Moored to single buoy in Bombay Harbour. Wind NNW force 1 to 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.94 inches rising to 29.98 at 0800 and to 30.01 at noon before falling to 29.92 at 1600 and finishing at 29.98 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 84F. 0615. Exercised hands at General quarters. 0630. Transport number 10 – SS Telenga/ Telangana (?) (Word is smudged) arrived. 0800. Received 120 lbs of fresh beef and 60 lbs of vegetables plus ??? (Amount smudged) lbs of soft bread.  HMS Assaye broke commissioning pennant out.

Plassey and Assaye were built for the Bombay Marine (renamed the Royal Indian Marine in 1892).

Hands stowing Quick fire magazine and drawing stores and as requisite. Noon. Wind west by north force 2. 1400. Paid monthly allowance to Ship’s Company. Issued soap and tobacco. Hands making and mending clothes. 1700. Quarters. Put on steaming covers. Hands scrubbing and washing clothes. 1800. Landed patrol. INS Clei arrived and secured to buoy.  2050. Exercised hands – Man and Arm ship. Coal expended 4 cwt. Number on sick list 2.

Moored to single buoy in Bombay Harbour. Wind calm with broken cloud. Barometer 29.92inches rising to 29.98 at 0800 and to 30.02 at noon  before falling to 29.93 at 1600 and finishing at 29.94 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 82F. 0600. Received 120 lbs of fresh bee and 60 lbs of vegetables plus231 lbs of soft bread. 0730. Exercised hands at Fire Quarters. 1000. Employed cleaning ship throughout. Drawing stores and as requisite. Noon. Wind NW force 2.  1340. RINS Canning arrived.  Hands employed as requisite. 1600. Gave Special leave to watch until 2300. 1700. Quarters. Coal expended 4 cwt. Number on sick list 2.

Moored to single buoy in Bombay Harbour. Wind NNE force 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.96 inches rising to 30.02 at noon then falling to 29.94 at 1600 and finishing at 29.97 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 85F. 0100. Banked fires in number 1 boiler. 0730. Landed Church parties. 0930. Divisions. Performed Divine Service. Noon. Wind NNE force 3.  1330. Gave Special leave to port watch until 2300 and to Boys until 1900. 1700. Quarters.  1800. Discharged CEPO Elliot to HMS Magdala. Preparing ship for sea. 2330. Lit fires in numbers 2 and 4 boilers. Coal expended 1 ton 11 cwt. Number on sick list 1.

At sea Bombay to Aden course S75W at 9.3 knots with a smooth sea. Wind NW force 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.92 inches rising to 30.00 at 0800 before falling to 29.99 at 1600 and finishing at 30.04 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 83F.  0300. Exercised sea boats crews and close watertight doors. 090. Divisions and prayers. Exercised Small Arms Company at drill. Ordinary Seamen and Boys at seamanship. 100. Hands employed as requisite. Noon. Position 17.5N 64.58E Speed 9.3 knots. Wind WSW force 1. 1300. Ordinary Seamen and Boys of watch at seamanship. 1400. Rest of watch employed as requisite. 1700. Quarters. Exercised hands at Collision and Grounding Stations. 2300. Exercised hands at close watertight doors. Exercised sea boats crews. Coal expended 22 tons. Number on sick list 7.

At sea Bombay to Aden course S75W at 9.3 knots with a smooth sea. Wind calm with broken cloud. Barometer 29.94 inches at 0400 rising to 30.00 at 0800 rising to 30.02 at 1600 and finishing at 30.01 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 83F. 0200. Exercised sea boats crews and close watertight doors. 0715. Exercised hands at General Quarters.  0800. Course and speed as requisite for carrying out prize firing with 9 (Next word unreadable) and machine guns. 1100. Carried out shot practice with 7 (next three words unreadable) Morris tube from 3 lb and 6 inch guns. (Difficult to read) Noon. Position 16.32N 61.42E at 9.5 knots. 1300. Put clocks back 15 minutes. Proceeded S78W at 85 revolutions. Put over (Next two words smudged) Hands making and mending clothes. 1700. Quarters. 2300. Exercised Sea boats crews and close watertight doors. Coal expended 23 tons 17 cwt. Coal remaining 195 tons 15 cwt. Number on sick list 8.

(Good Friday) At sea Bombay to Aden course S75W at 9.3 knots with a smooth sea. Wind NW force 1 with broken cloud. Barometer 30.04 inches at 0400 rising to 30.09 at 0800 before falling to 30.04 at 1600 hours and finishing at 30.05 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon. 85F. 0100. Passed a steamer steering to east. 0200. Exercised sea boats crews. 0300. Exercised watch to close watertight doors. 0520. Latitude Vega 15.49N.

Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr . Apparent magnitude (V)‎: ‎+0.026 (−0.02…+0.07) B−V color index‎: ‎0.00 Distance‎: ‎25.04 ± 0.07 ly; (7.68 ± 0.02 pc)

Radial velocity (Rv)‎: ‎−13.9 ± 0.9 km/s

650. Passed a steamer standing to the eastward. 0900. Passed an English Man of War standing eastward.0930. Divisions. Performed Divine Service. 1100. Passed steamer standing to east. Noon. Position 15.32N 57.52E. Wind east force 1. 1300. Sunday routine. 1715. Quarters. Hands scrubbing and washing clothes. Coal expended 21 tons 16 cwt. Number on sick list 3.

At sea Bombay to Aden course S75W at 9.8 knots with a smooth sea. Wind north force 1 with broken cloud. Barometer 30.00 inches at 0400 rising to 30.11 at 0800 before falling to 30.04 at 1600 then to 30.08 at 2000 before finishing at 30.09 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 86F.  0520. Latitude Vega 15.7 M. 0800. Exercised hands at Fire Quarters. Aired night clothing. 1100. Hands employed cleaning ship throughout. Noon. Position 14.47N 55.56E. Wind SW by W force 1 with blue sky. Speed 9.8 knots. 1300. Hands employed cleaning ship throughout. 1700. Quarters. 1900. Observed (words too faint to read) Coal expended 21 tons 16 cwt. Number on sick list 3.

(Easter Sunday) At sea Bombay to Aden course S75W at 9.8 knots with a smooth sea. Wind SE force 1. Barometer 30.11 inches at 0400 falling to 30.10 at 0800 and to 30.07 at noon and 30.02 at 1600 before finishing at 30.02 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 87F.  0100. Latitude observed 45.20 ½ N. 0500.  0800. Adjusted clocks to mean time. Back 10 minutes. 0900. Mustered hands by the Open list. 100. Performed Divine Service. Noon. Position 15.54 ½ N 49.58E. Wind SE force 2. 1700. Quarters. 200. Altered course to S70W at 9.8 knots. Midnight. Altered course to S75WCoal expended 21 tons 8 cwt. Number on sick list 3.

(Easter Monday). At sea Bombay to Aden course S75W at 9.8 knots with a smooth sea. Wind SE by E force 1 with broken cloud. Barometer 30.04 inches at 0400 rising to 30.05 at 0800 and then falling to 30.03 at noon and 29.94 at 1600 before finishing at 29.95 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 85F.  0400. Altered course to S78W. 0700. Furled Quarterdeck awning. 0730. Passed a P>O> steamer steering to eastward. 0800. Altered course to S82W. Divisions and prayers. 100. Ordinary seamen and Boys of both watches at seamanship. Remainder of watch employed as requisite. 1020.  Observed land on starboard beam. Noon. Position 13.2N 46.3E. Wind Se force 1. 1300. Employed as requisite. 1430. Observed land ahead. 1700. Quarters. Spread Quarterdeck awning. 1815. Course as requisite to anchor in Aden East Bay. 1845. Let go starboard anchor in 8 ½ fathoms and veered to 3 shackles. Banked fires in number 3 and 4 boilers. 2200. Exercised hands at General Quarters and at Man and arm ship. Coal expended 17 tons 4 cwt.  113 tons 11 cwt remaining. Number on sick list 3.

At single anchor in East Bay Aden.  Anchor bearings. Ras Tarshin light S18W. Sira Island S81W. Sawayih N89W (Slave Island).

Sailing Directions for the Red Sea and Aden.

Wind ENE force 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.92 inches rising to 29.98 at 0800 before falling to 29.90 at 1600 and finishing at 29.96 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 84F.

530. Lit fires in steam cutter. 0600. Exercised hands manning and arming boats. Exercised boats under oar and sail. Lit fires in number one boiler. 0700. Unmanned boats. Cutter at quarterly checks. 0715. Hoisted Quarantine flag. Lost by accident boats anchor 30 lbs. Rope 25 fathoms of 1 ½ inch. 0900. Divisions and prayers. Carried out quarterly torpedo practice at anchor. Hands employed preparing ship for sea. Running torpedoes and as requisite. Spread fires in numbers 3 and 4 boilers. Noon. Wind East by North force 2. Draught 12 feet 10 inches forward. 15 feet 2 inches aft. 1300. Weighed and proceeded. Laying out mark buoys and running torpedoes. 1400. Hoisted boats. 1545. Proceeded as requisite for Aden harbour. 85 revolutions. Drew fires in steam cutter. 1725. 1rrived and made fast to number 3 buoy. HMS Racoon in harbour.

HMS Racoon, sometimes spelled HMS Raccoon, was an Archer-class torpedo cruiser of the Royal Navy. Racoon was laid down on 1 February 1886 and came into service on 1 March 1888. She served on the East Indies Station where, on 27 August 1896, she was involved in the bombardment of Sultan Khalid’s palace during the 40 minute Anglo–Zanzibar War.

In early May 1901 Racoon returned to the United Kingdom, and was paid off at Sheerness on 6 July 1901. She was decommissioned on 1 January 1905 and sold for scrap.

Hoisted Senior Officers Pendant. 1800. Slipped and proceeded to outer anchorage. 1840. Let go starboard anchor in 5 ¾ fathoms and veered to 3 shackles. Hauled down Senior Officers Pendant. 2100. Exercised port watch – Man and arm ship. Banked fires. Wind E by N force4.  Coal expended 11 tons 7 cwt. Number on sick list 3.

At single anchor in Outer Harbour Aden. Anchor bearings Light ship N55E.  Taisein Point S52E. Wreck N52W. Wind E by N force2 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.98 inches rising to 30.04 at 2000 and finishing at midnight at 30.09 inches. Temperature at noon 83F.  0300. Spread fires and raise steam in cutter.  0500. Weighed and proceeded as requisite for target practice. 0900. Divisions and prayers. Lowered Jolly boat, whaler, cutter and steam cutter. Course and speed as requisite for placing targets and carrying out prize firing with 6 inch guns. Noon. Wind SE force 2. 1330. Pulled up boats and proceeded as requisite for harbour at 75 revolutions. Drew fires in steam cutter.1600.  Let go starboard anchor in 5 fathoms and veered to 2 shackles.  Moored astern to number three buoy with hawser. Hoisted Senior Officers Pendant. 1800. Banked fires in number 2 and 3 boilers. Quarters. Coal expended 11 tons 17 cwt. Number on sick list 2.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind NNE force 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 24.96 inches rising to 30.15 at 0800 before dropping to 30.08 at 1600 and finishing at 30.04 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 87F.  Draught forward 12 feet 16 inches. Aft 15 feet 2 inches. 0400. Received 120 lbs of fresh beef and 60 lbs of vegetable plus 220 lbs of soft bread. 0600. Preparing ship for coaling. 0800. Landed field guns. Coal lighter came alongside. 0930 Commenced coaling. 10.00. P & O liner Oriental sailed with mail. Hands employed as requisite. Noon. Wind ENE force 2 with broken cloud. 1400. Hands making and mending clothes. 1500. Finished coaling. Received 210 tons. Draught forward 14 feet 4 inches. Aft 16 feet 2 inches. 1600. Discharged T. Harvis to Garrison cells. Gave General leave to starboard watch until 0600 (15th) 1800. Joined from HMS Racoon Surgeon Sequira(?) (Writing smudged) Also H. Hawkins and M. Staddon (?) ERA. Coal expended 3 tons 10 cwt. Number on sick list 2.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind E by S force 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 30.08 inches rising to 30.14 at 0800 before falling to 30.12 at noon and  to 30.04 at 1600 and finishing at 30.01 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 84F.  0400. Received 114 lbs of fresh beef and 57 lbs of vegetables plus 180 lbs of soft bread. 0700. HMS Racoon sailed. 0715. Weighed and slipped from number 3 buoy and proceed to shift berth to number 2 buoy. 0740. Let go port anchor and moored stern 0t number 2 buoy with one shackle of stream chain on red quarter. Settled in to 2 ¾ shackles. Hands employed cleaning ship throughout and as requisite. 1700. Quarters. Gave Special leave to watch. Hands scrubbing and washing clothes.  Coal expended 15 cwt (? – writing smudged) Number on sick list 2.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind E by N force 1 with broken cloud. Barometer 30.02 inches rising top 30.06 at 0800 before dropping to 29.95 at 1600 and finishing at 29.97 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 85F. 0400. Received 120 lbs of fresh beef and 60 lbs of vegetables plus 218 lbs of soft bread. 0800. Aired night clothing Exercised Fire Quarters.  1000. Hands employed cleaning ship throughout. Noon. Wind ENE force 2. Let fires die out.1400. Hands employed cleaning ship throughout. Received 20 lbs of soft bread. 1600. Wind ENE force 2 gusting 4. Gave Special leave to starboard watch until 0600 (17th). 1700. Quarters. Coal expended 16 cwt. Number on sick list 1.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind E by N force 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.94 inches rising to 29.97 at 0800 and to 30.02 at noon before falling to 29.92 at 1600 and finishing at 29.98 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 84F. 0200. Received 180 lbs of soft bread. 0630. Sent Roman Catholics to chapel. 0930. Divisions. 0950. RIMS Mayo arrived. 1050. Performed Divine Service. Noon. Wind E by N force 1. 1400. Gave Special leave to port watch until 2200. Boys until 1900. Discharged Surgeon Sequira (?) for passage to Bombay. 1700. Quarters. Coal expended 1 ton 1 cwt. Number on sick list 1.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind E by N force 1 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.93 inches rising to 29.99 at 0800 and to 30,00 at noon before falling to 29.93 at 1600 and finishing at 29.94 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 87F. (It made 95F at 1600) 0200. Received 122 lbs of fresh beef and 61 lbs of vegetables plus 188 lbs of soft bread. 0400. Landed field guns crew.  Carried out quarterly firing with field and machine guns. 1030. Divisions and prayers. Hands employed as requisite. Noon. Wind ENE force 1. 1400. Hands employed bending fore and aft sail, fitting upper awning and as requisite.  1600. Gave Special leave to starboard watch until 0600 (19th). 1715. Quarters. Hands scrubbing hammocks and washing clothes. Coal expended 5 cwt. Number on sick list 1.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind ENE force 2 to 4 with broken clouds and squalls. Barometer 29.96 inches rising to 30.02 at 0800 and to 30.03 at noon before falling to 29.95 at 1600 and finishing at 29.99 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 92F. 0200. Received 122 lbs of fresh beef and 60 lbs of vegetables plus 158 lbs of soft bread. 0400. Raised steam in cutter. 0600. Landed Marines for drill. Torpedo men and training class carrying out quarterly mining practice. Hands spreading upper awnings and as requisite. Noon. Wind E by N force 2 gusting 4. 1400. Hands employed as in forenoon. 1700. Quarters. Exercised – Out fire engine. Repeated evolution. Gave special leave to port watch until 0600 (20th).  2100. Drew fires from steam cutter. Coal expended 8 cwt. Number on sick list 1.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind E by N force 1 with broken sky. Barometer 29.97 inches rising to 30.05 at 0800 before falling to 30.04 at noon and to 29.96 \t 1600 and finishing at 29.99 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 85 F. 0200. Lit fires in steam cutter. Received 122 lbs of freak beef and 61 lbs of vegetables plus 122 lbs of soft bread. 060.  Torpedo men and training class carrying out quarterly mining practice.  100. Divisions and prayers. Training class carrying out quarterly firing practice. Remaining hands employed as requisite. Noon. Wind SW by s force 1. 1400. Hands employed as in forenoon. 1600. Exercised cutter away under sail. Gave General leave to starboard watch until 0600 (21st). 1700. Quarters. Hand scrubbing and washing clothes. 2000. Drew fires in steam cutter. Coal expended 1 ton 9 cwt. Number on sick list 6.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind E by N force 1 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.99 inches rising to 30.01 at 0800 and to 30.03 at noon before falling to 29.92 at1600 and finishing at 29. 98 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 87F.  0200. Received 122 lbs of fresh beef and 62 lbs of vegetables plus 157 lbs of soft bread. 0600. Divers away carrying out quarterly diving. 1000. Divisions and prayers. Diving party away diving. Marines at 6 inch gun drill. Remaining hands employed as requisite. Noon. Wind ENE force 1. 1400. Gave General leave to watch until 0600. (22nd). Issued slops to Ship’s company. Hands making and mending clothes.  1700. Quarters.  Party blacking down rigging. Coal expended 1 ton 6 cwt. Number on sick list 6.

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind S by W force 1 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.94 inches rising to 30.01 at 0800 before dropping to 29.93 at 1600 and finishing at 29.95 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 86F.  (94F at 1600). 0200. Received 12 lbs of fresh beef and 60 lbs of vegetables plus 156 ls of soft bread. 0600. Party blacking down rigging. 0910. Divisions and prayers. Exercised General Quarters – boarders and out collision mats. Hands employed as requisite.

Noon. Wind NW force 1. 1400. Hands employed as requisite. 1600. Gave Special leave to starboard watch until 0600 (23rd). Party blacking down aloft. 1700. Quarters. Hands scrubbing and washing clothes. Coal expended 6 cwt. Number on sick list 6.