1899 ORIGINAL, SUPERB LOG AND TRAVEL JOURNAL OF A BUSY WORKING SCHOONER TRADING AROUND THE WORLD

On offer is the super, original manuscript log and journal of the schooner 'Corby Castle' handwritten by, we believe, Captain Russell Edwards. [A number of the first pages bear the heading with this name.] The Captain writes a wonderful account of sea worthy events, over 300 pages, all having to do with the boat's travels in 1899 on this very busy ship traveling back and forth from Newport, Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Suez, Colombo, Alexandria, Liverpool, Karachi, Rangoon, Socotra, Antwerp, Flushing, Galveston, Barry and more. All matters, technical and anecdotal, relating to the ship, cargo, travels, the ports-of-call are described in nautical lingo and one is transported to the high seas over 100 years ago. Here are some snippets that follow the numerical calculations, the longitude and latitude entries, lists of cargo and entries etc.: 1899 "January 16th, Squalls fierce with heavy rain…Several vessels in company. Sea increasing rapidly. Weather ugly. Gale increasing and Squalls violent with hail and rain. Very high sea, shipping water fore and aft. Decks flooded fore and aft. Forward awnings, bars and stanchions washed away and destroyed by sea. After winch, steam pipes and covers washed up and badly damaged. Fastenings broken. No abatement. Tremendous confused sea. Ships slowed down since 3 p.m. Head sea better. Squalls of hurricane force. No improvement, Dangerous high sea. Decks flooded……." "January 17th, Gale decreasing but mountainous sea. Weather improving sea truer. Kept ship away on course "full speed". Frequent heavy squalls and hail but great improvement. Fresh breeze, heavy beam sea, shipping sea, water aft at times…..Williams A. B. knocked down by sea on after deck, leg badly hurt. Sea still very heavy. Williams and Johnson A.B. off duty, sick list." "March 12th, (In Rangoon) Went for a drive to the Lakes with Baugh and Georgie. Met the Vaillant's. After dined with Baugh and Georgie. Had dinner on board then went with the Gardner's to Valliant's. Had some good music and singing." "May 26th, Had letter from Marion and sent one……Stopped took on board Port Said pilot, proceeded. Moored in Port Said Harbor. Started coaling. Took in tons coal. Finished at 5:45 p.m. Took electric light on board. Canal pilot on board, got underway….." "June 27th, Strong breeze. S.W. fine. Clouded sky. Very high sea, ship plunging and taking large quantities of water on board. Noon no change. Steam pipe covering abreast of No. 1 hatch broken away from fastening. Hole in latch flagged. Very heavy sea. Weather clear overhead. Misty round horizon." "August 5th, Cargo on board; Cement, Lime, machinery, preserved vegetables, toys, porcelain, paper, glassware, nitrate of potash, carbonate of magnesia, tea salt, perfumery, talc, coco chlorate potash, wash blue, acetate of soda, slate pencils, ware." There are so many entries like the ones above but he also got a rather sensitive side and one finds some poetry written in the front: "Kind messages that pass from land to land. Kind letters that betray the heart's deep history. In which we feel the pressure of a hand. One touch of fire and all the rest is mystery." "The words we do not say. Deeper then cords that search the soul and die, mocking to ashes color's hot away. Closer then touch within our hearts they lie, the words we do not say." He also mentions the other ships they see. The journal measures about 8 ¼" x 10 ½". The front cover has come loose from the binding but is accounted for, the outside cover spine is torn and the binding and pages are all securely attached but overall G.