“Up at 7.30. Joey has been busy the last 2 days making a box for his tobacco. You not think me idle all this time as I find plenty pf pleasant occupation with my stamps. Rice for dinner to-day; this the sailors call “strike me blind” but why I cannot inform you. Saw the pigs being washed this afternoon; very edifying I can assure you. While we were out for a walk this afternoon Joey’s bed got a doctoring. He found the following articles there: 4 quoits, an iron cup & saucer, 2 pipes, matches, sundry books, a bottle of magnesia, 2 coats, waistcoats & trousers, some odd socks, 2 caps, 2 fishing lines, boots, some sheets & sundry various things. After a time he got things square & got to bed but when reading, the candle went out & he was obliged to get another to fix up.

The candlestick however has an artful fake, inert spring, which, if not pressed at the right moment suddenly brings the candle to the surface & shoots it across the room which was the case with Joey & it landed in the guvnor’s trousers which were on the table out of wet. He then, lazy like, tried to reach it without getting out of bed but in the attempt dropped the whole caboose & there left it for the night.”

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