Haan, Hendrik de. Logbook of a Voyage from Hamburg to South America and back with the ship Faseta 1816-1818. English manuscript on paper. 104 unnumbered ll. incl. 2 white interleaves, 92 ll. white. Contemporary smoothed black morocco with gilt back with title (Journal of a Voyage of the Ship Faseta to a. from S^th. Ameryca), ship + floral vignette, gilt ornamental border on both covers as well as gilt cover edges in brown slipcase. Gilt edges.

The back rubbed more under partial loss of the gilt tooling, covers and cover edges rubbed less except for a larger spot on each cover, the slipcase time-marked. One of the leaves filled with writing with dog’s ear, one white leaf rammed below. The leaves covered with writing paginated on the recto in pencil by a later hand except for the first title as well as a missed leaf, but including the two white interleaves. Aside from very isolated unessential finger marks of absolute freshness inside.

Hamburg – South  America – Hamburg

in a complete logbook of the complete voyage of a merchant ship by with respect to repeated specific spellings certainly a Dutch commander from the days when just these ships were used by the great South America travelers up to Johann Moriz Rugendas as the shining finale of an artist family of several generations, setting out as a 19-years old and till today downright tangible by his splendid Picturesque Journal through Brazil. – Subdivided as follows:

Journal of a Voyage from Hamburg towards South America in the Ship Faseta (Nov. 17, 1816 – Jan. 26, 1817). / Journal from Rio Janeiro towards Rio de la Plata (Feb. 13 – March 4, 1817). / Journal of a Voyage from Rio de la Plata towards Hamburg (Sep. 30, 1817 – Jan. 27, 1818).

Logbook written in brown ink on Pro Patria paper by the commander of the supposedly full-rigged Faseta during a voyage from Hamburg to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires and back to Hamburg – the writing, throughout well readable even on storm days, cut only here and there quite unessentially – in predominantly tabular form. Underlinings + table grid in red ink as well as supporting lines in pencil. Lay-days and transfer days – but without pure harbor days – , but also periods of toilsome tackling in bad weather summarily two to three days per page, at sea one day each per page with notes for two times 12 hours. Below true course and fixed position, usually calculated by sun and/or moon, but also Fomalhaut (Dec. 29, 1816) and Regulus (Jan. 1, 1817).

Beside the nautical notes on courses, wind + weather, sails set, taken in, or reefed, variation of the azimuth, bearings of islands + coasts passed, anchor places + soundings as well as sea water received on deck remarks on other events at sea as embarkation and debarkation of pilots and customs officers, sails observed on the horizon or occasionally also spoken with ships, observations of birds, flying fish, or dolphins, and special activities on deck:

“ Light airs and fine Weather, at 8 A.M. (Sunday Nov. 17) the Pilot came on board. at 9 A.M. cast our ropes loos and made sail down the River. At 5 P.M. anchored at Newen Steeden … Cloudy with Showers. received on board our last Goods which was left in the Lighter. Employed filling up the Waater. stowing the booms and boats and getting all clear for Sea … ”

Five days after the departure from Hamburg Friday, Nov. 22, Cuxhaven on the mouth of the Elbe River is passed, the pilot leaves the ship, and the light of Heligoland comes into sight. The actual voyage starts:

“ … at 11 A.M. passed Cuckshaaven. the Pilot left the Ship … at 5 PM Helgolands light E b N. dist. about 3. miles from which we take our Departure …

“ … a fresh breeze. in 1 reef of the Topsails … the light Ship of the Galloper bearing N W by N dist. 1 myl. … Tacked Ship … saw 3 strange sayls … passed by a Ship … ”

After passing through the Channel the voyage continues in generally fine, partly squally weather. December 13 + 14 Porto Santo + Madeira, the 17^th/18^th Palma are passed and after further good voyage land is seen again January 23, 1817, three days later the anchor is cast at Rio de Janeiro:

“ At 6 AM saw the Land bearing WNW. At 8 AM Caap Frio (Cabo Frio). WSW dist. 4m. … at 8.

saw  the  Entrance  of  Rio  Janeiro

as  likewise  the  hill  called  the  Sugar  Loaf .

passed between two Islands called Pai & Maya (Mãe). At 7. PM Anchored by the Fort in 9 fathoms …

“ Calm with hot Sultry weather. At 4. PM being cleared of the Customhouse boat. the Pilot came on board. At 5. weighed and made sail. at 7

came  to  an  Anchor  at  Rio  Janeiro  in  10 & 11  fathoms. ”

After a one-month stay the pilot embarks again February 23, anchoring the following night at the citadel, taking fresh water aboard, and also otherwise making the ship ready for the further voyage to the Rio de la Plata and Buenos Aires. The islands of Lobes + Flores are passed on the 26^th, anchoring the other day at Montevideo. The following days calm, but thunder and lightning:

“ Calm with Thunder & Lightning & Rain … heavy Squalls from the Eastward, down Royal Yards & Topmast … people employed and drassing (?) knotting yarns … passed Ensenada … at 7 PM anchored in 5½ fathoms Mudd …

saw  the  Town  Buenos  Ayres

at 6 PM (March 4) Calm anchored in the outer Road. ”

After a stay of almost seven months anchors are weighed September 30 and the Faseta sets out for the direct voyage back to Hamburg – with a short touching of the ground just the second day:

“ Sounded Ground, 4. 3¾  4. 3½ & 3 fathoms … at 10 AM being abreast of the Chico Bank the ship felt the Ground, but in the time of 5 minut. being Clear …

“ … Variable light breezes & Calm with hot sultry weather … saw several Cape Pigeons (Oct. 24) … saw a great deal of flying fish, as likewise several birds (Nov. 3) …  saw several Dolphins (Nov. 24) … At 8 PM catched a flying fish which flew on deck (Nov. 27) …

“ … at 1 PM spoke the aforesaid Ship under a Danish Colour

coming  from  Flensburg  bound  to  St.  Thomas

Capt. And. H. Grodt (Dec. 5) … ”

Correspondingly to the season – the equator was crossed already October 26 – the weather gets worse, also since December 12 the pumps have to be worked, at first every two hours, but soon enough hourly, later half hourly, and one even permanently. On the 22^nd + 25^th great deals of sea weeds are sighted near the Azores:

“ … received much seawater opon Deck … Pomped ship at every hour … At 7 PM (Dec. 26) saw the Island Corvo … therefore we found for best as the ship laid under Storm Sails to keep before the wind … at 12 (Dec. 27) brought the Ship too under a fore & fore staysail, Mizzen & Mizzen Staysail … at 8 (P)M saw the Island Flores. ”

January 10, 1818, the Channel is reached in temporarily thick fog and heavy weather. The probably most difficult part of the voyage follows before on the 21^st Dover comes into sight. Afterwards it goes swiftly across the North Sea and on the 24^th the anchor is cast at Cuxhaven:

“ … spoke a Brig under an Eng. Colour, comming from the Canares bound for London … with this foggy & thick weather. being … in the british Channel … saw the high Land, on the St.board Side as likewise the Island Londy (Gorey on Jersey?) … spoke a Custumhouse Cotter, of which the Mate came on board of our Ship. the wind from the WSW & WbS. we were therefore Obliged to do our best & beat out of the Channel, put 2 Reefs out of the topsails. Steered NNWest …

“ hard Squalls with a heavy Sea from the West … a 4^h. with a hard Squall lost our Jib. Pumped Ship at Every ½^h. at 8 Tacked Ship (Jan. 11) … our Deck always full of Sea water. Kept one Pump agoing & brought a new Jib to the boom at 8 PM. Tacked Ship (Jan. 12) … we were also Oblidged of not dyving on those to keep all sail, which was possible. at 2 PM set the Jib … at 7. PM with a heavy Squall lost our 2^nd. Jib … (Jan. 13)

“ at Daylight more moderate, set the staysails; but a heavy swell from the westward, lost the forgoing Day several things from our Deck, with the heavy Sea which Constantly broke over it (Jan. 14) … with a fresh breeze & fair weather out all reefs of the Topsails. bent a new Mizen topsail (was lost the 16^th) … at 11^h. saw England End … at 3 PM saw the Scilly Islands, at 6 PM Scillys light bore WNW & Lands End ENE (Jan. 18) … at 12 the Lizard NbW … At 11 PM saw the Ciscassen (?) lights (Jan. 19)

“ … at 6 AM saw the French Coast … Saw Dover Castle, at 9 AM a Pilot boat came on board in which the 1. Super Cargo Mr. P. E. Holtz then went on shore (Jan. 21) … saw the Helgoland light (Jan. 23) … 3 Pilots came on board, agreed to pay them 300 D. … passed by the Red Tun; at 10 an other Pilot came on board. at 12 Anchored at Cuxhaven under quarantine … a boat came on Board for the Ship Papers & the Logbook ”

Three days later the Faseta finally moors in Hamburg again after 437 days, 210 of which at sea:

“ … being Cleared, at 10 weighed & made sail. at 5 PM anchored at Crucksand (Krautsand?; Jan. 25) … at 5 AM send the boat on Shore at Staade, at 11 AM the boat came on board being all cleared, at 2 PM weighed & made sail … at 6 came to an Anchor at Sompfliet (Jan. 26) … we were Obliged because we could not get our Anker (sic!); per order of the Pilot to cut our Cable. at 11 AM came to the Town; being obliged to stop the ship with Lines & per Order of the Haven Master we were Obliged to cut them to get the (omission: Ship?); save to the Speers (Speersort?; Jan. 27). ”

Especially by the plain recording of the nautical facts of a quite plain voyage beyond historic noise of discoveries and battles as well as of the small diversions in the life between storm + calm, setting reefs, taking sails in + setting sails, as there are the strange sails on the horizon, the dolphins, and the flying fish present logbook makes the

reality  of  seafaring  200  years  ago  the  more  lively .

And in such completeness of a whole voyage to and from with at the same time best readability and almost absolute freshness of the content

the  special  pleasure  of  the  maritime  collection .

Offer no. 28,860 / EUR  1980. / Export price EUR  1881. (c. US$ 2830.) + shipping