Two complete journals of two whaling voyages, on two different ships, bound in the same volume, and apparently kept by the same person. Approx. 55 leaves, written in ink on both sides, most pages with entries for 4 to 6 days. 12½x7½, later cloth.

Rare occurrence of two complete whaling voyages aboard two different ships, apparently kept by the same person, probably a mate, as the two ships had different masters. The master of the first voyage, aboard the William out of Fall River, Mass., June 26 to Dec. 17, 1838, was Elisha Cudworth, and his name is mentioned several times. He is also indicated at the beginning of the journal for the Meridian as the master of that vessel, but he was evidently merely slated for that position, as he ended up as the master of the Brig Inga during the period covered in the latter journal. The Meridian, under Captain Ricketsen, left Wareham, Mass., on October 1, 1839, and returned on July 29 of the following year. The entries are rich in detail, along with the usual notations of wind, weather and course there are descriptions of repairs to the ship, and whaling, "saw a whale lowere and saw him no more, saw hump backs saw sperm whales and lowered and struck... 4 whales took them alongside and began to cut finished cutting the bodys..." Also, there is a fine description of near mutiny, "Captain Ricketson and a Boat ashore the dook insulted him and the cook and Davis come on Board in liquour and the cook dam and swore and told Capt. Ricketson he would not be cow hided nor struck by any man. At 6 a.m. Capt. Rickeson ordered the cook to come aft and he would not come Captain Ricketson ordered me and Mr. Johnson to take him aft and he resisted Captain Ricketson told me to take the knife from him he took hold of the knife and I grapled him and took the knife and forced hime aft and tied him up in the Rigging and he said to the crew if there was men in the ship he would not be seized up by Captain Ricketson. Asked if he would acknowledge he was wrong and he said he was not..."