Abner Burrough's Diary : Broad Chalke

 

Abner Burrough's Diary : 1853 : pages 6 and 7

 
Abner Burrough's Diary 1853 page 6

May/June 1853

*1

Abner Burrough's Diary 1853 page 7

*2

*3

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Notes

*1 He obviously knew before he left England that some people from Salisbury were emigrating to Adelaide via Southampton. Perhaps the mention that the ship was new was envy because he was in an older ship. Emigration was a well-organised business by the 1850s with regular ships offering different standards. No doubt he and Elizabeth were travelling fairly cheaply; there would have been other ships with higher standards and prices and no doubt some diplomats and rich people travelling on his ship in first class.

*2 It seems that whenever another ship was passed, signals were exchanged and also mail so the voyage wasn't entirely boring; news would be exchanged too.

*3 The ceremony of shaving when crossing the line; a relatively mild ceremony compared to some of the uncomfortable practices that have taken place and no swimming pool to be thrown in as happens on modern voyages.

Images © John Burrough

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