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Collection

A Missionary's Fate. A Prophecy illustrated poem, [1868-1870s?]

1 volume

An anonymous author dedicated this 44cm x 29cm volume, "A Missionary's Fate. A Prophecy," to Miss Minnie Jenks, in or after 1868. It includes seven pages of neatly written, rhyming, narrative poetry accompanied by five ink and watercolor illustrations. This xenophobic cautionary poem and illustrations trace a young woman's fatal transatlantic Christian missionary expedition. She departs the United States intending to convert and teach Assamese people, but she is instead transported to Africa where her solitary missionary efforts result in her murder and cannibalization. The illustrations include her seaside departure, the missionary standing on a stump and singing to (racist caricatures of) African men, cannibalism, African men trying on the woman's clothing, and a scene of grief back in the United States.

An anonymous author dedicated this 44cm x 29cm volume, "A Missionary's Fate. A Prophecy," to Miss Minnie Jenks, in or after 1868. It includes seven pages of neatly written, rhyming, narrative poetry accompanied by five ink and watercolor illustrations. This xenophobic cautionary poem and illustrations trace a young woman's fatal transatlantic Christian missionary expedition. She departs the United States intending to convert and teach Assamese people, but she is instead transported to Africa where her solitary missionary efforts result in her murder and cannibalization. The poem ends with her grief-stricken family members weeping and fainting back home, and a concluding moral.

The illustrations include a dock scene, with passengers boarding a ship, persons on the dock waving farewell, and sailors at work on deck. Another shows the missionary woman standing on a stump with a hymn book (sheet music for "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" visible) and singing to a group of African men. The artist portrayed them as racist caricatures, and the men are holding knives, testing their edges, and sharpening teeth with an iron file. The following image depicts the woman on the ground with the men eating or carrying off her bones and severed parts of her body. Next, the men are trying on the woman's clothing; a chief is wearing her bonnet and carrying her parasol and purse/bag, another man is putting on her shoes, and another wears her skirt. The concluding artwork is a parlor scene back in the United States, wherein family and friends received a postal parcel containing a piece of the missionary's dress, her hymn book, a lock of her hair, and a shoestring. The people are shown weeping into handkerchiefs, one of them fainted and one holding the lock of hair.

A transcription of the seventh, final page of the poem--and the moral of the tale--is: "Oh gentle maid, on good intent, / Who would in 'Missions' lead the van, / Take warning from this maid, who went / Afar to free from Ignorance' ban. / Do all the good that here you can / Where you may have a little ease; / 'Home Missions' try on some one man - / Or two or more, if so you please, - / But do not try the Asamese."

Collection

Charley's Last Voyage Round the World, 1857

1 volume

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 .

Collection

Charley's Last Voyage Round the World, 1857

1 volume

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 .

Collection

Commonplace Book, 1846-1857

1 volume

This commonplace book contains 21 poems, 1 pressed flower, and 4 pages of manuscript music. Items originally laid in the volume, a map of United States Army encampments near Corpus Christi, Texas, and a drawing of a Spanish house in St. Augustine, Florida, are housed separately. Many of the poems relate to romance, and 3 are attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

This commonplace book contains 21 poems, 1 pressed flower, and 4 pages of manuscript music. Most poems are 1-2 pages in length, and the longest is 4.5 pages. Five poems are accompanied by epigraphs, including one in Greek from Aeschylus's Oresteia, one from a Latin elegy by Sextus Propertius, and one from Chaucer's Anelida and Arcite. The book is divided into three sections, with 56 blank pages separating the first two sections, and 1 page separating the final two sections.

The first section (24 pages) contains 12 poems, three of which were inspired by the poetry of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). Subjects include nature, knights of "A hundred Years ago," and love. The second section (22 pages), entitled "Poems under various dynasties," has 9 poems about a man's love, grief, loss, and longing for his beloved. The third section (4 pages) consists of manuscript sheet music for 3 songs

The book came with two illustrated items. Two manuscript maps were drawn on the same page by Ann Maine Wells: a view of the "Camp of the Army of Occupation, Texas," near Corpus Christi, Texas; and a portion of the Texas Gulf Coast shoreline from the Rio Grande to Corpus Christi. The second item is an ink drawing by W. H. B. of an "Old house at St. Augustine" built of coquina stone and plaster (1857).

List of poems:
  • First section
    • "Little Mosses, Golden Mosses"
    • "Daiduchus" (with German epigraph from Goethe’s poem "An den Mond")
    • "At the Ford"
    • "A Hundred Years Ago"
    • Untitled ("O foolish flowers!...")
    • Untitled ("It is over; let me rest...")
    • "From Goethe"
    • "Evening" (with note: "On Lake Horicon")
    • Untitled ("Yesterday is dead!...")
    • Untitled ("I drew it to its full soft length...")
    • "From Goethe"
    • "From Goethe (Book of Zuleikha)" (with Greek epigraph from Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound)
  • Second section: Poems Under Various Dynasties
    • Untitled ("Ours is a simple tale of love...")
    • Untitled ("Thou art my morning and my evening star...")
    • Untitled ("Evening shades are falling...")
    • Untitled ("Winter's in love with the springtime...")
    • Untitled ("I have a little darling, a winsome little pet...")
    • Untitled ("Oh gentle, uncomplaining face...") (with Greek epigraph from Aeschylus's Libation Bearers)
    • Untitled ("Dear, forgive me if I weep...") (with Latin epigraph from Propertius's Elegiarum)
    • Untitled ("Without a word, without a sign...") (with penciled epigraph from Chaucer's Anelida and Arcite)
    • Untitled ("Ah, the fearless little heart...")
  • Third section
    • "Melody" (with lyrics)
    • "Nevermore" (without lyrics)
    • "Would thou wert here!" (without lyrics)
Collection

Conesus Lake Camping commonplace book, 1889

1 volume

The Conesus Lake Camping commonplace book contains poetry, drawings, and autographs compiled by a group of friends who camped near the New York lake in August 1889.

The Conesus Lake Camping commonplace book contains poetry, drawings, and autographs compiled by a group of friends who camped near the New York lake in August 1889. The loosely bound, 32-page volume opens with an inscription from William Cullen Bryant's poem "The Painted Cup," (p. 1) and also includes a copy of "Of a'the Airts the wind can blaw…," a poem by Robert Burns (p. 3). Of particular interest is a cheerful and humorous narrative poem composed by a woman staying with several female friends under the watchful eye of a chaperone, Aunt Margaret, and a male "protector," Rob. The poem, entitled "Camping Out," describes each of the six members of the camping party and includes a few of their adventures as well as a hint of nostalgia (pp. 19-25; p. 10). The book also contains a series of short cheers associated with prestigious colleges, including Princeton and Yale (p. 12), and, two ink drawings of three male friends: Newton Shepard, William S. Church, and F. B. Foster. One drawing, a tree labeled "Log Cabin" and adorned by an owl (p. 5), appears to be a detail of a larger image of a log cabin labeled "Eagle Point" (p. 32). The book also contains a number of autographs collected from camp visitors from around the country.

Collection

Emile Tauzin commonplace book, 1852-[1865?]

1 volume

This commonplace book belonged to Emile M. Tauzin of Natchitoches, Louisiana, and at least one other author in the 1850s and 1860s. The volume contains French poetry and horoscopes, parlor games, and a letter draft about a Natchitoches resident's experiences during the Civil War.

This commonplace book (37 pages) belonged to Emile M. Tauzin of Natchitoches, Louisiana, and at least one other author in the 1850s and 1860s. The volume contains French poetry and horoscopes, parlor games, and a letter draft about a Natchitoches resident's experiences during the Civil War.

Four French poems (pages 1-2 and 34-36) include a tribute to the state of Louisiana, a poem dedicated to the author's father (dated September 6, 1854), and a poem about a small fowl. One poem, entitled "Tous les Braves," is attributed to Charles D. Paradis, who dedicated the poem to Tauzin. Horoscopes for men and women, also in French, appear on pages 19-29; the men's horoscopes are incomplete. One owner used the book to record several questions for a parlor game (pp. 3-18), each accompanied by 40 possible answers, both humorous and serious. The questions are supposed to foretell topics such as personality, marriage, future disposition, and the number of slaves the respondent would own.

A later owner used the volume for a draft letter to his or her aunts Mary and Josephine (pages 30-37). The letter begins on page 32, and is written over the French poetry on pages 34, 35, and 36. After expressing pleasure about hearing that the recipients also sympathized with the Confederacy, the author recounted his or her experiences during the Union Army's occupation of Natchitoches during the Civil War. According to the letter, federal troops raided stores for goods to distribute to former slaves, threatened to shell the town, and disinterred a child's body to search for valuables.

Collection

Illustrated scrapbook, 1850s-1870s

1 volume

This scrapbook includes clipped articles and images, original drawings, and written entries within the pages of a 1850s blankbook of receipts. Contextual clues indicate that individual(s) added to the volume at later dates, pasting clippings over used pages, and internal evidence suggests at least one compiler may have lived in Maine. Original drawings primarily center on themes of violent encounters between scouts and Native Americans, romantic entanglements, and conflict. Sometimes illustrated newspaper and magazine clippings are pasted throughout the volume, many relating to themes of marriage, love, women, family, and memory. Several pages were used to copy a portion of an undated letter, an essay, and a manuscript poem.

The individual(s) who created this scrapbook pasted items, drew scenes, and wrote entries within the pages of a 1850s blankbook of receipts, seemingly created for use by a Boston shipping or exportation company. Contextual clues indicate that persons added to the volume at later dates, pasting clippings over used pages, and internal evidence suggests at least one compiler may have lived in Maine.

Penmanship exercises and short notes are written on many of the pages, either where no additional content has been added or where clippings have been pasted on top. The names James Randall Reeves and Orren Cunningham appear on some of these pages, as well as place names of Bennington and Windsor, Maine, possibly indicating one of the early owners of the volume. The handwriting appears to match the text that accompanies the original illustrations.

Original drawings made using pencil, colored pencil, and ink can be found throughout the volume, sometimes with dates added, ranging from 1863 to 1869. Remnants of clippings that had previously been affixed to the page indicate that an owner of the volume must have pasted items into the scrapbook at a later date than the drawings were originally produced. Many of the images depict scenes of conflict or relate to two fictional characters, Hezekiah and Ezekiel. The two men appear to be scouts, and the images depict their encounters with villains, Native Americans, and a love interest, Flora. Violence, unrequited love, and emotional disappointment are central themes, and the concept of a "gas of hope" that spontaneously streams from Ezekial's head appears several times when the character experiences excitement or distress.

The following is a complete list of original drawings:
  • Page 1: "Back Villains for your lives, says Peter, or you shall all die at the break of day by Cats." At the base of the page: "Indifference.". The illustration shows a man carrying a revolver in one hand while a woman holds his other arm. She extends an arm out behind her towards two men following them, one with a darker complexion and a machete raised over his head and the other pointing a musket at them.
  • Page 3: "As the Villains again leaped against the door, an arm was thrust through the broken hand, and a voice cried out." The illustration is a nighttime scene with three men with a battering ram striking at a closed door of a house, where a man points a pistol out of an opening at them.
  • Page 6: "Rescued from fire..." (the text is partially obscured by remnants of a newspaper clipping). The drawing depicts a firefighter descending a ladder from second story that is ablaze, holding a woman in his arm.
  • Page 8: "...burly scout. A Sioux Chief captured" (the text is largely obscured by affixed clippings). The drawing shows a mustachioed man in military garb, a fur hat, and a cape who is holding a knife covered in blood. He is grabbing the arm of a Native American man who has dropped his knife and who is bleeding from a wound in his arm. Two ink drawings of insects (a beetle and a dragonfly) are pasted on the page.
  • Page 10: "Perrilous adventure of Hezekiah the Scout, under cover of the darkness at the haunted schoolhouse." The image is a nighttime scene of a small building with a man climbing through a window. Another man runs behind him saying, "stop villain stop."
  • Page 12: "The fate of Hezekiahs beaver is inevitable" and "Wonderful adventure of the Scout, Hezekiah cries out with a loud voice Ezekiel come here, help me bind these knaves." The drawing is of a bare-chested man in a green hat, holding two Native American men by the throat, one in each hand. A pencil marking indicates the year 1865.
  • Page 16: "...The robber of the Rhine" (at least one additional word is partially obscured). The drawing depicts a balding man smoking a long pipe, wearing a musket on his back, and holding a bloody sword in front of him. A pencil marking indicates the year 1866.
  • Page 18: "Death of Heavy [?]" and "Desperate adventure of Hezekiah, Slatt down in Kintuck..." The image is of a shirtless man (with a green hat) facing off with a Native American man, the former wielding his musket overhead and the latter his tomahawk each to strike the other. They stand over three dead or dying Native American men.
  • Page 21: "Ezekial, & he knows who, on sunday eve, at the schoolhouse coming from meeting, by cats." The drawing depicts a man kneeling beside a seated woman who is holding a handkerchief or piece of cloth. One of his hands is on her shoulder, the other holds one of her hands. Another man lies face down in the corner.
  • Page 24: "Weep stricken one your sorrows will have an end." Text at the bottom of the page is largely obscured by clippings, but "Ezekiel" and "Flora" are both visible. The drawing shows an upset man with mussed hair and arms akimbo, holding a handkerchief. One of the clippings over the man's head is "FIRST LOVE." A pencil marking indicates the year 1866.
  • Page 26: "A streak of hope for Ezekial." The drawing shows a smiling man wearing a yellow hat that is releasing a stream of green gas, labelled "gas of hope."
  • Page 27: "weep on str[i]cken one thy sorrows shall never end." The image depicts two men standing before a small grave with headstone reading "Dead Hope." Ezekiel, wearing a yellow hat from which "gas" spews, points down to the grave, saying, "What Have You Buried There Hezekiah." Hezekiah, barefoot, wearing a green hat and ragged pants, and holding a shovel, replies, "A. Dead Hope. I. Thought. She. Loved Me. But. She Did. Not Oh. Dear. What. Shall. I. Do Boo Hoo Boo Hoo." The illustration is marked in ink: "Drawn by Ezekiel himself in 1867."
  • Page 30: "N.E. View of the royal oak of Shag Town, May 2d 1867." The drawing is a landscape featuring a large barren tree with a wooden plank/case/contraption and musket leaning against it. A sun smiles in the sky.
  • Page 32: "View of Mud Pond, & Poccihog Hill, Sketched on the eastern rock, At half past three O'Clock." A landscape drawing shows a lake and a heavily wooded hillside. A smiling sun is in the sky and a person rows a boat on the lake.
  • Page 36: Portrait of a bearded man in military uniform, with blue and gold epaulettes.
  • Page 38: "A sorrowful meeting of the two scouts, Dialogue. Ezekial - 'Oh the letter, the letter, she loves me not.' Hezekiah - "Weep not Bro Scout, I pronounce it a forgery, by cats." The image is of two men wearing hats, muskets, and powder horns. One holds a slain animal in his hand, and the other cries while holding a letter and gas spews from his hat.
  • Page 40: "Tallow plenty, or courting by candle-light, Stebbins telling Flora about his farm, out west." The drawing is an interior scene of a room with wallpaper, curtains, chairs, and a table. A man and woman embrace while holding candles, and additional candles are located on the table, chair, and floor.
  • Page 44: Text at the top of the page is partially obscured but reads in part, "Bachelor . . . the famous scout," while additional text at the bottom reads "The inocent subject of my contempt by day, and my dreams by night." The drawing is a portrait of a man in a rumpled green hat, shirt, and suspenders, likely representing Hezekiah. A printed, pasted-on caption reads "THE GHOST OF OAK GROVE."
  • Page 46: The letters "P.L.L." appear at the top of the page, and the note "Signed in the first degree, P.L.L." appears beside a highly stereotyped pencil portrait of an African American man.
  • Page 48: Portrait of a bearded man.
  • Page 50: Portrait of a man with moustache and goatee, with the text, "Art. Miller, California" written beside him.
  • Page 52: "Poor old maniac, but once powerful scout, now dwindled away with sorrow for the lost Flora." The image shows Ezekial holding a wooden cane and a large "grief bag" on his back that has a vent spewing gas. On the bag is a printed, pasted-on caption reading "THE HAND OF FATE". He is wearing ragged pants and his hat spews green gas. Hezekiah wears his green hat and proffers something to Ezekial, saying, "Poor old fellow you must be hungry. Can I do anything for you, you seem to be weary of life. I guess I take you to a place of safety at once." Ezekial: "Answers with great vigor. I'm not hungry it is grief that gnaws like hunger at my very vitals. No never. You are the man that ruined me, if I was a smart man as I [...] I would kill you."
  • Page 54: "Ezekial goes home with -- gets near home when the old scout jumps through the gateway inclosed in a sheet, See the consequences, of his rush act." The image shows a man draped in a white sheet standing in the doorway of a round stone structure. A well-dressed man and woman run apart from each other, leaving their hats on the ground. On the opposite page, several notes are written: "The identical hat worn by Hezekiah at the siege of Tattletown"; "The hat worn by Hezekiah at the destruction of Troy"; and "The sad effects of first love."
  • Page 56: A man wearing a feathered hat and cape brandishes a sword while standing with one foot on the back of a slain man who has dropped his sword. He continues to fight with a man in a robe with a cross on it. A woman sits on the ground with a hand to her head. A printed, pasted-on caption reads "WHO''S TO WIN." A pencil marking indicates the year 1869.
  • Page 58: "The burly scout, the stabbed scout, & Frankrifle, outscouted, by the bank scout at the old barn . . . gets valuable information concerning the conspiracy, by cats." The image shows four men in a hayloft, one, likely Ezekial, wears a yellow hat that is expelling gas. A printed, pasted-on caption reads "HUNTED DOWN."
  • Page 60: "In dishabille," and at the bottom of the page: "Stebbins - 'Get out of my bed, Oh get out of my bed!" The drawing is of a woman wearing a shift and draped with a blanket reclining in a bed. A man in a nightshirt is seated on floor gesticulating at her.
  • Page 62: "Who's Been here?" The drawing shows a woman looking out the window, while a man in a nightshirt, carrying the rest of his clothes, flees from the open door. A nicely dressed man with cane approaches him. A printed, pasted-on caption reads "TAUGHT BY EXPERIENCE."
  • Page 64: "My idea of domestic bliss. or High life in the Lowlands." Text at the bottom of the page reads, "Stebbins about played out. 20 years hence." The drawing shows a man holding a hatchet in one hand, while wearing ragged clothing and a green hat spewing gas. A woman hits him over the head with a broom, while many small children are strewn about the floor and pull on the adults. A pencil marking indicates the year 1864.
  • Page 66: A flying lizard/dragon with a shouting sun.
  • Page 90: A checkerboard.

Newspaper and magazine clippings are pasted throughout the volume. While content varies, many relate to themes of marriage, love, women, family, and memory. Poetry is heavily represented. A fair number of the clippings include jokes, humor, and wordplay. Several are directions for household maintenance or preventing pests, and a number of others relate to scientific topics.

In addition to articles and written text, the compiler also pasted in clipped illustrations from newspapers and magazines. Several feature Union Army officers, most of whom appear to have a connection to New York State. Landscapes of New York City and the Amazon River are also included, as well as several satirical illustrations and animals.

A number of the printed images relate to women, including Tennie C. Claflin, Victoria C. Woodhull, and Elizabeth R. Tilton. Rev. Henry Ward Beecher's image appears twice in the volume, including once where he is placed facing Elizabeth R. Tilton and a chain connecting the figures by the nose has been added in by pen (page 14). A short poem written in ink appears below it, reading:

Henry W. B., so buoyant with glee,

And Lizzie R. T., so innocent and free,

As happy as bees in the sweet apple trees

Raised a slight (?) breeze and made the whole world sneeze!

Several pages appear to have been used to copy a portion of an undated letter, which referenced a trip from Portland to Augusta, Maine, on the Maine Central Railroad, attitudes towards funerals, the teaching profession, arguments, and placebos (beginning page 57). Another passage appears to be an essay entitled, "to old Bachelors & maids" (pages 86-88) and a manuscript poem is written on the back inside cover that seems related to scouts and Native Americans.

Collection

Irene Levis Roberts album, 1844-1863

1 volume

The Irene Levis Roberts album, entitled "Flowers of Loveliness," contains poems by W. H. Green and A. H. Roberts of Smyrna, Delaware, and Edmund Brewster Green of New York, New York. A note about Roberts's baptism is also present.

The Irene Levis Roberts album, which has the title "Flowers of Loveliness" imprinted on the cover, includes 9 entries (17 total pages): 8 poems and 1 note. The poetry, mostly written by A. H. Roberts, concerns topics such as nature and the seasons, religion, travel, and death (see below for a full list of titles). The note by Thomas C. Murphy, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church in Smyrna, Delaware, pertains to the baptism of Irene L. Roberts on performed on March 11, 1855. Colorful crayon scribbles appear over one of the poems and on several of the later pages.

The book contains a series of colored prints show women dressed and decorated as flowers, each representative of a virtue.

Poems:
  • "To My Niece," by W. L. Green, November 25, 1852 (1 page)
  • "The Flight of Time," by Edmund Brewster Green, September 7, 1844 (2 pages)
  • "To My Friends," by A. H. Roberts, undated (2 pages)
  • "On the Death of Mrs. S. M. of This Place," by A. H. Roberts, undated (2 pages)
  • "Lines Suggested on Witnessing the Burial of Mr. D. Carr, Respectfully Addressed to His Widow," by A. H. Roberts, undated (2 pages)
  • "The Home of the Christian," by A. H. Roberts, undated (2 pages)
  • "The Hindoo Mother," by A. H. Roberts, undated (3 pages)
  • "Reflections on My Past Visits to Cantwells Bridge, Addressed to E. D. Clark," by A. H. Roberts, copied by I. Roberts, May 1863 (2 pages)
Collection

Journal of a Voyage from Kennebunk to New Orleans and commonplace book, 1852-1853, 1857-1887

1 volume

This volume contains an anonymous journal of a voyage from Kennebunk, Maine, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio, between December 9, 1852, and January 24, 1853, as well as poetry, short stories, and essays composed by a second unknown writer between May 1857 and February 1887. One poem and one story concern the Civil War, and the author composed biographical essays about prominent individuals, families, and other topics.

This volume contains an anonymous journal of a voyage from Kennebunk, Maine, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio, between December 9, 1852, and January 24, 1853 (21 pages), as well as poetry, short stories, and essays composed by a second unknown writer between May 1857 and February 1887 (117 pages). One poem and one story concern the Civil War, and the author frequently composed biographical essays about prominent individuals, families, and other topics.

The first 21 pages, titled "Journal of a voyage from Kennebunk to New Orleans," are made up of daily diary entries composed during a voyage from Maine to Louisiana and from Louisiana to Ohio. The author embarked from Kennebunk, Maine, onboard the Golden Eagle (commanded by Captain Nathaniel Thompson) on December 9, 1852, and made daily observations about life at sea. As the Golden Eagle approached Florida in late December, he described the scenery in the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, and coastal Louisiana. On one occasion, the ship encountered a boat transporting slaves to New Orleans. The author arrived in New Orleans on December 28, where he wrote about some of his experiences in the city, such as a visit to the cattle market. On January 12, he boarded the steamer Yorktown for a journey up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Cincinnati. He noted the cities passed along the way, such as Vicksburg and Memphis, and described southern plantations, making note of their use of slave labor. On January 15, he reported that the Yorktown had taken a newly purchased African American family onboard, who entertained the passengers with dancing and music. By the final entry, dated January 24, 1853, the author had just passed Evansville, Indiana.

The volume also contains a commonplace book, in which the writer composed 117 pages of poetry, short stories, and essay. Several poems are translations of German poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Ludwig Uhland, and others appear to be original compositions. Among the latter is "Our Native Land," a patriotic verse written in March 1863, and additional poetry dated June 1869. The author wrote one short story in March 1862. An essay, "the Presentiment," consists of recollections of a war-era soldiers' relief society worker and a story respecting a woman's premonition of her own death. Biographical sketches and essays comprise most of the remaining material and are often annotated with small edits. Persons of interest include Horace Walpole, William Cowper, Nassau family members, Michael Faraday, Sir Philip Sidney, Norman Macleod, Dr. John Brown, and Henry of Navarre. Other essays concern the "Besor brook" in Judaea, the rivers of Babylon, and the telegraph.

A financial account between Charles Thompson and Nathaniel L. Thompson, settled in Kennebunk, Maine, on January 1, 1856, is laid into the volume.

Collection

Manuscript Sheet Music collection, 1801-1923 (majority within 1850s-1890s)

0.25 linear feet

The Manuscript Sheet Music collection is made up of manuscript music scores, correspondence, and composers' autographs.

The Manuscript Sheet Music collection (approximately 140 items) contains manuscript music scores and composers' autographs, as well as correspondence and other items.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of around 80 music scores, which range in length from one line to several pages; some are complete works, and some are fragments. Most of the brief melodies are accompanied by the composers' signatures and may have been intended as autograph gifts. The longer works are mainly piano and/or vocal scores, and some include lines for violin with piano accompaniment. Lyrics, when present, are written in English and German. Some of the scores are dated and signed, and a few were written in German cities. The cover of the score for "Barcarola" includes an engraving of "The Great Western crossing the Atlantic," and Harry Keyser's "Two Etudes for Pianoforte" is accompanied by a letter by the composer. A manuscript music book belonging to "Th. Hämb, Junior" contains several short pieces with lyrics in a Nordic language.

Additional autographed items include 25 autograph cards, 8 autograph musical quotations, 10 sheets of paper (some with inscriptions), and a photograph of violinist A. Rivarde. Many of the autographed cards, which are the size of business cards or visiting cards, are dated at Chicago in the mid- to late 1880s. The collection's 8 letters (in English, German, and Italian) include one man's opinion of a performance of "Wanda" and a letter illustrated with lines of music. Additional items are a program for a Manchester, New Hampshire, performance of the comic opera Jonah, an ink drawing of a decaying stone building, and lines of poetry or musical lyrics.