2151_6-1-diary

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Sunday July 1st 1855 At sea. Very light winds, and dead an end : Sharpshooter nearly out of sight. At 9.30 a signal from the Flag Ship, to keep more regular order - 10 Went to Divisions, the Band playing on board the Flag. The Sugar Loaf bearing NE distant about 15 miles - Rated some Ordy Seamen to AB's -

July 2nd At 8 saw the Vixen coming out having the Admiral on board. At 9 she stopped close to us - Sharpshooter just in sight standing towards us. At 10 the old game began again and he kept us all at it till 11.30 when he went on board his own ship, but was no sooner on deck than he recommenced with redoubled vigor till dinner time when we had a quiet hour : directly afterwards we had all sorts of manoeuvres till 5 PM when we went to supper and were not again disturbed till 9.

July 3rd At 3 tacked when within 3/4 of a mile of the shore At daylight cloudy with frequent showers of rain. At 9 wore and stood in towards the Sand : At 10 up went our old friend the Preparative, when a signal was made to exercise at Tog Signals when a great deal of drumming and firing was gone through, this over, we had the old game of reefing topsails, which continued till noon when we again formed order in two columns and stood out to sea wearing and tacking at the Admirals will. At 5 it looked rather threatning when we all reefed topsails: at 6 heavy rain which continued till midnight.

July 4th A beautiful cool morning : working for the mouth of the harbor. At 7 the Trident was sent away to tow the Express and Sharpshooter, nearly hull down to leeward - A very heavy swell from the Seward. At 11 a signal for Vixen to take Flag Ship in tow, which she did after the second attempt in a very indifferent manner : when passing us, she made a signal to Trident to take us in tow : at 1 Trident with the other two

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in tow, also took us altho' a fine sea breeze had sprung up : much to our annoyance as we could have sailed in much quicker : at 2.40 passed the Fort of Santa Cruz and at 4 let go the hawsers and came to an anchor in our old position, abreast of the Maddagascar where we moored her. Vixen went up to the Coal Wharf and the other vessels took up their respective stations. There was a large fleet, our own Admiral, French Co and the Peruvian Commodore, whose ship was anchored close to us, and on board her were several ladies, and a fine band playing - In the evening most of the Officers went on shore.

July 5th Calm and very close and sultry. When I got up I found a letter on Service for me ordering me on board the Flag Ship on a survey at 11, did not at all like it. Quite surprised with the size of the Ship - In the evening went ashore and got on board again with the Commr at 11 -

July 6th Very hot, every one looking anxiously for the Main Heard of any box of pipes being at the Office of Fox & Co - In the evening went ashore -

July 7th In the forenoon Drs Woodcock and Sole came on board Went on board the Vixen in the evening, and having made it Saturday night got on board again by 10 -

July 8th Very wet and close, examined three men who came from the shore : as appearance of the Packet. A continual heavy rain all day - In the afternoon most of the Officers went ashore.

July 9th At 10 went on board Madagascar with an Hospital case, raining hard all day

July 10th Got my box of pipes from Mr Hill and bought a ticket for the Lottery. In the evening very wet & miserable

July 11th Very anxious about the lottery. At 11 got a paper found [?] mine a blank - Went on board the Camilla for my washed clothes, could not find them : heard

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Sharpshooter was going up the River, Vixen to leave for England on the 16th and that we were to go to the Nward with the Flag Ship - In the evening went on board Vixen, returned at 10.

July 12th Very unwell from a severe cold one of my messmates appointed to the Flag Ship : letter bag closed for England

July 13th Trident went out to tow in the American Frigate Savannah - In the evening went ashore with Deal, the other Officers at the Opera - Came on board at half past seven - Camilla left for the River

July 14th Clayhills left to join the Flag Ship. At 3 went on board Vixen with an Invalid - 8 made it Saturday night and went easily to bed.

Sunday July 15th 1855 At 9.30 went to Division and Church - Mail steamer Avon steamed out of harbor for England - Eversfield dined on board, in the evening went ashore, had a long walk with Haywood and Deal, returning on board at 11 PM.

July 10th At 9 Sharpshooter got steam up preparatory to towing out the Tyne 10 went out together - the Sharpshooter for the River, the other going to England - Noon very hot and close after the strong gale of wind and rain we had during the night. In the evening went on shore, met several of the Vixen's Officers, got on board by ten.

July 17th Felt very unwell. At 9 went to Quarters, Vixen getting her steam up. At 10 the Flag Ship manned rigging the Express, ourselves and the other men of war doing the same as the Vixen weighed the English Band played "sweet home" and the French one "Auld lang syne" and when she was passing three cheers were given by all the ships - At 5 went ashore

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to meet Eversfield, after a game of billiards which did me good, came on board.

July 18th Still no idea of what our proceedings are likely to be : at 9 a signal to man and arm boats, we as usual last of all, without either ensign or pendant. At 11 the French Admiral sent away their boats - 11.30 Admiral Johnston came on board and went round the ship, going afterwards to the Trident, and Cobras - Afternoon very hot, not a breath of wind: In the evening played at Vingt un - Commdr and Officers at the Opera.

July 19th Very cloudy and sultry, Ross came off at 8 - very seedy - 10 A letter from the Admiral informing us us we were to go to Sea on Monday. In the afternoon two of the Peruvian Officers came on board - Overhauled Mess accts, only a deficiency of 2/4. In the evening tried the Wine do' but could not make them out..

July 20th a very thick fog and very close. Sent a note to Clayhills asking him to come on board and explain the Wine Book. Hear of Cholera being on shore, In the morning had a round game of cards.

July 21st Much the same sort of weather. Yesterday at 10 a signal was made from the Flag to man and arm boats after having been at General Quarters. At 11.30 the guns were secured, thinking all was over, but another signal was made, asking why we had knocked off and ordering us again to exercise with great gusto, it was nearly 1 o'clock before we went to dinner, one serious accident (a fracture) was the result - Being Saturday we were employed all day cleaning and white washing the ship throughout, the Frigate was listed over for cleaning her bottom - Purser (Rudy)

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ashore at Cobras getting Provisions - 11 Deal & Kinnear went away for a ride on horse back - Noon [underline]very hot[/underline] In the afternoon I went ashore to purchase some medicine heard that Cholera had broken out, and some fatal casaes had taken place : suffering myself from a severe attack of Diarrhoea glad to get on board.

Sunday July 22nd 1855 Rio de Janeiro. A very foggy morning - At 9.30 went to Divisions, inspected lower decks and holed and performed Divine Service : had a very uncomfortable night: at noon, Dr Sole came on board, heard that the Admiral was coming on board and that we were going some distance up the harbor-: still feeling very unwell - Went early to bed, and was just falling off to sleep when I was surprized by the report of a gun, soon followed by several others: on going on deck, I saw the Flag Ship, Constitution and the fort firing minute guns, with green lights a signal of some ship in distress : the night was beautifully clear, calm and moon lit: presently the launch of the Frigate came alongside and ordered us to send our cutter away to the mouth of the harbor - all the ships sent away one or more boats : at eleven the cutter returned informing us that there was no reason for all the disturbance.

July 23rd Passed a very indifferent night - Employed getting bread and water on board - At noon saw the Admiral and Sente going ashore in full dress, we understood to a levée of the Emperor, the French Admiral soon followed. At 1 there was a grand salute from all the frigates and in the evening a display of fireworks -

July 24th A very beautiful morning, busy on board the Trident preparing for the Admiral's Picnic: At 9.30 a signal from Flag Ship to send away all boats, out of the