11 May 1900

At anchor at Ismailia. Wind calm with broken cloud. Barometer 30.09 inches falling to 30.07 at 0800 and then rising to 30.12 at noon before falling to 30.03 inches at 16000 where it finished at midnight. Temperature at noon 90F. Sea temperature 67F. 0530. Shortened in. 0650. Weighed and proceeded as requisite for Suez Canal. 0800. Wind SE by S force 1 with blue sky. 0910. Divisions. Shaped course to S27E for passing through Bitter Lakes. 1040. Stopped. 1145. Gared up.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘gare’ as an obsolete adjective for “Ready; sharp, keen.” Its origins lay in Old Norse and has come to us through iterations of Old English, Old Saxon, and Old High German. Considering the context in which the term ‘gared up’ is used in the log, this definition of gare appears to fit reasonably well.

Noon. Wind calm with blue sky. 1214. Proceeded. 1315. Stopped. 1320. Gared up.1348. Proceeded. 1400. Issued (Unable to read rest of the line).1500. Stopped. Gared up. 1600. Wind N by E force 1 with blue sky. 1620 Proceeded.1850. Stopped. Came to buoy in Suez basin. Made fast (Unable to read next word) to wall. 2000. Wind N by E force 1 with broken cloud. 2100. Lost by accident (Next word unreadable because of water damage) to accommodation ladder.  Coal expended 8 tons 7 cwt. Number on sick list 6.

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1806-1816

This is the account of the first vessel named HMS Cossack, a title that would be passed on to five later ships and commemorated by the Royal Navy in the Cossack Building at HMS Raleigh.

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1854-1875

The second Cossack was originally ordered by Russia for the Black Sea Fleet in December 1852 at a cost of 290,000 silver roubles. However, when relations between Britain and Russia deteriorated, Russia sold the vessels to the Hamburg trading firm Henry Mersk & Co.

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1886-1905

This account covers the third vessel named HMS Cossack. Launched on 3 June 1886 and in service until 1905, she spent the majority of her career in the Far East, calling at India, Aden, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and other ports.

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1907-1919

The fourth HMS Cossack received the first Battle Honour for participating in operations along the Belgian coast from 17 October to 8 November 1914. This section contains copies of the original construction contract and detailed plans showing her launch, deck arrangements, and machinery.

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1938-1941

Credited with battle honours including Baltic 1855, Witu 1890, Dover Patrol 1914–1919, Narvik 1940, Norway 1940, Atlantic 1940–1941, the Bismarck Action 1941, and the Malta Convoys 1941, the HMS Cossack in service from 1938 to 1941 was a formidable presence.

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1944-1960

During Warship Week in February 1942, the town of Esher raised £1,192,211, contributing to the construction of the warship HMS Cossack. The funds were collected by the public depositing money into a rubber-type float in a pool. Remarkably, the surplus was enough to fund a submarine as well. The story continues.

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