Day 357. Flying fish and salt horse: a seafaring tale
22nd July 1860:
Sunday 22nd. The wind heading us a little this morning. we took in the lee stern sails and braced the Yard 3 or 4 points forward. By observation at noon we were in the same parralel of Latitude as Rio, which is 23.0 S being on the Tropic of Capricorn. A ship hove in sight at day break and was soon alongside of us and proved to belong to Hamburg, but the beggar would not signalise, in case we wanted something from him. At 4 PM he was out of sight. At 9 PM a large ship passed us, bound round the Cape of Good Hope, about a quarter of a mile to leeward, steering SE by E. It is delightful weather and if it was not for the ship being so leaky we should enjoy ourselves there being seldom anything to do as regards working ship, the these trades we could sleep all night. But there is all ways something to mar our enjoyments in this world.