RARE 1824 SHIPS LOG - CALEDONIA - CAPTAIN R. H. BARR

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RARE 1824 SHIPS LOG - CALEDONIA - CAPTAIN R. H. BARR

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Sold Date: 03/02/2008
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Fine Art

We are offering a RARE original ship's log of the sailing ship "Caledonia", dating from May 29 th , 1824 through March 29 th , 1825, recording the trip from Philadelphia to Canton , China and back again to Philadelphia . The log is hand-written in beautiful script, and contains some pencil drawings.

This is an exciting piece of maritime history dating over 180 years ago , documenting the day to day activity of the ship.

The first page of the log begins with the heading, " Ship Caledonia R. H. Barr Master from Philadelphia bound to Canton ".

The first entry is dated May 29 th and notes the passing of New Castle and Bombay Hook (which is in Delaware ). The log states that the Caledonia outsailed and passed the " Carolinian " bound for Charleston . It makes note that the Carolinian is a new ship and considered to be one of the fastest ships.

The entries in the log comment on the direction and strength of the wind, the weather, squalls, latitude and longitude, the setting of courses, and the manipulation of sails. Each page has a column denoting wind direction, followed by a column denoting course, for each day. At least once daily, and sometimes several times a day, the course was changed based upon the shifting of the wind. Also, each entry tracks the number of days out to sea, and the high and low temperature of each day.

T is mention of water-rationing, the pitching of the ship, and sea sickness. Following is an example of the type of entries in the log, "Fresh breeze and hazy at 7. Looks very threatening in Westward, reduced sail, the wind at once from an 8 knot breeze to a calm. Reduced sail. From 10 o'clock until 2 A M black awful weather and very heavy rain with continual lightning in westward, and severe thunder. Ship taken aback 3 or 4 times. Fortunately the dead lights were in otherwise the cabin would have been filled with water. Meridian pleasant breeze but a most uncomfortable and annoying head? sea."

Log mentions passing of The Cape de Verde Islands, off Africa . T is mention of a strange ship "4 or 4 ½ miles under our lee this morning". The ship signaled the Caledonia by raising 5 flags, and when not answered by the Caledonia , they hauled the flags down, and "set French colours".

An entry in the log mentions that the second officer caught a small shark. Later, with water as smooth as glass, two sharks surrounded by pilot fish played around the stern for several hours. Also a dolphin and a number of whales were slowly gliding alongside the ship. "To crown the scene, we discovered at a distance two or three cape pigeons reminding us of the cold and stormy weather we have to undergo".

The July 27 th entry describes Captain Barr's interesting method of determining their location by checking the temperature of the water and air. The entry reads, "Judging from the appearance of the water, Capt. Barr thought we were in the current along the outer edge of the bank, which runs to the westward, he tried the temperature of the water by the thermometer at 8 o'clock, and at meridian, which gave the following results." (Then goes on to list the air and water temperatures at the two different times.) "The weather is very pleasant and warm; the water has a green appearance, as if we are on soundings; which not the case according to the chart".

On July 28 th , the ship rounded the Cape of Good Hope . Next follows an entry about whales, which reads, "Saw several whales lying on the water, the first of them had so much the appearance of a wreck that we rounded to and sent our boat to examine."

August 10 th entry notes strong gale and high seas.

The log has an entry about The Islands of St. Paul , a stopping point for ships bound for China . The islands, according to the entry, were covered with barren rocks and deep ravines. The entry states "ships often stop and leave part of their crews on these islands for some months with the intention of sealing, as these animals are found in...