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Start Over You searched for: Subjects Sailing ships. Remove constraint Subjects: Sailing ships. Subjects Seafaring life. Remove constraint Subjects: Seafaring life. Formats Canvas (textile material) Remove constraint Formats: Canvas (textile material)
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Collection

Brig Kitty logbook, 1785-1787 (majority within 1785)

1 volume

The Brig Kitty logbook spans April 9 to August 19, 1785, detailing the merchant ship's voyage from the port of Piscataqua, likely near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to the West Indies and back to the region near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The bulk of the brig's daily entries are recorded in columns to notate the hour of the day, knots and half-knots for speed, the brig's course, the direction of the winds, and general remarks. Most of these remarks relate to weather, sea conditions, handling of sails, and latitude observations. The volume also includes a "Harbour Logg" kept from May 22 to July 22 at the "Lee Cayes [Cays]", recording the unloading of staves, boards, and shingles while the Kitty was at its destination in the West Indies, as well as molasses taken on board for the return voyage.

The Brig Kitty logbook spans April 9 to August 19, 1785, detailing the merchant ship's voyage from the port of Piscataqua, likely near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to the West Indies and back to the region near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The bulk of the brig's daily entries are recorded in columns to notate the hour of the day, knots and half-knots for speed, the brig's course, the direction of the winds, and general remarks. Most of these remarks relate to weather, sea conditions, handling of sails, and latitude observations, and the writer often used phonetic spellings. The log keeper also indicated when barrels of supplies were broached, like water, bread, beef, and pork, but also indicated when they observed other ships. Occasionally, they would speak with other captains, and the writer would record their port of departure and destination, principally ports in New England and the West Indies. The logbook documents land sightings and their distances from the ship. Some places named include Tobago, Rockley Bay, Grenada, Hispaniola, Cape Tiburon, Cape St. Nicholas, Acklins Island, Crooked Island, among others.

The volume includes a "Harbour Logg," kept from May 22 to July 22 at the "Lee Cayes [Cays]", recording the unloading of staves, boards, and shingles while the Kitty was at its destination, as well as molasses taken on board for the return voyage. Several entries also relate to routine shipboard activities, like mending sails, having a cooper come on board, sending a crew person ashore because of ill health, securing the hold, and watering the ship. A Captain Nott appears to have had control of the ship upon its return voyage. The entry for August 17th includes notes on taking depth soundings with brief remarks about sand samples.

The volume's cover is sailcloth. One edge of the cloth appears to be the selvage, where the cloth was finished to prevent unraveling, suggesting this may have been a repurposed remnant.

A loose receipt dated October 3, 1787, from Dover, New Hampshire, is laid into the volume, recording Benjamin Peirce's survey of pine boards and planks for widow Lydia Tibbits. The verso of an interior page includes several accounts, including one for Miss Plummer of Dover, dated September 19, 1785, for food items and other goods. The final two pages of the volume feature mathematical notations as well as financial accounts, seemingly related to room and board as well as some transactions relating to molasses and other items.

Collection

Samuel S. Inglee logbook and journal, 1852-1855

1 volume

Samuel S. Inglee maintained this logbook between 1852 and 1855 during several commercial fishing voyages off the Atlantic coasts of Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. The bulk of the entries record information including the hour, knots, fathoms, courses, winds, low water levels, and traverse tables. Inglee also provided general remarks, documenting nearby locations, weather, handling of sails, hauls of fish, and the latitude and longitude. He also commented on shipboard practices, such as food choices, work tasks related to fishing, encountering other ships, and taking soundings. At times, Inglee mentioned his emotional state, dislike of the fishing trade, and homesickness. Inglee also included several poems and lyrics in the volume with themes relating to seafaring, love, death, and other topics. The volume is bound in hand-stitched canvas covers, possibly sailcloth, with printed images pasted on the inside covers.

Samuel S. Inglee maintained this logbook between 1852 and 1855 during several commercial fishing voyages off the Atlantic coasts of Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. The bulk of the entries record information including the hour, knots, fathoms, courses, winds, low water levels, and traverse tables. Inglee also provided general remarks, documenting nearby locations, weather, handling of sails, hauls of fish, and the latitude and longitude. He also commented on shipboard practices, like food choices, work tasks related to fishing, encountering other ships, and taking soundings. The entries for September 21-23, 1852, mention seeing a shipwreck, trying to navigate the challenging area around Georges Bank, and finding their way to shore. At times, Inglee mentioned his emotional state, referring to homesickness, and on September 27, 1853, he noted his desire to give up seafaring. "...I hope that I never shall be dam fool enough for to go again. I have got enough this summer for to cure me from going to sea any more." On July 22, 1855, he reiterated his fatigue with sea life, calling himself "home sick fish sick and sick of the sea."

While most of the voyages are unnamed, Inglee did identify his trip which began in May 1853 as a "Voyage made from Kingston to the Grand Bank by the good Schooner Cosmus" under Otis Phinney, Master.

Later entries in the volume were written more as journal entries rather than logbook entries, commenting on weather, food eaten, tasks performed (including patching holes in his pants on July 29, 1855). He regularly noted the numbers of fish they caught, the names of nearby ships, their home port, and the size of their hauls. At times, upwards of one hundred other vessels were in sight, and Inglee occasionally referenced passing off letters to home. On June 11, 1855, Inglee recorded their captain going overboard and being successfully rescued.

Inglee also included several poems and lyrics with themes relating to seafaring, love, death, and other topics. The volume is bound in hand-stitched canvas covers, possibly sailcloth. Printed images are pasted on the inside covers, one of a sailing ship, "The Yankee Privateer," and the other of a man on a ship deck holding a sword, "The Smuggler King."