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Podcast: EMPIRE LINES
Episode: Water Splotch from the Bay of Bengal, Ship Diary of Levi Savage (1852-1853)
Description: A. A. Bastian navigates the commercial and Christian aspirations of Euro-American trading empires in 19th century Asia, through a Water Splotch from the Bay of Bengal in Levi Savage's ship diary.
Hugging India's glistening Bay of Bengal, Euro-American ships like the Monsoon and Fire Queen carried goods and peoples to and from Calcutta, the meeting point of the British and Mughal empires. An emblem of the unique, long-distance aspirations of Euro-American traders, the ship speaks to the uneven distribution of knowledge and benefits in global supply chains. But a water-stained diary kept by one of the Monsoon's...