MRP: Travel times

Travel times

Editorial history

24/01/12, CSG: Created page

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Overview

This is a research page to collect possible contemporary seventeenth century primary sources on travel times by land and sea

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Damascus to Aleppo, 1843

"Von Damaskus ging ich nach Beirut und schiffte mich, um die langweilige Landreise nach Aleppo zu vermeiden, am 4 Februar 1843 an Bord des englischen Kauffahrtei-Schooners, Eleanor Palmer, der nach Skanderun bestimmt war, ein. Beinahe alle britischen Fahrzeige, die die Küste von Syrien besuchen, laden einen Theil ihrer Fracht in Beirut under den andern in Skanderun aus, ohne einen dazwischenliegenden Punkt zu berühren, da sie meistens auschliesslich brittische Güter führen, die and die Häuser in Beirut unde Aleppo adressirt sind, von welch leyzerer Stadt Skanderun die Scala ist, und suchen dann eine Rückfracht, nach Smyrna und Alexandrien. Die französichen Fahrzeuge, die sich meistens mit dem Landhandel abgeben, legen in Tripolis und Latakia an, um um Seide, Oel und andere Producte der Gegend einzunehmen."

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Diary of Ralph Thoresby, 1678

Extract

1678:

Feb. 7. 16. At Westminster, to buy some pictures, &c. After, with Mr. Jos. Wilson, and providing for a Northern journey.

[Feb.] 19. At Westminster, the Exchanges and several places, to buy pictures and tokens for relations.

[Feb.] 23. Die Dom. Constrained utterly against my mind to travel from Royston to Stamford, though the Lord's day ; but either do so, or be left upon the road about a hundred miles from home and not knowing a foot of the way.

[Feb.] 24. From Stamford to Tuxford, and

[Feb.] 25. From Tuxford home: all along havinglarge experience of the goodness of God, in preservation from so many evils as might justly have befallen me.

March 2. At home righting my papers, &c. that came by London carrier.

July 4. I came with my father for Hull, and had a very good journey.

[July] 5. Forenoon viewing the town, and with friends, &c. most of the day ; about six o'clock came aboard Thomas Scheman's vessel, was a little sick and then somewhat better again.

[July] 6. All day at sea, and mostly very sick, but had a very good wind and fair weather.

[July] 7. Die Dom. Upon our voyage all day, but through sea-sickness and the depravity of my heart, had not such holy thoughts as ought to have been in one that has so many mercies daily bestowed upon him. About noon we were encompassed with land, which quitted me of my sickness. About six we arrived at Rotterdam, having had a very prosperous voyage, being but forty-eight hours exactly from Hull to Rotterdam.

[July] 8. Most of this week walking about the city, observing their customs, which at first seemed mighty strange, differing so very much from my own country's ; not neglecting to look into a book for the language, and being very intent upon it, may perhaps say, without a boast, that I did not slip much time (knowing that it might be but short and was very chargeable in Holland) without observing something or other ; and, if the praises of all the family were not ex dentibus, made a considerable progress, which I hope is not noted through pride or vain glory, but somewhat to curb that extremity of ill-conceit which my natural temper inclines me to entertain of every thing I am concerned in, even to the suppressing of endeavours, as impossible (for me) to attain to eminency in any thing that is commendable.

[July] 14. Die Dom. Mr. Maden preached twice at the English Church, very well, showing there is mercy in God for penitent sinners, to prevent despair, and per contra, there is justice and severity in God to revenge himself of every evil work. At night, I could not but with sorrow observe one sinful custom of the place; it being customary for all sorts to profane the Lord's-day, by singing, playing, walking, sewing, &c., which was a great trouble to me, because they profess the name of Christ, and are of the Reformed Churches.

[July] 16. At Cousin Milner's packhhouse before noon, helping with the cloth, &c.

[July] 17. Former part of the day at home, and with Mr. Charles Greenwood, &c.; about four, took a waggon (with cousin Joseph Milner) for Turgow, and from thence in the night-boat, where we lay contentedly upon fresh straw, with much company, all night to Amsterdam, which we discerned.

[July] 18. This morning, spent the whole day in company and viewing that famous town, wherein the stately Stadthouse (having abundance of excellent workmanship upon very rich marble, black, white, curiously speckled, &c.) was most remarkable.

[July] 19. All this day observing things most remarkable, as the Great Church, the wine-fat, &c.

[July] 20. We came this morning, by waggon, to Haarlem, a pretty neat town, where (ut dicitur) printing was first invented: from thence, by boat, to Leyden; the boat is covered, to secure from the injury of weather, &c., and is drawn by a horse, that goes by the water-side, and has a cord fastened to it. At Leyden, we saw the Physic Garden, stocked with great variety of foreign trees, herbs, &c., and the Anatomy Theatre, which has the skeletons of almost all manner of beasts, rare as well as common, and human of both sexes, &c. There is a most curious collection of rarities, heathen idols, Indian arrows, garments, armour, money, &c. Vide the printed catalogue.

[July] 21. Die Dom. An English Minister preached, but very slenderly, I thought, considering it is an university. After dinner we returned, per boat, by way of Delft, (a very pretty town, in the great church whereof we saw the stately monument for Admiral Van Trornp,) to Rotterdam, where we safely arrived this night, being hasted, and thereby constrained to travel upon the Lord's-day, because of the arrival of a ship from England, of considerable concerns, for cousin Milner.

[July] 23. At cousin Milner's packhouse, and at the great church, taking Admiral De Witt's epitaph.

[July] 24. A little at the packhouse, mostly at home, and at Delfthaven, to see the town, and a fair there.

[July] 25. At home most of the day, writing'to my dear father, and imitating Mr. Burroughs' picture, &c.