“Today we have done from 10 –12 knot an hour. We are now in Lat: 43 30” S & 58 37” E & we shall not sight any land now till we get to Australia. At 12 we are 3 hours in advance of London time & no doubt some of you lazy folk are […]

“Up at 8.15 Doing about 4 knots an hour all day. Joey was very successful this morning & caught a large molly-hawk which measured 8ft 2 inches from wing to wing. The skinning process has been gone through and the bones will make capital pipe stems, the feet make good tobacco pouches and the skin […]

“This morning we had a change in the way of the Scotch mist, which was far from agreeable. However we have done a better pace today varying from 4 – 10 knots an hour. We saw a shoal of porpoises this morning. There were 1000’s of them and many dozens were so near the ship […]

“No peace for the wicked they will not let Joey & I enjoy the morning’s sleep but come at 8 & reopen both doors so that the cold breeze nearly took us out of our bunks. I expect you people at home are now making arrangements for Xmas. Joey has been fishing for birds all […]

“Nothing is certain in life, they say but death & quarter day & I think it very uncertain whether we get to our destination by the end of the year. We cannot get there at all if we do not get along a bit quicker than now. We are now in Lat 43 30”S & […]

“Very cold this morning. At 6 the deck was covered with hailstones & sleet. They call this summer but a cooler one than usual occasioned no doubt by the icebergs being all round the neighbourhood. I wonder what the winter is like here. The wind has been astern of us all day & we have […]

“Had a good night’s rest & have only a riddle to give for today. Why is a ship like a lady? Because she requires a man to look after her. It being rather dry work writing such things as these & it being also Harry Mundy’s birthday Joey & I drunk his health in a […]

“Up at 7.30. Fine day but doing very little in the way of pace. Joey caught a large Cape Hen this morning, it measured 6ft 6” from wing to wing. One of the sailors skinned it & a pretty object it looked afterwards, no meat at all hardly; but still the men are going to try […]

“What a night we have had. Any amount of shaking about as a gale of wind suddenly sprung up at 1am and all hands were called out to reef the sails; two were split right through, the noise they made was something awful. Some of the men are looking very seedy as they have been […]