1859-02-01
TUESDAY
Packing –
Stewart Gahan West
Flemming & Weir dined
Mamsey gave me – –
1859-02-02
WEDNESDAY
Went to Gortin
Capt Humfrey – Molony Coulson
Barly Stewart Landsay &
McClintoch dined –
Coulson & Molony presented
me with a ring –
1859-02-03
THURSDAY
Coulson & Ellis presented
me with an address on
behalf of the Tyrone Magistrate
Busy Packing
1859-02-04
FRIDAY
Started at ¼ 9- for
Galway – Wrote to Mrs Ellis
from Mullingar – arrived
at Galway at 12½ P.M.
Ellis came to see me off
1859-02-05 *
SATURDAY
Sailed at 6½ P.M. in Prince
Albert for New York.
Ellis left for Dublin by 4 OC
train Wrote twice to Mrs Ellis
Wm Smith OBrien a passenger
Capt Nicholson commander
1859-02-06
SUNDAY
Very ill – Prayers read by
Capt Nicholson – Fine calm
day. Felt very lonely.
1859-02-07
MONDAY
Very ill nearly all on board
sea sick – could not eat any
thing all day – rough sea –
9- O.C. P.M. a perfect hurricane
Shut off steam & lay’to for 5 hours.
1859-02-08
TUESDAY
Very ill, great confusion in
saloon – no end of breakages – sea
running mountains high – 8 O.C. P.M.
Lay’to for the night, very stormy
1859-02-09
WEDNESDAY
Rather better – very rough & head
wind – making very little way – heavy
rain – glasses &c flying in all directions
Bits of wreck seen floating – 7- O.C.
heavy gale – lay’to fearful night
1859-02-10
THURSDAY
Much better – eat my first breakfast
head wind & very rough – 5 O.C. P.M.
Lamp trimmer blown away & lost
sea running very high – 9- O.C.
fine night.
1859-02-11
FRIDAY
Quite well – passengers
mastered very strong on board
Long chat with Smith OBrien
9- OC PM sea very rough
1859-02-12
SATURDAY
Calm morning – sea rough
heavy shower of hail – Supper &
singing – 11- O.C. PM fine
night –
1859-02-13
SUNDAY
Heavy rain sea running high
Prayers read by the Capt – Sermon
by the Revd Mr Fall – St John III-16
Bad head ache – 9 O.C. P.M. a hurricane
rough all night
1859-02-14
MONDAY
Rough sea – & wind ahead – 11 OC AM
wind changed – & was favourable for the
first time – all sail set – Passengers
in great good humour – Valentines
going! – 3- O.C. PM – wind changed
heavy rain.
1859-02-15
TUESDAY
Fine frosty morning – 14½
knots per hour – 10- PM in iceberg
seen – length about 500ft – height height
350 – Moonlight night – beautiful sight
11- O.C. immense quantities of field ice
great alarm among the passengers
who remained on deck all night
1859-02-16
WEDNESDAY
Very hard frost – & bitterly cold
running through ice for 14 hours
accident to boilers lay’to for
6 hours – great flocks of sea
birds
1859-02-17
THURSDAY
Very hard frost – sighted land
at 8- AM – arrived at St Johns
at 4 P.M. harbour frozen went
with Smith OBrien to visit the
Bishop Dr Mullock – visited the
house of assembly – dined & slept
at the Palace
1859-02-18 *
FRIDAY
Very hard frost & snow
visited all the public buildings – OBrien
presented with addresses from the
benevolent society, & Mechanics institute
Drove into the Country on Catamaran
Visited the Governor – Large dinner party
at the Palace, procession to steamer
Population of St Johns 30,000. Beautiful harbour –
[overwritten text]
Posted my
letter to Mamsey
1859-02-19
SATURDAY
Weighed anchor at 9- O.C. 1½ when
out of harbour – very thick ice
Beautiful day – five 1st C Passengers
from St Johns
1859-02-20
SUNDAY
A good deal of rain – heavy
sea – 9- OC AM Steamer sighted
in distress – Prayers read by the
Capt a very rough & stormy
night.
1859-02-21
MONDAY
Very ill – schooner sighted
apparently bound for Spain – also
a steamer short of coal
rough all day –
1859-02-22
TUESDAY
Very rough all day – accident
to Boiler, lay’to for 16 hours
drifted a good deal out of our
course a most stupid day
1859-02-23
WEDNESDAY
Fine morning getting
on very well – every prospect
of reaching New York on
Friday Supper & singing
1859-02-24
THURSDAY
Fine morning getting on
well – 11- O.C. High wind & very
rough sea – 12 OC night – Fine
1859-02-25 *
FRIDAY
20 days to New York –
Fine morning sighted
land (Sandy hook) at 6 AM
arrived at 11- OC – Depatation
waited on Smith OBrien – S. F. Meagher
&c – great deal of bother with luggage
Went to St Nicholas
1859-02-26
SATURDAY
Wrote to Mrs Ellis – walked
about town – very heavy snow &
streets mucky – Band & fire
works for Smith OBrien
speeches &c
Recd a letter fr Mrs Ellis –
1859-02-27
SUNDAY
Late for Church – went to
Grace Church – at 2- OC PM
Sermon at 7½ walked
with Connell –
1859-02-28
MONDAY
Busy getting information
about our journey to San Francisco
Changed to the Washington from
St Nicholas – a change for the
worse
Back to Peter O’Reilly’s 1859 Diary
Peter O’Reilly’s 1859 diary has been transcribed by volunteers and staff of the Vancouver Island Local History Society and is for informational purposes only. Researchers interested in this diary are advised to consult the original document housed at the Royal British Columbia Museum & Archives, found in MS-2894, the O’Reilly family fonds.