Wednesday 24 August 1836

The wind which held out so favorable a promise on the 18th has not deceived us, and we are therefore relieved from the apprehension of going to Ascension. Since that day we have been going on well. On the 21st about nine o’clock we crossed the line in longitude 19.50 and are today in lat. 4^o 11′ south. The Captain in consequence of the great number of passengers on board whose ire might be kindled by practical jokes, wisely forbade any procession of the sailors in honor of Neptune, so that the event which in olden times was commonly so celebrated occurred without any notice whatever being taken of it.– Yesterday an attempt was made by Captain Duff to decrease the allowance of water to every passenger throughout the ship with the obvious view of avoiding the necessity of putting in at the Cape; this however was resisted by all, and on Mr Brown representing to the Captain that as ‘Agent for Emigration’ he would consider the decrease of allowance of water as a breach of contract with the Commissioners, and would so prevent the payment of the passage money of the steerage passengers, the Captain countermanded his order and the usual allowance of water was today served out. The quantity allowed is six quarts a day for each adult (children have less in proportion to age) and when it is remembered that this is to suffice for washing, cooking, tea and all other uses, it cannot be said to be extravagant.–  With the exception of this incident nothing has occurred for many days to relieve the monotony ofour shipboard life; our attempts at catching fish have been unsuccessful,we have seen but one ship and that at a distance of 6 or 7 miles, & the even tenor of our way has been fortunately undisturbed by storms or disaster. Harriet has enjoyed very good health for some weeks; she has occasionally suffered from headache, but the attacks have been temporary, have been easily removed, and probably owe their origin to want of exercise.