The "Java" manifest listed the following crew members:
J.H.Bird 1st Mate
J.Thomson 2nd Mate
Chas. Bucklan 3rd Mate
Robert Gheates 4th Mate
J.Smith Surgeon Jno. Baird Carpenter
Thomas Johnson Boatswain
and 86 able and ordinary seamen
Medical comforts?
In a personal communication with the author, noted South Australian
maritime author, Ronald Parsons made the point that the general run of
medical comforts aboard any and every sailing ship of the era, were a few
dozen bottles of porter, some arrowroot, some laudenam and possibly some
strong laxative pills. Parsons said that "Richards did not know what to do
to prepare himself and family for a long voyage. He was obviously unused
to travel, had made no enquiries, and suffered accordingly. He should have
taken some comforts against possible illness among his children; that was
the normal thing to do by travellers in that day and age."
