Supplies and sea clothes

During the first decades of voyages to Ternua they concentrated on cod fishing however the Basque fishermen soon noticed the enormous number of whales migrating through the Straits of  Belle Isle (or "Granbaya" as it was called then). The fishermen returned home from those distant seas with shipments of fat or whale blubber to be sold in London, Flanders and Bordeaux, likewise their own ports. This blubber was widely used as lamp fuel in addition to other domestic purposes; which is why it was also sent inland to large cities like Burgos or Toulouse, thus many Basque merchants became rich with the profits from this highly lucrative trade. However, these benefits weren’t only important for shipping agents and traders.

There was never a shortage of men wanting to sail to Ternua, and if for any reason they couldn’t go, they would feel very disappointed. One of the reasons for the success of these voyages was because the supplies of food and drink on board Basque ships was always plentiful and on reaching Ternua there was also fresh fish and geese or reindeer to be hunted in their free time. The only large layout for the ordinary seaman was that of his ‘sea clothes’, which were of vital importance if he wanted to stay healthy. Often working in cold damp situations it was essential to keep several changes to change into while the wet clothes dried.

Some of the sailors’ sons and nephews were brought along at the early age of 13 or 14 as part of the whalers’ crew. Their mothers would ensure they not only wore warm clothes but each one was also given a personal supply of complementary food in the form of products like cheese or almonds and currants, to cheer them up at difficult times. Life on board must have been terrible during the Atlantic storms. Outgoing voyages would take a month or more but once anchors were dropped in Ternua ports, life wasn’t too bad. There some of the boys would chop wood for fire and prepare the dinners for the men so that when they returned from whaling work they had fish stew, beans or peas with pork prepared or any other hot dish. Moreover, there was always abundant cider to drink and occasionally a little wine or even cognac.