THE CLIPPER "WILD PIGEON"
THE MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL OF CRAWFORD WILLIAMS on board the extreme clipper ship "Wild Pigeon", George W. Putnam Commander, on a voyage from San Francisco to Hong Kong, Whampoa, and Canton, in 1853 and part of the return voyage.
The journal opens on 9th February, 1853 whilst at San Francisco. Williams has headed the first page: "Continuation of a voyage Around the World in the Clipper Ship Wild Pigeon George W. Putnam Commander, kept by Crawford Williams". This being a continuation inasmuch as she had sailed from New York on October 12th, 1852 bound for San Francisco along with the Clipper Ships "John Gilpin", "Flying Fish", and "Trade Wind" in one of the most celebrated races that had ever been run.A very fully written up journal, he gives interesting descriptions of San Francisco, Whampoa and Canton; other ships met with on the voyage and comparative speeds, details of the rigging and sailing conditions, life on board etc.
Written on 78-pages folio (13 x 8 inches), bound in contemporary marbled wrappers. Lower wrapper and last leaf affected by damp but quite legible, last leaf also detached. The journal ends on 26th May, 1853 at sea about 46 days out of Whampoa. Some light occasional crayon marking. Generally very good.
The "Wild Pigeon", an extreme Clipper of New York had been built by George Raynes at Portsmouth, N.H. in 1851, and was designed for the California and China Trade. She was 184 feet overall and registered nearly 1000 tons. "Harbor of San Francisco, California, Wednesday, February 9th 1853. This morning we were turned to at about 1/2 past 7 & commenced washing down decks & cleaning brass, our ship looks splendid more since she has been fixed for Port. We lay outside of the "Flying Dutchman" all day, we were busy getting the pig pen & hen coops from off the main hatch & putting them on top of the house, also clearing up decks. I got permission to go ashore a little while this afternoon, went with one of the Ordinary Seamen ... We went in an eating house he treated me to some buckwheat cakes, coffee & pie which was really good we having been used to salt provisions & coffee sweetened with molasses for such a long time. Provisions are very high, buckwheat cakes 25c per plate, coffee 12½c or more & Pie 12½ or 1 bit per piece which you might get for less than half the price in New York. We only staid ashore a little while and then came on board & staid until after supper time when I went on board the "Comet" & went ashore with my friend Paul [?] we took a stroll through some of the principle streets but saw nothing new, there is a great deal of business done here & some streets put me very much in mind of New York especially long wharf which puts me in mind of Chatham St. in New York, there being plenty of Jews at clothing stores ... also auction stores where you may buy things very cheap, at about ½ past 9 I returned to the ship & turned in for the night on my chest, today one sailmaker & one Ordinary Seaman deserted the Ship, fine weather & moderately warm, we have fresh beef & potatoes for every meal while in port with beef soup for dinner".
The following abbreviated extract from one day's entry gives an idea of the daily life at sea on board the “Wild Pigeon”: "Thursday February 24th 1853. This morning a breeze sprang up at about ½ past 6 took in Royals at 7 o’clock it was blowing heavier & we took in the Fore Mizen Topgallant sails, at about ½ past 8 we took in the Main Topgallants. In a few minutes all hands were called to Reef, we Double Reefed the Fore ... ... ... as the wind was increasing & dead ahead about 11 o’clock hauled down outer ... ... busy this morning getting up wood for the Cook, he is a very good cook and always gives us a little bread or something when we do anything for him ... ... ... very good & fit to eat, the China Cooks used to make was as heavy as lead. This morning we sent down the Mizen Topgallant sail & were busy getting the new one ready to go up, about 12 o’clock the wind had moderated ... ... about ½ past 4pm the wind was freshening took in Mizen Royal ... ... we are sailing along at about 9 or 10 knots ... ... she looked splendid & almost as if she was flying through the water. About ½ past 6 it commenced blowing pretty heavy took in four main Royals & also topgallant sails, at about 7 o’clock ... all hands called to shorten sail, it was as dark as could be & lightning with the wind blowing very heavy in gusts, we commenced with double reefing the fore & main ......but just as we were done the wind had increased to a gale with very heavy sea on, a squall struck ... that made the ship fairly jump out of the water. We immediately let go the main topsail ...hauled up the mainsail & foresail, we then close reefed all three topsails .. .& as I sat astride of the end of the topsail yard the wind blowing a heavy gale & as dark as pitch with rain, while waiting a moment ...I thought of my dear home ... & I thought how much pleasanter it would be where I could turn in for the whole night instead of being astride of the Mizen topsail yard passing the evening in such a gale ..... there was such a heavy sea that we made but little headway ... ... ... I had to stay on deck until 12 o’clock I was wet through, the wind blowing against me made me feel very cold ... ... we did not ship any sea the whole time as we are pretty high out of water".
April 2nd 1853, Whampoa: “This morning about 5 o’clock we commenced getting under weigh with a strong breeze … dropped both anchors in the stream abreast of Whampoa …… commenced clearing away the hold to take out the ballast. We had some eggs for breakfast which the Sampan man brought on board for us already cooked & very cheap, there are any quantity of washerwomen, I engaged my clothes to one to pay her one dollar to wash all my clothes as long as we stayed here. I was very much disappointed with the look of Whampoa which is nothing like Hong Kong, only a few houses along the waters edge……we learnt as soon as we arrived here that we were bound to New York which makes us all feel happy and that we were to load immediately & not stay here long. The Captain went up to Canton, a distance of about 15 miles up the river to see about having our cargo come down. We found the clipper ship Samuel Russell here ready loaded & bound for New York. The Chinamen commenced building a house of bamboo over our hatch to keep the cargo dry …”
April 3rd: “…the Captain had given us liberty to go to Canton … he gave us $4 –ea & we hired a Sampan … for 50c ea & started at about 9 o’clock … we landed at the place the Gardens which is a very fine place … … in this place are the houses of the American & English merchants who do business here … with a boy from our Sampan as our guide we began strolling about the streets are narrow and paved with stone … there are stores in which you may see some very fine goods, we entered a few and purchased some small articles, as much as our money would allow & then we started for our boat again where we had a first rate dinner composed of pork steak, fried fish, ham & eggs, bread, sweet potatoes, fried plantains, some Oranges & bananas and a cup of the best tea I ever tasted all for the small sum of 25c each! It was cooked on board the Sampan … we saw some ladies with very small feet … … … Proceeded on board, the Chinamen had been at work all day putting out the ballast & had it all out & the hold ready for cargo which we expect down from Canton tomorrow morning”.
On the 4th April they begin taking on their cargo of tea: “ … set me to work receiving cargo, that is calling out the marks of the tea as it came in and taking out the bamboo stick & counting them, these bamboo sticks … they stick in every box of tea & as the boxes come in you takeout the sticks & keep a good lookout that they do not put two sticks in one box … (this is often done)”.
After other excursions, to Canton and to watch a Chinese funeral, by the 7th they had; “all our stores on board, they have been filling the after cabin with tea,… … a great number of geese, ducks, & hens & 16 China pigs, as well as a little dog belonging to the Captain & everything was ready to go tomorrow, we were to be towed down by one of the steamers from Canton to Hong Kong & proceed immediately to Sea ……”
Quote Item No. 8189
Price: £1,800.00