Ashuelot (1867) — Discussion: Questions, Comments, and Coordination

[Randi]

(Click on an image above to open full-size image in new tab)

NARA URL	JPG Link
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/148789104	January February March
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/148789300	April May June July August September
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/148789495	October November December

Muster Rolls

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On the weather page, please enter: date, locations, distances (knots and fathoms), courses, and all the weather data in the columns outlined in red in the spreadsheet.
However, entries such as Ebb and Flood in the knots and fathoms columns can be omitted. In this case and other cases where no distance is specified, entries in the courses steered column indicate the ship's alignment rather displacement and can also omitted.
It is not necessary to record Leeway or State of the Sea.
However, ice mentioned in the weather grid should be transcribed using the magenta State of the Sea column.

On the events page please enter: ice, location information, and sailing information.
Aurorae, volcanic, and seismic activity should be reported in the forum.
The names of US Navy and Coast Guard ships met should be noted. This gives the science team a chance to compare weather readings. You can include all ships mentioned in a single entry without a time or any additional data.
Other events are optional.

One person can do both weather and events (Stream 1), but the system also allows one person to do the weather page (Stream 1) and a second person to do the events page (Stream 3).
Unlike in OW3, where three transcriptions were required for each page, we are doing only one transcription per page.

Every transcriber needs to enter the date.
The date is used to organize the pages.

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See Ashuelot — General for some general background and discussion.
See Ashuelot — Examples for a quick introduction to transcribing or a refresher.

See Transcribing Guide to learn how to transcribe the data.
Post in Ask Questions Here or this topic if you have questions.

OW web site: Ashuelot

Direct links:

• Tracker
• Spreadsheet
• File Upload
• Transcription Status

[sleepyowl]

I have been waiting a long time for another ship located in Asia, and so I would like to reserve the entire year of 1867.

[Michael]

Done. I'll let you know when I get the spreadsheet ready.

[sleepyowl]

Thanks, Michael. There is no hurry, I am still busy finishing Manning.

[pommystuart]

After a 4 day 'Breaking in' cruise from Boston to New York we have spent 13 days getting things fixed and painting the ship.

We have also given one seaman a dishonorable discharge and another 15 days solitary on bread and water.

I hope to have the vessel in ship shape for Sleepyowl to take over next year.

Oh Dear yet another set back.
5th May 1866

2 PM, Bremen Bark ? "Reinhard" while in to of steamer "R.C.Smith" ran into us, striking the Starboard Paddle box.

Did a lot of damage, see log page.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0040.JPG

Sorry

[sleepyowl]

No worries, there are still 7 months for you to get her spruced up for me

[pommystuart]

Just got back to Boston on one wheel.

[pommystuart]

Hay, sleepyowl, how did you take over the ship before I handed it over to the Asiatic Fleet on the 15th Jan?

(I am still trying to get to Hong Kong from Manilla, turned back a couple of times.
Reading further ahead we do not leave Manila.)

[pommystuart]

17th Dec.
1030 Acting Master Wilkins left the ship on duty to board a vessel just arrived.
1145 He returned, and reported her to be BR Bark ? from New York?, bound for China. Put in for provisions & water having been 30 days North of Manila, and unable to reach Hong Kong, by reason of the very heavy weather.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0089.JPG

I think we are stuck in Manila for the rest of the year.

If this weather model for the 3rd Dec 2021 is anything to go by it's no wonder we are staying in Manila Hbr
https://www.weather365.net/en/marine-we ... eight.html

[Michael]

You're in the queue behind Haida 1930 and McCulloch 1907.

Gordon finished his two days ago, Chris finished his yesterday and now you!

[pommystuart]

Sorry, I posted on the wrong year. Should have been 1866.

[sleepyowl]

January to October have been completed.

[sleepyowl]

Here are some of the more significant posts for the year, some quite graphic:

17 January 1867
1320h A very heavy explosion occurred at the North side of the harbor, immediately sent the Gig and 2 cutter in charge of Mates Cleaves and Cotton to the scene of the disaster. 1410h Gig returned in charge of Mate Cotton reporting that Bremen Bark "Themis" having 400 B lbs of Powder on board, had blown up together with several sampans which were near her. All hands blown to pieces.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0120.JPG

20 June 1867
0800h Dressed ship in company with the English flag ship, this being the anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0090.JPG

17 July 1967
0900h Passed a junk with Europeans on board, who made signals to us. Stopped engine, sent a boat in charge of an officer to board the junk and ascertained the Europeans were a part of the crew of the English Bark "Elizabeth" of Dundee, Captain Darke 40 days from Newchwang, for Swatow. Lost sails and drove in Owick Bay on Monday 15. Dragged ashore. 7 men drowned landing. Were plundered of everything by the natives. 17 men saved.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0117.JPG

(Newchwang is modern-day Yingkou, Swatow is modern-day Shantou)
A check online showed that the barque was wrecked in Owick Bay in a typhoon with the loss of nine lives
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_s ... _July_1867

30 November 1867
0507h There appeared a meteor of extraordinary size and brilliancy which took a southwesterly course, passing over an arc of about 50 degrees and leaving for about 1 - 15 degrees from its starting point a bright track of considerable width, which remained visible for over fifteen minutes. During its flight, the city and vicinity were lighted up, so that distant objects were seen with great distinctness.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0070.JPG

29 November 1867
1150h HBMS Salamis arrived flying the broad pennant of Admiral Keppel
30 November 1867
1100h Capt Febiger paid a visit of courtesy to Admiral Keppel commanding the English East India Squadron
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0070.JPG

Found this interesting as the harbour in Singapore is called Keppel Harbour ... so I checked it up and Admiral (Henry) Keppel was the one who surveyed the area and suggested it be used as a harbour. Most Singaporeans have not heard of Admiral Keppel, but they will know the name, because a lot of things in Singapore ended up being named after the harbour : a road (Keppel Road), a building (Keppel Towers), and a conglomerate Keppel Corp with 6 or 7 subsidiaries all named Keppel : Keppel Fels, Keppel Land etc.

Wiki page on Henry Keppel:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Keppel

And a little about Admiral Keppel in this documentary series about Singapore (between 4:23 and 5:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5GzmD6lerQ&t=1s
Main points : New harbour was discovered by Admiral Keppel in 1848. It was first named New Harbor but in 1900 renamed Keppel Harbor
Admiral Keppel didn't hang around Singapore long, but he returned at age of 92 for a visit, probably pleased to have his name given to the harbour he'd surveyed so many years before (and if he were alive today he would find roads, buildings and listed companies named after him too)

2 December 1867
A footnote scribbled at the bottom of the log:
"The steamer Shause arrived from Taku. Boarded her and received intelligence that the American Minister Mr Burlingame had been stopped between Peking and Tientsin by a band of rebels or robbers while on his way to the latter place"
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0072.JPG

Taku is the name of the fort in Tientsin (modern-day Tianjin)
Anson Burlingame was an American diplomat
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anson_Burlingame

Burlingame's son wrote a lengthy account of the rebels' attack which can be found here:
http://cms6.revize.com/revize/burlingam ... ission.pdf

He did not perish in the attack, the Ashuelot later picked him up off the Chinese coast and brought him to Shanghai:
6 December 1867
1910h HBM Steamer "Dove" arrived from Tientsin bringing the American Minister Mr Burlingame and suite. Sent a boat and brought them on board vessel 2110h HBM Gunboat "Dove" got underway and steamed up the river. Cheered ship as she passed
7 December 1867
0900h Fired salute of 15 guns for the Hon Mr Burlingame American Minister
10 December 1867
1545h Docked at Shanghai. American consul-general and Vice Consul called. Minister left ship. Raised American flag and fired salute of 15 guns

Thanks Randi for the owl (he's mine now)

[Randi]

Thanks for posting all those interesting log entries and for the fascinating comments and research!

I have to admit that the events page is my reward for transcribing the weather

[Michael]

Very interesting. Thank you!

[sleepyowl]

Most welcome

[sleepyowl]

December completed! That's it for 1867, now moving on to 1868 ...

[Michael]

I just finished McCulloch's voyage for 1898, so I'll start on yours tomorrow...

[sleepyowl]

Great

[Michael]

The voyage for 1867 have been completed. It was a superb job by SleepyOwl. The handwriting was difficult and, because the pages weren't flat, the writing on the left side of the event page was extremely hard to decipher. This voyage is notable for adding around 80 new places for Matteo's database. You can see a plot of the voyage here and, for more detail, you can download the KML file and view it with Google Earth. There were a few mentions of people, listed here.