THE VOYAGE OF THE HURON AND THE HUNTRESS 



Such landfalls as the Jasons, Swan, Beaver, Hog, and Carcass islands, pointed 

 the way to States, Quaker, Elephant and Port Egmont harbors. Byrons, Berk- 

 ley and King George's sounds contained islets like Horse Block, Colliers, 

 Golden Ball, Whale, Fish and Split islands, and narrow channels were named 

 Bald Head Roads, Hell Gates, Nine Pin and False Passage. 



It is of considerable importance to note in both the logs kept by Captain 

 Davis and Captain Burdick that these were men of more than average ability 

 as navigators. Further, they were men whose writings display a lively curiosity, 

 of which the following entry is a good example. On the day following his 

 anchoring the Huntress in Bense Harbor, her master wrote: 



". . . took one man with me on shore and went up onto a hill one half mile 

 high. From [it] I Could Count about fifty Islands which formed the 

 Sound the principal part the smaler islands lay on the Southward of 

 the Sound the land I was to anchor under, which I suppos'd to be the 

 main Island, proved to be one large Island. It being very hazy I Could 

 not Determine whether ther was any Islands to the Southward and 

 Westward of me. Shot one dozen fine geese & got on board at 6 p.m. 

 So Ends. The land to the Northard hindered gitting the Sun. Suppos'd 

 Lat51° 20V' 



The sudden violence of the gales which often swept the Falklands is best 

 shown by the Huntress log's entry for November 2, 1820. Captain Burdick 

 was shifting the salt in the main hold, so as to get at the heel of his mainmast, 

 when a northwest gale developed. 



"... At 1 1 A.M. gale increasing Schooner hooked her anchor. Let go the 

 small ancor, veered out 25 x 50 on the other, which Brought the kedge 

 ahead with 60 fathoms. At 12 it Blew tremendous the schooner started 

 with them all. Let go the Sheat anchor & veared out on him and then I 

 turned in. All this time we were Lying under the Lee of the Land, 3/4 

 mile off in less than 2 fathoms of water and good holding ground & 

 Smooth all except the wind had the water right up. At 6 p.m. moderate. 

 Took up Sheat anchor." 



Using the foreyard and main boom for sheers, Captain Burdick's crew 

 "hoisted the mainmast out of the Step and cut five feet off the heal & stepped 

 it anew, which Brought the place Sprung in the wake of the hardness." 



It was while lying at Bense Harbor, setting up his standing rigging again, 

 that Captain Burdick reported a mysterious incident. On the morning of 

 November 4, a small schooner was sighted off the mouth of the harbor. The 

 Huntress ran up her "coulars" (American flag) and the stranger headed in 

 to their harbor. The Nantucket skipper reported: 



". . . She run in in passing our stern I hailed her and asked, where from. 

 She answere'd, from West Point. She asked me the Same question in pass- 

 ing. I thinking she was Coming to anchor ask'd no more questions She 

 tack'd soon after & went ahead Eas'd of her sheat & out she went without 



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