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Declaration of Protest

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Consulate of the United States of America
Port of Singapore, India
Dec. 16, 1869 to wit

By this Public Instrument of Declaration and Protest, Be it known and made manifest unto all to whom these presents shall come or may concern, That on the fourth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and sixty nine, before Wm [Cole?], Acting Vice Consul of the United States of America for Singapore< India - and the dependencies thereof, personally came and appeared George A. Smith, Master of the ship or vessel called the "Mary" - of Edgartown Mas, of the burden of 373. 59/100 tons, or thereabouts, then lying in this port of Singapore, India laden with whale oil-cargo, who duly noted and entered with the said acting vice consul, his Protest for the uses and purposes hearafter mentioned; and now on this day to wit, the day of the date hereof, before me the undersigned Consul again comes the said George A. Smith and requires me to extend this Protest; and together with the said George A. Smith, also come William Sanborn, first Officer; Manuel Thomas Second Officer; George Maury, 3rd Officer; Charles Gibbs, Cooper and [Jms?] P. Smith, Seaman of and belonging to said ship, all of whom being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God did severally voluntarily freely, and solemnly declare, depose and state as follows, that is to say: That these appearers, on the third day of July, 1869, in their capacities aforesaid, sailed in and with the said Mary - from the port of Singapore- laden with whale oil, and bound to the China Sea, that the said ship was then tight, staunch, and strong; had her cargo well and sufficiently stowed and secured; was well and sufficiently manned, victualled, and furnished with all things needful and necessary for a vessel in the whaling service, and particularly for the voyage whe was about to undertake; that on Tuesday, the 14" Oct. 1869 at midnight when in Lat 6°43' N. Long112° 42'E. we had a heavy squall from the N.W. which threw the ship almost on her beam ends; the squall lasted about four hours, with a heavy crosssea; after the squall was over, pumped ship and found an unusual quantity of water in the hold, and concluded that the ship must have sprung aleak during the squall. At daylight on Friday Oct 15'69. Lat. 5° 37'N. Lon 113° 30' E. made sail a heavy wind prevailing at 3 P.M. a shoal in sight bearing about 4 miles distant, wore ship heading to the S., middle of the night squally, took in sail, the latter part of the night the weather moderated, and made sail heading ton the S employed in ships duty the ship leaking badly. Saturday Oct. 16 "69 Lat. 5° 33' N. Lon. 113° E. began with light airs from S. W. middle and latter part much the same ship still leaking badly. Sunday Oct. 17 "69 Lat. 6° 17"N. Lon. 112° 30' E. began [with] fine weather

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