William Strapps Diary Part 1

Some of the men were hauling out the hose pipes others were running about with blankets over their arms (about 40 are [told/dold] off for this service) to smother the fire They soak them in water if there happens to be a real fire other are standing round the boats. Every man knows is place or is supposed to from the crew of the eight boats we have on board, Its a queer sight to see the men run cooks in aprons butchers smeared with blood enginmen begrimed with soot and coal Stewards with their cloths tied round them. Sailors just out of bed with only shirt & pants on While the captain walks the bridge like a caged tiger watching all like an hawk & issueing orders Everything was done in almost

perfect order and all that could be done for making good the escape of a great many for we could not all get into the boats was gone thro It was merely practice they go thro' the drill at certain periods just when the captain thinks fit It thus comes upon the crew perhaps when they least expect it & they are asleep they have to get up & run for it Passed a steamship off the port side bow, was supposed to be one belonging to another o fthe Packet companies boats

Thur Jany 8th 1880

302 Miles 24o 37" Lat N 21o 32 Long W Glorious morning The breeze had freshened considerably & instead of having an odd dry sailor jib up the fore & main mast come in for making

our progress somewhat faster There was the usual dancing & singing on deck again to-night The phosphorus is very bright to-night but we expect to see it brighter in the Indian Ocean when we leave the cape Sighted no vessels to-day

Frid Jany 9th 1880 322 Miles 19o 43" Lat N 23o 53" Long W To-day we see for the first time those novelties "Flying Fishes Tis gratifying to see & judge for yourself after hearing so many Conflicting accounts of these interesting creatures They are nearly a foot long some larger some smaller while others darted so quick, it was impossible to measure them with the eye The color of the largest ones were tawny the smaller species being grey with blue patches under the gills

The theory that these creatures do not fly but take a succession of jumps has had to disappear down the throat of the flying fish True some just take a leap out of the water and then drop again You might as well say because you saw two or three horses walking that they all walked and could not gallop. But some of them can fly & you may see them rise and skim along over the water something like a swallow darting along the surface of a stream and instead of a good man's jump some can go a long distance One of the largest I saw skimmed a distance of from 50 to 80 yards perhaps more of the distance on water is deceitful & if that is called a jump I must give in I have not seen any porpoises or dolphins after them as yet the invariable accompaniments

of the flying fish wherever they are portrayed in pictures The ones we saw from time to time appear to have been disturbed by our vessel cutting through the water. We sighted a steamer off the starboard side about 11.00am but could not make out what she was We expected to reach St Vincent today but it appears that the officers think it better to stand off till the morning so we are creeping along like an huge tortoise too lazy to carry its ugly carcase along We reluctantly turn in down our cabin where it is almost enough to stifle a blue monkey

Sat Jan 10th 1880

No distance was given Latitude or Longitude It recons from Plymouth 184 miles We are up this morning in good time in expectation of seeing land Our strained eyes at last discerned a long streak, like a cloud right across our bows. About 6"40