01/05/1863 - 12/07/1863

The Orient arrived with her usual celerity on Sunday night, when at about 10 o'clock the loud report of her guns announced her being at hand, though from the high wind Captain Harris was compelled to anchor far to the southward of the stations. She left Plymouth Sound on the evening of the 1st of May with a light northerly wind and fine weather, which continued till after passing Cape Finisterre, which was accomplished on the 3rd May, and on the 12th she passed St.Antonio. From the Cape Verde Islands to the Line she experienced variable winds and calms, accompanied by occasional falls of heavy rains. Crossed the equator on May 23, and in the southeast trades the wind predominated from the southward, and the vessel's course took her well over to the South American shore, from which position she headed a course to the southward of the Cape, accompanied by boisterous and heavy weather. When off the island of St.Paul's she suffered most from a cyclonic storm, the vortex of which passed (by Captain Harris's computation) within 20 miles of the vessel, consequently the very confused sea which rose in masses round the vessel caused her to labour very heavily, though from her admirable trim she shipped no water on deck worth speaking of. She rounded Cape Leuwin on the 5th July, and during a continuance of light variable winds sighted Kangaroo Island on the 11th, and brought up after 72 days passage without a casualty of any kind occurring to break the monotony of the voyage. It is interesting to add that on the evening of the 9th July a meeting was held by the passengers, when letters of thanks were presented to the Captain and officers, and to the Rev.J.L.Parsons, who had officiated as chaplain during the voyage, and whose gratuitous services were acknowledged in a substantial manner by the presentation to him of a purse of sovereigns. The editors of the "Orient Press" who had conducted the gazette on board also fell in for a share of adulation, and a similar meed of praise was awarded to the leader of the choir. In appearance the ship is the same as usual, though the want of familiar faces among the officers rather altered the impression on boarding. Register 14/7/1863