[Rarebooks] FS: Handwritten Ship's Log, 1861

[Bob Petrilla]

Pike, Edmund J. LOGBOOK OF A VOYAGE FROM LONDON TO NEW YORK - SHIP
"CASTILIAN" - N. PROCTER COMMANDER - KEPT BY EDMUND J. PIKE - NOV. 5, 1861
[manuscript]: along with journals of other voyages. Original manuscript.
94pp, handwritten in ink. The London-New York journal, dated Nov. 5, 1861,
occupies the first 16pp. Page 17 is titled "Harbor Journal, New York,
Saturday, December 7-10, '61." Pages 18-21 are headed "From New York
towards Boston, Ship Castilian, N. Procter, Wednesday, Dec. 11 - Wednesday,
Dec. 18, '61." Page 22, blank. Pages 23-86 contain "Journal of a Voyage
from Boston to Batavia, Ship Castilian, N. Procter, Thursday, Jan 23 - May
30." Pages 87-89 are titled "Harbor Journal, Batavia, May 30th - Friday,
June 27th." Pages 90-95 are headed "From Batavia...," written so lightly as
to be barely legible. Some scuffing and wear to leather corners. 15" x 9.5"
Very Good. Leather-backed boards.
The Ship 'Castilian' log was recorded by Pike in a ledger book with the
bookplate of Palmer & Sutton, Wholesale Stationers, Engravers & Printers,
34 Cratchet Friars Mark Lane, London, E.C. The log contains frequent,
sometimes hourly, entries for each day of the voyage: latitude & longitude,
bearings, wind directions, rigging of sails, etc. It was a rough crossing
from London to New York, with typical entries of this sort: "Strong gales
from the southard...Took in at 1:30 PM Main sail, Foresail, Mizzen
topsail...Hauled down jibs and reef...Gale increasing rapidly. Laying
to...." The heavy gale lasts several days until, finally, on Sunday 24 Nov:
"This day comes in with calm weather," all sails are set, etc. Dec. 6,
Highland Lights are seen in the distance; the 'Castilian passes' Sandy
Hook. Next day, they are in New York Harbor - "crew employed cleaning ship
outside & in....At 11:30 we were run into by the Breman bark 'Columbia' -
received no damage."  Dec. 9: "...five of the ship's crew [names them]
refused to do duty in the ship to Boston...." Captain Procter orders that
the men be put down between decks. Next morning, the handcuffs are taken
off Henry Burr who is now ready to return to duty. ~~ They set sail for
Boston on Dec. 11, 1861. "Two other men [names them] decided to go to their
work and were taken out of irons." The 'Castilian' bids farewell to the
Highland Lights amid strong gales and heavy rain. Thursday, Dec. 12, strong
gales continue blowing as the ship passes Fire Island at 4 PM and makes
South Hampton by 5 PM. Sails are furled as the wind rages, and the
'Castilian' makes land at Long Island. By 6 PM on Dec. 13, they have set
the flying jib and are passing Montauk Light. Two men are still in irons.
Checkpoints are noted as the ship passes them. Sunday, Dec. 15, "Made the
Nauset at 5:30 PM. Made Cape Cod Light at 6:30 PM...." Winds are blowing
heavy as the ship makes Thatchers Island. By Walpole, all sails are furled.
Next day, "Come in with fine weather & clear. At 6PM hauled alongside of
the Wharf in Charlestown, and made the Ship properly fast. Crew left. ~~ As
the 'Castilian' sets sail for Batavia on Jan 23, 1862, again it "comes in
with heavy gales ....Paid out to the sixty fathoms of chain. Ship dragged."
At 2 AM on the 26th, "A pilot came aboard and proceeded to sea...." On the
28th, "sea running high. Deck flooded with water...." Squalls persist until
Jan. 30 when "It came in with light winds and passing clouds. All hands
busy getting anchor in...." But the ship and crew were to fight through
storm after storm in days to come. By Feb. 12, they have sailed into fine
weather and are under full sail. By the 24th, the ship is "becalmed and
making no way" - soon followed by more squalls. On March 1, "threw over 4
cans roast beef--bad." Next day, another can went overboard, and again on
the 17th. Daily entries log the 'Castilian's' progress toward Batavia,
detailing weather, setting & furling of the sails, incidents on board, crew
activities, &c. On May 24, our journalist identifies himself: "Ship
Castilian - Edmund J. Pike, Mate," followed by a page of random jottings:
"E.P. Graves - Newburyport - Weeks & Potter - Porto Rico - Earnestine
Foster - America - Charlie Sumner - Douglas N. Whitman - Plantation" &c. ~~
May 30 commences the two-page Batavia Harbor Journal. The crew is "employed
in discharging cargo" until June 12th. The weather is "fine and pleasant."
~~ [According to an article published in the New York Times, October 17,
1860, and based on a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the "Castilian"
was used to transport back to Liberia, Africa, "400 of the negroes who had
been taken to Key West from captured slavers." Details of that voyage may
be found online. Previously, she had served as an immigrant ship from
Liverpool, England to New York, &c. Also online may be found images of the
ship and facts regarding some of her other voyages.] $600.00

Trade discount 20%, postpaid in US



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