[Travel accounts. New Zealand] Joseph Forall. Diary. Written while on a voyage in the Ship Stracathro

which sailed from Blackwall, London, to Auckland, new Zealand November 26th 1879. Signed "Yours truly, Joseph Forall, Auckland 1879". Manuscript in pen, (42) p., written down in a well-legible hand in a copy of The Auckland exercise book produced by Uptons Booksellers & Stationers, Auckland, orig. printed wr., 4to.

Wrappers splitting on spine. Joseph Forall is mentioned in an online available Shipping Summary in the New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5729, 29 March 1880, page 6, and in the Auckland Star, Volume X, Issue 3077, 1 March 1880, Page 2, together with the many other passengers that travelled on the barque Stracathro, that arrived on March 1st 1880 in Auckland, New Zealand. In this nice account Forall informs us about the journey from day to day. He travels together with Joseph Heathcote, his mother and Mary Smith ("Heathcote, sweetheart"). Forall informs us about the places they pass, the weather conditions (incl. many bad storms and periods of unfavourable wind), the singing, dancing, music-making, cardplaying, the sighting of flying fish and all kinds of birds, dinners ("porridge and treacle") and rations for alcoholical beverages on board, as well as on the sea-sickness that several passengers experience at the beginning. On the 29th of November, during the night, the Stracathro passes the ship Luthra (?) "in a sinking condition, and without a soul on board". A terrible accident takes place on the 9th of december: "A Swedish sailor fell from aloft on to the (...) deck, broke a thigh and arm, the bone of the thigh sticking through the flesh and entered the deck an inch deep. I have seen him several times today. They have him streched on a board in the forecastle (sailor's room) and a sailor is in attendance, bathing his head, his skull is badly broke, and his features is completely altered, as his face is awfully swelled (...)." At the end: So having arrived at my destination I will close my account of a journey from London to Auckland NZ in the Scotch ship Stracathro March 1st 1880". The final few pages are written in Whatawhata Waikato on May 20th 1880, and concern all kinds of advice "to any one intending to take a Voyage this country, New zealand, or any other long voyage in the first place (...)", like bringing your own bed, your own soap, having enamelled drinking vessels and plates, bringing baking powder in bottles, apples, lemons, carbonate of soda, preserved milk etc. "Also something to pass on time, such as books, musical instruments etc. If feamales they should be well provided with sewing knitting, etc."