Maritime Manuscripts (Catalog) - Xerxes Books, Booksellers to the World Since 1980

Maritime Manuscripts:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . COLLECTION OF 29 MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENTS RELATING TO SHIP SPEEDWELL 1803-07
Most are receipts to individuals for work done on the ship Speedwell of Philadelphia. One concerns insurance with Wharton and Lewis company; one concerns cargo. All legible. Most on slips of paper. All fully mss. VG condition. (a13142)
$150.00 (original manuscript letter) . ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT LETTER FROM P or I (initial is hard to read) RICHARDS ADDRESSED TO CAPT WILLIAM RICHARDS IN PHILADELPHIA
Richard is writing to My Dear Wife. Letter is dated Thursday May 14th - letter looks late 18th century from paper and style. Richard is aboard ship somewhere. It is a sweet love letter and ends with: my love to my dear children, etc. Easily legible. One 4to page in bold brown ink, folded to 3-1/2 x 4. Good, cracking along some folds. (a78273)
$45.00Johnston, Capt. Alexander. TWO ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT LETTERS WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER JOHNSTON TO CAPT. JOHNSTON IN CARE OF HAZEN KIMBALE ESQ. OF SAVANNAH 1819
1819 letters densely written but easy to read , 4to, written from Wiscasset, Maine, February and March 1819. One letter is 3 pages long, other 1 page. Each has original red postal ink wax seal residue. Concern shipping business, cargo details, destinations, and so on. Details: first letter is written from Wiscasset Feb 4 or 14, 1819 to "Dr. Brother" 2 page detailed letter about business eg offers ox hides or $5.75 per 100. Some things he is eyeing to purchase. "I could purchase better hay than any you had at 8 cents per ton if i had money." other business concerns, eg "I have often felt anxious about the Charleston money" etc. Letter 2: also written from Wiscasset, March 4, 1819 . also written to his brother. Also a business letter . Begins: "Since my last to you I have received a very polite letter frm Alex rown & Sons, Baltimore, acknowledging the receipt of our joint (? illegible to me)...so that business is settled." on other matters: "Hunt is poor and must be paid half or more when making the brick. " "Elwell has sold Buck Point Farm and Mills to a Mr. Maguire of Boston for $8000 - pretty good price." this letter is only one page. Faint cancel stamp on both letters. Good. Pair: (a78275)
$99.00 Gray, Capt. Joshua . THREE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT LETTERS WRITTEN BY CAPT. JOSHUA GRAY OF NORTH YARMOUTH, MAINE, DATED 1835, 1836 AND 1838
Three original handwritten letters, 4to, all letter written from New York. 1835 letter to Dear Wife who lived in Maine, 3 dense pages; 1836 to Dear Sir, 2 pageS; 1838 to his Mother in Maine, 1 page. Each has original red postal ink wax seal residue. Concern family matters, shipping business, cargo details, destinations, and so on. Red cancel stamps on all 3 letters. All folded to 3x5 inches. All Near VG with some wear, small hole caused by wax stamp, etc. (a78276)
$145.00 Morrill, Philip and E. T. Morrill of Belfast, Maine . COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL 1831 CORRESPONDENCE OF PHILIP AND E. T. MORRILL OF BELFAST, MAINE, TO THE BOSTON FIRM OF SULLIVAN & BARBOUR, MERCHANTS
27 large-size (all open to 4to) letters. All in neat ink handwritting and signed. all original. Dated at Belfast, January 20 - November 14, 1831. All concern mutual marine business matters. The correspondence deals largely with various vessels - the Albert, Mechanic, Pres. Jackson and the Union - and their captains - John Schute, Eastman, Clark, Vinal and Patterson. These men and their ships moved cargo ordered by Sullivan & Barbour. Thus: "We have shipped by the Pres. Jackson 1 Barrel Cheango Potatoes, which you will please to accept - we think them better than any thing of the kind you get in Boston - and we should be pleased to supply you & and your friends at 3/ per bushel - which by & by you will not think an extravagent price, as the crop is very short." On September 26th Philip Morrill writes "When in Boston I bought a gang of Rigging of Mssr J & J. Wilson - Capt. Barnes made arrangements to have the lower standing rigging fitted in Boston, and gave Mssr. Wilson's directions to ship it by Schr. Dispatch, Capt Couzens, when called for - the Dispatch arrived yesterday bringing only the fitting rigging..." Good to VG, a few small holes due to sealing wax. Lot of 27 letters: (a78282)
$420.00 Vanderbilt, Cornelius . CRUISE OF THE 'NORTH STAR' APRIL AND MAY 1903
1903. Log of Yacht cruise from England to Tangier, Gibralter, Nice, Venice, Sicily, Malta, etc. On boards were Mr and Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt (Cornelius being the great grandson of the famous financier Cornelius Vanderbilt), Miss Blight, Marquis de la Garara and Mr R. T. Crane Jr. plus crew. Hardcover. Typescript bound in 3/4 blue leather. 4to., 72p., fine color map showing route of cruise, finely bound with raised spine bands, fancy gilt and color end papersInternally Near Fine; cover is VG with slight cover wear.. Rare, likely Unique copy of this yacht trip. (a87351)
$1800.00Herzog, Larry K.. A LANDLUBBER WRITES THE LOG - BEING A TALE OF THE HAPPENINGS ABOARD THE VIRRUTH ON HER ROUND TRIP JOURNEY FROM CITY ISLAND, NEW YORK TO WOODS HOLE, MASSACHUSETTS, SEPTEMBER...1930 (signed)
1930. Cruise was taken on a sail boat yawl with an auxiliary motor from Septeber 12 to 17, 1930 and was the author's first sea journey. Copy No. 3 of only four privately printed. **Signed by L. K. Herzog. Hardcover. 4to., 94 leaves (printed on rectos only), with 45 original small photographs mounted in the text plus 4 full page printed sailing maps, limp leather.. Some exciting hours at sea - good reading. (On 15 September, for example, they were caught in a fierce storm and were relying on a lighthouse light to avoid disaster when the lighthouse light went dark for some reason and they had to rely on their wits and a gong buoy to survive.) Cover very worn, blank end papers present but detached. However text binding is quite secure and text VG plus. (a87352)
$600.00 O'Connor, Vincent Clarence Scott . DANUBE VOYAGE MANUSCRIPT JULY 1932 - OCTOBER 1932
One volume, folio, fully ink manuscript. Author's original manuscript, 365 leaves (but about 60 leaves are blank), bound in later wraps. A few sheets of loose notes are laid in. O'Connor, 1869-1945, was a writer with many books to his credit including Silken East, Mandalay, Travels in the Pyrenees, Charm of Kashmir, etc. Cover slip under the paperclip appears to be in handwriting of O'Connor and reads: "Short Story "Old Soldiers" by V C Scott O'Connor author of The Science of War , The Silken East etc. and was found with other manuscripts of his after he died. " No tearing, no staining in text. Binding secure. Legible. VG. (a87397)
$800.00 Anonymous . ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN DIARY OF SOUTHAMPTON PORT , ENGLAND, DOCKMASTER (?) 1869-1873
Single volume. Sm.4to., 287p. (no blanks), marbled boards with leather spine. Entirely manuscript. Title of first page: "Diary Commencing Sunday Oct 3, 1869 at Colombo, Ceylon". Diary ends April 13, 1873. First 38 pages are very interesting as the diarist describes in fine detail- with frequent touches of dry humor - his adventures as he travels on the Simla Steamship from Colombo, through the Suez Canal, back to London. He mentions that he has taken this trip before. The rest of the diary is written in England, apparently in Southampton and most all entries follow a pattern of first describing the day's weather and then listing ships going in or out, their passengers, and/or their cargo (usually coal, slate or peat). A few personal notes are given but not often. On his way up to the Suez Canal, the Simla stops to pick up coal. Diarist writes: "Aden is very rocky with a dry scorched burnt appearance little or no soil & no vegetation...hot & the glare of the sun exceedingly effecting to the eye." He goes inland to a settlement where he finds "half a dozen of the Simla passengers surrounded by almost two dozen of native trading Jews particularly anxious to pass their wares ostrich eggs and feathers....the din and noise they made baffles description drowning our voices so that we could not hear each other speak...After a quarter of an hour spent in the noisy battling with our salesmen, I became the purchaser of some ostrich feather white and gray." Later in trip the ship's Lieut. Col. Lacy "died suddenly after a few hours illness of heat apoplexy". The next day the ship's chaplain refuses to assist at the funeral services as he believed Lacy brought on his own death by drinking too much. Typical entries once back in London: "January 9, 1872 . Light airs and colam. Reaper sailed at morn...light breeze from NE with rain second case of diptheria reported in Island at Windbreck. Dr. Logic came here on sunday ." "July 3, 1872. Moderate light breeze...Boat off for first load of peats. Simson came in with cargo of slates." From the text is seem likely that the diarist worked either as the Dockmaster or employee of some sort at the Southhampton dock or as an employee of a shipping company located in that area. Some names mentioned in the diary: J. W. Heddle, Capt. James Cromarty, J. W. Laughton and his son John, John Storach and Charles Henry Sparkes. Diarist does say his brother-in-law was Samuel L. Louttie who died unexpectedly on October 22, 1869. Another interesting note is that diarist mentions that "The Bank" began July 15, 1872. Neat and legible. Diary is in near VG condition with no spotting or tears but some light cover wear. (a87745)
$950.00 Leighton, James Orde . ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPH SIGNATURE
Autograph of James Orde Leighton on single piece of paper, 8x3 inches. Leighton was an interesting character: born in New York City, served as a Commodore in the U.S. Navy, midshipman in 1800, served at Trippoli, served on "Chesapeake" in battle with "Leopard", commanded "Rattlesnake" in 1813, made captain in 1816 and died in Sing Sing in 1838. VG. (a88204)
$45.00