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G.H.C[ELLA] ? : 1927 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT TRAVEL DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A MAN OF WEALTH AND CHARM FROM HOBART AUSTRALIA TO CULPEPPER WEST VIRGINIA AND SOME VERY EXOTIC PORTS OF CALL FROM INDONESIA, THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, SINGAPORE, JAPAN AND HAWAII

12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. On offer is a sensational, original manuscript relic of extended global travel handwritten by a super diarist only identified with the initials "G.H.C." but whose last name we suspect is Cella as per some financial notes. With absolutely no other information one cannot wonder with a more than casual reading that the author was a known and maybe an historical figure on an unusual voyage through Asia and beyond not retold in a tourist like fashion. They certainly travel and tour and visit in a socially and economically elite manner. Beginning in Hobart Australia, GHC is quitting the company he's working for, selling off and packing all of his belongings and heading to America but not before stopping in some fabulous ports of call. On the first page of his diary he says "Sunday night arrive Hobart. Spent until morning of Wednesday July 13th packing up, selling off livestock and finalizing sale of home to Co." Fascinatingly GHC provides two pages of lists of the belongings they are taking by trunks and boxes and then all the things unsold. On July 16th, 1927 they board the steamship Tasman and sail for Makassar Indonesia. They spend a good deal of time in Indonesia and then on to Japan, Singapore, China, Hawaii, and finally the states arriving in San Francisco on October 17th. It doesn't stop there either, as they travel to Yosemite and then board a train to head east. The diary ends on November 20th on the way back to the West Coast. We note with interest that when he arrives in the East his mother meets him in Culpeper Virginia perhaps a clue to his origins. The diary is chock full with approximately 130 pages of wonderful anecdotal entries. Given the scarcity of diaries detailing sub continental trips to places like Indonesia, Japan, China and Hawaii collectors and researchers will find treasure trove of great writings. Here are some snippets from his arrival in Makassar: 1927 "August 2nd, Arrived Makassar at 7 A.M. Had early breakfast and motored to waterfall 25 miles into country Bantimurung thru markets at Maros. Took photos and bought bananas. Batimurung was very pretty, high overhanging limestone cliffs. Back to boat for lunch. Country low and swampy, rice and corn seemed main crops. Visited Chinese Cemetery in Makassar, also few shops but made no purchases. After lunch drove up to Hotel and walked back to ship thru Chinese quarter. Took snap shots. Saw lots of interesting things including stacks of tamarind pods in a store along street front. Met Wilson and Cahill on bikes seeing sights. Back to ship and sailed at 4 P.M." "August 4th, Arrived Surabaya 7 A.M. Michael Mgr. Java Motor Car Co. met us at boat with 4 Studebaker cars. To hotel (Oranje). Walked about bazaar nearly bought topi. Measured by Chinese tailor for white suit. Lunch. Walked about. Had good sleep. Then for drive at 5 P.M. Saw Chinese quarter, then Dutch homes, school etc. Dutch homes all open and a glare of lights. Looked very attractive. Dinner 8:30 P.M. Evening meal in Java, always late. 8:30 up to 10 or 11 P.M. Walked about shops, saw Cabaret and movie house. Very quiet. Ice ream at soft Dutch place then hotel and bed." "August 5th, Up at sic for 8 A.M. start to Tosari. Our car No. 51 with Michael as guide, Moore driver, Miss Harris, Adelaide, Mr. Capron, Perth (Govt. Rep) and (GHC)2. Splendid drive up thru rice, sugar, corn and tapioca fields. Climbed up 6,000 ft to Hotel Tosari reaching there at noon. 72 miles drive. Sharp turns and steep grade. Our room, same cottage as Mr. and Mrs. Meeks and Mr. and Mrs. Butler (Perth). After lunch slept until four then went for pony rides up to beyond Bromo Hotel which several hundred feet higher than Sanatorium where we stayed. Back at 5:30. Played tennis, later cards until dinner at 8:30." "August 6th, Up at 3 A.M. Had coffee and toast set out t 3:30 for Bromo Volcano on ponies with native for each to lead when necessary. Breakfast was carried over native's shoulders in tin boxes. One sedan chair carried by 8 natives also went. There were in the party; Mr. and Mrs. Butler, Miss Harris, Allan Crago, Membrey, Miss O'Sullivan, Miss Thompson, (GHC)2, Michael and his three guides. Procession lighted by torches made with bottles filled with oil with wick in neck. Reached top of ridge surrounding sand sea at day break. Splendid view of sea with mist veil spread out over it. Frost was showing everywhere on plants and grass. Elevation here about 7,000 ft. Leaving ponies with Native we decided into sand sea by steep path. B and I walked across the S.S towards Bromo which could now be heard boiling and roaring in the distance. Ponies finally caught up with the boys. Remounting we rode to foot of Bromo up steep path. From this point it was necessary to walk up 220 steps to the edge of the crater some 500 feet deep and half mile across. Boiling and rumbling was very loud and violent but no molten lava was visible. After taking pictures or two we descended to foot of stairway, had breakfast and started return journey arriving back at our hotel about 11:30 A.M. After bath and lunch we turned in for a sleep until 5 P.M. Sat about until dinner and to bed early." (Then: Djoka, Surakarta, Garoet, Poeruakerta, Tjigoegoer, and Bandoeng.) "August 16th, …..Champaign dinner given by Michael and speeches by various members of the party. Liquor supplied by Cooks (Membrey). Rough bunch of Dutch men half drunk made a nuisance of themselves in the dinning room. Late to bed." (Then Batavia and the steamship Melchior Treub for Singapore). "August 21st, Aboard S. S. M.T. for Singapore. We passed a number of interesting islands. A Coolie jumped overboard in straits of Banks. Boat circled and put down life boat. Picked him up but spent more time in chasing life belts which were thrown overboard. All K.P.M. belts are made in shape of horseshoes instead of the usual round. Trip across very hot but water still and boat made good time at 7 A.M. on morning of 22nd. Wharfs and natives much less neat and attractive as compared with Java. Grand mixture, Chinese, Malays, Indians, White people, more, awaiting the boat." (Then: Temples, Chinese Market, Naval Base and on to Johor). "August 26th, ……Party reached Malacca Priest House about 5 P.M. House quite new and clean. We had upstairs corner room. Took photo of beds. Took bath and walked out up to wharf and along sea in the dusk continued around fort to Chinese quarter where some sort of celebration was in progress with candles and joss sticks burning along the street. Back by jinrikisha via fruit market…" (Then: mines and Hill Jungle, Fraser Hill to Taiping). "September 2nd, Took train at 9 A.M. for Bangkok. Interesting ride during day. Crossed boarder into Siam at Padang (Big field) about noon. No trouble with customs or passport. Train comfortable, one sleeper reserved fro our party, each had lower. Close fitting nets provided for each bunk. Country flat, mostly with limestone hills rising abruptly from the plain. Much rice land. Water buffalo and men working in padi fields." "September 5th, Off at 6:15 for train for Ayudhya. Interesting ride thru splendid rice lands. Saw govt. aviation school practicing in the air. Met American Apostle of 7th day Adventist originally from Tenn. Spoke of conditions in Siam. Said new King had cut down govt. exp. by putting out some thousands of its employees also by paying of many foreign advisors who were no longer required. Mentioned some advisors from USA were drawing up to 2000 ___ per month. Mentioned there was dissatisfaction with the dismissed govt. employee's and those in control feared that an uprising might occur. Police force has been strengthened lately. Living conditions for whites was bad unless you could build your own house and screen it. 7th Day people are working thru the converted natives. On arrival at Ayudhya we were met by two launches one towed y the other. Hampers and provisions from hotel were placed aboard and off we went up the river passing floating shops and markets, many little boats full of native provisions. Finally reached the Front Palace and leaving the boat we motored to the back palace where visited old ruins to temples etc. which were destroyed by Burmese invaders….." (Then: Singapore, Hong Kong, Canton). "September 19th, Left for Canton on S. S. Taisham at 1 A.M. arriving Canton at 7:30 A.M. Cooks guide, Ah Kum, met us with three sedan chairs and off we went thru little narrow squalid streets of the old town to silk shops, bird feather jewellery, bought shawl for other and some jewellery. On thru the old town to temple now used as soldiers quarters. Saw sight one temple and pagoda now demolished. No Chinese will buy or use the ground. Saw furniture shops of almost every description. Many markets where bloody looking bits of fish were sold also bits of pork, goat, rice, fruit, etc. Visited Pagoda Temple saw three white jade Buddha's. Another large and old temple now partly occupied by soldiers. There were several nice wells here, water being very good and elevated above the rest of the town. Many beggars yelling at the top of their voices, lying wallowing on the ground at the same time. You are warned to give them nothing, not clear why but presumably they are then worse then ever. Our Coolies sang and yelled as they passed thru the narrow streets warning people out of our way……" (Then: Shanghai, Woosong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, the electric train to Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Yokohama). "October 1st, Yokohama to Honolulu 3400 miles……Much excitement over departure. Large crowd on wharf, some 5000 (est). More streamers than I have before seen on departure of boat from port. Considerable number of new passengers joined, principally Japanese. American party in 1st class consists of 9 and two Dutch. Mr. and Mrs. Stulshoff. American Mr. and Mrs. Dunn, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, Mr. and Mrs. Savon and (GHC)2 and Mr. Campbell of Honolulu, Hulschoff's from Batavia (Ret. Govt. Servant), Dunn's Frisco Lawyer. S

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