Hosea Dudley

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represented, in most eloquent language, and I think it might well be well applied on board this ship, about noon a squall came up and as it passed the wind came into the N.W. and blew quite strong continued squally through the day Had the victims of yesterday made into a pot pie for dinner.

Monday March 5^th [centered]

Lat [Latitude] 24° 00" [inches] Today General F Taylor Samuel Samuel takes his seat as President of the United States of America. Wind NW, this saw a sail this afternoon, it was ahead and to windward, steering N.W. the vessels neared each other rapidly, expectation was on tiptoe, in the hopes of speaking her and prehaps, have an opportunity to send letters home to our friends. But as she came nearer we could disern the Monte Videan flag flying from her Peak, they she seemed to manifest a desire to speak, as for when directly abreast of us she altered her course, and stood directly for us, but as our Captain see took no notice of it but kept the ship on her course, she bore away and passed us about one mile astern. She was a Barque and had lost her main top gallant and royal mount.

The sky has been undergoing a change this afternoon huge masses of clouds fill the heavens and obscure the sun While a long heavy swell comes from the south, before night the wind commenced blowing verry strong from the N.N.W. the studding sails were taken others furled and in a short the ship presented a verry different appearance from what it did an hour or two before in the evening it commenced raining with thunder and lightning I slept below or tried to sleep but got but little rest as the hatches were all closed and the air verry close

Tuesday Thursday March 6^th [centered]

The morning dawned gloomy and uncomfortable the vessell roling and pitching Wind high with rain I know of no disagreeable place than on board a ship in a storm with the decks covered with water, sails driping and with water, Which instead of and everything wet and uncomfortable, which instead of being decreased is augmentedly the course the Captain Allan sees fit to persue, hea does not to be sure in a bold open and manly way, for he is not man enough for that, but in a small mean manner, for instance there was an oupen [open] platform running extending along on the quarter deck in front of the Cabin this platform was about three feet wide, on this some of

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The passengers who wished to stay on deck, would stand, to get out of the water that was floating on deck, and to keep their feet dry. This the Captain observing and thinking probably that this chance was better than they deserved, and that they were getting more than they bargained paid for, took the trouble to have it it removed, and for no other conceivable reason than to gratify this innaccomodating disposition, this is but one of numerous acts of comtemptable meanness that he has performed. And this is the man that we were told before leaving Boston, would do evrything in his power, for the comfort and convienience of all who took passage on board the Pharsalia.

Towards night the wind ceased blowing, and it bcame nearly calm. Saw towards night saw we had some visetors from the court of South America in the shape of butterflies some of which wer caught, rather along flight for such an insect, as we were 5 or 600 miles from land.

Wednesday 7^th [centered]

Wind light from W, and variable, saw a sail astern, we were making no headway as the wind had died away, but she came up towards us to quite fast bringing the wind with her, she passed us about twelve o'clock about 1/2 mile one half mile to the leward wint but not within hail, they wrote with chalk on her side, that she, 49 days from N.Y. with 6 Passengers bound for San Francisco. She this was the Barque Madonna, she sailed 11 days before us. Soon after passing us it fell calm and we lay within half mile of each other untill night. Saw a sail gust it night, it pa ahead she and passed to the east towards th[e] North

Thursday 8^th [centered]

Lat [Latitude] 27° 28 Lon [Longitude] 36° 44" [inches]. Barque wa still near us the sky was sun rose clear although the sky was mostly covered with heavy black clouds at 8 o'clock wind sprung up from the east blew fresh at noon, as the wind freshened up increased, the Captain sounded an all sail, untill every stitch of canvas, that would draw was set; studding sails and all, and for two hours we had quite an exiting [exciting] time; in this little world of ours, in trying to pass the barque, we steddily gained on her, and passed her, and before night, she was several miles astern.

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[on top right, in pencil] {11 1850}

Tuesday, March 12^th [centered]

Wind North, and blowing quite Strong, course south west, and Onward we dash oer the trackless deep. The wind in our favor as onward we sweep And our ship she toys with the rolling waves, As in foam and spray her prow she laves

Onward she goes with a glorious bound, And the water part with a rushing sound. Far astern, we can trace her foamy track, Far ahead; the dark waters look gloomy and black.

Lat [Latitude] at Noon 41° 20" [inches] We have had a glorious run, since last Thursday and have made about 14° degrees of Lattitude and nearly the same of Longitude as our course has been about S.W. most of the time. The wind had gradualy come round into the North W. They took in part of the sail during the night as the Captain said that the baromiter indicated a storm, and that we should catch it before twenty four hours, and we did catch it sure enough, towards noon the wind gradually died away untill it became nearly calm but it was an unnatural calm the calm that precedes a storm. Notwithstanding the notice given of its approach, there was nothing in the readings to meet it when in all its fury it burst uppon us about noon the wind commenced blowing furiously from the south west, and before they could succeed in getting anything close and hung out, the rigging began to give way the sails were t some of them torn to rags, the Maintop gallant and ryo royal mast was carried away but hung by suspended by the rigging, and the ship rendered completely unmanagable, and when night set in dark and fearful we lay in the trough of the sea completely at the mercy of the waves without a stitch of sail set up with the maddend mad waters boiling and foaming arround us with fearful violence.

Wednesday 14^th [centered]

Oh! Such a night as we have had of it. I cannot describe it the vessell rolls terribly, and boxes and trunks un &c. [etcetera] &c. [etcetera], that were not properly secured were hurld from their places endangering life and limb, sometimes they are broken open and so away goes goes the contents, pick Pickles and preserves, and other small stores laid in by the passengers; all mingled in and broken mess

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Wednesday 14^th [centered]

But day dawned at last, but the con wind continues to blow with terrible violence; and the waves are driven before it with tremendous force, sometimes breaking over the bulwarks and covering the deck two feet deep with water, and pouring down below, wherever there is a crevice open.

The Ocean at times when a squall more violent than the rest, sweeps over it, becomes as white as the driven snow, the wind lifts the water from the crest of the waves, and drives it over the surface as the wind drifts the snow over the hills of New England Oh! what is the boasted strength of man in a war like this, a war with the elements of which we are composed

Well might Bryon exclaim

"Mans controll stops with the shore"

To day they succeeded in setting the main spencer a small sail about as big as the mans hand, they also spread and lashed a sail to the mizen rigging, so that the vessil laid rode somewhat easier

Thursday 15^th [centered]

The wind has decreased verry much, and they have succeded in making some sail on the ship. Wind dead ahead, steering south east heavy swell still running

Friday 16^th [centered]

Lat [Latitude] 42° 00" [inches] Lon [Longitude] .made but little head way in the fore noon in the afternoon th wind sprang from the N.W. which carrid us along for a while, but it gradually came round into the South West, dead ahead, and we were steered S.E. Weather cooler, the temperature being 54°

Saturday 17^th [centered]

Lat [Latitude] 43° 58" towards night the wind hauled into the N.W. so that we could ster [steer] our course. Weather verry pleasant, with an exelent breeze from the from the N.W. To day some of the passengers succeded in taking one or two Albatross, of which there had been great numbers flying round the ship, they were hooked by trailing a long line astern, with a bait and hook attatched one of them measured ten feet and nine inches from top to tip of his wings, large numbers of different kinds of birds follow the ship, to pick up whatever is thrown over from the galley. The albatross however is the largest and it rem they shoot through the air, poise themselves and describe circles over the wake of the ship; with

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with remarkable ease and with scarce any perceptable motion of their wings, and when the storm gale in the stronger the gale strongest the greater the ease whith which they accomplish their graceful motions. They seem perfectly adapted to this region of wind and storms; they possess have a verry large full black eye, and can see the smallest object with at a great distance, they are not generally considered as good for food, but there has been a number of them too cooked and pronounced, by those who are fond of a fresh bite, to be verry good eating.

[centered] Sunday 18^th

Lat [Latitude] 45° 53" [inches] Lon [Longitude] about 47° 00" Weather clear, with an exelent breeze from the N.W., our course is south west, by west, and going at the rate of 10 knots. Prayer and Sermon read to day between decks. Afternoon there was quite a change in the weather dark heavy clouds came up from the south west, wind increased so that after some of the old and rotten rigging of the ship had given way they reefed topsails, course, south west.

[centered] Monday 19

Not making much head way

[centered] Tuesday 20^th

Wind N.W. not very strong steering our course, but with verry little sail set as the Captain is expecting a gale, from the fact that the baromiter is falling rapidly, towards night the wind died away entirely, and when night came on the sky looked ominous and gloomy. ab About 8 o'clock being between decks, I hurd a rushing roaring sound, above, and the wind immediately struck up a chorus; among the as it rushed through the rigging of the ship; that sounded anything but pleasantly All sail was immediately taken in exept the maintopsail which was close reefed; and the fore topmast stay sail and spanker. The gale had commenced from the south west in right good earnest.

[centered] Saturday 24^th

For the last three days we have been the plaything of the winds and waves, and we have been handled roughly enough: but we are still afloat, and the wind has abated, the old ship has "suffered some," having had her bulwarks broken in aft the main rigging, on the stabboard [starboard] side, by a huge wave that seemed as though it was going to break in the whole side of the ship the large band of iron that passes round the rudder head and is bolted on each side of the tiller also gave way, and we came near being left still more at the mercy of the waves, but it was chained up and pronounced as good as new, which is the way I should judge every think every thing has been been done gone on board this ship for years