“Up at 7.30. Another fine day with good breeze. Did from 8 to 10 knots all day. Had another bed making day which must last for some time now as it is too hot a job to be done often. I find that last voyage when they had coolies on board, that our house was used as a dead house, but it makes little difference to any of us.

Passed a small brigantine this afternoon. She was homeward bound but too far off to be signalled. Did not do much today as we generally take advantage of our Sunday dinner which is mostly better than at other times. Soon after getting to bed at 10.30 we heard the mate singing out to put the green light out, & after a few minutes we saw a large vessel homeward bound within half a mile of us so if it had not been for the mate we might possibly have had a smash up. It is a great shame that in order to save a little oil we should be allowed to travel without lights.”

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