“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 Australia travel journal aboard the iron clipper “Hesperides” sailing from England to Melbourne in 1878