John’s sketch of the shark

Leaving from Liverpool

Shark

After last night’s storm there is a sense of togetherness on the ship – we survived the storm and were rewarded with a bright, fresh day. A service was held this morning as usual, attended by the whole ship compared to just 20 souls the day before. The good feeling was soon broken by a squabble over the remains of belongings, mixed up and broken in the storm.

I am told that the seas become rougher towards the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, and if this is true I fear to go there. We spent the day cleaning and repairing; with the male passengers helping the crew reset sails and ropes. Thankfully our boxes in the hold were undamaged.

The crew caught a shark. It had such rough skin and such a strange shaped mouth that I drew a sketch of it. Joseph would have loved to see it but is still ill below deck. The doctor fears he has the Irish child’s fever. I have some money I was saving for our arrival in Sydney, but could maybe spend it on a cabin, away from the sickness.