May. 7, 1789
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Logbook Remarks GM
May. 9, 1789
Revised May 22 2021
1:00 pm Cloudy Weather and light Airs. Under Oars & Sails. The Cannoes in chace.
3:00 pm The Cannoes left of[f] chace.
4:00 pm Heavy Rain Thunder and Lightning. Spread our Boats Sails to catch water, and filled about 6 Gallons, besides quenching our thirst. When the Rain was over served an Ounce of Pork and Bread with a Jill of water for Supper and Dinner.
8:00 pm At 5½ hours the Rocky Islets bore EBS½S 3 leagues & Eastmost of the Main Island SEBE¾E to SBE 7 or 9 leagues.
9:00 pm Cloudy Weather served a teaspoonfull of Rum with a bit of bread being very Cold and wet.
4:00 am Squally with Rain
6:00 am Fair Weather after a most uncomfortable night begain to dry our cloaths.
8:00 am Served a bit of Bread and a Jill of Cocoanutt milk for breakfast.
10:00 am Saw a Shark and some Flying Fish but cannot catch any.
12:00 pm Fine pleasant Trade and smooth water. Served a ½ ounce of Pork 1 ounce of Bread and a Jill of Cocoanutt milk for dinner. All Hands in tolerable spirits.
Untill sun Rise the weather was very Rainy, and in the afternoon it was very heavy with Thunder and Lightning. The forenoon turned out fair and we stript ourselves, and having wrung our cloaths we got tolerably dry.
Only one Cannoe gained upon us and by 3 o'Clock in the afternoon was only 2 miles off at which time she gave over Chace.
If I may judge from the Sail of the Vessel they are the very Same as at the Friendly Islands, and the nearness of their situation leaves me little Room to doubt of their being the same kind of People. Whether these Cannoes had any hostile intention against us is a matter of doubt, perhaps we might have received great releif from them, but to have known this would have insured instant death to us if their intentions had not been friendly. Every person in our defenceless situation would most likely have done as we have.
The Heavy Rain came on at 4 oClock when every person did his utmost to catch some water, and we completed our whole Stock to 34 Gallons, besides quenching our thirst for the first time since we have been at Sea. But an attendant consequence made us pass the night very miserably, for being very wet and no dry things to shift or cover us, we experienced Cold and Shiverings scarce to be conceived. The allowance I issued today was 1½ ounce of Pork, 1 Tea Spoonfull of Rum and 2 ounces Bread, and 2 Jills of cocoanutt milk to each person. The Rum altho such a Small Quantity does us the greatest service. We have a Fishing line always out but are not so fortunate as to catch any thing notwithstanding we see a number of Fish.
The Land I have passed yesterday and today is a Group of 14 or 16 Islands lying between the Latitude 16°26′ South and 17°57′ South and Longitude 178°05′ East to 180°31′ East. Three of those Islands are Large having from 30 to 40 leagues of Sea Coast.
May. 7, 1789
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Logbook Remarks GM
May. 9, 1789