Year by Year
Discover the history of the HMS Cossack from 1854 to 1875.
You can search the ‘year’ and ‘month’ to find a specific date and also ‘click’ on the date itself to reveal any images and moments from that date.
26 January 1870
Wind NNW / NW force 1 increasing to 3. Moored at single anchor.
AM Watering ship by launch. Let go of lifebuoy for trial.
0915. In boats. Unmoored. Weighed port anchor and shortened in on broken bottom to 2 shackles.
1000 Up steam in port boiler. Preparing for sea.
1130 Pilot came on board.
1310 weighed anchor and proceeded. Pilot left the ship
1600 Set fore and aft sails NE St Anne S45E; La Dique N75E.
1645 Mustered at Quarters. Bent on starboard stud sail. Pointed yards to wind.
2000 West extreme Silhouette N by E. Course WNW.
27 January 1870
Latitude 4.21 S. Longitude 54.18 E. Wind NNW force 2 to 3. Course N by W changing to W ½ N. Hog Point bearing S85W 902 miles.
0530 Day light – Silhouette Island E by S. Set Foresail.
0600 Set Topsails. Mustered at Quarters. Prayers. Sounded in 33 fathoms (fine sand) Watch employed in getting up soap and tobacco. Carpenters making backboards for 2nd cutter. Sounded in 12 fathoms.
Noon. Issued soap and tobacco. Paid monthly money..
1320 sounded in 15 fathoms.
1400 sounded in 77 fathoms (coral). Set mainsail. Washed clothes.
1915 set Top gallant sails and stopped steaming.
28 January 1870
Latitude 4.25 S. longitude 52.50 E. Wind NNW force 3 decreasing to 2. Course westerly at 3 / 4 knots. 0610 in Trysail.
0900 mustered at Quarters. First company of small arms men at rifle drill. Sailmakers roaching Main topsail. Carpenters making backboards for cutters.
1130. Set starboard topsail stud sail.
PM watch at cutlass drill. Midshipmen at cutlass drill. Sailmakers roaching Main topsail. Blacksmiths making iron nippers. Marines cleaning dinghy.
1600 Mustered at Quarters.
2015 In Top stud sails. Braced forward.
29 January 1870
Latitudde 51.24 E. wind N by W force 2 increasing to 3. Course Westerly at 3 / 4 knots.
0500. Punished Jas Thomas B.I. C.; Jno Lee and Abra Gibson with 24 cuts of the birch.. Employed cleaning ship throughout.
1040 In spanker. Read warrant for disrating J Muriston QM to Captain M S Knight Carpe RMLI to private., C Cousins Musician 1 GCB. W. Pope, J Sanderson, Thomas Grey to 2nd class seaman.
PM Mustered by divisions. Served out clean hammocks.
2030 In Top gallant sails.
0925. Set top gallant sails.
2245 latitude by Procyon 4.33E
(The Dog Star, Sirius, is easy to spot because it’s the sky’s brightest star. Procyon – the other Dog Star – is always near its brighter brother on the sky’s dome. … The Dog Stars are Sirius in the constellation Canis Major, and Procyon in the constellation Canis Minor)
30 January 1870
Latitude 5.16 S. Longitude 50.14 E. Wind north westerly force 2 to 3. Course west to southerly.
0056 Latitude by Regulus 4.80S.
0915 Mustered by Divisions to perform divine service.
1650 Mustered by Quarters.
1815 Deviation by Amplitude 25W. (Head SW).
2258 Latitude by Pollux 5.51S.
(Pollux, also known as Beta Geminorum is an orange-hued evolved giant star approximately 34 light-years from the Sun in the northern constellation of Gemini. B−V color index: +1.00 Constellation: Gemini U−B color index: +0.86 Temperature: 4666±95 K)
31 January 1870
Latitude 5.53 S. Longitude 49.54 E. Wind NW by West changing to westerly force 2. Course south westerly until 0700 and then northerly. Hog point N89W 633 miles.
0326. Latitude by ???? 5.46S.
0430 Passed through a tide rip.
0900 Mustered at Quarters to read prayers and Returns of Court Marshals. Inspected diving apparatus – all correct. Blacksmiths making iron nippers. Employed making mats etc. Passed through several tide rips.
PM Quarters of watch at cutlass drill. Midshipmen and boys at gun drill. Carpenters making good small defects. Sailmakers roaching main topsail.
1835 set spanker.
2136 latitude by Procyon 5.21 S.
01 February 1870
Latitude 5.45 S. longitude 49.54 E. Wind Northerly calm. Barometer 30.02 inches. Temperature 80F. Course westerly at I knot.. Hog point West 631 miles.
0100. Up courses. In Topgallant sail and Spanker..
0430 Set Foresail. Wore.
0600 made all plain sail. Crossed royal yards..
0900 Quarters and prayers. First company of small arms men at rifle drill. Sailmakers roaching main topsail. Carpenters making good small defects..
PM. Cutlass men of watch at rifle drill. Watch making Main mast cover and fitting guys.
1645 Mustered by Divisions and inspected cleaned hammocks.
1840 Up Courses. In Top gallant sails, Royals and Fore jib.
03 February 1870
Latitude 6.17 S. Longitude 49.28 E. Light airs from the north becoming force 2 towards evening. Course westerly Barometer falling to 29.88 inches before rising to 30.03 inches. Hog Point West 609 miles.
0900 Mustered at Quarters. Read Articles of War. Marines at Company drill. In Main top gallant sail and Royals for repair.. Carpenters making good small defects.
1145. Set Main top gallant sail and Royals.
PM Employed making and mending clothes. Issued slops to Ship’s company.
1735 In Mizzen, Top gallant sails and Royals. Lowered Mizzen top sail for repair.
1800 Made plain sail save for Spanker.
07 February 1870
Latitude 6.54 S. Longitude 45.22 E. Wind Northerly force 2 decreasing to 1 before increasing to 3.
0110. Set royals and Flying jib. 0730 Braced forward..
0900 Mustered at Quarters and prayed. Quarters of Watch at drill. Employed becketing breechings and stropping blocks. Carpenters making good small defects.
1315 Braced in. Small arms men at cutlass drill. Midshipmen and boys at gun drill. Sailmakers making launch cloths. Watch becketing breechings and making mats. Scrubbed and washed clothes.
2010 Braced foreward.
2000 Braced forward.
08 February 1870
Latitude 5.0 S. Longitude 44.25 E. Wind Northerly force 3 decreasing to 2 before increasing back to 3 during the afternoon. Course westerly. Hog Point west 303 miles.
0600 Reset sail.
0900 Mustered at Quarters; read prayers. Second company of small arms men at rifle drill firing blank cartridge. Watch fitting beckets.
1100 Rounded in. set port Topmast stud sails.
PM Cutlass men of watch at rifle drill. Midshipmen at gun drill. Sailmakers making hammock cloths.
1650 mustered at Quarters. In topmast stud sail. Braced forward.
09 February 1870
Latitude 5.20 S. longitude 43.6 E. Wind Northerly force 2 to 3. Course westerly with maximum speed of 4 knots.
0440 Rounded in.
0600 Rounded in. reset sail of starboard Topmast stud sail. Read prayers. Exercised at general Quarters. Watch making mats and pointing breechings.
1000 Set top gallant stud sails..
PM altered course w by N. Cutlass men of watch at drill. Employed making bucketing breechings, making sennit and fitting main topsail.
1350 In stud sails and braced forward.
1645 Quarters.
2030 Braced in. 2105 latitude by Sirius 5.40S
10 February 1870
Latitude 5.38 S. Longitude 41.39 E. Wind Northerly force 2 to 3 increasing to 5 by midnight. Maximum sped through the water 5 knots.
0600 Rounded in. Set starboard Stud sails.
0900 Mustered at Quarters. Prayed.
0915 In lower stud sails. Braced forward. Marines at rifle drill. Watch refitting breechings and making sennit.
1240. Course W by N ½ N. 1315. In top gallant sails and Stud sails. Braced forward. Employed making and mending clothes.
1535. In Royals, flying jib and top stud sail. Washed clothing..
1845 In Top gallant sails and first reef of Top sails.
2020 Rounded in. 2100 Up mainsail.
2115 close reefed Mizzen topsail. Up Foresail. In second reef Forward and main topsails.
11 February 1870
Latitude 5.31. S. Longitude 39.55 . Wind NE becoming East at midday and then NEN at 2000. Force 4 decreasing to 3. Course SE becoming westerly. Hog Point S66W 31 miles.
0320 Wore.
0430. Set Foresail.
0615. Made sail to Top gallants and jib. Mustered at Quarters. First company of small arms men at rifle drill.
1020.Proceeded under steam at 6 knots.
1145 Observed land WNW.
1315. Rounded in and set starboard Forward top studs sails.
1445. Observed Zanzibar SW by W.t cutlass drill. Mustered at Quarters. Rove anchor gear and messenger.
1740 Braced forward on port tack.
1820. Shortened and furled sails. Came to with sand and broken bottom in 13 fathoms and veered to 3 shackles.
12 February 1870
At anchor with a north to NE / NNE wind force 2 increasing to 5at noon before decreasing to 1 at midnight. Barometer 29.98 inches. Temperature maximum 81 F.
0400. Draw fires forward.
0530 Weighed and proceeded under steam.
0900 Came to off Zanzibar with sandy bottom in 10 fathoms and veered to 3 shackles. Anchor bearings Minaret S87E. Flag staff / English S46E. Chornby 18W Employed cleaning throughout until
1600 when mustered by Divisions.
1630. Weighed under steam and proceeded to anchorage off Bubooboo. (Bububu?)
1730. Stopped and came to with sandy bottom in 9 fathoms and veered to42 fathoms. Anchor bearing cliff end SE by ½ S. N East Chappany S58W. Chango S87W.
