Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

Thomas O. LeRoy's journal contains log entries, diary entries, and drawings that he composed while sailing onboard the merchant ship Natchez from New York to Valparaíso, Chile, and back to New York between September 1841 and May 1842. LeRoy recorded the ship's progress, his observations about seafaring life, the scenery he passed, his travels in Chile, and other topics.

Thomas O. LeRoy's journal contains approximately 85 pages of log and diary entries that he composed while sailing onboard the merchant ship Natchez from New York to Valparaíso, Chile, and back to New York between September 1841 and May 1842. Also included are 9 drawings he made on the voyage, an inventory of the belongings he carried during the trip, and 7 pages of double-entry bookkeeping accounts of Captain Robert Waterman of the brig Konohassett and of Theodore Lewis of the brig Philip Howe.

LeRoy began his journal with a brief entry on August 28, 1841, and the Natchez set sail under Captain Robert Waterman on September 1. Between September 1 and November 11, LeRoy regularly kept detailed log entries documenting the ship's course, winds, and notable onboard occurrences. The log entries were often interspersed with prose accounts of life on the Natchez, in which he mentioned seeing birds and aquatic animals, and described the scenery, particularly after the Natchez reached the Brazilian coast. In early November, LeRoy interrupted his log with detailed descriptions of the scenery around Tierra del Fuego, and he resumed his regular entries until reaching Valparaíso, Chile, on November 15.

LeRoy recorded his impressions of the Chilean people and discussed his travels around the country, which included visits to nearby towns and to Santiago. He noted other ships in the harbor, reconsidered his decision to embark on a seafaring life, and discussed sailors' religious beliefs. The Natchez began its return journey on February 6, 1842, and LeRoy continued to write journal entries about his experiences onboard, sometimes mentioning his eagerness to return to his family. After a brief stop at Pernambuco, Brazil, the ship sailed through the Caribbean and, at a point of about 160 miles from New York, LeRoy composed his final entry, dated May 1, 1842. The journal is followed by an inventory of the belongings LeRoy brought along on his trip. He dedicated the volume to Midshipman Charles Cooper of New York.

LeRoy drew 9 pencil sketches during his time on the Natchez.

• Cape Horn
• Juan Fernandez, "the Island where Robinson Crusoe resided"
• Huasco, Chile
• "Attack on fort Moultrie by the British"
• "Ship Natchez... in a snow squall"
• "View of the Brazil Coast near El Salvador with Negro Fishermans Hut on a small rocky Island"
• Cape St. Augustine, Brazil, and Saint Aleixo Island
• Brazilian coast near Pernambuco, with a view of a "Coca Nut Plantation"
• View of Brazil near Cape São Roque

The volume holds 7 pages of double-entry bookkeeping accounts. These record the finances of Theodore Lewis of the brig Philip Howe and those of Robert Waterman during a trip to Asia onboard the Konohassett.

These 3 volumes are an English translation of Robert Challe's Journal d'un Voyage fait aux Indes Orientales, which chronicles his journey to India as purser on the French East India Company's ship Ecueil between 1690 and 1691. Challe described scenery, wildlife, and culture in Africa, India, and the Caribbean.

These 3 volumes are an English translation of Robert Challe's Journal d'un Voyage fait aux Indes Orientales, which chronicles his journey to India as purser on the French East India Company's ship Ecueil between 1690 and 1691. The first volume opens with a brief introduction to the work, translated by "[I.?] R." for J. Boulter, a friend of Challe's. The volumes, which cover the entirety of Challe's travels on the Ecueil and contain many revisions and corrections, are accompanied by a two-page letter by Sir David Dundas concerning the manuscript's translation and contents, the background of the author, and the reasons why Dundas does not believe that the Hakluyt Society would be interested in publishing the text. Each of the 3 volumes bears the bookplate of Sir Thomas Baring, Baronet.

Challe began his narrative on February 24, 1690, when six ships under the command of Abraham Du Quesne departed from Port Louis, France, for the East Indies. He recorded his observations in daily entries, which vary in length between single sentences and descriptive passages of 30 pages or more. Challe recorded the ship's course and location, though he noted the unreliability of longitude measurements and remarked on the inaccuracy of contemporary maps (Vol. 1, pp. 67-68). After heading south along the coasts of France and Spain, the Ecueil made stops in the Canary and Cape Verde Islands, and Challe reflected on the history of Spanish conquests in the New World, as well as on predestination and other topics related to Christianity. Challe also described daily events onboard the ship and marine life he observed. The first volume concludes on May 30, 1690, with the ship's arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, which occasioned a discussion of Dutch trade.

The narrative resumed on June 1, 1690, as the Ecueil headed for Madagascar; the second volume includes a lengthy essay on the history, people, flora, and other aspects of the island of Moaly (Mohilla/Mwali) (pp. 30-63). The volume also contains a description of the ship's encounter with the British Philip Herbert, which ended when the trapped British captain set his own boat on fire, resulting in the death of most of his crew (Vol. 2, pp. 64-76). Challe composed entries as he traveled around the Maldives and Ceylon, and temporarily ceased writing after his arrival in Pontincheri (Pondicherry), India, on August 12, 1790. His next entry, dated August 24, 1690 (Vol. 2, pp. 116-158), describes the area, including observations on local slaves (Vol. 2, p. 137). After traveling along the eastern coast of India and down the western coast of Burma, the ship sailed to Bengal, where it remained at the close of Volume 2 on December 31, 1690. Volume 3 opens on January 1, 1691, shortly before the Ecueil began its return journey to France, a voyage covered in daily entries that often concern the wind speed and the author's increasing boredom. The Ecueil traced its earlier route around the Cape of Good Hope before crossing the Atlantic Ocean for a journey to Martinique and other Caribbean islands. After leaving the Americas on July 9, 1691, the Ecueil returned to Port Louis on August 20, the final date recorded in the journal.

This journal recounts Joseph E. Taylor's experiences onboard the Andrew Jackson during a voyage from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Bremen, Germany, in September 1876. Taylor illustrated his journal with pictures of the ship's sails and interior.

This journal (35 pages) recounts Joseph E. Taylor's experiences onboard the Andrew Jackson during a voyage from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Bremen, Germany, in the fall of 1876. Under the command of J. C. Bartlett, the ship left Philadelphia on September 3, 1876. The Andrew Jackson reached the English Channel on September 25 and approached Germany in early October, as Taylor composed his final journal entry. Taylor described the voyage, including events such as bird and porpoise sightings, and made notes about the Gulf Stream. The journal also includes several sketches of the ship's interior (pp. 1, 3-4), accompanied by detailed descriptions. A small printed map laid into the volume shows the "Saloon and Cabin Plan of the American Steam Ship Co.'s Steam Ships 'Pennsylvania,' 'Ohio,' 'Indiana,' 'Illinois.'"

The John Francis diary describes a voyage from New York City to the West Indies on the Brig Mercury with a few records of the return voyage from St. Eustatia to North America on the Ship Ruby (1791). The journal also contains drawings of Atlantic sea life that he encountered on the voyage and a detailed map of North America and the West Indies.

The John Francis diary describes a voyage from New York City (May 1-June 13, 1791) to the West Indies on the Brig Mercury under Captain Thomas Fry. Also included are a few records of the return voyage from the West Indies island St. Eustatia to North America on the Ship Ruby, lead by Captain John Ritchie, June 14-July 4, 1791. Francis's notes for both trips record the date, latitude and longitude, air and water temperatures in the morning and evening, wind, course, distance, and weather.

Francis did not record many personal details, but did mention that his brother Tom was also on the ship. Instead, he wrote primarily about life at sea (occurrences on the ship, flora and fauna of the Atlantic, and weather) and described the markets and towns of the places they stopped. Early on he noted the deaths of many of the "Indiamen" on board (p. 14) and described an incident where he "commenced swearing rather profusely" when an "Ethiopia Color'd Devil" ruined a pig by scoring its skin before cooking it (p. 26).

Francis used the journal to reflect on the books he was reading. He enjoyed Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), which he found "elegant and ingenious" but also admired Dr. Joseph Priestley responses to Burke (p. 12). He also read Soloman the Second, ou les Sultanes, by M. Favart, written in 1761, which he compared favorably to Shakespeare (p. 38). He felt strongly about America's experiment with Democracy:

"We bid Adieu to the Shores of America--The Sole Abode of Liberty and Individual Happiness--Free from the Terrors of a Religious Government--The most Horrid of all Tyranies[…]the most Happy if not the most deserving Country

When compared to the [Shackled] Slaves of the Port--The Humble Creature of Russia--The [mere] Engines of Ambition [and] private Will the Subjects of Prussia[...]Or the Wild enthusiastic Frenzy of the emancipated Frenchmen--I say American’s ye are Ungrateful if ye are not Happy--Ye are Not Wise if ye Complain" (p. 18).

Francis was also interested in sea life. He wrote of seeing a flying fish (p. 6), a Portuguese man-of-war (p. 7), two humpback whales (p. 15), and shooting a trophy bird with "wonderful plumage" (p. 36). He saved some of his most poetic writing for his long struggle with a large colorful fish:

The Effects of the Dolphin have not quite disappeared -- A Little Fever hangs on my Lips[.] my Breath partakes a Little, but my Immagination more than all when Slumbering -- all the Colors of the Rainbow so finely varieagated [and] so often Changed by the Dying Dolphin. Lightly pass across my Sleepy Eyes and I fancyfully conjecture my Skin -- simmilarly affected[.]

"The Sun had been hid [for] the Day and seem’d reserved alone to pour its divine Rays on the dying Fish -- Whose Angelic and Varied Colors seem’d to paint full strongly every Varied Pang he felt in quitting the World for the Regions of Immateriality[.] His Size and Shape were both Uncommonly Large [and] Elegant[.] His Exertions to escape Equal -- And almost overcome Mine to hold firm -- Had Strength been used -- To this Time he would have been Ploughing the Mansions of the Deep -- But Reason was in this more powerful than Instinct[.] I wearied him with his Own exertions to escape and at length hauled him along side dead to all useful exertion (page 21).

Francis made drawings and wrote descriptions of many marine creatures that he encountered. The back of the diary has sketches of squid ("animal of glutinous substance"), sword fish, pelicans, cuckold weed, and dolphins, among others. He also drew and described islands and rock formations, including Antigua, for which he noted their latitudes. Page 107 of the journal contains a small pencil sketch of the Ship Ruby.

The collection also contains a two-page hand-drawn map of the United States and New Britain (Canada), which covers as far west as the French Territory, as far east as Bermuda, as far north as Hudson Bay, and as far south as Cuba. The map depicts and lists cities, states, rivers, lakes, and the islands of the West Indies. The Mercury's course is plotted with the longitude/latitude and date noted, "At Sea on board the Ship Ruby, Capt. John Ricks, July 1791. Lat. 39"37 Long. 69"27. For the purpose of fixing the Course of the Gulf Stream." [Chart of a voyage from New England to the West Indies and return] (1791).

The Harry A. Simmons journal and sketchbook contain diary entries and sketches relating to the Union Navy service of Simmons onboard the schooner Sophronia, particularly his involvement in the New Orleans and Vicksburg campaigns.

The Harry A. Simmons journal contains 58 pages of entries, and his sketchbook includes 117 individual sketches on 57 pages. The journal, which is entitled "Journal of a Cruise on the U.S. Schr. 'Sophronia'," contains lengthy and informative entries covering December 30, 1861-July 30, 1862. Simmons sent it home in several parts to his wife, in order to keep her abreast his activities and wartime experiences. The journal describes Simmons' adjustment to life on the sea, his duties on the ship, various locales in Florida and Mississippi, and several naval engagements, including participation in the New Orleans and Vicksburg campaigns.

Early entries reflect Simmons' initiation into life on the sea and his interest in the marine life that he and his shipmates encountered. On February 7, 1862, he wrote that he lacked "acquired or even instinctive 'sea larnin'," but noted the "fine qualities" of the Sophronia. A few days later, he described fishing for kingfish and seeing dolphins, coral, and sponges from the ship (February 11, 1862). He also described the hardships of life on the sea, including the sky-high prices of produce, eggs, and milk, which the sailors bought from sea-faring merchants (June 10, 1862); the dangers caused by drunken shipmates (February 19, 1862; March 15, 1862); and several outbreaks of illness. In another entry, he noted that he was glad to see a group of dolphins because they made good food, but unlike his shipmates, refused to eat sharks because he held a "prejudice" against them (July 27, 1862).

Simmons also wrote entries concerning the Sophronia's movements and engagements. On February 19, 1862, he noted that "gradually our end of the harbour is filling up" as the ships gathered to form a mortar flotilla under Captain David Dixon Porter near Key West, Florida. On their way west, the crew captured a southern ship with 400 bales of cotton and took a frightening-looking prisoner onboard (March 16, 1862). Around this time, Simmons also noted an overwhelming feeling among his shipmates that "we are the victims of a system of poor generalship" and commented that many of them spoke of resigning from the service (March 23, 1862). By the time the Sophronia reached the Mississippi River, engagements became increasingly common. On April 16, 1862, Simmons described a Confederate "fire raft," which had been filled with combustibles and sent downstream "to drift against our vessels & if possible encircle some of them in a warm embrace." Several days later, he gave an account of the bombardment of Forts St. Philip and Jackson, noting the glow in the sky from widespread burning and estimating that the flotilla had fired a total of 2000 shells (April 18, 1862). The next day, he described seeing a shell hit the Winona and several men die from the explosion. Simmons also described his participation in the Siege of Vicksburg, including rumors of raging fires (June 28, 1862), skirmishes and picket fighting (July 2, 1862), and his being constantly on guard. On July 6, 1862, he noted that he had grown so accustomed to the sound of firing that he no longer noticed it.

Simmons gave detailed descriptions of a number of locales. On March 21, 1862, he described Pilottown, Louisiana, as generally deserted, but noted that one house contained a family claiming to be loyal to the Union. Shortly after the bombardment of Fort Jackson, he and a few other officers were able to observe the wreck of Fort Jackson, which he called the "most terrible destruction." On a second visit to Ship Island, Mississippi, he noted that it had grown, with many new storehouses, workshops, and hospital sheds (May 8, 1862).

The diary also provides insight into the duties of a surgeon's steward and the medical issues that arose onboard the Sophronia. These included the difficulty of obtaining certain kinds of medicines (February 16, 1862), the problem of treating outbreaks of illnesses (July 13, 1862), and a description of a funeral and the burial of a sailor at sea, wrapped in his hammock (July 22, 1862). By July 29, 1862, Simmons noted that 15 of the 32 crew members, including himself, had become ill and he reluctantly tendered his resignation and went to the hospital. The diary closes with an entry noting that he had arrived at home with his family and that he hoped "to recover my lost health" (August 26, 1862).

Accompanying the journal is Simmons' sketchbook, containing 57 pages and 117 individual pencil and watercolor sketches. Subjects include ships he encountered, military activities, southern scenery, sailors, civilians, and buildings. The locations that Simmons drew include plantations and homes in Baton Rouge, numerous views of Vicksburg, Fort Adams, and the U.S. Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. In several drawings, he depicted African Americans, including a contraband escaping from Vicksburg by riding a log down the Mississippi, a dog and a soldier playing together (labeled "Cuffee & Sambo"), a man in a sailor suit, and a group of women laundering clothes over a fire in Baton Rouge. Simmons also drew numerous military scenes, frequently teeming with detail. He depicted "fire rafts," a shelling by the Union Navy, the Sophronia "in fighting costume," an interior view of Fort Jackson, and the entrance to Fort St. Philip. Pasted into the sketchbook is a printed version of a sketch by Simmons, entitled "Attack on Vicksburg, Miss., by the Gun Boats and Mortar Fleet…"

The Fremont Mining and Trading Company diary is a small bound notebook (54 pages) recounting the adventures of a member of the "Fremont Trading and Mining Company" formed in 1849 to search for California gold.

The Fremont Mining and Trading Company diary is a small bound notebook (54 pages) recounting the adventures of one of its members. The company was formed in 1849 by subscribers who wanted to search for gold in California. The author made almost daily entries during the ship’s six-month voyage to San Francisco, then wrote more sporadically during the period of the company’s successful search for gold in the Feather River north of Sacramento and the author's return as far as Panama in March 1851. In the back of the diary, the diarist registered the members, their ages, homes, and occupations. He also listed the daily logs of longitude, latitude, and miles traveled for their long trip, as well as names of the officers and crew, all but two of whom were also shareholders. The author failed to identify himself; John F. Jordan is written inside the cover of the book, but he is not listed as a member of the trading company.

The adventurer arose at 5 A.M. on March 27, 1849, three miles from Glastonbury, Connecticut (near Hartford), went overland to Hartford, and took a steamboat to New York City. He leveraged twelve shares in the Company as surety for a $400 note, payable in one year, accompanied by a paid-up life insurance policy for $1,000 to one Benjamin Cook. They sailed from New York on April 1l. Their route took them within sight of the Canary Islands, then on to their first landing in Rio de Janeiro. There, many of the company went ashore nightly to get drunk, much to the author’s disgust. He noted that the US Navy ship Brandywine was in the harbor, the Emperor and Empress of Argentina rode around in a carriage, and that he went upriver to buy 2,000 oranges for about $10 for the ship. On June 13, after the crew loaded 20 casks of water, the Selma took off to round the Horn, a stormy trip with ice-covered decks.

The second stop was at Valparaiso on August 8, where they encountered an English man-of-war, said to be carrying several hundred pounds of gold dust from California, consigned to a house in Boston. He attended a Protestant church to hear a sermon preached by David Trumble, son of John Trumble of Colchester, Connecticut. Finally on October 5, 178 days since leaving New York, they arrived in San Francisco. The author went ashore on Sunday and reported that the city had two Methodist churches, and one each of Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Baptist churches. The cooks and stewards promptly deserted ship and then sued for back wages, which, after a court hearing, were denied. Members of the company had to take over their duties, such such as cooking for 86 men. Such desertions were common when ships arrived in California.

Some stayed on ship and sought odd jobs in the city, while other members formed small parties and set off upriver to Sacramento. The author left ship on October 22, when he slept on land for the first time in more than six months. Eventually, they brought their ship up the river, in time for them to stay on it during a disastrous January flood. People were rescued from windows and roofs; 70 or 80 residents lodged on board their ship at $3 a night, $5 or $6 a day, and $30-40 a week. Members established a mining camp about 35 miles from Sacramento, which was quite successful financially, although many of them became sick and three died.

Claims were purchased by members of the company in both the Yuba and Feather Rivers and were thoroughly mined. Even the rivers that ran through the city of Sacramento yielded little gold. By February 1850, the members of the company were so dissatisfied that they broke up. The author sold his tools for $50, then joined members Smith and Ransom to borrow $200 for the purchase of a mule; they started off by themselves to a new claim. Through March and April they were able to recover from $300 to $1,000 a week. On March 30, the author returned to Sacramento and found their old company in disarray. He described several scenes of violence, and mentioned encounters with deer, grizzly bears, and beaver.

On June 8, he wrote that all their claims were worked out, but that they had recovered about $3,300 so far. In July he joined a new company of 14 men to build wing dams in order to divert river water, thereby opening up new sites for panning. As a result, by September they mined gold worth $665 per miner, including a 4-oz. piece that he had found. In October, the company disbanded for the winter, whereupon the author resumed digging on the banks by himself, recovering from $12 to $15 worth of gold a day.

He wanted to go back to Sacramento for the winter, but stayed away when he learned that the city was reporting 60 cases of cholera a day. He and Walter Griswold built a cabin near Centerville, intending to spend the winter there. They heard reports that one man had dug 40, 30, and 18 pounds of gold on three successive days. He also mentioned that Indians killed two men; they buried one of them alive, and roasted the other one.

In January 1851, the new company sold the claim and the cabin. The author went to Sacramento and then to San Francisco, where he boarded the Adrian, mastered by George Scott, and paid $75 for passage to Panama. The ship left on January 24, 1851. The diary ends without explanation, when the ship was near Panama on March 28, 1951.

The Elihu Bunker journal chronicles the seal-hunting voyage of the brig Rebecca from December 19, 1797-October 16, 1799. The ship traveled from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to the Cape Verde Islands, the Falkland Islands, and Mocha Island (off of the west coast of Chile).

The Elihu Bunker journal (63 pages) chronicles the seal-hunting voyage of the brig Rebecca from December 19, 1797-October 16, 1799. The ship traveled from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to the Cape Verde Islands, the Falkland Islands, and Mocha Island (off of the west coast of Chile).

The volume contains a combination of log entries made at sea and diary entries made on shore. Bunker regularly recorded the wind direction, the ship's course, and location, and remarks about daily activities onboard. Most remarks pertain to the ship's sails, making repairs, wildlife, and the ship's crew. Within the first few weeks of the voyage, Bunker reported a crewmember's death from smallpox and venereal disease (January 5, 1798).

In mid-February 1798, the Rebecca reached the Cape Verde Islands, where her crew took on salt and prepared for a longer voyage around South America. Before reaching the Falkland Islands in mid-May, the crew "Saw a large Blazing Star In the Northern Hemisphere" (March 22, 1798) and caught 4 porpoises for making oil (April 24, 1798). On June 25, 1798, after trading goods for seal furs and skins in the Falklands, the brig rounded Cape Horn, and in August the crew temporarily settled on Mocha Island, off Chile's western coast. Bunker and others lived under a leaky auxiliary boat while constructing a more permanent shelter, and Bunker described incidents on the island over the following 8 months, including his near drowning and the loss of 2 months' provisions (pp. 41-47). On May 10, 1799, the Rebecca left Chile for New York; the crew arrived there on October 16. The final 4 pages of Bunker's journal have an abstract of the entire voyage, including the Rebecca's daily latitude and longitude.

This diary (4.5"x7.5") consists of 57 pages of entries and notes composed by Scotland native David Houston, who emigrated to the United States with his wife and children in the summer of 1854. The first 41 pages (May 29, 1854-July 7, 1854) recount the Houstons' journey from Glasgow to New York onboard the President Fillmore. Later groups of entries report some of the family's expenses after arriving in North America (3 pages, May 24, 1855-September 28, 1855) and contain copied documents regarding Houston's religious affiliation, additional religious notes, and other brief entries about the family's lives in Philadelphia and New York City (13 pages, July 1854-January 4, 1858).

This diary (4.5"x7.5") consists of 57 pages of entries and notes composed by Scotland native David Houston, who emigrated to the United States with his wife and children in the summer of 1854. The first 41 pages (May 29, 1854-July 7, 1854) recount the Houstons' journey from Glasgow to New York onboard the President Fillmore. Later groups of entries report some of the family's expenses after arriving in North America (3 pages, May 24, 1855-September 28, 1855) and contain copied documents regarding Houston's religious affiliation, additional religious notes, and other brief entries about the family's lives in Philadelphia and New York City (13 pages, July 1854-January 4, 1858).

David Houston began his diary on May 29, 1854, after loading his family's trunks in a stateroom onboard the President Fillmore, an 870-ton sailing ship bound for the United States from Glasgow, Scotland. His wife, Margaret, and their three sons William, David, and Robert joined him soon thereafter, and the ship set sail on June 1. Houston described life onboard the ship in daily entries composed regularly until his arrival in New York on July 7, 1854 (pp. 1-41). He covered topics such as the distribution of sugar, tea, flour, oatmeal, beef, and other foodstuffs to passengers; his frequent attendance at, and leadership of, passenger-organized religious services; the ship's progress; and the weather, including a series of rough storms. Houston's diary also recounts the passengers' efforts to commend their captain, Peter Nelson, for his conduct during the voyage; after hearing several proposals, they wrote and orally presented a brief tribute, which Houston copied (pp. 34 verso-35 verso). Of note are entries describing the ship running aground (May 29, 1854, pp. 3-4), the effect of storms on the ship's sails and crew (June 8, 1854-June 12, 1854, pp. 12-15), a bird flying onto the boat (June 21, 1854-June 22, 1854, pp. 20-21), and the near death of an infant due to an accident (June 30, 1854, pp. 31-32). He also reported that he inserted a message in a bottle and dropped it in the ocean (June 24, 1854, p. 21 verso).

Though he stopped writing regularly upon his arrival in North America, Houston continued to record sporadic diary entries until January 4, 1858. These notes reflect several aspects of his life in Philadelphia and New York, such as the cost of rent, his regular correspondence with his father, who remained in Scotland, and his strong religious beliefs. On two occasions, he copied documents certifying his membership in the Presbyterian Church, and in one entry, dated June 3, 1856, he recalled his wife's delivery of a stillborn child.

A sailor only identified as "Charley" maintained this diary from January 1, 1857, to September 22, 1857, while serving aboard the mercantile clippers Charger from Boston to San Francisco and the Stag Hound from San Francisco to Hawaii and China. The Stag Hound carried 380 Chinese passengers from San Francisco to China, where it loaded a cargo of tea, silk, fancy matting, and other goods, to be returned to New York. Charley wrote about social matters, including descriptions of San Francisco, Hong Kong, Fuzhou, and the coasts of the Yangtze River, as well as shipboard life among sailors, officers, and passengers. He commented several times about one of his crewmates, possibly an African American man who went by the name of "Jim Crow," and noted the presence of captains' wives and children. He included several drawings of Chinese ships (junks) as well as coastal views of places in South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. Charley also included a number of poems, mostly relating to sailors and seafaring, several of which appear to be originals.

A sailor only identified as "Charley" maintained this diary from January 1, 1857, to September 22, 1857. He first served aboard the mercantile clipper Charger under the command of Captain Luther Hurd, travelling from Boston, Massachusetts, past Cape Horn, to San Francisco, California. He switched berths in San Francisco to the Stag Hound who carried Chinese passengers under Captain Peterson to Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Foochow (Fuzhou), via the Chang (Yangtze) River. They passed various places in the Philippines and South China Sea without stopping, and returned to New York with a cargo of tea, silk, fancy matting, and other goods. Charley wrote about social matters, including descriptions of ports like San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Fuzhou, and shipboard life among sailors, officers, and passengers. He commented several times about one of his crewmates, possibly an African American man who went by the name of "Jim Crow," and noted the presence of captains' wives and children. He included several drawings of Chinese ships (junks) as well as coastal views of places in South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. Charley also included a number of poems, mostly relating to sailors and seafaring, several of which appear to be originals.

Details about the labor of sailing are found throughout the diary, with regular notes about wind, weather, and sea conditions, land sightings, and occasional notations of latitude and longitude. Charley described the Charger as "a new one" (January 1), and several times noted that the ship was outpacing others. He commented on various shipboard tasks like cleaning the deck, handling and repairing sails, managing dwindling food and provisions, and catching sharks, fish, and porpoises to eat. Comments about the difficulty of the work and various demands appear regularly, as well as notes of various mishaps on board, damaging storms, and other dangers, like falls, sails gone awry, the hazards of Cape Horn (March 7), freshwater getting tainted (March 20), waterspouts (August 27), and suspected pirates (September 16). At least one crewmember died, seemingly of illness contracted prior to the voyage, and Charley wrote of his distress at how his body and burial were handled (July 17).

When he switched berths to the Stag Hound, travelling from San Francisco to Hawaii and Hong Kong, Charley wrote of the demands of manning an "outward bound ship":

"Everbody is in bad humor. The officers irritable. the crew more so. words pass between them. everything to do and nobody to do it. Bed clothes. sea boats. jackets. chests. and numerous other things of a sailors outfit tumbled together in confusion. chickens crowing. geese quacking turkeys gobbling. pigs squealing. these are the scenes and noises that must be endured by the outward bound" (May 15). Noting that "people on shore think that a sailors leads an idle life," he detailed the daily labor they typically performed (August 30).

Charley's depictions of shipboard life also reference issues of discipline and management of the crew. While on the Charger, he noted the captain distributing "a lot of tracts" to the crew (January 18 and February 8) and complained of officers making sailors work on the Sabbath (January 25). He wrote a detailed description of the Charger's officers on March 11, including physical and behavioral attributes, and noted that the rest of the crew consisted of 28 men from America, England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, and Italy. He noted several physical fights and that crew members were imprisoned for matters like theft and violence (February 14 and May 8) or threatened to have their noses wrung by the captain for fighting (April 30). Charley recorded that the third mate confined "one of our boys who goes by the name of Jimmey Ducks" in the hencoop for "not feeding the fowls in the morning" (February 15). On another occasion, "the mate frightened one of the greenhorns nearly to death by hoisting him up to the royal mast head" when he cried when being asked to slush the mast (February 23). As provisions began to run out, Charley bemoaned that the sailors had to drink rainwater that was tainted by the ship's tar and paint, while "the officers can drink and use as much of the Boston water as they choose" and the steward "used two buckets of the good water to wash the cabin floor" (April 19). Upon landing in San Francisco, Charley noted that Captain Hurd was trying to convince the sailors to continue on with him on the next leg of the voyage by withholding wages from the crew, was struck by a passenger who accused him of "ill treatment to his sister," and that "Whenever our crew see him in the streets they are hooting him and throwing stones at him" (May 10-11).

Charley continued to note disciplinary issues when he transferred to the Stag Hound, including reminiscences about being imprisoned in Honolulu for refusing to work while on a whaling voyage aboard the Hobomok in 1852. Others' refusals to work and their punishment were documented (June 14), as well as efforts to manage unruly passengers (May 22). He noted that infighting and complaining "is the custom with sailors... When they cannot find fault with the officers or with the grub they must growl amoung themselves for pastime" (May 26). On the return voyage, Charley noted the "youngsters" were yelled at for being slow in their work (August 24).

The volume contains much detail about issues of race and ethnicity. He wrote about a man "that goes by the name of Jim Crow. he would make a horse smile to hear him singing comic songs and spouting Shakespere &c.," possibly an African American sailor (January 26). Charley made another reference to "James Crow" on February 28, participating in a demonstration by the sailors when their "advance was up" and they "assert[ed] our rights as sailors" and made an effigy that was hung and buried at sea. Charley called him a "courious genious. he makes sport for all hands in the ship. I don't know how we would get along without him" (February 28). Charley was pleased "to see my friend Crow" among those who switched berths to the Stag Hound (May 14). Charley commented on his singing and musical abilities (June 24, August 11), and he wrote about him in a poem (June 12), travelled ashore with him in Hong Kong (July 7), and remarked on his cure for toothaches (September 8).

Charley's entries also reflect on the individuals he encountered during his voyages, including a description of indigenous South Americans sailing catamarans to fish, some 20 miles from shore (February 5), and the multi-ethnic crew of the Stag Hound. On May 24, Charley described in detail the Stag Hound's Dutch captain and his wife, the Dutch first and second mates, the English third mate, American bosun and carpenter, and two Chinese stewards and two Chinese cooks. "Before the mast we have a sprinkling of all nations. It would puzzle a Philadelphia Lawyer to understand one half of them. I dont believe that there was one half of the confusion at the building of the tower of Bable as there is in our forecastle at meal times."

The bulk of his racial commentary revolves around the approximately 380 Chinese passengers who travelled aboard the Stag Hound to Hawaii and Hong Kong, of which he initially wrote disparaging comments (May 12). Some of Charley's entries reflect on Chinese shipboard experiences, such as gambling (May 20) and fighting (June 6), while others seem to indicate prejudiced behavior on the part of the Stag Hound's captain. He rationed Chinese passengers' allowance of water (May 22) and threatened violence against one English-speaking Chinese passenger for complaining (January 19). While approaching China, Charley noted the crew worked on cleaning guns due to "lots of pirates now in these seas, but we do not fear them so much as we do the passengers, for it is a common thing for them to try and take the vessel that they are in when they find that they are near to China" (June 25). He remarked on the Chinese Emperor, "said to be the brother of the Sun, and likewise the King of ten thousand islands" (June 29), the passengers praying for fair wind (July 1), and reacting with joy upon seeing the area near Hong Kong (July 5). He described Hong Kong, commenting on religion (July 6-7) and fears of Chinese boarding the ship at night to murder the crew (July 10). He noted passing the wreck of the Wild Duck and seeing Chinese junks painted "with large eyes on their bows so that they can see" (July 20), and he described places they passed while travelling up the Chang River under the guidance of a Chinese pilot and their arrival at Foochow (Fuzhou). He noted the work Chinese laborers undertook on the Stag Hound while at Fuzhou (July 24, 26, 27) and detailed his visit to a "pagoda" in the city (August 2).

Several references to women also appear in the diary. Charley remarked on the presence of the captain's wife aboard the Charger, noting her disdain for sailors (January 4, March 16). As the initial voyage to California wore on, Charley recorded a fight between the captain and his wife where she was threatened with violence if she spoke to the first mate (April 24). The captain's wife also accompanied the Stag Hound, and Charley described her and her scorn for the sailors as well (May 24). The captain's daughter was also aboard the Stag Hound, and Charley noted the purchase of a cat for her and her distress during a typhoon (July 27, September 7). He later noted the cat's disappearance and his suspicion that sailors disposed of it, "for a sailor would as soon see his Satanic Majesty on board of his ship as a cat for to him a cat is linked with superticion [sic]" (August 17).

Mentions of other ships throughout the volume reflect the international dynamics of sea travel and mercantilism. Charley noted ships from various American ports, Prussia, Brazil, England, and France. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, he observed French, English, and Portuguese men-of-war (July 6 and July 8), and named American ships by name while in Chinese ports. He recorded the goods taken on the Stag Hound in China, including opium, silver, fire crackers, tea, silk, and fancy matting.

In addition to his diary entries, Charley also documented his experiences with drawings. He included several pictures of Chinese junks and coastal views of the following locations:

• Cape Horn
• Tierra del Fuego
• South Farallon Islands
• Morotai Island
• "Wahoo" [O'ahu]
• Diamond Head
• "Cocowaner" island
• "Peico" island
• Balintang Islands
• Bashee Islands
• Batan Island
• Sabtang
• Goat Island
• "An Island in Hong Kong Harbor"
• "Great Lema Island"
• Pratas Islands
• "The last light of Hong Kong"
• "[Oaksu?] Islands"
• several views from along the River Chang
• Balabac Strait

Charley included clips of poetry and quotations, mostly relating to sailors and sea life. He copied a poem attributed to a crew member, "To the Albatross" (February 25), and others appear to be originals that he may have composed, such as one celebrating the passage past Cape Horn (March 7), another musing on the wide variances in a sailor's life (April 22), and one entitled "To the Stag Hound" (May 31). Other poems memorialize food poisoning (June 12), the death of a crewmate (July 17), and heading home for America (August 16). The final page of the volume includes a poem entitled "To Charley, by J.H.S." about their friendship and an amusing incident regarding cheese, seemingly written at their parting, and the lyrics to a song about a charcoal vendor.

A post-1886 newspaper clipping, "Boston Clippers," is pasted on the inside front cover and references the few remaining "splendid clippers which the discovery of gold in California and Australia produced," including the Charger .

A sailor only identified as "Charley" maintained this diary from January 1, 1857, to September 22, 1857, while serving aboard the mercantile clippers Charger from Boston to San Francisco and the Stag Hound from San Francisco to Hawaii and China. The Stag Hound carried 380 Chinese passengers from San Francisco to China, where it loaded a cargo of tea, silk, fancy matting, and other goods, to be returned to New York. Charley wrote about social matters, including descriptions of San Francisco, Hong Kong, Fuzhou, and the coasts of the Yangtze River, as well as shipboard life among sailors, officers, and passengers. He commented several times about one of his crewmates, possibly an African American man who went by the name of "Jim Crow," and noted the presence of captains' wives and children. He included several drawings of Chinese ships (junks) as well as coastal views of places in South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. Charley also included a number of poems, mostly relating to sailors and seafaring, several of which appear to be originals.

A sailor only identified as "Charley" maintained this diary from January 1, 1857, to September 22, 1857. He first served aboard the mercantile clipper Charger under the command of Captain Luther Hurd, travelling from Boston, Massachusetts, past Cape Horn, to San Francisco, California. He switched berths in San Francisco to the Stag Hound who carried Chinese passengers under Captain Peterson to Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Foochow (Fuzhou), via the Chang (Yangtze) River. They passed various places in the Philippines and South China Sea without stopping, and returned to New York with a cargo of tea, silk, fancy matting, and other goods. Charley wrote about social matters, including descriptions of ports like San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Fuzhou, and shipboard life among sailors, officers, and passengers. He commented several times about one of his crewmates, possibly an African American man who went by the name of "Jim Crow," and noted the presence of captains' wives and children. He included several drawings of Chinese ships (junks) as well as coastal views of places in South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. Charley also included a number of poems, mostly relating to sailors and seafaring, several of which appear to be originals.

Details about the labor of sailing are found throughout the diary, with regular notes about wind, weather, and sea conditions, land sightings, and occasional notations of latitude and longitude. Charley described the Charger as "a new one" (January 1), and several times noted that the ship was outpacing others. He commented on various shipboard tasks like cleaning the deck, handling and repairing sails, managing dwindling food and provisions, and catching sharks, fish, and porpoises to eat. Comments about the difficulty of the work and various demands appear regularly, as well as notes of various mishaps on board, damaging storms, and other dangers, like falls, sails gone awry, the hazards of Cape Horn (March 7), freshwater getting tainted (March 20), waterspouts (August 27), and suspected pirates (September 16). At least one crewmember died, seemingly of illness contracted prior to the voyage, and Charley wrote of his distress at how his body and burial were handled (July 17).

When he switched berths to the Stag Hound, travelling from San Francisco to Hawaii and Hong Kong, Charley wrote of the demands of manning an "outward bound ship":

"Everbody is in bad humor. The officers irritable. the crew more so. words pass between them. everything to do and nobody to do it. Bed clothes. sea boats. jackets. chests. and numerous other things of a sailors outfit tumbled together in confusion. chickens crowing. geese quacking turkeys gobbling. pigs squealing. these are the scenes and noises that must be endured by the outward bound" (May 15). Noting that "people on shore think that a sailors leads an idle life," he detailed the daily labor they typically performed (August 30).

Charley's depictions of shipboard life also reference issues of discipline and management of the crew. While on the Charger, he noted the captain distributing "a lot of tracts" to the crew (January 18 and February 8) and complained of officers making sailors work on the Sabbath (January 25). He wrote a detailed description of the Charger's officers on March 11, including physical and behavioral attributes, and noted that the rest of the crew consisted of 28 men from America, England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, and Italy. He noted several physical fights and that crew members were imprisoned for matters like theft and violence (February 14 and May 8) or threatened to have their noses wrung by the captain for fighting (April 30). Charley recorded that the third mate confined "one of our boys who goes by the name of Jimmey Ducks" in the hencoop for "not feeding the fowls in the morning" (February 15). On another occasion, "the mate frightened one of the greenhorns nearly to death by hoisting him up to the royal mast head" when he cried when being asked to slush the mast (February 23). As provisions began to run out, Charley bemoaned that the sailors had to drink rainwater that was tainted by the ship's tar and paint, while "the officers can drink and use as much of the Boston water as they choose" and the steward "used two buckets of the good water to wash the cabin floor" (April 19). Upon landing in San Francisco, Charley noted that Captain Hurd was trying to convince the sailors to continue on with him on the next leg of the voyage by withholding wages from the crew, was struck by a passenger who accused him of "ill treatment to his sister," and that "Whenever our crew see him in the streets they are hooting him and throwing stones at him" (May 10-11).

Charley continued to note disciplinary issues when he transferred to the Stag Hound, including reminiscences about being imprisoned in Honolulu for refusing to work while on a whaling voyage aboard the Hobomok in 1852. Others' refusals to work and their punishment were documented (June 14), as well as efforts to manage unruly passengers (May 22). He noted that infighting and complaining "is the custom with sailors... When they cannot find fault with the officers or with the grub they must growl amoung themselves for pastime" (May 26). On the return voyage, Charley noted the "youngsters" were yelled at for being slow in their work (August 24).

The volume contains much detail about issues of race and ethnicity. He wrote about a man "that goes by the name of Jim Crow. he would make a horse smile to hear him singing comic songs and spouting Shakespere &c.," possibly an African American sailor (January 26). Charley made another reference to "James Crow" on February 28, participating in a demonstration by the sailors when their "advance was up" and they "assert[ed] our rights as sailors" and made an effigy that was hung and buried at sea. Charley called him a "courious genious. he makes sport for all hands in the ship. I don't know how we would get along without him" (February 28). Charley was pleased "to see my friend Crow" among those who switched berths to the Stag Hound (May 14). Charley commented on his singing and musical abilities (June 24, August 11), and he wrote about him in a poem (June 12), travelled ashore with him in Hong Kong (July 7), and remarked on his cure for toothaches (September 8).

Charley's entries also reflect on the individuals he encountered during his voyages, including a description of indigenous South Americans sailing catamarans to fish, some 20 miles from shore (February 5), and the multi-ethnic crew of the Stag Hound. On May 24, Charley described in detail the Stag Hound's Dutch captain and his wife, the Dutch first and second mates, the English third mate, American bosun and carpenter, and two Chinese stewards and two Chinese cooks. "Before the mast we have a sprinkling of all nations. It would puzzle a Philadelphia Lawyer to understand one half of them. I dont believe that there was one half of the confusion at the building of the tower of Bable as there is in our forecastle at meal times."

The bulk of his racial commentary revolves around the approximately 380 Chinese passengers who travelled aboard the Stag Hound to Hawaii and Hong Kong, of which he initially wrote disparaging comments (May 12). Some of Charley's entries reflect on Chinese shipboard experiences, such as gambling (May 20) and fighting (June 6), while others seem to indicate prejudiced behavior on the part of the Stag Hound's captain. He rationed Chinese passengers' allowance of water (May 22) and threatened violence against one English-speaking Chinese passenger for complaining (January 19). While approaching China, Charley noted the crew worked on cleaning guns due to "lots of pirates now in these seas, but we do not fear them so much as we do the passengers, for it is a common thing for them to try and take the vessel that they are in when they find that they are near to China" (June 25). He remarked on the Chinese Emperor, "said to be the brother of the Sun, and likewise the King of ten thousand islands" (June 29), the passengers praying for fair wind (July 1), and reacting with joy upon seeing the area near Hong Kong (July 5). He described Hong Kong, commenting on religion (July 6-7) and fears of Chinese boarding the ship at night to murder the crew (July 10). He noted passing the wreck of the Wild Duck and seeing Chinese junks painted "with large eyes on their bows so that they can see" (July 20), and he described places they passed while travelling up the Chang River under the guidance of a Chinese pilot and their arrival at Foochow (Fuzhou). He noted the work Chinese laborers undertook on the Stag Hound while at Fuzhou (July 24, 26, 27) and detailed his visit to a "pagoda" in the city (August 2).

Several references to women also appear in the diary. Charley remarked on the presence of the captain's wife aboard the Charger, noting her disdain for sailors (January 4, March 16). As the initial voyage to California wore on, Charley recorded a fight between the captain and his wife where she was threatened with violence if she spoke to the first mate (April 24). The captain's wife also accompanied the Stag Hound, and Charley described her and her scorn for the sailors as well (May 24). The captain's daughter was also aboard the Stag Hound, and Charley noted the purchase of a cat for her and her distress during a typhoon (July 27, September 7). He later noted the cat's disappearance and his suspicion that sailors disposed of it, "for a sailor would as soon see his Satanic Majesty on board of his ship as a cat for to him a cat is linked with superticion [sic]" (August 17).

Mentions of other ships throughout the volume reflect the international dynamics of sea travel and mercantilism. Charley noted ships from various American ports, Prussia, Brazil, England, and France. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, he observed French, English, and Portuguese men-of-war (July 6 and July 8), and named American ships by name while in Chinese ports. He recorded the goods taken on the Stag Hound in China, including opium, silver, fire crackers, tea, silk, and fancy matting.

In addition to his diary entries, Charley also documented his experiences with drawings. He included several pictures of Chinese junks and coastal views of the following locations:

• Cape Horn
• Tierra del Fuego
• South Farallon Islands
• Morotai Island
• "Wahoo" [O'ahu]
• Diamond Head
• "Cocowaner" island
• "Peico" island
• Balintang Islands
• Bashee Islands
• Batan Island
• Sabtang
• Goat Island
• "An Island in Hong Kong Harbor"
• "Great Lema Island"
• Pratas Islands
• "The last light of Hong Kong"
• "[Oaksu?] Islands"
• several views from along the River Chang
• Balabac Strait

Charley included clips of poetry and quotations, mostly relating to sailors and sea life. He copied a poem attributed to a crew member, "To the Albatross" (February 25), and others appear to be originals that he may have composed, such as one celebrating the passage past Cape Horn (March 7), another musing on the wide variances in a sailor's life (April 22), and one entitled "To the Stag Hound" (May 31). Other poems memorialize food poisoning (June 12), the death of a crewmate (July 17), and heading home for America (August 16). The final page of the volume includes a poem entitled "To Charley, by J.H.S." about their friendship and an amusing incident regarding cheese, seemingly written at their parting, and the lyrics to a song about a charcoal vendor.

A post-1886 newspaper clipping, "Boston Clippers," is pasted on the inside front cover and references the few remaining "splendid clippers which the discovery of gold in California and Australia produced," including the Charger .