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emotions as ususal, but is much enamoured with the weather.
'13 June: In hourly expectation of seeing land. At night the sea was a blaze of phosphoric light;
and a shoal of porpoises that were plunging round the ship, darted along like phantoms of fire.
'14 June: At two am, we came in sight of Kangaroo Island, which forms the right side of
Investigator Strait as you enter from the west. The coast of this island is high, rocky, and
undulating, and higher land is to be seen farther inland. They tell me that there is so much
ironstone in this island that the needle of the compass wili not traverse there. In the afternoon,
turning to the left, and leaving the island behind us, we sailed up the Gulf of St Vincent, on which
Adelaide is situated. Before dark we passed the Troubridge shoals. The climate is delicious,
although it is in the depth of winter; the atmosphere is very translucent, and the sunset has been
most gorgeous. During the day the second mate told me that he had sold £100 worth of ale,
porter, and wine during the voyage, all of which was paid for in cash. To my certain knowledge
there is a great quantity of gold among the emigrants on board. One man told me that he has
500 sovereigns with him.
'15 June: Saw a very glorious sunrise. The coast lies on our right, a low tract of land extending
about seven miles inland, and bounded by a range of lofty and picturesque hills, which stand out
from the sky in clear and mellow relief under a pure Australian sky. The climate is delicious,
finer than that of Italy in winter, there being no piercing Tramantona. During the day I was much
gratified by receiving a letter of thanks signed by nearly all the passengers. It was thus: "Dear
and Rev Sir - We feel that it would be a source of great regret to us, were we at the termination
of our voyage together, to part from you without tendering
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our thanks and ackowledgments for the great kindness which you have shown us, both as a
minister in nightly joining with us in prayer; and as a Christian friend, in advising and assisting us
in our doubts and difficulties. This we feel doubly bound to do, as we have had no reason to
expect it at your hands, who came on board merely as a cuddy passenger. We bid you farewell
with regret, and pray that you may meet with a full recompense both here and hereafter for the
kindness you have shown us."
'At three pm, we got abreast of the lightship, an old French whaier of beautiful mould called La
Ville de Bordeaux. Soon after a steamer took us in tow and towed us into the Torrens Reach to
Port Adelaide, a confused collection of buildings built in a swamp at the edge of the water.
Adelaide lies about seven miles inland, at the base of the hills.1
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9, Adelaide
To reach Port Adelaide the Lady McNaghten would have been towed northwards up the coast,
around a headland, and then southwards into the swampy, islanded inlet or Torrens Reach.
It seems the passengers remained on board that night, those who were disembarking at
Adelaide, and not going on to Port Phillip, leaving the Lady McNaghten on 17 June.
The Rev John Mereweather remained on the ship until 24 June, when he and his luggage were
transferred to the Sea Queen. He wrote: 'The London ship goes no further than Adelaide and
has contracted with the Sea Queen to take on to Port Phillip the Melbourne passengers.'
Presumably the Honeycombes also stayed on the Lady McNaghten for a week, until they too
changed ships.
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