17/11/1860 - 17/02/1861

On Sunday morning the above ship arrived from London after a very favourable passage, and shortly before midday she was boarded at the Lightship anchorage, when Captain Franklin handed the lists of passengers and cargo over for publication. It will be remembered that on her last voyage to this port she brought a general cargo, and sailed from here for India with a cargo of horses; and it was rather an unfortunate occurrence that from the vessel lying in an awkward wharf berth at Port Adelaide, she was found to have sustained such damage that on docking her a new keel and garboard strakes were necessary, involving an outlay of about 600/. This is an instance strikingly exhibiting the necessity there exists for deepening to such an extent that laden vessels may lay afloat at all times of tide, instead of taking the ground in the manner which is too often the case at present. The log-book of the Harwich is as monotonous as usual, and only two episodes during the passage have occurred to diversify the progress of the days. The one was on January 7th, in lat. 39° 9', S., long, 18° 47' W., when the vessel was heading at the rate of 11 knots per hour, (one of the seamen (a Swede} named Brown, was engaged in the main chains driving a nail into the bulwarks, when he lost his hold, fell overboard, and from the rate at which the vessel was sailing, he dropped quickly astern. The chief officer (Mr. Kitchen, who was here last year in the Peregrive Olliver), immediately gave the alarm, and the vessel was rounded to with all studdingsails set, the starboard quarter-boat was lowered, and after pulling for nearly two miles astern they were fortunate enough in rescuing the man from his perilous position, in which, however, he exhibited the utmost coolness; and, on being picked up, said he was in more fear from the albatrosses than from anything else. The promptitude of the actors in this scene cannot be too highly eulogized, as to that the fact of Brown's being saved may in a great measure he attributed. It is deserving of notice that Mr. Kitchen was awarded the Royal Human Society's bronze medal, shortly before leaving England, for heroic conduct in saving the life of a soldier at Ramsgate. The second entry in the ship's log of a notable character is that of one of the seamen violently assaulting the captain, since which time, however, the man has been under arrest; but as he will be brought before the Port Police Magistrate, no further particulars are desirable until that examination. In the cargo list of the Harwich is a consignment of first-class horned stock to Mr. E.J. Spence, consisting of three fine bulls, all of them being in most excellent order and condition. A shipment of swine, however, has not been as successful, for two died in the Channel from the effects of boisterous weather at the commencement of the voyage. From her draught of water and the state of the tides there is every reason to expect no detention will occur in her passage over the bars into the inner harbour, where she will be moored at Collinson's Wharf. Register 18/2/1861.