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From Sir John’s diary |
Looking out for sea dogs to save our hidden treasure
STARTER for 10: Who was Sir John Narborough? Um? Eh? Full marks to anybody who recognises the name of the British naval commander of the 17th century.
You are probably exactly the kind of seafaring enthusiast the British Library in King’s Cross is looking for right now – especially if you have a bit of hidden treasure at home and a love of old maps.
Staff took the unusual step of appealing for voluntary donations in order to buy Sir John’s old maritime journal, an item that the library’s experts believe is of national importance and vital to their collection.
They fear a foreign buyer will hijack their attempts to buy the manuscript for £310,000 if they can not come up with the funds to pay for it. The owner has not been identified but the government has suspended the export of the journal until November, but when the restriction is lifted anybody can bid.
The manuscript charts Sir John’s buccaneering travels around South America around 1670 and includes rare maps and a diary.
Peter Barber, map librarian at the British Library, said it is a “real hidden treasure as it is arguably the first English modern nautical journal ever. Narborough was a crucial figure in the history of English exploration.” |
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