28th June 1898

Tuesday

Arrived Port Mausley found H.M.S. Goldfinch in Harbour dropped anchor and dressed ship Captain Leggett of Goldfinch came on board and we turned over our orders and the Senior officers box of the Northern Division. likewise to prepare for Sea at once to carry on the duties that we was told off to perform round the Solomons, our Captain feeling confident that we should be ordered to Sydney to go into Dry Dock to have our bottom seen to 12 o clock fired a salute of 21 guns it being Coronation day in the evening turned the captured Cheif over to the Goldfinch with instructions to take him to Gavatu to be tired by the Commissioner Mr Woodford. The marines sent us some papers and magazines the first we had received since leaving Sydney found out thatthey had been having fine times in Thursday Island, Cricket, Football, & Entertainment being in full swing between them and the Queensland Permanent Artillery stationed there, the Goldfinch had been swinging round the buoy for 6 weeks, heard that all our mail was waiting for us on Thursday Island.