| Friday, 3rd | Nitrate gang took in 1,089 bags (100 tons). Started scraping black paint outside. | ||
| Saturday, 4th | Took in another 100 tons of nitrate. We washed down after dinner. The second mate and me walk up and down spinning yarns at night. | ||
| ⚪ | Sunday, 5th | Had to all my washing. Went ashore with General for the meat and sneeked a lot of things. | |
| Monday, 6th | Took in 130 tons. The whole day I have been chipping over the side. Caught a lot of rats tonight. | ||
| Tuesday, 7th | Took in 4 lighters. Chipping over the bow, and have been in some fancy positions. I lost 2 chipping hammers and the best scraper. Pretty good. | ||
| Wednesday, 8th | Took in 4 lighters. Chipping again. Went ashore and got 119 lbs of beef. | ||
| Thursday, 9th | Only took in two lighters today as a German steamer came in and they have all gone to her. Chipping again as usual. Stale job. | ||
| Friday, 10th | No nitrate now. They are keeping it back till we sail. All hands chipping. Some corking poop. | ||
| Saturday, 11th | Sand and oanvased everything and knocked off at 3 p.m. Been in second mate's room all evening, yarning and watching him making a hammock. | ||
| Sunday, 12th | Have been working at a hammock which the second mate gave me. I went with the 2nd and 3rd mates in the gig to the German steamer ‘Vekd’ 5,000 tons. They told me to stay by the boat but I made it fast and went aboard. The 2nd officer took a fancy for me and gave me some cigars and 2 glasses of beer. I was a disreputable looking clown. Only had a pair of pants and a shirt and an ancient felt hat. No coat, socks, boots or anything. I stole a hen's egg, but could not get it boiled, so put it in my tea. | ||
| Monday, 13th | Took in 4 lighters. Now finished lower hold, started tweendecks. Rest chipping over side. | ||
| Tuesday, 14th | Took in 1,191 bags, about 130 tons. Chipping. | ||
| Wednesday, 15th | Only one lighter. No more for a bit now. Filling up from main hatch For'id. Chipping. | ||
| Thursday, 16th | Two lighters today. Have been in cabin. Easy job. | ||
| ⚪ | Friday, 17th | Two lighters today. Only need one big one now. Overhauled Mate's room. Killed a tremendous lot of big bugs. Making canvas into oil-cloth. At 4.15 a.m. a severe earthquake occurred. It made our ship shake like a son of a gun. I turned out and went on deck to see what the duce was the matter. It was blowing very hard at the time. It soon passed over, and I turned in again. | |
| Saturday, 18th | Took in one small lighter. Nearly full now. Sand and canvased decks ect. Had some fine friging with the bulwarks. The sun was so hot that as soon as the sand was put on it got as hard as if it was frozen. I received seven letters, and I am just going to have a good read at them. | ||
| BACK | 16 | NEXT | |
Duncan Linklater © 2025