Arthur David LINKLATER

His ’Journal’

Apprenticed aboard British Princess

10.xii.1895 - 13.iii.1900

Monday, 3rd
Lat 22°10’S
Long 36°38’W
Now running 8 or 9 knots. Good N.E. wind. There is now a change in the weather. It has become much colder than it has been for weeks. If all goes well we expect to get out of the Tropics tonight.
Tuesday, 4th
Lat 24°36’S
Long 38°33’W
Sailed out of Tropics, and Trades today. The trades did not help us on much. Still good breeze. Still painting. Weather much the same.
Wednesday, 5th
Lat 26°57’S
Long 40°30’W
Getting colder. Saw a “Grampus Whale”. It followed us for a while, but then went astern. Less wind today. Two small black birds came aboard, but we could not catch them.
Thursday, 6th
Lat 28°26’S
Long 42°46’W
Working hard all day, sending down fine weather sails and bending bad weather ones. Tonight about 9 p.m. a severe squall struck us. We let go Royals, and topgallants with a [- ? -]. Raining terribly heavy. Wet to the skin for the whole four hours.
Friday, 7th
Lat 30°36’S
Long 43°40’W
Tonight it was my wheel from 2-4, and it was kicking and the ship roling and pitching that you were knocked about in all directions. So the third mate came to give me a hand, but the wheel sliped out of our hands and flew round and round so fast that you could not see the spokes. Then Skuse was sent for a “lee wheel”. The best of it was that it was poring the whole time.Joyful.
Saturday, 8th
Lat 31°55’S
Long 44°41’W
Lots of mollyhawks all around today. Tonight there is a lot of lightning. Bad sign.
Sunday, 9th
Lat 32°59’S
Long 46°4’W
Pretty rough today, and does not look well. Tonight a severe squall struck us, and we had to let go Royals, topgallants and all staysails. Any amount of lightning.
Monday, 10th
Lat 33°54’S
Long 47°19’W
An Albatross has been flying around all day, Tommie caught a fine big dragon fly. Tonight took in Staysails for it is squally.
Tuesday, 11th
Lat 34°38’S
Long 48°30’W
This morning we were sorting out the biscuits which got wet. They were nearly all mouldy. Overhauling gear. Started playing cricket tonight. Sent a message in a bottle, telling about the match. Sealed it with my seal on journaltop. The lightning is much worse tonight.
Wednesday, 12th
Lat 35°S
Long 49°29’W
Very fine today, calm. Lots of albatroses kicking about today. They are very large white birds with enormous bills. Tonight a good breeze.
Thursday, 13th
Lat 36°8’S
Long 49°43’W
Not such a good day, it being dull like rain. Put ship on different tack. This last week she has made very little progress. Nearly all longitude.
Friday, 14th
Lat 38°18’S
Long 51°31’W
Great change in the colour of the water. Before it was as blue as possible. Now it is a horrid green. It does seem a horid colour to us. The reason of the sudden change is that we are near land.
Saturday, 15th
Lat 38°24’S
Long 53°50’W
A great number of porpoises and all kinds of birds. A lot of them seem to be land ones. Pretty hot, and calm.
Sunday, 16th
Lat 39°35’S
Long 56°00’W
Lots of birds, porpoises, and whales round us today. We harpooned two porpoises, but they got off when we were hauling them up. A large piece of flesh was torn out of one. Saw a large sea monster. It was brown and had a lot of fins. Near shore, and there is a first rate breeze.
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