Steamship Passage From New York to St. Petersburg
On Wednesday September 29, 1841, the steamship Kamschatka set sail from New York Harbor en route to St. Petersburg, Russia, commanded by Captain F. E. Schants of the Russian Navy. The following site contains part of the ship's log as recorded by First Mate Jonas D. Dale. Dale's accounts, as recorded in the log, describe the nature of the seas and winds, and his accounts include notable passages on crew behavior and luxurious passengers. Trans-atlantic steamship travel first occured in the late 1830's, and this vessel was a notable pioneer as coal-burning steam power began to be regularly combined with wind to provide faster and more reliable travel across the seas. This was perhaps the first large steam ship ever seen in many parts of the world, which explains the interest in the ship that the Danish King and Royal family displayed.
Dale's writings contain many misspellings and nautical terms that are difficult to comprehend. For your convenience we have compiled a list of his most common misspellings in our own Dale Dictionary, along with definitions of many nautical terms used throughout the log.
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