Brief Account of the voyage from England to Balaklava, 1855 (part 1)

[ ] with a moon-light Night & a fair Breeze [The] Ship going better than she ever did before.

Tuesday 20th Very fine through the day & passed a 4 Mast Steamer Which Saluted us & we in Return

Wednesday 21st Fine wether & Smoote Sea & going first rate After 12. Heavey wether with rain at ½ 3.p.m. See a Water Spout about 5 Miles from us

Thursday 22nd Sighted the Dog Rock at 6.a.m. Entered the Archapeligo & passed a Great Meny lands and Rocks

Friday 23rd Wether Very fine and warm & the Views & Scenery of Diffrent Mountains Rocks was Splendid

Saturday 24th 7th Week Fine Morning Moonlight going only Half Speed till Day light See in a bay the french & British fleet at 10.a.m. entered the Dardenells which is about 3 Miles wide the forts Towns & Scenery is a Grand Sight Gallipoli is a fine looking Place the Encampment of the Turkish legion lays hear the View is Truly Splended the Vineyard to a great extent our Ship going first rate

At 4.p.m. entered the sea of Marmora

Sunday 25th At 7.a.m. Entered the Golden Horn & the River Bosphous [Bosphorus] had a Good View Diffrend Buildings & Factories with Very High Shafts the Most of the Buildings is of Stone White.

[ink drawing of a map covering approximately two thirds of the page featuring countries and towns around the Black Sea]

[To?] our Right was the Splended New Hospitle & Barracks at Scutaria at 8.a.m. We Droped Anchor in the Bay of Constantinople which was full of Very Fine Large Steam Ships it Rained like a deluge all Day the City from the water is a Grand Sight for the High Buildings Domes & Turrets the City Stands on a Hill which lookes a fine Place.

Monday 26th Splended fine & warm day & Turkish officers Came on board our Ship to see porsion of the Loan safly Put in a Small Boat. I went to Shore in a Cano on the Turks Side the Bazarr is Good but the Street is narrow Dirty & filthy not Equil to Petticoat Lane but the Goverments Building is fine & the dockyard The Sultans Palace for his wifes is close to the Water I was going over to the Greeks side but time would not allow the Turkish Girls ware Viels & thin & good lookin[g] but the Greeks takes my fancy for thay look more plesent the City has a Very fine apperance by moon-light with the Shipping in the Harbour & the diffrent lights in the Town & on the Diffrent Ships

Tuesday 27th Still at anchor taking in Coals fine & Warm Wether & Man of Wars Ships going out of the River & plenty of small Steamers as our London River Steamers

Wednesday 28th Got up Steam for Starte[ ] but the wether So Heavy & the Sea Rough so the Capt. did not put to sea on that account

Thursday 29th Steam up & Started at 8.a.m. with a pilot The View & Seenery was Grand the Diffrent Forts Buildings woods &c along the banks of the Bosphrous in a Bay in the river was a fleet of French English & Turkish put the Pilot off left the light-house at the Mouth of the Bosphrous 10.a.m Entered the Black Sea wether fine all day

Friday 30th Fine wether & sea till 11.p.m. then it Blew a Hurrican all Night & we was laying to Head the Gale all Night at ½ speed the Wind Whistle through the Riggen & the Serf Seeping right down the Deck from Stem to Stern

Saturday Dec 1st 8th Week Blowing a Gale of wind & our Ship Standing to Wind & Shipping a deal of water. at 8.a.m. put the Ship to her Course & Sighted land at 10. a.m. the Sea runing Very high the Captain Said he would not go in to Harbour for it was a Very Dandgrous Entrance only 350 Yard Wide but the Capt. see a Schooner standing in for the Harbour so he kept his Course the Schooner was Labouring Very Much when we got about 1 Mile from the Entrance about 8 large Steam mers was making out to Sea for the Harbour was Full which one signalled to us to keep out but our Capt. would go ahead we gained the Entrance at 3.p.m. we got Faul [foul] of a large Ship our Capt. was ordered to Stop & Return Out to Sea but he Sa[id] he had No Coals. water &c. on Board. The Pilot came on board & we anchored at 4.p.m. in Safty.

Balaklava Harbour is between 2 large Heights of Rocks on one stands the Castle in Ruins & the Signalles h[ ] Castle Point Cossack Point which is Rocks runin[g] from the Main Rock which formed a bay Ca[lled?] Cossack Bay the Town is a few old houses & a Ol[d] Chapel

BALAKLAVA Dec 1st 4.P.M. 1855