~ The Old Sachem ~ The Whaling Disaster of 1820

By Bill Stewart

You know all about the whale in the book “Moby Dick” written by Herman Melville. You read it in school. The story centers on the sailor Ishmael and his story of the whale attack. But do you know of the ship and crew that Melville heard about and decided to write about? The Essex, built in Amesbury, was launched in 1799 as a three-masted whaling ship based in Nantucket.

On August 12, 1819, the Essex left Nantucket, heading for the south Pacific Ocean, the usual site of the whaling industry. On board were 21 sailors, including the captain, George Pollard, Jr. The trip was expected to be for up to three years, securing as many whales as possible.

On August 14 the ship was struck by a squall and nearly sank and lost two whaleboats. Pollard wanted to return to Nantucket, but First Mate Owen Chase convinced him to continue the voyage to the whaling area. Whaling was a difficult industry: a long voyage and a dangerous taking of a whale.

Whaleboats of about 25 feet were launched with six men on board. They moved their skiff near the whale and tossed a harpoon with a rope that struck the whale, and followed the whale until it tired. Then the sailors killed the whale with a lance and towed it to the main ship. On the main ship it was cut apart for blubber and oil.

The Essex captured their first whale in the South Atlantic, then sailed around Cape Horn and southern Chile, entering the Pacific Ocean. They took more than 10 whales off Peru, then sailed northwest to the best whaling area. On November 20, 1820, more than 1,500 nautical miles from the Galápagos Islands, they spotted whales and launched three whaling boats. The boat commanded by Chase was damaged and returned to the Essex. The crew set about repairing the damage. While working they spotted a huge sperm whale estimated to be 85 feet long where the typical whale was about 65 feet.

The whale approached the Essex and rammed the port side. Next it passed under the Essex and resurfaced and again struck the ship, striking the bow and creating serious damage. The Essex capsized. Pollard wanted to sail about 2,000 miles to the Society Islands, but the crew feared that cannibals were there, so they turned to sailing to Peru or Chile, which was against the wind and measured about 4,000 miles. The three whaleboats were given makeshift sails and two months of provisions.

As the provisions lessened, the men suffered from dehydration. They encountered bad weather and often had to make repairs to the skiffs. Pollard’s boat was damaged by a killer whale, but survived. On December 20 they arrived on Henderson, one of the Pitcairn Islands. They found fresh water but little food. They talked about returning to Chile, which was about 3,000 miles away; they decided to sail to Easter Island, less than 1,000 miles. Storms caused separation of the boats. In February when a sailor died, they decided to cannibalize the body to have some food. In February the boat commanded by Chase was spotted by a British brig, Indian, and the crew survived 89 days of turmoil. The other two boats required cannibalism to survive. Hendricks’ boat was never seen again. Pollard’s boat had only two remaining men, which were rescued by an American whaler, the Dauphin, on February 23.

Those rescued were brought to Valparaiso, Chile. An Australian ship, Surry, rescued the remaining survivors, who returned to Nantucket. There Chase wrote “Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex.” Thomas Nickerson, a cabin boy on the Essex, wrote of the sinking and rescue, but the notes were lost and never printed.

Melville picked up the story and wrote “Moby Dick” for prosperity. Now you know how “Moby Dick” came to be.

  (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column – sometimes about sports. He also opines on current or historical events or famous people.)