Aka "Old Glory"
visited BOI 4 jun 1831
Driver, born in Salem on 17 March 1803, went to sea at the age of
fourteen, then rose in the ranks over a series of Mediterranean voyages. His
first South Seas voyage, beginning in 1824, was as first mate and trading
officer of the Salem trader Clay
On 14 January 1831, he left Salem in a snowstorm. At the end of a slow passage, a five-day gale forced
him to bring the Charles Doggett into the Bay of Islands, to repair damages
and replenish his freshwater barrels. (but upset the Missionaries (WILLIAMS) who denied him access to water)
In September 1834 the Black Warrior, still with Rogers in command,
headed for Hobart, to negotiate for whale oil from the American whalers
there. After taking on a part cargo of 24,946 gallons, Rogers sailed for the
Bay of Islands, arriving on 6 October to find the Tybee at anchor. The sister
ship also had a part cargo, so this was a chance to combine the two, freeing
up the Tybee and saving warehouse space. The crew got out the long boat,
rigged a derrick, and transferred freight, while Captain Rogers bargained
for provisions: ?found it hard trading, the natives most of them back in the
country planting their Potatoes?.21
On Monday 13 October 1834, the two captains exchanged quarterdecks,
Rogers taking charge of the Tybee for another south Pacific trading cruise
and Charles Millett taking over the Black Warrior for the voyage home.
He sailed to New York to deliver the Tybee?s cargo, along with his own oil,
and in April 1835 was back in the Bay of Islands with a freight of gin and
muskets to store, the muskets having cost $1.25 each in New York when
bought in lots of four hundred. It had been an exciting passage. In January,
when they had called at the Society Islands to collect coconut oil trader
Thomas Stanfield, left by Captain Millett during a previous voyage, they
found he had gone insane and the natives had stolen all his trade goods.
Running out the guns solved the problem: the cowed locals returned both
Stanfield and the oil. Then, on the way to New Zealand, the cooper and
the steward mutinied, to be overwhelmed with the aid of a boarding pike,
wielded by the mate, Charles Mugford, and a sword, plied by the captain
himself. 22
Once anchored, the Black Warrior crew filled shore four tons of Whale
Oil?, which had been warehoused by another Salem vessel. After selling the
mission three and a half tons of tobacco, they sailed to Sydney to relieve
William Driver, who had more oil ready for shipping and was eager to
return home. William Driver was a Captain of the US whaler Charles Doggett in 1831.
1 He was a Captain of the US ship Black Warrior in 1834.
1