Diary kept by William Mason on the iron screw troopship HMS MEGAERA (1849), between 27 April 1871 and 2 October 1871. During this period the MEGAERA departed from Simon's Town bound for Australia, but had to be beached as unseaworthy on St Paul's Island in the southern Indian Ocean. The Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. passenger liner MALACCA (1866) was chartered to rescue the stranded survivors and arrived with them at Sydney on 2 October. Mason then served on the screw sloop HMS BLANCHE (1867) on the Australia station.