John Underwood - Rare and Antiquarian Books and Manuscripts

Pp139 and further blanks, bound in green leather ruled notebook (label of Henningham and Hollis, Grosvenor Square,London)marbled (combed )endpapers and all edges. Very sound condition with no splits,lightly rubbed to spine and covers, Near Fine condition.This is a very entertaining travel diary,written in a clear hand with regular entries on the voyages out,whilst in New Zealand,and on the return voyage.According to the log (along with picture of the Kaikoura,passenger list,map etc, provided by the New Zealand Line)the Nicholson family (captain H.B., Misses E.M. and I.W.) embark on Oct.14th 1897, arriving on November 3rd in Wellington via way ports of Plymouth,Tenerife,Capetown and Hobart.They return on R.M.S.Tongariro on Feb 17th 1898 arriving back in Plymouth on April 1st. Kaikoura (4507 Tons, 4,000 h.p)built by John Elder & Co, Glasgow in 1884, was a steamship with three masts.(The following link gives a similar voyage in 1890 reported in a newspaper http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzbo und/kaikoura1890.htm ) The family travel in the First Saloon (first class) and there are regular references to fellow passengers. Capt.Nicholson complains about his berth "an obsolete wooden frame & sheets not more than 30" long" and he makes the most of it by letting "the lower extremities take their chance". Another entry notes "Are deficient of 1 2nd class passenger, who has jumped overboard during night", and the voyages are not uneventful, with strong winds "lost my yachting cap while taking photos of albatrosses" and gales "much damage done to crockery and sleep impossible". An excellent travel diary with plenty of research possibilities, including immigration to New Zealand using the passenger lists provided.

N.B. GOOGLE provided many links for both ships including pictures.

condition: Fair

jacket: Fair

binding: Dustwrapper over Cloth