No Ordinary Man. Lois Winslow-Spragge

some sparrows, but mostly a small olive and grey flycatcher were about the ship all day; also a hawk which, caught and ate one of them. Caught several of the flycatchers and put them in the cabin where they flew about catching flies for some time. Tried the tow-net this A.M, and had a good haul of very small red bodies with protruding spicules. Watched the sun go down over the edge of the ocean, not a cloud intervening at the moment of contact it appeared thus, [illustration in diary] and also fore some moments afterwards. A {bright} projection seeming to rise out of the water to meet it. After the upper limb had dissapeared for some moments a small conical light remained visable pointing upwards. When the sun was just on the horison the strata of thin mist in the atmosphere made it to assume exactly the {banded} appearance of Jupiter, through a telescope.

      Sunday 19th Sept

      A.M. Wind veering SW, Trimmed in port stunsails set all fore and afters. 8.30 passed a light ship bound westward. Saw several large whales blowing. 10 A.M. passed a schooner at anchor on St Peters Bank. Noon Breeze freshening. Latitude obs 46° 24’ Long Chronom 56° 58’ W. 6 P.M. ship sailing 9 1/2 knots sea getting up. 6.30 passed a schooner running to westward. 7 P.M. commenced raining weather beomming thick. Barometer slowly falling since morning. At 7 PM Barom 30.25 symp 30.25 Therm 60°

      Monday Sept 20th. 1869

      Breeze still freshening with hazy weather and passing showers. 5.30 A.M. Passed Cape Race bearing NNE distant 5 or 6 miles, in main top gal studinsails.⁶⁶ Noon, strong breezes and hazy, with a rising sea Barom 29.9 Therm 59 1/2° symp 29.9 Lat by acc 46.53 Long 51.8 W

      6 PM Breeze <freshening> falling and weather becomming thicker. Had cabin fire lit for first time. Blowing fog horn. 9 P.M. sounded and got bottom at about 45 Fath 11 P.M. Breeze almost gone. Tried tow net, and got a lot of the usual luminous entomostricans some jelly fish of this shape [illustration in diary] and some curious transparent animals of this form [illustration in diary]

      Tuesday Sept 21

      A.M. threatening to blow by sudden puffs and hazy in all fore and afters and light sails.⁶⁷ 3 A.M. blowing hard, close reefed the three topsails reefed and furled cources and furled topsails.⁶⁸ 8 AM strong gale wore ship Bar 29 symp 29.7 Noon strong gale with a very heavy topping sea. Ship making very bad weather of it. Wore ship to SE. Cabin filled with water first from sail locker, afterwards on the port side large quantities of water continually on deck rushing from side to side as the ship rolls. <ship> Sometimes shipped several heavy seas in succession and righted with great difficulty. Cargo shifting. Cabin stove broke adrift. Mate was nearly washed overboard.

      Wednesday Sept 22nd.

      {A.M.} More moderate but a heavy sea an barom rising set lower mizen top sail⁶⁹ and reefed fore sail 8 A.M. More moderate, set the three reefed up topsails whole fore-sail and reefed main cource.⁷⁰ Noon strong breezes, and passing cloudy weather with showers Lat obs 47° 48’ Long by chronometer 50.4 W

      Bar 30 symp 29.75. 7 PM Breeze freshening in up mizen top sails

      Thursday 23rd. 1869

      Set sail. Daylight more moderate but very heavy head sea.

      Set whole top sails courses staysail and main top sail.⁷¹ Tried to catch some gulls and petrals which were flying astern with a hook but the ship was going to fast and sea too heavy.

      7 PM Bar 30.15 symp 30.15

      Very heavy swell from the NE increasing much, took in most of the sails to keep her from pitching into it so much.

      Friday Sept 24th.

      Daylight more moderate swell more [easy] made all sail Barom 30.1 symp 30.1 Noon more moderate out all small sails.⁷² Lat obs 48° 40’ Long 45° 20’ PM wind veering aft and swell going down. Out all port, studding sails. A great many gulls and petrals were flying astern all day but refused to be enticed by the bait. 7.30 PM symp 30.1 Barom 30.3.

      Saturday Sept 25th.

      AM Freshening breezes with heavy rain 3.30 am wind veering right aft, in port studdin sails and mizen royal daylight still increasing with a topping sea. 8 am Bar. 30 symp 30 wind veering NW

      Noon Bar 29.95 symp 29.95 strong breezes with a very heavy sea <with> wind running N with heavy squalls 2 PM breeze increasing in top gallant sails 4 PM still increacing with heavy and frequent squalls single reeffed⁷³ the top sails. 6 P.M in outer jib⁷⁴ and reefed the main course 7.30 in upper mizen top sail

      Lat by Pole Star 50 25 N.

      Saw a land bird on the ship today.

      Sunday 26th. Sept 1869