| ⚪ | Saturday, 31st | Finished holystoning poop. Having been at it for a week. Seeing we couldn't have turkey for tomorrow's dinner, the bosun determined to have albatross, there being a good number astern. He caught three and of course we had a hard job to haul them in. They were very large and measured from 10 to 12 feet across the wings. I managed to secure a head, breast and foot, and also two wing bones which make splendid pipe stems. Also the feet make fine tobacco pouches. In the morning one bird took avay our hook, but he was among the captured and therefore we got it again. When parts of the birds that were not wanted were thrown overboard the other albatroses devoured them savagedly. The three of them are now steeping in salt water ready for fulfilling the vacancy of Turkey tomorrow. | |
| JANUARY 1899 | |||
| Sunday, 1st Weight today 147 lbs |
As usual this morning it was raining and blowing a gale from the S.E. Every New Year's Day has been the same since I joined the “hooker”, but contrary to the usual the afternoon was lovely. All our watch, including the second mate, spent New learns morning from 4 a.m, till 8 a.m. on the upper topsail yard as the topsail sheet had carried away and had to be repaired at once. The dinner today was perhaps the only one of its kind in any part of the world. It consisted of Plum duff and albatroses. The less said about the Plum duff the better. I am only sorry there is no other name more appropriate for it. The albatroses were curious and had a very strong flavour, like all sea birds, and deep sea fish, but were a decided change to salt junk. The great drawback to them owas their great resemblance to leather. They were confoundedly tough. You see they were only killed the day before and no doubt they had weathered the storms for the past 15 or 20 years. | ||
| Monday, 2nd | Pumystoned the poop and then oiled it. Removing 8 tons of coal from the main hatch to the fore-peak. It was so hot today that our week's wack of butter, which was rather near the window, has melted completely out of sight, and is now a pool of water. Head winds again and calms. Caught a pretty large shark this afternoon. No one would eat the beast except Bosun. He had some of its head for tea as he said he believed eating everything that would eat him. He is a sort of canable chap. | ||
| Tuesday, 3rd | Everything seems to smell of shark. You can always tell when these brutes are near by the smell. Beautiful weather. Curing albatros skin. | ||
| Wednesday, 4th Lat 32°7’S Long 127°30’W |
Oiling poop, painting and setting up Fore and main rigging. Beautiful day. Still head wind. We are now expecting the trades. | ||
| Thursday, 5th | Painting and general frigging around. Lovely head wind. Tack and tack, day and night. | ||
| ⚪ | Friday, 6th | All day suging. Our hands are all holes as the costic soda was very strong. The wars have commenced again. The mate and I opened the “Ball” this afternoon on the poop. We are on our bare allowance of water now which is 3 quarts per day. | |
| Saturday, 7th | Sighted a homeward-bounder away on horizon, but she soon disappeared, leaving us alone again. Bending fine weather sails on the fore. Dead head wind. Tacked ship four times. | ||
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