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Previous Apr. 14, 1788HomeLogbook Remarks GMApr. 16, 1788Next

Revised May 26 2021

Bounty Logbook Remarks, Apr. 15, 1788

Tuesday, April 15, 1788

Lat: -57.7, Long: -74.85

1:00 pm Very Strong Gales and thick Rain.

2:00 pm Severe Squalls of Sleet. Handed the Foresail and Obliged to bring too under the Reef Mainsail. Obliged to pump Ship every hour.

8:00 pm A very Severe Gale with heavy Squalls of Sleet.

10:00 pm pm Hail and Snow Squalls.

Wednesday, Apr. 16, 1788

2:00 am Wind suddenly shifted.

3:00 am It now blew a severe Storm of Wind. Got the Mainsail handed, and lay too under the Mizen Staysail. The Sea breaking very high over us.

8:00 am Ditto Weather with Intervals of a Clear Sky.

12:00 pm Laying too as before and a most heavy Storm of Wind. Hail & Snow. Obliged to be lashed with a Rope to get my Observations, and is the only way I can perform them in general.

Distance: 10012 + 43 = 10055

Remarks

Notwithstanding all my endeavors, and keeping on the most advantageous tacks which with moderate Weather would have done all we could have wished, Yet the Gales are so Violent there is no doing any thing. The Storm of this day has been very severe, and we have done nothing but drift before the Wind, so that I am now but little farther advanced than on the 3rd. Instead of being able to have an Advantage of the N.W. Wind which blew at Night, I was put past my Sails & could make nothing of it, and then it shifting Suddenly to the S.W. made it still worse. From this Quarter it blows so violently that unless I was 20 degrees to the Westward of the Land nothing can be done with it, for having 2½ points Variation to the Eastward and the Sea acting particularly on the N.W. board, One makes no better than a Course to the N.E. It is a flattering tack to Stand on, but a very deceiving one unless the Wind is free and you are far to the West of the Meridian of the Coast. I have been drove now in spite of all my endeavors from nearly the latitude of 61°S. and Longitude of 76°W. since the 7th Instant but had the Winds been Moderate I would have been around the Land. How far I may yet be able to accomplish it is impossible to say. I have now every reason to find Men and Ship complaining, which Will the soonest detemine this point. At present we are obliged to pump Ship every hour.

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