23. Antique Books & Ephemera

23.26  IMPORTANT ANTIQUARIAN NAUTICAL BOOK.  Edmund Blunt, “The American Coast Pilot, Sixth Edition, June 1809, Newburyport.  The lengthy title page further reads, “Courses and Distances Between Principal Harbours, Capes, and Headlands, From Passamaquoddy, through the Gulph (sic) of Florida; Together with Courses and Distances From Cape Cod and Cape Ann to George’s Bank, with the Latitudes and Longitudes of the principal Harbours on the Coast, together with a Tide Table. By Capt. Lawrence Furlong. Corrected and Improved by the Most Experienced Pilots in the United States.  Sold by Edward Little & Co., Newburyport, John Jayne, Salem, Joseph R. Newell, Boston and Samuel Thaxter, Boston.”  This important mariners’ reference and guide consists primarily of sailing directions for vessels on the Atlantic coast of the United States into the Gulf of Mexico.  It has several fold-out maps of the coastline and principal harbors including Portland, Portsmouth, Newport, Boston, Long-Island Sound, New York Harbor, Chesapeake, Baltimore, North Carolina, Charleston and Vera Cruz.  326 pages excluding the Appendix and advertisements for a total of 389 pages.  Condition is “fair” but totally complete.  This book has literally gone to sea as evidenced by navigational sightings written on the inside cover!  The pigskin boards and binding are intact but frail.  The content is toned with some pages stained and dog eared.  Nevertheless, this is an original example of one of the earliest American maritime texts, totally complete, over 215 years old!  395

23.26  IMPORTANT ANTIQUARIAN NAUTICAL BOOK.  Edmund Blunt, “The American Coast Pilot, Sixth Edition, June 1809, Newburyport.  The lengthy title page further reads, “Courses and Distances Between Principal Harbours, Capes, and Headlands, From Passamaquoddy, through the Gulph (sic) of Florida; Together with Courses and Distances From Cape Cod and Cape Ann to George’s Bank, with the Latitudes and Longitudes of the principal Harbours on the Coast, together with a Tide Table. By Capt. Lawrence Furlong. Corrected and Improved by the Most Experienced Pilots in the United States.  Sold by Edward Little & Co., Newburyport, John Jayne, Salem, Joseph R. Newell, Boston and Samuel Thaxter, Boston.”  This important mariners’ reference and guide consists primarily of sailing directions for vessels on the Atlantic coast of the United States into the Gulf of Mexico.  It has several fold-out maps of the coastline and principal harbors including Portland, Portsmouth, Newport, Boston, Long-Island Sound, New York Harbor, Chesapeake, Baltimore, North Carolina, Charleston and Vera Cruz.  326 pages excluding the Appendix and advertisements for a total of 389 pages.  Condition is “fair” but totally complete.  This book has literally gone to sea as evidenced by navigational sightings written on the inside cover!  The pigskin boards and binding are intact but frail.  The content is toned with some pages stained and dog eared.  Nevertheless, this is an original example of one of the earliest American maritime texts, totally complete, over 215 years old!  395

23.27  RARE ANTIQUARIAN BOOK.  Joseph Blunt, “The Shipmaster’s Assistant and Commercial Digest,” 1854, E. &G. W. Blunt, New York.  Hard pigskin cover, 821 pages, exclusive of section on Tariff Duties, Dictionary of Sea Terms, Commercial Regulations, and Index.  900 pages total.  This voluminous work contains chapters including ”Masters of Vessels, Duty of Mates, Seamen, Ship Owners, Ships, Laws of Navigation, Fisheries, Revenue Cutters, Freight, Salvage, Currency Exchange (very interesting!), Weights and Measures, Quarantine Laws, Passengers, Pilots, Harbor Regulations, Crimes on the High Seas, Navy, Slave Trade, and Commercial Regulations of Foreign Nations” among others.  Also included are appendices on Rigging, Sea Terms, Warehousing Circulars, and Rules in case of Collision.  This book is fully intact with all pages, original binding and pigskin boards.  Beginning at approximately page 131 and running through page 619 there is evidence of water staining.  However it does not affect the integrity of the pages or their readability.  6 x 9 ½ inches and 3 inches thick.  Complete with  protective plastic sleeve.  Offered here at our cost 30 years ago.  150

23.25  SIGNING ON PAPERS.  Very rare, folio document of herculean size boldly titled “UNITED STATE OF AMERICA   It Is Agreed between the Master and Seamen, or Mariners of the Ship Eagle of Penobscott, Me, whereof William Gectorn is at present master, now bound from the Port of Boston to Norfolk, Va…  This original document contains the signatures of 5 seamen dated “Boston April …”  Columns include “NAMES, PLACE OF RESIDENCE, STATION, MONTHLY WAGES ($14 - 15), DAY OF DISCHARGE, etc.”  Most men have signed on for one month. Quite amusingly, the very top of the page boldly reads "No Ardent Spirits Allowed On Board." The reverse bears the impressive letterhead of “CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES” with a proud American eagle at the top.  It reads, “AN ACT for the Government and Regulation in the Merchants’ Service, Passed at the second session, begun and held at the City of New York, on Monday the 4th of January 1790.”  Below it “CHAP, 23.  AN ACT in addition to the several Acts regulating the shipment and discharge of Seamen, and the duties of Consuls Approved July 20, 1840.”  The document is neatly folded into quarters and measures 16 inches wide by 21 inches tall.   It is done on high quality parchment paper in a remarkable state of original preservation with no tears, losses, stains or damage of any kind!   The penmanship is legible and distinct. Although undated as to the year, this official document surely dates to the second quarter of the 1800’s.  A very rare early American seafaring document.  Quite suitable for framing.  249

23.24  ANTIQUARIAN SHIP REGISTER.   “List of merchant Vessels of the United States, 1912.”  This original bound list of ships was compiled by the Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of Navigation and printed by the Government Printing Office as of June 30, 1912.  It has a hard cloth cover containing 483 pages with unnumbered end papers.  This extensive volume covers virtually every vessel of American registry afloat at the time, giving the name, call sign, rig, gross and net tonnages, length, breadth, depth, service, crew, horsepower, (if applicable), when built, where built and home port.  Among others, it also includes U.S. Navy and Lighthouse Service ships.  In short, an invaluable reference tool covering literally thousands of vessels combined within a single cover.   Excellent original condition.  Printed the same year of the RMS TITANIC sinking!  39

7.00  CLASSIC NAVIGATION BOOK.  Scarce original copy of Blunt's "The New American Practical Navigator," 7th edition, 1832, E. & G. W. Blunt, New York.  Hard cover, 620 pages retaining the original pigskin spine.  Colloquially referred to as "Bowditch," this work was first published in 1802 by Nathaniel Bowditch as an encyclopedia of navigation.  It served as a valuable handbook on oceanography and meteorology, with useful observation tables and a maritime glossary.  In 1867 the copyright and plates were purchased by the United States Navy Hydrographic Office.  The book is still published in updated versions to this day.  It is considered a cornerstone of American nautical literature.   This copy must be rated as being in "good condition" considering it is 190 years old.  Importantly, it is totally complete with all pages and rarely preserved fold-out map.  Both end boards are sturdy and intact.  The spine is original and sound retaining its gold-embossed title.  The first and last few pages are spotted and dog-eared.  The title page is tattered but intact.  In general the interior content is very good.  A very interesting testament to its actual use at sea is the fact that there are numerous calculations for astronomical sightings penciled in the front.  A super rare book at a super price!  289

7.98  ANTIQUARIAN REFERENCE BOOK.  William Brady, "The Kedge Anchor or Young Sailors' Assistant," 1872, D. Appleton & Company, New York.  Hard cloth cover, 393 pages, very finely illustrated with black and white engravings throughout.   A wealth of nautical knowledge!  This highly instructive "how to" book intended for the apprentice seaman has no less than 544 separate entries detailing various forms of seamanship from ropework, steering, navigation, deck seamanship, sail handling, boats, anchoring, weather, gunnery and watch standing to numerous tables showing strengths of lines and cables, allowable quantities of stores, etc., etc.  At the time, steam was just beginning to find its way into the merchant service.  So this book covers it all from the perspective of sailing ship seamanship of that era.  Good overall condition.  The cover and binding are sound.  Pages are complete with no damage and only expected slight toning from age.  An absolute must for the serious nautical historian with insights and lessons learned at the time.  150 years old!  A literal "anchor" in a well rounded nautical library.  189

Provenance:  Ex. "Michael Rupp & Co., Chronometer Manufacturers, New York."

7.96  EARLY ANTIQUARIAN BOOK.  Andrew Wakeley, "The Mariner's Compafs Rectified," J. Mount and T. Page, Tower Hill, London, 1767.  Hard pigskin cover, 272 pages.  This amazingly old mariner's reference book is printed in Olde English style on high quality laid paper with a few descriptive wood block prints.  As the title implies it was intended to be an aid to mariners using the primitive navigational methods of the time.  The chronometer and Hadley's quadrant were both in their infancy.   The Lunar Distance method had yet to be perfected.  The cross staff, back staff and dead reckoning were the accepted tools of navigation.  As such emphasis was devoted to celestial observation.  The major portion of the book are devoted to tables indicating the Sun's Declination – a "Sun Dial for the Latitude" for varying degrees of latitude.  Next are descriptions of the Davis Quadrant (backstaff) and the Nocturnal and a series of example mathematical solutions for their use.  Finally there is a "Table containing the chief Harboures, Headlands and Iflands of the World" with their Latitudes and Longitudes.  Overall condition is fair to good.  Content is complete and totally legible. The first 2 end papers bear water stains.  Remarkably the remainder of the book, title page and beyond, is free from any damage or foxing, although the pages are notably toned with age.  The pigskin covers were professionally reattached a long time ago.  4 ½ by 7 inches and 1 ¼ inches thick.   Over 2 ½ centuries old! 495

7.55  IMPORTANT ANTIQUARIAN BOOK.  Henry Howe, “Life and Death on the Oceans, a Collection of Extraordinary of the Form of Personal Narratives…,” 1855, Hard cover with marbled boards and pig skin spine,  624 pages. Henry Howe, Publisher, Cincinnati.  A remarkable early book chronicling the adventures of seamen around the world from America’s Revolutionary War into the middle of the 19th century.  Noting that the world was a wild and unexplored place, this extraordinary book provides a firsthand account of just how interesting yet treacherous foreign lands were at that time.  There are 32 chapters revealing an amazing diversity of experiences.  Some of the more notable are, “Seven Year of a Sailor’s Life Among the Savages of the Caroline Islands;  Paddock’s Narrative of Bondage among the Arabs upon the Coast of South Barbary;  Ethan Allen’s Narrative of the Captivity on board of British Vessels in the Revolutionary War;  Incidents in the War with Tripoli; The Chase of the United States Frigate Constitution by a British Squadron; The Extraordinary Sufferings of Donald Campbell who, being shipwrecked, fell into the hands of the cruel, Hyder Ali; Description by an English Sailor Boy of the Battle between the American Frigate United States and The British Frigate Macedonian; Convict Life in Australia; A man Overboard; Narrative of the Mutiny on the Somers, a brig-of-war in the American Naval Service; Scenes on a Man-of-War in a Hurricane, “ and many, many more.  Perhaps the most desirable aspect of this fascinating book is the number of large fold-out prints pertaining to the narratives.  Each print has been laboriously hand-tinted in color.  Some of the captions are, “Gallant Defense of Three Sailors; Interior of the old Jersey Prison Ship in the Revolutionary War; The Signal Gun of Distrefs (sic) on the Arctic; The Survivors on the Raft Signaling a Vefsel (sic); Stowing the Cargo on a Slaver at Night,” etc.   Considering its 165 years, this book must be considered in “excellent” condition.  There are no losses.  Many of the pages are toned with moderate spotting.  But the high quality rag paper is completely intact throughout.  6 ½ by 9 inches and 2 ½ inches thick.  A period nautical treasure predating the Civil War.  595

7.34  INSTRUMENT CATALOG.   A wonderful scientific instrument reference in the form of second edition of the “Stanley, London A Edition” catalog, copyright 1960.  The title page indicates that W.F. Stanley & Co. were established in 1853 as makers of “Surveying, Mathematical, Drawing, Optical Nautical and Scientific Instruments.”  To those ends, this hard cover book-like catalog contains 392 pages offering every conceivable manner of goods for which the firm was famous.  The table of contents reads:  “Surveying, Drawing Instruments, Drawing Office Equipment, Photo Printing, Stationery, Etc., Mathematical Planimeters, Integrtaors, Integraph, Harmonic Analysers, Miscellaneous, Navigational, Thermometrical, Meteorological, and Index and Cross Reference.”  The items offered are fully described and accompanied by the finest quality engraved drawings on gloss paper overlaid by a protective fly leaf page.  Many of the items shown are carryovers from a century earlier.  Gold embossed hard cloth cover.  Excellent condition throughout.  An absolute wealth of information!   Rare.  175

7.62  BILL of SALE.  Original sailing ship bill of sale for the Brig “Silas S. Martin” of Castine as penned in lovely cursive script.  This document conveying 1/32nd part of the vessel (“together with sails, boats, anchors, cables, tackle, furniture and all other necessaries”) to F. A. Hooke from Mary W. Hooke for the sum of $400, is dated May 5, 1876.  It is pre-printed on quality rag paper, folded into 4 pages.  The top front bears the image of an American eagle perched on the Union shield clutching olive braches and arrows.  The inside pages contain much information about the ship and its official transfer of title, and bears the seal of the Registrar of Castine, Maine.  This document measures 8 ½ by 14 inches on each of its 4 pages, is 17 inches wide overall, and folds down to 8 ½ by 3 ½ inches.  Good original condition considering its 135 years.  49

The Brig SILAS S. MARTIN was built in Castine, Maine.  She had a length of 109 feet, displaced 218 tons, had a square stern and a prow decorated with a billet head.  Her master was R. B. Brown.

7.60  BILL OF SALE.  Rare, early American document conveying the official sale of a fractional part of the 3-masted sailing ship VICTORIA RUD built in Bath, Maine in 1854.  This handsome original document is on high grade pre-printed light blue paper consisting of 4 pages.  The frontispiece shows a sailing ship with the words, “To all to whom these Presents shall come, GREETING: Know ye.. 1/16 Ship Victoria Rud F. Rua to W. H. Potter.  Custom House Bath Received Nov 6 1854.”  The remaining four pages are printed in  exquisite cursive script with hand-written insertions where applicable.  The front page is entitled “BILL OF SALE OF REGISTERED VESSEL by Collins Bowne Co., Stationers’ Hall, 174 Pearl-st N.Y.” with a 3-masted full rigged American ship under shortened sail.  The inside page bears the image of a spread-winged American eagle perched on a shield.  This document measures 8 by 13 inches with 3 original folds.  It is in an excellent state of original preservation with no tears, stains or losses.  A very decorative piece of genuine American sailing history!  79

The 3-masted square rigged ship VICTORIA RUD was built in Bath, Maine in 1854.  She had a length overall of 145 feet 10 inches a breadth of 30 feet 5 inches, a depth of 15 feet 2 inches and displaced 621 tons.  Her Captain was Andrew Talbot.

B-41  EARLY WHALING BOOK.  Rev. Henry T. Cheever, “The Whale and His Captors or The Whaleman’s Adventures.”  1850, Harper Brothers Publishers, New York.  314 pages of content with additional advertisements following.  Hard embossed cloth cover, 4 ¾ by 6 ¾ inches.  This extremely rare antique book describes the whale fishery in pre-Civil War America, complete with several fine steel plate engravings.  Condition is sound with no losses.  Covers are stained and foxed as are end papers.  A nice gold embossed image of a whaleship and boat on the cover. Content is good with some minor water staining evident.  An important old book on the subject.  49