In doing some own personal research last night, I was up until 1am perusing the digital scans of the logbooks of the Nicholson Collection at the Providence Public Library.  I was mainly searching for Native written logbooks, or voyages with known Native whalers.  I know that my husband’s family served on the Amethyst.  “Journal of the Amethyst (Ship), Ocean (Ship) and Richmond (Bark); mastered by Robert P. Reynard and Edward A. Swift; and kept by Edward A. Swift; on whaling voyages between 1842 and 1853. ,” is the description on the logbook guide.  I looked through the logbook, searching for names of Wampanoag whalers.  About ¾ of the way through, I came across 2 pages, turned upside down (I’m not sure if it was just digitized this way, or if it was written intentionally this way), which is not related to the data recorded on the previous pages or the following pages, but seems very personal.  From what I can read, it seems to be a collection of thoughts, poems and/or songs.  Some verses rhyme, some do not.  Some are in quotation marks, and make reference at the end to their source, though I cannot make out what it is.  Here is an excerpt of the poem or song that I can transcribe.  I plan on looking for into this to see if it is a known chantey, or if it is an original piece of work:

Ay! let me like the ocean-patriarch(?) roam,

Or only know on land the Tartais (?) home!

My tent() on shore, my galley on the sea.

Are more than cities and senais (?) to me:

Borne by my stead(?), or wafted by my sail,

Across the desert, or before the gale

Bound where thou wilt, my (?) or glide, my (?)!

But be the (?) that guides the wanderer thou!

(for conclusion be opposite ____ _______ “______ _______”

 

I’d like to go see this in person when the library reopens.  I’m attaching the image and link if anyone wants to try to figure it out.

 

 

http://pplspc.org/nicholson/rj5_nicholson_571/html/rj5_nicholson_571r-0639.html