Travel Diaries and Journals

blown away. St. James' Theatre was unroofed & nearly destroyed; the roof of the cathedral is much damaged; the sheds of the East Indian Railway Company are un- roofed & Messrs Thacker & Spink's premises seriously da- maged. Our won troubles wer describe yesterday. In fact scarcely a pucka house in Calcutta has escaped without injury, while the native huts especially in the suburbs were almost all blown down. The telegraph lines are interrupted in all directions. All these losses are suffi- ciently annoying & lamentable; but it is on the river that the storm has been attended by the most disastrous consequences. To have an accurate or connected account of the loss among the is as yet impossible; all is confu- sion, & it is scarcely known what ships have been entirely lost. What are [irre?ediably] damaged, & what are safe. The last are few indeed, perhaps not more than half a dozen are in a state to go to sea without extensive repairs with few exceptions. The shipping were driven from their moorings & cast ashore or jammed to- gether on the opposite side of the river. While several were sunk in midchannel, & others stranded by the storm wave high up on the Calcutta shore. Several ships

Lat Longde

[?] Island of Rodrigue lies in 19o-41'-o". 63-201-0"

[?] Island lies in 20-9-0. 75-28-41

Cape of Good Hope lies in 34-[illegible?]-24

[St Helena?] lies in 15-54-48. 5-45-20

[?] lies in 36-6-20. 5-20-53

Cape St. [?] lies in 37-2 54. 9-0-54

Calcutta lies in 22-34-38. 88-21-12

Bombay lies in 15-55-48. 72-52-54

[?] near Kurrachee lies in 22-24-0. 70-56-30

Monday August 17th 1857.

I awoke this morning at 6 oclock after a good nights sleep the steward brought me some coffee at 7 clock which did me a great deal of good I can get up now feeling only a little squeamish & a slight headache. on awaking here in the morning one night imagine they were in the midst of a farmyard. there are cocks crowing geese cackling pigs grunting ducks quacking sheep bleating cows bellowing dogs barking & the medley filled up by the "niggers" who make such a horrid yelling we have had rather a rough night of it the cabin windows are all bolted down. The Fushia which I got from Fred still keeps green although I am afraid it will not stand the voyage I lost a good deal of the earth out of the pot between London & Southampton & the sea air will be too strong for it. however I hope with good doctoring it may yet see Calcutta. I have been upon deck & what a beautiful sight meets the eye. Our fine ship tearing through the

pass them the sailors were immediately up on each side & pinned him fast to the crosstrees the rest were gathered on deck laughing at him asking how he felt? Was he proud of his victory? how amiable he looks? & such like remarks. On paying his 10/- he was loosened & came down rather crestfallen. There is no end of good living here we have breakfast lunch dinner tea supper & all of them in the very best style. We have Claret to breakfast & we go by the Indian custom so far as to have rice & curry at every dish there being a good many old Indians on board like it very nice but those who have been in India say that it is nothing compared with the curry we will get in Calcutta. In the evening between 8 & 9 oclock all kinds of fruit are placed on the table With wines of every kind which every one may take as much of as he pleases Which I think is a great pity as several rather noisy Scenes take place afterwards I have made a point of not going into the Saloon at all as yet at night I generally remain on

deck until 9 or 10 oclock when there is singing going on both among the sailors in the forecastle & the passengers on the Quarter deck. Some of the sailors sing well & with good taste & feeling & I must say I like better to listen to the singing of these honest heated fellows than to be in the company of the more distinguished & fashionable Most of them seem to think of nothing else from morning to night but playing cards gambling & betting I can see the sovereigns change owners very quickly I believe there is one man on board who has already lost £150. I can notice that they play for higher stakes every day I dont know what it will be before we reach Calcutta The surgeon tells me that In a ship which he went out before one man gambled away not only all his money but even his outfit & landed without a shirt to out on. So much for gambling - we passed in a line