Year by Year
Discover the history of the HMS Cossack from 1854 to 1875.
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16 June 1871
Latitude 6.41S. Longitude 86.59E. S11W. WSW force 3 dying to light airs before becoming SE by S force 2. Under steam and sail. Squally and passing showers.
0600. Observed a steamer on the starboard bow standing ESE. Shaped course SW.
Noon. Light and calm. Steaming.
1500. Light airs sprung up from SSE. Heavy swell from eastward.
1800 Made sail to Topsails and main to gallant sail.
2020. Stopped steaming.
2100. Rounded in ; wind fell light.
2300. commenced steaming. Observed a brilliant meteor to the eastward. We have at last picked up the SE trades. ( latitude 70. Longitude 870 -10E which be accounts we ought tp have reached close to the Equator in lieu of which we have carried the SW wind down until yesterday with very wet weather and easterly swell.
27 June 1871
Latitude 19.29S. Longitude 58.48E. Course S68W. Wind SSE force 4. Under steam. Midnight. Wind S by E force 3 to 4. Smooth sea.
0200. In first reef of Fore and main topsails and second reef of Mizzen topsail. )
0800 Out reefs. In Top gallant sails. Read Return of Court Martials. Set Fore and main top gallant sails. Party at drill.
Noon. Flat Island S69W. 68 nautical miles. Altered course to W by S ¾ S.
1600. Observed Round island W by S.
1700 Wind freshening; in second reef of Fore and main topsails.
1700. Course WSW.
1800. Gunners Quoin W by S. Serpent Island NW 1/2W. Flat Island W ½ N.
1840 Altered course to west. 1920. Cannonier Light SW by W ½ W.
1945. Flat island light bore NE by E ½ S. altered course to SW by W ½ W.
2000. Cannonier Light SSW. Flat island Light NE by E ½ E.
2010 Shortened and furled after sails.
2040 Exercised at Night Quarters firing blank.
2050 commenced steaming.
2100 Connonier Light bore SE by S. altered course to SW by S and as requisite for light vessel.. shortened and furled sails. Observed Bel Light on port bow.
2300 Came to of Bell Light in 17 fathoms with sandy bottom and veered to 45 fathoms. Anchorage bearings. Bel Light east 2 cables.
Remarks
We made a tolerable quick passage from Trincomalee having accomplished it in under 19 days – a distance of 2910 nautical miles. The Equator was crossed on th 12 June in Longitude 870 15’E with steady wind from SW. When we arrived we commenced steaming under Fore and Aft sails heading south still keeping the SW wind which occasionally hauled to the westward but at times light with rainy and squally weather. This continued until the 15th when we fell in with SE Trades. The heavy swell from the eastward giving us warming. With the Trades generally at SSE we sighted Round island on the 27th at 1600. The weather being very fine and high barometer. Stood in for passage between Flat island and Gunners Quoin on a WSW course until Round Island and Serpent Island were in one and then altered course to W ½ N through the channel. The reefs off round island and Gabriel Island were breaking heavily. The three remarkable pillars of basalt were not to be seen on Round Island.
