More from the Diary of Arthur Ernest POLLOCK 1878

Please excuse some of the strange words as interpretation from the original is a tad challeging. The diary is written by Arthur ernest POLLOCK ( the father of my grandmother Winifred). You can see his initials in the cast for Robin Hood in the diary entry for Monday 29th July 1878

Saturday 20 .07.1878
Up again at six. On deck and once more had the water thrown over me. 'Igor?' and Ernest Fox (another passenger) were swinging on a rope which was attached horizontally to a mast when it gave way and they came down a distance of six feet. Fortunately neither of them was much hurt. Breakfast and on deck. Sunny day saw a French ship and in the evening we got out of the Bay of Biscay, distance made till 12 oclock 110 miles. I turned in at about 12.

Sunday 21st .7.1878
Did not get up till about 8am. Had breakfast and on deck 10:30am. Had morning service. Captaian Davies read the prayers and Mr Fox (one of the passengers) read the lessons. Distance made till 12 o’clock 152 miles. Had dinner and on main deck. Singing hymns. Most of the passengers sing along as well. Turned in at 11. No moon tonight. Vessel going about 10 ½ knots an hour. During the day we met a steamer. Too far to speak to and also passed a three masted vessel, English but could not make out the signals. Think it was the New Zealand bound vessel which passed us in the Channel. While we were at service in the morning a vessel passed us but we did not seem to recognise it. During the day caught two stormy petrels.

Monday 22/7/1878
Up at 5:30am bathers … had buckets of water thrown over me. Had breakfast and on deck. Quoits and reading till lunch. Fishing for petrels, caught one. Sighted French vessel, dinner and on deck till 11. Distance made during the day 204 miles. Weather rather showery.

Tuesday 23rd /7/78
Did not turn out till 7:30 on deck till breakfast at 8:30. The day was the quietest we’ve had. Distance reads 152 miles. Had forgotten yesterday to mention that Igor and I and Mr Fox (one of the passengers) went onto the forecastle. We were caught and had to pay our ???????? Which amounted to 1 bottle of whiskey each. In the evening I had an accident, Bumped my head very severely. Cut the skin. Today I have bumped it several times which has been very unpleasant besides renewing the bleeding. We are practising some glu??? to sing. I am taking bass.

Wednesday 24/7/1878
Again very lazy not up till 7:30am. Had breakfast with the children and again my breakfast at 8:30am. Went to the forecastle. The water is so clear that we can see the keel quite plainly although it is more than 20 feet under water. Again on the poop. Saw a turtle. I was the first to discover it. It was about 2 foot long. Lunch and again on deck. We are off Madiera but land not in sight. Distance 154 miles. Toward evening a breeze sprang up right 'aft'. Ship rocking tremendously so turned in at 10:45

Thursday 25/7/78
Up at 5:30 and on deck bathing. Breakfast at 8:30. Ship heaving very much. Had fiddles on the table to keep the plates on for the first time. Practicing singing As did yesterday afternoon. Several times during the day we saw flying fish. Spent most of my morning on the forecastle. Lunch and on deck. Could scarcely stand, the ship rolled so much. Several chairs with people on them were blown over. We have plum pudding and dessert today and also on Sunday. Distance made 182 miles. Turned in at 11:15. weather very blowey from NE. The vessel rolling very much.

Friday 26th/7/78
Up at 5:30. On the main deck and bathed. Breakfast at 8:30. After breakfast on the forecastle with Igor and one or two tried shooting. Vessel rocking too much to walk about. We are off the Canneries. Lunch and practising glies. Our luggage is brought out of the hold. My head aching from the bump I got a day or two back. Dinner and on deck. Can only sit and read as we are rocking so much. Made several boats for the children. Distance made during the day 198 miles. Igor has turned into his hammock on deck. I turned in to my berth at 11:15. Rocking very much. Can scarcely write.

Saturday 27th/7/78
Up at 7:30 did not bathe. After breakfast went forward and had some shooting. The ship is very unsteady so could not shoot well. In the afternoon we saw a small ship but could not speak to it as it was too far off. Had some singing and turned in about 11:15. Distance made 198 miles.

Sunday 28/7/78
Again too lazy to bathe. Up though at 7:30. breakfast and on deck. 10:30 had open air service. Capt. Davies read the service and Mr Fox the lessons. In the evening we had some hymns. Went on deck after supper. Turned in at 10:30. Distance 176 miles.

Monday 29th/7/78
Sailors held service up on deck at 4:30 this morning ( It Holy sto???? the deck) The noise was very bad but I managed to sleep through it. Breakfast 8:30. As usual nothing particular doing. We are going to put on Robin Hood and Miss Aichinson is printing the parts. She has a printing machine on board. She touches the letters as you would a piano. I am stage manager and Robin Hood

CAST OF ROBIN HOOD
Sir Reginald ... Mr Fox (Civil Engineer)
Robin ... A.E.P (Arthur Ernest Pollock)
Allan (much) ... Mr Blampied (2nd mate)
King Richard ... N.H Igor
Hugo ... Mr Ernest Fox
Little John and Scarlet (both combined)
... Mr A Kune (son of an Indian ????)
Marian ... Miss Michell (a clergyman’s daughter)
Alice ... Miss Catherine Prudeaux Fox
This with arranging play takes all the afternoon. After dinner we are on deck but doing nothing. Distance made ???.

Tuesday July 30th 7/78
Up at 7:30. On deck till breakfast. Again on deck. Nothing doing in afternoon …printing again. One of the passengers named Elliott ran up the rigging. He was seen and a sailor immediately rushed after him. He however was not enough so another sailor went up. Between them they secured him. He paid for his fooling and came down. In the evening one of the children on board died. Daughter of a Scotsman in the steerage. He had 7 children on board. The youngest were twins … one of them died. Distance made during the day.
Weather very warm we are in the tropics Turned in at 10:30.

Wednesday 31/7/78
Up at 7:30. At 8oclock the Capt. read the burial service over the body of the child. All the passengers with only one or two exceptions were congregated on the main deck. After breakfast we are again at the printing machine as there are eight copies to be printed. In the afternoon also we are printing. I have written new words to one of the songs and expect to write for almost all.
Had to cut up a quarter of mutton today. In the evening the 2nd and 3rd Mates and all the male passengers had trials of stregth and ???. The ladies looked on. Distance . Slept on deck tonight.

Thursday 1/8/78
Nothing particular doing. The weather is calm. Still printing and rehearsing. Turned in on deck.
Friday 2/8/78
Up at 5:30 and bathed. A vessel in sight. The day is very warm. Flying fish are very numerous. Today we saw seven ships. We should have sent letters by one which passed within a quarter of a mile but it was too dark. It was an American ship. We gave ours and received their cheers.

Saturday 3/8/78
Up at 6 am bathing. The day is very uneventful with the exception of rehearsals. By the light of a lantern we had one out on the poop.

Sunday 4th /8/78
Up at 8 oclock. Breakfast. Service at 10:30. Weather very calm. At 11:30 a squall sprang up and we scudded along firmly. Again a very quiet day

... well that's all the diary I have in my possession but what is there gives some insight into life on board a ship coming to New Zealand in the late 1800s.