Page 37 - Captain William Strike of Porthleven

‘Henry Stokes said he would not do any more work on board and went on shore
without permission. He came on board the same evening and went ashore again the
following morning still refusing to do his duty.’

The next day (Saturday) William Strike

‘…met Henry Stokes at the British Consulate where it was arranged that if he
could procure another berth he would be discharged. He came on board again the same
evening and remained all night. Went on shore again on Sunday morning [but] came
back to his meals. Slept on board and again went ashore this morning without leave’.

This statement was signed by William Strike and witnessed by Herman Prang, the
boatswain. Two days later the log book reported that

‘Henry Stokes went on shore on Monday and stayed away until Wednesday and
then he came on board again that day.’

Despite everything, Stokes remained with ‘Ready Rhino’ and the story continues only
after the ship arrived at New York, on February 26, 1872. Here the log book contains the
following declaration by William Strike and witnessed by his boatswain, Herman Prang:

‘Henry Stokes left the ship to go to the hospital frostbitten in the toes and after he
got on shore he ran away from me and got his wages through an attorney.’

On top of this, there is another declaration from William Strike, dated the very next day,
stating that another crew member, the Norwegian able seaman Johan Rasmisson, had
deserted ‘Ready Rhino’.

The British Consul’s certificate dated March 1 appears as part of the voyage log, in the
following terms:

‘I hereby certify that Henry Stokes and Johan Rasmisson have been left at this
port upon the alleged ground of their desertion, and that I have made enquiries and find
the allegations to be true and that I have sanctioned the engagement of Chas. Beacall…’

Although the conduct of Stokes is documented in the log book, this is not the case with
Johan Rasmisson although it is recorded that his character was ‘VG’: very good. In the
case of Stokes the log does show the letter ‘I’ (for ‘indifferent’) against his general
conduct, with the letter ‘M’ (for ‘middling’) against his ability in seamanship.

Stokes and Rasmisson, having deserted ‘Ready Rhino’ may well have found themselves
the victims of the ‘crimps’. Whereas shanghaiing was a violent practice where the
hapless seaman was knocked over the head and dragged on board a ship as forced
labour, so-called ‘crimping’ was a slightly more subtle method of recruitment which was
th
particularly prevalent in 19 century New York. After discharge from his vessel recently
arrived in a port like New York, the seaman would likely be cash rich and improvident.
Typically the newly arrived seaman would be befriended by the crimp who would be all
too willing to show him the ropes in a strange port, and all too willing to help him spend
his accumulated wages. When those wages were spent the crimp would provide food
and accommodation until a ship master came calling, looking for labour. The seaman
would be plied with strong drink, known as ‘the third rail’, the crimp would receive the

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