The Diary: 16-31 August 1878

We are still going well with a fair wind. I was on watch from 12 'till 4 and it was very cold but a fine moonlight night. The other man on watch with me and I were just looking at the South Pole star - it is the shape of a cross and a really fine sight - when a large sea came and fairly drenched him. I got a little, so we did not go to that side of the ship during the remainder of our watch. You may guess what it was like when it wakened Jeanie up out of her sleep. She knew I was on watch and she thought the ship had cut right down under water. I went to bed after being relieved from duty and did not waken 'till breakfast time. I went on deck, but the air is getting cold now because we are getting away from the sun further every day. It is a sudden change from what we have been used to during the last fortnight. You might see us all now with our top coats and ulsters and such like. We are just getting our ship set with new sail as we expect to get it a little rough going around the Cape of Good Hope, but suppose we can't complain for we have been much favoured as we went along.

You will see from the above distance that we lost the wind yesterday afternoon. Instead of the sun setting on our right, as it was wont to do, it set on our left, so that we were going right back home again. Of course we just have to follow the wind. During that 95 miles we probably sailed 200 miles one way and another - such is the way we have to go at sea. While I write she is now on her right course and going well with a splendid wind. I see they are just preparing for fire and life boat drill, then after that we have our usual concert and Negro entertainment.

This is a beautiful day with a sharp fresh wind blowing from the west with the ship going immense. There was a good muster at church today. We had the usual morning prayers read and they sung the 24th Psalm to the tune of St. George Edinburgh. I enjoyed it well. We have got the Cape pigeons following our ship this last 3 days - they are indeed lovely birds. They have pure lovely white breasts with their backs and wings, black and white spotted and they are about the size of your seagull. I believe they follow the ship for hundreds of miles, always hovering about the back of the ship. Little Jeanie lost her Tam O Shanter bonnet today - it blew right away out into the ocean. We were all very sorry about it for they were much admired - so much so that they were the only ones of that kind when we came on board but there were some of the young women got the lend of one for a pattern and now while I write there are any amount of them - the very mate has one and some of the young men. Jeanie and the weans were away at a tea party in the Poop, as one of the young women that Jeanie knows, that was out before is going out this time to be married, invited her over to have tea. They were away from 2 'till 5, so it was a rare cup they had.

Being relieved from the duty of Captain this week in the mess I am taking the full advantage of it in my bed. I got up this morning about 9 o/clock, got breakfast and went on deck. Here they are all busy preparing for rough weather - breaking down the sheep houses, putting on watertight hatches and making strong any weak parts. It is very cold here today - we are hard walking up and down the deck to keep ourselves warm. It is also dark here about 6 o/clock.

Got up about the same time this morning as yesterday - had breakfast, then went to scrub out the mess. After that did a little joiner work - repaired a shelf and then by that time had dinner of pea soup and preserved meat. I then went on deck and gave Jeanie a hand to wash the dishes and make the beds. By that time it turned out to be one of the finest days we have had on board, although we are going very moderate.

This is another very fine day although they are getting shorter the further we go east, so that by the time we go to take supper we have to get the use of the oil lamp and a very dingy light it is. We got the fiddlers to come down last night and they gave us a fine lot of Scotch music and dances. We enjoyed it well for 2 hours and then had hard biscuits for a dessert before going to bed. Our ship is at a fair standstill today for the want of wind. We are sailing little or nothing. We went to try and catch Cape pigeons for a little while but after we had spent an hour they bit our line in two so we had to give up.

Jeanie and I got up together this morning and went on deck, but it is a nasty drizzling day. We had a walk about the deck for a little while, then went down for breakfast - porridge bread and tea - then I went to clean out the mess. I then made ready and went upstairs but it was still wet and damp so that we are compelled to keep below. The women are all busy sewing and knitting - some at stockings, some at shanter bonnets, petticoats, and etc. I must not forget to tell you the men are mostly taken up with draughts, cards and games of every kind. In fact anything at all to pass the time.

It is still wet and cold with a good gale of wind blowing from the west. You will see we did little or nothing yesterday for the want of wind, but we have made up for it today. In fact we are going as speedy as any steamer could go with a rare wind, if it only keeps up. We are still kept much below on account of rough weather and heavy seas - they are running over the ship some of them.

This is a big day in my diary for not only have we scored the highest distance, but we have added to our number of passengers a fine healthy girl, and I am proud to say the baby and mother are doing well. She is the wife of a Shetland fisherman with four of a family already. As I have already told you Jeanie is attending on the mother on behalf of the Doctor, so that makes me all the more busy, for I have to do all the baking and cleaning myself - but we get on well for all that. Our ship is still doing well with the same gale of wind blowing. We had no concert tonight on account of the gale that is blowing.

I have just been promoted to Captain of the Mess again so that I am up rather earlier than last week. You have no idea what a "Biz" it is here this morning - dressing over hair and brushing you clothes to make ready for the church and roll call although there is none of them held it is still so stormy. In fact the very ship is shaking with the wind and the seas coming over the ship side. It is getting dull here on account of it getting dark here before five o/clock which makes the night long and lonesome. We had a splendid pie for dinner today along with a fine can of broth Jeanie gets sent from one of the sailors two or three times a week.

I went on watch last night from 12 'till 4 this morning and owing to Jeanie being night nurse in the hospital she had a fine cup of tea ready for me along with cake and cheese and we both enjoyed it well while the rest were all asleep. We then went on deck - man the wind was something terrific and the seas lashing over now an then. We then went into the engineers room and sat for more than an hour drying our clothes and boots they are all that damp. Jeanie then went below to look after her patient and baby. We are still kept much below it is so wet and bitterly cold.

Fine dry day but bitterly cold, so much that we can't keep our feet warm at all, but it is fine and dry so we can't complain. Our ship is going along fine. Jeanie tells me that she does not think that the little baby is going to live because it is taking no food. The father is very much put about because he can't see anything wrong with it. But they might be cheated.

The wind has changed this morning but they are expecting a better wind - what they call a south west Trade Wind - one that blows nine months in the year. I am sorry to inform you that the little baby died this morning about 9 o/clock. Well young and all as it is, it caused no small stir amongst us. Jeanie had to carry it on deck to lie in one of the rooms previous to burial. The father and mother wanted it kept 'till our arrival, but the Doctor said he could not allow that for they are always buried quietly in the night, - the father and whoever he might choose being with him to see it is done right.

I was awake rather suddenly this morning between 4 and 5 AM by the father of the little child that died, to see if I would go on deck to the burial. So of course I agreed on the spot and went up - me and the father and another man. Well just on the lee side of the ship on a cold starry morning you could see the chief mate standing with a lantern, the Doctors assistant holding the bare coffin on the edge of the ships side. To the left of the mate stands the young man that leads the church service. He reads out of an English Prayer Book, then at a certain part of the prayer the coffin is thrown overboard. He repeats the Lords Prayer and we quietly go away to our respective beds. I thought the service rather cold, but it was better than none.

I went on watch last night from 8 'till 12 - this is a fearful night with a tremendous sea running mountains high - you would think the ship would never get through such seas. Whilst we were all sitting dreading the worst a little after supper, there was a sea came right down the hatch - about a ton of water I am sure - and it made such a noise that the women and weans set up a cry - oh that was it down now - thank God it was no worse. Although our place got properly drenched, so much so that I took up two buckets full out of our own mess room. The ship is rolling something fearful and so great is the storm that our ship is sailing with one sail on each mast only before a terrific wind. All our hatches are battened down.

It seems a true saying that after a storm comes a calm for our ship has done nothing but stood still the most of this day. But if we are not sailing much we are catching plenty of Cape pigeons, and they are lovely birds. If Jeanie and Annie and Mary had a wing of them in their bonnets they would need no other trimming they are so lovely. They are just as Annie used to say "Gems of the First Waters". We had another birth on board today - a little girl also. The father and mother belong to Johnstone by Paisley and they have four or five already. Jeanie is busy enough now - she is coming on very well with the Doctor - she is to get whatever she asks for and it keeps her from wearying.