Sep 3, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 5, 1792
Revised Aug 27 2021
1 pm: Fine Weather and light Winds. Assistant a head and Boat sounding
Our Leads going.
4 pm: A small Sandy Key set from the Mast head S½W and an Island of good height in the SW, alarmed with the appearance of Shole Water, it was the Spawn of Fish which gave it a dusky colour. At Sun set the Sandy Key SbW½W about 2 or 3 Leagues and the Island in the SW called A SWbW.
6 pm: At 6 came to an Anchor with the Small Bower in 37 fathoms a Sandy
Key SbW½W about 6 Miles and Island A nearly SWbW 10 Leagues
Latitude this Anchoring Place 9°..19′ South
Longitude of this Ditto 144..11 East
3 am: Fresh Breezes and fine Weather. Hoisted the Whale Boat out, and having sent the Cutter a head of the Assistant we got under Sail at ½ past 5.
7 am: At 7 the Sandy Key bore SbE 4 Miles.
8 am: The Sandy Key EbS¼S 6 or 7 Miles Island A SW¼S 7
or 8 Leagues ¾ past 9 Saw Islands B, & C in the South. At 11 hour..20′
Saw a Key and shole Bank in the SW which obliged us to keep the Wind. It lies ENE from Island A
Saw sholes also in the Se. In standing on towards A Bank had least Water 16 fathoms. Saw
Sholes to the SW of A.
Sounding and the utmost Vigilance used.
12 noon: At Noon fine Weather A S70°W to S78°W 12 Miles, Island B S17°E to S25°E distant about 6 or 7 Leagues.
The Shoal we met with to the Northward, and soon after Noon seeing a lump of high land in the SW called A made it doubtfull to me whether I was far enough South to go round the land, I therefore thought it best to stand to the Southward. In doing this I found better bottom, and discovered a Sandy Key with Reefs about it. The Night coming on made it necessary for me to Anchor. Here we found a Tide the Course of which was nearly ESE & WNW. I call it Anchor Key.
In the Morning we got under Sail, and with great caution proceeded to the SSW. About 10 O'Clock saw more land, (high like the first) in the South called B. Soon after, Shoal Water, and a Sandy Key was seen from the Mast Head lying to the ENE of A, and we found it Shoal by our Lead and deepen; but upon the whole tolerable good Ground, Sandy, with a kind of Clay in some places. We now were obliged to keep close to the Wind as it appeared to me the most elligible to go to the Southward of Island A.
Island A may be 4 or 6 Miles round, it rises from each end to the Center to a good height. Is interspersed with Trees, but not a very fertile looking Island, in some places it seemed scorched up, we however saw some Cocoa Nutt Trees. From the Mast Head some Cannoes were seen.
Sep 3, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 5, 1792