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 JOURNAL 
 
 OF A 
 
 VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA 
 
 BY THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, 
 
 SIX MONTHS IN MELBOURNE, 
 
 AND 
 
 RETURN TO ENGLAND BY CAPE HORN, 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 SCENES AND SAYINGS ON SEA AND LAND. 
 
 By SINCLAIR THOMSON DUNCAN. 
 
 New and Enlarged Edition, ivith Map and Frontispiece Illustration. 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 JAMES GEMMELL, GEORGE IV. BRIDGE. 
 
 1884.
 
 ■J"-"- *
 
 %3 
 
 5 
 
 TO 
 
 JOHN BRUCE, Esq. of Sumburgh, \%%^ 
 
 Shetland. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I feel highly honoured by your kindly 
 
 permitting me to dedicate to you this little book. 
 
 From your great liberality in promoting the welfare 
 
 •of your numerous tenantry, and the assistance you 
 
 have given to every good and Christian enterprise 
 
 connected with these Islands, your name is carried far 
 
 and wide by men worthily commanding the finest ships 
 
 on the sea, and by many others who on land thank 
 
 their benefactor. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 With great respect, 
 
 Your obliged humble servant, 
 
 SINCLAIR THOMSON DUNCAN. 

 
 PREFACE 
 
 TO 
 
 THE NEW EDITION. 
 
 During the last few years especially, the colony of 
 Victoria in Australia has been in such a flourishing 
 condition as to encourage considerable emigration to 
 that part of the world ; and being aware that the 
 previous edition of my " Journal of a Voyage to and 
 from Australia amongst Emigrants" has been useful 
 as a hand-book to many of those crossing the seas, 
 while at the same time it has been entertaining and 
 instructive to others, I have issued the New Edition 
 much enlarged, by adding more of the many strange 
 and stirring scenes and sayings which attracted my 
 attention, as I passed from stage to stage on my 
 journey round the globe. 
 
 I have also added to my remarks on passing events, 
 and given a few more hints to those intending to visit 
 Australia, all with a hope that the information and 
 advice embodied in the little volume will meet with 
 the approval of the reading public. 
 
 S. T. DUNCAN.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 When a desire to emigrate seems to pervade the 
 minds of so many of our population, and the Press 
 having reported favourably of Sketches from the 
 Journal, which were delivered from the platform in 
 various towns, the author is inclined to believe that he 
 is only doing his duty in bringing before the public 
 a narrative of his voyage to and from Australia, 
 including much of what he saw and heard in that 
 far-off land. 
 
 After he had travelled commercially in this 
 country for nearly twenty years, he resolved to visit 
 Australia, a place he had for long entertained a strong 
 desire to see. 
 
 He went out to Melbourne by the Cape of Good 
 Hope, remaining in the colony of Victoria about six 
 months ; and with the intention to publish his journal, 
 and having a desire to sail round the world, he re- 
 turned to England by Cape Horn, taking notes of 
 what he considered worthy of observation. 
 
 In making up his mind to undertake such a long 
 journey, he was advised against it by several friends
 
 8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 and relatives, who imagined that the voyage was 
 connected with too much danger ; but he ultimately 
 obtained his wife's consent, with the understanding 
 that if all went well she and the children would 
 either come out soon after his arrival, or that he was 
 to return within a certain time ; and his resolution 
 to go was strengthened by a number of merchants 
 and bankers in Edinburgh and Leith, where he had 
 been in business for many years, presenting him with 
 a testimonial of their good wishes, — a favour which will 
 certainly have the effect of attaching him to that city 
 and seaport as long as he lives. 
 
 Along with remarks made on passing events, and 
 hints to intending emigrants, the latitude and longi- 
 tude, and distance run at twelve o'clock noon, are 
 given daily ; so that he ventures to hope that the 
 following pages will prove useful not only to those 
 intending to leave our shores to travel through or 
 settle in foreign lands, but instructive and amusing 
 to nautical men and the general reader.
 
 
 r i r 
 
 (IX MERGATOKS PROJECTION. 
 
 SHOWING THE SHIPS TRACK 
 & POSITION EVERY WEEK 
 
 Tf> •! .''•'■•!■ ■■':■
 
 JOURNAL 
 
 OF A 
 
 VOYAGE TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 
 
 ■ ♦ » 
 
 ABOUT the middle of July I bade my wife and 
 children, and a few friends present, farewell, and, 
 leaving Leith, set out on the longest journey I had ever 
 taken. Indeed I had enough to do to keep my mind 
 calm and collected, when I glanced again and again at 
 the dear ones surrounding me as I stepped into the cab, 
 which had been waiting for me at the door. On my 
 way I stopped at my brother's house, bade my friends 
 there good-bye, and then drove on to the railway station, 
 Edinburgh, where a number of relatives and acquaint- 
 ances had assembled to see me fairly under way for 
 London. I affectionately shook hands with them all, 
 and started about ten o'clock p.m., at the same time 
 taking a farewell look of familiar faces, conscious 
 of the fact that before me lay the dark future, in 
 which I had to form new friends and new associations. 
 Just as this thought was occupying my mind, the
 
 10 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 oldest friend present, George Arthur, Esq., Leith, ran 
 along the platform and gave me a hearty, encouraging 
 shake of his hand ; and the bell having rung out its 
 warning peal, and the carriage doors securely locked, 
 we moved off, increasing our speed as we left the 
 beautiful city of Edinburgh behind. It is impossible 
 for me to describe my feelings at that time. I 
 thought of those from whom I had parted, especially 
 my family, — not that I had overlooked necessary 
 arrangements for their comfort, but it was the idea 
 of the great distance, if all went well, which would 
 separate me from the nearest relationships of life that 
 troubled me most. I had enjoyed the comforts of my 
 own house for fifteen years ; and although I had not 
 passed all that time without having suffered some 
 severe trials, yet I had enjoyed many happy days in 
 company with those near and dear to me, and the 
 thought whether I would see them again or not was 
 uppermost in my mind. 
 
 While I was experiencing such uneasy reflections, 
 I often wondered how it was that so many had left 
 the comforts of family, friends, and home, for no other 
 purpose than to see the world, when they could obtain 
 books to give them a description of different countries;, 
 but after a little more reflection, I formed the opinion, 
 that in reference to gentlemen in particular travelling 
 is very necessary. The Apostles preached the Gospel 
 as they travelled, and did great good to all with whom 
 they came in contact. Some learned men by their
 
 TO AND FEOM AUSTRALIA. 11 
 
 travels have benefited their own country in arts, 
 and sciences ; commerce is maintained by travel, and 
 by that kingdoms themselves are often enriched. 
 Travelling contributes very much to the forming of 
 a great captain ; Alexander the Great boasted that he 
 had seen more than other kings were able to compre- 
 hend in thought. In short, nothing can more improve 
 a man, and render him capable of filling with credit 
 any responsible position, than to travel and know 
 what the world is generally. For my own part, I 
 must say that I feel great satisfaction in having 
 travelled, commercially and otherwise, as I have done, 
 and I doubt not it will prove to me a source of profit, 
 usefulness, and pleasure. 
 
 Strange to say, I was alone in the carriage all the 
 way to London, so that there was nothing to disturb 
 my meditation, or prevent thought after thought 
 rushing across my mind, as they did in rapid suc- 
 cession. I had for several days been subjected to 
 much fatigue in seeing many old friends, and slept 
 very little for two or three nights, so that now and 
 again I dosed over, and sleep banished from my mind 
 the harrassing thoughts which troubled me so much. 
 This repose, however, only lasted for a few minutes 
 at a time, as owing to disturbing dreams and the 
 jerking of the carriages, I often awoke a little bewil- 
 dered ; and when we arrived at Peterborough station, 
 I stepped on the platform, imagining it was King's 
 Cross ; but on asking for my luggage, I learned that I
 
 12 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 had made a mistake, and was just in time to jump into 
 the carriage to save me from the disagreeable position 
 in being left behind. Thankful that I was again in 
 the right way to proceed on my journey, I composed 
 myself as best I could, and arrived in London about 
 ten o'clock on the morning of the 20th, from where I 
 had arranged to take my departure for Melbourne by 
 the ship " Sussex," Ridgers commander. Here the 
 railway platform presented a rare scene of excitement, 
 the passengers looking out for their luggage, friends 
 looking for friends; and the feet not always following 
 the eyes as they looked and darted from side to side, 
 jostling and stumbling were frequent — sometimes so 
 severe, that had there been time, there might have 
 been quarrels ; but the mind was otherwise exercised, 
 and in regard to jostling, all that the offended party 
 received in the shape of recompense for trampled toes 
 and bruised ribs was, " I beg your pardon." 
 
 I had two trunks, but as according to the rules of 
 the railway company their weight was too much for 
 one passenger, I had sent one of them by the goods 
 train, but as it was unusually long in coming to hand, 
 I was put to much trouble before I got it; indeed, had 
 it been a few hours later in arriving, I would have 
 been obliged to have left it behind ; and I would men- 
 tion here, that travellers setting out on such a journey 
 should take as little luggage with them as possible. 
 As the transporting of heavy luggage is both trouble- 
 some and expensive, and clothes can be purchased as
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 13 
 
 cheap, and sometimes cheaper, in Australia than in 
 England, it would save the emigrant a deal of annoy- 
 ance and expense to have only one trunk. After 
 arriving in London, I telegraphed to my wife's brother,, 
 a clergyman in Hampshire, that I would like to see 
 him before leaving England, and a few hours after- 
 wards he made his appearance, being the first familiar 
 face I had seen from the time I left Edinburgh. We 
 kept together during the remainder of the day, talking 
 about old times, and making arrangements for my 
 embarkation at Gravesend on Monday. Having visited 
 London for the purpose of sight-seeing a few years 
 before, I cared little for seeing much of it at this time ; 
 but we went to visit a nephew of mine, who served his 
 apprenticeship in a mercantile office in Leith, and who 
 was now a salesman in the employ of Furze & Co., 
 brewers, to whom I had an introduction from Peter 
 Dowie, Esq., their agent in Leith. I was shown through 
 the brewery, and while taking a look at the place, there 
 was one thino; in connection with it which attracted 
 my attention a good deal. I noticed that the labourers 
 were stout, able-bodied men, and they all appeared to 
 be very cheerful. I was told that they had full liberty 
 to drink porter whenever they thought they required 
 it, and I was glad to see such a happy and contented 
 class of servants. I also noticed that the horses in the 
 establishment were all much about the same size and 
 colour, of a very large breed, and strong, fine-looking 
 animals ; but I understand that all the English brewers
 
 14 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 have a pride in keeping fine horses, of the same colour 
 and size, for their carts. 
 
 With regard to the happy mood of the servants 
 referred to, I do not wish my readers to be impressed 
 with the idea that it arose from drinking porter. No ; 
 I fancied, and I think rightly, that it was owing to 
 their good treatment on the part of Mr Furze, a gentle- 
 man with a disposition, as I was informed by my 
 nephew, such as to make every deserving servant 
 happy, and willing to do their duty. My brother's 
 son Bobert, to whom I have referred, was in his service 
 for about twelve years, and now represents one of the 
 largest wholesale provision houses in Scotland, namely, 
 Thomas Baillie & Co., Edinburgh. 
 
 Saturday the 21st was a fine day, and I made the 
 best of my time in furnishing myself with everything 
 I further required for a long voyage. I first called 
 upon the agents for the company to whom the ship 
 "Sussex" belongs, and paid my passage money; made 
 inquiry at them as to where I would be best supplied 
 with bedding and other articles necessary on board ; 
 and got an introduction to the merchant to whom 
 they recommend their passengers to make purchases. 
 And I must say I was well served; indeed, I had 
 nothing to do but mention what I wanted, — or rather 
 the merchant, accustomed to supply emigrants, named 
 the articles I required,— and all was sent on board the 
 ship at Gravesend the day we sailed, and the price
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 15 
 
 was paid on delivery of the goods. It is of importance 
 that passengers keep in view not to pay for the articles 
 they have purchased in this way until actually received 
 on board the vessel, because, on the sailing days of 
 emigrant ships, merchants who supply passengers are 
 generally very busy, and some things might be over- 
 looked. My brother-in-law was with me most of the 
 day, but left in the evening for a town a little distance 
 from London, where he had to preach on Sabbath, and 
 returned in good time to accompany me on board on 
 Monday morning. 
 
 Sunday the 22d. — I called upon my nephew at his 
 house, and spent several hours very enjoyably indeed. 
 While speaking about many things, we did not forget 
 to talk over some of the frolicsome days of youth, 
 when, free from much care and anxiety, we used to 
 ramble amongst the braes and burns of our native 
 country, the Shetland Islands. 
 
 My good old father was still living there, in the 
 old house at home, where, notwithstanding many 
 years of absence, my heart continued to linger; and 
 the scenes and sayings of boyhood, when being cared 
 for under the parental roof, flashed before my view 
 with a clearness as if they had been of yesterday. 
 
 One scene in particular in that old house at home 
 stood before me more vivid than others, and that was 
 the day when, young in years, and much in need of a 
 mother's affection and care, I was told I had no mother
 
 16 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 to care for me ; her spirit had taken its flight, and, with 
 others who loved her, I was left to mourn. 
 
 While musing over these things, I felt it strongly 
 impressed upon my mind that I would never again 
 see my father, who was now getting old and infirm j 
 and that impression was verified, as, shortly after my 
 return from Australia, he became very ill, and in going 
 to visit him, I was told in Lerwick when I arrived 
 that he died just about the time we would be sighting 
 Shetland. 
 
 After this interview with my relative and his 
 wife, he accompanied me to the hotel where I put up. 
 We met with my brother-in-law there ; and after 
 spending a little while in conversation, bade each other 
 good-night, when, being a little fatigued, I retired to 
 rest, and had a refreshing sleep. 
 
 Monday the 23d — According to arrangement we 
 all three met this morning at the railway station, and 
 started for Gravesend ; and on arriving there, I took 
 a good look at the ship which, to all appearance, would 
 be my home for a time, and which I hoped would carry 
 me safe across the seas. She was lying at anchor a 
 little distance from the pier, and being a vessel of a 
 thousand tons register, and what is called full-rigged, 
 she looked beautiful and attractive. There were a 
 number of boats ready to take passengers and others 
 on board for one shilling each ; and on payment of 
 this sum, we stepped into one of them, and were no
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 17 
 
 sooner alongside the ship, than I heard a familiar voice 
 amongst the crowd at the gangway sing out, " Hallo ! 
 Duncan, is that you ?" and in looking rather eagerly 
 for the friend who had addressed me in such familiar 
 language, I saw, to my great joy, a gentleman from 
 Leith, an old acquaintance, who had been in Australia 
 for some years, and now, after having visited his 
 friends in Scotland, he was returning by the ship 
 "Sussex" to the sunny lands of the South. On seeing 
 my luggage hoisted on deck, we climbed the ladder, 
 and were soon in the midst of a great company of men, 
 women, and children, of various colours and countries. 
 I took a look along the decks, and saw that good pre- 
 paration had been made for a long voyage, which was 
 something very gratifying, to a thoughtful mind espe- 
 cially, when taking into consideration the great distance 
 we had to sail before reaching the land of our destina- 
 tion. But the thought about dangers to which we 
 were likely to be exposed, did not trouble me anything 
 like the feeling I was experiencing about friends at 
 home; and it needed all the startling and amusing- 
 sights under view so to draw my attention from home 
 associations, as to give me that lively and cheerful 
 demeanour which is expected of men when travelling 
 for sight-seeing, and mingling with others who may 
 be the better of a cheerful look or an encouraging 
 word by the way. After spending a few minutes on 
 deck, I went below to have a look at my cabin, the 
 
 number of which was on my ticket. I found the 
 
 B
 
 18 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 company had given me a very good berth, and that, 
 as far as I could judge by a short interview, there 
 were three fine fellows to be my companions, or mates 
 as they are called on board ship ; and while speaking 
 to them, I learned that they had been in Australia for 
 many years, and, like my friend from Leith, were now 
 returning, after having visited their friends in the old 
 country, as they called it. After getting what luggage 
 I required on the voyage secured in our cabin, I again 
 went on deck, and what a scene presented itself to my 
 view ! 
 
 All was bustle and commotion, arising from various 
 causes, such as passengers looking out for their bedding 
 and luggage, and getting it secured in their berths; 
 friends mingling with friends, passengers, and crew, 
 and bidding each other good-bye. All the live stock 
 for fresh meat, although well placed, appeared to be 
 alarmed at their new situations. The milch cow, sheep, 
 pigs, cocks, hens, ducks, and a number of other kinds 
 of birds and beasts, were all adding their share to the 
 confusion and noise. In reference to the crew, how- 
 ever, every one seemed to know his proper place, or, 
 according to the sea phrase, his station, and including 
 all classes employed we had about one hundred men 
 on board. 
 
 The captain appeared to be quite a gentleman, 
 and the other officers were apparently all very atten- 
 tive to duty, and kept their proper places with a 
 friendly gracefulness becoming their various positions
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 19 
 
 in the ship. I was very much pleased to see such 
 civility and order on the part of our officers in com- 
 mand, because I knew that the knowledge of that 
 amongst our passengers would have a good effect. 
 After glancing at various things going on, some of 
 them of an amusing nature, and too numerous to 
 narrate, I turned round to my brother-in-law and my 
 nephew and bade them farewell, promising at the 
 same time, that if I was spared to reach Australia 
 I should write them, and never forget my home in 
 Scotland, — a promise I strictly attended to. 
 
 We then looked at each other in silence, no doubt 
 wondering as to whether we would ever meet a^ain: 
 and, after shaking hands with them more than once 
 as a token of affection, away they went, leaving me to 
 form acquaintances as best I could amongst strangers. 
 
 I gazed at the boat which conveyed them to the 
 shore, and as they gradually vanished from my sight 
 I thought of days gone by, with feelings which could 
 only be experienced by a man placed exactly as I was 
 at that moment. This was about four o'clock in the 
 evening, and orders were given to weigh the anchor. 
 
 An observer could see now, that although a cheer- 
 ful courage seemed to be stamped on the countenances 
 of all embarked on the voyage from the captain down- 
 wards, yet it was visible that a thought towards home 
 and the friends they had left behind was occasionally 
 finding its way to the heart. The time passed rapidly, 
 and the sailors could be seen making every exertion
 
 20 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 for getting the ship under way. I at this time wit- 
 nessed relatives and acquaintances bidding each other 
 a reluctant farewell, and as it unfortunately turned 
 out that we had deaths on the passage, some of them 
 did it for the last time. 
 
 About an hour after all had left the vessel but 
 those about to cross the seas, the sailors' song at the 
 windlass, while heaving up the anchor, rang through 
 the air, with such an attractive sound as could only be 
 produced by those brave fellows who do business on the 
 mighty deep ; and I remember that the last words of 
 the chorus of the song were, " and we are all bound to 
 go." At this time it was blowing a fine breeze from 
 the north-east, and, as we were pondering over the last 
 words of the sailors' song, we were taken in tow by a 
 steamer to Plymouth, where we were to lie for a few 
 days and then leave direct for Melbourne. We had a 
 pilot on board, who took full charge of the ship, and 
 remained with us until we were clear of the land when 
 we left Plymouth. As we glided down the Thames I 
 noticed the first-officer speaking in an angry tone to 
 the boatswain, because he thought he was the worse 
 of drink; but the old sailor turned round in an inde- 
 pendent manner, and told him, that if he was drunk 
 it was for the want of it, and that as he had plenty of 
 money in bank he could retire from service at any 
 time; so it being understood, that notwithstanding the 
 extra glass of beer, as he was a man who knew his 
 business, there would be no more said; and throughout
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 21 
 
 the voyage lie proved to be a peacemaking, yarn-spin- 
 ning, or narrative-relating, leading man amongst the 
 sailors, aettino- them as he did to do their work will- 
 ingly, and as boatswain ready to obey his orders. 
 As we moved along I began to get better acquainted 
 with niy three companions in the same cabin in which 
 were our berths for sleeping, as also room for read- 
 ing, writing, and conversation. I found that with 
 reference to a bed I was comfortably situated ; but the 
 truth is, that the first night was passed more in get- 
 ting our berths put in order, than sleeping much in 
 them. In getting this little affair attended to, we 
 began to speak to each other more freely, and joked 
 in such a humorous way, as to produce a friendly feel- 
 ing amongst us, lasting as it did without a quarrel to 
 the end of the voyage. 
 
 Tuesday the 2-ith. — It was blowing a fine breeze 
 in our favour, and all on board were well except a 
 man-servant to one of our first-cabin passengers. 
 He had been engaged by a gentleman to act as his 
 servant all the way to Australia, but as he appeared 
 not to get better he was discharged at Plymouth. 
 
 With reference to our meals, we had not as yet 
 been formed into messes, so that for the time being 
 we had to take a seat anywhere around the tables, 
 and partake of what the cooks and stewards had pre- 
 pared for us. But to the credit of the company, — 
 Messrs Money, Wigram, & Sons, London, — I must say
 
 22 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 that we were well supplied with everything we re- 
 quired, and during the voyage no one had any reason 
 to complain. I noticed as well, that the officers were 
 very careful to see that everything was done for the 
 comfort of the passengers; and, including the crew, 
 there were about two hundred men, women, and chil- 
 dren on board. 
 
 Wednesday the 25th. — About seven o'clock in the 
 morning we were near Start Point, the wind was 
 blowing strong from south-east, and we arrived at 
 Plymouth about two o'clock in the afternoon. The 
 first thing which attracted my attention on entering 
 the bay was a great length of a breakwater, which 
 was built at an enormous expense, for the safety of 
 ships. A pier stretching out to a great distance was 
 also worthy of notice, and as we passed in by the 
 end of it, numbers of people, principally ladies, were 
 waving their pocket-handkerchiefs to their friends on 
 board, and many returned the compliment. 
 
 Plymouth is a beautiful town. A great number of 
 the population are old people, living retired. The 
 bay is a receptacle for Britain's wooden walls; and the 
 town is situated at the month of the Tamer and Plym. 
 
 Thursday the 26th. — It was quite calm, enticing 
 one to come and mingle with the merry pleasure- 
 seekers in little boats and other crafts, plying from 
 one place to another on the smooth waters of the
 
 TO AND FKOM AUSTRALIA. 23 
 
 bay. I went on shore along with a few of the 
 passengers, and after spending three or four hours 
 having a look through the place, — writing letters for 
 home, along with the same posting a book to each of 
 my children, and writing a letter and doing a little 
 bank business for a passenger, — I returned on board 
 in preference to remaining on shore all night, as some 
 did to their loss. The day being so very fine, a few of 
 the small boats pleasuring in the bay came alongside; 
 indeed I may say they surrounded the ship, inducing 
 some of the male passengers to ask a few ladies to 
 come and enjoy a boat-race, or something like it. 
 Those who went appeared to enjoy themselves very 
 much, more particularly in sailing, the wind at this 
 time having increased to a fine breeze. I noticed,, 
 however, that some of the ladies were not so ready 
 as others to go on a pleasure excursion with the 
 gentlemen so soon; but while on the voyage we all got 
 better acquainted with each other, in our amusements 
 and conversations, while at the same time the best of 
 order was maintained. 
 
 One of the men who remained on shore all night 
 was the same individual for whom I had done a little 
 bank business and written a letter, which was to his 
 wife in Australia. The fact is, this man was altogether 
 a strange character, most eccentric in many ways. He 
 could neither read nor write, and he had a sum of 
 money on him in Bank of England notes, which he 
 intended, very foolishly, to carry across the seas; but
 
 24 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 with some difficulty I got him persuaded to deposit 
 it in one of the banks in Plymouth, and get a draft 
 for the same on a Lank in Melbourne. 
 
 When he came on board, he told me that he kept 
 a few pounds out of bank to spend while on the 
 voyage, and that his night's ramble on shore had 
 deprived him of the most of it; but he was thankful 
 that he had his draft in his pocket, and expressed 
 his gratitude to me for inducing him to put his money 
 in bank, as otherwise it all might have been gone. 
 He informed me that he had been in Australia up- 
 wards of twenty years, during which he had been 
 employed at various kinds of labour in different places 
 through the interior of the country; and, as many 
 cuts on his head and face could show, he had cer- 
 tainly seen some rough life, some of which he said 
 had been in training wild horses to be tame, — a great 
 work in Australia, but very dangerous. It came out 
 in conversation that he was a proprietor of land in 
 the colony, and that his wife and children lived in a 
 house he had built on it not long before he left for 
 Eno-land. On his arrival in London, which was about 
 three months back from the time we left, he went 
 to the bank to cash a draft he had for a consider- 
 able sum, and was advised to deposit it there for 
 safety, which he did, with the exception of forty 
 pounds in notes, which he thought he would require 
 for ordinary expenses in London, and for going into 
 the country to see some relatives he wished to visit.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 25 
 
 When leaving the bank he thought he would call at 
 a public-house and get a refreshment, and just as he 
 was taking out his pocket-book to pay for the drink, 
 the book was suddenly snatched out of his hand by 
 a woman, and although he made an alarm, she was 
 •oft* in an instant, and he neither saw her nor the book 
 again. Apart from the forty pounds, it contained 
 gold rings, his wife's carte-de-visite, and the receipt 
 for his money in bank ; and it was only after a cer- 
 tain time had elapsed, and with much trouble, that 
 he was allowed to draw out his money from the bank 
 without producing the receipt. After this he went 
 into the country in search of his relatives, but could 
 fall in with none of those he was anxious to see; 
 and now, after a little more rambling in London and 
 Plymouth, he was on his way to Australia and his 
 home, with the resolution never to return to see either 
 England or relatives again; and surely by this time 
 he had found out, by dear-bought experience, that he 
 could say with the poet who penned the following 
 
 lines, — 
 
 " Guilty pleasures are but brief, 
 Like passing mists they end ; 
 And he who follows, finds too late 
 Virtue's our truest friend." 
 
 Friday the 27th.— The weather was fine, and we 
 were informed that the ship would leave on the 
 following day, a notice which led us to think as to 
 whether we required anything more for private use
 
 26 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 while on the passage. The passengers who had gone 
 on shore, and those embarking at Plymouth, some of 
 them having friends with them, came on board, and 
 there was again a great deal of bustle. 
 
 Saturday the 28th. — According to notice, it was 
 expected that we would as it were bid England good- 
 bye, and the pilot came on board, but it was postponed 
 till the following morning. All was again commotion, 
 principally owing to friends meeting and parting, 
 almost a repetition of the scene under my observation 
 when leaving London ; and I shall refer to one case of 
 near relatives separating of a rather touching nature. 
 
 An old man and his wife came alongside late in the 
 evening to bid their son, who was one of the sailors, good- 
 bye a second time. Just as the boat neared the vessel 
 I saw the brave-looking sailor stepping on board of 
 her and embrace his mother, but almost every one 
 on board the ship were too busy looking after them- 
 selves to take time to notice how a loving mother and 
 a loving son feel and act, regardless of spectators, 
 when they must part, and the thought troubling them 
 that they may never see each other again; but it did 
 not escape my eye, and the sight made a lasting im- 
 pression on my mind. While they were embracing 
 and re-embracing each other, the time came when 
 duty on board ship demanded the sailor to leave, but 
 the mother held her son, and shrieked, and would not 
 let him go, when immediately more eyes than mine
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 27 
 
 were attracted to the scene. He tried to pacify her 
 with encouraging words about meeting again when the 
 ship returned from Australia, but she still clung to 
 him, and on observing them both weeping, my feelings 
 compelled me to turn away from the heart-rending 
 sight. 
 
 A few minutes after this I saw the boat leaving 
 the ship, the old man hoisting the sail, and the old 
 woman attending to the helm, by which I was inclined 
 to believe that they knew something of a seafaring- 
 life, and consequently the clangers and fatigue to 
 which their son would likely be exposed. 
 
 Very soon after this, I saw the sailor busy at his 
 post, and while on the voyage he proved to be one of 
 the most obliging and courageous sailors we had on 
 board ; which confirms in my mind, what I always 
 believed to be true, that the kindest-hearted men are 
 more to be trusted in times of danger than the cold- 
 hearted and selfish, who on such occasions generally 
 turn out to be cowards. 
 
 It was now late in the evening, and the most of 
 the passengers were getting themselves as comfort- 
 ably situated in their cabins as possible, but the crew 
 were all busy until night, when quietness prevailed 
 inducing us to enjoy repose on board ship as best we 
 could, and console ourselves with the thought that we 
 were still near the soil of good Old England, and that 
 we would have one sleep more on British waters before 
 unfurling our sails to catch the breeze to waft us across
 
 28 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 the wide and ever-changing ocean which rolled be- 
 tween us and the Australian continent. 
 
 On the morning of the 29th, about six o'clock, 
 orders were given to weigh the anchor, and in a very 
 short time the ship was ready to plough the fifteen 
 thousand miles of ocean, which in the estimation of 
 many is the great hinderance to emigration to the 
 sunny lands of the far south ; but I think the reader 
 will learn as we proceed, that in these days of travel, 
 an Australian voyage is one of the safest and most 
 enjoyable which can be taken on the surface of the 
 globe. The anchor being weighed, and every man at 
 his place to obey orders, the ship was close hauled, and 
 we stood out in the open ocean, the wind blowing 
 stronof from the north-west. We had not sailed far 
 when the pilot left us, taking with him a bag contain- 
 ing letters for post, from I should suppose every one 
 on board, as a token of affection to friends from whom 
 we were now being separated farther and farther, as 
 the ship bounded on like a thing of life. I now 
 observed many a face turned towards the land, like as 
 it were taking the last look of their native country, 
 and the friends they had left behind. The fair sex 
 especially stood gazing at it with a very serious look, 
 and many of them were shedding tears. A few of 
 them were lately married, accompanying their young 
 husbands to settle in a foreign land, no doubt in some 
 cases reluctantly, but the force of circumstances com- 
 pelling them to emigrate. I could easily imagine
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 29 
 
 their thoughts as I glanced at the expression of their 
 countenances, and as I apprehended — not for want of 
 attachment to their husbands, but for the moment 
 overcome with the thought of leaving home with all 
 its endearing relationships, especially friends near and 
 dear to their hearts, that they would in all likelihood 
 never see again — they gave evident expressions of 
 sorrow. As the ship bounded onwards, the land began 
 to vanish from our view, and after endeavouring to 
 catch a glimpse of it over and over again, we at last 
 had to bid good Old England farewell. I saw at this 
 stage the words of the poet, in the " Emigrant's 
 Farewell," amply verified : — 
 
 " Farewell, native island, from thee I must sever, 
 
 To dwell where no longer thy charms I shall see ; 
 When afar o'er the ocean forget thee I'll never, 
 Sweet home of my fathers, dear land of the free. 
 
 " I will think of times past with sweet recollection ; 
 
 Thy hills and thy valleys where childhood was spent ; 
 To leave thee, my soul is bow'd down with dejection, 
 My eyes full of sorrow their briny grief vent. 
 
 " How oft have I wandered, with spirit elated, 
 My bosom with summer's rich treasures to fill : 
 Or, on the bank fragrant, 'midst wild flowers seated, 
 Watch'd by me dance sparkling the murmuring rill. 
 
 " I fondly remember how sought I, contented, 
 To rest in the shade of the old oaken tree, 
 Entranced with delight, as the merry lark vented 
 Her song, soaring gladsome, as type of the free.
 
 30 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 " Dear home of my childhood, though humble the dwelling 
 Around thee in fondness still lingers my heart, 
 And with sad emotions my bosom is swelling, 
 To think I must needs from thy threshold depart. 
 
 " Endear'd by affection, oft hallowed by prayer, 
 
 Thou hast me safe shelter'd when storms beat around ; 
 The home that I'm promised is richer and gayer, 
 But one so much treasured there ne : er can be found. 
 
 " The sails are unfurl'd now, and all is commotion ; 
 The winds playful whistle, the sea-birds shrill cry ; 
 The song rolls afar from the sons of the ocean, 
 
 Bringing tears fondly streaming from many an eye. 
 
 " The anchor is weighed, and the tide is swift flowing, — 
 
 Farewell, Native Island ! Dear England, Adieu ! 
 
 Deep is my heart's anguish, as from thee I'm going, — 
 
 I weep as thy green hills dissolve from my view." 
 
 Yes, as the green hills dissolved from our view, — as the 
 poet has truly described it, — many were weeping, and 
 a painful case on the part of one of our female passen- 
 gers was brought before me at the time, which made 
 my heart sad. By appearance she was about twenty 
 years of age; her coal black hair hung in ringlets 
 round her neck, setting off a mild and beautiful face. 
 She had been lately married, and her husband was on 
 board, upon whose arm she was leaning while taking 
 the last look of her native land, and just as it was said 
 it could not be seen, she suddenly fell to the deck 
 insensible. Water and other restoratives were applied, 
 but she did not come to consciousness so soon as was
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 31 
 
 anticipated, and her husband got alarmed. After a 
 little time, however, she began to recover, and fondly 
 throwing herself into the arms of her husband, she 
 expressed herself to him as near as may be in terms 
 such as these, " You have taken me away from my 
 father's house and relations in my native land, and 
 now to you and you only I have to look as my earthly 
 protector." I had a conversation with him afterwards, 
 when he told me that he had been in Australia for a 
 few years, where he was successful in making a little 
 money at the diggings, was now a shareholder in 
 different gold mining companies, and had been in Eng- 
 land for a short time, where he had got acquainted 
 with his better-half, who had never been much from 
 home, and a great favourite, especially in a shop 
 belonging to her father, and in which she had consider- 
 able charge, — indeed her brother said, "If you are going 
 to take her away, you can take the business also." 
 
 Although the sea was wonderfully smooth, we 
 nevertheless began to feel by the motion of the ship 
 that we were getting into broader and deeper waters, 
 some began to get sick, while others in a very brotherly 
 and sisterly like way attended to their wants. As the 
 night wore on, and we got farther out, there was a 
 heavy swell in the sea; the ship began to roll, pots and 
 pans began to exchange places, children began to cry 
 more than usual, and as we felt in reality that we were 
 what might be called fairly afloat on the mighty deep, 
 we considered it to be our duty to make each other as
 
 32 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 happy as circumstances would permit. Accordingly 
 we assisted each other to different kinds of nourish- 
 ment, such as we had supplied ourselves with to prevent 
 sickness, and, as I have remarked, it was very pleasant 
 indeed to see how friendly we were to each other. 
 
 We had during the day enjoyed the beauty and 
 warmth of the friendly luminary the sun, as he had 
 shone out in his path to the western horizon, and now 
 as he hid his face from us, and darkness came gradually 
 in his place, we retired to our respective cabins, where 
 for the first time to many of us we lay down to sleep 
 on the boisterous ocean out sight of land. 
 
 I can fancy that at this time some if not all of us 
 capable to think, would in laying down our heads be 
 exercised as to the safety of the ship, the strength of 
 her gear, and whether there were any kind of sickness 
 on board other than that produced by the ever changing 
 movements of our new situation. It was gratifying 
 to know that the vessel, her pumps, boats, fire-hose, 
 stores, medicine chest, passengers' berths, and the 
 hospitals, &c. &c, had all been inquired after and 
 examined by competent officers, and that all on board 
 had passed under the notice of the medical inspector. 
 For spiritual instruction, we had been visited by a 
 missionary who had given us religious tracts ; and as 
 we began to get acquainted, I noticed the Bible and 
 hymn-book in the hands of many. 
 
 Monday the SOth. — It was blowing a fine breeze
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 33 
 
 from the north-west, and some of the passengers who 
 were sick appeared to be much recovered. Nothing- 
 very remarkable transpired during the day, except 
 the giving way of the fore-top-gallant halliard, a thing 
 which gave little or no alarm. 
 
 As I had felt almost nothing of sea-sickness myself, 
 and having been accustomed to travel by sea, I could 
 use my sea-legs, — as the sailors call it, when you have 
 to steady yourself as the ship rolls, — and so able to 
 move about the decks, taking; notes of what was £roin<>- 
 on. The ship was fitted up for four classes of passen- 
 gers, namely, first-cabin, second-cabin, intermediate, 
 and steerage. The first-cabin passengers were aft, in 
 the saloon, which was nicely fitted up for both single 
 and married people, and they messed with the captain. 
 The second-cabin was downstairs, below this saloon ; 
 and although the second-class passengers were pro- 
 vided with a steward to attend upon them, they had 
 nevertheless to make their appearance on certain days,, 
 and get their rations weighed out to them, just as 
 those in the intermediate and steerage had to do. The 
 intermediate passengers were situated between decks, 
 in the middle part of the ship ; and the steerage pass- 
 engers were on the same flooring, a little nearer the 
 bows of the vessel, shut off' by a bulkhead, in which 
 there was an ordinary-sized door, so that the latter 
 two classes of passengers were in close proximity; and 
 many of them having experienced strange and daring 
 exploits, it was quite a treat to listen to their conver-
 
 34 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 sation at times ; indeed, some of it so attracted my 
 attention that I took notes of the same, and shall give 
 them to the reader farther on. 
 
 This part of the ship, called the steerage, was fitted 
 up exclusively for men, while all the other places were 
 arranged so as to accommodate families, as also men 
 and women requiring separate berths. 
 
 The cabins for the beds were all properly fitted up 
 along each side of the ship, measuring about ten feet 
 square, with doors; so that, especially in the inter- 
 mediate, there was a large saloon or space between 
 the cabins, fitted up with long tables, and seats at each 
 side, leaving room at both ends for passengers to move 
 about. I may mention that the doors of the cabins 
 were ventilated, and made to slide, so that they could 
 open and shut easily. 
 
 Tuesday the 31«f. — We had a light breeze from the 
 north-west, and at twelve o'clock noon our latitude 
 was 47° north, longitude 8° 22' west, the distance run 
 during twenty-four hours being eighty-two miles. A 
 stowaway made his appearance this morning, and on 
 presenting himself to the captain, he passed, by listening 
 with a sorrowful look to a severe reprimand, and was 
 handed over to one of the officers to find him work 
 for the victuals he was to get while on the passage. 
 He was a young man about twenty years of age, who 
 had been in London learning to be a watchmaker, and 
 having no money, and anxious to return to his parents
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. SI 
 
 in Melbourne, he had taken it into his head to eret 
 stowed away. Poor fellow, he did not have a pleasant 
 life while on the passage. It rained very heavy during 
 the night, and on Wednesday the 1st of August the 
 wind was blowing strong from west-by-south, and at 
 twelve o'clock noon we had run two hundred and 
 seven miles. 
 
 We were now getting pretty well acquainted with 
 each other, especially those sleeping in the same 
 cabins. Some were sewing bags to hold fruit, tea, 
 sugar, coffee, &c; others were driving nails in the beams 
 inside their respective cabins ; while those not em- 
 ployed in this way were getting their luggage properly 
 placed, and their berths made more comfortable, and 
 the like. The cooking utensils that each second-cabin, 
 intermediate, and steerage passenger required were, — 
 a large whiteiron pail ; a wash-hand basin, a deep plate, 
 a, shallow plate, a small jug, a large coffee-pot with a 
 hook, all of whiteiron ; a knife and fork, a spoon ; and 
 a piece of white cotton, for making bags to hold pro- 
 visions, such as I have mentioned. Apart from the 
 rations provided by the company, it is a good thino- 
 for each of the class of passengers to whom I have 
 referred to have a Belfast ham, a few red herrings, 
 .some oatmeal, and a little good brandy, the latter to 
 be used as medicine. Each passenger should also have 
 a bar of brown soap, some pins, needles and thread, 
 pens, ink, writing-paper, and plenty of good books to 
 read. Apart from a passage in the first cabin, I would
 
 36 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 prefer being in the intermediate, as there the people 
 are generally as respectable as those in the first and 
 second cabins. Their situation in the ship, as well, 
 does not expose them to so much motion as those in 
 the aft and fore parts have to contend with ; and each 
 mess have their cooked and uncooked rations always- 
 at their own disposal in their own cabins, and can eat 
 when they feel inclined, — a privilege which the second- 
 class passengers often felt the want of, what remained 
 of their rations being taken from the table by the 
 stewards. 
 
 Thursday the 2d August. — We were in the Bay of 
 Biscay. There was a heavy swell in the sea, producing 
 sea-sickness, of which several passengers complained. 
 Our latitude was 43° 4' north, longitude 14° 10' west ;. 
 distance run since last observation, one hundred miles ; 
 and we passed three vessels, by appearance homeward 
 bound, while our own good ship stood on her way, all 
 her gear working well. 
 
 Friday the 3d. — We were in latitude 41° 20' north, 
 longitude 13° 9' west ; distance run, two hundred and 
 twenty-one miles. Two ships sailing our own course 
 were seen far ahead of us ; but we soon came up with 
 them, and left them behind, our ship being the largest, 
 while the wind was strong enough to stretch our sheets, 
 and press us forward over a smooth sea in beautiful 
 style.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 37 
 
 We were all in good spirits, except a few of the 
 passengers who got frightened because the ship was a 
 little leaky. Up to this time we had been supplied 
 with provisions from the cook, and had not been pro- 
 perly formed into messes, but orders were now issued 
 that we were to be classified for that purpose at once. 
 By this time, however, we had arranged amongst our- 
 selves how we would like to go together, and the 
 purser, who had charge of the provisions, acted very 
 wisely by allowing us our own way in this respect, 
 because to a great extent it prevented disputes amongst 
 the passengers while on the voyage. The fact is, that 
 with all the indulgence granted to us by the officers, 
 it was sometimes very difficult to preserve that peace 
 and order which was essential to our comfort and 
 happiness, and a man who could pass a joke without 
 giving offence, and so keep the company in good 
 humour, was of great service on board the ship. A 
 man of that description is often very useful in pre- 
 serving order on the land, where there is plenty of 
 room either to fight or fly ; but on board ship, where 
 a mixed multitude are living together in a small space, 
 it may be for months, surrounded by the deep and 
 dangerous ocean, which is at times very boisterous 
 and alarming, his presence cannot be over-estimated. 
 The messes were composed of four, six, or eight per- 
 sons, and numbered from one upwards, thus making it 
 easy for the passengers' cook and the purser to dis- 
 charge their duty, and make no mistakes.
 
 38 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 One out of a mess served as steward to his own 
 company for a week, part of his work being to see 
 that his mess got their full quantity of rations from 
 the purser. 
 
 In making myself acquainted with parties in dif- 
 ferent messes, I learned that when they had a lady 
 amongst them who could bake bread, make pies, tarts, 
 plum-pudding, and prepare anything special which 
 might be required for the table, she was a great boon, 
 and quite a favourite ; the thought of which, I doubt 
 not, imparted a happiness to her mind which ladies 
 not being qualified to assist in the same way knew 
 nothing of. Indeed I heard some of them speak in 
 such a way, as to lead me to think that they were 
 inclined to blame their parents for their ignorance of 
 this department of house-keeping. Yes ; I would 
 remark here, that parents should see to it that, what- 
 ever they may teach their daughters, they should not 
 omit to teach them how to cook. It does not matter 
 how much money is likely to be theirs, a knowledge 
 of cookery is necessary to their usefulness, and conse- 
 quently to their happiness, either at home or when 
 travelling abroad. I recollect reading an article in 
 the Ladies Oivn Journal, called " The Model Wife,"' 
 in which the writer mentioned that he had heard of a 
 judge who inscribed upon his wife's tombstone the 
 following words : — " She was an excellent woman, and 
 a good cook." If she was what he said, what a 
 blessing she must have been to her family and ser-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 39 1 
 
 vants ! On the other hand, I remember reading a 
 story about a young merchant who had been lately 
 married. He came home to dinner one day prompt 
 at the hour, when, to his astonishment, there was not 
 even a cloth on the table, let alone anything to eat j 
 and as his time was limited, he asked his young wife 
 the reason. " O dear ! " she said, " the servant went 
 out a message, and has not returned, so there is no 
 dinner." "Well," he answered, "under the circum- 
 stances you might have prepared it." " Me ! me 
 prepare a dinner ! I never learned to do such 
 things." The reader can imagine the young mer- 
 chant's thoughts. If I remember right, he sent her 
 to a cooking establishment to learn what her mother 
 ought to have taught her when a girl. 
 
 In getting us all properly settled down in our 
 domestic-like positions, I noticed that the officers did 
 their utmost to make us comfortable, seeing to it as 
 they did that we were satisfied with our accommo- 
 dation. Indeed in this respect their conduct was 
 praiseworthy. 
 
 Saturday the Hh. — We were in latitude 38° 35' 
 north, longitude 16° 12' west; distance sailed, one 
 hundred and ninety-eight miles. The day being fine, 
 the most of us were on deck, where many interviews 
 took place, thus getting better acquainted ; and in the 
 evening we had music and dancing on the main deck, 
 an amusement which all appeared to enjoy. Taking
 
 40 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 into consideration the monotony of a long voyage, it 
 seemed to be of importance that some kinds of amuse- 
 ment should be resorted to, in order to divert the mind 
 and exercise the body ; so, just as it is on land, Satur- 
 day evenings were generally the time when such 
 diversions were enjoyed by us upon the deep blue sea. 
 
 Sunday the bth. — Latitude 35° 26' north, longitude 
 17° 56' west; distance run, two hundred and three 
 miles. It was blowing strong on this day from NNE., 
 sending the ship through the water in a way quite 
 enjoyable, while all kinds of work which could be 
 avoided was discontinued ; the crew and passengers 
 walking about in sabbath-day attire, some answering 
 to the call of the bell, which about mid-day sent out 
 its inviting peals to the people to attend divine service, 
 which was conducted by our good captain in the first 
 cabin, and some congregated on the main deck to hear 
 each other's news. 
 
 Monday the 6th. — The wind was on the quarter, 
 blowing strong, leading one to think there was quite 
 enough canvass spread ; but as our captain was not of 
 a frightened disposition, orders were given to set one 
 •of the studsails. We were in latitude 32° 22' north, 
 longitude 19° 10' west; distance run, one hundred and 
 ninety-seven miles ; and with the exception of three 
 whales we saw on our port-bow, nothing transpired 
 during the day worthy of much notice.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA, 41 
 
 Tuesday the 1th. — The wind was very light from 
 the north, the vessel, of course, moving slowly along. 
 Our latitute was 80° 50' north, longitude 19° 24' west ; 
 distance sailed, ninety-three miles. 
 
 Wednesday the 8th. — Latitude 28° 5' north, longi- 
 tude 19° 13' west ; distance run, one hundred and 
 sixty-five miles. We had a strong breeze from the 
 north-east, and, the ship being leaky, the carpenter 
 attended to the pumps, which were wrought by steam, 
 the machinery being the same as that used almost 
 constantly for condensing salt water into fresh ; and 
 as the pumps wrought well, the ship was soon dry, 
 and our alarm ceased. While speaking of the con- 
 densing engine, I may mention that the water pro- 
 duced was very good, and when mixed with a little 
 lime-juice, of which we had a certain quantity served 
 out every week, it made a pleasant drink. The water 
 was conveyed from the condenser to tanks in the 
 bottom of the after part of the ship by means of 
 pipes ; and the man taking charge of the mess with 
 which he was connected, had to attend every morning 
 at seven o'clock to get the quantity served out for the 
 day. It was brought up from the tank, or tanks, 
 by a force-pump, and measured out by one of the 
 stewards, as particularly as possible, though we always 
 had enough. At first I felt rather reluctant to drink 
 this water, which had been distilled from the ocean 
 •over which we were sailing; but after using it for a
 
 42 JOUKNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 few days, I could drink it as freely as any other kind,, 
 and even when sailing through the tropics it was- 
 brought up from the tanks as cold as if we had been 
 sailing in the North Sea. 
 
 Thursday the 9th. — Latitude 25° 52' north, longi- 
 tude 19° 49' west ; distance run, one hundred and 
 ninety-four miles. Flying-fish rose out of the water 
 in great numbers during the day, and never having 
 seen fish flying before, the sight attracted my atten- 
 tion very much. Either having been frightened by 
 the motion of the ship, or pursued by the dolphins, 
 they came up from the surface in thousands at a time,, 
 dashing forward with great force, and often touching 
 the tops of the waves as they went, to save themselves 
 from their other pursuers, namely, the marine birds 
 that were flying above them. In this way they would 
 fly a few hundred yards at a time, and in their flights 
 at night they often struck the sides of the ship, and 
 were picked up out of the chains in the morning. 
 
 They were about twelve inches long ; their flesh 
 was pleasant to the taste, and much resembles that of 
 the fresh-water gudgeon. They had the appearance 
 of a large herring, eyes very large, scales soft, teeth 
 minute, and their fins on each side resembled the 
 wings of a small bird. 
 
 We were now getting into the tropics, which, as the 
 reader will likely know, extend twenty-three and a half 
 degrees on each side of the equator. The weather was
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 43 
 
 fine, and as we had more sunlight than usual, we en- 
 joyed the evening in listening to our brave tars singing 
 sea-songs, and the favourite amusements of music and 
 dancing were resorted to occasdonally, in which our 
 tars joined most heartily, often leading the dance in 
 their usual jolly style. 
 
 Friday the 10th. — Latitude 21° 8' north, longitude 
 21° 13' west; distance sailed, two hundred and twenty- 
 five miles. The weather was rather dull in the morning,, 
 but it turned out a fine day, and we had a light breeze 
 from the north-east. As we were now in the tropics, 
 and clear of the strong, variable winds, a number of 
 our new sails were taken down and old ones put up 
 in their place. 
 
 Notwithstanding the large number of sailors we 
 had on board, they were all kept busy almost every 
 day ; and the boatswain, a very stout elderly English- 
 man, with a commanding appearance, had full charge 
 of them, giving them job after job as he did to employ 
 their time, and keep them, often against their wills, 
 from singing songs and telling stories — or, according 
 to the sea phrase, spinning yarns — amongst them- 
 selves in the forecastle, where there was much fun at 
 times. In thick drizzly weather, however, when they 
 could not do any work on deck, they enjoyed them- 
 selves in the forecastle in the way to which I have 
 referred ; and they were always glad to have such of 
 the passengers amongst them as could sing a good
 
 44 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 song, or tell an amusing story, in that free and easy 
 off-hand style the writer has often seen it done in the 
 commercial-room, when commercial travellers would 
 meet in their hotel at night to solace themselves with 
 a glass or two of toddy and humorous conversation. 
 Indeed men of that description (and we had two or 
 three of them on board) were at home amongst any 
 class in the ship, and owing to their cheerful and easy 
 way of making people friendly, they became a kind 
 of peacemakers, when at any time disputes would 
 arise among the passengers. 
 
 Saturday the 11th. — Latitude 18° 33' north, longi- 
 tude 20° 19' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 fifty-six miles. The ship was very leaky during the 
 day, and the pumps were discharging great quantities 
 of water. 
 
 The reader may be interested in knowing some- 
 thing about how it happens that a ship may be leaky 
 the one day and not in that condition the next, and 
 that while the bottom of the ship cannot be seen, how 
 it can be ascertained that the water is accumulating. 
 
 As I have said already, the carpenter had (as I 
 suppose is the general rule on board ships) charge of 
 the pumps, and I noticed that he had a line, with an 
 iron rod attached to the end of it, which he let down 
 through an iron pipe stretching perpendicularly from 
 the top of the pumps down to the keel of the vessel. 
 < )n this rod there were marks made showing feet
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 45 
 
 and inches, so that in lowering it down through the 
 pipe till the end of it touched the keel, and then 
 pulling it up, it was easily known, by seeing how high 
 the water-mark was on the iron, what depth of water 
 was in the ship. This was done at certain times, and, 
 as I understood, in accordance with rules for the car- 
 penter to observe ; but I noticed it was always 
 attended to after the ship had been strained by 
 coarse weather, when it was to be feared she would 
 be leaky. The fact is, the creaking and apparent 
 twisting of the ship from stem to stern, when we were 
 amongst cross seas and overtaken with gales of wind, 
 were to those unaccustomed to travel by sea at first 
 rather alarming ; but our passengers through course of 
 time became inured to it, and the sailors appeared 
 to think nothing about it, and would smile at any 
 passenger expressing fear. Either when the depth of 
 water in the ship was ascertained, or when she had to 
 be pumped, she was put head a-wind so as to bring the 
 water level under the pumps. At first when this was 
 being done, some of the passengers got very much 
 alarmed, thinking that something was wrong ; but, like 
 many other things, such movements became familiar 
 to us, and when they would occur we thought as little 
 of it as the sailors did. 
 
 Sunday the 12th. — We were almost becalmed in 
 apparently peaceful waters on this day. The sea, 
 stretching to the horizon around us, appeared to be as.
 
 46 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 smooth as glass, and our gallant ship standing as she 
 did majestically in the centre of a great circle, and 
 there being nothing to obstruct our view, the sight 
 was beautiful. 
 
 The ladies, attired in summer dress, fluttered about 
 the decks, quite as easy as if they had been walking on 
 some fashionable street enjoying city life. 
 
 The large bell began to toll, informing us to pre- 
 pare for church, while some of the passengers and 
 crew could be seen passing along the deck with their 
 Eibles in their hands, — putting one in mind that our 
 present enjoyment and the scenes of nature, however 
 attractive, were passing away, and that we were 
 hastening to another state of existence. What a solemn 
 thought ! As the weather was so very fine, we assem- 
 bled aft on the poop, where the first-cabin passengers 
 only were allowed to walk. In worshipping our 
 Creator, however, there was no distinction ; we were 
 all brothers and sisters, far far away from kindred 
 and home upon the deep-blue sea, mingling our voices 
 in one harmonious sound in singing praise to Him who 
 said, " Let the waters under the heavens be gathered 
 together into one place, and let the dry land appear, 
 and it was so." But, just as it is on shore, every one 
 did not relish divine service, so that those who did 
 not attend could be seen lying here and there about 
 the ship, — some on the forecastle, others on the top of 
 the house on deck, while a few were sitting in the ports 
 and on the long thick spars which were securely lashed
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 47 
 
 •on the outside of the bulwarks on each side of the 
 vessel, about a level with the upper-deck. These spars 
 were very thick, being suitable for masts or yards, 
 and kept in reserve in case of any of those we had 
 standing being carried away in bad weather. A few 
 of the people not attending public worship were read- 
 ing, and others were engaged in conversation ; but far 
 too many were sleeping away their precious time, of 
 which they might have been making a better use. 
 .Shortly after divine service was over, the bell rang 
 for us to take dinner, when each mess assembled around 
 their respective tables; and it being Sunday, and a 
 fine day, the best that the mess-stewards could pro- 
 duce was set before us. After we had partaken of a 
 sumptuous dinner, two of the boats were lowered 
 and filled comfortably with some of the crew and 
 passengers; who, after enjoying themselves by pulling 
 to a considerable distance from the ship, and a few of 
 them bathing in an unknown depth of water, returned 
 in about an hour, when we gave them a hearty wel- 
 ■come, cheering them in right good style, on board 
 the " Sussex," of which they must have got a splendid 
 view as she stood still and upright on the smooth 
 waters of a tropical sea. While those in the boat had 
 been enjoying themselves in this way, a number of the 
 passengers had been bathing alongside of the ship; 
 and to see one encouraging another to plunge into the 
 deep, so as to be able to say that they had bathed in 
 the tropics, was rather amusing, but of course none
 
 48 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 ventured to leap but those able to dive and swim dex- 
 terously. Some one or two, however, who had un- 
 dressed and made ready to jump, shrunk from the 
 adventurous plunge ; not so much for the reason that 
 the water was so deep, but for fear of sharks, which 
 which are known to be very numerous near the equator; 
 and when I thought of the danger in that respect, I 
 did not admire the courage displayed on the occasion. 
 We had divine service in the evening between decks, 
 where the intermediate passengers were accommodated, 
 when one of their number officiated in accordance 
 with the Scotch presbyterian form. One of the tunes 
 sung at this service was the " Old Hundred " ; and 
 although we were a mixed company, hailing from 
 different parts of the world, the most of us appeared 
 to be able to sing it. It is scarcely possible to put in 
 words the thoughts which would occupy the mind at a 
 time like this, afloat as we were, praising God, reading 
 His word, and coming before Him in prayer. For my 
 own part, I fancied myself in the old church at home, — 
 I mean the home of my early boyhood in the far north 
 islands of the sea, " around which the wild waters roar"' 
 in winter, but at times look so beautiful in summer. 
 Yes ; the old meeting-house in the parish of Sandwick, 
 Shetland. Although separated from it many thousand 
 miles, it was vividly brought before my mind's eye, 
 when I took a glance at the beams of the ship over- 
 head, the length and breadth of the saloon, and the 
 goodly number of brave seamen that were willingly
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 49 
 
 joining in the exercises of worship to the Ruler of the 
 universe, who has said, " Thou shalt worship no other 
 God, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous 
 God." When the service was over, the passengers 
 went to their respective cabins, while the sailors 
 attended to their various duties ; and as it drew near 
 mid-night, — the watch having been called a while 
 before, — the wind sprang up from the north, filling our 
 sails and making the ship again plough the ocean; and 
 in a short time the most of us were in the land of 
 dreams, no doubt having an interview with old friends, 
 at least I often did on such occasions. 
 
 Monday the \Sth. — Latitude 16° 35' north, longi- 
 tude 19° 49' west ; distance sailed, ninety-five miles. 
 It was blowing a fine breeze from N.N.E. Porpoises 
 were playing about the ship in thousands, sometimes 
 jumping out of the water several feet high. The 
 porpoise is distinguished from the dolphin by the 
 superior thickness of its head and its smaller size. The 
 back is generally black, and the belly white ; the 
 upper and lower jaws are both furnished with sharp 
 teeth, these being black in the upper and white in the 
 lower ; the spout hole is upon the crown of the head ; 
 its length measuring from the nose to the tail generally 
 about five feet ; and there is a coating of fat about one 
 inch thick, next the skin, which produces fine oil. 
 
 Having heard and read about the trade winds, I 
 
 took notice of how the wind blew while sailing through 
 
 D
 
 50 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 the tropics, and found that it was from north-east 
 to east on the north, and from south-east to east on 
 the south side of the equator, and when we got in 
 about 40° south latitude we had a strong breeze from 
 the west. The reason why these winds are called 
 trade winds is, that they favour commerce in being 
 known to mariners to blow from the same directions 
 all seasons of the year, so that these men can make 
 their calculations in such a way as to perform their 
 voyages in very nearly the same length of time ; and 
 in reference to winds generally, it is only after many 
 experiments in sailing through various latitudes and 
 longitudes, that for instance an Australian voyage 
 can be known likely to take a certain number of days, 
 which shows that the minute observations which have 
 been taken from time to time regarding the subject, 
 it is now pretty well known how captains should 
 steer while sailing round the globe so as to get the 
 best winds and thereby make the shortest passages. 
 I recollect an East India captain telling me that he 
 had often sailed out of his course a few hundred miles 
 in order to get to the place where he was almost sure 
 he would get a fair wind, and generally got it, while 
 other captains not so well experienced kept beating 
 to windward for days and making very little head- 
 way ; so that it becomes of great importance for 
 mariners, as well as others, in another sense, to 
 understand the subject in reference to how the wind 
 blows.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 51 
 
 Tuesday the lMh. — Latitude 14° 45' north, longi- 
 tude 22° 27' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and one 
 miles. We had some sport on this day catching a 
 shark, and as it was calm with a smooth sea, the fun 
 was all the more enjoyable. We first saw him at the 
 side of the ship, moving slowly through the water, 
 evidently in search of something to eat, but he ulti- 
 mately kept close by the quarter, sometimes near the 
 stern. Immediately on it being known that a shark 
 was near us, preparations were made by the sailors to 
 catch him, and for that purpose they secured a strong 
 rope about the thickness of a man's finger, tied a large 
 book to the end of it, and then putting on a large piece 
 of pork as a bait, which was thrown overboard, the 
 shark gulped it eagerly, and was fast, and no mistake. 
 I shall never forget the splash he made with his tail, 
 and how desperately he struggled for freedom, while 
 the sailors and others were singing out, " Hold on, my 
 boys." But his efforts to get away were of no use, 
 the hook had got a good hold in his throat. Two 
 hardy sailors held on, another was ready with a rope 
 having a running hitch on the end of it, which being 
 flung near him, his tail got into the noose, and thus he 
 was soon on the deck of the " Sussex," surrounded by 
 a goodly number of spectators ; and the scene was all 
 the more interesting, when we took into consideration 
 the fact that he was the first stranger which had 
 visited us from the day we left England. He created 
 no little amusement, especially to the children, as he
 
 52 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 struggled desperately to get into his own element, but 
 in that he never was to be again alive, because no 
 sooner were we satisfied in seeing his movements on 
 the deck, than one of the sailors plunged a large knife 
 into him, severing his head from the body, which led 
 me to think that his struggles were over, but such was 
 not the case, as I noticed he still moved his tail. He 
 was however soon cut up in pieces, and part of him 
 eaten by some, who said he tasted well ; but when I 
 thought of him being a man-eater, I could not think 
 of eating what others appeared to relish. While 
 speaking about a shark, it may not be out of place to 
 mention that the form of its body is elongated, and 
 the tail thick and fleshy. The mouth is very large, 
 situated beneath the snout, and is armed with several 
 rows of compressed sharp-edged teeth. The water 
 penetrates to the gills by means of several transverse 
 openings situated on each side of the neck. The 
 skeleton is cartilaginous. The skin is very rough, 
 covered with a number of little ossious tubercles, 
 and that of some species form the substance called 
 shagreen. The eggs of the shark are few, and large 
 in comparison with those of bony fishes. They are 
 enveloped in a hard horny semi-transparent shell, 
 terminating at the four angles with long filaments ; 
 in short, they resemble \ those of the rays, and are 
 likewise frequently cast up by the waves upon the 
 shores of the sea. The flesh of sharks is in general 
 hard, coriaceous, and ill-tasted, but some are good for
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 53 
 
 food. They are the most formidable and voracious 
 of all fishes, pursue all other marine animals, and 
 seem to care little whether their prey be living or 
 dead. They often follow vessels for the sake of 
 picking up any offal which may be thrown overboard, 
 and man himself often becomes a victim to their 
 rapacity. The sailors hate the shark as their common 
 enemy, and while the one we captured was being cut 
 ujd, I could easily see that the crew were filled with 
 revenge, and the occurrence led to many a strange and 
 thrilling story being told by parties on board, of men 
 having been exposed to attack, and in some cases 
 eaten by the monsters. This reminds me of an 
 incident in my own experience. It was after having 
 made a very rough passage along the coast of Scotland, 
 when as a passenger I was glad to find myself at last 
 in the port of our destination. Immediately after we 
 arrived the master met a party in some way connected 
 with the vessel, who was displeased with him about 
 something, and I well remember the master saying to 
 himself as he came on board, " We are no sooner clear 
 of the sea sharks, than we are encountered by the land 
 ones," and he was anything but pleased. 
 
 Wednesday the 15th. — Latitude 13° 23' north, 
 longitude 22° 35' west; distance sailed, one hundred 
 miles. There was a good deal of talk to-day about 
 the shark, and although a landsman may think it 
 strange that our attention was so much taken up
 
 54 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 about this stranger, yet he must remember that the 
 monotony on board ship is very great indeed, and 
 the least thing which may occur is eagerly made the 
 starting point of varied and lengthy conversation, 
 leadino; as it often did to increase our stock of know- 
 ledge about many things worthy of being noted in 
 a memorandum book. 
 
 Thursday the 16th.— Latitude 11° 22' north, longi- 
 tude 23° 13' west ; distance sailed, forty miles. It was 
 quite calm till about one o'clock p.m., when the wind 
 sprang up in our favour, of which we were all glad 
 but one passenger, who told me that he had sailed 
 round the world seven times on the Australian 
 passage, feeling more inclined to do that than live 
 in Melbourne, where he said his family resided. He 
 did not hesitate to tell me that his wife had left 
 him and sone to live with another man ; and, as an 
 intermediate passenger, he found that it was much 
 cheaper to live on board ship than it was to do so 
 on shore, so that it would be all the better for him 
 the longer we were on the passage. In course of 
 conversation he imformed me of the reason why his 
 wife left him, — of course we had been often talking to 
 each other and got quite familiar, — he said that he had 
 been giving his wife £3 per week, which he thought 
 was quite enough to pay household expenses ; but 
 this man with whom she had gone to live, had offered 
 her £6 per week, which was too much of an advance
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 55 
 
 for him, and so off she went. He told me he had 
 been in Australia for many years, principally in 
 Melbourne, where he had carried on business for a 
 long time and made money ; and now, having retired 
 from taking an active part in trade, he had made up 
 his mind to spend a considerable portion of his time 
 in sailing between Melbourne and London. This 
 rather amusing conversation came to an end, by him 
 telling me that he had taken to himself another wife, 
 which he considered right under the circumstances, 
 and that such cases were frequent in Australia ; but 
 I daresay he would understand by my remarks, that 
 I could not agree with him on that point, and the 
 rather delicate subject was dropped. We passed a 
 ship on this day, and in speaking to her by signals 
 we learned that she was from Calcutta bound to 
 London, and after arriving in Melbourne I saw by the 
 English papers that we had been reported as seen 
 by her, and that our position in regard to latitude 
 and longitude was given correctly, showing me that 
 trustworthy information can be got by signals. 
 Having nothing to look upon but a wide expanse of 
 ocean day after day, it is surprising to think what a 
 commotion the sighting of the ship produced amongst 
 the passengers. When she hove in sight we all got 
 on deck to have a look at her, at the same time our 
 midshipmen were getting the signals ready, and when 
 we heard that she was bound to London we were 
 all very glad, because we expected that she would
 
 56 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 report us, and our friends now far away would likely 
 hear how we were progressing on our voyage. An 
 hour after this we sighted another vessel which 
 appeared to be sailing our own course, but she was 
 too far from us to exchange news by flags. It 
 appeared to be part of our midshipmen's duty to 
 take charge of the signals, but our captain and first 
 officer were generally present while conversing with 
 vessels in that way ; and I may mention, that while 
 we used flags only, there are various kinds of signals 
 used at sea. They are sometimes made by firing 
 artillery, displaying pendants, lanterns, or fireworks, 
 — as rockets and fires, — and these are combined by 
 multiplication and repetition, by which combination 
 of preconcerted signals the admiral conveys orders 
 to his fleet, every squadron, every division, and ship 
 of which has its particular signal. Every ship to 
 which a signal is made, promptly answers it by 
 hoisting some particular flag, to show that she has 
 received and understands the order thereby conveyed. 
 All signals so as to be understood must be simple, and 
 composed in such a way as to express the same 
 signification at whatever mast-head or yard-arm they 
 may be displayed ; and when it so happens that two 
 ships are sailing in the same direction and their 
 speed about the same, — sometimes the sails are so 
 adjusted as to keep the vessels near each other, — 
 conversation may be kept up for hours, and questions 
 and answers, sometimes of an amusing nature, succeed
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 57 
 
 each other, giving fun to the officers first, and next 
 to us all as we hear what has been said. Thus the 
 monotony on board ship is often broken, and sig- 
 nalling becomes a source of pleasure, especially to 
 emigrants who have not been accustomed to a lonely 
 life on the ocean. 
 
 Friday the 17th. — Latitude 10° 19' north, longitude 
 21° 42' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and nine 
 miles. The day was fine, and the passengers were 
 moving about the decks talking to each other in re- 
 ference to crossing the line (as the sailors called it), 
 and wondering if there would be any shaving going 
 on, but the captain allowed nothing of the sort. 
 In da}'s gone by, however, there was scarcely such 
 a thing as a sailor to cross the equator for the first 
 time without either paying a fine or submitting to 
 a rather rough kind of shaving, such as using tar 
 for soap and a piece of an old iron hoop for a razor, 
 the would-be barber keeping his hand anything but 
 steady while the operation was going on ; but all that 
 sort of thing is almost entirely done away with now, 
 so that young men going to sea need not be afraid 
 of such bad treatment. I call it bad treatment, 
 because I have been told that the loss of sight has 
 sometimes resulted from boys having been subjected 
 to the savage custom. 
 
 o 
 
 Saturday the 18th. — Latitude 8° C north, longitude
 
 58 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 20° 47' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and thirty- 
 three miles. The sea had become rough, and the wind 
 blowing pretty strong, but we were glad of a cool 
 breeze under a hot scorching sun, not only to keep us 
 cool, but to waft us along to colder latitudes, and so 
 on to the port of our destination. It rained a good 
 deal during the day, and numbers of us moved about 
 the decks with our bare feet, which was very refresh- 
 ing indeed. Having plenty of time at my disposal, 
 when at any moment a subject was brought to my 
 mind by anything occurring on board ship I imme- 
 diately took a note of it, and endeavoured to get a 
 book to read in regard to the information I wanted ; 
 and the cause of rain embraced my attention at this 
 time. I learned by reading that the production of 
 rain has from the earliest times engaged the attention 
 of philosophers, but it was reserved for Dr James 
 Hutton, of Edinburgh, to furnish the true solution of 
 the problem. His views on the subject were made 
 known in 1787, since which period it has been greatly 
 neglected by writers upon meteorology. Dr Hutton 
 says : — " Air in cooling, it is known, has the property 
 of depositing the moisture it contains. But how, it 
 may be asked, is it cooled in the free atmosphere, 
 unless by the contact or co-mixture of a colder portion 
 of the same fluid? Now the portion of air which is 
 chilled must in an equal degree warm the other. If, 
 in consequence of this mutual change of condition the 
 former be disposed to resign its moisture, the separa-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 59 
 
 tion of moisture on the mixing of two masses of damp 
 air at different temperatures, would therefore prove 
 that the dissolving power of air suffers more diminu- 
 tion from losing part of the combined heat, than it 
 acquires augmentation from gaining an equal measure 
 of it, and consequently this power must, under equal 
 accessions of heat, increase more slowly at first than 
 it does afterwards, thus advancing always with ac- 
 cumulated celerity. The quantity of moisture which 
 air can hold thus increases in a much faster ratio than 
 its temperature." ..." This great principle in the 
 economy of nature was traced by Dr Hutton from 
 indirect experience. It is the simplest of the accel- 
 erating kind, and perfectly agrees with the law of 
 solution which the hygrometer has established." 
 
 Sunday the 19th. — Latitude 6° 49' north, longitude 
 18° 35' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and fifty- 
 two miles. The day was fine and clear. Divine service 
 was conducted by the captain, which was well attended; 
 and during the day we kept moving about the decks, 
 reading, singing, debating, and amusing ourselves in 
 a harmless way. 
 
 A Christian man, finding himself in the midst of 
 a people holding views in regard to the Sabbath dif- 
 ferent to himself, will find that the tenth and eleventh 
 verses of the second chapter of the Proverbs will be 
 of great service to him, and every follower of Christ 
 should have the words committed to memory : —
 
 60 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 " When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and know- 
 ledge is pleasant unto thy soul ; discretion shall 
 preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee." I 
 might enlarge on this subject, but it would be diverg- 
 ing too much from the narrative I am endeavouring 
 to put before the peruser of these pages. 
 
 Monday the 20th. — Latitude 1° 16' north, longi- 
 tude 15° 20' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 ninety-seven miles. We had a light breeze from 
 south-by-east ; and the sailors called this " dead- 
 horse day." The reason why they did so was owing 
 to the month having expired for which they got pay- 
 ment before leaving London, and which they called 
 the first month's advance. They made a demon- 
 stration, as follows: — They hoisted the effigy of a 
 horse made of straw to a yard-arm ; it was named 
 " Neptune," set fire to, and then lowered into the sea ; 
 after which they expected to be supplied with grog, 
 either from the passengers, the midshipmen, or the 
 captain. In this they were not disappointed, as 
 during the evening any sober man could see that they 
 had got more than enough. They amused themselves 
 by singing, playing various kinds of tricks on each 
 other, mimicing the different classes of society by 
 holding a dialogue and making gestures as they ex- 
 pressed their sentiments, in such a way as often to 
 attract the attention of even some of the first-cabin 
 passengers and create great merriment. For a change
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 61 
 
 they would occasionally have a dance on the main 
 deck, some of the passengers joining them ; indeed 
 the sound of the violin appeared to make us all kin, 
 making us more inclined to speak to each other and 
 make humorous remarks. Yes, even the ladies, of 
 superior rank and refined taste, did not hesitate to 
 mingle with the rustic lads and rosy-cheeked lasses 
 from the country, and enjoy the fun going on in the 
 dance. As the night came on, and the dancing over, 
 the sailors confined themselves more to their own 
 society, and, as was very natural, they began to take 
 a little more drink, which resulted in one of them 
 having taken too much, inducing him to quarrel with 
 one of his shipmates. Had dancing been allowed to 
 continue, this man would have no doubt danced the 
 quarrel into friendship, as I have often seen by lands- 
 men on shore ; but it was near twelve o'clock at night, 
 and many of us enjoying a comfortable sleep, and the 
 time when, according to the rules, all should be quiet. 
 Our sailor who had taken the overdose of drink, how- 
 ever, did not appear to abide by the rules of the ship ; 
 but he became quite the opposite of quiet, which 
 alarmed his brother sailors to such an extent as to 
 make it difficult to them what to do with him. It 
 brought to my mind what I have sometimes heard 
 sailors singing on such occasions, viz. : — 
 
 " What shall we do with a drunken sailor ? What shall we do 
 with a drunken sailor ? 
 What shall we do with a drunken sailor, early in the morning ?"
 
 62 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 and so on, in words I do not very well remember. In 
 trying to secure him, he stripped himself naked 
 above the waist, and became so much agitated as to 
 appear more like a madman than anything else. He 
 attempted to take command of the forecastle, threat- 
 ening to murder any man who dared to touch him ; 
 and one of the sailors, who was endeavourine to make 
 him peaceable, got his face cut, while another who 
 interfered got a black eye ; and in the scuffle which 
 ensued in the forecastle, the man who was the worse 
 of liquor got many a dreadful blow, as I was told, to 
 make him sober. While this was going on in the 
 forepart of the ship, those aft in the cabin would 
 likely know nothing about it at the time ; but it was 
 ultimately known, as will be seen by the proceedings 
 next day. 
 
 Tuesday the 21st. — Latitude 5° 26' north, longi- 
 tude 13° 26' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 thirty miles. It was blowing a fine breeze in our 
 favour, the sea was smooth, and the ship was making 
 good headway. The men that had been creating so 
 much disturbance the night before were ordered to 
 appear before the first officer, and the interview ended 
 in a reprimand to the man who had been the cause of 
 the mischief, as also his usual allowance of grog to be 
 .stopped for a time, and told in tones of firmness that 
 he would be put in irons if he attempted to disturb 
 any one of either crew or passengers again. He
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 63 
 
 appeared to be much ashamed of himself ; but I may 
 mention that, in reference to his ability as a seaman, 
 I heard some of the sailors say that he was able and 
 willing. I was sorry for him myself, because I had 
 been taking notice of him as being kind and obliging 
 to the passengers ; but this unfortunate affair did not 
 make any difference in that respect, because to the 
 end of the voyage he was as willing to do any of the 
 passengers a favour as he had been before. 
 
 I shall not pass by the incident to which I have 
 just referred without taking notice of the arrange- 
 ments connected with the supply of grog to the 
 sailors. It was always in the evening they were 
 served with this kind of drink, which was a mixture 
 of rum and water, and the purser, who generally 
 served it out, sat, as a rule, near the first-cabin door, 
 alongside of a bucket containing the liquor, measuring- 
 it out to each sailor in equal quantities, who either 
 took it away in a pannikin or jug, or drank it there 
 and then out of the measure which the purser used ; 
 and this was done sometimes in the presence of a 
 number of spectators, a few of whom looked as if 
 they would like to have a drop, and occasionally they 
 succeeded in getting a little by telling the purser that 
 they had been assisting the sailors in pulling ropes, 
 a story which our tars never contradicted. Some- 
 times I heard sailors say that the grog was too weak ; 
 but I noticed that almost at any time when that com- 
 plaint was made it was squally, unsteady weather,
 
 64 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 and I imagined that our chief officer had given in- 
 structions to make it weak when heavy weather was 
 expected, so as to keep our sailors sober and fit for 
 duty. I do not make this remark in any disparage- 
 ment to our crew, — because, upon the whole, we had 
 a good class of men to work the ship, — but I allude 
 to it with a view to compliment the officers for their 
 attention to everything connected with the safety of 
 the vessel, and thereby meriting the confidence of the 
 passengers in their knowledge and management. 
 
 Wednesday the 22cZ. — Latitude 4° 11' north ; longi- 
 tude 11° 31' west. The wind was light, from south 
 by west, and our distance sailed was one hundred and 
 thirty-six miles. We were all in good spirits, some of 
 us moving about the deck in twos and threes talking 
 about crossing the line on the coast of Africa, what 
 kind of weather we would have in the southern hemi- 
 sphere when we would pass the Cape of Good Hope, 
 and a variety of other topics more or less relating to 
 foreign lands, especially the far-away land to which we 
 were bound. 
 
 Thursday the 23c?. — Latitude 3° 14' north, longi- 
 tude 10° 4' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and four 
 miles. The wind had gone round to the south-east, 
 blowing strong at times, but during the greater part 
 of the day it was light and changeable, a kind of 
 weather which is always the case about the equator,
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 65 
 
 and sometimes sudden squalls are experienced, for 
 which there must be preparation made in good time. 
 We were full of hope, however, that we would soon 
 get into latitudes where we would have a stead}" fair 
 wind, such as for most part we had enjoyed since leav- 
 ing the now far-away land in the north. I may 
 observe here, that on board a regular passenger ship 
 such as the " Sussex," all the arrangements regarding 
 washing, cooking, meal hours, and when to get up in 
 the morning, are all made known to the passengers- 
 at the beginning of the voyage ; and it is only when 
 stress of weather or accident occurs that these rules, 
 are not attended to, so that when there is a fair wind 
 the ship — as it often happened with us — may be on 
 the same tack for weeks at a time ; and when it is 
 such steady weather as that, to a slight observer there 
 is very little change, or anything of consequence to 
 attract attention. True, a ship may heave in sight, 
 a fish may be seen, the sky may change its appear- 
 ance, or a passenger, to the amusement of others, may 
 miss a step of the ladder leading from the one deck 
 to the other and come quicker down than he intended; 
 but with a few more things, to which I need not refer, 
 these are all that may occur to break the monotony 
 on board ship when fine weather continues day after 
 day. Of course a man with a reflective turn of mind 
 has the changing scenes in the heavens to look at and 
 consider as we pass from one latitude to another, 
 
 and certainly that of itself is worth the time and 
 
 E
 
 66 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 money required for a voyage round the world. In 
 order to let us know how the time passed, there was 
 a larere bell hung above the fore-hatch, which was 
 rung every half -hour, commencing at twelve o'clock ; 
 one toll indicating half-past twelve, two tolls repre- 
 senting one o'clock, and so on till eight tolls were 
 rung, called on board ship eight-bells, which means 
 four o'clock; and then the bell is rung at the end of 
 every succeeding half -hour, until eight tolls indicate 
 eight o'clock; and then a beginning is made on the 
 next four hours, — every toll of the bell indicating 
 half-an-hour. Breakfast was at eight, dinner at one, 
 and supper at six o'clock, as regular as the bell tolled 
 out the time. Each officer and sailor had assigned 
 to him what is called his station, so that each one 
 knew where to attend when orders were given by the 
 officer in command; and it was amusing to see the 
 men and boys running to their respective places of 
 duty at any time, but more especially when the ship 
 had to be put about. At such times we had much 
 fun in being intermingled in heterogeneous confusion, 
 although to some it was laughing and crying alter- 
 nately. When the loud ringing sound of the officer's 
 voice was heard giving the order " about ship," every 
 man ran to his station in double-quick time ; all the 
 sheets were made loose, a man stood at each with a 
 turn of the rope round a cleat, and when all was ready, 
 and the ship put in the wind, there was a minute or 
 two of suspense; the officer in charge standing on
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. G7 
 
 the poop glancing at every sail, low and aloft, with an 
 eagle-eye, and just as the ship veered in the right 
 direction, away came the order " Let go," when every 
 man at the same moment slipped his rope, and the 
 ship went round with such a sudden lurch as to put 
 all in an uproar. Nothing could be heard from 
 between decks but the screams of children mingled 
 with the noise of pots, pans, knives, forks, plates, 
 spoons, boxes, and a variety of other articles I shall 
 not name, having taken a race to the other side of 
 the ship. The children were crying for their mothers, 
 who had been abruptly separated from them by slid- 
 ing and tumbling to the opposite side of the vessel, 
 becoming unexpected guests to their fellow passen- 
 gers, who now knew what it was to have their cabins 
 on the lee side instead of the other. Such was the 
 confusion amongst all classes at any time the ship 
 was put about, but when those who had been driven 
 from, as it were, their homes by the force of circum- 
 stances, were settled down in their cabins again, and 
 got their cooking utensils, trunks, and other articles 
 so placed as to be better prepared for a similar occasion, 
 order was soon restored. There were, however, a 
 number of apologies made at such times, some for 
 trampling on toes, and others for trying which head 
 was the hardest, and I noticed that amongst some of 
 the young people it had the effect of leading to a 
 milder and more friendly way of meeting each other 
 afterwards ; and I rather think that a few of these
 
 68 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 rough and unexpected introductions led to matrimonial' 
 unions in the sunny lands of the south. In conclud- 
 ing this bit of information about what took place 
 when the ship was put on a different tack, I shall not 
 omit to mention, that with all the care which was 
 taken to keep everything in its place when the ship 
 was put about, — especially if there was a heavy sea 
 running at the time, — the scene was amusing to any- 
 one who had nothing to do but take care of himself ;. 
 but to a man who had to take care of his wife and 
 young children it was quite a different thing, often in 
 his attention to domestic matters exposing himself as 
 he did to a laugh from those looking on ; but in order 
 to preserve a good feeling I doubt not many a smile 
 was suppressed, and a helping hand, perhaps to save a 
 youngster from being hurled to the other side of the 
 ship, substituted, thus meriting kindness and adding to^ 
 our happiness in a home upon the sea. 
 
 Friday the 24<th. — Latitude 1° 59' north, longitude- 
 12° 22' west; distance sailed, one hundred and fifty- 
 six miles. 
 
 It was blowing strong from south-by-east, which 
 was refreshing under a hot, burning sun. Indeed we 
 were very fortunate in having a fine breeze almost 
 every day we were in the tropics, while it is known 
 to be a fact that calms generally prevail, especially 
 between 4" and 10° north latitude. In this region of 
 the globe, the winds, in nautical phraseology, are
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 69 
 
 called "variables," because they blow from various 
 directions, and originate from the combination of a 
 number of causes on and around the earth, far too 
 numerous to name here, but a subject which especially 
 demands the close attention of every navigator. The 
 heat, the rarefaction of the air, the earth's motion and 
 uneven surface, the expanse of ocean intervening be- 
 tween the ship and the continents and islands sur- 
 rounding the great circle of which she is the centre, 
 and many things beside, all have to do in producing 
 these variable winds. 
 
 Saturday the 25th. — Latitude 1° 13' north, longi- 
 tude 15° 35' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 ninety-nine miles ; wind south-east. Groups of pass- 
 engers were assembled on deck, congratulating each 
 other on the progress we were making, and how 
 rapidly we were sailing through latitudes where ships 
 are often becalmed, and where it has been said the sea 
 -at times becomes almost stagnant. 
 
 Sunday the 26th. — We crossed the line about 
 twelve o'clock noon, in longitude 18° 21' west, and 
 had run two hundred and thirteen miles. We sighted 
 .a ship on this day, and when near enough we sig- 
 nalled her ; learning by the answers, which were 
 ([uickly given, that her name was the " City of Glas- 
 gow," and that she had been out eighty-two days 
 from Calcutta. Of course, when crossing the line we
 
 70 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 were in no latitude, and had we been in the meridian 
 of Greenwich we would have been in no longitude. 
 
 Latitude and longitude having been given every 
 day since we left England, I shall say a few words- 
 first about the one and then about the other. Lati- 
 tude is the distance of a place on the surface of the 
 globe from the equator, measured by that arc of the 
 meridian of the place which is intercepted between 
 the place and the equator. 
 
 Latitude is either north or south, and it com- 
 mences with nothing at the equator, ending at the 
 north and south poles 90°. Longitude is the distance 
 east or west of the meridian of the place made the 
 starting point. It is generally the case that the 
 capital of a country is made the place of departure, 
 and from which to reckon the longitude, but it is a 
 very difficult thing in navigation for a mariner to 
 ascertain accurately the longitude of the place he 
 may happen to be in. As it is found out that fifteen 
 degrees of distance east or west is equal to one hour 
 of time, the longitude can be known by having a 
 watch on board which will keep the time of the place 
 from which the navigator takes his departure, so that 
 it is now for the most part by a good chronometer 
 that the longitude of any place is found. Astronomical 
 observations, however, furnish the most exact methods 
 of determining longitude, but it requires a considerable 
 amount of knowledge, both theoretical and practical, 
 on the part of the navigator, before he can feel safe in
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 71 
 
 laying down the course of his vessel on the chart from 
 a point of longitude ascertained by astronomical obser- 
 vations only. I have read somewhere that the British 
 Parliament once offered a reward of £20,000 for an 
 accurate method of finding the longitude at sea, which 
 shows the great importance of having a thorough 
 knowledge of this branch of navigation. 
 
 Monday the 27th.— Latitude 3° 1 3'south,longitude 21° 
 3' west; distance sailed, two hundred and twenty miles. 
 
 We were still favoured with a strong breeze, which 
 enlivened our spirits very much, because, now that we 
 had begun to look at the sun in the north, the peculiar 
 feeling of leaving friends to a certain extent gave place 
 to an eagerness of desire to get to the end of the voyage, 
 so that to some, if not to all, a fair wind, although 
 blowing strong, was hailed with delight. 
 
 Tuesday the 28th. — Latitude G"' 3' south, longitude 
 22° 57' west ; distance sailed, two hundred and eleven 
 miles. The wind increased with sudden squalls, while 
 the sea got up rapidly, making the ship pitch a good 
 deal, and now and again unsecured dishes were heard, 
 as it were, dancing and jumping, and an occasional 
 smash of earthenware taking place, teaching emi- 
 grants the folly of taking such brittle dishes for use 
 on board ship ; but that could not make whole their 
 cups and saucers, some of which might have been heir- 
 looms from home.
 
 72 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Wednesday the 29^,— Latitude 9° 17' south, lon- 
 gitude 24° 36' west ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 eighteen miles. One of the midshipmen had been 
 indulging in the use of strong drink, so much so that 
 he became disorderly, not only refusing to attend to 
 his duty, but showing signs of being incapable to dis- 
 charge it ; and as our captain was known to be very 
 strict in regard to his discipline of these young 
 gentlemen, several discussions took place amongst the 
 passengers as to how this offender would be dealt with 
 next day. We had a few of this class of young men 
 on board, and, putting myself occasionally in their way, 
 I learned from some of them a little of their history, 
 which was interesting, and in some cases rather amus- 
 ing as well. I could easily see by their polite bearing 
 that they were very respectably connected, but being 
 of a little roving disposition, they had taken to a sea- 
 faring life in order to gratify their desires to see other 
 lands and experience the pleasure of being able to say 
 that they had travelled. I learned that each of them 
 were paying sixty pounds per annum to the owners 
 of the ship for their victuals, and getting a knowledge 
 of seamanship with a view to being captains some day. 
 Part of their duty was to take charge of all that was 
 required to be done about the mizzen-mast ; but when 
 it was very rough weather, and dangerous to go aloft, 
 some of the sailors were called to their assistance. 
 Indeed I often thought it would have been much 
 better for them had they just submitted to the same
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 73 
 
 kind of ordeal our boys in the forecastle had to go 
 through, as there is no doubt it would have made 
 them better seamen, and, as a matter of course, all the 
 more qualified for taking command of ships, involving 
 as it does very serious responsibility. Some of them, 
 however, had never been accustomed to much fatigue, 
 nor to wet and cold such as sailors are often exposed 
 to, and I heard some of them say, that as soon as they 
 got back to their homes, they would take to some 
 other profession, and never go to sea again. Others, 
 on the other hand, were differently minded, and so 
 exposed themselves to danger along with the crew, as 
 to show me that they were determined to push ahead 
 in gaining knowledge by experience ; and I doubt not, 
 if they are spared to enjoy health and strength, they 
 will see the day when they shall occupy the honour- 
 able position of being commanders of ships, and rank 
 amongst those men of whom England may be proud, 
 namely, British mariners, who as a rule are known to 
 do their duty well in guiding our ships from land to 
 land, and thereby increasing our commerce, prosperity, 
 and happiness. 
 
 Thursday the 20th.— Latitude 12 17' south, longi- 
 tude 25° o2' west; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 ninety-seven miles. The ship was sailing close by the 
 wind, — or,as the sailors call it, close-hauled,- — stretching 
 the sheets and other ropes connected to the sails set ; 
 but none of them gave way, and, with the wind pretty
 
 74 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 strong, we were sweeping along in fine style. The 
 midshipman who had been the worse of strong drink 
 was called to appear before the first-officer, and got off 
 with a reprimand. I may mention here that the cap- 
 tain was very particular as to showing his authority 
 over all the other officers, and they in turn, according 
 to their respective positions, allowed none of their 
 demands to be trifled with, so that each one kept his. 
 proper place, and the best of order was preserved. In 
 coarse weather some of the passengers assisted in 
 pulling ropes, which pleased the sailors very much,, 
 and I doubt not all those who did so found themselves 
 the better of the exercise, at least I did. The cook 
 was a most important person amongst us, and I noticed 
 that in order to please him, and retain his favour in 
 doing one a good turn in the cooking of anything we 
 wanted, nothing had a better effect than giving him a 
 o-lass of beer at times. This was a great matter to 
 study, because although he was the passengers' cook,, 
 and bound to attend to their wants alike, yet there 
 were many little wants necessary, not exactly at meal- 
 times, which could only be supplied by the cook, and 
 it was better to have it done willingly than with a 
 growl. But, apart from beer, I noticed that when our 
 demands were made with civility, — if it was not over- 
 done, — it often gained a smile, and made him do a 
 good turn readily enough. 
 
 Friday the Slst. — Latitude 15° 2' south, longitude
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 7-> 
 
 26 30' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and eighty- 
 seven miles. There was a jumble of sea on, or, to 
 make it better understood, the one broken billow was 
 meeting the other with great force, which made the 
 ship lurch as though she was pitching and dancing about, 
 making us do the same thino- on board ; but as we 
 had all got pretty well inured to her different move- 
 ments, none of us were sick. Indeed it was very 
 pleasing to see all the passengers so happy and so free 
 of sea-sickness, as to be able to take their meals even 
 when the ship was dashing through the ocean foam 
 with great rapidity. 
 
 When the wind was on the quarter which was the 
 best of any, and the ship running from ten to twelve 
 miles an hour, I often sat upon the cat-head on the 
 weather-bow noticing how the snow-like water spread 
 itself out before the bows of our gallant ship; and 
 while gazing on the great expanse of ocean which 
 surrounded us, and with strange emotions, aware of 
 the fact that we were bounding on to a foreign land,. 
 I could not but think of bonny Scotland, to which I 
 felt more and more attached as my distance from it 
 increased ; and when I thought of commercial friends 
 and others, especially my own famity living in it, the 
 words of the poet — which I shall just give — found 
 their way to m} r heart with greater force than I had 
 ever experienced before, — 
 
 " Musing on the roaring ocean, 
 
 Which divides my loved and me ;
 
 76 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Wearying Heaven with warm devotion 
 For their weal where'er they be." 
 
 And as a man is in a way miserable without a com- 
 panion, I then very naturally looked round as it were 
 for some friend to whom I could speak, and glancing 
 ■over the wild waste of waters exclaimed, " Is not that 
 a beautiful sight ?" when I imagined I heard some one 
 answer in the affirmative, " Yes it is." Thus I spent 
 many an hour in contemplation, not only during the 
 day, but at night as well when the sky was clear and 
 the myriads of stars shining forth in silvery-coloured 
 beauty, also the moon at times adding to the sublimity 
 of such a splendid and entertaining sight. 
 
 Saturday the 1st September. — Latitude 18° 31' south, 
 longitude 27° 11' west; distance sailed, one hundred 
 and ninety-live miles. The sea was rough, but as the 
 wind was in our favour the ship dashed along in beau- 
 tiful style ; and in the evening it was a dead calm, 
 encouraging us to merriment on deck, such as boxing, 
 or rather mock-fighting by scientific pugilists, also 
 fencing with blunt swords, and sometimes we would 
 have a little exercise by wrestling; after which we 
 would seat ourselves at each side of an open space 
 ■on the deck,' when one of the best singers amongst our 
 crew would stand in the centre of this space and treat 
 us to a good song. 
 
 Sunday the 2d— Latitude 22° 2' south, longitude
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. . 77 
 
 27° 12' west; distance sailed, two hundred and ten 
 miles. The wind had been at times light, but it in- 
 creased during- the day till it became a steady breeze ; 
 and we were all well, except a Mrs Smith, one of the 
 passengers in the second cabin, who gave birth to a 
 son, about ten o'clock p.m. Her husband was on board,, 
 so that I doubt not everything was done which could 
 add to her comfort, as she and the child both did well, 
 and became great favourites in our midst. An auspi- 
 cious occurrence like this gave us all something of a 
 very domestic nature to speak about ; and by the in- 
 quiries made from time to time as to the health of the 
 mother and that of the young passenger, one could 
 easily conclude that all were interested in their well- 
 being, and even proud of what had happened. While 
 the little stranger was much admired, the question 
 was sometimes raised as to how he would be registered; 
 whether his parents would give him a name having a 
 reference to the ship in which he was born. And soon 
 we learned that his grandfather and orandmother 
 were living in Australia; and we could not but talk 
 about the joy the old people would have in meeting 
 their near relatives, and what a pleasure it would be 
 to them to see their grandson who had been born in 
 the South Atlantic Ocean. 
 
 We were now getting out of the tropics, where we 
 had upon the whole been favoured with fine weather ; 
 and before getting farther south, I shall give the 
 reader an idea of the sports and scenery we enjoyed
 
 78 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 while sailing through the tropical seas. Many of us 
 added much to our pleasure, and no doubt to our health 
 also, by getting up early in the mornings to have a 
 shower-bath, which we managed to get by attaching 
 hose to the pumps that were constructed along the 
 outside on different parts of the ship, and at which each 
 in our turn pumped the cooling sea water over one 
 another, taking the refreshing shower about the head 
 and shoulders, and so down to the feet. Of course it 
 was the male passengers only who would thus mingle; 
 and as the other sex were secluded from view, sleeping 
 in their berths as they were, we would for a while 
 keep skipping about the decks as naked as when we 
 were born, chasing each other and play hide-and-seek 
 like as we were used to do when little boys. And then to 
 see the sun rise in tropical latitudes is a fine sight, 
 very difficult to describe even by the ablest poetical 
 writers. Before he makes his appearance, the eastern 
 sky about where he rises gets into one red blaze of 
 golden-tinted beauty, informing us in visible signs of 
 the approach of that life-giving and gladdening orb, 
 which not only casts his rays in successive order to 
 produce the seasons of the year, and thereby assist in 
 providing food for man and for beast, but the infallible 
 means by which the mariner, though thousands of miles 
 from land, can ascertain where he is and how to steer 
 for any part of the world. If it happened that the 
 sky was a little cloudy at the time, — which was not 
 often the case in the tropics, — the radiant brightness
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 70 
 
 of the sun soon scattered it into fragments, which in a 
 very short time vanished altogether, leaving the bright 
 blue heavens clear and cloudless. The decks were 
 washed down every morning before breakfast, not only 
 to make them clean, but as also to wet them so as to 
 be prepared for the scorching sun during the day ; and 
 -at times, while this was being done, numbers of the 
 passengers and crew threw away for the moment the 
 distinction of rank and wealth, and stepped along the 
 decks bare-footed, and enjoyed the cooling sea- water 
 with great delight. " Free from all the arts that 
 prey on man's life and liberty," we continued morning- 
 after morning, and sometimes at mid-day, to enjoy the 
 pleasure of each other's company in this way. 
 
 We had two sons of the Governor of the colony of 
 Victoria on board ; and I often noticed how pleased 
 those young gentlemen appeared to be in mingling 
 with us, and enjoying the amusements going on. The 
 truth is, we got to be like a people living in a little 
 village, to know each other's names and accept each 
 other's jokes, just as if we had been living in one house, 
 but at the same time no advantage was taken of such 
 familiarities. The evenings were generally very 
 pleasant, and harmless amusements were resorted to 
 so as to keep us all in good spirits. Our principal 
 amusements were singing, instrumental music, danc- 
 ing, recitations, lectures, games at cards, draughts, 
 chess, &c. If it was beautiful and grand to see the sun 
 rise in the tropics, it was even more so to see him set.
 
 80 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 As he began to touch the western horizon, the sky 
 around him got into a fiery-like illuminating blaze; 
 and as he began to vanish from our view, his rays sprang 
 up with a golden-like beauty, far surpassing any sun- 
 set I had ever seen in other latitudes. Then as there 
 is little or no twilight in the tropics, he no sooner dis- 
 appeared below the waters, which at times lay peaceful 
 and smooth, than, as it were to make up for the light 
 we had lost, the vault of heaven bespangled with mil- 
 lions of stars, suddenly presented a spectacle grand 
 and glorious to look upon. And to add to the beauty 
 of the scene, at times the moon, as it were, hung out 
 suspended between the clear sky and the globe on 
 which we live, with a brightness and a beauty such as 
 she is never seen in the northern hemisphere. Being' 
 glad of the cool refreshing breeze of the evening, I 
 often sat for hours at a time admiring the heavenly 
 bodies as they shone out in their splendid and gorgeous 
 array ; and when the moon was full, it was delightful 
 to see how she illuminated the waters with her silvery- 
 like beams, which appeared to dance as it were on the 
 broad and everchanging ocean around us. At times, 
 like these I often wished that some one of my own 
 relatives or old acquaintances had been near me, with 
 whom I could have conversed, and who would have 
 enjoyed the grand scene along with me, Knowing 
 well, however, that I was deprived of that pleasure, I 
 endeavoured to banish the thought from my mind, by 
 thinking of the strange sights that would likely come
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 81 
 
 under my notice in the far distant land to which we 
 were bound. 
 
 Monday the 3d — Latitude 25° 30' south, longitude 
 25° 14' west; distance sailed, two hundred and thirty- 
 six miles. The wind being in our favour and blowing a 
 stiff breeze, we were flying away with the most of our 
 sails set. One of our passengers delivered a lecture on 
 astronomy in the evening, a subject very suitable for 
 our reflection while witnessing in the universe the 
 wonderful sights I have endeavoured to describe ; and 
 as we were now getting a view of stars in the southern 
 hemisphere that are never seen in northern latitudes, 
 to an inquiring mind the lecture must have been very 
 interesting. The lecturer took advantage of the occa- 
 sion, and treated the subject in such a way as to prove 
 the existence of a Divine Being, and as far as I could 
 judge, he handled his arguments with a clearness of 
 perception which made the lecture interesting ; and he 
 gave expression to his views so convincingly, and in 
 such plain terms, that I think we all agreed with him 
 that there is a God who, with His omniscient wisdom, 
 has for a wise purpose constructed the universe, and 
 keeps it in order according to a plan of an infinite and 
 incomprehensible nature. 
 
 A man who studies astronomy must be very much 
 gratified in having a sail round the world, because he 
 has the chance of being in all the hemispheres, and 
 the advantage of viewing the orbs of heaven from
 
 82 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 different positions, in a clear atmosphere, thus placing 
 him — as it often happens — in a very short time at a 
 considerable distance' from point to point, as he takes 
 his observations and makes his calculations, while all 
 — but he in particular — will be struck with wonder 
 at the scene above them in tropical and southern 
 latitudes. 
 
 Tuesday the 4>th. — Latitude 20° 41' south, longitude 
 23° 5' west ; distance sailed, two hundred and twenty- 
 two miles. It was a dull, rainy morning, with a 
 heavy sea running, just such as would have made us 
 sick had we not got over that very distressing feeling. 
 In that respect the heaving of the sea made no differ- 
 ence to us now, except that it gave us a better appetite, 
 some remarking that they could eat the double of 
 the usual quantity of food they consumed on shore. 
 During the day we sighted a vessel which our officers 
 imagined to be bound for the Cape of Good Hope, but 
 she was at such a distance that no attempt was made 
 to get or give news by signals. As we were now far 
 far away from land, where it is generally the case that 
 few ships are seen at any time, when one hove in sight 
 so glad were we all to look at her that I shall never 
 forget the rush made to the poop, the forecastle-deck, 
 and along the ship's side, to get a look of what con- 
 tained some of our fellow-creatures, and with whom 
 we would have been most delighted to have had an 
 interview. If it did not take us much out of our
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 83 
 
 course, the captain alwa} r s endeavoured to near any 
 ship we sighted, but when taking into account the 
 thousands of vessels that are continually traversing 
 the different seas on the globe, I often wondered that 
 we saw so few ; but, on the other hand, when think- 
 ing of the great extent of ocean surrounding us, mak- 
 ing, of course, the road a very broad one indeed, I 
 ceased to wonder, and my thoughts became engaged 
 with the works of creation. 
 
 In getting so close to a vessel as to converse by 
 signals, the first thing done was to show to which 
 country each belonged, by hoisting respectively the 
 national flags ; then each in turn put questions, such 
 -as to know the name of the ship, where from, how 
 long out, where bound to, and the latitude and lon- 
 gitude. When these questions were put by both 
 vessels, and as also answered so as to be well under- 
 stood, the one after the other dipped her national flag 
 three times in quick succession, as much as to say 
 goodbye, when each stood on, spreading all the canvas 
 required at the time, and it was for most part the case 
 that we were soon outsight of each other. Imme- 
 diately after an interview like this, we all got impa- 
 tient to know the news, and it generally came first 
 from one of the young midshipmen, who in telling it 
 to one of us, it was soon known to all on board. If the 
 vessel spoken with was homeward-bound, or in other 
 words bound for any port in Great Britain, we all felt 
 delighted with the thought of being reported in the
 
 84 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 newspapers, and that it might come under the notice- 
 of those interested in our welfare. 
 
 Wednesday the 5th. — Latitude 30° 34' south, lon- 
 gitude 20° west ; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 ninety-eight miles. The weather was rather squally 
 on this day, doing some damage to our sails, namely, 
 the mainroyal-sail and upper maintop-sail, which were- 
 torn by sudden gusts. These squalls are very dan- 
 gerous on account of their severity and sudden 
 approach, especially when a vessel may be carrying 
 royal-sails, stud-sails, and others high aloft, which can 
 be set with safety in a light breeze, but which, if 
 standing when caught by a squall, may result in the 
 loss of life and property. I noticed, however, that our 
 officers knew pretty near to the time when we would 
 be overtaken with winds of this sort, and that was by 
 the marine barometer, through the warnings of which 
 they had their orders given to shorten sail before the 
 squall came on us; and until they knew better, many of 
 the passengers were at a loss to understand why sail was 
 taken in, when according to the apparent state of the 
 weather, more, as they thought, should have been put 
 on. At such times as this the greatest attention was 
 required on the part of the officer on duty taking 
 charge of the ship, so as to prevent damage being done 
 to sails, masts, rigging, ropes, and yards, all of which 
 might be carried away at the same moment, or the ship 
 put on her beam ends by a sudden squall unprepared for.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 85 
 
 Thursday the 6th— Latitude 32° 24' south, lon- 
 gitude 16° 29' west; distance sailed, two hundred 
 and twenty-four miles, thus increasing our speed con- 
 siderably, and getting into temperate latitudes. It 
 was fine steady weather, inducing us to walk a good 
 deal about the decks, looking out for vessels, two of 
 which came in sight in the afternoon, but although we 
 were gaining on both it was night before we passed 
 them, so that we had no chance of a much desired 
 conversation by signals, and there was nothing to be 
 seen of them next morning. 
 
 Friday the 7th.— Latitude 33° 28' south, longitude 
 12° 14' west; distance sailed, two hundred and five 
 miles, bringing us farther to the south-east, as can be 
 seen by our west longitude being reduced, and our 
 south latitude increased. The weather continued fine, 
 giving us every opportunity for walking about, and 
 now and then sitting down along the bulwarks, some- 
 times in groups, entering into conversation, and at 
 other times reading. Amongst other subjects, the 
 land question was not overlooked, but eagerly dis- 
 cussed. If the emigrants on board were a fair sample 
 of those who leave our shores from time to time, no 
 wonder that our people at home are stirred up to action 
 in regard to ownership in land. One would exclaim, 
 in flights of oratory which might have astonished a 
 member of the British House of Parliament, expres- 
 sions such as these : — " Look at that ocean. Is it not
 
 86 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 common property to the fish and other living things- 
 existing underneath its surface ? To be sure it is. 
 And why does not the same principle hold good in 
 regard to land, which is just a part of the same crea- 
 tion ? Are human beings less worthy to possess land 
 than brutes or fishes are to possess water ? Certainly 
 not; and therefore the land is the people's property, to 
 come into possession after we have got the right men 
 in Parliament." Another would then say, " Hear, 
 hear ! " when some one else, not altogether satisfied 
 with what had been said, would make some pithy 
 remarks in opposition ; but he was in the minority, 
 and it would not have been prudent for him to persist 
 in his arguments in defence of private property in 
 land ; but meetings such as these may be referred to- 
 again. 
 
 Saturday the 8th. — Latitude 34° 50' south, longi- 
 tude 9° 25' west ; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 eighty miles, the wind blowing strong from the north- 
 west, and the ship bounding on in fine style. The 
 passengers were talking to each other in a very 
 homely way, evidently much pleased with the discus- 
 sions which took place the previous day ; but the fact 
 that we were standing straight on in our true course 
 with such a fine wind made us all happy, and we 
 never objected to any one who felt inclined giving us 
 his views on public questions, which broke the mono- 
 tony very often, and imparted much information.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 87 
 
 Reading good books aloud was never objected to, and 
 anything about Australia, of course, was listened to 
 with much attention. Its history and discovery from 
 the year 1606, when Torres, a Spaniard, passed through 
 the strait which bears his name, and so on from period 
 to period to the latest accounts, was read from time to 
 time; and that, in connection with the corroborative 
 evidence from old Australian colonists who were re- 
 turning to their adopted homes, gave us much amuse- 
 ment, as well as furnished the inexperienced with a 
 deal of useful knowledge, some of which we got on 
 this the last day of another week, and as the usual 
 time for sleep drew near, we retired to our respective 
 berths. 
 
 Sunday the 1 9 th.— Latitude 36° 10' south, longi- 
 tude 5° 25' west ; distance sailed, two hundred miles. 
 It was raining very heavy in the morning, and in 
 order to supply ourselves with fresh water for washing- 
 purposes, buckets, or anything else suitable for catching 
 the rain-drops as they came trickling down along the 
 rigging, were hung up. This we did whenever it 
 rained, and I was often astonished to notice the rush 
 of water from spars and ropes, filling as it did casks 
 in a very short time. 
 
 Monday the 10th.— Latitude 37° 5' south, longitude 
 6' west ; distance sailed, two hundred and thirty-eight 
 miles. As the weather was fine, some took advantage
 
 88 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 of it in washing and drying clothes, so much so, that 
 had we been seen from the land, the people could have 
 well imagined that we had flags flying in all directions, 
 so numerous were the different kinds of clothing tied 
 up about the rigging to dry, a privilege we all appre- 
 ciated very much ; but be it remembered that soap 
 was in demand, and nothing of that sort is supplied 
 by the owners, so that passengers should lay in suffi- 
 cient quantity before leaving. 
 
 Tuesday the 11th. — Latitude 38° 57" south, longi- 
 tude 5° 6' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 forty-four miles, which was good work, but it was 
 blowing strong, with a likelihood to increase, while 
 the sea was rising up in huge billows, breaking on 
 each side of the ship, and big although she was, at 
 times it made her shake and shiver like a little boat 
 in a cross-running tide-way. 
 
 It will be observed that we have passed the meri- 
 dian of Greenwich, and are now in east longitude ; but 
 all the time we have sailed previous to entering upon 
 our easting in this longitude, we have been to the 
 west of our starting-point, thus keeping a considerable 
 distance from the African coast. Now, however, being 
 to the south of the Cape of Good Hope, which lies 
 in south latitude 34° 50', in sailing east we have 
 nothing to fear as regards land, and so the reader will 
 notice that we don't make much southing for a time, 
 but keep more easterly.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 89 
 
 Wednesday the I2ih.— Latitude 39° 25' south, lon- 
 gitude 10° 6' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 thirty-three miles. The sea had fallen a good deal, 
 but there was still a heavy swell, with little wind, 
 which gradually became less, till in the afternoon we 
 were becalmed. To those who have never studied the 
 very attractive and interesting science of navigation, 
 it may appear strange that we are increasing our -east 
 longitude so fast, but a little close attention to the 
 subject will make it better understood. The meridian 
 lines on the globe all converge at the north and south 
 poles, making the distance between any two of these 
 lines become less as they approach the poles from the 
 equator, where their distance from each other is sixty 
 miles ; so that, were we in latitude 45°, which is half- 
 way between the equator and the pole, the length of 
 & degree there would only be thirty miles, and so 
 become gradually less as we got nearer to the pole, 
 where all the meridian lines meet, and, of course, no 
 •distance to measure. That being the case, we are now 
 in a position where the length of our degrees of longi- 
 tude is not much more than thirty miles, which accounts 
 for the increase of our longitude when sailing in an 
 easterly direction, while our real distance in miles 
 appears less in proportion. 
 
 A great number of marine birds were flying about 
 on this day, furnishing plenty of sport to some of our 
 officers, who kept shooting at them from time to time, 
 leaving a few now and again wounded on the water,
 
 90 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 struggling in the agonies of death. From the time 
 we left England, scarcely a day passed but we had 
 birds of some kind or another flying about, which was 
 very cheerful for us on the lonely waste of waters, 
 and I confess I rather disliked the sport of shooting 
 any of them, especially when I thought of the poor 
 things having to suffer so much. The sea was so very 
 smooth and enticing for pleasure-seekers by boating, 
 that one of our best boats was lowered, and some of 
 the crew and passengers enjoyed themselves by pulling, 
 as I thought rather too far away from the ship, 
 because the wind began to get up, and I felt afraid 
 that it might increase suddenly, and that we would 
 be in danger of losing our friends, I having read of 
 similar cases. We could see, however, that they took 
 to the oars in right good earnest, pulling with might 
 and main, — the breeze, I doubt not, giving them a bit 
 of a fright, — but we got them safe on board, receiving 
 all with such a welcome as would be accorded to friends 
 come off a longer voyage ; and while greeting them in 
 this way, one of our officers was heard singing out in 
 terms such as these : — " All — hands — reef — top-sails. 
 Haul in the weather-braces;" and various other orders 
 were given to adjust the sails, and onwards we bounded 
 like a thing of life, under the beauties of an eastern 
 sky, feeling as well the joy we always experienced 
 when we had a fine breeze in our favour, wafting us 
 over an ocean which to some of us appeared to have 
 no end.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 91 
 
 TJiursday the VMh. — Latitude 39° 25' south, lon- 
 gitude 12° 17' east ; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 ten miles. It had been blowing strong during the 
 night, but about midday we were almost becalmed, 
 when again it began to blow as the evening came on, 
 and just as I had read on the subject, I noticed that 
 the wind was more variable on this part of the globe 
 than nearer the equator, and I doubt not our captain 
 studied well, by taking advantage of his old experience, 
 how to steer so that we might be kept as clear of calms 
 and contrary winds as possible ; and that being the 
 case, I should think that for the same season of the 
 year, at any rate, this Journal might be useful as a 
 reference in the hands of any one, but more particularly 
 to those taking the charge of vessels sailing over the 
 same seas with the desire to make the best of their 
 time, and so make money for their owners, which 
 ought to be the wish of every captain. 
 
 Friday the 14th. — Latitude 40° 41' south, longitude 
 16° 10' east; distance sailed, one hundred and ninety- 
 five miles. A fine wind, making the ship, as it were, 
 fly through the water, at the same time moving 
 steadily, and giving us a firm footing on the deck as- 
 we walk about and have a talk with each other. 
 Landsmen are sometimes inclined to converse with 
 seamen about many maritime matters, but when afloat 
 and often in their company, an excellent chance pre- 
 sents itself; and now, for instance, a word or two
 
 92 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 about the mariner's compass. What an alarming con- 
 dition would we have been in had anything gone 
 wrong with our compass. The ancients, whose only 
 guides on the trackless waters were the heavenly 
 bodies, which were often covered with clouds, could 
 not venture far from shore, but here we are, away on 
 the wide wide ocean, and it is the compass which 
 enables us to seek our way to the distant land to 
 which we are now turning our eyes more than ever. 
 It might be a little out of place to refer to the various 
 accounts given in history as to the origin of this 
 instrument, but there are two things which interfere 
 with its pointing correctly well worthy of attention, — 
 I mean its deviation and its variation. Although it is 
 well understood that the magnetic needle points to 
 the north, yet, as I have stated, that is in truth not 
 always the case. The deviation arises from the attrac- 
 tion of iron about the vessel, and it must be ascertained 
 correctly before leaving port ; but the variation occurs 
 through some powerful attracting substance some- 
 where in our globe, making the needle point differently 
 in different places. For instance, where we are just 
 now, the variation is about 1\ points easterly, and so 
 as to make a true east course, our captain will see to 
 it that we steer 2| points to the north of east. It is 
 remarkable, however, that anywhere near the equator 
 there is scarcely any variation of the compass at all. 
 But it may be asked, How is the variation found out ? 
 That may appear difficult at first, but after a little
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 93 
 
 reflection it will be seen to be quite easy, because it is 
 by the sun that due south or due north can be ascer- 
 tained, and how to take observations of this guiding 
 luminary is quite familiar to a well-educated navigator. 
 Thus it will be seen that the commander of a vessel is 
 likely to be now and again taking observations of the 
 sun for the purpose of comparing the true north and 
 south with how the compass is pointing, and of course 
 learn the difference, — a most important thing to know, 
 especially when making land in thick weather. Before 
 leaving this subject, I may inform the reader that as a 
 rule vessels carry two or three compasses, so that if 
 an accident should happen to one there are others to 
 fall back upon, and at the same time there is a chance 
 given to the mariner to compare the one with the 
 other as to how they are pointing. 
 
 Saturday the loth. — Latitude 42° 16' south, lon- 
 gitude 28° 49' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 fifty-five miles. It was blowing strong, the ship was 
 close-hauled, and running at the rate of eleven miles, 
 or according to the nautical phrase, eleven knots, an 
 hour, which was just as much as we passengers wished 
 to see her a'oino-, because we came to know that when- 
 ever she went much beyond that in her rate of sailing, 
 she was what is called suffering, and we did not relish 
 the idea of our good ship being strained, nor any of 
 our fair sex being frightened. 
 
 When the ship was suffering we easily came to
 
 '94 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 know it by a peculiar kind of quivering all over her, 
 so much so that, for instance, if one was leaning 
 against that part of any of the masts visible between 
 decks, the vibration would send a tremble through the 
 body, something of the nature of an electric shock ; 
 and several times I felt it, even in dark nights, when 
 the hatches were battened down and the storm raging ; 
 but having every confidence in our officers, I cannot 
 say I was much frightened. 
 
 Sunday the 16th, — Latitude 43° 55' south, longitude 
 26° 39' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and seventy- 
 five miles, being a good run in twenty-four hours, and 
 we still had the same wind as strong, sending the ship 
 through the water in beautiful style, spreading the 
 broken foam appearing like sheets of frozen snow from 
 each side of her noble stem. This being the day of 
 rest, nothing of course was done about working the 
 ship which could be avoided, but every one was at 
 liberty to do as he pleased in regard to anything which 
 did not interfere with the peace of the company ; but 
 I must say that I did not see much inclination on the 
 part of any one to do what was unnecessary. The fact 
 is, that for my own part I experienced a feeling of awe 
 when gazing upon the wide waste of water, much more 
 so than I felt on the land ; and I suppose we all felt 
 more or less much in the same way. 
 
 I have sometimes heard people speaking about 
 sailors being so wicked ; but I dare not charge our
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 95 
 
 •crew with that character, and indeed I am inclined to 
 think that sailors are too lightly talked about many a 
 time. Sailors are generally a kind-hearted class of 
 men, especially to the fair sex, for the comfort of whom 
 I can prove by ocular demonstration that they have 
 often sacrificed what many other classes would never 
 think of doing. The wonders they survey, with any 
 degree of reflection, cannot but have a beneficial effect 
 on their minds. In the words of Scripture, " They 
 that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in 
 great waters ; these see the works of the Lord, and 
 His wonders in the deep." As a rule sailors detest 
 doing anything mean. 
 
 Monday the 17th. — Latitude 44° 29' south, longi- 
 tude 31° 16' east; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 ninety-three miles. The weather was dull, with a little 
 rain during the day, but it cleared up in the evening, 
 the moon shining brightly, her reflection on the water 
 appearing as it were to jump from the top of one wave 
 to that of another, which with their ever changing and 
 glancing colours formed one of the wonders just quoted, 
 and no one could look at it without being delighted 
 with the much to be admired scene. Fine weather 
 with full moon in a clear sky makes it very cheery on 
 board ship at night, at least such was the case with us 
 when the lamps were all lighted fore and aft on deck 
 and below, and when our musicians in various parts of 
 the vessel were amusing themselves by playing on the
 
 96 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 violin or other instruments. The stillness, with its 
 variegated beauty all around and above us, while the 
 lights from the lamps were peering out through all the 
 little windows about the large saloon and other houses 
 on deck, with the air balmy and enticing for us all to 
 take a walk on our wooden pavement, guarded by our 
 wooden walls, there being no noise to prevent us from 
 hearing the sweet music which saluted our ears some- 
 times sung by the fair sex, clear and ringing, and at 
 other times either sung or played by one of the crew 
 in the forecastle or other part of the ship, made such 
 evenings pass in pleasure, and elevated the mind with 
 thoughts of innocence and heaven, which are the germs 
 of true happiness. 
 
 Tuesday the l&th. — Latitude 44° 4' south, longitude 
 34° 16' east ; distance sailed, one hundred and forty- 
 one miles. It was thick weather on this day, with 
 showers of rain falling very heav}^ at times, which 
 kept most of us in our cabins, where we would read 
 for a while, and then we would be calling upon each 
 other, asking after each other's health, the state of the 
 weather, and at same time allude to what we had been 
 reading about, when perhaps a topic for discussion 
 would again occur to our minds, and we would have a 
 debate. We came to learn during the day that one of 
 our young passengers had taken ill, a little girl about 
 two years old, and as this was the first case of serious 
 sickness which had taken place amongst us, we got
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 97 
 
 very anxious to know what was the matter, especially 
 as we were told that she was growing rapidly worse. 
 Her mother was on board, returning from England, 
 where she and the little girl had been seeing their 
 relatives ; and her thoughts can be imagined as she 
 waited upon her little one far away from her husband, 
 who, we came to know, was in business as a druggist 
 at their home in Australia, and would no doubt be 
 looking anxiously for the arrival of the vessel, so as- 
 to welcome his wife and child to their own fireside. 
 I often took notice of the little girl as she went 
 prattling about the decks with other children, and I 
 often thought that she was too much exposed to wet 
 and cold ; but the children generally were so fond to 
 be on deck, that it was difficult on the part of their 
 guardians to keep the older ones at least in their 
 berths. I was surprised to see how soon the children 
 got inured to the movements of the vessel, even when 
 she was rolling heavily, they managing to keep on 
 their legs, using a short and a long one like sailors,, 
 when some of the older passengers would stagger and 
 tumble. To get one or more of these youngsters to 
 tattle and speak with, sometimes carrying them about 
 the decks in a fine day as we did, was to some of us a 
 great treat ; while the older children got so homely as 
 to ask some of us to make them little ships, and various- 
 kinds of toys, which we willingly did, being glad to 
 amuse the little ones. 
 
 There was one little fellow, a noble boy, who came 
 
 G
 
 98 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 as regularly to my table for a piece as if he had been 
 one of our mess, and he appeared to think more of any- 
 thing he got at our table than that received at his 
 mother's knee. The truth is,, those young folks became 
 a source of pleasure to the older passengers ; and when 
 it was fine weather, especially on the Sabbaths, it was 
 very pleasing to see them clustering together and 
 singing little hymns, such as they had been accustomed 
 to sing in the sabbath-school ; and the following, of 
 which I shall give the first verse, they could sing, to 
 the great delight of the older people : — 
 
 " There's a land that is fairer than day, 
 And by faith we can see it afar, 
 For the Father waits over the way 
 To prepare us a dwelling-place there. 
 
 In the sweet bye-and-bye, 
 We shall meet on that beautiful shore ; 
 
 In the sweet bye-and-bye, 
 We shall meet on that beautiful shore." 
 
 And there was another which was very pleasing to 
 hear them sing, viz., " There is a happy land, far, far 
 away," and so on. 
 
 Wednesday the 19th. — Latitude 43° 45' south, lon- 
 gitude 37° 13' east; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 twenty-nine miles, — the wind, a fine breeze from the 
 west, giving us every advantage of our sails, which 
 looked fine when well filled, and the ship going her 
 course as she was doing now. The little girl referred
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 99 
 
 to was getting worse, which led to various conjectures 
 as to what was the matter, some fearing it might be 
 an infectious disease, a thing much to be dreaded 
 amongst emigrants, there being many reasons why 
 such a calamity may be considered likely. But great 
 care is taken to encourage cleanliness, a thing which 
 cannot be too rigorously enforced on board an emi- 
 grant ship. Notwithstanding all that officers will do, 
 some passengers are careless, not thinking of results ; 
 and surely, when one thinks of the close proximity 
 one berth is to another, and that it may take three 
 months or more to traverse the ocean on an Australian 
 voyage, there appears the greatest necessity for strict 
 attention to cleanliness in such a position, and pass- 
 engers ought not to think that they are annoyed when 
 matters of that sort are being inquired into. 
 
 Thursday the 20th. — Latitude 43° 55' south, lon- 
 gitude 41° 50' east ; distance sailed, two hundred 
 miles, — the wind blowing strong from north-west, and 
 a vessel to be seen right ahead of us, but at a great 
 distance, giving us no chance of news. We were now 
 scudding away with sails set too numerous to mention, 
 the good ship cutting the water like a steam-plough 
 on a soft field. Yes, she was driving along in splendid 
 style indeed, and being told that there was no infectious 
 disease on board, our minds were set at rest on that 
 score, and so we enjoyed the day in attending to all 
 the various duties of our situation.
 
 100 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Friday the 21st — Latitude 44° 25' south, longitude 
 46° 10' east ; distance sailed, one hundred and ninety- 
 five miles, — the wind continuing the same, the ship in 
 fine trim, every rope standing, sails well filled, and the 
 spars bending to the breeze in beautiful proportion. 
 
 The little girl in the sick-list died about four o'clock 
 in the morning ; the funeral took place at four in the 
 evening, and as it was the first I had witnessed at sea, 
 I took particular notice of the proceedings, which 
 were of a very affecting nature. The corpse was 
 sewed up in a piece of thick canvas, some weighty 
 substance being enclosed at the feet ; it was then laid 
 on a plank, or rather broad board, the one end of 
 which rested on an erection in one of the ports in the 
 bulwark which had been opened for the purpose, and 
 the other held up by two sailors, one on each side, in 
 silent solemnity. The mother stood at the head as 
 chief mourner, the captain close by her, reading the 
 burial service according to the rules of the Episcopalian 
 Church ; and when he came to a certain part of the 
 ceremony he gave the two sailors a sign, who imme- 
 diately lifted up their end of the board, the corpse 
 thus being instantaneously consigned to the deep, all 
 the spectators withdrawing from the place, except the 
 mother, who stood mourning the loss of her dear little 
 girl, while onlookers were more or less affected, the 
 ship at the same time bounding on in her course at 
 the rate of ten miles an hour. 
 
 I noticed that the mother, dressed in mournings
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 101 
 
 during the remainder of the voyage, often appeared 
 very melancholy and much reserved ; and to see her 
 as I did, meeting her husband on the deck of our ship 
 when we arrived at Melbourne, was anything but 
 pleasant to witness. 
 
 No doubt a mixture of joy and sorrow filled their 
 hearts at that moment ; but the affecting scene of 
 friends and relatives meeting and embracing each 
 other when we arrived, I shall endeavour to describe 
 in its proper place as I proceed with the narrative. 
 
 Saturday the IHh. — Latitude 42° 12' south, lon- 
 gitude 50° 46' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 six miles, — the wind blowing strong from the west, and 
 as our course was now about due east, we were shorten- 
 ing our distance rapidly, with the expectation that the 
 remainder of the voyage would be accomplished with 
 a fair wind ; some one saying that we would do it in a 
 certain number of days, such as he would name, when 
 another would say No, we will require more time, and 
 mention a number a day or two more, while others 
 would be talking on the same subject; and in this 
 way the one would bet with the other a treat of a 
 glass of beer when we got on shore, thus in one way 
 breaking the great monotony which was becoming 
 wearisome, and so unlike the mode of life some of us 
 had been accustomed to. 
 
 Sunday the 23(7. — Latitude 44° 22' south, longitude
 
 102 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 55° 32' east ; distance sailed, one hundred and ninety- 
 two miles, and the ship dashing ahead like a tired 
 horse nearing home, while to those on board having 
 their homes in Australia, our fast sailing appeared 
 slow. Oh how they were languishing for the end of 
 the voyage, so as to get on " the land, the beautiful 
 land," as they often called it, and home again to their 
 friends and families, where they said life could be 
 enjoyed in the true sense of the word ; and how some 
 of the passengers returning to Australia detested the 
 etiquette and classes of society in England, which they 
 named the " old country," I would not like to express. 
 One man said he was disgusted with the people; they 
 were so stiff and unlike the Australian people, that 
 even his own relatives he was glad to get away from, 
 and back to his adopted home, where " Jack was as 
 good as his master." 
 
 Monday the 24th. — Latitude 44° 43' south, longitude 
 61° 8' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and forty- 
 one miles, — the wind blowing strong from south-south- 
 west. Some conversation took place about the " old 
 country," as it had been called, a few of the colonists 
 a little more inclined to take in for the mother- 
 country, but the breathing of the people who had been 
 in Australia for a good many years was in favour of 
 the mode of life in this " beautiful land " we were now 
 nearing, but they said that for a time new chums — as 
 emigrants are called on their arrival — did not generally
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 103 
 
 like it, especially those who in the " old country " had 
 been looked upon as the upper class ; and that arose 
 from the fact, that in the new country they had in 
 many ways to attend to their own wants, such as 
 servants used to do for them at home. 
 
 Tuesday the 25th. — Latitude 44° 52' south, lon- 
 gitude 66° 20' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 thirty miles, — the wind west-south-west, and rather 
 colder than we had been experiencing for some time ; 
 but as we are now pretty far south we may expect 
 cold weather. 
 
 Any in our company who had read the voyages of 
 old navigators, could now have ample scope for reflec- 
 tion, placed as we are in the centre of a great circle 
 where some of them once stood, looking out for 
 unknown lands which, by their daring and adven- 
 turous spirit, have been discovered, and now by 
 repeated observations have been so correctly marked 
 and put down on the chart, that those inclined to visit 
 and explore them may, with a knowledge of naviga- 
 tion, calculate to a nicety when land will be seen, or 
 its distance and direction from any part of the world. 
 
 We had passengers of an inquiring turn of mind 
 taking observations of the sun and other heavenly 
 bodies from time to time ; but in our present position 
 they appeared to be more in earnest, and pointing in 
 a way which led me to think that they were likely 
 talking about, and taking the bearings of, different
 
 104 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 places in the South Sea. It may be well to remind 
 the reader that geographers have comprehended the 
 ocean in five principal divisions : — the Arctic Ocean, 
 or that surrounding the north pole ; the Antarctic 
 Ocean, or that surrounding the south pole; the Atlantic 
 Ocean, extending between Europe and America and 
 the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans ; the Pacific Ocean, 
 also known by the name of the South Sea, lying 
 between America and Asia; and the Indian Ocean, 
 lying to the south of Asia, and extending between the 
 Cape of Good Hope and Australia. 
 
 Wednesday the 26th. — Latitude 44° 38' south, lon- 
 gitude 71° 47' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 thirty-three miles. The wind had fallen away to a 
 mere breath, and the ship was, as it were, taking a 
 rest, in order that she might be all the better prepared 
 for the next race. I noticed that the officers were at 
 this time very particular in examining ropes, blocks, 
 rigging, and other gear about the ship, so as to make 
 sure that all were standing sufficient, and so be pre- 
 pared for stormy weather should that overtake us. 
 In case the reader may not be aware of the cause of 
 the various winds, I shall refer to it here in the words 
 of one who studied the subject. " Wind is a sensible 
 current in the atmosphere, and the motions of the 
 atmosphere are subject, in some degree, to the same 
 laws as those of the denser fluids. General or per- 
 manent winds blow always nearly in the same direc-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 105 
 
 tion, and are called trade-winds, for the reason that 
 they are well-known to the mariner, who can steer in 
 order to set their assistance or avoid them as he 
 thinks proper, and in this way facilitate his sailing, 
 and so favour trade ; but the origin of them is owing 
 to the powerful heat of the torrid zone, which rarifies 
 or makes lighter the air of that region. The air, in 
 consequence of this rarification rises, and to supply its 
 place a colder atmosphere from each of the temperate 
 zones moves towards the equator. But (as in the case 
 of the polar currents in the ocean) these north and 
 south winds pass from regions where the rotatory 
 motion of the earth's surface is less, to those where it 
 is greater. Unable at once to acquire this new velocity 
 they are left behind, and instead of being north and 
 south winds, as they would be if the earth's surface 
 did not turn round, they become north-east and south- 
 east winds. The trade-winds would blow regularly 
 round the whole globe within the distance of about 
 thirty or forty degrees from the equator each way, if 
 the space within those limits were all covered with 
 water, but the uneven surface and unequal tempera- 
 ture of the land divert and derange them, and it is 
 on this account that the trade-winds are constantly 
 experienced only over the open ocean." 
 
 The variable winds of the temperate zones are most 
 probably occasioned in the following manner. In the 
 torrid zone there is a continual ascent of air, which 
 after rising must spread itself to the north and south
 
 106 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 in an opposite direction to the trade winds below. 
 These upper currents becoming cooled above, at last 
 descend and mix themselves with the lower air, — part 
 of them may perhaps fall again into the trade winds, 
 and the remainder pursuing its course towards the 
 poles, occasion the north-west and south-west winds 
 which generally prevail. 
 
 It has also been conjectured that these winds may 
 frequently be caused by a decomposition of the atmos- 
 phere towards the poles, from part of the air being at 
 times converted into water. 
 
 It is well observed that where winds are frequent, 
 the air is the purest, and the inhabitants enjoy the best 
 state of health ; and, on the contrary, where winds are 
 not common, there they are subject to many distempers, 
 particularly the plague ; for the air, through want of 
 proper motion, becomes corrupt and hurtful to health. 
 The winds that come with the tides are caused by the 
 moon pressing upon the waters, by the help of the air 
 upon which the moon presses first. When impetuous 
 winds meet with thick clouds in their way they oppose 
 them, contract their course into a narrower compass, 
 and force them to come down upon the earth in whirl- 
 ing rounds, and that is what is called a whirhvind. 
 When other contrary winds meet all these causes, then 
 these impetuous winds grow so furious, that they over- 
 throw houses, root up trees, and destroy ships, and that 
 is called a hurricane. A great deal more might be said 
 in regard to this interesting subject, but the above may
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 107 
 
 inform and refresh the memory, and so make the 
 Journal more attractive, particularly to those intending 
 to prosecute a sea-faring life, and to all who are engaged 
 in doing business upon the mighty deep. 
 
 Thursday the 27th. — Latitude 44° 37' south, longi- 
 tude 82° 53' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 twenty-two miles. 
 
 One of our male passengers had been complaining, 
 and suddenly became insensible on this day, and con- 
 tinued so for two days, neither speaking a word nor 
 opening his eyes, leading some to suppose that he was 
 in a trance ; but after a while he began to show symp- 
 toms of consciousness, and gradually came round, — not, 
 however, to his usual state of health and spirits, as I 
 could see by his dull, melancholy appearance to the end 
 of the voyage. During the first part of the day we 
 had a light breeze from the west, which changed to 
 the south in the evening, increasing in strength as 
 night came on. A heavy swell in the sea, which made 
 the ship roll tremendously, often brought the ends of 
 the longest yards very near to touching the water, and 
 set agoing everything on deck and below which had 
 not been properly secured, dancing as it were from 
 the one place to the other, making a most fearful 
 noise. 
 
 The rolling of the vessel on this day was altogether 
 beyond anything of the sort I had ever witnessed ; and 
 had it not been that we had all become what is called
 
 108 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 " sea dogs," we would have been sea-sick, and unable 
 to stand anything like steady on the decks. As it 
 was, there were strange scenes on board at this time, 
 such as passenger meeting passenger, not to shake 
 hands, but to clutch each other for safety, without 
 any regard as to sex. Indeed it was sometimes laugh- 
 able to see groups huddled together unexpectedly at 
 one or both sides of the ship, and no sooner on their 
 legs than to be treated to another tumble. One day, 
 when the ship was rolling something like what she is 
 treating us to on this occasion, a servant in the cabin 
 was sent spinning away from the table, clutching the 
 captain's barometer, which was hanging near by, and 
 injuring it so much, that I was told he received a 
 reprimand for making this article his bosom friend ; 
 but, poor fellow, he could not help it, and, as he might 
 have said in all truthfulness, though it had been Queen 
 Victoria that was next him, he could not have helped 
 clutching her. Hot tea, coffee, and soup were anything 
 but agreeable to handle at such times, and with all the 
 care the servers and the served were able to exercise, 
 there was nevertheless a good deal of scalding, which 
 prompted some to laugh and some to cry, while others 
 did not hesitate to break one of the commandments, 
 swearing as they did for those endeavouring to supply 
 them with the hot beverage ; and it was often the case, 
 that while one was enjoying a hearty laugh at his 
 neighbour's expense, he himself would, by a sudden 
 movement of the ship, get an unexpected share of the
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 10f> 
 
 scalding, increasing the merriment at his expense, and 
 sometimes the uproar would end in a quarrel. One 
 day, when the ship was rolling dreadfully, away went 
 one of the tables, well furnished with a dinner for the 
 passengers who occupied it ; and I leave the reader to 
 fancy the scene, consisting as it did of soup, beef, plum- 
 pudding, potatoes, knives, forks, spoons, plates, &c, in 
 one heterogeneous mass at the lee side of the saloon. 
 While one of the quartermasters was attending to 
 his duty at the wheel, on the afternoon of this day, 
 he took suddenly ill, and had to be carried to his cabin, 
 where he received every attention possible, and gradu- 
 ally got better. 
 
 Friday the 28th.— Latitude 44° 37' south, longitude 
 82° 53' east; distance sailed, two hundred and fifty-one 
 miles. There was still a heavy swell in the sea, making 
 us all uncomfortable; but it is one of those things which 
 are sure to occur now and again during a long sea voy- 
 age, and at such times passengers should be careful to 
 be as little on deck as they possibly can, because the 
 great number of blocks clashing against each other 
 and apt to break or get loose about the rigging, might 
 be the cause of accident by falling and striking some 
 one or more, as has often been the case on board ships. 
 
 Saturday the 29th.— Latitude 44° 25' south, longi- 
 tude 93° 52' east; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 fifteen miles. The wind was from the west, but very
 
 110 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 lio-ht, and all seemed to be going on well, when on a 
 sudden some one gave the alarm that the ship was on 
 fire, which caused a most painful excitement, dreadful 
 to contemplate. True enough smoke was issuing from 
 the forehold, but on examination it turned out to be 
 steam, coming through a crack in the pipe connected 
 with the condensing engine. And oh how thankful 
 we were in not being exposed to the flames of a burn- 
 ing ship in mid-ocean ! There was nothing more 
 dreaded on board than fire, and I noticed that the 
 officers were very strict in allowing no open lights in 
 the cabins, and those who wished to smoke had to do 
 so on deck. Some careless fellows, however, did at 
 times take their smoke below on the sly, and also 
 used open lights, which caused quarrels many a time 
 amongst the passengers, when some would threaten to 
 give information to the first-officer, and others would 
 make an attempt to put the lights out themselves. I 
 occasionally endeavoured to remonstrate with the care- 
 less in reference to this matter, caring little for their 
 growling ; but it was difficult to bring them to reason 
 by taking the high hand, and I came best on when I 
 spoke in a friendly, humorous tone. 
 
 Indeed the art of pleasing is much required on 
 board an emigrant ship, and few can manage it better 
 than commercial travellers, which is perhaps saying 
 too much for myself; but while I am quite well aware 
 that some of this class of travellers are often, when in 
 company, inclined to take the lead, and consider them-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. Ill 
 
 selves superior to many others, still, by what I have 
 seen of them (and that is not little), I am persuaded 
 that with their training and knowledge of civility, 
 they will generally manage to please, and even in 
 peculiar positions, where many others would be cer- 
 tain to fail. This power on their part is acquired by 
 years of what I shall call commercial-traveller drill, 
 they having to come in contact with men of business 
 of various dispositions, — some of whom will use 
 language like a lawyer to obtain the end they have 
 in view, — thus drawing out the young traveller, and 
 gradually educating him in the science to please ; so 
 much so, that some are able to make one laugh in 
 spite of himself, a good trait of character where there 
 is likely to be a fight. 
 
 I think it right to mention here, that I am afraid 
 some parents err in preventing their boys to mix 
 with all classes of society who are considered respect- 
 able, and that they must be restricted so as to keep 
 company with only one grade. I would say, let the 
 boys ramble with others of different grades, especially 
 those of their own age, heeding little whether they be 
 poor or rich, wild or more sedate, and they will sharpen 
 up each other as they rub shoulders, making them all 
 the better prepared to battle their way amongst men. 
 The fact is, if people are to fight the battle of life, 
 there is no harm in knowing something of the enemy's 
 movements, because it gives a great advantage, and, 
 sure enough, all is needed for the encounter. Luther
 
 112 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 used to say that " Temptations helped to make a 
 minister ; " which, if true, they will help boys to act 
 their part on the great platform of life, if they are 
 spared to reach manhood. 
 
 Sunday the SOth. — Latitude 44° 28' south, longi- 
 tude 93° 32' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 nineteen miles, thus showing that we are getting pretty 
 far east ; but the broad, broad ocean appears to have 
 no end, nothing to be seen round and round but the 
 horizon and the great waste of water. We knew, how- 
 ever, that our floating home was moving onwards in 
 the right direction, taking us nearer and nearer to 
 an almost unexplored Continent ; but where many 
 thousands from the British Isles had become settlers, 
 many of them now inducing friends and relatives to 
 come out and share with them the earthly paradise 
 they had found. Yes, it was evident that great en- 
 couragement had been held out to some of the pas- 
 sengers, because I could see that some on their way 
 out had not been accustomed to much exposure and 
 fatigue ; and at times I said to myself, " I hope you 
 are not making a mistake." 
 
 'O 
 
 Monday the 1st October. — Latitude 44° 31' south, 
 longitude 99° 37' east ; distance sailed, two hundred 
 and fifty-eight miles. Morning dawned, with dreadful 
 weather, the wind blowing a gale from the west, and 
 the ship running before wind and sea at a fearful, and
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 113 
 
 as I thought a dangerous rate. The fact is, though I 
 had often travelled by sea, and from open boats, ships, 
 and steamers, as well as from high northern headlands, 
 witnessed it at times running very rough and perilous, 
 I never saw it in such a wild and agitated state as I 
 did on this day. The sky was clear, with a bright 
 sun shining on the white foaming ocean around us ; and 
 the gale increasing towards evening, one sail after 
 another was taken in till little was left standing; every 
 hour as we swept onwards the billows rising higher 
 and higher ; the sight about three o'clock p.m. inducing 
 me to carefully creep on the forecastle to get a full 
 view of the wild and troubled waters of the South 
 Pacific Ocean; and I speak truthfully when I say, that 
 on this occasion it was not worthy of its name, because 
 no peace reigned there. It was terrible, the sea break- 
 ing over us sometimes, pouring columns of water on 
 the main deck with a noise like thunder, while in the 
 midst of' all I noticed that the captain was on the poop, 
 two men were at the wheel, and others were ready for 
 any emergency ; but oh ! the large ship was shaking 
 like a leaf as she bounded ahead, throwing and twist- 
 ing like some living monster in great distress. The 
 truth is, that in taking a look round the horizon, I 
 could compare the sea to nothing else than as it were 
 thousands of hills and mountains covered with snow 
 all running delirious, and now and again falling into 
 caverns, and appearing as if they were drunk. Be- 
 tween the noise of the wind and the sea we could 
 
 H
 
 114 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 * 
 
 scarcely hear each other speak, and sometimes the 
 heavy seas, breaking and tumbling in over the quarter, 
 came with such force as to send terror to the heart. 
 The captain seldom left the poop a minute during the 
 whole day, which was an evident sign of great danger ; 
 but our gallant ship was so steady, and run through 
 the dreadful seas so well, that I felt little or no fear, 
 but I could not say that of others. It was amusing to 
 hear the sailors speaking to the ship, as she staggered 
 when a sea struck her, and she running before the 
 wind. They never -exhibited any symptoms of fear; 
 but I often observed a few of them together watching 
 her movements on this occasion, and after she had 
 recovered from a sea breaking over her, they would say 
 with looks of earnestness, "Well done, good old ship; 
 keep up your stern, and there is no fear." The seas we 
 shipped were generally in over the quarter, so that the 
 main hatch had to be battened down ; a thing which 
 had a great tendency to frighten the passengers in the 
 second cabin. 
 
 The greatest danger connected with any vessel 
 when she is running before a heavy rolling sea, is just 
 at the time it is breaking over her, and when she is 
 prevented from going ahead, because she is then apt 
 to go down by the stern, as many a good ship has 
 done. 
 
 At such times as I have described, — the foregoing 
 being only a sketch of the storms we had to contend 
 with, — while in bed in my berth at night, when all was
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 115 
 
 i 
 * = 
 
 dark, I have felt the ship shaking in a way such as 
 to frighten any ordinary mortal. But there we were, 
 and then is the time to test the courage of "the fool" 
 who " hath said in his heart, There is no God." In 
 weather however dreadful, whether it happened when 
 the sun was blazing in the heavens above us, or when 
 the darkness of the stormy night made our position 
 still more awful, our undaunted mariners were at their 
 stations, ready for the word of command to take in sail 
 or do anything else ; and although they would be ex- 
 posed to great danger on the yards or any other where, 
 just as the orders were given they sprang to their duty 
 with a willingness which proved their courage and 
 trustworthy qualities. Yes, us landsmen may think as 
 much of ourselves as we may, but the truth is, we are 
 very small indeed when standing side by side with 
 brave seamen on board ship when the storm is rao-ino- 
 around us, and when our safety depends upon their 
 courage. 
 
 Tuesday the 2d. — Latitude 43° 24' south, longitude 
 105° east ; distance sailed, two hundred and forty-four 
 miles. The wind had fallen a good deal, the sea was 
 not so boisterous, and with the exception of the main- 
 topmast staysail, which had been blown away, there 
 was no damage done with the gale we had yesterday, 
 and we were all in good spirits. There was consider- 
 able change in the atmosphere, the cold being rather 
 intense, with occasional showers of hail.
 
 116 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Wednesday the 3d. — Latitude 43° 50' south, longi- 
 tude 110° 38' east; distance sailed, one hundred and 
 ninety-eight miles. We still had the wind from the 
 west, blowing rather strong, and increasing. The birds 
 were getting more numerous about the ship, which was 
 a sign of land not far in the distance; but they were 
 made less in number by the officers, who were shooting- 
 many of them down for to while away an hour in 
 amusement. 
 
 All went on well till about eleven o'clock at night, 
 when we were alarmed by hearing that there was a 
 man overboard. It was very dark, the ship running 
 before the wind at a tremendous rate, and the sea was 
 rolling in huge waves, so that in the circumstances 
 there was no use of making any effort to save him. 
 He was one of the first-cabin passengers, about twenty- 
 two years of age, unmarried ; his mother, two sisters, 
 and a brother were on board, and his father was in 
 Australia. They had been in England seeing their 
 relatives, and now returning home, no doubt with the 
 expectation of having a happy meeting with those from 
 whom they had been separated so long, but that was 
 marred by this sad occurrence. I learned by making- 
 inquiry that he had been showing symptoms of insanity 
 while on the voyage, and having had some altercation 
 with his mother, he rushed up the stair leading from 
 the cabin to the poop and jumped over the stern, with 
 nothing on him but his nightgown. This alarming 
 affair produced a fearful gloom over us all, especially
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 117 
 
 in regard to his own relatives, who, I was told, would 
 not be consoled on any account, their heart-rending 
 screams being heard over all the ship, and producing a 
 telling melancholy over every countenance. I saw 
 him walking on the poop with a sister on each side, 
 arm in arm, the very same day he committed the rash 
 act, but as far as could be ascertained nothing appeared 
 in his manner then different to what it used to be ; and 
 no doubt had greater care been taken of him than 
 there was, he might have been still with us on his way 
 with his friends to gladden the heart of his old father 
 who was in Australia, waiting for their return from the 
 old country, and doubtless expecting to have a happy 
 meeting with them all, but owing to what had taken 
 place that would never be. 
 
 Thursday the 4th. — Latitude 43° 48' south, longi- 
 tude 115° 12' east; distance sailed, two hundred and 
 fifty-three miles. As might have been expected groups 
 of the passengers and ship's company were here and 
 there upon deck and below talking about what had 
 taken place the night before; and as for the unfortunate 
 man's relatives they were scarcely ever seen on deck 
 after the occurrence, and even when we arrived at 
 Melbourne they quickly left the vessel as quietly as 
 possible. 
 
 It was now thought that, if the wind kept favour- 
 able, we would sight some part of the Australian 
 continent in seven days, and therefore a number of the
 
 118 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 passengers began to prepare for packing up. The 
 chain was now being made ready, the sound of which 
 while drawn up through an iron pipe in the deck, 
 mingling with the cheerful songs of the sailors, indi- 
 cated that we were not far from land ; and for my own 
 part I confess that, although the voyage had been very 
 enjoyable, I was nevertheless getting tired of it, so that 
 the rattling of the ponderous chain as it came up link 
 by link, and the songs referred to, was the best music 
 to which I had listened for a long while. 
 
 Friday the 5th— Latitude 43° 50' south, longitude 
 121° 14' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and fifty- 
 nine miles. It was a stiff breeze from the north-west, 
 and the sea was very smooth, enticing pleasure-seekers 
 to go out in the boats and have a row ; but no, other 
 thoughts were uppermost now, and all our attention 
 began to be taken up with our disembarkment, which 
 was fast approaching. 
 
 Saturday the 6 th— Latitude 43° 32' south, longitude 
 127° 19' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and sixty- 
 eight miles. We had the wind strong from the north, 
 the ship lying close-hauled ; the cabins were being all 
 particularly washed out, so as to appear clean when 
 we arrived, and everything about the ship properly 
 placed, giving her quite a different look so far as the 
 decks were concerned, and below as well, putting one 
 in mind of leaving a house clean for the next tenant.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 119 
 
 Sunday the 7th, — We were almost becalmed, and 
 something happened on this day, having reference to 
 myself, of a very alarming and never-to-be-forgotten 
 nature. As I have said, it was almost calm, encourag- 
 ing anyone to take a walk in the open air, so that I 
 had taken the advantage of it by slowly moving, first 
 in one direction and then in the other, on the main 
 deck, sometimes thinking of home and its associations, 
 and then of Australia, where new scenes would be 
 presented to my view. There were very few passen- 
 gers on deck at the time, the sails were flapping about 
 the masts, also ropes which had been on stretch were 
 hanging about the yards, but the large number of 
 blocks swinging: to and fro overhead were restless in 
 their movements, as the ship gently heeled from side 
 to side by the motion of the sea, in which there was a 
 little swell. 
 
 Being Sunday, and the weather fine, everything 
 was very quiet as I was taking my walk, — little think- 
 ing I was so very near great danger, — when, without 
 the least warning, something on a sudden fell at my 
 heel with a loud noise, such as if a cannon-ball had 
 struck the ship. As a matter of course I was much 
 startled, and looked round, scarcely knowing what I 
 was doing ; and there on the deck lay a large block of 
 iron and wood, weighing about a half-hundredweight, 
 which had fallen from some part of the foresail, mak- 
 ing an incision in the wood on the very spot from 
 which I had lifted my foot an instant before. The
 
 120 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 passengers and others hearing the heavy fall rushed 
 on deck, where I stood, as pale as death, gazing at the 
 block which, without doubt, would have killed me 
 there and then had I been under it when it fell. The 
 thought of my narrow escape overcame me for a little, 
 and I scarcely knew where I was, but shortly after I 
 went down the stair leading to my cabin, and there in 
 my berth laid me down in solemn reflection, thinking 
 of the nearness I had been to experience the change 
 from the present to the future world ; while at the 
 same time my family sprung up before my view, as it 
 were in a group, bringing afresh to my mind the fact 
 that I had so far acted wisely as to have my life 
 insured for their behoof. And here let me say a word 
 in favour of life insurance, believing as I do that it is 
 most commendable, on the part of a married man 
 especially, to get it done early in life. I have heard 
 the remark made by some one, that it is better to 
 attempt little and do it well, than attempt too much 
 and do it ill ; and I would say the same about a man 
 insuring his life. In the first place, look out for a 
 well-known safe company; and in the second place, 
 insure for an amount the premium of which you are 
 likely to be able to pay punctually, even although 
 your income should be small ; and if your affairs or 
 business pursuits are prosperous, an assurance can be 
 effected for a smaller or larger amount again. 
 
 I know some men are very careless about this 
 matter, and I therefore wish to bring before my
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 121 
 
 readers an incident with which I had to do when I 
 was a young man. I happened to be in company 
 with the captain of a ship, who in conversation led me 
 to understand that he was not insured. As a friend I 
 advised him to get it done at once, and act upon the 
 safe principle of insuring only for £100, which he did, 
 I efivimr him what information I could to further his 
 views. He continued for a few years master of a 
 vessel, but owing to bad health had to relinquish his 
 calling, which made it perhaps difficult to continue 
 paying the premium, but it was manageable, and 
 therefore paid. He had not given up the sea long 
 when he died, his widow, who was in need of assist- 
 ance, receiving the £100, which enabled her to 
 commence a small business in the drapery and mil- 
 linery line, giving employment to a daughter and 
 herself, who for a number of years occupied the 
 same shop and saved a little money. The wise step 
 which her husband took to provide for the future 
 was thus so very helpful to those who were depend- 
 ing upon his exertions, but of course much depended 
 upon good management on the part of the widow ; 
 still, what could she have done without the money to 
 give her a start ? 
 
 A married man with the knowledge of having 
 done his duty in providing for the rainy day, has a 
 satisfaction in his mind which has a tendency to 
 remove to a great extent that anxiety every man is 
 .sure to feel if he has any regard for his wife and
 
 122 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 children ; and although it must be very unpleasant for 
 the better-half to urge her spouse to insure his life, it 
 is nevertheless my opinion that she ought to do so if 
 he appears to be careless about the matter. And it is 
 also my opinion, that every woman who deserves the 
 name of wife, will feel grateful to her husband for 
 securing a sum of money to be paid to her in the 
 event of his death, and will do everything in her 
 power to encourage him in his pursuits, even though 
 she should not fully understand his plans, yet believ- 
 ing that as he has shown his forethought and interested- 
 ness on her behalf in the matter of insurance, he will 
 do it in his other transactions ; and thus, with her con- 
 fidence and care, she will be sure to be a helpmate 
 indeed, in doing what she can, along with her husband, 
 to make and preserve a happy home. So much for 
 life insurance ; and before leaving the subject I may 
 mention, that I once heard of a young man who, in 
 preference to others, obtained a lucrative situation 
 because he had shown forethought by insuring his life 
 some years before ; and I venture to say, that either 
 in view of being connected with commerce or other 
 spheres of life, no sensible man will ever regret 
 insuring his life. 
 
 Monday the 8th. — Latitude 41° 4' south, longitude 
 134° 39' east; distance sailed, two hundred and twenty- 
 seven miles, — the wind light from west-by-south, the 
 ship bounding on beautifully, spreading a white foam
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 123 
 
 of broken water to a considerable distance on each 
 side of her stem, and a number of the passengers are 
 busy packing up. The scene on board now resembles 
 the commercial world generally, and that is, "every 
 man for himself," packing up and preparing to leave 
 the ship. I heard of nothing having been stolen while 
 on the passage ; but it is nevertheless necessary now, 
 more than at any other time, to look smart, and see 
 that no person by mistake or otherwise pack up any 
 of your clothes, or other things which have been in 
 use, because if it disappears there will be little chance 
 of seeing it again, — the bustle being so much, and the 
 subject so delicate. 
 
 Tuesday the 9th. — Latitude 40° 18' south, longitude 
 133° 43' east ; distance sailed, two hundred and three 
 miles. All the passengers were in a great commotion, 
 making ready for disembarkation, while the captain 
 and other officers appeared much pleased with the 
 orderly manner of all so engaged, and, I doubt not, 
 highly delighted with the idea of bringing the voyage 
 to an end, with the prospect of very soon seeing our 
 noble ship anchored safely, near the landing-place 
 where many thousands of emigrants from British 
 shores and elsewhere have set foot for the first time 
 on the Australian continent. If our present latitude 
 and longitude be correct, and clear weather with a 
 fair wind favour us, we should sight Australia in the 
 course of twenty-four hours from noon to-day. And
 
 124 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 now, to reflect upon what has transpired in my expe- 
 rience since I began to muse upon the idea of setting 
 out on the voyage. It brings before my vision a series 
 of incidents, and various difficulties in particular, 
 which appeared at first almost insurmountable, but 
 all of which have been wonderfully overcome. 
 
 But while enjoying a favourable retrospective view 
 of the past, and however much I may be pleased with 
 the present, I must not forget the fact, that before me 
 there still lies an unknown future, in which I may find 
 that there are many obstacles in the way as I travel, 
 and that therefore the spirit of perseverance is still 
 necessary, and that, whatever my strength may be, 
 dependence upon a higher Power is as much needed 
 at the present time as when I first commenced to 
 cross the great expanse of ocean which now rolls, — 
 and in some places, I know, roars tempestuously, yea, 
 alarmingly, — between me and the much-loved shores 
 of my own native land. 
 
 As the end of this outward and long voyage is 
 nearing, I consider it to be a privilege to testify to 
 the fact, that we the passengers have been treated all 
 along with great kindness by the officers of the ship 
 41 Sussex," and that amongst ourselves there has 
 existed a willingness to make each other happy. In 
 regard to the fair sex, in particular, it gives me great 
 pleasure to speak to their praise in the words of the 
 poet : —
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 12>> 
 
 " O woman ! in our hours of ease 
 A joy and comfort for to please ; 
 When pain and anguish wring the brow, 
 A ministering angel thou." 
 
 Indeed such we found our lady passengers to be, ever 
 ready as they were to enliven and elevate us, the 
 sterner sex, with their appearance and demeanour, as 
 also with their desire to assist in any times of sick- 
 ness, and their presence on such occasions was a great 
 source of comfort. 
 
 Wednesday the 10th. — The weather was fine, the 
 wind was still in our favour, and the most of us had got 
 up very early. About ten o'clock A.M. we were told to 
 look out for land, so that every eye was directed towards 
 the eastern horizon ; and as it was understood, accord- 
 ing to an old custom, that the first man who saw land 
 would set a bottle of wine, there was a look out for 
 both land and wine at the same time. I went on the 
 forecastle, where a great many of the passengers had 
 assembled, but could see nothing but what had been 
 familiar to my eyes for months — the blue azure sky 
 surrounding the horizon. A quarter of an hour passed, 
 still no land to be seen ; and I heard the first officer 
 say, that if we did not see it in the course of half-an- 
 hour it was hard to say when it would be seen. Imme- 
 diately after this, however, a Mr Miller, one of our 
 second-cabin passengers, sung out " Land a-head ! " In 
 looking steadily at the spot where he said it was, I
 
 126 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 perceived what appeared to be a dark cloud along the 
 eastern horizon, but what turned out to be land right 
 enough ; and as it became more visible, the sight 
 gladdened our hearts. We had now been seventy-two 
 days out, and seen no land since the day we lost sight 
 of Old England ; and in order to give the reader an 
 idea of my thoughts as it became more visible to my 
 view, with all its beauty and attraction, I shall quote 
 a few lines by A. Hume, which I felt to be true in my 
 own experience, — 
 
 " Tho' far frae thee, my native shore, 
 
 An' toss'd on life's tempestuous ocean, 
 My heart, aye Scottish to the core, 
 Shall cling to thee wi' warm devotion. 
 
 " An' while the wavin' heather grows, 
 An' onward rows the windin' river, 
 The toast be ' Scotland's broomy knowes, 
 Her mountains, rocks, an' glens for ever.'" 
 
 In looking around me, and seeing so many of the 
 passengers gazing earnestly at the strange country, 
 where no doubt many of them would settle down for 
 life, I compared their appearance with what it was 
 when we set out on the voyage, and I was glad to see 
 they all looked so well. We had been a long time 
 together, and sailed over about sixteen thousand miles 
 of a yawning ocean, so that we had got well acquainted, 
 and enjoyed one another's company very much. The 
 truth is, that owing to the friendly way we had asso- 
 ciated while on the voyage, and the alarming dangers
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 127 
 
 to which we had been exposed, we had got much 
 attached to each other, and I daresay many of us felt 
 inclined that we should rather be landed on some little 
 island, where we could often meet and be together, than 
 to be separated and scattered on the great continent 
 which now lay before us. To the latter, however, we 
 had to make up our minds ; and as Cape Otway — the 
 land we first sighted — was only about sixty miles from 
 the entrance to Hobson's Bay, we began to talk about 
 bidding each other goodbye. As the wind was blowing 
 pretty fresh in our favour, it was not long till we saw 
 the waves sweeping along the coast, and dashing up 
 over the long low sandy beach which lay stretched out 
 before us, which brought to my mind the travels of the 
 great navigator, Captain Cook, and how delighted he 
 must have been when he saw the same sight for the 
 first time. The land appeared to be very flat, and the 
 shrubs growing near the water's edge. It was now 
 getting late in the evening, and as no pilot was to be 
 seen we stood out to seaward, and dodged about till 
 next morning, when we stood in for Port-Philip Heads. 
 This was on Thursday the 11th. The weather was 
 fine; and as it had been telegraphed to Melbourne 
 that we were near the Heads, the pilot soon hove in 
 sight, and when a short distance from us he lowered a 
 small boat to convey our new commander on board, 
 who was soon alongside. 
 
 The rush made by the passengers to see him and 
 his men was amusing to witness. The gangway was
 
 128 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 opened, the ladder let down, and in a very short time 
 he was on deck shaking hands with the captain, who 
 gave him full charge of the ship. He was the first 
 strange face we saw after bidding goodbye to our pilot 
 off the Land's End of England, and I could not help 
 smiling at the passengers gazing at the man as if he 
 had come from another world. The truth is, I could 
 not help gazing at him myself ; and in taking into 
 account the secluded life we had been subjected to so 
 long, it was not to be wondered at, after all, that we 
 were so anxious to see a human being, especially one 
 from the opposite side of the globe to that on which we 
 had lived. He appeared to be a man about fifty years 
 old, well dressed, had plenty of gold rings on his fin- 
 gers, wore a white shirt with the collar standing up to 
 his ears, and it was not long till his strong voice was 
 heard in giving orders to the men to make ready for 
 entering in between Port-Philip Heads, which lie only 
 about half-a-mile apart. Thus we left the wide ocean, 
 and entered Hobson's Bay, at the head of which stands 
 the beautiful and large city of Melbourne, the capital 
 of the colony of Victoria, — a name given to it in honour 
 of the Queen. While thinking about the name of this 
 part of Australia, I could not but reflect upon the great 
 responsibility of our sovereign, and what millions of 
 people she rules over, as also what an amount of atten- 
 tion is necessary on the part of our legislators, to keep 
 all government matters in such a state as to promote 
 the welfare of the various classes of society in so many
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 129 
 
 lands. The thought is appalling when we ponder over 
 the fact that the sun always shines on some part of 
 Her Majesty's dominions. 
 
 I noticed inside the Heads, on the left, a pretty 
 little town called Queen's Cliff, where a great many 
 people resort for sea-bathing. The houses, which are 
 built on a rising ground, appeared to be white, as if 
 they had been lately haurled, and their roofs were 
 blue coloured, which most likely was either felt or 
 slate. On the opposite side, on the right, there were 
 a number of houses built on a flat ground near the 
 sea, which is the hospital for passengers to the colony 
 not in a state of health to go on to Melbourne, and 
 where a doctor resides, paid by Government, for the 
 purpose of ascertaining what state of health passen- 
 gers are in on board all ships entering the bay. If 
 there be any infectious disease on board the vessel, 
 she must lie in quarantine inside the Heads until such 
 time as all is right. We, however, were all in good 
 health, and went straight on to Sandridge, the seaport 
 for Melbourne. In entering between the Heads, I 
 noticed a great many buoys marking out sand banks, 
 showing the necessity for a pilot. As we proceeded 
 onwards, the bay got so wide that we lost sight of 
 land on the right, and on the left another bay opened 
 up to our view, at the head of which is a large town 
 called Geelong. It was once thought that this place 
 would become the principal port in Hobson's Bay, but 
 Melbourne ultimately took the lead. The water was
 
 130 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 now very smooth, and steamers, ships, and boats of all 
 sizes were seen plying from place to place, which put 
 me in mind of what was going on in bonny Scotland. 
 Although my mind at this time was a little disturbed 
 while thinking of the great distance which separated 
 me from friends and home, I nevertheless was de- 
 lighted to have a view of the new scenery around me. 
 It was a beautiful day; the bay spread itself out 
 wider and wider as we got farther up, until it became 
 like an inland sea ; little steamers, filled with gaily- 
 dressed passengers, quickly ploughed the clear crys- 
 talline waters. The merry crowd hailed us with a 
 most enthusiastic cheer as they passed, as much as to 
 say, "You are welcome," and we did not forget to 
 return the compliment. In nearing the ships lying 
 at Sandridge Pier, we observed one of them to be on 
 fire, which turned out to be the "Result," from London, 
 having taken fire while taking in a cargo of wool at 
 the pier; and as it had been found impossible to get it 
 extinguished, she had been anchored in the bay to 
 burn out. We arrived at the pier in the evening, but 
 as there was no berth ready for us, we moored in the 
 bay all night. A number of small boats soon sur- 
 rounded us, in which there were a great many people 
 looking out for their relatives; and to witness the 
 meetings of friends that had been long separated was 
 very affecting. I saw husbands meeting their wives, 
 fathers their children, brothers their sisters, uncles 
 their nieces and nephews ; and so much were the fair
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 131 
 
 sex especially overcome with the thought of meeting 
 their long-lost relatives, that many of them actually 
 fainted away ; others wept with joy ; while some, 
 beinsr as it were half -maddened with the exhilarating 
 feeling pervading their minds on meeting their friends, 
 were frantically looking out for their luggage, and 
 then again clutching each other with such an endearing 
 grasp as could only be effected by hands nerved with 
 power received from hearts overflowing with strong 
 affection. Although there were people of various 
 grades and of different nations making up the number 
 of our passengers, yet all seemed to be interested in 
 each other's happiness ; and such a shaking of hands 
 put me more in mind of wishing one another a " Happy 
 New Year " than anything else. But while without a 
 doubt much happiness prevailed, yet as there are two 
 sides to every picture, so there were in reference to the 
 scene under my notice at this time. Some of us had 
 no relatives to give us a hearty welcome on the shores 
 of that foreign and far-distant land, and those very 
 naturally kept together. The most of this class re- 
 mained on board all night, a number of whom went 
 on shore for a few hours to see and hear what they 
 could, and report accordingly. The information they 
 gave, however, was not so encouraging as that antici- 
 pated by men having run the risk of crossing the seas 
 with the hope that they were going to a land far 
 superior to that which they had left. They spoke of 
 sand and dust as being too plentiful, a great want of
 
 132 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 sanitary improvements, a great many people out of 
 employment, and a number of other things, rather 
 discouraging them, as I thought, too much, which led 
 me to think that, although they were young men just 
 setting out in the world, some of them at least were- 
 not of the stamp to face the difficulties connected with 
 getting on in a new country, and I was told that a few 
 actually returned to England by the " Sussex." For 
 my own part, I must say that the report given influ- 
 enced me neither the one way nor the other, as I knew 
 it was impossible they could know much more than 
 what they had heard, and as I proceed I shall give a 
 true account of what I think of Melbourne, and its 
 relation to the various departments of trade now, and 
 what I am inclined to believe it will be in time to 
 come. It was now getting dark, and the gas-lights 
 began to show themselves one by one, until like a 
 semi-circle they girted us round in brightness and 
 beauty, producing a starry-like reflection on the bay, 
 which lay still and peaceful around us. The burning 
 ship, about a thousand tons register, lay close to us ; 
 she was nearly burned to the surface of the water ; 
 the flames flew up with terrific fury, showing us 
 the awful consequence of a ship being on fire at 
 sea. While some of us were attracted by the 
 sight, and standing looking on, — not without reflec- 
 tion as to our own safety, — one of our officers 
 came forward and said that we saw now the necessity 
 of the care insisted upon in reference to using open
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 133 
 
 lights or lighting pipes between decks while on the 
 passage. 
 
 Although our ship lay as still now as i£ she had 
 been in dock, and all was quiet about us, yet I noticed 
 that very few of the passengers slept any, which I 
 imagined would be owing to the anxiety they were 
 likely experiencing as to what they were going to do 
 in this strange country. The fact is, some of them 
 seemed to leave the ship reluctantly, and I was told 
 that a few were permitted by the officers (to their 
 oreclit let it be said) to remain on board until they got 
 something to do. We were hauled close alongside 
 Sandridge Pier about six o'clock on the morning of 
 Friday the 12th. The railway waggons from Mel- 
 bourne were ready to take our luggage to that station, 
 to which place they were taken free, according to the 
 agreement between the passengers and the owners of 
 the vessel, and where they were kept safe until called 
 for, when a description of them had to be given, and 
 once delivered up, all responsibility on the part of the 
 owners of the ship was at an end. On seeing the 
 luggage safe in these waggons, we stepped on the pier 
 in the presence of a great many spectators, and looking 
 round to the ship which had been our home while 
 crossing the seas, as it were bidding her goodbye, we 
 formed ourselves into groups, and marched on to Mel- 
 bourne, which is about three miles from the pier, and 
 on arriving there, a few of us kept together, and dur- 
 ing the evening secured lodgings in the same hotel.
 
 134 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 We were not idle during the day endeavouring to see 
 strange sights, and at night, having walked a good 
 deal — a thing we had not been accustomed to for a long 
 time — we felt very much fatigued, so that after a little 
 refreshment we were glad to retire to rest, which was 
 the first time to many of us amongst the Antipodeans. 
 I slept sound, but awoke in the morning in a bewildered 
 and thoughtful state of mind, for a moment not know- 
 ing exactly where I was. In a minute or two, however, 
 I soon learned that, and immediately got up, dressed, 
 and went down stairs, when I was shown to a large 
 room, where I had breakfast. The company surround- 
 ing the table were of both sexes, and of various classes 
 and countries, not a few of whom were gold-diggers 
 just arrived from the different fields. The landlord 
 (an Irishman) attended personally in seeing that we 
 got a good breakfast, and along with bread, tea, and 
 (strange to say) potatoes, we had a plentiful supply of 
 mutton chops of the largest size I had ever seen on a 
 table. Some enjoyed all that was set before them 
 exceedingly well, while others scarcely ate anything, 
 appearing to be wrapt up in serious contemplation; and 
 I noticed this class were principally of those that had 
 recently arrived in the colony, some of whom were my 
 fellow passengers. Indeed, there was a kind of melan- 
 choly, which a number of the passengers seemed 
 to feel intensely immediately after landing, which 
 appeared to be very difficult to get quit of, and not a 
 few of them expressed to me their desire to return to
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 135 
 
 England. In getting acquainted with old colonists, 
 however, I learned that this feeling is often felt by 
 emigrants in general for a short time after they arrive, 
 and I must confess I experienced a little of it myself. 
 True, my family being in Scotland, would, to a great 
 extent, account for my mind being a little depressed, 
 but more or less, even amongst young people having 
 nobody to care for but themselves, a languishing 
 desire for home pervades the mind for a time, when 
 gradually it wears off, and they turn to with a deter- 
 mination to make money, some of them not very 
 particular as to how they do it, in reference to 
 employment. 
 
 After breakfast was over I adjourned to a sitting- 
 room, where, in a very short time, I was surrounded 
 with a good many of our passengers who had for the 
 night put up in various hotels, and a few came to see 
 me who had enjoyed the comforts of a bedroom in the 
 'police-office. Poor fellows, some of them had been so 
 delighted in Q-ettino- their feet once more on terra fcrma, 
 and wishing each other many happy days over a glass 
 of beer, that John Barleycorn had knocked them down, 
 and others, running to the rescue of their mates, had 
 been almost knocked down by policemen, so that next 
 morning a considerable sum of money was demanded 
 from each for disturbing the peace of the people of 
 Melbourne. Thus many of the passengers, little 
 expecting that their English money was to be laid out 
 so unprofitably, had to suffer both in mind and pocket
 
 13G JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 for the over-indulgence of the previous night ; and I 
 would here remind emigrants of the fact, that there is 
 nothing more to be dreaded on reaching a strange land 
 than strong drink. I acknowledge that it is not very- 
 easy to stand aloof from fellow passengers when the 
 'parting glass is handed round, and a happy and pros- 
 perous career is proposed and responded to with the 
 enthusiasm of young men having crossed the seas in 
 search of a fortune ; but it is of the greatest importance 
 that these friendly interviews be kept from assuming 
 anything like disorderly conduct, because, in reference 
 to commerce at least, the very first step the emigrant 
 takes is particularly watched, and if he makes a mis- 
 take at the beginning, there is very little chance for 
 him getting on in that locality. On the other hand, if 
 he is known to be honest, industrious, and steady, he 
 has a chance of being very successful. Of course I 
 principally refer to commercial young men looking out 
 for a place where they are inclined to settle down, and 
 persevere with a determination that the connection 
 they form amongst the people where they spend the 
 best of their life shall be a capital upon which they 
 can work when farther advanced in years ; and in 
 order that I may be fully understood, I wish the reader 
 to remember that it is my opinion, that wherever a 
 man — especially a business man — has spent a good 
 many years of his life and formed a connection, it is a 
 certain kind of capital, and it should not be dispensed 
 with without a very good reason. Thus it will be seen
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 137 
 
 that I do not admire a middle-aged man, who can, by- 
 applying himself to industry, support his family where 
 ne has lived for many years, run the risk of exposing 
 himself and his family to the dangers and fatigue con- 
 nected with crossing the seas and settling in a foreign 
 land, while, at the same time, I do applaud every 
 young man who in early life exercises the courage, 
 intellect, and strength adequate for such an undertak- 
 ing, and, as much as it is consistent with his circum- 
 stances in life (as I said at the outset) he should travel, 
 — it makes him better prepared for being useful in 
 doing good to himself, and any community amongst 
 whom he may ultimately settle down, and, along with 
 his travelling experience, he will find it to be of great 
 advantage if he has served his apprenticeship in the 
 same country where he adopts his home, because the 
 money currency, commercial phrases, and manners and 
 customs of the people are well known to him. 
 
 After my interview with the passengers, a few of 
 us went together to get our luggage from the railway 
 station, where we found it all safe, and brought it 
 to the hotel, in which a large room was set apart 
 for luo-o-affe, where there were trunks, portmanteaus, 
 diggers' swags, &c, some of which had been lying 
 there for a long time, and the landlord said he did not 
 know to whom part of it belonged. Indeed, one hotel 
 I called at had been so much frequented by emigrants, 
 that hundreds of trunks, chests, portmanteaus, bags, 
 &c, were built up in a large cellar in connection with
 
 138 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 the house, and the landlord told me that a great por- 
 tion of it had lain there unclaimed for years, showing 
 me that to all appearance some of it at least would 
 never be claimed by its owners. After getting pro- 
 perly settled down in the hotel, I began to look round 
 in order to get acquainted with the people and the 
 place, and I shall now proceed to give a description of 
 Melbourne and its surroundings, and, as far as I heard 
 and saw, give an outline of the country generally. 
 
 When on board ship in Hobson's Bay, where vessels 
 lie at anchor, Melbourne lies about three miles distant, 
 in a north-east direction, and presents a very beautiful 
 and attractive appearance. St Kilda, a pretty town, 
 lying near the sea, much frequented by sea-bathers, 
 and where a great many of the Melbourne merchants 
 live in fine houses, lies on the right, about four miles 
 distant ; and Williamstown, a small seaport with a 
 pier, lies about two miles distant on the left. In 
 stepping on Sandridge Pier, I observed that large 
 ships of about two thousand tons could discharge and 
 take in cargo alongside of it. The pier is erected 
 with a very durable kind of wood, and extends out in 
 the bay to a great distance ; rails are laid down on 
 each side, extending to the extreme end, and con- 
 nected with the Melbourne and Sandridge railway. 
 Just at the entrance on the pier, and where there are 
 large refreshment-rooms, multitudes of people are con- 
 tinually assembled, and the new arrivals of emigrants, 
 mingling with those that have spent many years in
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 139 
 
 the colony, shows quite a contrast, — the former being 
 called by the latter new chums ; and it is generally 
 there for the first time amongst the Antipodeans that 
 the newly arrived emigrants call for a glass, or, accord- 
 ing to the colonial phrase, a nobbier of brandy. From 
 this point there is a fine view of the bay on the right, 
 and on the left the low sandy beach is swept by the 
 clear salt water ; and on turning round and looking 
 at the town itself, one is not surprised that it is called 
 Sandridge, as, in fact, sand appears to be everywhere. 
 Owing to the great amount of shipping at the pier in 
 connection with all parts of the world, the traffic is 
 immense. The streets of Sandridge are well laid out ; 
 the houses, which were at first erected of wood, are 
 being taken down, others of blue whinstone are being 
 put up ; and a considerable amount of trade is done 
 by general dealers and hotel-keepers with the thou- 
 sands of passengers arriving and embarking every 
 week. 
 
 In leaving Sandridge and walking towards Mel- 
 bourne, a pretty little town called Emerald Hill lies 
 on the right about half-way, and which is rapidly 
 increasing in buildings and population. I found the 
 people here to be very hospitable to strangers, and 
 sociable amongst themselves ; so much so, that num- 
 bers of both sexes, although in highly respectable 
 positions, could often be seen taking their evening 
 walk, either along the fine broad streets, or a little 
 distance from the town, — the ladies in light dresses,
 
 140 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 and the gentlemen in their white shirt-sleeves, — 
 apparently as free and easy as if they had been 
 walking as many hundred miles from a fashionable 
 city as they were yards from Melbourne, and caring 
 as little for the etiquette of the society of a town life 
 as emigrants do on board ship while crossing the seas. 
 Leaving Emerald Hill for Melbourne by St Kilda 
 Road, the botanical gardens lie a little distance to the 
 right. These gardens are laid out in fine order; plants 
 and trees of many kinds from various countries take 
 root and thrive well, and a great number are planted 
 there, adding to the beauty of the native trees and 
 plants of the soil, which stud the grounds in great 
 variety. Birds of different species, and with golden- 
 like plumage, glitter in the air ; black swans in great 
 numbers float in the ponds, which are very numerous, 
 altogether making the place a fine resort for pleasure- 
 seekers, and where a leisure hour can be spent very 
 pleasantly. Near to this is the Emigrant's Aid Society 
 Home, which I visited, and spent a few hours in seeing 
 through. I learned that the institution was originally 
 established by the Government of Victoria for the relief 
 of emigrants in distress who had paid their passages 
 to the colony. Other cases of want, however, are not 
 overlooked, and some of the Melbourne merchants 
 and others subscribe yearly to the funds of the insti- 
 tution. I observed a great number of women there, 
 having been deserted by their husbands, and in many 
 cases there were helpless children. By making inquiry,
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 141 
 
 I learned that for most part this state of matters arose 
 from the unsettled state of society throughout the 
 colonies, and men rushing from one place to another, 
 not always in search of gold, but in search of different 
 kinds of employment connected with gold-digging. 
 The institution is principally erected of wood, and in 
 many parts I noticed that the inmates, although in a 
 way sheltered, were in many cases much in want of 
 such accommodation as is generally enjoyed in similar 
 institutions, or rather houses for the poor in this coun- 
 try. It was truly melancholy to see the sick people 
 in the different departments of the hospital gradually 
 sinking without a relative to speak to them. They 
 were of various countries and ages ; some were read- 
 ing their bibles, others tracts and hymn-books, while 
 a few of them appeared to be in serious and deep 
 thought. Those able to work were employed in break- 
 ing stones, teasing oakum, knitting, and sewing ; and 
 a number of women were employed as nurses, — taking 
 care of orphan children, the sick, and others. I visited 
 the schools in connection with the establishment, and 
 was much pleased to see the children so happy, which 
 was quite a change to the scenes that had just been 
 brought under my notice. The teacher in the girls' 
 school asked me if I would like to hear them sing, 
 when, as she might have imagined, I said I would. 
 On receiving orders from their teacher they all stood, 
 and sang first one little hymn and then another — 
 the tunes similar to those sung in our schools at home.
 
 142 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 I was much attracted by their appearance as they stood 
 "before me of different colours — some of them as black 
 as ebony — singing the little hymns as sweetly as I had 
 ever heard them sung in any school before. After see- 
 ing a little more of the arrangements, I bade the super- 
 intendent, who had very kindly shown me through the 
 place, goodbye. Not far from this, on the opposite side 
 of St Kilda Road, is the military barracks, a fine large 
 building standing alone, more like a gentleman's man- 
 sion than anything else ; and, as far as I could see and 
 hear, the soldiers stationed there had good times of it. 
 When on this part of the road I thought of the times 
 when gangs of bushrangers thought nothing of stand- 
 ing on the same place in midday and demand either the 
 money or the life of passers-by, and before the police 
 arrived from Melbourne — near though it was — they 
 were off on horseback with large sums of money. I also 
 thought of the different characters once employed in 
 making the road itself, and imagined, no doubt rightly, 
 that they had been of all ranks, nations, and profes- 
 sions. At any rate, it is a well-made road, the same 
 that all the others are, which connect the country with 
 Melbourne. 
 
 In entering Melbourne from this road, the river 
 Yarra-Yarra is crossed by Prince's Bridge, which is 
 built of good masonry, when Flinder Street is entered, 
 which is one of the principal thoroughfares, and where 
 there are many buildings, being generally large whole- 
 sale establishments, and where business is carried on
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 143 
 
 principally by importers. It lies nearly east and west. 
 Including the suburbs, Melbourne is about six miles 
 square, and the population is about three hundred thou- 
 sand. During the last twenty years this city has been 
 rapidly advancing in commerce, buildings, population, 
 and wealth ; and now, instead of a few wooden erec- 
 tions, a space of ground not less than I have mentioned 
 is laid out in squares, including parks, paddocks, 
 parades, gardens, and blocks of fine buildings, separated 
 by very broad streets running parallel, and intersect- 
 ing at right angles — the plan altogether doing credit 
 to those who have had the management of public 
 affairs in the colony. The houses are principally built 
 of brick and stone, and instead of being built close to 
 each other, in many cases there is a space left, which 
 has not only increased the extension of the city, but 
 prevented that dense population which otherwise 
 would have been the case. The houses are, with few 
 exceptions, built not higher than four storeys, but the 
 rooms are large, high in the ceiling, and airy ; the 
 pavements are laid with flagstone, and, in proportion 
 to the breadth of the streets, are very broad ; the 
 strands along the streets are very deep and broad, and 
 small bridges of wood are erected, not far apart, from 
 the pavement to the street, so as to accommodate the 
 people when the heavy rains and the sewerage of the 
 town produces a stream sometimes quite deep enough, 
 as I have seen it, to float a small boat along the strand. 
 Elizabeth Street was once the most fashionable, but
 
 144 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Bourke Street is considered to be that now. The people 
 generally dress well in light thin clothes, and are gene- 
 rally of a gay, independent spirit. As it may be sup- 
 posed, they are composed of people from almost every 
 nation in the world ; and as a matter of course, many 
 marriages take place, neither of the two knowing much 
 of each other, and far less of their family connections. 
 The children of colonists born in Australia are called 
 colonial, and in many cases their appearance indicate 
 decidedly that their parents are not of the same ex- 
 traction. Chinamen are very numerous in Melbourne, 
 but I saw no China women. There are, however, many 
 marriages between Chinamen and European women ; 
 and the half-caste children, as they are called, are often 
 very smart and good-looking. The greater part of the 
 Chinamen return home when they have saved a little 
 money. They are a very strange class of people, and 
 seclude themselves in their houses as much as they 
 possibly can. Seeing one of their house doors a little 
 open one day, I went in rather abruptly to have a look 
 about me. Everything around presented an appearance 
 strange and old-fashioned, — more like the furniture of 
 a great-grandfather's house in the interior of the High- 
 lands than anything else. As I did not see anybody in 
 the house, but heard some peculiar sound upstairs, I 
 beat a sudden retreat, fearing that perhaps I was a 
 little out of order, and that it might not fare well with 
 me if I remained. Their shop window shutters are 
 scarcely ever taken off; and except when goods are
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 14- ; 
 
 either taken in or put out, the doors are never 
 opened. 
 
 The shops in Melbourne are generally large, and 
 restaurants and hotels are very numerous. Indeed, 
 when I arrived and first took a look through the streets, 
 I could not understand how these hotels could pay ; 
 but on getting better acquainted with what was going 
 on, I learned that, with few exceptions, all the people 
 employed in public establishments, and many other 
 classes, took their meals in these restaurants and hotels, 
 considering it cheaper to do so than take it in their own 
 houses, and I have seen as many as two to three hundred 
 taking; dinner in a restaurant at the same time. Then 
 I found that thousands of people arriving in Melbourne 
 were mere pleasure-seekers from almost every part of 
 the world, and, as a matter of course, they made the 
 hotels their homes for a time. This, in connection with 
 the hundreds of gold-diggers arriving from the gold- 
 fields every week, and the various classes of other pro- 
 fessions, all added to the amount of business done in 
 these public places, so that in this way alone a great 
 amount of money is circulated, giving trade and em- 
 ployment to thousands of the population. In order to 
 get an idea of the continual coming and going of the 
 multitudes visiting Melbourne, I went to some of the 
 largest places of worship on the Sundays, and at times 
 the scenes within their walls were of an attractive 
 nature. People were there of various colours and 
 countries, hundreds attending more for the purpose of 
 
 K
 
 146 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 seeing what was going on than anything else ; and I 
 was told that, with the exception of the members of 
 the church, the most of those attending the one Sunday 
 were replaced by others the next. I often attended 
 the market-places, especially on a Saturday night, and 
 it was amusing in the extreme to hear people of dif- 
 ferent languages offer their goods for sale by bawling 
 out in their own peculiar way the names and prices of 
 the articles. The fact is, that any one desirous to see 
 and hear people from almost all countries on the globe, 
 has got nothing to do but visit Melbourne, that won- 
 derful city, which has sprung up so suddenly, and 
 attracted so many thousands of people from their 
 native lands, some for the good of their health, others 
 for pleasure, but the majority for the purpose of 
 accumulating gold. 
 
 Although the population comprise all these dif- 
 ferent classes, they nevertheless endeavour to acquire 
 the English language, are fond of British rule, and 
 their children are taught the same. The authorities 
 do what they can to provide for the education of the 
 young, but there are a great many private schools well 
 attended, the teachers having nothing to depend upon 
 but the fees they receive from the scholars. The 
 youths appear to be very smart, cunning, and old- 
 fashioned, but not so settled and persevering in their 
 studies as our young people at home ; and the effect 
 of the climate on the constitution is such, that mothers 
 can be seen only fourteen years old.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 147 
 
 It is surprising to think that within such a short 
 time there has been so many public institutions 
 established. One in particular attracted my attention 
 very much, viz., the Public Library. I was told that 
 the building, furniture, and books cost about one 
 hundred thousand pounds sterling. All classes, of 
 both sexes, are admitted free to read from ten in the 
 morning till ten at night, and there are books on all 
 subjects. The building is entered by a broad gate, 
 inside of which there are a flight of steps up to the 
 main door. Just on entering, a large space on each 
 side opens up to the view, where there are statues of 
 ancient historians, poets, authors, kings, warriors, 
 orators, &c, and a great many pieces of sculpture 
 done by men some of whom are dead many hundred 
 years ago. The first floor above is entered by a broad 
 stone stair, at the foot of which there is a white marble 
 fountain, where water can be had to drink, and every 
 convenience for washing hands, or otherwise dressing, 
 is provided. In ascending the stair, I noticed that 
 the top of the railing was of fine rosewood, and my 
 attention was arrested by a great many war weapons 
 hanging on the walls, used by savages in the South 
 Sea Islands, and others from different parts of the 
 world. Then, at the top of the stair, there is a book 
 in which visitors write down their names, and imme- 
 diately after enter a large hall, fitted up in fine style 
 for the accommodation of those who read. The book- 
 cases, tables, and chairs are all made of mahogany or
 
 148 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 rosewood, and the books are placed in such a way as 
 any one wanted can be easily found, and no reader 
 need be at a loss for any kind of book he wishes to 
 have, as there are plenty of every language in the 
 world ; but none are allowed to be taken out. From 
 this floor there is a stair leading up to a gallery, which 
 surrounds the building, fitted up for books in the same 
 way as below, and where there are plenty of them, 
 and good accommodation for the readers. While in 
 these apartments none are allowed to speak but in a 
 whisper, in case it may disturb those who are reading. 
 I often spent a few hours in this library, and was 
 sorry to observe it was not so well attended as it 
 ought to have been. I trust, however, that the people 
 of Melbourne will take advantage of the great boon, 
 and show by their advancement in education that 
 they are not despising the gift. 
 
 Close to this was the Exhibition, which was just 
 being filled with all the different manufactures of the 
 colonists of Australia. On visiting it, I was agreeably 
 surprised to see the advancement made in the various 
 branches of trade, and how one colony was vieing 
 with another to produce a good article. 
 
 All the colonies were at this time uniting in the 
 agitation to have a law enacted to shut out foreign 
 goods which they could manufacture themselves ; but 
 a great many of the merchants and agents were 
 not in favour of such, so that the disturbance it 
 was creating in their Legislative Assembly was doing
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 149 
 
 much injury to trade, in so far as speculation was 
 concerned. 
 
 A little distance from the Exhibition, on a rising 
 ground, stands the Benevolent Asylum, in which there 
 are hundreds of people, young and old, of both sexes, 
 cared for at the public expense. The day I visited this 
 institution the weather was fine, though I confess I 
 felt it too hot. There are grounds laid out around the 
 building, on which these poor people are allowed to 
 walk, and noticing a number of them walking about, I 
 put myself in their way. The first man I met was very 
 old, and when he heard I was recently from England, 
 he wished me to sit down along with him on one of the 
 seats that are here and there standing along the walks. 
 He never hesitated to tell me that he was a convict, 
 and gave me a great deal of his news. He said he was 
 a native of London, and was transported for stealing 
 more than twenty years ago, and now, after a time of 
 hard labour, his strength had gone, and he had no other 
 prospect than to remain in the Asylum till death, but 
 he had a languishing desire to see London. Another 
 old man I met told me he had been a shipbroker in 
 Liverpool, was sweethearting a young lady, who de- 
 ceived him and married an Edinburgh lawyer, in 
 consequence of which he sold off, shipped for Mel- 
 bourne, arrived with four hundred pounds in his 
 pocket, went to live in a hotel, could get nothing to 
 do to suit him, began to drink, spent all his money, 
 began to lose self-respect, and so, from one step of
 
 150 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 degradation to another, he had brought himself into 
 such a bad state of health that he had to be put in 
 the Asylum. While telling me his story, which was 
 done in great earnestness, I observed that his mind 
 wandered a good deal ; and the next man I met told 
 me that, although he had been talking to me appar- 
 ently sane, he was at the same time quite the opposite, 
 though a good deal of what he had been telling me 
 was truth. I was then shown through the place, and 
 was glad to see that the arrangements were very good, 
 and that cleanliness was strictly attended to. 
 
 I then visited the old and new cemeteries. The 
 old one is a very large space, enclosed by a wooden 
 fence, where thousands of the old settlers, and some 
 of their offspring and others, are buried. I saw a few 
 tombstones, but the most of the graves were marked 
 by bits of wood, on which were written the age and 
 name of the deceased. Upon the whole, the place 
 exhibited a very melancholy spectacle to me, as I had 
 never been in a burying-ground where there were so 
 many graves without a bit of stone to show where the 
 remains of a fellow-creature lay. I next visited the 
 new cemetery, which lies in the suburbs of the city, 
 and which I found to be better laid out, and kept 
 regularly in order. The ground is enclosed by a stone 
 wall, the walks are very nicely made, there are some 
 very fine tombs, one of which is that of Sir Charles 
 Hotham, who was one of the Governors of Victoria, 
 and altogether it is very creditable to the people of
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 151 
 
 Melbourne that they have taken such interest in pro- 
 viding a resting-place of such beauty for their dead. 
 I also visited the cemetery at Williamstown, and was 
 shown the grave of a gentleman, a countryman of my 
 own, to whom I had spoken not many weeks before ; 
 indeed, I noticed in all the three names on the tomb- 
 stones the same as that of persons with whom I was 
 acquainted in many towns of Scotland, and I often 
 wondered if I was near the remains of any whose 
 relatives I might visit, if I was spared to see Scotland 
 again. As the weather was very hot at the time I 
 made these visits, there was very little grass on the 
 graves, — indeed in hundreds of cases there was none 
 at all, — and nothing to show where the dead was 
 buried, but a heap of white-coloured clay, getting more 
 and more scorched by a hot burning sun. I visited 
 many other places of interest, such as the House of 
 Parliament, or, as it is called in the colony, the House 
 of Legislative Assembly, as also Sabbath-schools, con- 
 cert rooms, public halls, theatres, custom-house, and, 
 in particular, the museum, in which there are many 
 curiosities, amongst which is to be seen a plan of the 
 gold-fields on a very large scale, — how they are 
 wrought, both as regards the quartz mines and allu- 
 vial diggings, and all the processes through which the 
 rock and earth are put in order to get the gold. The 
 model of the diggings, and part of the interior of the 
 country, is considered to be very like what it repre- 
 sents, and all the implements and machinery required
 
 152 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 by diggers are there exhibited. Hills and valleys 
 where diggers are seen, some working, others looking 
 on, and a few travelling with their swags on their 
 backs, wearied and careworn, are nicely represented 
 as well. Then models of some of the largest nuggets 
 of gold which have been found in Australia, coloured 
 like the original, are there ; indeed everything con- 
 nected with gold-digging is represented (as an old 
 digger said to me) " Exactly." 
 
 After six or twelve months, gold-diggers generally 
 make their appearance in town, when many of them 
 spend their money foolishly. Indeed they put me 
 very much in mind of a jolly lot of sailors just come 
 off a long voyage, ready to treat and be treated to too 
 many glasses of beer. Many of them, however, are 
 very careful and steady ; but, owing to the way 
 diggers are exposed to drink along with their com- 
 rades, it is scarcely possible for those men not to 
 spend more money than they should. Some of them 
 have been known to come into town, when one man 
 would spend a few hundred pounds in a few weeks, 
 and set off to the diggings again, and so vexed and 
 annoyed, that he would go without writing a line to 
 relatives at home. But now, when men are for the 
 greater part working for wages, it is a very different 
 thing; few spend their money so carelessly. I may 
 mention here, that apart from drinking for mere soci- 
 ality at the time, the working men and others who 
 are subjected to exertion really require to drink some-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 153 
 
 thing better than ivater, because it is not good ; but it 
 must be observed that in a hot climate, such as that in 
 Australia, there is more danger in taking too much of 
 anything of an intoxicating nature than in a cold 
 climate such as that in Scotland. There is a great 
 quantity of cold tea used as a drink in the colony, but 
 I think I am right in saying that the working-classes 
 in Melbourne drink more colonial beer (which they 
 can get at threepence per glass) than anything else ; 
 but English beer is preferred, and those in good cir- 
 cumstances, or in other words, the upper class, drink 
 it at sixpence per glass. 
 
 It is understood in this country that working men 
 get high wages in Australia, but, as far as I could 
 ascertain, they work hard enough for all they get. 
 The fact is, I have seen one man in Melbourne get as 
 much work to do in a day as would have been allotted 
 to two men in this country; and the lifts some of these 
 men employed in stores are sometimes called upon to 
 take are more suitable for steam power than the power 
 of a human being; so that, taking these things into 
 account, it is not to be wondered at when we hear of 
 so many of the young men who leave this country for 
 some of the colonies being cut off in the prime of life. 
 The reason can be easily imagined in too many cases : 
 they were not able for the work they had to do, so 
 that owing to too much perspiration, and too much 
 drink (perhaps of the wrong kind) to quench their 
 thirst, it brought them to a premature grave. Australia
 
 154 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 is in want of people, but principally of a certain class, 
 viz., those who have been brought up to hard work in 
 the country, and have youth, health, and strength on 
 their side. If any of these do emigrate, they should 
 not linger at the port where they arrive, but go up 
 the country at once, and endeavour to get such work 
 as that to which they have been accustomed at home,, 
 and by perseverance success is almost certain. 
 
 Having referred to the working men of Melbourne, 
 I may mention that they enjoy a benefit, however, of 
 which to a great extent our working men in this 
 country are deprived, and that is holidays — scarcely 
 a week passes that there is not a holiday, and some- 
 times two. In reference to pleasure, the people of 
 Melbourne are more or less all fond of it, but on the 
 holidays they do turn out in style. The merchants 
 are generally sharp business men, but often so much 
 perplexed in mind, which is occasioned by the fluctua- 
 tion of the markets, that a man just arrived from 
 England, where prices don't fluctuate so much, would 
 be inclined to think that these men were insane — just 
 arising from the excited state of mind they cannot 
 help exhibiting. In a very short time, however, such 
 are the chances to make a profit, that the stranger 
 begins to feel as if he would like to try his own luck 
 in speculating, and this is what the Melbourne mer- 
 chants, in a commercial point of view, call the Colonial 
 Fever, — which means a speculative disposition. In 
 speaking about insanity, however, I learned that there
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 155 
 
 were too many cases of it amongst mercantile men ; 
 and such is often the result of the extraordinary 
 pressure of thought as to the future in reference to 
 profit and loss, and sometimes of disappointment as to 
 the present, and so much mischief has been done 
 by these risky speculations, and intoxication by the 
 strong drink which is often resorted to, that lunatic 
 asylum after lunatic asylum has been built and filled, 
 and, owing to the increase of lunatics, there was 
 another asylum in course of erection when I left. In 
 the midst of all this, however, there are steady, dis- 
 criminating, and highly respectable merchants in Mel- 
 bourne, some of whom I know intimately. The Hall 
 of Commerce is a very handsome building, and 
 merchants, importers, and brokers generally attend 
 there every day about one o'clock, when the state of 
 the markets are freely discussed, the shares of the 
 different gold mines and other public works are valued 
 and offered for sale, and where large speculations are 
 entered into — sometimes to the great advantage, and 
 occasionally to the ruin of many. In a very conspi- 
 cuous place in the House there is a large diary lying, 
 where can be seen the names of all vessels which have 
 made their appearance outside Port-Philip Heads; and 
 as there are now and again passenger ships expected, 
 it is no rare thing to see expectant eyes in great 
 numbers glancing over these pages with a serious and 
 earnest look, — no doubt full of hope that they will 
 by-and-bye be meeting old friends from a distance.
 
 156 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Then the auction salerooms are well worth seeing, 
 as they are much resorted to by merchants in order to 
 examine samples of all kinds of goods, and where on 
 certain days the stock is offered for sale, and sold by 
 a class of men considered highly respectable ; indeed 
 the profession of an auctioneer is looked upon in Mel- 
 bourne to be as good, if not better, than that of a 
 merchant, as he has often not only the power to sell 
 the goods, but to credit the buyers, and be the drawer 
 of the bills. 
 
 Then the banking establishments, which are very 
 numerous, are well worth visiting. While the greater 
 part of all the buildings appear as if they were re- 
 cently built, the banking establishments look as if 
 they were built yesterday, — everything appearing 
 new ; and owing to the hot climate, the height of the 
 ceilings are such that it resembles more that of some 
 of our most modern and largest places of worship in 
 this country than anything else. But to describe the 
 interior of these establishments, and some others, as I 
 might, would take up more space than I have allotted 
 in this little volume for the purpose. The system 
 upon which bankers conduct their business is similar 
 to that of Scotch banking. The bankers, like the 
 merchants, are a very frank class of men, and when 
 through with business, associate with the other classes 
 of the mercantile community in a free and friendly 
 way. 
 
 The House of the Legislative Assembly is a very
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 157 
 
 large building, erected on a rising ground, in a pro- 
 minent and beautiful situation in East Melbourne, and 
 from which there can be got one of the finest views- 
 obtained of Hobson's Bay. I visited some of the court 
 rooms, where justice is administered, and heard cases 
 disposed of. Those on the bench appeared to be plain, 
 conscientious men, doing their utmost to preserve 
 order, and give justice to all. I intended to visit the 
 Hospital, but owing to it being full of patients, and 
 hot weather at the time, I was advised by a friend not 
 
 to go. 
 
 Although it is very hot sometimes, yet, upon the 
 whole, I consider the climate is good. I had often 
 heard of the beauty of an Australian sky, and could 
 now see for myself. It is sometimes cloudless for 
 weeks, when, though warm during the clay, the even- 
 ings are very pleasant, and crowds of people take 
 advantage of the cool breeze, which is generally just 
 enough to make the air agreeable. The streets are 
 thronged with people all hours of the night, and as 
 some bars or gin palaces are licensed to keep open, 
 refreshments can be got at any hour. I may mention 
 that these houses open about twelve o'clock at night, 
 must shut at a certain hour in the morning, and are 
 not allowed to be open at any time during the day. 
 Looking at the people, as they walked about in the 
 free and easy way they generally do — the gentlemen, 
 some of them at times in their white shirt sleeves, and 
 the ladies with light dresses — I could scarcely think I
 
 158 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 was in a city at all. Indeed, taking into account the 
 great breadth of the streets, the distance one house 
 stood from another, the level ground upon which they 
 were built, stretching out for miles around ; here and 
 there one of those gin palaces lighted up with gas, 
 and the people all around — some singing, some playing 
 music, others dancing, while not a few were looking 
 on, and all about midnight, — I felt as if I was in a 
 different world to that I had been accustomed. And 
 then, at such times, to look above me, and behold the 
 myriads of stars standing out in bold relief in the sky, 
 as also the moon — the Australian moon — one of the 
 finest sights in the world, hanging, as it were, like a 
 globe of fire, lighting all around, it encouraged serious 
 contemplation ; and when my thoughts led me back to 
 Scotland, I felt as if all before me was a dream, yet con- 
 scious, without a doubt, that I was thousands of miles 
 from home, and that all I saw and heard was a grand 
 reality. Some would imagine that at such a late hour, 
 and public houses open, riots and disorderly conduct 
 would likely take place, and disturb the peace of 
 the community, but there was very little of that. The 
 people all seem to enjoy life in a free, easy, and inde- 
 pendent way, each man considering that he is as good 
 as another, and that no profession should form a 
 barrier to a mutual and brotherly intercourse. 
 
 The fine mild weather which generally prevails — 
 and especially the great heat — induce them to dress in 
 light clothes; and to see coaches and cabs provided
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 159 
 
 with seats outside, running in every direction, with 
 their passengers all dressed in white, is a fine sight. 
 They have only two classes of railway carriages, and 
 a smoking carriage for all, which seems to work well. 
 The governor is the same to them that a king or queen 
 is to us : those clustering around him form the aristo- 
 cracy, and the people, as I have said, will not recog- 
 nise any more classes than two, which accounts for 
 them, in the meantime, having no third-class railway 
 carriages. If there is any class looked upon as 
 number three it is the convicts, whom the colonists 
 call "old legs;" but many of those characters, in the 
 face of public prejudice, have risen to occupy honour- 
 able positions in society, and enjoy the confidence of 
 their fellow men. 
 
 Whatever the circumstances of the people are, 
 they endeavour to show as little poverty as possible, 
 and they pay away money, though it was the last 
 shilling they had, as independently as if they had 
 thousands remaining. They wish to enjoy each 
 other's friendship and sociality ; and when the 
 labours of the day are over, they are very often 
 off to pleasure, to which they have many induce- 
 ments in Melbourne, and the river Yarra-Yarra is 
 one. From Hobson's Bay it winds up the country 
 in a serpentine-like form. There is a place on its 
 banks, near Prince's Bridge, where a great number 
 of pleasure-boats are kept for hire, in order to accom- 
 modate pleasure parties fond of using the oar, and of
 
 160 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 the beautiful country scenery which is to be seen 
 while pulling up the stream. On this magnificent 
 river I was more than once one of a party, enjoying 
 ourselves pulling up and down for hours at a time. 
 One time in particular I was up on its waters to a 
 considerable distance, and touched along several parts 
 of its banks while going and returning. The country 
 through which it traverses being very flat, the water 
 moved towards the ocean quietly. The sun on this 
 day happened to be very hot, but the trees and 
 weeping- willows, which grow to a great height on 
 the banks, formed a fine shade from his scorching 
 rays. The scenery presented to our view as we 
 passed along various windings was beautiful — num- 
 bers of boats, full of gay parties of both sexes, were 
 passing up and down — the voices of both ladies and 
 gentlemen were tuned to increase our pleasure, b} r 
 singing some fine songs — one party cheering another 
 from the boats — the singers being applauded and in- 
 duced to sing again, — all added to the enlivening 
 entertainments of the day. We often got under the 
 shade of the trees and weeping-willows, when they 
 appeared like so many huge umbrellas, some of the 
 leaves gracefully hanging down to the water's edge, 
 forming, as it were, a narrow stream along the banks 
 of the Yarra-Yarra. We landed several times, walked 
 amongst the trees, viewed the fields around us — some 
 of which were under cultivation — visited fairy-like 
 hotels, refreshed ourselves with colonial wine, had a
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 161 
 
 plentiful supply of grapes, which grew in large 
 bunches ; and as I had lately arrived in the colony, 
 and gave the people some of my news about what 
 was going on in England, my company was much 
 appreciated, and I shall never forget how earnestly 
 those country people stood around me listening to 
 what I had got to say. After spending a while in 
 their company, I bade them goodbye, or, according to 
 the colonial phrase, so long, and promised that if ever 
 I came that way again I should give them a call. 
 That, however, was the last time I was on the river, 
 and it is not likely I will ever see it again, though I 
 confess that while I now write I feel as if something 
 was impelling me to return to the same scenes, and 
 meet those parties who proved to be good and valu- 
 able friends while I was in that strange land ; and if 
 fortune so smiles upon me as to have time and other 
 means at my disposal, family ties would be the only 
 thing likely to prevent me from visiting that beautiful 
 and far-off land again. 
 
 While returning to where we left the boat, and the 
 man we had to take charge of her, we lost our way 
 amongst the trees, and could find neither of the two ; 
 and as night was coming on, we were getting a little 
 alarmed, when, to our great delight, we met our guide 
 on his way looking out for us, who again took charge 
 of us, and in a short time we were safe on board the 
 boat, gliding down the river in the cool of the even- 
 ing, when the chirping of the birds, mingling with
 
 162 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 our songs, made us enjoy ourselves all the more while 
 returning, and at a late hour we arrived at Prince's 
 Bridge, much pleased with our day's excursion. In 
 travelling through the country, I noticed that the 
 trees, which grow to a great height and thickness, 
 stood far apart from each other, more like an English 
 park than a wild forest ; and I observed at the roots 
 of many of them large holes, like as it were, caves 
 burned and scooped out, so as to form a place of 
 shelter, as I imagined, for travellers at sometime or 
 other in the bush. Vegetation exists almost continu- 
 ally, so that on the one day all looks withered and 
 dry, and in a few hours, after a shower, the earth and 
 trees present a green and spring-like appearance. 
 The earth around Melbourne is of a white clay colour, 
 gets very hard in dry weather, and is clammy and 
 disagreeable to walk upon when wet. In very dry 
 weather, the dust rises on the streets and roads like 
 drifting snow, and drifts with such force that I often 
 had to turn round, or get my face covered, until it 
 was passed, though only to encounter the same in a 
 short time. There is plenty of water in the district 
 now, however, with such a tremendous pressure, that 
 it can be spouted along the streets, broad though 
 they are, and to an extraordinary height, which is 
 very convenient for cleaning windows, laying the 
 dust, and cooling the fronts of wooden houses. Ice 
 is manufactured in Melbourne, and used for many 
 purposes, but to a great extent in hotels and res-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 103 
 
 taurants for cooling drinks. Business hours, in mer- 
 chants offices at least, are from ten to six, and, as far 
 as I could see in almost any department of trade, 
 profits are much above what is obtained in this 
 country. The people are very enthusiastic about 
 anything new, such as building a new place of wor- 
 ship, an institution, or a public acknowledgment of 
 any kind deservedly done to public men, as also of 
 encourasinir those connected with trade. And, at this 
 stage, I may mention what I am inclined to believe 
 Melbourne will be. As I have said, the site is of 
 great extent, and all who read anything about 
 Australia know that there is plenty of room to ex- 
 tend farther. The suburbs which are being added to 
 the city are St Kilda, Emerald Hill, Richmond, Col- 
 li ngwood, Flemingtown, Williamstown, and a few 
 other places, all of which in time to come will likely 
 be connected to the city by streets of houses, occupied 
 by a people who have acquired, and are willing to ac- 
 quire, the English language, and delighted to be sub- 
 ject to the British rule. Yes, the people living there 
 now are most likely laying a foundation for another 
 London, which may outstrip the one which is our 
 metropolis, and of which we may be proud. A large 
 post-office has just been finished, which, for accommo- 
 dation and ornamental beauty, surpasses many in 
 some of our largest commercial towns in this 
 country. Great excitement prevails amongst the 
 people on the arrival of the English mail, numbers
 
 164 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 of men and boys run up and down the streets hold- 
 ing open papers in their hands, and bunches of them 
 under their arms, singing out with all the strength 
 of voice they can muster, " The English mail ! the 
 English mail ! the English mail ! " The merchants 
 are anxious to know the state of the home markets, 
 and what cargoes are afloat, but the people in general 
 are fond to know the home news. Yes, on such occa- 
 sions it is in the mouth of almost everybody, " What 
 news from home ? " and the word home is so often 
 mentioned, that the very black natives call England 
 home. I visited many families, and found that they 
 all had a desire to see their relatives at home; the 
 women, in particular, were often so much affected 
 on hearing the names of friends and places men- 
 tioned, that they shed tears, when I noticed the 
 little children looked up first at their mothers and 
 then at me, wondering what was the matter. True, 
 there were exceptions, one of whom I met in Emerald 
 Hill one day, and while talking over the subject of 
 visiting Scotland, his native country, he said he would 
 as soon think of visiting the moon; but with all 
 deference to that gentleman's mind on the matter, 
 I must say I did not admire the expression. I always 
 like to hear a man express a desire to visit his native 
 country, whatever that country may be. It is manly 
 to do so. 
 
 The aborigines of Australia are a peculiar looking 
 class of people, understood to be the lowest grade of
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 165 
 
 the human race, of a dark copper colour, have thick 
 lips, large mouth, flat nose, sunken in eyes, long black 
 hair, little or no calf to their legs, and walk about 
 almost naked. I have seen a man and his wife walk- 
 ing together, but they are not allowed to appear in 
 any of the townships without a blanket — which is 
 furnished them by Government — thrown over their 
 shoulders. They are savages, have been known to 
 eat human flesh, and it is with great difficulty they 
 can be trained to lead anything like a civilised life. 
 They marry, and, according to their law, a man can 
 have more wives than one, but the second wife is 
 looked upon as inferior to the first, and she is made 
 a drudge. Their way of obtaining wives is harsh in 
 the . extreme : the first the man does is to give the 
 choice of his affection a blow on her head or shoulders 
 with his club, and then he drags her through the 
 woods by one arm, as he thinks, in safety to his own 
 party. This mode of gallantry, harsh though it may 
 appear, is quite to the taste of the young women; 
 but to show that these heathens are not destitute 
 of order, they don't marry nearer related than first 
 cousins. They are very fond of strong drink, and 
 take it until they are drunk, when, to the amusement 
 of the settlers, they appear awfully foolish, and run 
 about shrieking wildly until they fall down; but, 
 according to law, no person is allowed to supply 
 them with drink for payment. I once saw one of 
 the males rrivino- battle to an Irishman who sold
 
 166 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 drink, but he soon gave in, singing out in his own 
 way to the Irishman not to hurt him. He was about 
 five feet high, and the hair of his head appeared as if 
 there had never been a comb in it. The females are 
 horrible like dirty creatures ; they carry their chil- 
 dren, when very young, on their necks, where the 
 infants clutch the hair on the back of the mother's 
 head by instinct. This race of the human family is 
 fast dying out, but an effort has been made by the 
 Government to gather them together in a township 
 by themselves, so as to prevent extinction if possible. 
 They live by hunting, fishing, and roots out of the 
 earth. The only kind of government they have is 
 the strong over the weak, and the respect they show 
 to the aged. They live in miserable huts made of the 
 bark of trees, wander much about the country, fond 
 of their own kinds of amusement, are well pleased to 
 have our people as spectators, and although they are 
 generally lazy, some of them are useful for light 
 work. 
 
 According to what I saw, the people of Melbourne 
 live well, have animal food at almost every diet, — the 
 price of beef being threepence to fourpence per pound ; 
 mutton, twopence to threepence per pound ; the four 
 pound loaf, sixpence to sevenpence ; fish plentiful, of 
 a great many different kinds, yet, strange to say, very 
 few of them are like those catched on this side of the 
 globe. 
 
 Public works of different kinds are being estab-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 167 
 
 lishecl, and a very large factory has been lately 
 erected in Geelong for the manufacture of cloth. 
 
 In taking a look at the pawnbrokers' windows, I 
 noticed great quantities of various kinds of firearms 
 for sale, but very few purchases made, which led me 
 to think that people are in far greater safety in Aus- 
 tralia than they have been, and are therefore less in 
 need of being prepared for the burglar and the bush- 
 ranger. 
 
 But Australia, with all its beauty and advantages, 
 has, like other countries, its drawbacks. The hot 
 winds, which continue for a few days at a time, are 
 very disagreeable ; the extreme drought, the heavy 
 rains, mosquitoes, the eye disease (which is very gen- 
 eral), the strange mixture of population, and, worst of 
 all, the difficulty of rearing a family in a climate a 
 good deal subject to sudden change from heat to cold, 
 and the high charges made by doctors, — all tend to 
 alarm and annoy settlers at first ; but I had it from 
 good authority, that once people become acclimatised, 
 they scarcely ever leave the country, and if they do, 
 they often return. Instances of this came under my 
 observation on the outward voyage : many of our 
 passengers who had been in Australia for years, and 
 made up their minds to live in England, had, after 
 trying it for a while, given up the idea of doing so, 
 and were returning to Melbourne. It is of importance, 
 however, that in leaving for this far distant land a few 
 friends sro together, i n order to have each other's com-
 
 168 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 pany, not only on board ship, but particularly when 
 landing and commencing business, or being employed. 
 But whatever separations in reference to emigration 
 to such a distance take place, I would say, on no account 
 let there be a separation between husband and wife. 
 Some cases of that sort came under my observation in 
 Melbourne, — men trying to prepare homes for their 
 families, who were in the old country, — and I was told 
 about others, all of which, with few exceptions, had 
 turned out disastrous to both parties. Having my own 
 family in Scotland when I was among the Antipodeans, 
 I can speak with greater certainty on this subject than 
 I could have done had it been otherwise ; and as long 
 as I live I will never forget how I felt in reference to 
 family associations on one occasion in particular.* It 
 was on the evening of the last day of December, while 
 attending a watch meeting in a Wesleyan chapel to 
 sing in the new year. The chapel, a very large hand- 
 some building, was filled with (to all appearance) a 
 highly respectable audience, — the music from the 
 organ, the voice of the people, and the serenity of a 
 fine Australian summer night (because the reader will 
 keep in view it was summer there), all increased the 
 solemnity of the meeting. The service continued till 
 about five minutes before twelve o'clock, when we all 
 kept quiet ; and just as the clock struck the hour, we 
 immediately commenced to sing the favourite Wes- 
 
 * I thought of taking out my family and settling in Melbourne at this 
 time.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 1G9 
 
 leyan hymn, the first verse of which I shall give here, 
 and refer the reader to the Wesleyan hymn-book for 
 the others, which he will find on the 49th page : — 
 
 " Come let us anew our journey pursue, 
 Roll round with the year, 
 And never stand still till the Master appear." 
 
 I was accustomed to accompany my family on such 
 occasions to hear and join in singing the same hymn 
 at home, and my feelings while thinking of those far 
 away need only be imagined. At such seasons of the 
 year the people visit each other, and have their parties 
 and amusements the same as in this country, only a 
 hot scorching sun shining in the north is something 
 different to frost and snow and the sun shining in the 
 south — the latter of which I had been accustomed to 
 at the beginning of every year of my life before. 
 
 Yes, Australia presents scenes quite different to 
 what any one living in this country can imagine. It 
 is a land of great extent, measuring from north to 
 south about two thousand miles, and from east to west 
 about two thousand six hundred ; is situated in the 
 Pacific Ocean between 9° and 38° of south latitude, 
 and 112° and 153° of east longitude, and abounds in 
 interest both to the philosophical inquirer and to all 
 who wish to make it the place of their residence. It 
 has been divided into three different parts, discovered 
 at different periods, each possessed of a different his- 
 tory, but all of them have been employed for the
 
 170 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 purpose of encouraging emigration. These parts con- 
 sist of New South Wales on the east, South Australia 
 in the centre, and the Swan River Settlement on the 
 west. It was discovered by a Spanish nobleman in 
 the year 1609, but the great navigator Cooke was the 
 first who gave the most extensive information regard- 
 ing it. Australia is now known to be capable of pro- 
 ducing all sorts of grain and vegetables, with fruit of 
 all varieties. The seed time is from March to June, 
 the harvest is in November and December ; but two 
 crops, potatoes in particular, can be had during twelve 
 months. All the live stock of England thrive well in 
 Australia, and the only native animals worthy of being 
 mentioned are the kangaroo and opossum. There are 
 a great variety of birds, and a great many of the parrot 
 species are brought to England and other countries by 
 sailors and others. In a sense I was sorry to leave 
 this new world, but family affairs and business matters, 
 with which I was connected in Scotland compelled me 
 to do so, and on the 18th March I stepped on board 
 the ship " Yorkshire," for England. But at the same 
 time, I could not but turn round and look at the city 
 I had left, and say to myself, " Had my family been 
 here, or likely to come, I never would leave such a 
 field of usefulness — nay more, the apparent profit for 
 the exertion I would willingly exercise." Yes, there is 
 a good chance in Australia for young energetic busi- 
 ness men, but, as I have said, more especially for the 
 working-classes of society. To them, as also to others,
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 171 
 
 there is great encouragement to become proprietors of 
 the soil, and bountifully enjoy the comforts of life. 
 To capitalists, especially those having youth and health 
 in their favour, it opens up a field of usefulness and 
 encouragement of a very attractive and profitable 
 nature, and our young men who have plenty of money 
 and time at their disposal might do well to give the 
 country a trial. Sheep-farming is one of the most 
 lucrative speculations which are entered into, but there 
 are many others which turn out profitable. 
 
 As we moved off from Sandridge, I observed a. 
 great number of people on the pier, many of whom, I 
 was inclined to think, would have been glad to return 
 with us to their native land. They and hundreds of 
 sailors from the decks and rigging of the ships lying 
 along the pier cheered us several times, when we, 
 numbering about three hundred in all, returned the 
 compliment as often, and with as much enthusiasm as 
 is generally displayed by homeward bounders. This 
 was in the afternoon, and we were moored in Hobson's 
 Bay all night. The ship was commanded by Captain 
 Anderson, a Scotchman of the right stamp, and quite 
 a gentleman, and the officers and crew all had the 
 manly and sailor-like appearance, such as led me to 
 form a good opinion of their abilities. The night 
 came on, and all the passengers were busy getting 
 their berths put in order. The bustle and commotion 
 going on put me much in mind of the scene I witnessed 
 on board the "Sussex" when leaving London, only the
 
 172 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 passengers appeared more cheerful and more delighted 
 with the idea of going home than our passengers did 
 in the " Sussex " when leaving Plymouth for Aus- 
 tralia, — a thing very natural to suppose, and to my 
 mind commendable. 
 
 We were bound for London by Cape Horn, which 
 was returning to England the opposite way to that I 
 came out, and thus giving me the chance of being in 
 all the hemispheres, and sailing round the globe. It 
 was now wetting late, and I took what I believed to 
 be the last look of the gas lights which studded the 
 shores of Hobson's Bay. A steamer lay alongside to 
 take us in tow in the morning. I heard at an 
 early hour the sailors heaving up the anchor, their 
 favourite song for such an occasion being sung in their 
 usual jolly style ; and in a very short time we were 
 under weigh. I now took a farewell glance of that 
 scene I had gazed upon so eagerly on my arrival. The 
 pier and ships around it soon began to disappear. 
 Mount Macedon beyond Melbourne — which had be- 
 come as familiar to my view as Arthur's Seat, near 
 Edinburgh — began to appear far in the distance, and 
 in a short time we were near the entrance to the bay. 
 The steamer was signalled from the ship to take us 
 out in the open ocean, and one of the officers gave 
 orders to the sailors to make ready for unfurling the 
 sails. Not long after this we were outside the Heads, 
 still in tow of the steamer, which left us about two 
 miles from land in the South Pacific Ocean, when we
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 173 
 
 spread our sails to catch the breeze to waft us along 
 to good Old England. This was on Tuesday the 19th. 
 It was a stiff breeze, and as the ship dashed along I 
 gazed at the land I had so often wished to see, but 
 which, to all appearance, I now looked upon for the 
 last time ; and although well aware that it was rich, 
 fertile, and suitable for many classes who might do 
 well to settle upon it, yet I felt as if I could sing with 
 the poet, " There's no place like home." 
 
 Being now fairly under weigh to cross the seas, 
 which, in olden times, often took from four to six 
 months to accomplish, we began to talk about how 
 long we would be in making the passage, what sort of 
 a ship the " Yorkshire " was, if we had good officers 
 and sailors, how the messes would be arranged, &c. I 
 noticed that the most of the passengers had supplied 
 themselves with the extra provisions I referred to in 
 my notes on the outward voyage, and I would mention 
 here that the smoked ham should not be too salt, but 
 rather of Stewart's or Baillie's mild cure. 
 
 Instead of sailing close by Van Diemen's Land, as 
 some of us expected, we kept near the coast of Aus- 
 tralia, and as we passed along, we saw Cape Shank, 
 Cape West Port, West Port Bay, and the lights put 
 up on some of the head lands. We then passed a 
 number of small islands, and a number of rocks of 
 a light brown colour, of great height, and almost 
 perpendicular. 
 
 The night was now on, and as we were standing
 
 174 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 out to seaward, I imagined we would be out of sight 
 of land the next day. Far in the distance on the land, 
 we observed a bush fire, and as I gazed at it I thought 
 it strange that the first sight which met my eye at 
 Sandridge when I arrived was a ship in flames, and 
 now, when leaving, the last to look upon to be nothing 
 less than part of the country itself in a blaze. And 
 thus I again began to think of the Continent as it 
 vanished from my view ; but so strange are the scenes 
 to be witnessed on it, that I feel at a loss for words to 
 describe it. I shall, however, give, as something 
 additional to what I have said already, a few of its 
 characteristics in the words of Field. He says, " This 
 is New Holland, where it is summer with us when it 
 is winter in Europe, and vice versa ; where the baro- 
 meter rises before bad weather, and falls before good ; 
 where the north is the hot wind, and the south the cold ; 
 where the humblest house is fitted up with cedar; 
 where the fields are fenced with mahogany, and myrtle 
 trees are burnt for firewood ; where the kangaroo — an 
 animal between the squirrel and the deer — has five 
 claws on its fore paws, and three talons on its hind 
 legs like a bird, and yet hops on its tail ; where the 
 mole lays eggs, and has a duck's bill ; where there is a 
 bird with a broom in its mouth instead of a tongue ; 
 where there is a fish one-half belonging to the genus 
 raict, and the other to that of squalus ; where the 
 pears are made of wood with the stalk at the broader 
 end ; and where the cherry grows with the stone on
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 17o 
 
 the outside." I can testify to the above being facts, 
 because I have seen it all. 
 
 Wednesday the 20th. — Wilson's Promontory, a very 
 high headland, was passed in the morning. The 
 weather was fine, the wind was in our favour, and we 
 all appeared to be in good spirits. We passed a 
 number of islands called Kent's Group about two 
 o'clock in the afternoon, and I was told that some of 
 them are only inhabited by wild dogs. About this 
 time three stowaways made their appearance, and 
 gave themselves up to the captain to be dealt with 
 according to his pleasure, who did not treat them so 
 harshly as some captains do with such characters, but 
 told them they would get work assigned to them by 
 one of the officers. As there are generally two or 
 three stowaways that turn up in many passenger 
 ships, and as they become very useful in attending to 
 odds and ends, and doing dirty work, it is understood 
 that the sailors have something to do with the stowing 
 of them away; but if it be so, such is not the case 
 always, as it has been known that stowaways have 
 died where they concealed themselves, and their bodies 
 only found when the cargo was taken out of the vessel. 
 The arrangements on board the " Yorkshire " for the 
 accommodation of passengers were almost the same as 
 that on board the "Sussex." She was 1100 tons 
 register, and belonged to the same owners — Messrs 
 Money, Wigram, & Sons, London. We had a milch
 
 176 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 cow, a bountiful supply of pigs, sheep, and poultry ; 
 and, as something different from the live stock on board 
 the " Sussex," we had a kangaroo (which was being 
 taken home by one of the passengers) — which gave us 
 much sport — an opossum, an eagle, hawk, and a great 
 variety of other birds, principally of the parrot species, 
 which kept speaking and singing, to the great amuse- 
 ment of the passengers, though to the disturbance of a 
 few, who would not put up with the noise these parrots 
 made in the cabins, where some of them were kept in 
 cages by their owners. 
 
 Our passengers were composed of people from 
 various countries, but more or less could all speak the 
 English language, so that any one desirous of obtaining 
 information had a good chance of adding to his own 
 stock ; indeed, while on such a long voyage as that to 
 Australia and back, passengers have a great advantage 
 in acquiring a knowledge of various and amusing sub- 
 jects ; and I would say to commercial men especially, 
 that if they find their health giving way under the 
 pressure of business, they cannot do much better than 
 take a voyage to Australia and back. Once on board 
 ship, the anxiety necessarily attending business is at 
 an end for a long time, and although there are dangers 
 connected with a sea voyage, still I never saw much 
 fear amongst the passengers. True, when it was very 
 coarse weather, we were more or less a little frightened ; 
 but no sooner did we get into where it was fine, than 
 all the storms were forgotten, and we were then a very
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 177 
 
 happy company. We had a number of families on 
 board, and a great many young unmarried men re- 
 turning home with the intention of taking to them- 
 selves wives in their own countries, and often did they 
 speak about it. Indeed, it was amusing to hear them 
 sometimes when they were assembled together for the 
 purpose of taking the subject into consideration. I 
 suppose they imagined I was like themselves, on the 
 outlook for a better-half ; in a sense they were right, 
 and in order to enjoy their company and they mine, 
 I never put them off their opinion. One day when 
 several were giving their views as to the qualifica- 
 tions a wife should have, so as to make a home happy, 
 an ignorant, peculiar-looking fellow, who had made a 
 little money at the gold diggings, began to descant at 
 a tremendous rate as to this, that, and the other 
 qualification his wife should have, the same as if he 
 was sure to get a lady with such accomplishments just 
 on asking her. I kept my gravity for a while, but 
 ultimately burst out in a fit of laughter, and others 
 joined me, to the great astonishment of this man, who 
 seemed to be very much displeased, and wished to 
 know what we were laughing at, when the question 
 asked just set us a-laughing again at his expense. 
 
 In comparing the passengers with those who came 
 out in the " Sussex," there was a decided difference. 
 As homeward bounders, we were all looking forward 
 to a happy meeting with our friends in our native 
 
 land, and joy gladdened every heart, while, on the 
 
 M
 
 178 
 
 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 other hand, in going out it only gladdened the hearts 
 of a few, so far as meeting relatives was concerned. 
 
 TJiursday the 21st. — It was a strong breeze from 
 the south, and we were sailing north-east-by-east. 
 
 Friday the 22tZ. — The distance we had run in our 
 true course was three hundred miles. This was at 
 twelve o'clock noon, and we were steering south by 
 east. I shall now give the latitude, longitude, and 
 distance sailed each day till we sighted England, and 
 only refer to them again at any time a particular 
 occurrence takes place. 
 
 Lat. 
 
 Distance 
 Lon. sailed 
 in Miles. 
 
 Distance 
 Lat. Lon. sailed 
 in Miles. 
 
 March 22. ... 
 
 300 
 
 April 6. 50°53's 130°8'w 262 
 
 23. 41°44's 
 
 151°18'e 91 
 
 7. 57 26 123 4 241 
 
 24. 42 14 
 
 153 10 84 
 
 8. 52 10 116 5 252 
 
 25. 42 32 
 
 145 53 116 
 
 9. 53 11 109 49 268 
 
 26. 45 2 
 
 159 16 219 
 
 10. 54 6 103 12 242 
 
 27. 47 51 
 
 164 8 275 
 
 11. 54 36 96 44 233 
 
 28. 49 2 
 
 170 36 277 
 
 12. 55 30 91 13 201 
 
 29. 49 4 
 
 177 18 271 
 
 13. 56 28 83 42 254 
 
 X}«« 
 
 177 9 w 504 
 
 14. 56 80 125 
 J No Lat., Lon., or 
 ' \ Dis. given. 
 
 31. 48 49 
 
 164 5 241 
 
 fNo L 
 April l.j Dis 
 
 at., Lon., or 
 
 16. 57°37's 65°14'w2S3 
 
 given. 
 
 17. 55 43 61 7 178 
 
 2. 49°22's 
 
 I56°ll'w217 
 
 18. fNo Lat., Lon., or 
 19. 1 Dis. given. 
 
 3. 49 40 
 
 1 49 43 250 
 
 4. 50 13 
 
 144 2 223 
 
 20. 52°35's 55°34'wll2 
 
 5. 50 41 
 
 137 271 
 
 21. 50 4 51 51 205
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 
 
 179 
 
 Distance 
 
 
 Distance 
 
 Lat. Lon. sailed 
 
 Lat. 
 
 Lon. sailed 
 
 in Miles. 
 
 
 in Miles. 
 
 April 22. 47°4S's 48°20'w200 
 
 May 1 6. 1°53'n 
 
 30°16'w 174 
 
 23. 46 5 46 2 147 
 
 17. 3 29 
 
 30 26 96 
 
 j No Lat., Lon., or 
 ' \ Dis. given. 
 
 1 8. 5 2 
 
 30 22 95 
 
 19. 7 5 
 
 31 41 148 
 
 25. 41°47's 40°43'w221 
 
 20. 9 54 
 
 34 12 280 
 
 f No Lat., Lon., or 
 26. \ t.. 
 
 I. Dis. given. 
 
 21. 12 30 
 
 36 38 212 
 
 22. 15 28 
 
 37 55 196 
 
 27. 38°19's 34°51'wl98 
 
 23. 19 29 
 
 38 43 244 
 
 28. 34 36 32 28 245 
 
 24. 22 49 
 
 39 42 212 
 
 29. 33 16 32 2 87 
 
 25. 26 4 
 
 40 57 214 
 
 / ^"° ^at., Lon., or 
 ' \ Dis. given. 
 
 26. 28 12 
 
 41 39 131 
 
 27. 29 
 
 42 22 68 
 
 May 1. 30°23's 30°52'wl07 
 
 28. 29 17 
 
 41 29 23 
 
 2. 27 53 29 39 164 
 
 ( No Lat., Lon., or 
 
 3. 24 21 20 18 214 
 
 29. i .p.. 
 1 Dis. 
 
 given. 
 
 4. 20 47 80 14 220 
 
 30. 32°24'n 
 
 38°44'w 220 
 
 5. 18 22 31 42 162 
 
 31. 34 55 
 
 35 52 229 
 
 6. 16 35 33 10 143 
 
 June 1. 36 31 
 
 34 18 113 
 
 7. 15 52 33 40 53 
 
 2. 38 55 
 
 32 24 180 
 
 8. 15 39 32 41 81 
 
 3. 40 59 
 
 29 18 181 
 
 9. 15 25 31 30 76 
 
 4. 42 40 
 
 25 47 186 
 
 10. 14 48 31 41 39 
 
 5. 44 14 
 
 22 22 187 
 
 f No Lat., Lon., or 
 ' \ Dis. given. 
 
 6. 45 56 
 
 17 40 214 
 
 7. 47 28 
 
 14 59 156 
 
 12. ll°17's 30°0'w 156 
 
 8. 48 29 
 
 11 31 146 
 
 13. 7 54 31 20 209 
 
 i No Lat., Lon., or 
 
 14. 4 18 ' 31 1 221 
 
 M Dis. 
 
 given. 
 
 15. 58 30 41 203 
 
 10. 49°52'n 
 
 7°27'w 76 
 
 Saturday the 23d was a fine day, and all the 
 passengers were ordered on deck, so as to get the 
 ship fumigated — a regulation which was attended to 
 every Saturday. It was sometimes very disagreeable 
 for families to be disturbed in this way, but it was of 
 the greatest importance to have the ship kept clean,
 
 180 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 in order to prevent disease. The doctor called along 
 the cabins where we had our berths every forenoon 
 about eleven o'clock, ascertained how we all were, 
 took notes of complaints, saw that cleanliness was 
 strictly attended to, and if any medicine was required, 
 he called back with it himself. A large cabin be- 
 tween the steerage and the intermediate was set apart 
 for an hospital; there were two water-closets close 
 by it on the same side of the ship, and a number of 
 others elsewhere. By this time we had got matters 
 arranged as to messes, and we soon began to get 
 acquainted with each other. Indeed, the free and 
 easy style of a colonial life was very apparent 
 amongst the passengers — all exhibiting an indepen- 
 dent, brave, and sociable demeanour, and ready to 
 talk about adventures. 
 
 Sunday the 24th dawned with a fine breeze 
 from the south. All the sails suitable were set ; the 
 ship was going about seven miles an hour ; and as the 
 sun began to cast his cheering beams across the eastern 
 sky, I thought of those he had left in darkness, and 
 how each part of the globe had its share of light and 
 darkness allotted to it. As the morning came on, the 
 ship's decks began to be covered with men, women, 
 and children, all neat, clean, and well dressed. Indeed, 
 that was one thing I observed in the colony, much to 
 the credit of mothers there. The children at school 
 were all so clean and nicely dressed, that it made it a
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 181 
 
 pleasure to their teachers to be in their midst. After 
 the breakfast was over, many of us prepared for 
 church. The bell began to toll about eleven o'clock, 
 and the service was conducted by the captain, assisted 
 by one of the first-cabin passengers. Although the 
 captain was a Scotchman, he conducted the service 
 according to the rules of the Episcopalian Church. I 
 do not wish to infer that a Scotchman should not be 
 an Episcopalian. I merely refer to it to show that it 
 is the exception, and not general, for Scotchmen to be 
 members of that Church. I may mention here that, 
 according to what I heard, the Episcopalian Church in 
 Melbourne is attended by a very large and wealthy 
 congregation ; and by what I saw, I must say that for 
 dress and fashion they take the lead. A few of the 
 passengers had been sea-sick, but, with an exception 
 or two, all appeared well and cheerful ; and for my 
 own part, now that I was fairly under way for my 
 friends in the far north, while thinking about them 
 all, my thoughts drifted towards my father's cottage, 
 where I had reason to believe he still lived, though 
 nearly eighty years old, and, in the words of the poet, 
 I could truly say : — 
 
 " 'Twas there I prattled first a prayer, 
 'Twas there I used to play, 
 And, resting on my mothers breast, 
 
 In slumber close the day. 
 O'er those dear times, now ever past, 
 My memory fond doth glide,
 
 182 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Endearing to my heart still more 
 Our Cottage Fireside. 
 
 " I used to wander gladsome, free, 
 
 Through gardens, fields, and bowers, 
 To pluck the daisies, buttercups, 
 
 And other sweet wild flowers. 
 Then home returning, loaded well, 
 
 I'd spread my napkin wide, 
 And plait them into garlands near 
 
 Our Cottage Fireside. 
 
 " There many a tale I have heard told 
 
 Of wonders that have been — 
 Stories of witches, wizards, ghosts, 
 
 By our forefathers seen. 
 Then, though affrighted, I cared not, 
 
 So long as I could hide 
 By drawing my stool closer to 
 
 Our Cottage Fireside. 
 
 " My father read the Bible there, 
 
 His voice I seem to hear, 
 In fancy see roll down his face 
 
 The holy pious tear ; 
 When he would speak, in melting strains, 
 
 Of Jesus' love who died, 
 Till like a heaven on earth appeared 
 
 Our Cottage Fireside." 
 
 Tuesday the 26th. — It was blowing strong, and we 
 had to shorten sail. 
 
 Thursday the 2Hth. — We had a gale from the west,
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 183 
 
 and were running at a great rate. Some of the lady- 
 passengers were sick, and some of them frightened. 
 The sailors, however, showed no fear, but while pulling 
 the ropes kept singing their jolly sea-songs, which 
 cheered us very much. When the nights were dark, 
 the storm raging, the seas running mountains high, 
 and the heavy billows now and again rolling in over 
 the quarter, as it often did, and sometimes rushing 
 down the main hatch, alarming the passengers, nothing 
 encouraged us more than to hear those brave men 
 cheerily singing out while at their duty in very peril- 
 ous situations ; indeed, their songs and their holloing, 
 while the ship was being tossed from mountain wave 
 to mountain wave, rings as it were in my ears at the 
 present time. The wind moderated to a light breeze, 
 and on Saturday the 30th we had got into 180° east 
 longitude, thus being exactly opposite the meridian of 
 Greenwich ; and the reader will observe that, taking 
 into account all I have sailed since leaving London up 
 to this point, I have only sailed over one-half of the 
 globe, and that it is mid-day at 180° east or west lon- 
 gitude when it is midnight in England, and vice versa. 
 Were we to go on reducing the 180° of west longitude 
 until we get to England, we would be a day ahead of 
 the time the people had it there — or, in other words, 
 if it was Monday with them, it would be Tuesdaj- with 
 us — so that, in order to arrive in England on the same 
 day of the week the people had it there, we enjoyed 
 two Saturdays at this time instead of one. By rights
 
 184 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 we should only have taken twelve hours, because that 
 was all we had gained, but, in order to save another 
 alteration of time when we got nearer England, we 
 took the whole day into calculation at once, and by 
 calling it no-time, we arrived in London on the same 
 day the people had it there. I have often heard the 
 question asked, " How is it there can be three Sundays 
 coming together ?" If the question was put to me, I 
 would say to my interrogator, " Suppose you and I set 
 out together from London to go round the world, you 
 go eastward and I go westward. After we have made 
 fifteen degrees, you will reckon an hour after twelve 
 o'clock, and I but eleven before. It will be twelve of 
 the clock with you an hour sooner than it is at London, 
 and with me an hour later. At 180° it will be noon 
 with you twelve hours sooner, and twelve hours later 
 with me. Having gone round the 360°, it will be noon 
 with you twenty-four hours sooner, and twenty-four 
 hours later with me, and, consequently, you will reckon 
 one day more, and I one day less. If, at our return, it 
 is Sunday in London, it will be Monday with you, 
 and Saturday with me. Some will say it is Sunday 
 to-day, and you will say it was yesterday, and I shall 
 say it will be to-morrow, and thus is accounted the 
 three Sundays in a week. Let us suppose two indi- 
 viduals at a like age to die both at the same time at 
 the end of such voyage, one at fifteen degrees east- 
 ward, and the other at fifteen degrees westward, one 
 will be dead two hours before the other, though not
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 185 
 
 sooner. As, for example, one dies at ten of the clock 
 and the other at twelve, and yet they both died at the 
 same time. I expect that the reader who has not 
 studied the above subject before, will, by thinking 
 over what I have said, understand now how it is that 
 the time is different in every place east and west from 
 London or Greenwich, from which place our longitude 
 commences. I was amused at some of our passengers 
 when they heard we were to have another Saturday. 
 The fact is, some of them would not believe it, and 
 wished to keep the second Saturday as Sunday. 
 
 Monday, the 1st of April, was a dull kind of day, 
 and we had such thick weather that no latitude, lon- 
 gitude, or distance were put on the board. The board 
 I refer to always hung on the railing above the first- 
 cabin door. It was painted black, and the second 
 officer wrote on it with white chalk the latitude and 
 longitude, as also the distance run every day. This 
 was done immediately after twelve o'clock, and was 
 always something new to us, and a good deal of amuse- 
 ment resulted from the betting going on amongst the 
 passengers as to the distance run. The bet was gene- 
 rally a bottle of ale or porter, which assisted the 
 steward in getting his stock reduced ; indeed, there 
 had been such a demand during the voyage, that he 
 was nearly sold out before we reached England. The 
 only kind of music we had worth listening to was 
 from the violin, the owners having supplied us with a
 
 186 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 fiddler, who, on the fine evenings, generally took his 
 seat at the mainmast upon the main deck, when danc- 
 ing went on evening after evening till a late hour. 
 The first officer was a jolly sailor-like gentleman ; had 
 a strong voice, which, when giving orders, rung through 
 the ship as from a trumpet ; was always ready to do 
 all in his power to amuse and make the passengers 
 happy — not only the old but the young as well. We 
 had a great number of them on board, and many a 
 handful of confections and fancy -bread did he throw 
 amongst them on the main deck, when there was sure 
 to be the usual scramble, to the amusement of the other 
 passengers. He was an excellent singer, and favoured 
 us with many a song — one of his favourites being, 
 " The Men of Merry, Merry England," in the chorus of 
 which many of us joined. There were on board some 
 old people who had been in Australia many years, but 
 who told me they wished to spend the last of their 
 days in their native land. There were middle-aged 
 and young as well, all looking forward to a happy 
 meeting with relatives from whom they had been 
 separated for many years. They had seen strange 
 sights, been exposed to many dangers, and struggled 
 hard to make money in foreign countries ; but home, 
 with all its varied attractions, had not been forgot- 
 ten, and here they were cheerfully crossing the seas 
 to visit, and perhaps remain in their fatherland, though 
 I doubt not many of them will return to the fine climate 
 of Australia again, and join old associates.
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 187 
 
 Wednesday the 3d. — The wind was from the west ; 
 more sail was clapped on ; the sea was smooth ; and 
 all were well except two of the sailors, — the one had 
 gone insane, and had to be put in a strait-jacket ; the 
 other was sick, and had to be put in the hospital. 
 
 Saturday the 6th was a fine day. The sailor in 
 the hospital was sinking fast in rapid consumption, 
 and one of his mates was attending to him, poor fel- 
 low. I saw him at this time ; he was quite a young- 
 man, about twent}'-one years old, a native of London, 
 worn to a skeleton, and just breathing, — certainly a 
 very melancholy sight to witness on board ship. 
 
 Sunday the 7th. — It was blowing a gale from the 
 west ; we shipped heavy seas ; some of the ladies 
 were frightened, wishing the hatches to be battened 
 down till we were round Cape Horn. As night came 
 on, the storm increased ; the sea was running very 
 high, the ship was going before it, rolling tremend- 
 ously, and as we had moonlight, the scene of the 
 troubled waters reflecting her beams was again pre- 
 sented to my view, putting me in mind of the outward 
 voyage. 
 
 Friday the 12th.— When in latitude 55° 30' south, 
 longitude 91° 13' west, the sailor in the hospital died, 
 at about ten o'clock A.M. It was a dull rainy morning ; 
 he was buried at one p.m. The funeral ceremony was
 
 188 JOUENAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 conducted by the captain in a similar way to what I 
 described the ceremony in connection with the voyage 
 out, only it being one of our sailors, and the others, 
 along with the passengers, standing with hats off, 
 witnessing the scene, made it more solemn. As the 
 corpse, sewed up in canvas, was committed to the 
 deep, I heard one of the passengers say, " That is the 
 way many of us ramblers go ;" and while musing 
 upon what had passed, I composed the following lines, 
 evincing: reflection : — 
 
 *& 
 
 While far from home and kindred dear, 
 
 His spirit took its flight; 
 And now to monsters of the deep 
 
 His dust may be in sight. 
 
 Will those who saw the solemn scene 
 
 Take warning and be wise ? 
 And so live here, and bow to death — 
 
 As saints they shall arise. 
 
 Saturday the 13th. — We had a fine breeze from the 
 west, and this being the captain's birthday, preparation 
 was made for a social gathering in the intermediate 
 saloon (as I shall call it) between decks, in the evening. 
 As the purser informed us we would have plenty of 
 hot grog served out to us, we arranged among ourselves 
 to have a chairman, and that hot grog, songs, and 
 speeches would form the elements of our enjoyment. 
 Accordingly, a chairman was secured, who took a pro-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 189 
 
 minent seat in our midst, so as to keep order. The 
 long space from the bulk's head forward to that aft 
 was soon filled with all classes to begin with. The 
 purser — not too soon — came with a bucketful of the 
 needful (according to the estimation of some) ; each 
 mess was called, when, in regular order, one after 
 another got their allowance measured out, which was 
 for most part taken away in coffee-pots, and imme- 
 diately after the chairman gave the order to fill a 
 bumper, which was done in various kinds of vessels, 
 and when the captain's health was proposed and 
 responded to with an enthusiasm which rung from 
 stem to stern of the ship. We then set to in right 
 good earnest to have a night's enjoyment, and I must 
 say that, considering the occasion and the company, 
 we were all very orderly, and spent a very happy 
 evening, though, I doubt not, some would have sore 
 heads in the morning. The truth is, to some extent 
 drinking strong drink is to be seen on board passenger 
 ships as well as on land, and those who have a desire 
 for the intoxicating liquid can indulge if they like; 
 but I feel it to be a pleasure in being able to say, that 
 both on the voyage out and home, there was very little 
 of the abominable evil of drunkenness seen, and, for 
 my own part, I unhesitatingly say, that, except a little 
 spirits to be used as medicine, I saw no need for grog 
 whatever ; and I noticed that some of our best sailors 
 were total abstainers ; others, however, said it did 
 them good in very cold weather.
 
 190 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Sunday the 14>th. — We were running about eleven 
 miles an hour, and at night two men were stationed on 
 the forecastle, and told to keep a sharp look-out for 
 ships and icebergs. We were now passing Cape Horn, 
 it was very cold, and we were not a little annoyed 
 with the idea of running into an iceberg, but we very 
 fortunately touched none. These icebergs are gene- 
 rally very numerous about Cape Horn, as also ships, 
 and collisions have often taken place with both, 
 resulting in great loss of life and property. 
 
 Thursday the 18th. — We sailed close by the Falk- 
 land Islands, and as it was thick weather, we were 
 very near the land before we saw it. These islands 
 lie in the South Atlantic Ocean, in longitude 56° 30' to 
 62° 16' west, latitude 51° 6' to 52° 30' south. There 
 are no natives and no trees, but the climate is said to 
 be very healthy, and the islands belong to Great 
 Britain. 
 
 Saturday the 27th. — The wind was blowing strong 
 from the south-west ; the sea began to get up ; the 
 wind increased to a gale ; the wild waters rolled in 
 huge waves, till it became like hills breaking over 
 each other, and sometimes breaking over the ship — 
 — large though she was — making her shake like a 
 leaf. This scene put me much in mind of the storm 
 in the Indian Ocean, to which I have referred. The 
 gale still increased ; the sea rolled and broke with
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 191 
 
 greater violence than I had ever seen it, and as the 
 gale was still likely to increase, orders were given to 
 our sailors to go aloft and take in more sail, which 
 order they obeyed upon the instant. It was said that 
 some captains would have hove the ship to, but our 
 captain, who was on the poop, kept her running, and 
 taking care to do so as steadily as possible, which was 
 of the greatest importance while the men were on the 
 yards. All eyes were directed towards those brave 
 fellows, who were now and again clutching the sail 
 they wished to furl, but which was sometimes napping 
 about them with a noise like thunder. While this was 
 going on, they all of a sudden gave a shout, as if one 
 of them had fallen, but to our great delight they were 
 all there, and pointing out to us that there was danger 
 a-head, viz., a ship which had hove to, and which was 
 nearly under our bows. Our course was immediately 
 altered, and in a minute or two we passed her, and 
 soon left her far in the distance. I had never seen a 
 vessel hove to before, and the sight of her dancing on 
 the wild, mountainous billows, which were now and 
 again breaking over her, will never go out from before 
 my mind's eye. As we lost sight of her, we thought 
 she was wearing round, and getting under weigh to run 
 after us. It is the last resort to heave a ship to, and 
 no captain having had to do so likes to see a vessel 
 running past him. We, however, left her struggling 
 with the raging tempest, — our own ship, though much 
 larger, having enough to do.
 
 192 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 Thursday the 2d May. — We were getting into the 
 tropics, the weather was fine, and in the evening we 
 got a number of lamps hung up above the main deck 
 to give us light; the fiddler made his appearance, took 
 up his old station at the mainmast ; and, in a very 
 short time, the place presented the appearance of a 
 ball-room. The sound of the violin soon put the 
 dancers on their legs, and in truthfulness it could be 
 seen, in the words of the poet, — 
 
 " The dancing pair, that simply seek renown 
 By holding out to tire each other down ; 
 Tenant and lord compete with jovial air, 
 And the best dancer is the best man there." 
 
 The sailors were delighted with this kind of enjoyment, 
 and they were the life of the amusement, not only on 
 this occasion, but at any time that dancing or any other 
 kind of sport was going on. 
 
 Monday the 6th. — It was very hot. The insane 
 sailor, who had been kept in close confinement, was 
 taken on deck, and such a wild-like look as he had I 
 shall never forget. He was handcuffed, and another 
 sailor was in charge of him, always keeping between 
 him and the ports, which were now open to produce a 
 current of air along the decks. The sailors in general, 
 however, would not believe that he was insane, but 
 that he was only feigning himself such, so as to get
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 193 
 
 quit of his work ; and more than that, they protested 
 against him being insane, upon the ground that they 
 never heard of such a thing as a mad sailor, and ap- 
 pealed to the passengers if ever they did. By this time, 
 another man turned up apparently wrong in the upper 
 storey as well, holding out for a fact that he was the 
 victim of the nineteenth century, that he had been un- 
 justly punished in Australia, endeavouring to persuade 
 us that he was innocent of the crime laid to his charge, 
 and this having become known to the authorities, he 
 had been released from jail before the time had ex- 
 pired he was sentenced to be there, and as he had been 
 appealing to the Government of Victoria for redress 
 and got no satisfaction, he was now on his way to 
 England to lay his case before the Home Government, 
 and that he knew the Victoria authorities had em- 
 ployed men on board the ship to take away his life, so 
 as to prevent it being known that they had punished 
 an innocent man. I noticed, however, that with all 
 his eccentricity — and certainly he had plenty of it — 
 he never forgot to mention in his rambling speeches 
 that he had published a book setting forth his 
 grievances, and that there had been such a demand for 
 it in Australia that thousands of copies had been sold 
 — and he had plenty of them on board — showing me 
 that, foolish though he was thought to be, he was wise 
 enough to know how to get his books sold and make 
 money. Owing to the foolish way he conducted him- 
 self, some of the passengers were continually molesting 
 
 N
 
 194 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 him ; and one day he had hung out one of his blankets 
 to air, some of these fellows cut it in pieces, which put 
 him in a great rage, so much so, that he certainly did 
 appear insane, and a notice signed by the captain was 
 pasted on the mainmast, to the effect that any one 
 found guilty of provoking or otherwise annoying Mr 
 Milton (which was the name of the gentleman) would 
 be punished according to law when arriving in Eng- 
 land ; but to the end of the voyage, there was always 
 .something turning up in connection with him, and 
 many a laugh we had in listening to the nonsense he 
 said. I should have referred to our passing Trinidad 
 on the 4th. We were then in latitude 20° 47' south, 
 longitude SO 40' west, and being aware that the island 
 belonged to the Portuguese, and it was there they sent 
 some of their criminals, I took a good look at it, and 
 thought of their isolated and lonely position in the 
 middle of the ocean. 
 
 Being now fairly in the tropics, the new sails were 
 unbent, and the old ones put in their place, just as 
 was done on the voyage out. The weather was fine, 
 and day after day the ship glided on through a 
 smooth and cqjparent motionless sea ; and amongst 
 the amusements going on, we had meetings for dis- 
 cussion, when many topics were brought under our 
 notice. As there were some old colonists amongst us, 
 I listened with attention to their account of Australia, 
 and it was very interesting. In talking of the natives,
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 195 
 
 they said these savages were not without their amuse- 
 ments, though the generality of them were of a bar- 
 barous kind. At a very early age, the boys are 
 •accustomed to throwing the spear, and to self-defence. 
 They commence by throwing reeds at each other, and 
 are soon ready to use a weightier weapon with great 
 precision. The boys also from the time they can run 
 until induced by manhood when they can enjoy their 
 sports better, divert themselves with stealing the 
 females, whom they treat in their sport but little 
 better than when they come to be in earnest. Some 
 of the women have been seen with more scars upon 
 their heads, cut in every direction, than many people 
 would be inclined to believe, — all done by the males 
 to show their superiority over them. These natives 
 meet very often for dancing and battle, from which 
 both parties retire streaming with blood, and yet well 
 pleased with each other. They are very fond of danc- 
 ing, and, at such times, men and women, painted in a 
 savage-like mode, all mix together in confused-like 
 groups — sometimes in pairs — dancing back to back, 
 then changing suddenly, and dancing face to face. 
 At times the performers sit down with their feet 
 under them, and at a particular word, they jump up 
 without any assistance from their hands. Then they 
 run backwards and forwards in direct rows, when 
 they form a circle, with some person they admire 
 standing in the centre. They have no knowledge of 
 letters, but they have names for the sun and moon, a
 
 196 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 few of the stars, and the milky way. They are very 
 indolent, and never make provision for the morrow, 
 except when a whale happens to get aground, and 
 they cannot manage to devour it in one day. Such 
 was the account given of the natives on this day by 
 several in the company, and I had seen something of 
 it myself. After talking about some other things, the 
 meeting broke up, with the understanding that there 
 would be another at some other time, when we would 
 hear more of each other's news, and have more in- 
 formation regarding Australia. The meeting was not 
 long over, when we heard that there was to be a fight 
 between the two mates employed to serve the cooks, 
 which was to take place late in the evening, and that 
 every precaution had been made so as not to allow 
 the captain to know anything about it. Two seconds 
 were appointed, and it was arranged that the cook 
 whose man was beat should stand a certain number of 
 bottles of ale. Just as sure as it was talked about, 
 so it came to pass. The spot where the fight was to 
 take place was selected near the fore hatch ; a great 
 number of spectators assembled ; the two combatants 
 made their appearance, and the fight commenced. 
 The two (both young men) struck out bravely ; first 
 one fell, then another; then getting up, they turned 
 to again. I must say I did not care much about 
 being a spectator, but noticed that just at the very 
 time one of them was being attended to by his second, 
 he was struck by his opponent, which was contrary to
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 197 
 
 the rule, and thus lost the day, to the great disappoint- 
 ment of his superior, the cook, who had to pay for so 
 many bottles of ale. At first it was considered to be 
 only a joke, but before it was finished, there was no 
 joke in it, as I saw blood, or, as the sailors called it, 
 claret, flowing from the two young men in streams. 
 Had it come to the ears of the captain it most likely 
 would have been represented to him as a joke, but I 
 unhesitatingly say that such encouragement to mis- 
 chief ought not to be tolerated, especially on ship- 
 board, because the vessels in motion roll. 
 
 About this time some of the pigs died and were 
 thrown overboard. One of the dogs went mad with 
 the heat ; he was, however, got hold of, a string put 
 through the skin on the back of his neck, and made 
 fast with a chain, where he stood howling in a pitiful 
 manner. While this was going on, the butcher was 
 busy butchering some of the pigs, in case they took 
 the disease the others died of, and would have to be 
 thrown overboard. At the same time, the wild birds 
 and poultry were all adding their share of noise as 
 well, altogether presenting a scene of uproar of an 
 amusing character. 
 
 Tuesday the 7th. — It was very hot, so much so that 
 the insane sailor was making great lament in his cabin, 
 where he was kept secured by a piece of chain, and 
 had to be taken on deck. I was walking on the 
 house, which was situated between the main mast
 
 198 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 and the forecastle, at the time he made his appear- 
 ance, which was anything but pleasant to look at. 
 He began to sing about religion, and threw himself 
 into many peculiar shapes, in every way exhibiting 
 that he was unconscious of what he was doing. The 
 sailor in charge of him at this time was one of those 
 who would not believe he was mad, and while pacing 
 the main deck alongside of him he often turned round 
 to him, making a remark, to the great amusement of 
 the onlookers, such as, "Be quiet, man, you are making' 
 
 a fool of yourself," — the same as if he was not 
 
 a fool. Not many minutes after this, however, he 
 pitched his hat out one of the ports, which almost 
 convinced his protector that he was mad after all ; 
 indeed, this insane man, and the one who said he was- 
 the victim of the nineteenth century, kept us with 
 something new to speak about to the end of the 
 voyage. 
 
 Wednesday the 15th. — We crossed the line this 
 evening in longitude 30° 41' west, and although it 
 is considered to be a long way to sail from England 
 to the equator, we thought we were now near home. 
 Groups of passengers could now be seen shaking 
 hands, and congratulating each other on the pro- 
 gress we had made. 
 
 Friday the 2UL— When in latitude 22° 49' north, 
 longitude 39° 42' west, a vessel close to us crossed
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 199 
 
 our bows, and although we bore down upon her in 
 order to speak, she seemingly was not inclined for 
 conversation, as she ran away from us. This being 
 the Queen's birthday, the officer having charge gave 
 orders to the purser to see that we all enjoyed our- 
 selves, and, accordingly, fresh meat which had been 
 prepared the day before was bountifully served out 
 to all, as also rum, ale, and porter, which, in connec- 
 tion with the preparation made for the occasion by 
 the different messes to have pies, tarts, plum-pudding, 
 and other kinds of dishes on their tables, presented to 
 my eye one of the finest banquets I had ever wit- 
 nessed on board ship before. We all enjoyed the day 
 very much, and flags were hoisted to show us and 
 ships passing that we were proud of our nation, and 
 the Queen who reigned over us. I need not tell the 
 reader that the song " Britannia Rules the Waves " 
 was sung with great enthusiasm as our gallant ship 
 bounded over them on this occasion. It turned out 
 to be a pleasant evening, and, as a matter of course, 
 arrangements were made to have a night's enjoyment. 
 All flocked into the intermediate, a chairman was 
 appointed, and song after song and glass after glass 
 was enjoyed, until we wound up, at a late hour, by 
 singing the National Anthem. 
 
 Thursday the 30$.— When in latitude 32° 24' 
 north, longitude 38° 44' west, we sailed through 
 what appeared to be sea-weed floating in strings
 
 200 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 parallel to each other, but what in reality were the 
 " Flowers of Florida " — so much written about — being 
 carried along by the Gulf Stream. I could not but 
 think of the poet, in describing how these flowers 
 existed, when he penned the following lines : — 
 
 " Call us not weeds ! we are flowers of the sea, 
 For lovely, and bright, and gay-tinted are we, 
 And quite independent of sunshine or showers — 
 Then call us not weeds ! we are ocean's gay flowers. 
 
 " Not nursed like the flowers in summer parterre, 
 Whose gales are but sighs of the evening air ; 
 Our exquisite, fragile, and beautiful forms 
 Are nursed by the ocean, and rocked by its storms." 
 
 As the ship dashed through these weeds (or, according 
 to the poet, " Flowers of the Sea ") we picked up great 
 quantities, and preserved them in bottles filled with 
 salt water. 
 
 Saturday the 1st June. — We had some more con- 
 versation about Australia, — some thinking that it was 
 a good country, and others saying that Old England 
 was the better of the two. Its resources, however, 
 were acknowledged to be very great, and that it only 
 required men and money so to bring out these as to 
 make it one of the best countries in the world. 
 
 After one thing and another had been talked over, 
 our favourite amusements — music and dancing — began 
 to be spoken about, and opinions expressed as to the
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 201 
 
 good or evil resulting from such. We were unani- 
 mous in believing that both were innocent amuse- 
 ments, if kept in their proper places. We considered 
 that music recreated and delighted the mind, and gave 
 it new strength to apply itself to business with more 
 vigour ; and one gentleman said he had Scripture to 
 prove that he was correct, viz., in 1 Sam. xvi. 23. 
 Then, as regarded dancing, when we thought of the 
 fact that it had always been a custom in all nations, 
 and that it was admitted in the religious ceremonies 
 of the Jews, as also that it taught the individual 
 accustomed to it to carry his body with a good air, 
 we believed that it was a good diversion, — at the 
 same time denouncing those indecent motions and 
 lascivious postures that accompany them, knowing 
 perfectly well that they were snares laid against 
 innocence and chastity, and consequently rather con- 
 tributed towards corrupting the heart than diverting 
 innocently. But country dances, which are very plain 
 and agreeable, and innocent of themselves, were con- 
 sidered the best. We had a social gathering between 
 decks at night, and all went on well until we were 
 just about finishing up, when a dispute took place 
 between an Englishman and an Italian. It appeared 
 that the foreigner would not take off his hat while 
 we were singing the National Anthem, when there 
 and then the Englishman took hold of him by the 
 throat, and had it not been that others interfered, 
 the Italian, who had his knife ready, would likely
 
 202 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 have used it in a very dangerous way. I learned, 
 however, that the Englishman was in the wrong, 
 because the Italian seemed not to understand what 
 was meant by taking oft* hats. 
 
 Monday the 3d — We had a fine breeze from the 
 south-west ; passed a vessel seemingly bound for Eng- 
 land ; a little boy about fifteen months old took ill ;. 
 porpoises were playing about the ship, and the sailors 
 were harpooning some of them, which produced some- 
 thing new in the shape of sport. 
 
 Tuesday the Hit. — When in latitude 42° 40' north, 
 longitude 25° 47' west, a Mrs Allen, one of the inter- 
 mediate passengers, gave birth to a son, and mother 
 and child both did well. About this time we had a 
 sale by auction of various kinds of goods, all of these 
 having been contributed by the passengers and crew 
 towards the relief of the London poor. The doctor 
 was the auctioneer, and so numerous were the articles 
 aiven in to be sold, that the sale continued for the 
 greater part of two days, and I was told the proceeds 
 amounted to between thirty and forty pounds. The 
 ladies had been knitting and sewing a great many 
 fancy things for the sale, and some of the sailors had 
 been making ships, all of which were sold off at very 
 high prices. For some time back we had been very 
 much annoyed with rats, and shortly after I had 
 turned in this night (just when I was falling asleep),
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 203 
 
 I felt something soft moving along my face, when the 
 first I saw was a large rat, and on looking out the 
 door of my cabin there were dozens running about the 
 tables. This prevented me from sleeping well, and 
 about two o'clock in the morning I heard the screams 
 of a lady, by which I knew there was something 
 seriously wrong. 
 
 It was not long, however, till the cause of the 
 screams was known. The little boy who had been ill 
 was dead. He had expired while in his mother's arms, 
 and she was crying bitterly. The corpse, in this case, 
 was put in a coffin, having holes on the lid and sides, 
 so that it might soon fill with water, and the whole 
 was then solemnly consigned to the deep. 
 
 The sailors were now busy scraping, cleaning, and 
 painting different parts of the ship, so as to make her 
 look well when arriving in port. In fact, the captain 
 was very particular as to keeping everything neat and 
 clean about the ship, and he gave that as one reason 
 why he got more passengers, both on the voyage out 
 and home, than many sailing ships on the Australian 
 passage ever carried. 
 
 Saturday the 8th. — We had been told that we were 
 only about two hundred miles from the Scilly Islands, 
 and orders were given to have the cable ready. In a 
 very short time after this, the rattle of the chain being- 
 pulled on deck, and the sailors' cheering song, again 
 saluted our ears. Our jolly first officer, who had been
 
 204 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 ever ready to give us pleasure in fine weather, and 
 cheer us when it was coarse, made his appearance with 
 a basketful of confections, and in his jocular way 
 •scattered it about the decks for the young folks to 
 pick up, encouraging another scramble, in which some 
 of the older people took a part, to the amusement of 
 lookers on. He then brought out his chart, and 
 showed us where we were, at the same time informing 
 us that we would soon be in England. In looking round 
 me now, it was very apparent that the thoughts of 
 amusements to pass the time were nearly at an end. 
 Every face glowed with happiness in thinking that good 
 Old England was not far off. The wind, however, 
 went round to the east, and we were afraid we might 
 be kept back for days in the Channel, on account of 
 which we were all a little dull, except the first officer, 
 who kept walking about the decks, singing "Home, 
 Sweet Home," and other well-known songs. 
 
 Monday the 10th. — The wind had been in our 
 favour for a little while, but had again gone against 
 us, and we were only thirty miles from the Scilly 
 Islands. We kept sailing close-hauled; the weather 
 was thick ; no land could be seen ; but to our great 
 delight, a small cutter hove in sight about six o'clock 
 in the evening, which turned out to be a pilot from the 
 islands referred to. She was signalled to send the 
 pilot on board, and in a very short time he was along- 
 side in a small boat ; the gangway was opened for his
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 205 
 
 entrance ; the captain was there ready to welcome him, 
 and just as they took hold of each other's hands, we 
 gave them three hearty cheers, and the captain gave the 
 pilot full charge of the ship. Thus our voyage was so 
 far at an end before we were privileged to get a glimpse 
 of the land, just eighty-four days from the time we 
 left Port-Philip Heads. Some of our passengers went 
 to these islands by the pilot's cutter, with the intention 
 of taking a steamer from there to Penzance, and after 
 ffivinsr them three cheers from the deck of our noble 
 ship, as it were bidding each other farewell, their little 
 vessel bounded fast to windward of us, and would 
 likely soon reach land. The pilot now gave orders to 
 trim the sails according to his own plan, and placed 
 men in certain positions to look out for ships, which 
 were now and again making their appearance. The 
 night came on ; the wind fell away ; the sails hung 
 idly about the masts ; and while talking to each other, 
 we were eagerly looking out for a steamer to take us 
 in tow. Few of us slept much during the night, no 
 doubt on account of the anxiety to see land, when we 
 knew we were so near it. The awful thought of how 
 the ship " Royal Charter " fared when arriving at 
 England rushed across my mind ; but hope — that 
 strong cable — did its duty in keeping up our spirits, 
 and on the morning of Tuesday the 11th, about ten 
 o'clock, our eyes, as it were, feasted on the beautiful 
 green grass, which gradually spread itself out before 
 us, on British soil. I shall never forget the cheer sent
 
 206 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 up from the deck of the " Yorkshire " as we got the 
 first glimpse of that long-looked-for sight, and how we 
 congratulated each other on having had such a pleasant 
 passage, and being privileged to gaze once more upon 
 our native land. Yes, there is a thrill of pleasurable 
 feeling which fills the heart at that moment, which is 
 impossible for me to express, and it is only those who 
 have felt how thoughts about the nearest relatives in 
 life affect the mind when in a distant land, so far away 
 from them as we had been, who can experience that 
 feeling. People may talk about emigration as they 
 may, but in order to make an adopted home in a 
 foreign land happy, great care is required on the part 
 of the emigrants, especially those composed of families, 
 to make a right choice of a destination ; and I would 
 say to them, don't be satisfied with an invitation from 
 one or two relatives (more particularly if those from 
 whom they get the invitation have young children about 
 them), for this reason, that the yearning desire on their 
 part, while in a foreign land, to see their relatives, to 
 whom they have no expectation to return, often takes 
 the place of their better judgment, and induces them 
 to encourage their friends to emigrate when circum- 
 stances do not warrant them to undertake the diffi- 
 culties and fatigue which are generally connected with 
 getting settled in a strange land. I might say more on 
 this subject, but I must leave it, and return to the 
 scene to which I have referred, viz., the welcome sight 
 of British soil. The wind was blowing pretty strong ;
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 207 
 
 the ship neared the land, till we saw the breakers 
 dashing along the shore, but night came on again, and 
 still no steamer in sight. We were surrounded with 
 ships, however, and felt we had not to fear another 
 storm on the lonely, deep, blue sea, far from assistance ; 
 and while thinking of what had come under my 
 observation from the day I left the Thames, I could 
 not but ponder on the truthfulness of the saying we 
 have from the highest authority, viz., that "those 
 who go down to the sea in ships, see the wonders of 
 the great deep." 
 
 Wednesday the 12th. — The wind was from the 
 west. About twelve o'clock noon we were abreast of 
 Start Point. The wind fell away again till it was 
 almost calm, but it got up a fine breeze from the west 
 in the evening, and we passed the Isle of Wight about 
 ten o'clock at night. 
 
 Thursday the 13th. — Early in the morning we were 
 glad to see a steamer alongside; the hawser was ready; 
 we were soon in tow, and passed Beachy Head about 
 four o'clock a.m. The sails were now all unbent ; the 
 day was fine ; great numbers of ships were passing up 
 and down the Channel. We had a fine view of this 
 part of the English coast, and we saw the coast of 
 France in the distance. As night came on, lights of 
 different colours shone out as guides, and our pilot 
 kept a sharp look-out as we moved along, sometimes
 
 208 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 very near the shore. One of the sailors stood ready 
 to heave the lead every now and again, as ordered by 
 the pilot. The night was dark ; the sea was smooth ; 
 and the lights shone out brightly. 
 
 We entered the Thames on the morning of Friday 
 the 15th. The ship was hauled in dock in the fore- 
 noon ; our luggage was examined by the custom-house 
 officers, and immediately after we stepped on terra 
 Jirma, and in reference to us passengers, we struck 
 out for our respective homes. I immediately tele- 
 graphed to Leith that I would be in Edinburgh the 
 following morning, and after making a few calls, left 
 King's-Cross Station about ten o'clock p.m. 
 
 Finding myself safely seated in a railway carriage 
 for Auld Reekie, I could not but compare my thoughts 
 with what they were about twelve months before, 
 when I arrived at the same place to embark on the 
 long voyage which I had just accomplished, and I 
 need only say, there was a great difference. I do not 
 wish it to be understood, however, that I mean to 
 infer there is no pleasure connected with setting out 
 on a long voyage, because, although it may appear 
 strange to some, there is ; and with reference to the 
 difficulty of parting with relatives, if a man is per- 
 suaded he is doing his duty to try and carry forward 
 an undertaking demanding his absence from home — 
 even the length of time I took — no sooner is his mind 
 made up to proceed, than he feels as if half of the 
 battle is over ; and if any honour is publicly shown
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 209 
 
 him at the time, especially if it be by those he con- 
 siders superior to himself, it is almost sure to induce 
 him to carry his resolution into effect ; in fact, in his 
 own estimation, it stamps that resolution with the 
 words, " You're bound to go." Different to what it 
 was when I left Edinburgh, I was glad to see a 
 number of passengers surrounding me, who, on beino- 
 informed that I had been lately amongst the Anti- 
 podeans, seemed very much inclined for conversation, 
 and some of them expressed themselves, in their own 
 way, that having relatives in Australia whom they 
 had little hope of ever seeing, they were glad to have 
 an interview with one who had been recently so near 
 them. Owing to the lively conversation kept up 
 amongst us, it was quite a contrast with the lonely 
 position I occupied while on the same rails between 
 Edinburgh and London when I left home. The train 
 rushed on, and although the shrill whistle from the 
 engine was heard now and again, giving warning that 
 there were dangers of some kind or other near us, still 
 I felt thankful that it was not the shrill whistle of the 
 boatswain calling all hands to shorten sail in a storm, 
 or to put the ship about instantly, so as to save us 
 from being dashed to pieces on an iceberg or some 
 rocky shore. 
 
 Owing to the cheerful company around me, and 
 having been long accustomed to travelling, I could 
 scarcely believe it when I heard some one say, " We 
 
 have crossed the river Tweed," when, in looking out 
 

 
 210 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 of the carriage window, I saw right enough that 
 we were in the favoured land to every true Scotch- 
 man — " The Land o Cakes." Having travelled for 
 many years through the same districts, the hills were 
 familiar to my view, and as one after another made 
 their appearance in the distance, I experienced feel- 
 ings somewhat similar to those I felt when on board 
 that ill-fated ship, " William Hogarth," on my way to 
 Shetland in 1851. (She and all on board were lost in 
 the North Sea, while on her next passage to that 
 when I went with her to Lerwick.) 
 
 The late William Hay, merchant, Lerwick, his 
 wife and daughter, and myself, were the only pas- 
 sengers in the cabin, when about midnight we were 
 all delighted to hear one of the sailors (who knew I 
 was visiting my native country for the first time, after 
 having been absent from it for some years), sing out, 
 and calling me by name, " Would you like to see the 
 light on Sumhurgh Head; it's just coming in sight," 
 — when, as the reader may imagine, I answered in the 
 affirmative, and I did it by singing out two words that 
 sailors understand well, namely, "Aye, aye." 
 
 While these thoughts were flashing across my 
 mind, the train was quickly wending its way north, 
 and I began to feel as if I were home. The approach 
 of the sun, which I knew had lately set in the western 
 sky of Australia, and upon which many a Scotchman 
 as well as others had recently gazed, began to lighten 
 up the eastern horizon of the British Isles, bringing
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 211 
 
 before my view, in a beautiful June morning, Scotch 
 scenery in all its bloom and superior grandeur, and 
 had it not been for the noise of the train as it sped 
 onwards, I knew I would have heard the singing of the 
 birds, as it were, welcoming one of the most glorious 
 luminaries of heaven to cast his genial rays over the 
 mountains, hills, and dales of our highly-favoured 
 land, and to cheer the hearts of the inhabitants of 
 the world as he pursued his journey to the Antipo- 
 deans again. This, and all the phenomena I had wit- 
 nessed while travelling round the globe, whispered in 
 my ears that an omniscient mind had constructed the 
 whole; and, as my journey was now nearly at an end, 
 the thought rushed across my mind, whether I should 
 encourage people to emigrate to Australia ; and before 
 coming to a close I feel it my duty to say something 
 more on that important subject than I have done. 
 
 To travel for the purpose of seeing the world is 
 one thing, and to adopt a home in a foreign land is 
 another, so that people require to be very cautious 
 how they listen to the reports given by men who 
 merely survey, and are not practically acquainted 
 with the various classes, particularly those who have 
 to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow in far 
 distant and foreign lands. We see how tenacious the 
 lower animals keep by the soil upon which they have 
 been reared, and although they may be placed where 
 it is more fertile, yet how they seek back to the old 
 pasture. To a very great extent the same thing holds
 
 212 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 good in regard to the human race, and he who takes it 
 upon him to force people away from their native land 
 without good reason for doing so, is exercising power 
 in a way far from right, and either he or his posterity 
 may expect to suffer for such conduct. 
 
 It would certainly be a good thing for many of 
 our population to emigrate ; but to make it safe it 
 must be voluntary. There should be no unnecessary 
 pressure practised on the part of landed proprietors. 
 A country is not much worth without a people, and 
 the health and happiness of every man, woman, and 
 child of every class is essential to the well-being of all. 
 To a great extent, however, the well-being of an indi- 
 vidual does not so much depend upon the laws of the 
 nation of which he is a subject, the conduct of landed 
 proprietors, and the like, than it depends upon himself ; 
 but all the parties must be just to each other before 
 they can be happy, and make their country prosperous. 
 
 I called upon many families with a view to getting 
 acquainted with them, so as to know their thoughts as 
 to settling in a strange land, with little or no hope of 
 ever seeing their relatives or native country again. 
 Where the people were in good circumstances, they 
 did not seem to care much about the Old Country (as 
 emigrants in the colonies call their native land). I 
 noticed, however, that even amongst those people there 
 were some not without serious thoughts as to relatives 
 at home, and seemed to shudder at the idea of their 
 never seeing them a^ain. I shall remark here that
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 213 
 
 this well-to-do class, being so very anxious to see their 
 relatives, and aware that there is little chance of their 
 going home for that purpose, they often induce those 
 to emigrate when in many cases it is not advisable. 
 I would say to people who are living comfortably in 
 this country, "Let well be alone." I speak more 
 particularly of married people. As to the young and 
 unmarried, I have referred to them in connection with 
 the subject elsewhere, and have only to add that they 
 should not forget to have letters of introduction to 
 clergymen, or other influential parties, who reside in 
 the place of their disembarkation. One day, while I 
 was spending an evening with a family in Emerald 
 Hill, who appeared to be in good circumstances, had 
 emigrated from the Shetland Islands some years before, 
 were the proprietors of an hotel, in which they did a 
 good business, and, it is my duty to add, were well 
 known in the town to be kind to strangers, especially 
 to those in distress. In course of conversation, the 
 good lady of the house said, " Well, if anything 
 happens my husband " (meaning death), " I shall go 
 straight home." I shall refer here to a case with 
 which I had a little to do, and which is closely con- 
 nected with the subject in reference to the desire 
 which is felt (especially by the fair sex) about going 
 home when sickness and death make inroads in a 
 family, though that family should even be in good 
 circumstances, in so far as money is concerned. 
 
 Immediately after arriving in Melbourne, I wished
 
 214 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 to see a <rentleman who had been connected with the 
 custom-house of that city for many years, and to 
 whom I had an introduction. When calling at the 
 custom-house, I learned that just a few days before, 
 while he was on duty visiting a vessel which was 
 lying in Hobson's Bay, that on his return, the boat 
 capsized near the beach, where she was landing, and 
 as the sea was rolling backwards and forwards in 
 huge waves, and he struggling in the raging foam for 
 about a quarter of an hour before he was rescued, he 
 had been much injured, and unable to attend to busi- 
 ness. On hearing this, I at once took the train to 
 Williamstown, where he resided ; and taking the pre- 
 caution to call upon one of the merchants to inquire 
 how he was before calling at his residence, I ascer- 
 tained that he was progressing favourably, and that, 
 being highly respected in the town, great anxiety 
 existed in the minds of the people as to what would 
 be the result. I lost no time in seeing him, and the 
 first person I met was his wife, who, about only fifteen 
 months before, had left a comfortable home in Scot- 
 land, and with commendable courage crossed the seas 
 (because, owing to the nature of his business, he could 
 not do so without great sacrifice), in order to become 
 his spouse, a connection of which she had reason to be 
 proud. I shall never forget the exhibition that the 
 hopes and fears which filled her heart made in her coun- 
 tenance as she gazed at me — an old acquaintance. She 
 introduced me to her husband, who, although appar-
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 215 
 
 ently strong and likely to recover, was sadly shaken, 
 and who, a few days afterwards, showed symptoms of 
 a change to the worse, ultimately resulting in death. 
 The steamship " Great Britain " was in the bay at the 
 time, bound for England, and although this lady's 
 health was not such as to justify her in proceeding by 
 this vessel, yet nothing could induce her to remain, 
 but, without hesitating for a minute, sold off house- 
 hold furniture, left the sale of some land in the hands 
 of her law-agent ; and I heard her exclaim, in the 
 presence of her brother (who, taking into account the 
 delicate state she was in, seemed a little reluctant that 
 she should go), "Home, home, home for me, and I 
 shall go by the ' Great Britain,' of which Captain 
 Gray — a Shetlander — a countryman of our own, is 
 commander, and who is known to be kind to passen- 
 gers." Thus the reader will perceive how impatient 
 the fair sex at least get about going home when 
 troubles assail them. 
 
 But on looking at the other side of the picture, I 
 feel bound to say a few words in favour of emigration 
 to Australia. I met with many individuals who told 
 me that while they were in the Old Country they had 
 little else than destitution to contend with, but from 
 the day they landed on the shores of Australia pros- 
 perity and happiness had attended their efforts ; 
 and although some of these were married men, 
 they did not hesitate to say that nothing would 
 give them greater pleasure than to take a little
 
 216 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 
 
 time from business, in order to cross the seas back 
 to England, so as to see their relatives, and induce 
 as many of them to emigrate to Australia as they 
 possibly could. 
 
 And now, in reference to the subject of emigration 
 in general, having an eye, as I trust I do, to the happi- 
 ness of my fellow-creatures, I unhesitatingly say, that 
 although there are a few drawbacks connected with 
 Australia, such as hot north winds, heavy rains, ex- 
 treme droughts, and other minor inconveniences, still 
 it is, when compared with this country, superior in 
 some respects, and to which no healthy industrious 
 man or woman need be afraid to emigrate in order to 
 adopt a home, and pursue the avocations of life, espe- 
 cially the cultivation of the land. 
 
 When arriving on Sandridge Pier, the emigrant 
 listens to people speaking the English language, and, 
 as I have said, the currency being the same that it is 
 in this country, he finds it quite easy to transact busi- 
 ness. He must, however, be careful not to be too ready 
 to take the advice of runners as to the hotel where he 
 puts up. These are a class of men employed by hotel- 
 keepers to visit ships arriving with emigrants, and 
 they get so much for every customer they secure. But 
 it is said that the greater number of the hotels thus 
 represented are not respectable. So much for people 
 intending to emigrate to Australia, and to return to 
 my homeward journey from London. 
 
 I arrived in Edinburgh about nine o'clock on
 
 TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA. 217 
 
 Friday morning, where a few friends had assembled 
 to give me a hearty welcome to old scenes and old 
 associations. I here learned that all was well with 
 my family in Leith, and on arriving there, and meeting 
 with them in the same house where we parted about 
 twelve months before, I could not but reflect seriously, 
 and feel thankful to Him who had preserved my life 
 while I had been exposed to many dangers both on 
 sea and land. 
 
 The gladness which filled our hearts at this time 
 was such as should fill the hearts of all right-minded 
 relatives placed in similar circumstances, and which 
 can be better imagined by the reader than described 
 by the writer, who, being aware of some of the obstacles 
 to be overcome in order to accomplish any great under- 
 taking, shall, with a view to encourage others to per- 
 severe in well-doing, quote a few lines picked up by 
 the way, but of which he does not know the author : — 
 
 " The road to Fortune is onwards, 
 And those who strive will find 
 Prosperity lies in the front, 
 Adversity behind. 
 
 " Then never flag, but persevere, 
 She'll guide you on the way, 
 For Fortune ever smiles on those 
 Who dare, and do, and say. n 
 
 THE END.
 
 OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 
 
 From the Falkirk Herald. 
 
 "Mr S. T. Duncan of Leith entertained a respectable audience in 
 the Town Hall, Bo'ness, with a Journal of his Voyage to and from 
 Australia, including scenes and sayings there. Mr John Paris, senior, 
 occupied the chair, and introduced the speaker, whom he has known 
 for a series of years, to the audience. Mr Duncan opened his address 
 with a few observations — geographical and topographical — on Australia, 
 and then proceeded to give a detail of his journey and its various inci- 
 dents, from his parting with his friends in the ' Land o' Cakes,' till his 
 arrival at his ' O'er the Seas and far awa' ' destination. The narrative 
 was highly interesting and well told. Mr Duncan has clearly a talent 
 for correct and minute observation, and decidedly the 'knack' of impart- 
 ing the results thereof to others. He related very fluently, and with 
 occasional dashes of poetical eloquence, the leading events of a voyage 
 by no means uneventful, seeing that it included a birth, a burial, and a 
 suicide. The varied impressions left on his mind by the different moods 
 of ' the ever-changing ocean ' were graphically told, and his description 
 of the appearance of sea and sky on a fine tropical midnight was very- 
 attractive. With the details of the outward voyage so much time was 
 occupied that Mr Duncan was obliged to confine himself to a very rapid 
 and cursory sketch of his short sojourn in Australia and the homeward 
 voyage; but altogether his address, to quote a remark of the chairman at 
 the conclusion, was 'very interesting and very instructive;' and though 
 it occupied considerably over two hours, was listened to with attention 
 throughout, and frequently applauded. By the way, a rumour has 
 reached us that Mr Duncan intends to publish his Journal in a more 
 extended form. If so, we wish him success, as we believe it will be a 
 very readable book.'" 
 
 From the Dunfermline Saturday Press. 
 
 << 
 
 ' Mr S. T. Duncan of Leith entertained a respectable audience in 
 the Music Hall on the evening of Monday last with sketches from his 
 Journal of a voyage to Australia by the Cape of Good Hope, a six
 
 ( 2 ). 
 
 months' residence there, and his return to England by Cape Horn. Mr 
 Duncan commenced by stating that from a very early age he entertained 
 the idea of visiting Australia, but it was not till he had travelled com- 
 mercially in this country for about twenty years that the period arrived 
 when he could carry his early resolution into effect, and actually face the 
 rather formidable undertaking of sailing round the globe. He then gave 
 an account of his preparation for the voyage, his parting with friends, 
 the bustle and confusion attendant on getting comfortably settled on 
 board, and leaving Old England behind. He then described the sea 
 scenery both in sunshine and in storm, which was well and graphically 
 told. Mr Duncan next gave an interesting account of Melbourne and 
 its surroundings — its buildings, its trade, its society, its institutions, 
 and its eagerness in the race for riches. Altogether, his sketches form 
 a very amusing and instructive narrative, and they were listened to with 
 attention for an hour and a half." 
 
 From the Leith Burghs Pilot. 
 
 "Mr S. T. Duncan of Leith gave a number of sketches from his 
 Journal of a Voyage to and from Australia in the St Andrew's Hall, St 
 Andrew Street, on Wednesday evening. The chair was occupied by 
 Air John Ogilvie, who in a few humorous remarks introduced the lecturer. 
 Mr Duncan began by giving a very interesting account of his departure 
 from Leith, and of his parting with his relatives and friends. He next 
 proceeded to give an account of his embarkation at Gravesend, and the 
 scenes — amusing and painful— incidental to such an occasion. The 
 voyage to Australia, the means of amusement and recreation which were 
 had recourse to on board ship, and the various incidents of the voyage, 
 including the capture of a shark, the birth of a child, and the death and 
 funeral at sea of one of the passengers, were all graphically and minutely 
 described, and appeared to be very interesting to the audience. Then 
 the first sight obtained of the Australian Continent, and the emotions 
 exhibited by all on board when it was descried, as well as the bustle and 
 confusion consequent on landing — some to meet with friends from whom 
 they had been long absent, and others to perceive in the happiness 
 experienced by those who had friends awaiting their arrival, and from 
 whom they received a hearty welcome, their own desolate and friend- 
 less position in a foreign land, far from kindred and home — were all 
 touchingly delineated. Mr Duncan's description of Australia, of the 
 manners and customs of the people, and of the sayings and doings which 
 are to be heard and seen in that far-off land, were given with great 
 freshness and vigour, and proved doubly interesting, from the fact that
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 Mr Duncan was simply describing what had fallen under his own 
 observation. The voyage and arrival home were more rapidly sketched, 
 in consequence of the limited time at the lecturer's disposal, but proved 
 not the least interesting portion of the lecture. Mr Duncan concluded 
 by giving a few sound common-sense practical hints for the guidance of 
 intending emigrants. Among other things, he suggested that a married 
 man should never go out without taking his better-half in tow with him ; 
 and that a young man who had fixed his affections on some blooming 
 lass should, in order to avoid the risk of the adage 'out of sight, out of 
 mind ' proving true in his experience, take his sweetheart out with him. 
 The lecture, which occupied an hour and a half in delivery, was patiently 
 listened to throughout by the audience, who frequently testified their 
 approval by repeated rounds of applause. At the close, a hearty vote of 
 thanks was given to Mr Duncan for his lecture, and another to the 
 chairman for presiding. We understand that Mr Duncan intends shortly 
 to publish his Journal, and judging from the specimens with which we 
 were favoured on Wednesday evening, we are sure it will prove a very 
 readable and entertaining little volume." 
 
 From the Fifeshire Advertiser. 
 
 " Burntisland News.— On the evening of Thursday last Mr S. T. 
 Duncan of Leith delivered a very able and interesting lecture in the 
 Music Hall on Australia. The voyage out was described in a very minute 
 and graphic manner, and the lecturer succeeded in alike interesting and 
 instructing his audience, which was not numerous, but very select. A 
 hearty vote of thanks was tendered at the close, and the usual compli- 
 ment paid to the chairman — Provost Goodall — for his conduct in the 
 chair." 
 
 From the Leith Herald. 
 
 " We cordially recommend the above little performance to the atten- 
 tion of our readers. It is an interesting and unpretentious little book, 
 and does great credit to our energetic and enterprising townsman, Mr 
 Duncan. 
 
 "It is written in an easy, flowing style, with an entire absence of 
 strained effort after fine writing. 
 
 "The narrator carries his reader thoroughly and enchainingly with him 
 — causes him to see as he saw — feel as he felt — and to join with him in 
 the same serious moralisings and thoughtful inductions. Although con- 
 taining no startling or extraordinary incidents, the narrative has such a
 
 ( 4 ) 
 
 stamp of freshness and reality about it that the identification of the 
 reader with the author from the beginning to the end is close and 
 continuous. 
 
 " In several instances the author displays powers of word-painting of 
 no mean order. We quote very briefly, in proof of this, his description 
 of day and night under the tropics : — 
 
 " ' If it was beautiful and grand to see the sun rise in the tropics, it 
 was even more so to see him set. As he began to touch the western 
 horizon, the sky around him got into a fiery-like illuminating blaze, and 
 as he began to vanish from our view his rays sprang up with a golden- 
 like beauty far surpassing any sunset I had ever seen in other latitudes. 
 Then, as there is little or no twilight in the tropics, he no sooner dis- 
 appeared below the waters, which at times lay peaceful and smooth, 
 than, as it were to make up for the light we had lost, the vault of heaven, 
 bespangled with millions of stars, suddenly presented a spectacle grand 
 and glorious to look upon. And to add to the beauty of the scene, at 
 times the moon, hung out suspended between the clear sky and the 
 globe on which we live, with a brightness and a beauty such as she is 
 never seen in the northern hemisphere.' 
 
 " His description of a storm at sea (often as such has been described) 
 is also very impressive and graphic indeed. 
 
 " Mr Duncan's stay at Melbourne was but short, but he was evidently 
 very observant, and his reflections upon the rise, progress, and probable 
 future of Australia exhibit thoughtful consideration. Of all our numerous 
 colonies, Australia is, perhaps, the most interesting for the ponderings 
 and speculations of the political seer. And throughout this vast continent, 
 Melbourne appears to possess the greatest interest of all. But a few short 
 years ago — still fresh in the recollection of many — the native aboriginal 
 appeared and disappeared stealthily and strange among the tall rank 
 grass stretching down to the verge of the river, and where the savages — 
 savages of the very lowest type of humanity — disported themselves, stands 
 now the great and magnificent city of Melbourne, increasing, and destined 
 to increase, in population, wealth, and grandeur, one of the greatest 
 proofs of the energy and indomitable purpose of the Anglo-Saxon race, 
 the men of Britain's breed — felicitously termed by Macaulay ' Nature's 
 hereditary nobility.' 
 
 "We again warmly commend Mr Duncan's book to the reading public. 
 Those who read will feel half persuaded that they have themselves 
 achieved the voyage, and that without encountering its perils or having 
 been exposed to its inconveniences and privations." 
 
 JOHN BARTHOLOMEW, 31 CHAMBERS STREET, EDINBURGH.
 
 
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