Bounty Logbook Jun 13, 1789

Jun 12, 1789 Home Logbook Jun 14, 1789

Revised Jun 30 2021

Bounty Logbook Jun 13, 1789

Courses

Winds

Rem^s: Saturday 13^th. June 1789. Bountys Launch. Timor

SEBE

Fair W^r. and hazy with moderate Breezes.

WSW

ESE

The South^t. point of land in sight WBS 4 miles but could see high land over it at a distance in the same direction. A High Cape land bore NE¾E and is the SE Cape of this Island. My distance off shore 2 miles.

WBS

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up SSE

At sun set the extremes from WBS½S 6 leagues to East 5 miles. Off shore 1½ mile. Served 1/24 lb Bread and water for Supper.

East

At 6 Hove too under the Foresail for the Night lest I might pass any settlement.

}

off SSW

Do.

At 2 wore and hove too head in shore.

up NEBN

ESE

off NBW

Strong Gale and Squally. Served Bread & water for breakfast

WBS

A 6 I found I had drifted about WBS 3 leagues. Made Sail.

W½S

EBS

Land opening at West with the West extreme set last night.

The West Extreme set at 8^h last night NW 2 miles, and Westerm^t land in sight W½S. A weather current and much Sea.

West

ESE

Saw Mountainous Land SW 6 or 7 leag^s. to SWBW½W. I beleive an Isl^d.

W½N

Fresh Gales and very hazy W^r. The Island as before and the Westermost part of the Main in sight WBS½S 3 leag^s. no observⁿ. a half mile from the shore. Served Bread & water for Dinner as usual.

3621

3679

		Latitude		Longitude	Rem^s
Course	Dist.	Obs^d.	D. R.	D. R.	Latitude this Noon reduced back
S77°W	54	None.	10°..12′S	127°..38′ E^t	10°..20′ S

Journal

At Sun set after running to the WSW 25 Miles I hove too for the night. The extremes of the Land from WBS½S 6 leag^s. to East 5 miles, off shore about 1½ mile, we were here in shoal water. Served Bread and water for Supper, and the Boat lying too very well under the Reefed Lug Foresail, all but the Officer of the Watch endeavored to get a little sleep.

At 2 in the morning I wore and Stood in shore untill day light, when I found we had not drifted more than 2 leagues to the WBS, the southermost land bearing West, in the direction of which I made Sail along shore, with a weather current and much Sea.

At Noon High mountainous Land bore SWBW 7 leagues off and the south part of Timor WBS½S about 3 leagues. I had no observation for the latitude. The usual allowance of Bread and water I issued for Breakfast and Dinner, and to the Surgeon and Lebogue I gave a little wine.

During the afternoon I continued my course along a low woody Shore with innumerable Palm Trees called the Fan Palm owing to the leaf spreading like a Fan. But we had lost all signs of cultivation, and the Country had not so fine an appearance as it had before towards the SE Cape which is a high head land. This however was only a small tract of Country, for by Sun down it improved again and I saw several large smokes where the Malays were clearing and cultivating their grounds.

At sun set I was West five Miles from a low point which I had considered as southermost land in the afternoon, and here the Coast formed a deep bend with low land in the Bight I conceived to be Islands. The West Shore was high but from hence to the SE Cape the shore is low, and I beleive shoal from the SE Cape to the Westward.

I remark particularly this situation, because here the very high Ridge of Mountains that run from the East end of the Island terminates; and the Eye is abruptly effected with a Sudden change of Country, as if it was not the same Island in any one respect. It nevertheless continues to be high land, but apparently much inferior in Value.

That I might not commit a blunder in the night by running past any settlement, I determined to preserve my Station untill the morning, and I therefore hove too under a Close Reefed Foresail, with which the Boat performed wonderfully well.

At Day light on examining the Coast I found I had farther to go in search of a settlement, and I bore away with a Strong Gale along a high shore covered with wood but no signs of cultivation.

Low land now again began to appear with the points of the Coast opening at West. I was therefore certain of being on the south part of the Island, when at 10 oClock I saw high land from SW to SWBW½W, and the Coast I was on as far as WSW½W, but the weather was so prodigiously hazy that it became doubtfull to me whether the two lands were seperated, the opening only extending one point of the Compass. I for this reason stood towards the outer land and found it to be the Island Rotey, when I returned to the shore I had left and in a sandy Bay I brought to a Grapnel. In this place we saw several Smokes of clearing Land, and the Master and Carpenter having been troublesome asserted I kept them from getting supplies, I gave them leave to quit the Boat but the others who had ever been too obedient to disobey my orders I directed to remain, so that finding no One to be of their party they chose to be excused. I lost not a moments time here, than to calculate my situation and Steering alongshore I had a view of a pretty looking Country as if formed by Art into Lawns and Parks. The shore is all low land covered with wood, among which are innumerable Fan Palm Trees that look like cocoa nutt walks. The interior part is high land but very different from the more Eastern parts of the Island where it is exceedingly Mountainous and better soil.