Bounty Logbook Remarks with Google map, Jul. 28, 1788

Jul. 27, 1788 Home Logbook Remarks GM Jul. 29, 1788

Revised Jun 7 2021

Bounty Logbook Remarks, Jul. 28, 1788

Sunday, Jul. 27, 1788

1:00 pm Fair Weather and Cloudy.

8:00 pm Cloudy Weather. I now ordered an ESE Course to be steered in hopes of making the Island of St. Pauls.

11:00 pm Wind variable and a little Squally In lower Steering Sail

Monday, Jul. 28, 1788

2:00 am Fresh Breezes with some Squalls of Rain In Top Mast Steering Sail

5:00 am Set Steering Sails

6:00 am Fresh Breezes and Cloudy Saw the Island of St. Paul EBN 10 leagues.

8:00 am Ditto Weather. The Extent of the Island N74E to N79E

9:00 am In 1st Reefs several whales close on shore.

10:00 am At 20 past 10 the West end bore true North distant about 1½ leagues.
At 50 past 10 the East end bore true North about 1 league.

12:00 pm Strong Gales and Squally which brought us under close Reefed Main Topsail and Fore Sail. The Weather being very thick and Rainy at times, I bore away at ½ past 11 being then about 4 miles off and at Noon the Center of the Island NWBW¾W 12 Miles and So. part WNW 10 Miles.

Remarks

I had it in view in the Course of this Passage if I could at all make it possible, to run in the limits of the Island St. Paul, being possessed of so valuable a means to determine its situation as my Time Keeper. I therefore consulted the different authorities for its latitude. The New Requisite Tables published by Authority and which I had a great respect for, place it in 37°51′ So. 77°48′ E. Robertsons Elements in 38°20′ S. 75°25′ E. additionally Haseldens Seamans assistant places Amsterdam in 38°40′ So. 72°45′ E but this I consider a mistake in calling St. Pauls, Amsterdam, as I have always suppposed St. Paul to be the southermost Island, and he takes no notice of St. Paul. Hamilton Moore seems to have made the same mistake, for in giving the situation of the two Islands he makes Amsterdam the southermost and says it lies in 38°30′ So. 74°20′ E. St. Pauls in 37°52′ So. 77°55′ E but then he is erroneous in the Longitude if the names are misplaced: as St. Pauls as he lays it down is certainly the Eastermost Island. Guthrie in his late geographical Table Places St. Pauls in 37°51′ S. 77°53′ E. A new general Map lately offered to the Publick with Captain Cooks last Voyage lays St. Pauls in 37°40′ So. 75°33′ E. and the Mariners Compass in 38°20′ So. 75°25′ E. However among the variety of differences I concluded that about the latitude of 3°4′ So. I might fall in with some land.

It is strange that the Publishers of these Works should not have made themselves acquainted better with the latitude of these Islands, particularly as real information might surely have been got from our Indiamens Journals in their route to China, some ship or other seeing them every year. But a Rage seems to have got among these publishers of errors about fixing places in their true longitude (which if they can do to one degree is sufficient for all ships) and in the mean time they have neglected the grand point the latitude, which they err as much on when it might be known to five miles. I realy beleive that was a general Map to be made by the requisites in the Old Mariners Compass and the errors came to be compared with one made from newer authorities it would have the advantage. It is remarkable we saw very few Birds & no signs of Land.

This Island which I take to be St. Pauls, I have now determined to lie in 38°47′ So. and longitude 77°14′34″ E. It is land of a moderate height and an Iron bound shore. It was distant from us when first seen 10 leagues and appeared a little circular and worn at the top. As we advanced the extremes soon shewed themselves distinct, the Northermost like a flat Foreland, and the southermost a Hill on it, that makes at first like an Island. As we got past the East End we saw a very remarkable high sugar loaf Rock close to the shore and to the NW of that some others. It is a high clift shore every where except a point near the East End where I was steering in for to try soundings, but the gale came on so strong, with very thick weather I was obliged to bear away, indeed it came so thick and squally while running down the shore, that I could not determine what it was that constituted verdure which covered all the upper part of the Island, but I beleive it to be nothing more than Moss, and the common herbage which is found on the tops of most rocky Islands. I could see nothing like a Bush. We saw several whales close to the shore. The greatest extent of this Island is 5 miles from East to West and about 2 from North to South. The situation of it in Longitude is deduced from the Observations for the Time Keeper in the Morning and those in the Afternoon reduced to Noon.

Note in October 1789. I was told by the Captain of the Dutch Packet that with the East point of St. Pauls bearing WBS there is 23 fathoms black sand. It is a good Road and fine fresh water to be got. Also a Hot spring in which fish had been boiled as well as on a fire. The latitude of this Road 38°39′So.