Lot #291

“Henry Caught  Three  Sperm Whales

…it was such a good slay rid[e]”

Three ½ pp. Manuscript letter dated 1845 Portersville, CT:

“…you had asked me if I had heard from Henry since he left. He wrote hope from the Western Islands, when he had been home two months, they caught 3 sperm whale. Henry caught the largest sperm whale a going out. He wrote he liked whaling very much. It was such a good slay riding, but I suppose it was to encourage me. I never felt worse to part with him in my life. It seemed to me like burying him alive, but I must leave him in the hands of the Lord.”

The Whaling life was a rough and dangerous life. Once a whale was sighted, the crew took to their whaleboats in pursuit with the immediate objective of harpooning their prey.

If the harpooner successfully speared a victim, the whaleboat and its crew were treated to what was called a “Nantucket Sleigh Ride” as the whale dragged its hunters through the sea in an attempt to escape. After two to three hours of this rollercoaster ride, the whale would tire, be finished off and hauled to the mother ship. Here it was cut up and its blubber boiled down to yield its precious oil. Interesting whaling related letter.

Integral address leaf address to Miss Hannah S. Carpenter Coventry North Society, Island County, Conn., 10 rate. Fine.            $250 - up

(color images available upon request)