Wednesday 18th. At 1 AM. the clouds began to disperse and the Stars peeped out with such a merry twinkle, they had been absent so many nights, and they seemed as it were to shine with more brilliancy, to redeem themselves for their non appearance, on the by-gone nights, at 2 AM. Set the Courses shook the reefs out of the Topsail and set Maintop gallant sail to a fine fair breeze. 6 AM. Set Fore and Mizen Top Gallant sails, Main Royal Flying Jib and Studding Sails alow and aloft in fact all the canvass we could pile
upon her that would draw. It was a great deal warmer and will continue getting more so every day as every knot brings us closer to the Line. When the Star’d Watch came on deck to relieve us at 8 AM. there was as great a change as possible, instead of big Monkey Jackets, Blue Flannel shirts, Sea Boots, Sou’Wester’s and big Comforters, it was Light Trousers and thin Jumpers, also without shoes or stockings, as in times of old. In fact every thing looked pleasant and the Men worked with a will, and did their work in one half the time it took them in bad weather - The ship is strung all over with clothes of every description, shape and colour, some of them like Joseph’s coat, of many colours. the rain of yesterday being a regular Godsend, as we have no water to wash with only what we catch when it rains. every body had caught some and
she set to work washing in earnest. Beds and bedding were hauled out to air and dry being damp with the late dirty wet weather. everything got nice and dry (there being a nice Breeze and the ship going about 7 knots) and in the dog watch was folded up and put away. 6 PM. the wind hauled round from the Port to the Star’d Quarter, or from S.W. to S.E. the Capt took the Sun’s altitude at noon and found the ship to be in Lat 30.47S Long 26.4W the Sun having been obscure the last 4 or 5 days he was not able to get the altitude before to day. The wind now coming from the S.E. and this being about the Latitude we expected the S.E. Trades we have hoped of having got them at last, we hauled the Stern Sails down and set them on the other side at 8 PM. A fearfull calamity befel us to day the young Pig dying and leaving us in the lurch. the Steward and
it was great chums, it used to follow him up and down wherever he went. He eat up all the arrowroot and now the Steward cannot have a little when he has a twinging in the stomach. The poor little devil never grew a bit except it was like a cow’s tail (downwards) the Steward used to give him Castor Oil for physic, then he used to make a mess in the Cabin, the Capt keeping him there below because the stove was warm for him, he used to creep about the stove until her was nearly roasted alive, and it was with difficulty - you could tell, he was black, or white, but however the fire was put out on saturday, and he grieved so much about it, that he died of a broken heart, the steward gave him a decent wake, for overboard he heaved him. We had a regular lark at 12 oclock last night, it being our first watch on deck we had to call the other watch. The Carpenter called
called Poupard, Richards and Sails, and I went to call the Second Mate. When I got in Poupard hadn’t turned out which he rarely does without being nearly lugged out by the hair of the head, the Carpenter had called out 2 or three times but he only slued over with a all right or that will do, as usual it being Richards wheel, as he was going over the Poop the Second Mate who was on deck by this time asked where Poupard was, he having caught him in his hammock four or five times during the last week. Richards said he hadn’t turned out, the Second Mate said no more but at once shaped his course for Poupard’s hammock, being well acquainted with the Latitude and Longitude it was in, found it without much difficulty, where he found Poupard snoring away like a pig with his mouth wide open, he took a pot of water, that was standing on deck and poured the contents right in his face. he com-
menced striking out as if overboard and calling out, Heave me a Life Buoy, Lower down the Life Boat is there an officer on deck or any-one to save my life, heave a rope with a bowline on the end of it if you can get nothing else. Then thinking he was saved, he says, Isn’t like sweet. by this time he was awake, and found that after having been nearly drowned, he had to walk the Poop for 4 hours in drizzling rain to recruit his health. This was not very pleasant but it was his own fault, and away he trudged followed by an immoderate burst of laughter from us all. He now turns out with the first call.
