The Partial Diary of "Honest" John Martin, Young Irelander, 1812-1875 Co. Down, Ireland

D.O.D. Index 560/2 - Public Record Office (N.I.)--Record of the Irish Patriot, John Martin, of his transportation to Van Dieman’s Land (Australia) for treason.

Journal of Voyage from Ireland, in the Convict Ship Mountstuart Elphinstone to Australia

Thursday, June 28th 1849

At 12 O’Clock, moved from our anchorage in Cove Harbour.Weather dark misty with drizzling rain from W.S.W. Wind blowing tolerably fresh.Till last moment we almost expected a countermand to reach the Captain, requiring him to wait for our traitor comrades.But the second boat which had been sent ashore
returned from the post office without producing any change in the Captain’s arrangements for immediate departure.No letters for either O’Dogherty or myself either today or yesterday.Our friends have probably given them all to Meagher or McManus to give us when they should join us on board. It will be in Sidney I suppose that we will receive them.Now. While the ship was moving out of the harbour, O’D and I wrote letters for conveyance to shore by the Pilot.He is an Irishman & a friend of ours.The second day we lay in harbour, he came along side of us upon the Poop & addressed us with "The Lord bless you gentlemen!" And every time he has seen us since, he regards us with a benevolent expression of faith.It was too cloudy and thick to see the harbour, as I had hoped.But I saw enough to feel vexed that we can’t have it for the benefit of the Irish people.

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It was past 1 when the pilot left us, outside the Light house. It was raining rather heavily.I looked along to the North coast hoping that the Trident Steamer might come in sight bearing Meagher & the rest.Meagher’s father had written to some of our friends in Cork asserting that the Trident was to sail from Kingstown yesterday morning. But no steamer appeared, and the Mountstuart Elphinstone bore away to the South, on her course.

Poor Ireland!What misery lies hid behind those dim headlands of thine!Will thy misery be still thy national characteristic when next I come in sight of these dear headlands? Am I even to return to my country? Am I even to enjoy the proud happiness of serving my wretched country? --- And my dear Mary and Lilly, and all my friends and relatives, whose affection and generous kindness to me place me so deeply in their debt, will I ever reward them in ever so small a degree?

Friday June 29th

Weather much the same as yesterday, but wind less S & more W.Ship holds on her course at 6 knots an hour. Plenty of pitching, heaving & rocking, and sea sickness among the soldiers. Neither O’D nor I sick.Just a little headache & warming to keep in the air a great deal & not to sit in one cabin.Our appetites continue good.We are likely to prove good sailors.I feel quite better than I expected.In the evening, a fine fresh breeze sprung up, wind turning more around, nearly W.N.W.Haziness cleared off & air felt dry & bracing.Ship leaned greatly to one side, wind being

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nearly upon her beam, and cut swiftly through the waves.O’D & I came upon deck and felt quite exhilarated.We paced the lee side of the poop almost continually till our appointed hour for retirement—9 O’C.The Cabin partly also seemed to enjoy the change of the weather. Military Officers, Doctor, Chaplain & all being out and pacing their side of the poop.

Saturday, June 30

Weather still improving.Fine dry bracing steady light gale from North.Sunny with passing clouds.Temperature mild and very pleasant upon deck.My health very good.No fear of sea sickness are with either of us.

Ship going 7 ½ knots.Not a good sailor, I think.They say she requires a strong wind.Other ships in view today and every day since we left harbour.

O’D and I spend nearly all our time from 7 in the morning till 7 at night in sitting on the Poop reading and looking out upon the waves or around us upon the various human crowd of sailors, soldiers, convicts &c upon board,and in pacing our leeside when the 2 Military officers, or the Doctor, or the Chaplain is on deck, and the weather side while they are all absent.The 2 mates are very friendly with us.The Captain is quite polite but we have hardly any intercourse with him.The Doctor has been growing more polite and rather attentive since we got to sea.The Chaplain has never addressed a word to either of us.

We have agreed to learn German together and to read Homer in Greek.O’D seems determined to pay close attention to his medical studies.I wish to read History and to make myself acquainted with some of the thousand

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subjects of which I am shamefully ignorant.I have a fine opportunity now, if my health continues so good.

Mr. Liddell, the first mate, consulted us as to the arrangement of our cabin for our comfort.We keep 2 of the spare bedsteads as conveniences for sitting on and for holding articles we may wish places for.The fifth bedstead is removed and in its place the joiner has just put up the second basin stand and I have got the whole space for my dressing room.Indeed we are very snug and comfortably accommodated.The ventilation in the ceiling serves admirably to keep the air pure, and then we have the port hole in mild weather & when its side is the weather side of the ship.The two slits on each side of our door seem for light & air also, but the smells from the hospital opposite & from the hole immediately under our door step & all the neighbourhood of ourdoor, are not nice.We have plenty of solution of chloride of lime, but that won’t either kill the smells or keep off the vermin: and when we get within the Tropics, we must count upon thousands of them of all abominable varieties.–But except for this we are right well accommodated.The steward is quite attentive and desirous to please us in our meals.We breakfast at 8, dine at 1, drink tea at 6.Meat at breakfast & at dinner; generally some hash or stew or pie or puddingalways with plenty of pepper. We have good health and good appetites.

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Sunday July 1

Weather still improving.Wind North and a pleasant brisk gale.Ship going at 7 or 7 ½ knots.Sun strong, and makes us resort to lighter clothes, though we still keep to our pilot coats.Health good.

No service upon deck today.Chaplain had service both the Sundays we spent in Cove Harbour.I have commenced with the first morning at sea, to read through the New Testament from the beginning.

This evening when O’D was retiring as usual from the deck at 9 O’Clock, the Doctor graciously informed him thatthat restriction was now removed "as we are at sea" and that we might remain out till ten: and then after consulting Mr. Roney, he stated that "all restrictions" are henceforth removed.Very pleasant certainly. O’D immediately interpreted the repeal of obnoxious laws to include that against smoking –this is smoking upon the deck & without concealment, for he had smoked regularly every day at the port hole of our cabin, & so had I for love of mischief.–Our Doctor is becoming quiet aimiable. And the manner of the 2 officers also is quite civil.

Monday July 2

Weather still very favourable.Wind fresh NNE.Warm delicious temperature.In the latitude of Cape Finisterre. We have had a very favourable start.Ship going 7 ½ knots sometimes, & sometimes 7.Much rolling and pitching. –Health good.Don’t rise earlier than 7 or ½

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past 6 as the washing & scrubbing of the decks which goes on from before 6 makes it rather uncomfortable to be out till 7.

Hope to get into something of a regular habit of reading.

Tuesday July 3

Weather as before.Wind fair aft., N.E. and fresh.Air delightful.Sun very bright when not obscured by clouds, but his heat tempered deliciously by sea breeze.We must be above 1000 miles from Cork already.At 12 today Lat 39, Long. 15W – Health good.

We have seen ships, one or more, every day since our departure.Yesterday morning a three masted vessel came so near that Mr. Liddell hoisted signals & spoke her.She proved to be the Australiasiam which was to sail from Dublin, 3 days before our departure from Cove, with female convicts for Hobart Town.She disappeared in the ev’g having taken a course rather more to the west than ours.

O’D & I staid out late (till past 10) walking upon the poop and conversing with the mate and smoking and enjoying the delightful sea breeze of this latitude.

We commenced our German Grammar yesterday.

Wednesday July 4th Weather as before or even more pleasant.Wind N.E. Ship going 7 ½ knots but still rolling a good deal.Delightful climate.At 12 O’Clock Lat 36:40. –Health good.

Spent day as usual, --lounging about poop and reading I have not yet commenced to read regularly; but I intend to

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read Gibbon and more history.Since we set sail I have read the most of Sheridan’s Plays (which on the whole do not satisfy my expectations.—I had seen the School for Scandal acted long ago.My poor mother told me the story of Pizarro when I was a boy & repeated me parts of Rolla’s speeches.)I have read the

Improvisation (Andersen’s)It is not bad –indeed it is very good. I have commenced Corinne (in French)

Thursday July 5thWeather remains very pleasant; mild warm, soft, light, fresh air; Sun shaded by light clouds, and quite tolerable, by aid of sea breeze, even when unclouded.We have an awning up above the poop occasionally.Moon so bright that I could read Corinne by its light.Wind E and steady & fresh enough to send us on at 7 ½ knots till evening when it gradually subsided to the gentlest soft breeze and at 6 p.m. one rate was below 6 knots.Lat 34Long 18

Health good.Occupied as usual.

Friday July 6.Weather too mild for perfect comfort –calm, sultry, dark.Wind E veering to NE but very light sometimes almost a calm.Our average rate since 12 yesterday not above 5 knots or 5 ½.Begin to feel the heat rather oppressive. When it is so hot and the sun not shining all day what would it be but for the clouds?--Still I think I would feel the climate delicious if I had taken a seiblity powder. –Lat 32

Occupied as usual.

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Saturday July 7Becalmed, or very nearly so, nearly all day.Ship has made less than 60 miles the last 24 hours.Excessively hot, & sun unclouded and oppression notwithstanding awnings. It is fortunate that whatever slight current of air there is, is right aft.Ship floats steady which is great comfort.Lat 31N Long 20W.

I had a fullness of the head all day and my feet uncomfortably hot and on stripping them to bathe them I found that both feet & ankles are swelled.Put on canvas slippers, duck trousers, duck coat ship hat.Still full thick winded and stupid.Determined to take a dose of calomel at night.

Ocean seemed alive all round us today.Hundreds of large fish called Abracois (I think) kept shooting through the beautiful clear dark blue water below the sides of the ship.Generally they kept very deep down many fathoms: but the water so transparent that one could see them even when they seemed no larger than herrings (Mate says they are 1 cwt each)As they moved, their colour varied from dark brown, green & blue, and they sparkled beautifully. Sometimes they rose to the surface and played together darting up their heads above the water and making a great splashing commotion on the glassy ocean.Mate talked of harpooning when they might take a playing fit within reach of the ship.And a dozen of lines and hooks was thrown out for them from all parts of the ship.But none were caught. Myriads of little fish, seemingly the size of little trouts, sometimes swarmed along the side of the ship deep in the water.—Then small whales crossed the ship’s track about half a mile behind us, rolling along their course very like the motion of a lubbing ship. –A nautilus (the first I have seen) floated past near the side of the ship, with it’s little sail up to the gentle breeze.The sailors call this little navigator, the "Portuguese Man of War" –But the greatest excitement was produced among the whole 350 human tenants of the ship by the observation of a turtle slowly floating past us at a short distance.

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It was I that first noticed the brown object floating some 6 or 7 ships lengths on our weather beam.I pointed it out to our 2nd Mate and asked him what it was.On seeing it, he instantly ran down to the Cabin with the news of the turtle, and up rushed the first mate to order a boat to be lowered in order to run out and try to catch the prize.While soldiers, sailors, convicts & all were intent to "sight" the poor sleeping mass of green fat and the entire ship was one bustle of joyous expectation, down sunk the boat as if by magic and away it moved carrying the Chief Mate,Mr Osborne (the young Officer) the Carpenter & 3 sailors.When they neared their object, we perceived that the rowers ceased & one man propelled the boat by sculling. In the meantime the ship was slowly moving away in a different direction & by the time they reached the turtle, we were perhaps nearly a quarter of a mile from the boat.For a minute all was hushed in expectation. The very man at the wheel momentarily turned back his head.Suddenly we perceived arms stretched over the side of the boat to the water & then withdrawn with the turtle lifted from his watery bed.We all joined the boats crew in a cheer.The badtom now pulled strongly for the ship, and after a few minutes, amidst the confused cries of joy and curiosity & surprise of all on board.Mr Liddell & Mr Osborne came up the gang way and the boat with it’s precious burthen was pullied up to it’s place at the side of the Poop.The poor animal being taken out upon the Poop & then dragged down to the quarter deck, ran the gauntlet of all the soldiers and soldiers (sailors?).It was weighed by Mr. Richardson & proved to be 94 lbs.

After the sun set the air became delightfully cool and refreshing.The sky was perfectly clear—the first clear night since we left Cork—and it was beautiful with stars.I remarked how low the Pole star was, compared with it’s place as seen from Ireland. About ½ past 8 the moon arose first like a huge murky red fire at the

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horizon sending a wide long Glare of murky light along the waves to us, and then gradually rising into a brilliant white globe enlightening the whole atmosphere and making a long line of ____ingglass upon the ocean.It was bright enough to read moderate sized print. –A most lovely night! --But I felt uncomfortably full and stupid notwithstanding the refreshing effects of the cool night breeze.So I retired before 10 to our cabin, took my dose of calomel & rhubarb, smoked a pipe & retired to bed.

The wind freshened a little after sunset, blowing a gentle gale from the North.Ship at 8 O’C going better than 5 knots.

Sunday July 8Anniversary of my arrest for felony. Also of O’Dogherty’s.Celebrated it at dinner with the help of one modicum of Sherry, which the Captain sends us down on Sundays.Success to Felony!With our whole heart.

Weather very warm.Sun terrible upon the head. However our awnings save us as yet pretty well.Wind a very gentle breeze from the N.E.Captain says it is "the Trades."If so, then we are pretty sure of favourable weather till we get within 6 or 8 degrees of the Line.But Mate Captains Boatswain & all tell us we may calculate on calms at the Line & God knows how I can stand the heat and closeness of the Atmosphere then.We are to have tremendous torrents of rain pouring down with such violence that our little window must be closed and hatchery above our door also:and how are we to breathe below?-- Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. As yet the weather is on the whole exceedingly pleasant.I am (with help of it’s awning) quite tolerable and night air perfectly delicious. Ship going at about 4 to 5 knots.Lat 30 N.

Health in the way improving from effects of my calomel.

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today we had divine service performed on deck for first time since we left Cove.Chaplain had the Capstan for his pulpit desk and altar. Convicts were ranged along the bulwarks of the quarter deck and standing upon it & upon the barricades.They looked clean & they were decent in their manner & countenance, and

they sang so as to produce a pleasing effect.But the countenances of most of them are bad.Sailors stuck themselves among the shrouds or any where out of the way.Soldiers were drawn up in military array upon the Poop & facing the Quarter deck.O’Dogherty sat himself in the part at the far end of the Poop and read

his own Bible & Books of devotion & looked down below him at the blue water.I sat beside the mizen mast behind the soldiers but where I could not hear hardly a word in a sentence. Surely, even the going through devotional forms by a ships company at sea excites devotional feelings or feelings akin to devotional.

Saw no fish of any sort today.No ships visible yesterday & but one today, which crossed our track sailing to the West or W.S.W. probably to West Indies.

Monday July 9Bright clear warm weather. Sun terrible & no wonder, for at noon he is not far from vertical. Lat 28 N Long 21 W Ship going about 4 ½ to 5 knots.Breeze very light though very fair for us.Today we have two awnings on the Poop, so that it is all covered over and the air is delicious under the shade. – My health very good indeed.Getting into tolerably regular habit of reading.Before breakfast a few Chaps of Testament & a few turns upon deck.From bkft to dinner (9 to 1) Gibbon, which I commenced today.After dinner any light reading:Corinne at present, and lounging till tea.From 7 till 10 on deck enjoying the delicious night breeze, the brilliant sparking stars, the rising of the great red moon, the bright flashing balls of fire in the waves around the ship.And I have today got from the Steward ½ lb of hogshead, and I take a pipe before bedtime.–O’D has so little bashfulness or timidity as to singing out to steward or Captain or any body else for any additional comfort or luxury that he may desire for us, that I tell

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him I must worship him as a divinity of face.He spoke to the Captain about wine & brandy today & the Captain is willing to give us plenty of bothSo I suppose we will be drinking some every day.We have got lemonade too.

Flying fish were seen today by some of the soldiers. No sharks yet.No more turtles.By the bye the Carpenter & the Steward have been stating strange facts in Natural History about the truth.It has 3 hearts they say.It has 3 lives also:those of a bird a beast & or fish.Cut off its head at sunrise yet it will not die till sunset.

Tuesday July 10 Beautiful morning. O’D has got a place for taking a bath every morning before 6.A large tub is placed at the water gangway.He goes up dressed in a pair of duck trousers and with a quilt he forms a curtain enclosing himself as he stands in the tub (which is full of water).Then he stands or lies, stripped, and his friend the boatswain pours q.s. of buckets full upon him.He dries himself behind his curtain, puts on the trousers & returns to our cabin vigorous & exulting.I must really pluck up courage and get a bath too, at least occasionally.The Mate and Dr. Roney took baths after another fashion this morning.They came out of the cabin door dressed in wide drawers & stood upon deck while q.s. of buckets are thrown upon them.But the drawers are an objection to this method.O’Dogherty takes lessons in working seamanship every day from the boatswain.He will probablymake a right good sailor, he is so active & strong and lively.–While we were lounging luxuriously upon the Poop under the awnings and enjoying the sweet sea breeze in the middle of the day, Mr. Osborne (the youngest officer of the guard) mounted to the main top.He was instantly pursued by two or three of the sailors and tied hand and foot to the ropes & chains at the side of

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the main top, according to venerated usage, andkept there till he submitted to the sailors law that a landsman caught on any of the masts for the first time must "pay his footing".Shortly after O’Dogherty climbed up the shrouds of the mizen-mast 3 times.He was caught in the 2nd attempt and of course compelled to acknowledge the binding authority of the same sea law.

This was a very fine day in all respects. Sun nearly vertical, (Lat 25) and of course intolerable upon an exposed head.But the awnings & our ship hats saved us from his beams and the sea breeze blowing freely under the awning affords a pleasant temperature for us lazy persons as we lounge and read.Ship going but slowly , gale being very gentle, about 5 knots.

Made a good day of reading—Gibbon, Corinne, German Grammar &c –I was agreeably surprized as I sat at my Gibbons to be accosted politely by Mr. Roney who begged the loan of Corinne from me when I should have done with it.–Indeed we are remarkably fortunate I think in our Captain Mates crew soldiers officers & all.Nobody offers us the slightest incivility in act word or look; but everybody seems respectful & obliging.The poor Doctor is a dry hard formal old chap & probably it hurts his official conscience not to restrict us or look sharply after us:but he never meddles with us, since we have got fairly out to sea, beyond a very brief & civil salute & inquiry after my health or the like.

The Doctor is generally occupied an hour or two in the middle of each day with some detail of his business as superintendent of the Convicts.He has something business affecting them all for nearly every day, so far, and he goes to work very formally and artistically at it.Today about 11 O’Clock I perceived that he had got his convict orderlies & the Sargent major around him at

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the Capstan, all with their registers & lists & other books of office: and that he had a considerable number of convicts standing in 2 straight rows on the quarter deck, and that 3 or 4 piles of big parcels stood near his feet.Each man in the convicts ranks before him was furnished with a new brown canvas or linen bag of large dimensions which was hung around the neck by a long strap of the same.Upon the Capstan stood several parcels of thread tape &c & I soon discovered that these convicts were tailors.I counted them and there was 29. After they had been all furnished with the bags, the Doctor dressed their ranks carefully, making each convict bring his bare toes touching the same plank seam in front, & had their names called out again by one of the orderlies which he checked them off with his sign in a duplicate book. Then the parcels upon the ground were solemnly uncovered & were discovered to be grey frieze and buck cut into pieces for trousers.Each man was served with a set of both.The Doctor at regular intervals addressed them a few observations I think about taking good care of the clothes. I suppose the needles thread &c was given to them & the business concluded with another general exortation.Very likely, the old fellow is quite regular and orderly and attentive to the performance of his duty.

A ship crossed our track, a considerable way in front of us, sailing westward. –Flying fish in great numbers.They will be larger as we get to the Line.– The poor turtle which has been flapping and trailing its unwieldy carcass about the quarter deck & meeting very rough treatment from the soldiers.For the last 2 or 3 days, was at last slaughtered this evening by the cutting of his throat.Every body that could manage it

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got within sight of the operation.O’Dogherty tells me the creature actually has 3 hearts and three sorts of flesh corresponding to his Infantile nature.His blood is red, I observed. –I ought to read a little zoology. Indeed I am shamefully ignorant upon all subjects.

Smoked a pipe at 9 O’Clock, upon the Poop, while I enjoyed the cool soft night breeze.Made me sick however, and I must be more moderate for the future.Millions of stars in the clear blue or bluish-white sky. –The sun goes down with a rapidity that is astonishing to a man from the 50th parallel of latitude.This

evening at sunset the entire disc of him was exposed to the view of the naked eye, just as if he had been the rising moon.It must have been the refraction after actual sunset.It was quite as easy for the eye to look at him as at the moon.But the time for observation did not last above 1 minute.To bed comfortably cool at 10 O’C.

Wednesday July 11thBeautiful weather. Regular Trade wind, a brisk steady gale from NE sending the ship 7 ½- 8 knots per hour.The sea as far as the horizontal circle that encloses us in a beautiful blue plain spotted over with snow white flakes of foam.—the broken crests of the billows.Close to the ships

sides, it is like a vast infusion of Prussian blue except when comes a bold wave rushing at the slight angle against the ship’s timbers & breaking itself into a wave of foam & froth as it rushes parallel to the ship’s course.The breeze is so brisk as to make the temperature quite cool under the awnings up on the Poop.Evening cloudy & dark.

Lat 23 N Long 24 W. Within the Tropics.Sun vertical at noon or very nearly.

Health right good.Occupied as before. Very much interested with Gibbon.Night very hot in our cabin, but airy as yet scuttle being open.

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Thursday July 12Fine dashing brisk gale from N.E. Ship going 8 ½ knots.What a favorable start we have had! --Lat 20. Long 24Comical to see no shadow at 12 O’Clock when I stand up except the rim of my ship hat.Weather fair.Temperature very comfortable under the awning and even under the sun—that is while

he is clouded--&quite tolerable under the unclouded sun, by reason of the strong breeze. Health very good.

Flying fish in considerable numbers yesterday & today.No other fish visible.Rough waves prevent us seeing them.Probably atmosphere very cloudy & rather hazy in the afternoon.

Two ships visible before ours and said by Mate to be keeping same course with us.We gained upon them, and at night had passed them both, they keeping a course a point or more westerly than we.We kept rather more to the southward than we had done, intending to "sight" San Antonio the most western of

the Cape Verd Isles in order to rectify or test the ship’s chronometers..

Ship rocking a great deal.I got from the hold a jar of Chloride of Lime (Solution) which we had provided from Cork against the stink we had felt at our cabin door while we lay in harbour & which we feared would be much worse after we should be some time at sea.I laid it down for a few minutes upon the

floor of our cabin, when a great lurch of the ship upset & broke it & spilled the whole contents.Such a disinfecting process to be sure.We had to get our floor scrubbed and the mouth of a windsail introduced to clear our room of the very pungent odour.

Occupied as usual.

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Friday July 13Brisky gale or very brisk in morning.Ship going 8 to 8 ½ knots.Rather hazy atmosphere till 12 O’Clock. At 8 A.M. San Antonio visible, very dimly about      miles to our East.15 days from Cove to the Cape Verd Isles, is a very fine run, above 2200 miles. But with such favourable wind, we ought perhaps

to have taken less time.Lat 17 N Long 25.—But in the evening the atmosphere which had been clear, with a few passing clouds, became very murky with some very dark thick misty clouds lying upon the water at the horizon; and the wind fell gradually to a dead clam which lasted some 10 to 12 minutes.I thought we were

going to have a thunderstorm, particularly as the air felt rather oppressive. It was very dark for a few minutes & suddenly a breeze sprung up from the South East, which I at first thought the squally precursor of a gale, but it became a steady strong breeze.—Our little Captain was upon the Poop at the time.Up till now he had never appeared to interfere in the direction of the Ship, leaving all to Mr. Liddell & Mr. Stothard But this time, he "sung out" the orders requisite for change of sails &c with such promptness & clearness and with such a sweet strong voice that we were quite in admiration of him. –How contemptible a landsman feels himself on such occasions!

Health good.Occupied as usual.

Flying fish in great numbers: but no sharks, nor other fish visible.

Doctor has every day some ceremonious occupations with his convicts.He gets a big tub containing a mixture of lime-juice water & sugar placed upon the quarter deck, and to it all the convicts are passed in succession and dosed with a large

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tin measure of the liquid.Some of them seem to like it well enough: but some make wry faces & attempt to shirk the duty. But the Doctor stands at the Capstan and sharply watches the proceedings and hardly a man can escape his eye so as to spill back part of his portion or to carry it away unswallowed in his tin.Every man must come round the Capstan, past the lynx eyed Doctor, with his tin in one hand & his cap in the other.Should he venture too close to the Doctor’s person, should his foot touch the raised floor surround the Capstan, back he goes to try again at the exact performance of his duty.‘On my word the Doctor is setting himself as a deity to be worshipped.The whole scene of the lime juice dosing reminds me of Mrs. Squires’ Electuary system.

Saturday July 14thVery slight and variable breezes.Chieflyfrom E & S.E.It seems agreed among the ship’s Officers that we have lost "the Trades"’; and most likely we will have tedious calms. However we made 115 miles in last 24 hours. Dark, sometimes cloudy, sometimes hazy weather which saves us from excessive heat & light. –Lat 15 N.

Health very good. Occupied with reading Corinne –Gibbon—as usual.Not yet plucked up enough courage to take bath in the morning.After O’D’s example.

No fish visible except flying fish & numerous school of porpoises which we saw approaching from a distance rolling over head over tails and often jumping

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clear up from the water 4 or 5 feet.

Two ships were seen yesterday evening in advance of us & going our course or within a point or so of it.One was a schooner or small brig, which kept rather more to the west and was nearly out of sight when night fell.The other was a large barque (I think) upon which we gainedso much thatbefore sunset we were even able to exchange signals and learned that this was the "Chapman’s" bound from Cadizfor Buenos Ayres.This morning the same ship was visible a few miles to the N.E. of us (and behind us, and about 9 O’Clock she put up signals again and thereupon ensued a sea conversation of some half an hour.I think some of the questions or answers sent from our ship were not quite relished by the Chapmans.About 12 O’Clock {the Captain invited—struck out} the Chapmans overtook us and came so nearly alongside that the two Captains "sung out" to each other & ours invited the other to dinner which he declined.Our Captain wrote letters and sent them by one of our boats, aboard the Chapmans, to be brought to Buenos Ayres—posted there or to be sent home by any homeward bound ship the Chapmans may meet.O’D and I must write and have our letters readyfor the first opportunity.Mr Stothard who took the boat aboard the Chapmans, carried from our Captain a present of fowl & ducks. There was some talk of getting some Cadiz wine from the Chapmans, but none came.The Chapmans passed us a considerable way: but at night we had repassed her.

Heat tolerable enough.I sweat greatly in bed.

Sunday July 15thA light breeze from S.E. blowing steadily all day and some hope that we are fallen in

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with the S. E. Trades.Ship made 67 miles since yesterday at 12 O’C.Lat___ 13.30 (I think); Long 26.

Heat very great.Sun not much obscured by clouds and his glare off the sea very oppressive to the eyes in the evenings & mornings.At noon can secure ourselves rather better under awnings.–Put on lightest clothing buck trowsers, canvas slippers, duck wide coat, Mr. O’Dogherty’s gift Sun hat.My feet suffer most.

Strange that we see so few fish.A shark visible in evening – that is his fin as he swam rapidly across our track at a considerable distance.

Divine Service today.Doctor officiated. Mr. Walford being sick.Doctor read the service very respectably. He also read part of a sermon –he delivered the benediction in a very proper manner.

O’D and I had a luxurious dinner.We have got wine from the Captain & also a bottle of brandy & we take a couple of glasses each every day, besides our ale.Water so bad that people are strongly tempted to drink wine or the like in hot weather at sea.Steward sent me down a very nice Sunday dinner, a roast duck very tender & quite another thing from his tough dry lean fowl, we have hither to got.Also a plum pudding.So we dined very luxuriously. I shall become quite a bon vivant.

A specimen of sea discipline was exhibited today by Mr. Liddell.There is among the sailors a little uglyill countenanced fellow named Knuckel or Uncle or something

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of that sort.Mr. Liddell had ordered him this morning to go up the masts and grease some part of the machinery up there, & it seems he had obstinately neglected to do this work.So just as Mr. Liddell came up to the Poop after his dinner he inquired for Knuckel & finding that he had refused his appointed work, ordered a grease-pot to be brought to the poop—took Knuckel’s knife & therewith cut off a rope’s end, armed with which, he seized the recusant and belaboured him very severely. Knuckel resisted his best for a while, springing at Liddell like an angry cat and trying to snatch the rope from his hands.But Liddell was quite too strong & soon reduced poor Knuckel to absolute submission. And so after a severe flogging he took the grease pot and ascended the mast.

Chapmans visible all day, far to the Eastward.

Monday July 16.Wind died away entirely last night and this morning a calm & no mistake.The sea has a swell too from the South so that we sometimes move back a little; and sometimes she refuses to obey the helm and turns right around, so that at ½ past 5 this morning the sun was rising right opposite to our scuttle.Terrible heat, and no escape from it.In our cabin not a breath of air seems to circulate.The perspiration breaks out when I come down in the middle of the day thinking to save my head from the Sun. the reflection of whose rays off the smooth water dazzles & burns me even under the thick canvas awning.Still the heat it does not oppress me near so much as I had expected.My appetite continues right good.I am not very

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thirsty.I drink 2 glasses of wine and a half bottle of ale or porter daily at dinner & plenty of tea morning & evening. We have also lime juice, lemon juice, ginger beer powder &c with which & and our filtered water we manufacture various so called cooling drinks: but I don’t find benefit from them, but rather annoyance.I

sleep wonderfully well, though the heat of our cabin keeps me in perfuse sweat nearly all night.After sun down generally then is a slight breeze or gentle circulation of air and a damp coolness which is indescribably grateful.I lie upon my back upon any convenient bench on the Poop and invite the night dews upon my face.A delightful feeling of vigour too takes the place of the burning languor under which one has suffered while the sun was above the horizon.Sometimes however the stars are all hid and the ship is enclosed in a dark steam of mist or cloud which is almost worse to bear than the bright sun’s rays reflected off the sea. This calm lasted, with occasional breeze alternationsof showery breezes or dry breezes all Monday Tuesday & Wednesday.On the

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last mentioned day Mr. Liddell & Mr. Roney themselves declared they had hardly ever met hotter weather in these regions.The air was burning.The Sun’s rays were intolerably fierce.Close as our cabin was -- & yet it had open passages for currents of air in the ceiling & on two opposite sides – I found myself safer  than

those on deck.

Ship made, however 60 miles a day, on the average.

Wednesday 18th JulyLat 11. ½ Long

We saw one or more ships every day.Every day we may expect one to take home letters.

Very few fish seen since we entered the Torrid Zone till today.But today sharks visible several times.One came quite close to the ship in the afternoon and swam round & round looking for food.He was a beautiful shaped fish, seemingly 6 or 7 feel long, slight and sharp made, with very large powerful looking side fins & broad tail.5 "Pilot fish" accompanied him.They were pretty little creatures, about half the size of herrings, striped across their length with several bluish white stripes.It is surprizing to see them moving in perfect security in the close company of such a voracious monster.Mr. Osborne

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threw overboard a piece of pork and the shark soon perceived down deep in the clear water & dived down and devoured it.A bait with a strong hook in it was then trailed astern, and after a few minutes of anxious expectation on the part of the people on the Poop the shark bit at it & was caught, but only by his side.He

struggled violently & Mr. Liddell & his assistants hauled up but he got off after being lifted up above the water.Notwithstanding his wound he was seen – at least a shark’s fin seen again moving about near the ship.O’D insists that the shark was strongly attracted by the presence of a dead body in the hospital.A convict died there today of consumption.) Certainly it was principally under the scuttle hole of the hospital that the Shark kept himself.

The Pole star is got very low now.And we see many brilliant constellations not visible in Ireland. Some of these nights have been very clear for hours together.The Milky Way deserves it’s name here.The Sunset of this day was upon the whole the most beautiful & grand I have ever seen.

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There was a dark arch of heavy cloud over the part of the horizon when the sun sunk or rushed down.And all around the horizon in the West & North West were piled mountains, castles, turrets –plains lakes rocks –aye forests gardens statues giant crops, a hundred startling representations of familiar objects – of all shades of dark colours from the darkest purple to light gray.The ocean surface in the direction of the set sun was splendidly painted, pink, yellow, light green or gambage, livid purple of a light tint –all the bright colours of the rainbow.To the right & to the left the water gradually shaded off from purple to black. I cannot describe it.I wish I could paint it.

Occupied as usual.

The military & convict authorities on board are got in conflict with each other—the Doctor & the Captain of the Guard not agreeing.Today Mr Roney desired the Sargeant Major to direct the sentries who watch the two doors in the barricade between the quarter deck & the main deck to refuse egress to all convicts from 12 ½ill 1 ½ (I think)The Doctor has been in the habit of dosing his convicts with the lime juice mixture about that time & 1 O’C is the Soldiers’ dinner hour, & the Doctor’s practice being to have his tub of mixture upon the quarter deck near one of the doors & to dose his convicts as they are called out in

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succession, while he stands at the Capstan near the caddy door & requires each convict to pass behind him round to the other barricade door & so return to the main deck, it is plain that the soldiers have little accommodations left upon their deck for dining.

Thursday July 19.Lat 10’.20’. Long 26. At 11 O’Clock last night after thick misty clouds & also dark heavy clouds surrounding the ship & the heat being very oppressive even upon the Poop, it commenced to blow fresh from S.W. with heavy rain shower. Wind continued all night fresh from same quarter, and all this day. Ship going S.S.E. at 5 knots.Air freshened & temperature moderated agreeably by the breeze.A seasonable relief after yesterday’s heat. Sun hid nearly all day but no rain.

Health very good. Occupied as usual.

The convict who died yesterday was buried in the sea fashion today at 11 O’Clock.The body was sewed up in a blanket & wrapped in a Union Jack & lay upon a board supported upon casks beside the water gangway, till the time for burial arrived.It was then extended out from the gangway, over the water.The soldiers were dismissed from parade upon the Poop, having laid arms upon the ground were permitted to look over the ship’s side.Sentry got orders to permit the convicts to look over ship’s side at main deck. The Chaplain, the Doctor, the Captain & Mr. Osborne then stood near the body & the Chaplain read the Episcopalian burial service.His voice is rather weak, so that I standing on the Poop

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could not hear him.Then at the proper time the body was let slip down by ropes attached to the outer ends of the board on which it lay.A heavy stone was attached to it & it sunk immediately. I had seen the Shark’s fin at the ship’s side an hour or two previously. – The poor convict seemed to have no friend on board to grieve for him.

This evening as I was lounging upon the weather side of the Poop Mr. Roney entered into conversation with me not only civilly but kindly, speaking of our accommodations and of his desire to perform his duty towards us in a kind spirit, and of the Country we were going to &c.He said that Sidney would be found a favourable place for a man of my "talents" to get on in.I fear greatly I have no sufficient qualifications for earning my bread there: but I must try. O’Dogherty will prove far better to work for his bread than I. – And what can I do?Teach School?--But my literary knowledge is very inaccurate.But as a Clerk in a Country House?--That I might be able to do perhaps. – Truly we are very fortunate in our ship and authorities. Captain Loney is remarkably good tempered and agreeable in his manner. Both the mates are very kindly with us & Mr. Liddell is quite entertaining with his stories about the Hooghly & Sierra Leone & the East. Mr. Osborne has never spoken to either of us: but his demeanour is quite civil and polite.Mr. Roney is quite kind.The poor Doctor always speaks in a very civil manner, & though his notions about discipline & official rights & duties may annoyus, I don’t think he at all wishes to annoy us.

Saw lightening tonight for the first time since we left Ireland.It was sheet lightening, at the horizon, to the N.W. without thunder.

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Friday July 20Heavy rain last night.Cloudy day with occasional slight drifting rain.Wind blowing hard from S.W. by W.Ship leans over very much to the lee side and goes S.E. at 4 ½ to 5 ½ knots, pitching very heavily and plunging & ploughing through & over the heavy swelling sea.Even the steward, & the Doctor, & Mr. Roney more or less sea sick.I myself a little squeamish all day (I had been sitting in our damp steaming cabin a good deal on account of the rain) & O’Dogherty has head ache.Two ships, at 8 a.m. visible in our wake both on our course; also one ahead of us on the weather bow.At 11 or 12 O’C one of the two in our wake had lagged behind so much as to be fast disappearing: but the other had gained on us considerably and was working hard to overtake us, carrying more sail than we thought prudent.She was a large three masted vessel, a barque.Our people of course disliked being passed in that way, & so the main topgallant sail and the gaff topsail which had been taken down were again set, and our Captain & mates looked anxiously to the working of the ship. Our competitor had both jib & flying jib flying.As she neared us, the wind blowing a gale, her flying jib was seen to fly away at least to split & become useless.—of course without exciting much grief on board of us. For a while we kept our distance pretty well.But the enemy

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held out better than we.And at 6 O’Clock, after we had split one jib (or flying jib, I am not sure which) and one main topgallant sail, we had the mortification of seeing her in the line with us about ½ mile or so to our weather side.We exchanged signals & found that it was the Australasion the same ship we had passed on

the 3 July.—By sunset we had gained considerably upon the ship that was ahead of us in the morning.

Could not manage to read much today.

Saturday July 21.Breeze from SW by W continues but not so strong. Rather damp morning.Pleasant dark mild day.Both the ships in sight last night, have passed beyond our view.Ship going nearly 5 knots Lat 7’,24’ Long 21’ W.

Sat on deck most of day & read as usual. Very few fish visible these many days except flying fish. –No homeward bound ship has come near as yet.One was visible at a distance ahead of us but passed some points to our leeward.Beginning to think a little of the life I am to lead in Australia.read a little book about that colony written by a Rev. Mr. McKenzie, & intend to read more about it.But I am wonderfully pathetic.If I can only find any easy & not annoying employment by which I can earn food clothes & lodging, that’s all I want.

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Sunday 22 JulyLast night at 1 O’Clock wind died away & we had almost a continual calm till 10 O’Clock this morning when a light breeze sprung up again from S.W. by W.Very heavy rain last night, and this morning a formidable array of rain clouds, brown & dark grey, piled up from the horizon to the Zenith all around.However no rain all day except rarely a light drift as we passed through a low cloud. Ship goes 3 ½ knots.Lat 6’. 45’ Long 20 or 21

Sat on deck most of day.Read a letter in my Testament—I read 3 chaps or so every day -- & Chambers’ Informative "History of Bible".

A small shark caught this morning & cooked by the sailors for their mess.

It would afford daily fun to watch the proceedings of the Doctor with his subjects the Convicts.To day he took his state as usual at the Capstan that the R. Catholics might be separated from the Protestants (in order to have Divine service read to the latter) by being passed out of the lee barricade door round behind

him in through the weather barricade door.Each convict as he passed his Sovereign saluted or worshipped him by taking off his cap (a red & blue coloured woolen night cap) and touching his forehead. But I observed that several of them managed while touching or pointing at the foreheads to touch the points of their noses with their thumbs. The Doctor went below to the prison and read the

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Church service to them, Mr. Walpole being still poorly.

The wind freshened very much in the evening and at 6-8 O’C we were going 7 or 8 knots.

Monday 23 JulyBreeze from SW by W continued blowing fresh - all night.Ship making too much way Eastward, though that not considered very objectionable by the S.E. Trades which we expect to carry us to the Latitude of the Cape will drive us to the West. Three ships visible yesterday morning from the Mast head, but I saw none of them.Today our old acquaintance the Australasion in sight some miles to the E.N.E. nearly all day.Cloudy squally morning and weather so dark prevented an observation of the sun all day. –About 10 O’Clock a squall was seen approaching.As the cloud grew broader & darker & nearer, guard were ordered down from the Poop, the clothes that are generally hanging to dry or air were taken down from their lines, the Mate was on the alert for taking in sail or anything else requisite in the working of the Ship.The Captain had warned us that we should soon have plenty of rain & the Doctor had taken his warning to arrest hi preparations for some of his daily official operations.Nearly all the Soldiers took shelter in their barracks when the first heavy drops announced the arrival of the torrent.On came the cloud sending a hoarse voice before it along the frothing crested waves.Down fell our fore topgallant sail & next our main topgallant sail at the order  of the mate.The ship leaned over greatly to the lee side as the gale struck her on the beam and went heavily ploughing her way against the swollen waves.In a few instants the deck were washed

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with rivers of rain.I had put on my pilot coat when the squall was announced to be approaching, in order to see & feel what it tropical rain is like.So I remained upon the Poop with Mr. Liddell & the man at the wheel till I was bathed from head to foot.The rain felt deliciously soft and not too warm. My feet enjoyed it the

most, as the water ran down my body in continual streams into my shoes. After enjoying my bath for half an hour or moreI retreated to my cabin to change my clothes. –This is the first squall we have yet had. We have not had a severe, or hardly a stormy, gale yet.We have had no thunder & lightening at all (except a

little noiseless sheet lightening 3 nights ago)We have not more than one entire day of regular tropical calm at a time. And altogether we have had most temperate and easy voyaging weather.

It rained all day, or rather torrents of water pound upon the ship, & the weather continued squally, all day till 5 O’C p-m., when the wind grew gradually dry.

I remarked a beautiful appearance upon the sea just when the rain was first dashed upon the waves by the squall.Looking to the lee-side of the ship (I couldn’t look to the weather side as the rain blew too strong against my eyes) all the little valleys between the waves seemed coloured like the rainbow.It suggested to my mind the appearance of a rugged country of long steep hills running nearly parallel to each other and meeting at their extremities in very sharp angles, as viewed from a hill

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while every valley was covered with sleeping mist and the nitzy heights shone in the sun.From Lacky hill tops on an early autumn morning I have looked across the hill country that stretches in long ascent to the Mourne Mountains, and seen the long valleys thus clothed in blue mist and the sharp edged hills standing above them in the rising sun. I wish I had gone more to the mountain tops which I loved so near the dear mountains of poor old Ireland.

Health good.Occupied but little with reading today.Too rough & wet upon deck and our cabin steamy and wet & rather uncomfortable.Getting into habit of taking 2 or 3 glasses of wine every day, besides my ale or porter, or sometimes a little brandy. O’D says I am decidedly fatter than when I left Dublin –that is less thin. I think so myself.

Tuesday July 26Wind got gradually more to S last night & this morning.Blowing pretty good breeze. We have run far to the East and are this morning within 250 or 300 miles of the African Coast.At 8 O’Clock ship was put about to go on the other tack, or S.W. by W.It is hoped that the wind will soon get around to the Eastward and blow the regular Trades S.E. and by 12 O’Clock to breeze was become steady and like a Trade.Fair weather, except a shower at 7 A.M.Lat 4’18’ Long 16’Ship going 5 or 6 knots. Wind not become more favourable through the day, and we are sailing almost due West, I think.

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Temperature very pleasant on deck, Indeed ever since we reached latitude ofAzores the air is a continual feast—that is when any wind is stirring. The night air in these latitudes is delightful at sea.Every night O’D. and I lie upon the bench, or sides of the Poop feasting on the cool soft balmy night breeze.Sometimes I fall

asleep for a few minutes.

Read but little today.Must attend better to my tasks.At Chap 17th of Gibbon.A wonderful work of human thought skill & energy it is.

Health very good.

Wednesday July 25Strong breeze from South.Ship lies over exceedingly to lee side & heaves so that it is very difficult to walk upon even the weather side of the Poop.Making very little way to the Southward Going greatly to the West.Lat 3.’8’ Long. 18’30.

Bright sunny weather these two days.Beautiful sea of glancing blue waves with their snowy crests.Ship roars through great sheet of foaming water.

Saw a large black bird larger than a crow the other day.Saw another of the same this morning, and a flock of perhaps 50 or 60 at 12 O’C.

Wrote a 2nd sheet of letter paper (I had written one on Monday week) in hope of opportunity to send it home to Mary by a homeward bound ship.I begin to

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fear we will not get an opportunity.

Thursday July 26Breeze continues steady, scarcely as strong as yesterday, but rather more favourable, that is more to the East.Ship going SW nearly, and 6 knots.

Bright sunny day.Beautiful blue sea dotted over with white.Sky occasionally shaded with light greyish white clouds.Lat 1’. 25’N Long 21’W

We will cross the Line early tomorrow morning.

Last night I kept gazing half an hour to the north part of the horizon, hoping to get a farewell view of my old acquaintance the North Star.But there was a slight mistiness in the atmosphere just at it’s place, & besides I remark that no stars are visible for a little space above the horizon 2 or 3 degrees nearly, perhaps; so I did not see it. When am I to see it again? Shall I ever see it?

Occupied as usual.Finished the 20th Chap. Of Gibbon.I think my drinking & smoking don’t suit my constitution well, particularly as I have no exercise for my arms: for I don’t make use of the ropes for exercise they are so hard & harsh upon my soft hands.But I must force myself to exercise my arms & shoulders. As to drinking &c I now take daily 2 glasses of port sherry or Marsalla (all excellent as supplied us by the Captain) besides an occasional "nip" (1/3 or ¼ of a glass)

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of brandy & my share of our bottle of Porter.I must quit smoking for a few days.

Friday July 27Anniversary of the Ballingary engagement.We are across the Line.At 12 O’Clock Lat 22’ South. Shall we ever recross it?

Wind and weather same as yesterday.No ships seen all day.Temperature very pleasant.Health good. Read Gibbon &c as usual.

In the evening the Sailors enjoyed a small part of the customary performances or rites on occasion of crossing the line. Neptune (the Boatswain) attended by his Doctor his Fiddler (playing) his Barber his constables &other officers and accompanied by his wife, with his huge oakum beard his strange harem robes of royalty his trident & with his attendant court all dressed to correspond, came from the fore part of the ship, up the Poop when the Captain was standing at the ladder head.The usual salutations passed & Neptune with his court then made the circuit of the Poop searching for his "children" among whom Mr. Osborne O’Dogherty & I found ourselves enrolled.I think Osborne handed Neptune a piece of gold as an offering propitiatory, to avoid the rite of equatorial shaving.His Marine Majesty similarly attended made a second progress round the Poop

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on which occasion he presented to me & then to O’D a "fish" (a red herring, I think) courteously requiring each of us to accept a portion of it.Each of us of course tore off a bit, whereupon Neptune graciously thanked us informing us we had thus rendered ourselves subject to a fine—to be paid in grog no doubt.The procession visited the caddy & received hospitable treatment from the Steward.Then Neptune called out for his "noble fiddler" (Robinson) & ordered him to play music for a dance of his subjects.Robinson sat down and played several of his fastest gallops reels, jigs &c and the sailors mixed with some of the soldiers danced away furious for a while.Preparations had been made for baptizing and sharing Neptune’s children after the customary fashion, & I had seen the razor No 1—a broad rusty iron hoop notched at the edge, fixed on a wooden handle—and also the box of soap lather, containing a mixture of "tar" & grease & fowl’s dung, and the operations were about to commence (both the Captain & Mr. Roney having given permission, excepting so far as the soldiers were concerned) when the Doctor interfered, as I was told, and prevented the performances.It appears the Doctor may assume great authority in everything

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except the mere sailing the ship, in any vessel carrying convicts. The fun continued for an hour or so longer, but rather flat, by reason of the disappointment as to the shaving process.Several songs were sung, one very well by Robinson.Rule Britannia was given by the whole company in Chorus, and the great number of voices made it sound very well.A good deal of boisterous fun was produced by the splashing of buckets of water from ambuscades on all sides upon every body that appeared on deck.The Doctor was below in the caddy, but nearly every body on the Poop Captain Officers Chaplain & all got less or more. 3 or 4 sailors had got aloft in the main top with a tub & some buckets and they sent down occasional showers which were blown upon the lee side of the Poop chieflySome crept along outside on the weather side of the ship & thence discharged their buckets at advantage.Mr Liddell got a drenching, though it appears this is his 27th time of crossing the Line.I managed to escape quite dry.--I was rather vexed to find that the Irish portion of the Soldiers were disposed to resent violently any such frolics of the Sailors that might be directed against them, or against O’Dogherty or me.The Boatswain (whom O’D got down to our cabin—to treat him to brandy)told O’D that one of the

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soldiers had gone totheforecastle and sworn that any sailors who should attempt to shave O’D or me would be stabbed.Several of the Irish soldiers took occasion to speak confidentially to me, expressing their Irish or rather Anti English feeling.One assured me that not 3 Irishmen on board would do anything or

permit anything to be done against O’D or me; & spoke generally of the sympathy of the Irish soldiers with our politics.None of them he said, or hardly any of them would fight against Ireland. 3 or 4 of them have secretly offered us tobacco, & in various other ways exhibited partiality for us.

Saturday July 28thFine weather & pleasant temperatures as before.Ship pitches very much sometimes.

No fish seen these several days except great numbers of flying fish.A sailor caught one this morning and presented it to us for breakfast.It was about 1/4 size of a good herring & tasted delicious.

Lat 2.’ 25’ S Long.Ship going 7 knots or better.

Sunday July 29thWeather as before, brisk breeze from SE by E, with very heavy swell.Mate says he never saw such a swell with SE Trades.It rolls against the weather side of the ship making the pitch & twist and kick (like a musket discharged) so that one can hardly walk at all on lee side or even weather side. Clear sunny day, moderate temperature.Lat 5.’ 23’ S Long 21’ W. A great run since yes-

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yesterday.No ships in sight.No fishes except multitudes of flying fish.

Monday July 30th, Tuesd July 31, Wednesday Aug 1 Thursday Aug 2 Weather nearly the same as for the previous week. Sunny days.Temperature perceptibly getting less high; but quite pleasant.But slight squalls every night after sunset & occasionally through the night; sometimes heavy squalls.The sea has a very heavy swell & makes the ship rock & pitch abominably.Wind is not very high, never more than a strong breeze & yet the sea often breaks over the quarter deck & very often over the forecastle.Wind S.E. & tolerably steady to that point.–We have been going greatly westward in fact running right for Rio Janeiro.Mond. Lat 8’4’S.; Tuesd. Lat 10’35’S. Long 28’W; Wednesd 13’20’ (I think) S; 29’7’W Thursd. 15’41’S.; 30’ W

It seems the opinion of our captain, mates &c that these are very strange "Trades".They can’t account for the great swell of the sea; and they say that it (the swell) moves unsteadily & not in a uniform direction.

No ship visible, except on one occasion, I think Tuesday evening, when one was seen for about 20 minutesShe crossed ahead of us, from SW to NE as I think and was probably homeward bound.

Health good.Spend more time in our cabin,

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temperature being less disagreeable there than it was.Reading at Gibbon & at some of the treatises in Chambers’ Information. O’D & I also do some little at our German every day.He generally goes up to the main top every day after dinner.I must soon make my way up & use that place for reading on.

The moon has become very bright, approaching the full, and one can read moderate sized print easily enough by her unclouded light.The three bright stars of the Great Bear’s Tail are still visibleNew stars of remarkable brilliancy & remarkable constellations appear in the South.Two very brilliant stars in the Centaur. The Southern Cross.

Friday Aug 3Last night was the most disagreeable we have passed since we came on board.The rocking & pitching & twisting was such that I could not get any comfortable sleep. I hope it was my imagination, but I felt bugs upon the nape of my neck. Water, very dirty sort of it, came in under the partition boards of the Hospital.Water was spilled from a keg that Robinson, our factotum, had filled during one of the squall showers & deposited for our use in our cabin.Everything not slung or lashed was continually sliding in every direction.Rain sometimes came in through our door scuttles, our cabin leaning over so far to the lee side as to make the perpendicular fall of the drop from

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outside the awning reach our door scuttles.There was a continual succession of slight squally showers all night.At ½ past 10 it was discovered that the main topsail yard was damaged so that it was necessary to take it down, &, thus we were without a main topsail all night, & that explains the unusually heavy rocking.The yard was broken across the middle it seems.Today the carpenters have been busy since sun rise preparing another yard in place of the broken one, and it was ready and was hauled up about 2 O’C The weather rather improved through the day.There was no rainI think & the breeze kept rather strong but the swell was very heavy, breaking over the ship frequently, and the pitching & rolling very disagreeable

Lat (about) 18’S. Long. 31 West

Saturday Aug 4thAt sun rise two ships in sight, one on each side. Both larger ships - ships proper.One was homeward bound, andwhen I came on deck at ½ past 6 A-M I found the Captain barefooted standing upon the Poop viewing her through his glass and trying to exchange signals.But the other ship seemed careless of conversing with us & our Captain failed in getting her to take our name & report us.She soon disappeared, sailing very fast before the South S. East wind against which we were labouring. The other ship approached us about breakfast time & exchanged signals. She proved to be the Hugo Gratius from Amsterdam for Batavia, a Dutch East Indiaman, & seemingly a very fine ship.In the course of the day she crossed

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to the weather side of us, sailing nearer the wind than we were able to do; but she was in sight at sunset. and also by moon light.The weather was very fine today.The ship did not pitch so very much, though, still disagreeably enough.Huge long swelling waves roll against the ship’s side, quite larger than the wind we have would account for.We were going pretty well through the water today.Lat 21’ 30’ S Long 31’ WThe little islands of Trinidad and Martin Van were passed today 70 miles off.Saw several birds like gulls also some whales spouting about 4 or 5 miles off.Read &c as usual. Staid up late listening to "yarns" from Mr. Liddell about China & the Chinese War.

Sunday Aug 5.Out of the Tropics.Lat 24’, 30’ South Long 30’ 30’ West.A fine dry clear brisk day. Breeze quite cool upon deck, so that I inclined to sit in the sun. Still, temperature very pleasantWind getting more favourable, that is more Easterly though light.Swell of the sea much reduced. So much that we had Divine Service upon deck today.Very pleasant weather indeed.

Our Dutch comrade alongside about 5 miles off - this morning. We exchanged signals for half an hour or more, speaking about the time by Chronometers in both ships & about their reckonings &c

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The Dutchman crossed ahead of us in the after noon& passed to our lee side.

Very fine night.Staid up till 12 O’C hearing yarns from Mr. Stothard.

Have commenced to read Vestiges of Natural History of Creation—an exceedingly interesting book.

Health very good indeed

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Aug 6,7,8.

Getting away leizurely to the South East.Breezes but slight, from East.Swell of the sea almost quite smoothed down.Mond. Lat 26’. 31 S. Long 29’WTuesd. Lat 28’8’ S Long 27’, 10’W. Wednesd.Lat 30’, 12’ Long 26’30’Temperature greatly lowered, though fine sunny mild weather.Have dropped the linen coat & taken to cloth; also changed these calico drawers for thick cotton ones, and must very soon leave off duck trowsers.Too chill to sit long reading on deck.Luckily the motion of the ship so slight that it is very easy to walk on deck.

Saw very few fish, only a whale or two I think, at a distance.Flying fish left us, or rather we them.Cape pigeons attending the ship now every day.Very pretty birds of the gull tribe, I think.

Have seen vessels every day.The Dutchman has got away ahead of us.A large ship was near us on Tuesday night and at first it was

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thought to be homeward bound: but it turned out to be on our own course. We are leaving the track kept by homeward bound ships, and I fear we will not have an opportunity for sending home letters.

Some of the nights are very beautiful.The moon is on the wane and so we see the stars more brilliant in the clear dark blue sky.The Southern Cross & the Centaur beside it contain very bright stars.

Health very good, though some of these days, I feel as if breathing slightly oppressed, from taking cold.On Monday I made my first excursion to the main top.O’D climbed up to the very top of the mast or the Royal mast head, as they call it, and stood there holding on for half an hour.I felt rather dizzy, I confess even at the Main top, and not quite collected enough for reading the Vestiges which I had carried up with me.I read now a good deal at night. Gibbon principally.Finished Vestiges on Wednesday night.A very remarkable book certainly.

---We have got a lamp which we managed to make serve us for reading by taking it out of the lantern & placing it under our opensea scuttle to let the smoke & stink go out.But this plan will serve only when we can keep our scuttle open.

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Thursday Aug 9thVery pleasant weather; light breeze, cool dry air, except at night when it feels damp & rather cold. Wind seems getting round to North & Mr Stothard this evening pointed out to me that there is a swell of the sea from Westward though our breeze is from E N E.He said we would have a west wind by

tomorrow evg. Perhaps a strong one.There were beautiful mare’s tails in the sky in the evening.At night the sky was splendid with stars.The Milky Way was a complete semicircle arching the heavens almost from due East to due West, with the keystone of its arch right at our Zenith.Its brightness was much beyond what I have seen at home. To the west of it were the bright stars of the Centaur and of the Southern Cross with a thick scattering of other stars; and there was a brightly marked reflection from it upon the sea in a broad line from the ship to the Western horizon.The Magellan Clouds seem to be portions of _______ matter of the sameKind as the Milky Way.

Lat 32’ 20’ Long 25’

No ships in sight today except one far ahead of us when I cameon deck in the morning.Plenty of Cape Pigeons flying after the ship.

Friday Aug 10thA beautiful and delightful day.Clear sky.Bright but mild sun.Wind a gentle breeze from NE to North and therefore warm.Just like the beautiful

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weather when we were in the latitude of Madeira, or even finer. No swell all day till about sunset when a western swell began to grow considerable. Weather enabled me to sit upon deck and read there and to walk about the deck with perfect ease.

Lat 33’. 30 SLong 23’ 30’ W

After dinner O’D and I climbed up to Main Top. I staid there for some time and finished my first book of the Iliad (200 lines) while O’D went right up to the Royal top.He had not been there more than 20 minutes when Young Osborne appeared at the main top on his way up to the Royals.He feels a sort of rivalry I think towards O’D in this matter.The two stood up at their airy height together for a quarter of an hour or more.After finishing my lesson of Homer I climbed up towards them as far as the Crosstrees, where I rested a minute and then descended to the deck.I am very awkward at all such feats. O’D came from the Main top by the ropes of the tri-sail to the poop.

Health very good. Occupied as usual; Gibbon I read now at night.Have commenced the Iliad & intend to go through it.

2 Ships in sight behind us for a few hours in the morning: but we passed away from them.Great numbers of Cape Pigeons & Cape Hens.Osborne caught a Pigeon in the evening with a bait & hook.

Saturday Aug 11thVery remarkable change of weather since yesterday.Rather strong blustery wind from South West to S.Damp think heavy and rather

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foggy atmosphere.Drizzly drifting rain great part of the day, but not heavy.It feels very cold, and we had to put on our warmest clothing. – Sat in our cabins. Most of the day reading, muffled up. But after 4 O’C it became less wet and we took a good smart walk of an hour and a half upon the Poop.The ship goes pretty steadily, pitching a little & lying over very much to her lee side but not rocking. But last night the rocking was so excessive that we got little sound sleep.

Ship not able to keep her course today. She goes East& then North East.No observation.The swell is from south East dead against the course we want to go.

Great numbers of Cape Pigeons & Cape Hens following the ship.Saw an albatross for the first time, a bird seemingly about the size of a goose with great expanse of wing. [crossed out words] Cape hens are jet black & seem as large as poultry.Soldiers fishing for the birds all day with bait & hook.

Heath good.Read Homer & Gibbon as usual. Have got to the end of Gibbons 36th Chap (extinction of Western Empire) But I recollect very little of what I read.

Sunday Aug 12thWeather rather milder than yesterday.Ship was put on the other tack and runs S.E by E. Breeze pretty strong.Air rather damp most of the day but very little rain.Very like Irish winter weather, but scarcely so cold I think. Still it

62   D.O.D. 560/2

is a very great change from our weather of 8 or 10 days since or even of last friday.

Lat (about) 34’. 40 S Long (about) 18’ West

Great numbers of Cape Pigeons, Cape Hens and occasionally an Albatross

Monday Aug 13Weather nearly as before, but drier air.In the morning it lowered greatly, then was an ugly misty all round the horizon, there was a very long swell setting steadily from S.’W. while the wind blew light from N.E.—or right against the swell. Mr. Liddell prophesied Sou’wester & stiff weather: but it gradually cleared up & at 12 we had the Sun back again, & the weather was fine & dry all evening, though not bright or warm.Ship goes tolerably steady, that is does not rock.

Lat 35’ 40’ S Long 16’W

Plenty of our attendant birds with some new ones called whalebirds in addition.Soldiers catch a pigeon sometimes. I see no fish now at all.Able to walk the deck a great deal today

Reading as usual.But we are rather annoyed by an order we have got to keep our lamp in the lantern while we have it at night: and we can scarcely see to read under this arrangement of our nasty stinky light.

Tuesday Aug 14thWeather as before, nearly. Wind very brisk & favourable.We went 8 to 8 ½ knots all night.In the afternoon it came on to blow a gale and a rough one. 3 reefs were put in the main topsail and the ship was driven or dashed on under fore sail, fore topsail, main topsail (thrice reefed) & spanker. When

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the gale rose it brought with it heavy drifting rain, and O’D and I got ourselves thoroughly wet standing out—that is, holding on—on the Poop, curious to witness the stormy sea and the reefing and other operations of the sailors.Very like Irish winter weather, but I don’t feel the cold so much, perhaps because myhealth is good.

Yet I am rather indisposed these few days, or rather nights.I don’t sleep soundly or comfortably, having a mild sort of nightmare often & some other symptoms which I incline to ascribe to my regular drinking.So I must drink less, or perhaps none. For the last 3 or 4 weeks I have been taking regularly, say nearly half a bottle of porter and nearly 3 glasses of wine daily.I take a smoke almost very day.O’D also is sometimes a little indisposed, complaining of palpitations & headache &c, and probably we both drink & smoke too much, having so little exercise.But I feel well always when on deck and we both (particularly I) spend great deal of daylight upon deck still, though we sit in our cabin to read from breakfast time till dinner time & again from tea time till bedtime.

Wednesday, Thursday, August 15th, 16th.Weather continues similar to that of previous days: but not a gale.Occasional light misty drifting showers and occasional sun, which is very grateful.

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Rather brisk wind from N to NW & W. Swell rather heavy from NW & West.Ship going on average 7 ½ knots, sometimes 8 ½.

Lat 38’, 20 SLong 6’ W (Thursday)

We areattended by very great numbers of birds of many kinds, of whom the Pigeons are still most numerous.We have besides, Cape Hens of two or three sorts & sizes, some of them very like Albatrosses except in the colour & that they are rather smaller, whale birds, Albatrosses of various sizes & shades of colour, and other species of gulls—they are all like gulls.

We have now reached the middle point of our voyage according to the usual calculation; and as we are exactly 7 weeks at sea today, it is to be hoped we will reach Sidney within the 100 days. No ships in sight these many days; & I fear we will not have an opportunity of sending home letters till we reach our destined port.

Saturday 25th August.I have neglected my journal for the last 10 days.I here give our daily progress in that interval, as marked in Mr. Richardson’s Chart.

[next to the above chart is written the following]

Little more than 900 sea miles in 7 days.We were becalmed on Monday the 20th till Sunset or later.Also from Wednesday evening till Friday morning at 11 O’ClockWeather excessively cold when the wind Southerly, but mild & pleasant, when Northerly,

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My health was good deal affected by the coldness and damp of the weather. I caught cold on Saturday evg.Aug 18th, from staying on deck during a drizzling shower at Sunset & perhaps also from the effects of the thorough wetting our cabin got from a sea we shipped through our port. Sunday was dry, but the wind blew

keenly from the South and froze my blood in my veins.I could not get heat into my feet & legs with all the muffling I put on & I was cold in bed all night.Monday the wind was nearly gone—only occasional capricious puffs dismally flopping our sails—but the air still came from the cold south.Most piercing frosty air, it seemed to my sensation.My breathing was a good deal affected, so that I ate nothing but coffee & biscuit all day, and I confined myself entirely to our cabin where I sat on my bed clothed in my warmest garments & with my horse-rug wrapped round my shoulders.On Tuesday I was recovering & the wind happily changed in the afternoon & bringing warm soft air from the North I became quite well again.Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, whatever little wind we had came from some other point than South, and so the temperature was pleasant enough.Friday morning, during an absolute calm, the air felt almost sultry for a couple of hours. –It is always so damp now that clothes will not dry perfectly when hung above the deck.

We have constantly great numbers of sea birds following the ship and picking up the refuse that is

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thrown overboard.Albatrosses of great variety, size and in colour. The prevailing colour is white body, head & tail with grey wings, dark grey above & light beneath & the tips almost black.In size they range from smaller than a wild goose to larger than a swan (or should I think) & with a prodigious width of wing.Mr. Stothard tells me he caught one, coming round Cape Horn, which measured 15 feet between the extended tips of the wings.Sergeant Dunne says he saw one caught between Australia & Cape of Good Hope, which measured 22 feet!  --Beside those which are white with grey wings I have seen some all white, wings & all, except thevery tips of the wings.Also, some of the very largestare a dirty light brown, darker at the tips of the wings and the tail & the head, &with large yellow bills. They look like huge vultures. –Besides the Albatross we have great numbers of "Cape Hens," generally black & dark brown with a yellow ring round the eyes and seeming to range in size from that of ravensto that of turkeysWe have also great numbers of Cape Pigeons, and of "whale Birds" and some others for which I have heard no particular name. The Albatross in particular isvery voracious and bold or unsuspicious.They readily take bait.Mr. Osborne caught a large white one with grey wings a few days ago.The soldiers aim at the Hens or Pigeons or Albatrosses that are flying or sitting on the water near the ship, every morning when discharging

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their muskets.One days Mr. Osborne & Mr. Liddell amused themselves with firing bullets at the Hens and out of some 8 or 10 shots one took effect & the poor black booby tumbled down writhing into the sea, where a number of his comrade birds (both pigeons & hens) lit down to inquire into his fate.Pigeons are frequently caught with hook and line by the soldiers.When these birds are left down upon the deck they are unable to rise on the wing.Dick entertains himself & the Poop company by chasing them yesterday morning during the calm Mr Liddell got a man lowered over the Ship’s side to the edge of the water where he caught with his hand 5 or 6 pigeons in succession, as they were floating on the water greedily devouring bits of grease that had been thrown over to attract them.

We still read great part of every day and for some hours after sunset.O’D working hard at his anatomy & other medical studies; and I reading Gibbon and Homer’s Iliad.I am getting on pretty well at the Greek.Perhaps I may manage to get some tuitions in Classics when I am at Sidney.There is no other business I am fit for except simple Clerk work.I like Homer very much.And Gibbon is a very great historian.But my memory is bad.

We are on very good terms with all on board.

I fear all hope of sending home letters previous

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to our arrival at Sidney may now be given over.We are now a little past the Longitude of the Cape, and we are nearly 8 degrees south of it.O’D heard the other day from Mr. Stothard that the Doctor had written a letter to the Captain formally desiring him to put in at the Cape: but that the Captain had replied requesting him to reconsider his direction & to take a couple of days for forming his deliberate resolution.There is no sufficient cause in the state of the Convicts of the ship for stopping, I believe, & the Captain, Mates & Military Officers are anxious to get on.For my part I don’t care much except as respects the sending home of a letter to my friends.They will be very anxious about me and will hardly believe me yet alive till they get assurances of that important fact, under my own hand.

No ships in sight for more than 10 days past.

Thursday August 30thLong 43’, 41’ East. Lat 41’ SouthWind a steady strong breeze from West.Ship going 9 to 10 knots.Air rather keen and not dry, but no rain this morning. Ship rocking a good deal, wind being right aft, but much less motion than for the last 5 days.

At this rate we will reach Sidney by the 1st of October.

On Saturday the 25th a breeze from the North sprung up about 10 or 11 O’C A.-M. and gradually freshened all day till at 4 P.M. it was sending us on at nearly 10 knots.As it increased in strength it gradually veered round to the westward & was NW nearly at 4 p.m. The air grew very keen & the sky

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was all veiled with drifting mist.The Barometer had been falling for a couple of days & this morning the Captain remarked that it stood as low as he had seen it in the West Indies preceding a hurricane. We expected a gale or perhaps a storm.At 5 O’Clock the air was growing very dark, while the sea was all swimming with white foam, the wind was blowing very strong, the waves were rising so as to dash the spray occasionally over the quarter deck.The Captain & both mates were on deck & all hands were busy shortening the sail.This process was carried farther by the Captain’s order than seemed requisite in the judgment of some others on board.The taking down and reefing were continued until about ½ past 6 or 7 we were scudding under close reefed main top sail.It was then blowing furiously, the sea running & roaring high and loud, the lightening blazing in frequent blue flashes and the rain or sleet falling in torrents.O’D & I had stayed on the Poop till our coats were drenched, when we retreated to the refuge of our cabin.At 8 O’Clock while the storm was still raging electric lights were sitting on the tops of the three masts & they remained for a quarter of an hour we were told.By ill-luck we did not hear of them in time to go on deck & see them at 9 or 10 OC.The wind had got round to West & was still blowing a furious gale, though the extreme height of the storm was passed before 9 I should think.All night the gale lowered upon the masts & courage of the ship.The waves dashed furiously against her sides and pitched their heads over the bulwarks upon our deck, where the water rushed all night in wild race from side to side as the ship rocked & tossed upon her uneasy bedThrough ports, sky lights, ventilator, hatchway, the water made its way into our cabin, in spite of all the precautions of our

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good genius Robinson and all the ingenuity of O’Dogherty (who is domestic architect & mechanic & upholsterer for both of us)It washed from end to end & from side to side of our cabin floor all night with a dismal gushing gulping sound which harmonized dismally with the rolling of our water cash & our tamarind jar.[crossed out sentence]  the rattling & clinking of some loose tin vessels, the frequent knocking of our fettered chairs against the table to which they were lashed and the thumping of books & miscellaneous moveables as they . tumbled from their shelves or slid along the table.Those noises combined with the eternal creaking & grating of the timbers of our cabin & of the ship and with the occasional noisy motions over head particularly those of a huge water tub which usually sits at the lee side of the quarter deck for the general military ablutions & which slid furiously over my head as the ship would lurch violently and with the half hourly tragic-comic "All’s well!" , "All’s very well!" of the poor soldiers on sentry, and with the sound passing through the partition between our cabin & the adjoining prison & hospital were enough to keep Morphene awake. But besides the noises we had the extraordinary motions of our "standing beds" –I wish they would stand still for a night—and the uneasy feeling of a probable sudden ejectment upon our cabin floor where our poor corpuses or corpora might roll & tumble and slide and dance reels with the water cash & tamarind jar and masterless shoes among the legs of the beds & of the table and upon or in the "streams of ocean."Anxiety to keep ourselves upon our beds contributed to our wakefulness.So neither of us slept any during the night and most rejoiced

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were we both to see the first beams of morning.I felt particularly fearful that the board at my bed head would be burst from its hinges or fastenings, the heaving of the ship shooting me lengthways from head to foot as I lay, & then being no stay outside the head board.Moreover the big tamarind jar kept rolling from my bed head to the my basin stand. Battering alternately the end ofmy trunk & the foot of my bed & besides the heavy trunk itself in violent lurches slid angrily against the left of my bed at head & foot making the whole structure quiver. I kept myself as near the foot as I could manage, because then my bed was secured against the empty bed which again reaches & is attached to the ship’s side.But I was also in apprehension of books tumbling upon my face from the shelf above.–Now & then O’D & exchanged a question as to our respective conditions but it was no night for agreeable chat.About 4 O’Clock there was a tremendous shock upon the ship’s side from a huge wave which dashed against it & broke over the bulwarks flooding the quarter deck & sending copious cataracts down our hatchway. The ship lurched violently and all the moveables small and great in our cabin, above us, & around us, fell to rattling & rolling & clashing & battering each other and every thing else [crossed out words] and the confused uproar was distracting.I called out to O’D, "Well, How do you get on?""Ah," replied he quietly, "I’m in it" – "In what?" asked I.—"Oh, in the water here" said he.—"Good Lord, what do you mean?"  insisted I."Just," said he "that I’m settled down in it, bed, clothes, & all."--Luckily our angel, Robinson opened our door just then, and we sent him for a light.When he returned with the candle there lay O’D on his bed with his head down & his legs up at an angle of 45 degrees with its floor.The head of hisframe had broken down and there was nothing to keep his mattress from the water except the disjecta membra of the bed frame. Luckily it was found in the morning that very little of what reached his bed clothes.He turned his head & his feet to suit

the new relations of his bed to the horizon

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of our cabin & covered himself up again waiting for the day light at last the blessed dawn did appear.We arose & struggling with difficulties of the operation under such circumstances, we dressed ourselves, and got up on deck—O’D some time before me.The gale was blowing hard from WSW, the air was keenly cold &

rather damp, the waves were rushing swelling roaring along side the ship & underher heaving her up and down from stern to stern as they passed.Then foam crusts curled in long lines along thin ridgy summits & broke and streamed down the water mountain side like Alpine torrents.The ship was scudding along before - the wind under main & fore top sail both close reefed.The sky looked squally and wild.Our seabirdsstill attended the sail, particularly the little whale birds of whom there were hundreds flying close to the water in the valleys of the waves.No sails had been lost or any injury done to the ship.Water had got in to all the berths between decks (including the barracks & the prison) and to most of those in the cuddy, and every where there had been the knocking about of moveables as with us, and indeed this continued for some days except as prevented by close lashing.I heard that the greatest confusion prevailed in the barracks where many water casks were loose & kept an infernal clatter all night.In the prison some convicts were driven or led to their prayers, fearing a wreck.

All Sunday, Monday, &Tuesday the gale continued to blow hard from WNW to WSW.[crossed out words] occasionally breaking out into furious squalls with sleet or hailstones, but on the whole gradually moderating.We got up the fore sail.reefed on Sunday evening & I think we had always at least the two top sails up reefed, from Sunday, morning.We were driven on at the rate of 4 ½ degrees of Longitudedaily Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and so we have great good luck in the weather.

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In the intervals of the squalls the weather was not disagreeable, the sun shining most of the day and the air not being very cold except while the wind blew from near the South.The vessel still pitched, heaved & rolled exceedingly, so that tumblers cups &c were not safe on the tables, but we had to keep them in our hand or on our swinging tray.It was practicable enough to walk to deck while it was dry, and by aid of the rigging & ropes and sides & mast &c & of ropes stretched across the poop here & there for catching by.On Saturday evening at the commencing of the gale, while the crew were hauling down some sail, and I was standing on the Poop near the Cuddy sky light, there came a great lurch & I caught at the wooden bench seat fixed there to steady myself.Old Mr. Morgan caught at it also: when suddenly away we all slid & tumbled, bench and mariners to lee ward.Mr. Morgan was rather under me & served for a protecting cushion.He is a fat grampus, poor old fellow.Neither of us was hurted.The fowl coop that stood amid ships in front of the binnacles were sent adrift upon the Poop Saturday night &they have not been replaced, which is an improvement to our Poop.Sunday evening or Monday evening O’D was taking some pedestrian exercise upon the wet poop, & partly for safely & partly to mimic our Doctor he trotted along, when with a heave of the ship down he slid on his glutaei muscles his legs rushing forward in a rude embrace of one of the binnacles.He was bruised a little, but unluckily the compass glass was broken by the shock. He goes up to the cross trees of the mizen mast and comes down by the main top sail brace notwithstanding the wind & he finds that good exercises.

I could not manage to read either my Gibbon or my Homer those days of the gale & neither could O’D read much of his Anatomy. The eternal rocking & heaving and the discomfort of our cabin arising from the wetness of the floor & the dampness of all our

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clothes & the cold made me reconciled to pass the time in meals & drinking & smoking and reading Gilbert Gurney (a rather clever but excessively puppyish novel, by Theo. Hook, O’D tells me) and in trying to sleep and to keep myself warm in bed.But in daylight and while it did not rain, I spent most of my time on deck.I did not catch cold worth speaking of and my breathing only threatened to become troublesome.

On Wednesday the gale was dying away and for some hours in the morning I was rather apprehensive of a calm, which would have been distressing as the sea swell was veryhigh and the rocking would have been awful.The reefs were all shaken out, and the top gallant sail was hoisted & the royal yard sent up.This made the ship a little more steady.But I was greatly surprised on coming on deck about 12 O’C to find the swell subsided the air clear and dry and a brisk steady breeze blowing from WNW.The sea had just the appearance it was under a strong trade wind, low white topped waves swiftly pursuing each other along a level sea, and permitting an extensive prospect from the ship in all directions.During the gale the waves rose so high & huge and the ship sank so low in the trough of the sea that we could not have seen the royal mast head of another ship in a trough of the sea within a mile of us or within a wave of us.But now I saw the bright blue white specked sea all around for 5 or 6 miles to the horizon, and anxiously I searched the horizon for a sail: but there was none. We have not seen a ship for about a fortnight I think.We are far past the Cape & Mitchel and the means of sending home letters.

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Yesterday for the first time since we left harbour I opened the package of daguerreotypes and contemplated the countenances of my dear kind friends & relatives—Mitchel, Mary, Elizabeth, David, Anna, Simpson, Todd, James, Robert.Oh!What would I not give for a likeness of my mother! --And for one of my poor Jane! --

Ever since leaving Richmond I have kept myself from thinking of Irish affairs at all, and I intend to do so till I get my health strongly established & till I get myself through some lessons in Greek Latin French German & History.But what can I do for Ireland? -- At the same time I took out my bundle of the United Irishman & Felon & I read over one or two of my own articles, & so brought on a conversation about Confederation Affairs with O’D.These conversations always make me melancholy.

We got our trunks emptied & put out to dry yesterday. But few of our clothes had suffered much from the water.

There was a squall again before sunset yesterday evening and we were let scud under reefed top sails & foresail all night (I think)The wind very favourable for us.

Yesterday morning there was a nasty row between Mr. Liddell and one of the sailors. Mr. Liddell had ordered the man - a big red faced but stout looking chap from London very like a butchers boy - to go up to the Royal yard mast, at the sending up of the yard.  The chap refused & Mr. Liddell, ( I think) repeating the order pushed him or motioned to push him, whereupon he instantly squared into boxing attitude and challenged Liddell to come on.Liddell seized him by the collar, he made play with his fists (he has a high boxing reputation, I am told), and so commenced a furious struggle in which there were several falls, Mr. Liddell falling with him once very near our hatchway—the ship rocking greatly all the time and the quarter deck when the scuffle took place being very wet.The

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other sailors crowed anxiously around & the soldiers looked on from the poop & the quarter deck, & there seemed some sympathy for the sailor who was getting the worse, but nobody interfered. At length the two combatants desisted partly I think to take breath. The Sailor went forward to the Cook’s gally, shouting and

threatening and in a minute returned with a fire shovel which he brandished against Mr. Liddell who bythis time was standing near the cuddy door at the Capstan with Mr. Stothard beside him.As he made a blow in the direction of some one of them (for Mr. S. now interfered) he was "suddenly caught and dragged by them

into the cuddy where I heard a loud struggle for several minutes. The sailors crowded & crushed to the door of the cuddy & some of them seemed inclined to burst in.But after some 6 or 8 minutes the man was led out by Mr. Stothard, handcuffed, and taken up to the Poop where he was compelled to sit down, while fetters also were in preparation for him.The fetters were soon after got ready & put on him and he lay at the taffrail all day & we are told he is to be kept a prisoner till the ship reaches Sidney & then tried for insubordination.

I think Mr. Liddell & Mr. Stothard are too ready to think in "rope’s end" & the like.Corporal punishment is not legally permitted, I understand, on board merchant ships except for boys, though offending sailors may be put under arrest & even kept in irons till arrival in port.

By Mr. Richardson’s marks on his chart our positions at 12 noon daily, were as follows on
                         Lat. South Long East
Saturday Aug 25-- 42’20’22’0’
Sunday --- 26---42’20’26’0’
Monday---27---41’30’30’10’
Tuesday—28--40’30’35’0’
Wednesday—29-- 40’40’39’15’
Thursday—30--40’40’43’41’

[next to the above chart was written:]a very fine run. Fully 1100 sea miles in 5 days; & part under close reefed topsails.

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 Latitude S Longitude E Wind
Friday Aug 31---41’047’30’WNW Lightunsteady breeze
Saturday Sep 1---41’20’51’40’W Strong breeze—then violent gale
Sunday --- 2---41’30’56’20’W to S   Violent gale
Monday---3 ---41’9’59’56’SW round by W to NE to_______
Tuesday—4---41’5’62’7S to SW. Violent gale last night/heavy swell
Wednesday---5---40’26’66’0SW gale, morning. Moderate from
8 AM
Thursday---6

On Thursday ev.g & Friday the wind had moderated to light breeze still however nearly right aft & with the great swell sending us on between 9 & 10 knots.No rain except for slight showers and temperature tolerably mild, at least while sun shining.On Friday evening the breeze had gradually sunk so as to be very light.The Sun set in a thick haze which shaded all the sky.There were no clouds. The air felt chill; and I was told that the Barometer had fallen greatly & rapidly, & that a gale was to be expected.Soon after sunset the breeze freshened, blowing steadily & level from NW, and continued rather strong all night, but not a gale.What was very pleasant, the stiff breeze upon our quarter kept the ship less unsteady than it had been for many a night.The novelty of my condition in great measure kept me awake, however.—On Saturday morning at 8 O’Clock when I went upon deck the breeze had become a gale & a very strong one.The sea was not yet running very high and the gale sent us on at a slapping pace. The spray-drift and the lines of foam crossing the sides of the waves and the troughs or valley between them, reminded me strikingly of a storm of snow drift on land in a

78Saturday September 1st[ two Greek words ?]

hilly country.Myriads of little streams (WKEAVOLO POAM) were rushing by the impulse of the gusts of the gale down the sides of the waves.The sun was shining bright and I saw thousands of fragmenting rainbows succeeding each other in the spray opposite the sun.The air was quite dry & pleasant.I think it blew harder today than during the former gale (excepting the thunderstorm)We had up main & fore topsails, reefed, and foresail reefed.The gale blew steadily all day, the sea of course gradually rising, and by evening breaking over the bulwarks at the quarter deck in occasional heavy splashes.Saturday night the gale blew very violently.The seas frequently struck the ship so as to make her all reel & quiver and the quarter deck was continually shipping water, some of which pitched down our hatchway, but not much reached our cabin.The contrivance of O’D & Robinson for catching the water that penetrates our port in a bucket, succeeds perfectly; and very little water annoys us now even in great gales except what drips from our sky light & by the rocking of the ship is scattered over a great space of our domain.Everything feels damp however.And the wind turning rather Southerly on Sunday morning brought piercing cold. My breathing was down right bad on Saturday night & indifferent all Sunday.I can’t get my feet warmed.Ship rocked abominably all Sunday.Gale very violent all Sunday from W to WSWSea running high.At night gale still violent; frequent

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heavy showers of rain & I think of sleet, wind turned SW; then round again to W to NW and by Monday morning at 8 O’C was NE still a violent gale.Very heavy rain from NE at 9 to 11 A.M. of Monday. ~ Temperature then grew milder.Gale still violent.Scudding or running SE under close reefed Main Topsail & weather looks very angry.

About 4 to 5 O’C pm. There was an ugly squall, and though wind much lulled as sunset approached, there were strong symptoms of a renewal of the gale.The Barometer fell rapidly and very low (it had been low for several days) Thick dark hazy clouds enveloped the sky, looking more lurid & dark to S.W.Captain said at sunset that we would have violent gale before 12 O’C: Though just then the wind had almost died away. Everything was reefed; we were under cl. Reefed topsails & foresail by 7 O’Clock The ship rocked abominably, more than ever we had experienced. About 8 O’C, she was laying her sides alternately upon the water, down to the very hammock nettings.Such abominable sensations as the rocking produced!For noises there was the continual creaking & groaning of the strained timbers, the rolling clashing rattling & thumping of every moveable upon deck & in the cabins, except such as were firmly lashed—in the cuddy chairs crockery books &c: in the barracks, tins, water casks & miscellanea; in our den books, trunks dressing materials on our stands &c &c.Some articles including a couple of blocking boxestumbled down at my back from the shelf attached to our ceiling though its facing is 4 or 5 inches high.I was trying to take a cup of tea between 7 & 8 holding my cup in my hand & reaching to our swinging tray for tea pot &c as I needed, with our bit of candle in its stand fixed to our "fiddle" on the table & Gibbon before me, when the rocking spilled off my books, upset the light, emptied out most of my tea, sent adrift O’D portmanteau & our bag of soiled clothes besides some etceteras.What a mess!I was sitting on my bed, holding on by hands & feet, and thanking my stars that I had two legs & thighs & hands & arms.Over head soldiers and their big tub &c were sliding & tumbling, & the ship made out a wretched discord of laughter, thumps

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creaking, tumbling rattling clashing smashing splashing and through all the "singing out" of the mate & the sailors.The rocking continued very bad, with very little wind till past 10.There were some flashes of lightening and very heavy rain from 7 till 9.Wind began to arise about 10 and rapidly grew into a violent gale from W to SW to S.Rocking then not so very bad though still bad enough. Some after 12 at night the ship was hauled up and hove to with her head NE nearly, under close reefed fore & main topsails main trisail & flying jib.So she was kept all night & till next day (Tuesday) at 12 ½ p.m.The wind sounded furiously all night as we rocked and

rolled upon our mattresses.X[crossed out sentence]Though the ship rocked a good deal, & I could hear fierce waves striking the ship’s side, we shipped but little water all night.But in the morning at 7 O’C as I lay awake & trying to sleep (as I had slept badly all  night) and as O’D was sleeping sound, then came suddenly a

tremendous shock under which the ship trembled & reeled, & simultaneously I heard the splashes & rush of a monstrous waves over the deck.O’D was rudely roused by an unexpected shower both through the tight closed ventilator some sheets of water tumbled down our hatchway & part penetrated into our cabin but luckily for us was carried back into the hospital (ours being the weather side), but the open hatchway of the hold in which was Mr. Richardson serving out rations received the great body of the wave. O’D started up instantly and I also arose after some time.And we found that the matter was much more serious than we had thought.There had been a lull of the wind & the ship had rocked down into a trough on the weather side when a sudden gust of wind and the swell coming together drove a huge wave over the starboard (weather) quarter of the Poop.The wave swept against the cuddy sky light & carried it away together with the bench before it; tons of water tumbled furiously into the cuddy, entering all the berths there and delaying those upon the lee sideMr. Stothard’s & Mr. Roney’s & ( in less degree) the Doctors.Mr. Walpole, whose berth is on the starboard side (the weather side then) tumbled out of his bed & had his mattress & bed clothes drenched.They say he then met his servant (one of the convicts, who also acts as Chaplain’s clerk) in the cuddy and the two fell upon their knees in the water to pray for Divine mercy.Mr. Roney was lying in a daze when the water splashed & spouted into his berth.He started up & rushed out in his shirt & reaching the

X I was stripped to my shirt & drawers and snug in bed on Monday night.But the two previous nights I passed without undressing & propped up, muffled, on my bed.My feet were painfully cold & my breathing bad.

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cuddy & seeing the roof of it gone at first conceived that the Poop was carried away & that "all was going to be over".Instinctively he rushed on to the cuddy door opening on the quarter deck to look after the fate of his flock—the soldiers.There, the remaining mass of water after the fall of a portion though the cuddy sky lights was surging about from side to side & rushing along the length of the ship, tumbling down hatchways to the hold or running out by the scuttles of the deck. When it first dashed down from the Poop & flooded the quarter deck, a soldier named Newman who was on guard was caught in it & swept over to the lee side where finding himself nearly up to his neck in water he imagined himself over board & struck out to swim. The poor fellow was laid hold of by some of his comrades & drawn out of it.–Nobody was injured to any extent worth mentioning & no serious damage at all was done to the ship.Had part of the bulwarks given way, several lives would probably have been lost.Mr. Liddell was on the Poop when the waves came aboard.He instantly caught hold of the rigging & escaped safe with a wetting.Mr. Stothard’s berth suffered most as it is farthest forward in the Cuddy & on the lee side. The Doctor was standing in his berth at the time (as the butcher told us) with a certain article of crockery in his hand & near him a large parcel (70 lbs) of tea, which he keeps for his hospital &cThe parcel was upset & spilled & so was the article in his hand, & tea was impromptu infused after a strange fashion.Dick was in his box somewhere in the cuddy, and finding the water overwhelming him, he yelped out wildly for assistance.We heard that the poor convicts in the prison thought the ship was going to the bottom & many of them fell on their knees in the water to pray for mercy, while others cursed & some kept on playing dominoes.

When all the wave had left the deck, we had a foot of water in the hold; & I think they pumped it out.Beyond doubt we have a very stout old ship of it.The teak seems the best wood for ship building. And we have a cautious able captain & mates & a very numerous crew for effectively carrying out their orders.

The weather grew more favourable.The sun shone out;

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the air felt dry & bracing though very cold; the gale still blew strong from SW, but it was steady & not violent; the swell was heavy. Advantage was taken of the dry weather to put out all sorts of wet garments, bedding &c – the poop looked like an old clothes shop for some hours. About half past 12 O’C the ship was again put on her course, under main & fore sails, main & fore top sails, flying jib & spanker, all full.She had been drifting, while hove-to, to the ENE or NE by N, so that we were still making some way.Wind continued lulling down to a moderate breeze from SW.The swell was very ugly, but the ship did not rock very much or wind and swell both nearly on her beam.Tuesday night, moderate weather, some ugly shocks of swell striking ship’s side.But little water gets into our cabin now; all at our sea port is caught by O’D’s contrivance.

Wednesday morning the wind was still a moderate breeze, not very steady, from SW.The swell as yesterday.The sun shone, but weakly, & the air felt dampish & cold.The deck does not dry perfectly & it is very slippery.I suffer a good deal from the cold & dampness of my feet.But today O’D set me to an exercise from which I derived the great comfort of a slight warming of myself—that is flapping my hands round myshoulders against my back.I worked hard at this discipline & greatly relieved my discomfort.In the evening there was a vessel in sight some 10 or 15 miles to the SE of us.I was told by Mr. Liddell that she had no foremast nor main top mast, but I could only distinguish that there was an object, not water nor a bird, in that direction. We stood towards her & hoped (as we expected that she would endeavour to near us) to get near enough for signalling before sunset.But we did not succeed.We hung out lights at our main royal mast head, at the end of the boltsprit, at _________ but the dismasted ship showed none in reply. All night we kept in the direction where she had been seen.It was a fine moderate pleasant night, with a gentle breeze going round

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from SW by W to NW.Very little rocking & the swell a good deal subsided.On Thursday morning (Sept 6) about 7 O’C we were coming close to her, and when at ¼ before 8 we went upon deck she was along side and our captain talking to hers by the speaking trumpet.And a miserable object she seemed to me at first.Her foremast was gone, and her maintop mast below the maintop, and also the upper half of the mizen top mast broken off.She had not a stitch of canvas standing except one small & rather shabby looking sheet upon a "jury mast" in the place of the foremast.The Poop and the sides next us for her whole length were crowded with men & women.But her bulwarks seemed all whole and the rudder uninjured, and the human beings on board did not appear despondent.In a few minutes conversation of the two Captains we learned that she had been struck with a sudden heavy squall on Monday last about ½ past 4 p.m. and while reefing topsail the masts were carried away sails & all, and 8 of the sailors then upon the yard were lost.The carpenter too was killed, in the fore cabin,--I think, crushed to death by some part of the falling masts or rigging. And all hands were disabled except three.None of the passengers were injured.There were some broken limbs among the disabled sailors, but the most of them would be ready for work in a few days.The vessel was the Mohammed Shah, sailed from Isle of Wight on the 22 June last with emigrants, for Port Philip in South Australia.She was a large barque registering a few tons above our ship; and her hulk looked well still. Her Captain, a Scotchman, named McMeekin (I think), expressed himself in a calm confident manner and declined our Captain’s offers of assistance in the way of spars &c saying he had plenty

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on board, but to renewed offers of our generous Captain he replied by asking for "seasoning" (small cordage as I am told)A boat was then immediately lowered and Mr. Liddell, having collected a supply of the "seasoning", boarded her and remained on board for nearly half an hour. During this time we were hove-to,

maneuvering to keep as near her as possible, while she was making the best way she could in her course, before the gentle NW breeze.The sea was nearly devoid of swell.The air was delightfully mild & dry & the sun was shining with a gentle luster & cheering warmth. When our boat was seen putting off from the Mohammed Shah, our ship was put on her course to meet it.Mr. Liddell brought from the Captain of the Mohammed Shah an application for 4 hands, volunteers from our crew (Our ship being in Gov’t Service has considerably more hands than merchant ships of her size generally take: we had 48 or 50 and the Mate tells me we can spare 15 or 18 of them, and that such a number would be discharged in Sidney) 4 of our men, 2 able seamen and 2 "boys" instantly volunteered. (Parker & Taylor, Blundell & Unckell) There was some delay while the volunteers were getting out their luggage & making their arrangements. I saw Blundell, who seems to be a friend or comrade of the man who is kept handcuffed on the Poop since his row with Mr. Liddell, go up to the fellow and give him a coin and touch his hand by way of farewell.It was not a tender parting.Both seem rude surly and the prisoner savagely so.When all was ready the boat rowed away again to the dismasted ship, Mr. Roney accompanying Mr. Liddell this time and 2 sailors being taken to row back the boat.They stayed away nearly half an hour. When they returned on board,

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we finally put our ship on her course.We soon overtook the crippled Mohammed Shah, steering very close to her.All her population were crowded upon her decks.They saluted us with 3 hearty cheers of gratitude, the ladies on the Poop waving their handkerchiefs the men everywhere their hats and the very cook his

skillet.Of course we replied in the same language.The Captains exchanged courteous wishes for a prosperous voyage and we passed rapidly on.The breeze from NW was just then freshening, and we soon left sight of the poor dismasted Mohammed Shah and her human cargo. Dreary & dismal enough seemed her situation lying like a log in this ocean of storms and at least 3500 miles from any inhabited land (Kuguelan’s Land, about 1000 miles away is not inhabited I think.But the seamen tell me she is safe enough and she will probably make her voyage prosperously within at farthest a few weeks of the time we would take.Westerly winds are to be calculated on the whole way.The part of the ocean to be traversed is considered less stormy than what lies behind us. Her hulk is quite sound & uninjured & she can rig "jury masts" and put up sail enough to keep her steady & to send her on right well. She has plenty of water & provisions, having had a rapid run from Port  till the time of the accident.Our 4 hands will be a great help and doubtless she has a carpenter among the emigrant passengers and plenty of hands to haul her ropes also.Her passengers are nearly all English & Scotch, I was told.

This incident was quite a Godsend to our ships company varying agreeably the monotony of our voyage.It delayed us for 12 or 14 hours nearly; between holding on in the direction of the Mohammed Shah last night, & lying to this morning.We