item number |
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| 76. | Lafitau, (Joseph Francois.) MOEURS DES SAUVAGES AMERICAINS COMPARES AUX MOEURS DES PREMIERS TEMPS. Paris. 1724, Engraved frontis, titles and fldg. plates. 2 vols. 4to. (20) 610, (1); (10) 490, (35) pp. Not a maritime book, except that its central thesis involves aboriginal voyaging. As Streeter describes it, "An extraordinary summation of seventeenth-century knowledge of the life and society of the American Indian... an attempt to demonstrate the Asian origin of the American Indian." Field also praises Lafitau's accuracy and completeness, as well as the likelihood of his migration hypothesis. He adds "The numerous engravings... are finely executed illustrations of aboriginal life and peculiarities." Streeter 121. Field p. 209. Howes L-22 "b" Sabin 38596. This copy bears the bookplate and private library stamp (at the bottom of each title page) of the Bibliotheca Neurologica Courvilli. Cyril Courville was a neurologist who won the Nobel Prize in 1906. He assembled this library to further his study of head wounds, and apparently Lafitau's work on Indians had some bearing on the subject. This is an excellent set, bound in contemporary calf with 6 highly gilt compartments and two red morocco spine labels. Text and plates are clean and fresh, bindings sound, with only light scuffing at hinges and minor chipping at head and tail of spines. A copy inferior to this brought $5000 at the Siebert sale. This set $4000 See Illustration |
| 77. | Laighton, Oscar. NINETY YEARS AT THE ISLES OF SHOALS. Andover. 1929 b/w plates. 167 pp. First-hand history of the Isles by Celia Thaxter’s older brother. Bookplate removed from front pastedown, else VG $40 |
| 78. | Laighton, Oscar. NINETY YEARS AT THE ISLES OF SHOALS. Bos. 1930. b/w plates. 154 pp. Second edition of the island history by Celia Thaxter’s older brother. Poems pasted to front blanks, bookplate removed, else VG $40 |
| 79. | Lay, William and Cyrus M. Hussey. A NARRATIVE OF THE MUTINY ON BOARD THE SHIP GLOBE, OF NANTUCKET, IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, JAN. 1824. AND THE JOURNAL OF A RESIDENCE OF TWO YEARS ON THE MULGRAVE ISLANDS... New London. 1828. 168 pp. First edition. This rare narrative relates the bloody mutiny and murders perpetrated by harpooner and boatsteerer Samuel Comstock, who was himself murdered by natives on Mili. Lay and Hussey were the only survivors of this incident and were later rescued by Lieut. Paulding of the U.S. Schooner Dolphin. Forster 63, Hill p. 176. Howes L-158. Ownership inscription of George Swain, Jr. on front blank. Lund identifies a George Swain, II who was active as a whaling captain between 1809 and 1823. (Lund, Whaling Masters, p. 313) This is a better than average copy, with only occasional spotting and tanning of text pages. Bound in original full calf with spine label. $2000 |
| 80. | Le Gras, M.A. ALBUM DES PAVILLONS, GUIDONS, FLAMMES DE TOUTES LES PUISSANCES MARITIMES. Paris. 1858. Colored title, chromolithograph plates. 4to. 65 (ie. 130), (4) pp. 65 color plates showing hundreds of flags of maritime nations, with descriptive text in French on opposite page. For reasons unknown plate 50 is skipped in the numeration, but it was never published and is not included in the list of plates at the end of the book. Scarce, not in Polak. A beautiful untrimmed copy, bound in antique style scarlet morocco over marbled boards with raised bands, gilt rules and spine label. $1250 |
| 81. | Lincoln, Charles Henry, ed. A CALENDAR OF JOHN PAUL JONES MANUSCRIPTS IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Wash. 1903. b/w frontis. 316 pp. Very useful in that it prints summaries of each letter. This is the personal copy of Samuel Eliot Morison, and was used by him in writing his biography of Jones. This copy contains Morison's extensive annotations, queries, ejaculations, drawings, additions and cross references. Signed by him on front blank. VG $350 |
| 82. | Lindsey, Benjamin J. OLD MARBLEHEAD SEA CAPTAINS AND THE SHIPS IN WHICH THEY SAILED. Marblehead, 1915. Color, b/w plts. 137 pp. Histories of vessels and their captains gleaned from custom house, insurance companies, logbooks, newspapers, histories and manuscript sources throughout New England. A crisp, clean copy. VG $125 |
| 83. | Macfarlane, John Muirhead. FISHES THE SOURCE OF PETROLEUM. NY. 1923. b/w line ills. (6), 451 pp. Another one of the irresistable titles, with abundant illustrations of fish of Cambrian, Silurain, Devonian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Eocene periods. Inscribed by author. VG $125 |
| 84. | MacGregor, J. THE ROB ROY ON THE JORDAN... NY. 1870. b/w plates. xvi, 464 pp. First American edition. “The third of MacGregor's immensely influential canoeing books... This is probably the best of MacGregor's canoe books...”—Toy 1457. Minor wear, VG. $100 |
| 85. | MacLean, J.P. A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCES ADDUCED TO ESTABLISH THE THEORY OF THE NORSE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. Chi. 1892. b/w illus. (4) 55 pp. Considers evidence provided by the sagas and how these relate to physical remains. VG $75 |
| 86. | Manuscript. ACCOUNT BOOK OF DANIEL RICKETSON, NEW BEDFORD, 1840 - 1916 Small folio. About 200 pp. Front blank inscribed "The Property of D. V.(?) J.(?) Ricketson, 1840." Accounts run from eleventh month 1840 to seventh month 1843. They detail expenditures by "D.R." written against "Sperm Stock" - mostly payments on notes or purchase of items such as wood, soap, oil, or payments for labor or cartage. In 1841 DR, as executor, pays a number of accounts on behalf of the estate of Joseph Ricketson. This accounting includes a long list of local people and the amounts paid. The second half of the book takes up in 1898 and details the accounts of Arthur Ricketson as trustee of Daniel's estate. A look at the financial side of New Bedford's history. Bound in original calf over marbled boards. $350 |
| 87. | Manuscript. ACCOUNT BOOK OF SHIP OWNER JAMES G. PENDLETON, 1854-1875. Small folio, approx. 200 pp. entries. The first part of the book consists of detailed expense accounts for 4 ships owned by Pendleton, the Bell Rock, Bosphorus, Grace Ross and Louis Walsh, involved in coastal, European and Indian carrying trade. These entries are line item accounts that detail each ship's activities in each port. The second part of the book is taken up with Pendleton's accounts from 1865 on. These document his investments in various ships, such as the Homeward Bound, and his transactions with other individuals and firms such as Baring Bros. One entry near the back of the book suggests that Pendleton may have been a Newburyport firm. Wherever they were based, this is a close account of their cash flow over two decades. Bound in calf over marbled boards. Backstrip quite worn. $150 |
| 88. | Manuscript. COLLECTION OF 4 LOG BOOKS, 4 ACCOUNT BOOKS, 2 BOOKS OF MISCELLANEOUS FAMILY ACCOUNTS AND ABOUT 40 LOOSE DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO THE CAREER OF THE PACKET SHIP FRANCIS DEPAU AND HER MASTER CLEAVELAND A. FORBES. 1831-1876. The Francis Depau was a 595 ton full rigged ship built in New York in 1833 by Bell and Brown, for the New York-Havre trade. She was slow, and is mentioned in Fairburn as having one of the longest westbound passages of her day. In 1836 "she suffered an accident at Havre, where she was condemned and sold to be repaired and used as a sailing 'tramp.'" (Fairburn II, p 1114. ) In fact, she proved to be serviceable, and in 1836 became part of the Orleans Line, and by 1843, part of the Merchant's Line. She disappears from the record in 1849, when she was sent to California for the Gold Rush. In the middle of her career she did much business in the south, carrying cotton and passengers from Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans. The log books begin in 1836, just after her incident in Havre, and continue through to 1843. The Depau account books run from 1833 to 1839. As well as the vital financial affairs of the ship, they include freight, crew and passenger lists, wage dispersements, copies of letters, and even 4 pages of sailing instructions issued to Forbes from New Orleans in December, 1836. The loose documents include materials relating to the Havre incident - three letters of protest, with consular signatures and stamps, and several bills, appraisals and affidavits. Forbes was from Perth Amboy, NJ, and there is also documentation of family accounts and domestic business, as well as Forbes' personal journal ashore from 1855 until his death in 1857. One of the log books has a very nice pencil drawing of the Francis Depau, and there are several other drawings of ships and landfalls among these documents. The items are generally in excellent condition, with the exception of one of the log books, which has binding wear and water damage over the last few pages. A wonderful collection, easily exceeding 1000 pages, and one which should provide ample material for serious study. See Fairburn, Merchant Sail. Cutler, Queens. Cutler, Greyhounds. $3000 See Illustration |
| 89. | Manuscript. IMPORTATIONS OF FISH OILS FROM DOMINION OF CANADA INTO THE PORT OF BOSTON. 1845 TO 1872. Whale, seal, cod, herring, dog, hake, blubber all tallied out in tabular form for each year in a fine hand on a giant 39 1/2" x 16 1/2" sheet. Oddly appealing. $50 |
| 90. | Manuscript. JOURNAL OF A TRIP FROM VERMONT TO NOVA SCOTIA, SEPTEMBER 1816. 12mo, 16 pp. manuscript entries. Faint pencil inscription inside front cover reads "? Morton's book, Oct 3, 1815." The last entry, on the inside back page records the purchase of oats and mittens in 1817. Morton was apparently a merchant. This memorandum book is primarily taken up with a trip he made in 1816 from Vermont to Nova Scotia to conduct unspecified business. After an overland voyageto Boston he travled by schooner down east and arrived at Lubec on Sep. 28. Morton gives a description of this place, and of the plaster trade. "The English are doing business on the opposite Shore." Then to Eastport "a place of much business... The British now hold Eastport where martial law is established." Despite this fact, "the inhabitants enjoy great opportunities of making money, and consider that if the place surrendered to the Americans, it must cease to be a place of business." He then journeyed back to Boston at the end of the month. This portion of the narrative is interrupted with a descriptive passage entitled "The Capture of East Port." Referring to events that had occurrred inthe War of 1812. The narratives resumes to see him safely into Portland, is interrupted again with a description of a plague of mice at the head of the Bay of Fundy, then continues with his return to Boston and Vermont. The author concludes with a summary of a journey made the next February to upstate New York and Maine. About 1200 words. Interesting descriptions of Maine on the heels of the War of 1812. In marbled self wraps, clean and legible. $500 |
| 91. | Manuscript. JOURNAL OF ROBERT N. FERRELL OF GREENBUSH, NY. 1849. PHOTOSTAT COPY. Folio. 18 leaves. Journal of a young man's voyage around the Horn to California aboard the clipper ship Arkansas, June-December, 1849. On her arrival in San Francisco, the Arkansas went aground on Alcatraz Island. This is a photostatic copy of Ferrell's journal, the original of which resides in the Bancroft Library. 20 of these photostats were published, of which this is number 7. It is accompanied by a long handwritten note from the publisher and former owner of the journal, E.M. Francis, which explains the significance of the journal, its provenance, and publishes a picture of Ferrell. Scarce. OCLC locates only one institutional holding for this photostat edition. $250 |
| 92. | Manuscript. LOG OF THE MERMERUS, 1923-24. Oblong 4to. 100 pp. Mermerus, formerly Hayseed VI, was a 36 foot sloop rigged yacht belonging to George H. Gilman, and homeported in Marblehead, MA. This log documents her career for the first two seasons Gilman owned her. Exciting events include a near fatal collision at the start of the Bermuda race, a washout in theBlock Island race, and a victory during race week at the New Bedford Yacht Club. Dozens of photographs and several newspaper clippings bring these pages to life. Particularly noteworthy is the spartan appearance of this fine yacht below decks. They were a hardier breed back then. Bound in full morocco with gold lettering. $250 |
| 93. | Manuscript. LOG OF THE WHALESHIP OLIVE BRANCH, IN THE ARCTIC AND PACIFIC, 1845-1849. Folio, about 300 pp. manuscript entries. The Olive Branch was a 366 ton ship-rigged whaler out of New Bedford. Under Captain Gilbert Place, she had a long and successful trip, returning 224 barrels of sperm oil, 2670 barrels of whale oil, and 21,200 pounds of whalebone. She also offloaded 1300 barrels of oil in the course of her voyage. This is an interesting log because of how representative it is of mid-19th century whaling: virtually everything that could have happened on a typical whaling voyage - floggings, desertions, deaths, whales stuck, killed and tryed out, boats upset, narrow escapes, the ones that got away, storms and damage, ship maintenance, landfalls, long passages - is recorded in the keeper's daily entries. The Olive Branch got off to a slow start in 1845-6, sailing around the Horn to the Western Grounds and Hawaii, then to Japan, without much success. In the summer of 1846 they headed to Kamshatka and, in the company of 16 other vessels, started stowing down bone and oil in earnest. They then sailed for Japan, Hawaii, the Kingsmills and Guam, before returning to Kamshatka - a grand tour they repeated in 1848, with increasingly good luck. The log is kept in at least three different hands, indicating a steady turnover of crew. The entries are of varying legibility, but all are readable, and all the pages are clean. The log ends with lists of ships spoken and of provisions consumed. Overall, this log affords a splendid overview of the whaling experience, its prevailing drudgery and occasional drama. This was the Olive Branch's only whaling voyage. On her return, according to Starbuck, she was "sold to go to California in 1849." (See Starbuck, pp 424-425. Lund, p. 256) According to Sherman's census, no log or journal of this voyage is held by any institution. The binding is original calf over marbled boards, with the spine partially perished and sewing weak. $5000 See Illustration |
| 94. | Manuscript. NOTES ON A CRUISE TO THE EASTWARD, TO NEWFOUNDLAND AND THE LABRADOR, ON THE SCHOONER YACHT "FLEUR DE LYS" WITH DR. LEWIS A. STIMSON. JULY. 1907. 8" x 6". About 125 mansucript pages. Stimson was from New York, but the yacht departed from Gloucester, captained by "Tommie" Bohlin, a Gloucester fisherman made famous in the writings of James B. Connolly. Much social detail ashore and never a dull moment aboard, including storms and icebergs off Newfoundland and Labrador. Also information on the fisheries - "We passed some... fishermen who were chiefly interested in getting a drink." and visits to remote outports where there were "no more than two weeks of summer weather." Articles from Canadian papers are included, and these identify the author of the journal as a Mr.Tuckerman or Templeman. Long entries of their adventures in port. On Labrador they meet famous arctic doctor Grenfell who signs this journal - which is also decorated with small sketches of coast and icebergs and a real "Specimen of the doctor's splicing." Apparently the biggest disappointment on the happy voyage was a work commitment in Bar Harbor that prevented Stimson from participating in the NY Yacht Club cruise that summer. The Doctor and his friend were attended by a crew of 9 and two officers. Those were the days! Bound in limp leather covers. Clean and legible. $500 |
| 95. | Manuscript. REMOVAL OF WRECKS FROM DELAWARE BAY. 1889-1891. Over 60 pieces of correspondence and contracts regarding removal of wrecks. Parties involved are representatives of the U.S. Engineer Office, Office of the Light House Inspector, Fourth District, and private contractors. These documents discuss location and circumstances of wrecks, and weekly progress in their removal. Many are reports from the Inspector of the Engineers at Lewes, to his superior in Philadelphia regarding progress on removal of certain wrecks impeding navigation. $250 |
| 96. | Manuscript. SHIP MODELER'S OR MARINE HISTORIAN'S NOTE BOOKS. (BY W. SALISBURY?) 2 folio drawing books. The first book seems to be on hull types of 17th and 18th century vessels. It contains some very competent ink drawings, and more pencil sketches. In all, 24 pages are used. It also contains a 7 page typscript of an article entitled "Hollow Waterlines and Early Clippers" signed, W. Salisbury, April 1946. This is the only hint we have of the identity of the artist who created these notebooks. The second book concerns itself with rigging details and the evolution of same on vessels of the 18th century. About 50 pages in this book are taken up with pencil sketches of rigging details of a particular time in the 1700s. Salisbury was an occasional contributor to the Mariner's Mirror. 2 vols. VG $150 |
| 97. | Manuscript. THE CRUISE OF THE YACHT "ELF" IN 1899... AUGUST 16TH ... SEPTEMBER 10TH. b/w snapshots. 8 x 10 typescript, 24 pp. Three young men charter a 34' yacht at Lawley's yard in South Boston and with the help of a professional crewman, sail her down east, taking pictures as they go. Written in a lively jocular tone, verbiage divided between descriptions of vessel and port and the constant preoccupation of young men - girls and food, or in their words, "henning," "searching for soft meat" etc. Internal evidence suggests the journal was kept by "Blob" - R. P. Blake of Boston. Interesting critique at the end - of the boat, the "man" and the company. About 40 photos pasted in, most of coastal scenes. 3 pages of lithos showing 12 coastal lighthouses after views by Stebbins are laid in at back. A VERY interesting account of the recreational life of men with names like Tudor, Rantoul and Weld. $500 |
| 98. | Marcilly, L.C. 42 HAND COLORED NAVIGATION CARDS Paris. n.d. (ca. 1800) Engraved cards measuring 3 3/4" x 2 1/2" delicately hand colored, depicting various subjects relating to navigation, with explanatory text printed on the back of each card. Probably a teaching device. Examples include the zodiac, the antipodes, lunar and solar eclipses, the tropics, etc. The first card has the name Godard as the engraver. The last card is signed on the back by Marcilly. The last two cards are volvelles. Card 41 has its moving part, but this is lacking in the 42nd and final card. The set is complete, with all 42 cards present. The cards are in their original cardboard box with printed label. The top of the box is lacking. Most unusual. $1000 See Illustration |
| 99. | Marryat, Capt. (Frederic) A DIARY IN AMERICA. Lon. 1839. folding maps. 3 vols. 304; 293; 362 pp. Second part of a two part series issued in 1839, the result of Marryat's 1837 visit to America, promising "remarks on its institutions." Marryat, always the adventure novelist, had a great interest in American Indians. The two folding maps in Vol II. show "Aboriginal America" and the site of the Seminole Wars in Florida. First edition. Howes M-301. Bound in cloth over boards with spine labels. In chemises and red morocco slipcase. 3 vols $300 |
| 100. | Marryat, Capt. (Frederic) JACOB FAITHFUL. Lon. 1834. 3 vols. viii, 304; vii, 301; vii, 307 pp. Born in 1792, Marryat ran away to sea as a boy and joined the Royal Navy in 1806. He served with the brilliant, impetuous Cochrane (one of the models for O'Brian's Captain Aubrey) and recast many of his naval adventures into his novels of the sea. He also wrote historical novels and children's adventures. This is Marryat's fourth naval adventure, drawn from his own experiences as a sailor. Bound in cloth over boards with original labels rubbed. Binding wear and some foxing internally. In chemises and red morocco slipcase. 3 vols $350 |