Travel Diaries and Journals

dropped from the quarter of the ship & the native succeeded in taking hold of it. 6 seconds longer & he would have been lost. This forenoon made visits round the sick men found most of them improving. 2 men however still remain in a precarious state.

19th Left Kedgeree in tow of the Sydney past Saugor island between 12 & 1 oclock. lost sight of land at 2. OClock. Pilot went left at 4 oclock. I sent letters for home stating that I was of to the Cape & that Barry was to draw my pay & remit Cos. Rs. 50 monthly. Wrote to Fred Bessie & Kate I. This Afternoon boy fell overboard from boat. [illegible?] and bravely lines dropped for him but he struck out from the ship Lascars would scarely help to save him but on being Shouted to from our ship they reached him an oar As soon as he got into the boat he

last night had a debate with the Capt. on the motion of the earth round the Sun. The Capt. accounting for the Seasons by the elevation & depression of the poles. intend commencing a long letter home today to post at the Cape if there is a chance of it reaching home sooner than from India. [Monday scored through] Friday March 5th. 1858 [underscored] Robinson has had a relapse & is getting worse. the weather is very squally & cloudy. they blow very violently for a few minutes & then the rain comes down in torrents. [Thursday scored through] [Friday scored through] March 6th. 1858 Saturday{underscored] It has continued to blow all night squalls coming on every 10 minutes. The fore & main top laid sheets have both been torn by the violence of the wind. Poor Robinson is still getting worse medicine has no effect upon him he is quite delirious now & has fallen comatose died at 1/2 past 6

below. I find to be one of the number who left Edin. for the Crimea in the Golden Fleece. (the 4th regt.) some three or four years ago. he took ill going up country & has been invalided to the Cape The weather is beautiful & much cooler now. We have got into the South East trade winds now. & the ship goes spanking along quite gaily. We expect to reach the Cape (DV) in 3 or 4 weeks The Capt. promised me a copy of the log which I must make use of Sunday. March 14th 1858. Is always Sunday everywhere although there be very little to mark it the detachment of artillery are mustered on deck along with those of the invalids who are able to be on deck. We had no service today as [D scored through] Lt. Dadson is laid up

with his knee joint & I do not know the English Church service sufficiently well to undertake it. Read 14 chapters in Genesis this morning. The day is beautiful & clear & the sun rather hot during the day the wind is still keeping fair & the Capt. fully expects to run down to the Cape in 24 days. Tuesday Mch: 9 till Friday Mch: 26th 1858 During this time we have been grad- ually making our way down to the Cape of Good Hope. No further serious illness has occurred on board with the exception of one of the soldiers who was knocked down by sun stroke. he has however recovered & is now quite well. We have had on the whole fine weather occasional squalls & one night it blew very hard but it cleared before morning & we have since had fine weather. Our

An unusual number of porpoises got up. Made our bows a perfect cloud of them Kept leaping above water, & swimming along faster than the ship. the sailors got hold of a harpoon & struck one, but the shaft of the harpoon broke the line was carried off. the whole flock immediately dis- appeared. We made the land again at 10 oclock (AM) it came on to blow very hard then but it passed off as we made the land. Got up to the Western exty [extremity] of the Cape this afternoon. Saw a large Steamer under sail. Close on land, & the Aguelas light house. Passed danger point where many ships are lost. The steamer supposed to be the Himalaya from India to England with Invalids. We kept on along the land