TWO ANTI-SLAVE TRADE PATROL LOGBOOKS FROM H.M.S. NORTH STAR 1834-6

Kept by John Towsend (midshipman), the first 16 July 1834-27 October 1836; the second 8 December 1835-27 October 1836, the first log discusses the voyage round Cape Horn and back again and in particular, mentions stays at Rio, Montevideo and Buenos Aires, 25th 1834; James Scott died from excessive drinking and was buried at sea; May 28th the ship anchored off Pernambuco; on 3 July received stores for the Falkland Islands where they docked on 24 July receiving fresh beef, lots of geese, rabbits and members of the crew, the only inhabitants of the islands; 4 August 1835 the ship again rounded Cape Horn in appalling weather causing the death of the ship's watchman from hypothermia; 16 March 1836 was given a cask of whiskey by an American brig; the North Star arrived back in England on 27 October 1836, this and the following were written by John Francis Townsend, midshipman, the captain being Octavius Venables Cyril Harcourt, modern wrappers, folio -- 12¾ x 8in. (32.5 x 20.5cm.); together with another logbook mostly concerned with ordinary tasks, carpenters (numerous repairs including sails), washing clothes and the ship, exercising marines, espying Australian and French ships, reading articles of war, catching turtles, etc., 61ff. (including one blank), contemporary half roan, red morocco label on front cover, folio -- 12 x 7½in. (30.5 x 18.5cm.), 8 December 1835-27 October 1836; and a transcript of the log; together with a large folder additional support material pertaining to Townsend between 1834-59 and including material when serving as First Lieut. of H.M.S. Pantaloon, an 8-gun brig capturing slavers on the African coast, including letters, manuscripts and an early (17th Century?) map of Ireland.

(3, a lot)

The North Star commissioned 1825 was stationed in the West Africa Squadron suppressing the slave trade - taking several Spanish and Brazillian slavers and after serving in the first Anglo-Chinese War (1841-42) was fitted for Arctic service between 1852-1854 searching for Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated North-West passage expedition. She was scrapped at Chatham Dockyard in 1860.