The Vigilant was a barque of 405 tons. Mr R.J. Swain is a great-great-grandson of the logkeeper.

The Vigilant left London in October 1831, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and headed for Indonesia. Calls were made at Timor (March-Juen 1832) and Ternate (July-August). The Vigilant then sailed north of New Guinea, whaled in New Ireland waters (September-December) and continued to the Bay of Islands, New Zealand (21 February - 23 March 1833). Subsequent calls were made at Tongatapu, Tonga (29 June - 5 July), Tutuila, Samoa (10-12 July), Bay of Islands (14-30 October; 30 January - 4 February 1834), Norfolk Island (20-21 February), Bay of Islands (31 March - 30 April), 'Eua, Tonga (30-31 May), Vava'u, Tonga (15-22 June), Manu'a, Samoa (25-27 June, 7-11 September), Savai'i, Samoa (2-4 September), Sydney (19 October - 24 November), Bay of Islands (28 February - 18 March 1835). The ship returned to England via Cape Horn on 2 August 1835. Following the log are drafts of letters written in 1841 to Robert Duke and others about money matters and another command for Swain.