Ship's log of the brig FREAK
Maker
Captain William Linklater
(Australian, 1829 - 1893)
Printer
Reading and Wellbank
Date1866 - 1868
Object number00029974
NameLogbook
MediumInk on paper, cloth, canvas
DimensionsOverall: 315 x 265 x 30 mm, 1.4 kg
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from J Stanbury
DescriptionThis log book records the activities of the brig FREAK under the command of Captain C Sutton between 2 July 1866 and March 1867, and Captain W Linklater between 26 March 1867 and 13 May 1868. The log contains handwritten entries by two different hands, one of whom is identified as First Mate Francis Wernham.HistoryThe 224-ton wooden two-masted brig FREAK was built in 1847 on the Clarence River, NSW by William Henry Chowne. It was owned by a group of Sydney ship businessmen who intended to use it for trade between Sydney and China. Entries in the logbook confirm that the FREAK primarily carried cargo - especially coal - and some passengers between Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, New Zealand and New Caledonia.
Entries in the log relate to the operations of the ship, such as weather and winds, sails used, position and course, cargo and ballast, as well as daily tasks including washing decks, changing sails, scraping, blacking and painting. The log also records a series of unusual events, including the FREAK stranded off Newcastle, New South Wales in 1866, finding a French stowaway, handcuffing a crew member who threatened the captain with a knife, and the medical treatment of a crew member suffering from a venereal disease.
The method used to fill in the log book of the brig FREAK closely follows that recommended by J W Norie in his 'Complete Epitome of Practical Navigation'. The world wide acceptance of Nories method is illustrated by the printing of log books using his layout.
The FREAK was wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef in November 1870 under the command of Captain Walton.SignificanceThis log book of the brig FREAK is not only a valuable source of information regarding the Australian shipping industry in the second half of the 19th century, but an insightful record of the lives of sailors who served aboard these vessels. It reveals the places they visited, their health, daily duties, conditions on board, and forms of punishment.
