Thursday, October 3rd

Fine breeze taking us in a S.E'ly direction. Two hens have been declared by Mrs Wm. McCormick 'wi' egg'—straw and separate rooms have been given them. The Doctor quite knocked up with seasickness and unable to page 40attend on Caughey, who complains today of much stiffness in his ankle. A large ship in sight all day which, about luncheon time, came within long signal distance and is suspected or guessed to be the Gladiator, American whaler. Lat. 5.26. The surmise was not confirmed as she never answered our signals. About four p.m. sighted a large ship on the opposite tack, which at first caused some excitement as likely to be homeward bound. She did not come near enough to signalize, but went unknown on her way. We, as usual, pronounced her to be, first the Randolph, next the Sir George Seymour, as if those were the only two ships on the sea just now. Shovel-board till dark. The breeze freshened with successive squalls accompanied by rain. The ship steering S.E. by E.—a bad course, too much easterly. Sore throats rife in the ship, and one or two cases of rheumatism caused by sleeping on deck. One of the hens laid an egg about six o'clock, but before Willy McCormick could come up from the hold it had been snapped up. The ship seems to be crammed full of thieves, 'snappers up of unconsidered trifles'. Daily the chance of meeting homeward bound vessels to take letters is lessening—it seems we are rather far to the eastward of the track of the Indiamen, and Australians and New Zealanders are not common enough to meet on the high seas.