13 JAN at Dunkerque - Noon

‘H Sinclair AB, drunk and using abusive language to the Chief Officer, cautioned by me and sent forward, having to hold him fearing him striking the Chief Officer’

8.45 p.m.

‘John Sinclair AB, Henry Waters AB, Christopher Hicks AB, all refused duty if William Neal was taken by the gendarmes and could not work if he was taken to prison; consequently the three above named Seamen together with Neal were taken to prison; Neal being drunk and calling me a bloody fine fellow; previously the gendarmes took 22 bottle of spirits out of the forecastle (Sailors and Firemens apartments) by my orders; I intending going to sea this evening D.O., but the men being drunk I deemed it not prudent to go. Sent for the police to search the forecastle for spirits; as 53 litres of the spirits were taken from Mr ?Glujuts? store without my permission, the spirits thus found were placed in my private Cabin to remain until our arrival in Hull’.

‘Benj Booth Assistant Engineer, had 2 bottles spirits taken from him by the gendarmes, each containing about 2 litres and the both placed in my Cabin until arrival in Hull’.

14 JAN at Dunkerque - 10 a.m.

‘No spirits being allowed on board; by the advice of the Vice Consul it is my intention to threw the spirits overboard when I get to sea’.

THERE WAS AN ENTRY VERIFYING THE ABOVE SIGNED BY THE VICE CONSUL

14 JAN at Sea on Dunkerque Banks

‘I .... Threw overboard the Spirits found by the gendarmes last evening’.

15 JAN - at Hull

‘The expences (sic) of the police as for account at Dunkerque being 15 ... each to Sinclair AB; Waters AB; Hicks AB; and Wm Neal fireman are therefore deducted from their pay’.

‘The balance of John Sinclair’s wages are as follows 8 days at 1-5-0 per week = 1-8-7 divided by police expences (sic) at Dunkerque as .... = 12-1 which he refused equals £ 0 - 16 - 6

SIMILAR ENTRIES FOR THE OTHER DEFAULTERS

‘Edward Le Know AB; Wm Gee AB; and William Robinson AB, refuse to take their wages and discharge and thereby protest against going to sea with the men whom I have discharged’.

(They were discharged anyway!)

24 FEB - At sea

‘10-30 p.m. Dunkerque light bearing S 1/2 W - 7 miles; the wind about SS ?by? W, ship going full speed all fore and aft canvass set; when the Mate and John Robert Geordie who was on the fore-castle, saw a vessel appearing out of our smoke, standing across our bows, and being about one point on our starboard bow, put our helm hard a starboard and reversed the engines to full speed, about one minute afterwards came in contact with each other (the mate and four men of the steamer jumped on board our ship) striking him on the Port paddle ...., after clearing him, stopped the engines took the canvas in, and prepared the Starboard lifeboat for lowering, which was not required; the Steamer proved to be the ‘Pearl’ Ostende Mail boat, took him in tow until Midnight when he cut the tow-line and steamed with one engine to Ostende, after which, we proceeded on our voyage; after ascertaining that the ‘Pearl’ was not making water. Edward Wilkinson AB at the wheel, Robert Geordie AB on the look out and Henry Revell Mate on the bridge of the ‘Zebra’ declare to not having seen the steamer until she was close under the ..... when a collision was inevitable; therefore the Mate put the helm hard a starboard to ease the blow; if our helm had been put a port we should have struck him end on; whereas we took him with our starboard bow and eased the blow. The Mate of the ?’Pearl’? says he did not see us; but saw our smoke and his Captain remarked that it was a shower of rain, the Mate agreeing with him, but shortly afterwards when too late told the Capt it was a Steamers smoke. Her course the time of seeing the ‘Pearl’ being N a little Easterly by the Pole compass; the ‘Pearl’ ?steering’ W by N’.

25 FEB - Corton Channel in Hopton Channel

‘About 11 a.m. landed the Mate and four of the crew of the ‘Pearl’ in a Lowestoft pilot boat’

26 FEB - At sea 10 a.m.

‘Having read the fore-going statements to the witnesses; they declare that the Mate and two of the men of the Pearl, which two men were at the wheel; that they did not see or hear any-thing of us, until they heard the Mate of the ‘Zebra’ or some-one being out to put our helm hard a starboard, when they on board the ‘Pearl’ put their helm a-port and jumped on board the ‘Zebra’.

23 APR - at Hull

‘Discharged Henry Revell Mate; and Thos Wilkinson Steward. Transferred to S.S. ‘Brownlow’; delivered papers and all necessities to Captn W W Gill who now takes charges of ‘Zebra’.’

Signed by Robert Roach as master and Benjamin Booth - Assistant Engineer. (Normally signed by Master and Mate as required by law, though others were also on occasions required to sign entries in logs)

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