Stoningtori' s Sealers Leave for Home 

 and Others Prepare to JLeave 



On February 22, all three surviving logs report the sailing of the Fanning- 

 Stonington fleet from Yankee Harbor. Captain Burdick wrote: ". . .At 12 

 meridian the four Stonington Vessels got under way and went out, three of 

 them for the United States and the other round the Horn." Captain Davis 

 recorded the "brigs Hersilia and Frederick, schooner Express and sloop Hero 

 left this harbor, (at 10 A.M.), the first [Hersilia] bound round Cape Horn, 

 the three latter for the United States." Captain Palmer in the Hero wrote: 



"at 2 A.M. entered Harmony Straits, [Nelson Strait] at 9 the S W 

 point of O'Cain's Island [Nelson's] Bore E by S, 2 Leagues distant 

 being 59° West Long. 62° S. Latd. from which I take a departure — the 

 Express, Hersilia & Frederick in company. At 12 lost sight of 

 Fleet."i°« 



The remainder of the fleet still sent out boat parties searching for seals while 

 preparing their vessels for the homeward voyage or leaving the South Shet- 

 lands. Captain Davis, on February 27, 1821, recorded "great quantity of 

 Floating ice in the Harbour. ... a material alteration in the weather, feel 

 afraid that Winter is about setting in. . . ." Fierce gales swept into Yankee 

 Sound and battered the remaining vessels. On March 3 an easterly, with sleet 

 and snow, started them all dragging their anchors and the Huron's master was 

 obliged to veer ". . . away on the sheet cable to the bitter end and got a slip 

 Buoy on it to be ready in case they were like to come afoul of us to slip and 

 let the Ship drop to her S W anchor." The brigs Nancy and Jane Maria did 

 get afoul of one another, and "got clear ... by cutting away their jib booms 

 and spritsail yards. "^°^ 



Of this same gale. Captain Burdick wrote in his log: ". . . It Blew so hard 

 that a man could hardly stand on the Deck. Let go the small anchor under 

 foot and clinched the End around the mast, being moored with the other two." 

 The Huntress dragged and brought up about a cable's length from the shore. ^°* 



Four days later the fleet was not so fortunate. During a violent storm, the 

 Cecilia and Captain Johnson's shallop were both driven ashore, and the others 

 narrowly missed a similar disaster. Captain Davis wrote: 



". . . observed the Shallop's colours hoisted in distress down yawl took 

 lines and veered her away with two men to their assistance. The Boat 

 was not able to get to them on account of Ice, but got near enough to 



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