Bound for South Australia 1836
Blowing in the Wind
Week 17
Sunday before a hard gale. Edward Snell, 1849
Overview
Between February and July 1836 nine ships left Britain bound for the newly
created province of South Australia. On-board the ships were passengers who
over many long months braved the perils of the ocean, including some of the
most treacherous seas in the world to begin a new life on the other side of
the world.
This resource uses the stories from these nine ships as recorded by the
passengers and crew in their personal journals.
Contents
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Introduction
Journal entries
Inquiry Questions
Glossary of terms
Introduction
Our three ships are making steady progress this week and all three captains’
report favourable wind conditions. We will take a closer look at the role the
wind plays in our journeys and how it is measured, described and harnessed
to keep our ships sailing in the right direction.
Journal entries
Sunday 12 June 1836
Captain Robert Morgan, on board the Duke of York wrote:
This 24 hours the wind vearing from North to
west and squally to a close reeft top sail bree
se with heavy rain and thunder and lightning
we shiped quantitys of water on deck the hatches
perfectly batned down the ship makeing verry
little water
No Observation
In the morning read a portion of scripture
dureing the day employd secureing things abo
ut the decks our cabin on deck floating with
water our beds and most of our wareing apparel
wet…
Wednesday 15 June 1836
Boyle Travers Finniss, on board the Cygnet wrote:
15th. Saw Cape Frio bearing N.W. by distant 14 miles Wind from the S.W.
hazy.
Difference of Long. between Rio and Lat. place where we tacked 360 miles,
nautical .
Wednesday 15 June 1836
Captain Robert Morgan, on board the Duke of York wrote:
This 24 hours moderate breeses and cloudy but plesent
weather all possable sail set below and aloft
people employd variously Lattd Obsd 36.41 South
In the morning blessed God for a quiet night with
all other mercyes attending it to day beds blankets and
wareing apperil have bing dryed …
Saturday 18 June 1836
John Pirie journal writer, on board the John Pirie wrote:
There has been a clever Breeze from the N,Westward
since Thursday, during all which time we have never
gone less than from 8, to 9, Knots an Hour , but this Eveng
the Wind has increased to a strong Gale, putting us under
snug Canvas , _________
Saturday 18 June 1836
Captain Robert Morgan, on board the Duke of York wrote:
Most part of this 24 hours strong winds from the
south PM duble reeft the top sails and took in the
main sail found that the water had got into one
of our tanks of bread and spoiled abot 50 pound
no Observation
….
Inquiry Questions
• Find evidence in this week’s journal entries of the important role the wind
plays in the voyages?
• How is language used to describe and measure the wind?
• How do the captains of all three ships measure the wind direction and
speed and use this information to sail their ships?
Glossary of Terms
clever Breeze
• A gentle wind, which can be described fancifully as ‘clever’, ‘smart’, ‘fine’ or ‘fresh’.
duble reeft
• Where there is more than one line of reef points, a sail is double reefed when the second area of
sail is gathered in.
Knots an Hour
• The speed of ship or wind in nautical miles per hour. A float is dropped overboard and the speed
is indicated by the rate at which the ship sails away from it. Spacing of knots in the log-line
connected to the float is in same proportion to a mile as the half-minute sandglass used is to an
hour, thus the number knots counted off in the time is the speed in knots.
Lat
• Latitude is the distance of a point north or south of the equator as measured in degrees. The
poles are at 90 degrees north and south.
Long.
• Longitude is the distance, measured in degrees, of the meridian on which a point lies to the
meridian of Greenwich. On the other side of the earth to Greenwich is a point with a longitude
of both 180 degrees east and 180 degrees west.
Return to Journal Entries
nautical
• Miles at sea are nautical miles, equal to 1.15 statute miles or 1.85 kilometres. The nautical mile
is the length of a minute of latitude, or of longitude at the equator where the earth rotates at
the rate of one nautical mile per minute of time.
Reeft
• Seafarers reduce sails in strong winds so that ships can move more safely and comfortably. Sails
are made with rows of small ropes attached to them and these are tied around spars to reduce
the amount of sail exposed to the wind. The amount of sail taken in by securing one set of ropes
is called a reef. The action of reducing sails is called reefing and the knot that is used to tie the
ropes is called a reef knot. In light winds all the reefs are taken out and the full size of the sail is
exposed to draw full power from the wind.
snug Canvas
• Under suitably reduced sail in preparation for expected conditions, such as meeting a gale.
Squally
• A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed.
tacked
• Ships cannot sail directly into the wind but they can progress towards wind direction by sailing
obliquely to it. To tack is to present the other side of the ship to the wind by sailing through it,
taking advantage of forward momentum as well as an adjustment of sails.
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