The American and British Sealers Clash 



An Impending Pitched Battle 



It was the custom for Captains Davis and Burdick on occasion to send a whale- 

 boat up to the west end of Yankee Sound to hunt for seals. On January 24, 

 the Huron's boatswain returned from a cruise of four days along the north 

 shore of Livingston Island, west of Williams Point, to Shirreff's Cove. He 

 had bad news — a clash with the English sealers — and only 52 skins.^^ Just before 

 he came in, another American whaleboat reported similar trouble. Captain 

 Burdick's log gives the details: 



"... a boat came in belonging to Captain Barnard brig Charity having 

 ben rob[bjed of Eighty Skins by the English at Sheriff's Cape and Drove 

 off the Beach 4 p.m. our Boat came in from a Cruce with 52 [skins] 

 having Likewis ben Drove from the beach at Sheriff's Cape by the Eng- 

 lish wher he said there was plenty of Seal." 



With the growing scarcity of seal, and the rookeries of Livingston Island 

 the best in the Shetlands, it was inevitable that growing competition between 

 British and American crews might lead to pitched battle. 



The New Englanders in Yankee Harbor were angry. Captain Burdick puts 

 the situation as follows: 



". . . the Masters of all the vessels in this harbor being nine in number 

 and all Americans being notified of the Same all repaired on Board Ship 

 Huron, Capt. Davis to Consult what was to be done where we all 

 agreed as one to muster all our men from our Several Camps and as one 

 body to go on to said beach at Sheriff's Cape and to take Seal by fair 

 means if we Could but at all Events to take them. So Ends." 



What a picture this conjures I Nine sealing masters gathered in the cabin 

 of the Huron, the yellow light of the whale-oil light bringing out the grim 

 lines of their weather-bronzed faces — young men all, despite their experiences, 

 and determined men as well. They would rescue English mariners cast away on 

 inhospitable shores but they refused to allow these same men, on equal footing, 

 to intimidate them. 



Who were the nine shipmasters? The answer is contained in the pages of 

 the three known existing logs — Captains Pendleton, Sheffield, Williams, and 

 Dunbar, of the Stonington fleet; Captains Barnard and Bruno, of New York's 

 fleet; Captain Davis of the Huron, New Haven; Captain Withem of the 



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