--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1844 to 1845. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 5 number: 21 published: 1844-11-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“From the Islands of the Sea.,” *Times and Seasons* 5, no. 21 (November 15, 1844): 707–711." printed_title: FROM THE "ISLANDS OF THE SEA." source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-11-15_5_21 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v5n21.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-11-15_5_21 start_page: 707 end_page: 711 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1844 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-11-15_5_21 publication_year: 1844 --- # From the “Islands of the Sea.” Ship Timoleon, Pacific Ocean, April 25th 1844, Latitude 25 deg. 19 min. south, Longitude 149 deg. 11 min. west from Greenwich. ELDER W. W. PHELPS-DEAR BROTHER IN CHRIST:-As I promised before we left Nauvoo to write to you, I embrace this opportunity as we are nearing Tahita; as in all probability we shall find a ship there bound for home, I have not that portion of interesting matter which I no doubt should have if we had entered our field of labor; but as we have performed a passage that has conveyed us more than three quarters around the globe, a rude sketch of our voyage may not be uninteresting to you, as I know you to be a historian. I wrote from the Cape de Verds to my wife, and the particulars as to that place you have no doubt learned before this. I have also commenced a letter to Br. Brigham Young, in which I have given a brief detail of our situation on shipboard. With you I will commence a brief journal. We landed on two of those islands, St. Nicholas and St. Jagoes: we saw some others, the most interesting of which was Fogo, or Foigo la Tera; in English it would be the land of fire. It has been a volcano, and has the appearance of a great sugar loaf sat in the broad ocean with its top far above the clouds. We left those islands the 19th of November and stood to the south; light winds and calms with very warm weather attended us till after we crossed the Equator; then we took strong south east trades; they carried us towards Brazil, we were near the island of Trinidad. We had frequent opportunities of amusing ourselves at fishing for blackfish, porpoises, terbercores, skipjacks, and dolphins; the two first are of the whale species, the largest made two barrels of spermacetti [spermaceti]. On the 3d of January 1844, (I will now extract from my journal,) "there they b-lo-w- and l-an-d h-o!" were both cried at the mast heads at once. Whales and the island of Tristan Acunha were seen at a look. It is in latitude 36 deg. south, longitude 15 deg. west. Fourth day. It commenced blowing fresh last night and continued to increase, and this morning it blows the heaviest gale we have experienced since we left New Bedford. We are lying under fore spencer, the fore topmast staysail is blown away. The islands of Tristan, Nightingale, and Inaccessible, are now all in sight, and the air is full of South Sea birds of all sizes, from the Albatross down to Mother Carey's Chickens; we amused ourselves at fishing for them: we caught five Albatross nearly of a size. We measured one of them while alive: his wings from tip to tip were ten feet four inches. Tristan makes a good appearance; it is about the size and height of Monadnock mountain in Cheshire county New Hampshire. Eighth day. To-day the boats caught a small whale, it made eighteen barrels of oil. While they were stripping off the blubber, the seafowls came around in great abundance and devoured the whale with great voracity, and as fearless as our domestic fowls. I prepared line and hook bated with blubber, and commenced fishing for them; in less than an hour I caught enough Albatross to afford me nine dozen of quills, by taking two and four out of a wing; then I let them go. Thirteenth day. To-day we saw several large whales; the boats gave chase and harpooned a very large one and gave him a mortal wound. He ran to windward with great fury, and by some mismanagement the line parted and he got away; he dove under water and came up near the ship; we ran up into the foretop to have a better view. I could look down on him as he came to the top; he commenced lashing the water with his fins and tail, for he was frantic with the agony of his wounds, having two harpoons in him, they were bleeding with such profusion that the water was crimsoned some distance around. This with his bellowing and spouting presented an awful scene; the boats gave chase, but he saw them before they got near enough to harpoon him again.-He dove again and ran off to windward and got away; but we expect he died that night. As I stood gazing down on him, the words of Br. Hyrum came fresh to my mind when he pronounced upon my head my patriarchal blessing, "I guess you have got to go a whaling." From there we shaped our course for Cape Good Hope. On the 21st we saw and caught a fine sea turtle; he was basking on the surface in a pleasant sunshine; his shell was about three feet long; he was very fat and we had a fine time on turtle soup. Twenty sixth day. We struck soundings in 60 fathoms water, the weather rather misty; supposed we were about thirty miles south of the Cape. From there we steered for the island of St. Pauls. I had heard many reports respecting the multitude of excellent fish that are about this and another island near it, called Amsterdam. We prepared our hooks and lines a few days beforehand and arrived there on the 21st of February, in latitude 38 deg. south, longitude 77 deg. east. We ran in near the land and lowered three boats well manned for the sport. As we rowed in near shore, we saw large shoals of fish in compact bodies, with their backs out of water, feeding on something that was near the surface; we found it to be breet. It is an insect that abounds in those seas, and is called by whalemen right whale feed. It looks something like frog spawns and has a reddish appearance. It goes in veins of various widths, often extending as far as the eye can see, and so plenty as to give the water a reddish appearance. Whales and other fish live on it and get very fat. When near enough we made fast to the kelp, (a coarse kind of seaweed.) I had the pleasure of catching the two first fish, but they soon began to gather in such multitudes that in a little while we filled our boats. We also took with us an iron hoop, netted within by ropeyarns, for catching crawfish; these are about the size and shape of lobsters, except the nipper claws; but better fish to eat. To it we tied a fish and let it down to the bottom; in a few moments we raised it and there were about thirty piled on to it. We soon caught a barrel or two of them, and then went aboard of the ship; dressed our fish, cut off head and backbone, packed them in salt, and we had ten barrels. While fishing we saw a French flag flying on shore; we went to it and found a company of fishermen from the Isle of France; among them was an American, a native of Albany, New York. Soon after we arrived, the ship Manhattan of Sag harbor arrived, and joined us. The next day Capt. Plaskett told the passengers if we wished to go on shore, he would send a boat to wait on us: we embraced the opportunity and found St. Pauls to be one of the greatest natural curiosities I ever saw: it is evident that the east half of the island is sunk; the island has been thrown up from the bed of the ocean by volcanic eruptions. On that side the shore is perpendicular. From the north and south points, it rises with a gradual ascent towards the centre [center], where there is a curious basin. This was once the crater through which this island was thrown up; the island fell off so near to it that the sea has broken into it a passage: there are nine feet water on the bar at high tides. As soon as you pass this, there are twenty seven fathoms all over it: it is one mile and a half in diameter, with almost perpendicular sides of two thousand feet elevation, and as round and regular as if it had been excavated by art. On the north side of the entrance are the fisher's huts; near them they had cut a zigzag foot-path to the top, and we went up; it was a hazardous tour, and I think none but sailors would have attempted it. Near the top the ascent was almost perpendicular. In many places we had to crawl on our hands and knees, pulling ourselves up by the projecting rocks, and had we made one misstep, we should have been dashed to the bottom. When we arrived at the top, we found the rim of the basin to be the highest part of the island. From it on every side but the east, the land had a gradual slope to the water. The island is about five miles long, and is covered with a rank growth of coarse grass, like that on the prairies; but not a tree nor shrub. The two ship masters, Plaskett and Cooper, were with us. We found a place where the steam was coming up; Capt. Cooper commenced digging into the dirt and burnt his fingers to a blister. The bank on the east side is an awful precipice. I laid down and crept to the edge and looked off; as I looked down the awful steep to the water, (two thousand feet,) a sensation came over my brain, that is more easily imagined than described. Near the huts where we landed, is a number of boiling springs; the water is boiling hot. We had come crawfish in the boat; we put one into the spring, it soon cooked and we ate it. The Commedant [Commandant] was a polite Frenchman; he could not speak a word of English. Doctor Winslow, one of our passengers, could speak good French, and he was highly delighted with our visit; treated us with great hospitality, and took much pains to go with us over the island, and show its curiosities. Near his huts were the graves of two American sailors. By their headboards we found one's name to be Charles Mallory, aged 21 years; he was first mate of a whale ship; was killed by a whale. The other was Pardon Howland jr., aged 13 years. He was killed by falling from a loft.-How lonely was the sight of those graves, on a desolate island of the sea-far, far from their friends and home! The soil looks very rich, but the ground is so full of steam, it kills all the seed they put into the earth; and they can raise nothing.-They are bountifully supplied with every thing they need from the Isle of Franee [France]. They treated us with green peas that had been preserved in tin flasks; they were as sweet as if just taken from the garden. At night Capt. Cooper invited us all to go on board his ship and take supper; we accepted the invitation. After we got on board both ships stood out to sea, as they had got what fish they wanted; twenty or thirty barrels each. We were waited on with much politeness and friendship; were served with fresh fish, both chowdered and fried in excellent style, with warm biscuit, butter, cheese, &c., &c. About 11 o'clock, the night being very dark, the ships made signals by hoisting lanterns; they both hove to nearly a mile apart. Our boat was hauled up to the gangway and twelve men of us got into it, which loaded her nearly to the gunwales; there was a heavy swell but not much wind. We paddled slowly over the rolling billows; the night was dark and cloudy; and when between the ships, we could see nothing but their glimmering tapers. You can better judge of our feelings in this situation, than I can describe them. Suffice it to say, we got safely on board our ship; and I felt thankful. We then filled away and stood on our course; both ships bound to the Pacific. We shaped our course for Cape Chatham, the south west point of Australia. On this part of our passage, I often used to watch the sun as it was setting, and think it was just rising with you, and when it arose with us, night had just commenced at home.-We arrived off there on the 8th of March, but not in sight of land. We coasted along towards Bass Straits; but, as there are many islands and rocks in that passage, and it would be near the 20th of March before we could land; the Captain thought it advisable to go around the south side of Van Diemens Land-So we hauled off to the southward. On the night of the 19th it commenced blowing in squalls of rain, sleet and snow; as the sun and moon were near each other (it being near the change) and would cross the equinox so, we expected a severe storm and prepared for it. On the 20th, about 10 o'clock A. M., as the weather lighted up between squalls, we saw the southwest point of Van Diemens Land; it was then blowing a gale, and it continued to increase till the 21st. It then blew one of the heaviest gales I ever experienced; the wind whistled and roared through the rigging, the sea ran mountains high, and often over our decks. The Timoleon is an excellent seaboat, but not a fast sailor; she makes sure passages, but not quick ones; so the gale did us no other injury than to tear many boards off the bulwarks, and stove two whale boats; one of them was on the cranes, and the other over the stern: the one on the cranes was broken in two, so that about eight feet of the bow was hanging to the davies towing in the water.-The wind was west, and it carried us ahead with great force. From here we shaped our course to the north west point of New Zealand. Around all of these islands has been a great resort for whalemen: our crew is made up of men that have cruised here for years; they give flattering accounts of the beauty of their climate, soil, and productions. There are large settlements of English on all of them; and had the weather been good, our Captain talked of going in there, and we intended stopping there to commence our mission, instead of continuing on to Tahita. There is a great and delightful field for our elders to occupy: some hundred thousands of English emigrants to preach to. On the 28th in latitude 35 deg. longitude 166 deg. east, we discovered the first and only shoal of sperm whales we had seen since we left home. Four boats were lowered, and they gave chase: one of them was harpooned, but by some mishap the harpoons drew out, and the whales got away, very much to the disappointment of all hands. On the 31st we saw some small islands off the north west point of New Zealand, called the Three Kings. Since that we have had much head wind; it is now blowing fresh and fair and we expect in two or three days to touch at an island called Oheitaroa. It is 300 miles south by west of Tahita. It is a celebrated place for hogs and fruit. The ship designs to recruit there, then proceed to Tahita, leave us passengers, and then proceed to the north-west coast of America, to fish for whales. Dear Brother, you see I have nearly used up my paper, and must draw to a close. We feel very anxious to get all the news we can from home: from the various threats we heard and saw in the papers previous to our sailing, we expect you may have had troubles with the Carthagenians [Carthaginians], their allies, and the Missourians. Our dreams have warned us that you all may be missing from Nauvoo by this time, and I can assure you that our anxiety for you and all that is near and dear to us on earth, is very great. We feel that we are exiles for Christ's sake; and any news from home will do us good. I hope you all will not fail to establish a correspondence by letters and papers. Br. Phillip B. Lewis, of New Bedford, can give any information you may wish respecting the way of conveyance. We wish you to remember our sincerest friendship to that brother; we received great help from him. I wish you to remember the sincerest affections of a husband and father to my family.-May God, our heavenly Father, in whom I trust, comfort and support them and you all, till we return again in peace. We have enjoyed good health since we left home. I am more fleshly than I have ever before been in my life; and I think my companions can say the same, (though they may not be so willing to own it as I am.) Remember me to all that inquire after us. Tell the Saints to remember us in all their prayers, both private and public. Tell Br. W. Richards I will write him from Tahita, after we commence our labors. Dear Brother, accept my sincere esteem for you and yours.-I remain your brother and fellow laborer in the gospel and covenant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ADDISON PRATT. P. S. Pacific Ocean, Island of Toobouai, Society Group, May 4th, 1844. [This island lies near 22 degrees south latitude and 75 degrees west longitude from Washington. The letter was 198 days on its passage: 183 by water from Toobouai to the United States; and 15 by land from New Bedford to Nauvoo; average on 20,000 miles about 200 miles a day.]-ED. TIMES AND SEASONS. CITY OF NAUVOO. NOVEMBER 15, 1844.