1858 - A humorous and detailed sea voyage journal kept by a molasses importer who traveled from New York City to St. Thomas in the West Indies

Bark Ilva in route to St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, 1858. Envelope or Cover. Very good. This 13-page journal dated "13th January / 58," was sent by Charlie [Charles Mortimer] Catlin to his mother via his brother, N. W. S. [Nicholas William Stuyvesant] Caitlin care of Chastelain, Ponvert & Company [a New York molasses importing firm] where they both worked. It documents Charlie's voyage on the Bark Ilva to St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies, today the U. S. Virgin Islands. It was carried by a British ship to Boston, Massachusetts, via the "T. O. Kinnear Company" forwarding agents, whose red oval handstamp is on the reverse. It bears a circular Boston postmark, dated 9 February, along with handstamp: "SHIP" and "8" (the cost of receiving the ship mail plus inland postage to New York). In nice shape.

Charlie's journal expresses occasional apprehensions of the unstated business he must deal with upon his arrival in St. Thomas, however those are overwhelmed by his descriptions of fellow passengers, exceptional meals, and daily events. Some of his comments follow; these are only tips-of-the-iceberg.

Passengers:

"Mr. & Mrs. Green . . . who are going for . . . his health, which she says is not very good . . . not being able to speak above a whisper & half gone with Consumption. . .. She says they will 'not return till he is restored' which means she won't come back again. . .. They have been awfully [sea] sick every day [and] can hardly hold up their separate heads. . ..

"Mr. Berfield & Lady, a tall thin man, red whiskers, always smiling though very sick at his stomach. . .. Mrs B is slightly afflicted with . . . the blues, Lumbago, general debility, 'nervous irritability,' a perfect facsimile for Mrs. Nickleby [with] prescriptions for every ill but her own. . ..

"Mr. Latimer, a merchant . . . long headed, handsome gentlemanly old codger . . . who plays whist well. . ..

"Mr. Peniston, a merchant of St. Thomas & N.Y. one of the cutest old codgers I have ever seen who doesn't say much. . .. With him is my friend Bushby . . . he is an English man purely bread. . ..

"Lastly there is Jack, the Dog, . . . whom the Captain is taking to Maracaibo . . . a coward who has been sick all the way [but] running around the ship all day without any purpose. . .. yesterday he was in disgrace having bit the captain. . .."

Food:

"The Captain is a first rate jolly little fellow very attentive to our comfort is an excellent provider for the gastronomic economy - plenty to eat & very good at that, as for instance. . .."

"Breakfast at 9 beefsteak with & without onions, hash . . ., fresh fish & codfish balls, corn bread & good coffee.

"Lunch at 12 Oysters & sardines, cider & brandy, Etc. Etc.

"Dinner at 4 Prairie hens, or Turkeys, or Chickens or Duck with Roast Beef or mutton & Fried & mashed Potatoes, Beets, Pickles, Celery, Cranberry sauce, Turnips, &c.

"For those who have a good appetite, there is plenty to gratify it of the best kind. . .. "The Capn has just given order for Ice Cream for dinner - that's high, high as a burnt herring. . ."

Favorite Activities and Moments:

"The Ocean this day . . . is as calm as summer. Thermometer at 82 & going only 4 knots. I have just finished Oystering. . ..

"The nights are perfectly gorgeous - the sun set, the most magnificent you can imagine. . .. Last night we were all on the upper deck, looking at the sun go down, the clouds looking like mountains & the horizon like the land, the sea calm & blue as indigo, the deep blue sea. . ..

Some of the Daily Entries:

"Discharged Pilot . . . took in main sail & lowered mizzen sail - sea rough & breaking on deck . . . appetite good eat a hearty dinner . . . no symptoms of sea sickness [but others] very nauseated . . . but can't 'vomic'. . .."

"Eat a hearty breakfast . Cap. Treats to Oysters & Cider. . .."

"Sea rough . . .. . . terrible sounds from the staterooms of sick people - my birthday 27 years old . . . celebrations have only been over a bottle of champagne . . . 4 passengers 'reaching' terribly don't wish to aggravate it by hilarity. . .."

"The sick distracted by . . . Eggnogg . . . saw numbers of flying fish one came on board beautiful . . ."

"Play whist from 10 till 4 & from 6 to 8 - get badly beaten - awful luck - Bushby in a rage. . ..

"Dead calm - saw 3 whales & Grouper along side tried to harpoon . . . beautiful fish. . ..

"Mr Berfield has got into a Homeopathic & Doctrinal argument with the Capn in which both think that lungs are more essential than truth. . ."

"Over the Cabin table, the well ones are listening to an Entomological dissertation by Mr. L & Mr. P with some very remarkable anecdotes about lizards & such reptiles which are very laughable. . ..

"Mr. Bushby & I took our accustomed seat on the upper deck, when all at once he cried out in perfect shrieks, Land ho! Oh how delightful it was to hear that shout & away to the East a dim outline . . ..

"We quickly got ashore & then the niggers (free as you please) it made a sight I shall never forget . . . they keep an eternal jabbering & are dying to . . . inform you for money as though they mean to bleed every foreigner as much as possible. . .."

"It is most delightful, Cocoa Nuts [and] bananas form the arbour to the Hotel & Oranges are around you everywhere [and] niggers all over. . .."

"I close this letter in expectation of the British steamer for Halifax, hourly expected."

. (For more information, see records of molasses testing in multiple volumes of Executive Documents printed by Order of the Senate of the United States, various newspaper articles in the New York Times and Herald, and various online genealogical records including those at Ancestry.com. Spiegel Philatelic Auction results show that no-content covers with Kinnear handstamps sell for around $300)

At the time of listing, no similar passenger journals to the Danish West Indies are for sale in the trade or have appeared at auction per the Rare Book Hub. OCLC reports only institution holds a passenger's journal to the Danish West Indies although several have official ships' logs in their collection.

An enlightening and entertaining journal made even more appealing by a scarce philatelic handstamp.

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