Year by Year
Discover the history of the HMS Cossack from 1854 to 1875.
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05 September 1870
Wind calm increasing to force 2 from the NW. Barometer falling to 30.13 inches.
0800. Loosed sails. Crossed Royal yards. Mustered at Quarters. Prayers. Employed as needed. Sailmakers repairing wind sails [a funnel of canvas employed to ventilate a ship by conveying a stream of fresh air down to the lower decks] Artificers making good small defects.
1315. Furled sails. Down Royal yards. Employed as needed. Second Class and third class at drill. Scrubbed hammocks and washed clothes. Watered ship receiving 21 tons.
07 September 1870
Wind direction variable from SE to through east to NNW force 1 to 3. Barometer continues to rise to 30.27 inches.
0800 Crossed Royal yards and loosed sails.
0900. Exercised at General Quarters and Fire Quarters.. Artificers making good small defects. A boat hook and a stave lost overboard by accident.. Furled sails. Down upper yards. Employed as most requisite.
1330 Sent boom boats and second cutter sailing. Artificers making good small defects.
1550. Boats returned onboard. Mustered at Quarters.
12 September 1870
Wind SE force 1 to 2 rising to force 4 at noon before decreasing . Barometer continued to rise to 30.44 inches at noon before falling slightly. Maximum temperature 73F.
0800. Loosed sails. 0915. Mustered at Quarters.
0930. Furled sails. Prayers. Employed bending Fore and main trysails and as requisite. Sent launch and pinnace away firing. Artificers making good small defects. Sailmakers repairing hammocks and clothes.
PM. Watch employed as most requisite. Third class at rifle drill. Second class at cutlass drill. Artificers making good small defects.
1545. In boom boats. Watering ship by tank from Control Department – receiving 20 tons. On steaming covers. Washed clothes.
13 September 1870
Wind south easterly force 2 to 3 increasing to 6 at 2200. Barometer falling to 30.23 inches before recovering to 30.35 inches. Temperature at noon 68F.
0800. Mustered at Quarters. Read Warrant for 30 days imprisonment of Ordinary Seaman Chas. Burnham. Preparing for sea.
PM. Steam up.
1320 Slipped from moorings and proceeded out of harbour under charge of Assistant Harbour Master ( Mr Morgan) who left the ship at 1340.
1400. Set Fore and aft sails save Main trysails.
1415. Course W by S.
1450. Set Topsails and Foresail. Employed as requisite.
1745. Cape Brabant SE ½ E. Signal Mount Port Louis E by N.
1930. Stopped steaming. In Spanker. Down Jib.
14 September 1870
Wind south easterly until Noon then ESE until 2000 when it became SE. Wind force 3 to 4 increasing to 6.
0015. Lowered Fore and Mizzen topsails. Furled Fore and Mizzen topsails. In Fore trysail.
0350. Up Foresail.
0525. Observed Belle Air Light SW ¼ W. 0540. Set Fore topsail. Course SW by ½ W.
0730. Set Foresail. 0900. Quarters and prayers.. Pilot came onboard.
0930. Shortened and furled sails.
0935. Stopped and came to in 14 fathoms on the starboard anchor. Veered to 50 fathoms. Anchor bearing Signal staff south and Cape Barnard W by S. Saluted French Flag with 21 guns. Artificers making good small defects.
PM. English consul left the ship with a 7 gun salute.. Midshipmen and cutlass men of watch at cutlass drill. Watch employed repairing ratlines and making sennit. Sailmakers making cover for hammock nettings.
1715. Exercised at General Quarters. Comment from the log. – Although this is the chief port of the island there is never more than a dozen vessels lying in the roadstead and they are generally French. The port round to the west is a little more sheltered from the strong winds which of course masks a heavy surf on the shore and the rollers make it very uncomfortable for ships making long stays and especially for loading cargo. There is one tolerable sized fort on Point Des Jardens which evidently being repaired and put in order for the present war. There is also a small battery in front of the hospital which is very conspicuous white building to the right of the town.
15 September 1870
Wind SE by E becoming ESE force 4 to 6 increasing to 7 at noon before becoming 4 to 5.
0630. Punished Boy First Class. A Newton with 24 cuts of the birch as per Warrant. Divisions. Prayers. Marines at drill. Watch employed at fitting new ridge ropes [these are of various kinds from the centre rope of an awning, the man-ropes to the bowsprit, safety lines from gun to gun in bad weather] and sennit. Sailmakers repairing Fore top gallant sail and Mizzen Royal. Unbent mizzen topsail. Issued slops to Ship’s Company.
PM. Making and mending clothes. Sailmakers repairing Mizzen topsail. Washed clothes. Sunset.
16 September 1870
Wind SE becoming ESE force 3 to 5 increasing 4 to 6 before decreasing to 3 to 5.
0900. Quarters and prayers. Watch employed repairing mizzen topsail and shortening up Topsail lifts. Second class at cutlass drill. Sailmakers repairing Mizzen making good small defects.
1100. Bent Mizzen topsail.
PM. First company of small arms men and Midshipmen at rifle drill and firing blank cartridges. Employed pointing ropes. Sailmakers repairing Top gallant sails. Artificers making good small defects. Carpenters putting gripe on launch [Is generally formed by the scarph of the stem and keel]
1700. Quarters. Rove anchor gear. Observed a steamer standing west.
1940. (Sunset) Arrived at anchor a French transport “L’INDRE”. The landing is very difficult at times having to be landed at the pier by either using the ladder or basket.
17 September 1870
At single anchor. Wind SE moving to easterly force 2 to 3 increasing to 2 to 4.
0900. French troopship “L’INDRE” shifted berth. Employed cleaning ship throughout.
PM. Watch employed as requisite.
1450 Draw fires forward..
1510 Weighed and proceeded under steam for Mauritius. Pointed yards to wind. Set Fore and aft sails.
1645. Mustered at at Quarters. Sunset. Belle Air Light House 80WSt Denis Town W 80W. Heading East. Down Jib.
2000. Belle air Light House SW.
2010. Set Foresail.
2100. Lost sight of Belle air Light SW by S.
18 September 1870
From Reunion to Mauritius. Wind south easterly force decreasing to 2 to 3. Course E ½ N becoming easterly.
0300. Latitude by Mir alt Achernar 20.5S [Achernar /ˈeɪkərnɑːr/ is the name of the brightest component[12] (by visual brightness) of the binary system[7] designated Alpha Eridani (α Eridani, abbreviated Alpha Eri, α Eri), which is the brightest ‘star’ or point of light in, and lying at the southern tip of, the constellation of Eridanus, and the tenth-brightest in the night sky.]
0725. Observed land bearing E by S.
0935. Mustered by Open list. Performed Divine Service.
1125. In Fore and aft sails and Foresail.
PM. Light ship Port Louis E by S 30.
1615. Altered course to east.
1650 Mustered by Divisions. Issued clean hammocks. Squared yards. Threw overboard 6 lbs. of bad preserved and boiled beef.
1800. Stopped. Health Officer and Harbour master came onboard.
1805. Proceeded.
1830. Stopped and took in Navy mooring. Employed cleaning ship.
19 September 1870
Wind south easterly becoming north westerly by noon. Wind force 3 to 6 decreasing later to 1.
0500. Out lower booms, small boats and accommodation ladder.
0800. Loosed sails, crossed Top gallant yards. Quarters and prayers. Third class at rifle drill. Cutlass men at drill. Sailmakers repairing Royals. Artificers making good small defects.
1140. Out boom boats. Mr Tout – Engineer – reprimanded for committing a nuisance in his mess. Refusing to get it cleaned up. Cautioned as to his future conduct.
1305. Furled sails. Employed as requisite. Third class at rifle drill. Sailmakers repairing Fore and main top gallant sails. Artificers as in the forenoon. Midshipmen at rifle drill. Carpenters repairing boats. Scrubbed hammocks and washed clothes.
Editorial note. The Midshipman is promoted Acting Navy Sub Lieutenant and the entries from this date change in character
