| Description | The journal is divided into distinct entries made at both the front and the back of the journal.. The first starts on 1 August 1848 where he describes his appointment to join Captain Shepherd on the 'Inconstant' at Monte Video with orders to join Admiral Hornby's squadron round the Horn. He describes life on board and remarks on seeing a school of Greenland finback whales. Mentions a passenger, Count [Castle..?], 'the emminent French naturalist' who has crossed the Andes, who is nephew to the Duke of Broglie. Arrives at Madeira, Pernambuco (Brazil), St Paul's Rocks. Meets a fellow traveller of Charles Strickland's. Refers to the wildlife of the area including a Bulrush caterpillar. Mentions Captain Shepherd and the 'Book of Hints' and how the captain abuses people and has a violent temper. Charles Rudston-Read applies to the captain for an exchange to the 'Alecto' on account of his health and is transferred to the 'Spider'. This segment finishes about 5 December.
The second entry is dated 1853 'Journal of a voyage on board the 'Balnaguith', Captain Arthur Smith from England to New Zealand. The journey begins on 22 December 1853 and ends on 16 April 1854. He gives a highly descriptive account of the conditions onboard and the journey itself.
Pages 1 to 4 ) Leaves London on 22 December, 1853. Describes the preparations, lists the passengers and comments on how badly the cargo is packed. Criticises the ships' brokers.
Page 5) They leave Plymouth Sound on 29 December 1853 where the 'Marlborough' is docked. Everybody sick and comments upon the shameful manner in which the ship has been prepared so that cargo and stores are identical. Passengers grumbling a lot.
Page 6) 1 January 1854 Describes helping to feed a family. His fellow cabin passengers are sociable apart from two who are of the rather 'snoblifferendo genus'.
Page 7) Cow on board provides milk. Some passengers very hungry. He comments upon how there is too much cargo on board.
Page 8) Casks of beer crush a passenger's ankle.
Page 10) No system for breakfast so he draws up a timetable to organise the steerage passengers.
Page 11) Problems with the cargo moving about and the bulk heads are too flimsy.
Page 12 to 16 ) Gales. Captain drunk on board and cannot stand. Charles is in charge of the ship. Sails split. Charles threatens the captain with action if he repeats it.
Page 22) Somebody has stolen the water from the casks. Observes Porto Santo and Madeira and passes the barque 'Chevalier of Greenock'.
Page 23 to 28) Crash results in the main topmast, mizzen topmast, fore top gallant mast and jibboom being carried away. Captain went to bed leaving the wreck dangling over the side until the next day. Many of the crew are sick. The mast wreck is rotten. The children have lice and criticises the doctor's lack of care for the steerage passengers. Crew and passengers working together to mend the ship.
Page 29) Steerage passengers are superstitious of the Blacks.
Page 30 to 32) Steward's cabin is filthy and food inedible. Some food smells of Balsam Copaiba (used to treat gonorrhea). Finds a water closet that was used to capacity and then nailed down shut. 28 January passed and signalled to the 'Casl....' travelling from Calcutta to London. Very hot and oppressive.
Page 34) 3 February: Crossed the equator at noon and hopes that they have picked up the southeast trade winds.
Page 35) Passed latitude of Trinidad. Cook has stolen some gin.
Page 36) Pass a 'beautiful Yankee whaler' under the stern
Page 37) 20 February: The rations of water are now 3 quarts for the cabins and 5 pints for the steerage. The preserved meats have gone bad.
Page 38) Miss T has been found in bed with the late steward, Mr P. Spoke to the American barque of New Bedford bound on a whaling voyage to New Holland.
Page 39) 28 February: Sights the island Tristan da Cunha.
Page 40) Two female passengers have given birth to two stillborn children.
Page 41) Passed the Cape of Good Hope.
Pages 43 to 44) Describes the altercations relating to some stolen gin.
Page 47) 21 March: They have run out of rice. The mutton is finished, biscuits are mouldy. The bread for the second class passengers has turned blue.
Page 48) Mentions that they might be near Kerguelen or Desolation island so they are not laying quite on the correct course.
Page 50) Butter is now finished.
Page 51) Last pig is killed.
Page 52) Last few entries. Last entry dated 16 April, Easter Day, 140 miles from the 'the snares' [Snare Islands?]
On the first page of the reverse cover is a letter of reference from Captain John Shepherd regarding Charles Rudston-Read and mentions that if he was a younger man he would not part with Charles Rudston-Read but 'it would not do for both to break down off the Horn and this is the reason we part'.
The next entry concerns the charges and sentence passed at a Court Martial on Lieutenant NDC Bleinerhapett[?] of HMS Alecto on board HMS Raleigh at Monte Video on 23 February 1849. The charge was that on 13 December 1848 between the hours of 8 and 12 that Charles Rudston-Read did quit his post and retired to his cabin and was found in a state of intoxication. His sentence was that it was not proved that he quit the deck but that he was found guilty of being in a state of 'complete intoxication'. He was dismissed from HMS Alecto and placed at the bottom of the list of lieutenants of the Navy.
Charges and sentence against Charles Rudston-Read of HMS Alecto at a court martial on HMS Raleigh that Captain Massingberd found Charles Rudston-Read in bed in a state of intoxication. He is to be dismissed from the Navy but in consideration of his character the court strongly recommends to be considered by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. The entry refers to two good character references for Charles Rudston-Read. Also includes Charles Rudston-Read's defence that his condition was related to some medicine that he had taken for his health. |