America II, Hudson NY - Voyage of 1831-1833

Old Rouse, A Crewman Who Loved Life at Sea

The vessel American II was built in Philadelphia around 1811 and was rigged as a ship weighing 464 tons.  She sailed four whaling voyages out of Hudson between 1830-1842 before the vessel was lost in the Bering Sea Ice in 1851. 

Old Rouse’s salty and informative letter describes the adventure of a life at sea that he relishes. It is undated and addressed to the Lennon Family from Acra in Greene County while Old Rouse was on the America II. He refers to the people at home, especially the girls, calling himself the “Acra Bard” and seems to fancy himself a ladies’ man. 

During the voyage his ship stops at the Malay Islands, an archipelago between Australia and Southeast Asia, where there were two Englishmen handling the trade between indigenous people and the ships. On the island at the time, there were three English ships and two New England whaling ships. Old Rouse is clearly competitive and proud that his ship’s cargo has more value than the other whaleships. They held a whaleboat race and the crew of America II used their prize money to get “gloriously drunk hugged the women and played the Devil with the men.” Old Rouse’s description of the indigenous people in the letter reflects the prejudices of the time. 

Back at sea he writes: “We have been out from there two weeks and havent (sic) took a drop of oil.” However, they soon find whales and his excitement in the hunt and amusement at the fear of his fellow crew members is clear: “We lowered for a Sperm whale the other day and…lanced him two or three times, when the d—d bugger tried to eat the boats crew up but he missed them but as it was he gave the boat a good chewing. It would have done you good to have seen them breach overboard and swim to the other boats such frightened devils I never saw before.”

The America II stops next at Hobert Town (Hobart Town) on Van Diemans, Tasmania. He mentions fashioning a cane from whale bone for his friend and that he has white bone corset boards for the “galls” to give away to the “most tractable.” 

We know nothing else about Old Rouse from Acra, yet Old Rouse gives us a colorful glimpse into the life of a crewman sailing to the opposite ends of the earth seeking his fortune and reveling in the adventures that come his way.

Link to PDF version: 

Letter from Whaleship America II of Hudson, To James E. or Augustus Lennon, signed by Old Rouse
Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.