Hadn't expected the contents of Walter NICOL's sea chest to create any excitement. The voyage from Liverpool to Bombay was planned to last, if required, up to 3 years. The crew agreement said: > The several Persons whose names are hereto subscribed, and whose > descriptions are contained below, and of whom 19 are engaged as > Sailors, hereby agree > to serve on board the said Ship, in the several capacities expressed > against their respective Names, on a Voyage from Liverpool to Bombay > thence (if required) to any ports and places in the Indian Pacific & > Atlantic Ocean and China and Eastern Leas (thence to a port for orders > and to the C..... port if required and back to a final port of > discharge > in the United Kingdom, term not to exceed 3 years ~~ Another written addition to the crew agreement said > That the Crew shall consist of 3 Mates > Carpr., Bsw, Steward and Cook, 15 Seamen and 4 Ords. No Grog > allowed. As master of the "Cursetjee Furdongee" Walter NICOL would have been expected to meet with on-shore business contacts in the ports where the ship anchored. That might account for the silk umbrella which a native of Anstruther, Fife might have found necessary for protection against the heat and sun in Bombay, etc. Also the mittens would make life more bearable as the ship sailed in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. As circumstances dictated the "C F" returned to Liverpool and the entire crew was discharged 31 Mar 1866 fourteen months after leaving Liverpool. Cursetjee Furdongee, the namesake of the ship, was a well-off Bombay merchant. Norma On 18-Jul-11, at 4:08 PM, Piers Smith-Cresswell wrote: > > You're right, what he would actually take with him would depend on > the type > and length of voyages he was making. If Swain usually traded > between NYC > and the West Indies, he probably wouldn't need so many changes of > clothes > because the voyages weren't so long. Nicol, on the other hand, died > on a > voyage from London to India via the Cape of Good Hope which took > over 3 > months and could have taken longer. Given that fresh water was > usually > extremely limited (on British ships, the ration was usually 8 pints > per man > per day for all purposes, including steeping the salt off salted meat, > cooking and washing up), it may explain why Nichol had so many of > some types > of clothing and so few of others. I would hazard a guess that > trousers and > towels (good thick British woollens no doubt) would have needed lots > of > water in laundering, and so they probably had to wait until the end > of the > voyage to be washed, whereas underwear and socks could be washed in > a bowl > with a little water once a week! As for the collars, of which the > inventory > notes Nichol had 54 of assorted types, he I would guess that he > intended to > wear each for a couple of days before it went into the wash bag to > await the > dhobi-wallah (washerman) in Bombay! > > I don't know how long it takes to sail between NY and the West > Indies - a > month maybe? Less? - but Captain Swain wouldn't have needed to stock > up to > the same extent. His list would probably have included similar > things, but > maybe not so many. > > If you want to have a better idea of what Swain took with him, you > really > need an inventory for a deceased master (or mate) from an American > East > Coast vessel on a similar type of voyage. This is a bit specialist of > course! Have you tried Mystic Seaport http://www.mysticseaport.org/ ? > > Piers > > > > > > > > > > > > Pier- that is very interesting. I wonder if I can find some books on > that at the BYU library. I got so interested in Nantucket, that I > read 8 > books on it, bought a few, and would love to go there, but can't. > They > say that if you are related to someone from Nantucket that you have > millions of ancestors in this country. It is a fascinating place, > and I > suspect that he left due to the privations they always suffered as > well > as the fact that whaling was very dangerous. Just working for > merchants > would be much safer and apparently he had fascinating adventures all > around the world. I found six of his letters, written from the West > Indies, in the NYHistorical Society, while he was working in 1815-16 > for Lynch and Amar, merchants in NYC. He is a dead ringer for Robert > Burns, also, even though his ancestors go back to England. > I don't think the link to the ship chest made it to the sight, and > it is > gorgeous- unless I just didn't see it there. I am also wondering about > the difference in Brittish and American shipping. > > Sue > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MARINERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MARINERS-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message >