New Year's Gift : Journal

Content

Journal of the voyage of the East India Company ship New Year's Gift from England towards Surat and Bantam (Captain Thomas Elkington, Master Martin Pring/Nicholas Downton), 9 March 1613 [New Style date 9 March 1614]-14 September 1615 (dates given are for arrival unless otherwise indicated): 9 March 1613 [New Style date 9 March 1614], off the Lizard; 15 June 1614, Saldanie [Saldanha Bay, Cape of Good Hope]; 6 August 1614, St Augustine's Bay [Madagascar]; 9 September 1614, Sucatora [Socotra].

The journal ends on 14 September 1614, with the ship leaving Socotra bound for Surrate [Surat].

Labelled on the front cover 'No. 15', and inscribed '1614. Begun 9th. March 1613/14. Ends 30 Sept [September] 1614' (folio 1B).

The journal contains regular dated entries in (variously) seven or eight columns, under the following headings: daies [days]; houres [hours]; course; leages [leagues]; latitude (degrees and minutes); varia[tion]; windes [winds]; and [month, year, and remarks]. When the ship is in harbour, the entries consist of remarks only.

The journal records: navigational information; weather; sea conditions; topographical and anthropological descriptions; descriptions of flora and fauna; potential trading commodities; and references to the other ships with which the New Year's Gift sailed in convoy.

The journal includes descriptions of Saldanha Bay and Pengwin Ilande [Penguin Island] (folios 5-7); St Augustine's Bay (folios 11-12); and the reception given to members of the ship's crew by the King of Socotra (folios 12-13).

The record includes a draft letter dated 27 February 1614 [New Style date 27 February 1615], which describes the voyage, and gives an account of an engagement between English ships and a Portuguese fleet at Surratt [Surat] in January [1615] (folios 14-15).

The record bears summary notes of a later date in pencil on the front cover, and in the left hand margin of the journal and letter.

The journal and letter (where indicated) employ Old Style (Julian calendar) dates only.

Extent and format

1 volume (149 folios)

Arrangement

The entries in the journal are recorded in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1a, and terminates at the last folio with 15; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.The file contains foliation anomalies, f 1a and 1b. The volume includes a sequence of 131 unfoliated blank pages following f 15, which have not been digitised.

Written in

English in Latin script

Type

Archival file

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

IOR/L/MAR/A/XXI

History of this record

Date(s)

9 Mar 1614-27 Feb 1615 (CE, Gregorian)

Related material

Select Bibliography

The voyage of Nicholas Downton to the East Indies, 1614-15: as recorded in contemporary narratives and letters , edited by Sir William Foster (London: Hakluyt Society, 2017), pp. 52-63.

Subjects

Ships logsMarine navigationWeatherTrade (practice)

Places

SucatoraSt Augustine's BaySaldanieSurat

People & organisations

New Year's Gift

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New Year's Gift : Journal, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MAR/A/XXI, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100000001273.0x0001b4> [accessed 16 August 2026]

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