Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Paul Cuffe, a Pequot Indian, During Thirty Years Spent at Sea, and in Travelling in Foreign Lands — John Shaqi
Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Paul Cuffe, a Pequot Indian, During Thirty Years Spent at Sea, and in Travelling in Foreign LandsCuffe, Paul
History
Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Paul Cuffe, a Pequot Indian, During Thirty Years Spent at Sea, and in Travelling in Foreign Lands
Cuffe, Paul
Cuffe, Paul, 1795 or 1796-
During the next eight years I made sixteen voyages to the West India
Islands, under different Captains and in different vessels. In none of
these voyages did any thing unusual occur, though we had to throw some
of our cargoes overboard to save the vessels. After the above voyages I
stayed at home a few months, but not being contented on shore, about
the 25th of June, 1829, I again went to sea in the ship Trident, of 600
tons. There were sixty of the crew, principally experienced whalemen.
We were bound to the Pacific Ocean, for whale. Our course was as usual
by way of the Western Islands, where we arrived in about 20 days. We
caught three Sperm on the passage. We stopped at Flores, one of these
islands, where we took in potatoes, onions, pumpkins, hogs, and
chickens. Here we stopped but two days. Then we steered away south for
the Cape De Verds, which we passed. The next land which we saw was the
Isle of May. Thence we steered away for Cape Horn, where we arrived in
90 days thereafter. We then doubled Cape Horn, and sailed northward off
the coast, until we came to the island of Juan Fernandez, famous for
its being for several years the abode of the celebrated Robinson
Crusoe. One could not help thinking of the dreadful life this
celebrated navigator lived while here. His lonely hours and tantalizing
dreams. His constant fear of beasts and cannibal savages. While here we
visited the untenanted cave where that noted adventurer is said to have
resided. On this island are a great many goats; also peaches, which
grow wild in the woods. There were but few people here. The colony
planted by Crusoe not having multiplied very fast. The land here is
good, but the shore is generally bold. From this place we sailed for
Payta, in latitude 5 degrees south, where we arrived after more than
six months sail from the time we left New Bedford. Here we took in
potatoes and onions, re-fitted ship, and made ready for fishing. Here
we stayed eighteen days. Then we sailed for the "offshore ground" a
famous place for sperm whale. We were fifty days sailing from Payta to
the shore. Here we stayed five months, and took but two hundred barrels
sperm. We then sailed again for Payta, where we recruited ship, staid a
couple of weeks, and then sailed for Tombus, where we took in wood and
water. When this was done, we sailed the for Gallipago Islands, where
we went for Terrapin. The Terrapin very much resembles our large
Turtle, only they live wholly on the land, and weigh from four to five
hundred pounds. The manner of taking them is as follows: In the morning
we used to go up into the island, among the bushes, where we usually
found them feeding upon cabbage trees, that they had gnawed down the
night before. After finding them two of us used to go up to them and
turn them over upon their backs, then tie their legs, and swing them
between us, by lashing them to our backs. We then carry them to the
boats, and from thence to the ship. We sometimes keep them alive six
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account