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This “Journal” provides a daily account of the May 29 – July 9th, 1837 voyage of Harvey’s first settlers aboard the ‘snow’ rigged vessel “Cornelius of Sunderland”. It was probably written by James Nesbitt or some other member of his family and was found in a book brought over on the ship by the Nesbitt family. It was copied in handwriting from the original by a James Nesbitt descendant, Thelma Larner (now deceased). A photocopy was subsequently sent to Dr. Bill Randall by Sharon Howland of Waltham, Massachusetts, another Nesbitt family descendant. Spelling, punctuation and grammar follows that of the handwritten facsimile, which presumably closely mirrored the original.

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JOURNAL

We left Berwick about 10 o’clock on Monday evening 29 of May with a fair wind and ran along with a good pace during the night. 30th and in the morning we came in sight of Life Hills. Many were sick particularly the women, but about 11 o’clock the wind ceased and the ship hovered about without making much progress. 31st we passed Aberdeen in the morning about 8 o’clock and proceeded near to Boughenne and Petterhead. June 1st we were driven back to Aberdeen, there came a contrary wind and what we made in the day we lost at night and a general sickness prevailed amongst us till the 3rd and in the 4th it became calm and we got a good deal better and we were very thankful and sang the praises of God upon the ships deck very joyfully but reached no further than Petershead. The 5th we hovered about making little progress but reached the Calnefs and commence family worship among us at least in our part of the ship. The 6th we continued we becalmed. The 7th got a good breeze and passed by the town of Catnefs and got through Penthen’d Firth well. The 8th we left the land and entered the West-ron ocean and had pleasant sail. The 9th we lost sight of land and got a gale of wind which drove us on at the rate of 200 miles a day for two days. The 11th we on at a slower rate. The 12th still slow and see’d a number of purposus pass us. On the 13th still slow. The 14th we passed on sharply about 180 miles and saw a grate huge fish. The 15th a good sail. 16th the same. 17th a good gale and heavy at night. The 18th a very heavy gale and the waves lashing over the decks fit to drown us all. 19th it moderated. The 20th it came away again and lashed in upon us so that the hatchways had to be put down upon us and covered over with canvas. The 21st a very fair gale. 22nd we passed a ship buoying at anchor fishing on the new foundland bank and we sounded and found 30 fathoms. 23rd a contrary wind and made little progress. 24th nearly the same and born a child belongin to Wm and Elaner Greav upon the New found land. 25th but little way got. 26th nearly the same. 27th contrary wind. 28th shill the same. 29th bespook the Pilot London bound for York in Ireland. 30th the spook a ship of Mountreal bound for Indja. 31st a fairish wind. The 2nd rather becalmer. The 3rd still calm and got my foot scaled. The 4th a child was born by Margrateses for it on board the fith contrary wind. The 6th the same. The 7th the same. 8th a fatr wind and good brease and passed Granmannances (*) Island. The 9th we cast anchor about two o’clock in the Sabath morning at the Corentine Island (**) within two miles or so of St. Johns in full view of the place and read Corentine till the Tuesday afternoon we weith anchor and sailed up to St. Johns on the Wednesday the 12th we got into the steamer and went to Fredericton on the 13th at evening.

(*) Grand Manan Island
(**) Quarentine Island, now Partridge Island.

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