John Boit facts for kids

John Boit Jr (born October 15, 1774 – died March 8, 1829) was an early American sailor and trader. He was one of the first Americans to take part in the maritime fur trade. This was a business where people sailed to the Pacific Northwest to trade with Native Americans for animal furs, especially sea otter furs. These furs were then sold in places like China.

John Boit Jr. sailed as a young officer on the ship Columbia Rediviva from 1790 to 1793. On this trip, he wrote a journal. In his journal, he described the discovery of the Columbia River, a very important river in the Pacific Northwest. John Boit was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to John and Sarah Brown Boit.

Sailing the World on the Union (1794–1796)

Soon after the Columbia returned home, John Boit became the captain of his own ship. It was a small ship called the sloop Union. He was given command for another fur trading trip to the Pacific Northwest and China. The Union was owned by three people, including Boit's brother-in-law.

This map shows the areas involved in the maritime fur trade between 1790 and 1840.

Boit started his journey from Newport, Rhode Island, on August 1, 1794. He sailed past the Cape Verde Islands and reached the Falkland Islands by the end of the year. After a few weeks there, he left on January 23, 1795. The Union then sailed around Cape Horn, which is the very southern tip of South America. This is a very dangerous part of the ocean.

On May 16, 1795, he arrived at Columbia Cove. This is on the west coast of Vancouver Island in what is now Canada. He had been there before with Captain Gray. He traded for as many sea otter furs as he could. Then he sailed south to Nootka Sound. From there, he went north to Haida Gwaii to trade with the Haida for more furs.

He sailed around Haida Gwaii, trading with different Haida villages. He then sailed south to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Columbia River, and Tillamook Bay. He tried for nine days to enter the Columbia River. But the weather was too bad, and he almost lost his ship on the dangerous Columbia Bar. He had to give up and was very disappointed.

After leaving Tillamook Bay, Boit sailed north again. He stopped briefly at Nootka Sound. By August 1795, the Union was back near Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island, finishing its fur trading.

On September 12, 1795, Boit left Columbia Cove. He was heading for the Hawaiian Islands and then Guangzhou (Canton), China.

Meeting John Young in Hawaii

Boit reached Hawaii on October 12, 1795. On October 16, he met John Young on the Island of Hawaii. Young was a British-American sailor who had been left on the island years before. He had become an important helper and advisor to the Hawaiian King Kamehameha I. Young often met with visiting ships and helped them.

Young told Boit a lot about what was happening on the island. He shared news about other ships and captains who had visited. Boit wrote a very long entry in his journal about everything he learned from Young. This journal entry is now a very important source of information about that time.

Boit offered to take Young to China. But Young said no. He explained that his life in Hawaii was much better than any common sailor could hope for anywhere else. When Young left the Union that night, he found one of Boit's crew members hiding in his canoe. The crew member had hoped to stay in Hawaii. Boit got the man back. He wrote in his journal that the man "richly deserved" punishment. But Boit understood why he wanted to stay in Hawaii. He said he could only threaten the man, "not having the heart to flog the poor illiterate devil."

Journey to China and Home

Boit left the Hawaiian Islands for Canton on October 17, 1795. He arrived in the Pearl River Delta area in early December. With the help of a local pilot, he took the Union to Macau. Then he sailed up the Pearl River to Whampoa anchorage near Canton. The Union stayed there until January 12, 1796. During this time, Boit fixed up his ship. He also sold his furs and bought Chinese goods. He even took on some French goods and a French passenger who wanted to go to Mauritius.

Boit sailed the Union from China on January 13, 1796. He sailed south through the South China Sea to Sunda Strait. He entered the strait with other ships on January 31. They struggled with strong winds and tides until February 9. Finally, the sloop reached the open Indian Ocean. After sailing across the ocean, Boit reached the island of Mauritius on March 14, 1796. He stayed there until March 29. Continuing his journey, Boit sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in April.

On July 8, 1796, the Union arrived back in Boston. Two weeks later, the ship was sold.

The Union was the first sloop of its size to sail all the way around the world. When he returned, Boit wrote in his journal, "I believe the Union was the first sloop that ever circumnavigated the globe."

Later Life and Legacy

After his amazing voyage on the Union, John Boit became captain of other ships. One of them was a large 600-ton ship called the Mount Hope. When he was 40 years old, he stopped being a ship captain. He became a merchant in Boston, focusing on shipping. He lived in Boston for the rest of his life. He passed away on March 8, 1829, and was buried in Boston.

A place called Boit Rock was named after John Boit. It is located in front of Columbia Cove, near Vancouver Island.