Call Number:

Ms. Codex 1805

Repository:

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

Extent:

2 volumes

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Ms. Codex 1805, Francis Mallaby logbook for the ship Huntress, 1822-1825, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

1822-1825 (inclusive)

Creator:

Mallaby, Francis

Form:

Manuscripts, American -- 19th century, Ships' logs, and Codices (bound manuscripts)

Abstract:

Two volumes containing journals kept by master Francis Mallaby for the ship the Huntress one of seven ships owned by New York tea merchants Thomas H. Smith and Sons. Volume 1 provides a record of a voyage from New York to Canton and the return trip spanning eleven months from June 3, 1822 to May 4, 1823. Volume 2 contains entries of a four-month return trip from Canton to New York from August 4 to December 12, 1824.

Born in New York, Mallaby served in the United States Navy and was appointed a sailing master in 1812. Sometime after 1813 Mallaby was on furlough and served as sailing master for voyages to the East Indies and Asia. In the 1820s Mallaby was master of the ship Huntress owned by tea merchants Thomas H. Smith and Sons in New York. He made voyages for the company returning with tea and spices. Mallaby married Sarah Barker in 1816 they lived New York with their children and later moved to Madison, Morris County, New Jersey.

Two marble paper, covered volumes containing journals for the ship the Huntress one of seven ships owned by New York tea merchants Thomas H. Smith and Sons. The Huntress, a sailing vessel, made its voyage from New York to Canton, China. Volume 1 provides a record for a voyage from New York to Canton and the return trip spanning eleven months from June 3, 1822 to May 4, 1823. The second volume contains entries of a four-month return trip from Canton to New York from August 4 to December 12, 1824. Each logbook records two days of information per page noting the hours, knots, winds, weather and remarks. At the bottom of each record is a daily entry number and the latitude and longitude position of the ship was recorded. The remarks in both volumes recorded types of sails, sail position, sail repairs, other ships spotted, islands seen, and weather. There are a few notes concerning boarding other ships. Volume 1 often mentions the ship Adriana. Notations regarding the crew and cargo, if any, are scant. Volume 1 appears to be in a different hand and does not list the master at the top of the page or at the beginning of the volume. Curiously, at the end of volume 1 are three pages with the running title "Abstract of a Journal of voyage from New York towards Canton in Ship Huntress, Francis Mallaby, Master, 1825." "Francis Mallaby, U. S. Navy" is written on the first page of volume 2. On twenty pages at the end of volume 2 and on one lined sheet laid in are calculations made in pencil with some notations. The calculations appear to be for longitude, latitude, and traveled distance.