Cyrus was a whaler launched at Salem in 1800 (or possibly early in 1792). She performed one whaling voyage for French owners before a British letter of marque captured her in 1803. From 1804 on, she performed 17 whaling voyages for British owners in the almost half a century between 1804 and 1853. The first five were for Samuel Enderby & Sons. Between 1 August 1834 and 2 June 1848 her captain was Richard Spratly, namesake of Spratly Island and the group of islands and reefs known as the Spratly Islands. She apparently made one last voyage in 1854, but then no longer traded. She was last listed in Lloyd's Register in 1856.
1800–1804
Cyrus first entered Lloyd's Register in the Supplement to the 1802 edition. Her master was Hamond, and her trade was London-Dunkirk. However, despite the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars and the end of the Peace of Amiens she went whaling in South African waters. She left Dunkirk on 3 August under the command of Captain Archelaus Hammond.
By 25 September 1803, the letter of marque was at Delagoa Bay on the east coast of Africa. There she captured two French whalers: Cyrus, and Ganges. At the time of her capture Cyrus was under the command of Archelaus Hammond. Scorpion then escorted both into St Helena. From there they sailed to Britain where they were sold, with their new owners fitting them out for whaling and arming them.
When Cyrus was sold in 1804, Lloyd's Register gave the name of the buyer as Mather & Co., a noted owner of whaling vessels. Her new captain was her former mate, Paul West.
Whaler
Cyruss first whaling voyage began on 12 July 1804 with Paul West, master. Cyrus reported that the whaler Alexander arrived at St Helena on 26 March 1806 from New Holland with 1200 barrels sperm oil. She also reported that had arrived from the Isle of Desolation with 1600 barrels of "black oil". On 12 April 1806 Cyrus was still at St Helena, and she returned to Britain on 17 June.
On her second whaling voyage, Cyruss master was Andrew Pinkham. She left on 19 August 1806 for the Pacific Ocean. On 14 December she was at Cape Horn. In March 1807 she was around Cape Horn and "all well". By July she was back in the South Atlantic, being "all well" on the coast of Brazil. She returned to Britain on 22 July 1808.
Cyrus left on 1 September 1808 on her third whaling voyage, this time under the command first of "Walls", and then Paul West. She returned to Britain on 6 July 1810.
Paul West was again Cyruss master on 29 September 1810 when she left on her fourth whaling voyage. She was at St Helena on 17 May 1812, and back in Britain on 20 July.
On her fifth whaling voyage Cyrus left Britain in 1812 and returned on 4 May 1814. Her master was W. Davey.
Enderbys sold Cyrus to "Thompson", who thus became her owner for her sixth and seventh whaling voyages.
In 1813 the British East India Company (EIC) had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a licence from the EIC. Cyruss owners applied for a licence to sail to certain ports in the East Indies under the provisions for whalers. They applied on 5 August and received the licence on 8 August.
Cyrus left on her sixth whaling voyage on 30 August 1814, with W. Davey (or Davies), as master, and with Peru as her destination. She left in a convoy and by 12 December 1815 was reported off the coast of Peru. She returned to Britain on 15 March 1816 with 550 casks of oil.
W. Davey (or Davy) was again Cyruss master in 1816 when she left on her seventh whaling voyage. She returned to Britain on 9 June 1818 with 410 casks.
Thompson sold Cyrus to Jarvis & Co., who would be her owners for her next four and possibly five whaling voyages.
Cyruss eighth voyage began on 26 August 1818 when Captain Hale (or Hall), sailed her for Peru. She returned to Britain on 19 March 1821 with 350 casks. On 21 February 1821 she spoke , Leslie, master. Robert Quayle was 104 days out of Van Diemen's Land.
On 15 July 1821 Cyrus left again, on her ninth whaling voyage, still under the command of Captain Hall. She was at Honolulu on 1 October 1823, full but for 90 barrels. She next stopped at Pitcairn Island 10 December. She returned to Britain on 6 April 1824 with 520 casks.
Cyrus, Hall, master, sailed on 28 September 1824 on her tenth whaling voyage. She was reported at Tahiti on 24 December 1826. She returned to Britain on 25 May 1827 with 400 casks of oil.