The Diary: 18-31 July 1878

Had a long lie in bed this morning,-got up about ten to 9. Made a barter of four red herring for four country eggs, had them for breakfast - it was a rare treat I can tell you. It seems they keep well in salt for a long time. Putting to your hand is a good thing here. I got a half pound of dry tea for helping this morning. I gave the engineer a hand to repair his condensing engine - it passed away 2 hours of the day. A few of us had a fine chat with the Captain. We were sitting on deck looking over the map tonight to find our ships position when he came along and listened to our chat then showed us how to find it out. We are off the coast of Spain just now with a very fine day and going well.

Got up about 5 o'clock - going very moderate with a fair wind. Had a little chit-chat then went below for breakfast. We were scarcely done when we were all astir by a little fellow that had fallen down into the hold and got a severe cut on the head. The Doctor had to sew it up it was so bad. He had been running after his brother and made to go down after his brother when he accidentally fell over. We saw the fish jumping by the score after one another here. We had a fine concert last night just when it was getting dark on deck. Jeanie and myself favoured them with a song and nothing would do but give them another. There is any amount of fiddling up at the fore part of the ship among the young men.

It is just after dinner and I am standing up on the forecastle of the ship. It is washing day on board and the yards are all hung out with shirts and trousers and bed and bedding. I see some elderly men, up in age as far as 70 I am sure washing their mess tins and they're bragging to the young men how clean theirs is, and so on. When they go to wash there is such a rush for hot water. Sometimes we can't get it so we just dip our buckets into the sea and then we can get plenty, but it is a sore wash they get with sea water. Man you would laugh to see them coming up the hatch with their bed and bedding to get a place to air them on. We have just seen the men go through fire drill and life boat drill - it is amusing indeed. We had our first regular weekly concert tonight at 6 o'clock.

We have just got the roll called - this is the first thing on Sunday after breakfast. Then after your name is called you and your family pass between the Captain and the Doctor - then you take up your place in a row of forms in front of the poop on deck. This is to see that you are tidy and clean. No lying up in bed - you must come on deck during church service. The pulpit of course is just a barrel with a Union Jack spread over it. The young women sit on each side of it then the married people right in front of it, then the young men bring up the rear. After we have all taken our places one of our cabin passengers begins the service by reading the morning prayers - then reads one of the psalms and then a chapter out of St John and then reads another prayer. He then lifts his cap and walks upstairs. Jeanie says it is a very dry bit of service - it does not last above 15 minutes. There were about half a dozen of us then went below and read verse about in the 6 and 7 chapter. Then I led off the 2nd verse of "O God of Bethel by whose hand and etc". Then an elderly man among us led off in prayer. We spent a fine hour, then we had a fine conversation about conversion.

We are just off the coast of Portugal with fine weather.

Got up about 8 o'clock, got breakfast then went along to scrub out the messroom. Then went on deck and got a lot of water for Jeanie to wash for the cook - we had it all dry in time for dinner. We got our pea soup and pork and the cook gave us a bowl of chicken broth for our trouble. We enjoyed it well I can assure you. So I am just here watching the clothes hanging out to dry. Put me in mind when I was a boy up in Maggies Green washing in days gone by for Auld Langsyne.

We are just beginning to catch the North East Trade Winds while I get orders to go on watch from 12 till 4 morning. It is very quiet and still, but very grand to see all the stars out in their thousands - I mean what is called the Milky Way.

After being relieved from watch I went to bed. Got up about 9 o'clock. Porridge and condensed milk for breakfast. I like the porridge but the milk is rather sweet for me. Got up on deck - another day for airing beds and bed boards. You can scarcely get a place to sit for them - in fact you have to be very careful where you sit, for there are some of them Irish very lousy - in fact they think nothing of lifting their underclothing and pick them off. The Doctor was just saying that they were likely to be all over the ship - however it is to be hoped he may be cheated. We will look for better.

Got up about 8 o'clock - help the wife to make the beds - then had breakfast of tea bread and butter. We got tea made and ready up 'till today, but after this we are to get dry tea and coffee, then the "Captain of the mess" is to go and get boiling water and make it ready for his mess. There was a strike among the young men against this order so they sent a deputation to the Captain and the Doctor, but the Doctor told them it ought to have been done that way from the first. I think I can tell you what was wrong. The fact was it was too much trouble for them - I think that was the main wrong. The cooks used to keep up so much of our tea then sell it out at 5/- a pound - so you will see this was a bad order for them. Jeanie made a fine tart today and got it fired by the cook, and it was a rare treat. She then baked some rolls and I went and fired them myself. I got the lend of the oven after the baker was done with his day's work.

Jeanie is just standing with her heart up to her mouth looking at the water coming up to the brim of the ship. It has been rocking awful bad this two days, and mind you it is just the very pick of weather - the sun is shining out brilliantly. Little Jeanie and Jessie are enjoying it up to Dick. They are both great favourites with the sailors. There is a notice up today for all married women wanting the use of the "Lying in Hospital". Jeanie seems shocked at this for there are not a few need it appearingly. We have just got canvas ventilors up as high as the first yards, it is so hot down below. We are getting that much nearer the sun now.

This is what they call the Tropic of Cancer. We are just off the Great Desert of Africa - what they call the Sahara Desert. It is very warm and I am going about with nothing but shirt vest and trousers and I am bare-footed. We are lying naked at night it is so hot. We had a fine current bun for our tea today which helped to make up for the ships rocking yesterday. We spoke to a ship this morning about 1 o'clock. The ship is still rocking as much as ever but I am enjoying it well. There is a notice up for a "Schoolmaster - Duties Light - Apply To The Surgeon Superintendent" - so you will see they are looking after us well here. In fact you need not fancy it is all for play - that would make "Jim A Dull Boy". You must be prepared to work. Some of them that have paid their passage take very ill with it, but they must clean and scrub like us for they are compelled by Act of Parliament for the sake of their health as well as the ship in general.

It is still exceedingly warm - if anything warmer. Though still on the coast of Africa. We are getting nearer the line although they tell me it is warmer here than at the line because the sun is on Latitude 18° degrees north of the line. We had a fine concert on deck last night. I gave them "Rouse Brothers Rouse, The Way Is Long Before Us" and it took immense and Jeanie sung "The Farmers Boy". We then went below and had a game at "The Wrong Sow By Lug" the English portion here were quite taken up with it. We kept it up 'till half past 10. You may think that not very late, but you must bear in mind that it is dark here at 7 o?clock. There is very little gloaming here - it gets as dark as pitch in half an hour and it will be less as we get nearer the line.

Just off Cape Verde Islands. I went on watch at 12 PM 'till 4 AM and I saw a ship pass off to South America about 2 AM but we did not speak to her. We are steering in an opposite direction off the coast of Africa over to the states of Brazil South America so as to get the south west Trade Winds to drive us round the Cape of Good Hope. This is lovely Sabbath day - I did not get up till roll call being very tired after being on watch. I did not mind going to church today. We don't like the English church service so we sat down and read Pauls Voyage To Rome. It must have been rough, especially when they did not break their fast for 14 days. Well after reading it I could not help lifting my eyes to heaven and thank the Lord for all his goodness and tender mercies unto us.

Got up this morning at 6 AM - I am Captain of the mess this week again so we have to get up early for they begin to give out water at 6 AM. This takes them more than an hour, then I go and look after bread and make up condensed milk for the children of the mess, then go to the cook for the breakfast at 8 AM. After that, water to wash the dishes, then give Jeanie a hand to make the beds, then go to scrub the mess room - wash myself, then go on deck for a little while, then at 1 o'clock go for dinner. Then water to wash the dishes again, then up on deck another little while, then some time before 5 o'clock go for salt pork for tomorrow's dinner, then 5 o'clock for supper. So you can see by that the "Captain Of The Mess" is kept pretty busy, but of course that comes every second week - a lazy week and a busy week.

Got up at 6 AM - fine morning, going very slowly. We have lost the Trade Winds so that we feel the heat all the more. Were it not for the lime juice I don't know what like our thirst would be. There was a report got along the ship last night that the Captain was going to send all letters off with the first passing ship. You never saw such an eager and earnest school of writers in your life. But it all turned out a sailors yarn. Some of the sailors wrote on the ships side that the mail bag would be closed by 9 PM. I wrote one as well as the rest, thinking that it might happen. Some of the young men went to the length of asking the mate for postage stamps. It was jolly fine fun for the sailors you can imagine.

Fine morning- going very moderate - exceedingly hot. The Doctor says we will have 6 weeks of this kind of weather. Jeanie rose this morning with a severe pain at the back of her shoulder, so much so that I had to call in the Doctor. He gave her a bottle to take for her breathing. The young woman, next bed to her, was carried into the hospital last night. She took so unwell Jeanie was attending on her all night and I think she has overworked herself. You would be surprised to see how many are waiting on the Doctor every morning at his surgery.