JOHN LEIGHTON’S DIARY

Opunake Times, 7 November 1947, Page 3

JOHN LEIGHTON’S DIARY

VOYAGE FROM ENGLAND SAILING SHIP ERA December 27Hi. : Strong breezes with heavy squalls at short intervals. We have nothing" but reefed main - and foresails set. The ship rolling heavily. It being Mary’s birthday we had saved a piece of the Christmas pudding for the occasion—Bless her little heart! She lias grown and come on surprisingly. She dances and sings and is as wild as any of them and there is some of them on board. Mary 2 years old. Ther. 57. ■

December 28th. : Heavy squalls all day —shifted from fair aft to beam —shook out a Tew more sails. The jib stay broke today, although made of wire, which shows the strength of the squalls. Ther, 58. December 29th.: The wind abated. Shifted aft at noon. About 5 p.m., a baby of 1G months old died. It had been a great sufferer, it was afflicted with water on ’ the brain. She afterwards had a large swellingon the side of the neck, which could not be reduced without cutting and the doctor said it had not strength' to bear it, but he tried every other means in his power. He was very attentive both nisrlit and day. The poor little thing whose name was Eannv, was the finest baby on the ship, when it came on board. The cries of its. mother were dis-stres-sing to hear. It was sewn up in canvas and carried up on deck Ip- one of the sailors and laid on a board and covered with the Hniou Jack—4 bells —the rail was unshipped, and the board rested on the bulwarks—a large stone bottle was filled with water and tied to the canvas at its feet. The doctor read the service for the dead and when he came to the' words we commit the body of our sister to the dee]) —it was

■atlv lowered into the water and was seen no more. It was a cold day, a strong breeze blowing at the rime, the shin laying well over to leeward. The crew and all the male passengers with heads uncovered while the service was rend in a loud (dear voice, it was an impressive scene, scarcely a dry eye was to he seen, for Fanny was a good child and a favourite with all. Anna saw 'it die and afterwards took Sarah in to look at it, when it was laid out: Sarah burst into tears as soon as site saw it and began to talk about Iter dear sister, Eva, and it took some time to pacify her. Eva aped 5 years, died in England. The death itself bronchi to our minds our own loss, but Sarah’s diskless made us, feel it more acutely. We had a very strong breeze at night—running 13 or 14 knots at 11 o’clock. Ther. 60. December 30tb.: A cloudy da" aucl cold. About 2 points out of oup. course this morning—afterwards fair in 4] degrees latitude, 40 degrees longitude. Ther. 59.

December 81st. : The last day of the year 1858. Liu lit fair winds a'] day. Are in 50 degrees loner. Numbers of albatrosses in the wake of the slnn. You have only to empty a bucket or Throw a niece of biscuit overboard and half a dozen will settle on it directly. The Cape pigeons have disav'ueared. We are again indebted to. the kindness of the Captain in changing our pens for rice. He seems determined to earn a good name by doing all in his power to make us as, comfortable as circumstances will allow. If we have any complaint to. make he will listen to us with a kindness that besneaks a gentleman of feeling. Ther. 51. (To he continued h