Maggs Bros.

A fine, lavishly illustrated example of a mid-nineteenth century logbook. The largest and most important of the four concern Hilliard’s time on HMS Leander, which had been refitted as a steam-powered screw frigate. From 1863-66, she was the flagship of the Pacific Station, based in Valparaiso. She was commanded by Commodore Thomas Harvey until 1866 when Michael de Courcy assumed control.

These log books follow the usual form recalling the meteorological data and operational detail of the ship. Visits by notable persons, such as the Peruvian Prefect, are recorded as well as sailors taking leave. They are considerably enlivened by the inclusion of coastal profiles, watercolours, charts, and technical drawings. The charts illustrate the ships’ routes down the east coast of England; from Spithead to Madeira; from Madeira to Rio de Janeiro. This is followed by two maps of Tierra del Fuego, including the Falklands and South Shetland islands. Yet another shows the Leander sailing from Valparaiso to Juan Fernandez Island. HMS Leander was present at the Bombardment of Valparaiso by the Spanish on 31 March, 1866. This was one of the actions of the Chincha Islands War. Although a major port, Valparaiso was undefended and as England remained neutral in this conflict, HMSs Leander and Sutlej simply observed the bombardment, which resulted in the sinking of 33 ships. A naive illustration of the action is tipped in.

The finest image of the group is the oil painting of HMS Leander which depicts her predicament in July or August 1866 when surrounded by icebergs off Cape Horn at about 58° south. There is another page devoted to icebergs spotted in late July, 1866. It is comprised of five individual images bordered in ink and captioned with dates and co-ordinates.