This is a fine, strong ship, of about 670 tons register, modelled to stow a large cargo, with gfair lines for sailing. She is 146 feet long on the keel, 150 on deck, between perpendiculars, and 160 over all, from the knightheads to the taffrail. Her extreme breadth of beam is 32 feet, depth of hold 23 feet, including 7 feet 10 inches height of between decks; dead rise at half floor 10 inches, swell 1 foot and sheer 22 inches. She has a carved and gilded billet-head, and her trail boards and navel hoods are also covered with ornamental carving. The mouldings of her planksheer and main rail are continued to the forward extreme, and terminate in a point in the rear of the head, and their outline form the head-boards. Her name, in gilded letters, ornaments both sides of the head and the quarters.
Her stern is light, finely formed, and beautifully ornamented. It swells gently both ways, and is spanned by an arch of bilded carved work, in the centre of which is a representation of a star, encircled with a wreath of garlande, which is borne by two beautiful houris, robed in white, with golden wings, the whole set off with gilded branches. The figures are certainly the best of the kind we ever saw on a ship's stern, and the workmanship of the whole reflects high credit upon the carver, Mr. J.W. Mason. Her name and port of hail are painted white on the arch-board; and outside, from the water to the rail, she is black, except a tier of ports in a white belt around her waist. On deck her painted work is buff color, and the waterways blue.
She has a topgallant forecastle, a house abaft the foremast, for the accommodation of the crew, &c.; and she has two cabins, one under a half poop deck, and the other in a house in front of it. The after one is wainscotted with mahogany -- the panels oblong squares, set off with rose-wood pilasters, ornamented with carved and gilded capitals, and imitation marble pedestals. The cornices are lined with gilded mouldings, and the ceiling is covered with fine joiner work and painted white. The transom is fitted as a sofa, and the stern lights are finished into gothic arches. This cabin has four state-rooms, and a water closet; two of the state-rooms very large, and all of them have deck and side lights, and are neatly furnished. The forward cabin contains the pantry and several state-rooms, and is tastefully painted and grained. Both cabins are elegantly furnished, well lighted and ventilated.
Her frame is of well seasoned white oak, she is stronglu copper fastened, and after she has performed a voyage will be coppered or sheathed with yellow metal. Her keel is 15 by 22 inches, her floor timbers 16½ by 11 and 12, and her midship keelsons combined, are 15 by 30 inches, the whole bolted with copper and iron in the usual style. The ceiling on her floor is 4 inches thick, and on the bilge she has 3 strakes of 9 inches thickness, the first of oak, and are all square fastened. Above these, there are three strakes of 7 inches thickness, then five of 6 inches, then a stringer of 12 by 10 inches, upon which the lower ends of the hanging knees rest, and then above that, four clamps of 7 inches thickness. The between decks waterways are 15 inches square, the strake inside of them 9 by 12, and the two standing strakes over them, each 8 by 13 inches, all bolted vertically and horizontally. The ceiling above is 5 inches thick. Her upper deck waterways are 10 by 12, with two thick strakes inside of them let into the beams below, and cross bolted.
All the knees, hooks and stanchions in the hold, are of white oak. She has 8 hooks forward and 7 aft, and her main transom is 18 by 16 inches, with heavy wing transoms, which extend well along the sides, and are closely bolted. The knees in the between-decks are of hackmatack, and the stanchions of oak, turned, and secured with iron rods through their centres. Her between-decks opposite the main hatchway, have a large, square cargo port on each side, and also plate glass airports, and all the other requirements for the accommodation of steerage passengers. Her lower deck is of hard pine, 3½ inches thick, and the upper deck of clear white pine, of the same substance.
Her garboards are of oak, 7 by 14 inches, grubbed into and bolted through the keel, upwards through every floor timber, with copper. her bottom planking is 4 inches in thickness, and on the bilge there are four strakes of oak, 5 inches thick; all her forward hoods are of oak, and her wales, which are 5 by 7 inches, are half oak and half hard pine. Her bilge and butt bolts are of copper, and nearly all her treenails have been driven through and wedged in both ends. Her waist is of hard pine, 4 inches thick, the covereing board 6 inches, and the main rail 5½. her bulwarks are 3 feet 8 inches high, surmounted by a monkey rail of 15 inches.
She is seasoned with salt, has brass ventilators along her planksheer and in her bitts, and air ports below. Her pumps, of which she has four, two of them bilge, are of copper, and she has three good boats, heavy ground tackle, a powerful windlass, and all the other furniture suitable for a ship of her size.
She is a full rigged ship, and her masts rake about 1, 1¼ and 1½ inches to the foot. her lower masts are, commencing with the fore, 69, 74, and 66 feet long, fore and main topmasts alike, viz. 44 feet, mizen topmast 30. Her bowsprit is 26 feet outboard, jibboom 26 feet outside of the cap, and flying jibboom 16 feet outside of the wythe. The yards upon the fore and main masts are alike, viz.: 64, 51, &c., and on the mizen mast 48, 38, &c., and the other spars in proportion. She carries a main royal, but nothing above topgallant sails forward or aft. Her masts are white, her yards black, and booms bright, and she is strongly rigged in the usual style, and she looks very well aloft.
She is not only strongly built, but is remarkably well finished, both inside and out; and from her size and model, we infer that she will prove to be a profitable vessel, as she is well adapted either fore the Calcutta or European trade.
She was built at Medford by Mr. J.T. Foster, whose reputation as a skilful and faithful builder is well known; and is is but doing him simple justice to say that all his vessels wear well, sail fast, and work well.
The Polar Star is now loading in Messrs. Pearson & Co's line of New Orleans packets, and will be commanded by Capt. Pearson, formerly of the ship Suffolk. Good luck to her.
Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius.
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Copyright © 1997 Lars Bruzelius.