Links and further information
ebook
Diary of the voyage in the Morning Light, by James Smeal, edited and with appendices by Merrilyn Serong, was published as an ebook on 7 Jan 2017. It is available for purchase through Amazon.com.au here, or Amazon.com here. The ebook includes the Morning Light diary, log and passenger list, and the account of the voyage on the Eliza. The appendices provide information about the Morning Light and James Smeal and an extensive glossary with explanatory notes.
Passengers
For a passenger list held by the Public Record Office Victoria, visit
http://prov.vic.gov.au/research/ships-and-shipping
Click on Index to Unassisted Inward Passenger Lists to Victoria.
Type in the name of the ship (Morning Light) and the years of the voyage (1860-61).
http://prov.vic.gov.au/research/ships-and-shipping
Click on Index to Unassisted Inward Passenger Lists to Victoria.
Type in the name of the ship (Morning Light) and the years of the voyage (1860-61).
Books
Anderson, John M. This noble ship and others.
This is amazing timing. Just when I am close to finishing the ebook I am preparing (early December, 2016), a book on closely related material is published (late October 2016). The book, which is about 19th century Canadian-built emigrant ships and others, focuses particularly on the Morning Light. The author has documented the entire career of the ship and compared it with other well-known vessels. Moreover, he has extensively researched the Morning Light voyage on which James Smeal was surgeon. The book also includes articles on some other ships in other trades. Read on...
This is amazing timing. Just when I am close to finishing the ebook I am preparing (early December, 2016), a book on closely related material is published (late October 2016). The book, which is about 19th century Canadian-built emigrant ships and others, focuses particularly on the Morning Light. The author has documented the entire career of the ship and compared it with other well-known vessels. Moreover, he has extensively researched the Morning Light voyage on which James Smeal was surgeon. The book also includes articles on some other ships in other trades. Read on...
Mundle, Rob. Under full sail
I am very interested to hear about Rob Mundle's book, Under full sail. It was published on 31 Oct 2016 by ABC Books. I haven't read it yet (writing on 4 Nov 2016), but it's on my wish list. Promotional material from Readings says it is about the clipper ships that brought migrants to Australia in the 19th century and includes numerous stories of the ships themselves and the characters who sailed them. Under full sail by Rob Mundle. Readings.com.au
Update Dec 2016: I now have Rob Mundle's book (birthday present) and have dipped into it. It looks good. I will start reading it properly as soon as I've finished the book I'm reading now, Bill Bryson's A walk in the woods. This is a land-based story, but the sea is not too far away. Furthermore, the book is about walking the Appalachian trail, which runs over 2000 miles from Georgia in the south-east United States to the north-east state of Maine. A further mere 200-mile walk to the north-east, crossing a single border, would bring the hiker to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where the Morning Light was built.
Update March 2017: I've read the Prologue and the first two chapters of Under full sail. I have mixed feelings. The parts about the clipper ships are interesting, but there is far too much detail about land-based activities. The whole of Chapter 2 is on the gold rush in Australia, with not a ship in sight. That's more than one third of what I have read so far and glancing at the next chapter, I see there is more irrelevant detail. Furthermore, the lines are double spaced throughout, so I feel like I'm missing something. Am I supposed to read between them? I'm losing interest and will focus on the various other books that I am reading at present. They are what they claim to be.
I am very interested to hear about Rob Mundle's book, Under full sail. It was published on 31 Oct 2016 by ABC Books. I haven't read it yet (writing on 4 Nov 2016), but it's on my wish list. Promotional material from Readings says it is about the clipper ships that brought migrants to Australia in the 19th century and includes numerous stories of the ships themselves and the characters who sailed them. Under full sail by Rob Mundle. Readings.com.au
Update Dec 2016: I now have Rob Mundle's book (birthday present) and have dipped into it. It looks good. I will start reading it properly as soon as I've finished the book I'm reading now, Bill Bryson's A walk in the woods. This is a land-based story, but the sea is not too far away. Furthermore, the book is about walking the Appalachian trail, which runs over 2000 miles from Georgia in the south-east United States to the north-east state of Maine. A further mere 200-mile walk to the north-east, crossing a single border, would bring the hiker to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where the Morning Light was built.
Update March 2017: I've read the Prologue and the first two chapters of Under full sail. I have mixed feelings. The parts about the clipper ships are interesting, but there is far too much detail about land-based activities. The whole of Chapter 2 is on the gold rush in Australia, with not a ship in sight. That's more than one third of what I have read so far and glancing at the next chapter, I see there is more irrelevant detail. Furthermore, the lines are double spaced throughout, so I feel like I'm missing something. Am I supposed to read between them? I'm losing interest and will focus on the various other books that I am reading at present. They are what they claim to be.
Website
John Marchesi, whose uncle, Giuseppe Marchesi, sailed to Australia on the Morning Light (see Passengers), has an interesting website that includes mention of the ship.
http://poschiavo.marchesifamily.co.uk/index.php/emigrantsposchiavo.marchesifamily.co.uk/index.php/emigrants
On this page, there are also details of the Australian gold rush and conditions on board emigrant ships.
Giuseppe Marchesi subsequently returned to Switzerland. Three of his brothers also voyaged to Australia at different times, but only Alfonso remained. Descendants of Alfonso still reside in Australia.
http://poschiavo.marchesifamily.co.uk/index.php/emigrantsposchiavo.marchesifamily.co.uk/index.php/emigrants
On this page, there are also details of the Australian gold rush and conditions on board emigrant ships.
Giuseppe Marchesi subsequently returned to Switzerland. Three of his brothers also voyaged to Australia at different times, but only Alfonso remained. Descendants of Alfonso still reside in Australia.
