Tuesday Aug 25th A lot of the new hands came aboard today. We still want 5 more
We. Aug 26th Went ashore for the last time before sailing & bade farewell to Herbie
Thurs. Aug 27th Refuse to keep gangway any longer as it comes very hard on me to be always on gangway.
Friday Aug. 28th Got all the livestock aboard & hoisted in the gangway ladder in preparation for sailing on the morrow. 18 sheep & 6 pigs, 12 geese & 96 fowls comprise our livestock. No living soul was allowed to go ashore tonight except the skipper.
Saturday Aug 29th The last 4 new hands came aboard at 7 a.m. The Hawkesbury gig came off to us at 8 a.m. with all the apprentices to say goodbye to us. When rowing back they cheered us right lustily, to which we replied with three times three. Bye the bye this is my birthday and I am 20 years old. I hope Cecil is enjoying himself at home. At 8.30 a.m. the steam tugs �Mystery� & �Irresistible� came alongside & having unshackled the ship from the buoy they tugged us out of Lavender Bay, a lot of people waving handkerchiefs & cheering us as we passed Davies Point Having dipped to the �Hawkesbury� we passed the Nelson dipping our ensign to her. After getting outside of the Heads we set sail steering S.E. with a favourable North wind. At 6.30 p.m. watches were picked & I was chosen for the 2nd Mates watch.
Sunday Aug 30th No service held today on account of the quantity of work to be done in consequence of just starting from port.
Monday Aug 31st Very favourable winds at present though light at times.
Tuesday Sept 1st Have taken a bet of 1/- with Gambier that we shall get to the Horn in 28 days from Sydney & if these breezes hold we are pretty sure to get there in that time.
Wed. Sept 2nd The 2nd mate has turned up ill. In some former time he had the �Yellow Jack� and now he suffers two or three times a year with tremendous sickness in consequence of it. The bos�n has had to take his place on deck
Thurs. Sept 3rd We are nearing New Zealand fast & are at present making a very quick passage.
Friday Sept. 4th The 2nd mate is still laid up. Passed the North of New Zealand during the day and sighted a number of islands off the north coast.
Saturday Sept. 5th The 2nd mate has at last been able to turn out once more & right glad are all hands that are in his watch, for there never could be a finer fellow, a braver man, or a stricter officer
Sunday Sept. 6th A stiff breeze blowing all day & in a favourable quarter: bowling along at a good pace.
Monday Extra day as we have just past 180�.
Monday Sept 7th Very squally. Wind getting ahead.
Tuesday Sept 8th Getting very cold. The squalls are very cutting.
Wednesday Sept 9th Wind has got ahead and consequently we are driven out of our course steering N.N.E. when we want to SE x E� .E.
Thursday Sept 10th The captain (keen old sea dog) began to shorten at 11.30 although there was only a cap full of wind blowing but he saw what was coming before anyone else aboard & about 12.15 it began to blow hard increasing gradually until in an hour�s time it was blowing great guns, but by that time we were under snug canvass, being 3 lower tops�ls, fores�l and storm bys�l. It blew hard all night.
Friday Sept 11th Still under the same canvass & still headreaching on account of the unfavourable wind. A southerly buster came on tonight but it had no effect on us under such little canvass
Saturday Sept. 12th Favourable wind once more so we have set all sail again. If the wind had not changed today the Captain was going to go about and go round the Cape of Good Hope as it was a favourable wind for that direction.
Sunday Sept 13th The wind changed into a favourable direction for the Horn & we set all sail. At 12.15 a.m. a white squall came up suddenly. All hands were called on deck to shorten sail, but we were barely in time to save the ship from going down. The squall struck us & put the ship on her beam ends the lee sail being completely under water & the decks almost perpendicular. At the same the main topm�st stays�l carried away and � a second after the crojack tack carried away.
Everyone was expecting to see the fore t�gallant & royal masts to go overboard, but an old sailor (Jack Knowall as we call him) at the risk of his life left the main bits where he was hanging on & crept along under the weather bulwarks & let go the t�gallant halliards. Then at last the (ship) began to right herself. There were 5 men at the wheel & they could only gain 4 spokes on account of the pace she was going which was over 18 knots. It was a narrow squeak for almost all hands as possible. However after she came up we very soon had her under snug canvass viz:- fores�l, fore lower tops�l, main lower tops�l & topmast stays�l.
Monday Sept. 14th A furious gale blew all day but we were right enough under snug canvass.
Tuesday Sept 15th Began to set sail early this morning the gale having diminished considerably.
Wed. Sept 16th A calm came on about midday and lasted all night Lat 48.25 Long 146.12.
