[BRITISH MARITIME OFFICER'S JOURNAL OF THREE VOYAGES ON THREE SEPARATE VESSELS, SAILING ROUND TRIP BETWEEN ENGLAND AND SOUTH AMERICA IN 1850-51, BOUND IN A SINGLE VOLUME].
Pearson, William B.:
[Various places]. 1850-1851. Three journals for three voyages bound in one volume. 92 leaves, including coastal profiles on first and last leaves and a drawing of a sea leopard on the first page. Small quarto. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Covers and spine worn. Inside hinges partially loosened from text block, but spine and text block solid. Liverpool stationer's printed label on front pastedown. Text a bit dusty, occasional minor stains. In very good condition. The journals of British maritime officer William B. Pearson from three consecutive voyages on which he sailed from England to South America, around the horn, and back to England in 1850 and 1851. The journals record each of the separate voyages in much detail and include notes about his time in Valparaiso and Rio de Janeiro between voyages. Pearson served as either first or second officer on the following voyages and vessels: 1) May 20 - Sept. 2, 1850: First officer on the Bark Iuverna (William Birch, Master) from Liverpool to Valparaiso, with a harbor journal at Valparaiso, Sept. 3- 25, 1850. 2) Sept. 26 - Nov. 20, 1850: First officer on the Bark Nueve Pacifico (Thomas Rowett, Master) from Valparaiso to Rio de Janeiro, with a harbor journal at Rio de Janeiro, Nov. 21 - Dec. 14, 1850. 3) Dec. 15, 1850 - Feb. 16, 1851: Probably second officer on the Bark Advice (Mr. Grey, Master) from Rio de Janeiro to Falmouth, England, with a record of his trip home to Dewesbury, Yorkshire, England on Feb. 17-19, 1851. The journals provide a daily record of the location and course of the vessels as well as notes on the weather, winds, sailing conditions, and specific sails utilized at particular times. While the entries recorded during the voyages focus on the daily operation of the ships and the conditions of the voyages, Pearson also writes of his fellow sailors and incidents on board, and is particularly expansive and expressive in his entries as the ship approaches land and is anchored near the different ports. He provides much information about activities while ships are anchored in harbor, waiting to unload cargo, and records his observations of people and places while on shore. He also encountered several ships and crews who were headed for California, while in the Pacific ports of South America. A fine, detailed set of journals recording a British maritime officer's mid-19th-century voyage to Latin America and his return to England.
(Item ID: WRCAM37083) $1,500.00