Travel Diaries and Journals

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.

On bd. of "Ivanhoe"

Monday April 25th. 1859.

went 100 odd miles today passed Roderique within 100 miles of course could not see it, seen only at 14 leagues distance. breeze pretty light throughour the day weather pleasant & cool Therm. at Midday 75°.

[struck through:Monday] Tuesday April 26th. 1859

Find it difficult to get up early in the mg. now weather getting so pleasant & cool. up at 7 ocl did not get a bath. Stitches in tweed trouses this mg. Thick mist on bd.[?] only [?] every second or 3rd. day 183 miles today.

[struck through: Tuesday] Wednesday April 27th. 1859

Fine breeze until 12 last night continued light since [?] 12 ocl today weather continues fine like a fine English day but

at "Sea" of[f] Roderique 26th

Sun rather too warm. Therm. 75° at midday 70° or 72 before sunrise (in the shade [written above: the former]) in the shade) reading (Sullivan) & Miller's Surgery this forenoon before tiffin & the fall of Palmyra) nearly calm all the evg.

[Struck through: Sunday] Thursday April 28th. 1859

off Mauritius [written above: southward]. remains calm up at 7 (bad feeding) all grumbly.

Sunday May 1st. 1859

off the southern coast of Madagascar. no obs taken yesterday breeze very light today during the last day or two Mother Careys have been flying round the stern this mg. saw a small albatross 25° S. had a stiff breeze the other night looked very black fancied we would have a Cyclone bar[ometer]. however remained steady & wind also. a vessel