Friday 12 August 1836

12th July [sic, August] steering East. after the cloth
was removed yesterday from the Dinner
table James Hoare came to the Cabin door
to say that two of the Sladdens were fighting
between decks. Upon this Kingston arose
and went to see what was the matter
there was an assemblage of persons
near the Main Mast: shortly after
M^r Morphett came to the door in a
hurried manner and said gentle
men your assistance is required one of the
steerage passengers has even threatened
to strike M^r Kingston. This caused
great confusion at the table which
I endeavoured to dispel by requesting all
to keep their seats and not make
matters worse by arraying themselves
against the steerage passengers. M^r
Morphett still urging for assistance
in spite of my remonstrances several
left the table, and when they had
seen what was going on came back
again. I then acquainted my wife
who had left the table, that all
being quiet she could return again.
After this an angry discussion begin
ning between the Doctor and Captain
Rolls, I was obliged to leave the table
to keep out of the row that seemed
threatening. When tranquillity was
restored and the table had been
cleared Kingston and Sladden being
in contact again and Kingston finding
he could not silence him, called upon
Captain Rolls to do so; after this
I heard nothing.
This morning I observed to M^r Gilbert
the impropriety of M^r Morphetts address
at the Cuddy table. I told him that
Kingston was less fitted to command
a body of men on such an expedition
as this than anyone of the Cabin
passengers. I told him we could not
complain of the language used by
Steerage passengers after what he
must have heard fall from the lips of
the cabin passengers, that he
could not be surprised at a man
being quarrelsome in liquor since
it was a failing common to our
own table; that I heard Kingston
and Sladden disputing about which
was the gentleman of the two: this
could not be wondered at when a cabin
passenger had previously taken the
trouble to tell the steerage passengers
they were all gentlemen.
I also touched upon the subject of
M^rs Paris saying that Kingston
ought to have attended to this
subject and ended by saying I
shuddered for the fate of
an expedition under such manage
ment –