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Providence Logbook Jan 18, 1792

Remarks Wednesday 18th January 1792. Island St. Pauls

Remarks

The Foggy and unfavorable Weather of Yesterday morning was the cause of my being farther to the Southward than I intended when I made the land. I was sure of our relative Situations, and if the Weather had not cleared up toward Noon; I should have Sailed on without waiting to take a look at it, which after all, I benefitted very little by the partial clear intervals that favoured us in the afternoon.

I intended to have landed at this Island, but the Foggy Weather I knew would have caused more risk and delay than any benefit that could have been derived from it. I had a wish to ascertain if fresh Water was on the Island. I have been assured by some Dutch Captains of Ships, that there is. We are not however informed of it by Mr. Mortimer in his publication of a Voyage with Captain Cox, altho it must be acknowledged a matter of publick concern, and of greater moment than all his other remarks put together.

The Dutch accounts are these. The East part of St. Paul's bearing S.W.bS (by true Compass, for they never use the magnetic bearings, their compasses being daily rectified by a moveable Center Card) there is good Anchorage in 23 fathoms, on a bank of fine black Sand. It is a good Road, and fine fresh Water to be got. There is also a Hot Spring in which Fish can be dressed as if boiled on the Fire, and numbers of them are to be caught with Hook and Line.

To my former Sketch of this Island taken in 1788, I have joined the plan of the Road, as it was in my Friend Mr. Alexander Dalrymple's power to represent it, from Mr. Mortimers information of the Anchor bearings. I have done this to give an Idea of the anchoring place, and the extent of the Island, which in Circuit is about 12 Miles. It has some remarkable high Rocks on the NE side, one of which I called the Sugar Loaf.

Mr. Mortimer informed Mr. Dalrymple, when he was at Anchor in the Mercury, that the East part of the Island bore SWbS, by Compass at a computed distance of two Miles, that the Westermost extremity bore NW½W 2 Miles, the Sugar Loaf Rock WNW, and the entrance into the Lagooon WbN ¼ Mile.

The most that could be made from the information just mentioned is at best a rule of Thumb busyness. To improve it I have taken the supposed distance of 2 Miles which Mr. Mortimer says the East point was from the Ship, and with the bearings of the Sugar Loaf which I saw upon with it at N10°W (by Compass) I have determined the situation of that Rock. The line of the Coast is N15°W which I have taken in the same manner to determine the North point of the Island. The West side I observed to shut on in the direction of N10°E, which with the extent of the Island from East ot West 4¾ Miles, and my other observations in 1788 is the whole of my Data for the form of this Island.

In coming from the Westward in my last Voyage the North part of the Island appeared as a Foreland, & the Southermost a High Hill, which at a certain distance looks as if it was detached from the Main body; but as you advance towards it, it proves to be a high head land. The Shore is steep and the Island may be seen in common Weather 12 or 14 Leagues. I saw it 10 Leagues.

There appears some confusion in naming these Twin Islands, altho in such an immense space without any known land near them, but I have seen no old accounts or Maps of them where the Southermost was not called St. Pauls, and the Northermost Amsterdam, & therefore see no reason to alter it. From the Road may be seen the Island of Amsterdam bearing NbE¾E by Compass distant about 18 Leagues.

In the Bounty I made the Longitude of the East End of the Island 77°..17′..34″ East by my Time Keeper in my passage to Adventure Bay; but there I found the Time Keeper erred 46′..47″ in Longitude which it gave that place too far to the West. A Winter passage prevented my having a more determined way to find the Longitude of St. Pauls, than by allowing the Error to be equal in the number of Days in performing the passage, which was 51; and this gave 55 Seconds of Longitude which the Time Keeper gave too little every 24 hours from my departure from the Cape. I made St. Pauls on the 27th day, consequently the Error was then 24′..45″, which added to 77°..17′..34″ gives 77°..42′..10″ East for the Longitude of the East End of St. Paul.

At this time I am unfortunate in not having many Lunar observations; but from the sets I have, I believe there is no reason to differ much from the result of the Three Time peices I am in possession of. From the mean of their Longitude reduced up to Noon of the 17th, I apply the error of 2′..11″ found on the 15th which gives the true Longitude at Noon that day 77°..42′ East, hence from the bearings of the East point its longitude is 77°..40′ East. The Mean of this and 77°..42′ which my calculations proved it to lie in, in 1788, is 77°..41′ East, and this I pronounce to be withing ¼ of a Degree of the truth, if not exact to the nearest Mile. I consider the Latitude of the East End to be 38°..48′ South but I have not had an opportunity to determine it with certainty to a Mile, it is howeve within two.

In July 1788 I considered the Variation of the Compass to be 19°..55′ West and at this time 22°..00′ West in the neighbourhood of the Island.

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