How did Azoreans make their way to the west coast? For an answer, one
must go back more than a century and search in those logs and letters, numbering in the hundreds, written by both the captains and crews of whaling vessels which crossed the oceans. The center of the large whaling industry was located on the east coast of the United States.
These "amphibious factories" produced thousands of barrels of extract of whale oil - not to mention margarine, soaps, artificial wool, meat extracts, flour, fertilizers and even Vitamins A and B. The
pancreas of the whale supplied insulin. Later, as mineral oils were discovered, the whale oil lost its market in the U.S.A. decreasing almost to nonexistence. In the words of Barrows, in his book The Great Comodore, in the year 1845, the Port of New Bedford registered 685 whaling vessels sailing under the U.S. flag, alone.
These vessels would leave New Bedford and cross the Atlantic in search of whale. A stopover in the Azores was part of the routine. The island of Faial offered
conditions to refuel, repair and supply these vessels; for in Horta, capital of the island, there were the Dabneys, an American family who had spent over a century as the only consignees for every ship that touched the island's port.
Their commercial initiatives promoted not only their own wealth, but also that of many others. Their spirit of enterprise made the island better known, more sought by navigation and foreigners, and transformed its port into an important maritime center.
John Pomeroy Dabney was the first of the Dabneys to come to Faial. He was named American Consul in 1808 and died years later leaving a son, Charles William, a great benefactor to the Island of Faial. The third heir was Samuel Dabney. He left the island with his family on January 12, 1892 for the U.S.A. where he died on December 26, 1893, in San Diego, California.
When New Bedford owned vessels stopped offshore in Faial for supplies, consisting mostly of food stuffs and water, the
crew would be sent ashore in small boats. Their return to the ship would bring not only those goods necessary for the long voyage, but also some intrepid young boys, attracted by the meager pay offered by sea captains, in return for many months of hard work on the high seas. Some would stow-away to be discovered or to find themselves in the hands of the officers on board when ships were heading to Cape Verde Islands, and therefore too far to be put ashore in Faial, port of origin for many of
these young Azoreans. Later, unable to carry on the hard work required of them in these "amphibious factories," they would run ashore in the islands of Trinidad, south of the West Indies, in San Domingo, St. Thomas and others would desert when they reached the islands in the Pacific, including Hawaii, known then as the Sandwich Islands.
These expeditions would go around the Cape and hunt the sperm whale, wanted mainly for its oil and other extracts. Life aboard these ships,
at the command of heartless captains, was considered hideous. Descriptions are found in diaries kept by these poor Azorean souls who found themselves many a time serving the devil rather than a human being, whose promises of a quick travel to American shores would only materialize one or two years later, if at all. In fact, these clandestine departures were watched closely by authorities in these islands, especially Flores where a law was enacted allowing small boats to patrol
along the
shores. These boats were equipped to shoot, on sight, anyone attempting to escape or to recruit laborers. Once aboard the vessel, these Azoreans would not touch shore until captains had satisfied their egos or the production quota established by the "Lords of New Bedford," owners of these fleets. To escape, many men had to jump and swim ashore either in Hawaii or along the California coast under musket fire from the ferocious captains. These captains disliked seeing their crews
depleted of valuable and strong Azoreans of all ages who had traded the quiet village in their islands for the unknown of a new
world.
On the voyage through the high seas of the vast Pacific, as whales were caught, they would be processed aboard. the fat of the mammal would be placed in caldrons and melted for its oil. The confined quarters of these ships would provide terrible breathing atmosphere. Poor hygiene and nausea were in abundance aboard ship. The oil would be placed in
barrels and stored on ship until it was met by other vessels in the ocean who would take them to the markets - thus preventing the factory ship with all hunters or fishermen aboard from touching shore.
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 |
