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off very pleasantly: in the evening we had songs
and a procession was formed to carry us round
the deck as on a previous occasion, but to which
ceremony I would not consent. One of the Stokers,
very drunk, fell down the after ladder into my
cabin, upsetting my ink pens &c and breaking my
table. Went to bed at 11.

December 26th. Early in the morning it came on
to blow, and by 8 it was blowing a fresh gale,
the frigate and ourselves being under close reefed
topsails. During one of the squalls, the tiller ropes
carried away, and we had some difficulty in
getting a spare rudder shipped, before reaving
new tiller ropes. Many of the men very shaky
from the effects of their Xmas feed, but I found euretics
afforded speedy relief: there was very little fighting
but a few fellows were rather discolored about the
eyes.

December 27th At 4.15 the Frigate went to General
Quarters, firing blank in which fun we soon joined.
I kept my cabin, expecting another fellow to have
an arm blown off, however no accident occured.
At 8 a signal was made to fire at a target at
9, when the Flag ship and we went at it like fun.
We made some excellent shots, and with the last
one sank the target. In the afternoon a light breeze
made all possible sail in co' with Flag Ship. My
patient doing favorably altho' the weather was very
hot, not at all favorable to his recovery.

December 28th The morning being very hot, I
turned out early, and enjoyed myself in a bath.

Sunday at Sea 1856