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Revised 2012-12-11

Bligh's Vlydt Journal Nov 2-20, 1789

Week
Day
Mo.
Day
Winds Courses Dist.
in
Miles
Latitude SouthLongd. Et. Longd. Obsd. Remarks at Noon Remarks on board the Fly Packet from Batavia to Cape of Good Hope.
Nov'r 1789
Mond'y
2ndSSE
So.
SSE
SWbW¾W13819°..14′80°58′ Alt'd Odot Center 85°..42′
Varia'n pr Azth 4..41W.
Fresh Breezes and Sea from the Southward and the Wind fixed there. Carrying generally Single Reefed Top Sails and Top Gallant Sails and sometimes the Fore Top Mast Steering Sail.
Tuesd'y3rdSSE
SE
ESE
SWbW½W12220..1179..03 Alt'd Odot Center 85..04
Varia'n PM 5..18W
Do. AM 5..13W
Modt. & open Cloudy Wr. towards Night Swell more from the East'd & Wind also. An Eclipse of the ☽ happened to day at Greenwich at 11h..27¾′ but it became no Eclipse here. The X time 11..27 [+] 5..22 [=] 16..40
Wednesd'y4ESE
SE
SSE
S69°W9920..5077..24 Alt'd Odot Center
Varia per Azh. PM 6..30W
Do. AM 6..20
Moderate and Fair Wr. with some Squalls in the latter part.
Thursd'y5thSE
to
SbE
S59°W12521..5475..27 Varia PM 8..13W
  AM 8..22
Open Cloudy with Squalls & Rain in the middle part and a Southerly Sea all the morning.
Friday6SSE
SE
ESE
SWbW½W15923.. 972..56 Transit of Mercury not observable
at this place at 6h..6′
Fresh Gales and Squally Modt. and fair in the latter part. Under Single Reefs. Sea from the Southward.
Saturd'y7ESE
NE
WSW13123..5970..44 Alt'd Odot Center 82°..29′
Varia'n PM 72..41W
PM Fair Wr. AM Cloudy and hazy as soon as the Wind came from the N.E. Tropic Birds and Flying Fish. Cleaned Ship but filthy and in bad order after all.
Sunday8NE
NNW
W
So
SE
WSW½W5624..1560..45 Merid Alt'd Odot Center 82°..30′ First and middle parts fresh Gales and Squally with Rain and Wind flying round the Compass AM Cloudy Wr. and Calms. My Head Ach again encreased to a great degree & at no time perfectly free of it.
Monday9SSE
SE
SSE
ESE
WbS12224..4067..31 Varia'n 15°..50′ EW.[?]
Alt'd Odot Center 82°..22′
Squally Wr. with Rain at times untill the morning then fair Wr and Cloudy. Under Single Reefs and Top Gall't Sails at Noon when Royals and and T Gt. Steering Sails should be set.
Tuesday10So
to
East
WSW10525..2065..44 Varia'n pr Azth 15°..45′W
Alt'd Odot Center 81..59
Modt. and Cloudy Wr. Tropic Birds about.
Wednesd'y11Et
ENE
NE
WSW¼S10826.. 663..55 Merid Alt'd Odot Center 81°..30′ First and middle part fresh Breezes and Cloudy with Rain, the latter modt. and fair. Jogging on in a Slovenly way. The Captains and mates latitude differs from mine frequently 6 Miles. They are now come however to allow for the variation of the Suns Declination.
Thursday12N
NNW
WSW10326..4962..00 Fresh Breezes and Cloudy Wr. with some Rain. No Observation.
Friday13No
Wt
So
W3°N5826..4660..54 Dark Cloudy Wr. with Rain and Squalls, No Observation.
Saturday14So
SSW
N85W9526..3859..00 Alt'd Odot Center 81°..45′
Varia PM 21..00W
  AM 19..45
Moderate and Cloudy Wr. Much Sea from the Southward. A few Sheerwaters about.
Sunday15SbW
So
SE
ENE
N74°W8026..1657..31 Varia'n PM 22°..30′W
   AM 22..45W

Alt'd Odot Center 82°..23′
Moderate and fine Wr. Under Single Reefs when we should have Royals and all Sails set. Between Europe and the Cape every day that the Comm'r of a Ship makes his passage in less that 3 Months he is allowed 20 Shillings Sterling pr Day the 1st. Lieut. 10/. Between the Cape and Java for every day less than 8 Weeks the same allowance and yet these People will not exert themselves.
Mond'y16ENE
ESE
NNE
WSW8826..5056..00 Varia. PM 23°..00W
  AM 22..58W
Alt'd Odot Center 82..04
Do. Wr. Jogging on.
Tuesday17NE
NNW
SW
SWbW¾W10427..3354..14 Varia'n PM 23°.. 0W
 Do. AM 23.. 0W.
Do. Wr. Do. Employed.
Wednesd'y18SSW
SE
SSE
N76°W3827..2453..32 Varia'n AM 23°..00′W
Alt'd Odot Center 81..59
Very serene & fine Wr. Every Star could be seen through the whole night to set as clear as the Sun.
Thursday19So
to
ESE
S58°W12928..3251..28 Varia'n AM 24..40W
  PM 24..30W
Alt'd Odot Center 81..04
Do. Wr. the first part, the middle and latter fresh Gales & fair. Under Single Reefs.
Friday20ENE
NEbE
S65°W13829°..36′48..48 Varia'n PM 25..30W
  AM 26..45W
Alt'd Odot Center 80..14
Fresh Gales and fair Wr. the first and middle part, the latter part Gales & exceedingly Hazy At 20h..44′, Latd 29°..27′S Longd Obsd. Odot & 42°..2′ Et. reduced to Noon is 41°..47′ Et.

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