A Short Account of My Voyage Per the St Kilda
from Liverpool to Otago, New Zealand
Monday, May 26th 1873
Very fine and hot, as was the 27th
Wednesday, May 28th 1873
We were almost becalmed. Spoke to a screw steamer tho' did not learn her name. The phosphorous was very fine at night.
Thursday, May 29th 1873
Saw several bottle nosed whales.
Friday, May 30th 1873
Saw a great number of sharks and also several Grampus, a species of whale.
Saturday, May 31st 1873
Becalmed most of the day.
Sunday, June 1st 1873 (Whit Sunday)
Lovely day and a fair breeze in the morning. I thought a good deal of home and former Whit Sundays. Rather differently situated, we were this one. This, to us, was not to be a week of excursions into the country and green fields, tho' we were quite happy and contented all the same. We had company all the day in the shape of two vessels (barques), one ahead and another astern.
Monday, June 2nd 1873
Again fine. Passed two homeward bound vessels and spoke to a brig.
Tuesday, June 3rd 1873
We saw two small sharks. They looked very pretty and innocent, but we felt quite content to stop on board to look at them, without venturing to make a closer and more intimate acquaintance with them. During the next two days we again saw great numbers of swallows.
Thursday, June 5th 1873
We had several heavy showers and on the following day, we encountered several very heavy squalls. About midnight of this day (6th June) we crossed the Equator but being dark of course we were unable to see the line.
Saturday, June 7th 1873
Very fine again and extremely hot. Met with the South East Trade winds the consequence being we made much better sailing during the next few days.
Journey to NZ