Monday June 29th On gangway duty.
Tuesday June 30th Bos�n (the dog) in playing & rushing about made a jump to get on the main hatch(as he thought) but the hatches being off he went clean down into the lower hold, a distance of over 30 feet, but luckily he did not break any of his bones, but only got a good shaking up. Today a Scotch ship called the River Fallock of Glasgow came in and laid alongside of us; and in the evening the whole crew deserted from the ship, because the captain was such a stingy & arbitary man & treated them so badly. They got away in the following manner. One fellow got ashore & went and hired a boat & brought it round to the bow of the vessel about 8.30 p.m. It was a beautiful moon lit night so we could see them quite plainly, first letting their chests & clothing gear down into the boat by means of a rope. Then one after another they slid down about 16 or 17 of them & rowed off very quietly until they got some distance off the ship and then they gave 3 cheers of defiance as they disappeared round the next wharf.
Wednesday July 1st Went into dry dock today; the tugs came alongside at 9.30 a.m. and towed us away to the dry dock. We scraped her today & shall paint her tomorrow.
Thursday July 2nd Painted the vessel today & tallowed her. Went ashore and walked all over Balmain
Friday July 3rd Went out of dry dock at8.45 a.m. & was towed back to Central Wharf
Saturday July 4th Went over the �Rome� lying at Circular Quay, with Elmhurst. She is the most splendid steamer I have ever been aboard of. She is just like an hotel inside. There are a number of coolies in the crew.
Sunday July 5th On gangway duty. Herby came aboard in the afternoon and stayed to tea.
Monday July 6th Swept the tween decks out.
Tuesday July 7th Painted the top of the lower hold.
Wednesday July 8th Same as on Tuesday. Asked to go ashore but was not allowed because there were 2 midshipmen & apprentices ashore already. A very paltry reason indeed.
Thursday July 9th Painted the masts in the lower hold.
Friday July 10th Made bagarincle till 3.30 p.m. then got leave to go ashore.
Saturday July 11th We did not get the decks washed down until 4.15 p.m. so did not get much of the afternoon to ourselves. Three more of our men have hooked it so now we have only 3 of our original crew left. Saw Herby in the evening. Went down to Paddy�s Market for the 1st time.
Sunday July 12th Laid in all the morning & went to the Botanical gardens in the afternoon. They are the best gardens I have ever seen. They are full of tropical trees & plants & have a very fine collection of foreign and tropical birds.
Monday July 13th Went to the Sailor�s Home & had a game of billiards and read the papers &c.
Tuesday July 14th On gangway duty. Had a box with Missen.
Wednesday July 15th Got leave to go ashore in the afternoon but it rained the whole afternoon so did not go.
Thursday July 16th Swept the tween decks down.
Friday July 17th Went to the Sailor�s Home in the evening.
Saturday July 18th Washed down decks. Lent Gustaveson (� master) 2/- to get 3lbs of naval tobacco with, but he deserted the ship with my 2/- in his pocket.
Sunday July 19th Went to the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon & to the National Art Gallery.
Monday July 20th Pumped out the bilge water. Swept down the tween decks.
Tuesday July 21st The steamer �Port Phillip� came alongside the same wharf as we are at. Lumpers knocked off work off our vessel to load her.
Wednesday July 22nd Steamer has taken 2760 sheep aboard. It rained all afternoon so could not go ashore as I intended to.
Thursday July 23rd �Port Phillip� took 84 horses aboard. She is bound for the Cambridge Gulf in Western Australia to found a new settlement.
Friday July 24th One of the midshipmen claimed Timothy made a most brutal & cowardly attack on Elmshurst. He got him on his back & slogged at him with all his might, cutting his face about in a most horrible manner & completely closing one of his eyes. In the evening all the midshipmen followed him ashore & having surrounded him made him go down on his knees & beg Elmshurst�s pardon. He is the biggest tallest & strongest fellow amongst us, but he couldn�t manage to lick all of us together. He is also the most detested of all of us. He asked the skipper for his discharge & so I think we shall get rid of him before we sail from here. If he had not begged Elmshurst�s pardon we should have half killed him for we all had various kinds of weapons. Amongst which were to be found 2 or 3 teasers (/) a batten of wood 48� x 68 � & a pump handle &c. &c.
