Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784Raymond, W. O. (William Odber)
History
Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784
Raymond, W. O. (William Odber)
New Brunswick -- History; Saint John River Valley (Me. and N.B.)
The sloop St. John's Paquet was another vessel that had an unfortunate
experience. She made occasional voyages from St. John to St. Croix in
the West Indies. In the year 1770 she sailed from St. John with a
cargo of lime for Newburyport, having on board William Hazen, who had
been on one of his periodical business trips to St. John. Simonds and
White asked to have the sloop and cargo insured, but Hazen says the
reason they gave, namely, that the paquet was "an unlucky vessel," did
not make any impression on the minds of himself or Mr. Jarvis, and, as
it was a good season of the year, they did not effect it. The vessel
unfortunately proved true to her reputation. She got on the shoals at
Newburyport and taking "a rank heel" got water amongst her lime, which
set her on fire. The sloop and her cargo were sold in consequence for
L300 where she lay. The vessel was afterwards hired by Hazen & Jarvis
and again sent to St. John to load for the West Indies.
The Wilmot proved unfit for the company's business and on May 23,
1766. Hazen & Jarvis wrote their partners: "We have purchased a very
good and valuable cargo for the schooner Wilmot. It consists of oxen,
cows, calves, flour, cyder, boards and bricks, and we have sent her
under care of Captain Beck to Newfoundland for sale. We hope we will
get a good price for her." This hope was not realized, for the
schooner lost her deckload of cattle in a storm and the voyage was
unprofitable.
During the earlier years of the partnership the schooners Eunice and
Polly, sloop Peggy & Molly and other small vessels were employed from
April to October in fishing in the Bay of Fundy and at Passamaquoddy.
The correspondence of the company contains many references to this
important branch of business, a few of which are to be found in the
footnotes below.[72]
[72] "The sloop Bachellor is now ready to sail; the contents of cargo
251 quintles Cod and Pollock of her crew's catching, 30 do. of
Hunt's. The great sloop arrived ten days ago; has made but an
ordinary fare, said to be 300 quintles. Will sail with dry
fish in about a fortnight. * * Pollock will sell best in the
country, pray sell as many that sort as is possible." [Letter
of James Simonds written from "Passamaquada," 18th August,
1764.]
"Leavitt in the Polly has just arrived from Annapolis; he says
he has lost a fare of fish for want of sufficient length of
cable to ride at anchor, and that he must have one by the
middle of August or he shall lose one or two fares more at
Grand Manan." [Letter of James Simonds of 22nd June, 1768]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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