From: Ted Davis (TDavis@messiah.edu)
Date: Mon Apr 28 2003 - 09:15:57 EDT
Some time ago I issued an open challenge, offering a cash prize to anyone
who could find a copy of a book, alleged to contain first-hand testimony
relative to the Bartley story, testimony from shipmates and the physician
who supposedly examined Bartley upon his return from the adventure.
The attached message will explain itself. My money appears to be safe!
ted
attached mail follows:
Dear Professor Davis:
In response to your internet posting regarding the C.V. Tench article
"Swallowed Alive by a Whale - He Lived to Tell It." First off, I agree with
you about the Allen and Unwin book, Whaling: Its Perils and Profits. I
don't believe that it exists or has ever existed. It is not in OCLC and as
you outlined in your article it does not appear in the British Library
catalogue. It is not in the collection at this museum and certainly would
be if it was, in fact, published by such a well-known firm as Allen and
Unwin, London, 1900, no less. We would either have it or know of it. I
believe Tench either made the title up himself or more likely copied from
someone who had. Working on the assumption that he/they could have made a
mistake (giving him the benefit of the doubt) I checked everything in this
collection published by Allen and Unwin and everything with "perils" in the
title. Nothing fits the story or even traces elements of it. There is
nothing in the Falkland Island bibliography. What got me onto this in the
first place was a copy of Tench's article that appeared in Man to Man
magazine, W.W. Scott, ed., (December 1950,) New York: Volitant Pub. pp.
14-15. As I read it I did not recognize the title of the book to which he
referred, so I naturally wanted to acquire it for the museum. I couldn't
find it anywhere. So, for what its worth I don't believe it to be a true story.
Sincerely yours,
Michael P. Dyer
Librarian
Michael P. Dyer
Librarian
Kendall Institute, New Bedford Whaling Museum
18 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA 02740-6398
Tel. (508) 997-0046 ext. 137
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