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their lamps are not to be kept up during the night. This occasions intense dissatisfaction, as some
of the better sort fear that irregularities may occur through this. Saw a young woman who has
hitherto conducted herself most exemplary on board, misbehaving herself. Heard that another,
who professes better things, was playing cards in one of the enclosed cabins last night, while
prayers were going on. The demoralization consequent on a long voyage is enormous, and
affects all grades.
'24 April: Glass very iow, yet a dead calm. In the afternoon an albatross was caught by means
of a hook baited with pork - the usual mode of catching these birds. The moment it was hauled
on the poop, its beak was held tight to prevent its vomiting over this sacred part of the vessel, as
captains consider it. It measured ten feet between the tips of the wings, and although it looked
very large in its feathers, yet when skinned, it was not bigger than a large goose. When washed
and quartered ready for stewing, it was like rabbit, and resembled rabbit in taste.
'Feast of St Mark: A gale of wind is coming on. Could not sleep on account of the motion.
Went on deck at three am, and found them reefing the mainsail and double reefing the topsails.
As my sofa is athwart-ship I feel the rolling motion very much...
'Sunday, 28 April: The sea is so heavy that I have had no service today. Some of the emigrants
had some severe falls. A fall in a heavy roll is a most painful and dangerous matter. A great
fracas between two of the emigrants, because the one will not allow the latter to pay his
addresses to his sister-in-law.
'29 April: One of the women on board brought a giant baby into the world weighing ten pounds
and three quarters. Both are doing well. The sailors caught two or three albatrosses. Had my
boys into my cabin. I intend making them learn the Thirty-nine Articles.'
This baby had either Mrs Richardson or Mrs Chapman as its mother. Chapmans figure larely in
the family history of the Honeycombes in Australia. Perhaps the association started with the
Chapmans on the Lady McNaghten.
66
'30 April: Saw the beef weighed out to the emigrants. It looks vile carrion. Our slow old ship is
actually going at the rate of nine knots.
¦1 May: In Longitude 8° 15"E; Latitude 39° 28" S. Barometer 29° 37"; thermometer 59°.
After a capital run during the night, the wind at eight this morning shitted right round with the
rapidity of lightning, not an uncommon phenomenon in these latitudes - throwing everything on
board into confusion. The wind is now adverse, and there is a heavy sea. A fine lurid light on the
sea at sunset. One of the passengers told me that some of the denizens in the fore steerage are
well versed in the arguments - if arguments they may be called - of Tom Paine's Age of Reason.
'2 May: Heavy weather still. No sun, consequently no reckoning taken. Made my boys learn the
first, third and sixth Articles. A poor fellow on board was thrown down by the motion of the
ship and had two or three ribs broken. A fight took place forward between two young men,
emigrants. One of the females was the cause of it. Did not hear about it till it was over.
'3 May: Had a long and rather interesting conversation with a young Scotchman, a Presbyterian,
and lent him a book.
'4 May: Longitude 17° 24" E; Latitude 39° 10" S. Off the Cape of Storms, commonly called the
Cape of Good Hope. The southermost part of Africa is Cape Agulhas, which is to the east of
the Cape in Longitude 20° E.
The Lady McNaghten had now been at sea for 70 days since leaving Plymouth and must have
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