The Chicora
The Chicora was built in 1847 in Maine. She was a barque of 200 tons and captained by George Allanack.
Captain Allanack had been apprenticed to a ship's carpenter and had raised himself to his present rank.
In 1853 there was an extact from port documents -
"July 13: Ship Chicora, Budlett, 171 days from Boston. Merchandise to Hussey, Bond & Hale. The Chicora was off Cape Horn 14 days; crossed the Equator June 4th, longitude 109, and since that time had heavy weather from North to North-West-West. Anchored off Griffin's Wharf, Boston."
The Chicora sailed from Boston on the 2nd Jan 1853 and arrived in Melbourne 6th June 1853(some discrepancy here). The Chicora arrived in Melbourne on 13th Aug 1854 from Newcastle.
Here is an extract from the Age newspaper, October 17, 1854.
"For LONDON Direct - The barque CHICORA. 550 tons, is appointed to sail on the 24th instant. This fine vessel for strength is surpassed by none in Hobson's Bay, and her fast sailing qualities are well known, she having been some time in the trade here."
The Chicora sailed from Melbourne on 25th November 1854 bound for London. On 1st December they went through Banks Strait, a small passage to the east of Bass Strait, and steered south-west. They sighted an iceberg at 57 degrees 28' South, 145d 43' West a few weeks later. After this, they saw lots of icebergs every day until they doubled the Horn on January 7th 1855.
In February the passed the Rio Sao Francisco, a river in Brazil that flows into the sea between Aracaju and Maceio. On the 12th February, they sighted Maceio(a Brazilian seaport, situated on a small peninsula between the sea and the Lagoa do Norte ) and passed some sailing rafts that were catching flying fish. Maceio had a harbour before the fort, and was an open roadstead, protected to the east by a large coral reef.
Leaving Maceio, they sight Cape St. Augustine and a few days later passed by Fernando de Noronha, a penal settlement island in the South Atlantic belonging to Brazil. They cross the line at 31 degrees West and on the 30th February sighted Flores and Corvo, in the Azores. Then they got becalmed in the doldrums. On the 19th March 1855 they pass the Lizard.
Resources
32-Gun Frigate Essex (Anatomy of the Ship) -
by Portia Takakjian.
74-Gun Ship Bellona (Anatomy of the Ship) -
The '74' was the classic line-of-battle ship of the late eighteenth century, and Bellona was one of the most important and long lived. Launched in 1760, during the Seven Years War, she belonged to the first truly successful class of British 74gun ships, a design by Thomas Slade that was built in large numbers over more than twenty years. Bellona herself served with distinction over 54 years, fought in four wars and was not broken up until 1814.
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