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| Friday Nov 5 This being my father's birthday I wish him many happy returns of the day and to amuse myself read all the letters sent to me at Plymouth over again. Saturday Nov 6 |Sunday Nov 7 | Mon Nov 8 | Tuesday Nov 9 It both hailed and snowed today. It is very cold and during last week I had a very severe cold but it is much better now and I cannot say that I have more than enough to eat. It snowed very hard at about 5 o'clock this evening, so much so that the passengers amused themselves by snowballing one another. Wednesday Nov 10 An amusing (!) scene happened today this morning. There has been some strange report flying about the ship - of two lady passengers in our Cabin and two gentlemen in the Cuddy. One of the women's names was Miss Long the other Mrs Davidson, whose husband appears to be half silly. It appears that these women have been seen go into the cabin of the Cuddy gentlemen as late as 12 o'clock and remain there till 2 this has been done several times and on one occasion Mr Davidson went to fetch his wife return, but they made him drunk and sent him to bed. Mr Davidson was heard one night to say that he would expose her when she said "James! if you expose me to the ship I will kill you!" To look at the woman one would not have thought her capable of such a thing. Now it appears that Mr Morrison and his wife (who is called the bloomer in consequence of her wearing such a large straw hat) slept in the next cabin, and in telling the Captain of the affair said that the 1st Mate was in there on Sunday night. The Mate denied it call his men who keep watch with him before the Captain who asked if the Mate had neglected his duty they answer "No". The mate then called Mr Morrison a liar - the consequence was a fight. They came down to out deck, and the Captain sent them forward to the head of the vessel to fight. - Mr Wight the chief mate, is a strong built seaman but has been ill for several weeks during the voyage and therefore is still weak, while Mr Morrison, the Cuddy passenger is a tall well built man who seems to understand how to fight. It ended, after much blood on both sides, by the Mate giving in. And the notice that was stuck up some time ago by some of the 2nd Cabin passengers was wanted by 1st Cabin "and women the cause of all this row" say I. Oh! O - h! Thursday Nov 11 | Friday Nov 12 The whether gets colder and colder every day, and we have got a N.E. wind, that is driving us south, we get under the blankets. By Jove, while I write this my hand is about frozen. I never dreamt it would be so cold we are now near Latitude 50� 15'. Longitude 70� 0'. Last night I saw the Southern Lights, which are like the Northern Aurora Borealis, and very beautiful. Saturday Nov 13 Last night the wind blew so hard and boisterously that they had to take nearly all the sail in, we rocked dreadfully, and rolled and went through the water at a terrific rate. Nearly all of us were kept awake all night, so in our Cabin we laid in bed all day, and only let Hewer get up and get the breakfast and dinner, while Thompson and I laid in bed - and that was the warmest place. We are all anxiously looking for change of wind. I cannot say how cold it is - the Captain has come much farther south than ships generally do , or he intended. Sunday Nov 14 Very wet and miserable and cold all day. Not up very early you may be sure. Monday Nov 15 Glorious news - the wind has changed we have got a fair wind, and now we begin to look forward with great anxiety to arriving at Port Phillip. We have been much more south than Kerguelen Land and Desolation Island which we passed yesterday morning. Tuesday 16 | Wednesday 17 A beautiful day - but in calm we would sooner have it rather rough with a good breeze than calm. A breeze sprang up in the evening and we are off again. Thursday Nov 18 |til Thursday Nov 25 We have had great changes of whether sometimes almost at a calm at others going 10 knots an hour - There are many reports as to when we shall be there - but the Capt. keeps it very close and will not tell anyone where we are. Some say we shall be there on Sunday . I hope we shall. Friday Nov 26 | Saturday 27 Numbers of whales seen about the ship. Sunday Nov 28 Not there or near yet. We are almost becalmed again. Monday Nov 29 Three Albertrosses were caught today - beautiful birds - larger than geese - they measured from the tip of wing to the tip of wing about 10ft -6 - but they are swarmed with lice. |
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