Lot 170
Ships - A fantastic highly detailed 1840 ship log by George Scott, a sailor, budding artist, comedian, poet, and business strategist
Perhaps the most unique ship's log we have seen, consisting of 66 full written and decorated pages. Most are loose laid within a burlap cloth wrap with but few near the back loosely stitched together, page sized 7.75" x 10.25", with outer unattached burlap wrap sized 8.25" x 11.25". Outer cloth has the scripted name of "George E. Scott", and date of "December 1840" with "Ship Venice" along bottom edge, verso of cloth is embellished with a simplified version of a nautical star compass. Light water staining to cloth along bottom corners. The interior pages are in excellent, clean condition, on thick paper stock with rough cut edging. Earliest dates of December 1840 with the latest to June 1848.
A wonderful, most unique ship's log written by a Renaissance man/sailor during his voyage on the "Ship Venice", a Tea trading vessel. The log was maintained by George E. Scott, listed as "Supercargo" under commander "John W.C. Perit". With travels from Philadelphia to the destinations of Sydney, New South Wales, the Philippines and Macao. All the expected entries are in place, ruled in tabular form, all carefully recorded with "days out" latitude, longitude, winds and miles traversed, along with notes on Tea exports, consumption, and pricing." However what makes this log so spectacular and engaging for the reader are his detailed drawings, and his frequent side bar comments, poems, notes and reflections all of which included scattered throughout. Scott's drawing which abound the book, easily would rival that of any engraver from a Jules Verne novel, with stunning highly detailed ink drawings of sailing vessels as shown in the included images with this listing.
In addition, George Scott sprinkled within his log, expressions of his personality reflected in his quotes from Shakespeare, and his personal writings and poetry:
From the humorous:
"When Eve brought WOE to all mankind
Old Adam called her WO-MAN
But when she WOO'd with love so kind
He then pronounced it WOO-MAN
But now with folly and with pride
Their husbands pockets trimming
The ladies are so full of whims
That people call them WHIM-MEN"
(along with notes off to the side that "Eve drank Souchong" and "Adam-Pekoe" - reflective of the dry humor of a tea trader..)
To the reflective:
"The night was warm, the pool was still
No sound was heard from lake or hill
Save where upon a log decayed
A bullfrog croaked his serenade
Wake, frogess of my love, awake
And listen to my song
The heron roosts far from the lake
The pickerel his rest doth take
The water weeds among
The sun has put his first out
Then frogess poke thy lovely snout
Above the waters green
For lonely I am sitting here
Upon a rotten log
Oh case away all idle fear
And for a moment sweetly cheer
The sight of thy Bull frog
Oh hop with me to other pools
Where we may live and love
Where no cool winds the warm lake cools
And where doth dwell no human fools
Those two legged things above"
And his sense of humor peaks again as they approach Manila on page 23;
" - At 11 AM, it fell clam, leaving the ship within 3 miles of the shore + drifting - Heavy rain - at noon a light air from SE fanned us off & cheated the natives of their promised feast
--NERVOUS---" (and he included a frightened face drawing... note at the time Manila was believed to have principally been populated with cannibals, with reports of the natives over turning boats and killing all on board.)
But this was not an ordinary sailor, George Scott also introspected on the tea trade, including elements of a business strategy as he indexed the Approximate Annual consumption of Tea by Country, noted the annual consumption worldwide by pounds, and then separately by US city, even citing the consumption increases over the past decade and noted pricings. Definitely a business strategist in the making!
It is examples like the above, Scott's constant little side-bar comments with little drawings which are so engaging, keeping the reader fascinated. Truly a treasure, and in superb, clean condition. A one of a kind piece!
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