William Harris' transcribed diary of the voyage to New Zealand in 1881-1882

Date1881-1882DescriptionThe Oxford’s voyage from Gravesend to Auckland in 1881–82 was mostly long stretches of routine broken by several vivid moments. Early gales in the Bay of Biscay left passengers seasick and drenched. these were followed by weeks of heat and calm in the tropics where flying fish skimmed the water and the sea lay “like a millpond.” Life settled into a pattern of meals, reading, and cards among a small shipboard society: families like the Galbraiths, bound for settlement in New Zealand, the ailing Revd. Mr King and his family, the sociable Dr Langstaffe, and less agreeable figures such as “Smith of Aberdeen,” whose obstinacy made him unpopular. Christmas was a violent thunderstorm and the crossing of the equator went almost unmarked. Occasional quarrels among the crew and a paralysed man with a broken neck travelling on board feature. Sightings of whales and albatross—broke the monotony. Entering the colder, rougher Southern Ocean, the ship lost sails in heavy weather, and after nearly three months without touching land. The passengers could smell Tasmania as they passed to its south.

Usage

Kaitiakitanga StatementWe ask that, in addition to normal copyright and privacy considerations, users of our heritage resources uphold the mana and dignity of the people, communities and places depicted within.

Relates To

PeopleHarris, William Prole, 1839–1909 (Person)Harris, Elizabeth Rachael Scott (Lizzie), née Cockburn, 1838-1914 (Person)

Menu

William Harris' transcribed diary of the voyage to New Zealand in 1881-1882