Search

Back to top

Search Constraints

Start Over You searched for: Subjects Sailing ships. Remove constraint Subjects: Sailing ships.
Number of results to display per page
View results as:

Search Results

Collection

Seamanship and Naval Gunnery notebook, 1824-1830

1 volume

This volume (209 pages) contains instructions, diagrams, and tables related to many aspects of sailing and British naval ships.

This volume (209 pages) contains instructions, diagrams, and tables related to many aspects of sailing and British naval ships. Multiple unidentified writers contributed to this book.

The first section is comprised of a manuscript excerpt from S. John Peschell's Observations upon the Fitting of Guns on Board His Majesty's Ships. Peschell, who was stationed on the HMS San Domingo in Bermuda, provided instructions for mounting, firing, and otherwise working with guns onboard a ship. He also discussed some differences between the Royal Navy and United States Navy, and wrote about the battle between the Shannon and the Chesapeake. The text is accompanied by charts showing elevations and depressions of the San Domingo's guns and a copied letter from several ship captains to Admiral Richard Bickerton.

The remainder of the volume consists primarily of notes about naval vessels, intended for commanders. They concern ship construction, sailing methods, gunnery and first aid. Some instructions are accompanied by diagrams. Other information includes recipes, a list of items to be placed next to a ship's guns, and notes about ammunition. The end of the volume contains accounts of quill tubes, powder, shot, and wads on an unidentified ship from 1824-1825, and a list of addresses.

Collection

Fanny Sanford log book, 1820-1847 (majority within 1820-1821)

1 volume

This partially printed volume (44 pages) contains the log of the Fanny Sanford's voyage from New York to South America between June 27, 1820, and October 3, 1821. The voyage included stops at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; Pisco, Peru; and Guayaquil, Ecuador.

This partially printed volume (44 pages) contains the log of the Fanny Sanford's voyage from New York to South America between June 27, 1820, and October 3, 1821. The voyage included stops at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; Pisco, Peru; and Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The logbook, manufactured by William Hooker in New York in 1819, contains printed grids in which to record daily readings such as wind direction, latitude and longitude, and remarks. The entries for this voyage were kept only occasionally, and remarks most often concern the weather; one entry noted the confinement of two unruly passengers (July 5, 1820). The Fanny Sanford reached its initial destination of Rio de Janeiro around July 24, 1820, and departed for Montevideo about two months later. Following a stay in Montevideo, the ship sailed for Peru, in late December, and arrived in Pisco around February 1821. From there, the Fanny Sanford traveled to Guayaquil, Ecuador. The remainder of the log records the ship's movements along the western coast of South America and its eventual departure for a return trip to Montevideo.

The final pages contain notes kept by a later owner, including lists of loans made to Colonel William French in September and October 1841; other records are dated as late as 1847. The title page contains a printed illustration of a sailing ship, and the book contains 2 printed advertisements for maps and nautical publications. The title page was signed by Timothy Thompson.

Collection

Henry Mathewson defendant's account, 1820-1832

1 volume

This volume documents Henry Mathewson's accounts while he served as the master and supercargo of the ships Mercury and Superior from 1820 to 1827, likely provided as defense in legal disputes with Willard W. Wetmore who was a partner with one of the firms involved in the trading venture. It notes the expenses and income generated by voyages under Mathewson's command while at various ports in Germany, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Gibraltar, China, and others. Mathewson's accounts provide insight into general seafaring conditions, Pacific mercantile pursuits in South America and China, and speculation efforts. It records wages for members of the crew, financial transactions relating to cargo purchases along the western coast of South America, dealing with government regulations, and commissions with other merchants and travelers. The accounts also reveal particular details, such as the costs associated with purchasing military arms in Bremen, Germany, and the subsequent financial transactions with the Peruvian government for their sale. Occasional references are made in the volume linking this to Mathewson's ongoing legal disputes. The account book is an oversize volume with heavy paper covers and stab-sewn pages.

This volume documents Henry Mathewson's accounts while he served as the master and supercargo of the ships Mercury and Superior from 1820 to 1827, provided as defense in legal disputes with Willard W. Wetmore who was a partner with one of the firms involved in the trading venture. It notes the expenses and income generated by voyages under Mathewson's command while at various ports in Germany, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Gibraltar, China, and others.

Mathewson's accounts provide insight into general seafaring conditions and Pacific mercantile pursuits. For example, they record wages for members of the crew, financial transactions relating to cargo purchases along the western coast of South America, dealing with government regulations, and commissions with other merchants and travelers. The costs of ship repairs, provisioning, and withstanding quarantine are well documented (pages 6, 12-13). Insights are also provided into the types of cargoes being shipped between South America and China, including timber, cotton, silver, gold, and specie (pages 30-31, 34, 39).

The accounts also reveal more particular details, like the costs associated with purchasing military arms in Bremen, Germany, and the subsequent financial transactions with the Peruvian government for their sale (pages 2, 6, 15, 26). Several entries also relate to hassles dealing with counterfeit or "bad" money (pages 6, 30, 35, 39, 46, 55). The accounts also demonstrate some of the unanticipated challenges of trade, like a failed deal to secure 1000 reams of Spanish Paper from a merchant at Rio de Janeiro (page 18) or being robbed by a steward (page 22). Small details about shipboard life also occasionally come to the surface, like the purchase of equipment for oceanic voyages, including a chronometer and sea charts of the Pacific Ocean (page 2), charts of the coast of Peru (page 26), or recovering money from a crewmember for smuggling gin from Germany to Peru (page 7).

Occasional references are made in the volume linking this to Mathewson's ongoing legal disputes, including accounts linked to unauthorized speculation in goods in 1822 and transactions with his business partners in Rhode Island (page 6). The volume includes a second section of accounts starting on page 41, preceded by the notice: "This statement of account, is exhibited by the Defft. Matthewson, not as the account by which he claims, unless the decision should be adverse to him on the question whether the owners of the Mercury as such had the same interest in the Superior her charter & voyage as they had in the Mercury. If the decision on this question is as Mathewson contends it should be, that the owners of the Mercury had not a joint interest with him in the Superior, these accounts will not be necessary, and are therefore exhibited hypothetically. But otherwise, they are his account of the Superior's voyage & employment."

The account book is an oversize volume with heavy paper covers and stab-sewn pages.

Collection

Ralph I. Linzee, Log of the Brig Swiftsure, 1817-1819

1 volume

This log book documents the voyage of the merchant brig Swiftsure from Boston, Massachusetts, to India by way of Mauritius, and back to Boston, between November 1817 and January 1819. Ralph I. Linzee was the ship's captain for the voyage.

This log book documents the voyage of the merchant brig Swiftsure from Boston, Massachusetts, to India by way of Mauritius, and back to Boston, between November 1817 and January 1819. Ralph I. Linzee was the ship's captain for the voyage. The volume is approximately 180 pages, has a hand-stitched heavy linen cover, and includes the handwriting of multiple unidentified bookkeepers.

The log begins on November 26, 1817, just before the Swiftsure's departure for Calcutta, India, by way of Port Louis, Mauritius. The daily entries record information on the ship's course, prevailing winds, weather, distances traveled, unusual incidents, and (occasionally) crewmembers' behavior or illnesses. The writers frequently described the sails used for navigation. On one occasion, the ship's steward had a physical altercation with Captain Linzee (March 16, 1818), and several entries from November 1818 detail a pox that afflicted the ship's cook, Lewis Wilson. The Swiftsure returned to Boston around January 20, 1819, bearing cotton, cowhides, silk, and other goods. The log's final entry is dated January 27, 1819. Supplementary information within the volume includes lists of articles received from the ship's chandler (foods, sails, and ammunition) and accounts of cordage and food for the crew.

Collection

HMS Glasgow log book, 1815

1 volume

This log book covers the journey of the English 50-gun frigate HMS Glasgow under the command of Captain Henry Duncan between February 1, 1815, and August 28, 1815. The log records daily information on weather, longitude and latitude, distance, and incidents onboard.

This volume, entitled "Log of The Proceedings of H.M.S. Glasgow" (73 pages) chronicles the ship's travels around the Bay of Biscay between February 1 and August 28, 1815. Midshipman James Williamson recorded daily information about the weather, the ship's course, and incidents onboard. The first 3 pages contain a chart of the ship's course, position, and bearings, maintained daily between February 1 and August 5, 1815; the dates April 1-May 24 are not included. Each day of the week is represented by an astrological symbol in a repeating pattern used throughout the entire volume. The longer log entries commence on February 1, 1815, and cover the ship's course, winds, and remarks about events on the ship, such as the arrival and departure of visitors, discipline of sailors, maintenance work, ships encountered, change of course, weather, and other daily occurrences. The Glasgow moored in Plymouth Sound and "Hamoau" between April 1 and May 25, at Plymouth between June 5 and June 9, and at Sheerness and Chatham, England, between August 8 and August 28. A color-coded map showing the progress of the Glasgow between southwest England and the Bay of Biscay is pasted into the volume between the pages covering May 6 through May 24.

Collection

John Brand Umfreville letter books, 1814-1817

2 volumes

These letter books contain orders and letters that Captain John Brand Umfreville of the Royal Navy wrote and received while commanding the HMS Childers in the Caribbean and along the English coast during and just after the War of 1812.

These 2 letter books (8" x 13") contain orders and letters that Captain John Brand Umfreville of the Royal Navy wrote and received while commanding the HMS Childers, an 18-gun brig-sloop, in the Caribbean and along the English coast during and just after the War of 1812. Each volume is comprised of 2 sections, beginning from the front and back covers, and the contents are copied in several hands. The titles written on the four covers are "Letters Written," "Letters Received," "Orders Given," and "Orders Received."

The "Letters Written" section (41 pages) contains outgoing letters that Umfreville and his lieutenants wrote from May 1814-February 1817. Most of the correspondence concerns provisions and personnel during the ship's service at Nassau, Bahamas; Pensacola, Florida; Havana, Cuba; and Spithead, England. Two supplementary tables provide lists of men onboard the Childers who had served in the Royal Navy since 1804 and who claimed the right to be discharged because of their foreign citizenship (pp. 26-27). Later letters relate to a sailor who claimed to be of Danish origin and to Portuguese officials' accusation that the commanders of the Childers had insulted them near the Azores.

John Brand Umfreville's incoming letters (August 1814-February 1817, 16 pages) pertain to administrative issues onboard the Childers. His subordinate officers provided information about the ship's provisions and his commanding officers discussed American prisoners of war, ship arrivals, and ship movements. A letter of January 14, 1817, requests Umfreville's account of the alleged incident with the Portuguese in the Azores.

The third section, "Orders Issued," dates from May 1814-June 1815 (23 pages). Umfreville most frequently ordered his purser and lieutenants to conduct surveys of clothing, food, tobacco, and other supplies onboard the Childers and to procure extra supplies when necessary.

Incoming orders (April 1814-June 1815, 13 pages) relate to the ship's movements and to changes in the Royal Navy hierarchy. In July 1814, Umfreville was ordered to sail to the mouth of the Mississippi River to conduct a blockade of American ports. A letter of July 20, 1814, reported news of American atrocities against British citizens in Upper Canada and ordered the Childers to respond by destroying towns along the southern coast of the United States. Other orders reflect the ship's movements around the Caribbean and its return to England in June 1815.

Collection

Marianna C. Lanman Penmanship and Mathematics Exercise Books, 1814

2 volumes

This collection is made up of 2 volumes that Marianna Chandler Lanman composed while studying at Mrs. Rowson's Academy for Young Ladies in Boston, Massachusetts, around 1814. One concerns arithmetic, focusing on practical applications in bookkeeping, conversion, and monetary transactions; the other contains copied poems, calligraphic alphabets, and graphic illustrations.

This collection is made up of 2 volumes that Marianna Chandler Lanman composed while studying at Mrs. Rowson's Academy for Young Ladies in Boston, Massachusetts, around 1814. One concerns arithmetic, focusing on practical applications in bookkeeping, conversion, and monetary transactions; the other contains copied poems, calligraphic alphabets, and graphic illustrations. Lanman dedicated both volumes to her parents.

Lanman composed the first volume, entitled "Practical Arithmetic[:] Comprising All the Rules for Transacting Business" (10"x16", 60 pages), at Mrs. Rawson's Academy in 1814. Its sections, each labeled in calligraphy, concern mathematical operations, rules and theorems; weights and measures; and practical applications of mathematical principles. Many of the later pages concern subjects such as the calculation of simple and compound interest, the value of "federal money" against "lawful money" (state currencies), commission charges, and bookkeeping. The explanatory text is accompanied by finished exercises and problems. The volume also includes tables of weights and measures and an index.

The second volume, "Specimens of Penmanship" (16"x10", 23 pages), is undated. Lanman copied poetry and proverbs on the book's odd-numbered pages; most concern subjects such as happiness, rural living, and gratitude. The title of a poem on the "Pleasures of retired Life" is written on a drawing of a ribbon (p. 19). One poem, entitled "Virtue's Tears Embalm the Brave," is dedicated to the memory of American casualties of the War of 1812 (p. 21). The volume contains several drawings: a hermit in his home (p. 3), a bald eagle among patriotic decorations (p. 21), a sailing ship (p. 21), and a line drawing of a bird with the word "industry" in its feathers (p. 23). The volume also includes examples of cursive, German, and Old English alphabets.

Collection

Lord Eldon log book, 1802-1804

1 volume

This log book chronicles the journey of the Lord Eldon from England to Calcutta, India, and back between June 15, 1802, and January 17, 1804. The Lord Eldon carried cargo and military regiments.

This log book chronicles the journey of the Lord Eldon from England to Calcutta, India, and back between June 15, 1802, and January 17, 1804. The Lord Eldon carried cargo and military regiments. The log is signed by J. W. Young.

The Lord Eldon's log is made up of daily entries covering most of its voyage, with a gap between December 11, 1803, and January 5, 1804. The ship's journey consisted of 6 legs: England to St. Helena (June 1802-August 1802); St. Helena to the Cape of Good Hope (September 1802-October 1802); the Cape of Good Hope to Calcutta, India (November 1802-January 1803); Calcutta to St. Helena (March 1803-August 1803); St. Helena to Cork, Ireland (September 1803-December 1803); and Cork to Deptford, England (December 1803-January 1804). While in port, the Lord Eldon loaded provisions and took on and disposed of cargo. At the Cape of Good Hope, members of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and 8th Light Dragoons boarded the ship bound for India, accompanied by women and children. On its return to England, the Lord Eldon sailed in a convoy of around 10 vessels.

Most log entries consist of notes about the weather, the ship's sails, and the ship's location. Young also recorded incidents related to the ship's crew, including punishments for mutinous behavior, physical altercations, theft, and drunkenness. At least one crewman died during the voyage and was buried at sea.

The log entries are composed on pre-printed pages, and the volume has been re-bound.

Collection

Naghel exercise book, 1798-1930 (majority within 1798)

1 volume

The Naghel exercise book, entitled Cahier de navigation, is a mathematical workbook on the art of navigation. The volume once belonged to Captain Francis Naghel, and includes documents and correspondence related to two of his descendants.

The Naghel exercise book (162 pages), titled Cahier de navigation, is a mathematical workbook on the art of navigation. The volume once belonged to Captain Francis Naghel, and includes documents and correspondence related to two of his descendants.

The navigational instructions comprise 143 pages of the volume. Individual sections often pertain to a rule with related examples and mathematical problems that often require fairly complex solutions. The volume covers specific topics such as plotting navigational courses, determining one's position, and using nautical instruments to establish direction and location. Many of the examples show practical applications and are illustrated by geometric figures or drawings of related nautical tools, and some also contain relevant charts.

Of the drawings, three are colored:
  • Compass (p. 47)
  • An oblique sphere showing signs of the zodiac, with a picture of a small rowboat in the lower left corner (p. 73)
  • Navigational problem illustrated by a half-globe and two sailing ships (p. 127)

The final 19 pages consist of pasted-in documents pertaining to Naghel and two of his descendants. These are a document certifying Naghel's American citizenship, dated June 12, 1806; a letter to Naghel's wife from her brother, Emanuel West (October 21, 1825); and documents that relate to Edward Q. Naghel, a dentist from New Albany, Indiana, and to Charles E. Naghel, a Marine commended for his work with the 1930 census in Alaska. The volume is bound in vellum.

Collection

Charles E. Thomson journal, 1798-1799

1 volume

Charles Eldredge Thomson kept this 64-page pocket journal while serving as a crewman on the schooner Regulator and sloop Fancy on merchant voyages in the Caribbean and along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Thomson recorded details about the winds, sea conditions, and weather; noted the names of crew members and passengers; and listed cargo taken onboard during some of the ships' journeys.

Charles Eldredge Thomson kept this 64-page pocket journal while serving as a crewman on the schooner Regulator and sloop Fancy on merchant voyages in the Caribbean and along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Thomson recorded details about the winds, sea conditions, and weather; noted the names of crew members and passengers; and listed cargo taken onboard during some of the ships' journeys.

Between September 1798 and September 1799, Thomson spent much of his time at sea onboard the Regulator (September 1798-August 1799, pages 1-51) and Fancy (August 1799-September 1799, pages 53-60), under Captains Nathaniel Thomson and Silvester Wilcox. He began the journal shortly before leaving Santo Domingo for Baltimore, Maryland (September 28, 1798-October 26, 1798), and continued to write during subsequent voyages to Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia (November 10, 1798-December 16, 1798); to New York, New York (December 17, 1798-January 3, 1799); and to Stonington, Connecticut, where he remained until mid-April 1799. He then sailed to New York and Virginia (April 12, 1799-May 20, 1799), and joined the crew of the Fancy for a voyage from Stonington to Virginia (August 20, 1799-September 16, 1799).

Though most of his brief journal entries focus on sailing conditions, Thomson mentioned a parade held for George Washington, while the Regulator discharged and loaded cargo in Baltimore (November 6, 1798, p. 12). He recorded his salary, and lists of crew members and passengers during some voyages. On one trip, Thomson's list of passengers included an African American maid accompanying a woman traveling from Baltimore to Richmond (November 15, 1798, p. 17). Additionally, Thomson documented the ships' cargo, which frequently included "trunks" and "bundles," as well as manufactured items, alcohol, foodstuffs, and hides. The journal contains two ink drawings of sailing ships, the Justine and the Regulator (on page 64 and the back cover).