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GEOFFREY BROWNE : 1915 ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN TRAVELOGUE OF A JOURNEY FROM LIVERPOOL TO BUENOS AIRES BY AN OBSERVANT AND CLEVER ENGLISHMAN IN THE DANGEROUS, VOLATILE EARLY YEARS OF WORLD WAR 1

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a fascinating diary of a trip taken from Liverpool to Buenos Aires and back, taken during the first year of World War 1. The book begins a day before Mr. George Browne, the author of the diary, who is seemingly a slaughterhouse owner or successful meat salesman, sails for Argentina. The front cover contains the words: “A Diary of a trip from Liverpool to B.A. and back. Geoffrey Browne. 1.8.15. 23.9.15.” He mentions the boat he is sailing on is the passenger-cargo steam vessel “the El Uruguayo. She is a big Square sturdily built boat with one large black squat funnel. Crew 100, passengers 12. A tastily decorated saloon and smoking room with wainscoting. My cabin is on the starboard side and is a deck cabin on the main deck.” It is owned by the British and Argentine Steam Navigation Company Ltd and also has a number of guns for defense. He sails for Argentina beginning on August 1st, 1915 and his voyage ends more than a month and a half later, on September 23, 1915. On the trip he mentions the people he meets: a doctor, A Spaniard “but he doesn’t speak English”, and many others. “Wednesday, the 4th. Glorious day. Sky blue sea blue black and clear. Woke up and had a bath, shaved and dressed and so to breakfast. Stayed for a bit after breakfast and read the Marconi news which was good. We had a pow-wow about the 4.7 gun and its shell, also a long talk with the gunner who had been on board one of the four captured German submarines in Portsmouth Harbour. He says they are magnificent boats and now fully Commissioned in our service....Boats are rare now. We saw one high before and after and with one funnel well down on the Starboard Horizon...312 miles yesterday the sea being so calm.” Browne also includes descriptions of discussions he has with fellow passengers and crewmen, including a long description of a discussion about theology with the chief engineer of the boat. His entries on the way to Buenos Aires consist of mostly his daily activities and observations, and occasional descriptions of discussions had. There are also occasional spots of war news from other ships that pass. “Thursday. We saw another boat today probably one of the Lamport and Holt’s. She was Homeward Bound. Of course there is no news. I’m rather anxious to hear about war so close to bound up does one get with great events.”; “In the morning there was excitement. Several of the officers and crew saw a number of whales and a killer. All the passengers were on deck and the others were so sure we couldn’t possibly miss them that they did not tell us, consequently we saw none of them.” They reach Buenos Aires. “When I woke I found that we were anchored. I dressed and got up. The wind was strong and very cold and all about was shipping.” Browne describes the port officials he sees: “All the officials smelt strongly of scent. One of them had fair long hair and a vacant face; his tie was an extremely light green, his waistcoat was white with spots and he was adorned profusely with gold chains.” For a couple pages, Browne writes a few sentences each describing his fellow passengers. These passengers include a Mr. and Mrs. Dalton, a Mr. and Mrs. (and baby) Summers, Mrs. Williams and Thelma, and a couple of others. After these pages of descriptions, Browne writes of his observations of Buenos Aires, with “Continental store facades and arcades; methodically arranged streets, and foreign looking men and women.” Browne spends a number of days in Buenos Aires, exploring and seeing the sights it has to offer. He even writes of a tram collision he sees, and a large cattle market in the city. He mentions walking through Palermo Park, the neighborhood of Florida, having lunch at the ‘Jockey Club’, and comments quite often on how European the city looks in his eyes. He also takes a trip to Campana, Argentina, remarking on the land and people he sees as rides a train through the countryside. In Compana, Browne visits a slaughterhouse and writes a description of the place, noting the various rooms and buildings that comprise the ‘meat works’. He also travels briefly to La Plata, noting its ‘fine buildings’ and that ‘its streets are fine and broad and the main playa is very pleasant.’ From La Plata, Browne and the other passengers leave to return home, going down the La Plata river towards open water. Going down the Rio de La Plata, Browne notices the lights of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. “All day we sailed down the Plata and might saw us off the bright twinkling lights of Monte Video.” From Montevideo, the ship enters the South Atlantic and makes towards Tenerife Island, owned by Spain. The trip is fairly uneventful, however, the influence of a major World War is present: “We are well out to the eastward, for we have been warned by the Admiralty of German Submarines operating or about to operate from the Brazilian coast in company with travelers of which we are told to beware.” They are not attacked on the way back. As the ship approaches Tenerife, there is a gun drill that happens. “We fire a shot when passed Tenerife to show that all is in working order before we meet a submarine.” As they continue onwards, Browne makes note that “lunch followed and with it lime juice. According to the Board of Trade regulation every boat when ten days out of port has to supply the crew with lime-juice - and can fine anyone who refuses it - to prevent scurvy.” During this time, Browne also makes note of the ‘Marconi Radio’, still a very notable and fascinating invention. At the time, radio was still in its infancy and Browne is obviously quite impressed with the communication skills of the ‘Marconi’, even noting that one night the “Marconi heard the Eiffel Tower...” referencing that the Eiffel Tower was being used as radio transmitter for the duration of World War I. The ship reaches Tenerife, and Browne goes ashore,getting his hair cut and also providing a magnificent description of the island as he left the port. Finally as they come closer and closer to England, there is a strong warning against German submarines after they pass the ‘parallel of St. Vincent’ and enter the danger zone. “We have as good a chance as any other boat, perhaps better since we are armed; the whole thing is like a game of cards, pure luck.” Browne notes that all watches are doubled while they are travelling through this very dangerous part of the ocean, close to England but not there yet. The boat is not attacked and it reaches the Bristol Channel safely, anchoring in Cardiff. From Cardiff, Browne departs the boat, takes a train to London, and then finally a train back home to Liverpool. The book is in good condition. It is 166 pages in length, of which all have writing and which all but the very last pages are numbered. The book has a marbled cover, with quarter leather binding of which much of it has peeled off the spine. Browne writes in pencil, but there is little smudging and throughout the book his handwriting is clear and legible.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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