Mar 31, 1789 Home Logbook Apr 2, 1789
Revised Jun 30 2021
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The first and middle part Fresh Gales and Squally moderating at intervals and some showers of Rain, the middle part Light Winds and Showers.
PM unmoored ship and hove the other anchor up, let it go again and steadied the Ship with the Kedge at a half Cable on the Br in 9 fms. The West point of the Harbour S87½°W. The East point N68°E and the observatory S10¼°E dist ⅛ of a mile. At Sun down got the remaining Plants on board amounting to 122 Pots 6 Tubs. At 4 AM got every thing from the shore and was ready for Sea. Great many Natives on board and plentifull supplies. Sick List 2 Venereals. Total Plants on board 774 Pots, 39 Tubs and 24 Boxes.
I unmoored in the afternoon to be ready in the morning if wind and weather would allow me, but as it proved windy it was impossible to get out.
I received all the Plants on board without the least accident, and a finer or healthier set was never seen. Many of the Pots contain more than one Plant and the Tubs and Boxes several, we have therefore in some measure been obliged to Guess at the number, and have computed them to be at least 1015 Breadfruit. Besides these I have a number of fine Plants of the Vees, Ay,yahs, aihee or Rattahs, and the fine Maiden Plantain oraiah. To add to those fruits I directed Mr Nelson to collect some plants also of the Etow and the Matte which combined makes a most beautifull Red Colour. If these two last articles can be cultivated with convenience which I have no doubt of, we perhaps have acquired a most valuable dye.
The Vee is a juicy fine flavored fruit that grows to the size of the largest apple, and will be much liked by whoever tastes it, a fine transparent gum lies between the skin and the fruit, which is thrown out when the fruit is past perfection and may be collected on the Rind
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in Lumps. But perhaps the fruit highest in essential Value will be the Ay,yah. It is not so cloying as the Vee, of a fine flavor and is the most refreshing fruit I ever met with. They may be eat in large quantities without ever feeling any bad effects they are so easily digested, and when faint or fatigued from being much exposed to the sun, a person will find more releif by eating a few of these fruit than by any other thing that could be given to him. I therefore thought they would be of great use in Jamaica. The Rattah, commonly called by us chesnuts, grow on very large Trees that bear very great quantities of them. They are Singly in large Pods which when broken, a bean from the size of a Shilling to a Crown will be found, equal in goodness to the finest Windsor Bean, and may be dressed in the same manner or Eat raw. As the Trees bear such abundance, I thought they would be highly valuable towards the support of the negroes, and therefore ordered the Plants to be collected. The oraiah is the finest flavored Plantain in the World, and these I was requested to bring as also the Vees, by my honored Friend Sir Joseph Banks.
Thus far I have accomplished the object of my Voyage, and that too in full time to return advantageously agreeable to my Orders. Should I be so unfortunate as to lose many of the Breadfruit Plants, it may be said, why did I not act against a loss which I might in some degree expect, by not taking other Fruit. In answer to this I refer to my account on the 4th. Feby. where I have shown at a moderate estimation that I got laid in 389 additional Breadfruit Plants more than was supposed the ship would stow when I left England, and as to the others, considering them equally essential to the good of our West Indies it laid particularly with me how far I could be of service in
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carrying other Valuable Plants.
Tynah with most of his relations dined on board and I made several of my farewell presents of Hatchets, Saws &c &c. Great supplies are brought to me of every kind. Among the Hogs several of them weighing above 150 weight.
Tynah with his Wife would not leave me at Night, they therefore slept on a Guard Bed in my Steerage.
I have forgot to mention among the additional Plants I have ordered to be collected that of the Peeha, which is perhaps equal in value to any of the others. A description of this Root and the was it is differently prepared I have given in a former part of this Log — Page 194, 198, 50.
Mar 31, 1789 Home Logbook Apr 2, 1789