Travel Diaries and Journals

By Moonlit [Pencil Drawing of hills and sea seen from ship] Lions Rump Cape of Good Hope posterior extremity seen from the Belgravia on 1st April 1858 when the ship was hove too.

[Pencil drawing of hills seen from on board the Belgravia]

from near Hants Bay

2 Continuation Cape

Structure of lights seen Hants Bay the right extremity the from the Belgravia 15 miles at Cape of Good Hope sea supposed to be at the entrance of

[Pencil sketch of hills seen from on board Belgravia ]

Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point. Seen from belgravia 2nd. April 1858.

Kedgeree. After resting a short time Mr. Cloete Senr. & Junr. the Genl. Cafer Dadson & I went out to see the vineyards. the season of the grapes was nearly passed & they had been nearly all gathered. A very large tract of ground was under Culturation extend- ing a good long way up the side of the Hill. Constantia is the place famous for its manufacture of wines. A great many spurious imatations are sold [the only meth scored through] & have consequently given the Cape a bad name for wine but the genuine Constantia which is only to be got bygoing to the vineyards is in reality one of [written above] the finest wines possible to procure. We went to the Vintry & saw the processes by which the grape is fermented the pressing of the grape, [illegible] & exposure & fermentation &ec. & then we had

again for any length of time. We were very lucky in getting the South east Trades winds We gave Mauritius a wide berth & we sighted land, although at a long distance off on Friday evening March 26th. it proved to be land southward of Algoa Bay at the eastermost point if the Southern coast of Africa. here we encountered a strong westerly gale & had to beat to windward sometimes not making more than 10 miles a day we tacked inshore & down south close hauled to the wind. When we went within 10 miles of the shore we got fishing tackle ready & hauled up some beautiful fish called the red snapper. Somewhat like a salmon. One we caught weight nearly 12lbs. & the average was 7 or 8 lbs. After beating round the Cape for a week the process of doing [the scored through] putting me much in mind of the story of the Phantom Ship: a story well known to most sailors. it is said that the Capt. of a ship endeavouring to round the