'Whoring and drunkenness' of Empire travel revealed in ship officer's journal

'Whoring and drunkenness' of Empire travel revealed in ship officer's journal - Telegraph

An extraordinary tale of debauchery among officers and passengers on a emigrant ship to Australia at the height of Empire has been revealed in a newly-discovered journal.

By Matthew Moore
Published: 7:30AM GMT 24 Feb 2010

The ship's captain took to sharing his bunk with two daughters of a preacher who was moving his family to a new life in Adelaide, while the rest of the crew regularly enjoyed the company of a party of prostitutes.

When not carousing with passengers it seems that the officers on the Planter – which departed from Deptford, east London in November 1838 – frequently engaged in orgies of drunken violence.


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Top 10 tales of sex and debauchery UK's best-known law firmsJames Bell, a junior officer, recorded the wanton behaviour in a 225-page log that is going up for auction next month after being bought from a few pounds at a market stall.

In one passage he wrote: "The captain was allowed to keep the daughters company at all hours and during the whole time of our being in warm weather our bed on deck sufficed for all three ... such an example was soon followed up by all the Ship's Co: but particularly the 3 Mates [who] carried immorality to a glaring height."

Describing an alcohol-drenched confrontation between the captain and the ship's surgeon, he noted: "He dispute ran so high as to provoke the former to knock the latter down with his fist."

Felix Pryor, the historian who catalogued the journal on behalf of Bonhams auction house, said he was shocked by its account of sin on the high seas – especially as Bell kept the diary for his sweetheart back in Britain.

"It reads like one big orgy – not something one would send to a lady, "he said. "With all this whoring and drunkenness, it is amazing the ship ever arrived in Australia."

The journal is expected to fetch up to £4,000 at a Bonhams books and manuscripts sale in London on March 23.

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wondered about this part...

Quote:

Top 10 tales of sex and debauchery UK's best-known law firmsJames Bell, a junior officer[

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....attached to sanity by a bungee cord.....

It's difficult at this juncture to determine whether this was a legend based on this song:


... or a song based on historic reality. I would warn visitors to Australia that asking a casual acquaintance whether you can borrow their daughter (or son) for a root is, these days, not a good idea.