A wonderful little historically situated Bible, having been the shop copy of the Steamship "City of Washinton, so stamped on the front cover, and multiple times ink stamped neatly throughout the Bible. It then appearst to have been purchased at public auction shortly thereafter, as notated on the blank ffep, to Dr. Robert H. Warren of Boston.
The Bible is just begging to be used as an allegorical item. Commissioned by the Inman Line who ran steamers from Liverpool to the United States, notably, Washington D. C., it ran from 1855 through 1873. It was commissioned by the French during the Crimean War, but was used for the remainder of its life as a transport between England and the United States.
On its final voyage, in 1873, it was captained by Wilson Robert Phillips, by all accounts an incurable drunk. Several days into the voyage, he was so inebriated he had to be committed to quarters. His replacement was, alas, also drunk, though lightly less so. And being both tipsy and unexperienced, when rough waters hit and they were driven into the rocks, the hull was breached, and all aboard had to abandon ship. This was just off Little Point Ebert in the County of Shelburne, Nova Scotia. All the emigrants did make land and lived off crackers and dried beef for 5 days before being found and rescued.
The morals? A ship with a drunk captain is like a Bible being read by a heretic? The dangers of replacing one bad thing with another? Two drunks and a ship gone, but the Bible remains?
The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments: Translated Out of the Original Tongues: and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. London. George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode. 1855. Smallpica 8vo.
Generally handsome original condition, small split at top of front hinge, rubbing at extremities, very slight tide stain to top of text block as expected. Very sound.