Intrigue 0f Mary Celeste


Seen adrift, sailing her own, manifest burden,  Genoa, fore Rome.

Sitting low the hips, lading alcohol filled casks, for makers di vino, its designated task.

Sculling she was, sails torn but full, almost scudding, but yawning for sure.

Hailing at berth, 400 aloof, Captain Morehouse’s suspicions were soon met with the truth, that the “Mary Celeste” had lost her family and crew.

A tragic yarn of  Mary Celeste’s entire crew, Captain Briggs, his wife and daughter can be found here. Of course, there are other tales based on this sad December 4, 1872, day over the Atlantic, including ( Inventor of Sherlock Holmes)  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictitious account : “J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement”.  Numerous ghastly tales of siren, and soul, stem from the ship’s haunting lore as well, but best reserved for another time. 

The “Mary Celeste”, originally called the “Amazon” (1861) seems to have suffered more mishaps, and unresolved mysteries during her 23 years afloat than any other ship’s recorded history.

Leaving a chilling wake of collision, skirmish, and ill-fated captain and crew, from her 1861, maiden voyage off  Nova Scotia, to her refusal to die a “scuttled” death near Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, in 1884, “Mary Celeste, if not a “Ghost” ship is certainly one of intrigue and rune.

The remains of the “Mary Celeste” were located by my favorite “maritime writer” and one of my all time favorite adventure novelist,  “Clive Cussler”,   August 9, 2001.

Image@angelusvamp1985

25 Comments

  1. Love the beauty in this poem:

    Seen adrift, sailing her own,
    manifest burden, Genoa, fore Rome.

    Sitting low the hips, lading alcohol filled casks,
    for makers di vino, its designated task.

    Sculling she was, sails torn but full,
    almost scudding, but yawning for sure.

    Hailing at berth, 400 aloof,
    Captain Morehouse’s suspicions were soon met with the truth,
    that the “Mary Celeste” had lost her family and crew.

    Love the patterns of strong accented syllables in the first three stanzas, the partial rhymes and the change of pace in the last stanza. Just beautiful!

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    • Yeah, maybe before the Canadians sold it to the guy from Massachusetts,but, he was from a long line of Sea Captains, and well, guess he didn’t know. That may be where the old Sea Dog adage of never changing a ships name comes from, but, the Mary Celeste had already had so many bad things happen when she was still called the Amazon, people in the area of Nova Scotia already called it jinxed.

      The final owner never made any money using it for transporting goods, and tried to sink it by running it into a huge rocky crag on an island closed to Haiti…but, it wouldn’t sink. He then set it on fire, but it wouldn’t burn…and he wound up in court under an insurance fraud charge that back then called for the death penalty, which no one was ever convicted of it much because of the death penalty. He was acquitted,m but died 3 months later.

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    • Some what, I would say, in that exotic, far away seascapes, and oceans are usually the backdrop. Cussler also does incorporate some romantic interludes in his Dirk Pitt, or Kurt Austin series, where as Maclean(as a rule)I don’t think did. The Oregon File series is usually straight out adventure and action, as it is based around an immaculate Super Ship, with all the latest high tech equipment, and chameleon like capabilities, piloted, and maneuvered by a crew of retired black op Navy Seals. (Millionaire Mercenaries aren’t really my thing though) I particularly like the Dirk Pitt novels. Most of them begin back in time…for example, “Treasure of Kahn” is about a modern oil tycoon, with plans to take over the oil rights of, and basically the world itself. It centers around Ghenghis Kahns grave site, with a subplot bringing the characters from the China, Japan seas…to Hawaii, where they discover the grave site of Kublai Kahn, and a map or something, can’t recall the exact details…But, I love history, and the Ocean…so, Cussler, being an actual marine archeologist/engineer, with a team of researchers etc…well, he pretty much puts me in the story when I’m reading. I love history, and the …oh, I already said that didn’t I…
      See Ya…

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  5. This is good, brother–I had no idea that Clive Cussler found the ship’s remains–wow. Thank you, Paul, for your patient efforts on my behalf–and the “blessing” of following my blog *(I was just teasing you about “curse or blessing”, you know).

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    • I knew where you were coming from on that …and you know the answer is a blessing for me to read your beautiful, and heart felt poems, and inspirations from God. Bless You
      paul

      oh, and yes, Cussler has found quite a few sunken ships, etc… The book Sahara, though, the Matthew McCohnohey movie version really didn’t portray it well, in my opinion is loosely based on a Civil war Sub Clive Cussler and his team found.But, The “Sea Hunters” Chronicles it…the CSS H.L. Hunley.

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    • That’s great Hook, wish I could have heard the speech, I may have felt compelled to elaborate more than just an intro poem, and a preface. That particular Tall Ship I figured has had more than it’s share of writers, and poets speaking for her.,. All with much more literary depth and flare than I . But, then, Yogi Bear has that…
      Okay Boo Boo, You take care of the ranger…and I’ll grab the pic-a-nic Basket..>>>☺

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    • If you’ve ever seen the movie…Matthew McConaughey, in “Sahara” the old adage holds true: The Movie wasn’t even close to the Book…
      But, that was based on a Clive Cussler Novel. And, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of course, mentioned in my article was the inventor of Sherlock Holmes…
      Bless You
      paul

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      • You are so right… I have learnt that the book and the movie are usually completely different. If I read the book first, I seldom bother to watch the movie… although I read the “Sahara” book so many years ago I forgot the story… so I enjoyed the movie anyway. *Smile* That might be because I love the desert. *Grin* Love the cats, Mands

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        • Yes, I admit, I enjoyed the movie, although, I seldom find Dirk Pit, to seem as haphazardly clownish as the Hollywood portrayal was. Although, the side kick role in the movie, who ever he was, probably captured, and portrayed many of Al Giordinio’s characteristics. I think there is at least one other of his books I’ve seen in a movie, but, can’t recall which one at the moment.
          Bless You

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