Union (1802 ship)  Union was constructed at Barnstable, Massachusetts, later purchased by Edmund Fanning, who refitted and registered the vessel in New York under ownership of Fanning & Coles shipping company partnership. Edmund Fanning was a seal skin and merchant trader who'd read the expedition journal of English navigator George Vancouver. Vancouver's journal was of particular interest to Fanning as Vancouver in 1791 had landed on the coast of New Holland at a place named King George the Third's Sound. Vancouver wrote about that region being rich with fur seals. On the strength of that information, Fanning made preparations to send "Union" there on a seal hunting expedition to gather 20,000 skins. His plan was to sell the skins in Canton for wares to bring back to New York. Fanning commissioned 24 year old Isaac Pendleton as captain of the expedition and selected 22 year old Daniel Wright as chief officer. In addition, 18 year old Isaiah Townsend was taken on "Union" as second mate. "Union" departed New York late September, 1802, for a brief stop in Stonington, Connecticut, before making the hop to Nantucket where she embarked a 12-man seal hunting gang led by Owen Folger-Smith. "Union" departed Nantucket 10 October 1802, with 36 men, then stopped by the island of Sal in the Portuguese out-post of Cape Verde before continuing to South Georgia to commence seal hunting. But the sealers didn't enjoy much luck while at South Georgia, only obtaining from there around 300 or 400 skins. At King George's Sound (near present day Albany, Western Australia) Pendleton met Nicolas Baudin who was captain of "Le Géographe". Baudin shared with him charts of Île Borda (Kangaroo Island) and advised him of bountiful seals there. Acting on this advice Pendleton proceeded to Kangaroo Island, and in April 1803 decided to spend the winter there, at an inlet now known as American River, and to build a small sealer, the schooner "Independence". "Union" arrived at Sydney on 6 October 1803 from the "Straits" with a cargo of skins. She left for China on 29 August 1804. While sailing from Sydney to China, "Union" called at Tongatapu in the Friendly Islands searching for sandalwood. Isaac Pendleton and seven other men went ashore on 1 October 1804. Unbeknownst to the crew remaining aboard "Union", the natives had killed all eight men.