Now! Then! Jonas Poole’s London whaler sinks in Forlandsundet (Spitsbergen), but Thomas Marmaduke is initially reluctant to take the survivors on board the Hopewell of Hull

Excerpt

As soon as the ship was moored, we got out blubber and sent it on land to be brought into oil, and we followed our work till the seventh of August at noon, at which time having oil by the ship’s side, we put out all the blubber which was in hold, save two tuns and a half, supposing the ship had ballast enough in her, for there was above twelve tuns of hides, which were the chiefest cause of the loss of the ship, and nine tuns of oil, and above seven tuns of ballast, a hogshead and a barrel of teeth: besides half a tun of stones, all which was about nine and twenty tun weight, and to any unpartial man’s judgement, sufficient to shift a bark of sixty tuns. But as the last butt went out of her, the ship began to held, and with all a great many men went to leeward, there being at that time above forty aboard. Then the hides which lay in hold, slid to leeward, and brought her altogether down, then every man made shift to save his life, and I being far from the hatches, could not get up so soon as others did. At which time I saw death before mine eyes two ways: one if I stayed in hold, I was sure to be drowned; the other, if I went up the hatches, I was in election to be slain, for down at the hatches fell hogsheads of beer and diverse other things, the least of them being sufficient to beat a man’s bones, and in attempting to get up, I was beaten down twice and hurt. But it was not the will of God to take my life from me then, but to revive me, to pluck me even from the jaws of death, and by swimming and crawling I got into the sea clear of the ship, where a boat took me up, and blessed be God, no man perished at that so dangerous an accident. We being all got into three boats, went to the Hull ship, where we found but small comfort, for Marmaduke told us plainly, we should not come aboard his ship, and caused pikes and lances to be brought to keep us out. Then Master Edge and diverse others desired him to let me come aboard, which he did, and with much ado I got aboard, having mine head broke to the skull, and my brow that one might see the bare bones, and by mine ear I had a sore wound, likewise the ribs on my right side were all broken and sore bruised, and the collar bone of my left shoulder is broken, besides my back was so sore, that I could not suffer any man to touch it.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

Comment

Marmaduke, an interloper, had previously by dubious means got his hands on £1,500-worth of goods originally acquired by the Company, and my guess is that his behaviour here was blackmail designed to improve his commercial terms on anything of Poole’s that could be saved. Here’s Thomas Edge, retold by Samuel Purchas:

The Elizabeth being moored, the captain gave order unto the master to deliver out of his ship all the goods he had got at Cherry Island, which was sea-horse hides and blubber, being of little worth, and to take in the oil and whale fins, which were gotten by the Marie Margaret’s company. The Master in unlading of his ship brought her so light that unfortunately he over-set her, having goods in her worth seven hundred pounds. This ill chance happening unto the two London ships, the captain of them agreed with Thomas Marmaduke, master of the Hull ship, to take in the goods which was saved, at the rate of five pounds the tun, which was a great rate (notwithstanding they had been a means to get him goods worth five hundred pounds for the Hull ship) and upon the one and twentieth of August, 1611, they departed from Greenland in the Hopewell, being ninety nine men in all, and arrived at Hull the sixth of September, where the said Edge took out the Company’s goods, and shipped them for London by order from the Company (Purchas 1906).

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Original

The third of August I got over, and about eight of the clocke at night, I anchored neere the Mary Margaret, the Sunne being in 79. degrees, and there I found a shippe of Hull conducted thither by one Nicholas Woodcock, he being in one of the Boats which stayed in Greenland, when those came from thence that came to Cherrie Hand. The ships name was called the Hopewell, one Thomas Marmaduke being Master. Here we found that hee had slaine above one hundred and thirtie Mohorses [walrus], which were left on land when Master Thomas Edge came from thence with the Boats aforesaid, and we did determine to kill at my arrivall. As soone as the ship was moored, wee got out Blubber and sent it on land to bee brought into Oyle, and wee followed our worke till the seventh of August at noone, at which time having Oyle by the ships side, we put out all the Blubber which was in hold, save two tuns and a halfe, supposing the ship had ballast enough in her, for there was above twelve tuns of Hides, which were the chiefest cause of the losse of the ship, and nine tunnes of Oyle, and above seven tunnes of ballast, a Hogshead and a Barrell of Teeth: besides halfe a tunne of stones, all which was about nine and twentie tunne weight, and to any unpartiall mans judgement, sufficient to shift a Barke of sixtie tunnes. But as the last But went out of her, the ship began to held, and with all a great many men went to leeward, there being at that time above forty aboard. Then the hides which lay in hold, slid to leeward, and brought her altogether downe, then every man made shift to save his life, and I being farre from the hatches, could not get up so soone as others did. At which time I saw death before mine eyes two wayes, one if I stayed in hold, I was sure to be drowned: the other if I went up the hatches, I was in election to be slaine; for downe at the hatches fell hogsheads of beere and divers other things, the least of them being sufficient to beate a mans bones, and in attempting to get up, I was beaten downe twice and hurt. But it was not the will of God to take my life from mee then, but to revive me, to plucke me even from the jawes of death, and by swimming and crawling I got into the Sea cleere of the ship where a Boat tooke me up, and blessed bee God, no man perished at that so dangerous an accident. We being all got into three Boats, went to the Hull ship, where we found but small comfort: for Duke told us plainly, wee should not come aboard his ship, and caused Pikes and Launces to bee brought to keepe us out. Then Master Edge and divers others desired him to let mee come aboard, which hee did, and with much adoe I got aboard, having mine head broke to the skull, and my brow that one might see the bare bones, and by mine eare I had a sore wound, likewise the ribs on my right side were all broken and sore bruised, and the collar bone of my left shoulder is broken, besides my backe was so sore, that I could not suffer any man to touch it.

[Purchas:] That which followeth, being further accusation of Marmaduke, is omitted. And I have here added out of his Brother Randolph Poole their returne ; omitting the former part of his Relations of the same Voyage.

In this our great distresse, Thomas Marmaduke Master of the shippe of Hull, professed great kindnesse towards us, promising us passage, and that he would try if he could recover our ship : but hee deferred the time one whole weeke, till shee was full of oze, so that when wee came to weigh her, but her Cables burst, and so we left her to all our sorrowes, without hope of recoverie. Then we went aboard the ship of Hull, which God had prepared for our succour, where our Merchant agreeing for the fraight, we got the goods aboard ; namely, about twentie, or one and twentie tunnes and an halfe of Gyle, and a Barrell of Beares Oyle, about tenne tunnes of Whales Finnes bound up in an hundred and sixe bundels, in every one thirtie Finnes, and in some more, five Hogsheads of Morses Teeth, and one and twentie odd paire. And if our ship had not miscarried, the Voyage had beene much better.

787 words.