LOG OF THE "MATILDA WATTENBACH,"

Albertland Gazette, Issue 1, 14 June 1862, Page 2

LOG OF THE "MATILDA WATTENBACH,"

Bound from London to Auckland,'

"'■■ We sailed from the East India Docks on'- the* afternoon of Thursday, May 29th, amidst -ffie ' booming of cannon and the enthusiastic cheersT of thousands of spectators, many of whom/had , comafrom distant parts of the country to bid " adieu to dear friends and relatives, arid a large number of persons proceeded to Grayesend iv \ the'ship, deterring until the very latest momeiit ' the "swest sorrow" of parting. 'At Gravesend we anchored along with our consort, the Hanor ~ ver, and sailed thence at 1:30 a.m. of Saturday, the 31st of May, ship and passengers having, on., the previous day undergone examination by the Government Emigration Commissioners* The:weather still continued to be as fine as could be desired, wind from the S. W., but very light, and, in consequence, at noon were obliged to J come to anchor in the Downs. Again, at half past four o'clock a.m. we got under, way with a number of other ships, but the wind" continuing. light and baffling, were obliged, to anchor off. Dover about midnight,- from whence, we once more started about 2 a.m. on Sunday, the Isfc of June', proceeding down Channel .with': a 1 light! N. E-. wind. Held divine-service for'the first: fcivue, and at eleven o'clock p.m/'Mr.'Martin, the;: r,i!of, left, fcaldug;a large letter^bag^witli him',,; i-.hc Isle of Wight then bearing 'about NpE^ y distant-about'seven-miles; During Monday the 2d, TnesSay the 3d, and Wednesday the 4tlr of June, the wind being light arid contrary, ;wp were boxing about and m'akingi'but little pro-; * gress. After sighting the Lizard.'on the evening! . of the 4th, nothing worihyv of iiote. occurred-j until about two o'clock on' the! morning of ;the\ sth (Thursday), when the wind:increasing, with. \ a heavy swell setting from ■'■■th&\WW'.;- i w.sve,'.} obliged' to reduce canvas,' find finally reef! the: topsails, as the ship begaii to' plunge and labotir : heavily. Duriug the whole of Friday the s;^th'< and Saturday the 7th\tKe gale kept on ; with unabated fury, ship straining heavily, and taking:; large quantities of. v/iiter over till;. owing-vas^ irnucli to the high lumpy sea as to-the force' .of\. ithe wind, which , during, the : .two days above-.;'f mentioned veered from N. W. to.S.-W.. The, 'wind calmed down about One o'clock on Sunday^ 'Divine service Avasheld on "the,-main deck, 'iiicreasing wind and fumbling sea' rendering it ' impossible.to hold it on the poop. The wiud': and; sea during Monday the 9th moderated;! considerably, and a concert was held on the.; poop in the evening, which,'for aiirst effort, was-! most successful in its results, both as' regardsthe audience • and--the Ringing,■ -many of■■ the passengers of all classes having, most kindlyexerted themselves to while - awajr, an hour oi|';' two, and all at last separated hoping for aflrie'.' fair wind on the morrow to take 'us':out of the.',. jßay of Biscay; but .on getting on deck on Tuesday morning, thelOth1; we "found '.the ship kaocking about a good deal, M^ith a tremendous ,

\ heavy head sea, which, however, lulled towards I midday, and the wind shifting shortly thereafter, \ we \vovq -enabled to,steer somewhat nearer our j coarse to the southward, but daring the whole U of tin remainder of the day and succeeding night ■Vis blow a very heavy gale, causing the .ship to 1 labour very heavily. At daylight on the morning „ of Wednesday tli3 gab broke, the wiu-d, howjver, during the entire day blowing a fresh breeze : -froiii tlio.S. Yf.; with heavy rollers setting from j; the N. W.\ At one o'clock we signalised a brig;i,--, rigged screw steamer, under all sail, bound 11 north, bearing W., distant about five miles, supposed .to. be the'" Marathon," from the Medu terranea'h to Liverpool. ; About ten o'clock p.m. a large screw steamer :, '*pa33e'd us about half a mile distant, and the I brightness of ths mooa enabled us to see her ; very distinctly. '■'-Timwday, the 12th: During ■■;■. the w'.iole of the night the gale continued to t; blow freshly, with a high sea, and although the \ wind moderated greatly in the course of the day, ■.still the 'heavy sea caused the ship to roll aad ;.. pitch violently. The night was. most beautiful, and Fridayj the ISfcli June, pro red a most lovely day, with a light breeze from the N. W., and the ship's progress during the past twenty .-four hours yi.has been inpst satisfactory. At noon o;i Friday Rthe ship's position was lat. 38:1.0 N , tmcl Ibng. F\\ll/^0 W. During the remainder of this day the tfvv'ind, although light, still continued-fair, many Byessels'-beiag.in sight, all bound south, every oa'e ■ of which we rapidly overtook and passed, as we W-l have,done on every occasion, for in no instance ', ;.has any vessel,we have yet fallen in with been ;. able to compete in sailing with our good old ship. June 14. The wind during the past ''*' night proved highly favourable, with every appearance of a continuance. The heavy swell that we have encountered for many days past has entirely subsided; and about three o'clock a.m. •we got the studding sails set, adding considerably to the speed, so that we fondly anticipate having *a rajjid run to' the. Line, to make up for the heavy gales and contrary winds that have so long kept us back. The ship's position this day jat noon was in lat. 35:30 N., and long. 13:35 W."