Log: July 3, 1843

The CHARLES W. MORGAN was sailing on her maiden voyage in the South Pacific off the coast of Chile.  The log entry for this day states, “Comcd with fine weather. the Larboard Watch on liberty. the Starboard Watch Employed a Fishing & Scrimshoning So Ends this Day, a Dancing.”

Image from scrimshaw at Mystic Seaport. MSM accession number, 1975.6AB.

While not attending to working duties aboard the ship, whalemen kept themselves busy by a variety of means.  After catching a sperm whale, the teeth of the whale would be fashioned into decorative pieces called scrimshaw.  This was a chance for the whalemen to carve their own designs into the teeth and create their own masterpiece.  Today they also took part in some dancing.