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

As they use with the fire engines in Edinr roses like those in a watering pan are attached to it A sailor gets in the top of a hatchway with this in his hand. While a dozen natives work at the pump. You get under the roses & have a first rate ducking Your shower baths in Edinr are mere childs play compared to this At 8 o'clock Am. we saw a ship ahead. We soon gained upon her. We hoisted our colours they returned the tricolor so that she was French. We were not near enough to interchange any more signals. We soon lost sight of her far behind At 3 o'clock this afternoon we sighted one of the Canary islands Palma for my part I could not think it any thing else than a cloud the Sailors however said it Was land & that it was the island Palma. We also saw dimly the Peak of Teneriffe which was very high out from the sea 12300 feet we guess more than 100 miles distant from Teneriffe & about 18 from Palma. On the latter we could see some houses apparently built among the rocks. I did not see that

A ship could land at it. As there was nothing to be seen round & round it but high rocks & the sea beating against them. Further on in the eveing we saw. Santa Cruz another of the group of Canary's - The sailors & officers servants meet every night on the forecastle after their work is done. & amuse themselves with singing, there are some good singers among them & they sing some good songs Lat: 29.45. N Long: 17.49. W. Distance run 218m

Sunday Augt: 23rd 1857

This morning is very close & hot. We are beginning to feel the heat a good deal now. We have made little progress the last 24 hours the breeze being right ahead. We are only going half steam power. I can scarcely beleve it is Sabbath mg. [morning] here. You hear the sailors shouting as usual the passengers sitting & laying about as usual the only difference being that the sailors have trea -ted themselves to clean shirts & clean white trousers. We had service on board this mg. [morning] at 10.30 conducted in the Church of England