Family History 1.710

15th December 1859

Very fine, hot and very calm -

Latitude 6-13 Longitude 26-18

progressed 16 miles from 12 o'clock yesterday till 12 today -

 

I slept on the form outside my cabin last night, had a bath under the pump at the head of the ship this morning, liked it much found it much better than I expected.

3 ships in sight but a long distance off.

16th

very fine, hot, and very^. calm. Some ships in sight American whalers but much nearer, past 12 p.m. put off a boat to 1 (a Schooner) off about 2 miles Second mate (1 passenger) and 4 sailors to row with a can to get some oil, returned with several Lemons, (similar to our Lemons only the Peel more like an orange) the fruit that the Lime juice ought to be made from though many persons say our Lime juice is most likely made from the worst lemons in Market.

3 p.m. a boat put off from a whaler (American Barque, Orataph from New Bedford) with Captain and 8 men, most of them Americans, some Portuguese, came on board our ship for our Doctor to give advice to 1 of them, a young man who was said to be in consumption was received by our Capt and Doctor in the Saloon. they took letters of us saying they were going to put in at Barbadoes

 

(I gave 1 of them one for Uncle Robert and had some difficulty in persuading him to take a 6d I offered him, he at last took it saying he would then pay the postage for me) he received 1 from another person also, but they took a good packet without money. Books and several things were given to them. There were some that could not finish their letters in time and therefore lost the opportunity they held on the boat sometime after their Captain had returned to it giving him letters who took them good humouredly and then we let go and gave them 3 cheers which was responded to by them in a first rate style.

6 p.m. a nice breeze passed another whaler which had 2 boats out, saw them strike at a blackfish and our Captain stated he thought they had caught, but the wind blowing rather stronger and it getting dusk we soon lost sight of them. Lightning and rain in the evening very calm again.