Life on Board the Tornado

From: Our Voyage to New Zealand Per the Tornado (by a Glasgow Emigrant) Glasgow Herald December 19, 1859

The voyage to Auckland terminated on the one hundred and sixth day from that of our departure from Liverpool. It is reckoned an average passage, though there is no doubt but it should have been done in much less time when the sailing capabilites of the ship are taken into consideration; but unfortunately we crossed the line far to the westward, and got jammed up on the South American coast. The winds until we got this far were favourable though light; but afterwards  we had seas which caused the vessel to rock considerably. There was nothing, however,  to speak of until we got round the Cape of Good Hope, where we had some weather, which, though considered rough by us passengers, was only termed a smart gale by the Captain and crew. The heat in the tropics was not so great as I expected; and, as the ship was about nine feet between decks, we did not feel it so much as we would have done had the space been less. It was felt most oppressive during the night. However, after crossing the line it gradually diminished, till, when off the Cape and until we rounded Tasmania, the cold was very sharp, and, as during that time there was a good deal of rain falling, with an occasional shower of hail or snow, while the ship rocked often to such an extent that we could scarcely keep our feet on the deck. We were almost debarred from taking the exercise necessary to produce a genial warmth; and as there were no stoves or fires below, we had just to put on as many clothes as possible. When the vessel rolled much, she would often ship huge seas, which rushed along the deck to the depth of six or seven inches.

 There were two newspapers started shortly after we left port, but they both died from inanition - the news being absolutely nil, and the talen necessary to carry them on being but small. In the clear, calm nights, too, there was often a dance on the quarter-deck, to the music of a violin, played by one of the passengers, who was afterwards discovered to be a stowaway, but not until we had been about ten weeks out; and during all this time he had managed not only to elude discovery, but also to get his provisions along with the other steerage passengers. There was also an amusement society formed, to which a small subscription was made by the passengers for prizes, to be awarded to the successful competitors in the different games. They were begun with a cock hunt. In this a cock was let off with its wings clipped, and the competitors chased it round the decks with their hands tied behind their backs and to the one who first caught it with his teeth the prize was awarded. Then there was potato picking. In this, twenty five potatoes were placed in a row along the deck, the first at the distance of five yards from the starting point, and the others farther on, two feet separate. The party who picks them up runs from the starting point, lifts the one near it, runs back and drops it into a basket placed to receive them at the starting point, he runs again for the next , and returns with it and continues to do so with the others, always running from the starting point and coming back to it with each potato singly. The shortest time in which it was done was three minutes and twelve seconds. Sack races followed, which gave great amusement; the sailers were capital at them. The proceedings were wound up by diving for money thrown into a large tub.

27 June 1859

June 27. Got into NW trade winds. Weather fine. At night there was dancing on the poop. The Captain with a lady led off in a jig.

Campbell, Alexander. Letters and papers, 1859 - 1870. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 50.  

27th. A very fine morning but we are not getting on very fast. The air is sultry but a few drops of rain has made it better and in the afternoon about 4 o'clock, a fresh breeze filled our sails and our gallant ship bounded over the foam crested billows at a cheerful rate and as we were expected to catch the North East trade winds we receive this as an agreeable sample (these winds are said to blow one way for some time without changing much). We have seen a small tortoise and some flying fish. These are about the size of a common herring but seldom fly very far at once.

Booth, Thomas. Papers, 1857 - 1859. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2002/56.

20 June 1859

On the 20th there was an addition to our numbers, one of the passengers having given birth to a son.

Our Voyage to New Zealand Per the Tornado (by a Glasgow Emigrant) Glasgow Herald December 19, 1859 

 June 20. Mrs. Baird [Beard] had a son - afterwards called Alexander Aitken Tornado Baird [Beard].

 Campbell, Alexander. Letters and papers, 1859 - 1870. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 50.

20th. Very calm and fine all day. A breeze came towards night and she made (...illegible) headway. From about 9 until 10 tonight we had dancing (...illegible) poop (this is above the saloon and not for common people) and it was said that the captain took part in it. And I heard him encouraging them to dance on the main deck. No wonder at him disliking much preaching. About twenty minutes before three this morning there was a birth on board and we are glad to say both are doing well. The boy was named Alexander Aitken Tornado Beard.

Booth, Thomas. Papers, 1857 - 1859. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2002/56.

17 June 1859

17th. This was a fine morning but a dead calm. Friend Manners and me sitting together about six o'clock we saw a number of porpus pigs. After breakfast we were ordered on deck and the Captain asked permission to make a general search in order to discover the whereabouts of a thief who was said to have broken open a box and stolen a quantity of wearing apparel, the property of a fellow passenger. A due search was made but no traces were found either of the missing articles or the arram thief. This evening all the dancers seemed wild for dancing. It was carried on for about an hour in an uproarious manner and commingling of stamps, yells and shouts were exhibited in a very boisterous manner by both the passengers and the crew to the grief and disgust of every sober thinking mind.

Booth, Thomas. Papers, 1857 - 1859. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2002/56.