Year by Year
Discover the history of the HMS Cossack from 1854 to 1875.
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09 March 1872
1030. Left Hobart under steam and proceed out via Storm Bay. Wind calm northerly light airs becoming south easterly force 1 to 2 and later southerly force 2. Under sail.
Noon. Trymark Point ENE 1/ ½ miles.
1300 Shaped course SE. Iron Point Lighthouse N78E, Yellow bluff S13E.
1715. Stopped made plain sail on starboard tack. Up screw. Altered course E by S with wind south.
1800 Cape Haone N10W. In first and second reefs Topsails.
2100 Cape Pillar N ½ E 10 miles.
2000. Course NNE. Midnight Wind WNW force 3 to 4.
17 March 1872
Latitude 35.39S. Longitude 152.1E. Course N50E. Wind north force 3 becoming westerly force 2 and later southerly 3 to 4.Under sail.
0400. Wind north; tacked. Barometer 29.78 inches. During the night vivid lightning to northward.
0900 Wind fell light and variable almost suddenly and then freshened up from westward. Tacked with wind gradually hauling aft. During the rest of the day was from south and SSE blowing fresh. Barometer rising since 0800. Gradually rising from 2980 inches at midnight to 30.01 inches.. altered course to N by W ½ W and NW by N having a strong south easterly current against us.
18 March 1872
1300. Arrived and moored to buoy in Farm Cove, Port Jackson. Sydney. Wind south force 3 to 4 decreasing to 3.
Daylight. Land on port bow but could not tell what part. Stood west to close land for we had expected to sight the lights on Outer South Head early and the latter we did not sight until about 0800 which gave us a current setting to the south eastward nearly 2 knots per hour. The lighthouse bore on sighting NW by N.
0930. Shortened and furled sails. Proceeded under steam still feeling the current.
1145. Stopped and took on pilot. Proceeded.
1245. Arrived in Farm cove and took in moorings. Down upper yards and masts. Out boom boats. Unbent sails. Wind fell light with heavy rain.
Remarks
During our passage it will be seen from the above that we had constant northerly, north westerly winds until within a day of Port Jackson when it shifted to southward with a rising barometer. Current generally setting to the south viz two day setting to SW by W 30 miles per day and 4 days setting to the SSE from 15 to 20 miles per day but these were not at all regular for sometimes there would not be any current the next day. We has a strong easterly current for one day abreast of Bass’s Straights. A government pilot boarded vessels of war and consequently we were taken in by one who said that the Western Channel was always used but would give no particular reason for not using the Eastern Channel although we heard from the harbour master that it was a good channel but that they the pilots had an obligation to use it.
The harbour is the finest in Australia and perhaps of the best in the world; bieing5 ½ miles from the entrance to Sydney Cove with wharves in Woolloomlloo Bay, Sydney Cove and Darling Harbour with several slips. It is very easy to come up the harbour by following the Sailing Directions which are given very clearly and fully. The marks are easily made out. Several forts are in the course of construction on either side of the entrance. On arriving here we shackled our cable to the buoy in Farm Cove, which is used for the Flagship when they are here. Our launch and paddle boat were used in bringing water off from the jetty Our chronometer Webb was rated by Time ball at 1300 mean time Sydney. The other two Frodsham and Arnold were sent ashore to J Allerding – Chronometer and Watch Maker. The former having stopped at Freemantle and the other no rate at all. They were placed in his hands shortly after our arrival and were received on board about the 16 April having been rated and keeping very good time
