Edmund Gardner was born in Nantucket, MA in 1784. In 1800, at the age of 16, he began his career as a mariner, sailing on a whaling voyage in the sloop Dove. He married Susanna Hussey of Nantucket in 1807. Six of their twelve children survived childhood.
His first command came in 1807 when he was asked to be the master of the Nantucket ship Union. Captain Gardner achieved some notoriety on this voyage by having his vessel sunk by a whale while on route to the Azores. This event was noted in Melville’s Moby Dick which was first published in 1851.
Edmond Gardner, captain of the New Bedford whaler Balaena (also called Balena,) and Elisha Folger, captain of the Nantucket whaler Equator, made history in 1819 when they became the first American whalers to visit the Sandwich Islands (Hawai‘i.)
“I had one man complaining with scurvy and fearing I might have more had made up my mind to go to the Sandwich Islands. I had prepared my ship with all light sails when I met the Equator.”
“I informed him of my intention. He thought it was too late to go off there and get in time on the West Coast of Mexico. I informed Folger what my determination was.”
“So little did I expect him to accompany me that I wrote my letters for him to forward to the United States if an opportunity presented. He took my letters and then said ‘if I conclude to go in company with you, I will stand on, if not, shall tack in for the land.’”
“I gave orders in the morning to put the ship on a WSW course putting on all sail. In a short time after the morning, I discovered he was following. We made the best of our way to the Sandwich Islands where we arrived in six-teen days, had a pleasant passage to the Islands and arrived at Hawaii 19th 9 Mo 1819.“ (Gardner Journal)
“I left California 3d of 9 Mo 1819. I came to anchor in Kealakekua Bay, Hawai‘i in seventeen fathoms water. While at this place heeled my ship to paint the bends and kept all the natives on one side of the ship, having previously installed one of the Natives as shipkeeper with a rattan for his badge of office.”
“He had in his possession several recommendations from shipmasters of his efficiency of clearing the ship of natives when troublesome. One day I think there must have been more than two hundred on board, when they became much excited, making a great noise.”
“I was somewhat alarmed, stamped on the deck and called on the shipkeeper to clear the ship of Kanakas. He accordingly drove them from the deck in five minutes into the sea. I then suffered but few to come at a time.”
“The next day a native who had been in Boston came on board and he spoke good English. I desired him to make inquiry what was the difficulty with the natives the previous day.”
“He soon came and informed me that the natives of the district where the ship lay wanted to have all our trade and would not suffer others from other districts to interfere. Their intention was to monopolize all the trade with us. I then found that the Sandwich Islanders possessed the same feelings as ourselves and ready to contend for their supposed rights.”
“After being there a week I was on deck early in the morning when one of the Kanakas called in an animated manner ‘mokee, mokee.’”
“In looking to the westward, I saw a large sperm Whale spouting. I immediately called to Captain Folger of the Equator and told him there was a large sperm whale, that I would send two boats if he would send two, and we would divide what we obtained.”
“He agreed to the same and our boats left at 7 am in pursuit and were soon out of sight north of the harbor. I did not like to send all my boats, not having full confidence in the natives of that place.”
“We saw nothing nor heard anything until 4 pm, when two canoes arrived in the bay paddling very fast and came to my ship. The Kanakas wiped the perspiration and talked very fast, being much excited. I could understand nothing. One of them shut his eyes and laid his head on one side in his hand.”
“I then called to Capt Folger and told him our boats had killed the whale (for we had remained on board our ships in the absence of our boats.)”
“He asked me how I knew. I answered him the natives had told me so. I immediately sent another boat to help tow the whale to the ship. In two hours they made their appearance, with fifty canoes helping tow. Our boats were absent the whole day, reaching the ship after sunset.”
“The next day we commenced cutting in our fish, and I have no doubt there were as many natives around our ship as Capt Cook had around his ship when first he visited those Islands. All the canoes were called into requisition far and near, and hundreds came swimming, not having any conveyance.”
“While cutting in, we had to be careful to prevent cutting the Kanakas for as soon as we had taken off the blubber they commenced (with our leave) to tear off the lean from the carcass and fill their canoes as fast as they could tear it off. They had a great festival from what they got from the whale.”
“There was a little incident which occurred while at Kealakekua when we were boiling through the night which I will relate. Both ships were making much light from the tryworks, so at times to light the whole bay; it was a natural conclusion with the natives that we must want fuel.”
“In the morning canoes came to my ship bringing wood for sale. They were somewhat surprised to find we were not in want of wood. The oil obtained from the whale was one hundred and two barrels.”
“After laying till 1st of 10 Mo left for Rahina (Lahaina) Mowee (Maui) for water, where we found Butler a resident, formerly from Martha’s Vineyard.”
“Also a Chief called Governor and sometimes John Adams (Kuakini.) He seemed to be principal man at Maui. After taking in our water went to Woahoo (Oahu) to leave letters to be sent Via Canton. The ship Paragon, Wilds and Ship Eagle, Meek were nearly ready to sail for China.”
“Left Oahu 10th of 10 Mo 1819 for Coast of California. I shipped two Kanakas from Maui and had them the remainder of the Voyage and took them to New Bedford. Their names were Joe Bal and Jack Ena, the two names comprising that of my ship Balaena.” (Gardner Journal)
A year later, Captain Joseph Allen discovered large concentrations of sperm whales off the coast of Japan. His find was widely publicized in New England, setting off an exodus of whalers to this area.
These ships might have sought provisions in Japan, except that Japanese ports were closed to foreign ships. So when Captain Allen befriended the missionaries at Honolulu and Lahaina, he helped establish these areas as the major ports of call for whalers. (NPS)
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