Travel Diaries and Journals

way to India to join their regiments. we have now entered the Bay of Biscay the sea does not run a bit higher than it has done since we left the Channel. I believe at this season of the year it is generally very quiet the water seemed very smooth but there is a great swell on which makes the ship roll about. I am writing this in my book lying on deck with my blue flannel suit on (which I find useful) I have got up some sofa pillows from below which make a very good couch most of the passengers have these folding chairs with them & they are certainly very useful on board ship. The only faces at all familiar to me here are 6 or 8 officers of the 34th that I used to see marching to the park. I have been trying to make out the course we shall steer for India in Sullivans geography. we do not go through the Bay of Biscay entirely rather across it & Strike out into the Atlantic then pass the Madeira & Canary islands down by the Coast of Africa & go round the

Cape so that the first land we are likely to see is Madeira. At 5 oclock this afternoon a whale came tumbling out under our bows threw up a tremendous foam round about throwing up his tail & then sinking down under water a minute or two rising up again. We saw it on the surface about a dozen times. the sailors said it was about 20 or 30 feet long In the evening the boats were filled with officers singing smoking &ce. I turned into bed at 9 oclock & I could hear them singing & shouting long afterwards

Tuesday August 18th 1857

Got up at 6 this morning & went on deck 2 hours there is a fine fresh breeze & our ship is flying rapidly across the atlantic under full sail I went down to breakfast at 8 oclock. I thought I could eat with a good appetite but the first mouthful I took completely upset me there is a peculiar taste about everything which is most nauseating to me. a peice of tempting looking cold

they stopped. I expect that we will soon get sight of land now. Via Madeira. We are not to stop at the Cape if it can be avoided but push right on to Ceylon & there take in a fresh supply of coal We are now put on short allowance of water. One jugful each being the allowance. I do not know why they should do so because they have only to condense the steam produced by boiling Salt water. We have Salt water baths which we can have either hot cold or shower. I have not tried either yet but intend to begin soon. To night some of the young officers got up the rigging. the Sailors were very soon after them & tied them to the rope ladders. Until they paid their footing which was either 5 or 10/- (Summat to drink the genelmans health with) as they called it. There was one very green young fellow of an officer who was nicely caught. he was led into it by the others. They proposed to try a race to the top of the rope ladder & down the other side. This young fellow got off his coat to it The others let him

with Gibraltar this afternoon but of course were so far out to sea to see it. Today we are in Latitude 39.33 N. Long 12.21 W. We have run 235 miles since yesterday at 12 oclock there being 60 miles in a degree sailing at this rate we should reach Calcutta in 45 days but we cannot get on so favourably generally. The breeze was strong last night & in our favour we are now 460 miles distant from Madeira which we will likely pass in 2 days. Thursday Augt. 29th 1857 Last night met the Cheif Engineer of the ship who is a Scotsman from Queensferry (we have not many Scotsmen on board.) he occupies a station in the ship equal to the Cheif Officer he has a very nice Cabin very well fitted up. we sat chatting till pretty late it is strange how some Scotsmen get friends here To night it is stormy the clouds are gathering the wind high & the sea also running high so we may look out for a stiff night of it Lat. 36 37 North Long: 13.44 230 miles

Friday Augt 21st 1857 We have an awning put up over the quarter deck every day now to sheild us from the heat of the sun which is becoming pretty strong One can easily see that the sun is more vertical here than in England everyone is looking out for a sight of Madeira today we are steaming between it & the mainland we were doomed to be disappointed however we are passed its lat. & long. : without seeing it. we shipped a sea this morning which made the ladies run into their cabins in hot haste. A great many sea fowl are flying about which shows that we cannot be at a great distance from land. today our lat is 32°. 40. north Long. 15. 52 west. Distance run 230 miles

Saturday August 22nd 1854

I got up early this morning & had a salt water bath, it is very pleasant & refreshing Now that we are getting into a warmer climate We have got the most novel shower baths on deck I ever saw they pump up salt water from the sea through a pipe such