Guide to the Ships Logs of Pacific Journals and Logbooks (as filmed by the AJCP)

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M1559-M1574

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: 2019

Collection Summary

Creator
The British Library
Title
Pacific Journals and Logbooks (as filmed by the AJCP)
Date Range
1664 - 1833
Collection Number
M1559-M1574
Extent
16 items
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Australian Joint Copying Project
Sponsor
The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) online portal was created with the assistance of the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund, 2017-2020. The National Library of Australia gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the other foundation AJCP partners, the State Library of New South Wales and The National Archives of the UK, and all other organisations which supported the work of the AJCP, the world's most extensive collaborative copying project, operating from 1948 to 1997.

Introduction

Scope and Contents

Journals and logs recording several major exploring expeditions in the Pacific.

Conditions Governing Access

Available for Access.

Conditions Governing Use

Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the British Library. For more information visit: How I use the images I order?-The British Library [https://www.bl.uk/help/how-can-i-use-the-images-i-order].

Preferred Citation

Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.

Items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.

Example: M Series: Journal of Capt. James Cook, 18 February 1770, British Library Add. MS 27885 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)

Archival History

Filmed at the British Library, London, as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project, 1982. (AJCP reel M1559-M1574). Original microfilm digitised as part of the NLA AJCP Online Delivery Project, 2017-2020.

Existence and Location of Originals

British Library, 96 Euston Road, London.

Collection references: Add MS 8948; Add MS 8959; Add MS 27890; Add MS 1563; Add MS 1564; Add MS 8955; Add MS 37528; Add MS 21239; Add MS 17542-17546; Add MS 32641; Add MS 30369; Add MS 35141; Add MS 15716; Add MS 13880. For further information see Ships Logs of Pacific Journals and Logbooks at the British Library (http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do).

Existence and Location of Copies

The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2257858] as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.

The following Pacific journals held in the British Library were also filmed by the Australian Joint Copying Project:M1557 Hernando Gallego, Los Reyes, 1567-1569 [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn735316]

M1558 Abel Tasman, Heemskerck and Zeehan, 1642-1643 [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn735324]

M1580-M1582 James Cook, HMS Endeavour and HMS Resolution, 1770-1779 [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2257885]

M1580-M1583 David Samwell, HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery, 1776-1779 [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn735359]

Finding-aid Notes

This finding aid is a revised online version of the original finding aid prepared by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), published by the National Library of Australia in 2019. The original AJCP finding aids were unpublished typescripts or photocopies available from libraries that held copies of the original microfilm.

Dates used in this finding aid refer to the date range of the records selected for filming rather than to the date range of the Series or Files.

Advisory Statement

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this Finding Aid contains material and descriptive information which may be considered culturally sensitive and may cause distress, including names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased. This Finding Aid contains terms that reflect authors' views or those of the historical period, but which may not be considered appropriate today. While the information may not reflect current understanding, it is provided in an historical context.

Subjects

Adventure, HMS (ship); Biscoe, John, Capt.; Blossom, HMS (ship); Broughton, W.R., Lieut.; Burney, James, Lieut.; Chatham, HMS (ship); Clerke, Charles, Capt.; Colnett, James, Lieut.; Discovery, HMS (1776–95); Dolphin, HMS (ship); Edgar, Thomas; Endeavour,HMS (ship); Royal Navy: exploration and surveys; Exploration: maritime; Furneaux, Tobias, Capt.; Hodges, William; King George HMS (ship); Maps, plans and charts; Menzies, Archibald; Minerva (ship); Naturalists; Naval officers; Pacific Ocean; Peard, George, Lieut.; Pinnock, G.; Price, John W.; Puget, P., Lieut.; Rattler, merchant ship; Resolution, HMS (ship); Tula, whaler; Verwey, Bartholomew; Royal Navy: voyages; Wallis, Samuel, Capt.; Whales and whaling; Woodcock, Joseph

Bibliography

Originally cited in Australian Joint Copying Project Handbook. Part 8: Miscellaneous (M) Series. Third Edition, published 1998. Entry 361, p138.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-397322928]

Item Descriptions

Journal of Bartholomew Verwey, 1664 - 1667 (File Add. MS. 8948)

Journal (in Dutch) kept by Bartholomew Verwey, vice-commodore of a fleet of twelve ships, fitted out by the Governor and Council of the East Indies and sent in 1664, 1665, 1666 and 1667 to Formosa and the coasts of China . The journal previously belonged to Sir Joseph Banks. (136 ff.)

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1559.

Journal of Captain Samuel Wallis on HMS Dolphin, 21 August 1766 - 11 January 1767 (File Add. MS. 15499)

The first entry in the log is dated 21 August 1766, when HMS Dolphin and HMS Swallow left Plymouth. It records the voyage of the Dolphin to Madeira and Magellan Strait and includes impressions of the Patagonians. The last entry is dated 11 January 1767. At the end of log are maps of the southern parts of America, the route of the Dolphin, Whitsunday Island, Queen Charlotte's Island, Duke of Gloucester's Island, Lord Egmont's Island, Bishop of Osnaburg's Island, Sir Charles Saunders's Island, King George's Island (Tahiti), Port Royal in King George's Island, Duke of York's Island, Admiral Boscawen's Island and Admiral Keppel's Island. (31 ff.)

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1560.

Biographical / Historical

Samuel Wallis (1728-1795) was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy in 1748. He commanded a number of ships in the Seven Years War and in July 1766 was appointed captain of HMS Dolphin, which had just returned from a voyage round the world. He sailed for the Pacific in August 1766, accompanied by Philip Carteret in the sloop Swallow. Wallis discovered the Society Islands in June 1767 and stayed at Tahiti for five weeks. He returned to England in May 1768, three months before James Cook left on his first voyage to the Pacific.

Log of HMS Endeavour, 27 May 1768 - 18 July 1771 (File Add. MS.8959)

Although the log was formerly in the possession of Sir Joseph Banks, it was the official ship's log of HMS Endeavour, commanded by Lieutenant James Cook, and it should have passed to the Admiralty at the end of the voyage. During the course of the voyage, it appears to have been used by several members of the crew who were keeping logs and journals. The entries when the vessel was in harbour are quite brief, but while at sea the log provides an hourly record of the working of the ship and a daily record of the employment of the crew.

The first entry of the log is dated 27 May 1768 and the detailed entries begin on 10 August 1768 when the Endeavour was sailing from the Downs to Plymouth. The log records the departure from Plymouth (26 August 1768) and the voyage to Madeira, Rio de Janeiro (Nov. – Dec. 1768), Cape Horn, Tahiti (April – July 1769), New Zealand (Oct. 1769 – Feb. 1770), Botany Bay (April -May 1770), Endeavour River (June – July 1770), Batavia (Oct. – Dec. 1770), Cape Town, and the Downs. The last entry is dated 18 July 1771.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1561.

Journal of Captain Tobias Furneaux on HMS Adventure, 13 July 1772 - 3 March 1773 (File Add. MS. 27890)

The retrospective journal covers the first part of the voyage, starting with the departure of HMS Resolution and HMS Adventure from Plymouth on 13 July 1772. It records the voyage of the Adventure to Madeira and Cape Town and the separation of the two ships in the Southern Ocean (February 1773). The last entry was written on 3 March 1773 when the Adventure was sailing towards Van Diemen's Land. (20 ff.)

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1562.

Biographical / Historical

Tobias Furneaux (1735-1781) served as second lieutenant on HMS Dolphin, commanded by Captain Samuel Wallis, on its voyage round the world in 1766-1768. In November 1771 he was appointed commander of HMS Adventure on James Cook's second expedition to the Pacific. HMS Adventure and HMS Resolution were separated from each other for two long periods during the voyage and during the first separation Furneaux explored the south and eastern coasts of Van Diemen's Land in considerable detail. The Adventure returned to England in July 1774.

Pen and ink drawings of William Hodges on HMS Resolution, 1774 - 1775 (File Add. MS. 15743)

10 items

The ten large drawings are unsigned and undated. Note: The drawings are all reproduced in Rudiger Joppien and Bernard Smith, The art of Captain Cook's voyages, vol. 2, Melbourne, 1985.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1563.

Biographical / Historical

William Hodges (1744-1797) was trained as a painter by the landscape artist Richard Wilson and joined the Incorporated Society of Artists of Great Britain in 1765. He was the draughtsman on HMS Resolution on the second Pacific voyage of Captain James Cook in 1772-1775. On his return to England, he supervised the engravings of plates for the official account of the voyage and produced a number of large oil paintings of Pacific islands and indigenous peoples. From 1779 to 1785 he lived in India and subsequently published two volumes of Indian scenes.

Fayall [Faial, Azores], 513 x 876mm (Item 1)

Tonga Tabu [Tongatabu] or Amsterdam, 619 x 1172mm (Item 2)

Mallicolo [Malekula], 622 x 1194cm (Item 3)

Resolution Harbour [Vaitahu Bay] in S. Christina [Tahuata], 615 x 1187mm (Item 4)

Savage Island [Niue], 590 x 1194mm (Item 5)

Sandwich Island [Efate], 605 x 1186mm (Item 6)

Ulietea [Raiatea], 608 x 1169mm (Item 7)

War canoes of Otaheite [Tahiti], 610 x 1937mm (Item 8)

[Matavai Bay] Otaheite, 616 x 2318mm (Item 9)

[A view of Balade Harbour], New Caledonia, 615 x 2336mm (Item 10)

Logs of Lieutenant Charles Clerke on HMS Resolution, 1772 - 1775 (File Add. MSS. 8951-8953)

3 items

The three logs originally belonged to Sir Joseph Banks.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1564.

Biographical / Historical

Charles Clerke (1743-1779) joined the navy in 1755 and sailed on HMS Dolphin, commanded by Commodore John Byron, on its voyage round the world in 1764-1766. In 1768-1771 he was master's mate on HMS Endeavour on the first Pacific voyage of Lieutenant James Cook. He acted as Lieutenant on the last leg of the voyage and he was Second Lieutenant on HMS Resolution, commanded by Captain Cook, on its great exploring voyage in the South Pacific in 1772-1775. On his return to England he was promoted to the rank of Commander. On Cook's third voyage Clerke commanded HMS Discovery and, following Cook's death in February 1779, he took over command of the expedition. He died near Kamchatka in August 1779.

Logs of Lieutenant Charles Clerke on HMS Resolution (97 ff.), 23 November 1772 - 15 July 1773 (Item Add. MS 8951)

The first entry of the log, which follows a two page preface by Clerke, is dated 23 November 1772, the day on which the Resolution left Cape Town. It records the voyage to Dusky Bay, New Zealand (March-April 1773) and Queen Charlotte Sound (May 1773). The last entry is dated 15 July 1773.

Logs of Lieutenant Charles Clerke on HMS Resolution (171 ff.), 16 July 1773 - 23 August 1774 (Item Add. MS 8952)

The volume begins on 16 July 1773 when the Resolution was sailing north-east from Queen Charlotte Sound. It records the voyage to Tahiti (Aug. – Sept. 1773), Friendly Islands (Sept. 1773), the Antarctic Circle (Jan. 1774), Tahiti (April – May 1774), Friendly Islands (June 1774) and the New Hebrides (July 1774). The last entry is dated 23 August 1774 when the Resolution was at the New Hebrides.

Logs of Lieutenant Charles Clerke on HMS Resolution (120 ff.), 24 August 1774 - 21 March 1775 (Item Add. MS 8953)

The third volume begins on 24 August 1774. It records the voyage from Mallicollo (Malekula) to New Caledonia (Sept. 1774), Queen Charlotte Sound (Oct. – Nov. 1774), Tierra del Fuego (Dec. 1774), South Georgia (Jan. 1775) and Cape Town (March 1775). The last entry is dated 21 March 1775. At the end of the volume are extracts (in French) from the journal of Bouvet de Lozier who commanded the frigates L'Agle and La Marie on a voyage in the Southern Ocean in 1738-1739.

Journal of Lieutenant James Burney on HMS Discovery (50 ff.), 10 February 1776 - 7 October 1778 (File Add. MS. 8955)

The first entry is dated 10 February 1776, when James Cook and Charles Clerke were appointed commanders of HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery. There are occasional entries until 12 July 1776, when the ships left Plymouth. The journal records the voyage to Cape Town, Kerguelen (Dec. 1776), Van Diemen's Land (Jan. 1777), Queen Charlotte Sound (Feb. 1777), Friendly Islands (April – July 1777), Tahiti (July-Oct. 1777), Hawaii (Jan. 1778), New Albion (March-Aug. 1778), Behring Strait (Aug. 1778) and the Arctic Sea. The last entry is dated 7 October 1778.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1565.

Biographical / Historical

James Burney (1750-1821) first went to sea at the age of 10 as the captain's servant on HMS Princess Amelia. In 1772 he was appointed able seaman on HMS Resolution, commanded by Captain James Cook, and in November 1772 he was transferred to HMS Adventure as second lieutenant. Commanded by Captain Furneaux, the Adventure became separated from HMS Resolution near New Zealand and returned to England in July 1774. In February 1776 Burney was appointed second lieutenant on HMS Discovery on Cook's third voyage to the Pacific. He was promoted to the position of first lieutenant following the death of Captain Charles Clerke in August 1779. Burney was later captain of HMS Bristol on the East Indies Station.

Journal of Thomas Edgar on HMS Discovery (102 ff.), 10 March 1776 - 6 June 1778 (File Add. MS. 37528)

The journal is a fair copy of the original, in different hands and incomplete. It begins with the dimensions of HMS Discovery and a list of the crew. The first entry of the journal is dated 10 March 1776 and there are sporadic entries until July 1776, when HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery left Plymouth. There are only occasional entries in the first part of the voyage, but they become more frequent and detailed after the ships reached Desolation Island (Kerguelen) in December 1776. The journal records the voyage to Adventure Bay, Van Diemen's Land (Jan. 1777), Queen Charlotte Sound (Feb. 1777), Friendly Islands (April – July 1777), Tahiti (July – Oct. 1777), Christmas Island (Dec. 1777), Hawaii (Jan. 1778) and New Albion (March – June 1778). The last entry is dated 6 June 1778. The journal contains formal descriptions of every anchorage, with notes on landing places, wooding and watering, descriptions of varying length of Adventure Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, Tonga and Christmas Island, and maps of the Cape of Good Hope, Tonga and Christmas Island.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1566.

Biographical / Historical

Thomas Edgar was the ship's master on HMS Discovery, commanded by Captain Charles Clerke, on James Cook's third expedition to the Pacific in 1776-1779. He continued in that position when, following the deaths of Cook and Clerke, Lieutenants John Gore and James King successively commanded the Discovery on the last leg of the voyage. Edgar was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1781 and retained that rank for many years.

Log of Joseph Woodcock on HMS King George (55 ff.), 21 October 1786 - 3 October 1787 (File Add. MS. 21239)

The log kept by Joseph Woodcock covers part of the voyage, with the first entry dated 21 October 1786, when the King George was sailing towards the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). The entries are quite detailed, with often two days to a page. It records the visits of the ship to the Sandwich Islands, (Nov. 1786 – March 1787), Prince William Sound on the Gulf of Alaska (May – June 787), Montagu Island (July 1787) and the Sandwich Islands (Sept. – Oct. 1787). The last entry is dated 3 October 1787. The log includes a profile of the coast near Prince William Sound and Montagu Island.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1567.

Biographical / Historical

Joseph Woodcock was a seaman on the King George, a vessel commanded by Nathaniel Portlock on a voyage to the north-west coast of North America. Portlock had served in the Royal Navy from 1772 to 1781 and was master's mate on HMS Discovery on James Cook's third voyage to the Pacific in 1776-1779. The King George was accompanied by a smaller vessel, the Queen Charlotte, commanded by George Dixon. The expedition left Gravesend in August 1785 and returned to England in August 1788. Portlock published an account of the voyage in 1789.

Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham, 1791 - 1793 (File Add. MSS. 17542-17546)

5 items

The logs are in different hands and overlap in dates.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1568.

Biographical / Historical

William Robert Broughton (1762-1821) joined the Royal Navy in 1774 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1782. In 1790 he was given command of the brig Chatham on the Pacific voyage led by Captain George Vancouver. He discovered Chatham Island and surveyed Queen Charlotte Sound in New Zealand. In 1792 he explored the Columbia River as far as Point Vancouver. In 1793 he returned to England and took command of HMS Providence, which spent four years surveying the coasts of the Kurile Islands, Japan, Okinawa and Formosa.

Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (37 ff.), January 1791 - 7 September 1791 (Item Add. MS 17542)

Log commencing when HMS Chatham was put into commission at Deptford, recording the departure from England (April 1791) and the voyage to Teneriffe, the Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean.

Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (72 ff), 10 September 1791 - 27 August 1792 (Item Add. MS 17543)

Log recording the voyage to King George's Sound, New Holland (Sept. 1791), Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Oct. – Nov. 1791), Tahiti (Dec. 1791), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1792), New Albion (April 1792), Puget Sound (May 1792) and Vancouver Island (July 1792).

Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (72 ff.), 28 August 1792 - 25 December 1793 (Item Add. MS 17544)

Log recording the voyage to Nootka (Sept. 1792), San Francisco (Nov. 1792), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1793), Nootka (May 1793), Prince of Wales Island (Sept. 1793), San Francisco (Oct. 1793) and San Diego (Nov. – Dec. 1793).

Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (64 ff.), 18 August 1791 - 5 July 1792 (Item Add. MS 17545)

Rough log and astronomical observations recording the voyage to King George's Sound, New Holland (Sept. 1791), Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Oct. – Nov. 1791), Tahiti (Dec. 1791), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1792) and New Albion (April 1792).

Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (25 ff.), March 1792 - May 1792 (Item Add. MS 17546)

Rough journal with astronomical observations and sketches.

Logs and journals of Lieutenant Peter Puget on HMS Chatham, 1793 - 1795 (File Add. MS 17547-51)

5 items

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1569.

Biographical / Historical

Peter Puget (1765-1822) entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1778. In June 1790 he was commissioned as Third Lieutenant on HMS Discovery, commanded by Captain George Vancouver on an expedition to the North Pacific. Lieutenant William Broughton left the expedition in January 1793 and Puget took over the command of HMS Chatham. On his return to England in October 1795 he was confirmed as a Commander and he subsequently commanded several warships, including HMS Goliath in the Battle of Copenhagen.

Astronomical observations (100 ff.), 1793 - 1794 (Item Add. MS 17547)

Journal (119 ff.), 28 January 1794 - 9 September 1795 (Item Add. MS 17548)

Journal, commencing 28 January 1794, when HMS Discovery and Chatham were at the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), recording the voyage to Montagu Island (May 1794), Prince William Sound (June 1794), Admiralty Island (Aug. 1794), California (Oct. 1794), Galapagos Islands (Feb. 1795), Santiago (April 1795), Cape Horn and St Helena (July 1795). The last entry is dated 9 September 1795.

Journal recording the voyage from the Sandwich Islands to Cooks Inlet and Port Chatham in Alaska (33 ff.), 15 March 1794 - 29 April 1794 (Item Add MS 17549)

Log and journal recording the homeward voyage from California to Cape Horn (47 ff.), 2 January 1795 - 15 May 1795 (Item Add MS 17550)

Log and journal (112 ff.), 2 December 1794 - 6 October 1795 (Item Add. MS 17551)

Commencing 2 December 1794 when HMS Discovery and Chatham were off the coast of Mexico, recording the voyage to the Galapagos Islands (Feb. 1795), Santiago (April 1795), Cape Horn and St Helena (July 1795). The last entry is dated 6 October 1795, when the Chatham was approaching England.

Journal of Archibald Menzies on HMS Discovery (420 ff.), December 1790 - 7 February 1794 (File Add. MS. 22641)

Retrospective journal, beginning in December 1790, when George Vancouver was given the command of HMS Discovery and ending on 7 February 1794, when the ship was at the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). It records the departure of the expedition from England (April 1791) and the voyage to Teneriffe, Cape of Good Hope, King George's Sound, New Holland (Sept. 1791), Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Oct. – Nov. 1791), Tahiti (Dec. 1791), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1792), New Albion (April 1792), Vancouver Island (July 1792), Nootka (Sept. 1792), San Francisco (Nov. 1792), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1793), Nootka (May 1793), Prince of Wales Island (Sept. 1793) and San Diego (Nov. – Dec. 1793).

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1570.

Related Materials

The journal of Archibald Menzies for the period 21 February 1794 – 18 March 1795 is held in the National Library of Australia (MS 155).[https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn567866]

Biographical / Historical

Archibald Menzies (1754-1842) trained as a gardener and as a surgeon. In 1786 he was surgeon on HMS Prince of Wales on a voyage to the north-west coast of America, the Sandwich Islands and China. In 1790-1795 he was the naturalist and surgeon on HMS Discovery, commanded by Captain George Vancouver, on its voyage to the Pacific and the north-west coast of America. In his later life he practised as a surgeon in London.

Journal of Lieutenant James Colnett on the sloop Rattler (275 ff.), 1 January 1793 - 20 August 1795 (File Add. MS. 30369)

The journal is dedicated by Colnett to Sir Philip Stephens, one of the Commissioners of the Admiralty, 20 August 1795. The journal records the voyage of the Rattler from Portsmouth (1 Jan. 1793) to Rio de Janeiro, Cape Horn, Galapagos Islands (June – July 1793), Cocos Island, Mexico, Cape Horn, Quibo (Feb. 1794), Galapagos Islands (March – April 1794), Mexico, Peru, Chile, Cape Horn, St Helena (Sept. 1794) and Cowes (1 Nov. 1794).

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1571.

Biographical / Historical

James Colnett (1753-1806) served as a midshipman on HMS Resolution on Cook's second voyage to the Pacific in 1772-1775. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1779. In 1786-1791, with permission from the Admiralty, he commanded trading vessels, the Prince of Wales and later the Argonaut, on voyages to the north-west coat of America and the Sandwich Islands. The second voyage precipitated the Nootka crisis of 1789-1790. In 1793-1794 Colnett commanded the sloop Rattler on a voyage to the Pacific to discover anchorages for British whalers. His account of the voyage was published in 1798 and led to the opening up the whale fishery in the South Pacific. In 1802-1803, as commander of the naval transport Glatton, he brought 399 convicts to New South Wales.

Journal of Lieutenant George Peard, HMS Blossom (104 ff.), 13 May 1825 - 31 May 1828 (File Add. MS. 35141)

The journal records the departure from Portsmouth (13 May 1825) and the voyage to Rio de Janeiro, Cape Horn, Concepcion, Valparaiso, Easter Island (Nov. 1825), Pitcairn Island (Dec. 1825), Tahiti (March 1826), Sandwich Islands (May 1826), Kamchatka (June 1826), Behring Strait, San Francisco, Sandwich Islands (Jan. – March 1827), Macao, Bonin Island, Kamchatka, Kotzebue Sound (Nov. 1827), San Francisco, Acapulco, Valparaiso and Coquimbo (May 1828). The last entry is dated 31 May 1828.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1572.

Biographical / Historical

George Peard (1783-1837) joined the Royal Navy in 1809 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1815. He served on HMS Hyperion on the South American Station in 1820-1821. In March 1825 he was appointed Lieutenant on HMS Blossom, commanded by Captain Frederick Beechey. He left the Blossom at Rio de Janeiro in August 1828.

Journal of Captain John Biscoe on the brig Tula, 14 July 1830 - 1 February 1833 (File Add. MS. 15716)

The journal records the departure from Gravesend (14 July 1830) and the voyage to the Falkland Islands, South Sandwich Islands, Enderby Land, Cape Ann, Hobart (May 1831), Bay of Islands (Nov. 1831), Chatham Islands, Adelaide Island, Pitt Islands, South Shetland Islands, Falkland Islands and the return to the Downs (1 Feb. 1833).

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1573.

Biographical / Historical

John Biscoe (1794-1843) was appointed by the London merchants Enderby Brothers as the master of the brig Tula on an Antarctic sailing voyage. The ship left London in July 1830 and returned in January 1833. He later traded out of Hobart and Sydney and in 1839 made another voyage to the Antarctic on the Emma.

Journal of John Price kept on the convict transport Minerva (118 ff.), 1798 - 1800 (File Add. MS. 13880)

At the beginning of the journal Price summarised his medical training and described his journey to Cork. The daily entries begin on 29 January 1799. They refer to the gradual embarkation of the convicts, convicts sent to the hospital, deaths, child births, and the arrival of political convicts. There is a lengthy description of the city and harbour of Cork, followed by lists of the ship's company and the convicts (ff. 31-35). The Minerva left Cork on 24 August 1799 and the entries refer to the winds and seas, sightings of ships, sighting of Cape Verde Islands, alleged conspiracies among convicts, disciplinary actions, the arrival at Rio de Janeiro (20 Oct. 1799), the desertion of seamen, views of the nearby countryside, impressions of the town, the departure from Brazil (8 Nov. 1799), sighting of Tristan da Cunha and Nightingale Island, drawing lessons given to Price by John Lewin, injuries suffered by convicts and seamen, sightings of whales and fish, preparations for landing, and the arrival at Port Jackson (11 Jan. 1800).

The Minerva remained at Sydney for about a month. The entries refer to meetings with Governor John Hunter, William Balmain, Captain Henry Waterhouse, George Barrington and other officials, settlers and convicts, dinners at Government House, encounters with Bennelong and other Aborigines, court trials, and a visit to Parramatta. There is a long account of the history, topography, climate of New South Wales, its flora and fauna, crops, Aboriginal artefacts and customs (ff. 78-90). The final section records the departure of the Minerva from Sydney (13 Feb. 1800), its visit to Lord Howe Island, encounters with indigenous peoples in the western Solomon Islands, New Guinea and the East Indies, and the arrival at Calcutta (7 June 1800).

The journal contains a number of sketches by Price of fish, birds, Cork Harbour, Cape Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Government House, kangaroos, and Lord Howe Island.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M1574.

Biographical / Historical

From 1790 to 1796 John Washington Price was apprenticed to a surgeon and apothecary in the town of Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. From 1796 to 1798 he studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. In May 1798 he received his surgeon's certificate and in the same month he was appointed surgeon on the transport Minerva which was to carry convicts to New South Wales. He travelled overland to Cork where he joined the Minerva, commanded by Joseph Salkeld. The vessel had arrived in Cork in August 1798, but it was held up by the Irish Rebellion and it was not until February 1799 that the first convicts were brought on board. When the Minerva finally sailed in August 1799, there were 165 male convicts and 26 female convicts. A number of the Irish rebels were transported, including General Joseph Holt.


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