Bligh's Vlydt Journal Dec 6-17, 1789

Nov 21-Dec 5, 1789 Home Vlydt Cape of Good Hope

Revised 2012-12-11

Bligh's Vlydt Journal Dec 6-17, 1789

Week Day	Mo. Day	Winds	Courses	Dist. in Ms	Latitude Obsd. South	Longd. Et.	Longd. Obsd. East	Varian pr Azths	Merd Altd Center	Days from last Port	Rems. on Board the Vlydt Packet from Batavia to the Cape of Good Hope.
Dec'r 1789 Sunday	6th	N Calm SE Calm	N79W	82	34°..39′	35°..59′	"	29..30a 27..30m	77..57	51 Days	Fine Wr. first part, middle Foggy, latter Light Airs and Calms. A very heavy Dew at Night The Officers and me differ 8 Miles in Latitude.
Monday	7	SSE ESE NE	W1°N	107	34..37	33..48	"	27°..45′a	78°..5′	52	Do. Wr. and Cloudy in the latter part. Jogging on. Some Albetrosses and Sheerwaters.
Tuesday	8	ENE NEbN NW WSW	S81°W	70	34°..48′	32..24	24°..55′	27..40a	78..00	53	Modt. and Fair first and middle part, latter fresh Wind and Cloudy. Error in Currt. 20 Miles in Latd to S.E. Latd D R 34°..27′ So. Longd by Observ'n brought on agrees to a great nicety.
Wednesday	9	Wly	N40°W	24	34..30	32..06	24..37	26..15a	78..24	54	Modt. and open Cloudy Wr. at 5 PM Saw the Land. A high peaked Mountain near the Bay of Algoah uneven on one side like a Cockscomb NWbN. At 6 O'Clock Tkd. The Peeked Mountain NNW½W 16 Leagues. A round Top'd Mountain with flat Cape land underneath it N½W & the Extremes of the Coast from NW½W to NE off Shore 7 or 8 Leags. At 8 AM Tkd and stood in shore. Round Top Mountain NbEt. At Noon Round Top Mountain NbE¼E and the Peeked Mountain NbW dist off shore 8 or 9 Leags. The whole Coast a range of Mountainous land. Our reckonings are now proved to be 7½ Degrees wrong as my Longd Obsd pointed out before; yet the Captain has not a disposition to acknowledge it. many Gannets.
Thursday	10	Do Sly Calm SE Calm	S31°W	22	34°49′	31..53	22..46	24..44a 26..16a 24..42 by the Capt.	by me by the Capt 78..11	55	First and latter part Fair Wr. and Calms, middle Cloudy with Fresh Breezes. At 7 PM Extremes of the Land in sight NE to NWbW off Shore 6 Leags. Peeked Mountain NbW¼W Round Top Do. NbE¼E At 7 AM Hazy Wr. Saw the Peaked Mountain N¼W, many Gannets seen. At Noon too Hazy to see the land. At 4 PM Sounded Ground 65 fms fine Sand. At 20h..25′..13″ Latd 34°..37′ So Longd Obsd. & ☽ 22°55′..45″E — 10′ Equal to 22°..46′Et. at Noon which by the Maps of the Soundings on board is exceedingly exact.
Friday	11	SWly	SEbS	81	35..56	32..49	23..42		77..09	56	Strong Gales & fair Wr. Under Courses, much Sea, Gannets, Albetrosses and Mother Careys Chicken. Struck T G Mt.
Saturday	12	WSW SSW SSE SE East	S83°W	54	36.03	31..43			77..06	57	Modt. & Cloudy Wr. with some Showers of Rain with little Wind at times. The Wind came fair about 3 PM & we continued jogging on umtill 8 AM when they began to let the Reefs out & get up T Gt Masts At 10 Set Fore T. M and lower Steering Sails.
Sunday	13	SE SSE So SbW	W1°N	116	36..01	29..31		24..15m	77..12	58	Modt. & fair Wr. At Sun Set in Stud'g Sails. In the Night reefed the TS & made no more Sail untill 9 AM when I having taken notice of it the Reefs were let out & M T Gt Sails set. At Noon hove to & Sounded no Ground at 90 fms. Found our reckoning out 42 Miles being that to the South'd of where we supposed ourselves. Current to the WSW.
Monday	14	SW NNE Calm NNW	NW	41	35..32	28..55		24..30a 22..50m	77..44	59	Fine pleasant Wr with Calms in the forenoon. Jogging on as usual. Capts. Latd 6 Ms. as is common different from mine.
Tuesday	15	NW WNW W WSW to SW	N11°W	52	34..46	28..43			78..33	60	Do. Wr. At 3 PM saw the land NbE. At 7 saw the Cape of Good Hope N½W about 10 leags. & the East part of the Hottentots Land NNE½E. The Cape land appeared like small Islands & the Hottentots land which is to the Eastward of False Bay, High Mountainous Land. Saw a Ship standing to the ESE. At 10 PM it came on to blow very hard with a great Sea from the SW & brought us under Courses. AM at 8 Set close Reefed Top Sails. At 9 modt. Wr., At Noon Land near the Cape NbE abt. 8 leags. We might now with good Sail weather the Cape but we are joggin on under close reefed F &; Dble Reefed M. T Sail & Courses. A Strong Current has been setting us to the Westward.
Wednesd'y	16th	SW WSW Calm West			33..56				79..26	61	Modt. and fair Wr. with Light Winds in the latter part. At 7 PM the Cape Land E¼N 6 Leags. Table Mountain NEbN. The Captain now kept to the NW untill morning for fear of being too near the Shore when at 7 AM The Table Mountain bore E¾S 8 or 9 leags. from the Shore. At Noon Table Mountain E½W and the West high land of False Bay SE½E. Dist. from Table Bay West about 7 or 8 Leags. Cape of Good Hope not to be seen from the Deck. Wr. rather Hazy. Long Trumpet Weed, Seals, Pengwins and Gannets.
Thursday	17th	Wly									Do Wr. This afternoon we got into the Bay and about Sun Set Anchored. Found several French Ships here. Some Dutch bound to Batavia and an English Whale Fisher called the British Queen. At Midnight ends Log Account of Time.