Apr. 15, 1788
Home
Logbook Remarks GM
Apr. 17, 1788
Revised May 26 2021
1:00 pm A Very Severe Storm of Wind & heavy Squalls of Hail & Snow. Lying too under Mizen Staysail. Obliged to pump Ship every hour.
4:00 pm The Weather moderating set the Reefed Courses and supplyed the People with an Additional quantity of Slops on Account of the Severity of the Weather.
11:00 pm Set close Reefed Main Topsail.
12:00 am A Strong Gale but not so Squally.
6:00 am Fresh Gale and Cloudy with a high Confused Sea, out 4th Reefs.
8:00 am Drizling Rain and the Sea much down. I took this Opportunity to get the 4 pounders on the Quarter Deck down into the Hold to ease the Ship.
12:00 pm Fresh Gales and thick Rainy Weather. Handed the Fore Topsail. Under Close reefed Courses.
Longitude from Cape St. John by Time Keeper 10°19′W.
The Storm of the Wind began to Moderate by 4 O'Clock this Afternoon, when we carryed Reefed Courses with some difficulty, as I was Anxious to stretch again to the South, and it kept still moderating to Daylight when we were able to make more sail, and the Wind backed to the N.W. with Thick Rain which enabled me to lye well up to the Westward.
In the Forenoon the Sea being tolerably down we were employed clearing our Fore Hold to get our Guns down that the Ship may not be strained aloft by their Weight.
The Observation of the Morning and this Afternoon may readily be supposed could not be easily got, however as they were the Mean of several, and the Forenoon and Afternoon agreeing when reduced to Noon, it is clear they must be very good. I therefore consider my Longitude from Cape St. John to be very exact allowing for what errors may have crept into the Time Keeper since my departure from thence. It gave the Longitude of that Cape 63°30′W. and from this is the Longitude from Cape St. John counted. Captain Cook whose authority is the best for the Coast of Terra del Fuego lays it down 10°40′ of Longitude from Cape St. John to Cape Deseada, consequently from this also my distance from the Meridian of that Cape (Deseada) is readily inferred. But I now suppose the Time Keeper to give nearly one Degree too far to the West, if the Cold Weather makes it gain as it did before I left Portsmouth.
Apr. 15, 1788
Home
Logbook Remarks GM
Apr. 17, 1788