Successful Exploration | Page 6

I replied, "there is nothing you
would venture to ask that I could possibly refuse." "Then," continued
he, "it is this. I see my mother is grieving, although she says nothing, at
our all leaving her together. Let Tom and I go alone: I will pledge
myself to take care of him." After a consultation with my wife this new
plan was agreed upon. I released myself from my engagement with
Messrs. Simpkin and Marshall for the Ballaarat, and secured two berths
for the boys in one of Mr. W.S. Lindsay's ships, which at that time were
conveying living freights to Melbourne, their Channel port of departure
being Dartmouth.
By the advice of Mr. Lindsay himself I took steerage passages for them.
He shrewdly remarked, "They will be there as soon and as safely as the
cabin-passengers, and their money will be saved." This sounded so like
an axiom in practical economy that my dear boy never attempted to
argue the question. Having obtained permission to knock two cabins
into one, my sons considerably diminished their expenses, and had
quite as agreeable a voyage as if they had paid sixty guineas each; for I
have lately learned by experience, in a homeward passage, that you
have to put up with companions in the cabin, as objectionable as can be
imagined in almost any situation of life.
At Dartmouth, a day or two before the ship started, I found that
William had expended some money on a quantity of stuff rolled up like
balls of black ropeyarn. I exclaimed with astonishment, "In the name of
goodness, are you going to chew or smoke all the way to Australia?"
for the commodity was the good old pig-tail tobacco. He said, smiling,
"This is to make friends with the sailors: I intend to learn something

about a ship by the time we reach our destination." I dare say the
worthy skipper of the good ship Janet Mitchell, should he be still alive,
has some recollection of him. His mode of proceeding, as he told me,
was first to secure the good graces of the crew through the persuasive
medium of the pig-tail; then, to learn the name and use of every rope,
and of every part of the ship's tackle from stem to stern. He soon
acquired the art of splicing and reefing, and was amongst the first to go
aloft in a storm, and to lend a hand in taking in topsails. When I arrived
in Melbourne at a later period, several of his fellow-passengers spoke
to me with praise and wonder, referring to his activity, and readiness to
leave an unfinished meal, on the slightest indication of danger or
difficulty. His journal of this voyage, is now before me, from which I
extract a few remarks:--
1852. October 1st.--Left Dartmouth--Slightly sick for the first few
days--My brother much more so, but got right again--Foretopmast
carried away by a squall, just at the crosstrees, bringing down with it
the main top-gallant mast--'We look a precious wreck! '--Remember the
Honourable Michael de Courcy, brother of Lord Kingsale, saying to me
on the quay at Dartmouth, the day before we sailed, that the first gale
would carry away the fore-top-gallant mast--I believe the Janet
Mitchell is quite a new ship, on her first voyage--The remark speaks
well for the judgment of a young officer.
19th.--Sailors prigged some spirits in the hold and got very drunk--A
passenger so drunk that he became mad, and was put in irons.
20th.--Sailors not yet recovered from their drunkenness--A naval
captain, passenger on board, insulted by one of them; struck him with
his fist and cut his face open.
22nd.--Fine weather--Getting hot--Latitude north 21, longitude west
36--The Great Bear getting low--Sunsets and risings very fine,
particularly the former.
November 1st.--Shark taken, of which I had a large share and rather
enjoyed the novelty of the feed.
5th.--Crossed the Line--Sailors shaved and ducked a good many--Tom
and I got off very well. (Query--effects of the pig-tail?)
16th.--Stormy weather--Obtained some books on navigation and
studied trigonometry.
20th and 21st.--Passed Tristan da Cunha, Inaccessible and Nightingale

Islands, about 37 south latitude, 12 longitude west. --Saw a great many
whales, mostly sperm, thousands of birds, albatross, Cape pigeon, and
many others, the names of which I am ignorant of.
23rd.--A shoal of porpoises passed us. A sailor struck one with a
harpoon, but it got off again. They are of a salmon colour, no more like
pigs than horses, just the shape of salmon, only much larger. In
swimming they turn on their sides.
December 1st.--Smart breeze this morning which soon increased to a
gale--Assisted in furling top-gallant sail--sailors only half
dressed--After breakfast, had to double reef top-sails and main-sail. I
like reefing very much.
2nd.--Waves not so high as I expected. It is amusing