Buy this book on-line

C.J. JOHNSTONE : 1877 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT TRAVEL DIARY TITLED 'DIARY OF A GERMAN TOWN' DETAILING THREE ENGLISH JESUS COLLEGE STUDENTS TOURING GERMANY IN AND AROUND BOPPARD

24mo - over 5" - 5¾" tall. On offer is a fascinating travel diary documenting an 1877 European trip by 3 university students. It measures 5.75 inches by 3.5 inches. The hard covers have separated and a number of pages are loose but all are accounted for. With 192 pages, the journal is 55% complete. The handwriting is clear and legible. The journal, entitled Diary of a German Town, is written in 1877 by CJ Johnstone. Casual research has turned up no biographical information about him. Johnstone was one of 3 students at Jesus College, Cambridge University - the others were WJ Darch ('Darch') and VB Johnstone ('Van'). He studied on a Rustat scholarship, and later was a Master of a preparatory school at Yockleton Hall near Shresbury. On June 22nd, 1877, they left London and travelled by ship and by rail to the German town of Boppard where they would stay for several weeks. "... First German meal on board - strange but not bad ... Reach Coblenz. Smells worse than Cologne ... Find Boppard a beautiful place. Rhine just in front of our hotel ..." [June 30]. Over the ensuing weeks, they meet a number of people, explore the town and share experiences: "Mr. Boys and I go by train along the banks of the Rhine to Eltville and thence walk about 4 miles to Schlangenbad. ... German trains are painfully punctual ..." [July 13]; "Bathe in the morning - after dinner cross the river by the ferry & walk along it to Braubach, about 6 miles, whence we ascend the Markesburg Castle, one of the best preserved in Germany ... horrible dungeon ..." [July 17]. He certainly wasn't above stating his opinions bluntly if he felt the need to: "... In [ ], we see some of the extremely objectionable German students with their peculiar caps and slashed faces. ... these are the 'swells' only wear the caps - are the most conspicuous in duels and drinking bouts ... their dress is appalling to the English eye ... altogether I should think that a greater set of scum don't exist on the face of the earth. ..." [July 26] After some 6 weeks in Boppard, the group departed to begin their journey home. They travelled to Switzerland visiting Basel and Lucerne. They took sightseeing trips into the mountains and explored the cities: "Which was a fine day, we went by steamer to Tells Platte * whence we walked on 2 ½ miles by a very unremarkable road. ..." [Sept 3]. Tells Platte refers to the site where according to legend, William Tell leapt from the boat of his captors and escaped, allowing him to assassinate the tyrant Gessler and begin the rebellion that led to the foundation of the Swiss Confederacy On Sept 6th, they left Lucerene bound for Paris and then home. He ends with this boldly underlined remark: "... arrive at crescent Place (Brighton) about 11 o'clock, this concluding my foreign trip for 1877. [Sept 8]. This is a very well-written journal authored by a man with a good eye for detail and a fine ability to describe what he sees. A geographer, particularly an urban geographer, would appreciate the detailed descriptions of the various places mentioned. He also records full names of people they met, particularly people from England with whom they crossed paths, a boon to genealogists.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Fair

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.