Travel Diaries and Journals

We left Lat. 4.5 N Long. 21.28 West 140 miles. Sept. 2 We will cross the line tomorow. No ceremony. Ceremony as it used to be Complaint about dinner. Lat. 1.50 North Long. 21.2 Sept. 3rd. Crossed the line. Wind ahead at 11 o'clock. Signalled the "Ville de Aigue Morte" & asked them to report us. Wind changeable. Lat 00.55 S 21.34 W 149 miles. Sept. 4th. Spoke the Schooner reward from L'pool to Cape Town had been 42 days at sea. We had been 18 days Lat 4.8 South Long. 22.52 W. 219 miles Sept. 5th Notice up to prevent Cards on the Quarter deck. Lat 4.16 S Long. 23.4 W, 204 miles No singing after 10.30 at night. Sept. 6th. Service today by the purser & surgeon on q deck large attendance. Fine pleasant day. Sails all set. Lat 10.33 S Long 25.31 W 231 miles Sept. 7th First appearance of the Candia Gazette. Lat 13.53 South Long. 24.4 W. 229 miles Sept. 8th Hailed the Maryanna from L Pool to Bombay. She had been at sea 50 days. Singing in the leeway to commemorate Sebastopol. Weather fine. port open 16.31 S Long 28.20 W 185 miles.

We came to anchor at 2 o clock. We were near going on shore & the anchor parted by the strain. We however got the other anchor down & all put to right. Gen Salter immediately went on shore Lt Dadson & I went to go on board the "Adelaide". She (Black boatman 'bout ship) steamed off just as we got along. Dadson shouted out to inquire for his brother wounded in China. Next went on board the "Octavia" saw Dr. Taylor whom I had parted with in Calcutta 6 weeks before. he was rather as- tonished to find me down here. asked him to see Fred. when he went down to Edinburgh. Went on board & dined. In the evening Dadson & I called on the Brigade Major & Dr. Summers the P.M.O. at Cape Town & reported our arrival Could not get off at night to the ship slept

April 6th. 1858 Capt came on shore this morning South Easter blown off went on board with him. Stayed on board all day

April 7th. 1858 Visited several parts of Cape Town with the Capt. the Governors House. Artillery & Cape rifle Barracks. Shops & houses quite English looking, to visit Constantia tomorrow.

April 8th. 1858. After breakfast this morning the Capt & I went on shore. Called on Genl. Salter & Lt. Dadson to go on our excursion to Constantia given by the Genl. a carriage & four was in waiting & off we rattled through the dusty streets of Cape Town handsomly dressed shop windows passed. We came upon houses in the suburbs such as we see in our own villages at home each little village here too I see has its lawn its group of squalling children its work shops, farriers etc. Now we

come upon nice villas with a nice plot of green trees, the (oak especially in abundance), the houses looking beautifully clean & white the windows clean & bright now & then a face protruded to watch the carriage passing. Table Mountain with its flat table like surface, & looking from the town to the left the Devils Peaks forms the back ground of these houses. In some cases the vineyards extend a long way up the side of the hill especially when they may be well sheltered from the south east gales which often blow here with such severity bye & bye. the houses begin to be scarce, one or two here & there. We passed the Governors Country house with a very nice avenue leading up to it but a very poor entrance there being only a plain pillar on each side. about 4 miles from Cape Town [pu scored through] the road to

on the other side the road to Constantia & Wynberg winds round the base of Table Mountain, the Devils Peak & the Lion's Head & Ranges. Constantia appears to stand nearly on the opposite side of Table Mountain from Cape Town. We arrived in Constantia (great) about 12 oclock in the day. The sun was very hot, & as we sat an open carriage I carried an umbrella to keep the heat of the sun off. We got out at Mr. Cloetes wine establishment. Arrived there the Genl. presented his card & we were introduced to his House (Mr. Cloetes). (Ramsay, [written below: & 2 ladies] [written above: late] the Brigade Major) at Calcutta was there, He had come down in the Himalaya on his way to England on Sick leave. in Calcutta he came on board the "Candia" when we were down at