Ganges, was a
whaleship from Nantucket, Massachusetts, launched in 1809 in Massachusetts, that operated in the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
from 1815 to 1853. It was probably the vessel reported to have found
Gardner Island
Gardner Island is a largely ice-free island which lies about 3 km west of Broad Peninsula in the southern Vestfold Hills, in Prydz Bay on the Ingrid Christensen Coast of Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica. It has been designated an Imp ...
in the
Phoenix group
Phoenix Group Holdings plc (formerly Pearl Group plc) is a provider of insurance services based in London, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
History
The company was founded in 1857 as ...
. Although Barzillai Folger, the master of the ship during its voyage of 1835-39, is sometimes credited with being the first to discover the right whales of the Northwest coast, the Frenchman Narcisse Chaudiere, in ''Gange'', preceded Folger. Chaudiere cruised on this ground during the summer of 1835, while Folger didn't leave port until October 26 of the same year.
Discovery of Gardner Island
Capt. Joshua Gardner, reportedly on board the whaleship ''Ganges'', discovered an island in 1825, located at , and named it
"Gardner's Island". His discovery was reported in the ''Nantucket Enquirer'', December 1827. However, contemporary
Joshua Coffin
Joshua Coffin (October 12, 1792 – June 24, 1864) was a historian, an American antiquary, and an abolitionist.
Life
Coffin was born to Joseph and Judith (née Toppan) Coffin in Newbury, Massachusetts October 12, 1792 in the Coffin House. He g ...
(also reportedly on ''Ganges'') is sometimes credited with the discovery, naming the island after his ship's owner,
Gideon Gardner.
[Stackpole, p]
Voyages
Between 1815 and 1858, ''Ganges'' made 11 whaling voyages:
[National Maritime Digital Library: ''Ganges''.]
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Citations
References
* Dunmore, John (1992); ''Who's Who in Pacific Navigation'', Australia:Melbourne University Press, {{ISBN, 0-522-84488-X
* Laing, Alexander (1971) ''American ships''. (American Heritage Press).
* Mawer, Granville Allen; ''Ahab's Trade: The Saga of South Seas Whaling''
* Stackpole, Edouard A.; ''The Sea Hunters: The New England Whalemen During Two Centuries, 1635-1835''
1809 ships
Whaling ships
History of Kiribati