Whaling journal up for grabs at Massachusetts auction

Whaling journal by Charles W. Morgan crewman up for grabs at Massachusetts auction
By Joe Wojtas
Publication: The Day

Mystic - A Massachusetts auction house on Saturday plans to auction off a journal written by a Charles W. Morgan crewman who was thought to have been lost at sea after he harpooned a whale and took an infamous Nantucket sleigh ride off the Russian coast in 1890.

The journal was penned by N. A. Martin, who kept it in the 1880s during three partial voyages aboard the whaling vessel now owned by Mystic Seaport.

According to Frank McNamee of Marion Antique Auctions in Marion, Mass., the last voyage Martin chronicled began out of San Francisco. While in the Sea of Okhotsk, Martin and crew of the whaleboat harpooned a whale and were dragged out of sight of the Morgan.

The ship left the area without finding the men, who later reached the Russian coast, where they were initially jailed as spies.

They eventually made their way by ship to Hong Kong and back to New Bedford, Mass., the Morgan's home port.

Martin's entries ended the day he was left behind by the Morgan. The journal ended up in California with descendants of Martin. In the 1960s, McNamee said the Seaport talked with the owner about donating it to the museum.

But the journal ended up instead with a family in Mattapoisett, Mass., who recently discovered it in a shoebox and decided to sell it at auction after learning it could be worth as much as $5,000.

McNamee said research done by the New Bedford Whaling Museum shows that it is the only surviving logbook or journal from that voyage.

"You can tell Martin wasn't a writer. He didn't have an advanced education. But this is still a great historic document for the ship and the time period," he said.

The journal is among the auction items that includes the collections of Wareham, Mass., historian George C. Decas who collected paintings by the Thompson family of Middleboro, Mass., a family of artists from the 19th century. Also in the auction is a document signed by John Hancock.

McNamee said he expects museums such as the Seaport as well as private collectors to have interest in bidding on the journal.

Dan McFadden, the Seaport's director of communications, said Tuesday the museum is aware of the auction.

"Obviously, we have an interest in any artifacts associated with the Charles W. Morgan, and our curators keep track of items when they become available. It is our policy not to comment further on an upcoming auction," he said.

In addition to the Morgan itself, the museum has many Morgan artifacts, including logbooks and crew journals, in its collection.

The catalog can be viewed online at www.marionantiqueauctions.com. The sale begins at noon on Saturday at the Marion VFW.

Viewing is Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 to 11:30 a.m.