seeking information about these two ships (Herald) and (Octavius)

strike it rich

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Jun 19, 2007
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I know in the past I have posted some how would you say funny wacky off the wall nonsense you get the idea May I at last present a serious post for your perusal.


The Yankee whaling ship Herald was cruising off the west coast of Greenland inside the Arctic Circle. From the bridge Captain Warren peered ahead at a three mast schooner drifting though the ice flows like a ghost ship. Warren took eight men in a longboat and rowed to the silent vessel. Though the encrusted ice they could make out the schooners name Octavius. Warren and four of the sailors boarded the schooner they crossed silent moss-covered decks, opened a hatch and descended to the crew's quarters. There they found the bodies of 28 men all lying on their bunks and wrapped in heavy blankets. They fumbled their way aft to the captains cabin where the nightmare continued. The master of the Octavius slumped over the ships log, a pen close to his right hand as if he dozed at work. On a bed against one wall of the cabin lay a blonde woman frozen to death under a pile of blankets . And In a corner there were a sailor and small boy whose bodies told a tragic story. The sailor sat with his flint and steel clutched in frozen hands. In front of him a tiny pile of shavings, silent evidence of a fire that had failed to ignite. The little boy crouched close to him his face buried in the seamans jacket as if in pathectic search for warmth. The men from the Herald clambered back onto the deck taking with them the log book of prof of what they had seen they could only watch as the schooner drifted off amongst the icebergs never to be seen again. The last log was dated November 11 1762 the dying captain wrote that the Octavius had been frozen for 17 days the fire gone out and they could not relight it the location of the ship at this time was given as longitude 160 W Latitude 75N. Captian Warren starred at the charts in disbelief in those last hours of human life the ship had been locked thousands of miles from where the whaler had found her year after year the Octavius had drifted eastward through the vast fields of ice until she entered the North Atlantic. In doing so she had achieved the dream of all mariners. For centuries men had sought the legendary Northwest Passage. On that historic 13 year voyage the ghost ship Octavius with her crew of frozen dead had been the first to find it.


Any further information would be great please help as it makes a change to contribute a I hope a well thought out post that stays away from the usual standards of my past posts ie bfo man thanks
 

WOW!!!!!! :o

I had not heard of this tale. Very interesting stuff. I will see what I can dig up on it but it sounds like you've done the homework.

Thanks for sharing this!

Pcola
 

That story is found starting on page 343 of Evan S. Connell's 2002 book (ISBN 1582432538) entitled "The Aztec Treasure House" in a chapter regarding the NW Passage. No validity in placed on the tale, but it is interesting NTL.
 

Also, mentioned in one of Snow's books regarding the Mysteries of the Sea, or something general to that title...
 

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