May 4, 1754

Whereas we the Subscribers, have Shiped our Selves on board the Sloop Seaflower,1 on a Voyage to be made toward Davis's Streights2 a Whaling; of which Vessell, Robert Treat Paine is Commander & Elisha Mayo is Master of the Whale fishery. These therefore may certify that we hereby agree & covenant wth. our Owners & among Ourselves in Manner following Vizt. First That we will faithfully & carefully do our duty on board the sd. Sloop respecting the Navigating her to, at, & from Davis's Streights until our Proper Discharge at the Conclusion of the Voyage at Boston or Cape Cod. 2dly. Upon our arriving on Whaling Ground, we promise to exert our selves wth. all Vigour in killing & saving209as many Whales as we may have a Chance for, every one in his Station consulting the Good of the Voyage. idly. We promise that, tho' we should meet wth. bad Weather & bad Success, yet we will not raise Any disputes or differencys, or make Any Uneasinesses with regard to putting away for home, till the Master of the Vessell & the four End Men & half the remainder of the Company Shall think it adviseable so to do. 4thly. That Whereas the good of the Voyage depends on our being Sober as well as couragious, we hereby one & all agree & consent, that if Any Man aboard has Rum, Whether it be divided to him of the Common Stores or whether he bring it aboard on his Own perticular acct. yet if he use it so as to disguise his Senses & render him Unfit for Business it shall be taken from him & honestly kept, so that he may have it as often & in such quantitys as will be serviceable to him. 5thly. It is furthermore agreed that Whereas the sd. Paine & his Partners have Provided the Sloop Seaflower, & have fitted her out wth. Provisions & Stores proper for the Voyage, that for the Consideration thereof, they are to draw one half of all that may be gotten on the said Voyage; And the Company, in consideration of their Labour are to draw the other half, each one paying for the Trying of his Share of the Oyl and for the Barrells that contain the Same, & their proportion of such other Charges as are customary in the like Cases. 6thly. With regard to the half part of the Voyage that belongs to the Company, it is to be divided into Eighteen Shares & one single Share to be given to each of the fourteen Men & then there remains four Shares to be divided in Manner following vizt. These four Shares being divided into twelve Parts: Robert Treat Paine is to draw one share, Elisha Mayo three Shares, Ebenezer Atwood two Shares, William Atwood one Share & an half, Jonathan Young one Share & an half, Jonathan Sawyer one share, Daniel Eldridge half one share, Joseph Sweat half one share, Benjamin Hamlin half one Share, Thomas Dill one quarter Share & Jonathan Abrahams one quarter Share, the whole amounting to twelve Shares. 7thly. & lastly we promise to use frugality in the use of the Stores, avoiding any Waste & unnecesary Expence, so as that we may be able to tarry long on the Whale Ground if we should not have speedy Success. And in Testimony of this our Mutual Agreement we sign two Instruments of this Tenor & date the one delivered to the sd. Paine in behalf of the Owners & the other kept in behalf of our Selves, one of which being comply'd with, the Other becomes Void, to the Performance of wch. we bind ourselves in the Penal Sum of Twenty Pounds to be paid by the Party offend-210ing to the Party complying. Dated in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay this fourth day of May 1754. NB: the words (Boston & Cape Cod) were interlind before signing.

Test EBENEZER ELDREDG EBENEZER BAKER ROBERT TREAT PAINE ELISHA MAYO EBENEZER ATWOOD his Mark X WILLIAM ATWOOD JONATHON YOUNG JUNR. JONETHEN SAWYER DANIEL ELDRIDGE JOSEPH SWEAT ROBERT PEPPER THOS: DILL JUNER JOHN BROWN his mark X EBENEZER DOW JONATHAN AVERY his Mark X BENJAMIN HAMLIN

MS .

1.

RTP sailed the Seaflower from Boston to Billingate on Apr. 22, arriving the next day. He completed his crew, loaded additional stores, and sailed from Billingate Bay on May 6. His diary entry for that day reads: "a fine morning Wind at SW abt. 10 oClocke we hove up & came to sail & turn'd out of the Bay, being bound on a Voyage to Greenland or Davis's Streights; And so God send good Success to the Seaflower & her Company; for Occurencys of the voyage see Mariner's Journal."

RTP kept a logbook and journal of the voyage in which he records the taking of two sperm whales, one on June 11, off Cape Farewell, Greenland, the other on June 27. Judging from the receipts and bills for the voyage kept in the Paine Papers, little profit was made. They returned to Billingate on Aug. 27. By the end of September the cargo had been sold, the crew paid, and RTP was casting about for another venture.

2.

Davis Strait lies west of Greenland and connects Baffin Bay with the Atlantic Ocean (Lippincott Gazetteer).

Eastham May 5th. 1754

Agreable to my promise to you1 that I would send you some of my Thoughts, I now present you wth. a vision that has lately appeared to me, wch. as it afforded me much pleasure so I'm induced to relate it, if it be only to please my Self. It was then in the Still Watches of the Night, that I thought my Self transported to a part of the World that seem'd211remarkable for barraness, a few withering Pines appeared here & there perishing in the Unfruitful Sands, & a few Feilds that were tended seem'd to mock the Labour of the Husbandman. Dejected in this Scituation I wandered back & forth, Wading & sometimes nearly foundered in the rolling Sands, till at last directed by some kind Guardian Angel I arrived at the top of a hill where taking a prospect at a Distance I beheld one Spot of Land different from all the rest in Fertility of its Aspect. So agreable & so pleasant did it look that I was resolved if possible to reach those happy Mansions, so wallowing thru the Sand I approachd nearer, & the nearer I approach'd the pleasanter Appeared the prospect till I arrived at a terrible Bridge Which Struck a damp on my rising Expectations. Sure thot I this Bridge forbids the Approach of any whose minds are not dispos'd to enjoy the blessings on the other side It. However taking courage I venturd over, & soon found I breathed a different Air & trod a different Land from that I had left, as I approached the Summit of this Place & have veiwn on the one Side the rolling Billows of the Sea & on the other the Uncultivated & Unpassable Mountain of Sand, while I was among the fruitful Trees of the Orchard & the feilds bearing the Encrease of Fruits. I was desired of knowing what happy place this was & upon Enquiry found it to be the Dominions of the Goddess of Goodness, & while I was contemplating the good luck that brought me there, the Goddess appeared in all her beauty, while her countenance show'd forth the Virtue over wch. she persided. Being dash'd at her unexpected Appearance I was at a loss how to make a proper adress & my Voice faultered on my Tongue when I attempted to Speak; Surely I had remain'd in Confusion had she not wth. her agreable behaviour & ingenuuos Discourse added Courage to my Soul, but how shall I express the beautys of her Conversation, breathing forth Truth & Sincerity & unaffected Goodness, being composed of that prudence that is requisite in the Entertainment of a Stranger & yet of that Familiarity wch. is due to a Freind. Thot I no wonder this Spot is so bless'd since the Inhabitants of it possess such virtues. Ah Goodness! Art thou fled from the popoulous parts of the World to take up thy residence in Solitude & bless a desart with they presence; how great must thy power be seeing the barren sands become fruitful before you. If so, then farewel yee Noisy City: where confusion & nonsence prevail, never may I hope to find happiness in those places that are deserted by Goodness. Thus was I contemplating in my Mind while Mine Ear gave attention to her discourse & mine Eyes all around212beheld the Effects of her Goodness. Gladly would I have tarried in this happy place had I not thought my Self unworthy as a Visitant much less as an Inhabitant, but altho constraind to depart yet carried off such Lessons as will be advantagous to me in my future Life. How happy my fortune who when I thought my Self abandon'd to despair amidst the horrid Sands & barren hills should yet so Suddenly be transported into this pleasant & profitable Dominion. But my Soul uncapabIe of so great a happiness soon return'd to me & convinc'd me I was not so happy as I thought for, so my Vision ended to my great Sorrow. I would not have You think I dreamt it with my Eyes open, for could I see such Visions when I pleas'd, I would soon see such Another. So Madam I have related it as near the Truth as I can recollect and if you can interpret the Dream you can certainly tell the Dreamer, & so I beg only to Subscribe my Self yr. respectful & much obliged humble Sert.,

P

Dft ; addressed: "To Miss H.D: a Dream"; docketed incorrectly in another hand, "May 1751."

1.

Miss H.D. is possibly a member of the Doane family. RTP noted in his diary on May 3: "visited Capt. Doan." Upon his return to Billingate on Aug. 28 he "went to Capt. Elisha Doans and lodg'd." Capt. Doane's elder daughter, Hannah (1729–1816), later married David Brown of Wellfleet. His younger daughter, Rachel (1734–1806), sought RTP's assistance in obtaining a divorce in 1762. See Rachel Doane Wormley to RTP, Eastham, July 31, 1762. (Alfred Alder Doane, The Doane Family [Boston, 1902], 88).