Diary/Letter 1 Version 1, 4 August – 14 October 1852 (edited transcript)

August 1852

4             We sailed from the River Mersey at 10 o’clock a.m. on Wednesday the 4^th day of August 1852. Wind west. At 2 o’clock the tug-boat was ungeared.

5             Thursday. West wind, rather boisterous. Several of the passengers began to work their pumps. (They) appear to be very ill. The vessel tacks across the St George’s Channel all day.

6             Friday. Wind SSW, good breeze. Nothing particular, only (a) great many passengers still sick. (The) first thing I saw this morning on the quarter-deck was Holyhead close to.

7             Saturday. Wind in the same quarter. Nice breeze, only against us. We were near some part of Ireland and back towards South Wales. Sea-sickness still among some parties.

8             Sunday. Wind the same. At 10 o’clock a.m. the bell rang for the assembly of passengers to attend prayers in the usual form which was duly performed. Prayers were read by some of the passengers. Another took place at 4 o’clock p.m.

9             Monday. Wind WNW. Fine day. We saw some large fish rouring about, called black whales. I don’t feel well. Took some pills last night. Some parties very ill still.

10           Tuesday. Fair wind NW. Fine day. We are going 8 knots an hour. We have not seen any land since yesterday. Sea-sickness still continues. Myself quite well.

11           Wednesday. Fair wind and heavy rain. Great deal of sickness. (At) breakfast this morning a large number of fish passed close to the vessel. We call them llamheddydiol, the size of a large pig jumping on top of the water. (It) kept very rough all day and night. (Note: llamhidydd – Welsh for porpoise.)

12           Thursday. Fine and little wind but fair NW. This is a long voyage – only one week (as) yet. We are going at the rate of 8 miles an hour. Good breeze. We are crossing the Bay of Biscay. This bay is 400 miles long. The ship rolled very much. Heavy breeze this evening.

13           Friday. NNW wind. Good breeze. The Captain said that we are 740 miles from Liverpool now. We have plenty of everything to eat – pudding almost every day, plenty of butter. We are not short of anything to eat so far.

14           Saturday. Cross-wind SSW (the very point we want to go). Blowing hard and small rain. In the evening we had a heavy gale of wind contrary to our progress. The vessel rolled very much during the night.

15           Sunday. The wind keeps still from the same point. I was thinking (very) much about home all day. No chance of going back. Seth Evans suffers more (from) sea-sickness than anybody on board.

16          Monday. The wind keeps SSW, quite contrary. A ship passed close this morning. She had left Liverpool a week after us – the Earl Dovado. The wind changed this evening to the NW. The weather keeps very rough still.

17           Tuesday. Wind West. We make no progress. Few vessels in sight but no land – 3. This evening the wind changes to our favour. We are going 7 miles an hour.

18           Wednesday. NW wind. Fair. We had a very rough night. Very few slept a wink last night. Nothing particular, only we are getting on slowly. Nothing to be seen – only water. We are going at the rate of 10 miles an hour since the wind changed.

19           Thursday. NW wind. Very fine day. 5 degrees hotter than yesterday. All passengers done with sea-sickness. We are going to warmer climates every day now.

20           Friday. Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto.

21           Saturday. NW wind. Fine day. Going since 2 or 3 days (at) 7 to 8 miles an hour. We are off the coast of Africa. Nothing particular to be seen. I have been very healthy so far.

22           Sunday. E wind. Going 9½ miles an hour. (At) half past 10 this morning the church service was read by some of the passengers. (At) 6 the evening sermon was preached by a Wesleyan. Everybody (was) very attentive. No vessel or land to be seen. We have gone 240 miles since 12o’clock yesterday.

23           Monday. E wind. Going 9 miles an hour. Fine and hot. Past (the) Mediterranean now. We are going 240 miles from 12 to 12, that is 24 hours, these last 4 or 5 days. Nothing particular.

24           Tuesday. NE wind. We are making fast progress every day now. Only 3 weeks yet since we left Liverpool. This will be a long voyage and (a) miserable life. We are baking cakes ourselves with flour, butter and sugar.

25           Wednesday. NE wind. Done from 12 o’clock yesterday to 12 today 240 (miles). Nothing particular to mention.

26           Thursday. Wind N by E. 180 miles. There are 30 of us who eat in this cabin and we have agreed with the baker to make us a roll every morning at 2 shillings each for the voyage.

27           Friday. Ditto. Ditto. 180 (miles). When I first turned out of bed this morning I saw 2 large fish, one each side, 16 yards long and as large as a small house.

28           Saturday. Ditto. Ditto. 160 miles. Fine weather but very hot. The heat of the weather is 90 degrees in the shade. The water is getting very bad but I bought a filter something like a big jar. The water runs through a sponge and through stone, making it clean and cold as if it was from a well.

29          Sunday. Wind the same. Do not know distance. We had the church service as usual. About 2 o’clock (there was) a heavy storm. We had seen it coming miles off. The (sea) was like mountains. The Captain ordered all the sails down. After all we did not get much wind, but a heavy storm of rain. I don’t feel very well.

30           Monday. NW by W wind. We are not making good progress. I am very ill in bed all day. The Doctor has been with me three times. He gave me some medicine. My stomach is very bad. A great many are complaining.

31           Tuesday. Ditto. Good breeze of wind and it is very acceptable this hot weather. The wind is quite hot all night. The majority of the passengers sleep out on deck all night. I have a big window open one side of my bed. A good draught comes through it but I don’t want it closed.

September 1852

1             Wednesday. No wind but very calm. Thank God I am alright once more after being very ill all by the heat. The Captain expects to see a vessel going home. We have a bag full of letters ready to send with her.

2             Thursday. No wind. I have nothing particular to write down.

3             Friday. Little wind E. A vessel came near. We put our boat down to take the bag of letters for home. Awfully hot. 96 degrees in the shade. Few vessels in sight this day. A child was born on board last night.

4             Saturday. Wind W by N. Nice breeze. We have as yet done no progress this week. At 5 o’clock p.m. we had an awfully heavy (fall) of rain until 9 o’clock. The weather got much colder after the rain.

5             Sunday. SW wind. Good breeze. Nice cold morning. Church service was read as usual. We spent the rest of the day lying down on the deck in the coldest places we could get. This morning a child was born on board. This is the second.

6             Monday. Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto. Three vessels in sight. One came close. The two Captains spoke together. She was from Glasgow and sailed 4 days before us for Singapore.

7             Tuesday. W wind. Good stiff breeze but rather against us. We are not making very fast progress. Everybody is well on board. The two children who were born last week are doing well. Three or four ships in sight.

8             Wednesday. W wind. Ditto. Ditto. Very little progress today. We are enjoying ourselves with different things, some reading, others smoking, others playing cards, dominoes and different games. Others are in bed. That is the way. Death on board this afternoon – a child of 16 months.

9             Thursday. N wind. Nice breeze contrary to our progress. At 6 o’clock a.m. the funeral took place. The service was read as usual. The little corpse was sewed up in a piece of sail with about 30 lb. of stones to sink it down. The body was placed on a piece of board, one end resting on the side of the ship and two of the sailors held up the other end. When the service was read the sailors lifted up the end of the plank. The corpse slipped and met with his water grave. Nobody was allowed to look over the side to see it drop to the water.

10           Friday. SW wind. Nice breeze but rather contrary to our progress. There is 1 lb. of oatmeal for us each. The cook boiled a large saucepanful of it every morning at 7 o’clock. There are 30 of us for it. Eat it with treacle. Good for health and to have us out of bed in good time. When the porridge is ready we are all up in a moment or else it will be gone. 1 vessel in sight this morning.

11           Saturday. Ditto. The breeze keeps stiff but we are not much nearer the Line this week. Few ships in sight.

12           Sunday. Wind S by W. Weather is much colder than it was. Church service was read as usual. One of the children born on board was christened last Sunday and called Jane.

13           Monday. We are now in the Trade Winds. SE trade. Making good progress. Great row when crossing the Line – shaving the sailors who have never crossed the Line before.

14           Tuesday. SE. Doing well. Nothing particular.

15           Wednesday. SE. Passengers fighting down below. The Captain put one of them in irons.

16           Thursday. E. Going since Sunday at 8 miles an hour. Not very well ahead.

23           Thursday. Since the last date we have not had much alteration in the weather. Good breeze. Going this last 9 or 10 days at 8 to 9 miles an hour in the right direction. They call it Trade Winds. Blowing the same here the whole year round from E by S. We are 25 degrees south of the Line. No ship in sight. These last few days I have had nothing particular to write. I only see or hear the same thing every morning. The first thing I saw last Sunday was killing a pig for dinner, the second was two strong chaps fighting. A third was going to charge. The Captain put the two men in irons for a few hours and put them together in a dark place. At 5 o’clock this evening we had a little rain and a change of wind from E to S. We are going wrong now.

24           Friday. S wind. We have not done much progress. Wind contrary. One ship in sight. We have not nearly consumed our allowance since starting until this last week. The weather is getting colder and we are eating three times as much.

25           Saturday. E wind but very little of it. Dutch vessel close to us this morning. Nothing particular.

26           Sunday. E wind. Came only 3 miles an hour. Church service commences as usual at 10 o’clock a.m. Few vessels in sight. This is the eighth Sunday for me to be on board the Earl of Derby – a long time to be doing nothing.

27           Monday. Ditto. Slow sailing. One vessel in sight. Nothing particular. Our health is still very well.

28           Tuesday. South wind. Going back and forward. No progress towards our journey’s end. We have the same kind of weather as you have there now, the same time and everything. We are between the Cape of Good Hope and South America. Very cold on one side and hot on the other.

29           Wednesday. Changeable wind. Slow sailing. At 3 o’clock this morning the vessel rolled once or twice very badly until some were threwn out of their beds. Great disturbance among the passengers. We had in this cabin a few casks of flour, one of oatmeal, rice, preserves, potatoes and they all capsized and mixed together. At 3 o’clock p.m. the wind shifted to the North. Good going at 8 miles an hour.

30           Thursday. North wind. Fast sailing. 8 to 10 miles an hour. All of enjoy ourselves much better when there is a good wind and we are going right.

October 1852

1             Friday. West wind. Slow sailing. Rain heavy since last night. No ship in sight.

2             Saturday. NW wind. We are going 6 knots. Wet day with us here. Llanerchymedd fair diaurd y gyneuaf. It is very likely that were I in Sir Fon I would be in it. (Note: diwedd y cynhaeaf – Welsh for end of harvest; Sir Fon – Welsh for Anglesey.)

3             Sunday. Ditto. Fast sailing since 12 last night. Going 9 knots (9 miles an hour). No church service this morning. The vessel rolled too much. Spend the day, some in bed, others walking on deck.

4             Monday. NW wind. Slow sailing. 4 knots. Busy day. Weigh out our week’s provisions. Some articles will be short. Coffee is nearly done, tea and sugar. We are allowed 10½ oz. of butter weekly. Weigh out every Monday. Often none for Sunday.

5             Tuesday. No wind. We have 7000 miles to go. We are near the Cape of Good Hope. We are getting our boxes up on deck once a month. Last time my clothes were very mouldy. I took them all out, dried and cleaned them – very hot weather then. Today we have had them up and I found them alright. Also the crock of butter which I had from Mother was sweet and good, while others were obliged to throw whole crocks overboard to the sea, ill-stinking. Little better breeze at night.

6             Wednesday. E by N wind. Fast sailing. 10 miles an hour since last night. We have not gone so fast since leaving Liverpool as we have done today. 12 knots now.

7             Thursday. E by N wind. 11 to 12 miles an hour. Rain. The days are getting longer where we are. This last fortnight the sun rises about 5 in the morning and sets at 7 in the evening. It has been once with us at 12 o’clock with us 2 there.

8             Friday. We are sailing E by E. Good breeze. 8 to 9 knots. No vessel in sight. The weather is very cold. Thermometer is 54 in the shade, about 45 out. Our health is good and everything is coming on well.

9             Saturday. Going right. SE by E. Fast sailing. 10 knots. 4 weeks of this weather will take us to our journey’s end. There is nothing to be seen or heard on Saturday any more than any other day. No ship (seen) this last week.

10           Sunday. Fair wind. About 240 (miles) every day now. Church services at 10 o’clock and 3. After the last service there was the funeral of the first child who was born on board and died this morning, 6 weeks old. Killing pig this morning.

11           Monday. Ditto. Ditto. Good sailing.

12           Tuesday. No wind. Doing nothing. I had read in the Book of Job about Leviathan but I never saw it until this morning. I saw it out of the water as big as this vessel.

13           Wednesday. NE wind. Strong rain and breeze. Very rough. Some had sea-sickness again. One ship in sight from London to Australia with passengers out 80 days and (we) are out 76.

14           Thursday. Changeable wind, little only. 4 knots. Rain all day. The same ship in sight. She left us. They are gambling here from morning till night.