Extracts
of log of Hull registered large coastal steamer ZEBRA 1869
Source: TNA: PRO:
BT 99/567
OFFICIAL
LOG No 1
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 ½ 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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