Peter, I can help. The best reference for starting out on whaling voyages in the South Seas is A.G.E. Jones two books, Ships Employed on the South Seas Trade. Here's the ref to locate a Library near you that holds the two sets http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/12068443 and http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34743956. "Mac" Jones packed a lot of information into the two books that were published by Roebuck Press, so it can take some time to gain the full value of his research. Here is a part of what I found in the shipping movements volume [with my translation in brackets]: 1816 29.3 Deal 26 Syren Christie to SS. [29 March 1816 issue of Lloyds List (LL) reports that the Syren, commanded by Christie, departed Deal for the South Seas (SS) three days earlier, on 26th] 1816 3.9. Syren to SS, all well, 14.5 x 3N. [3 Sept 1816 issue of LL - steering for the South Seas - the Syren is abeam of the Gulf of Guinea and about 200 miles SW of Sierra Leone] 1818 17.2. Sir Charles Price at Downs from Timor, sld, 16 Oct; left there Syren, Ranger, Ocean. Sir A. Hammond sld for England 10 days before Sir C. Price. [17 Feb 1818 issue of LL - The whaler Sir Charles Price, having arrived back from her voyage to the South Seas reported that the Syren and other whalers had been at Timor with her back in Oct 1817] A great source of LL Marine News is the digitized copies of LL performed by Michael Dun. go to http://www.1812privateers.org/Bibliography/ Please note that AGE Jones also worked from the arrivals and departures intelligence in LL. At this time this is not fully available in Michael's online resource - hence the possibility of Jones information not being locatable Michael's site. Other works of relevance are: John Cumpston's, Shipping arrivals and departures, Sydney, 1788-1825, http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/15987669 Robert Langdon; Where the whalers went : an index to the Pacific ports and islands visited by American whalers, and some other ships, in the 19th century, http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/18113681 Richards, Rhys (three books): Into the South Seas : the southern whale fishery comes of age on the Brazil Banks, 1765 to 1812 : a review of the whaling activities of American British, French, Spanish and Portuguese whalemen off Brazil and Patagonia before 1812, http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/31113824; Bay of Islands SAD [for NZ ship visits during 1803 to 1840's] http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/23446094 ; and his more recent work Tahiti and the Society Islands : shipping arrivals and departures, 1767 to 1852, http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/30829183 I'm working on the edited publication of a sailor narrative who was a Mate and later Master of a whaler. Though he does not name the Siren he names other whalers that were in company with your ship of interest. I'm located in Sydney, so you can contact me offlist if you have any specific questions. regards Chris Maxworthy AAMH <SNIP> Peter wrote: Can anyone tell me what the best sources of information/references are available to research a whaler - The Syren. It was owned by C & S Enderby from London. Apart from any details on the ship itself, I am most interested in a voyage that left Portsmouth on Nov 25, 1817 under Capt. Christie to carry out whaling in the South Pacific off the Chilean coast. My GGGG Grandfather, James Phillips was a mate on this voyage but unfortunately drowned on the voyage. (Poetic justice???? - maybe but they where different times ) If anyone on the Mariners list can give me pointers to find out more information about the ship and James Phillips I would be most grateful. Regards Peter Phillips