DIARY
OF
CHRISTIAN OVERGAARD JENSEN
8 NOV 1889 - 31 Jan 1890
DIARY
This is
the diary of Christian Overgard Jensen, written during his
voyage
from
Denmark to Australia almost 100 years ago. Christian Jensen, his
wife
Inger
Jensen (nee Christensen) and their baby daughter Mariane left
Dragsbak
in Denmark on 8 November 1889. They travelled to Hamburg to
board
the
ship S.S. Barmen. They left Hamburg at 4 a.m. on 14 November
1889.
They
passed Gibraltar on Thursday 28 November 1889 and travelled
through
the
Mediterranean sea, arriving at the entrance to the Suez Canal on
Friday
morning
6 December 1889. Here coal was loaded.
They
crossed the Equator at 2 p.m. on Tuesday 17 December 1889. On
the
morning
of Saturday 4 January 1890 they sighted the west coast of
Australia.
They
arrived at Port Adelaide on Thursday 9 January 1890. After
leaving
Adelaide
on 11 January, they arrived in Melbourne at 4 a.m. on Tuesday 14
January
1890. They left Melbourne on Saturday 18 January 1890.
They
arrived in Sydney on Tuesday 21 January 1890. They left the S.S.
Barmen
in Sydney where they rented a house until they boarded a coastal
steamer
for Queensland on 25 January 1890.
They
arrived in Brisbane on 27 January 1890. They left Brisbane the
following
day. After stops at Rockhampton and Mackay they ran into a
"hurricane",
finally
arriving in Bowen at 5 p.m. on Friday 31 January 1890.
CHRISTIAN
OVERGARD
JENSEN
Christian
Overgard Jensen was born on 29 November 1852 in Thisted,
Denmark.
His
wife Inger Jensen (nee Christensen) was born on 6 April 1866. As
you
can see
she was 14 years younger than her husband.
They
married in the Church of Sjorring on 20 November 1885. They
settled
eventually
at West End in Townsville where Christian worked as a
carpenter/joiner.
They had 10 children:-
Maria Katrine
Lena
Jens
Annie Evelyn
Jens Christian
Julie Patrinie
Ellen Margaret
Christian Peter
Hilda
Lily
Inger Christina
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIARY
KEPT ON BOARD
STEAM
SHIP "BARMEN"
FROM
HAMBURG TO AUSTRALIA
BY
CHRISTIAN OVERGARD JENSEN
(DRAGSBAK)
Left
Dragsbak 8 Nov 1889
Departed
from Sporring? Station (Denmark) the 9 Nov and arrived in
Hamburg
the 10
Nov where we remained till 14 Nov at 4 o'clock in the morning,
when
we
sailed through the "Elbe" meeting a lot of both sailing ships
and
steamers,
also 3 light ships.
Friday
15 Nov 1889
At sea,
heavy and foggy weather.
Saturday
16
Nov 1889
In the
evening arrived at entrance to Antwerp and dropped anchor.
Sunday
17 Nov 1889
Lifted
anchor 8 o'clock in the morning and arrived at Antwerp Sunday
afternoon
2 o'clock. Loaded till Thursday 21st 11 a.m. when we got a
tugboat
in order to turn the ship in the harbour and bring us out in the
stream.
We sailed about 3 miles, but had to drop anchor on account of
low
water
and fog.
Friday
22 Nov 1889
8
o'clock a.m. we lifted anchor. That day it was fine weather, we
met
scores
of ships the whole day. At 9 o'clock p.m. we sighted Dover in
England.
At night we had storm and hard wind right through the English
channel.
Saturday
23
Nov 1889
At
night, the women and children were very seasick and vomited
terribly
except
Mariane, who thought she was lying in her cradle.
Sunday
24 Nov 1889
Heavy
storm at night which smashed a fine large pig-house on deck and
our
two big
fat pigs, which we should have had Christmas Eve went overboard
to
the
sharks.
In the
daytime the ship was tossing about, and we could hardly hold on
in
bed,
sometimes we were like standing on our head then on our legs,
then
roll
round again.
Monday
25 Nov 1889
Weather
more calm. In the afternoon we saw a number of "springers" who
continued
to follow the ship a long time but that is a usual thing in the
Spanish
sea.
Tuesday
26 Nov 1889
Beautiful
weather, so the women commenced to show up on deck again.
Wednesday
27
Nov 1889
Fine
clear weather, sighted a number of ships, and people commenced
to feel
more
happy and jolly.
Thursday
28
Nov 1889
In the
morning we were called and asked if we would like to see
Gibraltar.
It is a
straits like "Vilsund" in "Limfjorden" the south coast of
Spain
going
east from the Mediterranean where we could see the mountains
above
the
clouds. In the afternoon we had a heavy storm for a couple of
hours,
but it
passed away. In the evening we sighted 3 lighthouses as we
followed
along
the coast of Spain.
Friday
29 Nov 1889
My
birthday. Storm from morning, sighted Africa and followed the
coast,
heavy
storm in the afternoon, we were so near land that we could see
the
snow on
top of the mountains. Sighted lights on the coast of Africa.
Went
full
speed East T.N.?
Saturday
30
Nov 1889
Storm
the whole day, going east, passed 2 steamers. At noon our boxes
rolled
about, and our dinner, consisting of sweet soup and split cod,
disappeared.
In
the afternoon we could see the mountains in Morocco, in the
evening
we passed a lighthouse on the coast of Africa. In the evening
fair
weather
but high sea, so the deck was in water the whole time, first the
one
side then the other, so we could not stand.
Sunday
1 Dec 1889
At
night a terrible storm, we rolled about in the bunks; at 1 1/2?
our gaff
broke,
and the beam made such a noise on deck, that we all hurried on
deck
thinking
some accident had happened. We passed 6 steamers and part of
Africa.
In the evening we passed the island "Pantelleria" out in the
Mediterranean
which
looked fine in the moonlight, as it is very
mountainous.
Monday
2 Dec 1889
A quiet
night. We passed "Malta" which is very mountainous in the
morning,
and we
could see the town Sliema? which is built up the mountain side,
and
we
could see the fortifications, lighthouse and a lot of buildings
at top
of
mountains which looked very fine. We passed 5 steamers we
steered S.E.
Tuesday
3 Dec 1889
Very
fine weather the whole day and calm sea, passed 2 steamers, no
land in
sight,
in evening at 9 o'clock passed a steamer coming from south and
steaming
towards Malta.
Wednesday
4
Dec 1889
Fine
weather the whole day. At 12 o'clock passed a dredge going to
Melbourne
harbour.
Thursday
5
Dec 1889
Fine
weather the whole day - no ships passed.
Friday
6 Dec 1889
Arrived
in the morning to Port Said at the entrance to the Suez Canal,
and
took
coal onboard, great excitement, plenty to look at, heaps of
black
Arabs,
nearly naked, carrying coal on board on their head, and a number
of
trades
people selling everything, fruits, fancy goods beautiful made
and
cheap,
considering the work. In the evening we started going through
the
Canal
which is 88 English miles long. We had to stop and pull in to
one
side,
in order to allow another steamer coming from the other side to
pass.
Saturday
7
Dec 1889
In Suez
Canal, which we got through at 8 o'clock p.m. It is a
magnificent
view to
pass through a sand desert extending as far as you could see,
and
as flat
as a pancake, and the number of dredges that are at work there
and
which
we passed, a number of signal stations along the Canal. It is
real
nice
buildings with flat roofs and look like Villas. The canal is
about 120
English
feet wide except where it passes through some lakes which it
does
several
places. Buoys are placed along the whole way to make us keep in
the
middle
of the Canal, the sides of which several places are as high as
our
masts
and nearly straight up and down, which has cost an immense
amount of
labour
and money to go through such rocks. At one place where they were
blasting
the side of the Canal, several railway tracks, where they used
donkeys
and camels to haul the trucks full of filling up stuff.
Sunday
8 Dec 1889
Beautiful
weather the whole day, sailing in the Red Sea which divides Asia
from
Africa, and we could see land the whole time till evening. At
noon we
passed
Sinai mountain which are very lofty and is part of a range
extending
as far
as the eye could see. We passed several ships that day one below
Sinai
mountain appeared to be wrecked and deserted by its crew. Sea
calm
and
like mirror, but very hot, we perspired very much. But we have
song and
music
in the evening, so we are not weary, as some at home believe I
am
sure,
at 9.30 p.m. a lighthouse was sighted.
Monday
9 Dec 1889
Fine
weather, in the forenoon we passed a lighthouse in the Red Sea
at a
place
where there was nothing but the sea and the heaven above, so the
crew
could
not run away from it every day. In the afternoon I had a visit
of two
Englishmen
and a German Jew. In the evening song and fun on deck.
Tuesday
10 Dec 1889
Fine
weather whole day. Passed two steamers otherwise nothing to see
but
sea and
sky, and very hot, so we may easy get sickness on board.
Wednesday
11
Dec 1889
Fine
weather. Today it is 4 weeks since we went onboard in Hamburg
and we
are
hardly half way out yet. In the evening we had a betrothal
feast. It
was two
Germans, the one got onboard in Hamburg, the other in Antwerp,
so
they
have been onboard together in 3 weeks. The ship was illuminated
with
electric
lights, and we got all the wine and grog we liked to drink, and
there
was all kind of music, drums, tamborines and all kind of fun
continuously,
which
a man from the land can hardly believe it possible to
do on
sea, but we have very fine Officers, who like to give a hand to
amuse
us, and
are not afraid to go about and enquire how we are, if we are
sick
or not,
for they do not have the medicine if it is required.
Thursday
12
Dec 1889
Storm
and very big waves, in the afternoon we got some heavy waves
over us,
so that
hammock mattresses and everything floated about and we had to
walk
about
in our cabins, as we got the water through the hatches. It was
not
pleasant
as the most of the women and the children were sick and in their
cots.
In the morning we passed 12 islands in the Red Sea close to each
other
called the 12 Apostles, and in the afternoon we passed some
small
island
very lofty but I believe uninhabited, we could see the salt
right up
on the
side of the rocks, each island consisted of a rock. We passed 9
we are
in for a bad night.
Friday
13 Dec 1889
In the
morning we passed a number of small islands off the coast of
Asia
apparently
uninhabited, being rocky like those we passed last night.
Saturday
14
Dec 1889
Fine
and calm weather, passed 2 steam ships and sighted land in the
afternoon.
Sunday
15 Dec 1889
Calm
weather, sighted land in the morning, steered S.E. Met a lot of
"springers",
who
jumped right out of the water.
Monday
16 Dec 1889
In the
morning fine calm weather and a great number of "Flying fish"
round
about
the ship, in the afternoon rain and wind, indication of a
disturbing
night.
Tuesday
17 Dec 1889
Fine
weather the whole day, in the afternoon at 2 o'clock we passed
Equator,
we had 30 degree heat at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, steered
S.E.
Wednesday
18
Dec 1889
Fine
weather, no land in sight. 25 degree heat in the afternoon, 2
German
ladies
had a fight and had to have their heads bandaged.
Thursday
19
Dec 1889
Fine
weather, sea bright like a mirror. In the forenoon I had to go
to the
Doctor
and had 2 cuts in one arm, in the afternoon we had 27 degrees in
the
shade,
which is more than we are used to at home at that time of the
year.
Heavy
rain, water everywhere, but it did not last long.
Friday
20 Dec 1889
Fine
calm weather, no ships passed, steered east, 29 degrees heat.
Saturday
21
Dec 1889
Fine
weather but big waves - seen a lot of Flying Fishes, 27 degrees
heat.
Sunday
22 Dec 1889
Fine
weather, but heavy swells, sighted land and a small island in
the
evening,
lightning and a little rain.
Monday
23 Dec 1889
Fine
calm weather the whole day - no news - steered south - 23 degree
heat.
Tuesday
24 Dec 1889
Fine
weather but heavy swell, the ship rolled from one side to the
other.
In the
evening - Christmas Eve - we had Wine Punch and 2 Cigars each,
soup,
dough
nuts, tea etc but it was nearly impossible to get any, as we
rolled
over or
fell on our behind with our dough nuts etc. The same waves
upsets
forms
and everything. There was a fine lady in silk dress she was
thrown on
her
behind amongst a number of washing up tubs, some of which she
got over
her.
She was rather bruised, but the Doctor attended to her at once.
The
sun
went down at 6.30, - 23 degree heat - steering South.
Wednesday
25
Dec 1889
Christmas
Day - Fine weather but heavy swells, had a very disturbed night.
In the
morning we got half Bazer? (small bottle of lager beer) and a
Cigar
each
and for dinner soup and fresh mutton, the sheep slaughtered the
day
before.
A fresh breeze in the forenoon, a hat went overboard. In the
evening
we had a concert arranged by the English passengers, it was
funny
and
enjoyable, only we could not understand what they were singing.
Thursday
26
Dec 1889
Fine
weather but heavy swell, ship rolling very much, another hat
went
overboard
in the morning. In the afternoon Mads Nielsen's wife fainted,
but
soon
recovered, the Doctor attended to her at once and gave her
something
nice to
eat and drink.
Friday
27 Dec 1889
Fine
weather the whole day. Passed two bark ships, steered S. to E.
In the
evening
one of Niels Jensen's children fainted for a long time.
Saturday
28
Dec 1889
Fine
weather the whole day, at noon a fight between two women, a
German and
an
Arab. Nothing to see except sea and sky, steered South.
Sunday
29 Dec 1889
Fine
and calm weather but heavy swell so the ship rolled from side to
side,
and
today again fight between two women, the same as yesterday. -
nothing
to see
- steering South.
Monday
30 Dec 1889
Fine
weather the whole day but in the evening the ship rolled from
side to
side,
so much that our plates, tea pots and all our evening meal
rolled off
the
table and over in the bed or on the floor. Niels Jensen's wife
and I
burnt
our hands on the tea which capsized and floated all over.
Tuesday
31 Dec 1889
Heavy
breeze and swell. The most of the people seasick in the morning,
and
tea
pots, bread and everything floating all over the place. I waited
on
them in
our cabin New Years night, when we got wine and cakes baked that
day and
2 Cigars that night. New Years night was the worst night we have
had,
everything was turned upside down, we rolled in the bunk like a
ball,
so it
was not a pleasant New Years night, but with that the old year
disappeared.
Wednesday
1
Jan 1890
New
Years Day. Strong breeze and heavy swell, ship rolling terrible
at
noon,
our plates and food rolled off the tables and down under the
bunks,
and
some in the gutter, so it was a funny way to start the New Year,
nothing
to see but sea and sky, sun rose at 5.30 a.m. Steered south east
half
east.
Thursday
2
Jan 1890
Fine
weather but strong breeze and big waves, the ship rolls very
much, so
tables
and forms tumbled about and at noon our plates and our dinner
rolled
off the
tables and under the bunks. In the afternoon the ship was a
little
more
steady as we had put up sails to assist in stopping the rolling.
Fairly
quiet night.
Friday
3 Jan 1890
Fine
calm weather, wind south, steered south east, dark and cloudy,
saw a
great
number of albatrosses, a seabird of the size of a wild goose,
that is
a sign
that we are getting nearer land, which we hope to reach in a few
days.
At 9.30 p.m. passed a steamer coming against us steering N.W.
and we
S. East
- nothing to see except sea and heaven, quiet night.
Saturday
4
Jan 1890
Fine
weather, in the morning we sighted West Australia and we have
steered
along
the land the whole day. In the forenoon we could see a big
forest
fire
and we passed two steamers, one with four masts and one with
three
masts.
They came quite close alongside. It was English ships, one a
mail
steamer,
the other a cattle boat, we signalled to both. The land we can
see
is very
mountainous but looks very green. It was formerly a place where
England
deported its criminals to, but they don't do that now. To night
we
are
going towards the Great Australian Bight to Adelaide, which will
take
some
days. Stiff breeze but calm sea, steered S.E. half S., wind from
South.
Sunday
5 Jan 1890
Fine
weather but heavy waves. No land in sight, we are out in the
Bight
between
Albany and Adelaide. The sun went down at 7 o'clock - steered
East
- Wind
South East.
Monday
6 Jan 1890
Epiphany
Day. Fine weather, but heavy sea, steered S.E. Wind right
against
us -
Ship rolled terrible. No land in sight, but we hope in a few
days to
reach
the first stopping place where the first passengers will
disembark.
Tuesday
7 Jan 1890
Fine
calm weather the whole day. After dinner there was a fight
between a
German
and an Englishman and in the evening again a fight between an
Arab
and a
Swiss, it was very funny to look at. - Bread trays and butter
dishes
thrown
at the head of each other, and bread, butter and everything all
over
the
place, and everybody crowding in to have the pleasure to see the
fun,
though
it is a very common occurrence.
Wednesday
8
Jan 1890
Calm
fine weather, sighted land before evening, it was an island
called
Kangaroo
Island a few miles outside Adelaide. At 8 o'clock we saw a
lighthouse
on the island. The island appears to us to be mostly sandbanks,
but it
may not be, as the air is very hazy. In the afternoon we saw a
sailing
ship coming from Adelaide.
Thursday
9
Jan 1890
We
arrived to Adelaide. We are laying about a mile outside and are
discharging
some
cargo. Port Adelaide is built right down to the water on a
sand
plain, there is also a good deal of forest. To day we saw the
first
shark,
which travelled round the ship about an hour to see if it could
get
hold of
somebody. There is quite a fleet of small boats around us to
bring
on
shore the goods hoisted over in them. We are also taken in some
coal.
The sea
is rather heavy.
Friday
10 Jan 1890
Still
outside Port Adelaide, loading a bark and a schooner, and not
finished
yet, but expect to get finished to morrow, and then we will be
clear
to go to Melbourne, as we have got coal onboard, so we can
continue
our
journey. We are all longing to come to journeys end, and start
doing
something.
Yesterday it was two months since we started from Hamburg and I
expect
we may have to wait another month.
Saturday
11
Jan 1890
Left
Adelaide in the afternoon on our way to Melbourne. In the
forenoon we
had a
feast. Niels Jensen's daughter got engaged to a German, who is
Telegraph
operator, and got off in Adelaide. In Adelaide we got fresh
water,
bread and some vegetables onboard, things we wanted very badly.
Here
were
the best labourers I have ever seen. They got 15 shillings = 13
Danish
Kroner
a day and their food besides, which is like when you are at a
feast
in
Denmark - Wheat bread, and beefsteak and other good things which
you
can't
get at home. We could get all the fat beef we could eat and
more.
Sunday
12 Jan 1890
Stiff
breeze the whole day. In the morning we saw land and followed
the
coast.
In the evening 2 intermitting lights. The land is mountainous
with
forests
as far as we could see. The ship is rolling terrible as we have
the
wind
against us, so we can't use sails, but there has hardly been a
day on
the
whole journey where we have not had the wind against us, and it
is
likely
to continue so.
Monday
13 Jan 1890
Fine
weather sailing the whole day along the coast. In the evening we
got a
Pilot
onboard who will bring us into Melbourne. In the evening we
passed
several
lighthouses and a big ship stranded near one of them. A doctor
came
on
board before we were allowed to continue our journey. We have
land on
both
sides mountains and forests. We are close to land so we can have
a
good
view, we have passed several places where there were forest
fires,
which
is very common at this time of the year, when everything is so
dry
here,
it being in the middle of summer, and it often only rains once a
year,
but then sometimes the rain goes on for 3 months.
Tuesday
14 Jan 1890
In the
morning at 4 o'clock we came to Melbourne, which is the biggest
town
in
Australia. Here are several 4 masted sailing ships, otherwise
full
rigged
and bark rigged ships all. It is a very big town spreading out
as
far as
we can see. We are anchored in the roadstead and unload into big
ships
along side. Here are the biggest ships I have ever seen, and the
roadstead
is like a forest of masts. The town is very fine with a number
of
factories.
There are houses with 12 stories and very fine building like
Villas
with flat roofs. The town is bigger than Copenhagen and has as
many
inhabitants,
mostly
from Europe. There are some negroes working onboard
with
us, but they are intelligent and polite people, not like those
we saw
at
Suez, they were hardly human, all naked or in a skirt only.
Wednesday
15
Jan 1890
In
Melbourne, discharging cargo and getting rid of the most of the
Passengers,
among
whom 2 Danes, one from Fyen and one from Sjelland, who
are
going about 30 miles inland, one to his father and the other to
his
son.
They are going to get 15 shillings per week and board and
lodging.
That is
about 14 Danish Kroner. It is harvest time, so men are wanted. A
number
of Englishmen left here, and they got work at once, but they
know
the
language and can therefore manage better.
Thursday
16
Jan 1890
In
Melbourne, unloading night and day. Close in front of us there
is a big
full
rigged ship loaded with general goods, which should have been
unloaded
here,
but a steamer ran into her and she sank at once. There is about
8
feet of
water over the deck, but nobody will work to take out the cargo,
for the
workmen who work here onboard at night get 20 Kroner 50 Qre? for
10
hours
work and it is not very hard work, as they hoist everything by
steam
and
only have to place the straps in position and take them off
again, they
also
get their food onboard. It is Unions that don't do any other
kind of
labour,
so they have to give them what they demand if they want the work
done as
nobody else are allowed to do that class of work.
Friday
17 Jan 1890
In
Melbourne, unloading and taking coal onboard. Everything is
filthy
passed
description. We expect to finish sometimes during the night.
There
is a
Dane working onboard, he is from Fyen and deserted his ship 3
years
ago (a
German boat) and the most of those working here on board have
arrived
here in a similar manner. 3 men deserted from us to night - 2
Firemen
and 1 Steward. One of the Passengers helped them to get away.
They
have
not been found yet and will probably not be found. We have a
terrible
heat 30
degrees. A big fire in town last night lasting several hours, it
could
be seen plainly out here, but was stopped before daylight.
Saturday
18
Jan 1890
Another
man deserted last night, that is the 4th deserter. Got finished
to
leave
Melbourne about noon. Fine view to both sides in the afternoon.
Heavy
fog
later, so we were using our whistle the whole time. Passed
several big
ships
going in to Melbourne, passed one which was wrecked, laying a
distance
out from land with the side battered in. The sun went down at 7
1/2. At
8 o'clock a lighthouse was sighted and in the evening a number
of
"springers"
followed
the ship for a long time.
Sunday
19 Jan 1890
Heavy
fog, so we travel slowly ahead and use the steam whistle
continuously.
We
are between Tasmania and the Continent, and it will take a
few
days before we get to Sydney which we are longing for so that
the
journey
can be finished.
Monday
20 Jan 1890
Storm
and contrary wind the whole day, at night at 2 o'clock we passed
a
lighthouse,
we
are sailing along the coast and we passed several places
where
there were forest fires, at noon we passed a lighthouse on an
island
close
to the main land, rocky and as far as we could see uninhabited,
and
very
heavy breakers. We signalled to them - Heavy sea -, sign of a
very
disturbed
night.
Tuesday
21 Jan 1890
At 8
o'clock a.m. we got Pilot onboard, who brought us in to Sydney.
It is
the
biggest and most beautiful harbour in the whole world. It is
made by
nature
and reaches 40 miles inland, you can sail round about the Town
in
many
ways. It is all rocks, that won't rotten away. The Town is
several
miles
in circumference so Copenhagen is compared to Sydney as
"Vestervig?"
to
"Thisted". There is here the most beautiful and largest Post
Office
in
Australia,
all granite with a spire like "our Saviour Church" in
Copenhagen.
We came
on shore at 10 o'clock the 21 Jan and left the ship the 22 Jan
in
the
morning and rented a house as we can't continue the journey
before
Saturday
evening, and then we have to pay 5 Pound each ticket to
Queensland,
it
is just as much as it cost to go from Denmark to America,
but the
distance is about the same.
Thursday
23
Jan 1890
In
Sydney, round about to see the Town which is something so
magnificent
that I
can't describe it here.
Friday
24 Jan 1890
In
Sydney, went down to see them press wool bales and fix iron
bands round
them
and then direct away to the ships. The ship we came with should
also
have
wool back to Europe. The day before we arrived it was 102 years
since
the
first building was built here. There are many Danes, Norwegians
and
Swedes
here, all appear to be getting on well. There is a terrible lot
of
Chinamen
all shopkeepers, but they don't trade the whole day, as it is
their
Christmas at present. There is a great amount of all kind of
fruit.
There
is a tunnel close by where we live, going under 3 streets, all
rock,
a kind
of stone like what we use as grinding stones and millstones in
Denmark.
Saturday
25
Jan 1890
Left
Sydney at noon and got our dinner onboard at one o'clock. It is
like
being
at a feast, here onboard, we are living as Gentlemen compared
with
the way
we were treated with the Germans.
Sunday
26 Jan 1890
At sea
travelling along the coast. In the forenoon we passed a gold
mine we
could
see the houses, as we were close to the shore. We saw a whale
not far
away
squirt the water high in the air. The land is mountainous with
forest
everywhere.
Monday
27 Jan 1890
In the
afternoon we arrived at Brisbane. It is a fine town, the capital
of
Queensland.
We
have to sail 5 miles (Danish) up a river into the country.
The
river is about 1,000 feet wide, with forest on both sides, and
so deep
that we
can sail so close to land, that we could nearly jump over in the
grass
which is very long. A great number of cattle and horses can be
seen
along
the river in great flocks in grass to the knees. It is a great
pleasure
to see at this time of the year, but it is mid summer here.
Tuesday
28 Jan 1890
At 2.30
we left Brisbane which is a beautiful town, which is expanding
immensely.
One big Hotel after another is being erected. You have to search
in
Europe to find their equals. Everybody thinks they are foremost
in the
world.
Nature is so beautiful that nothing is required to make the
place
more
beautiful. Everything that Europe wants is here. All kind of
fruits
imaginable
are cheap.
Wednesday
29
Jan 1890
At sea
- the whole day a fresh breeze. Now and then land in sight. At
10.30
p.m. we
came to a place outside Rockhampton where we lost a number of
water
pipes.
It is a river we get into, not more than about 400 feet wide and
with
forests on both sides, all made by nature. A number of rocks
right out
in the
ocean along the coast, so it is a rather dangerous place for
sailors
who do
not know the coast well. We are onboard an Australian steamer
from
Sydney,
which nearly travels round Australia and also carries the mail,
fairly
large about 4,000 tons. We have 12 sailors, 17 Firemen, 3 mates
and
the
Captain and a great number of stewards.
Thursday
30
Jan 1890
At 12
noon we left this place to go to Mackay and we had rain and
storm the
whole
time at 2 o'clock at night it was nearly impossible to be below
or on
deck.
The water went over us and into us everywhere. I have never in
my
life
been out in such weather. We had full speed on, but could not
make
headway,
we were amongst Rocks - Shelfs the whole time. Never have I
heard
such a
noise, from wind and water whistling in the rigging as if it was
a
full
music band and such a mist of water and froth that we could see
nothing.
The sailors say there has not been such a hurricane for the last
10
years. We have one Norwegian and two Swedish sailors onboard and
they
have
never been out in such weather, and they have been at sea for 20
years.
Friday
31 Jan 1890
In the
morning at 7 o'clock we came to Mackay where a small steamer
came
out and
got passengers and a little cargo onboard. We were laying only
about 1
hour in the open roadstead. At 10 o'clock a.m. there was such a
high
sea that we were twice on the side - 2 children one of Mads?
Bootmakers?
from
Vestering? and the other an Englishman's daughter were
hurt.
Everything rolled about, Fowls, Ducks, Geese, Sheep, and Horses
in
big
cages on deck. The cargo got soaked, and to a great extent
destroyed as
there
was a lot of flour, petroleum and wine and several other things
that
were
lost, some of it went overboard and disappeared at once. In the
afternoon
fine mild weather and at 5 o'clock we arrived at a town called
Bowen,
it is the last place we go to, and is our destination. We passed
a
steamer
outside the town which was stranded and sunk, we were not 60
feet
from
it. We are sailing between islands and rocks, it is a beautiful
sight,
at many
places we are so near land that we could throw a stone on shore,
it
is
nearly all forest land and mostly uninhabited. Glass and China
was
broken
to pieces by the hundreds and one of the stewards got a cask of
beer
on top
of him, and got one of his arms badly injured. It was a pity to
see
the
horses as they were thrown about and people likewise. I was
standing on
the
main hatch holding the child (Mariane) with the one hand, and
having a
good
hold on an iron bar with the other. It was all I could do to
hold on
so that
we should not go overboard, so the last 3 days have been the
worst
on the
whole journey, all the same though it was not always nice in
this
month.
It was great fun!!!!
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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This page last updated 18 October 2026
