Year by Year
Discover the history of the HMS Cossack from 1854 to 1875.
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19 September 1872
Wind easterly force 2 becoming NE force 2.
1000. Naval court assembled under the Presidency of Captain R.G. Douglas for the trail of Finlay Mac Liver alias Mac Ray; alias Mac Niven alias mac cow and Stephen Scott and John Martin; the former being the present master of Fijian schooner NUKULAU and the latter two men forming part of the crew who served with him in the NUKULAU some months ago under English colours and who are charged with murder and kidnapping in the high seas.
1850. Court adjourned. Light north easterly wind with heavy rain.
20 September 1872
Wind light and variable airs becoming NE force 1. Barometer 30.01 inches.
Crossed Royal yards and loosed sails. 1100.
Naval court assembled and at 1300 had sentenced prisoners to be conveyed to Sydney for trial. Fine northerly airs. Barometer rather lower than normal. Hoisted in Galley and accommodation ladder. Received 5 Solomon Islanders ( As witnesses in the NUKULAU case) for conveyance to Sydney.
Remarks
The bad weather of August continued during this month with the exception of now and then a fine day but the wind being now settled from the SE and easterly it is generally blowing fresh with almost continuous rain and at times squally. The appearance of the weather being rather unsettled. The barometer being generally steady; standing from 30.06 inches to 30.16 inches and for two days on the wind freshening from SE to ESE it was as high as 30.23.
On arriving from Tongatabu on the 6th we anchored rather further out and towards the shoals and though plenty of room swinging to a southerly wind we were rather close to the shore with a northerly wind. Our markers on this occasion were Hemmings House just open of American Consuls Office and English Consuls flag staff on with right hand corner of Government House. On the 19th our marks were Hemming House open of American Consuls Office and English Consuls flag staff on with High commissioner’s flag staff.
On 14th on shifting berth anchored with Morey’s flagstaff (Red ensign and situated a short distance behind English Consul’s house) on with English Consul’s staff and Hemmings House shut in with American Consul’s Office.
It had been proposed to have staffs placed in the centre of the diamond marks for greater accuracy in steering through the channel in the reef. Our water which was first got from the Key’s Pier and latterly from Hemming’s Pier was considered by good; the water being lead down the pier by pipes and filling our launch from the pipe at the price of ?? per ton.
21 September 1872
1100. Left harbour under steam. Wind light airs from NE becoming NE force 2 and later north easterly force 1 to 2.
0600. Lit fires under the boilers and being detained for an interpreter for witnesses ( Solomon Islanders) did not weigh until
1115. In clearing the reefs made plain sail and shaped course SSE steaming to get clear of islands and wind being light from the northward.
2300. We were taken by the lee; the wind freshened from SSW suddenly. Stopped steaming ans stood away to the SE. In second reefs of Topsails.
