brig " Sukey and Betsey," Caleb Cook, 'master, from Malaga in November, 1807, with wine and raisins to Edward Allen. The ship " Sally," Nathan Cook, master, from Lisbon in September, 1824, with salt, etc., to James Cook. The last entry from Lisbon was in 1829. The principal articles imported from Spain and Portugal were salt, wine, brandy and soap.

Trade with other European Ports. - Prior to the War of 1812 Salem vessels were to be found in all the principal ports of Europe, and Salem merchants were trading with Copenhagen, Gottenburg, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam, London, Liverpool and Bordeaux. The principal trade with Copenhagen was between 1796 and 1807. There were eight entries in 1799; that with Gottenburg, from 1809 to 1812, and from 1820 to 1823, there being thirteen entries from that port in 1810; that with Antwerp, from 1817 to 1830, there being nine entries from that port in 1827 ; that with Hamburg, from 1798 to 1802, there being five entries in the last-named year; that with Amsterdam, from 1802 to 1806, there being five entries in the firstnamed year ; and that with Bordeaux, from 1794 to 1807, there being twelve entries in 1804 and the same number in 1805, the whole period showing sixty-nine entries. There were only occasional entries from the other ports. The last entry from Copenhagen was in 1816 : from Amsterdam, in 1823 ; from Antwerp, in 1836 ; from Hamburg, in 1828 ; from Gottenburg, in 1837 ; from Rotterdam, in 1834 ; and from Bordeaux, in 1815.

From Copenhagen the brig " Francis," J. Wallace master, entered in March, 1792, and again in November, 1792, with iron and glass, consigned to William Gray. The early trade with Copenhagen seems to have been carried on largely by Mr. Gray. John Fish, Ezekiel H. Derby, Joseph Peabody, Thomas Perkins, and George Crowninshield & Sons were also engaged in this trade. The whole number of entries from Copenhagen was forty-five. The last entry was the schooner "' Rover," Josiah Dewing master, in August, 1816, consigned to Pickering Dodge.

The brig " Hector," Captain Lewis, arrived in 1788. While the brig lay at Marlstrand, where she discharged her cargo, a Swedish ship was wrecked on a very rough and rocky part of the island in a violent storm. The crew, with assistance from the land, soon got safely ashore, except the mate, who went overboard with the fore-mast, to the top of which he had retreated for safety. The mast remained attached to the wreck by the shrouds, and the man continued his hold on the mast, the waves continually breaking over him. The sea was in such violent agitation and the shore so rugged that an attempt to recover him was extremely hazardous. About twenty sail of Swedes were then in the harbor, whose boats were many of them employed to succor the distressed object, but returned without effecting it, intimidated by the danger. At length ai^plication was made to Captain Lewis's crew for their assistance, with the offer of a considerable pecuniary reward if they would make the attempt, even should it fail of success, but they nobly refused going on a mercenary principle. However, from pure motives of humanity, the mate and six hands went off in a boat, at the utmost hazard of their lives and under the discouraging representations of those Swedes who had before sailed, surmounted every danger, and brought the sufferer, with just the remains of life, ashore, after hanging, as it were, by a straw several hours in the water. The offer of money was now repeated to them, and again refused. The Governor of the place being made acquainted with the transaction, sent for these brave Americans to his house, and, taking each of them by the hand, made the most honorary acknowledgments for their successful exertions to rescue from destruction a subject of Sweden, but a stranger to them, and presented the mate with a golden spoon and each of the othf rs with a silver spoon, as testi- monies of their heroism and humanity, and also granted them the liberty of walking in any part of the city at any time of day or night, a privilege in which even their own subjects are not indulged. In short, so much was this act admired that it gained them every mark of respect from the citizens, and the name of an American, says the account, became synonymous with that of hero and friend.

From Gottenburg the schooner " Nancy," Richard Derby master, entered in August, 1791, with iron, consigned to E. H. Derby, Jr., & Co. and John Fisk. The ship " Nancy,'' J. Devereux master, entered in August, 1792, consigned to John Fisk. From 1794 to 1804 there were no entries from this port. The ship "Rising States," Benjamin Beckford, Jr., master, entered in February, 1804, with hemp, to William Gray. The schooner " Saucy Jack," Benjamin Upton master, in September, 1809, with glass, to Timothy Wellman, Jr. The brig "Neptune," Henry King master, in December, 1810, with cordage, steel and sheet-iron, to John Saunders. The ship " China," Hiram Putnam, master, in October, 1820, with iron, to Joseph Peabody. The brig "Jane," Thomas Saul master, in July, 1820, with iron, to Willard Peele. The brig " Roscoe," J. Briggs master, in October, 1825, with iron, to Charles Saunders. The brig "Cynthia," Benjamin Shillaber master, in October, 1826, to David Pingree. The ship " Borneo," I. Nichols master, in September, 1835, with iron, consigned to Z. F. Silsbee. The brig "Leander," J. S. Kimball master, in August, 1836, to Joseph Peabody. The whole number of entries from Gottenburg was sixty-one. The last entry was the brig " Mexican," in July, 1837, consigned to Joseph Peabody.

From Antwerp the ship " Messenger," Edward Stanley master, entered in June, 1817, consigned to John Forrester. The brig "Nancy Ann," John B. Osgood master, in August, 1817, to Stephen Phillii^s. The brig "Naiad," Nathaniel Osgood master, in July, 1823, to Gideon Barstow and others. The brig '* Indus," Thomas Moriarty master, in April, 1826, to Pickering Dodge. The brig " Centurion," William Duncan master, in May, 1826, with linseed-oil, to Nathaniel West, Jr. The ship " Friendship," Nathaniel Osgood master, in May, 1827. The brig " Niagara," Oliver Thayer master, in August, 1829, to Joseph Peabody. The whole number of entries from Antwerp was fifty-five. The last entry was the brig " Curlew," J. Cheever master, in October, 1886, consigned to Edward Allen.

From Amsterdam the brig " Peggy," Jonathan Derby master, entered in Sejitember, 1794, with glassware, paint, iron, steel and ribbons, consigned to Benjamin Pickman, Jr. The ship " Essex," Solomon Stan wood master, in September, 1800, with forty-two thousand eight hundred and seventy-one pounds of cheese, five thousand pounds of nails and eight thousand gallons of gin, to Nathaniel West and William Gray. The ship " Minerva," Matthew Folger master, in September, 1802, with gin, steel and cheese, to West, Williams & Crowninshield. The whole number of entries from Amsterdam was twenty-three. The last entry was the ship " Endeavour," James D. Gillis master, in October, 1823.

From Hamburg the schooner "John," Benjamin Webb master, entered in December, 1792, with steel, glass and spirits, consigned to John Fisk. The schooner " Patty," Edward Allen, Jr., master, in October, 1794, with gin, brandy, hemp and Bohea tea, to Nathaniel West. The brig " Hope," Benjamin Shillaber master, in October, 1794, to John Norris. The brig " Salem," Oliver Obear master, in June, 1799, with gin and hemp, to William Gray. The ship " Friendship," Israel Williams master, in July, 1799, to Peirce & Wait. The brig " Thetis," John Fairfield master, in November, 1799, to Jonathan Gardner. The schooner "Cynthia," John H. Andrews master, in November, 1801, to Pickering Dodge and others. The brig " Helen," Samuel C. Martin master, in December, 1816, with iron, to Humphrey Devereux. The brig " Roscoe," Benjamin Vanderford master, in September, 1823. The whole number of entries from Hamburg was thirty-six. The last entry was the brig " Texel," Samuel Wells master, in January, 1828.

From Rotterdam the ship "Peggy," James Very master, entered in August, 1791. The ship "Active," George Nichols master, in August, 1803, with gin, to Benjamin Hodges & Co. The bark " Georgetown," Joshua Saffbrd master, in September, 1806, to Pickering Dodge. The brig " Indus," John Day master, in November, 1823, with white-lead, nutmegs and mace, to Henry Prince. The whole number of entries from Rotterdam was sixteen. The last entry was the ship " Borneo," C. Prescott master, in May, 1834.

From Bordeaux the brig " Essex," John Green master, entered in November, 1790, consigned to Orne & Saunders. The brig "Columbia," Henry Rust master, in April, 1792, to William Gray. The brig " Nancy," Edward West master, in July, 1794, with wine and sweetmeats, to John Derby, Jr. The brig " Favorite," Peter Lander master, in October, 1795, to John Norris & Co. The schooner "Betsey," Israel Williams master, in November, 1796, with brandy, wine and cheese, to Peirce & Wait. The brig "Exchange," William Richardson master, in May, 1797, with claret wine and brandy, to Ezekiel H. Derby. The schooner " Jason," Benjamin West, Jr., master, in June, 1797, to Benjamin West & Son. The brig " Nancy," Jonathan Neal master, in August, 1797, to William Gray. The brig " Catherine," Daniel Gould master, in May, 1803, to Joseph Peabody. The brig "Pompey," James Gilchrist master, in March, 1804, with wine and twenty-one thousand seven hundred and seventy-two gallons of brandy, to Joshua Ward. The ship " Prudent," Edward Ford master, in July, 1804, to Nathaniel West. The brig

" Edwin," Penn Townsend master, in October, 1804, with wine and prunes, to Moses Townsend. The brig " Industry, J. Cook master, in February, 1805, to William Orne. The ship "Algol," Thomas Folinsbie master, in October, 1807, with wine, to Nathan Robinson. The whole number of entries from Bordeaux was seventy-five. The last entry was the schooner "Cyrus," Benjamin Upton master, in November, 1815, with brandy, yellow ochre and prunes, to Robert Upton.

From Stockholm the ship "China," H. Putnam master, entered in August, 1823, consigned to Joseph Peabody. The brig " Centurion," Samuel Hutchinson master, in October, 1829, with iron, consigned to Gideon Tucker.

From Christiana the brig " Industry," Samuel Smith master, entered in March, 1812, with iron hoops and window-glass, to William Orne. The brig " Cuba," Josiah B. Andrew master, in November, 1816, with iron, steel and glass, to John Andrew.

On the 7th of January, 1796, the ship "Margaret," of Boston, John Mackey master, with a valuable cargo from Amsterdam, went ashore in Salem harbor, on the Eastern Gooseberry, during a snow-storm. The captain and three others perished on the wreck. The rest were saved by men from Marblehead. On the 11th of the same month the brig " John," Ebenezer B. Ward master, from London, was lost on the Great Misery during a snow-storm. There was at this time no light on Baker's Island, and these shipwrecks led the Salem Marine Society to send a memorial to Congress, dated in February, 1796, in which it is stated that " much of the property and many of the lives of their fellow-citizens are almost every year lost in coming into the harbor of Salem, for want of proper lights to direct their course. No less than three vessels, with their cargoes, and sixteen seamen have been lost the present season." The act authorizing the erection of a light-house on Baker's Island was approved April 8, 1796, and the lights were shown for the first time January 3, 1798.

On the 21st of February, 1802, the ship " Ulysses," Captain James Cook, the "Brutus," Captain William Brown, owned by the Messrs. Crowninshield, and the " Volucia," Captain Samuel Cook, belonging to Israel Williams and others, sailed from Salem for Bordeaux and the Mediterranean. When they departed the weather was remarkably pleasant for the season, but in a few hours a furious snow-storm commenced. After using every exertion to clear Cape Cod, the tempest forced them the next day upon its perilous shore. The " Volucia" struck in the forenoon and the other two in the evening. The first was saved with part of her cargo, but the others were total wrecks. The saddest part of this catastrophe was the loss of life in the " Brutus." One hand Avas killed by the fore-yard prior to the ship's striking, another was drowned Avhile attempting to reach the shore, and the commander, with six men, perished with the cold after they had landed. Captain Samuel Cook, of the " Volucia," was associated with mercantile affairs in Salem for a long period. He was born August 3, 1769, and was the son of Stephen and Elizabeth (Newhall) Cook. In 1797 he was commanding a vessel bound for Cadiz. During the palmy days of the East India trade he was engaged in distributing that wealth through the South. He died in Salem December 10, 1861, having lived through the whole period of the rise and decline of the commerce of Salem.

Mediterranean Trade. - Besides the Spanish ports on the Mediterranean, Salem vessels visited Marseilles, Genoa, Naples, Leghorn, Messina, Palermo, Smyrna and Trieste. Salt, wine, brandy, figs, raisins, almonds, candles and soap were among the articles imported from those ports. Leghorn and Marseilles were the ports most frequently visited. From 1804 to 1808 there were forty-six entries from the former and twenty from the latter port. From 1821 to 1829 there were forty-one entries from Leghorn and seventeen from Marseilles. The last entry from Leghorn was in 1841 and from Marseilles in 1833. The principal trade with the Mediterranean ports was from 1800 to 1808.

From Leghorn the ship " Martha," John Prince, Jr., master, entered in July, 1799, with 40,893 gallons of wine, 18,490 gallons of brandy and 6744 pounds of soap, consigned to Elias H. Derby, and paying a duty of $12,840.12. The ship "Lucia," Thomas Meek master, in July, 1800, with brandy, soap, etc., to William Gray, and paying a duty of $20,301. The brig " Sukey," Samuel Sweet master, in August, 1800, to Simon Forrester. The ship " Friendship," Israel Williams master, in September, 1805, to Peirce & Wait. The brig " Betsey," Andrew Tucker master, in June, 1806, with soap, tallow, figs, currants, raisins, almonds and candles, to Joseph Peabody and Gideon Tucker. The ship "America," Joseph Ropes master, in June, 1807, to Nathaniel Silsbee. The ship " Hope," James Barr master, in November, 1807. The brig " William and Charles," Isaac Killam master, in November, 1807, with soap, candles, currants and wine, to Michael Shepard. There were no entries from Leghorn from 1808 to 1816. The ship "Sophia," Jonathan P. Felt master, entered in April, 1816, consigned to Charles H. Orne. The ship " Eliza," William Osgood master, in January, 1821, to Stephen Phillips. The brig " Essex," William Fairfield master, in January, 1822, with candles, soap, raisins, etc., to Nathaniel Silsbee. The ship " Two Brothers," William Messervy master, in February, 1823, to Holton J. Breed. The brig " Gov. Endicott," H. C. Mackay master, in October, 1823, to Pickering Dodge. The brig " Malay," J. Richardson, master, in May, 1825, with lead and currants, to Nathaniel Silsbee. The bark " Patriot," John Marshall master, in August, 1826, to John H. Andrew. The ship " Janus^" Henry G. Bridges master, in August, 1829, with salt, wine and letter-paper, to Gideon Tucker, The brig " Amazon," Oliver Thayer master, in March, 1882, with salt, etc., to Joseph Peabody. The last vessel to arrive from Leghorn was the brig "Mexican," H. Johnson master. She entered in September, 1839, in March, 1840, and in September, 1841, consigned on each voyage to Joseph Peabody. The whole number of entries from Leghorn was one hundred and thirteen.

From Marseilles the schooner " Union," Stephen Field master, entered in October, 1802, consigned to Edward Allen. The ship " Ulysses," William Mugford master, in August, 1804, with prunes, almonds, 18,199 pounds of soap, 48,233 gallons of wine and 1571 gallons of brandy, consigned to William Gray. The ship "Endeavour," James Buffinton master, in July, 1805, with 44,902 gallons of claret wine, etc., to Simon Forrester. The brig " Industry," Jonathan Cook master, in March, 1806, to William Orne. The brig " Sukey," Samuel B. Graves master, in November, 1807, to Nathan Pierce. The schooner "Agawam," Francis Boardman master, in June, 1816, to John Dodge. The ship " Perseverance," James Silver master, in October, 1816, with salt, brandy and claret wine, to Willard Peele and William Fettyplace. The brig " Cygnet," Samuel Kennedy master, in July, 1823, with wine, to Stephen White. The brig " Java," William H. Neal master, in September, 1823, with 35,295 gallons of red wine, 1045 gallons of oil and 9708 pounds of soap, to Jonathan Neal. The ship " Endeavour," J. Kinsman master, in December, 1827, to Dudley L. Pickman. The ship " Messenger," James Buffinton master, in January, 1828, to John Forrester. The ship " Bengal," J. Richardson master, in August, 1830, to Pickering Dodge. The whole number of entries from Marseilles was fiftythree. The last entry was the brig " Roque," T. Seaver master, in February, 1833, with salt, etc., to Joseph Peabody.

From Naples the ketch " John," Stephen Phillips master, entered in March, 1799, with 25,000 gallons of brandy and 46,417 pounds of soap, consigned to Elias H. Derby, and paying a duty of $11,299. The brig " Cruger," John Barton master, in July, 1800, with soap and wine, to John & Richard Derby. The ship "John," Daniel Bray master, in May, 1804, with 32,437 gallons of wine, to Benjamin Pickman, Jr. The brig " Belleisle," Samuel Leech master, in August, 1805, to Pickering Dodge and Nathan Robinson. The ship " Hercules," Edward West master, was seized in Naples in 1809, but Captain West had the good fortune to obtain her release in order to transport Lucien Bonaparte and family to Malta, thus saving his ship from confiscation. The " Hercules " was owned by Nathaniel West. The schooner "Joanna," Jonathan Hassam master, entered in January, 1810, with brandy, etc., to Samuel Gray. The last entry from Naples was the ship " Francis," William Haskell master, in August, 1810, This vesse' was purchased of the Neapolitan government by the American consul to bring home the crews of American vessels confiscated by order of that government. She brought two hundred and fourteen persons, a large number of whom belonged in Salem. The Salem vessels and cargoes condemned at Naples were valued at seven hundred and eighty-three thousand dollars.

The ship " Margaret," of Salem, William Fairfield master, left Naples April 10, 1810, with a crew, fifteen in number, and thirty-one passengers. On Sunday, May 20th, a squall struck the ship, and she was thrown on her beam-ends. As every person on board was on deck at the time, they all reached either the bottom or side of the ship, the waves at the time making a continual breach over her. Monday morning the sea was tolerably smooth, and one of the boats having been repaired. Captain Fairfield and fourteen men left the ship in her, and were picked up on Saturday, May 26th, by the brig " Poacher," of Boston. The sufferings of those left on the wreck can hardly be imagined. After the long-boat had departed they raised a signal of distress. On the 28th a gale swept away the stage they had erected, and the provisions they had gathered, except a small quantity of wine and salt meat. On the 30th they made another stage over the forecastle, and so kept themselves out of the water. June 3d one of the number died of fatigue and famine. For seven days they had nothing to drink each day but an allowance of three gallons of wine for all, and a glass of vinegar for each man. Many could not resist the temptation to quench their thirst from a pipe of brandy which had been saved from the cargo. On the 5th twelve of their number, overcome by their hardships and privations, died, and another on the next day. By the sixth the whole of the upper deck had gone, and no food was left but beef and pork, which could not be eaten because there was no fresh water. Since the time of the disaster. May 20th, four vessels had passed in sight of the sufferers on the wreck and added the pangs of disappointed hope to their other trials.

On the 7tli, five of the number left the wreck in a small yawl. These were John C. Very, E. A. Irvin, and Jeptha Layth, of Salem; Henry Larcom, of Beverly; and John Treadwell, of Ipswich. They left about ten survivors on the wreck, and from these no tidings ever came. Who can imagine their agony, as hope gradually faded out, and they died one by one in mid-ocean. The escape of those in the small boat is a remarkable instance of human endurance, amid sufferings and hardships almost incredible. For sixteen days after leaving the wreck they had nothing to sustain them but brandy, a gill in twenty-four hours; and to quench their thirst were obliged to resort to most revolting means. On the night of June 22d there was a fall of rain, and water was caught in handkerchiefs, sufficient to partially allay their thirst.

June 23d, Treadwell, worn out with fatigue, hunger, and thirst, died without a struggle. The same day they caught some rudder fish, which was the first food they had eaten since they had left the wreck. On the twenty-eighth Layth died, leaving three survivors in the boat. The next day, with a heavy sea running, they lost their oars and mast, and having nothing to steer by they gave themselves up for lost. They had already been passed by three vessels, when, on the 30th, they saw another in the distance, and strained every nerve to get in her track. In this they were successful, and Captain Stephen L. Davis, of Gloucester, the master of the vessel, received them and treated them with great care and kindness. Tossed about in a small and shattered boat for twenty-three days, with scarcely any food or water to sustain them, exposed to storms and gales in which it seemed hardly possible that such a craft could keep afloat, their escape from such extraordinary perils and privations is hardly paralleled in the history of marine disasters.

From Messina, the ship "Prudent," Benjamin Crowninshield, master, entered in December, 1803, with 11,406 gallons of red wine, 6,413 gallons of white wine, 4,303 gallons of brandy, and 9,810 pounds of soap, consigned to Nathaniel West. The ship " Two Brothers," John Holman, master, in October, 1804, to Israel Williams. The brig " Louisa," llichard Ward, Jr., master, in August, 1810, to James Cook. The brig " Harriot," Samuel Becket, master, in October, 1811, with soap, raisins, almonds and wine to Nathaniel Silsbee. The brig "Eliza and Mary," Thorndike Procter, master, in August, 1818, to Stephen White. The last entry was the brig " Centurion," Samuel Hutchinson, master, in June, 1831, with currants, oil, &c., to Gideon Tucker.

From Smyrna, the brig "Independence," Nathaniel L. Rogers, master, entered in April, 1810, to Dudley L. Pickman. The brig "Reward," James Hayes, Jr., master, in July, 1810, with almonds, raisins. and figs, consigned to Charles H. Orne and Dudley L. Pickman. The brig " Resolution," Samuel Rea, master, in April, 1812, to Joseph Peabody. The brig "Hope," John Beckford, master, in December, 1829, with one hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds of figs, to Daniel Abbot and Robert Stone. The last entry was the brig " Leander," James Silver, master, in January, 1831, with salt, figs, raisins and wool, to Joseph Peabody.

From Trieste, the brig "Texel," Charles Hill, master, entered in December, 1825, with olive oil and lead, consigned to John W. Rogers. The bark " Eliza," Samuel Benson, master, in July, 1829, with hemp and glass, to Stephen White.

The brig " Persia," John Thistle, master, from Trieste for Salem, belonging to Silsbee, Stone & Pickman, and having a cargo of rags and sumac, was wrecked in the storm of March 5, 1829, on a rocky shore near Brace's Cove, about a mile and a half below Eastern Point, Gloucester, and all on board perished.

From Genoa, the brig " Nereus," David A. Neal, master, entered in March, 1822, with raisins, &c., to John W. Rogers. The brig " Rebecca," J. P. Andrews, master, in July, 1831, to John H. Andrew.

Among other entries was that of the brig "Telemachus," Penn Townsend, master, from Constantinople in May, 1810, with cordage figs, raisins and currants, to David Burditt.

Among the last voyages projected by Elias Hasket Derby was one up the Mediterranean, by the ship " Mount Vernon," in 1799. Hostilities had commenced between the United States and France. American trade had been rendered unsafe, and, as a consequence, a great demand for sugar had arisen in the ports of the Mediterranean. At this crisis Mr. Derby had built the ship " Mount Vernon," of three hundred and fifty-six tons, equipped her with twenty guns, manned her with fifty men, and, after loading her with eight hundred cases of sugar, placed her in the hands of his son, Elias Hasket, with a sailingmaster. The cargo cost forty-three thousand two hundred and seventy-five dollars. The following letter, written by his son, is interesting as showing the risks attending our commercial ventures at this

" Honored Sir : I think you must be surprised to find me here so early. I arrived at this port in seventeen and one-half days from the time my brother left the ship. In eight days and seven hours were up with Carvo, and made Cape St. Vincent in sixteen days. The first of our passage was quite agreeable ; the latter light winds, calm, and Frenchmen constantly in sight for the last four days. The first Frenchman we saw was off Tercira - a lugger to the southward. Being uncertain of his force, we stood by him to leeward on our course, and soon left him. July 28th, in the afternoon, we found ourselves approaching a fleet of upwards of fifty sail steering nearly northeast. We ran directly for their centre; at four o'clock found ourselves in their half-moon ; concluding it Impossible that it could be any other than the English fleet, continued our course for their centre to avoid any apprehension of a want of confidence in them. They soon dispatched an eighteen-gun ship from their centre, and two frigates - one from their van and another from their rear - to beat toward us, we being to windward. On approaching, under easy sail, the centre ship I fortunately bethought myself that it would be but common prudence to steer so far to windward of him as to be a grape-shot distance from him, to observe his force and manceuvering. When we were abreast of him lie fired a gun to leeward and hoisted English colors. We immediately bore away and meant to pass under his quarter, between him and the fleet, showing our American colors. This movement disconcerted him, and it appeared to me he conceived we were either an American sloop of war or an English one in disguise, attempting to cut him off from the fleet ; for, while we were in the act of wearing on his beam, he hoisted French colors and gave us his broadside. We immediately brought our ship to the wind and stond on about a mile ; wore toward the centre of the fleet ; hove about and crossed him on the other tack, about half grape-shot distance, and received his broadside. Several of his shot fell on board of us and cut our sails, two round-shot striking us without much damage. All hands were active in clearing ship for action, for our surprise had been complete. In about ten minutes we commenced firing our stern-chasers, and in a quarter of an hour gave him our broadside in such a style as evidently sickened him ; for he immediately luffed in the wind, gave us his broads^ide, went in stays in great confusion, wore ship afterward in a large circle, and renewed the chase at a mile and a lis If distance, a manoeuvre calculated to keep up appearances with the fleet and to escape our shot. We received seven or eight broadsides from him, and I was mortified at not having it in my power to retui n him an equal number without exposing myself to the rest of the fleet, for I am persuaded I should have had the pleasure of sending him h.. me, had he been separate from them.

"At midnight we had distanced them, the chasing rocket-signals being almost out of sight, and soon left them. We then kept ourselves in constant preparation till my arrival here ; and, indeed, it has been requisite, for we have been in constant brushes ever since. The day after we left the fleet we were chased till night by two frigates, whom we lost sight of when it was dark. The next morning off Cape St. Vincent, in the latitude of Cadiz, were chased by a French lateen-rigged vessel, apparently of ten or twelve guns - one of them an eighteen pounder. We brought to for him ; his metal was too heavy for ours, and his position to windward, where he lay just in a situation to cast his shot over us, and it was not in my power to cut him off; we, of course, bore away and saluted him with our long nines. He continued in chase till dark, and when we were nearly by Cadiz, at sunset, he made a signal to his consort, a large lugger,'whom we had just discovered ahead. Having a strong breeze, I was determined to pass my stern over him, if he did not make way for me. He thought prudent so to do. At midnight we made the lights in Cadiz City, but found no English fleet. After laying to till daylight, concluded that the French must have gained the ascendency in Cadiz, and thought prudent to proceed to this place, where we arrived at twelve o'clock, popping at Frenchmen all the forenoon. At ten A. M. off Algesiras Point, were seriously attacked by a large latineer, who had on board more than a hundred men. He came so near our broadside as to allow our six-pound grape to do execution handsomely. We then bore away and gave him our sterngiins in a cool and deliberate manner, doing apparently great execution. Our bars having cut his sails considerably, he was thrown into confusion, struck both his ensign and his pennant. I was then puzzled to know what to do with so many men ; our ship was running large, with all her steering-sails out, so that we could not immediately bring her to the wind, and we were directly off Algesiras Point, from whence I had reason to fear she might receive assistance, and my port (Gibraltar) in full view. These circumstances that induced me to give up the gratification of bring, ing him in. It was, however, a satisfaction to flog the rascal in full view of the English fleet, who were to leeward. The risk of sending here is great, indeed, for any ship short of our force in men and guns - but particularly heavy guns. Two nines are better than six or eight sixes ; and two long twelves or thirteen pounders do better than twenty sixes, and could be managed with few men.

"It is alisolutely necessary that two government ships should occasionally range the straits and latitude of Cadiz, from the longitude of Cape St. Vincent. I have now, while writing to you, two of our countrymen in full view, who are prizes to these villains. Lord St. Vincent, in a fiftygun ship, bound for England, is just at this moment in the act of retaking one of them. The other goes into Algesiras without molestation.

" I find that nothing is to be done here with advantage except to obtain information from above. I have been offered thirty dollars to deliver my sugar at Naples, where I think I shall go ; but rather expect to sell at A'enice, Constantinople or Genoa, in case the French are driven from there. I have concluded to touch at Malaga with Captain Young, of Boston, and obtain what information I can ; and think I may direct Mr. White ho\v to lay out the property in his hands, against my return, as I think it for your interest to have it out of Spain. You need have but little apprehension for my safety, as my crew are remarkably well trained and are perfectly well disposed to defend themselves, and I think, after having cleared ourselves from the French in such a handsome manner, you may well conclude that we can effect almost any thing. If I should go to Constantinople, it will be from a passport from Admiral Nelson, for whom I carry a letter to Naples.

In subsequent letters Mr. Derby writes : " My sales here amount to about $120,000, which I have found impossible to invest immediately in a cargo proper for America. I have, therefore, contracted for $60,000 in silks called ormazene, and about seven hundred casks of wine. In the meantime, whilst the silks are in the loom, I have thought it for your interest to purchase two polacca-rigged ships, of two hundred and ninety and three hundred and ten tons, both of them very fine ships, almost new and great sailers. They are now ready to proceed with the ' Mount Vernon ' for

Manfredonia, to take on your account cargoes of wheat to Leghorn, which, from the rising state of the market, I think will more than clear the ships. They cost, with all expenses, about $16,000. The two ships made a voyage for wheat and cleared nearly $30,000 in two and a half months." Mr. Derby dined with Lord Nelson and the oflacers of the fleet at Naples. The beautiful Lady Hamilton was present at this dinner. The " Mount Vernon " arrived home safely, with a cargo of silks, wines and brass cannon, and realized a net profit of more than one hundred thousand dollars on a capital of forty-three thousand, two hundred and seventy-five dollars, the cost of the outward cargo.

The foregoing account illustrates the great disadvantages, in some respects, under which the commerce of that period was prosecuted. Mr. Derby desired to return to Salem from the Mediterranean by the fall of 1799, but his silks must be manufactured and he must wait till the red wine of Port lolo is ready to ship. "Exchange on London," he says, "is very disadvantageous, besides the uncertainty of it, and to leave property in a distracted country like this, where they guillotine six a day, three or four times a week, would be madness." So he must perforce remain till his cargo is ready, and that he may not remain in idleness, he buys two ships and freights wheat to Leghorn, and makes nearly thirty thousand dollars in less than three months. He returned in 1800 with the " Mount Vernon " and a valuable cargo. Great as were the obstacles placed in the way of trade at that period, these very drawbacks made possible the sometimes enormous profits of the voyage, so that although to-day trade is carried on with greater facility, there is no such opportunity for making a fortune in a single venture, as was possible about a hundred years ago.

The Nova Scotia Trade. - About the year 1840 the trade between Salem and Nova Scotia, and the other British provinces on the eastern coast of North America, began to be vigorously prosecuted, mainly by English vessels, whose captains often owned both ship and cargo. This trade increased very rapidly. Wood, coal and plaster were among the principal articles of import. In 1840 there were fifteen entries; in 1845, one hundred and seven ; in 1850, three hundred and ninety-one ; in 1855, three hundred and twenty-eight : in 1860, two hundred and fifteen ; in 1865, one hundred and eighteen ; in 1870, one hundred and seventeen ; in 1875, fifty-nine; in 1878, fifty-three ; in 1886, ninety. During the thirty years from 1841 to 1870, inclusive, there were five thousand seven hundred and twenty-four entries. The period of thegreatest activity was from 1848 to 1857, inclusive, when there were 3253 entries, or an average of 325 for each year.

The California Trade. - A letter giving definite information of the discovery of gold in California reached Salem in October, 1848. The brig "Mary and Ellen " was then fitting for sea. A cargo suita- ble for the California trade was at once put on board, by Stephen C. Phillips and others, and the brig, under command of Captain J. H. Eagleston, was cleared October 27, 1848, for the Sandwich Islands via California. Salem again takes the lead, for this was the first vessel to sail for California from Massachusetts after the gold discovery. Both vessel and cargo were sold in California. The first vessel that cleared from Massachusetts for San Francisco direct, with an assorted cargo and passengers, was the bark " Eliza," of Salem, loaded by John Bertram and others, and commanded by Captain A. S. Perkins. She left Salem December 23, 1848, and arrived at San Francisco June 1, 1849. Alfred Peabody, of Salem, wa^ among the passengers, and upon his arrival he found that Captain Eagleston had already sold the " Mary and Ellen," and her cargo. John Beadle, Jr., Dennis Rideout, George P. Buffum, George W. Kenney and Jonathan Nichols, all of Salem, were passengers with Mr. Peabody.

The bark "Lagrange," Joseph Dewing, master, sailed from Salem for San Francisco March 17, 1849, taking as passengers the "Salem and California Trading Company," among whom were Joseph Dewing, Anthony Francis, Nicholas Bovey, J. K. Vincent, P. Gilman, John H. Pitman, H. B. Bogardus, H. A. Tuttle, C. R. Story, A. Robbins, John McCloy, George Harris, C. C. Teele, Joseph L. Bartlett, William P. Leavitt, Thomas B. Flowers, Eben Chapman, Charles E. Brown, William H. Sibley, O. A. Gordon, John H. Dakin, Daniel Couch, D. A. Nichols, Moses Prime, Edward Fuller, William Brown, B. F. Symonds, William Sinclair and James Stewart, of the Trading Company, and Nathaniel Osgood and Richard H. Austin, all of Salem. On board the same vessel were twelve passengers from Danvers, four from Lynn, two each from Manchester and Beverly, four from Gloucester and about ten from other places.

The ship " Elizabeth," J. S. Kimball, master, was cleared for San Francisco April 3, 1849, by W. P. Phillips. Brackley R. Peabody and Robert M. Copeland, of Salem, went as passengers. The bark " Ann Parry," Wm. M. Harron, master, was cleared June 20, 1849, for San Francisco, by Benjamin Webb. James C. Briggs and Wra. H. Clark, of Salem, were passengers. The ship "Talma," Wm. B. Davis, master, cleared September 11, 1849, and the bark " Backus," A. D. Caulfield, Jr., master, cleared November 28, 1849, for San Francisco. In the " Backus" Joseph Allen, Charles R. Julyn, Thomas W. Taylor, Wm. Stafford and Wm H. Brown went as passengers.

The ship " Crescent," John Madison, master, cleared for Benicia, Cal., December 3, 1849. She had been purchased by the Salem Mechanics' Trading and Mining Association, and was loaded with one hundred and thirty thousand feet of lumber, framed and made ready for erection into houses, and the frame-work of a small steamboat. On the 6th of December the "Crescent" left Salem with the followingnamed members of the association as passengers : Albert Lackey, Thomas J. Giffbrd, Dean C. Symonds, John Madison, Thomas Dickson, Jr., John H.Newton, Jonathan Davis, Eben Waters, Nathaniel Jenkins, John D. Chappie, Edward A. Wheeler, George S. Nichols, John P. Dickson, Joshua Pope, Gilman Andrews, Israel Herrick, Charles L. Hardy, Wm. Graves, Wm. P. Buff'um, Asa A. Whitney, Wm. H. Searles, James Gardner, Payne Morse, Benjamin S. Boardman, Samuel H. Larrabee and John Nichols, all of Salem, and a number from Lawrence, Fitchburg, Lynn and Newton, in all numbering about sixty-one. She arrived at her destination May 26, 1850, and was sold, with her cargo, very soon after arrival.

During the gold excitement a large number of Salem residents went to California, sailing from other ports. Stephen C. Phillips and John Bertram were among those engaged in the California trade,

Salem Tonnage. - In 1793 twelve ships were owned in Salem ; in 1807, sixty ; and in 1833 only twenty-nine. In 1825 there were thirty-two ships, five barks, ninety-five brigs, sixty schooners, and six sloops owned in Salem, measuring thirty-four thousand two hundred and twenty-four tons - the ship "Nile," of four hundred tons, was the largest; and in 1828 thirty ships, one hundred and two brig-*, eight barks and thirty schooners, the largest being the ship " Arabella," of four hundred and four tons. In 1833 there were one hundred and eleven Salem vessels engaged in the foreign trade.

For some time after Salem ceased to be a port to which vessels from foreign countries brought their cargoes, Salem merchants continued to own a large amount of tonnage, but they transacted their business mainly in Boston and New York. At the present time (1887) there are hardly a dozen vessels hailing from Salem engaged in the foreign trade. The ship "Highlander," 1352 tons, owned by Benjamin W. Stone ; the ships " Sooloo," 963 tons ; " Mindoro," 1021 tons ; and " Panay," 1190 tons, owned by Silsbee, Pickman & Allen ; the barks " Glide," 493 tons, and " Taria Topan," 631 tons, owned by Ropes, Emmerton & Co. ; the three-masted schooners " Benjamin Fabens," 687 tons; "Charles H. Fabens," 301 tons; and " George K, Hatch," 378 tons, owned by C. E. & B. H. Fabens ; and the bark " Fury," 310 tons, owned by Henry O. Roberts, are all that are left to carry the name of Salem to foreign lands, and none of these ever enter the port of Salem.

Where once vessels were arriving - sometimes two in a single day - from India or other remote ports, but a solitary schooner found her way into Salem harbor from a foreign port, other than those from the British provinces, during the year ending June 30, 1878, and she brought a cargo of coal from England. At the custom-house, where, in the week ending September 15, 1798, seven Salem vessels - three ships, one bark and three brigs - cleared for Copenhagen, there was cleared, during the year ending June 30, 1878, one vessel to the West Indies and one to Liverpool, the single entry and the two clearances being in the month of December. The whole number of foreign entries for that year was seventy -nine, of which eight were American vessels and the total tonnage was 8183. The number of foreign clearances was ninety six, of which nine were American vessels, the total tonnage being 10,090.

The Whale Fishery. - After the decline of the foreign commerce of Salem it was hoped that the whale fishery might be successfully prosecuted, and for a short time there was quite a fleet of whalers hailing from this port. Stephen C. Phillips was agent, in 1841, for the ships "Elizabeth,'' 398 tons, and "Sapphire," 365 tons; and the barks " Emerald," 271 tons; "Eliza," 240 tons; "Henry," 262 tons; and "Malay," 268 tons. John B. Osgood was agent in the same year for the ships " Bengal," 300 tons ; " Izette," 280 tons; "James Maury," 395 tons; and "Mount Wollaston," 325 tons ; and the barks " Reaper," 230 tons, and "Statesman," 258 tons. Nathaniel Weston was agent for the bark " Palestine," 248 tons. The "Malay" was lost July 27, 1842, on Europa Rocks, in Mozambique Channel. The "Eliza" was condemned at Tahiti, June 15, 1843, and the " Statesman " at Talcahuana, November 3, 1844.

During the year ending April 1, 1837, sperm oil to the value of $124,440 and 108,065 gallons of whale oil, valued at $40,866, were landed at Salem. There were 432 hands employed in this business. During the year ending April 1, 1845, there was landed at Salem 45,705 gallons of sperm oil, valued at $39,306, and 18,345 gallons of whale oil, valued at $5686, the number of hands employed being 110. The hopes entertained at the outset in regard to the whale fishery were destined never to be realized.

Felt says, in 1847, " There are two whalers from Salem. The prospect is that this perilous employment, recommenced in hope as to its increase, continuance and profit, will soon terminate in disappointment." Benjamin Webb had some vessels engaged in this fishery, and John C. Osgood was agent of the last whalers that hailed from the port of Salem. This business was abandoned several years ago, and to-day no whalers are owned in Salem.

The Coasting Trade. - While Salem has lost her foreign trade, the harbor of Salem is not entirely barren of vessels, for a large amount of tonnage - larger even than when she was at the height of her commercial prosperity - now engaged in the coasting trade, brings coal to Salem for distribution to the mills of Lowell and Lawrence, In 1870 there entered the harbor 1812 coasting-vessels, having an aggregate tonnage of 213,514, and 1237 vessels measuring 203,- 798 tons entered during the year ending June 30, 1878. In 1885 there arrived at Salem 1599 vessels, with a tonnage of 270,000. The Salem and New York Steamship Company maintained a line of steam packets between Salem and New York from July, 1871, to June, 1872.

The "Massachusetts," the first steamboat to enter Salem harbor, arrived from New York in July, 1817, and was employed for a short time in making excursions in the bay. She was regarded at the time as a great curiosity, and attracted considerable notice from the towns-people. In this connection the fact is worthy of mention that Dr. Nathan Reed, of Salem, was the actual inventor of the first steamboat with paddle-wheels in American waters. Dr. Reed was certainly a most versatile genius. He was successively a student of medicine, apothecary, inventor, member of Congress, and finally chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas of Maine. He was born in Warren, Mass, in 1759, and graduated at Harvard in 1781. He studied medicine with Dr. E. A. Holyoke, of Salem, and afterwards kept an apothecary shop in that place.

While keeping store in Salem he presented a petition to Congress in 1790, stating, among other discoveries, that he had made one "of the apjjlication of steam to the purposes of navigation and land carriages." This petition was accompanied by a recommendation from a select committee of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was also the inventor of a patent for the manufacture of nails, which originated the building of the Danvers Iron Works. The trial-trip of his newly-invented steamboat was in the summer of 1789, and he had on board such distinguished guests as Governor Hancock, Hon. Nathan Dane, Dr. E. A. Holyoke and the Rev. Dr. Prince. His trip was from his iron works, at Danver&port, to the Essex Bridge, at Beverly. Fulton's success on the Hudson was sixteen or eighteen years later. So Salem has not been behind her neighbors in navigation, whether under steam or canvas.

Dr. Reed represented this district in Congress, and in 1807 removed to Maine, where he was for many years chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas. He died at Belfast in 1790. His house in Salem stood on the site now occupied by Plummer Hall.

The Custom-House. - Hand-in-hand with commerce come the collectors and officers of the customs revenue. Before 1819, and during the palmy days of Salem commerce, there was no government building for the accommodation of such oflicers. Salem has been established as a port of entry at least since 1658. In 1663 Hilliard Veren was collector, and in 1683 Marblehead, Beverly, Gloucester, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury and Salisbury are annexed to the port of Salem by order of the Court of Assistants, and it is decreed that this port and Boston shall be lawful ports in this Colony, where " all ships and other vessels shall lade or unlade any of the plantations' enumerated goods, or other goods from foreign ports, and nowhere else, on penalty of the confiscation of such ship or vessel, with her goods and tackle, as shall lade or unlade elsewhere."

At an early period commerce seems to have centred about Creek Street and the locality of the present Granite Railroad Station. This is the supposed location of the " Port House on the South river," mentioned in an order of the Quarterly Court in 1636. All the "cannowes of the South Syde are to be brought before the Port House att the same time, to be viewed by the Surveiors." These "cannowes" were used for transporting passengers to North and South Salem before the days of bridges, and in them they sometimes went fowling "two leagues to sea." There was another port-house on North River, and much business was done in former years on that side of the town.

The custom-house for thirty-four years was in a building on the corner of Gedney Court, erected in 1645, and known as the French house, having been tenanted at some time by P'rench families. In 1774 the custom-house seems to have been on Essex Street, between Washington (then School) and North Streets, and to have been burnt in the great fire of October 6, 1774, which destroyed the Rev. Dr. Whitaker's meeting-house, eight dwellings and fourteen stores. It is not unlikely that the custom-house records were also destroyed in this fire, thus accounting for the lack of any such records prior to the Revolution.

In 1789 it was on the site of the present bank building in Central Street. Major Hiller was then collector. In 1805 it was removed, under Colonel Lee, to the Central Building, on the opposite side of the street, where a carved eagle and shield, lately restored, still mark the spot. In 1807 it was in Essex Street for a time, opposite Plummer Hall; in 1811 it was on the corner of Essex and Newbury Streets, and, in 1813, in the Central Building again, where Colonel Lee resided, and whence, in 1819, it was removed to the government building erected for the purpose at the head of Derby Wharf, where it now remains. This building stands upon land bought of the heirs of George Crowninshield, and was the site ol the Crowninshield mansion-house, which was removed to make way for the present structure. It was, says Hawthorne, "intended to accommodate a hoped-for increase in the commercial prosperity of the place - hopes destined never to be realized - and was built a world too large for any necessary purpose, even at the time when India was a new region, and only Salem knew the way thither." This custom-house is a substantial, two-story, brick building, with a large warehouse in the rear, the whole surmounted by a cupola, from which the inspectors can watch for incoming vessels. It is now out of all proportion to the business of the port, and the time is not far distant when it will be abandoned for some smaller quarters.

There has been collected in imposts at the port of Salem, since the organization of the Union in 1789, more than twenty-five millions of dollars. From

August 15, 1789, to 1791, the amount collected was $108,064.48, and the number of foreign entries was 205. From 1791 to 1800, inclusive, the duties were $2,949,817.19, and the foreign entries 1508. From 1801 to 1810, inclusive, the duties were $7,272,633.31, and the foreign entries 1758. From 1811 to 1820, inclusive, the duties were $3,832,894.81, and the foreign entries 835. From 1821 to 1830, inclusive, the duties were $4,685,139.58, and the foreign entries 1226. From 1831 to 1840 the duties were $1,987,- 509.12, and the foreign entries 903. From 1841 to 1850 the duties were $1,534,558.58, and the foreign entries 2327. From 1851 to 1860, inclusive, the duties were $1,816,676.42, and the foreign entries 3693. From 1861 to 1870, inclusive, the duties were $846,- 741.74, and the foreign entries 1,420. The large increase in the number of foreign entries since 1841 is due to the large trade then carried on between Salem and Nova Scotia. From 1871 to 1878, inclusive, the duties were about $223,911.96. The duties for the quarter ending December 31, 1807, when the embargo was officially announced in Salem, were $511,000, which is the largest amount ever collected at Salem in a single quarter. The goods were imported in twenty-two ships, three barks, nineteen brigs and twenty-three schooners. In 1868 there was collected in duties $118,114.37, of which $30,000 was paid in a single month. In 1878 the whole amount collected was only about $11,000, of which only about $3600 was for direct imports. In 1886 the amount collected was about $28,767.

The two most prominent names in this list are those of Nathaniel Hawthorne and James Millei', - the one, the unequaled master of romance; the other, "New England's most distinguished soldier." Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem July 4, 1804, in the house now numbered twenty-one, on Union Street. He was a descendant of Major William Hathorne, who came with Governor Winthrop, in the "Arbella." The name is an old and honored one in Salem, and prominently connected with its early history. On the death of his father, in 1808, he lived for a time with his maternal grandfather, Richard Manning, on Herbert Street. For a year he lived in Raymond, Me., and then returned to Salem. He was graduated at Bowdoin College in 1825, in the same class with the poet Longfellow. He was appointed weigher and gauger at Boston in 1838, and was removed in 1841 for political reasons ; he was surveyor at Salem from 1846 to 1849; and consul of the United States at Liverpool from 1852 to 1856.

The growing interest in Hawthorne as a writer brings to the Custom-House a crowd of curious travelers from far and wide. The room he occupied, the desk on which he wrote, the stencil-plate with which he put his name on packages, the room in which he tells us he found the manuscript, telling the sad, strange story of Hester Prynne, were, until a few years since, preserved and examined with interest by tourists. The Custom-House was refurnished.in 1873, and hia desk was deposited by his successor in office with the Essex Institute. He died in Plymouth, N. H., May 19, 1864, while making a short journey, in the company of his friend and classmate, President Franklin Pierce.

James Miller was born in Peterboro', N. H., in 1776. He was bred to the law, and left the courts for the camp, on being appointed by Jefferson, in 1808, a major in the Fourth United States Infantry. He was with General Harrison throughout his famous western campaign of 1811 ; after this followed Brownstown, Chippewa and Lundy's Lane, and from the last dates his national fame and his brigadier's commission. At that battle Major-General Brown was in command, and was disabled ; and Scott, of the First Brigade, was also disabled. It was plain that a certain hill, whose frowning front bristled with artillery, was the key to victory. At this juncture. Colonel Miller was called on to storm the work. " I'll try, sir ! " was Miller's reply, and as he says, with his regiment reduced to less than three hundred men, he at once obeyed the order. Two regiments ordered to his support quailed and turned back. " Colonel Miller," says the official record, " without regard to this occurrence, advanced steadily and carried the height." "Not one man at the cannon," says he, in writing to his wife, "was left to put fire to them." The memorable words, "I'll try, sir ! " were at once embossed upon the buttons of his shattered regiment, which was presented with a captured gun, for distinguished gallantry. On the following November, Congress voted him a gold medal 7* bearing his likeness, his famous words, and the names of Chippewa, Niagara and Fort Erie. He was also presented with a sword by the State of New York. General Miller was Governor of Arkansas Territory in 1819. He died July 7, 1851, in Temple, N. H.

Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Oliver are remarkable among the deputy collectors. The former was born in Norwich, Conn., June 21, 1772, and died June 5, 1872, coming within sixteen days of living out the century. At the age of ninety-eight he attended Mr. Oliver's funeral, who died at ninety-one. Mr. Oliver was connected with the Custom-House forty-six years. He was born in Salem December 10, 1778, and died December 29, 1869.

Jonathan Pue, now immortalized in " The Scarlet Letter," became "searcher and surveyor" in 1752, and died suddenly in office, March 24, 1760. In 1734 William Fairfax, whose name was afterwards pleasantly associated with that of Washington, left the coUectorship of this port and removed to Virginia.

Marine Insurance Companies. - The rapid increase in the shipping at this port which took place after trade was opened between Salem and the East Indies led to the organization of a number of insurance companies where the merchants could insure ship and cargo. At the different offices of these companies the merchants assembled in the evening to transact their business, to read the papers and to hear the general gossip of the day. Here the shipmasters recounted the perils they had encountered, and compared notes with each other regarding the voyages from which they had just returned; and here, in the busy days of Salem's commerce, all was bustle and activity and life. Many of the offices were retained long after the business had greatly diminished, and became a place where the retired shipmasters of Salem resorted to discuss the news of the day, and recount the departed glories of the past.

The Essex Fire and Marine Insurance Company was incorporated March 7, 1803, William Gray and others incorporators, and was located in the building on Essex Street, facing Central Street ; Nathaniel Bowditch was its president for many years. The Merchants' Insurance Company, Peter Lander, president, was located in the store now occupied by Thomas B. Nichols, on the west side of Essex House yard. The Salem Commercial Insurance Company was incorporated in 1818, N. Silsbee, Joseph Story and others incorporators ; George Cleveland, for many years, president. The Mercantile Insurance Company, incorporated in 1825, John Winn, Jr., president, was located on the western corner of Essex and St. Peter's Streets. After that company gave up business the Essex Insurance Company was formed and occupied the same location. The Oriental Insurance Company, incorporated in 1824, was located in the East India Marine building, and subsequently removed to Asiatic Bank building. The Social Insur- ance Company was incorporated March 1, 1808, and revived June 5, 1830, for ten years, to settle old claims. The Salem Marine Insurance Company, which was incorporated in February, 1856, and commenced business in February, 1857, is the only marine insurance company now doing business in Salem. "William Northey is president, and F. P. Richardson secretary.

Ship-Building. - It was natural that early attention should have been given to ship-building in a settlement where the staple article of trade was the product of the fisheries. In 1629 the Home Company sent six ship-builders to Salem, of whom Robert Moulton was chief. Salem Neck was used for shipbuilding from the very earliest period. So many people were located in that vicinity in 1679 that John Cliiford was licensed to keep a victualling house for their convenience. In 1636 Richard Hollingworth, a ship-builder, who came to Salem in 1635, gets a grant of land on the neck from the town, and builds a ship of three hundred tons there in 1641. It is most probable that prior to 1637 Robert Moulton and his shipwrights built several small decked vessels for the fisheries and for trading. The Home Company ordered three shallops to be built in Salem in 1629, doubtless for fishing purposes. From 1629 to 1640 Salem had not much shipping of her own ; but in the latter year the Rev. Hugh Peters, of the First Church, a man of great energy and sagacity, interested the people in ship-building, and in a few years an abundant supply of vessels were built. Salem became noted as one of the principal places in the colony for building vessels.

From 1659 to 1677 there appear to be four noted ship-builders in Salem, one of whom, Jonathan Pickering, gets a grant of land about Hardy's Cove from the town, to himself and heirs forever, to build vessels upon. From 1692 to 1718 seven ship-builders appear prominent in Salem, among whom are Joseph Hardy and William Becket. In 1662 the town authorities endeavor to accommodate, at Burying Point, near the foot of Liberty Street, those desirous of graving vessels. In 1676 Salem is said to be one of the principal places for building vessels, at four pounds per ton. Of the twenty-six vessels belonging to Salem in 1698-99, seventeen were built here. From 1700 to 1714, inclusive, registers were granted to four ships, three barks, nine brigs, twenty-four sloops and nineteen ketches belonging to Salem. They ranged from fifteen to ninety tons, and forty of them were built here. In 1705 the ship "Unity," of two hundred and seventy tons, was built in Salem, for Boston and London merchants, and in 1709 Joseph Hardy built the brig " American Merchant," of one hundred and sixty tons burden. In 1712 a sale is recorded by Ebenezer Lambert, shipwright, of Salem, of ye good sloop " Betty," lately built, of about eighty tons burden, to Benjamin Marston, of Salem, for two hundred and forty pounds, or three pounds per ton.

Vessels were built or repaired in Salem on the neck, including Winter Island ; on the creek running into South River, near the foot of Norman Street; at the Burying Point near the foot of Liberty Street, and at other places on the South River ; at Frye's Mills on the North River ; and at Hardy's Cove. Referring to the creek running into the South River, Felt says, writing in 1842, that " its course was from the South River, below the mills, and up between Norman and High Streets. A century since boys would go in boats from its waters to a swamp in Crombie Street, and collect eggs from blackbirds' nests. Britton's Hill, running from Summer Street, formerly had a ship-yard, whence vesiels were launched into the creek. An octogenarian vividly remembers a brig of one hundred and fifty tons, which was built on the margin of the same waters." It seems hardly credible that the principal ship-building of the town was at one time carried on in this locality, for scarcely a vestige remains to-day of the creek or cove, and the South River is gradually disappearing from view, and at this point runs through a covered culvert.

The Beckets have been famous as ship-builders in Salem. The shij>yard of the Beckets was situated between Phillips' Wharf and Webb's Wharf. This place has been known as Becket's Beach, and is directly in front of the old mansion-house built by John Becket about 1655. It was occupied by the Beckets as a ship-yard from 1655 to 1800, a period of one hundred and forty-five years. After 1800 Retire Becket built his vessels on land farther to the eastward.

The most famous vessel built by Retire Becket was the yacht " Cleopatra's Barge," of one hundred and ninety-one tons burden, whose owner. Captain George Crowninshield, spared no expense in her construction or in her appointments. She was built for a pleasure-trip to the Mediterranean, and excited wonder, even at Genoa, for her beauty, luxury and magnifi(!ence. She was launched October 21, 1816, in the presence of an immense concourse of people. During the winter of 1817 the harbor was frozen over to the Haste and Coney Island, and this vessel having returned from her voyage, a great many people drove over the ice in sleighs to visit her. Retire Becket also built, in 1799, the brig " Active," of two hundred and six tons, in which William P. Richardson made the first trading voyage from Salem to the Feejee Islands, in 1810 ; and in 1800 the ship " Margaret," of two hundred and ninety-five tons, which made the first voyage from Salem to Japan, leaving Salem November 10, 1800, under command of Samuel Derby ; and in 1794, for Elias H. Derby, the ship " Recovery," of two hundred and eighty-four tons, which, under the command of Joseph Ropes, first displayed the stars and stripes at Mocha. He also built for Elias H. Derby, in 1798, the ship "Mount Vernon," of three hundred and fifty-six tons; for George Crowninshield & Sons, 1804, the ship "America," of four hundred and seventy-three tons, famous as a privateer in the War of 1812 ; for Z. F. Silsbee and James Devereux, in 1807, the ship " Herald," of two hundred and seventy-four tons. The last vessel built by Mr. Becket was the brig " Becket," of one hundred and twentyeight tons, for John Crowninshield, in 1818.

1783, and in the same year commenced building vessels in a yard near Frye's Mills, on North River, and continued in the business until about the year 1800. Among the vessels built by Mr. Mann was the brig "William," of one hundred and eighty-two tons, in

1784, for William Gray ; the brig " Fanny," of one hundred and tifty-two tons, in 1785, for Benjamin Goodhue; the bark "Good Intent," of one hundred and seventy-one tons, in 1790, for Simon Forrester ; the schooner "Betsey," of one hundred and eight tons, in 1792, for Jerathmael Peirce ; the brig " Hind," of one hundred and fifty-seven tons, in 1795, for William Orne ; the ship " Good Hope," of one hundred and eighty-eight tons, in 1795, for Nathaniel West ; the bark " Eliza,'* of one hnndred and eighty-seven tons, in 179G, for Joseph Wliite ; and the ship " Prudent," of two hundred and fourteen tons, in 1799, for Nathaniel West.

Christopher Turner, who came to Salem from Pembroke, where he was born in 1767, continued the business of ship-building at Frye's Mills after Mr. Mann retired. He built, among others, the schooner " Essex," of one hundred and fourteen tons, in 1800, for William Fabens, for the West India and Cayenne trade. The ship "Pompey," of one hundred and eightyeight tons, in 1802, for William Orne. She was afterwards sold to Joshua Ward, made into a brig, and commanded by James Gilchrist. The ship " Hope," of two hundred and eighty-two tons, in 1'805, for J. & J. Barr. The ship " Hunter," of two hundred and ninety-six tons, in 1807, for Jerathmael Peirce. The brig " Romp," of two hundred and thirty-two tons, in 1809, for Nathaniel Silsbee. She was commanded by William Lander, and was confiscated at Naples, in 1809, on her first voyage. The ship " Rambler," of two hundred and eighty-six tons, in 1811, for George Nichols. She was captured by the Br'tish in 1812, while commanded by Timothy Bryant. Mr. Turner built, at Union Wharf, for George Crowninshield, the sloop " Jefferson," of twenty-two tons, for a pleasureyacht. She was launched in March, 1801, and is believed to have been the first real yacht built in the United States.

David Magoun built, on the neck, between the gate and Colonel John Hathorne's house, in 1805, the ship " Alfred," two hundred tons, for Joseph White.

Enos Briggswasone of the most noted ship-builders in Salem. He came here from Pembroke in 1790, and built the ship " Grand Turk/' of five hundred and sixty tons, for Elias Hasket Derby. She was built on the lot of land next east of Isaac P. Foster's store, and was launched May 19, 1791, and replaced the ship "Grand Turk," of three hundred tons, which was sold at the Isle of France in 1788. A Salem paper at the time of the launching calls her " the largest ship ever built in this country."

Having built the " Grand Turk," Mr. Briggs returned to Pembroke for his fomily. They arrived at Salem July 4, 1791, and the sloop in which they came brought, also, the frame of a dwelling-house, which he erected on Harbor Street, and which, for many years after his decease, was occupied by the family of his daughter, Mrs. Nathan Cook. Mr. Briggs was born in Pembroke July 29, 1746, and died in Salem October 10, 1819. His ship-yard in Salem was located between Peabody and Harbor Streets, west of the Naumkeag Cotton-Mills. Here he built for Elia-* Hasket Derby, in 1792, the ship " Benjamin," of one hundred and sixty-one tons, which was afterwards commanded by Nathaniel Silsbee ; in 1794, the ketch "Eliza," of one hundred and eighty-four tons, which, under command of Stephen Phillips, made some of the early voyages to Calcutta and the Isle of France ; in 1795 the ketch " John," of two hundred and fiftyeight tons, and the ketch " Brothers," of one hundred and forty-eight tons ; and, in 1796, the ship " Martha," of three hundred and forty tons. For George Crowninshield & Sons he built, in 1794, the ship " Belisarius," of 261 tons. For Peirce & Wait, in 1797, the ship " Friendship," of 342 tons, afterwards commanded by Israel Williams. For Joseph Peabody, in 1798, the schooner "Sally," 104 tons; in 1798, the brig "Neptune," 160 tons; in 1801, the brig " Catherine," 158 tons; in 1803, the ship "Mount Vernon," 254 tons; in 1804, the ship " Janus," 277 tons; in 1805, the ship " Augustus," 246 tons ; in 1807, the ship "Francis," 297 tons; in 1811, the ship "Glide," 306 tons; in 1812, the brig "Levant," 265 tons ; and in 1816, the ship " China," of 370 tons. For Nathaniel West, 1794, the schooner " Patty," 111 tons, which, under command of Edward West, made one of the earliest voyages from Salem to Batavia ; and in 1801, the ship " Commerce," 239 tons. For Benjamin Pickman, in 1803, the ship " Derby," of 300 tons. For Simon Forrester, in 1805, the ship " Messenger," 277 tons. For William Gray, in 1806, the ship " Pactolus," 288 tons. Mr. Briggs built, while in Salem, fifty-one vessels of 11,500 tons, among them the famous frigate " Essex," of 850 tons, built in 1799.

Elijah Briggs, on the death of his cousin Enos, continued the business of ship-building at the yard in South Salem. He built for Pickering Dodge, in 1819, the ship "Gov. Endicott," 279 tons; in 1828, the ship " Lotos," 296 tons ; in 1828, the ship " Mandarin," 295 tons ; and in 1829, the ship " Rome," 344 tons. For Jonathan Neal, in 1820, the brig " Java," 225 tons. For John Forrester, in 1823, the ship "Emerald," 271 tons. For Joseph Peabody, in 1824, the brig

Elias Jenks and Ichabod R. Hoyt continued the business of ship-building in South Salem down to 1843, and built their vessels a little to the westward of the spot occupied by Enos Briggs. They biiilt for Joseph Peabody, in 1827, the ship " Sumatra," 287 tons ; in 1831, the ship "Eclipse," 326 tons; in 1833, the ship " Naples," 309 tons ; and in 1837, the ship " Carthage," 426 tons. For Nathaniel L. Rogers & Brothers, in 1828 the ship " Crusoe," 350 tons. For the Messrs, Silsbee, in 1831, the ship " Borneo," 297 tons ; and in 1840, the ship " Sooloo," 400 tons. For Thorndike Deland, in 1836, the schooner " William Penn," 125 tons. For David Pingree, in 1843, the bark " Three Brothers," 350 tons.

In 1834, there had been built in Salem for the foreign trade since 1789, sixty-one ships, four barks, fifty-three brigs, three ketches, and sixteen schooners, measuring 30,557 tons.

On the 1st of December, 1825, there was launched from the ship-yard of Mr. Cottle, in North Salem, near Orne's Point, a schooner of 40 tons, built for the use of the American missionaries at the Sandwich Islands. She was called the "Missionary Packet," and sailed from Boston January 17, 1826, for the Sandwich Islands.

John Carter built, in 1854, under the superintendence of A. H. Gardner, on the eastern side of Phillips Wharf, for Edward D. Kimball, the bark " Witch," 417 tons ; and subsequently, at the same place, for other parties, the ship " Europa," 846 tons.

Edward F. Miller, whose ship-yard was at the point of land in South Salem opposite the end of Derby Wharf, built for R. W. Ropes & Co., in 1855, the brig " Mary Wilkins," 266 tons ; and in 1859, the bark " La Plata," 496 tons. For Benjamin A. West, in 1857, the bark " Arabia," 380 tons. She was lost at the Cape of Good Hope on her first voyage. For John Bertram, in 1856, the bark " Guide ; " in 1861, the bark "Glide," 493 tons; in 1869, the bark " Jersey," 599 tons, which was lost at Madagascar on her first voyage ; and, in 1870, the bark " Taria Topan," 631 tons. For John C. Osgood and others, in 1862, the brig " Star," 250 tons.

Joshua Brown built, near Miller's ship-yard, the schooner "Prairie Flower," 106 tons. This vessel was launched on the 27th of April, 1858. She sailed from Salem Tuesday, June 8, 1858, for Boston, to obtain a part of her fishing outfit. A large party of young men were on board, invited by the owners to make the trip to Boston. About 2 p.m., when in the Broad Sound and entering Boston harbor, the schooner was struck by a sudden gust of wind and capsized. The water rushed into the cabin, filling it, and of those there at the time, seven were drowned. They were all under thirty years of age, and all of Salem. Osgood Sanborn was 28; Daniel R. Fitz, 24; George C. Clarke, 24 ; Francis Donaldson, 21 ; William H. Russell, 20 ; William H. Newcomb, 20 ; and Lewis B. Smith, 14. The remainder of the party were rescued by vessels that chanced to be near the scene of the accident. No such calamity had occurred in Salem since the 17th of June, 1773, when the King's boat, belonging to the custom-house, was capsized in Salem harbor during a squall, and three men and seven women, all of Salem, were drowned. Mr. Brown built a number of other vessels, among them the schooner " David B. Newcomb," 92 tons, in 1860, and the brig " Albert," 325 tons, in 1862.

Salem Merchakts. - This chapter should not be closed without some notice of the men whose enterprise and daring made for Salem her brilliant commercial record.

Among the earliest of the merchants was Captain George Curwin, who was born in England in 1610. He settled in Salem about 1638, and was extensively engaged in commerce. His books of account show that he had embarked in the London trade previous to 1658. He died on the 3d of January, 1685, leaving a large estate, comprising four ware-houses and two wharves in Salem, and a ware-house and wharf in Boston, and the ketches " George," " Swallow,' " John " and " William," valued at £1050.

Captain Walter Price, who died in 1674, and Captain John Price, who died in 1691 ; John Turner, who died in 1680 ; William Bowditch. who died in 1681 ; Joseph Grafton, Sr., who died in 1682 ; William Brown and John Brown, who died about 1687, '88 ; Henry Bartholomew, who died in 1691 ; Richard Hollingworth and his son, William HoUingworth, were all engaged in commerce in Salem.

Philip English came to Salem before 1670, and in 1675 married the daughter of another Salem merchant, Mr. William Hollingworth. In 1676 he is at the Isle of Jersey, commanding the ketch " Speedwell." He had so flourished in 1683 that he put up a stylish mansion on the eastern corner of Essex and English streets. It was one of those ancient mansion houses, for which Salem was once noted - a venerable many gabled, solid structure, with projecting stories and porches. Down to 1753 it was known as English's great house. It stood until 1833, long tenantless and deserted, and when torn down a secret room was found in the garret, supposed to have been built after the witchcraft furor, as a place of temporary security in case of a second outcry.

In 1692 Philip English was at the height of his prosperity. He was trading with Bilboa, Barbadoes, St. Christopher's and Jersey, as well as with several French ports, He owned twenty-one vessels, besides a wharf and warehouse on the neck, and fourteen buildings in the town. It is probable that his wife was over-elated by their prosperity, and forgot her humble friends of former days, for she is now called "aristocratic," and the prejudice thus engendered against her doubtless led to her being " cried out" against for withcraft. Both Mr. English and his wife were so accused. From 1694 to 1720 Mr. English sends ketches to Newfoundland, Cape Sable or Acadia to catch fish, and sends these fish to Barbadoes or other English West Indies, Surinam and Spain. He also had a number of vessels running between Salem and Virginia and Maryland.

Mr. English was put into Salem jail, so says Felt, in 1725, for refusing, as an Episcopalian, to pay taxes for the support of the East Church. About 1734 he retired from trade, and in 1735 he was put under guardianship as being clouded in mind. He died in 1736, aged about eighty-six years, and was buried in the Episcopal church-yard.

The name of Derby is intimately associated with the commerce of Salem - Roger Derby, born in 1643, emigrated to America in 1671 from Topsham, in the South of England. He was a member of the Society of Friends, and first settled in Ipswich, but having been fined for non-conformity, he removed to Salem where he embarked in trade. At his decease in 1698 it appears by his inventory, that he possessed a house, wharf and warehouse. His son Richard, born in 1679, engaged in maritime affairs, but died in 1715, leaving, among other children, a son Richard, born in 1712, whose son, Elias Hasket Derby, was the most eminent among Salem's merchants. The lastnamed Richard, in 1736, at the age of twenty-four, was the master of the sloop " Ranger," bound from Salem to Cadiz and Malaga. In 1739 he sails in the "Ranger" to St. Martin's, and in 1742 he is master and part owner of the " Volant," bound for Barbadoes and the French Islands. In 1757 he retired from the sea and became a merchant of Salem, relinquishing his vessels to his sons John and Richard.

The commerce in which Mr. Derby was engaged was pursued in vessels ranging from 50 to 100 tons. His vessels, laden with fish, lumber and provisions, cleared for Dominica or some Windward Isle in the British West Indies, and then ran through the islands for a market. The returns were made in sugar, molasses, cotton, rum and claret, or in rice and naval stores from Carolina. With the returns from these voyages assorted cargoes were made of oil, naval stores, and the produce of the islands for Spain and Madeira, and the proceeds remitted partly in bills on London, and partly in wine, salt, fruit, oil, iron, lead and handkerchiefs to America. The commerce of these days was bold and adventurous. P"'ew vessels exceeded 60 tons burden, and they were exposed not only to the dangers of the seas, but also to the buccaneers and French and English cruisers. During the French War, from 1756 to 1763, Mr. Derby owned several ships as well as brigantines, carrying each eight or ten cannon. He was owner of part of the cannon which Col. Leslie was sent down from Boston by Gen. Gage to capture, in 1775. His son John carried to England the first news of the battle of Lexington, and returned to Salem with the first intelligence of the effect it produced in London.

The second son of the last named Richard Derby, Elias Hasket, was born in Salem August 16, 1739, and was Salem's most eminent merchant. He was the pioneer, and led the way while others followed. His vessels were the first from New England at India and China, and largely to his courage and sagacity Salem is indebted for the prominent place she held as a commercial port. Until his coming, the trade of Salem was narrow and limited. He opened the ports of the whole globe to the Salem ships, and made the name of Salem familiar wherever trade penetrated or civilization ventured.

At an early age he entered the counting-room of his father, and from 1760 to 1775 he took charge of his father's books, and engaged extensively in trade with the English and French islands. At the commencement of the Revolutionary War, he had seven sail of vessels in the trade of the West Indies. Many of the rich men clung to the mother country, but Mr. Derby espoused the cause of the colonists. His trade and that of Salem was ruined by the war. Indignant at the oppressive course of Great Britain, Mr. Derby united with his townsmen, and Salem fitted out at least one hundred and fifty-eight armed vessels during the Revolution.

From 1771 to 1785 the tonnage of Salem declined, and did not revive till the opening of the India trade, when it increased with astonishing rapidity.