Kingston Town (part 3 of 4)

The journal for these three days gives a perfedt description of Cape Horn weather, which a vessel seldom escapes, bound to the westward and it was not uncommon for a month or six weeks to be spent in making this passage. Captain Holmes, by keeping close to land, did not allow his ship in spite of head winds, to be blown far to the south and so encounter ice and still worse weather, as was the case of many of the earlier vessels in their passage round the Cape. He was one of those shipmasters who were fortunate never to meet with disaster, unless it was the loss of a few sails and spars. Considering the num¬ ber of years he was in command at sea it seems as though Chance, as used by Joseph Conrad, in his book of that name, aided him as well as his own good judgment.

His letter to his father, reporting his arrival at San Francisco, is dated July 28, 1850. Under date of October 26, 1850, he again writes him: "We have got ready for sea at last and shall get there as soon as we can. I shall go diredt I think to Valparaiso. I hope to get to sea tomorrow." The vessel sailed in ballast as no cargo could be had. Sailors' wages advanced while the cargo was being discharged, so when the ship finally sailed, they were paying men $25 to $30 per month and they were hard to ship at that price.

The next letter is from Valparaiso, Chile, dated January 3, 1851 ; in it the captain writes that he had engaged between 300 and 400 tons of copper at $15 per ton for Boston for the Revere Copper Company, the vessel to load at Huasco, about 40 hours' sail down the coast from Valparaiso.

She sailed from this port of Huasco, February 14, 1851, and had light to moderate winds to latitude 490 36' S., longitude 82° 12' W., which was reached March 7, 1851. From this point to Cape Horn there were strong gales from the N. and N.W. with a large sea, as Captain Holmes calls it. He records in his sea journal of this voyage that March 10th, 18^1, commences with strong gales from N.W. At four a.m. wind shifted to W.N.W. and W. with tremendous gusts. Took in close reefed mizzen and maintopsails. Middle and latter part more moderate. Clear weather, Lat. by observation, 56° 30' S. and Long. 730 30' W.

March 14, 1851: First part, wind from N.N.W. heading E.N.E. by the wind. At ten p.m. come up to N.E. by N. Midnight come N.N.E. and N. by E. Set studding-sails, main-royal. Lat. observed, 520 19' S. Long. 570 44' W. With favorable winds the ship was only nine days from 50° to 50° in going around Cape Horn to the eastward.

which was a good run considering she was deeply loaded. The passage around the Cape has been so often written about that little more need be said. Oftentimes a vessel bound west is obliged to be kept under short sail for many days, laboring against head seas and heavy gales, and while in this condition meeting a fleet sailing east, homeward bound with a fair wind, all sail set, with their crews lining the rails forward, and making signs of derision to their less fortunate mates, huddled in the lee of the forward house to escape the flying spray. It is said that sometimes an eastern passage is made in such good weather that the sailors go barefooted. The chart that Captain Holmes had on this voyage in the 'Raritan was the same one he had used when mate of the brig Sophia and Eliga, in 1826, on a voyage to Callao, Peru, and it is interesting to follow the track of these two vessels in the southern latitudes.

After a moderate passage from Lat. 50° south, the ship reached Boston the first part of May and was at once returned to the cotton-carrying trade. There is no record of any of the Holmes' fleet going to the west coast of North or South America, except the brig Sophia and Eliga, ship Raritan , and barks, Egypt and Fruiterer.

As there was no date of this letter and the number of days' passage was omitted it was probably written by Captain Holmes to his brother Alexander on board the ' Raritan at sea just before she made the port of San Francisco and forwarded on his arrival. The last entry in his journal of the voyage is July 28, 1850: "Light winds and foggy. At 10.00 a.m. saw the land. The land off San Francisco. 4.00 p.m. pilot came on board. At 8.00 p.m. anchored in harbor of San Francisco.'' This would date the letter July 28, 1850, and makes his passage 165 days from Boston. The letter reads:

Dear Brother. For the benefit of all concerned I give a short narrative of our outward passage to this place and as you're the oldest, I address to you. We sailed fair wind which run us out clear of Georges Bank. On the 15th in the edge of the Gulph Stream - had a very heavy gale of wind from the Southern quarter which lasted about 12 hours blowing very heavy. It then gave up suddenly and exposed us to a very dan¬ gerous Seaway the ship entirely unmanageable from want of wind. One of our 300 gal. water casks got adrift and in its passage across deck pass'd over the Pig Pen killing 4 out of 8 of our pigs (something of a loss), also lost from the quarter a small boat. A good beginning you will say. But this is all the accident or damage we have meet with on the voyage. From this time we had excellent weather although the winds were not so favourable as I could have wished to the Equator. We reach'd this point in our passage 36 days wind which proved moderate all the way across them. April nth, got soundings on the Bank off the River Plate where we lay becalm'd for 2 days. We steared along the coast of Patagonia passing in side of the Falkland Islands. In fa<5t I keept the coast close on board to Staten Land which place we pass'd on the 28th of April and hawled up for the Cape with very fine weather wind from W.NAV. to N.W. on the 1st May passed Cape Horn within 10 miles at 12 mid¬ night. As bright a Moonlight night as I ever saw in my life. Spoke at the same time Ship Rob Roy Cap. Holt who sailed some time before us. On May nth called ourselves far enough to the Westward to stear to the

North'wd which we did do for two days only, when the wind shifted to North & N.W. and there remained for 14 days. It was here I expedited slants if not a fair wind this was a great pull back in our passage. It ex¬ hausted all my patience and not a small portion of my tobacco. On the 30th May saw and pass'd the Island of Juan Fernandes. I little thought 24 years ago that I should be here now.* We now shap'd our course so as to pass the Equator 1 1 5 W. Long, abandoning all thoughts of touching anywhere short of our destina¬ tion. After having excellent weather and winds cross'd the Equator at this point on 1 8 th of June the S. E. wind continued with us to Lat. 10.00 North where we struck a vein of calms and bafling winds which lasted 8 days. We then took what I suppose was N. E. trades but very far North. I have as you will perceive given dates so that you can easily examine for your selves if you will our progress whichon the whole has been slow. Our ship is deep and moves heavy but as good a Sea Vessel as I would wish to have. We of course have ex¬ perienced some hard blowy weather it could not be expedited that we should be at Sea for days without. In all of which she has behaved admirably. Tight, Staunch and Strong. Three very requisite qualitys in a Ship coming one of these Voyages.

My officers are all I could expebt for Mr. Linnell I consider an excellent Man on such a Voyage he has many qualifications the best one, the faculty of getting along with Sailors without difficulty. I have thus given you a short narrative of our Voyage it seems most proper for its the only part yet perform'd thus far. I shall not at this time enter into any speculations of the future but conclude with

Unfortunately, there are no plans or pidures of this ship. She was built at the Landing by Joseph Holmes, in 1843, and registered 492 tons. Edward Holmes appears in the Cus¬ toms Records as the Master Carpenter in her construdion and was part owner with his father and brother Alexander. As we have a pidure of the Herculean built a few years before, she was probably of a similar design and the same plan may have answered for both. N. D. Drew's sheer and spar plans show that this was done in several cases for Joseph Holmes when building vessels that were of about the same size and to be used in the same trade.

Being unable to illustrate the story of the %aritan with her pidure or plans her voyages cannot be told by themselves like those of the other ships whose pidures are shown in this book. For this reason I have given here the accounts of her California voyage and the first and last one before she was sold. The first one tells how the %aritan sailed from the bay diredly for the south and not going to Boston for a final fitting out and shipping of crew, as was usually the custom.

This first voyage was to New Orleans in command of Captain Chase when Captain W. S. Adams of Kingston took her and Captain Chase took the %ialto. The letter that Captain Chase wrote to Joseph Holmes as to the ship's first voyage from Kingston to New Orleans is as follows:

Dear Sir: You will undoubtedly remember that it was on the 2nd of this month that the good ship Raritan finally sailed from the Cow Yard, Plymouth Harbor. I have the pleasure of informing you that by 12 o'clock that day we had Cape Cod well under the lee quarter and soon afterward bore away to the south. Set studding sails below and aloft. We had a fine run off for 24 hours and began to anticipate hav¬ ing a good story to tell for the new ship when it sud¬ denly fell calm and remained so for twelve hours, then breezed up from S. W. and in crossing the Gulf Stream with a strong wind from S. W. to W.S.W. we went several degrees to the eastward much out of our course. Here, all hopes of making a short passage were at an end.

Made Abeco on the 12th. Entered on the northern edge of the Bank at eleven a.m., on the 13th and dropped off the southern edge at half-past six the same evening. On the morning of the 14th at four o'clock made Double Headed Shot Key Light and Key West Lighthouse, the same day at noon. Past Sand Key Lighthouse at two p.m. and at eight o'clock the same evening saw the Torugas Light bearing N. by E. on the 17th lay becalmed for twenty-four hours within forty miles of the Belize. On the morning of the 1 8th, at four a.m. took a pilot on board and at three p.m. crossed the Bar at the Northeast Pass. At six the same evening came to anchor about three miles above

During the passage the ship behaved nobly. We only fell in with two vessels, one bark, and one brig, steering our course both of which we outsailed with ease. Her rate of sailing before the wind, without driv¬ ing hard, was ten to twelve miles per hour, by the wind from seven to nine steered the easiest of any vessel I ever was in, an ordinary helmsman being able to keep her within half a point going ten knots, with the wind on the quarter. In stayes she worked most beautifully. She not only came around well, in the common sense of the word, but she abso¬ lutely flew, never having got sternway in the four or five times we had occasion to tack her, and in cross¬ ing the bar her keel being within an inch or two of the bottom, the pilot declared she worked equal to a pilot boat.

On the 19th at noon, the wind being still ahead, I did not feel myself at liberty to refuse steam any longer not knowing the conditions in the city. We accordingly hitched on to a tow boat and arrived here last evening.

Your Son, Captain Paraclete and Captain Adams have been on board of the ship today, and the latter appears to be very much pleased with her and we shall exchange in the course of a day or so.

I have entered somewhat into particulars at the risk of being tedious but as the ship was new, I sup¬ pose a short account of how we got along would be acceptable.

Captain Chase belonged in West Harwich, Mass., and was in Joseph Holmes' employ for a number of years. His account of his going to sea from Kingston, the new sMvpl^aritan' s hailing port, and his passage to New Orleans is quite interesting and shows the ship to have been a good sailor and well balanced as to model of hull and sail plan, and sustaining the reputation of the Holmes for turning out smart vessels.

She was highly spoken of at New Orleans on her arrival. She was 132 feet, 3C2 inches long, 28 feet 6 inches wide and 14 feet 3 inches deep, and was valued at $32,000 when she sailed from Kingston ready for sea. May 26, 1844, she was at New Orleans together with the ships Herculean and T^ialto of Kingston, all loading cotton.

The first part of January, 1854, the T^aritan was at St. Thomas, West Indies, in distress. She was bound to New York from Cadiz with a very valuable and heavy cargo of wines and liquors. Captain Peter Hansen, master. In latitude of the Western Islands experienced a heavy gale, ship leaking badly, being overloaded, drawing 18^2 feet aft. After constant pumping succeeded in reaching St. Thomas with four feet of water in the hold. While lying in harbor it required constant pumping by twelve men to keep her afloat. She dis¬ charged cargo and went into drydock and was calked and coppered at great expense. She arrived in New York in April, discharged her wines in good order, but, about thirty quarter casks were drank up at St. Thomas and the liquors were damaged. The ship being in bad shape for heavy cargoes she was sold May 1, 1854, for $ 20,000 .

Dear Sir: It is with pain that I now perform the duty of informing you of the arrival of the ship Raritan here at St. Thomas in distress, leaking very badly. Having left Cadiz on the 22nd of November 1853 with a favorable wind I proceeded on my voyage with every prospecfl of success until December 1st be¬ ing then in the vicinity of the Western Islands, where I experienced a very heavy gale from the N.W. and while lying to, sprung a leak which soon increased to a fearful extent.

Fearing that the ship would founder where she was, I determined to scud her, the wind having changed somewhat to the northward, and continued to scud her for three succeeding days before a very heavy N.N.W. and westerly gale with both pumps constantly going. It finally became moderate and pleasant but the leak still continued about the same.

Keeping both pumps constantly going, I now made a thorough examination of the ship's hold for the leak, but in vain. Not being able to find the leak, and both pumps constantly going in fine moderate weather, it was impossible to get the ship to New York at this season of the year, I therefore, deter¬ mined to run for this place, and finally after being at sea for over thirty days with both pumps constantly going, sometimes with three to four feet of water in her hold I finally arrived at this port on the second of January 1854 with every one on board completely exhausted with hard pumping. You will perhaps be able to form a better idea of the extent of the leak when I tell you that since my arrival here at this port I am obliged to employ twelve men every day to keep her free although I have discharged about 250 tons cargo.

On the recommendation of Captain Allen, I have consigned the ship to J. F. Piniston who wrote you on my arrival as I was very much exhausted from pumping. There is no doubt in my mind that the leak is in the ship's bottom and that I shall have to discharge all of my cargo and take the ship on rail¬ way to caulk and recopper and my expenses here will amount to a fearful amount.

You can have but a faint idea of the trouble and difficulty that I experience in this place as the cholera is raging to a fearful extent, there being from fifty to sixty deaths daily and it is almost impossible to get anybody to work.

The T^aritan was sold to Quebec for the lumber trade between there and England and cleared from New York for Quebec, May 23. Captain W. S. Adams writes Joseph Holmes from New York that the ship is in pretty good repair and could be used in the cotton trade some years, with a careful, prudent man in her; otherwise, she would run in debt every voyage. She was sold rather unexpectedly, for Captain Benjamin Cook of Kingston had come on from Kingston to New York to go in her as master, Captain Hansen thinking of retiring. Captain Adams adted for the owners in making the sale, being in New York to look out for the ship, as she had just arrived from St. Thomas after being repaired there. He also wrote Joseph Holmes that she had the heaviest cargo she had carried since she was built, vessel drawing 18 jA feet aft, and seems to have blamed Captain Hansen for taking in so much cargo.

Owners of vessels often named them for members of their families, owners or friends, and Joseph Holmes and his sons followed this custom, as shown by the names of all of their sons and daughters appearing on record as names for some of their vessels. No other owner ever named vessels for each month as did Joseph Holmes. There is nothing to show why his ships were named cRialto and Herculean , but December 2, 1843, Captain William S. Adams writes Mr. Holmes he wishes the new ship called T{aritan. As Joseph Holmes' larger vessels sometimes loaded cargoes of tobacco at Virginian ports this was probably the reason the ship was named Raritan from the Raritan River. Under the same date, Captain Adams also writes to Mr. Holmes to have a house on deck about 35 feet long for crew with a cook house in it as vessels are beginning to have crews' quarters in houses on deck. This was a great improvement over the old way of giving crews' quarters under the deck in the extreme forward end of a ship, which were always dark and wet. It also increased cargo space.

Captain Adams married Lucy Eveline, daughter of Joseph Holmes and he and his brother-in-law, Captain Paraclete Holmes, commanded the new¬ est and largest ships belonging to Joseph Holmes and were of great assistance to him in the opera¬ tion of his vessels on foreign voyages. In those days few letters from owners were received by those in command of their vessels after they once left home and usually the entire success of the voyage de¬ pended on the ability of the vessel's commander in securing freights that would be profitable to the owners. The other sons of Joseph Holmes, Alexan¬ der, Edward and Horace, assisted their father in the building and management of his vessels at home, and he was most fortunate to have in his sons and son-in-law, men so able and well fitted to take charge of the various branches of his business, both at home and abroad, and his success in life was largely due to their un¬ tiring energy. Few, if any families in the country can show such a record of father and four sons engaged in business, especially in the building and owning of vessels for so many years.

After Captain Holmes arrived in Boston in May, 1851, from the California voyage he does not appear again as master of any of the Kingston ships. He was forty-seven years old and probably gave up a seafaring life about this time. Later, be became president of the Warren Insurance Company of Boston, making his home at the Tremont House on Tremont Street, keeping his rooms there as long as he lived. He never married and lived with his father when in Kingston; on his father's death, in 1863, he came into possession of the homestead in the division of the property and retired from the presidencyof the insurance company. After living there a few years he purchased the house built by Colonel John Sever, which he occupied until his death, in 1867, sixty-two years old.

Captain Elbridge G. Winsor

Her first master was Elbridge G. Winsor and Philander Cobb, mate. She was used for West India and Mediterranean voyages and in 1850 sold to San Francisco. She was a very smart vessel.

In the "Plymouth Memories of an Odtogenarian" Mr. Davis speaks of the sailing of the brig Reindeer for San Francisco. Dr. Samuel Merritt of Plymouth, who was a practicing physician in Plymouth, in 1849, was seized with the gold fever, and sell¬ ing out his practice invested his capital in buying and loading the brig Reindeer , then lying in New York. At this time the brig was still owned by her original owners and not by Joseph Holmes, as mentioned by Mr. Davis. Dr. Merritt secured a cargo that he thought could be easily disposed of in San Francisco, and with as many passengers as could be accommo¬ dated, sailed from New York in the summer of 1849, and after calling at Valparaiso, arrived in San Francisco that autumn when the vessel was sold and probably remained the west coast.

Captain Winsor was born in Duxbury in 1808, but lived in Rocky Nook for many years. The first that is known of him as commanding a Kingston vessel is in 1838 when he was in the schooner Emerald , John Sever, owner, on her first voyage. In 1844 he was captain of the brig Reindeer of Kingston, new, built by Lysander Bartlett, Jr., owning her with Benjamin and Joshua Delano. After she was sold in 1849 was master of the bark Qrey Hound built in Kingston in 1850, also owning her with the Delanos. The last vessel he was interested in was the schooner Young Yeaser of Kingston, 126 tons, built at Fairhaven in i860. Levi Morton, owning 2/ 16; Benjamin Delano, 4/ 16; George T. Adams, 2/ 16; Elbridge G. Winsor, 4/16, and Joshua Delano, 4/16. David Churchill was her first master and she was used for fishing and coasting and soon sold.

There is no record of his going in any vessel from here after giving up the bark Qrey Hound , and the last part of his life was passed in Roslindale where he died in 1899.

Brig Qustavus of Kingston, 145 tons, built at Kingston in 1846, by Edward Holmes, master carpenter, and Joseph Holmes; owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes.

1 he first voyage of the brig Qustavus was in 1846 from New York to Cork, Ireland, loaded with corn for the famine sufferers in that country, Captain Josephus Dawes, master. From Cork the brig went to Buenos Ayres and other South American ports. From there to Havana and Boston. Captain Dawes continuing in her as master for several years.

May 27, 1852, the vessel was at New York from South America, chartered for Lisbon and Malaga and back to New York, in command of Captain Ezra Snow of Orleans, his brother Joseph Snow being mate. The vessel was at Malaga that summer, for under date of September 30, 1852, Mrs. Joseph Snow writes Joseph Holmes that she has "no news since the vessel arrived at Malaga and it's now four months and they did not expebt to be gone but three months and we feel some anxious. Please write if you have any news of them."

The brig arrived in New York with a cargo of lead, 60 days' passage and sailed October 22, for Plymouth, Spooner's Wharf, or as it is now called, Plymouth Cordage Company, with thirty-five tons of hemp and fifty barrels of flour for Kingston. Vessel to be repaired.

September 7, 1853, Captain Paraclete Holmes writes Joseph Holmes that he has arrived in New York and got permission from the doblor for the sailor who brought the brig in, to go on shore, and that Captain Snow died August 29, and that all of the crew have been more or less sick on the passage, the mate, Captain Snow's brother, also dead.

Until recent years yellow fever was very prevalent all through the West Indies and South American ports visited by American vessels, especially during the summer months, and vessels often lost all of their officers and crews while loading or waiting for cargo for the north, and new officers had to be sent out by the owners before the vessel could sail for home. Joseph Holmes sometimes received letters from his captains asking him not to charter the vessels they were in command of for certain West India ports on account of the sickness reported as being there. Sickness usually meant yellow fever, but the plague and cholera were common. Even now, after all these years, it is most pathetic to read Captain Snow's letter to Mr. Holmes in which he hopes, "we may be kept from sickness and return again in safety," for in a little more than a month's time, both he and his brother were dead.

In charge of a new captain the brig proceeded to Boston and in January, 1854, she was reported at Nassau on a voyage from the West Indies to Boston, having been brought in by wreckers, captain, mate and all of the crew but one man, dead of yellow fever, vessel leaking and badly damaged in sails and rigging. The salvage paid to the wreckers was f 2,000. A new captain was sent on from home, the vessel partially repaired, and February 1, was at Charleston, S. C., leaking badly. Captain William S. Adams of Kingston went on to superintend further repairs and after discharging one-half of her cargo the leaks were stopped and the vessel continued on her voyage to Boston, the expenses at Charleston being $879.

May 3, 1854, Captain Albert Holmes of Plymouth was in command and he writes Mr. Holmes on that date from Para, South America, that he had a good passage from Boston, 28 days to Ceara, a small place about 650 miles southeast of Para. Crossed the line in 20 days from Boston, in 310 W.

This run to the equator of twenty days from Boston by the brig C^ustavus almost equals the runs made by the extreme clipper ships be¬ tween the years 1850 and i860 from New York to the equator when their best time was from seventeen to twenty days. New York is at least a day's sail nearer the equator than Boston and these clipper ships ten times as large as this little brig

Returning to Boston, Captain James W. Percival of Orleans, Mass., took command and July 13 left Boston for Baltimore with ice. At Baltimore she loaded 198 tons of coal for Kingston, Mass., con¬ signed to Alexander Holmes, freight money, $3.50 per ton. The captain writes Joseph Holmes from Balti- and he wants a pilot in the Cow Yard when he arrives and some men to unload her. He also says, "I do not like the brig as well as I expedited." He finds much fault with the sails being so poor and he had to anchor after starting from Boston and go on shore for duck to repair them, losing one man by his running away, and in Baltimore, three more of the crew left; July 27 she was loaded and ready to sail.

September 21, 1854, the Qustavus left Salem, Mass., for Para and on November 17, Captain Percival writes Mr. Holmes that he got on shore on entering Para, badly damaging the vessel, losing anchors and chains and unhung rudder. After repairing Captain Percival writes again that his expenses on the brig have been about $1,000 and that he was sailing December 18 for Turks Island in ballast for a cargo of salt.

Sir: I will inform you of the loss of your brig Gustavus after all of the difficulties which I have gone through, but was glad and ought to be thankful to come off without losing any of our number. I arrived at Turks Island on the 5th and not being able to find any salt, I took in ballast for Boston and cleared on the 6th, but the weather being very boisterous was detained until the 8th. Ten a.m. the gale increasing we broke our fluke off the anchor and before we could fetch her up we were off the bank, and about 12, noon, we came to again with both our anchors after losing some of our sails and boat and my foretopmast, but finding we were going on a reef and all hands in danger of losing our lives I had to slip both chains, but before I could get them clear she got on the reef when the sea made a clean breach over her. We could not see the shore. At that time the next day they tried to get on board but they got their boat stove and gave it up. The sea getting lower through the day at low water about five p.m. we got on shore by wading where we found things comfortable.

I stripped the brig after having a survey and sold sails and rigging at aublion. The brig brought the sum of Jiooo.oo and the expenses are about $500.00. She is a total loss.

Bark Trueman of Kingston, 229 tons, built at Kingston by Nathan¬ iel D. Drew, master carpenter, in 1846; owned by Alexander Holmes and Trueman Doane.

She was named for Trueman Doane, one of her owners, who was also her first master, and was soon sold. William T. Davis of Ply¬ mouth, Mass., in his book "Ply¬ mouth Memories of an Octogena¬ rian," speaks of being in Marseilles in 1846, going from there to Genoa and says:

On my way down the coast of the Mediterranean, a fellow passenger on the steamer, an Englishman, named James Buchanan was constantly boast¬ ing of the superiority of English vessels over all others. Of course I defended my own, nor was it difficult in those days at least to find fault with the squat sails, short topgallantmasts, clumsy blocks, poorly set up spars, and if at anchor with sails furled, the untidy bunts which often looked like bundles of rags on the yards of the Englishmen. As we came to anchor one morning in the harbor of Genoa, I pointed out to Mr. Buchanan a verv trig look¬ ing bark anchored nearby, which had a familiar look.

"She is tidy craft," said he, "and she will be English, of course." I knew better and calling a boatman directed him to row to the vessel. As we rowed round her stern I was not very much sur¬ prised to read, Trueman of Kingston, in hospitable letters. I had often seen the Trueman , Captain Doane, and I spent a pleasant hour with the captain in his cabin before going ashore.

Brig Monte Qhristo of Kingston, 1 6 1 tons, built at Kingston by Lysander Bartlett, Jr., in 1847; owned by Benjamin Delano and Joshua Delano.

Ship JQathan Hannau of Kingston, 513 tons, built at Kingston, in 1848, by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes; owned by Joseph Holmes, Paraclete Holmes, William S. Adams, Edward Holmes and Horace Holmes.

at $36,000. Her dimensions were 136 feet 5 inches long, 28 feet 7 inches wide, and 14 feet 3 inches deep. Captain William S. Adams of Kingston, commanded her when new, and in 1851, when he left her to go in the ship Joseph Holmes , Captain Peter Hansen had her and he was succeeded by Captain J. W. Nickerson and later by Captain Ebenezer Pierce, who was in her when lost March 3, 1859. His ac¬ count of her loss is that she struck just before daylight on a reef near from Boston. She was off her course by four days' calms and strong currents when she struck; although calm at the time, the following night a strong breeze coming up it was found impossible to get her off and she filled and had to be abandoned to the Key West wreckers. Most of the cargo and ship's material were saved. Cargo was ice and furniture. Materials saved from ship, sails, etc., sold for $1,670, and the cargo saved from the ship appraised at $2,872 was taken to New Orleans, the wreckers getting 45 per cent after all expenses were paid. The vessel was insured. The captain who had been in her for some time felt her loss very much. She was always employed carrying cotton, tobacco and sugar from Southern ports to Europe, as were the other ships owned by Joseph Holmes, and was named for a merchant in New Orleans.

At one time Captain William E. Josselyn was in command and he writes Captain Para¬ clete Holmes that he has arrived at Trieste from New Orleans, July 3, 1854. He also says that "no vessel beat me.'' He was seventy-four days on the passage and was seventeen days in the Gulf of Venice. His mate has run away. The second mate and steward good, but the crew very bad. "Shall sail for Sicily as soon as possible to load salt for New Orleans. He closes his letter by saying, "I am wore out and I most lay sick. I had rather be mate with you at $35 per month than to live in such misery." For several years he had been mate with Captain Paraclete Holmes on Joseph Holmes' ships.

September 1, 1854, he writes from Sicily that th zffjathan Hannau sails for New Orleans tomorrow with 600 tons of salt, best quality, and seven or more passengers in house on deck, they to find themselves in everything. Adults paying $20 and children half price. Very sickly here, cholera they say. The crew have been sick but all well at present, except rum sick.

February 27, 1853, Captain Josselyn writes from Havre that the ship is ready for sea, bound to New Orleans with 226 steerage passengers at $1 1 per head. Oftentimes these ships returned to the United States in ballast or with small cargoes, and passengers helped quite a little to keep down expenses.

The Custom House measurements of the ships Joseph Holmes andlhjathan Hannau , show these two ships to have been so near alike as to length and tonnage that the same spar plan answered for both as was done with several of the smaller vessels, saving the designer the labor of making a separate plan for each. Although only six feet longer, the Joseph Holmes had more breadth and depth in proportion to her length than the Hannau , and unless the Hannau had been found to be oversparred, it seems as though the Joseph Holmes could have carried a larger sail area.

This bark was built by Nathaniel D. Drew for Alexander Holmes in Mr. Holmes' building yard, or, as called, the upper yard; she was named for Stafford Sturtevant of Halifax, Mass-

Ships Of Kingston 85

All that is known about her is taken from an old diary kept at that period by Cornelius A. Bartlett of Kingston, Mass., a ship carpenter, and from a newspaper clipping. Mr. Bartlett writes that January and February, 1848, he was working on the bark Stafford in the upper yard for Nathaniel D. Drew, for seventy-five cents a day. Alexander Holmes, owner.

"December 23. Moderated and steamer took her to Boston. I stopped on board of her finishing some jobs till she sailed. Captain J. Searles, master, bound for Smyrna."

The newspaper item is from a New Bedford paper and shows that she was owned by J. and W. R. Wing of that city, in 1865, and used for a whaler.

On account of her sailing for Boston so soon after launching, it seems likely she was launched with masts in and fully rigged as was sometimes done if the owners were in a hurry to send the vessel to sea. In this case the hurry was probably due to fear that the river would freeze up because of the lateness of the season and the vessel be detained till spring. The steamer W- Forbes of Boston was a side wheel steamer and had been recently built and at that time was the most powerful towing steamer in the country. She was sold to the United States Government at the time of the Civil War, becoming part of the Navy.

Barke^ww C? Mary of Kingston, 242 tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, master carpenter, in 1849; owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes.

She was launched in 1849, and was first engaged in the Mediterranean fruit trade, com¬ manded by Captain Allan Dawes of Duxbury. Captain Dawes was a most capable ship master, the oldest of the three Dawes brothers, who at one time were all sailing in Joseph Holmes' vessels as masters. To distinguish him from his other brothers he was called, by the Holmes', "The Dawes," and his sudden death in 1857 was a great loss to them.

In 1853, Captain Winslow Johnson, a son of Captain Francis Johnson of Kingston, was placed in command. He had previously been mate under Captain Dawes, the latter now taking charge of the new bark, Fruiter , of which he was a part owner with Joseph and Edward Holmes.

April 23, 1853, the vessel was at San Domingo city, seventeen days from Boston. Return¬ ing to Boston, she sailed for Rio Janeiro and from there to New Orleans, cargo coffee.

October 1, 1853, Captain Johnson, writing the owners from New Orleans as to his arrival, also says that, "expenses in port high. After five weeks in port I have secured a charter for the bark for $650 per month, with privilege of continuing it for a year. I am now loaded with cotton for Genoa and sailing tonight. Have just money enough to pay my sailors' advance wages. I have sent home a small sum to keep my wife alive this winter."

They did not get to sea as expedted, for Obtober 12 he again writes, "I would have made a good voyage if I had gone north from Rio instead of coming to this eternal grave yard.

I should have made quite a saving voyage but coming here spoiled it. Myself and mate have both had the yellow fever, but, thank God, have recovered and am getting tough and ready to try another voyage. My nurse's bill was $5 a day. There were two captains and three mates buried here last week."

From Genoa the bark went to Palermo and was loaded for Boston January 21, 1854, ready for sea. From Boston she went to Rio Janeiro and loading coffee for New Orleans,

December 22, 1854, Captain W. S. Adams, who was at New Orleans in Joseph Holmes' ship, Nathan Hannau , writes Mr. Holmes as follows: "I have to inform you of the death of Captain Johnson of the bark, <Mnn & Mary. He died this morning from an attack of cholera. I shall have his remains sent home in the bark. The c Ann £5? Mary is nearly loaded for Boston and I shall try to get a good man to take charge of her."

Captain Adams writes Mr. Holmes, December 31, 1854, that "th e.Mnn £s? Mary went down the river the evening of the 29th - John M. Page is master who I think is a good man, and the other's pay is his agreement. Captain Page has the chro¬ nometer and charter belonging to Captain Johnson and the mate has his clothes and some other things in his care which are to be delivered to his friends.

"The bark's cargo consists of 1690 bbls. of flour and 237 bbls. of molasses, something over $9000 freight and primage. .<signed) w g

After her arrival in Boston it was decided to sell her, and February 13, 1855, she was offered to Brookhouse and Hunt of Salem for $10,000 and they purchased her for that amount. From that time there is no further record of this vessel.

Captain Johnson did not live long to enjoy his first command. For many years New Orleans had been considered a very unhealthy city, cholera and yellow fever being very common. All of the cotton ship captains write of the sickness in the city, and as they sometimes remained there several months, waiting for cargoes or advance in freights, their letters show much anxiety as to health conditions on board the shipping.

With the exception of Captain Paraclete Holmes and Captain William S. Adams, the three Dawes brothers sailed for Joseph Holmes the longest of any of his captains.

Captain Allen Dawes was the eldest, being born in Duxbury in 1812. Nothing can be found that connedts him with any of the Holmes' vessels until 1838 when letters to her owner, Joseph Holmes, show him to be in command of the brig Felice, new, and on her first voyage. He continued in her for several years, and next appears as captain of the barkeyfww Mary, also new, in 1849, 011 voyages up the Mediterranean for fruit.

In 1853 he was master and part owner with Joseph Holmes and his son Edward, of the bark Fruiter, new, engaged in the same trade. In 1855, Joseph Holmes built the bark Sicilian, of which he and Edward Holmes were also part owners. Giving up the Fruiter to his brother, Captain Josephus, he took over the new bark and remained in her until his death in 1857.

The voyages of these three brothers in vessels owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes are so told in the "Remarks" on these vessels that nothing but a brief sketch of them can be given here.

Ship Joseph Holmes of Kingston, 61 1 tons, built at Kingston by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes in 1851 ; owned by Joseph Holmes 8/ 16, William S. Adams 4/ 16, Edward Holmes 2/16, Paraclete Holmes 1/16, and Alexander Holmes 1/16.

Captain Allen Dawes

This was the largest vessel ever built in Kingston and her dimensions are of interest and were as follows: 141 feet 6 inches long, 35 feet io^f inches wide, and 15 feet 5 and 3/16 inches deep. She was valued by her owners, in 1851, November 28, as she lay in the Cow Yard (so called), Plymouth Harbor, with ballast and stores on board, at $36,000. Captain William S. Adams of Kingston, master.

May 13, 1854, she was in New Orleans. Captain Josselyn and later Captain Peter Hansen had her. She was sold in i860 for $17,600, and soon after lost. She was registered in King¬ ston, Mass., December 1, 1851, Joseph S. Beal, Esq., Department collector.

She seems to have been a very successful vessel, making many voyages to England and Europe from southern ports and was one of the best sailers the Holmes' had for ships.

Bark MessengerBird of Kingston, 41 8 tons, built at Kingston by Nathaniel D. Drew, mas¬ ter carpenter, in 1852; owned by Alexander Holmes 1 / 8 and Trueman Doan 1/8, of Orleans.

This vessel was built in the yard of Alexander Holmes, near the Poor House. C. A. Bart¬ lett's diary under date of February 23, 1852, says that she was launched with the masts in and in launching after she left the ways, she fell over on her side and remained till the next day when she was righted and taken to the wharf below the railroad bridge. "She was a long legged craft and very crank and required a great deal of ballast" and they had a great deal of trouble in going down the river to Rocky Nook Wharf and getting down the bay.

The dimensions of this bark were: 120 feet long, 27 feet wide, and 13 feet 10 inches deep. Trueman Doane was her first master and she was later sold, although Joseph Holmes might have had a small interest in her in 1859, for in an old letter of May 3, that year, to Joseph Holmes, from an insurance company of New York, it says that they are informed that the bark Messenger Bird , which they understood was owned by him had arrived at Valparaiso, although bound to Hampton Roads, the captain having run away with the vessel and cargo. It has always been understood that the vessel was never recovered or the captain caught and that Joseph Holmes and xMexander, his son, had sold all their interest in the vessel before she was run away with.

Schooner Ocean Bird of Kingston, 114 tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, master carpenter, and Joseph Holmes, in 1852; owned by Joseph Holmes.

The schooner Ocean Bird was used by the Holmes' many years, chiefly for freighting and voyages to West Indies and South America. She had many masters, at one time Captain Edwin Powers of Kingston, being in command.

January 12, 1854, she arrived at New York, Thomas Dodge, mas¬ ter, from Port au Prince, twentyfour days' passage; lost deck load, damaged sails, and crew all sick, only mate and one man able to do any work. In May, 1857, the schooner was at Para, Brazil, loaded for Salem, Captain Seth F.

Ships Of Kingston 89

sold. The following is Captain Bassett's last letter to Joseph Holmes and also the letter from the mate, David Nickerson, telling of Captain Bassett's death:

Dear Sir: The schooner Ocean Bird arrived at this port this morning without any material acci¬ dent, except death of Captain Bassett. He died at Para, May 16th, of yellow fever after an illness of only four days. Since that time the command of the schooner has devolved upon me and I have aded in that capacity to the best of my judge¬ ment for the benefit of the voyage and all concerned. I hope to have your instructions at the earliest moment what to do with the schooner and how to proceed.

In 1852, each of the building yards at the Landing, as it was then called, had a vessel on the stocks. Alexander Holmes, who then occupied the upper yard near the present Alms House, leasing it from John Drew, had the bark Messenger 'Bird building by Nathaniel D. Drew, master carpenter. Lysander Bartlett, Jr., was using his father's yard. This yard was some 200 yards up stream from the Railroad Bridge on land owned, in 1908, by Captain E. A. Ransom and H. M. Jones and later by Captain Ransom's heirs and Major George F. Sever, and called the middle yard. Here he was building the bark White Wings for the Delano's of Rocky Nook and others. Below the railroad bridge, at what is called the Landing today, Joseph Holmes and his son, Edward, were building in his yard the schooner Ocean Bird. The two upper yards above the bridge were soon to be given up, the master and other carpenters fortunately finding work with Joseph and Edward Holmes, who con¬ tinued building vessels in spite of the gradual depression in this business, which by 1857, had assumed serious proportions throughout the country. At this time and later, the losses to builders and owners of shipping can be traced to various causes, the chief of which was the financial panic of 1857. Following this came the increasing number of steam vessels and the diverting of the ships employed in the California trade to foreign commerce. Then the Civil War and destruction of shipping by enemies' cruisers brought about still further loss, and the smaller yards where vessels were only built on orders were, one by one, abandoned for lack of work.

Their operating expenses were so low they secured much of the freight formerly carried in Ameri¬ can bottoms. So from all these causes the sailing vessels as they became old or met disaster were not replaced and many years' su¬ premacy on the seas was lost to American commerce never to be revived.

Respefted Sir: I take the first opportunity of informing you of our arrival without anything unusual occurring on our passage which was 32 days; rather a long passage, but considering our chances it did very well. I exped: to leave for Salem in about ten days and the last of June you may exped: us on the coast if nothing happens. It is quite healthy here at present and I hope it will remain so.

schooners Qosmos , Ocean B ird , Kjngfisher and (Jlarh^ Wins or , these four being built at various times by Joseph Holmes, all being of a like rig and of about the same dimensions. One plan was used, as was done with the ships Joseph Holmes and^A (athan Hannau. Because of the beauty of the name, Ocean Bird , for a vessel of this class, I have called the plan shown here that of the Ocean Bird.

Schooner Qosmos of Kingston, no tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, master carpenter, and Joseph Holmes, in 1848; owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes.

This schooner was used for fishing, coasting and West India voyages several years. In December, 1853, she was at St. Thomas in distress, John Allen, master, and bound from Boston to Jacmel. She was hove down in a hurricane while under bare poles and had to cut away foremast, losing sails, jib-boom, etc. She was also commanded by Captain Albert Holmes, Plymouth, and S. O. Whitman, and sold at New York, i860. The following is a letter to Joseph Holmes from Captain John Allen of Harwich, Mass., relating the disaster

Dear Sir: It is with feelings of deep regret and dis¬ appointment that I am compelled to acquaint you of my arrival at this port a perfedt wreck. I experienced a tremendous hurricane on the night of the 24th of November in Latt. 230 - 40', Long. 6g° - 50' and whilst under bare poles the vessel was hove down on her beam ends and I cut away her foremast carrying with it main topmast, jib-boom and bowsprit in the cap and both jibs. She then came up and soon after the hurricane abated and on the morning of the 25th we hoisted out our boat and worked until night and with much difficulty we saved a broken jib-boom and flying-jib and then made the best of our way to this port, where we arrived on the 3rd inst. I should have steered for Jacmel which I could have reached two days sooner but from my experience in the ports of San Domingo, it would have been impossible to have procured mast or rigging. I shall get repaired as soon and as cheap as possible and proceed to Jacmel. I hope to get away from here in a week. There are eight wrecks in here now, and a mast alone for the Cosmos costs 5300.00.

Under date of December 24, 1853, Captain Allen again writes that he has completed his repairs on schooner Qosmos and "shall sail today for Jacmel. The whole amount of the repairs being $1,734.15.'' In a postscript he writes, "Excuse my bad writing. I am not well."

He did not get to sea as expedited; for January 8, 1854, the firm of Piniston and Company to whom the captain had consigned the Qosmos on arriving at St. Thomas, wrote Joseph

By request of Captain Allen of the Cos¬ mos we have to advise his being detained here for the past 10 days owing to severe illness not only of himself but also the mate and two of the crew. We had them all brought ashore and all proper assistance and attention rendered them. Captain Allen, the mate and steward are somewhat better, although, still very weak, but in addition to Captain Allen's troubles he had the misfortune to lose his son yesterday, after a few days' illness. Captain Allen naturally feels very much disheartened both as to detention of the vessel and his Sail Plan of Topsail Schooner Ocean Bird of Kingston, 1852 own private griefs. He has also allowed the former to prey too much on his mind which has in some measure retarded his own recovery. We beg to say, however, in his behalf that he has done all that man could do towards dispatching matters and the vessel's detention has been all together beyond his control.

The prevalence of cholera here from which they are dying at the rate of 40 or 50 per day has put a stop to all business and it is a very difficult matter to obtain laborers here for the most trifling work. Cap¬ tain Allen leaves this morning and has drawn on you 2 small drafts in favor of Cushing Stetson for $70.55 and $117.90, which we recommend to your protection. These two drafts are for expenses of himself and crew during sickness and burial of his son.

The schooner proceeded on her voyage to Jacmel, loaded and sailed for Boston; March 7, she left Harwich, Mass., for Boston in command of Captain Smith, as Captain Allen was sick and had put into Harwich, his home, on that account and was not able to continue the voyage to Boston.

The year 1 8 54 was a hard year for Joseph Holmes' vessels for he not only had the schooner Qosmos and ship T^aritan in distress at St. Thomas at the same time in January, but the same month the brig Qudtavus was at Charleston, S. C., in distress and the brig zAuguli was high and dry on the beach at Scituate harbor.

February 16, Captain Thomas Dodge of the schooner, Ocean Bird, writes Joseph Holmes that the schooner has been ashore on the Common Flats in Stage Harbor, Chatham. Carried on shore by ice while anchored, but was got off not much damaged by help from ashore and would continue on her voyage to Boston.

Schooner QlarkJWinsor of Kingston, 124 tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, mas¬ ter carpenter, and Joseph Holmes, in 1850; owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes.

This schooner was used for West India voyages. From an old letter to Mr. Holmes from the captain of a vessel that lay alongside at Port au Prince, November 22, 1853, we find that Captain Percival of the QarK Winsor is sick on shore with yellow fever. Mate on board, drunk the whole 24 hours round, and had sold most of the provisions, and the vessel ready for sea. Later the mate was taken sick with the fever, as were all the crew. It was very sickly all through the West Indies in those days, many vessels losing their entire crews.

June 19, 1855, this vessel was lost on a reef at 3.30 a.m., twenty miles south of Inagua, bound from Gonaives to Boston, Captain F. M. Percival. She was carried out of her course by strong currents. The vessel soon filled and was a total loss. Captain and crew saved and taken to Inagua. The following is Captain Percival's letter giving the account of her loss:

Sir , I have to inform you of the loss of your vessel, Clark Winsor , on the morning of June 19, 1855? at 3:30. Struck a reef on south side of the island of Inagua. Commenced heaving deck load over-board. At daylight found the vessel had bilged and breaking up fast; at 6.00 got out the boat and left the vessel with great difficulty and got here at 9.00.

a good departure from St. Nicholas Mole. By the course steered judged ourselves 20 miles to the southwest of the island when she struck, where she now lays. They have got off some of the rigging and sails which will be sold next week. The salvage will be about 70 %. I have been sick ever since we left Gonaives. The mate and crew will come in on a brig bound to Bangor next week, when I'll write you again.

This vessel had several different captains, mostly men belonging to the Cape. Among them were the brothers J. W. and F. M. Percival, Stephen Ellis, Jr., and Albert Holmes of Plymouth.

She was registered at the Plymouth Custom House, the customs port of Kingston, as a schooner, but all letters speak of her as a brig, and she may have been rigged as a brig after her first voyage. She was a regular topsail schooner on the plans, which was often called a brig, and by so doing confusing the entirely different rigs. The topsail schooner had a foremast about as long as the mainmast with a fore and aft foresail, a foreyard, fore- topsail yard and fore-topgallant yard. She seemed to have been used wholly for West India voyages and the square sails forward were a great help in shortening the passage with the fair wind of the northeast trades.

At this time the schooners engaged in the West India trade carried a yard on the fore¬ mast with a large square sail for use in fair winds, both yard and sail being hoisted aloft from the deck and when not in use lowered and yard stowed on deck. The schooner captains in writing to the owners sometimes say that they needed a square sail, that their voyage would have been accomplished in a much shorter time if the square sail had been on board, or that it could have been used. In the hurry of getting to sea it seems to have been forgotten or else found to be too poor to set. It was singular that in the space of four years three of Joseph Holmes' vessels were wrecked in the West Indies, less than one hundred miles from each other, and that the two that were lost in 1 855 were commanded by the brothers Percival.

Schooner King Fisher of Kingston, 120 tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, Master Carpenter, and Joseph Holmes, in 1853; owned by Joseph Holmes.

The schooner King Fisher was built in 1853 and owned by the Holmes' for many years, being sold a little after i860. She was used mostly for coasting and West India voyages, but made some fishing voyages. In 1854 she was at Wilmington, N. C., for lumber, Captain, Albert Holmes of Plymouth. In 1856, at Pernambuco, Captain Ebenezer Pierce of Ply¬ mouth, bound to Baltimore. In 1857 fishing on the Grand Banks, Captain Otis Finney, Master. From this time until the vessels belonging to the Holmes' gave up Bank fishing, Captain Finney was continually employed by them as master of fishing vessels.

February 7, i860, the schooner was chartered at New York for Barracoa, Cuba, for a cargo of fresh fruit by way of Savannah and back to New York, John T. Holmes, Master. She arrived in March with cargo in good condition. This was one of the first times, I think, that vessels brought cargoes of fruit north. Soon after this voyage the schooner was sold to Mattapoisett parties who used her for whaling. On a whaling voyage she was captured and burned March 23, 1863, near the equator, off the coast of Brazil by Captain Raphael Semmes, commanding the Confederate man-of-war, ^Alabama. At that time she carried a crew of twenty-three men.

Bark White Wings of Kingston, 293 tons, built at Kingston by Lysander Bartlett, Jr., in 1852; owned by Benjamin Delano, Joshua Delano, Freeman Sherman and Henry Pigeons.

For over fifty years he and his father, Lysander Bartlett, senior, were engaged in ship building on Jones River in Kingston. As an account of their operations has already been given, little remains to be told. Their names appear in the lists of Kingston vessels as builders, but never as owners to any great extent, and when a vessel left their yards they had no further interests in her. The records in the Plymouth Custom House give the names of thirty-nine vessels, ships, barks, brigs, schooners and sloops which were built by the father and son.

Lysander Bartlett, senior, was a deacon in the Baptist Society of Kingston, and their yard, sometimes spoken of as the Middle Yard, was usually called Deacon Bartlett's yard, although leased from the Drews. On his death his son succeeded him in this office and became Deacon Bartlett. This title of Deacon like that of Captain for the master of a vessel was always used when addressing them, and it was considered very disrespeftful to both to speak of them in a less formal manner.

His father lived in a house opposite to the entrance to the Alms House property which was burned a number of years ago, and he was born there, in 1805, dying at his home in Stony Brook, in 1890, eighty-five years old.

Several old models of vessels designed by him or his father are shown at the Bradford House in Kingston and a few of their pictures that were made for the owners, appear in this book.

The work done in their yard must have been very satisfactory to those they built for as the records show that most of them had a number of vessels constructed here, some of them remaining afloat many years. Two of these old ones were owned by the Delanos of Kingston: the schooner Qordova , built in 1835 and sold soon after 1882, forty-seven years old, and the schooner Kjng F hi lip, built in 1845 and s°ld about the same time, thirtyseven years old. They were nearly of the same tonnage, the Kjng Philip being of ninetyseven tons and the (jordova , ninety-three tons. Both were used for Bank fishing, coasting and West India voyages and the dimensions of the (jordova were 69 feet long, 18 feet wide and 8 feet deep, and these figures will apply to the Kjng Fhilip. They were full bowed and had a white band around their hulls at the water ways, with painted ports, old style, masts raking well aft and bowsprits steeved very high, giving them a decidedly odd appearance alongside of the modern vessels. In spite of their size and model these schooners survived the perils and dangers of the sea when larger ones were never heard from, which speaks well for their seaworthi¬ ness and the quality of the work and material the Bartletts put into their vessels.

Bark Fruiter of Kingston, 290 tons, built at King¬ ston by Edward Holmes, Master Carpenter, and Joseph Holmes, in 1853; owned by Joseph Holmes 6/8, Allen Dawes 1/8, and Edward Holmes 1/8.

This vessel was built for the Mediterranean fruit trade and was used in that trade most of the time while owned by the Holmes. Captain Allen Dawes was her first master, and later his brothers, Jo¬ sephus and James H. Dawes, were in command.

Lysander Bartlett, Jr

and in 1859 she was under the command of Captain Andrew Burditt of Duxbury. She was sold in 1859 for $10,000, having cost $18,000 when new and ready for sea, July 4, 1853.

She was a very sharp vessel, noted for making fast passages in the fruit trade, and was painted green, and called "The Green Box." Captain Jo¬ sephus Dawes says that he always tried to have a crew of Cape Ann fishermen in the winter, as they made the best sailors when it came to carrying sail and racing on the runs home with fruit, as it meant many dollars to the owner of the cargo if the vessel should get into port first, when several vessels were due to arrive about the same time.

In making these fruit voyages home, sail was always carried to the limit and many vessels in this trade were never heard from after passing Gibraltar, having probably been run under carry¬ ing sail. Most of these fruit vessels came into Bos¬ ton, being small barks and a few brigs.

The Holmes' continued to have vessels in the trade till about 1863 and had besides the Fruiter , barks zAnn & Mary^Abby, Sicilian ^Neapolitan and Fruiterer and brig Fird of the Wave , all very fast and earning a great deal of money for the owners.

In March, 1859, the Fruiter , Captain Andrew Burditt of Duxbury, was at Wilmington, N. C., for Rio de Janeiro with a cargo of 160,000 feet of lumber, and the captain expeds a forty-five days' passage. This was her last voyage while owned by the Holmes.

He was born in Duxbury, in 1820. His father was a sea captain and he went to sea with him when seven years old, and at ten, signed the ship's articles as a boy before the mast on a Bank fishing trip with his father. When he was twenty-one years old he was given the command of the schooner September of Kingston, belonging to Joseph Holmes, having sailed as mate with his brother, Captain Allen Dawes, in vessels belonging to Mr. Holmes.

Captain Dawes was always fond of telling how Joseph Holmes wanted him to go as cap¬ tain of one of his vessels when he was only twenty and how he said to him, "Well, I think you had better wait until I am twenty-one and a man for myself."

He continued in this schooner for a number of years, engaged in coasting and West India voyages, making many trips to Jacmel, Haiti and Porto Plata. On giving up the September he took charge of the new brig CfuStavus of Kingston, in 1846, and the story of his voyages in her and the later fruit barks is told in the "Remarks" on these vessels, whose pictures are in this book.

He remained in Joseph Holmes' employ for nineteen years and was a most successful ship master for him. Although making very fast passages, his owners were never called upon to make good for any loss of sails or spars belonging to a vessel while in his charge.

His picture is from a photograph taken at about the time he gave up Joseph Holmes' employ. He died at Island Creek, Duxbury, in 1910, ninety years of age, a very adive man up to the last and the only survivor of all the deep-water captains that lived here and once commanded vessels hailing from this port.

The bark Fruiter seemed to be a favorite with all of the Dawes brothers, not only as to speed, but weatherly qualities as well, and in their letters to Joseph Holmes, frequent comparisons were made between her and the newer vessels. She was commanded by the three brothers in the order of their ages, and there are more pictures painted of her than of any other Kingston vessel.

Among the stories of the pas¬ sages he made in the bark was one in which the captain said that oftentimes when he got through the Straits of Gibraltar the Fruiter would put her bow under water and they would never see it again until they made Boston Light.

This is much like the story told of the English tea clipper only in that case it was the lee rail that was never seen from the time of discharging the pilot in China until the pilot came on board in the English Channel.

This vessel was named <iAbby for Abby Bosworth Holmes, the daughter of Edward Holmes, and had for a figurehead a young girl with long, flowing hair. In those days girls were very proud to have a vessel named for them and it was always considered a great honor. As this vessel was soon lost the little that is known of her now comes from a few letters written by her captains to Joseph Holmes from the various ports she visited.

She appears to have been very fast, but could not always compete with the larger fruit barks in length of passage, especially during one of continuous heavy weather which was usually encountered in the North Atlantic ocean in winter on a voyage to or from European ports. The captains of these small vessels of the Holmes' drove them very hard and loaded them deep and their letters often show that there was great rivalry between them il bound to the same port as to who should be first to arrive.

But these vessels were well built and found, and commanded by able and experienced men, so when a loss did occur it was not through any fault of those in charge, weather conditions alone being responsible; a case of peril and danger of the sea. Many of the Holmes' captains remained in their employ from the time of their first command till they retired from the sea, being appointed to the new vessels as they were built and their old commands sold.

The bark zAbby was launched in the fall of 1854 and her first voyage was from Boston to Constantinople in command of Captain J. W. Nickerson of Harwich, who continued in her as master till relieved by his brother, Augustus Nickerson. She arrived at Constantinople the first part of February, 1855, and under date of the nth of that month Captain Nicker¬ son writes Joseph Holmes that, "After a hard passage I have the privilege of writing informing you of our business. We had a very hard passage, severe weather from the Grand Bank to Minorca, winds from N.E. to E.S.E. and blowing a gale most part of the time. After making Cape Matapan took a gale, blowed me half way to Malta again. It has been a very severe winter on this coast. You will see by the papers I was obliged to throw over my deck load between the Grand Bank and Western Islands. T\\QzAbby is a fine sea vessel can be no better. We had a chance to try her. She sails well, carries her canvas well and no vessel has passed her this passage. I was some feared about her when I sailed from

Boston, after hearing so much said against her but after the first gale I saw how she behaved I felt safe. I arrived here on the 6th night. We have to go from here to Smyrna to load. The house here is good. I think I will accomplish my voyage in five months. You can look for me in that time unless they keep me over my lay days. I should have written by the other steamer but I was not able, my stomach felt so bad I could not. I hurt it very bad but it is getting better. I think I shall get away from here in ten days.

I left Constantinople February 23rd. Arrived at Smyrna March 2nd finding freights very dull. I ex¬ pected to find the remainder of my cargo already when I arrived at Smyrna but got disappointed; we have freight enough I think engaged to fill us within eighty bales. I think as my lay days will be up by the time I get this in and freights so dull they will not keep me over so I shall sail on the nth. The Abby will be in better trim when I leave Smyrna than when I left Boston. We had very severe weather out the worst that I ever saw crossing the Atlantic. The Abby behaved well for the trim she was in and is a good sea vessel. I have had a good chance to try her.

The bark Sultana will leave here two or three days ahead of me for Boston. She is a clipper, 450 tons, so there will be a chance to try the sailing qualities ot the Abby. You may look for me in five or six days after the Sultana arrives.

We do not know how this race came out as no records are at hand as to their arrival in Boston. Captain J. W. Nickerson writes from Boston on May 31, 1855, that: business is very dull at present here and no prospeCt of its being any better at present. I take the liberty of giving you my opinion about the Abby. I should think there was but a small chance of chartering her at present, unless we go to Port au Prince or some such place and if you think best to bring her home after trying this week, if nothing offers, please write. I think in four or five weeks there will be some charters for the Mediterranean. If you think best to have her brought home please send one of the Fruiter s boats, as I have none.

This shows the bark had arrived previous to the date of the letter. In his letter from Smyrna the captain speaks of bales; these were bales of rags which formed a part or the whole of the cargo.

had offered for the Abby $1300.00 to go from Boston to Aux Caves, twenty lay days in Aux Cayes and thence back to Boston. I wish you would send me word Mon¬ day morning what I shall do and I would just say if Captain Dawes leaves the Fruiter I should be very glad to have her as the Abby is too small for hard times.

N. B. It is quite sickly in Aux Cayes by the ac¬ counts. I would come and see you but I have no one to keep ship. I am alone so I send this letter.

This charter for a West India voyage was not accepted and the next heard from the <iAbby is that she was at Smyrna, Captain J. W. Nickerson writing Joseph Holmes as follows:

Dear Sir: I arrived at this port after a very moderate passage of sixty days, j shared about the fate that most of the rest did, a great deal of calm weather. The Sea Bird that sailed in company with me has not arrived yet. She passed the Rock of Gibralter about the time I did, she was reported. I shall never try again to beat the Fruiter until I have something to compete with her. I never tried harder to beat a vessel than I have this voyage to beat the Fruiter , and I begin to think the harder a man tries the slower he gets along often¬ times When I arrived and found she was there my

The Fruiter spoken of by Captain Nickerson in his letter belonged to Joseph Holmes and was one, if not the fastest bark engaged in carrying fruit to Boston and New York from the Mediterranean and as she was nearly twice as large as th QcAbby, Captain Nicker¬ son ought not to have expedited to better the Fruiter s passage unless conditions were greatly in his favor.

A message by the Cape Cod Felegraph from Boston to Joseph Holmes, Kingston, dated December 25, 1855, reads, "The bark iAbby has arrived,'' which shows she returned to Boston.

Captain James W. Nickerson now gave up the command of th tcAbby to his brother, Captain Augustus Nickerson of Harwich, and took command of Joseph Holmes' ship, ^Nathan Hannau , which was employed in the cotton trade.

On taking command of the bark, Joseph Holmes gave Captain Augustus Nickerson a letter of instructions or, as he called it, orders, as he was accustomed to do with all of his captains. His orders were very plain to understand, expressed in well-chosen words, and show him to have been a very religious man. They were signed by Mr. Holmes and the captain in duplicate. Those to Captain Nickerson are similar to all the others he wrote and on account of the language used I will give them in full.

Dear Sir: You being Master of the Bark Abby , of Kingston, now in the harbor of Boston and ready for sea and bound on a voyage from Boston to South America and back to Boston, under charter to Messrs. Cunningham & Co., Merchants of Bos¬ ton, my instructions to you are, that you perform said voyage under the direction of the Messrs. Cunningham and back to Boston or New York. You will allow nothing taken on board your vessel that will make her liable to seizure in any Port you may visit during your voyage and cruise. You will manage the business of your vessel with all possible prudence and economy, remembering your vessel is not insured and expend nothing on her at any time but what is necessary to keep her safe and seaworthy to return home. You will provide your vessel with good provisions but no ardent spirits, except for medicinal uses. You will write by every opportunity giving me an account of your welfare and business.

Wishing you a pleasant and prosperous voyage I commit and commend you to the GOD* of the winds and the waves, may His spirit attend to guide, to sustain and to bless and return in safety to your home and friends.

The bark was soon at sea again, bound to South America. Captain A. Nickerson in writ¬ ing Joseph Holmes from Pernambuco, February 13, 1856, says:

I arrived here last night after a thirty-three days' passage without any mishap. I had one man frozen so badly the first night out he never got out of his berth afterwards. The first of February he died of the lockjaw so I had but two men all of the passage. I had one of the most severe gales I ever saw about a week out. Lay to under a mizzenstaysail forty-eight hours, most of the time with lee rail under water which drove me to the west¬ ward and lengthened my passage, being lighthanded,

P. S. My brother thought he could make the pas¬ sage in thirty-five days. Tell him it I come here again in the month of January with a full crew I will make it in twenty-five.

here. It is also very sickly. My mate is sick and I am just so that I keep about. I shall send this by the brig Fillmore, bound to Baltimore, a very fast vessel. I beat her out but I am so deep that she may beat me on. Yours &c.,

Sir, I arrived here from Rio after a passage of thirty-eight days. I had a good passage up to the latitude of Bermuda and after that gales of wind and calms. Twenty-five days from Rio I was within five days' easy sail of New York. I was very deep

Sir, Your favor came duly to hand. I commenced discharging today. The coffee is in pretty good order. There is some damage by leakage through the deck. When you write again please to state what arrange¬ ments you have made or shall make in relation to

Dear Sir, I chartered the Abby to parties here yester¬ day to go to Cape Haytien with the privilege of Gonaives with twenty-five lay days. If I get away from there in less than that time $10.00 per day for each day so saved to be subtracted from the charter, and if loaded coming on, drawing ten feet four inches aft and nine feet five inches forward. I think I can get a decent freight to go back to Rio again if it does not interfere with your calculations. I await your orders.

settlement of the charter, etc., and also whojis your man of business here, if you have any one in par¬ ticular. I have obtained nothing certain as yet for the bark to do. Am to receive an answer this afternoon- Yours &c.,

I lie longer than that $25.00 per day demurrage. I am to send a boat ashore at Cape Haytien for orders. If I discharge there I load there, if I proceed to Gonaives and discharge and return to Cape Haytien to load my passage from Gonaives to Haytien counts as lay days.

Sir, The wind being ahead I shall not be able to sail today. As I cannot get all my bills together in time enough to draw money and pay them myself I shall approve them and send them to Messrs. J. O. Baker & Co. to be paid. I have of them $231.47. I shall try and get away tomorrow if possible. As you are aware I have very low wages. If I accomplish this voyage to your satisfaction I think you should pay me Sixty Dollars per month.

Evidently Captain Nickerson did not get to sea as soon as he expedled for a letter from his agents dated New York, May 22, 1856, to Joseph Holmes, says:

We enclose our account of cash advanced Bark Abby some trouble with the crew. Not serious, we believe, showing amount due us of $766.10 which you can re- We remain with much regard, mit to us. We also send vouchers. The bark we believe Yours truly

Vessels often had trouble with their crews getting drunk or running away if obliged to remain in port any length of time after they were shipped. Having received a month's advance pay and spent it they were always ready to leave if there was a possible chance and try for another ship with the customary advance wages. We do not know when the zAbby reached Gonaives, but a letter to Mr. Holmes from there says:

Sir, I am now lying here about three quarters loaded. It is very sickly here. One American brig is lying here ready to sail the last four days. All hands sick aboard of her. Sickness is very expensive here as they will not allow you to have a man die on board under a penalty. I have one man on shore sick now and I have been sick myself but am some better now. I have had two men sick. Have had to hire men to get my cargo on board. I shall probably sail within a week or ten days. I shall sail when I get loaded if there is no one well on board but my mate and myself. Yours &c.,

Many times vessels have left West Indian or South American ports with crews sick, men from on shore or from other vessels helping to make sail and work them out of the harbor. They thought if they once got to sea the crew would soon get well. This usually happened, but sometimes they died, leaving the vessel very short handed and then she was fortunate if able to make port without assistance and escape a bill for salvage for a large amount as was the case of the brig Qustavus a few years before, when she was reported at Nassau with her captain, mate and crew all dead but one man, having been brought in by wreckers.

Sir, I left Gonaives the first day of July with one to go to Malaga and back with thirty lay days there man sick besides myself. Three days out another for $2100.00. man was taken sick and died; then my steward was lours &c.,

The following is the last letter that can be found in Joseph Holmes' letter files from Cap¬ tain Augustus Nickerson of Harwich, Mass., master of the barkc lAbby of Kingston, Mass.

Sir, I received yours of the 20th, this morning. I am very sorry that I have not succeeded in satisfy¬ ing you in regard to the charter of the bark. I did not receive your letter until two days after I had chartered. It is a very good charter for the times in New York. A vessel of 275 tons was chartered here yesterday to go to Palermo with thirty-five lay days for $3000.00. That is a month's longer voyage than mine. I consider mine a three and one-half month's voyage.

This proved to be th ezAbby's last voyage. From a letter from Nantucket to Joseph Holmes, we find she sailed from New York the first part of August, arriving in Malaga, September 10, 1856. She was never heard from after leaving Malaga. Lost with all hands. A copy of a letter from Joseph Holmes to J. O. Baker and Co., New York, dated January 20, 1857, says:

Dear Sirs: I enclose a charter party of the bark Abby to Messrs. Howes and Co., of your city for a voyage to Malaga and back to New York. She is probably lost. Her charter was half due on arrival at Malaga as you will see by document. I wish you

Another letter to Mr. Holmes from a ship chandler in New York, dated January 30, 1857, says: "Enclosed please find bill for provisions for your bark<vf^y, which I fitted out last August, the vessel being now overdue at our port of New York some two months and I fear she has been lost at sea."

About this time another firm of New York ship chandlers sent Joseph Holmes a bill against the barkcyf^y for supplies, not approved by Captain Nickerson before his last sailing, and on that account it was disputed by Mr. Holmes. In writing this firm protesting this bill he closes his letter to them saying, "this bill which you now present has laid in the dark six months and floats up from a sinking ship to be paid from nothing."

Respefted Sirs: I have taken the liberty to address you a few lines respecting the whereabouts of the bark Abby which sailed from the port of New York in August 1856 for Malaga. I saw by the New York Herald of her arrival there, the 10th of September, since which I have not heard from her. My son, Timothy W. Riddle, Jr., went out second officer of her and if you can give me any information respeCtingher you will con¬ fer a great obligation on an anxious parent and his family. With much respedt,

If the captain had received Mr. Holmes' letter before charter¬ ing to Malaga the vessel and he and his crew might not have been lost, as they would have gone to a different port.

From Captain Nickerson's letters he appears to have done everything possible to be successful with the zAbby, giving careful attention to loading and discharging cargoes, securing paying charters and using dispatch in getting to sea and the prosecution of his voyage.

The cargo loaded at Malaga was fruit which they were anxious to have landed in New York in the shortest possible time and' the zAbby being deeply loaded was probably lost by carrying sail too long in the heavy fall gales of the North Atlantic, in order that her passage might be shortened by a few days.

The bark < Abby, brig F ird of the Wave , and the schooner, May Fee, were the only vessels belonging to Joseph Holmes' large fleet that can be recorded as sailed and never heard from; lost with all hands.

I know of no better way of showing how the owners of vessels carried on business at this period when American ships of all rigs, flying the American flag were to be seen in every port of the world, than to give the captain's letters in full, concerning the bark zAbby.

Considering the number of vessels owned by Joseph Holmes during his life, few were lost when new and as thee Abby was only two years old when she made her last voyage it was not difficult to follow them as most of the letters of the two brothers who commanded her had been saved.

The voyages made by the other vessels owned by the Holmes' were of the ordinary kind, accompanied by the usual accidents of the sea as to the loss of spars, sails and so forth.

of Kingston, who kept a diary, says, "Aug. 19, 1853. Joinering a little brig for Alexander Holmes, in his yard. Nathaniel D. Drew, builder. Jan. 21st, 1854. The brigantine Franks Henry went out of the river, launched the 19th, bound for Boston. No ice or snow."

She was launched fully rigged and ready for sea. Alexander Holmes, grandson of the owner, has the half hulled model of this vessel and it shows the finest lines of any of the vessels built on Jones River.

Evidently an error has been made in describing the rig of the FranJ^Henry. The records in the Plymouth Custom House seem to have classed this vessel as a schooner, but she was always spoken of as a brig. Since her name was recorded in the present story of Kingston vessels, the sheer and spar plans have been found thatweremadeby herdesigner,NathanielD. Drew. These show her to have been rigged as a hermaphrodite brig, a rig that was then fast taking the place of the brigantine and full rigged brig. At this time any two-masted vessel with yards on her foremast and a square foresail was called a brig or brigantine by those who worked or went in them, and unless there is a picture of spar plan it is impossible to know what was the adtual rig of the vessel.

Bark Sicilian of Kingston, 321 tons, built at Kingston in 1855, by Edward Holmes, master carpenter, and Joseph Holmes; owned by Joseph Holmes Edward Holmes 1/8 and Allen Dawes 1/8.

The bark Sicilian was built for the Mediterranean fruit trade. Her dimensions were as follows: 1 15 feet 3P2 inches long, 25 feet 10 inches wide and 11 feet 10 inches deep. She was valued at $ 20,000 when she first sailed December 18, 1855. She was first commanded by Captain Allen Dawes; January 7, 1856, he was in her at Marseilles and the bark Fruiter commanded by Captain Josephus Dawes was at the same port, both being from Boston. Captain Allen says he thinks the Sicilian will sail as well as the Fruiter when he gets his sails cut so as to make them set.

He had a twenty-nine days' pas¬ sage out. He went to Malaga and back to Boston and died in 1857, when Captain Josephus Dawes took charge, Captain James being in the Fruiter.

Dawes, from New York; cargo, rum. He says he had rum in his cabin, stateroom and deck house, and that she was never so full of cargo since she was built. Most of his provisions were on deck as it was summer, and the bread and flour in the water closet in cabin. Captain Dawes left her about 1 86 1 and took the Fruiterer , new, and Captain Lavender took command of the Sicilian. He was followed by Captain Andrew Burditt as master who continued as such until she was sold to Boston in 1864. She was sold to Baker and Morrill of Boston for $16,000.

The following item is from the Boston Qlobe of March 3, 1925, and is taken from an article on "Two Forgotten North Shore Wrecks. Barks from the Mediterranean Lost

The article after describing the loss of the bark Fedesco with all hands, January 18, 1857, also described the loss of the bark 1 Vernon , February 5, 1859, when all hands were saved and concludes:

"It was somewhat singular in regard to this vessel that, having sailed from Messina on the same day with the bark Sicilian , both vessels should meet in the Boston Bay on Wednesday night, in a snowstorm, and that after recognizing each other, the former should go ashore on the north side of the bay and the latter, by standing more to the southward, should experience a similar misfortune by driving upon Calf Island, near the Outer Brewster.

The Sicilian , however, was rather more fortunate than her consort. After striking, she swept off into deep water and her commander, Captain James H. Dawes, immediately let go his anchors. The crew manned the pumps and by dint of hard labor kept the vessel free.

The bark Neapolitan was also built for the fruit trade and was valued at $20,000 when she first sailed from Boston. Her first voyage was from Boston to Smyrna, Captain David Ellis, and she was there March 6, 1856, together with the Fruiter , bound to Boston. In 1857 and 1858 she was in the West Coast of Africa trade, carrying to Boston palm oil, which was picked up in small lots along the coast, often making the voyages quite long, Captain Ellis then being master.

In January, 1862, while bound from Mediterranean ports with fruit for Boston, Captain Andrew Burditt, master, she was captured in the Straits of Gibraltar by the Confederate cruiser Sumter , Captain Raphael Semmes, and burned, the captain and crew being allowed to save their personal effects, and landed at Gibraltar.

The Sumter was the first ship of war commissioned by the Confederate States and the first to fly the Confederate flag. She was a small screw steamer of 500 tons burden rigged as a barken tine, that had escaped the blockade at New Orleans, June 30, 1861. After cruis¬ ing in the West Indies and on the coast of South America, having captured and burned a number of Northern vessels, she arrived at Cadiz, Spain, for repairs and coal. She was ordered to sea by the Spanish government and was on her way to Gibraltar when the capture of the Neapolitan took place. The account of the capture and burning is best told in Admiral Semmes' own words:

"We made the light at Gibraltar just as the day was dawning, and hurried on by the cur¬ rent, moved rapidly up the Strait. Several sails that were coming down the Mediterranean became plainly visible from the deck as the twilight developed into day. We could not think of running into Gibraltar before overhauling these sails; we might, perchance, find an enemy among them, and so we altered our course and gave chase; as so many barks, ancient and modern, heathen, Christian and Moor had done before us in this famous old Strait.

"The telescope soon revealed the secret of the nationality of two of the sails; they being as plainly as symmetry and beauty of outline, the taper and grace of spars, and whiteness of canvas - produced upon our own cotton fields - could speak, American. To these, therefore, we directed our attention.