Nicholas Bredimus Abroad, the Book

The biographical book Nicholas Bredimus Abroad was written by Spencer Bassett and published posthumously in 1873. While some view the book as simply a sea adventure, it details the real-life journey of Nicholas Bredimus around Cape Horn and was intended to highlight the miserable conditions suffered by common sailors. The title has been compared to Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer Abroad, which was published in 1894.

Bredimus decided to make the voyage after being afflicted with whooping cough while an undergraduate at Yale. He believed an extended period at sea might help reverse the damage that the illness had done to his strength, and so he departed New Haven on the sailing vessel known as the Sea Sparrow in 1850.

The ship's first order of business was to reach California, as the voyage was intended to trade American goods with ranchers and Spanish missions in this former province of Mexico (California became a state in 1850). In order to make the trip, the ship sailed to South America and around Cape Horn before continuing on to California.

The ship stopped at numerous ports along the Californian coast, including San Francisco Bay, San Diego Bay, and Santa Barbara Bay. Bredimus learned Spanish during this period, and would later come to serve as the ship's interpreter. Nicholas Bredimus also took an interest in sailors from the Sandwich Islands that he met in various ports, and this culminated with his saving the life of one such individual.

When the sailors tossed cow hides over headland bluffs in order to collect them on the beach below, some of the items became stuck on the cliff face. Bredimus was lowered down with a rope to dislodge them. The cliffs and a nearby city were known as Dana Point, named for a previous sailor who had done the same thing.

After spending a season on the beaches of San Diego Bay preparing cow hides for transport, Nicholas Bredimus returned to New Haven aboard a trading ship named the Scaffold. This voyage took place during a period known as an Antarctic Winter (when the Earth is furthest from the Sun), and the crew was forced to contend with both scurvy and several violent storms.

He arrived back in Connecticutt in 1852, with his voyage at sea lasting a total of two years. He met Spencer Bassett during a trip to New York City in 1856. The two became friends and Bredimus shared his story with Bassett through mail. Bassett tried unsuccessfully to get the book published. After Bassett died his family never heard from Bredimus again. There was a rumor that Nicholas Bredimus went sailing off to Hawaii.

Stephen, a friend of Bassett's widow, took the manuscript in 1871. After two years he succeeded in getting the book published in Boston in 1873. Nicholas Bredimus Abroad received hardly any recognition but a copy of the book remains available in some local libraries to this day.

This page is Copyright © SpencerBassett.com. All Rights Reserved. No connection between this Website and the family of Spencer Bassett exists. This is a fan website with no commercial interest in Spencer Bassett's work.


Nicholas Bredimus Abroad, the Book The biographical book Nicholas Bredimus Abroad was written by Spencer Bassett and published posthumously in 1873. While some view the book as simply a sea adventure, it details the real-life journey of Nicholas Bredimus around Cape Horn and was intended to highlight the miserable conditions suffered by common sailors. The title has been compared to Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer Abroad, which was published in 1894. Bredimus decided to make the voyage after being afflicted with whooping cough while an undergraduate at Yale. He believed an extended period at sea might help reverse the damage that the illness had done to his strength, and so he departed New Haven on the sailing vessel known as the Sea Sparrow in 1850. The ship's first order of business was to reach California, as the voyage was intended to trade American goods with ranchers and Spanish missions in this former province of Mexico (California became a state in 1850). In order to make the trip, the ship sailed to South America and around Cape Horn before continuing on to California. The ship stopped at numerous ports along the Californian coast, including San Francisco Bay, San Diego Bay, and Santa Barbara Bay. Bredimus learned Spanish during this period, and would later come to serve as the ship's interpreter. Nicholas Bredimus also took an interest in sailors from the Sandwich Islands that he met in various ports, and this culminated with his saving the life of one such individual. When the sailors tossed cow hides over headland bluffs in order to collect them on the beach below, some of the items became stuck on the cliff face. Bredimus was lowered down with a rope to dislodge them. The cliffs and a nearby city were known as Dana Point, named for a previous sailor who had done the same thing. After spending a season on the beaches of San Diego Bay preparing cow hides for transport, Nicholas Bredimus returned to New Haven aboard a trading ship named the Scaffold. This voyage took place during a period known as an Antarctic Winter (when the Earth is furthest from the Sun), and the crew was forced to contend with both scurvy and several violent storms. He arrived back in Connecticutt in 1852, with his voyage at sea lasting a total of two years. He met Spencer Bassett during a trip to New York City in 1856. The two became friends and Bredimus shared his story with Bassett through mail. Bassett tried unsuccessfully to get the book published. After Bassett died his family never heard from Bredimus again. There was a rumor that Nicholas Bredimus went sailing off to Hawaii. Stephen, a friend of Bassett's widow, took the manuscript in 1871. After two years he succeeded in getting the book published in Boston in 1873. Nicholas Bredimus Abroad received hardly any recognition but a copy of the book remains available in some local libraries to this day. This page is Copyright © SpencerBassett.com. All Rights Reserved. No connection between this Website and the family of Spencer Bassett exists. This is a fan website with no commercial interest in Spencer Bassett's work.		MENU HOME About Spencer Bredimus Abroad Websites

Nicholas Bredimus Abroad, the Book

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