Friday June 19^th      Herby came down in the afternoon to the vessel & after going all over it we went up into the town for a stroll.

Saturday June 20^th Went to the Theatre Royal to see the “Silver King” and very good it was too.

Sunday June 21^st    On gangway duty all day so did not get a chance to go ashore.

Monday June 22^nd   Rained all day & so we took it easy & did no work at all.

Tuesday June 23^rd   Same as yesterday.

Wednesday June 24^th          Left off raining in the middle of the day so we set to work once more.

Thurs June 25^th       Went ashore in the evening and saw my cousin.

Friday June 26^th      Captain gave two or three of us leave to take the gig; so we went for a row round to the botanical gardens.

Saturday June 27^th Washed down decks and got done early so we got the afternoon      to ourselves to go ashore for a whirl.

Sunday June 28^th    Went round Circular Quay for a walk in the morning. Herby came aboard in the afternoon.

Monday June 29^th   On gangway duty.

Tuesday June 30^th   Bos’n (the dog) in playing & rushing about made a jump to get on the main hatch (as he thought) but the hatches being off he went clean down into the lower hold, a distance of over 30 feet, but luckily he did not break any of his bones, but only got a good shaking up. Today a Scotch ship called the River Fallock of Glasgow came in and laid alongside of us; and in the evening the whole crew deserted from the ship, because the captain was such a stingy & arbitary man & treated them so badly. They got away in the following manner. One fellow got ashore & went and hired a boat & brought it round to the bow of the vessel about 8.30 p.m. It was a beautiful moon lit night so we could see them quite plainly, first letting their chests & clothing gear down into the boat by means of a rope. Then one after another they slid down about 16 or 17 of them & rowed off very quietly until they got some distance off the ship and then they gave 3 cheers of defiance as they disappeared round the next wharf.

Wednesday July 1^st Went into dry dock today; the tugs came alongside at 9.30 a.m. and towed us away to the dry dock. We scraped her today & shall paint her tomorrow.

Thursday July 2^nd   Painted the vessel today & tallowed her. Went ashore and walked all over Balmain

Friday July 3^rd                     Went out of dry dock at8.45 a.m. & was towed back to Central Wharf

Saturday July 4^th    Went over the “Rome” lying at Circular Quay, with Elmhurst. She is the most splendid steamer I have ever been aboard of. She is just like an hotel inside. There are a number of coolies in the crew.

Sunday July 5^th       On gangway duty. Herby came aboard in the afternoon and stayed to tea.

Monday July 6^th       Swept the tween decks out.

Tuesday July 7^th      Painted the top of the lower hold.

Wednesday July 8^th Same as on Tuesday. Asked to go ashore but was not allowed because there were 2 midshipmen & apprentices ashore already. A very paltry reason indeed.

Thursday July 9^th    Painted the masts in the lower hold.

Friday July 10^th       Made bagarincle till 3.30 p.m. then got leave to go ashore.

Saturday July 11^th  We did not get the decks washed down until 4.15 p.m. so did not get much of the afternoon to ourselves. Three more of our men have hooked it so now we have only 3 of our original crew left. Saw Herby in the evening. Went down to Paddy’s Market for the 1^st time.

Sunday July 12^th      Laid in all the morning & went to the Botanical gardens in the afternoon. They are the best gardens I have ever seen. They are full of tropical trees & plants & have a very fine collection of foreign and tropical birds.

Monday July 13^th    Went to the Sailor’s Home & had a game of billiards and read the papers &c.

Tuesday July 14^th    On gangway duty. Had a box with Missen.

Wednesday July 15^th           Got leave to go ashore in the afternoon but it rained the whole afternoon so did not go.

Thursday July 16^th Swept the tween decks down.

Friday July 17^th       Went to the Sailor’s Home in the evening.

Saturday July 18^th  Washed down decks. Lent Gustaveson (¼ master) 2/- to get 3lbs of naval tobacco with, but he deserted the ship with my 2/- in his pocket.

Sunday July 19^th     Went to the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon & to the National Art Gallery.

Monday July 20^th    Pumped out the bilge water. Swept down the tween decks.

Tuesday July 21^st    The steamer “Port Phillip” came alongside the same wharf as we are at. Lumpers knocked off work off our vessel to load her.

Wednesday July 22^nd          Steamer has taken 2760 sheep aboard. It rained all afternoon so could not go ashore as I intended to.

Thursday July 23^rd “Port Phillip” took 84 horses aboard. She is bound for the Cambridge Gulf in Western Australia to found a new settlement.

Friday July 24^th       One of the midshipmen claimed Timothy made a most brutal & cowardly attack on Elmshurst. He got him on his back & slogged at him with all his might, cutting his face about in a most horrible manner & completely closing one of his eyes. In the evening all the midshipmen followed him ashore & having surrounded him made him go down on his knees & beg Elmshurst’s pardon. He is the biggest tallest & strongest fellow amongst us, but he couldn’t manage to lick all of us together. He is also the most detested of all of us. He asked the skipper for his discharge & so I think we shall get rid of him before we sail from here. If he had not begged Elmshurst’s pardon we should have half killed him for we all had various kinds of weapons. Amongst which were to be found 2 or 3 teasers (/) a batten of wood 48” x 68 “ & a pump handle &c. &c.

Saturday July 25^th  On gangway duty. Met a fellow in Sydney who came up and asked if my name was Copland & whether I came from Chelmsford in Essex. He turned out to be a chap who cleaned Boots and shoes at Mrs Matson’s when I was there. His name was Clarke and his friends live at Rainsford End. Of course anyone from that part of the country was welcome we became chums & drank to “old times” in Chelmsford.

Sunday July 26^th     Clark came & looked over the “Derwent” today. Went up to the “Hit or Miss” and saw some boxing.

Monday July 27^th    The ’ tween decks is filled up & the lower hatches are on. Hurrah.

Tuesday July 28^th    Taking in a quantity of wool for the ‘ tween decks.

Wednesday July 29^th           As usual a very wet day

Thursday July 30^th All the forrard part of the tween decks is stowed. The “Fortuna” a barque came alongside today. Her decks are condemned & so we have got her cargo to take home.

Friday July 31^st       Took a lot of boxes of curios from New Guinea aboard. Sent by Dr Finch the explorer.

Saturday August 1^st           Washed down decks & got done by 12 a.m.

Sunday Aug 2^nd       Went in the saloon to dine with the skipper.

Monday Aug 3^rd       Got the running gear ready for bending sails; a sign that we shall put to sea again. Hurrah!

Tuesday Aug 4^th       Bent on all the square sails of the mizzen.

Wed. Aug 5^th             Bent the main royal & t’gallants’ls. Went to the Botanical gardens and heard the naval brigade band.

Thursday Aug 6^th    Bent the royal & t’gallants & tops’ls on the foremast.

Friday Aug 7^th          Went ashore & saw Herby & brought him aboard.

Saturday Aug 8^th     Went to see the Grand Review in Moore Park.

Sunday Aug 9^th        Nothing at all particular happened.

Monday Aug 10^th     Bent the spanker and foresail. The “Hawkesbury” was seen off Gabo Island at 4.10 p.m. She is a ship belonging to Devitt & Moore.          

Tuesday Aug 11^th     Bent the jibs fore top’m’st stay s’l & mizzen t’gallants’l. Caught a severe cold up aloft today; it was blowing fearfully & was an extremely cold wind.

Wednesday Aug. 12^th          Laid up all day with a splitting headache & a sore throat. Petersson another midshipman is also laid up with a severe cold having been up aloft with me yesterday bending the mizzen t’gallants’l. The skipper gave us some hot concoction in the evening. The “Hawksbury” arrived inside the Heads & is lying in the stream. She has been over 4 months coming from London, having sailed April 4^th.

Aug 13^th Thursd.     On gangway duty. Cold almost gone

Aug 14^th Frid.                       Captain Osbourne of the “Hawkesbury” came aboard & had a look over our vessel.

Aug 15^th Sat.             Had a bombardment between the two vessels over the wharf. Holystones were the chief missiles which did a good deal of damage to the paintwork.

Aug 16^th Sunday      Took gangway for Timothy during the afternoon. Clerk & Greenaway came aboard to see me.

Monday Aug 17^th     Kent lost the Gig’s bottom board whilst cleaning her out so we had to drag for it but did not manage to reclaim it.

Tuesday Aug 18^th     We were hauled out into the stream by the tug “Mystery” & anchored to the “Gelandea’s buoy in Lavendar Bay. We had to turn out of our berth alongside the wharf because our harbour dues were up, & so we have to finishing loading in the stream, lighters coming off to us full of cargo.