Cobblestones
Home : Colonial
Lives
: The Journal of
Charles Flinn
The Journal of Charles Flinn
by Jordan
It had the
power to thrust three tons of whale
forward, snapping the harpoon rope; our whaleboat flipped over
like a toothpick in the ocean.
We put
on Mohawk Indian costumes and got these hatchet like things called
tomahawks and clubs.When we were on the ship, I started smashing open the crates with my
tomahawk
and club. Click play to hear my story |
We just came back from another whaling voyage. It was only for two weeks though, there was a bloody storm too rough to stay at sea. We at least got two barrels of oil from that giant sperm whale. It could have been three, but in the storm, our small whaleboats, as that half wit John said, could not stay still enough to harpoon a whale three bloody meters away. We got a large amount of whalebone though. That should make up for the measly amount of oil we got.
November 29, 1760
This time of the year business always seems to prosper. Each voyage we keep bringing in four or five barrels of oil and a pretty large amount of whalebone. This year we have only lost three whaleboats to some angry whales. The Dutch have been making our pockets bulge with their business. It is funny that the Brits think they can stop our shipping with a Navigation Act. They are too stupid to suspect that an innocent fishing boat would be carrying barrels of oil to sell to the Dutch. Even if they did, they do not have the power to go on my ships and poke their noses around. Anyway that law is one hundred years old; the Brits might not even remember it exists. I don’t want to do illegal things, but half of my business is to the Dutch and I have to take care of my family.
August 11, 1763
Last voyage was a bloody mess. On the way to meet the Dutch, our boat got waylaid by a British patrol ship. The officer came onto my ship and showed me this little note he says gives him permission to come on my ship and look around by order of the King...Bah. When he got to the cargo hold, he said that he had to seize my oil and bone. Ten barrels of oil! They took almost two months worth of oil and bone. Good for us though that the Brits are as loyal as a snake. We gave the pompous officer about half of our shillings to say he did not get the name of our ship or company. It makes me so mad that the British can export anywhere they want and we can not export at all. Now we are going to have to be even more careful about our smuggling.
September 17, 1767
Every boat I lost to a whale happened when I was too tied up with matters on shore. Last voyage was an exception. We spotted a big whale. We were about a week into the voyage. It was one of the biggest ones all season. When John harpooned it, it thrashed like they usually do, but this one would not tire out. It had the power to thrust three tons of whale forward, snapping the harpoon rope; our whaleboat flipped over like a toothpick in the ocean. Thank the Lord that we were close enough to the sloop that we could swim to it. It will be quite the story to tell the family. Martha is going to be pretty upset that my life was in such peril, especially since she is so worried about a revolution. Also, I have heard some talk about these people called the Sons of Liberty. I don’t know much about them, but I think they are against King George and the Brits.
February 28, 1773
Last night’s Sons of Liberty meeting was pretty successful. We decided that when the next big shipment of India Tea Company tea came in we would dress up like Indians, board the ship at night and dump all the crates of tea into the ocean. It is a pretty dangerous plan, but we have to stand up to the Brits. Usually I am not a man who lets my emotions get to me but the Brits have gone too far. A few years ago they passed these laws that made it so they have the power to come on my ship and look around. Because of that I have lost tons of barrels to the Brits. It has cost me almost three months worth of wages and the crew was not happy. Then came the Tea Tax. That made me furious, and that is what made me join the Sons of Liberty and join in the tea plan. The Brits probably do not even have pay half the taxes we do.
December 17, 1773
Last night was the best time of my life. We showed the Brits that we will not just stand still and let them push us around. We started in the Old South Meeting House. We put on Mohawk Indian costumes and got these hatchet like things called tomahawks and clubs. After that, we marched side by side under the leadership of Sam Adams to Griffin’s Wharf where the ships were. From there, we were separated into three groups and mine went on to The Beaver. When we were on the ship, we went straight for the tea. I started smashing open the crates with my tomahawk and club. Then I threw the broken crates of tea overboard. It all went rather quickly. It was also very quiet even though there were hundreds of spectators. After we came off the ship, some people were sent out in to the harbor to break any of the crates that did not sink. I hope the Brits learn that we are capable of doing a lot worse things.
December 23, 1773
Word that we dumped all the tea into Boston Harbor must have just got to England. Prime Minister Lord North ordered the harbor closed. It was a good thing that I sailed out when I did or I would be stuck there. I am going to send next voyage’s oil and whalebone down to Boston to help them out. All of their fishermen and whalers do not have jobs. They can not feed their families. How can the Brits be so cruel? They would never do this to their own people.
Epilogue