Jack Sheridan log book 1919

30 Thursday

8 am shifted ketch west side. Started loading. Fresh ESE to SE. Took off 4 boatloads before dinner about 9 tons. After dinner took in boatloads about [illegible text] tons bagged & whealed. 100 bags ready to ship. 2.30 pm started to get guano ready. Bar 30-38 started to fall at 8 pm. Fresh SE & clear. Bar at 8 am 30-40. 46//2.

31 Friday

7.15 am all hands on west side bagging & geating all down the hill for shipping. About 7 ton. 12 started boating off took off 3//2 boatloads up to 4.30 pm. Hands shifted [illegible text] back to SW side. Shipped about 7 tons. Fine light ENE to SE. Bar falling fast at 6 pm. Bar 30-15. Hands away swimming & washing themselves. All heaps nearley bagged up.

1 February Saturday

All hands bagging & whealing on the East side. Whealed about 140 bags 1/2 filled. Calm & variables all day very hot. Fixed large plank from south side to east side. 7 pm shifted from north to east side up in the bay. Bar at 7 pm 29.95 inclined to fall. Wind south. Water getting very low about 20 galons in tank.

2 Sunday

Midnight fresh gale south dragged anchor & paid out mile chain. 7 am got under weight. Slipped 15 fathams shackle & anchor put 2 life boys & long rope to chain. Stop Reevesby 9 am. Got water & got chain & anchor. Bar at 4 pm 30.18.

3 Monday

At Reevesby Island for shelter. Hard gale SE to SSW. Bar rising fast 8 pm 30-30. 2 hands repairing staysail. Js went & got sample guano at Marr am. Britannia & Janet at anchor from Port Lincoln.

4 Tuesday

5.45 Got under from Reevesby. Fresh ESE. Stop Sisbey 8 am. Crew bagging & whealing boating. Took on board west side about 2 tons. 4 pm all hands went cleaning guano east side. Anchored on west side. Fresh south at 6 pm. Bar inclined to fall. Bar 30.25.

5 Wednesday

8 am started boating guano from the east side to west side where ketch anchored. Very hard work. 4 boatloads before dinner 1 pm. After dinner up to 7 pm 4 boatloads about 16 tons. Sea smooth. Fixed extra boy on anchor. One life boy gone. Bar 30-10 all day very hot. Light variables throughout.

6 Thursday

Shifted ketch from west side to NE point. Picked up anchor & chain Life boy. One life boy thick line. Cut last Monday [illegible text]. Britannia Fishing Cutter got seal off English Island. 2 hands on shore. First part all hands bagging & whealing down. 1 hand [illegible text] in the hole. Bar at 6 pm 30-10. Very hot. Light variables.

7 Friday

First part boating off 4 boatloads from east side to north End where ketch anchored up to 1 pm. Afternoon took off 1 boatload & cleaned same. Wind shifty very hot & calm. Bar 30-10. During the evening had to go to sea. Wind came in NW to SSW. Lightning hard all night & raining & thundering. About 10 ton.

8 Saturday

Tacking nearly all day wind shifty. Part of time crew on shore cleaning & bagging whealing same. 4 pm took off 60 bags about 4 tons 2 boatloads three hands on shore working at guano. Bar 30.15. Cloudy very hot.

9 Sunday

9.30 am got under weight towards Port Adelaide. One hand went on shore to pick up & stack all gear. Moderate south. Bar 30-30. Fine.

10 Monday

Beating all night very little made reefe sails. Fresh SE. Tacking all night & day. Pump damaged not working. Baling out with buckets every 2 hours. Hove to 10 pm all night to next day.

11 Tuesday

First part hove to 6 am. Anchored west side Wedge. Hard gale ESE Bar 30-35. Got stores off Golly about 14 flour, 10 to 12 meat. Got some fire wood. Fixed pump & shifted some guano aft from front hatch & repair mizzen & sundry jobs. Flour. 46 lbs + 15 = 61 pounds. 15 flour 1 sheep 10 shilling to pay. 1 bottle kerosene.

12 Wednesday

6 am left West Bay Wedge Island towards Port Adelaide. Light SE & calms up to 2 pm. Light south up to 7 pm. Passed Althorpes 7.30 pm. Wind shifty. Bar gradually falling. 30-08 at 7.30 pm. 2 crew all day scraping 2 feet of masts.

13 Thursday

Tried to get to Western River. No wind. Went to Stenhouse Bay & picked gui. Several things taken away from Maldon Lewis gui. Send one ton chain up in Kopoola to port to Mr Russell. 7 pm left Stenhouse Bay & stop Marion Bay. Fresh east. Bar 30-00. Things missing 1 table 1 saw large took all the plates & mugs knives & forks. 1 [illegible text] lamp 1 kettle 3 sets tackles. Main & mizzen & sundry ropes & blocks 1 bell.

14 Friday At Marion Bay wind bound. Blowing hard NE to W & variables at times. Kepted doyessing at times.

15 Saturday

9 am Got some stores from Hawthorn ketch. 10 left towards Stenhouse Bay. Fresh NW & calms & heavy rain. Too late to get engine on board. Paid Bob Clarke up to date 5 pounds. He left in Ketch Hawthorn. Bread & sundries 4 shillings. Bar 29.90.

16 Sunday

2.30 am got under weight. Wind SSE swell began came in kepted dodying about. 2 pm drop anchor & went on shore & got 4 parts of the engine Magneta & Bottairer. 1 spare staysail & sundries. PM went to sea. Fresh SE. Bar 30.15.