Bounty Logbook Remarks with Google map, Mar. 19, 1788

Mar. 18, 1788 Home Logbook Remarks GM Mar. 20, 1788

Revised Jun 7 2021

Bounty Logbook Remarks, Mar. 19, 1788

Tuesday, Mar. 18, 1788

1:00 pm Very pleasant Clear Weather.

2:00 pm Exercised Small Arms.

6:00 pm A Great Fog Bank in the SW.

8:00 pm Moderate and very thick Fog wetting as much as Rain In Top Gallant Steering Sails

11:00 pm Hove too and sounded bottom as usual Oozey. Made Sail and set Fore Top Mast Steering Sail and at Midnight steered a true South Course for the Night and Lead going every half hour being nearly in the Latitude Cape Blanco

Wednesday, Mar. 19, 1788

5:00 am Fresh Gale & fair Weather. Steered in for The Coast again.

8:00 am Very fresh Gale and hazy.

9:00 am Whales Albatrosses & Rock weed seen and Sheerwaters and Mother Careys Chickens.

12:00 pm Ditto Weather under all Sails & the Fore Topmast Steering Sail.

Remarks

I had already, if convenient, determined to make the Land about Port Desire but as this was only a secondary Consideration with me when in competition with a fair Wind, I was very little disappointed by the prodigious thick Fog that made it absolutely necessary for steering a safe Course for the night; however I resumed my former Course in the morning, fully expecting a chance of seeing the Land by Noon in which I was disappointed, altho we saw what was supposed to be the looming of it, but this I would not have understood as certain, as that would in some degree fix the Situation of it supposing we could only see 8 or 10 leagues, which I believe was the greatest distance we could see any land of a moderate height. Allowing this as one may please, I considered from my Longitude, (which I do not suppose is one half a degree wrong, if any thing at all out) that Port Desire bore No. 77°W Distance 17 leagues, and its Situation to be 64°30′ West.

I relyed more on my Soundings than any thing, and therefore as an information to the Watch, I ordered the Lead to be kept going every half hour. The quality of the soundings ever since we first struck Ground has been the same, a greenish kind of fine Sand and Mud, and scarce any of it can be brought up by the lead.