On the 14th July, the fleet crossed the equator. Rob Mundle (in his book The First Fleet pg105) described the preceeding days and weeks in the doldrums as follows ...
'It was a challenging time for the crew ... no wind, no progress ... At least they (the crew) were in fresh air, unlike the convicts in their dark confines below deck. With next to no ventilation 'tween decks, there was no respite from the oppressive heat for the transportees. It was the closest thing to hell imaginable, and not surprisingly many couldn't cope, either fainting or convulsing in fits.'
have you ever crossed the ocean in a boat? big waves can crash over the bows of ocean liners let alone the wooden sailing ships of the 1700's, it must have been so scary & crowded!!
ReplyDeletePlanning to out on the James Craig Tall ship on the harbour in a couple of weeks
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