Manuel Silveira d'Andrade, born in the village of Castelo Branco, Fajal, Azores, was
one of many who came to the U.S.A. aboard a whaling vessel. His work, like that of his companions, never became known, never reached the headlines. He came and went unnoticed like many thousands who came to work the hard soil of California.
Manuel, at the age of 18, went to the island of Flores to work as a carpenter. He had received some education in his native island, enough to be considered above the many friends he had left in Castelo Branco. A whaling vessel, Bark Pacific, of New
Bedford, which had stopped off the coast of Flores soon changed Manuel's destiny. His occupation was one of those much needed aboard the 396 ton vessel and without much convincing he found himself in the hands of Captain Jacob A. Howland, in command of an "amphibious factory" on its way to a hunting trip around the Horn.
There she was sailing off to the nearby island of Faial, Manuel's homeland. Twenty-two hours later, on that 12th day of August, 1859, the vessel had unloaded
some 110 barrels of sperm whale oil, extracted from the mammals they had caught in the two months' trip from New Bedford to the island of Flores, Azores.
While the vessel laid offshore, a small boat was dispatched returning aboard immediately. Aboard that boat was Manuel, who had been denied permission to go ashore to his own native land. "I had the privilege of holding the spyglass in my hand for only a moment to look upon my own dwelling and some others in my neighborhood. How
pretty they looked to me," wrote Manuel in his diary. Two days later he sailed off towards the south, towards the unknown, never to return to the little island of Faial.
The toughness of Captain Howland was not onlv demonstrated with his refusal to permit Manuel to step ashore and say goodbye to his parents and few friends. He was to follow instructions in a language totally unknown and he was to obey
orders, be judged, treated and fed by the man who, aboard ship, was
considered Master and "God knows what else" as sailors usually said.
One Sunday, October 23rd, two months and eleven days later, a voice from the mast was heard, "land ahoy." Within ten miles Terra del Fuego began to show its foggy mountain tops. Cold, rain and gale winds fell upon the vessel now moving westward. Cries for all hands were sounded off to help save the anchor hanging from the ring, loosened by the violence of the mountainous seas. A few days later the
wind slowed down. The right time to hunt offered itself to the anxious crew. Sunday, November 13, the first whale was seen by Manuel. Here began the adventures of a crew of hunters, consisting of members from different
nationalities who had enlisted for the trip way back in New Bedford during mid-summer of 1859. He was the only Portuguese aboard and took his adventure gracefully for he was learning about life on the other side of the world. He registered in his diary all vessels that
passed: Rebecca Sims of Fair Haven; Helen Snow; Phoenix; Nile; and many others.
Around 8:00 p.m. on March 31 they anchored in Maui. The captain reported 1,100 barrels of whale oil and about 7,500 pounds of bone. On April 1st (April Fool's) the tough looking captain ordered all hands ashore except for one boat's crew.
Their main purpose was "to go to church and give God thanks for all mercies He has given us. One of the carpenters on board, along with the blacksmith, was
discharged of his duties aboard, due to 'home sickness'; and in his stead a few
natives, 'Kanakas,' are taken aboard. While at Maui, according to Manuel's notes, "all took a quantity of Irish and sweet potatoes, some firewood, water and a few other things that they were in need of, and unloaded our whale bone so it
could be snipped on board the 'South Sims' while on her way home (New Bedford) and signed for the ship's articles there, in the presence of the American Consul, for the
remainder of the voyage.
After a stopover of one day in Honolulu they steered off west by north. May 17th, they found themselves approaching the OKOTSK Sea in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of Russia. Cold and icy, Manuel recorded the several vessels that passed by telling of their distance from home (New Bedford) in time - "Bark Ca/lao was 22 months from home carrying 1,100 barrels of whale oil" Hunting in these northern waters proved profitable. "One whale
turned out 140 barrels of clear oil" Manuel goes on to explain, "We took the length of this fellow;according to the length of the ship, it must have measured between 75 and 80 feet from tip to tip and it was not so large around as a cow whale for this was a bull one
The blubber of the bull whale is also different from the cow whale's, the cow whale when she has no calf is always fatter than the bull whale, and another thing, take a cow whale before she called and take another one
ofiust same size
and weight and her calf; both will make lust as much oil as the first one will, not a drop more even if they are two toone, because the calf while sucking, takes the fat of its mother away, more than any other body in the world."
"On October 15 we anchored at Maui at 6:00 p.m., having a strong wind, and the deck lull of water during the whole trip of 22 days. While in Maui we dis charged 17,000 (seven teen thousand) pounds of bone to go aboard the 'South
Sims' of New Bedford."
They sailed oft to Honolulu. This time there was speculation that they would head south and homeward. The vessel was carrying 2,200 barrels of oil and that was considered a good load. They were disappointed when Captain Howland ordered the transfer of 800 barrels to the Silver Star, a vessel scheduled homebound, taking with her a few of Manuel's companions who stowed away while the transfer of oil took place. The loss of men enraged the captain to the
point that no one was allowed ashore during the remainder of their stay in Honolulu. Everyone, includingManuel, was getting tired of the hard work and
lengthy trip. It had now been over a year since he had left the island of Flores.
A month later, on the trip, they reached land. A small settlement, a few dwellings were soon discovered, Manuel accounts: "One boat went ashore, with the captain to find out what was the best news there, and with the intention of getting
some
fresh grub if he could. They came aboard at 9:00 p.m., after being off since 5:00 o'clock. They say that there was a great cultivation of potatoes and corn, but none ripe yet, or in proper state of use, instead of potatoes and green
corn they brought aboard a load of fleas, as many as they could get on their clothes. Not finding this out till they got aboard, they were put separate from each other and changed their rags, so they could be among the crowd without
suspicion of having
fleas. They also let the captain know it, so he could change his clothes and be clear of them. They say that there were some women ashore, but not even one man was seen. The women said that their husbands had gone together back in to the mountains to have a fight with the Spaniards or the natives of this coast, about something or other that they would not come to agree with them."
On December 17, they had been cruising the whole week without seeing a single whale. They were about
ten miles north of San Quentin Bay and were exhausted. Captain Howland began to feel unrest among some officers aboard who had already begun to refuse to obey orders. They wanted to rest. This was understood and, for a few days, the ship stayed off the coast to allow her crew to harmonize and continue the hunt without trouble. A few of the members jumped ashore. Captain Howland ordered a musket on deck loaded with three balls as a warning to any other crew members who dared to jump ship and
swim
ashore. Manuel saw this as a great threat to everyone and began to think that he had better be discharged before he was affected like his fellow crew members, who appeared to be losing their minds.
On October 25, 1861, Manuel decided that two years, two and a half months, was too long at sea and too much for him. He was sad to learn that one of his friends who had jumped ashore a few months back had boarded a vessel named San Lucas, homebound, which later caught fire off the
coast of California, leaving everyone dead. So he wrote, "Here (Honolulu) I ended my whaling trip by having my discharge before the American Consul, and paying a man to go in my place, in accordance with the law of the United States, since I had been contracted for the remainder of the voyage On November 7' and from shore, I waved good-bye to the 'Pacific' when she left for home alter a whale hunting trip which
netted 52 whales, 3,700 barrels oloil and 24,000 pounds of bones " On
November12 he boarded the Bark Phillip I of N. London, sailing from Honolulu, arriving in San Francisco on December 4, 1861, after a passage of twenty-two days.
The adventure of Manuel S. Andrade exemplified the courage and determination of the Portuguese immigrant who settled in California.
Manuel S. Andrade was later the right arm of Antonio Fonte, for he was the one with a good knowledge of Portuguese who would write the first by-laws of the organization. On October 9, 1870,
he married Rosario Geraldina Fagundes, a native of Flamengos, Faial, Azores, who lived in San Leandro, California. Following the example of his countrymen he became an American citizen receiving his papers, as they commonly referred to citizenship certificate, on June 24, 1874, in the Third Judicial District Court of the State of California in and for the county of Alameda. His naturlization was witnessed by Louis
Martin and Antonio Rogers, both early settlers in San Leandro. He died on
November23, 1916.
Extracted from "Portuguese Immigrants" Copyright 1968 by Carlos
Almeida Reprinted by Permission from the Author .
Copies are available by contacting the U.P.E.C. 1120 E. 14th St. San Leandro CA 94577-Phone: 510-483-7676
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