Tankee Harbor Becomes 

 the Sealers' Rendezvous 



In this harbor, therefore, on December 8, 1820, the Huntress and Huron and 

 their shallop finally found a haven. It was a fortunate location. The Stonington 

 fleet had done and were doing well. The Hero's log shows that Captain Pendle- 

 ton's fleet had already salted down 10,000 skins. This was during the twelve 

 days between their anchoring at Yankee Harbor and the arrival of the New 

 Haven and Nantucket craft. It was the Hero which took out the men and put 

 them ashore and later returned to pick up the skins. The Cecilia — shallop — 

 was the similar tender for the Huron and the Huntress. 



The newly arrived sealers got to work without delay. Captain Burdick's log 

 of the Huntress reveals how the joint arrangement with the Huron was put 

 into practice. The entry for December 9, 1820, reads: 



"Begins with brisk breses from N W Sent Mr. Coleman first mate of 

 the Huntress and Eight men on board the Shallop with one Boat the Ship 

 sent twenty-two and 2 boats at 10 a.m. the Shallop went out to find a 

 place to Land the men for Sealing . . . ." 



The men so landed would set up camps at the rookeries selected along the 

 shore, erecting rude tents for shelter and caching their provisions. Never was 

 there a more desolate place for such work. Dr. Young, surgeon for the Williams 

 during the Bransfield voyage in the South Shetlands early in 1820, described 

 the coast: 



"The whole line of coast appeared high, bold, and rugged ; rising abruptly 

 from the sea in perpendicular snow cliffs, except here and there where 

 the naked face of a barren rock shewed itself amongst them. In the 

 interior, the land, or rather the snow, sloped gradually and gently up- 

 ward into high hills .... Three days after this we anchored in an ex- 

 tensive bay . . . words can scarcely be found to describe its barrenness and 

 sterility. Only one small spot of land was discovered on which a landing 

 could be effected . . . being bounded by inaccessible cliffs ... a single 

 beach, on which there was a heavy surf beating, and from which a small 

 stream of fresh water ran into the sea. Nothing was to be seen but the 

 rugged surface of the barren rocks, upon which myriads of sea fowl had 

 laid their eggs — the multitudes of the finest fur-seals ... the fur is the 

 finest and longest I have ever seen . . . ."*® 



In such places the sealers established their several camps, and the shallop 



[33] 



