1870 HANDWRITTEN TRAVEL DIARY AND EYEWITNESS TO THE BEGINNING OF THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR

On offer is an original, exciting handwritten European travel diary beginning April 30th, 1870 and ending about 3 ½ months later on August 10th, specifically used to record one person's adventures on board a steamer sailing to Europe. While unidentified our author was very faithful with their journaling during the 3 ½ months touring England, Ireland, and in particular France as she was a witness to the beginnings of the Franco-Prussian War and for all intents and purposes the beginning of the modern Era for France, Germany and all of Europe. Mere days before the war begins she sees the King of Prussia gambling and she reports of the difficulties in getting money all of a sudden. Here are snippets: 1870 "April 30th, Left New York in Steamer "City of Brooklyn" at 1 ½ p.m. Left Sandy Hook 5 p.m. Fine weather." "May 5th, Clear and smooth. Very narrow escape last night. Dark and rather thick. Steamer attempted to cross our bow. Came within 30 ft. of her. If we had struck here would have sank us both." "May 8th, Beautiful day. Nemesis close to us trying to pass us." "May 9th, Clear and fine. No wind. Raced with Nemesis all day. Beat her about 2 miles loaded with very heavy with corn in bulk. Nemesis with light load of cotton. Saw land at 2 p.m. Cape Clear. Passed ______light. Arrived at Queenstown at 9:30. Took the tender to wharf. Stopped at Victoria Hotel. First acquaintance with custom's house." "May 10th, Took a walk about Queenstown. Beautiful town. 2:15 took steamer for Cork, up River Lee. Passed some beautiful mansions and old castles…..Reached Cork at 3. Went to Imperial Hotel. Took jaunting care to Blarney Castle. Beautiful roads to Cork." "May 11th, Rainy. Left Cork for Mallon at 2 ½ p.m. Staid at Mallon 3 hrs. Visited Mallon Castle on the Black water. Took cars at 7 p.m. for Killarney. Reached Killarney at 9:15. Took omni bus for Victoria Hotel 2 miles and arrived just before a very severe storm of rain and wind." "May 17th, Started early for Kinstown. Took steamer for Holyhead. Nasty rainy day and the worst possible sea. Was sick about 5 minutes. Crossed the Atlantic without feeling bad. Arrived at Holyhead at 11 a.m. Rode in car through Wales to Chester. Beautiful ride by seashore on one side and mountains on the other. Saw several old castles." "May 25th, (Touring London) Visited the British Museum. Saw the Egyptian relics Nineveh's sculptures, Elgin Marbles &c. Then to regents Park and went through the Zoological Gardens. Afterward to the Watercolor Society exhibition. Saw some fine watercolors by Birket Foster, Gilbert Watson, Walker Calton, Topham &c." (Talks about seeing the Dreadnought Hospital ship, Greenwich hospital observatory, White Hart Hotel and more). "June 1st, (Paris) At 9 ½ took one of the meanest boats in existence for Calais. Took a private cabin on deck and was charged 1 pound for 1 ½ hours. Took cars at Calais. Went to Boulogne and Amiens. Arrived at Paris at 6. Got trunks through all right. Went to Hotel Rivoli Rue de Rivoli. Front room looking into the Tuileries Garden." "June 12th, Went up to Long Champs by Bois de Bore with carriages and then to the races. The Grand Paris. Great crowd of first class carriages. Saw the Emperor, Empress and Prince Imperial on the way back down avenue Champs-Elysees. There was a fine display of turnouts and an immense crowd of lookers on." "June 22nd, Went to the Allen Line to see about passage. At 1 took guide. Went to Pere Lachaise Cemetery. A queer ugly looking mixed pile of tombs…." "July 1st, At Oberlahnstein. Afternoon went to Emsbad, ems of Bathems. Saw the King of Prussia and gambling in the great gambling room, Rouge et Noir and Roulette, same as at Baden Baden. Men and women, croupiers, everything in regal. Went upon the heights above the town……beautiful view." "July 20th, Find that the war is raising particular with everything, almost impossible to get gold and all other money is at discount. The French government have taken the train on the Paris RR and everything is likely to be disagreeable." "July 29th, Started for London by the Dreppe (?) Steamer. At 9:50 reached Rouen at 12. Dreppe at 2. Sea very rough, no staterooms. Hired the captain's room. All sick. Got to London at 11 ½ at Morley's Hotel. Same rooms as before." "August 8th, Went aboard the Batavia and found my trunk…..At 5 sailed from Liverpool. Very still and quiet. Sun set in a little fog." The diary measures about 3 ½" x 6" and has a very worn cover and pulling away from the binding. 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