Whaling Log of the Ship Neva, 1857-1859
The whaling log of the ship, Neva from Greenport, George L. Hand, master, bound for Pacific, Sep 28, 1857 - Oct 20, 1859. Unpaginated account kept aboard the whaling bark Neva, on a voyage from Greenport, N.Y. to the South Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans, 28 September 1857 - 19 October 1859 (last entry, bark sold at auction in Honolulu on or after 19 October 1857_Starbuck doesn't list Neva at all, see note below); after bark sold at auction, each crew member had to find his own way home. The keeper of this journal hired onto the bark Midas, out of New Bedford, Mass., commanded by Captain James L. Austin; his account on board starts 9 November 1859 (from Honolulu) - 31 March 1860. Cataloger's note: this account has a nearly identical counterpart ("Journal kept by George A. Conklin on board bark Neva from Greenport."); the handwriting is remarkably similar, yet with subtle differences. The information is nearly identical as well. However, when the bark is sold at auction in Honolulu on or after 19 October 1857 (see note above), the author of this journal joins the bark Midas, wheras the keeper of the similar journal joined the ship Gay Head I. Both journals state "George Conklin's Journal," but this one contains name "Heffrens" (sp?) on first page; furthermore, the two journals were donated to the LIC by two separate owners two decades apart (Mrs. C.C. Edwards 1966, and James Abbe, 1986, respectively). Immediately following last entry (from whaling voyage on onboard the bark Midas) is following unrelated entry: "We the undersigned petitioners of the Town of East Hampton would most respectfully petition the legislature of this state that the Town of East Hampton be exempt from the operations of the bill now before the legislature in relation to cattle running at large upon the public highways of said town" (no date). Two pages in back of journal contain agricultural planting journal, for the years 1854-1861 (no author); includes dates of crops (i.e. oats, corn, potatoes, wheat) sowed and harvested.