Collection ID: 0002 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Joseph M. Jenkins travel journal

Authors

• Jenkins, Joseph M., 1783-

Call number

Ms. Coll. 814
(3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6206, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• bibid: 9949535143503681
• http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/711785905
• http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/pacscl/UPENN_RBML_PUSpMsColl814 http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366295 http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366308 https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3zk55z6z http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366323 http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/846324

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania

Origin

Date

1805-1806

Summary

Comprises two volumes, the journal spans eleven months from 2 February 1805 to 17 January 1806, detailing his sea voyage as assistant supercargo on the merchant sailing vessel the Samuel Elam. The ship, captained by Mr. Champlin, sailed from New York around the Cape of Good Hope through the Indian Ocean, anchoring at the Isle of France (Mauritius) and later Batavia (Jakarta), Java. Jenkins served under Master and First Supercargo Uriah O. Champlin, cousin of the captain. Jenkins records the number of crew members and passengers aboard the ship including John J. DePestyer, a passenger and brother-in-law of Uriah O. Champlin. Entries often commence with the weather, sea condition, longitude and latitude, and lunar measurement. Jenkins describes the conditions on board the ship, including cargo and livestock, amusements, books he is reading, and games played. The ship's first port after 130 days at sea was Mauritius, where the Samuel Elam was anchored from June until August. Jenkins describes the plantations, slaves, spice trees, and landscape of the island. The Samuel Elam leaves Mauritius and sails to Jakarta, where they stay for 45 days Jenkins records meetings with different ships, captains and crew, items purchased, trading, Java and its inhabitants. Throughout the journals Jenkins records the condition of passenger John J. DePestyer, whose mental state deteriorated throughout the voyage. Finally, Jenkins relates his care of the captain and crew when they contract an illness at Java, and later Jenkins describes his own ailing from dysentery. The diary ends abruptly with the Samuel Elam's second departure from Java. The journal includes Jenkins's experiences with trading and purchasing with natives and plantations, lists persons and animals aboard the ship, and a chart of the voyage on the end papers of the volume 2. Also included are Jenkins's drawings of islands from the ship, and descriptions of birds and marine animals.

Extent

2 volumes

Provenance

• Sold by Michael Brown Rare Books (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2011.
   

Subjects topical

• American diaries--19th century--Specimens
• American diaries--Male authors
• American diaries
• Sailors--United States--19th century--Diaries
• Sailors
• Male authors
• Indian Ocean--Description and travel--19th century
• Jakarta (Indonesia)--Description and travel--19th century
• Mauritius--Description and travel--19th century
• United States
• Indian Ocean
• Mauritius

Genres

• Diaries
• Manuscripts, American
• Diaries
• Drawings (visual works)
• Diaries
• Specimens

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Ms. Coll. 814: Joseph M. Jenkins travel journal are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  Metadata is ©2024 University of Pennsylvania Libraries and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode