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A Diary from Sea, 1896-97 From the aft main deck a door opens in ro North . H ull down. Rat still living. a passage that leads to the main cabin . Off Fri. 30: H eavy rai n & wind in squalls. this passage are the officers' roo ms, stewa rd's Play cribbage and euchre a good deal with pantry, etc. T he cabin is large and light Captain. Saw ropsail & royals of a large but plainly furnished. Stairs lead to a chart barque on port side bound No rth . Porpoises house on the poop. This room is where the about ship. Captain and I spend most of our time. It is Sat. 31: Passed steamer bound NE in mornfurnished with a padded settee, two chairs, ing ... Rat taken out dead . a desk, and the necessary instruments for November 1: Getting roo much to Westnavigation, readingand wa rd . So tacked ship card pl aying. T he crew at noon. never come on the poop Tues. 10: Crosse d except as necessary for the lin e yes terday .. . handling sail and taking Shifted 200 cases of a trick at the wheel. oil from #4 hatch forT h e [a ppren ri ced ] wa rd to # 1 to see if she boys do no t li ve in wo uld sail better but the forecas tl e but have no un provement. quarters by themselves Thurs. 12: Shark carand the offi cers keep ried away [turning] log them away from the this mornin g. sailors except when on Mon. 16: Light trades duty. T he officers are - fin e - hot 86 ° . always growling about Wooden barque passed the boys not knowing as tern go in g SE. Also anything or being able iron b a rqu e Annie Captain Isaac Webster shooting a sun to do anything and still Spears, Li ve rpo o l. fine. He later died underway. they neve r ta ke any M ate knew by straight pains to teach th em their business. T he boys booms & rig. Both pro bably headed for have to pick it up as best way they can. T he Ri o de Janeiro. sailors do not li ke them very well, either, as Wed25: Warmer nearly 70°F. At noon south they regard them as privileged class.T he boys oflnaccessible and N ightingale Islands [not generall y get on the good si de of some of inhabited except by shipwrecked sailors] & the men, however, and pick up the kn ots, peak of Tristan da C un a. Anderson lived there for 8 days when shipwrecked on Inacsplices, etc. DAILY ENTRIES cessible Island. Six drown ed trying to swim Sunday, Oct. 4: Seasick fo r first time since ashore. H e stayed on ship 2 days, then was leaving-kept bun k. 40 days on Tristan da C una Sat.17: Fair wind and weather. Two-masted, Sat. 28: Temperature-54°F; Latirnde one-funnel tra mp steamer crossed our stern 38° 28' S x Longitude 2° 44' W. Put on go ing NE by N about 3or 4 miles away-red win ter underclothes & was chilly in the botto m, black top, red funnel with black ni ght. The oil stove heated the Captain's rim aro und to p. roo m nicely tonight. Fri. 23: Fine and warm 84°. West wind December 3: A SW gale with a rough sea. dying out to a calm at night ... Passed old Was sick at dinner. Lots of water on deck wooden barque on starboard side bound and the mate got his roo m full before doo r W. In ballast and pro bably No rwegian fo r imo cabin was closed . Ca rried one jib and West Indi es or Southern States. topgallan ts & 2 jigger staysails. Eased up in Mon. 26: Steward has nailed a ra t in our evening and put on all sail. sideboard , which is gnawing all the time Fri. 4: O ff Cape of Good H ope-Captain's to get out. H as had no foo d or water since birthday (46) & gave him my 2 cigars. Sunday morning. Mon. 7: Good breeze increasing ro gale. Thurs. 29: Rain squalls. W ind SE light. Running before it on co urse with royals Full-rigged ship with double ro pgall ant an d flying jibs set, but upper sraysa ils and yards passed o n starboard side, bound span ker in. Rough sea & lots of water on
SEA HISTORY 106, WINTER 2004
deck. Capta in says on the wind we might be abl e to ca rry topsails. Fri. 11: Barque abeam on port side about 6 to 10 miles off Almost calm. Wind SW, Fine and warm . Fished for albatross & got three on, but lost them . Breeze increasing toward night & barque we m out of sight. Sun. 13: Sea very rough in night and water all over poop and decks full. Could not sleep because ship ro ll ed so. Caught two albatross & th ird broke the hook upsetting the seco nd mate and myself. Tues. 15: Good breeze-d ear, couldn't get sun at noo n, but made at least 250 miles. Squ alls came up at noon & hid sun. Wed. 16: D ead calm all day. Captain clearing out fo rwa rd storeroom. Very foggy every little whil e and fog- horn go ing. Couldn't get sun or horizo n. Rat ran on to m y face in the night. Thurs. 17: Beautiful day, fine & clear & temp up to 70°F. Almost dead calm . U nbem crossjack sail, mended it and bem it aga111 . Sun. 20: Good breeze but cold from S. No ticed Muir going to the wheel for a 2 hour trick in a light jumper and bare feet. An other man with overcoat, muffler & mittens. Mon. 21: Cold-53°. Seen no petrels for so me days back- rough. Muir at wheel today with down overcoat, mittens and bi g boo ts. Some whales blowing around vessel. Ca n smell them. Tues. 22: Cold rainy and disagreeable, wind NW. H ad to wrap blanket round self to keep warm. Wind increased at night and took in royals. Wed. 23: D avidso n the Nova Scotia sailor raising blood-anemic & cough. Anderso n better. Pulled tooth fo r old Cameron. Thurs. 24: Lo ngitude 103° 40' E, H ad all sail off of main mas t as wind was aft & all fore & aft sails. Only topsail in since leaving NY. Fri. 25: C hristmas-Gave men grog at noo n. Boys jam , sardines, condensed milk. No wo rk. 84 days our. Potatoes gone. Two men at wheel al l night. Sat. 26: H eavy gale and very heavy sea. D avidson in bunk 102°. Pulse fast, not raising much blood & not so much cough. Mon. 28: H eavy swells & rolls- Captain and I played cribbage again for first time since Christmas. He only got one game 23