| 1. |
The most thorough account of this first voyage is
given in Philip Chadwick Foster Smith, The
Empress of China (Philadelphia: Philadelphia
Maritime Museum, 1984). See also Clarence L.
Ver Steeg, "Financing and Outfitting the First
United States Ship to China," Pacific Historical
Review 22 (1953), 1-12, and William Bell Clark,
ed., "The Journal of the Empress of China,"
American Neptune, 10 (1950), 83-107,220-229,
288-297, and 11 (1951), 59-71, 134-144.
| | 2. |
Two building sites have been put forward: near
the Eagle Tavern by George Coggeshall, An
Historical Sketch of Commerce and Navigation
(New York: G. P. Putnam, 1860), 53, or in
Dean's own garden by Richard Henry Greene,
Todd Genealogy (New York: Wilbur & Hastings,
1867), 29. For ownership, see Dean to John
Jones, 26 May 1784, Stewart & Jones Letters
Received 1771-1820, New York Public Library,
and Jones to Van Vechten & Dean, 12 July 1784,
Stewart & Jones Letter Book 1780-1786, New
York Public Library. Dimensions from U.S.
Customs Service - Records for the Port of New
York (RG36), National Archives, Washington,
DC. Any New York State documents that may
have existed before Federal enrollments were
introduced in 1789 were destroyed by the fire at
the New York State Library in 1833, so the
earliest documentation for the sloop to survive
pertain to the period it was operating on the
Hudson River after returning from China.
| | 3. |
Jones to Van Vechten & Dean, 12 July 1784,
Stewart & Jones Letter Book 1780-1786, Dean to
James Stewart, 22 Dec. 1784, Stewart & Jones
Letters Received 1771-1820.
| | 4. |
Stewart & Jones to Van Vechten, 12 Jan. 1785,
Stewart & Jones Letter Book 1780-1786.
| | 5. |
Stewart & Jones to William Stewart (James Stewart's
cousin in New London), 13 Apr. 1785,
| | 6. |
Stewart & Jones Letter Book 1780-1786.
Stewart & Jones to Joseph Carson of Philadelphia,
6 June 1785, Stewart & Jones Letter Book 1780-1786.
| | 7. |
12 July 1785, Stewart & Jones Letter Book 1780-1786.
| | 8. |
Dean's return was noted in Stewart & Jones to
Messrs. Jacob Lansing Jun., Guysbert, & Abraham
Fonds of Albany, 18 Oct. 1785, and the
voyage to China discussed on 24 Oct:, Stewart &
Jones Letter Book 1780-1786.
| | 9. |
Article of Agreement between the Owners of the
Sloop Experiment, The Cost, Outfit, Cargo and
disbursements of the Sloop Experiment, Stewart
Dean Master, of 80 Tons Burthen on a Voyage
from New York to Canton and Back, New-York
Historical Society, hereafter referred to as
Outfit.
|
|
| 10. |
Articles of Agreement, Outfit.
| | 11. |
Shirley, Bangor & Co. to Stewart & Jones, 16
June 1785, Stewart & Jones Letters Received.
| | 12. |
16 Nov. 1785, Stewart& Jones Letter Book 1780-1786.
| | 13. |
Sixteen shillings were paid to a mason for "Lining
a Cambouse with Stuff." Two scows and a crab
[crane] were hired by Samuel A[c]kerly while his
gang of carpenters was working on the Experiment,
indicating that some of the men were working over
the side. Mason for Cabouse, and S. Ackerly, Carpenter, Outfit.
| | 14. |
Data from S. Ackerly, Carpenter, E. Young, Ship
Carpenter, and G. Warren, Sail Maker, Outfit.
| | 15. |
There has been extensive correspondence on this
issue in reference to Continental frigates in
Nautical Research Journal, 37 (1992), 116-117,
244-249. See also Antoine Lescallier,Traité
Pratique du Gréement des Vaisseaux (Paris: chez
Clousier, 1791), vol. 2, Plate XII, and William
Hutchinson, A Treatise on Naval Architecture,
4th edition (Liverpool: T. Billinge, 1794), Frontispiece
and Plate I.
| | 16. |
Guns, Small Arms, Pistols &c, T. Biggs Mathematical
Instruments, Charts & Directions, Doctors Bill, Outfit.
| | 17. |
John Holker Papers 1777-1822, reel 15, folio
5888, Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Of
the other items, only the wines and spirits sold
well, five pipes of Madeira fetching $400 each.
| | 18. |
Article of Agreement, Outfit.
| | 19. |
Invoice of sundries shipped on board The Experiment,
Outfit. The accounts use a rate of $1 = 8/-,
or $2 1/2 = £1. Also, amounts less than $1 were
shown as fractions, since each dollar contained 96
cents.
| | 20. |
Sales of sundries, Outfit. Smith, The Empress of
China, 155.
| | 21. |
Invoice of sundries shipped on board The Experiment,
and Sales of Sundries, Outfit.
| | 22. |
Invoice of sundries shipped on board The Experiment,
and Sales of sundries, Outfit. The furs were
truly an assortment: 1044 gray, black, red,
ground, and flying squirrel skins, 10 minks, 3 red
and 3 gray foxes, 3 "Wild Carts," 1 "Martin," 1
bear, 6 raccoons, 6 "muskratts," and 4 spotted
fawns, all purchased from Abraham Willson 11
Dec. 1785, Acct. of Furrs, Outfit.
| | 23. |
Invoice of sundries shipped on board The Experiment,
and Sales of sundries, Outfit.
| | 24. |
Invoice of sundries shipped on board The Experiment,
and Bill of Lading, Outfit.
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