The Captain's Best Mate: The Journal of Mary Chipman Lawrence on the Whaler Addison, 1856-1860

by Mary Chipman Lawrence

Book Overview

The diary of a wife who, with their five-year old daughter, accompanied her husband on a three-and-a-half year whaling voyage.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0874513669
• ISBN13: 9780874513660
• Release Date: April 1986
• Publisher: University Press of New England
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

What was it like to be on a whale ship in 1856

Did you ever wonder what it was like to be on a whale ship in the heyay of whaling in the 19th century? This story is the actual journal kept by Whaling Captain Samuel Lawrence's wife Mary who accompanied him for 3 1/2 years on the whaler Addison. Not only did Mary go on the voyage but the Lawrence's daughter, 5 year old Minnie also accompanied them. Mary talks about life and death on the whaler and all of their adventures. Long before the advent of radio, GPS, radar, and cell phones, sailors traveled from New England to the Pacific, Arctic and in between looking for whales. Did ships heave-to and row over to each other to share news and dinner? Yes they did. Did they go several years without catching one single whale? Yes they did. This is a wonderful book and I am sure you will learn things you never knew about whaling in the mid 1800's.