An 1850 illustration showing dancing in the steerage compartment of an emigrant ship

Day 27

The weather has got hotter since we sailed and today we crossed the equator. Some people expected to see a line in the sky and were laughed at. Last night I saw a comet - I hope it does not bring bad luck.

There was excitement this morning, first with a galley fire that was quickly put out. Then some of the passengers managed to catch and eat a porpoise which the crew call ‘sea pigs’. Flying fish landed on the deck – they fascinated Joseph.

One of the crew pointed to clouds on the horizon – he said they are storm clouds. The wind has got up.

Tonight there is singing and dancing below deck and Sarah looks happy for the first time since we left London. I must not drink with the others as I am on watch tonight.

		Day 10

	Storm

	Galley The galley is the kitchen. In sailing ships they were built from wood and would have been a major fire hazard. In later years lining the galley with metal and covering the floor with tiles reduced the danger. Close

	Flying fish Fish that leap out of the water and use special fins to help them glide through the air. They don’t actually fly. Close

	Drink Some ships were allowed to sell alcohol to their passengers – beer to everyone and wine to saloon/first class passengers only. Many ships had problems with drunkenness (passengers were bored), and captains often banned the sale of alcohol. Drunks were put in chains and fed bread/biscuits and water – this was also the punishment for threatening behaviour and language. Close

	Tonight Male passengers were sometimes required to stand watch to make sure that nothing irregular happened during the night. Close

	Porpoise A small, toothed whale, similar in shape and size to a dolphin. Close

	Equator An imaginary line which runs around the centre of the Earth, an equal distance from both poles. At the time it would have taken a ship sailing from Britain 25-35 days to cross the equator, with a further 45-50 days before it reached Australia. Close

	Luck In folklore comets were thought to bring bad luck, often bringing death and sorrow. Close