1854 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT LOG BOOK HANDWRITTEN BY AN ILL FATED SAILOR ABOARD A TWO MASTED MERCHANT BRIG PLYING ITS TRADE BETWEEN MAINE AND THE CARIBBEAN

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On offer is an interesting, original manuscript journal detailing a sailor's voyage from New England to the Caribbean during the heyday of the sailing ships. Measuring 7.5 inches b y 6 inches, it contains 134 pages and is about 20% complete. The cover, binding and pages are in good condition and the handwriting is legible. The first journal belongs to D.W. Farnsworth of Machias, ME. Casual research has not turned up any additional biographical information other than the fact that he passed away in April, 1855. Farnsworth is a sailor, working on board coastal commercial sailing ships - what would be referred to today as bulk carriers. His hometown is one of the many New England seaports. His journal begins on Nov 24th, 1854: "My first voyage at sea on board brig State of Maine Capt A. Cates." [Nov 24]. Her cargo is corn and lumber and she is bound for Barbados. His entries detail shipboard life including ship handling and descriptions of weather: Vivid description of people on the docks in Barbados add colour to his entries: "wind increased shorten sail 10 o'clock, squally with gusts of rain [ ] gulf stream some heavy squalls" [Nov 7]; "Wind moderate from N.E. Steering S.E by E made Bermuda at 8 o'clock in A.M. run in within 6 or 7 miles of island ten run south west til clear of reef hauled the brig up the wind S.E by E. Wind increased ... " [Nov 10]; "... made Barbados 11 P.M. ..."[Nov 21]; "... the Capt and I stepped into a Darkey Boat alongside and were rowed ashore by 4 of the Blackest Negroes I ever saw. ..." [Nov 21]. They were unable to get a satisfactory price for their corn so they left for Guadeloupe and St. Thomas. This was not an uncommon experience and it was not uncommon for a ship to have to call at another port to try and sell their cargos for a higher price. The journal ends abruptly on Jan 3rd, while en route to Louisiana. In 4 months, Farnsworth would be dead. This is an excellent example of the brief, simple log-keeping that a sailor on the 2 masted merchant brigs would keep. It provides a concise yet clear record of the work in sailing such a ship. For a historian, it is another description of life on board a working brig.; Manuscript; 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF; 19TH CENTURY, 1850S; UNITED STATES; DW FARNSWORTH; SV STATE OF MAINE; MACHIAS, ME; MAINE; BARBADOS; GUADELOUPE; ST. THOMAS; CARIBBEAN; NEW ENGLAND; SAILING SHIPS; SEAPORTS OF NEW ENGLAND; SAILORS; WORK ON SAILING SHIPS; CAPTAIN A. CATES; CARGO SHIPS IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY; MARITIME HISTORY; TRADE WITH THE CARIBBEAN IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY; MERCHANT BRIGS; MARITIME TRADE; AMERICAN SAILORS IN THE 19th CENTURY; SEAFARING; AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, DIARY, DIARIES, JOURNALS, PERSONAL HISTORY, SOCIAL HISTORY, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D'ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL Show more