Monday, 11th May.—Got away from our anchorage at daybreak and proceeded for the Heads, saluting with a gun the Morning Glory in quarantine, as we passed her. Got clear of Port Phillip Heads at 8 o’clock, with wind barely sufficient to move the ship. Several barracoutas were caught in the evening.
Tuesday, 12th May.—Head winds and very light. Cape Otway visible on our starboard bow. In the evening quite becalmed with the Otway light on starboard quarter.
Thursday, 14th May.—Lat. 44° 9′ S., long. 145° 57′ E. Distance 270 miles. Dashing along at 14 to 16 knots with a fine fair wind. S.W. coast of Tasmania visible through the gloom on our port beam.
Friday, 15th May.—Lat. 46° 55′ S., long. 154° 10′ E. Distance 384 miles. Strong breezes and heavy seas with rain squalls and occasional glimpses of sunshine. During one of the squalls our fore topsail was split and for some time after dark the crew were busy bending a new one.
Saturday, 30th May.—Lat. 51° 56′ S., long. 126° 34′ W. Distance
250 miles. We are now 18 days from Port Phillip Heads, and have experienced two days calm, two days westerly winds and for 14 days the winds have been from E.S.E. and S. The last 10 days we have sailed close to the wind. She makes no more water in a storm than she does in a calm.
Thursday, 11th June.—Lat. 56° 40′ S., long. 67° 12′ W. Distance 170 miles. About midday we were about 50 miles to south of Cape Horn. In the evening the wind changed round to N.E. and blew with great fury, and we had to lay to under single-reefed fore and main topsail. I believe it may with truth be said that few vessels have had a more trying passage to the Horn than our good ship Lightning. On our clearing Port Phillip Heads, the winds were light and baffling from the east, compelling us to take the western passage round Van Dieman’s Land. Shortly after we encountered a heavy gale from the south, during which we were at one time reduced to close-reefed main topsail and main trysail, the ship behaving nobly. After this the wind headed us and continued to blow from S. by E. to S.E. by E. for space of 23 days, during which time we ran 4237 miles from long. 160° E. to 84° W., rendering it quite impossible to get further to the south than 54°, keeping us between the parallels of 51° and 54°, blowing very heavy—reducing our canvas at times to close-reefed topsails and courses. During all this, our noble ship behaved admirably, making, as our parallel of sailing will prove, very little leeway. This is the fifth trip the writer has made round the Horn in less than four years, in various ships, and it is not saying too much when he states that he does not believe any one of them would have made the distance in the same time, having the same difficulties to contend with. It has been done in the short space of 31 days, in the face of unprecedented difficulties as the following short summary will show.
Calms and Light Winds, 3 days; Variable, 3 days; From S.W. to N.W., 2 days; From S. by E. to S.E. by E., 23 days. Total 31 days.
On the 2nd May, 1855, the writer sailed from Port Phillip in the Red Jacket and reached Cape Horn in 34 days, but without one day’s check from head winds.