The journal of a voyage from Calcutta to Van Diemens Land: comprising a description of that colony during a six months' residence

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The journal of a voyage from Calcutta to Van Diemens Land: comprising a description of that colony during a six months' residence

Author Elizabeth Prinsep (Mrs Augustus Prinsep) (1804 - 1885)

Author Augustus Prinsep (British, 1803 - 1830)

Date1833

Object number00019518

NameBook

MediumPaper, printing ink, iron-based ink inscription, cloth covered board

DimensionsOverall: 165 x 110 x 12 mm, 0.18 kg
Display dimensions (Open): 167 x 350 mm

ClassificationsBooks and journals

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionBook titled 'The journal of a voyage from Calcutta to Van Diemens Land: comprising a description of that colony during a six months' residence. from original letters selected by Mrs A. Prinsep'.HistoryAugustus Prinsep, the eighth son of John Prinsep and Sophia Elizabeth Auriol was born in London in 1803 and later educated at Haileybury College for the Bengal civil service.Commencing work as a clerk for The East India Company he made rapid progress, becoming commissioner of Pergunnah Palamow in 1827. In 1828, he married Elizabeth Ommanney, daughter of Sir Francis Ommanney and Georgina Hawkes, the sister of well known English engraver John Orde Ommanney, and a writer and painter, in her own right. On medical advice, he left the civil service in India to seek out a healthier colony, later joining Elizabeth and their baby daughter in Singapore. Following another bout of illness, they left Singapore on board the 260 ton, wooden sailing ship FLORA on 17 August 1829, travelling via the newly established colony at Swan River, Western Australia, to Hobart, Tasmania arriving in September 1829. The Prinsep's remained in Tasmania for six months, travelling to Launceston and New Norfolk. They left in March 1830 after failing to acquire a land grant. During the course of the voyage to Port Louis on the Isle of France, Augustus Prinsep died. After returning to England, Elizabeth edited his letters into The Journal of a Voyage from Calcutta to Van Diemen's Land and had them published in 1833. She also published two paper bound volumes of illustration, of their trip later that year. Many of the illustrations, engraved by John Ommanney & G.P. Reinagle, are attributed to Augustus, but at least two are the work of Elizabeth. SignificanceThe Journal of a 'Voyage from Calcutta to Van Diemen's Land is a well written and lovingly illustrated travellers journal. The language reflecting the elitist class attitudes of these well to do travellers as they attempt to find a better, healthier life for themselves in the English colonies at Singapore, Penang, Swan River and Hobart.

For example,
"Free men find so many means of making money here, that they will not take service, and so the convicts, or as they are delicately called, the prisoners, supply all demands of this nature; and if the histories of every house were made public, you would shudder. Even in our small menage, our cook has committed murder, our footman burglary, and our housemaid bigamy".(Prinsep,1833)