Life on Board

Laura's mother later recalled: "We were none of us sick on the voyage, and in pleasant weather we enjoyed being on deck and watching the sailors at work. There was always the prospect of seeing whales. When they caught a whale and brought him side of the ship there were lively times on board, as this made all the sailors happy," since they would get their share of the money.

Helen also wrote, "I used to teach Laura in the morning, and she learned very quickly. We had a small room built on the deck, and she sat at a table to study her lessons." Laura proudly reported in her December 18, 1868, entry that she studied her lessons every day and that she was getting along with her lessons nicely.

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image of deck

Mystic Seaport