Apr. 13, 1788
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Logbook Remarks GM
Apr. 15, 1788
Revised May 26 2021
1:00 pm A Heavy Storm of Wind with very Severe Squalls Hail and Snow which obliged us to furl the Courses and bring too under the Main Staysail.
4:00 pm Saw several Whales.
5:00 pm Shipt several very heavy Seas that filled us fore and Aft, this induced me to set the reefed Main Sail.
8:00 pm Much Lightning all round the Compass and heavy Squalls, that obliged us to be frequently hauling the Main Sail up. Oliged to pump Ship every hour.
12:00 am Ditto Weather.
4:00 am Ditto Weather.
7:00 am The Gale Moderating, set the Fore sail Reefed.
8:00 am Blowing very hard and a very high Sea the break of it flying very high over us.
10:00 am This being Banyan Day, I gave all hands a Dinner of Portable Soup and Krout and is a most refreshing and Valuable Meal.
12:00 pm Very Strong Gales & thick Rainy Weather under Reef Courses which often we are obliged to take in from heavy Squalls of Sleet & Hail. Albatrosses and Birds as usual about us. I got a tolerable Noon Observation the Sun being out for about 10 Minutes. Wore Ship.
The repeated Gales seem now to become more Violent. The Squalls so excessively severe that I dare scarce show any Canvas to it. The motion of the Ship is so very quick and falls so deep between the Seas that it is impossible to stand without man ropes across the Decks. My Surgeon from a heavy lurch was thrown down and dislocated his shoulder, but happily it was soon put in again. The Whole Night continued exceedingly tempestuous, and I kept on the Northern tack the Wind being West Southerly, and in the morning I made sail again with the Foresail to keep my Westing as much as possible; but the sea is so very heavy from the Westward it is not much better than lying too. At Noon we wore ship again to the Southward, with severe Squalls of Sleet and Hail. By Hooks and Line floating my People jigged (as they called it) two Albatrosses. We have caught several of the Brown and of the White kind, between which there appears no difference but in their plumage, the same as may be observed among the Gulls in England. They measured 5 Feet 8 Inches from tip to tip of the Wings. I have encouraged their eating those Birds, and by cramming them with Ground Corn like Turkeys they are as fat and not inferior to fine Geese, we have done the same with the Pintada which are as fine and about the Size of a Pidgeon.
These some days past we had had many Port Egmont Hens about, A very dark brown Bird with a Whitish Bill and size of a Crow.
The Double Altitudes and Longitudes by Time Keeper were got by a Mean of several Observations which from their agreeing I beleive to be exact.
Apr. 13, 1788
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Logbook Remarks GM
Apr. 15, 1788