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Hawkins belonging to the same company, as she had
just came up from New Zealand for the same company. I
only sailed her for three months when the captain of the Mim-
osa and me changed ships, him being the oldest hand, he
had a right to take the newest vessel. So I took the Mimosa
and traded round the West coast to Streaky and Fowlers
Bays. I sailed her for two years then took charge of the
Strathmore belonging to the same company, and
she was only 94 tons. I used to trade to Port Pirie and
load wheat for Melbourne discharge there, and sail for
Launceston Tasmania. And load barley and [?bark] for
Port Adelaide. Now all those three vessels was ketch rigged
fore and aft and carried their mainsail amid ships.
Now while coming from Launceston to Pt Adelaide my
right eye took bad and in those small vessels in those days
we carried no medicine chest so I just had to do the best I could
with that eye until I got to Pt Adelaide as the wind was in
my favour, and when I arrived at Pt Adelaide the Doctor
advised me to go down to Mount Gambier and see an
eye doctor by the name of Doctor Jackson as he was a great
eye doctor, and was living in a good climate for curing eyes.
This place is about two hundred miles from Adelaide. So
when I got there and saw this Doctor he just had a look
at it as it was all bound up and said I will cure your
eye of any more pain but you will loose (sic) the sight of it, as
I won't operate on it. But he would guarantee that I would
have no more trouble with it, and that I would be able
to see better with the one eye than I could with the two. So
I stayed at his hospital for three weeks, and went home
to Pt Ade3laide and sure enough I could always see
better with one eye than I could with the two. Anyhow my
vessel was chartered by another firm. So I had to leave
as the other firm had their own master to take her. So I
was offered another ketch rigged vessel by the name of the
Spindrift, belonging to another firm. And run her for a