Journey Jottings

When I go travelling I never take a generic journal, bought prior to the trip, away with me.

One of my ‘travel secrets‘ is to buy a small (my preference is an A6 sized) jotter/notebook in each country/region I visit so associations of the travel journal are connected to the place – It also means I get to have my first interaction with the locals as I make it’s purchase.

On the first day of my recent trip to Scotland I sought out a local supplier of stationery ~ in this instance the local newsagent ~ and purchased an A6 x 80 page notebook with the blue and white cross of St Andrew Scottish flag on the front, and the yellow and red Royal flag of Scotland on the back.

Not keen on feeling I have to make time, for what otherwise requires an obligatory evening journal writing session, my favourite way of recording my travels is to stop and take stock at pertinent moments in the day and simply jot a few words of response to what I can see, what I can hear, what I can feel, what I can smell and what in the atmosphere I can taste, that will serve as memory joggers years later when the moment for nostalgia strikes.

See, Hear, Touch, Smell, Taste

I find this technique cuts to the chase and omits obvious mundane words such as ‘I went for a walk…’

I also like to bring encounters with people I meet along the way more alive by incorporating their notations in my jotter too! When in Cairnsmore Nature Reserve I was having trouble finding the location of a sculpture located on the top of a mountainous cliff – I met a girl who sketched this mudmap for me to follow, which being in a rugged moorland area with blanket bog of varying depths of peat, I was most grateful for ~ It’s also a great reminder of my conversation with her

Mudmap

Once filled, or as the trip draws to a close, I make a visit to the Post Office and select as many pretty stamps as possible and post it home ~

Postbox at Cairn Holy, Scotland

Its such fun opening the mail box and finding a package from a far flung place…

My Mail Box in Australia

Adorned with local stamps and precious overseas postmarks that fix the trip in time

Scottish stamps and precious local postmarks

These stamps illustrate the monarchy of Scotland – On the right is Mary, Queen of Scots 1542 – 1567 and to her left is James Vl, King of Scots 1567 – 1625 (becoming James l King of England and Ireland 1603 to 1625) ~ The stamps on the left portray the Thistle, Scotland’s floral emblem and the lion rampant of the Royal Standard of Scotland

Its great, a week after returning home to receive my holiday memories encapsulated in a jotter; walleted in an envelope that is adorned with stamps from the country/region I have not long before visited and date stamped for future musings…

revealing another chapter of my travelling life

“Up at 8 this morning & prepared our luggage for landing. Mr Tate & the Guv’nor arrived at 10.30 & soon we had all our cabin stock on board a small sailing yacht & landed at Sandridge Pier at 12 where we were soon spotted by a buggyman, who seemed very sharp fellows & anxious for a job (no growlers mind.) We engaged both one for the luggage & the other for ourselves & then took to the road through Richmond to our little cottage which was already for us thanks to our kind friend Mr Tate.

PS

This diary is a true collection of the facts occurring during our voyage from London to Melbourne & with the exception of a few yarns here & there (easily to be detected) you may believe all to be the strict truth & I hope that those kind friends who have read this far may not be tired of it, as it was written solely to show that I had not forgotten any of my old friends in England. The following is an account of our arrival copied from the Melbourne paper ‘The Argos’

The Hesperides

“The Hesperides which has arrived from London is a fine looking iron clipper ship of the modern school and is now only on her fourth voyage her first two ventures having been to Adelaide and the third to India. She is commanded by Captain Upton who was last in the China service in the clipper Pak Wan and of the voyage he reports leaving London on the September 28^th and passing Start Point on October 4^th Strong southerly winds and south westerly gales with very tempestuous weather beset the ship as far as Cape Finisterrre, whence light airs and variables followed to latitude 25 N. The northeast trades were also light and the equator was not crossed until the 6^th November at Longitude 29W. The southeast trades proved light also and Tristan d’Acunha was passed 23^rd November two days after in Latitude 42 10”S and Longitude 3 19”W. The ship was in the vicinity of a huge iceberg. It is a rare circumstance for ice to be met with in such low latitudes and it is to be hoped that no disaster will occur on its presence there.  The meridian of the Cape of Good Hope was crossed 29^th November in Latitude 44S and that of Cape Leewin on December 21^st.  The easting was also run down in the parallel of 44 with moderate winds chiefly north and a great deal of wet disagreeable weather. The Hesperides entered Port Philip Head on Saturday morning 90 days from London or 84 from Start Point.”

Arrived in Melbourne 28^th December 1878

Landed at Sandridge Pier 30^th December

A.S.A.Whelen

Final extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878

“We spent a very happy day on board. Fine weather & a strong breeze but quite cold in the shade. On putting on my best clothes I find that I have grown 2 or 3” broader across the chest which is I hope a good sign. Lived like fighting cocks all day & enjoyed ourselves first class. Our fellow passengers all went on shore yesterday evening but did not take their things with them; we hope to be there tomorrow 30^th Dec   DV”

Extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878

“Several squalls during the night & the rolling was awful. I was called according to an arrangement made last night at 3am & I immediately began paying Master Joey out for his game of the night before by rousting him out every quarter hour till 5 when he could not stand it any longer & was obliged to turn out. I saw the sun rise at 4.15 & helped haul up the pilot’s flag as well as the Union Jack of Old England.

The pilot came on board at 6.10 am & being the first colonial to be seen he was well criticized I was not very much impressed by his appearance, his sandy beard & a squinting eye & a very red nose were enough to denote the boozer but when he opened his mouth to give orders, his voice was like a cracked harmonicon. He also had a dingy hat & coat on of many more acquaintances I should say. Perhaps he is a bad specimen so I will not disgust you by further description. We went as near the coast as was safely possible to signal our name which was then telegraphed up to Melbourne. We were then obliged to stand out to sea again to wait for the tide to serve us which was about 12. We had to wait all this time but I was not sorry for it enabled me to get a good birds eye view of the outside of the coast a sight which I may never see again. Queenscliff on the left with a couple of lighthouses is a beautiful little spot & we are quite taken up by it. On the right of the opening to the bay is Snapper Point & behind that again is Sorrento. We soon past in & were soon nailed by the Board of Health Officers who came on board to look at us & then we moved along at about 8 knots an hour up the Bay. I must tell you that the entrance is about 4 miles wide but only one is navigatable. The pilot brought us some papers on board & from them we learnt the death of the Princess Alice & the failure of the City of Glasgow Bank which must be a great calamity. During the afternoon we passed the homeward mail for which we were too late which I expected we would be.

Williamstown Pier

We passed some beautiful scenery for the last of our trip & at last anchored off Williamstown (One of Melbourne’s harbours) & soon after 6.30pm we were accosted by our old friend Mr Tate who had been waiting for us for 3 hours & through his kindness we got a large bouquet of flowers & a large bag of fresh ripe fruit. Mr W then went on shore with him for the night & we were left once more to ourselves. They have been having very bad weather lately one day 110 degrees in the shade & the next it had changed to below 50. All the men are very tired tonight having been hard at work for 24 hours & I also feel tired too as I have been helping them a good bit today, so we turned in to roost by 9.30 and thus ended our journey to Melbourne on the 93^rd day from London & looking all in all it has been most enjoyable & we all feel & look a good bit better for it. If there had only been more to do I should not have minded being out longer but as it is, time hung rather heavy on our hands towards the last & we must all be thankful for arriving safely here ~ ”

Extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878

“All excitement today looking out for the first land we shall sight since we saw the Isle of Wight. Fine morning with the exception of a shower of rain for a short time. At 12 we had 50 miles to go to get to Cape Otway. The first mate & captain were on the lookout for land all the afternoon & I made several voyages to the masthead to look out for it, but it was first seen by the first mate although after it was sighted I could see by the outline that I had seen it from the mast about three quarters of an hour before only I thought that they would laugh at me if I cried out land ahead. The first that was clearly seen of it was at 4.30 & glad we were of it I can tell you. We kept in sight of the land & all the sheep & fields etc all the night which we could see very well by the lights on the shore. The first land that we sighted was Moonlight Head.

We soon passed the Cape Otway Light which was extraordinarily brilliant. We were not in time for a pilot there so we went on very slowly till 2.30am when we hove to till a pilot came on board. Most of the sails are taken in so we can only do very little during the night & we shall be at the entrance of Port Philip Bay by the morning.

The sea is still very rough & having so few sails up makes us roll fearfully. We had a good many pulls at the ropes this evening to which they sang Whiskey for his Johnny & Poor Old Man etc. During the afternoon Joey was amusing himself by making earthquake & apple pie beds, sewing up nightshirts etc which of course he will be punished tonight. Bed at 11.15 for the last time on board I hope.”

Extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878

“Up at 8.30. The wind has dropped a little today & we are not doing so much now. We are now in Lat 40 S & Long139 15”E & we hope to sight Cape Otway tomorrow & end our journey by Saturday. Have been very busy all day getting our things into respectable order before leaving the ship. Today our thinking is about the quietest Boxing Day I ever remember spending amongst Englishmen.

It is now 11pm raining hard & I have just been out to help the men haul on some of the ropes the wind having just changed. Tonight we have the side lights out for the first time for many weeks so this is a good sign for nearing land. Played cards till 12 then Joey kept me awake by chanting till 1.30 but he will suffer for his sport tomorrow night as he shall have scarcely any at all if I can help it.”

Extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878

“It has been a glorious day hot sun & no rain. In the morning Joey & I had some beer & for dinner they gave us fresh pork which was a treat as it was the first fresh meat since we left the downs.

In the afternoon we had a sleep to digest the plum pudding & the desert!! The sailors have also been living well, getting same grog as ourselves & grog twice which is something unusual as we are on board a teetotal ship. I’ve not forgotten my old friends as some may perhaps have thought me being at home in a warm room but I drink to all absent friends with Joey in a glass of the pure & inexpensive. It is now getting late & I hope it may not be long before I can get into a bed at a respectable height from the floor for I am now as some of you will know up in the Gods. So goodnight.”

Extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878

“Up at 7.30. A fine day, dry but cold wind & going along beautifully. We have now only 800 miles to do & if the breeze continues we are certain of arriving there this week. Some very large seas have been over today & one came through the ventilators on the roof swamping Joey & one of the apprentices while playing cards. This wave also filled the ladies berth & went into the cabin. In the evening we had some visitors in & spent a very jolly time together by 12.

One of the apprentices was found lying in the scuppers afterwards & I was rather fresh as were the others. They gave the apprentice one of his Wellington boots to be queer in. This is the way things are done on board ship so do not go & do likewise should any be on a similar voyage. The sailors got grog tonight being Christmas Eve & now we will turn in it being 1.30am & wishing you all a Merry Xmas I shut this up for the day”

Extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878

“Up at 8.30 after a very good night’s rest. We have had a tremendous lot of rolling today & have been shipping seas all day. This morning 1 big one walked into our room & came right up to the lower bunk. All our chairs etc began swimming round the plantation & I got a boot full. Our neighbours lost all their week’s provisions as the seawater got into everything. It is still very cold & I cannot believe that in a day or so we shall be in a warm climate.

This afternoon they killed one of the pigs & now no doubt we shall get some fresh meat for the Wednesday. This evening the sea has risen considerably & they expect a bad night. We only have 7 sails set so are well prepared for it. The ladies do not like this cold weather but are keeping their pecker up in the hope that we may reach Melbourne by the end of this week. Bed at 10.30”

Extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878

“Up at 8 after 3 hours sleep: it has been an awful night. The very worst we have passed since we left England. All night waves kept breaking over our house and making such a noise that it was totally impossible for us to sleep. Inside our house was lots of water & it reminded me very much of the seaside as it rolled up & down the room; then to crown it all at 2 o’clock in the morning our neighbour Smith began singing a hymn, while we engaged in Tommy Dodd & other rowdy songs of their kind.

Mrs W suffered too as she was pitched out of her berth once. However we are now doing about 10 knots an hour & the sea is still very high. Nothing fresh today as we are rather sleepy & Joey & the remainder of them are lying down for a rest. Bed at 11pm.”

Extract from A.Whelen’s journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878