| Saturday, 14th | Dead head wind again. Extremely hot expecially when the breeze falls. Blackening down main. | ||
| ⚪ | Sunday, 15th | Put vessel round this morning, but very little wind, so it doesn't matter much which way she is heading. Very hot and again in the same place with hammock where this is being written. | |
| Monday, 16th | The wind has worked round to the S.E. again and I expect this is the beginning of the trades. We are in Lat 22°30’S. Sighted homeward bounder this morning but were not close enough to signal. Fine weather all day, but quite the reverse in the evening at 7 p.m. Of course just as it got dark heavy squalls came on, and at eight we were in one of the worst lightning storms I have had the pleasure of witnessing. The Sheet, Chain and Fork lightning was all over the horizon and above our heads. Our eyes were so blinded by the flashes, which were almost incessant, that we couldn't see anything on deck. You might have thought our ship was being bombarded by the noise of the thunder. By midnignt it was over and all sail set, and then such a beautiful still night that you would hardly believe it possible to be within a few miles of a thunder storm. | ||
| Tuesday, 17th | Good trades, if trades they are. All day very heavy squalls. Almost carried away Fore royal mast. Painting. | ||
| Wednesday, 18th Lat 17°59’S Long 123°12’W |
Took all our gear out of our house and gave it a good clean out with sugie. The Quarter deck has the aspect of a picnic ground just now. Every thing being mixed up so that is impossible to find anything you wish. Marmalade is over everything and nearly everything has been in the butter. | ||
| Thursday, 19th Lat 17°59’S Long 123°12’W |
Painted ceiling of our house. There is a great reform in the living of our ship. The cook and steward work together and since the row everything has been spoiled by the cook. The men started to get troublesome and even a mutiny was threatened, so the old cook, who got ruptured on the passage out, was called aft and told that his services could be dispensed with, and the great big nigger, who is boss of the ship, was put into the galley. He has several times threatened to kill the old man and also the mate, and is king of the fo'c'stle, has thrown two men out of there for being dirty, etc. I am a great favourite of his, so will fare well. He is, he says, going to make this ship one of the best livers afloat. | ||
| Friday, 20th | Painting house. Splendid trades. Fine weather. The nigger came aft and demanded cook's wages. He got them too. | ||
| Saturday, 23rd [sic] | Painting house, and this last few days we have been painting up aloft the masts and yards. It is a very dangerous and troublesome job having to get right under the yards and lie back on the foot ropes, while she is rolling with a paint brush in one hand and the pot in the other. | ||
| ⚪ | Sunday, 22nd | The picnic still continues. All day in hammock writing this in it. Splendid day. 10 degrees south of the line, therefore rather hot. The second mate and I are the only ones in the watch aft, and are great chums, we never have arguments now, I always agree with him. I am looking after no. 1, and find it pays best. At night he nearly always strikes the bells for me. On the whole he is a rather decent chap. No one would know this ship now. A week ago we had nothing to eat to speak of. Just bare pint and pound, not a crumb more, and then that spoiled in the cooking, and then almost thrown at you. Now I will say there is not a better living ship that I know of. First I must say Smoothers the “king” roams about the store room just as he likes, everyone is frightened to stop him. He is a splendid cook, having cooked in the sheep stations ( [- ? -] included) and in all parts of the world. Most sea cooks have the distressing malady “laziness” always. He is an exception and as he is a nigger he works like a nigger. Instead of nothing for breakfast, and tea, we now always have something, doughnuts, patties, stew, always a change too. Dinner, first rate, soup and perhaps a tart or plum duff (eatable duff) and a good supply of meat or curry, served up decently, that also makes it seem better. She is a “home”" now and makes things go much better, when a man has plenty to eat there isn't much trouble with him. I fare very well with Smothers. He has completely changed the ship, and therefore is a great favourite with all hands, except perhaps the cabin hands. | |
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