| Description | Notebook diary of 'Captain G.H.P. White R.N.', covering his voyages and explorations around the Mediterranean between 12 August 1836 and May 1838, duplicating much of the content of EUL MS 418/5. Inside the front cover is written (7) although this is the sixth and final volume in the set of six diaries held in our collection, and '1837 - May 1838', although the diary entries actually begin in May 1836. These first entries include descriptions of the Tuscan countryside and the River Arno, blind beggars asking for alms in 'classic Tuscan', details of his visit to Florence, its museums and art galleries, sailing to Naples (22-26 May 1836) with several pages describing the antiquities, buildings and paintings of the city, the contents of its museum, and excursions to Pozzuoli, Pompeii and Vesuvius, and a visit to the royal palace in Naples where White and his Commander were received at court by the Queen Mother. The ship sailed to Carthagena on 7 June and the next two months were spent cruising between there, Gibraltar, Torres and Malaga. White's ship was at Carthagena when intelligence was received of uprising in Malaga (2 August 1836); setting sail at once, they arrived three days later 'to protect British interests in that city, and there are several pages describing the brutal murders of the military and civil governors - José San Just and 'Count O'Donahue' [Conde Donadio] - and the aftermath of the uprising. From 18 August, when the ship takes on board wives and daughters of injured officers, the content of the diary duplicates that in EUL MS 418/5. |