“Up at 6, another beautiful day. We are now 25 degrees N of the line & no wind again. Have not seen any sails to relieve the monotony. I was reading about Bath this morning & find it is the best place to send the great unwashed. Please take note of this. To give you an extensive account as to how we spend the Sundays on board will not be amiss. I read & walk the deck during the whole morning. Had dinner at 12, then slept on some sails & read till 4. Then we heard a concert (strictly sacred of course) in the forecastle on the concertina & 3 flutes then went over the side in the bows trying to catch some dolphin that were about still.
5 when we had tea. Then more songs (hymns I mean) & afterwards we amused ourselves by spinning cuffers after which supper a cold bath & to bed at 10.30 & thus ended our 3rd Sunday on board the Hesperides.”
Extract from A.Whelen’s Australia travel diary sailing from England aboard the Hesperides in 1878
