Alfred Midgley’s diary account of the day! How was this never reported on arrival in Moreton Bay?

Christmas day at sea and a very strange one and very nearly on the Storm King a sanguinary one. It was a gloriously fine day as far as the weather was concerned, it being bright and fair throughout.

The arrangements on board were of a varied character and noisy enough. Some of the passengers formed themselves into a band comprising 3 or 4 tin whistles a number of tin cans, 1 or 2 flutes, a wooden barrel for the big drum and with a red-coated conductor at the heads, paraded the decks all the fair part of the day, causing much fun and laughter. In the afternoon the sailors with others commenced a rough sort of horseplay which at one time threatened the uncertain finally. It seems to be a custom on board ship at Christmas time for the sailors to get hold of any of the passengers that can, and whether they be willing or not to hoist them on their shoulders and run around the deck with them causing much merriment for the lookers on. This game was carried on for some time without any harm, and with much noise and fun; the doctor and most of the saloon passengers undergoing the undignified ordeal with the greatest of good humour.

If I had been content with this all might have ended well, but an attempt was made to carry some of the single young women around in the same style; the matron interfered and called to her aid the captain who forbad the men going further and ordered the men after their own quarters.

Yankee Boy & the knife

One of the sailors (who like nearly all of the rest had been drinking very freely) spoke disrespectfully and defiantly to the Captain and he in turn had to order the man to be put in irons. On this there was a scene of intense excitement on board; the man who professed himself a “Yankee Boy” rousing himself into a furious passion, drew his knife from his belt and would no doubt have made use of it had not another of the sailors, teetotal Harry, wrenched it out of his hand, and threw it overboard.

Mates stick together

The sailors did not like their mate to be imprisoned and resisted the captain and mates in this attempt to seize him and though the man raved furiously and unfriendly at all that came near him they succeeded at last in getting him into their quarters in the forecastle. Of course it was not to be expected that the captain would submit to such defiance of his authority and let the matter pass unnoticed.

The Captain responds with a pistol!

A short time after in company with the first and second mates he proceeded to the forecastle and with revolver in hand demanded the surrender of the “Yankee Boy” and stood by until the irons (ordinary handcuffs) were put on his hands and he was with a good bit of commotion taken off and placed in the wheelhouse.

But the scene did not end here…..

The men were out of the senses with drink and did things which if they had been sober could have been nothing less than acts of mutiny. The captain stood at the entrance of the alleyways and several of the most desperate marched up the steps. One strong fellow who had been in the ions previously for assaulting the doctor, seized the captain suddenly, his object being to throw the throw him overboard. Probably he would have succeeded had not the captain got a firm hold of his assailant’s beard and stuck tenaciously to him for a few moments until the mates rushed to his assistance. With some difficulty they succeeded in getting the men off the alleyways.

The captain by this time was thoroughly aroused and it was an intensely and painful painfully exciting scene when he stood with the presented revolver and hands and in an excited but determined voice declared that he would shoot the first man that came forward again:

the same man again attempted to advance even with a revolver pointed at his head. They the others succeeded in keeping him back seeing that the odds were against them.

Back to a normal Christmas

The excitement began after this to calm down, but it marred all the days’ enjoyment.

There was dancing and music on deck till a late hour and down in the second cabin we passed the time pleasantly in talking, singing and recitations

There was also an allowance to all in the way of provisions and plum puddings were the order of the day. In the second cabin we were allowed two bottles of wine, a gift I believe from the captain but it was not much for about 10 passengers. For dinner we had roast fresh pork, roast fresh mutton baked and boiled fresh potatoes, plum pudding with brandy source and a mince pie each; a very good dinner it was. The noise, excitement and commotion prevented me from thinking much of those in England, but I could not help wondering how all my old friends were enjoying themselves and in my heart I could not help but wish for all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In the morning and through the day we were alongside an outward ship called the Queen Bee, from London to Otago New Zealand