Diaries/Journals
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Item Letter. December 19, 1898, Sydney [Inventory no. 20](1898) Rabe, John, 1850-1914Letter from John Rabe to Benjamin Rabe. Included in 17th holographic journalItem Journal, 45th holographic. January 22 - December 31, 1897 [Inventory no. 48](1897) Rabe, John, 1850-1914This journal finds the Doctor again in the South Pacific. It opens at Perth, West Australia, then Sidney. From Sidney he embarks on the Steamer Birksgate for Noumea, New Caledonia. Steamer Birksgate then carried him to Suva, Fiji, and then to Levuka, Fiji. From Levuka he sailed to Apia, British Samoa, on the Steamer “Ovalan”. In Samoa he once more visited the village of King Tamasese, also No-fah-le, Pata, Pololo, Ma-ta-ta. He next caught the Steamer “Taviana" for Nukulofa, the capital city of the Tongan Group. Dated from January 22 to December 31, 1897. Notebook size 5X3 inches. Consists of 344 pages with approximately 45,000 words.Item Journal, 26th holographic. October 24 - November 6, 1890 [Inventory no. 29](1890) Rabe, John, 1850-1914This journal is a log of the Doctor’s voyage to Pelew with the powerful King of Koror, “Abba Thule”, aboard Captain D. D. O’Keefe’s schooner “Santa Cruz”, and then on to Hongkong in this vessel. The King had a hundred warriors with him, 12 or 15 women, and 23 canoes and two boats. The Doctor’s comment on the voyage discloses his contempt for King Abba Thule and is one of many indications in the logs of a feud between the two men. “And so ended my first Southern trip in company with his Royal Highness, King of Koror (The big fat humbug and no good.)” Again: “Without moving I looked him (King Abba Thule) in the face and asked if he had brought my good money. 'De ac! No got!’ Then I have nothing to say to you. You tell lie too much me no shake hands. He is a thorough scamp, liar, and thief and murderer from his past record as a chief and usurper of the Kingship of Koror, having the legal one killed years ago and constantly oppressing his weaker neighbors, as I have already mentioned, of Pellew and Angour." The vessel Santa Cruz sailed from Malagan Harbour at 3 P.M. of November 6, 1890, bound for Hongkong. Notes on voyage and on stay in Hongkong after arrival there November 20. Dated from October 24 to November 6, 1890. Notebook size 9X7 inches. Consists of 96 pages with approximately 22,000 words.Item Journal, 24th holographic. July 17 - October 22, 1890 [Inventory no. 27](1890) Rabe, John, 1850-1914Brilliant studies in exquisite detail of the major facets of both Yap and Pelew cultures as they were in the late 19th century. Details of the big houses where the girls go to find men at night, the status of slaves, the architecture of both the King's houses and the commoners’ dwellings. Customs, superstitions and religious beliefs. Dr. Rabe witnessed the funeral of the hideous absolutist Queen of Koror and wife of old king Abba Thule. His account of the funerary rites and obsequies is a classic that ranks among the finest of ethnological reports from that region. Dated from July 17 to October 22, 1890. Notebook size 9X7 inches. Consists of 60,000 words.Item Journal, 23rd holographic. May 8 - July 16, 1890 [Inventory no. 26](1890) Rabe, John, 1850-1914This volume, on large note paper and written in a larger and more legible hand as a log for the benefit of Dr. Rabe’s brother Benjamin, covers essentially the material in No. 25 and also dating from May 8 to July 16, 1890. Notebook size 12X9 inches. Consists of 87 pages with approximately 24,000 words.Item Journal, 22nd holographic. May 8 - July 16, 1890 [Inventory no. 25](1890) Rabe, John, 1850-1914This book-length log of Dr. Rabe’s cruise and sojourn in the Carolines, principally at Yap, is one of three such volumes which are scarcely excelled in the annals of such works of laymen because of the richness of detail and the infinite variety of folk customs which he observed and carefully recorded. The Doctor had struck up a warm camaraderie with the famous trader Captain D. D. O’Keefe in Manila. O’Keefe invited him to accompany him as a non-passage-paying guest aboard the Schooner “Jenny” bound for Yap. It flew the flag of the U.S. and was of 48 tons registry (but 100 tons gross). Captain O’Keffe was a general trader in the Caroline Islands. He was the sole owner of the St. David's Group near the Dutch New Guinea Coast. Writing to his brother Dr. Benjamin Rabe (letter dated April 3, 1892, at O’Keffe’s canteen on Yap), Doctor John Rabe said that even then O’Keefe was a name to conjure with in the islands of the South Pacific. He had at that date spent twenty years in Micronesia. In 1892 O'Keefe owned an island in the Yap Group and a small archipelago in the Carolines and three fine trading schooners. On Yap he owned and operated the mint, a quarry, where he kept six Yap natives busy cutting out the massive stone rings used there for money. This log book has one of Captain O’Keefe’s own charts placed inside the front cover and one placed inside the back cover, and signed by O’Keffe. They are in a medium of ink and pencil and are of Yap, dated from May 8 to July 16, 1890. Notebook size 9X7 inches. Consists of 214 pages with approximately 60,000 words.Item Journal, 16th holographic. February 23, 1888 to July 4, 1888 [Inventory no. 19](1888) Rabe, John, 1850-1914Continuation of Dr. Rabe’s adventures and observations on Levuka and Suva, Fiji. Notebook size 81/2x5 inches. Consists of 180 pages with approximately 18,000 words.Item Journal, 14th holographic. January 1888 [Inventory no. 17](1888) Rabe, John, 1850-1914This journal commences with a long letter to Dr. Rabe’s brother. Dr. Benjamin Rabe, M.D., while aboard the ship “Southern Cross”, dated January 12, 1888. Then follows the first month of Dr. Rabe's Fiji Island junket. Contains rare observations of native political and cultural scenes. Notebook size 81/2X41/2 inches. Consists of 142 pages with approximately 24,000 words.Item Journal, 15th holographic. January 12 to February 12, 1888 [Inventory no. 18](1888) Rabe, John, 1850-1914The first section of this account is another version of the January 1888 journal of Fiji Islands. It is a log written especially for his brother Dr. Benjamin Rabe, M.D. Notebook size 9X7 inches. Consists of 102 pages with approximately 24,000 words.Item Journal, 12th holographic. June 23 - November 27, 1887 [Inventory no. 15](1887) Rabe, John, 1850-1914Twelfth holographic account of Dr. John Rabe's California and Pacific regions period. This journal recounts the Doctor's voyages to the Samoan Islands and to the Tongan or Friendly Islands and Dr. Rabe's experiences in these Polynesian Archipelagos. He sailed from San Francisco June 23 aboard the schooner "Golden Fleece" bound first for Apia, Samoa, Captain Henderson in command. The "Golden Fleece" arrived at Apia on July 22, 1887. At this time the vessel sent to Samoa by the King of Hawaii, Kalakaua, was at Apia. A band concert was given by the Hawaiian lads, then a party was attended at the Hawaiian Consulate in honor of Kalakaua's departing man-of-war. The Commander was one Captain Jackson—an Australian who was drunk most of the time (tallies with other historical accounts). His crew is described as ex-inmates of the Hawaii reformatory and a "tuff set". Dr. Rabe accompanied the Samoan Chief Justice down the coast aboard the Hawaii man-of-war for six miles to Afunga to see King Malietoa's town give the vessel a farewell. They steamed at 3 to 4 knots. Germans land troops and guns and place Apia under martial law, declaring war against King Malietoa. Tamasese was declared King by the Germans, with several proclamations that were answered negatively by the U.S. and British Consuls. Much of the activities of Germans are recorded, also comments on Malietoa, who had hidden out in the bush with his royal guardsmen. The rebel King Tamasese called Dr. Rabe out of bed to work on his teeth. "He is over 7 feet and has an awful large mouth. I have been wishing and planning to get him in my hands and secure a model of his teeth and jaws for a specimen. Cleaning his teeth and at the same time I took two plaster impressions of his upper jaw. It took my biggest cup—No. I—and had to flatten it out like a saucer and when finished it was larger than my hand and resembled a young scoop shovel. And even then it was not quite large enough to take in one of his wisdom teeth." The Doctor traced an outline of His Majesty King Tamesese's upper jaw casting and dated it. A great deal more is recorded of what R. L. Stevenson referred to as "The Samoan Imbraglio," also much of his observations of the customs and habits of the Samoans. On November 14, Dr. Rabe sailed for the Tongan Isles aboard the North-German Lloyd steamer "Lubeck". Detailed description given of the capital city, Nukualofa, also an account of the uprising and attempted assassination of the Premier—Baker of Anglican Mission. A very high chief dies and Dr. Rabe attends funeral and sees old King George Tabou placed on a high dais. The King assists a gang of retainers to pull aside a huge stone that covered the mausoleum chosen for the interment. Dated from June 23 to November 27, 1887. Notebook size 8 1/2 x 5 inches. Consists of 234 pages with approximately 25,000 words.