Midshipman Maritime Log Book
Cuba and Caribean: 1837 - 1839. Quarter brown leather spine with light blue marbled paper with brown swirls over boards, attractive blue endpapers. Complete Spanish and English translation of the entire book available upon request, included with purchase. Historical Midshipman's log book from duty off the coast of Cuba from 1837 - April 1839, just months before the revolt aboard the slave ship Amistad. Spain was under much pressure from England to put an end to slave trade ships, and this ship was part of that fleet. The logbook of Midshipman Jose Maria de Beranger recording service aboard the Bergantin Colam under Capitan de Fragata Don Ramon Acha may well be the earliest surviving personal record of one of Spain's most prominent 19th century admirals and statesmen — written when he was a teenage midshipman on active anti-smuggling and anti-slave-trade patrol. The log eventually identifies all of the officers by name aboard the ship.
8.5" x 12", 106 pp., first and last page affixed to the verso of new end papers. Signed sixty [60] times by Beranger, at the end of most daily entries, signatures with artistic flourishes and curliques. Content is incredible, indicative of a young midshipman on one of his first major voyages, complete with daily details. Included are: Four meticulously drawn information wheels and tables; [A] “Cuban Brig / General State of Armament.” This is a comprehensive ship’s inventory and muster document of the armament, provisions, ballast, financial summary. [B] Battle Plan - This is a combat stations wheel — essentially a circular battle bill assigning every crew member to a specific position on lthe ship and duty during combat. [C] Battle Stations Plan — a formal diagram showing every crew member’s assigned position during combat. [D] A formal crew or personnel roster/pay table including rank, number, pay, rations, in the currency of Reales. Twenty-seven [27] hand drawn tables of sailing data which includes: longitude, latitude, weather, wind, direction, water temperature, astronomical data, et. al. Last page of the journal is a daily accounting of the location of the ship. One interpretation of this book is that it is a log as part of his midshipman's training. While it certainly records events in which the ship was involved, as well as weather, course, sail handling, and events on board, etc., these things were probably also recorded elsewhere, in some more official record. Pages like the information wheel and description of armaments would be him setting into writing a day's lesson for future reference.
The written content of the log ranges from the mundane: fixing location, signaling mail ships, shipboard drills, vivid weather descriptions, marking the shoals, onboard accidents. Ranging to extraordinary militarism; stopping unknown vessels at night, firing muskets and grenades, sending out of patrol boats with carronades.
Beranger was born in Cadiz on 12 February 1823 into a historic naval family, his grandfather was Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, Count of Venadito, a Captain General of the Spanish Navy. He entered the Armada very young, beginning to serve at sea at thirteen years old, always aboard corvettes and dispatch vessels in subordinate roles until he obtained his first command in 1840, shortly after the trip of this chronicled voyage. He was admitted as a midshipman (guardiamarina) in 1837, having passed his entrance exams at just thirteen years of age. So in 1839, when this log was made, he would have been only about 15-16 years old and in his very first years of active service — exactly when a midshipman would be keeping such a log. His lifetime credentials include: 31st Captain General of the Navy, 7th Admiral, Knight of the Military Order of Calatrava, Minister of the Navy for six terms and Senator of the Kingdom.
This ship's log was kept when Beranger was just 15 years old, two years after taking the Navy Board. The ship which corresponds to this log was the Brigitine Colon, plying the North Coast of Cuba delivering mail, looking for smugglers and slave runners. The log also names several times, Midshipman Don Ramón Topete. The Topete family were closely connected to Beránger throughout his career — indeed it was Admiral Juan Bautista Topete who later handed Beránger his first ministerial appointment.
Provenance statement on p. 3: "By inheritance from my grandfather Don Jose Maria de Beranger y ruiz de Apodaca, and by inheritance from my father Javier de Beranger y Carreras, this book belongs to Elisa Beranger Fernandez de Salinas" Very good, not original binding, likely late 19th century by family members in the provenance dedication. About half of the pages [17] have been reinforced on the lower quarter of the fore edge with archival tape. Light age fade, mostly along the fore edge, a few nominal water stains. Item #3400
“Dawn broke at sea with thick brownish hazy sky and horizon, overcast to the west. At 2:30 the topgallants were furled and a reef taken in the topsails and two English warships were sighted coming from the East,"
“Departure from Matanzas escorting to Havana the Portuguese Schooner OLIES,"
“We continued at midday heading East, SSE fresh wind and calm sea with all square sail, jib and trysail heading East. At 12:30 the trysail and topgallants were furled and at 1 o’clock we continued forward, brailing the mainsails in the tack and remaining in line with double-reefed topsails."
the mail packet under all portable sail — cannon and musket drill was carried out in large formation,
"At 8:30 the 1st boat was put in the water at half speed, [the Midshipman went] to reconnoitre various vessels — all without incident."
"A firing of cannon was heard from both sides. At ½ past [the hour] the cannon fire and the fog signal were made to the people on land."
Price: $5,500.00