Email this lot to a friend

« Email Address (separate multiple emails with a comma)

hide

Lot 1255

translate

email

Journal of Whaling Voayge 1854

Sign In to see what this sold for

Title: Manuscript journal of a whaling voyage to the Pacific Ocean, with other voyages as well
Author: **
Description: Approx. 104 pp. 13¼x8¼, original leather-backed marbled boards with paper label "Daily Journal for 1855 published annually by Marvin & Hitchcock San Francisco..." mounted on front board.Exeptional journal covering a Pacific whalng voyaging commencing in 1854, with later voyages (in another hand) to Africa, South America, also involving the pursuit of Whales. The first voyage contains entries in more simple and less literate fashion than the later ones, and in a cruder hand, likely the journal was passed from one sailor to another, but all of the entries are evocative and fascinating, offering rare insights into the day-to-day activities aboard whaling ships of the mid-19th century, from the mundane to the frenetic. The diary begins in 1854: "Jan. 22th - Fourteen h run a way yesterday and two whits we caught two of the h we heard that the rest was seen to gether by five of the natives they treid to seize them but with out success…"""
Heading: ""Jan. 23th - This morning the natives brought the two white men that run away they were hand cuffed the crue has been employed in getting of wood and stowing it in the hole, to day...""Place Published: ""Jan. 30th - Last night three more men run away dutchy and the steward was caught this fore noon the capt flogged them, one dozen a piece this afternoon...""
Publisher: ""Seventh day the 21st – All hand employed on the oil to day such as coopering and breaking out for casks"…"""
Date Published: ""Fifth day the Fifth – We have seen porpess black fish and a fin back to day. We have been engaged repairing boat blocks and S. We raised a blow last night most dark some said it was a sperm whale others said it was a fin back...""