Difference between revisions of "Seasickness"

Revision as of 16:17, 26 February 2016

Background

Unsurprisingly, many of the convicts became seasick as soon as the ship encountered a swell. There are mentions of this on most of the early ships for which we have detailed journals, but it is not until later years that we find accounts that describe how deeply unpleasant the prison was for several days.

Since the crew were fully engaged in taking the ship to sea, there was no prospect of the prison being cleaned immediately, one of the unfortunate but unavoidable features of a convict voyage.

- Gary L. Sturgess 27 February 2016

First Fleet

28 April 1787 – Smyth reported a great swell. The female convicts in the Lady Penrhyn very seasick from the motion. Captain Campbell was to have come on board but the sea was running so high that the pinnace could not be got off to fetch him. (Smyth, p.14)

17 May 1787 – Smyth reported a great swell. (Smyth, p.17)

- Scott’s wife was seasick, as were a great number of women on the Prince of Wales. (Scott, p.1)

20 May 1787 – Clark also dated the instruction to remove the irons to this date. He was too seasick to stand up. (Clark, p.13) Reverend Johnson wrote to Henry Fricker. In his next letter, he recapped: In my last letter, dated May 20th I informed you in very great haste how we had fared since we left the Mother Bank. Had both been sickly, but upon the recovery. We had before then one or two rough gales, after which it became calm. This occasioned the sea to run high, and on this account, when the wind ceased, the ship rolled very much, all of which together rendered it very unpleasant for some days. (Johnson to Fricker, 30 May 1787, Some Letters of Richard Johnson, No.1)

25 May 1787 – Clark had finally got over his seasickness. (Clark, p.14)

26 May 1787 – The Sirius log reported 8 sick. (ADM51/832A Pt.2)

William (1793)

29 July 1793 (immediately after sailing) – This day they made no sail, the wind being contrary all night and day. Marsden was so seasick he could not write. The wind being contrary they had been obliged to put into Weymouth for the night. Marsden and his wife and a military Captain, went on shore and slept at the Crown. (Marsden Journal)

20 September 1793 – The next entry in Marsden’s journal. The Commodore had given the signal that morning for all the ships in the convoy to weigh anchor. The whole fleet was under sail by 9am, the fleet consisting of about 40 ships. Rev and Mrs Marsden once again began to be affected by the motion of the ship and became sick again and he was unable to attend to his religious duties. (Marsden Journal)

21 September 1793 – Marsden was too sick to either read or write. (Marsden Journal)

Sunday 22 September 1793 – Marsden was unable to enjoy the Sabbath or preach a sermon due to his sea sickness. Once again he spoke of the oaths and blasphemies. (Marsden Journal)

26 September 1793 – Marsden was beginning to recover. He was only now able to eat a little and walk the deck. (Marsden Journal)

2 October 1793 – It was only on this date that he and Mrs Marsden could put their cabin into order, since one or both of them had been sick up to this point. That night they had a heavy sea. (Marsden Journal)

3 October 1793 – The heavy sea continued right through this day. Marsden was seasick again. (Marsden Journal)

16 October 1793 – Marsden was unwell again. (Marsden Journal)

17 October 1793 – He felt much better. (Marsden Journal)

19 November 1793 – The wind had been strong and right against them all day. And the sea had run very high. The Marsdens were very sick again and could scarcely get out of bed. (Marsden Journal)

3 December 1793 (on leaving Rio de Janeiro) – They sailed out of the harbour with a fair wind, though after a short while, it began to blow very fresh and continued all day. The Marsdens were sick again and unable to stir from their cabin. Their situation was made worse because they had no one to do anything for them and the Captain continued to be ill-natured towards them. The sea was rough again that night. (Marsden Journal)

4 December 1793 – The sea was rough all day with heavy rain. Marsden wrote that he had hardly ever been that sick. The sea poured into their little cabin during the night and everything was wet and uncomfortable. The Captain chose this moment to tell them that they would have two months of worse weather than this before they reached New South Wales. Marsden wrote that more than six feet of water sometimes washed over the deck and the men were sometimes unable to stand. (Marsden Journal)

6 December 1793 – The weather remained calm and Marsden recovered. (Marsden Journal)

Hillsborough (1798)

24 December 1798 (several days after sailing) – Blew hard from SSE. Convicts very seasick. Provisions not served until 9 o’clock. (Noah, p.21)

Minerva (1799)

24 August 1799 – On sailing from Cork, Price soon found himself seasick. (Price, 73)

25 August 1799 – Price visited the convicts, and was struck by the apparent serenity there. There was no pining, discontent or marks of distress. Rather they seemed satisfied and cheerful. (Price, 73-4)

26 August 1799 – Fresh gales and heavy showers of rain. The ship’s gunnel frequently touched the water and many sprays came on deck. Few with seasickness. (Price, 74)

27 August 1799 – Strong breezes. The ship pitched and rolled a great deal in a heavy rolling sea. Seasickness increasing among the convicts. The rolling of the ship was so great that plates could not be left on the table at dinner. (Price, 74)

29 August 1799 – Most of the people recovering from seasickness. (Price, 75) Friendship (1799)

11 September 1799– Mrs Reid writing at Madeira about the first part of the voyage. The ship’s crew had hitherto been healthy, but some of the prisoners had been sickly. Every indulgence consistent with propriety had been shown them, all of whom by messes, were alternately admitted upon deck in the daytime. (MAR, p.239)

Baring (1819)

Laurence Halloran, a gentleman convict on the Baring (1819) complained to the Home Secretary and a member of parliament about his treatment on board the ship prior to sailing. The allegations were investigated and disproven, but the MP, Henry Grey Bennett, went on board the ship and later described his shock at the seasickness among the convicts:

"Never would he forget the loathsome scene which the vessel exhibited! A scene most disgraceful to a country and government calling themselves civilized and christians! It appeared that the ship had a short time before, got on a bank in a gale of wind, and had been nearly lost. The agitation of the storm had occasioned violent seasickness among the unhappy men on board, and those who were at the bottom, were almost suffocated by the results of that sickness. Good God! was it possible to contemplate such physical torture without horror?. . . He had complained to the captain of the offensive and obnoxious state of the lower part of the vessel in which such a number of po;or wretches were confined, and the captain informed him, that as soon as he got to sea, he would have the means of cleansing that part of the ship from the filth which covered it." (House of Commons Hansard, 1st Series, Vol.39, 25 January 1819, Cols.89, 118)

Canton (1839)

Linus Miller, a gentleman convict on the Canton (1839) explained how unpleasant it was in the prison with so many throwing up:

"No sooner were the sails unfurled than sea-sickness commenced, and in a short time became general. There were only half a dozen persons in the prison who escaped the malady. ‘Accounts were cast up,’ without ceremony, not only on the floor but in the berths; and our apartment was rendered truly horrible. An entire week passed before it could be properly cleansed. . .

I did not recover from sea-sickness until the voyage was more than half completed, and, as I was unable during the time to take much sustenance, I was reduced exceedingly low. The surgeon afterwards informed me that he had at the time, but slight hopes of my living to complete the voyage." (‘Notes of an Exile’, pp.245, 246-7)

Mangles (1839)

And John Ward, a convict on the Mangles (1839):

"The weather was more favourable, and toward evening we got a fair breeze, and got safe off.

By this time a great many of us began to be sea sick, which was truly a miserable condition, 296 was the number of prisoners on board, huddled and crammed together as thick as we could lay, not to mention the stench and all other difficulties which attend such numbers at sea. I, as I said before, got a comparatively pleasant berth which prevented, I believe, me being sick, tho’ I had much to contend with, for I was immediately between the Two house of ‘call’ – which great inconveynence [inconvenience], and very much dirt. However two or three days soon passed away, and the greater part of us was, I may say better of the sickness. . ." (Journal, pp.117-118)