About the girl on the whaleship

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To the Editor:

Laura Jernegan was a little girl of six when she went on a whaling ship with her father, mother and little brother. If you want to learn more, and you surely do, you can go to the new website www.girlonawhaleship.org, developed by Nancy Cole, director of education at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and her talented staff, which was presented to the public for the first time Saturday.

The site is totally amazing, with a wealth of information about Laura, her family, and whaling in general. There are photos of the implements used by the whalers, the books Laura read on the voyages, definitions of words used onboard and so much more. And, it is beautifully presented — a delight to look at, to read, and to learn from.

While this site is certainly intended for children, adults will love it too. Laura’s diary is presented in a delightful way, both in her writing and then in text form so that it’s extremely easy to read — I could go on and on, but you’ll have a lot more fun if you check it out yourself.

Barbara Thomas Murphy

Chilmark