Travel Diaries and Journals

knocked the Telegraphic Office away & gone on the other side of it. The "Andrew Henderson" coming about 5 PM concluded to despatch all infor- mation by the same vessel regarding ourselves &c. The weather throughout since then has been calm & clear with light airs prevailing from NWest. under present circumstances made no agreement with the "Martaban" for towage.

Saturday 8th October. Daylight the "Andrew Hen- derson" having proceeded up to town with des- patches from ship & ourselves got steam up & took Mr. Vaughan pilot on board, & went sounding up the Auckland Channel at 11 am Took ship in tow & proceeded up, carrying 4 fms [fathoms] half flood. All tide ganges destroyed by gale. 0.15 PM Mud point at 1 PM sighted the wreck of an Arab ship on Rangafulla Island (The ship "Ally" with 400 coolies bound to Mauritius Mr Worthington pilot all drowned but two or three coolies) Sighted the "Megna" pilot vessel aground off Hulida river 2.30 PM Diamond Harbour. The whole place in ruins & the river so strewed with dead bodies & cattle as to

certain [different - scored through] numbers 1,2,3 &ec they hoisted four of these pendants & by dint of perserverance & a good glass we made out her number & on turning up the book we found her ot be the "General Castell. We returned our number we then signalled where bound [underscored] they answered Maurituis [underscored] & asked where we were bound. We answered Calcutta We had by this time get far ahead & could not signal anymore We each however put up a pendant to show that we understood each other. I watched the Maneuvering with great interest & having a good glass I could make out the signals very well Lat 17.7 Long 26.23 218 miles

Friday Augt 28th 1857

The weather is now very warm especially this m'g the air is oppressive it makes me sweat like a Yank we sleep outisde the bedclothes at night now with our white ducks on & manage to sleep very cooly. We also keep our cabin door open & there is an open hatchway close beside we have put off steam today & are trusting to sail

On the left of Table Mountain is the Devils peak. (For what reason it has received the above euphonian title I know not) looking over the port side of the vessel is the Northern side of the bay & further out of the bay Robben Island. It is now eight months since I left home. Certainly the most eventful period of my past life. First nearly 3 months on the voyage to India, rather more than three months residence in Calcutta after seein Mauritius Palma Santa Cruz Ceylon Madras & now here we are in Table Bay. Certainly the pleasantest place I have seen since I left England and A place I should not have the slightest objection to settle down in. I must begin to write a long letter home today. The mail leaves about the 20th. & is due in England

again for any length of time. We were very lucky in getting the South east Trades winds We gave Mauritius a wide berth & we sighted land, although at a long distance off on Friday evening March 26th. it proved to be land southward of Algoa Bay at the eastermost point if the Southern coast of Africa. here we encountered a strong westerly gale & had to beat to windward sometimes not making more than 10 miles a day we tacked inshore & down south close hauled to the wind. When we went within 10 miles of the shore we got fishing tackle ready & hauled up some beautiful fish called the red snapper. Somewhat like a salmon. One we caught weight nearly 12lbs. & the average was 7 or 8 lbs. After beating round the Cape for a week the process of doing [the scored through] putting me much in mind of the story of the Phantom Ship: a story well known to most sailors. it is said that the Capt. of a ship endeavouring to round the

on bd. ship "Ivanhoe"

up as usual in the Mg. before six taking SW bath on deck. the westerly wind continued until yesterday in Lat° 13. the trades commenced squally & wet yesterday. Several ships have been in sight within the last few days. one close along side yesterday "Scandia" Madras to Mauritius with Coolies. went across our bows. we beat after & she walked ahead again in the evg. Ship rolled very heavily all the night before last. slept now all night. Must have been blowing a gale near. have been going along briskly since yesterday 10. 10 1/2 blowing fresh this mg. 20 took in Stunsails.

Saturday 23rd April 1859.

During the last three days we have been going along briskly upwards