Log book of HMS Constance on Pacific Station

Component identifier:

File BET/8

Content Summary:

Places visited include: Callao; Easter Island; Pitcairn Island; Honolulu; Hilo; Washington and Fanning Islands; Jervis Islands; Caroline Islands; Tahiti; Cook's Islands; Esquimalt; Hong Kong; Singapore; Malta; Portsmouth.

Details of: course; wind; weather; track chart; movements of other ships; courts martial; cricket match against Valparaiso eleven; conditions on Easter Island - visit to station on Mount Topaze; description of Pitcairn Island - landing in Bounty Bay, visit to grave of John Adams, 'the inhabitants seem to be very happy and contented on the island and lead a very virtuous, religious life'; names and dates of birth of the 105 inhabitants;visit to Honolulu - British consul-general received on board; visited by Governor, and American Commissioner; prorogation of Hawaiian Parliament, ride to volcanic crater through tropical forest, taking a sulphur vapour bath, views of Mauna Loa, visit to fire lakes - Halimau Mau and New Lake, picked up 'Pale's hair, fine shreds of lava which are formed by the wind blowing the sparks out as they are shot in the air from the lake', visited Captain Cook's monument; description of Washington Island and settlement on Fanning Island; Christmas Island - 'we found an Englishman here, a regular beach comber who called himself King'; survey of Jervis Island; Malden Island - 'the Europeans coming from Australia ... they being very glad to meet countrymen and to get a good glass of beer'; visited by French governor of Tahiti; natives of Cook's Islands; took on board fruit and pigs; Rarotonga - Queen Makea on board; death of stoker William Hamilton at Esquimalt; voyage home via Honolulu - SS City of Sydney in harbour; dressed ship in honour of Hawaiian Independence Day - church service and native feast; other ships at Hong Kong; voyage to Singapore; Suez Canal; sand storm; repairs at Malta.

Copy also at back of volume:

Distances run through the water from place to place during the commission.

Includes: some notes on HMS Phaeton at Sheerness, April-May 1886.

Processing information:

M3076

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