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Monday 22 August 1836

Nepean Bay. Here we found M^r S. Stevens Manager of
S.A. Company had taken up his quarters The people who had arrived
in the three vessels York, Pelham & Pirie were chiefly
officers & labourers of the said company all busy on shore getting
tents & huts erected and what had for centuries a
wilderness was now teeming with animation and life. The spot
chosen on was about one of the best, but bad is the best no water
to be had except at the well about 5 miles distant in
a Westerly direction near P^t Marsden, the soil very light
and sandy & country at the back of where the location
had been fixed on was densely covered with a species of
tree termed tea tree the decoction of which leaves make
a beverage not at all bad & a good substitute for tea
On the Island were several Sealers runaway Sailors
from the coasting vessels of the other colonies. They told us
there were several good spots on the Island where they
were established living on the produce of their gardens
and a native animal of the size of a rabbat called
waloby, in fact a miniture Kangaroo. These waloby
were caught by their wives (native women, who had
been brought from the Main land
some of them I believe by force, however they seemed to be
contented with their lonely life and from what
I could learn comfortably off as far as house and
provision went all from their own labour. __The Bay is
a fine and extensive anchorage well sheltered from the
severest Gales which generally commence at N.W. hauling
round to the S.S.W. by the Westward. They may be generally
expected at the change of moon. __ we remained here about a fortnight for
the purpose of making a few examinations of the bay and rig the
Hatch boat brought out on purpose for the Survey and placed under
my charge.

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Wednesday 24 August 1836

Saturday 27 August 1836

Saturday 23 July 1836

Saturday the 23^rd Harriet is now quite well; for the last two or three days she has enjoyed herself both on the deck and at table; she moreover sleeps well. The complaint she thinks was a bilious attack which might have annoyed her nearly as much if she had been on shore, but she questions if it would not have been shortened if calomel had been more fully administered at the beginning.

Yesterday we entered the torrid zone; the heat however is not at all oppressive to any of the party. The thermometer in my cabin is generally 78^o, but the thorough draft which we manage at almost all times to keep up, renders the temperature agreeable.

Some of the passengers in the intermediate cabin last week manifested discontent, and put up on their hatchway an impertinent notice. Excited by Mr Thomas, the agitator of the ship, one complained of the bread, another of the beef, another of the wine; indeed each had some one complaint to make, but, rather a subject for marvel, no two agreed on the same complaint. On investigation the bread which was declared unfit for use, was the brown bread which I preferred to the best white biscuit provided for the cabin; the salt provisions I had requested Capn Duff to place constantly upon our table and it was partaken of and enjoyed by all our party; the wine was declared by Brown (a good judge) to be excellent, and the same as we drank in the cabin. On my assuring the gentlemen of these facts, the complaint turned on the price paid for their passage and at length it was insinuated that I had chartered the vessel and was making money out of them. My positive denial of having any greater interest in the ship than any passenger on board appeared to satisfy the malcontents, who now said the cook was to blame – he had been insolent, and so on. This the Captain promised to see into, and thus the grievous matter ended. Mr & Mrs Thomas however still preserve dignified silence, though all the rest appear to have forgotten their fancied wrongs.

Seeing that the ill-humour was produced by idleness or ennui it occurred to me that it would be well to get up some general amusement, and I consequently proposed to enrol a body of volunteers to be drilled. Fortunately I found on board a man who had been a soldier in the peninsular war, Mr Wickham, and after a little persuasion he agreed to spend half an hour a day with us for the purpose. On Wednesday last therefore we commenced the platoon exercise; our first party was eight, the next day twelve and at this number our corps appears for the present likely to remain. It is true, sometimes we do not keep very good step in consequence of the motion of the ship, and sometimes a lurch in marching at ordinary time, causes a double quick movement to the rear; but this is all accounted a good joke, and thus the chief end is attained. I am full private in the corps, and four of the intermediate passengers are also enrolled.

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Friday 22 July 1836

Friday July 22. Went with my family on board the
Buffalo this afternoon. The Ship in considerable
confusion. Trunks, bales, barrels, packages and litter
of all sorts strewed about in most admired disorder.
Determined however to overlook as much as possible
inconveniences, common it is believed to the commence-
-ment of all voyages by sea! Although those which
surround us here appear rather formidable. Our
cabins by dint of soap and paint have been rendered
somewhat more comfortable than we at first seeing
them expected, not withstanding six feet by 7^1/2
leaves much scope for ingenuity in the art of
stowing away, and affords no more room than
our necessities require.

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Tuesday 19 July 1836

July 19^th Today Harriet has been much better. She slept well in the cot, and passed the greater part of the day on deck. In the course of the day we spoke the Mount Stuart Elphinstone on her voyage to Calcutta. In the evening Harriet saw for the first time the phosphorescence of the sea: on the breaking of a wave, or on the water being otherwise agitated, sparkles of great brilliance were abundant. The quantity of light emitted by each is probably equal to that of a glowworm; on a dark night I have seen the ship quite illuminated by this means – the phenomenon was first perceived by us in the Bay of Biscay & I am told that when at the Equator the intensity of the light will be much greater. The cause of this extraordinary appearance is said to be animalculae.

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Wednesday 20 July 1836

The Wind cont^d Squally from the S,W, accomp^d
with cold Weather, untill last Night, when it became
moderate, and veer’d round to South, but has been
nearly a Calm, the whole of this Day ________
On Monday we got a place, contrived down below, for
the two poor Ram’s (where the Carpenter, Second Mate,
and T, Waldron, live) as there is not hieght enough, in
the Pen’s for them to stand, without chafeing their Backs
against the top part of it, and during the many Gales
of Wind, that we have lately experienced, they have been
very much bruised, by tumbling about, upon the Deck’s,
On Monday our Cook likewise took very Ill, of Pains, in all
his Limbs, ____ and Yest^dy the chief Mate, also became
very unwell, they are both confined to their Beds, _____
But their is One of our Passenger’s, call’d James Jones, who
has been almost, a constant Customer, to the Medicine Chest,
ever since we left Dartmouth ______________

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Wednesday 13 July 1836

July 13^{th .}

On Thursday, June 30^th at four o’clock Harriet & I joined the Africaine at Gravesend which immediately afterwards moved down with the tide. To those who know my wife’s ardent attachment to her family and their unsurpassed love for her, a description of her anguish at parting and state on embarkation would be superfluous – they can imagine it all; … Fortunately the weather was delightful; the light winds that blew gave hardly any perceptible motion to the ship, and were refreshing in the extreme. Sleep aided to restore her, and by Saturday afternoon when the Africaine anchored off Deal for the reception of the Captain & some of the party, she was in good health and spirits.

In the course of the afternoon Capn Duff and his wife came on board. They had been married but on the previous Thursday; a circumstance which had caused a little delay in the departure of the ship from London; with them Mr & Mrs Hallett arrived. On the following morning Mr & Mrs Brown were received on board, and with them the number of passengers was completed…

Friday 1 July 1836

…
On this day, July lst, my son William was taken ill of the scarlet
fever, and my youngest child Helen was so swollen with [tooltip color=”grey” text=”Oedema, referred to during the nineteenth century as ‘dropsy’. An abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin or in one or more cavities of the body causing swelling of the soft tissues (usually in the lower legs and feet).”] dropsy [/tooltip]
from the effects of the same disorder, which she and Mary both
had just before we left England, as to be confined to her bed
scarcely able to breathe.

On this day our [tooltip color=”grey” text=”To navigate difficult stretches of water, ships took pilots on board. Pilots were coastal navigators with knowledge of their local waters and they captained the ship through the channel or harbour.”] pilot [/tooltip] left us and I sent letters to London,
Gosport, and Chalton near Petersfield, Hants.

We had hitherto walked on any part of the deck we pleased
and the mate said nothing to the contrary, but the day before the
captain arrived on board the following notice was posted at the
head of our stairs: ‘The passengers in the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”Cabins of lesser comfort than those occupied by privileged passengers and intermediate between them and the dormitory accommodation afforded the emigrants.”] intermediate cabins [/tooltip] are
not allowed abaft the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”A machine used to lift heavy loads or to weigh an anchor. The hauling rope passes in turns around the body of the capstan, which is mounted on a vertical axle and rotated by means of horizontal bars affixed to its head.”] capstan [/tooltip].’ This produced an altercation
between Mr Thomas and some others with the mate, who was a
Scotchman and possessed a sufficient share of his national pride,
but as far as his duty was concerned was an excellent seaman. He
said it was usual with all passengers who were not in the state
cabins, and he should insist on the order being obeyed, which they
flatly told him they would not – and to show that it was dis-
regarded we went to any part of the deck, the same as before,
without being interfered with by anyone.

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Tuesday 28 June 1836

This 24 hours mostly strong winds from the NW with a heigh sea all resqusite sail set Steering to the Eastward Lattd 37.50 South Longd 69.41 East In the everning read to the little flock 8th chapt by Jerimiah Mr Richards and myself prayed and God seemed to be with us the Lord has once […]

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Thursday 30 June 1836

[excerpt of letter from Hare to Angas]

June 30 1836

Brig Emma

Lat. Long.

Dear Sir

You will be glad to hear that
the “Brig Emma” [and?] all that are in it are well at
this date, with every prospect that they will complete
the first and most arduous part of their journey
safely … I thought it well to write you a Letter
as there may be some affairs interesting to you
individually which would perhaps present no point
of Interest to the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”South Australian Company.”] Comp^y [/tooltip] generally …
Perhaps it may interest you to give you a
slight sketch of our [tooltip color=”grey” text=”For most Christians the Sabbath is Sunday, the day they celebrate their religion. For other Christians and for Jewish people the Sabbath is Saturday.”] Sabbaths [/tooltip] at sea –
… The 2^nd Sabbath Capt Nelson read the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”A liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation.”] litany [/tooltip] &c and
I spoke for some time from the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”See topic of this name listed in the ‘find out more’ section at the bottom of the page.”] parable of the good
Samaritan [/tooltip], there had been a great deal of quarrelling
in the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”The area of between-decks occupied by steerage passengers, that is, those travelling at the cheapest rate.”] steerage [/tooltip] during the week, the Acton men
backing one another against the rest &c
I endeavoured to shape my observations to meet these
circumstances… During the succeeding [tooltip color=”grey” text=”For most Christians the Sabbath is Sunday, the day they celebrate their religion. For other Christians and for Jewish people the Sabbath is Saturday.”] Sabbath [/tooltip]
M^rsCaptain Nelson, thought that the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”A liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation.”] litany [/tooltip] was
quite enough, and that Captⁿ Nelson & M^r Douglass
had much better perform the service… in this and
man[y] other affairs the direct interference of M^rs CaptⁿNelson has not only been injudicious but I think hurtful
to the general arrangements of the passengers and myself
…

Cape Town July 8 1836

Since writing the above …
…
with sincerest regards to Yourself from Myself and M^rs H

Believe me my dear Sir

yours truly

30th. The [tooltip color=”grey” text=”A flag hoisted ashore to indicate that the vessel has been cleared out at Customs and is legally free to leave port. However, on the day a ship is to sail a ‘Blue Peter’ is hoisted at the head of the foremast. This flag is blue with a central white square.”] custom house flag [/tooltip] was set on the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”The mast nearest the bow on vessels with two or more masts.”] fore mast [/tooltip].

Mr. Kingston, Morphett and Gilbert came on board late last night stating that they had been to the Consul about manning the ship. On Captain Lipson observing that the delay to the expedition was most shameful, Kingston though not addressed, wanted to know if Captain Lipson imputed blame to him. Captain Lipson replied, that if he considered himself responsible for the sailing of the ship, he deserved censure. The conversation ended by Kingston saying he had nothing to do with the delay. Kingston said hastily, ‘don’t bother me,’ and retired to his cabin.

25th. Last evening the boat returned with the passengers, all drunk. N.B. Previous to the starting of the boat it was fully understood between Kingston and myself, that he was responsible for everything.

Saturday. Ascertained that there were 9 casks left filled with salt water in the fore hold, which the Captain told me he would not start. I informed Kingston on his return the same night. Had stinking water till this day.

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Friday 24 June 1836

… ____ This Morn^gat Day-light there was a Vessel abreast of us, about 3 Mls
distant, and at 9, A,M, we [tooltip color=”grey” text=”To hoist and display the national flag to establish that this was a British ship.”] hoisted our Colours [/tooltip], which were im-
mediately answer’d, but She being then a considerable way ahead,
very kindly [tooltip color=”grey” text=”To ‘heave to’ is to reduce a ship’s sails and adjust them so they counteract each other and stop the ship making progress. It is a safety measure used to deal with strong winds.”] hove-too [/tooltip], untill we got within hail of her, and
proved to be the Mary Bibby, of Liverpool, bound to Bom-
-bay, She was a neat little, full rigged [tooltip color=”grey” text=”Ship can be a confusing term because it actually has two meanings. Its common meaning is an ocean-going vessel that is larger than a boat. When used in that sense, a ship can be rigged in many different ways. In strict maritime usage ship also has a second meaning. It names a specific type of rig. A ship has a bowsprit and three masts and it carries square sails on all three masts.”] Ship [/tooltip], and being
only in [tooltip color=”grey” text=”Any dense heavy material, such as lead, placed in the hold of a ship to help weigh it down and increase stability.”] Ballast [/tooltip] trim, sailed very fast, but they could
not give us any account, of the Lady Mary Pelham ____
At 11, A,M, another Vessel came in sight, a great distance
[tooltip color=”grey” text=”To be any distance behind a vessel.”] Astern [/tooltip] us, steering the same Course as ourselves, ____
Those are the only Ships we have seen, since speaking
the Mary of Leith on the 4^th In^st, _________ …

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Friday 24 June 1836

Friday. 24th. Still at anchor in Rio. Kingston and Morphett came on board in a [tooltip color=”grey” text=”Sailing ships carried various smaller boats for different purposes. A shore boat was an open row boat for transporting people and goods between the ship and shore.”] shore boat [/tooltip] and went off again; was informed by Morphett that they had hired or intended to have hired a carriage to call on the Ambassador: that they had taken rooms at Johnson’s Hotel.

23rd. Went in a boat with the ladies on a picknic expedition.

Friday 10 June 1836

This 24 hours gentle breeses from the NW all drawing sail set steering SE AM obsd a distance between the and which gives our longitude 13.49 E Lattd Obsd 35.47 South Read in private a chapt in Revers and bowed my knees before a throne of grace before God my saviour in the everning comenced […]

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Tuesday 7 June 1836

First part baffling winds from the SWd under short sail the got lighter made all resquite sail PM the wind freshning with rain Latt acc 34.47 S Longd 5.51 East This morning had the painfull task of seperating two of the crew from fighting but no sooner I came away but they went to it […]

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Monday 6 June 1836

This 24 hours fresh breeses under duble reeft main top sail and single reeft fore top sail with reeft fore sail wind from the NN [sic] steering SE got in the starbo ard quater boat Longd by lunar 3.50 E by chr 2.31 E Lattd 34.4 South In the everning read to a few that […]

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Friday 10 June 1836

During last Night, the Wind gradually veer’d round
to the Northward, and having had a fine Breeze, from
that Quarter, all this Day, we consider ourselves now to
be out of the S,E, [tooltip color=”grey” text=”Regular winds which move towards the equator within or near the tropics, the earth’s rotation dragging them such that in the northen hemisphere they blow from the north-eastward and in the southern from the south-eastward.”] Trade Winds[/tooltip] ___________
Mrs Chandler being greatly recover’d, from the effects
of her late attempt of drowning, the Cap^t has given her
Husband strict orders, that whenever She comes upon
Deck, his is to watch her closely, as it is not improbable
That She might make another attempt _________

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Wednesday 8 June 1836

On Wednesday 8th. June we crossed the Equator and the usual absurd ceremony was performed on all the uninitiated except myself – my state of health and giving the Ship’s Company a [tooltip color=”grey” text=”A form of British currency, the gold sovereign has been minted to exacting specifications since 1817. Each sovereign contains exactly 7.3224 grams of gold (22 carats). It was worth nominally one pound.”]sovereign[/tooltip] exempted me –

Sunday 15 May 1836

Sunday. 15th. Continued rain, occasional squalls, wind foul. Lat. 2. Long. 25.

Wednesday. 11th. Beaufust [?] made some cakes for Mrs. F. In this Lat. Found great comfort in the essence of coffee, which however, none have milk with it. The ship’s ale was good. Bread and honey and ham, the only things we could eat – not that we got ham – the best beverage was some lemon juice and sugar, made to effervesce with tartaric acid and soda. Thermometer generally about [tooltip color=”grey” text=”About 28 degrees Celsius.”]83 F[/tooltip] in the cabin.

15th. May. Finding the day very close and not having observed any of the 25 of the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”The area of between-decks occupied by steerage passengers, that is, those travelling at the cheapest rate.”]steerage[/tooltip] passengers on deck since the commencement of the damp weather, and being aware that there were 10 persons on the sick list I advised Kingston to insist upon the whole of the passengers coming up on deck to allow some of the foul air to escape. On examining the state of the berths, [tooltip color=”grey” text=”Bilge water accumulates in the bilge of a ship. The bilge is the lowest compartment on a ship, where the two sides meet at the keel.”]bilge water[/tooltip] and vegetable matter had accumulated under the lower tier to [?] extent which must have proved highly prejudicial to health. The apathy of the steerage passengers was truly remarkable. This state of things was evidently caused by the want of attention to proper principles in fitting up the [tooltip color=”grey” text=”The area of between-decks occupied by steerage passengers, that is, those travelling at the cheapest rate.”]steerage[/tooltip] . Previous to leaving the Dock the married persons should have been separated from the single men by [tooltip color=”grey” text=”An upright partition dividing a ship into compartments and serving to add structural rigidity.”]bulk heads[/tooltip] and not by canvas, and tables should have been provided to enable the passengers to mess at regular hours and in comfort instead of making [t]heir berths a perpetual cook’s shop. Meals going on at all hours must be productive of dirt and disorder. I should certainly in future provide every grown up person with a canvas bag to contain a sufficient quantity of clothing for immediate use, and then prohibit the introduction of any boxes [tooltip color=”grey” text=”Between decks was the space between any two decks of a ship. It could be used for cargo or passengers but the term was associated with cheap accommodation for third class pasengers or emigrants on subsidised fares. Between decks provided accommodation without access to fresh air or natural light and was often cramped and crowded.”]between decks[/tooltip].

This 24 hours gentle breeses attended with squalls of rain and wind from the Southd Lattd Obsd 2.43 N Longd 19.38 West In the morning had secret prayer and commended my all to an offended God but allso a reconciled God through our Lord Jesus Christ – in the forenoon had worship on the quater […]

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Friday 3 June 1836

Another account of the death of the Chief Mate on the Lady Mary Pelham was included in a letter from Alexander Dawsey, second mate, to GF Angas, written on 3 June 1836:

To G F Angas Esq^r At Sea June 3^th 1836

Sir

It is with Feelings of some re
-gret I write you stateing the death of M^r I. Doine
Thompson on the 3^d of May after about Four days
illness perhapes and I may say unwillingly the
effects of his own Imprudent conduct in a very
excessive use of ardent Spirits which Finally
so undermin’d the nervious system as to cause
Mental derangement in which State he died
every means being used so far as Judgement
and the nature of the circumstances would
afford to recover him but without effect, his
excitement of Mind being Such as to admit
of no Argument that would induce him to
think otherwise, than that he was Surrounded
by the Most horrid Forms and Wretched phan
toms hurrying him into an eternal world, To
this extreme had his Vicious Propensities been
carried, In Fact from the time the Ship left
the River Mersey until death put a period
to His existence, he may truly be said to have
Spent in a State of Intoxication and drunk’ness
clandestinly using alike every Spirit in the
Ship even to a whole case of Wine excepting about
three bottles…
… Your’s with
every Sentiment of Respect

Very devoted Serv^tAlexander Dawsey

On board the Ship
Lady Mary Pelham of the
Cape of Good Hope

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Saturday 14 May 1836

This 24 hours gentle breeses and clear weather all sail set steering SW wind SEd bent the seacond main sail the Lady Mary Pellam in sight Lattd Obsd 7.52 South Longd 27.5 West In the morning awoke and thought on the sacrefise for my sins and felt peace in beliveing on the sacrefice offered in […]

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