Sunday April 9th 1885
Went down the cliff to Sully Island with Ern (his brother). Enjoyed the walk thoroughly. 'Twas a beautiful day, sky clear overhead but misty on the horizon. Gentle breeze from the westward. Passed a few steamers bound up channel...I. Barques lay in Penarth roads and several pilot cutters and small fry.
Swanbridge a nice little place (would make a capital spot for a watering place with a little expenditure and would prove an awkward rival to Penarth. With a railway running to Cardiff and Barry, when the docks at the latter place are completed and well patronised, it's sheltered from the cold easterly and north winds by high ground forming almost a semi circle. By building a dam from the west point of Sully Island to the mainland and a pier or breakwater abreast of the other or east end of a harbour for boats and small yachts or cutters might be made. A sea wall and promenade or esplanade could then be built as the dam would protect it from the sea during the heavy westerly gales which often prevail in the winter months on the British coasts.
There are some nice walks in the country around so with the improvements and a few pubs the......(it ends here as part of the next page ripped out).

No Date
Posted letter to J E Hicks Esq. Scarborough (In other diary, I Hicks of Scarborough was mentioned as owner of Barque Arabella - may be same person?)

Wednesday 22nd April
Sailing. Walked Penarth. Tea. Read. Wrote till 23.00.

Thursday 23rd April
School 10.17.
Work. Meridian, Altitude. Penarth by boat. Read. Wrote. Studied till 23.00. Retired.

Friday 24th April
School. 10.17.
Work. Meridian. Altitude etc.

Saturday 25th April
School till 10.13.
Penarth. 15 boats.
Wrote mother and Kate. Received box from home.

Sunday 27th April
Rained most of day. Walked down to beach. Went to Froll/Toll/Iron church. Walked to beach after service. Letter from Kate, Carrie and father.

(More entries to be inserted here to join up with following entries)

No Date
8pm. Weather clears fine, wind light.
Hastings abeam.
9.15. ROYAL SOVEREIGN bore N by E ½ E. Distance ½ mile.
10.40. Beachy Head abeam. Distance 3 miles. East Log. Weather clear and fine. Breeze fresh.

Friday
Commenced with clear fine weather and moderate breeze.
3am. Owirs Light abeam.
4am. Set all sail
4.55. St. Catherine's Light abeam. Log 59 miles.
9am. Shambles abeam. Wind light and variable. People employed painting anchors etc/
3.00 Start Point abeam. Distance 1 mile.
3.20. Signalled at Prawle Point.
5pm. Eddistone abeam.
9.45. Lizard abeam. Log 117
12pm. Log 138 ½ miles. Weather clear and fine. Breeze light.

Friday 6th September1885
SS EASTMINSTER - 11415 Reg. Built by John Reid & Co. Glasgow.
Signed on Thursday and left East But Dock Cardiff .
Anchored at Penarth Road until Monday.

Monday 31st August 1885
Got the EASTMINSTER. East dock.

Tuesday 1st September 1885
Went to work aboard here. Hydraulic tips. Getting ??????

Wednesday 2nd September 1885
Finished loading midnight. Draft 19-3 aft and forward. Load line 4 inches ind?????

Thursday 3rd September 1885
Heaved off 4 to 1 busy. Rigger employed getting stone abraised. Washing.

Friday 4th September 1885
6.30. Hawed down to Eastbourne. Rigged boom out. Locked out at 12.30pm. Seas?
EARL OF DERBY. Sound to Penarth Roads. Let go anchor. Hest amounts of both Holmess in a line? and Barry Isle between sully and Laverock Flat Holm.
Light bearing South and lights on Cardiff Pier N ½ E.
Laverock Light about W by N 4 W.
Newport Light about NW by W. Hands employed getting bending jibs upcrls a/o getting ready for sea etc.

Saturday 5th September 1885
am. Strong breeze SW. Weather clear with passing clouds and squalls occasionally.
6pm. Turned to. Getting gear and rigging squared up. Bending staysail etc. Washing decks etc.
8pm Went to breakfast. Breeze still strong now. Weather squally. Crew employed washing decks, lashing spurs, bending main royal yard aloft and preparing for Sea b?????????? Captain. Went ashore to get tug as wind and weather had moderated.
9pm. Wind WSW still strong breeze. Weather looking threatening again.
10pm. Wind hauling to westwards and moderating a little. Ship swinging head out SW North Star shiphead. Shiphead SW. Flat Holm red light bearing south. Laverock Point 13 WNW/sally West. Monkton least Western extremities of both Holmes in one North Star NN.

Sunday 6th September 1885
Anchors. For 4th crossed the line 34 days out.
Signalled MONMOUTHSHIRE from Newport for Burns About 38 days out.
am.commenced with wind variable.Weather squally with heavy rain at times.
6am. Wind SW. Moderate breeze. Weather clearing.
8am. Wind dying away. weather clear and fine.
12. Calm and fine. Clear weather. Ship swing head SW.
4pm. Weather already light breeze from SW.
5pm. Ship swinging again. Wind freshing.
6pm. Captain aboard lng Brah LORD DERBY took us in tow. Picked watches and set it.
8pm. Nash lights abeam. Porthcawl lights abeam.

Monday 7th September 1885
Commenced with strong breeze and squally weather.
1pm. Bull Point abeam.
5.00 Set ??????Port tack ahead NNE wind SE.
7.30. Tug boat left us (LORD DERBY)Lundy bearing WNW.
8.40. Went to breakfast. Headland bearing NE to E.
10.41. Wind freshening. Weather squally L????????alway Light staysail.
11.00 Top gallant sails. Squall passed. Hoisted fore and main laganols.
12 noon. Tackil ship brished morgre talfasail and staysail again Head.
Strong breeze with dirty weather and heavy head sea, ship pitching and labouring of ship large quantities of water.
4pm. Stowed topsails for topmast staysail etc. Wind hauling to Eastward log 426 miles.
10pm. St. Agnes Lighthouse S ¾ E.
11pm. Bishops S by W log 7 l.
12 midnight. Checked in yards and set fore topsail.

Tuesday 8th September 1885
Commenced with dirty looking weather and gale from NW.
1am. Set Spanker (spinaker?) and ????????topsails - upper.
3pm. Weather squally, took spanker in wind hauling to westward.
4pm. Wind moderating. Weather still threatening.
5pm. Set spanker. Shook reef out of main top sail. Got port anchor aboard and lashed, also spare morning watch prgr fustored again. Afternoon fitted new royal sheets.
7pm. Wind still freshening.
3.30. Hauled stay sail down 4 at 4. Tacked ships hoard upper topsails and course. Weather thick and hazy with drizzle. Rain at times. side lights and fog H??????etc. Perhaps will attended to.

 31st October
Passed Tristan da Cuna 55th day out.

Novmber 4th
Crossed the meridian of Greenwich in Lat. 40 38 South. Longitude of Cape of Good Hope.

November 8th
Lat. 38 17 South. Crossed the meridian again.

Thursday 28th November
Strong breeze from the SW for the first part with clear weather for the middle part. Thick rainy weather. Latter clear.
10pm. Look in fore top of allapersail.
12pm. Main and rufed the topsail.
3am. Kuf out of the mainsail.
8am. Set main logsgahns and royal.
Lat. 49 50 . Lat. 4 50. Distance 190. True course N5½E.