XVI 



THE ''MINNESOTA" AND OTHER UNFORTUNATES 



OF STRANGE voyages, everyone knows, there has been no 

 end since the sea was created. The voyage of the Ark 

 was probably not the first; nor was that of the Ford peace ship 

 the last. And very likely there have been many stranger 

 voyages than that of ''the unfortunate bark Minnesota/' 

 Clothier Peirce, master, which sailed from New Bedford, 

 Massachusetts, June 25, 1868, on a whaling voyage to the 

 Indian and Pacific oceans. But certainly, although I have 

 read many hundreds of log books, the log of the Minnesota 

 is by far the strangest I have seen ; and it will be a long hunt to 

 find a more individual sea captain than Clothier Peirce, who 

 went by the significant nickname of "Crazy." 



An earlier log book of his shows signs of the weakness that 

 seems to have grown upon him, and there may be later logs to 

 rival that of the Minnesota on this particular trip. But so 

 far as my knowledge extends, this is his really great work and 

 deserves such fame as has fallen to the ride of John Gilpin or 

 to the trials of Job. 



According to that indefatigable student of whaling history 

 and collector of log books, the late Andrew Snow of New Bed- 

 ford, the Minnesota, a vessel of two hundred and forty-three 

 tons, hailed from New York. But she was built at Philadelphia 

 in 1849, and Lorenzo Peirce of New Bedford, brother of Captain 

 Clothier, was her agent when in 1868 she sailed from the 

 "whaling city" upon her memorable voyage. 



Getting under way from Clark's Point at eleven o'clock in 

 the forenoon on that June day, she beat out of the bay and stood 

 clear of the land ; and for five days thereafter she proceeded with 

 no sign, so far as her log book indicates, of that singular pessi- 



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