Summary: Diary of a voyage from Leith to Sydney, via Hobart, on the 403 ton barque North Briton. Commences with an introduction by the presenter, which explains that there were 42 passengers on the vessel, some of whom were leaving Scotland because of "Highland Clearances" - a system of removing people to make way for sheep! The diary describes seasickness; fellow passengers; weather; difficulty in sleeping or reading; everything damp and dirty; long time taken to get away from the Scottish coast; birds seen; he describes the love that he has left behind, and she never knew he loved her; dancing, music and singing when weather improves; dancing is difficult due to the rolling of the ship; seeing porpoises, sharks, and, later on, whales, and fish. It's a descriptive diary describing his moods and feelings. He describes games played - whist, backgammon, drafts - many days he says how many hands he played, with whom, and how many he won; sermons; seeing other vessels, which is a source of great interest [cont.], [cont.] danger of pirates and slavers; food; hawk travelling with the vessel; trying to catch a shark; he frequently expresses his love for those at home as if he is writing them a letter; a fellow passenger fell asleep aloft and fell in and drowned - tried to save him with boat, but think a shark may have taken him; have a funeral for him; see Portuguese men-o-war and flying fish; he goes up the "top mast cross trees" himself; discusses whether they might call into the "Cape"; reading Don Juan; goes through a "melancholy mood"; saw a "rudder fish"; describes a dream he had about his girlfriend; sees the Southern Cross; reading Byron; hot weather is described, then it turns cold and squally; describes sails used; frequently talks about his feelings for "Sara", and his dreams, which often feature her; describes a robbery on board and their suspicions. A detailed diary often with lattitudes and longitudes given, winds and sails used - plus personal information about him and his fellow passengers; [cont.], [cont.]; getting up trunks for arrival in Hobart; says that he had vowed before leaving to give up eating flesh during the voyage, and he has done so; arrival in Hobart - beautiful; describes the inhabitants as having "irredeemably blackguard countenances"; describes cattle and sheep; met a friend; in Hobart for about 2 weeks; sailed for Sydney; then writes his diary as a recollection - with the final days of the voyage and arrival in Sydney on 6 January 1839 missing. The diary is published in typewritten form, but includes a few pages of his handwritten diary. The presenter also supplies illustrations of rigging and masts. Followed by a passenger list, then a biography of the author + notes from his coroner's inquest on his death in November 1875. There is also a brief biography of some passengers that the presenter was able to trace. Includes index.