This whaling log, kept by Edward Mulford Baker (1810-1856), documents two voyages aboard the ship Daniel Webster. The first took place between 1833 and 1837, departing from Sag Harbor for the Pacific Ocean. Baker was first mate under Capt. Philetus Pierson (1801-1879) and documented the journey only between Aug. 27 and Sept. 19, 1833.
The second voyage took place between 1837 and 1839, from Sag Harbor to the Atlantic and the Pacific. Capt. Stratton H. Harlow commanded the Daniel Webster with Baker as first mate, until 1838, when Harlow was killed by a whale 15 months into the voyage, making Baker captain.
Baker’s whaling log offers insight into life at sea, as the first mate’s job was to record weather conditions, positions of the ship (latitude and longitude), the sail the ship was under, and whether any whales were seen or taken. In a common practice at the time, Baker used stamps made of wood, bone, or ivory, cut into the shape of a whale, to document when one was taken, and used stamps of a whale’s tail to indicate that a whale had escaped. Baker also recorded how many barrels of whale oil were to be made from a single capture.
Although all whaling logs included the basic information listed above, some also contained the art and poetry of seamen from their journeys. Featured in this whaling log are several sketches of landmasses visible to Baker from the ship, such as the Falkland Islands and Trinidad.
Logs like this one help us understand the lucrative whaling industry, the people who worked in it, and its effect on local history. Whaling was integral to life on eastern Long Island. Its significance is reflected in the Long Island Collection’s extensive holdings of logs, correspondence, and other material from the industry.
Today from 4 to 7 p.m., the collection will host a pop-up exhibition showcasing materials related to whaling.
—
Megan Bardis is a librarian and archivist in the East Hampton Library’s Long Island Collection.
