On this day: December 20
What American whalers wrote in their logbooks on December 20, in every year of the atlas's voyages: the most interesting first, each linked to its day and the original logbook.
- 1851 · Fortune: Traded with islanders for fowls and coconuts.
- 1864 · Brewster: Harpooner and fourth mate fought with weapons.
- 1905 · Karluk: Crewman defied captain to go ashore.
- 1878 · Draco: Caught 6 pilot whales.
- 1837 · Edward Quesnel: Caught a pilot whale.
- 1841 · Rowena: French ship claimed a contested whale.
- 1845 · Charles Phelps: Crews camped ashore searching for elephant seals.
- 1867 · Abraham Barker: Met a brig carrying gold diggers.
- 1832 · Parker: Keeper despaired over illness aboard.
- 1834 · Bengal: Gale blew the tar off the rigging.
- 1837 · Addison: Deck covered in ice near Block Island.
- 1841 · Jefferson: Discharged pilot.
- 1848 · Mary and Susan: Crew boy off duty with venereal disease.
- 1848 · Nimrod: Mate caught two porpoises.
- 1864 · Brewster: Disturbance between boatsteerer and fourth mate.
- 1866 · Abraham Barker: Rowed fifteen miles to fish.
- 1847 · Dunbarton: Saw porpoises.
- 1849 · Mary and Susan: Boy William returned to duty.