The Journal of Annie Holmes Ricketson on the Whaleship A. R. Tucker, 1871-1874. (

One of the honeymoon voyages, complete with child born in Fayal, and dead within a day, then rounding the Cape of Good Hope, sailing 3500 miles to Australia, and two years cruising in the Molucca Passage. The voyage ended after four months cruising in the mid-Atlantic to bring back a full cargo of whale oil. Ricketson took two more voyages. She is a reader but as so often in women’s journals mentions no titles.

p. 13: June 25th: This has been a long day and everything is so quiet. Time does not pass so quickly aboard of a whale ship as it does at home, no getting ready and going to Church no taking tea with a friend, no Interesting Meeting to go to in the evening and a nice pleasant walk home after the meeting.

p. 15: July 24th: Such a noisy time as they have had today. Been coopering oil. I have been sewing on my Thin dress getting ready to go ashore. Daniel [her husband] has finished my birth day present. The Book Case. It is a real beautie. Saw whales today.

p. 16: August 14th: It has been a very warm day. Daniel and I washed this forenoon and I have sewed some and read some. Daniel has began a writin desk for me out of Mahogany. Been to work on It most all day.

p. 25: November 19th: It has been a long day but past away after a while with reading writing and a nape and some music.

p. 27, at St. Paul, Indian Ocean: December 23rd : It was so nice and warm I took my work and book and went on deck. While sitting their Daniel come and wanted to know if I would like to go out sailing a little ways. Of course I was all ready to go So I got into the boat and we were soon sailing along nicely.

p. 32, in the Moluccas. February 20th: I received 3 letters from home and three papers.

p. 77, in Atlantic. August 20th [1874]: This forenoon raised a ship [Cornelius Howland] and Daniel see that he was not going to be able to take care of all his oil so had a flag put up the main and another to the peak. The vessel soon changed her course and come for us, come right acrost our stern and I got up on the potatoe pen so had a nice view of her. Daniel had been one short voyage in her. The Capt come aboard about quarter of twelve. Daniel wanted him to take the two [whale] heads by the halves but he did not care to as he had blubber on his deck. The Capts name was Homan only three weeks and four days from home he brought us a bundle of late papers. There were a few New Bedford papers among them and he only stoped aboard of us a short time we were so busy.