Hello, historians of Reddit! I have two questions for you guys. But first, a little preface. I’ve currently been reading a few articles on Thomas Baker, the famous missionary that was eaten by the cannibals of Fiji. In many of these articles, they quote entries from his personal journal.
So my first question is: Would anyone know where I could get my proverbial hands on this journal to read in full?
And my next question: Do any of you historians have any other interesting journals/diaries you could link? I remember reading “Into Africa” and loving the sections where it directly quoted from Livingston’s journal.
Okay, well, I've found one possible way for you.
I believe the book that you're mentioning would be Rev. Thomas Baker, 1832-1867 : personal diary and collected papers.Baker, Thomas, 1832-1867, published in 1982. This particular volume is in the State Library of New South Wales, Australia. There's another volume in the Camden Theological Library as well.
Unfortunately, if you're not currently in NSW, it might be a bit difficult to get your hands on it. While the NSW library does offer interlibrary loans, it doesn't apply to items in the Mitchell Library collections, as they are restricted to on-site browsing only. The volume in the Camden library is restricted to staff access as well. So it might be that you would need to find a way to go down.
As for other interesting diaries, I typically recommend The Faithful Executioner, which I feel has a great writeup on the historical and cultural context in which all the stuff took place, plus an absolutely fascinating topic it covers. Another memoir I think gives a really great story is No Feast Lasts Forever from Madame Wellington Koo, which provides a great look at many major 20th century events from a pretty unique perspective. Another one, from a more 'everyman' perspective, is Intimacy and Terror: Soviet Diaries of the 1930s .
Hope this is of some help!
You might enjoy La relación of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. Don't worry, there are English translations.
Cabeza de Vaca was one of the only survivors of the 1527 Narváez expedition. After squabbling with Cortés (and losing an eye) in Mexico, Narváez was appointed adelantado of Florida. His entrada landed on the Gulf Coast intending to find riches like those of Mexico. Unfortunately, everything went wrong. His decision to split his land and sea forces after landing near Tampa Bay was but one of many disastrous mistakes. Hunger, lack of preparation, hostilities with the Apalachee, and rampant illness diminished the strength of the land forces, who failed to reconnect and resupply with their sea-based comrades. Narváez decided to skirt the gulf coast back to Mexico, and died on a make-shift raft blown out into the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston, Texas. Only four men, including Alvar Cabeza de Vaca, survived the final overland journey through Texas and into northern Mexico.
Cabeza de Vaca wrote about the disastrous journey from the Florida coast, through the Gulf nations, and across Texas until he was found by Spanish slavers in northern Mexico. It is one of the first, and deepest, descriptions of the Native American Southeast, and certainly one of the best sources for understanding the Gulf Coast populations before significant contact. Moreover, Cabeza de Vaca himself transforms from conquistador to an itinerant holy man of sorts, as he tries to survive jumping from nation to nation on the perilous journey to Mexico. There are few better sources that encapsulate the perils of contact, the complex political situations (both within the conquistador groups and with Native American nations), and it is one of the best sources for exploring the diversity of Southeastern nations before extensive contact.