Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1126

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

1 volume

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Logbook of the ship Henry Grinnell, 1855-1856, Ms. Coll. 1126, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

1855-1856 (inclusive)

Form:

Manuscripts, American -- 19th century and Ships' logs

Abstract:

A logbook by an unnamed sailor aboard the ship Henry Grinnell written from August 13, 1855 to August 9, 1856. The Henry Grinnell sailed from Marseilles to the Bay of Bengal.

This logbook by an unnamed sailor aboard the ship Henry Grinnell was written from August 13, 1855 to August 9, 1856. "A continuation from log book No. 2 from Marseilles" is written at the top of the first leaf. The leaves following have headers spanning across two pages with the name of the ship, port traveling from, port traveling to, and J. Brooks, Commander. The Henry Grinnell, probably and American merchant ship, was traveling from Marseilles to the Bay of Bengal. This volume was started when the Henry Grinnell sailed from a stop at Gibraltar. Each page of the volume is divided into two days. Each day has columns recording the hours, knots, course, wind direction, and remarks. In the remarks column--the largest-- the sailor wrote the date, weather, latitude and longitude, and status of the sails. He recorded duties performed by sailors on the ship while at sea. For instance, catching rain water in casks and scraping barnacles off the ship. The Henry Grinnell anchored on the east coast of India at Coringa Bay (now Kaninada Bay) on November 24, 1855. While moored here the sailor recorded the daily duties of the shipmen. All hands were employed in heaving up the ballasts to make room for receiving cargo. A curious cargo "fing ling seeds" was mentioned by the sailor. He recorded there were 300 sacks of the seed brought on board on November 28, 1855. Later he noted the number of sacks of seed brought on the ship. Shipmen also were occupied repairing sails, caulking the ship, and painting decks. While sailing north to Bimlipatam (now Bhimunipatnam, India) the sailor wrote of men going on shore and visiting other vessels. One instance on January 6, 1856 involved two men returning drunk from visiting a French ship named Vasco da Gama. The two seamen began fighting with the cook. He mentioned being moored at several stops along the coast and receiving cargo until February 14, 1856, when the Henry Grinnell sailed from Bimlipatam to Marseilles, France. On the return trip the Henry Grinnell experienced a period of dead calm seas in March 1856; no speed or distance was recorded. The word "Calm" was written across the columns. The Henry Grinnell returned to Marseilles on July 22, 1856. The sailor recorded off loading cargo and tending to the ship. His last entry was August 9, 1856.