J.W. Bushby's Journal - Ni Edoc

Cousin Sharon was kind enough to lend me a box of papers that her Mom Jean had saved that belonged to her mother Elsie Busby Boulton.  Among them was a amazing journal that once belonged to Elsie’s father James William Bushby that is over 150 years old! It contains proof of his multiple journeys across the Atlantic Ocean and the American flag on the front cover leads me to believe it was purchased there.  I am working on a transcription of one particular voyage in 1870.  Keep watching the blog!

We knew he was very artistic as written about here. This journal contains more of his sketches. 

text says - View of Mountains on the coast of Ireland on a Voyage from N. York to Queenstown & L'pool seen on morning of 11th o December 1871 making the 9th (?) day out. 

I am guessing the picture of J.W. Bushby below was taken around the same time as this journal, before he married and had his family.  The beautiful handwriting was so clear and easily read so many years later.  

  

Continuing to page through the book, I encountered sentences that I thought may have been in another language...

Ot llet Dlog tup a pord fo cirtin dica (auqa sitrof) no ti fi ti si ton Dlog ti lliw nrut neerg.  

After studying it for a bit, especially the two letter words, it began to make sense.  J. W. was writing it in code, backwards!

To tell gold put a drop of nitric acid (aqua fortis) on it if it is not gold it will turn green. 

What fun!  He doesn't explain why he needed to remember this but Nitric Acid is also known as aqua fortis. The corrosive and toxic chemical was indeed used to dissolve metals including silver - almost any metal except gold. 

 Yes Elsie, and thank you to the keepers!  The papers about Grandad Bushby have certainly come in useful on a cold afternoon.