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UNKNOWN : c1870s ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY OF ONE MAN'S TIME HUNTING, FISHING AND TRAPPING ON THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR

12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. On offer is an original, fascinating, very intriguing c1870s manuscript diary and journal of an unknown writer living in Prince Arthur's Landing part of Thunder Bay Ontario on the north shore of Lake Superior. Truly an enigmatic book which labelled by hand "Alfred Tennyson Miscellanies" but one finds nothing of Tennyson but many other writings and narrative such as a superbly done in calligraphic hand index of important British milestones in history from the landing of Julius Caesar to Beckett's murder to, lastly, the Act of Habeus Corpus. There are a couple of chart like drawings, what appears to be some word play lists, academic 'musings' and then there are about half of the 60 or so 5" x 8" pages which have been scribbled over. The majority of the remaining legible 30 pages are journal entries centered on life in Prince Arthur's Landing, part of Thunder Bay on the North Shore of Lake Superior. One short piece titled 'Living in the difficult winter in Prince Arthur's Landing' may have been an attempt to coalesce his diary portion of the writings and include tales of horse racing, caribou hunting with dogs and much more into a publishable manuscript. Here are some snippets: "Great preparations for the hunt. Chagrin of the hunters to find that Bourke will be unable to go. However young Bull goes in his place and takes his team of dogs....I continually decline as I am fearful of a return of the toothache which so tormented me on Christmas Day, by way of a Christmas box." "The wind blew a gale from the North - the thermometer ranging from 35 to 40 degrees below zero, as we the mighty caribou hunters (in expectation) started on our hunt - the party consisted of four, i.e. DiFormen, W. Bell, W. Bull and myself. We had two toboggans and 5 dogs. Each man had an axe, gun, blankets and snowshoes, a sail for a tent - our provisions were flour, tea, coffee, sugar, and baking powder..." "The municipal elections are events of the past. A series of bachelor balls are to be given. Horse racing has been the theme of late. A young man named Ace is dead of typhoid - Towers is sick with the same...They say the railway is assuredly going to come to Thunder Bay - you may probably have heard the same before!!!!" The text block has separated from the cardboard cover but interiors are good. Overall G.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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