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My Great Grandfathers Diary
Friday Morning. May
16,1856
Went up to
breakfast. Sarah
and the children stayed and took breakfast in the cabin. Fare; tea,
coffee,
fish, chops and stew etc. We should have enjoyed it more only the cups
and saucers and dishes kept marching from one side of the table to the
other. The sea dashing over our heads. I should have enjoyed it only I
had a headache, but still I managed a breakfast. The ship rolling much,
it prevents my walking on the deck so I shall take this opportunity to
give you my experience and the effects that the late events have had
upon
my spirits. Bless the Lord for all his goodness to me for his ways are
not as our ways nor his thoughts are not as our thoughts. The more I
look
back, the more I see the finger of God, for he saw fit to punish me for
my backsliding and in the midst of my prosperity to bring my purpose to
naught. Though when I prayed onto God he heard me in the day of my
trouble
and sent peace into my soul and when my soul became enlightened I
called
upon him to show the way I should go. I am now in the way of the Lord
and
he will never leave me nor forsake me, every difficulty has been made
easy
for me. All my fears have been calmed and my soul is serene,
which
is most marvelous to me but I feel like a little boy who was on board
his
fathers ship during a storm when asked by one of the passengers how it
was he was so calm he said "I do not fear; my fathers at the helm." Tis
even so here my Heavenly Fathers at the helm and he will take us safely
to Port for he said unto me, Thou shalt live and not die, and declare
the
works of the Lord. fear not Father we shall all meet again and though
we
cannot see when yet, but in his good time it will come. Go to the
fountain
head and he will direct you for his mercy endureth forever. Half past
10
sea going down a little; sailor singing hoisting the sail. Ship going
along
first rate getting near the banks of New Foundland. Ship steering N.
West
Half West. Going for a walk could not succeed. The ship rocking so
much,
so leaned against the side of the second cabin saloon and watched the
sailors
at work mending the cordage. A sail seen in the distance but the sea
being
high we did not get near her. Dinner bell rang. Fish flesh and soup and
desert; muscatille raisons, almonds, nuts , figs etc. Sarah kept her
bed
owing to the motion of the ship making her sick. Children very lively
and
well. Read a bit after dinner and had some conversation and then
adjourned to the deck for a walk till I was cold and then went to the
smoker
room to warm myself; wind blowing from the north. Sailors heaved the
log
at 8 bells, 4o'clock, going at a rate of 9 knots so we go at a rate of
about 220 miles in 24 hours. 6 o'clock tea bell rang. Tea and coffee,
ham
and corned beef. Read till dark and then wrote my journal to finish. At
my elbow 5 of the passengers are card playing too. An American from
East
Tennesee been traveling through England and the Continent, tells some
curious
tales about the Polish and people of Italy. One is from St Johns New
Brunswick,
the other two are Englishmen going to the Canadas, the gamekeeper is an
American young man; working man I believe; likewise travelling on
pleasure
in England, Scotland and Ireland to see the country. Sea beginning to
rise.
8 o'clock and the sea to dash over the second cabin saloon. it has been
a beautiful sunny day and promises to be a fine moolight night; though
I am afraid many will not get much sleep tonight. Lay on the cushioned
seat in the saloon till 1/2 past 10 then wished goodnight and went to
bed
after recommending ourselves to a Gracious God whom mercies endureth
forever.
Note: My wife Cheri
and I
were married on Saturday May 17th 1986....130 years after this journal
entry. It is coincidental that this day in 1856 was also a Saturday and
the journal entry seems the most interesting to me. It has lots of
detail
and information about the ship and life on board a ship in 1856.
Saturday May 17,
1856.
Awoke at 1/2 past
4 began to
write my journal. The ship does not labour so much as she did yesterday
morning. I will now give you a description of our ship. She is one of
the
Old Style of build of 1849 but kept in remarkably clean condition.
Those
who have travelled in other Ships say the same. She is manned
principally
by Scotchmen. Our Captain is a Scotchman Captain Laing. When going
through
the North Channel on Monday morning the Captain told me that he knows
every
farm house on the Scottish side as he was reared there. We have a full
compliment of Seamen Engineers and Firemen and Stewards. Besides 2
stowaways
or 2 persons that hid themselves on board and came out after loosing
land.
I told you of one but heard later there were two of them. There is a
great
respect paid by one man to another and they are all both officers and
men.
The most civil and obliging as any set of men ashore. The engine
divides
the ship into two parts. Fore (front) and Aft (back). The fore
part
on the deck is occupied by the Forecastle. That is the place where the
seamen are and sleep etc; under that and running down the ship towards
the engine is the Second Cabin extending the full width of the vessel.
Two passages running down on each side of which are doors opening into
small rooms. Light from above by a glass prism cut in two inserted in
the
deck floor. The angular part downwards. At the end of the passages
there
is one that runs across the ship connecting the two and on the side
next
to the center of the ship is the Stewards Pantry and at the two
extremities
the water closets are and at the other end the same by the Steward
Pantry.
The stairs are with brass banisters which go up to the lobby of the
Second
Cabin Saloon which is a long room occupying the center of the ship over
the middle division of cabins below. It is panelled all Oak with tables
running the whole length of Saloon covered with Damask table covers and
sidings to prevent dishes from falling in your lap when the ship rools.
Crimson Velvet cushioned seats and backs. Brass swinging lamps which as
soon as it is dark are lit up and the shutters are drawn. The First
Cabin
is partly the same only more georgious in the fitting but the Second
Cabin
berths are much better, being larger and lighted more. The First Cabin
is in the after part of the ship. I have been over them and I should
not
like them. The heat and smells from the engines and the cooking place
go's
to the Aft part of the vessel. Over the First Cabin is the main deck
prominaide.
All the passengers surrounded by a Brass railing about 1 1/2 in
diameter.
In the center near the stern is the needle before which one of the four
mates are always promeneding. It is never left for a moment, if the
officer
wants to go on the lower deck he calls a petty officer to his place for
a few minutes. Behind the compass is the Wheel house just projecting
about
2 feet above the deck with glass windows and he receives his orders
from
the officer. Before the needle in the center between the first and
second
saloon, fire hole, smoke room, the cooking place, then the crank room,
mess room and the engineers entrance to the engine room. That fills up
the middle part on each side of the engine and crank room. There are
different
officers on the starboard (right) side. First comes the pursers room,
bakers,
butchers etc, cow house, poultry. Then come the padle boxes over which
and between each side runs a gallery on which promenades the first and
second mates who gives his orders to the boatswayne or bosen as they
call
him. He pipes his shrill whistle for the watch on duty and gives the
order
to communicate to him by the officer on watch. On the other side of the
padlebox; starboard; are various offices and water closets. On the
starboard
side opposite the pursers romm is the surgeon 2nd mates, stewards etc.
then padle boxes and on the other side is the carpenters room, ice
house
where the meat is kept in ice. Some of the meat was killed in America
about
4 weeks ago; never tasted better beef in my life; and other closets and
offices. The Captain and Chief officer has his cabin below the first
cabin
saloon.
As you
stand in
what they call the smoke room, is covered with an iron grating about
two
feet above the floor which looks down to where the Firemen are feeding
the engine fires and it looks like looking down into the infernal
reageons.
The men are as black as the coal they burn and the heat below is
intense.
As they come up to cool themselves occasionally, all streaming with
perspiration.
The depth to the bottom is about as deep as your house and looks
terrible
to look down.
Breakfast
at 8 bells-8 o'clock. Tea and coffee, fish steaks and stove hot rolls
etc.
It is a fine morning but a fresh breeze sprang up and it became clouded
an came on to rain, Boatswain pipes his whistle and calls a loud call
on
the 3rd watch and soon after pipes again and heave the log.
The
log is
a piece of wood attached to a rope about as thick as a clothes line.
The
rope is wound on a spindle something like a cottons spinners spindle.
The
two seaman hold the handles in their hands while the officers on watch
draws off some the line on purpose, to fling it into the sea. One of
the
seamen takes a minute glass. With the sand run down the officer cries
ready
and the seaman says Ah So and away goes the log into the sea and the
line
runs off the spindle until all the sand has run down. When he cries
down;
then the men stop the spindle and the sailors clutch it and draw it up
out of the sea then according to the qauntity of cord that runs out
during
the time the sand is going down; So they measure that we are going at
so
many knots an hour.
Dinner at
1 o'clock boiled beef, chicken, beef steak pie, soup and bread and
cheese
and bisquet. Sat reading in the Saloon till I was cold as no heat came
from the steam pipes that heat the place. Adjourned to the Smoke room;
sat till tea. Wind blowing hard and right ahead most of the time. The
Bosen
pipes his whistle for his watch on duty and orders the sails to be set.
Weather cleared up before the sun set. The wind going down.
After
tea
6 o'clock sat talking to a young man, a native of Massachusetts; about
his travels in Oregon and California. Seen a great deal of life at the
digging as a danger ??????? and spirit seller. Retired to bed early.
Slept
till 6 o'clock Sunday morning May 18/56
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