Crimean War--Ship's Log

providing a record of the ship's activities travelling through the Mediterranean, cruising in the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus "for the purposes of keeping back the Russians from Constantinople", up the Black Sea Coast and cruising off the Crimean Peninsula, including eyewitness accounts of the Dardanelles and Istanbul, the aftermath of the Battle of Sinope ("...along the beach the bodies of the dead were in masses - many burned black - many half buried, & some half eaten by the dogs & vultures..."), Kavarna, the bombardment of Odessa (6 pages, April 1854), the invasion of the Crimea, and the bombardment of Sebastopol on 17 October 1854, with monthly tables of readings (thermometer, barometer, etc.), and monthly General Reports on medical matters such as numbers on the sick list, noting significant injuries, accidents and the prevalence of infectious diseases including an "alarming & deadly" outbreak of cholera in August 1854, dysentery, and typhus, c.130 pages, plus blanks, blue paper (watermarked 1846), large 8vo, contemporary marbled boards, 1 February 1853 to 30 November 1855, spine split and crudely repaired with tape, boards worn, leaves loose

"...The Terrible's shells as well as those of the other steamers did great execution - many of the merchant vessels were burning & a canopy or shed which covered their battery magazine was set on fire & in three minutes more the whole of affair blew up into the air - One could see in the circumferences of the mass of smoke gun carriages logs of timber flying to a great height & I think many must have been killed by the explosion..." (bombardment of Odessa, 21 April 1854)

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

HMS Rodney was a 90-gun ship of the line. She had three commanders during the period of this log: Charles Graham, George King, and Henry Keppel. As this log shows, she played an active role in the Crimean War. Charles R. Kinnear (d.1869) was an experienced surgeon who had served on a number of convict ships. He eventually became Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals.