14 October 1871

Sailing at 8 am, we passed thro’ the tortuous channel, and came to the bar which is indeed a wide and dangerous one. It looks very wild as the breakers roll over and the crossing is always a matter of excitement. Our Steamer was small but a good one and we coasted down the East side of the North Island with ^{four in our} little cabin ^{thus having little} room to spare. [gap — reason: unclear] However we got good eating, a great improvement on what we have lately had; - but we had been spoiled by the good roomy accommodation on the “Nevada”. At night, it below half a gale, and as we had Mails to land at Taranaki, (New Plymouth), where the Iron Sand exists on the shore we had to lie off until day light