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Date: 28 Feb 1848-18 Dec 1851

By: Havannah HMS (Ship)

Reference: MSY-4239

Description: Comprises the log of HMS `Havannah' under Capt J E Erskine in which is recorded weather, the position of the ship, the wind, sailing direction, sails set, activities at certain times of the day and other aspects of shipboard life, especially maintenance. The voyage began in Sheerness via Lisbon, Madeira, Trinidad, Cape of Good Hope, St Paul's Island, Cape Otway, Australia (Farm Cove) to New Zealand, passing Three Kings Island to Auckland and sailing via Cape Runaway to Port Nicholson. From there the log records sailing for Sydney, Ports Phillip and Arthur, Hobart Town, often returning to ports already visited, back to NZ (Auckland, Bay of Islands), Savage Island, Samoa, Tonga and other locations not noted. The ship returned to both Australia and New Zealand again, and spent long periods at Farm Cove towards the end of the expedition. Source of title - Transcribed Further journals on board the `Havannah' were kept by Vigors (at qMS-2081 (original), qMS-2082-2084 (transcribed) and MS-Copy-Micro-0060); and by Henry Gabriel Swainson at MS-2096-2097, which also has his letters to his sister, and (MS-Copy-Micro-0172) The log has been recorded by several people, one of whom is thought to be a midshipman or crew member whose occupations included rigging marks, mats, washing clothes, painting the ship's side, mending sails and holding divine service. The voyage was notable for Erskine's discovery of the Torres Islands. Quantity: 1 volume(s) (420 pages numbered as 210 leaves). 0.04 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss (34 cm, ½ red morocco, marbled boards) Processing information: Access statement changed from "Partly restricted - Digital content available only in Katherine Mansfield Reading Room" to "Partly restricted - Please use surrogate in place of original" on 26 October 2022.