Diary of William Bates (?) on a voyage from Greenock to Melbourne on the ship Minnehaha, December 1857-April 1858

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File 2

Content Summary:

Bates, who was a preacher, left Glasgow on 25 November 1857 and the ship left Greenock on 26 December 1847, but the lengthy first entry in the diary is dated 6 January 1856. The very detailed diary, written with some literary flair, refers to sightings of the Isle of Man, Ireland and Madeira, injuries to passengers due to rolling seas, the weather, sightings of porpoises and dolphins, church services, impressions of passengers and ship's officers, the publication of the Minnehaha Weekly Review, Bates's efforts to learn French, books and reading, the reasons for passengers deciding to emigrate, arguments about the propriety of card-playing, slow progress in the Atlantic Ocean, illnesses and medicines, sightings of ships, arguments between crew and passengers, albatrosses, the deterioration of food towards the end of the voyage, storms, anticipation of arrival in Melbourne, rapid sailing in the Indian Ocean, smoking and drinking. The last entry is dated 5 April 1858, three days before the ship reached Port Phillip Heads. In the final four pages there is an imaginary conversation between a Melbourne man and one of the Minnehaha passengers.

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M1661

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