Travel Diaries and Journals

off Ceylon at Sea 6°27 N

Wednesday April 6th. 1859

Up at 5.30. quite calm has been a very close & warm night slept on the bench in the cuddy Payne on the floor & Peterson on the other bench. Mrs. p & Mrs. W on the floor in the after Cabin. had a Couple buckets salt water a [?] & a cup of coffee without milk. Saw a large shark between 6 & 7 under the port Quarter. Could not get a hook to try to catch him. a light breeze came up about 8 ocl fair. 12 ocl. light wind Cont. very warm weather. reading Pickwick abroad. slept after tiffin long chat with Payne in the evg.

Thursday April 7th. 1859.

Up at 1/2 past 5 bath Coffee read Pickwick abroad Mg. not so hot as yesterday slept very cool

on bd. "Ivanhoe" Lat 5.56

all night on the bench. very light breeze moving along one or two knots Peterson commenced to prick off a Chart of the route to England appears as if we were to make a very long passage I hope under 5 months at any rate. hot day fine light breeze sprung up in the Evg. 4½ Knots. How When Where in the evg.

Friday April 8th. 1859.

up at 4 this mg. woke by noise on deck occasioned by a squall [overwritten:up] turned in again up before 6 bath tea read Pickwick abroad Close hot muggy day nervous after smoking a Cheroot Peterson turned in feeling feverish

Saturday April 9th. 1859

Up at 5.30. a bath & coffee finished Pickwick Abd.

off Ceylon Lat Long At Sea

Peterson ill of fever all day read half of Jack Huiton hunt slipper &ce in the evg. very hot day

Sunday April 10th. 1859

Up before 6. S W bath &ce very close warm day. Sailors harpooning dolphin forward brought 3 on board. have an idea that dolphins are poisonous from Copper get from Copper beds at the bottom of the sea had one for dinner black looking but not bad to eat a little harsh. very hot 90° nearly calm all day Lat Long

Monday April 11th. 1859

Up before 6. SW bath a fine light breeze astern about 7 ocl. at 12 ocl 110 miles from the line light breeze all the afternoom sing & proverbs in the evg.

Tuesday April 12th. 1859.

Up at 1/2 past 5 SW bath & coffee slight breeze has continued all

time. on bd. ship Ivanhoe

night rained heavily the last 3 or 4 mornings about 4 ocl. always sleep on the bench at night no sun to day & only a drop or two of rain. Sat on deck [struck through: on] hot awning reading Jack Huiton be longing to Peterson.

Wednesday April 13th. 1859

My birth day. (25th) last one spent in Table Bay. Up before 6 had a bath on deck. weather now much cooler Can sit on deck com- fortably all day

Thursday April 14th. 1859.

Up before 6 bath on deck reading (Oliver Twist) today sat on the forecastle nearly all forenoon looking at the sailors catching Bonito. Bisege caught 2 with a hook a french sailor trying the Granes but could not strike

At Sea Lat 18° or 19° S

of 200 miles every day (232) yesterday the SE trades have been blowing very fresh & squally a squall at 4 in the mg. two or three ships saving us (190 miles today) Some three or 4 hundred miles from (Roderique) today read an Indee account of it in a book of the Capts. in the evg. a few french families resident ships occasionaly put in for water. shoals rapidly [Struck through: mile] near land Coral reef dangerous to go onto.

Sunday 24th April 1859

had a bath on deck this mg. about six weather pleasant & Cool now we feel it cold. Peterson got Masonic Marks tatooed on his arm today intended to have something else put on my arm but put off today. nearly calm for about an hour this morning.