Arthur David LINKLATER

His ’Journal’

Apprenticed aboard British Princess

10.xii.1895 - 13.iii.1900

Thursday, 9th Working very hard without a single spell down the main hatch at the iron plates. Also had a good supply of boating.
Friday, 10th Finished unloading all the iron, also got all the barley on board. Started the coak, and finished it. We took all together 54 working hours. Got all gear clean. Had a good lot of boating.
Saturday, 11th
Sailed for
Tocopilla
We hove out about 6 this morning and got towed out a good bit. All the time the tug was trying to break our hauser. Very misty outside. About half past seven we set all sail. Tonight saw a lot of whales. I was kind of sick for a while.
Sunday, 12th
Lat 30°35’S
Long -
Splendid breeze, which is journalright aft. There is a lot of whales about. Going along very well. We have started a patent. The men are all day on chipping the hold, and we six are watch, and watch, and take all the wheels, and look outs, also doing our wack of chipping. I did a lot of washing today. Grand weather.
Monday, 13th
Lat 27°46’S
Long 72°38’W
After taking our wheels and lookouts we had to sugie mugie the bulwarks and bridge ect. Got gig cleaned out. Last night is the first night I was allowed to take a look out. Two small land birds have been on deck all day.
Tuesday, 14th
Lat 24°44’S
Long 71°34’W
Today we have been painting down the hold. Sea very calm, and good breeze.
Wednesday, 15th
Lat 22°31’S
Long 75°56’W
When the sun rose we saw the land about 60 miles off, but it again disappeared and we did not see it again today. Hardly moving.
Thursday, 16th This morning when the darkness rose, we were quite close inland. There was very little wind, but all the same the old man sailed journalright past Tocopilla. The difficulty was getting journalback. We tacked about a dozen times, but in the end did not get in. We can see Tocopilla lights quite plain tonight.
Friday, 17th
Arrived in
Tocopilla
Early this morning we droped anchor in Tocopilla. There are other two ships here. Tocopilla is all built of wood, and is right at the journalfoot of extremely lofty mountains.
Saturday, 18th No half holiday for us today. We did not knock off till six oclock. Have been painting tweendeoks.
Sunday, 19th In the morning we pulled off to P.S.N. Co's steamer ‘Aconagua’, and got a good supply of fruit. Went ashore in the afternoon, and got left behind. Very hot on shore.
Monday, 20th Been in boat all day. Other times painting tweendecks. Rest of the hands are working cargo. Very hot.
Tuesday, 21st Almost all day in boat. Went off to one of the coasters and sneeked as much fruit as we could eat and carry. The Old Man, General and myself had some grand sport spearing mackerel and catching sardings. I almost burst with laughing at the Old Man.
Wednesday, 22nd General and myself Boating and painting. The rest working cargo.
Thursday, 23rd I had a hot job down Fore hatch all day slinging bags of coal. Today finished all general cargo for here. Very hot.
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