The anniversary of my dear husband’s birthday. Have just been celebrating it in champagne. Almost too much with the thermometer at 80 in the shadiest part of the ship. Wind better today, but a nasty head sea which almost pitches me off my char. No machine work today. Made to noon 153 miles. Twenty three days out today. If we had been on our regular track presume we should be in Liverpool by now.
This day 154 miles with Sunday at sea. About eighty miles from land called Uruguay. Weather still cooler so that I am able to wear a thick dress now. Likely by next Sund. We shall have it cool enough for a fire. We have been looking out again for pamperos or any other kind of gales, but up to this time thank God we have escaped. My neuralgia is better today so I hope it may continue, for I lost nearly the whole of last week. I must make up some of it this.
2 p.m. Dined today of roast lamb and green peas mint sauce plum pudding, etc.
7.15 p.m. just come down off deck after watching the sun set, and such a lovely sunset, I was so carried away with its beauties I for a time could fancy myself in another world. There was a beautiful pale green sky with a rich gold border with golden wheat scattered over it and some tied up in bundles. How I did wish that some of our friends were there to enjoy the scene with me. The rays of the sun shining upon it was truly a magnificent sight.
Two or three vessels in sight. Disagreeable head sea on. Not able to do much sewing. Distance 157 miles.
Fine weather up to 4 p.m. Every indication of a storm, again made preparation. Loud thunder and lightning with clouds as black as ink, and dead calm. All sail taken in except sufficient of the purpose. To me it looked truly horrible, you could fancy the clouds so near that you could touch them. So it remained till day break when it cleared up fine and pleasant. Made 144 miles.
Fourth Sunday at sea, weather getting all the time warmer. Wind tolerably fair getting into our legitimate track. Some kind of propeller in the sight hoisting his flags. I must go on deck and see who he is. 10.30 a.m. such lovely weather, only a little too warm. Just got thru telegraphing, find she is an old man-of-war going to Japan to be sold. She is 36 days from New York, we are not quite 25, so we are not the slowest coach on the road. At noon 153 miles. Thermometer 82 in the shade.
9 a.m. saw a small seal in the water. There has been hundreds of them round the ship all night, I presume there are thous. of them round about here. Made a small sum of 44 miles. Therm 70. Cool and pleasant weather now, no vessels in sight today.
Commences another week of labour. Made 115 miles. Done considerable work of various kinds.
Nine weeks today at sea. Tried to work on the machine but the ship was on the wrong tack for it, broke my needle so had to give it up for today. Saw a lot more seals, the ship going too fast through the water to stop to catch them. Also quite a number of land birds round.
This day 115 miles, therm. 68. Steward has just put up the stove in anticipation of cold weather, I expect we shall need it shortly. It was quite cool this morn, at noon the sun made it pleasant, at 7.15 p.m. I was obliged to come down in the cabin I was so cold. The sea was such a peculiar colour, a sort of dirty pale green, I suppose the influence of the land as we are about seventy miles off it. One of the men caught me a beautiful dove. I held it in my hand until the steward could get me something to put it in. I was so afraid of hurting it I did not hold it tight enough and it got away. I was so sorry, it was such a beauty. Another small day’s work, 54 miles. Therm. 60.
6 a.m. Sheep, lambs, goat and pigs out on deck taking exercise while their homes are being cleaned. It commenced to rain about half past ten this morn, indeed it more than rained, it came down in torrents. Everybody as busily as possible catching it, filling all the empty casks and every other utensil that would hold it, a great comfort on such a voyage to know you have plenty of water. I presume the sailors will have a grand time washing their linen, so I expect to see them come out bran new. Distance 120 miles. It is now dead calm.
We seem to have got out of the track of vessels, not seen any for three or four days. We expected in this vicinity to have strong winds but instead of it we have had calms which by the way don’t suit the Orient. We have made very little progress this week. To noon 75 miles. Therm. 64. Day breaks at 5 a.m., good daylight at 8 p.m.
