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On offer is a sensational, original 19th Century manuscript travel diary handwritten by Mr. Frank L. Thornton a celebrated grain merchant who along with his family lived in Providence Rhode Island going back 200+ years. [From 'Industries and Wealth of the Principal Points in Rhode Island, 1892: "The only house in Rhode Island engaged exclusively as a jobber of oat, corn, wheat, rye and buckwheat products…. For some few years past he has been the leading source of supply for the goods handled and now controls a trade of considerable magnitude and importance reaching all over this section of New England."] Dated 1874 Mr. Thornton details a trip to Europe but unlike most tours of Europe Frank's trip goes on to South Africa making for a significant voyage and the surprise pick up on the famous Island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean of three passengers who had recently survived a horrendous fire and shipwreck of the doomed ship 'Cospatrick' makes for a chilling report and early first hand retelling of their survival mere weeks after the tragedy. [One online source provides: Cospatrick was a wooden 3-masted full-rigged sailing ship that was the victim of one of the worst shipping disasters to a merchant ship during the 19th century. The ship caught fire south of the Cape of Good Hope on 17 November 1874 while on a voyage from Gravesend, England to Auckland, New Zealand. Only 3 of 472 persons on board at the time ultimately survived, making it New Zealand's worst ever civil disaster. ] In total there are seventy-one [71] pages the majority [40 pages] relate to South Africa and on. The diary starts off with him in South Africa on October 12th, 1874 with Frank, a light traveler carrying sack of clothes departing "Pilgrim's Rest" South Africa. While not writing daily he is keen eyed and provides superb detail of his trip from Pilgrim's Rest, the Port of Natal, Durban, and finally arriving in Port Elizabeth on November 22nd. He proceeds to Cape Town and on to the island of Saint Helena. It is from here he writes 6 pages of the survivor's account. They leave Saint Helena for Ascension Island, the Canary Islands, Madeira, Lisbon, and finally Plymouth, England. On February 2nd, 1875 he takes the steamship Marathon from Liverpool and 15 days he is returned to the States. There are along with the diary entries a further 31 pages with miscellaneous notes. Lastly there is a 4 page section dated October 9th, 1879 relating his marriage to Emma Eliza Brown. Here are some snippets: 1874 "October 12th, Left Pilgrim's Rest with Mafuta and a sack of clothes. Walked about 24 miles and slept at the Spekboom River. Met Capt. Lamplea (? ). "October 28th, Arrived at New Castle the first town in the boundaries of Natal. There are good coal mines on the surface. I wrote a letter home from here. Went to Church and was surprised to hear the strength of voice for so small an attendance." "November 10th, Arrived at Umgeni Falls the pride of Natal. Very beautiful and said to be 300 ft. in height but appears much less than that. There was a small suspension bridge in course of construction. I believe the Mac M__Falls to be 40 ft more in height." "December 1st, Left Port Elizabeth about noon in a boat from the jetty and shortly after sailed in the steamship Nyanja, a Capt. Dixon. Took a lot of Malays to Cape Town. Paid 26 pounds. First day was sick all day contrary to my expectation. Sailed out of sight of land all the time." "December 10th, Passed a large Liverpool ship from the East bound to Scotland. The transit of Venus occurred yesterday but it was invisible to us although it was fine. A. C. Stewart is a first cabin passenger. Carpenter." "December 12th, St. Helena Arrived in St. Helena about 1 ½ P.M. Went ashore immediately with Misses Allen, Wolf and an old man. Walked through the main street and took a guide for the grave of Napoleon. Walked one and half hours hard walking up a very steep hill. Came to the top and...

On offer is a sensational, original 19th Century manuscript travel diary handwritten by Mr. Frank L. Thornton a celebrated grain merchant who along with his family lived in Providence Rhode Island going back 200+ years. [From 'Industries and Wealth of the Principal Points in Rhode Island, 1892: "The only house in Rhode Island engaged exclusively as a jobber of oat, corn, wheat, rye and buckwheat products…. For some few years past he has been the leading source of supply for the goods handled and now controls a trade of considerable magnitude and importance reaching all over this section of New England."] Dated 1874 Mr. Thornton details a trip to Europe but unlike most tours of Europe Frank's trip goes on to South Africa making for a significant voyage and the surprise pick up on the famous Island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean of three passengers who had recently survived a horrendous fire and shipwreck of the doomed ship 'Cospatrick' makes for a chilling report and early first hand retelling of their survival mere weeks after the tragedy. [One online source provides: Cospatrick was a wooden 3-masted full-rigged sailing ship that was the victim of one of the worst shipping disasters to a merchant ship during the 19th century. The ship caught fire south of the Cape of Good Hope on 17 November 1874 while on a voyage from Gravesend, England to Auckland, New Zealand. Only 3 of 472 persons on board at the time ultimately survived, making it New Zealand's worst ever civil disaster. ] In total there are seventy-one [71] pages the majority [40 pages] relate to South Africa and on. The diary starts off with him in South Africa on October 12th, 1874 with Frank, a light traveler carrying sack of clothes departing "Pilgrim's Rest" South Africa. While not writing daily he is keen eyed and provides superb detail of his trip from Pilgrim's Rest, the Port of Natal, Durban, and finally arriving in Port Elizabeth on November 22nd. He proceeds to Cape Town and on to the island of Saint Helena. It is from here he writes 6 pages of the survivor's account. They leave Saint Helena for Ascension Island, the Canary Islands, Madeira, Lisbon, and finally Plymouth, England. On February 2nd, 1875 he takes the steamship Marathon from Liverpool and 15 days he is returned to the States. There are along with the diary entries a further 31 pages with miscellaneous notes. Lastly there is a 4 page section dated October 9th, 1879 relating his marriage to Emma Eliza Brown. Here are some snippets: 1874 "October 12th, Left Pilgrim's Rest with Mafuta and a sack of clothes. Walked about 24 miles and slept at the Spekboom River. Met Capt. Lamplea (? ). "October 28th, Arrived at New Castle the first town in the boundaries of Natal. There are good coal mines on the surface. I wrote a letter home from here. Went to Church and was surprised to hear the strength of voice for so small an attendance." "November 10th, Arrived at Umgeni Falls the pride of Natal. Very beautiful and said to be 300 ft. in height but appears much less than that. There was a small suspension bridge in course of construction. I believe the Mac M__Falls to be 40 ft more in height." "December 1st, Left Port Elizabeth about noon in a boat from the jetty and shortly after sailed in the steamship Nyanja, a Capt. Dixon. Took a lot of Malays to Cape Town. Paid 26 pounds. First day was sick all day contrary to my expectation. Sailed out of sight of land all the time." "December 10th, Passed a large Liverpool ship from the East bound to Scotland. The transit of Venus occurred yesterday but it was invisible to us although it was fine. A. C. Stewart is a first cabin passenger. Carpenter." "December 12th, St. Helena Arrived in St. Helena about 1 ½ P.M. Went ashore immediately with Misses Allen, Wolf and an old man. Walked through the main street and took a guide for the grave of Napoleon. Walked one and half hours hard walking up a very steep hill. Came to the top and...