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A Jernal Kept by David Poor of Portland
Thursday February the 17th 1842
This day at 4 oclock in the morning cald all to wash decks and to Do other Small jobs, say about A weeks work before brackfast, and then to get brackfast. An from thense on to our daly work, wich for my self I was set to Painting the Scysail (skysail) and moonsail poles and other heavingly (heavenly) disturbers Whilst all hands was hard at work doing nothing, or that that amounted to nothing. And So on till Dark. And then two hands must go ashore for the Captain and Then to get Super (supper) and hoist up the boat and set watch. And so ends this Days Work. Amen.
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Fryday February the 18th 1842
This Day Comences With the Same to Call all hands And wash Decks and from that on to other jobs. As for my self I was Set to painting whilst others was set to taring (tarring) and Runing about Decks which amountes to about nothing for the Whole Day Long. Before we had got thrue our breakfast Along Comes Billey Leuly (first mate) and Sings out "turn to there". I was mad enough to eat the bugger raw:: Swapt wone man for a Carpenter for the day:: and Let wone man go on Shore in the afternoon to get a man in his room to go the voyage, and he Comes of at night Drunk and Says he is a going to Leave us to morrow. And so ends this days work. Amen. David N. Poor
Page 19
Saturday February the 19th 1842
This Day Comences With Calling all hands to wash Decks and comenced it. When the Captain cam on deck told the mate To nock it off and geet the stage under the bow and put the bow Port in and reeve off the runing Riging and bend sails. We went to work at it untill brackfast time and then after brackfast went to painting ship out side. The mate and Asa was corking and puttying the Seams, and I and two more painting or rather cold taring (coal tarring) untill wone oclock. Then I got dinner at two oclock.
Turned to again and worked So Late that I Could not tell weather I had a cold tar brush in my hand or a white paint brush. We finnished blacking her round and noked off and two hands went ashore for the captain. And we got Supper at 8 oclock at our usual time for seldom that we did before that time and then Sat the watch. 4 hands to stand watchis this night for wone man left this morning. So ends this Saturdays nights Work. Amen. David N. Poor
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Sunday February the 20th 1842
At 4 In morning All hands was calld to wash Decks and Scrub paint work untill 9 oclock before we had Any brackfast. And then went to for our selfs to do what we wanted to do. The Capt and the men went to marect (market?) in the morning and got fresh meat so we had a good soop for Dinner. After Dinner Asa and I went a Shore and on board again at 4 oclock in the afternoon.
Durering this day we had some rest and pease. Oh we had to fill our Long boat with water to Keep her from Leaking. Asa Bought two Pair of trouser on Shore and I got A hanckerchief full of fruit and so on. DNP
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Monday February the 21st 1842
This week begins with calling all hands about 2 ours before Day Light and then turned to and filled the Long boat with water. Castor and the second mate and Asa and my Self went ashore to fill water and got wone boat load of before brackfast and hoisted it in. After brackfast we went ashore again and got another boat Load and got that hoisted in.
And then I went to work at repairing Sails whilst others was at work at other Jobs. This afternoon their comes on a norther and 4 Brigs Came in belonging to Portland and 2 or 3 other vessels. It has rained all this afternoon very hard and John and Asa has been to work in the water and rain all the time and Asa is now un well. We have grocked (?) and just got our Super ready to Eat when the mate sings out "4 hands in the (boat?) there for the Capt." And so Ends this Days Work.
Page 22
Tuesday The 22nd 1842
This being Generall Washingtons Birth Day We did not wash Decks but went on to Ships Duty. I went to work at the Sails again and worked all Day at them. Asa and the Rest of them was painting and John was making putty with a topmall and yellow cea (?)
It is still blowing very heavy from the north. No vessels arived to day nor none saild. We have had no news of any freight yet. The mate and John and Asa went to the West Regulars to Day and Caried som Sugar boxes and had a dambd hard row of it. And so ends this Days work with Sending for the Captain. Amen and a Boy.
Page 23
Wensday the 23rd 1842
This Day Comencs with rowsing all hands out at 4 oclock in the morning and then on to our work. I went to work on the Sails again and I made a new tarpoling (tarpaulin) for the foremast, or rather a new mast coat for the fore mast, and the second mate made a new tarpoling for the main hatch. Asa and David Doyll painted the Long boat. John was taring and picking ocum and making puty and doing other jobs about decks. We have got wone man on board that ran a way from an English man of war, an he is agoin to Portland in the brig Napoleon to morrow. Wone man came on board to day to go in the Ship an was Sick and went ashore again. At six oclock nocked off and cleand up decks. Two hands went ashore for the captain and then got Super. John says he wants to Se Hannah. And so ends this days work of ours. Amen.
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Thursday the 24th 1842
Today cald all hands at 4 oclock in the morning to on more (unmoor) ship, but we Did not unmore. We went to our daly work on to Ships duty. I went to work at the sails again and the rest went to work on deck painting and corking and picking ocum untill dinner time and then got Dinner. After dinner turned to again and went to work at the Same and so on till night.
The brig Henry Leeds saild to Day. And the brig Baltick for Portland and one man of war Sehr has arived to day. We saw Expect freight for Hamburg and now night has come on again and so we must nock off with sending the boat for the captain and get Super. Set the watch and so Ends this work. Amen. David Poor.
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Friday the 25th 1842
This day begins with calling all hands at 5 oclock in the morning and turnd to at painting the deck and I went to work at the Sails. John and Weymouth was picking ocum and doing other small jobs that amounted to about nothing.
Suard P. Morse Left the vessel February the 18th and went on shore and now we have got 5 hand on board that is before the mast. A few more small jobs on this day has ben don and so ends this days work. Amen.
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Saturday the 27th 1842
This day comences with calling all hands at Day Light and then turnd to at our daly work wich is a rowsing from won end of the Ship to the other. For one thing we on shipt (unshipped) the windlas and I thought that the next thing would be to hall the mainmast out of her. I was at work the sails with the second mate untill dark and then nocked off and So Ends this Days Work. Amen.
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Sunday the 27th 1842
To day being the Lords day we did not turn out untill the sun had risen and the Capt. and David Doyll and myself went to market to the west and bought some cow foder for dinner whilst the rest of the crew was washing decks and they did not get through untill we got back from market. And then David and I had to wash her round out side. And then got brackfast after we cleand our selvs and washed a few cloths. And then dinner was ready and we got dinner. After dinner John and Levi went on shore on Liberty and came on board again and got Super and so ends this day work. Amen. David N. Poor
I cannot endure this Long. It is so bad that I wish She was at Sea again and then we might get some rest, for I sware we get none here. No more than a negro Slave or a fish out of water.
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Monday February the Last 1842
This day commences with the usual commencement to call all hands at day Light. And turnd to at covering the deck over with boards so as to not Scar the paint. And then went to work to on more (unmoor) and got one anchor and hove Shorte on the other and then got brackfast.
We had not hardly swallowed our brackfast when along comes Billey Luley (the first mate) and sings out, "Turn to there." And we went at it again and run a line to hang her and hove the other anchor up and waped (warped) from Castel Blanco up to the Sugar tier and got there about Eleven oclock. So after dinner Cleard up the decks and 4 hands went ashore for the Captaine. Came on board and Scrubed the Cable and don a few other small jobs before night. And So Ends Days work. David N. Poor
65 Detn to (indebted to?) bum boat* for fruit
36
47
148
* bumboat - a small boat that brings cargo to larger vessels moored offshore.
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