Catalogue description Medical journal of the convict ship Bencoolen from 13 April to 4 September 1819 by...

Medical journal of the convict ship Bencoolen from 13 April to 4 September 1819 by William Evans, Surgeon and Superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed on a voyage from the Cove of Cork to New South Wales. (Described at item level).

The journal is in diary form recording the ship's position, distance travelled since the previous day, temperature, weather, the daily routine of cleaning and airing the prison, allowing the convicts on deck, and brief observations on the cases on the sick list. For some days there are no entries. The first appearance of a case on the sick list has descriptions of symptoms and initial treatment, there may be other brief entries in the following days describing progress but there is not always a date recorded for discharge from the sick list. The journal also contains a table listing the number of miles the ship has run for each day of the voyage and a complete list of the convicts, arranged by where they were tried, giving name, age, when tried, crime and term of transportation. Also contains a letter signed by Governor Macquarie.