Saturday 4th. We had a rattling good breeze all last night and it still continues this morning, we had been going 7 knots by the Log since yesterday at noon, making distance run 168 miles in 24 hours that is up to noon today, Latitude by observation 2″57. N. Washed decks in the first dog watch. - Model making and rigging is all the rage fore and aft, the Capt has rigged a splendid one of a double Topsail Yard Ship, having put braces and everything complete upon her. - the after-deck where I live is a regular ship building yard. The Sailmaker, Carpenter, Poupard, and I all rigging models, if you go for’ard there again you will see everything that would hold water. 4 PM the Captain caught a shark but it was not a full grown one, it measured about 5 or 6 feet in length. we dragged him along the Poop and threw him on the Main deck, he all the time kept turning over on his back, trying to get hold of someone’s leg, but the men soon made short work of him. they cut off his head and tail, took out the backbone and tool the best part of him for a fresh mess. I got the jaws and backbone as curios and in towing them overboard to clean the jaws, which had 4 rows of teeth, chafed the line in two and I lost them. Sun obscure.
The fashion for model making now they are nearly done with their voyage is fascinating. A memento perhaps of the journey? Are sailors so sentimental? Several local churches have models of ships hanging in them, one a Man o’ War, and a steamdrifter, in St Monans church, and another Man o War in All Saints in St Andrews. Sounds like everyone’s nearest and dearest are about to receive a model ship as a homecoming present.
