It will be noted that F.H.P. joined the 2-masted schooner W. R. CHESTER
in February 1895 for a voyage from Machiasport to Monte Christi in what
is now called the Dominican Republic. He rejoined the W. R. CHESTER in
December 1897 as Mate. Considerable light is thrown on his West Indian
voyage by the following account of a similar voyage in the same vessel,
made at approximately the same time by a perceptive English seaman.
This story was published in the December 1930 issue of “Sea Breezes”
magazine, a monthly published by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company
of Liverpool. Regrettably, although I had the magazine in my library,
I did not realize that this story about the W. R. CHESTER had been
published, and consequently never brought it to the attention of F.H.P.
despite countless opportunities to do so. It is included here because
of what it tells us of a West Indian voyage and the life aboard a small
Machiasport schooner.
The reader cannot fail to observe that the author, both by his behavior
at Monte Christi and by his subsequent calling, was no ordinary seaman.
Sailors are not usually credited with spending much time in Church
while visiting a foreign port!