1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



61 



From the Loiulnii Masaziue for 17-16. 



OBSERVATIOXS IX SEVEUAT^ VOYAGKS AM) 

 TRAVELS ly A.'VtEUlOA. 



Some account of a voyage fnvn Xew York to Sene- 

 pitxoii ill Maryland. 



Not. beinn; able then, on account oftlic 



excessive severiiy of the season, anti the depth o 

 tlie snow, whicli was near lour leet, to pursue our 

 robte by land, thvouiih the province of /'c/msf/Zua- 

 nla, we took passau'e on board a sloop * of about 

 seventy tons, bound to Senc-puxon, in Maryland, 

 which is (generally a runorthree or lour days, with 

 the land close aboard, and a fine level shore. 



Tlie vessel was our greatest grievance we soon 

 found, beinix prodigiously Ibul, rotten, and lealcy; 

 anil a pack of stupid planters, the crew, who never 

 had been ten leagues tr-om land since they were 

 born, increased that misfortune. Unknowing all 

 this, we went on board as gaily as we would have 

 done into a packet-boat, and found the niasier in 

 bed, which inconvenience we readily put up with, 

 as the voyage was so short and safe, and, as he in- 

 formed us, his mate was a very able mariner. Our 

 Complement then was. six hands belonging to the 

 Bloop, three passengers, and seven negro slaves; 

 and afcer taking some necessary refreshments from 

 town, we weighed and lell down \\ni\&v Nartm isl- 

 and, and might have taken the advantage of an 

 immediate north-wester, to have put out to sea; 

 but here there happened a great dispute between 

 the captain and liis strange associates, and in short 

 !hey refused to run beyond Sandy-hook that night. 

 It seems they had engaged to come this trip, and 

 to be paid in the fi-eight of such goods as they 

 bought at New York lor their plantation uses, and 

 so were not absolutely under command; and were 

 resolved to lie under the windward shore, to con- 

 sume half an anchor of New England rum belbre 

 they left the sight of New York. Rewards and 

 menaces were of no service, so we even made a 

 virtue of necessity, and wrapping ourselves in our 

 bedding, slept quietly till next morning; but found 

 when we arose, that two of our negroes had lost 

 the use of their hands and feet by the frost (which 

 was excessively severe) notwithsiatiding they were 

 warmly clad, and had the free use of that necessary 

 liquor (on these occasions) rum, in what quantity 

 they pleased. * # * * 



* * On the opposite shore of Long- 



island, all bleached with snow, appears the sad 



*The ports of America are filled with various kinds 

 of vessels, not over common in very long voyages in 

 Europe, where three mast vessels are generally used, 

 as much on account of their batter accommodations for 

 living, as on account of the more tempestuous seas they 

 trade in; for most commonly the coasts of America and 

 the West-Indies are a very safe and pleasant navigation, 

 and long voyages have been made in very small craft. 

 Sloops and schooners are the general built they run 

 upon, and they are very adroit in the contrivance of 

 them, particularly at Bermudas, where they build pro- 

 digious numbers for sale. They have also galleys, set- 

 tees, perriaguas, launches, &:c., too many to mention. 

 I cannot imagine the experienced sailor would ever 

 choose to trust himself in any thing preferably to a 

 three mast vessel; for as to sloops, for instance, it is 

 plain you have but one dependence, and may be swal- 

 lowed up before you can remedy your loss. 

 Vol. V— 11 



reverse of spring — the tunefid warblers but just, 

 weakly, hop over ihe unfertile stubble, and raise 

 themselves lo complain, in moundul chirpirigs, of 

 their Ibrlorn condition; nor pour out lluise Hoods of 

 harmony that erst awakened, wiih enlivening me- 

 lody, the early swain. The whole prospect is as 

 uf a large desert, save that here aiui there the 

 crawling fences * of the plantaiiuns, and the aspi- 

 ring vapors of the humble cottages, shew ihe coun- 

 try to be iidiabited; and some remains of the rich 

 gilis of Ceres, unthoughtfully neglected by the hus- 

 bandman, still betray the liiotsteps of vernal indus- 

 try, and somewhat alleviate my wintry chagrin^ 

 At five in the evenintr, we were abreast oi' Barne- 

 gaf, on the coast oi' New Jersey, and the next davj 

 at noon, we opened Delaware river, Cape Henlopen 

 bearing south-west about twelve miles, and had art 

 expectancy of a prosperous voyage; when a con- 

 trary wind springing up, we found our sloop made 

 nothing of playing to windward, nor answered her 

 helm, and that she was so leaky that the common 

 spelling at the pump would not keep her abov6 

 water, so that two hands were constantly em- 

 ployed at that work, immedialely, and without thei 

 least distinction of persons. It seems, that hoping 

 to meet a speedy passage, they had neglected tel- 

 ling us of their making so much water; but novf 

 were fun to conliiss their folly, and implore our 

 assistancei It was in vain to argue in such a case, 

 and self-preservation excited us to use our best en- 

 deavors. All the next day we lost way prodigious- 

 ly, and the cold bleak weather almost perished us: 

 upon com paring our reckonings, we found ourselves 

 above filty leagues from the nearest land, which 

 we judged to be the most southerly part of New 

 Jersey. This last twenty-ll)ur hours we were 

 drowned in an inundation of rain, which, how- 

 ever, nothing abated the wind, which blew with 

 redoubled fury, and the irritated waves tossed us 

 aloft and alow in a most frightful manner, consid- 

 ering the bad condilion of our habitation, which 

 had not a sound plank in her, and the water pour- 

 ed in upon us on all sides. The next morning 

 opened, all wild and tempestuous as the last, and 

 our distractions were increased, by three more of 

 our people being taken violently ill of feverish dis- 

 orders, occasioned by the perpetual watching, the 

 incessant labor and the wet and cold ihey were 

 constantly subject to; and si ill more so, by our hen- 

 coop \vith our fowls, and two or three hogs, which 

 were our only remaining flesh provisions, being 

 washed overboard, and our lee gunnel almost all 

 torn away. We were obliged to shift our loading 

 and ballast on the other side, and from this time 

 could keep no reckoning; but lay to, under out' 

 double-reefed main sail, expecting the worst that 

 could beflul us. In shifting the ballast we IbuncI 

 one considerable leak, whiidi t stopped as well as 

 I could with an old salvage well payed with talJow, 

 and over it nailed an old tin plate, which gave 

 some little respite to ihe pump. We now began 

 to think seriously of the danger we were involved 

 in, and the death that seemed inevitable. We 

 had no carpenter, nor one person that understood 

 sea affairs by profession, of the whole crew left, 

 and in short every thing was fallen into our handsj 

 we were but two, and the negroes were all unable! 

 to move, the frost having so affected their littibs^ 

 as to call lor present amputation; two of them be^ 



■ Worm fences. 



