Description:

Detailed manuscript of HMS Agincourt, a warship, in its travels in China, Hong Kong and Singapore from 1844-1845, in the hand of 23-year-old future British Vice-Admiral E.D.D. Aplin, who later made a name for himself during the Taiping Rebellion Detailed manuscript of HMS Agincourt, a warship in its travels to China Hong Kong and Singapore from 1844-1845 in the hand of 23-year-old future British Vice-Admiral E.D.D. Aplin who later made a name for himself during the Taiping Rebellion

CHINA Manuscript journal, 50 pages, 4to., 8" x 12.5", various places, October 16, 1844 through April 21, 1845, bound with string in loose covers and titled in manuscript "Log of the Proceedings of / HMS 'Agincourt' - H.W. Bruce Esqr / Captain / Bearing the Flag of / Rear Adml Sir Th Cochrane RN / From the 16th October 1844 to the / 8th March 1845 Rept by / Elphinstone D.D. Aplin . Mate". Cover a bit tattered, internally in fine condition.

The Agincourt was a warship of the British Navy captained by Henry William Bruce that bore the flag of Rear Admiral Thomas John Cochrane. The entries detail the ship's travels to Asia to Chusan (China) to Hong Kong and then to Singapore, as well as the ship's bearings, speed, wind direction and distance traveled, seeing other ships. Entries describe ship life ("washed blankets…"), with details of drills, religious services, leisure time and recreational activities, as well as descriptions of various mishaps and examples of insubordination by crew members, e.g. "Punished Ed Bhilsly with 48 lashes for insolence" (March 13, 1845), "Punished Jno Elliott with 36 lashes for Insubordination" (March 20, 1845).

The journalist, Elphinstone D'Oyly D'Auvergne Aplin (1821-1882) joined the Royal Navy in 1838. He was promoted to Lieutenant in the Royal Navy on April 2, 1845 while making the final entries in this log. Aplin was appointed Acting Lieutenant on HMS Agincourt on November 13, 1846. He rose to Commander on August 12, 1853. From 1855-1859, Aplin commanded the sloop HMS Hecla on the west coast of Africa and from 1859-1861.

Aplin was commander of the frigate HMS Centaur in the East Indies and China in 1861 during the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) which was fought between the established and victorious Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Christian millenarian movement of the Heavenly Kingdom of Peace. The North China Herald reported from Shanghai on April 27, 1861, in part that "H.M.S. Bouncer arrived here from Nanking on the 22nd, bringing down thirty prisoners, runaway sailors … These men were in the service, or perhaps more correctly in the bondage of the insurgents at Nanking. On its being discovered by Captain Aplin, of H.M.S. Centaur, that there were a number of foreigners amongst the rebels, he made application to the authorities to have them delivered over to him at once, but was answered with the usual Chinese evasion that they knew nothing about them, but yielding to pressure they gradually admitted that there were some foreigners near there, but they did not know in what number, and were afraid to try and take them.... At last they consented to point out the locality where these men were, and Captain Aplin proceeding to the spot with a party managed to surround no less than 121 foreigners of different nations, but many of these not coming under the jurisdiction of the British flag, such only of them over whom he had authority were brought away. These men consisted chiefly of deserters from HM Navy and merchant vessels, though the declaration of all was that they had been kidnapped, and although this is just the plea that a deserter from a man-of-war would make in order to escape the punishment which would befall him for desertion, there is too much reason to believe that many have really been kidnapped..."

Promoted to Captain in 1861, Aplin was Captain of the frigate HMS Inconstant in the channel squadron and of the floating battery guard ship HMS Terror in Bermuda in 1870. Aplin achieved the ranks of Retired Rear-Admiral in 1877 and Retired Vice-Admiral six months before his death in 1882.

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