Christmas dinner on the voyage out to Australia - Mrs. Maria Yates 1854

Now I must begin to tell about Christmas.  We are wondering all the time what sort of dinner we shall have. The day before Christmas such a shouting "Captains of Messes - for flour, currants and raisins". Each adult had 3/4 lb. extra and a pound of fruit, a tin of condensed eggs, a tin of preserved carrots, extra jam and suet. Then we were told to get our puddings ready by 8 o'clock to boil all night. Then a man comes round to all the berths: "Will you give up your soup tomorrow and have your puddings boiled in fresh water, or have them boiled all night in salt water". Everyone gave up the soup and by 5.00 the next morning, all the puddings were ready. It would have done you good to see them and the many different ways they were marked - some had a piece of wood tied to the string, some a button, one had a china doll, another a bunch of rags sewn to the bottom. Ours had a ring tally.  At midnight, the single men sang carols outside the Captain's cabin. They had two violins and two concertinas. They sang "Christians Awake" "While Shepherds Watched" and "Ring all the Bells of Heaven".  Christmas Day it was raining and blowing hard until the evening when it cleared up and. everybody went on deck, although it was so cold. The Doctor sat in the hatchway and gave each child a packet of toffee and a handful of nuts. Then a scramble for nuts of all kinds, and biscuits. Sometimes when they thought another handful was coming, down comes a shower of flour and smothered everybody Some of the women went to the baker and got some flour and when the Captain least expected it, he had it proper. It was all great fun.

1988 12 DTHS Newsletter