Trevanion & Dean
Lot 423
A fascinating personal hand written journal of Cadet A W Watson of the ship Lord Lowther, titled 'Journal of A.W. Watson Cadet N.S, on a voyage to Madras from London, sailed Sep't 30th 1840, p2 ship Lord Lowther, John Patterson R.N ? arrived Jan 15th 1841 and continued to...', 89 pages, among other things he discusses the voyage being surrounded by, sharks dolphin fishing extreme weather condition on route to Madras. It appears that Watson was a Cadet aboard the Lord Lowther but after landing he later joins the army. His entry for March 3rd 1841 at Vepery reads 'Happy Days! as t'was that my fate was decided, it having pleased the Commander in Chief at length to post us all - The Evenings Gazette, showed my name as appointed to the 21st Regiment N.I stationed at Ahmednugger the the Bombay Presidency as 4th Ensign at 10am per palanquin to the adjutant General - dress my pay for March consisting of 165 Rupee clear of deductions. Repaired to the Quartermaster Generals Office and there learned that I was to march on the following Saturday, leaving but four days for my preparations'. other eventful entries include hunting excursions, military life, and an account of an intoxicated Christmas day mutiny. Other names from within the text (as written) include Veperay, Bellary, Ettenhutty, Moodianoor, Lickeyhall, Kulladghee, Bandamee, Kundrall, Gocock, Muckleghassy, Belgaum, Hullyhall and Goodoor among others. The last entries detail a bear hunting expedition and how Watson appears to have survived an attack from a bear the group was hunting. There are three letters dated 1845 loose at the front of the journal - these appear to have been sent home to Watson's family from his 'Brother Officers' and inform his family of his death from illness in 1845. (1) CONDITION REPORT: The Lord Lowther may have been an East India Company Ship. Provenance: Entered into auction by a local private vendor. A.W. Watson is a distant relation of the vendor through the maternal line. The binding is heavily worn at the spine with ten pieces of Sellotape used. The boards are generally worn and grubby. Internally with age wear browning and some foxing, two small burn marks to the top of two pages. Most text readable.
