Collection of Diaries from Shipwrecked Whaler, George Keeney, Marooned in Antarctica

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Property of N. Flayderman & Co., Plus Selecte...

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Feb 21, 2017 - Feb 22, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-02-21 10:00:00 2017-02-22 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Property of N. Flayderman & Co., Plus Selected Additions https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/property-of-n-flayderman-co-plus-selected-additions-2104
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• Lot Description

  Lot of 4, including three neatly penned manuscript notebooks, plus a series of newspaper clippings by Charles Lanman pasted on paper and housed in a folio. 

  In the 19^th century, whaling was an extremely profitable venture. The massive mammal produced tons of oil that lit many homes and greased factory machinery, and its bones and baleen made a number of other useful items. Ships became floating factories and warehouses that produced the product by boiling down the blubber on deck while storing the barrels and bones in the ships’ hulls. As whale populations dwindled, elephant seal (walrus) oil became more of a commodity. Hunting whale and elephant seal was a perilous occupation, and many sailors accepted the risks and knew that it could be the death of them. Yet, hundreds of ships and thousands of men set sail out of ports in New England during hunting season each year. 

  Captain John Williams and his crew of men aboard the Trinity, embarked from New London, CT in search of seal oil on June 1, 1880. Little did they know; the ten-month voyage would last nearly two years after the ship crashed and forced its crew to be marooned on Herd Island. Aboard the ship was second officer, George Keeney, who kept three detailed journals of daily accounts on the island. Keeney wrote:

  Sailed from Corinth Bay for south S.E. part of the island where we came to anchor that same day.  October 12 shifted our anchorage about two miles where the ship rode out gale after gale, dragging the anchor most of the time until October 17 when, rather than have the ship drag onto the reef lying a stern ship we slipped our chains and ran the ship onto the beach to save our lives.

  Amid chaos, a Portuguese sailor named Antonio volunteered to dive into the waters and swim ashore with the line. The line enabled the men on shore and on board to retrieve their clothing and other essentials. In a frenzy, the men salvaged what they could from the wreckage. Keeney wrote:

  I took what I thought would be the surest plan for saving my clothing, beds, bed clothing, tobacco, and tools it all in good condition and put them into two casks which was left on board the ship til everything else was got ashore that was saved…the two casks containing my goods and chattels were launched overboard but never landed which proved very unfortunate for me…(October 17, 1880).

  Left without clothing or tools, Keeney depended upon the kindness of the other men. Thankfully, they obliged so he could survive the harsh conditions.

  Instead of sitting idly on shore, the crew continued to work hunting elephant seals, boiling their blubber, filling casks, and stacking them on shore to ensure their travels would not be in vain. They built shanties on hilltops to view any approaching vessels. Still, they had no hopes of a speedy rescue.  I do not expect [a vessel] this season, wrote Keeney to his children.  I should be most happily disappointed to see one come anytime between now and next March (January 1, 1881). March came and went. No ships surfaced on the horizon.

  Keeney and the crew settled in their shanties and formulated a new plan. As the months past, Keeney grew more concerned about food and the dwindling population of elephant seal. Eating the same meal every day also grew tiresome. Keeney described, Our living now is simply boiled elephant [seal] and penguin meat and cabbage. I cook blubber and blood with my meat and then eat the whole. It does very well but I would like to have some other sort of provision once per day (October 17, 1880). The men continued to work hard, but as morale waned some of the men began to lose interest. Today the man who has officiated in the capacity of a very poor steward for our mess refused to do so any more, wrote Keeney. He added, Last December (when all hands were hard at work on the beaches killing elpht. Backing and rolling blubber.) cooking for five men besides himself was more exercise than he wished to bear. Consequently the cook was given into his charge to help him do almost nothing…The steward has made a great deal of trouble among us by carrying stories from one to another I am glad he has left our table (May 11, 1881). Although the ex-steward left their table, he continued to make trouble in other tents.

  Since [the steward] first went to live with the white men there has been no end to quarrels among them, whereas before he went there they got along nicely. A short time ago two of them quarreled when one of them drew a large knife and stabbed the other in the shoulder inflicting a very bad wound which was the cause of the man who used the knife having to leave the shanty and go to seek shelter some where else (October 8^th, 1881).

  Days before their one year anniversary on the island, the men thought they spotted a ship. They assembled a search party. When they reached the nearby islands, they discovered the “ships” were icebergs. Disheartened, Keeney wrote in his journal:

  It has been the longest and most disagreeable year in my existence…now it looks to me as if there was no ship coming to our rescue this year…she would have surely have been here by this time unless something else happened on the passage to prevent her doing otherwise…. And surely the owners of the Trinity are well aware that the Trinity had not sufficient provisions to last a crew of thirty five men from the time she sailed from home up to the present time. Even though we had saved every ounce of provision that was in the ship, at the time of her being wrecked, but we shall know all about it in time, provided we live long enough (October 17, 1881). 

  Even Keeney began to lose hope towards the end and refused the Captain's order to collect more oil.

  I won't continue to go around the beaches picking up blubber any longer. I have done so for 14 months to please [the Captain]. I or any other person belonging to the "Trinity" was not obligated to work one hour the ship was lost but I have done so. And I will do no more for him or any other man. We have quite enough to do to keep ourselves alive. Tis my opinion that he is a confounded Rascal. I think he wants to come here some time and get the oil and claim all of it. All I ask is to be delivered in America. I want no part of or share of this oil (January 6, 1882). 

  Thankfully, six days after the entry, a ship arrived. Keeney wrote:

  We set up the most unearthly howling and yelling I ever heard and gesticulating by throwing caps, hats and old coats in the air. Some trying to see how high they could jump and keep time with the chorus howling and yelling at the same time. The next thing to be thought about was to make a signal to the ship which was soon made ready by bending a blanket to a lance pole and holding it erect on top of one of the shanties...the ship answered it by coming into the wind...and running up the stars and stripes to mizzen peak. This was enough for us. We know now that we were not forgotten or given up as being lost (January 12, 1882). 

  They were rescued. Keeney and the men finally returned home to their wives, children, and other families where they could feast on other beasts instead of penguin steaks and seal meat and sleep in warm beds. 

  
  
  Provenance: N. Flayderman and Co., Inc.

  Condition

  All are in good condition with some toning of the paper and wear of the spine. One, smaller manuscript book is smaller than the others and has more loose binding. 
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