William_1796

British Southern Voyage

WRI	BV092030
Vessel	William
Master	George Fitch
Departure	1796-04-12
Return (days)	1798-07-10 (820)
Port (dock)	London
Destination	South seas grounds
East/ West	West
Owner (Agent)	Samuel, Charles & Samuel Enderby
Cargo	124 whales [incomplete]
Sources	SST1; SST2; SST3; LOG 898 NBWM; LOG ANMM
Reports	Reported 21 June 1796 mid Atlantic; off Massafuero Island August 1796; at Chatham Island (Galapagos) 6 November 1796;in company with the Greenwich February to May 1797 at the Galapagos; at Cape Corrientes (Mexico) 8 July 1797; reported 24 April 1798 off Chile 21 November 1797; off Bahai, California in January 1798 bound for the Galapagos and then Easter Island; reported 30 April 1798 at St Helena [bound inward]; reported 3 July 1798 at St Helena
Notes	This is a rather outstanding voyage. A incomplete log (possibly kept by a William Mott recording his third voyage round Cape Horn?) records the vessel having taken 124 whales by August 1797 with nearly one year still to remain on the voyage. On 1 January 1797 in company with the Atlantic they took 16 whales and on 24 March 1797 the William killed eleven. The log is also extensively illustrated with the New Bedford Whaling Museum believing the illustrations are possibly by the Colonial Australian artist Thomas Watling. A painting of the 'Ship WILLIAM and her Boats Killing Whales' by Thomas Wetling [Watling] ca. 1796/7 is in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

British Southern Vessel (1)
British Southern Crew (1)

	Vessel	Rig	Built	Date Built	Tonnage Old (New)
	William	Ship	French	1770	302

	First	Last	Voyage	Depart	Birthplace	Age	Role	Last Served	Next Served	Seaman's Ticket
	George	Fitch	William_1796	1796	Nantucket		Master

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