mss0097_0036.xml Finding aid for Ship Herald Stonington1841 September 12–1845 August 10 University of Delaware Library, Special Collections University of Delaware Library

Special Collections Newark, Delaware 19717-5267 Phone: 302-831-2229 Fax: 302-831-6003 URL: http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/

Date encoded (2007 February 27) Finding aid encoded 2007 February 27 English Ship Herald Stonington1841 September 12–1845 August 10 Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library

Newark, Delaware 19717-5267 Phone: 302-831-2229 Fax: 302-831-6003 URL: http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/

Herald (Ship : 1818-1873)Ship Herald Stonington 1841 September 12–1845 August 10 MSS 097, Item 036 1 v. : ill. (ca. 220 p.) ; 53 cm. Ship's log for the ship Herald documenting two whaling voyages out of Stonington, Connecticut, between September 12, 1843, and August 10, 1845. Materials entirely in English. University of Delaware Library - Special Collections Source

Purchase, 1956.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, http://www.lib.udel.edu/cgi-bin/askspec.cgi

Citation

MSS 097, Item 036, Ship Herald Stonington, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.

Shelving Summary Item 036: Shelved in SPEC MSS 097 oversize Processing

Processed and encoded by Norieta Hagerty, February 2007.

Historical Note

The ship Herald was a whaling vessel based in Stonington, Connecticut. The first voyage under Captain Charles O. Brewster lasted from September 12, 1841, through May 4, 1843. The ship traveled to the whaling grounds and ports of the Indian Ocean. Captain Elijah B. Morgan headed the second voyage around Cape Horn toward Chile from June 24, 1843, through August 10, 1845.

Information derived from the collection.

Scope and Content Note

This volume documents two whaling voyages aboard the ship Herald occurring between September 12, 1841, and August 10, 1845. The authors are unknown but it is likely a crew member wrote the logbook. The log largely contains navigational data, weather reports, and various notes about the health and desertions of the crew.

The logbook is bound in canvas or sailcloth with twine stitching on spine and right side, circa 220 pages, 166 which are filled with ink entries. The account of the second journey begins on p. 92 of the volume. The cover has hand printing in ink that reads "Ship Herald Stonington." Images of whales have been stamped into the log book during the first journey. Such stamps generally indicate that a whale was taken on that day. The stampings are individualized with additional illustrations and many also have a red or orange colored substance spouting out of the blowhole. (The techniques for killing a whale during the nineteenth century involved stabbing the whale until blood spouted out of its blowhole.) Some of the daily notes are in columnar format providing the hour of the day, knots, fathoms, course, wind, and general notes. In the back of the volume, lists of provisions for the journey are recorded.

Selected Search Terms Personal Names Brewster, Charles O., fl. 1841-1845. Morgan, Elijah B., fl. 1841-1845. Corporate Names Herald (Ship) Topical Terms Logbooks--19th century. Whaling--New England--19th century--Sources.Whaling Ships--19th century--Sources. Form/Genre Terms Ships' logs. Occupation Whalemen. Related Materials in this Repository

This item forms part of MSS 097 Diaries, Journals, and Ships' Logs collection.

Detailed Contents List 036 Ship Herald Stonington 1841 September 12–1845 August 10