20 October 1900

Moored at Muscat. Wind NW force 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 30.15 inches rising to 30.20 at noon before falling to 30.15 at 200 and finishing at 30.17 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 86F. 0200. Received 130 lbs of beef and 65 lbs of vegetable plus 240 lbs of bread.  0400. SS Pinla arrived and anchored. 0745. Fire Stations. Worked all pumps. 0800. Cleaning ship. 100. Eased away wire stern hawser. Swinging to wind. Noon. Wind NW force 2.  1300. Cleaning ship. 1600. Quarters. 1615. Hauled taught wire hawser.  1720. Fort saluted political resident – 11 guns.  1740. Saluted 11 guns. Received 6 tons of water for washing. Coal expended 5 cwt. Number on sick list 11.

(20 October 1900 – Five cases of beri-beri have occurred amongst the bluejackets on board H.M.S. Sphinx, which left Muscat on Sept. 13th and arrived in Bombay on the 17th. ’The vessel has been placed in quarantine and has been thoroughly disinfected and the patients have been removed to hospital. ) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673601870355

Beriberi is a disease caused by a vitamin B-1 deficiency, also known as thiamine deficiency. There are two types of the disease: wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the heart and circulatory system. In extreme cases, wet beriberi can cause heart failure.

Treatments: Thiamine

Symptoms: Paralysis

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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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