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Re: Visit to Scotland 1879

From: Volker Dehs <volker.dehs~at~web.de>
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:10:10 +0100
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

Dear Ian,

a good work - as usual!!

Best,
Volker


> I recently returned to the Scottish National Archives to look again at
> the Port of Leith Register for 1879 to compare the entry information
> with what Verne recorded in his carnets.
> Verne records that he arrived in Leith (port of Edinburgh) in the St.
> Michel III on June 13th and departed on the 20th (after his visit to the
> Hebridean islands). The weather was so bad that he had to shelter in the
> Firth of Forth that night. He returned to the port of Leith on the 21st
> to wait for better weather. This account corresponds exactly with the
> port register.
> The arrival of the St Michel is recorded on June 13th as is the
> departure on the 20th, but then in rather small writing it is recorded
> that the yacht returned on the 21st and departed on the 22nd June. This
> is not a separate entry but has just been pencilled in under the initial
> entry.
> The explanation for this is that as a "pleasure yacht in ballast" Verne
> did not have to pay any port dues (Leith was essentially a freight port
> and charges were made according to the tonnage of the vessel and the
> tonnage of the cargo). So whoever was recording traffic, simply added
> the 21-22nd to the original entry rather than making a new record.
> There is absolutely no reason to question the accuracy of Verne's
> carnets but it is useful to have this kind of independent confirmation.
> Ian Thompson
>

-- 
Volker Dehs, Eisenbahnstr. 9, D-37073 Göttingen.
Received on Thu 17 Dec 2009 - 20:10:17 IST

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