“Up at 6. It is raining hard & it is anything but pleasant out. We have been doing about 11 knots an hour all night which is very good work. At 12 a calm came on for the remainder of the day. We did scarcely anything.

We are now in Lat 32 & Long 25 & within a few miles of the Cape (2300 miles). Went to bed early to-night 8.30 having nothing better to do. It is already much cooler & we are obliged to use a little more clothing for our beds. During last night the Fore Royal sheet was split right through by the wind. In the afternoon we did a little in the washing line.”

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