Index		Contact: Dawn Chambers

Ship 'Augustus Caesar' 1834-1835

Log of Logs by Ian Nicholson Volume 2
Augustus Caesar, ship, 414ft, W'm Wiseman: Sydney 10 Aug for Malacca;
1834 and letter by Captain reporting wreckage found in Torres Strait.
See Historical Records of Australia 1.18


Hobart Town Courier Friday 6 Nov 1835
The ship 'Augustus Caesar', 414 tons, Captain Wiseman arrived on
Saturday, from London, 10th July with a general cargo. Passengers:
Mr Wood, Mr and Mrs Bucker, Miss Bucker, Mrs and Miss Blackburn,
Capt and Mrs Clayton, Mrs Hayton, Miss E. and Miss Emily and Master
Hayton and female servant, Mrs Edward senr., Mr and Mrs Edward, Mr
and Mrs Lansdowne, Mrs and Miss Johnstone, Miss Last, Mr Curtis,
Mr Jenkins, Mr Vicar, Mr Henley, Mr and Miss Coley, Mr Phillips, 
Mr Heson, Mr Atkinson.


Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library, Wellington, New Zealand
Reference: MS Papers 2128
Sea Journal by Robert JENKINS, passenger by the Augustus Caesar
to Hobart Town Van Diemands Land, New South Wales 1835
It is not known when this manuscript was acquired or from whom.
The journal is in fragile condition, with fragments of pages 
sellotaped together in a semi-chronological order.

The following is a first attempt to create an account of the
voyage as gleaned from the journal fragments. A reasonable
amount of material has been omitted due to difficulties with
placing segments within the timeline. This is especially so for
events associated with the rounding of Cape Horn.

The Augustus Caesar sailed from London to Gravesend on Monday 6 
July with 30 passengers and 24 Officers and Seamen on board.
Two days later the ship "sailed down river and anchored within
a mile and half of Deal".

"When we first came on bourd the decks nearly resembled a farm 
yard we had ten sheep a score pigs one goat and between two and 
three hundred Geese Ducks Turkeys and Fowles there were all for 
the use of the Cabin Passengers."

In an undated fragment Robert comments that "all of us in the 
steerage were unprovided with knives and forkes plates and dishes 
thinking they whould be found... but we were mistaken, however 
we bought what we wanted at Deal for which the boatmen did not 
forget to charge us." Also the beef was "brown as mahogany and 
as hard as a piece of wood it is served up in a large wooden 
bowl with some potatoes which in Somersetshire we whould hardly 
give to pigs."

Rough weather conditions were encountered before being in sight
of the Isle of Wight and most succumbed to seasickness. Robert 
related that "I would have given anything for a ... of the Cary 
Cider".

On Sunday, 19 July, "we got out of the channel". On the following
Wednesday evening, after making good progress the sea became as 
calm as "Park Pond at Cary". This didn't last as the next day "we 
had a very rough wind the waves sometimes breaking over the ship".

The next Sunday, 26 July, Robert comments that "there is but 
little respect paid to the Sabbath on bourd this vessel there is 
no form of prayers as I expected when I asked the second mate the 
reason of it he told me we must all pray for ourselves." He also 
related that "the sailors leave of there usual employment and lie 
about deck smoking there pipes and talking over there adventures 
some mending there cloathes others making hats they seem very 
expert in using the needle making all there cloathes they were 
on bourd."

At some point Robert became the Baker for his mess "and I assure
you it pleased the Ladys enormously when they found they could 
have a french roll every night for there tea."

On 31 July "we sent our cow overbourd the poor thing could not
stand for the last fortnight nor yet give any milk."

The island of Madeira was sighted on the evening of 2 August "but 
we was at so great a distance to observe it plainly the part we 
could see appeared like a barren rock we lost sight of it in
about two hours we are just 15 hundred miles from London."

At 4am on Monday 6 August Robert was called up "to see one of the 
wonders of the world, the Peak of Teneriffe and we saw it to 
advantage considering we were at the distance of 40 miles from it,
the top of the mountain seemed to reach the sky, it was one of the
most beautiful sights I ever beheld to see the sun rise over it when
in about an hour afterwards a mist gathered over it and we lost sight
of it." In the evening "two flying fish flew on bourd" and "I have 
dryed one of their wings and shall send it with my journal."

On 22 August weather conditions near the equator were unusual 
as a sailor noted that he didn't "remember haveing so much wind 
near the line as we have had this voyage". In the afternoon a Brig
was sighted and the captain "gave orders for those that wished to 
send home to get their letters ready. Curtis wrote home I desired him 
to let my Cary friends know that I intended to write by the next 
ship." The Brig was the 'Renown' of London and after coming alongside 
the "Captains exchanged a few words". The vessel, while off the 
African coast, had "lost every soul except the Doctor and two seamen 
who were then on bourd all the rest died of the fever that rages on 
that coast." 

The equator was crossed on 23 August.

Tristan da Cunha was sighted on 13 September and four days later
the vessel had reached "48 degrees longitude".

Robert assisted with entertainment on board. "In the evenings when the 
ship goes steady either myself or Curtis take up our Violin on deck 
when we all amuse ourselves with Country dances and the Sailors will 
sometimes give us a hornpipe we then close the evening with a Concert 
as we have several singers on bourd."

On 20 October the vessel was "only 27 degrees from Hobart Town" and
"I hope in about ten days... my feet on Terra Firma". A week later
"we are only 10 degrees from Hobart Town" and on 30 October land
was sighted. 

Just before dark on Saturday 31 October "we stood in for the land and 
sailed alongside up the river the night was very cloudy and rained at 
times so that we could not see anything of the country, about twelve 
o'clock we came in sight of the Camps in Hobart Town. The Pilot now 
came on bourd and conducted the ship up to the town were we anchored 
at about three in the morning."

At six o'clock in the morning Robert recounted his surprise "at the
appearance of the town", it being the "pretyst place I ever saw".

"The town I should think it is at least two miles in extent the 
streets are well laid out and most of the roads are as good as those 
in england there are a great number of excellent shops two very 
handsome Churches and a very large court house there are several 
respectable Hotels and public houses out of number.... there were 
about fifteen large ships and a quantity of smaller craft in the 
harbour when we arrived there appears to be plenty of trade going on 
here but money is very scarce... for my own part I am quiet delighted 
with the country and I am sure it will agree with me for I am get so 
stout since I have been on land that you would scarcely know me. I 
must now draw my journal to a close and should it afford any of my 
friends amusement in England it will give great ...".