Blok, G.K.: Two Years in the Life of a Russian Sailor

Title

Dva goda iz zhizni russkogo moriaka, Sankt-Peterburg 1854

Two Years in the Life of a Russian Sailor

Keywords

Summary

The book describes the round-the-world voyage made in 1840-1842 on the Russian ship “Abo”. It is divided into two volumes, both supplemented with illustrations. The second volume also features a glossary of sea terms and a world map. The first volume is divided into three chapters, with the second chapter detailing the author’s visit to Cape Town (p. 64-117). Arriving in Cape Town from the Canary Islands, the author describes the landscape, the city, and the surrounding mountains, particularly Table Mountain. Upon entering the city, he describes its architecture and notes the prominent Dutch influence, mentioning the numerous Protestant churches, a library, and a botanical garden. He then devotes a few pages to the “Kafirs” and the “Khoikhoi”, the indigenous populations. The author recounts his perilous but successful ascent of Devil’s Peak, describing the beautiful view of the city from above. Before leaving Cape Town, the travellers receive eighty turtles as a gift, which they take on the ship and soon cook for lunch. The author concludes that sea turtles are better for eating, whereas land turtles are more valuable for their shells.

Bio

Gustav Blok was a junior officer, and later lieutenant, in the Imperial Russian navy, in service since 1843.

Sources

Spisok generalam, shtab i ober-ofitseram korpusa flotskikh shturmanov, IV, Sankt-Peterburg 1862, p. 87;

“An Entirely Different World”: Russian Visitors to the Cape, 1797-1870, ed. by B. Gorelik, Cape Town 2015, p. 37-52.

M.E.

Gallery