Excerpt from Page 304
1878. CAPT. Nathan A. Bachelder (Joshua, Richard, Nathan, Ebeneezer, Nathaniel, Nathaniel, Nathaniel, Stephen), b. Salem, Massachusetts, Sept. 3, 1821; m. Concord, N.H., Aug. 30, 1849, Caroline S. Parbuck, b. Dec. 22,1829. He was born in Salem, is now over 75 years old, hearty and strong, coming from a good old New Hampshire stock. He spent 48 years of his life on the ocean, visiting most of the noted ports of India, China, Africa and Madagascar, making some twenty voyages to San Francisco around Cape Horn. Was chief officer of a Salem bark at Monterey, Cal., in 1845, when Commodore Sloat hoisted the American flag and took possession of the country; also has visited the Sandwich, Society and Navigators' and many other islands in the Pacific ocean and about every other port of note on the west coast of America from Vancouver to Valpariso. Twenty years in two ships, six in one, and fourteen in the other. The last one was burnt in Valparaiso harbor; ship and freight fully insured for $72,000 (seventy-two thousand dollars) paid in sixty days after notice of loss, so it turned out all right. Crossed the Istthmus of Panama four times, before any railroad and once since. Passed Cape Horn twenty-four times, and the Cape of Good Hope forty -two times, sailing upwards of sixteen hundred thousand miles (1,600,000) on the ocean without any serious trouble, accident or loss; res. Salem, Mass., 63 Ocean av. |
