Travel Diaries and Journals

January 29th continued

Latde [Latitude] obsd [observed] 35.56 So Londe [Longitude] Chr [Chronometer] 23.24 East Course S 55 W 145 miles Cape Agulhas N 69 W 183 miles Cape of Good Hope N 69 W 263 miles Bar [Barometer] 29.62 Sympr [Sympiesometer] 29.58 Ther [Thermometer] air 74 water 76 PM Heavy gales at NW with hard squalls & rain. at 1 Wore ship to the Nd [Northward] at 5 wind veering to West & a little more moderate set the Fore Top sail close reefd [reefed] very heave sea a Westd [Westward] Midnight decreasing gale at WSW Bar [Barometer] 29.94

Jan [January] 30th

am decreasing gales at WSW & less sea set the Mizen [Mizzen] Topsl [Topsail] double reefd [reefed] at daylight out 3rd & 2nd reefs of Topsls [Topsails] shifted the foresail & made sail at 8 Moderate SW wind out all reefs & made all plain sail. a ship ahead as ourselves. Noon moderate SW wind & fine Wr [weather] high swell left Latde [Latitude] obsd [observed] 35.14 So Londe [Longitude] Chr [Chronometer] 21.38 E Course N 64 W 96 1/2 miles Bar [Barometer] 30.23 Sympr [Sympiesometer] 30.22 Ther [Thermometer] air 68 water 70 Cape Agulhas N 74 W 82 miles dist [distance] Cape of Good Hope N 71 W 163 miles [ditto]

January 30th continued

PM Light SW wind & fine at 2 Passed & signalled the English ship 3rd pt [point?] 9241 + [cross with four dots] from Calcutta to London 63 days out. at 9 Light breeze veering to SEd [SEastward] & fine clear Wr [weather] 5 1/2 knots

January 31st + [cross with four dots] French Empire

am Light wind at ESE & fine Increasd [Increased] set the starbd [starboard] studg [studding] sls [sails] at 5 saw the land about Cape Agulhas bearing North. The breeze un- steady at East to NE & Increasing at 8 Quorin Point N b E 3/4 E Noon Fresh breeze at SE & fine set all the Port studg [studding] sls [sails] Cape Hangklip N by E 1/4 E Danger Point E by S. Latde [Latitude] obs [observed] 34.47 So Londe [Longitude] Chr [Chronometer] 19.06 E Course N 77 W 128 miles Cape of Good Hope N 37 W 31 miles Bar [Barometer] 30.18 Sympr [Sympiesometer] 30.14 Ther [Thermometer] air 72 water 71 PM Strong wind at S by E ship sailing 12 knots at 2.30 Table mountain NE by N & Cape of Good Hope Light House NNE 1/2 E at 5.30 Table Mountain E 3/4 S Midnight steady strong wind at S by E & fine carrying the Port studg [studdings] sls [sails] & Main Skysail ship sailing 13 knots.

last 2 or 3 weeks has been pleasant. occasional squalls & one night it blew pretty hard & there was a heavy cross sea which kept us rolling & [above four lines scored through 3 times] tumbling about all the night it is now cool & pleasant, quite like English weather again it is a great change from the heat of India & the tropics. Saturday March 27th. 1857 This morning sighted land a long way off 80 miles supposed to be some of the high land at Cape Agullas there were 6 or 7 peaks of hill quite distinct above the horizon. To an inexperienced eye they would pass for clouds. the wind died off this morning but the falling of the barometer led us to expect that we would very soon have it blowing stiffly. once in the afternoon the wind increased to a stiff breeze

An unusual number of porpoises got up. Made our bows a perfect cloud of them Kept leaping above water, & swimming along faster than the ship. the sailors got hold of a harpoon & struck one, but the shaft of the harpoon broke the line was carried off. the whole flock immediately dis- appeared. We made the land again at 10 oclock (AM) it came on to blow very hard then but it passed off as we made the land. Got up to the Western exty [extremity] of the Cape this afternoon. Saw a large Steamer under sail. Close on land, & the Aguelas light house. Passed danger point where many ships are lost. The steamer supposed to be the Himalaya from India to England with Invalids. We kept on along the land