item number |
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| 51. | Ellms, Charles. SHIPWRECKS AND DISASTERS AT SEA...WITH A SKETCH OF THE VARIOUS EXPEDIENTS FOR PRESERVING THE LIVES OF MARINERS NY. 1856. Phila. 1839. 427 pp. b/w engrs. xii-427 pp. Full-page, half-page and vignette wood engravings add drama, and, at times, unintended humor to this reissue of the 1836 first edition. Scattered foxing, some cover wear, but still a good -VG copy with gold spine lettering intact. $150 See Illustration |
| 52. | Endicott, William & Jenkins, Lawrence Waters. WRECKED AMONG CANNIBALS IN THE FIJIS. Salem, 1923. b/w plates. 76 pp. "A narrative of shipwreck and adventure in the South Seas" much of which is devoted to a cannibal feast and its ramifications. Salem Marine Research Society publication #3. VG $80 |
| 53. | Ephemera. CASE OF CAPTAIN ABRAHAM WENDELL, JR., OF THE BRIG KREMLIN OF NEW YORK, FROM AN OUTRAGE PERPETRATED BY HIM UPON WILLIAM BELL, FIRST OFFICER OF SAID BRIG, IN THE PORT OF HAVANA, JULY, 1838. (Wash. 1840) 52 pp. The Kremlin was layed up in Havana, after a failed trip to Matanzas. Things were slow and Captain Wendell got into the sauce. He attacked first mate Bell who, when trying to defend himself, was accused of mutiny by Wendell. More hands weigh in, the Cunsul gets involved, and we get a portrait of a deeply dysfunctional ship. Fifty-five pages later, and the mess still isn’t straightened out. Sabin 96996. Self wrappers, a Good copy. $125 |
| 54. | Ephemera. EIGHT “REAL PHOTO” POSTCARDS OF SHORE WHALING OPERATIONS AT MOSS LANDING, CA. Sequence of photographs taken in 1919 show the shore whaling station and the much heralded “First Whale” being processed at this station just north of Monerey. The series beings with a whale carcass in the surf and ends with a pile of blubber. Each photo has the blindstamp of “Vasser Studio, Salinas.” Rare items, especially in sequence. VG $1250 See Illustration |
| 55. | Ephemera. PHOTO AND SOUVENIR ALBUM OF A NAVAL TRAINING CRUISE ABOARD THE USS TENNESSEE, SAN FRANCISCO - HAWAII, 1935. Thirty-three snapshot photos document everything from shipboard hijinx to retrieving the Tennessee’s scout plane. Also a number of menus and shoreside ephemera from Honolulu and Hilo, and some naval material pertaining to the cruise. $250 See Illustration |
| 56. | Ephemera. SCRAPBOOK ASSEMBLED BY MRS. V. HARKNESS OF HER TRIP TO BERMUDA FEB. 8-20, 1911. 4to. Unpaginated (126 pp. manuscript entries.) This remarkable scrapbook contains about 10,000 words, 32 photos, 64 period postcards, menus, postage stamps, pressed flowers, and other sorts of memorabilia, descriptive of Mr. and Mrs. Harkness’s trip from New York to Bermuda, and their stay on the island. Mrs. Harkness describes their voyage, fellow toursists, and islanders in vivid detail, paying particular attention to the architecture, historical sites, and flora of Bermuda. The photographs, taken by her husband, record many African-Bermudan residents, who seem to have been of particular interest to the couple. Bound in a green cloth scrapbook, with joints cracked but holding. Contents clean. $1250 See Illustration |
| 57. | Ephemera. SCRAPBOOK OF PHOTOS OF WHALER PATERSON, WHALING OPERATIONS, AND WHALEMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES, CA. 1915. Twenty Photos in varous formats, but most are about 3 1/2 x 6 inches. One photo is labelled “Lancing a Whale from Aboard Whaler Patterson.” Another photo shows the whaler tied up with other vessels. Her name, clearly visible at the bow, is spelled “Paterson.” There is a copyright listing on Google for a photograph of the “Patterson” taking its first whale in 1911, and Hegarty’s “Returns” lists a whaler “Patterson” sailing from San Francisco in 1928. The photos show whales being lanced and cut in, a mustachioed old gent with a couple of ladies posing in front of, then sitting in, an automobile with a “WN (Washington state?) license. Other photos show whales in a large shed ashore, and lance bombs, with part of a sign, in English, in the background. Quite a mystery. All in VG condition. $850 See Illustration |
| 58. | Ephemera. SEIZURE OF THE “FOREST KING” BY H.M. GUNBOAT “SWINGER,” AND SUBSEQUENT PROCEDINGS IN THE VICE-ADMIRALTY COURT IN CONNECTION THEREWITH. Brisbane, 1884. Folio, 63 pp. After early abuses, some restraint was put on the practice of “blackbirding” - kidnapping island natives and using them as slaves - by the Kidnapping Acts of 1872 and 1875. The Forest King was seized on a recruiting voyage along the east Coast of New Guinea. Despite the presence of a government agent monitoring the King’s activities, officials on the Swinger were convinced the 39 native recruits did not understand the terms of their indenture. Much information about this nefaruious practice is revealed, but in the end the judge found for the defence and the Forest King was awarded costs. Self wrappers. Rusty staple marks, else VG. $450 |
| 59. | Fanning, Edmund. VOYAGES TO THE SOUTH SEAS, INDIAN AND PACIFIC OCEANS, CHINA SEA, NORTH-WEST COAST, FEEJEE ISLAND, SOUTH SHETLANDS... WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE NEW DISCOVERIES MADE IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE BETWEEN THE YEARS 1830-1837. NY 1838. b/w litho frontispiece. xii, 324 pp. An important book that has become quite scarce. “Captain Fanning of Stonington, Connecticut, sailed for the South Seas in 1792, on a voyage for sealskins. During the next twenty-five years made voyages to the Pacific and around the world... Included is an account of the first American naval exploring expedition to the southern hemisphere, 1829-30, sponsored by the U.S. government.” - Hill 581. Ferguson, 1643, calling it “A very interesting work.... it was his petition to Congress and largely his own personal efforts that finally led to... the exploring expedition that sailed under the command of... Charles Wilkes.” See also Spence 454. However, none of these sources note that this second edition contains added material on Fanning’s role in forming the Expedition, and his roster of ships and officers comprising the it. At this stage Wilkes has still not made an appearance. Fanning believe the Expedition will by led by Thomas Ap Catesby Jones, and only adds a note in the appendix - the final papragraph in the book - to the effect that the Expedition will be led by Wilkes. Some cover wear and internal foxing, but bound in original patterened cloth with gold spine lettering. Front blank bears the inscription “Presented by the author with his respects to the Honorable Senator A. Robbins as a friendly token of regard.” Robbins has signed the book in several places and Fanning has made pencil additions and corrections on a few pages. Later in its life this book found its way to va library, where it got four digits of a call number (faint now) added to its spine, and a card pocket to the back pastedown. Still an interesting relic in Good-VG condition. $750 |
| 60. | Fay, H.A. COLLECTION OF THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS, IN DETAIL, OF ALL THE BATTLES FOUGHT BY SEA AND LAND, BETWEEN THE NAVY AND ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE NAVY AND ARMY OF GREAT BRITAIN DURING THE YEARS 1812, 13, 14, & 15. NY. 1817. 295 pp. Scarce in the trade. Smith II, 943. Howes F-62. This is an ex-lib copy with blindstamp and ink call numbers on title and no other markings. Handsomely rebound in black over grey buckram with gold spine lettering. VG $250 |
| 61. | Field, Henry M. HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. NY. 1866. b/w frontis, ills. 364 pp. A Very Good copy, inscribed by Field to his aunt in 1866, the year of publication. $200 |
| 62. | Fortune, Robert. THREE YEARS’ WANDERINGS IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES OF CHINA... Lon. 1847. Sepia toned lithos, b/w ills. in text, map. xxiv, 420 pp. Fortune explored China just after the Opium Wars on behalf of the Horticultural Society of London, and later, of the East India Co. He traveled in Chinese costume and was the first westerner to reach many parts of the country. His plant collections and discoveries paved the way for the cultivation of tea in India, making this an important book on those grounds alone. However, his descriptions of the land and its people, which Lust describes as “Europocentric,” are also interesting from a historical point of view. This is the second edition, printed the same year as the first, and containing extra illustrations and text on tea. It is the best edition of a scarce and highly influential book. See Lust 1236, Cordier 205. Solidly bound in later red boards with gold lettering. Text and plates fresh and clean. $450 See Illustration |
| 63. | Fredriksen, John C. FREE TRADE AND SAILORS' RIGHTS. Westport, CT. (1985) xiii, 399 pp. A bibliography of the War of 1812. With emphasis on the scholarly and academic rather than the collectable and rare. VG $100 |
| 64. | Gardner, Arthur H. WRECKS AROUND NANTUCKET. Nantucket. (1915). b/w plates. 149 pp. Originally published in 1877. Revised in 1915. Crosby p. 171. This has a further revision of a dozen pages at the end, bringing matters up to 1930. Illustrated wraps rather worn. Still, a Good copy. $50 |
| 65. | Gascoigne, Henry Barnet. GASCOIGNE'S PATH TO NAVAL FAME... Warwick. 1825. b/w engravings. x, 180, 16 pp. The second edition, revised and enlarged, with an index of nautical terms and phrases. After being retired to half pay in 1808, Lt. Gascoigne became an industrious and opinionated pamphleteer. His long nautical poem, written in neoclassical couplets, is a literary curiosity and a mine of information to the student of Napoleonic-era naval history. The poem is annotated with details of British naval custom and practice, and ends with a 17 page glossary of naval terms. Pages untrimmed. Bound in original blue paper-covered boards. Hinges weak, some chipping on spine. $450 See Illustration |
| 66. | Goode, George Brown. THE FISHERIES AND FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. Wash. 1884-1887. 7 vols. total. Various paginations, thousands of pages. This is a complete set of 5 sections in 7 volumes of the most comprehensive history and description of the commercial fishing industry in the U.S. However, it is a made-up set of volumes from various sources, all in original cloth bindings. It may look a little funky outside, but it’s a thing of beauty inside. Occupying about 16 inches of shelf space, it is remarkably detailed, covering natural history, technology, geography, even the sociology of the fishermen and their occupation. Section I has an atlas of natural history illustrations and Section V has an atlas of illustrations of methods and technology. Other volumes are illustrated with full page plates and maps. A necessary reference work for anyone interested in 19th century American fisheries. It has never been reprinted in its entirety, and is difficult to find as a set. All contents VG in worn cloth bindings. 7 vols. $850 |
| 67. | Grant, Gordon. 5 MARINE PRINTS BY GORDON GRANT LITHOGRPAHED IN FULL COLOR... 5 color plates. Folio sheets. “As reproduced in the new deluxe edition of The Book of Old Ships.” Five color plates of historic vessel types at sea, mounted on cards measuring 16 3/4 x 11 1/2 inches. As originally destributed, in a printed envelope. Envelope slightly smudged, plates Fine. $25 |
| 68. | Green, H.M. A HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE. (Sydney. 1961) 2 vols. xxvii, 842-1469 pp. A monumental work divided into four periods from 1739 on covering all forms of written work - histories newspapers, novels, etc. First editions, VG in djs. $150 |
| 69. | (Hart, Joseph C.) MIRIAM COFFIN, OR THE WHALE-FISHERMAN. NY 1834. 2 vols. iv - 204; 198 pp. The first American novel on whaling, and a keystone book. Crosby p. 173. Jenkins p. 107. Forster 360. Wright I 1133. This is the second edition, with four pages of reviews for the book bound in at the beginning of the volume, with a page list of other books published by Harper Brothers. This edition is quite scarce, not have been published in great numbers. Scattered spotting. Bound in 19th century leather over marbled boards. Hinges professionally repaired. A very presentable set of an important whaling novel. $850 See Illustration |
| 70. | Hauk, Zenos. T-WHARF. Bos. 1952. 4to. b/w illus. 185 pp. Traces the history of Boston’s T Wharf from colonial times. This is #206 in a limited edition of 500 copies. A cult item for Boston collectors. Light edgewear, else VG. $125 |
| 71. | Heilprin, Angelo. THE BERMUDA ISLANDS: A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PHYSICAL HISTROY AND ZOOLOGY OF THE SOMERS ARCHIPELAGO. WITH AN EXAMINATION OF CORAL REEFS. Phila. 1889. b/w photo and lithographed plates. (4), 231 pp. plus b/w litho plates. Not to be confused with the 28 page offprint, or any of the print on demand repros, this is the first edition of Heilprin’s gathering of articles by experts on the geology, flora and fauna of the islands. Excellent photos of island scenes. Hallett p. 100. First edition. VG-Fine. INSCRIBED BY HEILPRIN. $450 See Illustration |
| 72. | Herreshoff, L. Francis. SENSIBLE CRUISING DESIGNS. Camden, ME. (1974) b/w plates. 393 pp. Herreshoff's small craft, from a double-paddle canoe to a 37-foot auxiliary ketch. VG, dj. $45 |
| 73. | Hines, Gustavus. OREGON: ITS HISTORY, CONDITION AND PROSPECTS: CONTAINING A DESCRIPTION OF THE GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND PRODUCTIONS... Buffalo. 1851. b/w frontis. viii-437 pp. Hines was a Methodist missionary with an eye for local detail. He covers the voyage from New York to Oregon in depth and includes chapters on the Sandwich Islands and two more on a Voyage to China. “Hines describes his travels to Bermuda, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Horn, Valparaiso, Hawaii, Oregon, Hong Kong, Macao, Cantoin, Taiwan, Sumatra, Java, and Cape Town.” Hill 810. Howes H-505. Forbes 1819. Text foxed, spine lightly sunned, else VG in original cloth. $250 |
| 74. | Holden, Horace. A NARRATIVE OF THE SHIPWRECK, CAPTIVITY AND SUFFERINGS OF HORACE HOLDEN... ON THE PELEW ISLANDS IN THE YEAR 1832. Bos. 1836. b/w plates. 12mo. 133 pp. “The Mentor, a New Bedford whaler, struck on a reef in the Palaus... the crew reached... the largest island of the group, and settled down quite comfortably. They wanted to reach their homes, however, and set out from the island in a patched-up whaleboat. Short of food and water, they had to put ashore at... a small island near New Guinea. There all suffered dreadfully. Herman Melville probably used the narrative in his description of native tattooing in Typee” - Huntress 277C. Hill notes that they ultimately returned home by way of Canton. Hill 818. First edition of a popular account in its day. Notable for its excellent old patterned cloth binding, with label. $200 |
| 75. | Hovgaard, William. STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF WARSHIPS. Lon. 1915. b/w folding tables and plates. xi, (1), 283, (1) pp. Very detailed regarding specifics of construction, and very technical with regard to engineering and design. VG $150 |
| 76. | Humphrey, Heman. THE PROMISED LAND, A SERMON DELIVERED AT GOSHEN, ( CT) AT THE ORDINATION OF THE REV MESSRS. HIRAM BINGHAM, AND ASA THURSTON AS MISSIONARIES TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. Bos. 1819. 40, xvi pp. First edition of an important sermon, which Lefkowicz calls “the corner-stone of missionary history in the Sandwich Islands.” The sermon sets forth the terms on which the missionaries were sent to Hawaii, and exhorts Thurston, Bingham, and the “beloved females of the mission” to the completion of their labors. The mission commenced in 1820, just after the death of Kamehameha I, and had a profound influence on Hawaiian culture. They brought with them four Hawaiians who had been trained in the US, and frequent mention is made of them in the text. The famed Henry Obookiah is also lauded, though he had died a saintly death before the mission departed. This copy has xvi pages of “Instructions” appended.The pamphlet is scarce by itself and even scarcer with the extra material. Hill 852 (who calls it a “rare pamphlet”). Forbes 499. Not in Hunnewell. Removed from larger volume. Text clean. $350 See Illustration |
| 77. | (Hussey, R.B.). THE EVOLUTION OF SIASCONSET. (Nantucket, 1912). b/w plates. Oblong 8vo. 46 pp. A rare little Nantucket item, assembled by Hussey and published at the offices of the Inquirer and Mirror. Traces the growth of this Nantucket village from its origins as a group of overnight shelters for fishermen. Illustrated with a marvellous collection of vintage photographs. Crosby, p. 175OCLC locates only 4 libraries holding copies. Origiinal printed wrappers, lightly chipped. VG $200 See Illustration |
| 78. | Jamieson, Alexander. A TREATISE ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF MAPS... Lon. 1814. b/w plates, many folding. xv, 187, (1) pp. “In which the Principles of the Projections of the Sphere are Demonstrated, and their various Practical Relations to Mathematical Geography...” A nice old copy, untrimmed, in original boards. Part of backstrip and label chipped away. $350 |
| 79. | Johnson, Drederick. THE BOYLSTON STREET FISH WEIR. PARTS I AND II. Andover, MA. 1942, 1949. b/w plates, foplding maps. 2 vols. xii, 212; x, 133 pp. In 1913, during construction of the Boyston St. subway, workmen discovered the remains of a prehistoric fish weir which, it was later determined, covered nearly two acres in the old Back Bay. It was one of the most ancient structures that had yet been discovered in eastern North America. It was a fascinating and challenging discovery in archaeological and anthropological terms, and in these two volumes, sixteen experts take their whack at it. One of the surprising conclusions was that it may have been an oyster farm as well as a fish catching device. Wonderful stuff! 2 vols. Wraps. Old library stamps on covers. No other markings. VG $150 |
| 80. | Kelly, Ebenezer Beriah. EBENEZER BERIAH KELLY: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Norwich (CT). 1856. iv, 100 pp. First Edition of this scarce and rich autobiography. Kelly first went to sea in 1796, served aboard the Constellation on her maiden voyage under Truxtun - and includes an account of the taking of the Insurgente. He was later impressed into the British navy aboard the Nattey, and served in the R.N. under Collingwood aboard the Royal Sovereign at Trafalgar. He gives an account of the battle, and describes the line of battle and the battle itself, and notes that Nelson “was rather tyrannical in the government of his men, and only half an hour before this battle had punished two of them severely for some trifling misdemeanor, but he lived and died a hero.” He made a voyage transporting convicts to Australia aboard the “hell ship” Hillsborough, ravaged by sickness, gales and a leaking ship, and describes a convict uprising and how it was discovered and suppressed: “We were eight days flogging, ironing and packing them again ...” He absconded when he reached Sydney, relates the murder of Clode, a clergyman, near Sydney, and the subsequent capture and execution of the two murderers. Kelly’s account of this incident is one of two, and contains information not in the other. He was held captive in Tripoli for a time, and in 1816 he went privateering on a Buenos Airean privateer, and also made a whaling voyage aboard the Friends of New London in 1836. There is no copyright, and one can reasonably conclude that it was published in a small edition only. Ferguson 11064. Howes K.61. Sabin 37305. Not in Cowie, Lord Nelson, nor in Smith, American travelers abroad. Scattered light foxing, but a very nice copy bound in original cloth, lightly sunned, with gold cover title still bright. $1500 See Illustration |
| 81. | Kemp, Dixon. YACHT ARCHITECTURE... Lon. 1891. b/w folding plates. xv, 528 pp. Second edition “re-written, revised and enlarged” of Kemp's major work on 19th century yacht architecture, with 110 plates, most of which are folding. Encyclopedic in scope and handsomely executed, with American as well as British material. “Kemp was a central and extremely influential figure in yachting and yacht designing. His work is of great importance. In this volume he discusses displacement, buoyancy, proportions, steam engines, rigs, designing, building etc., and analyses forms of existing yachts.” Toy 4762. Morris & Howland p. 76. Maddeningly, this copy lacks plate A-XIV, the sail plan of a 5-rater. Otherwise it is in Good condition in original blue boards. The plates are clean, with some chipping to outer edges of a few. $500 |
| 82. | Keppel, Thomas. THE LIFE OF AUGUSTUS VISCOUNT KEPPEL, ADMIRALTY OF THE WHITE, AND FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY IN 1782-3. Lon. 1842. b/w frontis. 2 vols. xvi, 446; vi, 438 pp. Keppel joined the navy at age ten, sailed around the world, was shipwrecked, taken prisoner, battled Barbary pirates, was tried and acquitted for loss of a ship, and fought the French and Spanish as well as the pesky American rebels. In preparing his memoirs, Keppel had access to privately held papers of Lord St. Vincent, Lady Jervis, James de Saumarez, and Admiralty records. His opinions on the mismanagement of the Royal Navy are frankly expressed. Bound in original patterned cloth with gold lettering. Spines lightly sunned, minor wear, but VG $400 |
| 83. | Kipping, Robert. RUDIMENTARY TREATISE ON MASTING, MAST-MAKING, AND RIGGING OF SHIPS... Lon. 1910. b/w ills., plates. 12mo. 151 pp. Tables of spars, rigging, etc. Later edition of this mid-nineteenth century work, a “standard treatise until the end of sail.” MacDonald 313. VG $65 |
| 84. | Klein, Eugene. UNITED STATES WATERWAY PACKETMARKS. Federalsburg, MD. 1940. b/w ills. xii, 208 pp. "Handstamped and printed names of mail carrying steamers on the United States of America inland and coastal waterways." #367 in a limited edition of 500 copies. Fine in dj. $200 |
| 85. | Lawry, Rev. Walter. FRIENDLY AND FEEJEE ISLANDS (AND) A SECOND MISSIONARY VISIT TO THE FRIENDLY AND FEEJEE ISLANDS Lon. 1850, 1851. b/w maps and plates, some folding. 303; viii, 217, 3 pp. “In 1847, twenty-five years after his initial sojourn, Revrend Lawry returned to observe the progress of Christianity in the Islands” - Hill 987, 988. According to this source he helped abolish cannibalism in Fiji. Both volumes in bright blindstamped red covers with gold cover illustration and lettering. VG $850 See Illustration |
| 86. | Lever, Darcy. THE YOUNG SEA OFFICER'S SHEET ANCHOR, OR A KEY TO THE LEADING OF RIGGING AND TO PRACTICAL SEAMANSHIP. Lon. 1808. 4to. b/w engraved plates. 4to. (xii), 120 pp 110 engraved full page plates illustrating knotting, splicing, rigging, sail handling, etc. First edition of an important book and splendid visual reference for seamanship of the early 19th century. This was the copy of Charles Talbot, a Captain in the Royal Navy. Inscribed by Talbot, with his bookplate. See Marshall, Royal Naval Bio., Craig p. 26, and Scott 538 (citing second ed.) This copy was also owned by Harrison Horblit, and has his bookplate on the front blank. $1000 |
| 87. | List of Merchant Vessels. ...LIST OF MERCHANT VESSELS OF THE UNITED STATES... 1913. Wash. 1913. viii, 474 pp. A VG-Fine copy. $85 |
| 88. | Little, George. LIFE ON THE OCEAN; OR TWENTY YEARS AT SEA... Bos. 1844. b/w plates. 395 pp. Little got around a good bit in his 20 years, many of which were spent in the Pacific, with descriptions of Hawaii and other South Seas islands. He also participated in the War of 1812, and spent time in Dartmoor. Later edition of a popular books first published in 1843. Forbes Hawaiian Bib. 1500. Judd 111. VG in original cloth binding with elaborate gilt decoration on spine. $125 |
| 89. | Little, George. THE AMERICAN CRUISER’S OWN BOOK. Phila. 1859. b/w engraved plates. vi-384 pp. Based on the author’s experiences on board a privateer in the War of 1812. Lively wood engravings by Billings. Harbeck p. 21. Pages tanned and foxed, which is a shame, because the blindstamped and gilt binding is intact and would have made for a very nice copy. $50 |
| 90. | Maclachlan, David. A TREATISE ON THE LAW OF MERCHANT SHIPPING. Lon. 1911. xcix, (1), 1116 pp. Doorstop of a tome, the 5th edition, updated by Hart and Bucknill to include acts and laws passed since 1894, date of the previuous edition. In particular, the Hague convention resulted in changes in the Naval Prize laws, and other changes were made in ?Merchant Shipping Rules and Collision Regulations. VG $150 |
| 91. | Manuscript. BOOK OF SHIPPING MANIFESTS, NEW YORK, 1850S AND 60S. Oblong 4to. Unpaginted (about 200 pp. manuscript entries) This is the record book of an unnamed firm, probably an iunsurance company in New York, listing the manifests of several hundred named merchant schooners brigs, barks and ships, bound for destinations in the Caribbean and South America. Columns for date, shipper, consigner, destination and amount. Handsome engraved stationers label of Nathan Lane & Co., New York, on front pastedown. A puzzle piece. $350 |
| 92. | Manuscript. CHARTER PARTY. SCHOONER NANCY, JOHN STANTON MASTER, WILLIAM ROSS AND SAMUEL OSBORNE, OWNERS. JAMAICA, 1790. Folio, 3 pp. manuscript entries. Stanton was to proceed from St. Ann’s Bay to Portsmouth, VA and carry goods from a factory there to Yorktown, and then back to St, Ann’s Bay. The Nancy was carrying staves and shingles, and very specific instructions follow for their sale, disburment of monies received, and contingency plans, as well as Stanton’s obligations to the ship and the owners. Spilt at horizontal fold, but complete and legible. $250 |
| 93. | Manuscript. CHINA TRADE LETTER, H. BRINLEY, CANTON, TO JACOB LEESE, HONG KONG, 1849. 4to. 2 pp. manuscript. Leese was an important figure in early San Francisco, and Brinley was a business associate. Brinley writes of sending 200 coolies to California, mentions R.B. Forbes, then gets down to business. “I do not think that the Preble can get off for three or four more days... We must manage some how or other to hurry matters... I wish that... you could go earlier than it’s possible for the Eveline to do...” Sounds as if some money was involved here, and indeed, Vernette Snyder Ripley’s article in the “Hist. soc. of So. Cal Quarterly,” 1948, makes it clear that there was... “Charles H. Brinley at one time, had evidently been interested in merchandise trade in the Orient. Some twelve years before, in 1849, he had been in Canton, China. That year, Jacob Leese of San Francisco... had taken to the Orient the sailing ship Eveline, which subsequently returned with the richest and most valuable cargo of Chinese goods ever brought to this market.” An important letter. $250 |
| 94. | Manuscript. FOUR ACCOUNT AND SETTLEMENT BOOKS OF FISHING VOYAGES AND COASTING TRIPS, 1812-1814. Fascinating group of four early account and log books, probably from Cape Cod. For some reason accounts of fishermen were not as prized as whaling logs, and were usually discarded. Hence such records of early commercial fisheries are quite scarce: -“Settlement of Schooner (Lark)/ Fishing Voyage Y 1812/ Capt. Lemuel Marchant/ Settled April 9th Y 1813.” 48 pp. manuscript entries itemizing schooner accounts and accounts of named individuals. In original paper wrappers. -“December 14th 1812/ Settlement Schr. Unity Voyage from Yarmouth to Baltimore & Back to/ Boston.” 14 pp. manuscript entries itemizing accounts for named individuals, plus 2 pp. tally sheet, “Sales of corn Landed from Schr. Unity.” -“Schr. John Adams/ Voyage to Kennebeck/ 1814 Feby 11...” 32 pp. manuscript entries documenting sales and expenses... Also entries for an 1809 voyage of Schooner Sally. -“Ye 1813 a Book Corning(?)/ Schoner two Sistors.” 19 pp. manuscript entries. Writing difficult to decipher, but seems to document itemized expenses on several different fishing or merchant voyages. Plus 6 pp. accounts on a separate gathering pertaining to the Two Sisters, dated 1813. -Plus a half-folio tally sheet for the Lark and the Sally. Undated This is clearly a related grouping. Several names occur in all or most of the documents - notably Winthrop Sears, Samuel, Sylvanus and Edmund Crowell and Freeman Baker. Possibly they were a group of fishermen and merchant seamen who kept these rouch but effective business records. The lot $1750 See Illustration |
| 95. | Manuscript. JOURNAL OF “A PASSAGE FROM BOSTON TO NEW YORK. FROM NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO, VIA RIO DE JANEIRO. TWICE.” 1868 - 1869, IN THE CLIPPER SHIP GOLDEN HIND. x Unpaginated. About 200 pp. The Golden Hind does not appear in any of the standard sources, but a contemporary news clipping in this journal identifies her as an “A1 extreme clipper” sailing for the Merchant’s Express Line. The captain’s name may have been Davis, and the narrator was a waiter, part of the cook’s crew. The journal begins with the Golden Hind in East Boston taking on ballast. She departed Boston on January 6, 1868 and after a wintery passage put in at New York to load cargo. While one of the men was being arrested for stabbing a mate, the narrator visited Central Park, a new attraction at that time. By March 8 they were loaded, and they departed for San Francisco. They crossed the line 40 days later, with usual tar and lamp black ceremony. Ship’s dog had puppies 44 days out, and after 72 days they put in at Rio. They departed Rio after a month of offloading cargo (mostly pig iron) and taking on local goods. Much descritpion of Rio, crews and social life. Faulklands 143 days out, with more descritpion, then Cape Horn 157 days out. At 164 days “Shipped three sea’s in succession, carrying away the La. boat and clearing the top of forerd house of every thing to the cook’s stove pipe, putting out the fire, filling the forerd house and cabin.” - “Bad luck upon bad luck. Pay the washerwoman before you leave next time... Every moment expecting to be our last...” The narrator was almost washed overboard and he gives a truly compelling hour-by-hour description of their near-fatal attempt to round the Horn. After 204 days they limped back to Rio for repairs. By the 221st day they had all their cargo off except “Rail road iron and water pipes.” He visited the cook in the hospital. After 235 days, with everything offloaded, they were towed to MacLeonard’s Shipyard for repairs. He spent from Oct 27 to Nov 16, 1868 in the hospital with “the fever.” The ship took cargo back on in December. On Jan 11, 1869, they departed again for San Francisco. By Feb. 3, 341 days out of NY, they were off Cape Horn. This time it was a successful passage, but then they met baffling winds for weeks as they headed north. Much detail of daily life, such as tarring ship then burning the barrel in celebration of being rid of the nasty work. Finally, after 411 days, they sailed through the Golden Gate “and gazed with rapture at the verdant hills.” They docked at the foot of Vallejo St., and there the journal ends, except for some notes and later reminiscences. A most informative account of a truly difficult passage, perhaps a backwards record for the usually speedy clipper ships. Front board detached but present, first signature loose. Pages clean, writing legible. $2500 See Illustration |
| 96. | Manuscript. LOG OF THE YACHT ESTHER, LAKE MICHIGAN, 1904-1907. 4to. 82 pp. manuscript entries. The Esther must have been a yacht of considerable size, since she occasionally carried parties of up to 15 persons on day trips around the northern end of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The log is a journal, actually, of the Esther’s many cruises between 1904 and 1907, and it is kept in many hands. One person even left a rather accomplished sketch of Round Island and the lighthouse there. Sounds like they had a lot of fun potting about the lakes, and the entries contain a wealth of information about social mores and customs. Wadsworth Clarke, to who this book is presented, was probably the yacht’s owner. $300 |
| 97. | Manuscript. SAIL MAKER’S PLAN BOOK. Folio. 120 pp. ms. drawings. This is the plan book of Provincetown sailmaker Lemuel Cook, probably 1890s. It measures 20 x 14 inches and contains about 120 pencil drawing of sail plans, usually one per page. Hulls are drawn in generic fashion and dimensions are noted on each sail. In addition, most of the vessels are named, and quite a few have added notes regarding where they were lost or sold. A few even have place and date of building. Almost all of them are fishing schooners, probably employed in the West Indies trade in the winter. Hence most of the losses listed are on various fishing grounds or in the West Indies. The few dated vessels are from the 1860s and 70s and shipyards in Essex, Mass. and Maine. Toward the end, a few cutters and schooner yachts make their appearance, the most notable of which is the Yampa. A card of the Cook Bros. Sailmakers is laid in the front, and some scraps of Book billheads are dated 189---. Binding broken but held together by sailcloth covering which is stencilled “Lemuel; Cook, Sail Maker.” Tide marks from old waterstains cover the bottom half of each page. Still, a legible and invaluable record of the 19th century sailmaker’s trade and the vessels it serviced. $1500 |
| 98. | Manuscript. SEAMAN’S PROTECTION PAPER. 1846. Partial folio sheet, 8 1/4 x 14 inches. Pre-printed, accomplished in manuscript. These Certificates had been used by American seamen, in various forms, since the 1790s. Originally, they were intended to protect an individual from being impressed into the Royal Navy. Later they protected free blacks. They also came to serve as an identification form, which is probably the function of this document. It features handsome wood engravings of the American Eagel, a ship and an anchor, above which the motto “Hope” is engraved. Some tanning. $75 |
| 99. | Manuscript. SHIPPING ARTICLES FOR SCHOONER GEORGE OF DUXBURY, 1828. CYRUS BREWSTER, MASTER. Pre-printed folio sheet. The George was bound for Chesapeake Bay. Seven men signed on in the appropriate place on this document, which also records theiur stations, wages, and time of service. On the verso the 1790 “Act for the Government and Regulation of Seamen in the Merchant Service” is printed in full by “Balch, Printer, Corner of Dock-Square” Boston. There is a nice ad for Benjamin Loring’s chart business in the lower corner of this sheet. $150 |
| 100. | Manuscript. SHIPPING ARTICLES FOR SCHOONER NANCY & MARY (NO DATE.) CYRUS BREWSTER, MASTER. Pre-printed folio sheet. The Nancy & was bound for “Alexandria in the United States, & elsewhere” Five men signed on in the appropriate place on this document, which also records their stations, wages, and time of service. On the verso the 1790 “Act for the Government and Regulation of Seamen in the Merchant Service” is printed in full by “Andrew J. Allen, 66, State-Street.” $125 |