by Manuscript.
Folio, unpaginated. About 200 pages of manuscript entries.
After a voyage of about three weeks from New York City, the "Stephen H. Trowbridge" arrived in Bathurst (now Banjul, at the mouth of the Gambia River). There, they discharged timber, rum, shingles, bread, tobacco, pitch, and miscellaneous dry goods, employing Kroomen laborers as longshoremen. They took on a cargo of hides and peanuts, and departed May 19. By June 16 they were back in New York. On the second voyage recorded in this logbook, also kept by Allston, they left New York July 14, 1850, less than a month after returning from the West Africa voyage. They reached Malaga August 12, and discharged their cargo of staves, taking on an unspecified cargo. They departed Malaga August 24 and reached New York October 1, 1850. On October 23 they departed for a port not named in this portion of the log, and arrived back in Bathurst on November 23, 1850. This journey was kept in a different hand. The port log at Bathurst is vague, recording daily weather conditions, but making no mention of cargo discharged or taken aboard. They departed December 7, 1850 and proceeded south along the coast, stopping at the Cacheu and Bissau rivers, anchoring at Bissau on December 11, 1850. Again, the entries are sketchy, referring only to the crew "discharging cargo." They departed December 17 and were back in Bathurst by December 21. Another journal keeper takes over at this point and records their stay at Bathurst. He mentions treating a sick man with quinine and discharging more hides. Then they returned to Bissau and late in February took on more hides and "ground nuts." On March 1 off the port of Bolama "the town was attacked by the Biaffra natives and the women and children took reffuge on board of us the number of over 300... one man killed on the beach and several wounded... ends with deck full of people and all confusion" This journal-keeper then disappears and is replaced on March 2 by "Jonas D. Biggs mate S.H. Townsend." Biggs notes that the supercargo has gone missing (possibly the former journal keeper) and that they are taking on ground nuts. Then back up the coast again, and more trouble with the supercargo, who is put under 24 hour watch. By the end of March 1850, the crew is getting sick and we learn that the supercargo is not right in the head. They take on a cargo of "hides and gum. Mate Biggs gets sick and is replaced as journal keeper. The weary schooner finally departs for New York on April 1, 1851, arriving there May 8th. This is followed immediately (May 24) by a voyage to Nicaragua, with a stop at Wilmington, Delaware. They arrive at San Juan June 19, 1851, and the journal ends. This is a rather chaotic record of a hard-working merchant ship. What makes it interesting is that the schooner "Stephen H. Trowbridge" was part of the notorious Slave-Trade fleet of New York City, which remained active through the 1860s. For example, here is a report from the British Parliamentary Papers of the House of Commons: "On the 22nd July, the "Archer" fell in with the slave-schooner "Stephen H. Townsend," and, having dispatched a cutter in company with her to watch her movements, she was captured on the 26th, her master having destroyed his flag and papers. She was found to be fully fitted for the Slave Trade and was about to ship 500 slaves at Mayumba." In this manuscript, the period between October and December 1850 seems suspect, uncharacteristically devoid of detail, with an unusual amount of movement up and down the coast of West Africa. Bound in worn half sheep over marbled boards, binding broken, text clean. (Inventory #: 40208)
After a voyage of about three weeks from New York City, the "Stephen H. Trowbridge" arrived in Bathurst (now Banjul, at the mouth of the Gambia River). There, they discharged timber, rum, shingles, bread, tobacco, pitch, and miscellaneous dry goods, employing Kroomen laborers as longshoremen. They took on a cargo of hides and peanuts, and departed May 19. By June 16 they were back in New York. On the second voyage recorded in this logbook, also kept by Allston, they left New York July 14, 1850, less than a month after returning from the West Africa voyage. They reached Malaga August 12, and discharged their cargo of staves, taking on an unspecified cargo. They departed Malaga August 24 and reached New York October 1, 1850. On October 23 they departed for a port not named in this portion of the log, and arrived back in Bathurst on November 23, 1850. This journey was kept in a different hand. The port log at Bathurst is vague, recording daily weather conditions, but making no mention of cargo discharged or taken aboard. They departed December 7, 1850 and proceeded south along the coast, stopping at the Cacheu and Bissau rivers, anchoring at Bissau on December 11, 1850. Again, the entries are sketchy, referring only to the crew "discharging cargo." They departed December 17 and were back in Bathurst by December 21. Another journal keeper takes over at this point and records their stay at Bathurst. He mentions treating a sick man with quinine and discharging more hides. Then they returned to Bissau and late in February took on more hides and "ground nuts." On March 1 off the port of Bolama "the town was attacked by the Biaffra natives and the women and children took reffuge on board of us the number of over 300... one man killed on the beach and several wounded... ends with deck full of people and all confusion" This journal-keeper then disappears and is replaced on March 2 by "Jonas D. Biggs mate S.H. Townsend." Biggs notes that the supercargo has gone missing (possibly the former journal keeper) and that they are taking on ground nuts. Then back up the coast again, and more trouble with the supercargo, who is put under 24 hour watch. By the end of March 1850, the crew is getting sick and we learn that the supercargo is not right in the head. They take on a cargo of "hides and gum. Mate Biggs gets sick and is replaced as journal keeper. The weary schooner finally departs for New York on April 1, 1851, arriving there May 8th. This is followed immediately (May 24) by a voyage to Nicaragua, with a stop at Wilmington, Delaware. They arrive at San Juan June 19, 1851, and the journal ends. This is a rather chaotic record of a hard-working merchant ship. What makes it interesting is that the schooner "Stephen H. Trowbridge" was part of the notorious Slave-Trade fleet of New York City, which remained active through the 1860s. For example, here is a report from the British Parliamentary Papers of the House of Commons: "On the 22nd July, the "Archer" fell in with the slave-schooner "Stephen H. Townsend," and, having dispatched a cutter in company with her to watch her movements, she was captured on the 26th, her master having destroyed his flag and papers. She was found to be fully fitted for the Slave Trade and was about to ship 500 slaves at Mayumba." In this manuscript, the period between October and December 1850 seems suspect, uncharacteristically devoid of detail, with an unusual amount of movement up and down the coast of West Africa. Bound in worn half sheep over marbled boards, binding broken, text clean. (Inventory #: 40208)