The Red Jacket runs the iceberg gauntlet

At one p.m. on May 4, 1854, the Red Jacket sailed from Liverpool to chase after the new Black Baller Nova Scotian packet, Mermaid, that had left port the day before, also en route to Melbourne. Captain Reid hoped that the Mermaid would make a race of it and sent the Red Jacket after her down the Atlantic.

Off the coast of Oporto, Portugal, the Red Jacket caught up with the Mermaid on May 10th and both ships were becalmed for a time. Light northeast trade winds prevailed that May and both ships had long runs to the line with the Red Jacket crossing on May 29th slightly ahead of the Mermaid. The Red Jacket steered a more westerly course down the South Atlantic finding light and variable winds while the Mermaid kept to the east and pulled ahead of her rival.

Running down her easting aboard the Red Jacket, Captain Reid navigated a Great Circle Sailing course that would take his clipper down to 52° S. into the regions of ice and snow where he would find the winds that he so desired. His crew was hard-pressed to stay on top of everything and passengers were exposed to the harsh southern winter as the ship was covered with ice and snow, but the Red Jacket made phenomenally good time as her log from June 26th to July 12th bears this out.

June 26-Lat. 48° 06' S., Long 34° 44' E. Winds, Variable, stiff rain and sleet. Distance 315 miles.

June 27-50° o6', Long 42° 19'. Wind N.W., fresh and squally, with hail; very cold weather. Distance 330 miles.

June 28-50° 54', Long. 49° 16'. Wind W.N.W., squalls, with hail showers. Distance 263 miles.

June 29-50° 34', Long. 56° 34'. Wind N.W.W., squalls, entire forepart of ship covered with ice. distance 286 miles.

June 30-52° 03', Long. 63° 50'. Wind N.N.W., fresh, with hail squalls, very cold, air 19°. Distance 287 miles.

July 1-51° 39', Long 71° 21'. Wind N.N.W., fresh, with hail squalls, later part light, air 19°. Distance 81 miles.

July 2-50° 29', Long. 72° 26'. Wind S.W., first part calm, later part heavy gales and heavy sea. Distance 81 miles.

July 3- 50° 12', Long. 80° 30'. Wind W.S.W., first part heavy gales, later part fresh breezes, high sea, freezing. Distance 312 miles.

July 4-49° 25', Long. 88° 30'. Wind variable, fresh gales and heavy sea, freezing, rain and sleet. Distance 300 miles.

July 5-49° 25', Long. 95° 00'. Wind N.N.W., first part light and heavy rain, later stiff with heavy squalls. Distance 288 miles.

July 6-48° 38', Long. 104° 15'. Wind W.N.W., strong gales and squalls, heavy sea. Distance 400 miles.

July 7-47° 25', Long. 112° 44'. Wind Variable in strength and direction. Distance 299 miles.

July 8-46° 38', Long. 119° 44'. Wind N.N.W., stiff and squalls, with rain. Distance 350 miles.

July 9-45° 09', Long. 129° 18'. Wind N.N.W., strong and squally, with rain. Distance 357 miles.

July 10-42° 42', Long. 134° 38'. Wind N.N.W., fine weather. Distance 334 miles.

July 11-40° 36', Long. 139° 35'. Wind N.W.S., heavy squalls and rain. Distance 245 miles.

July 12---, --. Wind N.N.W., fine weather. Made King's Island at 10.50 p.m., crossed bar at 11.50 p.m. Distance 300 miles.

The Red Jacket reached Port Phillip Heads on July 12th with a record-breaking passage from Rock Light of 69 days, 11 hours and 15 minutes covering a distance of 13,880 miles. The Mermaid arrived on July 17th after a voyage of 74 1/2 days.

There to greet Captain Reid of the Red Jacket on the Melbourne docks was George Francis Train who also had arrived that very same day aboard the former packet ship Bavaria after a 92-day passage from New York.

Train had first arrived in Australia the previous year as an Australian agent for the White Star Line. When Train had initially arrived in Melbourne he had been amazed and appalled at the scene in the harbor of hundreds of vessels from every port in the world all waiting to be unloaded. And no one willing to do the job for every able-bodied man had run off to the gold fields. Then there were no wharves or warehouses either, as well as any rail head or merchants' exchange. Train saw a total lack of Yankee ingenuity and had written in his memoirs:

All Melbourne requires to be a great city is a little energy and a great deal of money. We must introduce a sprinkling of Yankeeism. . . . Show the residents the meaning of dispatch.

Over the following year thousands of Americans arrived in Australia and their numbers soon totaled over 10,000 and they swiftly Americanized Melbourne much to Train's satisfaction. Train of course had placed himself in a position to benefit from this American influx and soon realized great profits of 50 to 200 percent on his wisely selected merchandise. Soon, this twenty-five-year-old man was making over $100,000 a year and by the time of the Red Jacket's arrival he was one of Melbourne's leading American citizens.

George Francis Train had returned to Boston and went about rounding up a number of clerks and office fixtures to return to Australia with aboard the Plymouth Rock, a McKay packet built in 1849, and under the command of Captain Eben Caldwell.

It turns out that George Francis Train did not get along with his generous cousin Enoch Train who was Eben Caldwell's employer. George Francis Train was also too flamboyant for Capt. Caldwell so it was probably good for both that George Francis Train did not embark in the Plymouth Rock. He and his wife left for Melbourne, not from Boston, but at nearly the same sailing time from New York aboard the ship, Bavaria. The

Plymouth Rock and the Bavaria arrived after three months at sea at Port Phillip in May 1853 within days of each other.

All the clerks, fixtures and so on required for a shipping and commission house, to be named Caldwell, Train & Co., arrived on the Plymouth Rock.

A passenger aboard the Plymouth Rock kept a journal and here are three selected typical passages from the journal written in 1853. The first passage is one week out of Boston, the second is approximately 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to Melbourne and the final (without coordinates) is at the destination at the end of Hobson's Bay, Port Phillip.

Thursday Feb 24th Lat 35° 20' N Long 56° 00' W

Wind SSW Fine breeze, and the ship bounds nobely on her way going at the rate of 9 1/2 knots as hour. Towards night it thickens up and looks like a fresh breeze and rain. The light sails are taken in at 9ock PM. We have been from Boston Light one week. And are distant from the same about 900 miles. Which is not bad going; and neither is it very good considering the chance (winds) that we have had. Finished reading the history of Gold.

Friday April 29th Lat 45° 10' S Long 75° 30' E

Wind first part Nn Blowing fresh with a very heavy swell and cross sea so much so that we are obliged to be under reefed topsails where as if there was no swell we might carrey whole sail especially as it is free. To day for the first time I saw several cape hens or (sea hens). They are rather larger than a domestic hen which they very much resemble in form are entirely black except a small spot on the upper side and near the end of the wing which is wite. In flying they do not skale like the albatross but constantly keep their wing going (flapping). I also observed that they set on the water a great deal more than any other birds that we have seen. This is probably owing to there not being able to fly with as much ease as most other sea fowls (having to keep their wings constantly in motion).

Considerable talk among the passengers about the time that we shall probably arrive in Australia. Some say that she could go there in twelve dayss some 40. St Pauls island at noon. Bore N 18° E distant 390 miles.

Thursday May 19th

Having got under way the last night at 11ock we made but little progress during the night the wind being NE (direct ahead). The wind continued to the NE all day and the weather clear. When I turned out about 6ock we were distant from the shipping 7 miles from Melbourne. Soon boats came along side to get passengers to carrey ashore. The lowest price setting a passenger ashore was 4S. the port physicians came in board to examine the state of health.

[ * ECS- The above passages are credited to the research of C. William Christopher, Ph.D; Arthur C. Merrill, Jr. ; and Elizabeth C. Sucic, M.A.; all of Rockport, Massachusetts, and in response to the www.eraoftheclipperships.com Web site ]

Among the agencies and services to be rendered was that of agent for the White Star Line which included the purchasing of gold for shipment to London and New York. Train was also to represent Boston underwriters.

Soon after arrival, the following incident occurred. The firm of Caldwell, Train & Co. was dissolved and the retiring partner, Captain Caldwell, was to sail back to England on the Red Jacket. George Francis Train picks up the story in his memoirs from there:

It was the course customary to have all bills of lading signed by the ship's captain. But Captain Reid had been arrested at the instance of one of the passengers, and the ship was libeled on account of a claim. For this reason Captain Reid had not been present to sign the bills of lading. In Boston, I had often signed bills of lading in the absence of the captain, so I had no hesitancy as to my course in this emergency. I considered that I had a perfect right to sign the bills and so I did sign them for the $1,000,000, putting it 'George Francis Train, for the captain.'

Now the English are a conservative people. When they see anything new it 'frights' them. They cannot understand where there should ever be occasion for anything new under the sun. When the Melbourne banks saw that I had signed the papers, they were scared nearly out of their boots. They had never heard of such a procedure and thought their insurance was gone.

But this was not all. The Red Jacket was the fastest clipper that had then visited Melbourne and it occurred to these bankers that I was going to run off with this gold and become a Captain Kidd of a buccaneering Morgan. They grounded their fears upon the facts that my wife was aboard; that Captain Caldwell, my partner and friend, was also a passenger, and they believed that Captain Reid was on board, although under arrest. To suspicious bankers here was a really strong case against me.

In the meantime the Red Jacket, with her trim sails bellied with the wind and sweeping along in a way of her own that nothing in the South Seas could imitate or approach, was passing down Hobson's Bay. The Government and the Melbourne authorities despatched two men-of-war after her. There was no possibility of her being overhauled by these craft and I gave orders to make for Point Nepean. The sheriffs from Melbourne, who thought Captain Reid was aboard, stayed on the ship but I ordered them put off at the Point. They were furious but could do nothing since they could not act for Melbourne, at sea, under the Stars and Stripes. Accordingly they were put on a tug and taken back to Melbourne. Immediately after the sheriffs left the ship, a little yacht, the Flying Eagle, with Captain Reid aboard, came alongside and the Captain was put on the Red Jacket just outside the jurisdiction of Australia.

The Red Jacket caught the wind again and showed her clean heels to the slow-sailing men-of-war.

The authorities and the bankers did not like the proceedings at all, but saw that they could do nothing. There was great anxiety in Australia for some months. When it was learned that the $1,000,000 was landed at Liverpool without the loss of a farthing, I was heartily congratulated although the British spirit never forgave the taking of matters into my own hands and making the best of a bad situation. Their conservatism had received a bad shock.

Around that same time, another ship sailing for England with four tons of gold dust aboard simply disappeared and it was thought that her crew had seized her, scuttled the ship and the crew of pirates had rowed off with the gold in the boats.

On sailing day, August 3, 1854, Captain Reid had somehow managed to get himself out of jail and came aboard the Red Jacket from the little yacht, Flying Eagle, off Point Nepean beyond Australian jurisdiction, arriving after George Francis Train had told the Melbourne sheriffs to leave the ship, and then according to Train, "The Red Jacket caught the wind again and showed her clean heels to the slow-sailing men-of-war."

The Red Jacket continued on her first around the world voyage and Reid navigated a course between Curtis Island and Kent's group as a stiff sou'wester filled her sails and moved the Red Jacket right along at 15 knots close-hauled and close to 18 knots with strong beam winds. Even though she was light and out of trim as well as too much down by the stern as her cargo of wool had been poorly stored due to Captain Reid's absence at the time of her loading.

The weather on the run to the Horn was fine and the Red Jacket rounded the Horn on August 23rd with a record run of 20 days. On the next day, the Red Jacket ran into field-ice which was described in the journal of one of the passengers.

On the morning of August 24th I was roused out of sleep by the noise of shortening sail and the look-out singing out "Land." Ice had been seen some time before, but the solid masses of ice had been supposed in the dark to be land. On getting out I found that we were in smooth water, and large masses of ice floating about us. As the day broke we found ourselves sailing along a lake of water not unlike a canal. The ice seemed to extend on every side in solid fields, as far as the eye could reach, without any prospect of getting out, so that we had to follow the channel.

All sail was clewed up except the topsails, and as there was a good breeze we proceeded along at about 4 or 5 knots. Our situation at this time seemed most appalling, as we appeared to be getting further into the ice, so that by 10 or 11 o'clock we were almost making up our minds to remain for weeks in this fearful situation.

About noon the captain and the 2nd mate, who had been on the fore-tail yard all morning, discovered clear sea again, to gain which we had to force a passage through dense masses of ice. It was here she sustained the principle damage to her stem and copper. We soon got clear, and the rest of the day we saw no traces of ice, and we were very thankful we had got off so easily. But to our dismay, at 8 p.m. we again fell in with it. The ship was put about, and sail shortened for the night, and we ran back to the clear water in which we had been sailing.

At daybreak sail was made, and at 7 a.m. we came up with the ice. At first it was only large pans much melted, the water having all the appearance of brine, and being quite thick round them. Afterwards large masses of icebergs presented themselves. In grinding the ship through these, great difficulty was experienced-very large bergs were also interspersed and visible all round.

This day we cleared it again about noon. Icebergs were still, however, seen both near and in the distance; their appearance was most grand, the largest being thought to be about 2 miles in circumference and 100 feet high. It was passed about 4 or 5 miles distant on our starboard and lee side. We hove to again at night. Next day, Saturday, was for the most part a dead calm, and we were carried back with the current. There was not a breath of wind; a clear sky and beautiful weather, only the air sharp. Icebergs were, however, still seen. The next day, Sunday, we passed a number more, which were the last ice seen. One of these was most grand, being about 200 feet high. We cleared it on our port or windward side about a mile or less distant. The weather during this period was clear and fine. Indeed, the day before encountering the ice was beautiful, a fine light breeze, which heightened towards evening, and sea smooth. We were running close-hauled 14 knots an hour steadily during the night. The sun had set a deep crimson behind a bank of clouds over against Cape Horn.

The close encounters with the icebergs slowed the Red Jacket down for a time. But her captain and crew still hoped for a record passage to Liverpool until they ran into light head winds and calms around the equator. It took the clipper 31 1/2 days from the line to reach Liverpool 73 days out from Melbourne when she arrived on October 15, 1854.

The owners of the White Star Line, Pilkington & Wilson, were so impressed with the performance of the Red Jacket that they purchased her outright for the sum of £30,000 to add to their growing fleet of Australian passenger ships. That included the McKay medium clipper Chariot of Fame that was chartered by the White Star Line and made a number of swift passages between Liverpool and Australia until 1856 when she entered into general trade.

The Empress of the Seas joined the fleet of White Star Liners for a time at the end of the decade. Other ships in the White Star Line fleet included the Colonial-built ships White Star and Shalimar.

The Maiden Voyage of the Lightning

For the Lightning's maiden Melbourne voyage, Forbes came up with the slogan: "Melbourne or Hell in sixty days!" Forbes and Bragg sailed from Liverpool for Melbourne on May 14th, ten days after the Red Jacket, and one of her passengers wrote down a diary account of the Lightning's departure from Liverpool.

Sunday the 14th of May 1854 with a tug on each side and one ahead the clipper Lightning slipped down the Mersey from Liverpool at noon, to the boom of guns from the Marco Polo and shore batteries and to the strains of the ship's band playing "Cheers Boys Cheer", many joined them in chorous, flags flying many full hearts leaving their native land forever-away we go. Divine service in our cabin and ditto after tea-too much ranting and praying. We cannot get fresh air for the crowds that attend. We get our meals in great discomfort and without order-everyone for himself and many are rough and rude.

Several sails were set without wind to fill them. One tug returned to Liverpool on Sunday and the second on Monday with a large mail from the passengers, but the third remained till the ship was off Cork on Tuesday. With every sail we present a fine appearance even with only a light wind.

Still doing about five knots by Thursday the Captain says we must set every yard of canvas and if that does not make her go we must put up our shirts. It is amusing to watch his anxious watchfulfess-every step or two he looks up at the sails and whistles for a wind. Then he orders a pull at this and a stretch at that. But to see him whistling seriously-that's a joke.

Regardless of how much Forbes whistled, the Lightning had gotten off to a slow start. After a few days the winds picked up and from that point on Forbes filled the sky with canvas and sent the Lightning flying for the southern latitudes as one passenger's diary will attest.

9th June. Following on several trifling squalls during the day, a much stronger one at 10:30 p.m. carried away the jib topsail and by 11 p.m. white thick clouds were rising to a fresh cool breeze. The ship was almost covered in sail and so the breeze became stronger she gradually sent herself to it, at the same time going quicker and quicker. Men were stationed at the halyards and I went below to keep dry. The ship was nearly on her side when the Captain came on deck; . . . what a roaring of wind, thundering of flapping sails, dashing of spray, shrieking or orders there were before we were snug again. The ship trembles very much when she dashes against a wave . . . T. thinks we ought to petition the Captain to keep us under less sail, for he sees very little difference between frightening a man out of his wits and killing him outright.

The Lightning crossed the line in 25 days and flew on down past latitude 30° S. and began making her easting down to the roaring forties with topgallant sails flying. She crossed the Cape meridian 22 days after crossing the line and from there ran 30 days to Port Phillip Heads.

Over the course of this leg of the passage, Forbes piled on even more sail and drove the Lightning as hard as he could. That both scared and exhilarated her passengers at the same time as the following diary account that was later printed in an article: The Lightning Passage, that was later published in issue number 25 of the Dog Watch.

Friday 7th July 1854 we are somewhere off the Mozambique Channel { * Well to the south of it. (Ed.) } and had a tempestuous night, going at a fearful rate at times. Main topmast halliards gave way making a terrific noise until the sail stowed. Lee scuppers a long way under-sea high- many a heavy dash over into the main deck. An extra lurch and 20 men leaning against the weather side went flying down to leeward, some on their feet and some on their sterns. ( p.m. the ship seems to be going faster than ever-absolutely flying from under one. 10 p.m. the blocks { * Actually the dead-eyes (Ed.) } 18 inches above the lee rail, are frequently under water. The deck is on an angle of 45 or 50 degrees and you only get along hand over hand, by the belaying pins on the windward side. The second mate, whose watch it is says "Now this is what I call carrying on."

The Lightning arrived off Sandridge Pier on July 31, 1854, in the afternoon after a voyage of 77 days from Liverpool, the same number of days that the Sovereign of the Seas had taken on her maiden run to Melbourne. Her best day's run was 348 miles. Due to the light winds that had prevailed over the course of the entire voyage, the Lightning never got the chance to break any records and the Red Jacket won this race, but the homeward passage would be a different story.

The Lightning

The Lightning left her anchorage at Hobson's Bay on the morning of August 20, 1854, and carried over £1,000,000 in gold dust on board for the homeward voyage. The Lightning dropped her steamer tug Washington off the heads at 4 p.m. and Forbes immediately piled on sail to race to Cape Horn.

By noon the next day, she had traveled 268 knots. In the early hours of August 24th she passed the Mermaid that had departed Melbourne two days earlier, and by late that evening the Lightning passed the Auckland Islands.

There, she caught the south-westerly winds and seldom logged less than 14 knots from that point on as Forbes carried sail in a most daring way. He kept his station at the break of the poop waving a pistol in each hand to ward off any of his crew from releasing the royal halyards and hauling down sail.

On August 28th, the Lightning was in latitude 57° 20' S. as a violent squall raged from the southwest. At 11 p.m., the fore topmast stunsail boom along with the fore topmast went over the side as the fore royal, fore topgallant sail, and fore topsail were instantly all blown out of the bolt ropes at the same time.

Over the next four days, the Lightning sailed under easy canvas while Forbes impatiently had a new fore topmast set aloft and repaired the other damage. Regardless of this mishap, the Lightning caught some powerful winds averaging 300 miles a day from September 1st to September 8th and reached Cape Horn in 19 days, 1 hour out from the heads, a record.

On September 13th and 14th, the Lightning picked up strong winds out of the south and sailed 351 and 354 miles on those days. From the 15th to the 20th, she encountered light head winds and averaged 6 to 7 knots for a time. In the South Atlantic, the Lightning caught the light N.E. and N.N.E. winds and flew right up to the line, crossing in Long. 34° 30' on September 30th a little over 40 days out from Port Phillip and considering the light winds experienced on the Atlantic side of the Horn, most excellent time.

After crossing the line, the Lightning ran into the doldrums and torrents of rain for the next five days achieving little progress until a gentle N.E. trade wind picked up on October 5th and found the Lightning at Lat. 10° N., Long. 34° W., and remained steady for the next five days taking the Lightning up to Lat. 30° N., Long. 37°. Moderate S.E. winds came on over the 11th and 12th when the Lightning was in the vicinity of St. Michael's at noon. Very light N.E. and E.N.E. winds blew over the next week taking the Lightning up to Lat. 46° 15' N., 28° W. By October 19th, strong northerly winds came on filling her canvas sending her romping on to England.

She was off Old Head of Kinsdale at 4 a.m., the afternoon of October 21st, and after waiting for the high tide over the night to get over the Mersey bar, reached the Mersey docks by 9.30 a.m. the following morning of October 22nd. Her elapsed time from Port Phillip was 64 days, 3 hours and 10 minutes, a new record, shattering the previous record of 73 days set by the Red Jacket eight days earlier.

The Lightning had made her round voyage in 5 months, 8 days, 21 hours. The Red Jacket had made her round voyage in 5 months, 10 days, 22 hours. The Lightning won the contest by 2 days, 1 hour.

Both captains left their ships upon arrival at Liverpool. Captain Forbes left the Lightning to take command of the ill-fated Schomberg and passed on command of the Lightning to Captain Anthony Enright, captain of the Liverpool tea clipper, Chrysolite. James Baines was able to entice Enright away from his White Star Line rivals offer to command the Red Jacket, by meeting Enright's unheard of salary demands of £1,000 a year to command the Lightning.

To the passengers of the next voyage aboard the Lightning, Enright was a great improvement upon Captain Forbes who had terrified so many of his passengers with his carrying of sail to the point of disaster.

Enright was actually a better sailor than Forbes as well as more tactful and showed the proper caution and concern for his passengers and their comforts. Enright took a special interest in keeping his passengers amused and entertained over the course of the long voyage. Enright was a religious man with a Puritanical streak and a stern disciplinarian, but also kind and fair.

All the men who sailed aboard the Lightning knew that as long as they gave good service that their captain would treat them fair and never gave Enright any trouble. The captain showed great tact in the way he took command of his men and was very adept at getting along with all the passengers.

Parliament had passed the Passenger Acts to insure that the conditions aboard the emigrant ships were improved over what they had been in the past and required emigration officers to enforce them although their numbers were few. But Baines and Mackay saw to it, following the measles epidemic that broke out aboard the Marco Polo on her first voyage, that tolerable conditions would be maintained aboard all Black Ball Liners. And generally they were, much more so than the many ships engaged in the emigration trade.

Most of the emigrants were from the British Isles and there were numerous Scots and Irish aboard Black Ball Liners as well as English emigrants for there were over 400 Black Ball Line agents everywhere in the British Isles.

Other agents in European port cities booked passage for foreign emigrants aboard Black Ball Liners. They were of all trades and occupations and hoped to improve their lot either in the gold fields or take advantage of other opportunities they would find upon arrival in Australia. Americans also sailed for Australia aboard Black Ball Liners.

Before sailing day, many emigrants stayed at an emigrant depot across the Mersey River at Birkenhead or at private boarding houses in Liverpool where they were sometimes fleeced by unscrupulous proprietors. Then of course they had to watch out for the numerous "land sharks" who were all about ready to take advantage of them. By the time sailing day came around, most of them were glad to be off even though many would soon miss their homeland.

Prior to when passengers came aboard, their luggage was tagged with their names and cabin numbers and those that were tagged with "wanted on the voyage" tags were placed in their 'tweendecks cabins and those that were "not wanted on the voyage" were placed in the hold. A month later at sea, passengers were allowed to visit the hold and retrieve what they wanted from their trunks to take back to their cabins.

From the Pier Head floating landing stage, the passengers boarded a steam tender that ferried them out to the ship in groups until all were aboard, to await the sailing, usually the following morning when the tide was right and tugs would come along side to escort the departing Black Ball Liner down the Mersey to the Irish Sea as those ashore waved their last good-byes to the departing passengers gathered along the rails.

One of the first things the passengers saw aboard the Lightning was the following notice of Captain Enright's rules and regulations that was conspicuously posted about the ship.

RULES OF THE "LIGHTNING."

!st. No smoking or naked light allowed below.

2nd. All lights, except the hatchway lights, to be put out by 10 p.m.

3rd. No congreve matches to be used in the berths or on the lower deck.

4th. Cleanliness and decorum to be strictly observed at all times.

5th. Every place below to be well cleaned every day after breakfast, for the inspection of he surgeon and chief officer.

6th. All bedding to be on deck twice a week.

7th. The 'tween deck passengers to appoint constables to preserve order and see these rules are strictly observed.

8th. The constables are to keep watch in their respective compartments for their own safety and that of their families; trim the lamps; report all misdemeanours, for which they will receive a glass of grog or a cup of coffer every morning.

9th. Second cabin passengers are not allowed on he windward side of the vessel; but can promenade at all hours on the leeward side.

10th. Passengers must not upon any account open the 'tween deck ports without my express permission: a violation of this rule may be attended with serious consequences, and will, in any case, be severely punished.

11th. Dancing and promenading on the poop from 7 till 9 p.m., when all passengers may enjoy themselves, but not abaft the mizzen mast. The promenaders are not in any way to interrupt the dancers, but will be expected to promenade in parts of the poop where dancing in not being carried on.

12th. On account of the overcrowded state of the poop and to satisfy all parties, third class passengers are only allowed on the quarterdeck from 7 till 9 in the evening.

13th. The use of the private staircase (into the saloon) is strictly prohibited after 11 at night.

14th. No person allowed to speak to the officers of the watch whilst on duty: nor to any of the quartermasters, whilst at the wheel.

15th. All parties not complying with these rules will be liable to have a part of their provisions deducted as a punishment, as the commander and officers may think fit.

ANTHONY ENRIGHT, Commander.

Over the first few days of the passage, many of the passengers aboard became seasick and it took awhile before they became accustomed to the steady tossing of the ship but after a week at sea most adjusted to these conditions.

All emigrants, especially those of the second and steerage class, which was the majority, faced an up to three month passage in overcrowded conditions aboard ship and would have to cope with stormy seas as well as their fellow passengers. Life would be more prosperous for them when they arrived in Australia and this thought certainly helped them cope with their unfamiliar situation that they now faced and undoubtedly helped many of them endure the passage. Certainly there were many unpleasant ordeals ahead for all as well as pleasant times at sea over the course of the passage and many were determined to make the best of it.

The second and steerage class cabins were in the 'tweendecks interior of the ship. The space allotted to them was small with double tiers of bunks, each six feet long by 18 inches wide, for two passengers in each cabin with partitions put in place. And both bunks and partitions were easily removable to make room for more cargo space for the homeward passage when needed. Partitions offered a small amount of privacy and were usually open at the top to provide adequate ventilation. There were curtains for the bunks that offered a little more privacy and desks, benches, and tables were usually in each unheated cabin.

These accommodations were strictly segregated with the cabins for the single men in the forward part of the ship with a partition separating them from the cabins of the married couples amidships and the cabins for the single females aft.

The first-class passengers fared better as their cabins were larger and ran around the stern sides of the Lightning. For first-class passengers, there was an elegant dining room, a saloon, and ladies sitting room as well as a gentlemen's smoking room.

Once aboard ship, they all shared the overcrowded conditions, the food that left much to be desired, the sickness and diseases that sometimes spread among the passengers, as well as the risk of injuries.

They also had to tolerate the drunken bad behavior of some of their fellow passengers over the course of a long tedious passage at times as well, and fights would sometimes break out. Unruly drunken brawlers regardless of their passenger class were clamped in irons until they cooled off.

Some sought to pass the time playing practical jokes on their fellow passengers, particularly those that they did not like. Second and steerage class passengers were frequently snubbed by the first-class passengers and officers, and often complained about the indifferent attention paid to them by the stewards.

To make up for the poor quality of the food, some of the passengers took on board their own stock of preserved food to supplement their diet as well as their personal bedding and other creature comforts to make their passage more bearable. There were shops around Liverpool that specialized in these things.

The passengers had to come up with their own amusements to pass the time at sea. Chess, backgammon, dominoes, and board games were a popular diversion, as was card playing, especially the game of whist. Gambling was popular among the rowdy crowd and bets often made on the number of miles the ship would sail over a 24-hour period. Or when the first shout of "Land-Ho!" was heard at sea or what day and time the ship would arrive at their port of destination. Auctions, raffles, and sweepstakes were pleasant ways to fill the time.

The religious passengers studied their bibles amongst themselves. There was a library aboard the ship and reading was a popular diversion among many. By far the most popular reading material aboard the Lightning was the Lightning Gazette, published weekly aboard ship, as James Baines saw to it that a printing press was put aboard each of his liners. A member of the crew was the printer, but the passengers would elect the editor and sub-editor. The captain would contribute frequent communiqués and also act as censor keeping controversial news that might excite the passengers off the pages.

Next: The Gent Afloat

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