September 1792

Friday 7  Moderate & open Cloudy Weather PM at ½ past 12 made the Signal for 16 fathoms Water at ½ past 1 Shortened sail & Anchored with the Small bower in Fathoms water .. Islands in sight bearing A from S50°E to S75°E distant 4 Leagues E the body S30°W 5 Miles F N80W distant 6 Leagues G WSW dist 8 Leagues . broached the 8 Butt of Water in the Ground Tier AM Fresh breezes & Cloudy at 8 the Cutter & Whale boat went to sound at 3 weighed & came to Sail in Company with the Providence Boats sounding a head . at Noon Fresh breezes & cloudy Islands G & H in one bearing SbW distant 6 Leagues in Company with the Providence Soundings from 18 to 15 Fathoms . Coarse Sandy bottom

Saturday 8  Fresh breezes & Cloudy Weather Tacked Occasionally under Island F & at [1?] PM Shortened Sail & Anchored with the small bower in 24 Fathoms bottom Coral sand & broken Shells veered away to ⅔ of a Cable service . Bearings of the Islands in sight are as follows A from S88E to S79E E S15E distant 8 Leagues F N81E distant 5 Miles G S5°W distance 5 or 6 Miles a Sandy key S88E distant 6 Miles H S17°W distance 9 Leagues I S57°W distance 9 Leagues at 5 got down Top Gallant yards AM Fresh breezes & open Cloudy Weather at ½ past 7 weighed & made Sail close reefed the Topsails at 8 bore up at ½ past the Providence made the Signal for seeing land in the SW Quarter Answered it & saw a sandy key bearing WbS with a long [bay?] to the Northward of it hauled by the wind at 11 the Providence made the Signal to prepare to Anchor at a Fresh breeze came to in 13½ fathoms water . Coarse Grey sandy bottom veered away to ½ a Cable the Island [?] bearing from S11°E to S75°E distant 2 or 3 Miles Soundings this day from 13½ to 11 Fathoms

Sunday 9  Fresh breezes & cloudy PM Employed Variously at 5 the Commodores Whale boat & Cutter went on Shore at Island F & gave the Natives some Iron work at ½ past 6 the Current sets SWbW 1 Mile per hour at ½ past 10 Slack Water AM at ½ past 8 weighed & came to Sail a number of Islands in sight at Noon Moderate & hazey Sounding from 14 to 12 Fathoms Bottom Fine Sand

Monday 10  Fresh breezes & Cloudy PM at ½ past made the Signal for danger at ½ past [?] Tacked & made the Signal to Tack on the Providences Cutter firing a Musquet [?] seeing a reef we had seen before & was standing in for at 55 Minutes past [?] anchored with ye small bower in 13 Fathoms Coral Sand Islands in sight bearing from [?] N72°W One S18°W & One from S75°W to S78W 3 or 4 Leagues the body of a bank we were riding under the Lee of SE ½ a Mile at 11 being Anchored [too?] near the Providence Moored Ship at 4 AM in [? ? ? ?] chase our Anchor the Cable having got under a [Rock?] [? ?] & we lost the Anchor 20 Fathoms of Cable & the Buoy rope at noon several Canoes in sight