'MAIDSTONE'
27th July 1841. Due to sail from Gravesend, Commander J. Wimble, for Calcutta.
1843. Trading from London to Calcutta.
22nd March 1846. An Abstract of the Log of the E.I.S. ‘Maidstone’ during a heavy S. East Gale off the Cape of Good Hope. Sunday p.m. Moderate breeze and fine. - Bent the cables and unstowed the anchors. - All hands for sails. - Midnight moderate breeze and cloudy.
22nd March 1846. Sunday a.m. Moderate breeze and cloudy with lightening. - Set the Fore Top Mast and Top Gallant sails. - Saw the Cape of Good Hope Point bearing N.E. by E. - A ship on the lee beam.
22nd March 1846. Sunday p.m. Increasing strong breeze with thick misty weather. - The Royals, Top Gallant sails and 2nd reefs. - At 4 increased to a strong gale. - Shortened sails, reefed Main Top sail, Main Topsail and Fore Top mast stay sail. - ‘Stebougth’ in company.
25th March 1846. Monday a.m. Strong gale with heavy gusts and clear weather. - Battered down the main hatchway. - A heavy sea getting up. - Set the Main Staysail, sent down the Top Gallant yards, close reefed the Main Top sail. - Now strong gale with heavy gusts. - Ship labouring very much.
25th March 1846. Monday p.m. Increasing gale with heavy gusts and a high sea. - Housed the top gallant masts and Flying jib boom. - Carried away the Clue of the Main Top sail. Furled it. - Split the Main Staysail. Set storm mizen. - Midnight hard gales with heavy gusts and a high sea. - Ship labouring and shipping much water on deck.
24th March 1846. Tuesday a.m. The sea moderate with strong gusts at times. - Gale moderate.
24th March 1846. Tuesday p.m. Moderate breeze and fine weather. - Put 2nd and 3rd reefs in Topsails.
25th March 1846. Wednesday a.m. Increasing to a fresh gale with a dirty appearance. - Furled Foresail Fore top sails, jib, main sail and mizen top sail. - Close reefed the main top sail and set the main top sail. - Battered down the Main Hatchway. - Strong gale with a heavy sea, ship labouring much and shipping a great quantity of water on deck.
25th March 1846. Wednesday p.m. Strong gale with cloudy weather. - Set the Storm mizen.
26th March 1846. Thursday a.m. Fresh gale with misty weather. - Gale moderating. - Opened the Main Hatches and found that several bags of rice were damaged on the Starboard side of the pump well, from the water going down by the pumps. Got them out and stored them in the Main Hatchway. - Carpenter caulking round the pumps.
26th March 1846. Thursday p.m. Increasing breeze and fine weather. - Saw ship.
27th March 1846. Friday a.m. Light breeze and squally with rain. - Washed clothes. - Hands employed getting water on deck out of the fore’d Hatch.
27th March 1846. Friday p.m. Moderate breeze and fine weather.
28th March 1846. Saturday a.m. Steady breeze and fine clear weather. - At daylight saw the land bearing E.S.E. - Centre of Table Mountain N.E.½ S.
28th March 1846. Saturday p.m. Light and fine weather. - Saw ship.
29th March 1846. Sunday a.m. Light visible seas and calmed with fine clear weather. - Saw ship. - Noon calm and fine weather. - Centre of Table Mountain E. Ely. S. about 20 distant.
29th March 1846. Sunday p.m. Light breeze and fine weather. - Tacked ship.
2nd April 1846. Thursday a.m. Moderate breeze with thick mists. - Hove too.
2nd April 1846. Thursday p.m. Rounded Point. - Anchored. - Light and airy with thunder and lightening.
3rd April 1846. Friday a.m. Brought a comfortable armchair, a few books, light reading, a commercial table cloth, a box of biscuits, sago, coffee, oil, cocoa, spirits of wine, etc for £16.00. Boat and cart £4.00.
3rd April 1846. Friday p.m. Getting up anchor. - Shipped anchor and made sail.
4th April 1846. Saturday a.m. A mist. - Stowed the anchor and washed the cables. - Went to breakfast, beef steak and cocoa with milk. - Biscuits - pain in right groin.
4th April 1846. Saturday p.m. Went to Mr. Cole’s cabin - chat.
5th April 1846. Sunday a.m. Carried away main top mast, third yard boom. - Took a dose of Castor oil in a cup of coffee. - Visit from Captain Mash.
5th April 1846. Sunday p.m. Went to dinner.
6th April 1846. Monday a.m. Sent the Skysail masts and royal studding sail boom up. - Set the sails. - Sailmakers on the 2nd Foresail.
7th April 1846. Tuesday a.m. Set starboard fore top masts. - Sailmaker on the Foresail.
9th April 1846. Thursday a.m. Shifted rice out of store room into the main hold. - Sailmaker repairing Diver. - Carpenter making a new topmast sail boom.
9th April 1846. Thursday p.m. Pistol practice over stern, blew off top of me nipple. - Trimmed and cleaned pistols. - Saw sharks. one whale and St. Helena mackerel astern. - Cat fell overboard, a sailor took a jump over the stern to save her, but was too late.
10th April 1846. Good Friday a.m. Hands getting water out of fore hold on deck. - Washed clothes.
11th April 1846. Saturday a.m. Sailmaker on 2nd main top sail.
12th April 1846. Sunday a.m. Divine service on the quarter deck by the Captain and ships company mustered.
13th April 1846. Monday a.m. Carried away main topgallant, shedding sail boom, - Sent a new one up and set new main top gallant sail boom.
14th April 1846. Tuesday p.m. Strange ship on Starboard. - Went to dinner. - Homeward bound ship on the starboard beam - most likely the ‘Carnatic’.
15th April 1846. Wednesday a.m. A ship barque in brief company. - Pain in stomach - out of pain, took a pill. - Out of pain - cold shivers and perspiration. - Out of pain again. - Saw Doctor Tatlock who gave me some Castor oil. - ‘What ship is that? Answer from bark. ‘Maidstone’ question What ship that? Where do you come from? Answer Calcutta. When did you leave? Answer 74 days out. Have you any new ????.- Arrowroot for lunch.
15th April 1846. Wednesday p.m. Coffined to my cabin. - Took a little pudding. - Visit from Doctor. - Great row in the Cuddy - high words said. - Visit from Doctor Tatlock. - Spoke with ‘Agincourt’.
16th April 1846. Thursday a.m. Better. - Dose of Castor oil in coffee. - Breakfast in the Cuddy. - Spoke to ‘Agincourt’
17th April 1846. Friday a.m. Passed the English bark ‘Ann’ from Calcutta.
17th April 1846. Friday p.m. Passed Dutch ship.
18th April 1846. Saturday a.m. Getting water up out of the fore hold for present use. - Cleared the lower deck.
18th April 1846. Saturday p.m. Took pile of opium and turned into hammock. - Passed close to the East ward of the Island of Ascension.
19th April 1846. Sunday a.m. Took draught of Castor oil at dinner time. - Got prickly heat over body. - Went to breakfast. Arrowroot, water and a cup of tea. - Divine service in the Cuddy.
23rd April 1846. Thursday a.m. A sail in sight.
23rd April 1846. Thursday p.m. Exchanged news with English ship ‘Worcester’ and English Barque ‘Wellington’.
27th April 1846. Monday. Hands employed in getting water out of fore hold on deck.
28th April 1846. Tuesday a.m. Watch employed in battering down. - Carpenter making side ladder.
30th April 1846. Thursday a.m. Hands employed tarring down.
30th April 1846. Thursday p.m. Watch blacking yards.
1st May 1846. Friday a.m. Washed clothes. - Carpenter placing stud sail booms.
3rd May 1846. Sunday a.m. Performed Divine service on the Quarter deck and mustered ships company.
4th May 1846. Monday p.m. Wrote up this log from 20th April.
7th May 1846. Thursday a.m. Watch employed painting topside.
10th May 1846. Sunday a.m. Divine service in Cuddy.
11th May 1846. Monday a.m. Watch painting ship outside.
12th May 1846. Tuesday a.m. Private Owen Connor of the 39th Reg of Infantry departed this life. Died of a beep in the liver.
12th May 1846. Tuesday p.m. Omitted body of the deceased to the deep. - Private Owen Conner of 39th Reg. with the usual ceremonies.
15th May 1846. Friday a.m. Exchanged news with the ‘Agincourt’ which had on board the crew of the ‘William Rathbone’ burnt to the water side last Friday - all well on board.
17th May 1846. Sunday p.m. Carried away both the fore and main top gallant masts - the fore snapped off at the cap. Main snapped off half way up the ship.
18th May 1846. Monday a.m. Carpenter preparing new main top gallant mast. - Sent up new main top gallant mast.
19th May 1846. Tuesday p.m. Set up new fore top gallant mast.
23rd March 1851. Sailed from the Cape of Good Hope for England.
19th May 1851. Arrived at Plymouth from Calcutta.
23rd May 1851. Arrived at Gravesend.
1851. Had some repairs done.
4th July 1851. Cleared out with cargo at the Gravesend Custom House for the Cape of Good Hope.
9th July 1851. Sailed from Portsmouth for the Cape of Good Hope and Calcutta. Captain J. T. Nash.
11th November 1853. Arrived in Sydney with 410 emigrants, 89 married couples, 25 single men, 105 single women, 32 boys, 52 girls, and 18 young children. One death and three births occurred during the voyage.
1855. Restored.
