From Thomas Waters Jr. to his parents Thomas and Elizabeth Waters (October 16, 1840)

[Thomas Waters to his parents]

Addressed to Mrs Capt Waters, 1 King Street, Woolwich, Kent, England

letter 4th Oct 16th 1840

Dear Father and Mother

We are now in port at the island of Timor off the Dutch fort and settlement of Copang.  You cannot imagine the scene around, from the deck you may see the fort with plenty of breaches in the wall or outworks; the white houses which compose the village and the Palm, Cocoa, Tamarind and other trees which grow on the island. On board, between decks a very different one, we have the crew of the English barque Rifleman on board who with our crew are making themselves jovial or drunk over as much rack as they can drink, in the midst of them is the dead body of our armourer (who I found dead in his bunk this morning, he’s been ill some time, having broken two of his ribs by a fall, in a gale of wind off Madagascar) stretched on a hatch alongside of his coffin, with a bottle of rack and a glass upon it: but I must knock off writing until to morrow as the Captain’s singing out for his crew to man his boat, to row him aboard the Rifleman. Sunday. We’ve buried the armourer with all the honours we could pay him, all the ships both English and Dutch having their respective ensigns half mast high.  We have had two men fall from the main topmast lee yard arm; but fortunately, they struck the fore topmast stud’ng sail tack, and carried it away, which broke their fall or most likely they would have been smashed, instead of breaking a few ribs. this happen’d off the small island of St Paul’s [Ile Saint-Paul]: Lat.S 38° 42′ Long.77° 52′ where we went ashore, that is to say the captain’s boats crew, there’s plenty of pigs on the island, and grass, but neither trees, shrubs, or human beings, a very mountaneous country and seems to be of volcanic origin, that which appears to have been the crater forming now a fine bason or lagoon with boiling hot springs on its banks, we caught several boat loads of fish something like cod’s but larger. we caught them as fast as we could bait our hooks and as to Right whales, that is; the whale which produces black bone and lamp oil, we could hardly keep them from staving the boat. in fact I counted 13 at one time on top of the water. on the island is the grave of the chief mate of an American whaler who was killed by a whale off this island, the next islands we saw was Sumbaya [Sumbawa] and Sandalwood but on account of the inhabitants being cannibals we did not land, we heard from an American ship the Delta, a right whaler, who we spoke 2 days before, that they, the cannibles, had taken a ship, murdered the crew and then set fire to her, whether true or false I cannot say; we then made the island of Savu [Sawu Island] Lat. 10° 31’S Long. 122°E where we took in fresh provisions. we then sailed to Timor where we are watering etc.  we get plenty of wild buffaloes though they are troublesome animals to get into the boat. we have to fetch them from about a mile in the country with a rope fast to their heads and another to their hind legs, two hands to each rope and I being a fast runner have to take the head rope and I can assure you it’s no joke to have a couple of long horns within a few feet of your stern, for I’m obliged to keep close to him so as to make them run at me to get him down to the boat. on one occasion the rope made fast to the hind leg nearly slipp’d, in fact if he had not brought himself up standing at that instant I should most likely have had a stern chase but a short one only, for he was close to me and had good headway, but after all its capital fun.  When we were at Savu I had to mind the boat till the Captain came, sometimes till 10 or 11 0 clock. I didn’t feel very comfortable surrounded by Malay with large knives by their sides trying to steal the lead from the head sheets at the same time others were trying to steal the iron thowls [a pin that serves as a fulcrum for rowing], as fast as I drove them away others would come and they would soon have walked away with the slack if I hadn’t taken the boat hook and at the same time some of the men hove in sight so then I didn’t care. however the next day they stole one but our Captain had something on board belonging to the Rajah, so the next day when we went ashore he got it again. I’m tired of port, I’d sooner almost be under close reefed topsails, we’ve had some hard row’s after whale’s but no luck, I hope before we see port again that we’ll have 1000 of Sperm so you must wish greasy luck to the Fawn the usual toast in a South Seaman.  My soap is useless to me, I cant even wash myself with it, even the Chinese nor Malays wont buy it though they are eager after English soap, when I offer’d mine to some they looked at it and then said trodda barguse i.e. ‘no good’ and gave it me back again. I’ve got some soap from our men cheaper than I could get it from the Captain, for they’ll give anything for money to get grog.  Wild is a true friend to me. he was nearly killed to day by a hundred and fifty gallon cask falling on him; the third mate (allow’d to be as good a sailor if not the best of any on board, he ran away from home when 9 years old and has been to sea nearly ever since, once or twice I pulled his after oar because his after oarsman was frightened so that he couldn’t pull an oar in fact he laid down in the boat, he’s ran away now at Copang) is a good friend to me, his name is Clark; of a night I sleep along side of him, on deck, on account of the terrible hotness of the weather.  The carpenter’s mate name Punter is a Woolwicher, perhaps John may recollect a person of that name in the Arsenal.  We’ve had a good passage round the cape considering the season it being winter-time we had some heavy gales off Madegascar and plenty of thunder lightning and rain at one time in the middle of a dark night after an hard day’s work when the starboard watch had just turned in, the gale increased so that we were obliged to call the watch from below to help to heave the ship to, the Captain told us to hold on lest we should be wash’d overboard. I held on to the wheel, with another hand for it required two to manage the wheel, it was very cold and the rain came down in torrents, the Captain served out plenty of grog night, and day, I had to take all the warm clothes out of my chest that I did not wear to keep warm when I turned in; for my blankets kept me as warm as two sheets of brown paper; in fact they are what are commonly called purser’s blankets; ript at both ends and cut down the middle: but we are in hot weather now so I dont feel the want of them.  Remember me to all enquireing friends and tell them I hope their life’s as comfortable as mine is, I wash my own clothes and mend them and can always find plenty to do. remember me kindly to Mrs Nickles and Col. Nickles Mrs Wood and Mrs Mercer I hope they are all in good health and that A.Mercer has got a commission and that Henry as passed his probation, likewise I hope that R.Nickles is in the Marines to his satisfaction.  I hope dear Father & Mother sisters and brothers that you all are quite well, I am all right. the Barque Rifleman which will bring this letter to England is a Sperm whaler with 2000 barrels on board homeward bound with good hopes.  If its not against your wishes I should like Harry Watson to read this. Do not forget to remember me to Mrs Watson.  How does Horatio Bissett weather it, I hope he’s got a ship to his liking.  I hope Mrs Bissett and her family are comfortable. R.Bissett I hope is quite well likewise W and J Billings G.Vaughan and Henry Skinner. All the officers and the Captain I like very well they are all very kind to me.  I hope Mr Street is quite well.  Wild is like a brother to me and I hope some day to repay him for his kindness

The following verse is engraved on a piece of wood over the grave

of a sailor at Copang____________

The sun rose unclouded,and brightly shone

The pride of the morning,but promised to none

No mother mourn’s o’er him,no friend o’er him weeps

As far from the land,of his father he sleeps