Travel Diaries and Journals

on board

at Wilsons got some bac[c]y 3 rupees pound left a [struck through: late] 100 rupee note at Scott Thomsons with a note to Ferris to deduct what I had bought & 15 rupees got us this mg. from it & send a bill on to Kedgeree. Got a Gharrie at the house & went off on board the "Ivanhoe". C Philip with me breaking down ev[e]ry 5 minutes Philips left at Baboo Ghaut Got on board about nine get my Cabin & had traps put in met the other passengers at breakfast. Payne Ms. Payne Mrs. Richardson Mrs. Willis & 4 children Mr. Peterson pilot Mr. Jones. Leadsman Lane got under weigh about 10 slow work tides not suiting[?] very strong floods

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. Ship Ivanhoe

topsail yard last evening sent it down this mg. Close reefed it last night getting a new one ready. it is blowing hard. we are under 2 reefed topsail & main trysail

Friday May 13th. 1859.

Wet miserable Cold day Could not sleep for toothache greater part of last night bitter cold. sent a new topsail yard aloft yesterday. Time passes very dully. Smoke Cheroots read or play Ecarte or Catch 10 in the evg. Tiff with Mrs R. & Capt. last evg. Mrs. W[?] rushed from Cabin hair streaming never seen such meaness Mr W. would pay dearly[?] Payne[?] also spoke of badness of feeding[?] went to my Cabin did not interfere A Schooner in sight this mg. making short tacks

Ascention

& thence to the Stores. got some baggages for Cn. went to the house of a Dr. Manies had a glass wine thence to the reading room. saw there Asst. Surgeon & 3rd. Lt. (Devils Ministry out) retd. on bd. to dinner in the afternoon all of us went in the boat landed at Comfort Cove tried to Scramble up hill with Mrs. W but could not manage it. pulled up towards the peir & from thence on bd.

Thursday June 9th 1859.

Last evg. went with the Capt. on bd. two ships in the harbour. the Capt. of one McDowl a brother of McDowl Stationer in Edinr. we met him at Comfort Cove in the afternoon when pulling round the island this Mg. Payne & I went fishing close into the rocks where a number of fish swarmed round

Ascention

the boat. we caught about 2 dozen sick Cod Skip Jack & red fish. two were caught by hand by one of the sailors & Ben caught a very lazy eel which was exchanged to Capt McDowl for two Cod. pulled to the ship about 9. lost the rudder & steered with a dagg[e]er went on shore after breakfast with Mrs. R. Payne Mrs. P. Mrs. W. had a little difficulty in landing. Mrs. R. dropped her purse in the surf & lost it Coy [contained] £5 some shillings. we to the store Capt. Elliot opman's[?] asked us to his house. Walked at 12 ocl to the burial ground, Chapel & turtle pond. very hot but Sun not dealy Mrs. R. caught a parrot. I went down & got a Hip Ascention Sand. great heat off the Sand burnt my hip pitching it into the boat went to