The Emigrant Journal of Stead Ellis aboard EUTERPE
Stead Ellis emigrated from England to New Zealand aboard EUTERPE (STAR OF INDIA) in 1879.
What kind of food was stored on board?
Thursday Aug 14th, 1879
A fine but hazy morning & a dead calm. We have a great quantity of sail spread but no progress making and scarcely a perceptible motion of the vessel. Had our fresh water served out to us this morning and the 3 quarts per day which we were to have supplied to us has suddenly dwindled down into a quart & a half each as the other 1 1/2 quarts has to be given to the cook; if this is not a swindle or at least mis-representation on the part of Shaw, Saville & Co it is at least sailing very near the wind. I suppose we are now divided into messes, me & my family being one, the seven single men another & the 3 married couples and the single lady another. The breakfast this morning was the usual bread & butter & coffee, & Lizzie to get a cup of tea had to send the same quantity of cold water to the cook as she required of tea, she also sent water to exchange for hot to wash up with, as she does not fancy our Stewards washing up nor the look of his dishcloth. I suppose the messing arrangements will come into force when all fresh provisions are done. At dinner had tinned Chicago beef for the first time - found the messes altered, mine included four single men, 3 of whom had sat at the other table ever since we came aboard, the other mess included Mr & Mrs Tichbon, Mr & Mrs Davis, Miss Nelly & two single men who had previously sat at our table & Mr & Mrs Young had a mess to themselves & a table in their own cabin. I refused to sanction this arrangement and insisted upon having besides my own family only the 3 single men who had usually sat with us in our mess, so that each would be a complete mess. We are all now agreed that my arrangement is best. A fog came on early in the aft’noon & continued far into the night. At tea a beastly lot of common ship biscuits were served out to us & our Steward informed us we could not have any bread. I refused to have any tea at all & went out & down into the 3rd class cabin & found there that all had a quantity of bread - loaves the full length of the table from end to end - only one or two having sea biscuits to make out with. I went straight to the Skipper & complained, telling him all about it. He called the 3rd Mate, who acts as purser & distributes all stores & our Steward before him, & told them they ought to have shared the bread out, and certainly not to have the 2nd passengers minus while the 3rd had plenty. He asked the mate what bread there was left & he answered one bake, so then he said how many loaves are there in a bake? and when the mate said oh, perhaps 20 - he ordered him to serve us some at once. When the Steward came down into our cabin with his arms full of bread, all the company rose & gave three cheers for Mr Ellis. I fancy the Capn heard it & would no doubt take the row as a compt to himself. We dealt it out sparingly about a round each, so as to make out with biscuit, which are as hard as nails. It took me from 6 to 9 PM to eat one and a good part of it I had to spit out as I have great difficulty in swallowing the stuff when it is masticated because of my sore throat I suppose. Poor Guy cried for more bread & butter & said he could not eat the ‘bickel’ it was “ba ba”. The fog continued & we turned out to assist in the look out. The Captain & pilot were on the poop, and the “lookout” was on the foc’asle with his fog horn - the horn bleating baa baa baa every few seconds, or rather minutes. A 3 masted ship on our port bow was seen about 11.30 P M & we came so close that our lookout (at Captains order) called & asked What tack are you on? he was answered & the pilot said “I thought so, they be on the same tack as we, that be the reason we have had em so long in front of us we are passing em” After we had got clear past them and their green light and fog horn were left far behind I turned in at 12.30 after having a “wee drap whiskey” to comfort me.
A fine but hazy morning & a dead calm. We have a great quantity of sail spread but no progress making and scarcely a perceptible motion of the vessel. Had our fresh water served out to us this morning and the 3 quarts per day which we were to have supplied to us has suddenly dwindled down into a quart & a half each as the other 1 1/2 quarts has to be given to the cook; if this is not a swindle or at least mis-representation on the part of Shaw, Saville & Co it is at least sailing very near the wind. I suppose we are now divided into messes, me & my family being one, the seven single men another & the 3 married couples and the single lady another. The breakfast this morning was the usual bread & butter & coffee, & Lizzie to get a cup of tea had to send the same quantity of cold water to the cook as she required of tea, she also sent water to exchange for hot to wash up with, as she does not fancy our Stewards washing up nor the look of his dishcloth. I suppose the messing arrangements will come into force when all fresh provisions are done. At dinner had tinned Chicago beef for the first time - found the messes altered, mine included four single men, 3 of whom had sat at the other table ever since we came aboard, the other mess included Mr & Mrs Tichbon, Mr & Mrs Davis, Miss Nelly & two single men who had previously sat at our table & Mr & Mrs Young had a mess to themselves & a table in their own cabin. I refused to sanction this arrangement and insisted upon having besides my own family only the 3 single men who had usually sat with us in our mess, so that each would be a complete mess. We are all now agreed that my arrangement is best. A fog came on early in the aft’noon & continued far into the night. At tea a beastly lot of common ship biscuits were served out to us & our Steward informed us we could not have any bread. I refused to have any tea at all & went out & down into the 3rd class cabin & found there that all had a quantity of bread - loaves the full length of the table from end to end - only one or two having sea biscuits to make out with. I went straight to the Skipper & complained, telling him all about it. He called the 3rd Mate, who acts as purser & distributes all stores & our Steward before him, & told them they ought to have shared the bread out, and certainly not to have the 2nd passengers minus while the 3rd had plenty. He asked the mate what bread there was left & he answered one bake, so then he said how many loaves are there in a bake? and when the mate said oh, perhaps 20 - he ordered him to serve us some at once. When the Steward came down into our cabin with his arms full of bread, all the company rose & gave three cheers for Mr Ellis. I fancy the Capn heard it & would no doubt take the row as a compt to himself. We dealt it out sparingly about a round each, so as to make out with biscuit, which are as hard as nails. It took me from 6 to 9 PM to eat one and a good part of it I had to spit out as I have great difficulty in swallowing the stuff when it is masticated because of my sore throat I suppose. Poor Guy cried for more bread & butter & said he could not eat the ‘bickel’ it was “ba ba”. The fog continued & we turned out to assist in the look out. The Captain & pilot were on the poop, and the “lookout” was on the foc’asle with his fog horn - the horn bleating baa baa baa every few seconds, or rather minutes. A 3 masted ship on our port bow was seen about 11.30 P M & we came so close that our lookout (at Captains order) called & asked What tack are you on? he was answered & the pilot said “I thought so, they be on the same tack as we, that be the reason we have had em so long in front of us we are passing em” After we had got clear past them and their green light and fog horn were left far behind I turned in at 12.30 after having a “wee drap whiskey” to comfort me.