Captain Burdick^s First Cruise 

 The New Tork Fleet 



The Cecilia returned on December 15, 1820, and Captain Burdick got her 

 ready for a return cruise to the camps. She brought 66 skins, and 19 of these 

 were placed aboard the Huntress, showing the proportion or lay of the re- 

 spective vessels. Leaving only one man and a boy aboard the schooner. Captain 

 Burdick set out on his first cruise in the shallop heading "southward and west- 

 ward round an Island called Frezeland [Livingston], bearing SSW from our 

 harbor." The record of the Cecilia's cruise is contained in the log of the 

 Huntress. 



The Cecilia sailed at 1 p.m. on the afternoon of December 16, and due to 

 light winds and calm did not get clear of Yankee Sound until late the next day, 

 it being necessary to tow the little schooner out around Frezeland Point. 



A half mile away, the Hero, under Captain Palmer, sighted the Cecilia pro- 

 ceeding to the south-southwest along shore. Captain Burdick reported, at 

 9 P.M. on December 18, ". . . fell in with Captain Johnson's fleet of New York 

 from Ruged Island looking for Yankee Harbor. This fleet consists of one Brig 

 {^Charity, Captain Barnard] two schooners {^Jane Maria, Captain Johnson and 

 Henry, Captain Bruno] and Shallop [under Captain MacKay]. Later part 

 fresh Brezes at south." 



On December 19 and 20, Captain Burdick sailed the Cecilia to the three 

 shore stations set up on the south coast of Livingston Island. At the first he 

 took off the whaleboat and crew and 82 skins; at the second station he was 

 forced to lay off and on under sail, "it blowing a gale on Shore we Could neither 

 Land nor they git off." Landing safely the next day, he took off the shore crew 

 and 500 skins. The third station was only five miles further west along shore, 

 and he took off this crew and 480 skins. 



Captain Burdick made an important entry on this day. He noted that his 

 third boat's crew had found: 



". . . about 50 men Stationed on this Bech which was about 7 miles in 

 Extent which consisted Chiefly of the Stonington Co. which had landed 

 40 men. Thought I would pass round Frezeland Island to westward 

 and return. But it Coming Calm Landed the remainder making in all 

 28 men and three boats, at 12 midnight started for the Harbor the same 

 way I came."^' 



It was 10 o'clock the next evening (December 20) when Captain Burdick 



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