Revised Sep 17 2021
1 pm: Moderate Breezes & fine Weather
3 pm: Saw a Tropic Bird
4 pm: Ditto Weather the old Foresail being compleated unbent the second best and bent it – Spoke the Assistant – All well – the Captain informed Mr Portlock he intended going to the Northward of Asscension if seen in the Night and asked him to dine on board tomorrow
12 mid: Fine Moon light Night
1 am: Heard some Sea bird
4 am: Ditto Weather At Day break Saw Asscension in the SWbS – At 6 it bore from S9°W to S25°W the Center Hill S16°W about 4 Leagues distant. – Several Gannet Boobies seen
8 am: Asscension from S3°W to S8°E the Center Hill S4°E about 6 Leagues – No Appearance of the Prudenta whom we had rather expected to see off this Island
10 am: Washed & cleaned fore and aft – Saw Tropic Birds, Carey Chickens and a Man of War bird – Sailmakers about the Fore Top Mast Stay sail Spruce Beer for the People today
12 noon: At [Noon] Moderate & fine Weather Center Hill of the Island S22°E about 12 Leagues
Assistant in Company
South S10°E
This Island I can say very little avout – according to Authors it is one barren rock and produces
Nothing to induce any Nation to settle upon it, from which Circumstance its Shores are frequented by
Quantities of Turtle, with which the Indiamen and most other Ships coming this Way generally supply
themselves, and I dare say if we had stopped one Night we might have turned at least half a dozen which
mostly weigh from two to four hundred weight each, a Consideration I should have thought sufficient to
have induced our Captain to put in, not only with respect to the Health of the Ships Company, but also
to his own pecuniary Advantage, which with most Men is a very strong Motive, but he best knows the
Service he is upon – Our Latitude and Longitude will place the Island farther to the Northward and
Westward than the requisite Tables has it, but as we can only tell its Situation by a supposed Distance,
I do not think we are authorised to alter it especially as the difference is not very great. Up the
Mountains there are a few Goats but they are so wild that it is with great Difficulty they are caught,
the Turtle are taken with much greater Ease, there being a fine sandy Beach exceedingly well adapted for
them to lay their Eggs ind – The road is on the [blank] side of the Island and well sheltered.