As the 21-year-old first mate aboard YANKEE during Irving
Johnson’s initial circumnavigation beginning in 1933, Fred Jackson of Providence
spent much of his time as correspondent to newspapers about the activities of
the young crew as they made their way from one exotic port to another. The photograph seen here is one of many in an album that was
recently given to Mystic Seaport by Fred Jackson’s son, Edward. The album also
contains a number of the newspaper stories with young Jackson’s byline prominently
displayed.
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| Tucopians aboard YANKEE. From album 2013.108. Mystic Seaport |
The YANKEE’s inexperienced crew had adventures that most
could only imagine. The late Francis “Biff” Bowker, long-time Captain of the Museum's sail-training schooner BRILLIANT, frequently recounted
how he longed to leave home to sail with Johnson on an early voyage, but was
frustrated in his attempts. If he had been on this circumnavigation, he would
have met these “Tucopian wild men,” as Jackson named them. Tucopia is an island
that lies midway between Papua, New Guinea and Fiji and obviously one of the many landfalls along the way.
In the grouping of photos from which this one is taken, is
another that shows the crew ashore with an assembly of locals and the caption
reads: “The council of war…We refused to give 100 fish hooks, two vests, three
kerosene tins of tobacco, etc. The answer came – ‘We no like you. More better
you go away.’ We went.” Jackson's humor and insight are remarkable for one so young.
Mystic Seaport holds a treasure trove of Johnson material
from photos to logbooks to film to items collected on the seven
circumnavigations done by Johnson and his wife “Exy”. A recent film narrated by
world class sailor Gary Jobson was produced at Mystic Seaport using film
footage taken by the Johnsons and now part of the collection at the Museum. If
you are interested in purchasing a copy of Unfurling the World, you can
order it here.