#jun 1840

[thecunnydiaries]

8th Monday

Very rough. The Galleys crew were obliged to remain onshore at the Observatory all night during which time it was Snowing very hard. The Boat expedition could not Start in consequence of the inclemency of the weather: in the night the first Lieutenant of the Erebus was taken very ill.

Campbell's Notes: McCormick, Voyages, I. p. 65. ‘Our own first lieutenant [Bird], who, I have very good reasons for thinking, does not much relish the nature of the service his chief has nominated him for, nor the state of the weather either, has gone upon the sick-list. I had to land in the galley before breakfast, and through a heavy surf, to report him to Captain Ross at the observatory. I had a delicate duty to perform, it must be confessed, and it put all my ideas of nosology to the test, and racked my brain to find a suitable term underwhich I could enter the indisposition of this martyr to science in my sick-book.’

[thecunnydiaries]

14th Sunday

Raining very hard and blowing fresh: an uncomfortable Sabbath Divine Service after which the Captain went onshore for another week.

[thecunnydiaries]

22nd Monday

Captain came on board but did not remain Long. Weather boisterous with rain, at times very hard, blowed a very Gale all night.

[thecunnydiaries]

21st Sunday

Forepart of the day freezing: came on to rain & blow in the Afternoon which continued all night. Captain remained onshore at the Observatory all day.

[thecunnydiaries]

30th Tuesday

Slight Snow storms. Went onshore Shooting in the afternoon, had very good Success, Shot some very handsome Divers. This day ends the month of June which has been one continual Gale of wind interspersed with Snow hail and rain and very unlike a Summer month in England, but a month of the description of which I expect to spend many.

[thecunnydiaries]

29th Monday

Blowing almost a gale with violent Snow and hail Storms.

[thecunnydiaries]

28th Sunday

Forenoon very fine. All the Boat expeditions returned; crews all well, they suffered a good deal in consequence of the Severity of the weather and the late gales. Afternoon and Evening very boisterous with hail rain and Snow - how different form the 28th of June in Merry England, at least I thought so. The Boats crew brought a great deal of Petrified Water with them from the Mountains.

Campbell's Notes: Ross, Voyage, I. p. 71, states that fossil trees were found on the island. It would seem likely therefore that this should be petrified wood.

[thecunnydiaries]

27th Saturday

Hail and Snow Storms, the thermometer at 29 in the Night.