Nov 9, 1792 Home Providence Log Nov 11, 1792
Revised Aug 27 2021
1 pm: Light Winds and Fair Weather with Haze.
4 pm: Much Swell from the WSW. Saw Dolphins and two Dragon Flies.
6 pm: Let fresh Water into the Ship and Ventilated with the Pumps
8 pm: Heavy Dew and Swell from the WSW.
3 am: Light Winds and Fair Weather. Set all Sail.
5 am: Saw Dolphins, An Albetross, a Mother Careys Chicken and Sheerwaters.
7 am: Served thick Portable Soup Gruel for Breakfast. Sour Krout as usual.
8 am: Washed and Cleaned below. Dried and Aired with Fires.
10 am: People Washing and mending Clothes.
12 noon: Light Wind inclinable to Calm. Swell from the WSW.
My Plants are doing remarkably well.
Assistant in Company.
N.B. Column of Latitude & Dead Reckoning is found from a Mean of the Observations
See Page following.
I informed the Botanists to day that I now had it in my power to put into St. Augustin Bay if they thought it would be any way advantageous to our Plants. I had plenty of Water on Board and more than they could use before we arrived at St. Helena. They might consider the loss of time in going into St. Augustine equal to 14 Days at least, and my arrival at St. Hellena in Six or Seven Weeks if we proceeded on. I ordered them to report to me in writing, in consequence of which I received the following letter.
November 10th. 1792
Sir
As the success of the Voyage principally depends on the expedition of it, the Reasons for not touching at Madagascar are many and weighty, nothing but a want of Water could countenance this Step, and that you have represented to us, is happily by no means the case. The Plants at this time are in a very vigorous, healthy state, and have been hardened so gradually by proceeding with such caution to the Southward, that we have great reason to expect they will scarcely experience any Inconvenience by the Climate of the Cape of Good Hope: whereas, were we to put into Madagascar, the Weather would most probably be extremely hot, perhaps to make the difference of ten Degrees in the Thermometer: this would cause the Plants to become very tender and make long weak shoots; in this State they would be very unfit to endure a cold Climate, and proceeding with them immediately round the Cape, which you would be obliged to do, would undoubtedly destroy great numbers of them and materially injure the whole Collection. While the Plants are on board, they will profit nothing from the land air received when at Anchor, and not enough to be perceived, by a few washings of fresh Water, except we had been in absolute want of it. It is well known and we have experienced that Sea Air is very destructive to Vegetable Bodies, of course the mere dispatch used to release them from such a dangerous Situation, the greater will be the success but allowing the Plants would be in some measure invigorated by the use of immediate fresh Water, and they they would suffer nothing by being suddenly transported from a cold to a hot and again from a hot to a cold Climate, (which they certainly wouldeven evan all this would not be sufficient to counterbalance the Injury the Collection would sustain by the delay of time only. It is impossible to procure better Water for the Plants at Madagascar or elsewhere than that on board, and when it has been Six days in Casks, would, in respect to freshness be no means superior to that of Timor. Upon the whole the Plants have been habituated by almost insensible degrees to endure the Climate of the Cape, and they appear so strong and healthy that we have little to fear on that head, therefore, the touching at Madagascar in the present circumstances, would not only be unnecessary delay, but in our opinions running a very dangerous risk.
We are Sir your
Honorable Servants &c
James Wiles
Christian Smith.
Nov 9, 1792 Home Providence Log Nov 11, 1792