Elizabeth Hentig journal of a voyage from London to Sydney in the Thomas Arbuthnot, 1853 followed by an account of the return voyage from Sydney to London in the Maha Ranee, 1864, together with unrelated material, undated, 1877

MLMSS 7657/Box 1X

fonds

1853 - 1877

Textual Records, Clippings

448214

0.16 metres of textual material (1 outsize box)
Textual Records - (manuscript)
Clippings

In this journal Elizabeth Hentig records the events that occurred during a voyage to Sydney in 1853 in the Thomas Arbuthnot as 'the sole cabin passenger... self exiled' to Australia (18 pp.) as well as her experiences on the return voyage 11 years later in the Maha Ranee (60 pp.). She records life on board both ships, detailing extremes of weather including a hurricane, the food, novels read, tensions and a fracas between the crew, injuries incurred, rounding the Cape of Good Hope en route for Sydney and communications with passing vessels. She recounts her first impressions of the colony but nothing of her subsequent time there except that on the return voyage she is now married. She describes a moon-lit departure from Sydney in 1864 and the eventful trip home by way of Cape Horn. The journal also includes an account of her travels in France in 1877 (8 pages) and undated newscuttings relating to (1) Ludwig Leichhardt (Elizabeth's husband was related to Arthur Hentig who was a member of Leichhardt's 1848 expedition) and (2) archaeological finds in Egypt.

Transcript available online - acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_transcript/2011/D04797/a2314.pdf