[Transcript made by Mrs Amaret Smyth, VI]
[Langbank, Sask., Canada]
12th May 1842
Barque Fawn
South Seas
Dear Father and Mother
1 embrace this opportunity of writing to you hoping it will find you all in good health. We weighed anchor from Copang 18th Oct. 1840 and cast it again at Batogoda on the 27th of the same month, where we took in a supply of yams, onions, pigs, fowls, with mice, scorpions, centipedes, tarantulas, black ants, etc., from Batogoda we weighed anchor on the 29th and cruised about the Straits of Timor six weeks, under a burning sun where we had some long pulls after sperm whales but captured none, they going fast. From the Straits we crossed the Banda seas, and cruising off Morty we killed 4 whales, but unfortunately they stove 2 boats, they made only 60 lbs. of oil. 24th Dec. our carpenter died, and the next day we passed him overboard with the usual ceremonies. Spoke the American Barque Emerald at 9 A.M. when the Skipper requested our doctor to come aboard as one of his boatsteerers had fallen into a trypot of hot oil at 7 that morning. he had been rubbed with molasses and our doctor rubbed him with flour, but it was of no use to the poor fellow who died at 1 P.M. of the same day. 8th Feb. came to anchor at Seby for to wood and water, it is a finely wooded island in the Indian Ocean and is for that purpose and for its fresh water and good anchorage (which is between that island and the Island of Foy) chiefly visited by South seamen. The natives bring for sale pine apples, oranges, citrons, bananas, sweet potatoes and a small species of pigs (which at a little distance would be mistaken for tortoise shell coloured cats) and turtle. As I belonged to the Captain’s boat, it was my lot to go wooding; with another crew, our crew chose the harder but healthier work of cutting the wood on dry land and carrying it to the water, while the other crew chose to be up to the middle in water all the day to save them the trouble of carrying it to the water, one fine young fellow who had left England on account of being concerned in smuggling caught a fever through it and died whilst we lay at Salibaboo [Salibabu]. We left Seby the 13th of the same month and made sail towards the Asia islands; came in sight of St. Davids islands sent two boats ashore and they returned laden with cocoa nuts; two days after the captain’s boat and another went ashore and I had an opportunity of viewing the land which had formerly been inhabited by a numerous and thriving tribe but now the abode of a dozen individuals who had escaped slavery; or a cruel death by pirates. The island is very low and surrounded on all sides by dangerous reefs it is entirely covered with cocoa nut trees which overhang the water so that you may stand in a boat and pick the nuts. Cruising in New Guinea we got but one whale and on the 20th March came to an anchor in Salibaboo roadstead where we stopped 11 days to refresh the crew. It is a fine island but on account of the bad anchorage, seldom visited by S. Seamen. We weighed anchor from thence and sailed towards the Sooloo seas where we cruised a short time but got only one whale and then sailed into the Mindoro sea and from thence into the China seas and then towards the coast of Japan, where we touched at the Bouin isles to get pigs and potatoes at the same time we got some bark and leaves of the sassafras tree which is very plentiful at this island to make a decoction of instead of gray peas which is not only agreeable but wholesome. The change of temperature from the Sooloo seas to Japan had a bad effect on my health in fact I was dangerously ill for some time but thank God I am well now. My bunk where I sleep is very leaky and consequently when it is wet on deck I am wet in my bunk below which I assure you after being cold and wet in keeping my watch on deck and then come below to turn into a wet bunk instead of a dry one is anything but healthy or comfortable. We have been rather unfortunate in regard to whales the first one we got on this coast was by the boat I belong to, but I being ill at the time another hand went in my stead which from the eagerness of the headsman going to windward to lance the whale there being a rough sea on, was struck twice by the flukes of the whale, and a man named Brown (who used to wash my clothes for me) was killed, another had his leg broke, the boatsteerer two ribs stove in, and the headsman a blow on his back which laid him up a long time, while the other two were not hurt; the boat was smashed. Since that the chief mate’s boat has been struck and stove by the whale, and the crew sent flying in the air, but none hurt except the mate who in falling down struck the shattered boat and hurt his leg and foot. Capt. Dunn has been very ill, and chief and second mates also with most of the crew. My clothes through the dampness get very rotten; notwithstanding my care. B. Hallet has not used me so well as I thought he had, some of my clothes particularly my trowsers and shirts stand no time, luckily when at Salibaboo I traded with the natives for a short of light stuff which they manufacture, and which I have made into shirts and trowsers; pulling in the boat wears out the trowsers very much. My soap is very bad. Send me a letter the first opportunity which you will be informed of by a note from W. Clarke, brother to one of our boatsteerers who having a situation among the docks will know when any opportunity occurs. I shall expect letters from Sister Mary and from Brother John and Ben with all the news. Tell Harry Watson to send me a few lines. I hope H. Bissett is getting on well and all the family; give my love to all enquiring friends.
I must now remain
your ever affectionate Son
Thomas Waters
P.S. I hope Mr. Wood is in good health and Mrs. and Col. Nicholls, 1 expect A. Mercer is a lieutenant by this time and Henry well on for one at least I hope so. I like whaling very well, it is very exciting being alongside of a huge whale spouting blood though by the by if you get any blood on your face or lips it makes them extremely sore, we have had several heavy gales off Japan and what was very vexing, large sperm whales within a hundred yards of us tempting us but to no purpose to fasten to them, we lost nothing else by the gale excepting a trysail garf which carried away. While off Japan several large bill fish kept by the ship and one day the mastheadman discovered one apparently dead on the surface of the water alongside, the Captain lowered a boat to pick it up for the sake of its jaws but in hoisting it on board we found that its lower jaw was only remaining, its upper one or bill being broken off short, it was alive when picked up, we cut its body up and salted it, it being considered very good eating. We supposed it to have run foul of the ships bottom. Our bad luck with whales makes the time pass very heavy and I should be very glad of a few newspapers if you could send them to me, the only amusement we have is with a few books, which we pass from one ship to the other. E. Wild is as kind as ever to me and so is the Captain and all our boatsteerers. Some of the islands which we have passed are very verdant and beautiful, one of the Bashee Ils. in particular has a kind of natural arch formed under a hill which as you sail by you can see through, and at one extremity of the island is a small hillock which at a short distance appears like the head of s sperm whale. Sulphur Ils. we have been close to (we happened to raise sperm whales off it, and we had a long pull till sunset after them) it is a very rugged and barren looking island and very high with not a green thing to be seen upon it, we are now anchor’d in Byron’s bay 27th Oct. at the island of Owhihee [Hawaii], where Capt. Cook was killed, there are several burning mountains upon the island one of which I can plainly see now burning, the land is well populated and very fertile producing potatoes, tarra, bread fruit, oranges, limes, plaintains, bananas, coffee, sugar, with pigs, wild bullocks, goats, turkeys, and a species of dog which they eat. The American ship Francis is at anchor with us. before we came to the island no American was allowed to sleep ashore at night or walk a mile from the town but our crew soon made a difference for they told the chief that if he touched one of our men, they would pull his house down. Three men took the boat at night and went away with it, the men we have not seen since but the boat we recovered next morning. Three other men ran away into the mountains but from want of food one of them fainted away and gave himself up with the other two. Our ship coming around the Hope gained a day therefore we changed back and kept two Sundays together. I went ashore and it was a pleasant sight to see all the natives in clean clothes going to the missionary to hear him preach which he does in their own language. We left Owhihee on the 6th Nov. and made sail towards Woahoo [Oahu] where we brought up on the 8th in the passage and on the 10th got safe in the harbour from whence we are going on the Line. I am going to send this letter by the French ship John Foakerill of Havre.