A 4to (9 x 10.5 inches) copy book with half leather binding and brown buckram board, with gilt embossed cover reading "Wedgwood's Highly Improved Manifold Writer, By Royal Letter Patent" with illustrated front paste-down reading in part ‘Manufactured by Ralph Wedgwood & Co. No. 4 Rathbone Place, Oxford Street, London with marbled free end papers and silk cord closure. This copy book still has most of its original carbon paper stored in the rear of the book with protective black paper sleeves between each piece. The rear paste-down has printed instructions on how to use the ‘Carbonic-Ink-Paper’ and tissue copy paper. The writer is chronicling his voyage across the Atlantic by the steamer Cambria from Boston, to Liverpool, England starting at 2 P.M. on Oct. 16, 1845. The Cambria was the last Britannia Class (three masted side-wheel passenger steamer, 207 ft. in length) made for the Cunard Line's initial fleet of wooden paddlers that established the first year round scheduled Atlantic steamship service in 1840. By 1845, steamships carried half of the transatlantic saloon passengers and Cunard dominated this trade (Wikipedia 2014). It is clear he is writing his account to a lady to whom he is romantically attached, possible his wife. The writer is traveling to England and the Continent on a buying trip for his business. It is clear that he has made this trip often from his account. He beings be writing ‘Judging from a hasty glance cast among my Companons du Voyage I shall lack not for food to cater to your amusement.’ He talks about his fellow passengers and crew, describing the various form of entertainment they took, such as playing shuffle board on the deck, playing cards or reading books. Their first stop was in the port of Halifax, where they picked up a large number of British Army officers and their families returning to the home country. Describes the first Sunday service on board delivered by the Captain Judkins, as good and the prayer for the Royal Family was well applauded, but the one for the President, not so received, as most passengers where British. Evenings were often spent in the saloon... As for myself I remained upon deck during the passage which took us nine hours which a decent boat would have preformed in 4, the distance being only about 50 English miles. Sick I was but not sick enough to vomit & tho I was compelled to keep the deck exposed to the rain spay & a cold north east wind, (too sick to eat or drink during the whole time) or else resort to the box called the cabin with dozens of wash basins staring you in the face with the contents of so many stomachs. It almost makes me sick to think of it.’ This is the last entry from this voyage. The next few pages are headed "Voyage of Steamer Washington Sept. 25, 1847" This part gives a very detailed account of another trip across the Atlantic. Talks of the president of the company having overloaded the new three masted side-wheel steamer with cotton, causing it to ride to low in the water and how the coal supply was of poor quality. While this portion covers several days of the trip it is not complete. There are four loose inked manuscript letters in the same hand in the back of this copy book, one from Germany. A very entertaining account of a voyage on an important early British steamship which I have only briefly outlined in the above description. One other item of interest about this lot is that Ralph Wedgwood (1766-1837) cousin and business partner of Josiah Wedgwood the potter and was the inventor of carbon paper, which he patented in 1806. It is rare that such an item with intact carbon paper from the 1830's survives.

Minor wear to boards, else Fine.