Jules Verne Forum

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Gibraltar

From: <ian.thompson~at~ges.gla.ac.uk>
Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:33:05 +0100 (BST)
To: jvf~at~gilead.org.il

I have just returned from Gibraltar and from archives, interviews and
fieldwork have been able to reconstruct all the details of Verne's two
visits to Gibraltar in 1878 and 1884 as summarised in Philippe Valetoux's
"Jules Verne, en mer et contre tous". I will post a detailed map soon of
the places Verne visited, where he dined, where he took coal on board etc
soon.
My main conclusion was that all the evidence I could find supported the
accuracy in detail of Verne's own account of his visits. On the other
hand, I remain very sceptical of the accuracy of the account in the
biography published by Marguerite Allotte de la Fuye, supposedly based on
a boyish diary produced by Verne's nephew Maurice.In this account in May
1884, Verne was taken ashore by British officers to their mess (carré) and
became inebriated on cocktails. I found considerable evidence that this
was most unlikely and that Verne's indication that he stayed aboard the St
Michel on the 25th May 1888 and did not go ashore more convincing.
After I have had chance to consult Philippe on some maritime details we
will jointly publish an account of the visits, which led to Verne's
publication of the satire Gil Braltar.For now I will just list the
official record of the arrival/departure of the St Michel as recorded in
the Gilbraltar Chronicle.

Thursday June 20, 1878. "RYC [Royal Yacht Club] steamer St.Michel
(J.Verne, Esq, owner on board) Mr E David, 4 hours from Tangier--cleared
to sea".


Monday May 26th, 1884. "French steam yacht St Michel (J.Verne, Esq.,
owner, on board), Mr C Ollive, 12 days from Nantes and 2 1/2 from Lisbon -
cleared to Sea".

This clearance i.e. certifying that all fees had been paid and quarantine
requirements satisfied, would have been issued by the "Captain of Port", a
military official.It is very important to realise that at the time of
Verne's visits there was no port, simply an anchorage controlled by a
military garrison. I will post the map and perhaps some photos as soon as
possible.
Ian Thompson.
Received on Sun 15 Jun 2008 - 23:33:14 IDT

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