Andrew Bracey Taylor - Papers, 1781-1799

A 2106

fonds

1781-1799

Textual Records, Drawings

431552

Microfilm : CY 724, frames 1-521 (A 2106)

12 volumes - 0.09 Meters
Textual Records - (manuscript)
Drawings

Between 1786 and 1789, James Colnett led a fur trading expedition to the Northwest coast of America with the King George's Sound Company vessels, the Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales. Andrew Bracey Taylor, born in Great Yardmouth, served as third mate on the Prince of Wales. Taylor had previously held a commission in the Royal Navy. The expedition traversed the coast from Prince William Sound to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and were the first Europeans to encounter the Tsimshian and the southern Heiltsuk. -- Reference: National Library of Canada, Ottawa, online Dec. 2003.

JOURNAL ON THE PRINCE OF WALES OF LONDON: VOLUMES 1 to 8 [CY 724, frames 1-365].
Each volume contains comments on sea and weather conditions; route travelled; navigational position; repairs to the ship; life on board and daily duties; and wildlife encountered.
VOLUME 1:
August 1786 - 4 July 1787; [Deptford to Nutka Sound]
i. Observations on the pafsage [i.e. passage] from London to Cowes.
ii. Employment at Cowes, with observations there on.
iii. From Cowes towards the Illand of St Jago.
iv. From St Jago to New Years Harbour Staten Land.
v. Departure from New Years harbour Staten Land.
vi. From New Years Harbour Staten Land to Nutka or King Georges Sound, on the Northwest Coast of America.
Taylor relates that the objective of the journey is to trade fur with the natives of North America. He also describes the fitting out of the ship and preparations at Deptford. Includes coastal profile maps of Cape de Verd and Fernando Noronho islands, and Cape Diego Ter del Fuego, and verse or poems.
VOLUME 2:
5 July 1787 to 3 January 1788; [Nutka Sound to Sandwich Islands]
"Arrival at Nutka Sound, rest there to cure men of scurvy. Departure to Barclay Cove. Voyage up the coast to Queen Charlotte Sound with amount of natives &c. - Misfortunes at Calamity Harbour - Repair of vessel - trouble with natives. Voyage to Sandwich Islands and arrival there" [label on front of volume]
i. The Journal of the Prince of Wales continued.
ii. Observations in Nutka Sound
iii. Remarks from King George's Sound, northwards
iv. A summary account of the misfortunes in "Calamity" Harbour"
v. From the Northwest coast of America to the Sandwich Islands
vi. The grog expended an elegy
vii. The reception of the Prince of Wales at the Sandwich Islands
VOLUME 3:
[4th] January 1788 to [19th] February 1788;
i. The behaviour of the natives at the Sandwich Islands
ii. The treachery of the natives at Attoi. one of the Sandwich Islands.
Includes map of Port Etches Prince William Sound.
VOLUME 4:
4 January - 1 February 1788;
Commentary on the customs, diet, and lifestyle of the natives of Sandwich Islands and geography encountered. Includes descriptions of canoes.
VOLUME 5:
2 February - 6 March 1788;
The process and consequences of taboo; interchange of gifts with natives; interaction and relations between the men of the Prince of Wales and the natives.
VOLUME 6:
29 April - [23 May], [10 September] - 29 September [1788]; "No. A" [Passage towards Comptrollers Bay]
[front to back] Descriptions of canoes (methods of sailing and materials of construction), spears, clothing worn by natives, interchanges of trade particularly fur pelts, languages spoken, provisions and supplies, and taboo. Includes a list of native words.
[back to front] Foods that are restricted on certain days; leisure activities of the natives; taboo laws - Taboo Brunie [or Brunae]; and death.
VOLUME 7:
17 June - 9 September 1788; [Cape Edgecomb and continuation of journey]
30 September - 24 November 1788; From the Sandwich Islands to China
26 January - 12 April 1789; Logbook
Includes passage around Cape Edgecomb, places of anchor, trade, native customs and lifestyle, interactions with natives, sailing conditions, list of goods, and an account of a robbery perpetrated by David Sherbane [?] in Oct. 1783. Entries for the logbook include position, course, winds, date, and remarks (generally about weather conditions.
VOLUME 8:
8 April 1789 - 5 July 1789; Entries include position, course, winds, day, remarks, and verse. Also includes more lengthy comments and expansion on activities of crew, disputes, accidents and their treatment by the surgeon, and the sighting of four English ships homeward bound from China.
LOG OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CARTERET: VOLUMES 9 & 10 [CY 724, frames 366-441]
VOLUME 9:
4 August - 3 November 1796; The Carteret from Falmouth towards Barbados.
The Cateret carried sails to West Indies in 1796. Entries include position, course, winds, date, and comments on topics such as livestock, provisions, wildlife observed, repairs to ships, and weather conditions.
VOLUME 10:
3 March - 8 September 1799;
[front to back] Logbook. Entries include: position, courses, winds, and remarks that predominantly relate to weather conditions, signals observed, repairs to sails and netting.
[back to front] Copy of letter addressed to John Mc Connell, owner of the Carteret Packet, requesting cash advance for seamen, 28 April 1799; list of goods with prices and expenditure items; and receipts for bills of exchange and wages paid.
SUNDRY PARTICULARS ABOUT SHIPS. VOLUME 11 [CY 724, frames 442-488]:
1773 and 1783; Contains various tables that record figures that relate to shipbuilding, sail and rope making, weight and value of woolding ships, and cable laid for ships of various classes.
SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR, VOLUME 12 [CY 724, frames 489-521]:
1781-1782; Notes, correspondence, and logs.
Includes: copy of recommendation of notice in favour of Andrew Bracey Taylor (written by Charles Henry Knowles) for his roles as commander of the Vanguard, and second Lieutenant of the Brilliant and San Miguel in the siege of Gibraltar; logbook; list of questions relating to sailing and navigation; cash received; memos and letters relating to ammunition checks, signals, and watches; establishment of the Vanguard and Repulse gun boats; diagram of night signals; figures of strength of forces; names of Spanish ships that made attack; watercolour drawing of a ship; log detailing prevailing conditions and troop movements; copy of letter of a private soldier to his mother, 1781; and poems.

Originally stored in a loose cover that has subsequently been discarded due to poor condition. The title from this cover was retained and affixed to the inside of the folder.
According to an undated extract from a Sydney newspaper, this collection of manuscript material was in the possession of a descendant of Captain Taylor before it became the property of D.S. Mitchell (see Newspaper Cuttings, Vol.58, pp. 412-414, Q 988N).
Volumes 1, 2, and 3 are written in a different hand from the rest of the manuscripts and are probably a revised copy by Taylor himself or by an amanuensis.
Volumes 3 and 4 present similar narratives.
Volume 3 has tipped in pages of a smaller size added to the back of the volume and has evidence of repair.
Volumes 4, 5, and 6 are written in notebooks similar to exercise pads.
The section dated June 17 - Sept. 9 in Vol.7, fills a gap in Vol.6 and supports the theory that these volumes comprise portions of different copies of the journal.
Volumes 6, 7, and 10 are reversible as they have been used from front to back.
Pages bear watermark initials of "D" ; "J.S." ; "WS" ; "W".
D.S. Mitchell bookplate inside front cover.
"D.S. Mitchell" signature on front endpaper of Vol.1
For further information on these journals and the 'Prince of Wales' expedition see: "A voyage to the north west side of America : the journals of James Colnett, 1786-89" / edited by Robert Galois. Vancouver : UBC Press, 2004 (catalogued on WEBCAT).
A 2106 copied onto microfilm reel CY 724, June 1982.

"Capt. Taylor" in black ink at front of Vol.1
An inscription on p.1 of Vol.1 outlines the nature of the journal, "Prince of Wales of London / Commanded by James Colnett of the Royal Navy / from England / to the Northwest Coast of America. / Including / the general occurances of the voyage from her / equipment at Deptford in August 1786 to her / return thither in July 1789. / Describing / the traffic and behaviour of the Indians along the / coast of America from forty nine degrees to sity norht / the danger of the ship in October 1787 ..."