Day One
"We hove up our anchor to the strains of various shanties. We're bound for Rio Grande being sung with great lustre and were on the move at about 10 am. Gave a hale to the Westfield and dipped colours as we left Double Bay. I wondered if any of the inhabitants of "Sunny Brea" were watching us go as they might have been crossing on the ferry.
I cast one look on Milsons Point and the surrounding country. We towed out pretty fast and Manly soon hove in sight. I thought of our pleasant afternoon there and then some nice looking rocks claimed our attention and we wished we could give them a knock but our luck was out. I bid Sydney Harbour farewell and went very reluctantly through the grand old Sydney Heads.
Wheat has leaked through into the pump well thereby clogging the pumps. The five of us set to to clear it a distinctly awful job but we got clear of setting sail which was some consolation. We proceeded under all sail except the fore upper topga'n'sail but had a head wind. A tug innocently came off to take us in and we watched it with deep regrets as it turned away finding we were outward bound.
Jock and I had several rows with the mate but of little importance. We were running north and got too close to the land so we tacked ship and while doing so the mate made a fool of himself much to everyones delight. I then went to the mate in a quiet way regarding the side lights they being old ones he had raked up refused to burn. He got nasty and started calling me impolite names. I answered him sharply and he then got out of his bunk to see to the lights himself while I adjourned for tea.
At nine o'clock the coast lights were faintly visible astern and it was Good - Bye to sunny Australia. The wind freshened and changed to a fair one so we headed to the Eastwards. The Steward borrowed a cat and forgot to return it to the tug so we now have 1 dog, 1 cat, 5 fowls, and 2 Cockatoos with other animals I will not mention. I went below at midnight for four hours repose feeling somewhat tired having had no sleep for seventeen hours."