Search

This volume contains D. Coffin's daily account of the first leg of a sea voyage from New York City to California, covering the progress of the clipper ship Grecian between New York and Cape Horn in early 1852. The journal also includes drawings of scenery made during the voyage, newspaper clippings, penmanship exercises, and children's sketches.

This volume contains a 20-page daily account of the first leg of D. Coffin's voyage from New York City to California, covering the progress of the clipper ship Grecian between New York and Cape Horn in early 1852. The journal also includes 18 coastal profiles drawn in pencil during the voyage. A newspaper clipping at the beginning of the volume concerns the clipper ship Grecian's arrival in San Francisco. It provides names of passengers, names of three people who died during the voyage, a list of goods shipped onboard, and names of consignees.

The journal begins on February 19, 1852. The following day, Coffin arrived in New York, where he purchased a ticket for the ship Grecian, which set sail on March 2. In his first entry, he detailed the ship's specifications, including its size and number of passengers. He kept a daily record of weather and events onboard and frequently mentioned his negative opinion of "immoral" passengers who enjoyed alcohol and gambling. Several of the entries concern medical problems, such as the death of passenger John Morrison from smallpox on March 12, the author's own bout with side and bowel pain, and several other cases of smallpox reported by the ship's doctor on March 21. Though many passengers suffered from illness, they were allowed to go onshore after the ship's arrival at Rio de Janeiro on April 12. Coffin wrote lengthy descriptions of the fort and the city, including its geographical surroundings and a visit by the emperor. On April 15, he reported on local markets and made brief observations about slaves. The Grecian departed Rio de Janeiro on April 19 and Coffin's continued to make daily entries until April 24.

Newspaper clippings, penmanship exercises, and children's sketches make up the rest of the volume. The first 42 pages have pasted-in newspaper clippings of proverbs, humorous anecdotes, informational articles, news articles, and poetry. The creator pasted the clippings over earlier, mostly inaccessible pen writing. Some of the clippings relate to farming, housekeeping, nature, and recent gold discoveries. Two of the articles are a report on a lecture given by Lucy Stone on women's rights, and a brief feature on an "Emancipation Movement in Virginia."

Penmanship exercises and notes (two dated 1862 & 1888), signatures, and children's sketches (three associated with Edna Jane Coffin) are scattered throughout the volume. A pencil sketch of a three-masted sailing ship was signed by Mathew Doyle.

The Kidder Randolph Breese logbook covers Breese's daily activities as an aide to Commodore George W. Storer onboard the United States Frigate Brandywine along the eastern coast of South America between November 20, 1847, and October 18, 1850. The logbook, written primarily from various South American ports, records salutes given and received, the arrivals and departures of other ships, and visits by international naval personnel and other dignitaries.

The Kidder Randolph Breese logbook covers Breese's daily activities as an aide to Commodore Jacob J. Storer onboard the United States Frigate Brandywine along the eastern coast of South America between November 20, 1847, and October 18, 1850. The logbook, written primarily from various South American ports, records salutes given and received, the arrivals and departures of other ships, and visits by international naval personnel and other dignitaries.

During its South American travels, the Brandywine laid anchor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Pernambuco, Brazil. In these ports, the Brandywine regularly gave and received salutes from foreign ships, often for a related leader's birthday or other important national event: the Brazilian royal family frequently received salutes, and the Brandywine joined British ships in celebrating the anniversary of Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne (June 19-20, 1848). Breese also recorded the many visits Commodore Storer made to foreign ships, as well as those of visiting dignitaries to the Brandywine. Officials from Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and from British, French, and Spanish vessels boarded the ship. Breese carefully noted the position of various international flags hoisted during salutes and visits, and the logbook provides insight into contemporary naval protocol. Following the journal entries, which conclude on October 18, 1850, are an illustrated essay on numerical naval light signaling (3 pages), colored illustrations of various naval flags (3 pages), and a pen sketch of a rocky shore. An undated enclosed document contains a "List of sails made for U. S. Frigate U. States," including the type of sail and the number of yards of fabric used in its construction.