Jan 22, 1793 Home Flinders's Log Jan 24, 1793
Revised Sep 17 2021
1 pm: Moderate Breezes and fair Weather – The Grenada Sloop left us and stood to the Southward – some Conversation between the Captain & the Assistant – At 2½ St Vincent bore N48°W to S24°W about 9 or 10 Miles and St Lucie N8°W to N17W – Saw a Part of the South End of Martinico [Martinque] bearing N4°W the Granadine (Southward) then bore S45°W and Becouya [Bequia] S74°W 4 or 5 Leagues – ranged the Cables
4 pm: At 4 St Vincents N36°W to S64W 6 or 7 Miles Standing along the SE side of St Vincent
passed four remarkable wooddy bluf Heads under each of which are little Inlets where some small Craft were laying
– At 5½ Made the general Signal for a Pilot and fired a Shot at a Sloop ahead to bring her too for
Information about the Situation of the Bay – the Assistant being nearer her fired three different Times at
her broughtr her too and spoke her – At 6½ Spoke her likewise and hove to about 1½ Mile off
a small wooddy Island which is the Southern Extremity of St Vincent – hoisted out the whale boat and sent
her on board the Sloop, she proved to be a Frenchman and bound to Kingstown – the Boat returned with a black
Man who gave sufficient Information to make it not in the least dangerous to proceed, the Slooop and Assistant
leading and Moon tolerably bright. however the Sloop was soon [less/lost] astern – At 7½ Sounded in
27 Fathom dark sand – a round lump of an Island called Coyequa which is just detached from a Point of the
Main bore NbyW 1½ Miles On each side this Point the Land formed into a kind of open Bays but on the East
side appeared to be full of rock and Shoals – Several Lights along shore and up the Hills – At 8
Sounded – no Ground with 40 Fathom of Line then abreast of Coyequa – At 8:20 a Signal Gun fired
from a Point which we found to form the South Entrance into Kingstown Bay – Got no Ground with 30 Fathom
½ a Mile off the South End of the Bay – Spoke a Brig going out, bound to St Kitts – A Boat
from the Shore on board in which Lieutenant Guthrie went on shore to report the Arrival of the Ships to the
Governor – Tacked working the Ship up into the Bay. find there are a good Number of Merchantmen here
about but no Kings Ships. – At 10½ brought up with the Small Bower in 25 Fathom sandy bottom,
furled Sails and run out a Kedge to steady the Ship – Mr Guthrie returned and gave us some of the latest
News but no Letters for any Person in the two Ships – Many Frenchmen here who are come from their
neighbouring Settlements to be out of the Way of the Disturbances and Confusion
AM
Light Breezes and thick rainy weather tripped the Kedge and at 10½ weighed and warped the Ship farther
up into the Bay – brought up with the Small Bower in 15 Fathom soft Ground – Boats employed
boarding Ships & Vessels coming in and boing out of the Bay.
12 noon: At Noon Thick rainy disagreeable Weather
The Assistant moored two Cables Length to the Southward of us
The West Point of the Bay or Berkshire Point bears N81°W 1½ Mile – Berkshire Fort N64°W – The Flag Staff on Dorsetshire Fort up the Hill over the Center of the Town N61°E off shore in that Direction about ¾ of a Mile – the SE Extremity of the Bay on with Part of Becouys [Bequia] S5°E 2 Miles – Point of Bequia Bay S4°W – the Extreme of Becouya S9°W about 4 Leagues
The Day before we saw Barbados an exact Account of the Plants was taken by which it appears that we then had 678 Healthy Breadfruit Plants in 551 Vessels and the whole Number of useful Plants inclusive was 1186 in 839 Vessels – the curious Plants intended for H.M. botanic Garden amounted to 63 in 41 Vessels – So that the whole Number of Bread and other Fruit Plants collected at Otaheite, Adventure Bay, Endeavour Streights, Timor, St Helena, all those raised at Sea from Seed or Cuttings and the curious ones collected at the above Places not fruit, amount to 880 Vessels containing 1243 Plants.
Norwithstanding the Tropic is their native Climate we have lost since we entered it (at which time an Account
was taken) 107 Vessels and 148 Plants, from whence we may conclude that the Success of a Botanic Expedition
depends almost wholly upon the Time they are at Sea and very little indeed upon the Temperature of the
Climate it is performed in, as much Light and Air as possible should be admitted to them, for want of a
sufficient Quantity of these below it is that the Plants have suffered in such a great Proportion there
to what they have upon Deck – however the Number we have now brought are sufficient to answer every
Intent of the Voyage and greatly exceeds what could possibly have been expected. this must in a great
Measure be attributed to the Expedition we have made which I believe on the whole almost exceeds any
precedent. — The Botanists remark that they find it almost impossible to raise Plants from
Cuttings at Sea but from Seed they have raised a great many which are now in a fine State.
Jan 22, 1793 Home Flinders's Log Jan 24, 1793