from his wounds claimed that the marauders screamed Spanish words and tortured men, women and children alike as they rampaged for money and jewels, raping and killing, sparing no one to be a witness to their treachery. The poor wretch escaped this terror when he was stabbed by a sword and fell overboard. He had enough strength to hold unseen to a line from the stern. The passengers’ cabins were looted and the cargo hatches were pulled. After about two hours the packet ship had been thoroughly stripped of anything valuable. It was then set afire as the pirates departed.
“After the marauders had sailed far enough away he tried to pull himself further up the side of his ship. Above him he saw the masts and rigging aflame, fire over all the ropes like lightning, and brands of flaming wood falling in the sea around him. The fire began down the side of the ship and he had to cast himself out into the water to escape the heat. One of the great yardarms fell down sending spray high into the air and dousing the flames on its beam and lines. It was this gift of Providence that saved him for he tied himself to that wood and remained alive as the rest of his ship sank finally beneath the surface. Two days later and again by God’s help, a coaster schooner found him and brought him in to port, a sad wreck of a man barely able to relate his story before he died.”
“Katy, we also found the following mentioned in a logbook belonging to the US frigate Constitution on its Pacific cruise in 1840. Crew from the frigate was ordered to assist the Baltimore clipper brig Osprey, Captain Richard Tolchester, to enter Valparaiso. What relation this brig is to the Osprey that wrecked in New York, we don't know. It may also be a mistaken name of the kind often found in Navy logs.
“Finally with regard to the name Fusang, we uncovered in the Canton Register of June 1840 the following report: ‘It is brought to the attention of this editor that the Chinese authorities are investigating a fire which resulted in the death of Fusang and his daughter. A robbery is thought to have taken place and the crew of the ship Eagle since departed from this port are being sought.’
"Sorry we can't help you more, Katy. Come by for lunch next time you are in New York.
Mary”
“Strange,” said Cutter. “If it isn't a mistake as she suggests, that sighting puts Tolchester on the Osprey. Where is the Peregrine? What is he doing on a pirate ship? Then there’s other ship, the Eagle. Keep digging. This is getting weird.”
“Anyway, that’s all there is,” she said, folding the papers.
She winked at him and said, “Lots of ship disasters in those days were arranged to falsify insurance claims.” She thought for a moment. “How about this? We compare the carving of the wooden name board from the wreck of the Peregrine with the ones that you saw in the barn in River Sunday.”
Cutter asked, “Match them to prove the ship is the same or different? I mean, if the old man in River Sunday is right, there was only one boat built.”
“Exactly.”
“Also, can looking for the wreck of the Osprey do us any good?” he said. “We know approximately where it went down. On the other hand we don’t know the location of the hulk of the Peregrine.”
“The pirate? Possibly. Shipwrecks can tell a lot about the cargo they were carrying. For example, if she had been rigged for slaving, there’d probably be iron manacles remaining in the wreck debris. That’s a clue that she was in Atlantic waters and might eliminate the China trade and Pacific routes for her. Of course, we also might find some carved name boards on her wreck. Witnesses did describe them as ‘fancy.’” She paused then said, “We could compare that name board too.”
“What would that prove?”
“Our boat was the only one built so it must have used two names.”
“There’s still the issue of two wreck sites. Anyway, what do we do next?”
“There’s a salvage expert I’ve
“After the marauders had sailed far enough away he tried to pull himself further up the side of his ship. Above him he saw the masts and rigging aflame, fire over all the ropes like lightning, and brands of flaming wood falling in the sea around him. The fire began down the side of the ship and he had to cast himself out into the water to escape the heat. One of the great yardarms fell down sending spray high into the air and dousing the flames on its beam and lines. It was this gift of Providence that saved him for he tied himself to that wood and remained alive as the rest of his ship sank finally beneath the surface. Two days later and again by God’s help, a coaster schooner found him and brought him in to port, a sad wreck of a man barely able to relate his story before he died.”
“Katy, we also found the following mentioned in a logbook belonging to the US frigate Constitution on its Pacific cruise in 1840. Crew from the frigate was ordered to assist the Baltimore clipper brig Osprey, Captain Richard Tolchester, to enter Valparaiso. What relation this brig is to the Osprey that wrecked in New York, we don't know. It may also be a mistaken name of the kind often found in Navy logs.
“Finally with regard to the name Fusang, we uncovered in the Canton Register of June 1840 the following report: ‘It is brought to the attention of this editor that the Chinese authorities are investigating a fire which resulted in the death of Fusang and his daughter. A robbery is thought to have taken place and the crew of the ship Eagle since departed from this port are being sought.’
"Sorry we can't help you more, Katy. Come by for lunch next time you are in New York.
Mary”
“Strange,” said Cutter. “If it isn't a mistake as she suggests, that sighting puts Tolchester on the Osprey. Where is the Peregrine? What is he doing on a pirate ship? Then there’s other ship, the Eagle. Keep digging. This is getting weird.”
“Anyway, that’s all there is,” she said, folding the papers.
She winked at him and said, “Lots of ship disasters in those days were arranged to falsify insurance claims.” She thought for a moment. “How about this? We compare the carving of the wooden name board from the wreck of the Peregrine with the ones that you saw in the barn in River Sunday.”
Cutter asked, “Match them to prove the ship is the same or different? I mean, if the old man in River Sunday is right, there was only one boat built.”
“Exactly.”
“Also, can looking for the wreck of the Osprey do us any good?” he said. “We know approximately where it went down. On the other hand we don’t know the location of the hulk of the Peregrine.”
“The pirate? Possibly. Shipwrecks can tell a lot about the cargo they were carrying. For example, if she had been rigged for slaving, there’d probably be iron manacles remaining in the wreck debris. That’s a clue that she was in Atlantic waters and might eliminate the China trade and Pacific routes for her. Of course, we also might find some carved name boards on her wreck. Witnesses did describe them as ‘fancy.’” She paused then said, “We could compare that name board too.”
“What would that prove?”
“Our boat was the only one built so it must have used two names.”
“There’s still the issue of two wreck sites. Anyway, what do we do next?”
“There’s a salvage expert I’ve
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