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There were only a few references to this voyage which have so far been found - although, of course, others could well still be in existence.
Thomas DUNGEY'S grand-daughter Annie wrote:
My grandfather brought with him tobacco manufacturing machinery plant (complete), also material for milling (flour), and in a large boiler he brought out the first rhubarb roots (in English soil) which he distributed to different citizens - farmers to plant on the understanding they were to supply him.
Grandfather also brought a Mahogony and Oak bureau, which had been in his family for over 300 years. It was also thought that Thomas and Eliza brought out all their furniture and carpets.
George KITE, a shepherd, was given charge of the oxen on board the RAJASTHAN, and soon after his arrival he began transporting new arrivals to Adelaide and the Emigration Depots.
Whilst on the docks in London, William SLADE met Sarah Lovanberry 13 and her parents John and Mary whilst they were waiting to board the CLEVELAND, also bound for South Australia, arriving in December 1839.
Letters written by Sarah Mundon, a Free Passage Emigrant from Dorset who came here with her husband, John. Only a few lines in each case, and written to her sister and brother-in-law in April 1841 and September 1842, these references unfortunately tell us very little of the actual voyage.
* I was very ill the hole voyage so much they thought me dyeing several times the Doctor was very kind to me. I had whatever Spirits Wine
and Porter I like to take which was but very little, as soon as I landed in my new adopted country I was a changed person. [29 April 1841:]
* As to our Voyage out I know but little I. was too ill we did not see Land from the time we left England untill we reached here it made
the Voyage very tiresome it was a large ship and a very good one the Capitain a pleasant Man about 300 Souls on Board we were like a swarm
of bees, their was often fiddling and Dancing. [21 September 1842]
Unless a far greater number of passengers went on to Melbourne than is known at present, Sarah's estimate of "300 Souls on Board" is almost certainly much too high, as it seems that no more than just over 180 came on that voyage. If it felt like a swarm of bees in 1839/40, what then of the 1838 voyage when over 250 passengers came on her?
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The RAJASTHAN vs. the JAVA
Quite unexpectedly, the other two references to a very small part of this voyage have come
not from the writings of passengers on board the RAJASTHAN,
but from passengers who came here on the JAVA. A very large ship with over 400 passengers,
the JAVA had sailed from Plymouth on 28 October 1839 and arrived here on the same day as the Rajasthan.
Free Passage Emigrant George Richards wrote of the last three days of the Java's voyage:
4th (Feb) This morng. 8 a.m. saw land all hands rejoiced, head land entrance to St. Vincents Gulph, tacked, gained 3 points, tacked every 4 hours.
5th (Feb) Made Kangaroo Island midday. Vessel hove in sight, overtook us proved to be the Regesthran with Emigrants fm. London,
sailed 3 days before us, got in Breast of the Island 6 p. m.
6th (Feb) No sleep all night got up 3 o'clock beat the Regesthran, whent up the Gulph in fine style, anchored in Holdfast Bay opposite
Glenelg 1/4 before 8 a.m. and the Regesthran 20 minutes after us along side, had a showerof Rain just after we anchored.
We did not go on shore before Saturday afternoon.
A second passenger, believed to have been James Trangmar, also recorded the race:
Feb 5th: We have been bearing away well to the South all night, and we now have got a fair wind to run into Investigators Strait abreast
of Cape Border 5 o'clock after running 8 knots an hour, running a race with the Ship Rajasthan, who entered the Straits the same time
as ourselves - we spoke her with signals, she has been out 2 days more than us.
Feb 6th: I was on deck all last night, tracing the land (Kangaroo Island) as we ran up the Strait - at times we were running 10 knots an hour.
At day break the Rajasthan was four miles astern, we had a beautiful view of the coast all the morning.
It appears to be just what it has been described to be - very much like parkland - in some places there is scarce a tree to be seen for miles,
but from the mast head I thought the interior very thickly wooded.
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Source: The RAJASTHAN 1838 and 1839-1840 by Helen Scarborough
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