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y separately published work icon The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner single work   prose   travel  
Issue Details: First known date: 1822... 1822 The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'In his many voyages the Scottish-born sailor John Nicol twice circumnavigated the globe, visiting every inhabited continent while witnessing and participating in many of the greatest events of exploration and adventure in the eighteenth century. He traded with Native Americans on the St. Lawrence River and hunted whales in the Arctic Ocean. He fought for the British navy against American privateers in the Atlantic Ocean and Napoleon's navy in the Mediterranean Sea. In Grenada he witnessed the horrors of the slave system and befriended slaves who invited him to join in their dance celebrations. In the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) he was entertained by the king's court mere days after the murder of Captain James Cook. En route to Australia he would meet the love of his life, Sarah Whitlam, a convict bound for the Botany Bay prison colony, who would bear his son before duty forced them apart forever. At the end of his journeys, John Nicol returned to his homeland and a life of obscurity and poverty, until the publisher John Howell met him one day while he was wandering the streets of Edinburgh, searching for dregs of coal to fuel his hearth. After hearing the fascinating stories of Nicol's seafaring experiences, Howell convinced him to write his memoirs - the publication of which eventually earned Nicol enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his days.'--Book Jacket, 1999 American edition.

Notes

  • John Howell asserts that 'the story was not actually written down by its author', but told to Howell as editor. All publications include the original introduction by Howell.
  • Also published in sound recording format.

Affiliation Notes

  • Nineteenth-Century Travel Writing

    John Nicol (1755-1825) was a Scottish sailor, noted for sailing the convict ship Lady Juliana to New South Wales in 1789. The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner is a narrative of his life and adventures as a mariner. It records his circumnavigation of every inhabited continent throughout his many nautical situations, which included whaler, Steward, trader, and sailor; Nicol twice circumnavigated the globe. The Lady Juliana, was the first convict ship to transport only women and children to New South Wales. Nicol did not describe Australia; his narrative was concerned with the female convicts under his charge. There are only one or two sentences that mention New South Wales.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Alternative title: The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner : His Service in King's Ships in War & Peace, His Travels & Explorations by Sea to Remote & Unknown Countries in Merchant Vessels, Whalers, and Other Sundry Craft; Together with Copious Notes & Comments on Ships, the Officers and Shipmates with Whom He Served, the Customs & Traditions of the Sea and of the Inhabitants of Distant Lands Both Savage and Civilized, Their Religions, Culture, & Industries, etc., etc., etc
    • Edinburgh,
      c
      Scotland,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      William Blackwood ; T. Cadell ,
      1822 .
      image of person or book cover 2174430994442997544.png
      Link: 21279612Full text document Sighted: 10/03/2021
      Extent: viii, 215p.p.
      Description: [1] leaf of plates : port.
      Note/s:
      • Ferguson 875

      Holdings

      Held at: National Library of Australia
      Location: Special Collections Reading Room
      Local Id: FRM F875

      Holdings

      Held at: State Library of Queensland State Library of QLD
      Local Id: RBJ 910.45 NIC

      Holdings

      Held at: University of Queensland University of Queensland Library Fryer Library
      Local Id: Mono G530 .N6 1822
    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,
      :
      Farrar and Rinehart ,
      1936 .
      Extent: ix, 214p.p.
      Description: illus.
      Note/s:
      • With title: The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner : His Service in King's Ships in War & Peace, His Travels & Explorations by Sea to Remote & Unknown Countries in Merchant Vessels, Whalers, and Other Sundry Craft; Together with Copious Notes & Comments on Ships, the Officers and Shipmates with Whom He Served, the Customs & Traditions of the Sea and of the Inhabitants of Distant Lands Both Savage and Civilized, Their Religions, Culture, & Industries, etc., etc., etc
    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Cassell ,
      1937 .
      Extent: ix, 245p.p.
      Description: illus., port.
      Note/s:
      • With title: The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner : His Service in King's Ships in War & Peace, His Travels & Explorations by Sea to Remote & Unknown Countries in Merchant Vessels, Whalers, and Other Sundry Craft; Together with Copious Notes & Comments on Ships, the Officers and Shipmates with Whom He Served, the Customs & Traditions of the Sea and of the Inhabitants of Distant Lands Both Savage and Civilized, Their Religions, Culture, & Industries, etc., etc., etc
Alternative title: Life and Adventures, 1776-1801

Works about this Work

[Review] The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner Stella Lees , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 20 no. 4 2012; (p. 40)

— Review of The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner John Nicol , 1822 single work prose
[Review] The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner Stella Lees , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 20 no. 4 2012; (p. 40)

— Review of The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner John Nicol , 1822 single work prose
Last amended 25 Mar 2021 11:51:50
Settings:
  • c
    Scotland,
    c
    c
    United Kingdom (UK),
    c
    Western Europe, Europe,
  • c
    United States of America (USA),
    c
    Americas,
  • Caribbean, Americas,
  • c
    China,
    c
    East Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
  • Europe,
  • c
    Australia,
    c
  • 1776-1801
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