[Thomas Waters to his brother John Waters]
[from a transcript] VIII
Barque Fawn . Woahoo [Oahu]
12th Nov. 1842
Dear Brother
I was much pleased when I received your letters, dated 22nd Sept./40 and New year’s day 1841. And should have been more so, if they had been rather longer, I suppose your time like mine is rather precious; however a short one is better than none. You will see the letter directed to our dear Mother, so you must not expect a long letter this time. I like my way of life very much, plenty of excitement when fast to a whale, though rather hazardous, we have had plenty of boats stove, I have been stove myself and sent overboard with another in a trice, rough sea on, but I have improved in swimming, and I was not hurt. Three boats I have seen smashed in the space of one minute by one whale, and one boat sent clear out of the water, so that you could see between it and the water, our boat was not stove though we were fast to the whale, but he nearly came into the boat his head was 10 feet out of water, right over me, but the boat sheered off, and he did not hurt us, the next boat that went alongside was stove to pieces, and some of the hands nearly lost their lives, it was rather laughable to see 15 or 20 men flounsing about in the water, with the enraged whale knocking his flukes about in the midst of them, and our boat not being able to lend them the least assistance. We have been cruising off some islands where the men and women were entirely naked, some wear a little grass round their loins; we were obliged to have arms ready as sometimes, upwards of a 100 were aboard together. I saw a fight between two of the natives with short spears, lined with sharks teeth, which they fix on very neatly and strong, they wounded one another awfully. You mentioned in one of your letters that you hoped I read the bible, to which I cannot give you a direct answer. In Southseamen, they say there is no Sabbath out of seven fathom water; I have to work on Sunday as hard as any other day; nearly all the prayers I have heard have been for curses. I have heard a man curse a few minutes before he died. When I was sick in the hospital with weak and dying men all round me I heard nothing but curses. Even the missionaries who I see out here, do not act by the bible, make laws and are themselves the first to break them. I have seen here at Woahoo, a poor native’s canoe by which he got his living, get adrift by accident of a Sunday, and the poor fellow crying, but not daring to swim after it, as he would then be put six months in the prison, or pay a sum of money, and I have walked into the town, and seen four poor natives swetting dragging a hand chaise, with a fat, able, but lazy missionary to church. There may be good missionaries, but out of twelve I have seen but one good one. Give my best respects to H. Watson and tell him a few letters would be very acceptable to me. I hope you enjoy good health, give Jane and Nancy kisses for me, I wish I could kiss them myself; remember me kindly to all your friends, especially to your friends of the Society of Friends.
I remain truly
Your affectionate Brother
T. Waters
Excuse bad writing etc I am tired.
P.S. You say you had nine days liberty, and both your letters put together are not so long as this one, written in the few hours allowed me for sleep. ____________________________________