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HARRY SWETORS [?] : 1884 CHARMING HANDWRITTEN ACCOUNT OF ONE LEICESTER FAMILY'S TRAVELS IN NORTH WALES

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is an utterly charming diary of a trip to North Wales by a man and his family in 1884. The journal is approximately 60 pages, many with some small and excellent vignette pen and ink drawings and in a cultured and quite nice handwriting. The diary begins, as he catches a train at Chester, setting the amusing tone: "Caution! When about to travel by rail always give yourself plenty of time - do not leave anything to the last minute - otherwise you may have to rush off with your chin adorned with a stubble of nine and twenty hours growth - your wristbands unfastened, and with several absolute necessities left behind." A little drawing of his lodgings Brynmair, the Morfa, Conway adorns one page. He meets up with some friends. He goes to church, St. John's. He watches a cricket match Conway vs Bethesda, but thinks the play 'second rate'. He also watches some tennis players noting that 'it is not the completeness of the costume which marks the player'. Some singers offer their services - perhaps 'black face' minstrels judging by the terms he uses. The party decides to 'do' Snowden - possible in one day and there is a long description of the journey and the ascent and they reach the summit hotel where he criticizes the coffee as being little better than dishwater. There are a number of small sketches to accompany the Snowdon venture. There are a number of small, comical drawings of the boatman who turns up every day offering his services should they like to hire a boat for rowing - this is something of a standing joke. They take a look onboard the training ship 'Cleo' manned by young boys in training for the navy, again a number of sketches illustrate the trip. The diary is written on colored pages in a well bound album with a decorative cover. All in all, a lovely and amusing snapshot of Victorian Conway. VG.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Very Good+

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