Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers
What conditions did the sailors experience while on their whaling expeditions?
Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers
Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers
Sailors often died from disease, drowning, murder, or a whale attack. The ship's sleeping quarters, or "forecastles," stunk from tobacco, salt water, sweaty clothes, exotic pets, and whale blubber. After a few weeks into the journey, fresh food became nonexistent. The death rate for this career came second only to mining.
Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers