Year by Year
Discover the history of the HMS Cossack from 1854 to 1875.
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28 February 1871
Wind variable becoming ENE force 3.
Preparing for sea. In boom boats.
1230. Up steam in one boiler. Draught of water – Aft 18 feet. Forward. 16 feet 9 inches.
1410 Weighed and proceeded out under steam. Anchor came up foul fluke first and long bight of chain hanging down. Steamed slowly to clear it.
1600 Lit fires.
1625.. Flag staff Point NNW. Round Island SW by W. Shaped course NE by E. Wind ENE force 4.
1730. William Brooks fell overboard. Stopped and let go life buoy. Lowered the cutter and picked up the man.
2000. Foul Point Light SW ¼ W. Passed two vessels passing to the south west. Set Fore and aft sail.
Remarks.
“On our arrival here there was no coal in the store as the FORTE had taken the last on her way to Calcutta but before we left two vessels had arrived with coal. The last one an English one over 5 months from the Tyne. The weather had been very fine having had rain only on two or three occasions with northerly winds. Generally during the morning we had calms and a light variable airs and then the breeze set in from the north and east force 3 about noon and falling light towards Sunset. A small steamer (Paddle) arrived on the evening of the 27, 45 days from Port De Galle (Shri Lanka) where they had started for Singapore but failing for want of coal. She reached the Nicobar islands (a group of 19 islands, 12 of which are inhabited, between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean near the Indian mainland. They cover an area of 1,600 sq km.) where she took plenty of wood onboard and through some means or other was found off Foul Point. The communication between this an Port De Galle is likely to be improved by the arrival of a steamer from England for which the Harbour Master – Captain Varian has been sent home for the purpose of bringing her out.”
