William B. Hadden diary, 1865.

Abstract:

A worn, marbled-paper covered volume comprising the journal of William B. Hadden. The journal was written during Hadden's three-month voyage from India to England on board the ship Gosforth during the month from April 3 to July 31, 1865. Above his first entry on April 3, 1865 Hadden wrote "Passage from India to England." Hadden noted the ship was overcrowded due to the number of soldiers leaving India. Hadden recorded his experiences on board, daily life, and passing time. He was returning to England after a twelve-year absence. In the journal he reminisced of his boyhood in Benholm, Kincardineshire, Scotland. Hadden recorded sailing conditions, passing ships, daily rations, laundry day, and his assignments of guard duty. He provided descriptions of amusements and distractions on board the ship including watching flying fish, porpoises, and whales; playing games of cards and dice; and reading, writing, and sketching. Hadden also wrote of his conversations on board, his dreams, and his writing case. He noted a man who jumped overboard, a widow pursuing his company, and a punishment at sea. Reading the volume from back to front is a fictional story with the heading Adventures amongst the Himalayan Mountains. The tale involves Hadden and a fellow soldier in pursuit of two young Indian women. The account describes altercations with the family of the girls and the consequences of the forbidden romance. Also included in the volume are fifteen drawings in colored pencil of sites including Dagshai, Baghdad, and the Cape of Good Hope. One drawing is labeled "Harvest House. Of all Scotland." There are also a few poems, a table longitude and latitude by place, and a list of words in Urdu with English translation are included in the volume.

Creator:

Hadden, William B., active 1850-1870.

Timespan:

Atlantic Ocean -- 19th century.; Indian Ocean -- 19th century.; Atlantic Ocean.; Indian Ocean.

Date:

1865

Description:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Friends of the Library Endowment Fund.

Identifier:

9975956293503681; (OCoLC)ocn979545765; (OCoLC)979545765; (PUVoyagerBIBID)9975956293503681; (PU)7595629-penndb-Voyager

Language:

English

Provenance:

Sold by Ten Pound Island Book Company (Lanesville, Massachusetts), 2017.

Relation:

Finding aid http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/pacscl/UPENN_RBML_PUSpMsCodex1819; http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366212

Subject:

English diaries -- Male authors -- 19th century.; English diaries -- 19th century -- Specimens.; Male authors.; English diaries.; Codices (bound manuscripts); Diaries.; Drawings (visual works); Manuscripts, English -- 19th century.; Specimens.

Resource Type:

Manuscripts

Physical Description:

1 volume

Corporate Name:

Friends of the Library Endowment Fund.

Rights:

https://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Physical Location:

Ms. Codex 1819

Collection:

Friends of the Library Endowment Fund.