1793.The slant of wind with which we set sail continued to be fair no longer than midnight, and we were obliged to ply to windward until the January 7.feventh of January at noon; when, being close in with the Start, and threatened with a gale of wind from the Southward, we bore up and anchored in Torbay for the night. The wind at day-light shifting to the North North West, we weighed and stood out of the bay. This spirt carried us as far as the Eddystone Light-house, when it again
shifted to the Southward and blew fresh. We had now to beat off a lee-shore, and, by the press of sail which we were obliged to carry, in order to accomplish that object, and to get ten leagues to the Southward and Westward of the Lizard, we had three feet water in the hold from a leak in 1793.the trunks that were sunk to the hawse for the cables, in consequence of a spar-deck being fixed to join the fore-castle and quarter-deck, and bringing the cables on the upper deck. At this time the gale had so increased, as to reduce our sails to the three storm stay-sails; and, at times, during the twenty-four hours it lasted, we could not carry all of them, from the rain, hail, snow and blowing weather which we had experienced more or less every day, since we sailed: while our crew consisted of no more than seventeen, officers and seamen, with three landmen and five boys, to work a ship that, in his Majesty's service, had a complement of 130 men: and all the alteration I had made was cutting four feet off the lower yards, two feet off the top-sail yards, and reducing the sails in proportion. Thus weak handed, we were all obliged to be on deck when there was an extra duty, which our situation and the state of the ship often required. The crew also, at this time, began to grow weary, and, in addition to our other exertions, it was necessary to keep the pump in continual employment. We were, however, greatly indebted to the marine barometer, as it warned me against making sail when there was an appearance only of moderate, and to shorten sail on the approach of foul and tempestuous, weather.
December 13.At length, however, on the thirteenth at noon, when we were within a few leagues of the Lizard, the wind shifting to the North West, and from thence to the North East, 1793.a strong wind and great swell carried us to Madeira in six days; on one of which alone we had fair weather. January 20.On the twentieth I had run that distance by two of Arnold's time-pieces and account: it also blew a strong gale, very variable, with dark cloudy weather and heavy rain. I had not made any observation this day to be relied on, but such as pointed out to me the like was not far distant, and that it became absolutely necessary for me to ascertain our true situation before night. I depended on the qualities of the ship for clearing the land if caught on a lee-shore, and accordingly shortened sail to close-reefed main-top-sail and fore-sail. We then hove too and housed our boats: but we had no sooner bore up, than, half a mile on the lea-beam, we descried the Deserters Rocks: and as it was impossible to weather them on the tack we were then on, we wore and stretched out between Porto Sancto and the East end of Madeira; while it blew so heavy at intervals, that the ship lurched three streaks of the main-deck under water: at the same time, she made a better way through the water than we could expect or would generally be believed. When the gale had ceased, calms, light winds, and baffling weather, prevented our clearing the West end of Madeira, 22.until the evening of the twenty-second of January.
My present intention was to pass in light to the Westward of the Canaries; 29.and at noon, on the twenty--
1793.The slant of wind with which we set sail continued to be fair no longer than midnight, and we were obliged to ply to windward until the January 7.feventh of January at noon; when, being close in with the Start, and threatened with a gale of wind from the Southward, we bore up and anchored in Torbay for the night. The wind at day-light shifting to the North North West, we weighed and stood out of the bay. This spirt carried us as far as the Eddystone Light-house, when it again
shifted to the Southward and blew fresh. We had now to beat off a lee-shore, and, by the press of sail which we were obliged to carry, in order to accomplish that object, and to get ten leagues to the Southward and Westward of the Lizard, we had three feet water in the hold from a leak in 1793.the trunks that were sunk to the hawse for the cables, in consequence of a spar-deck being fixed to join the fore-castle and quarter-deck, and bringing the cables on the upper deck. At this time the gale had so increased, as to reduce our sails to the three storm stay-sails; and, at times, during the twenty-four hours it lasted, we could not carry all of them, from the rain, hail, snow and blowing weather which we had experienced more or less every day, since we sailed: while our crew consisted of no more than seventeen, officers and seamen, with three landmen and five boys, to work a ship that, in his Majesty's service, had a complement of 130 men: and all the alteration I had made was cutting four feet off the lower yards, two feet off the top-sail yards, and reducing the sails in proportion.
Thus weak handed, we were all obliged to be on deck when there was an extra duty, which our situation and the state of the ship often required. The crew also, at this time, began to grow weary, and, in addition to our other exertions, it was necessary to keep the pump in continual employment. We were, however, greatly indebted to the marine barometer, as it warned me against making sail when there was an appearance only of moderate, and to shorten sail on the approach of foul and tempestuous, weather.
January 13.At length, however, on the thirteenth at noon, when we were within a few leagues of the Lizard, the wind shifting to the North West, and from thence to the North East, 1793.a strong wind and great swell carried us to Madeira in six days; on one of which alone we had fair weather. January 20.On the twentieth I had run that distance by two of Arnold's time-pieces and account: it also blew a strong gale, very variable, with dark cloudy weather and heavy rain. I had not made any observation this day to be relied on, but such as pointed out to me the like was not far distant, and that it became absolutely necessary for me to ascertain our true situation before night. I depended on the qualities of the ship for clearing the land if caught on a lee-shore, and accordingly shortened sail to close-reefed main-top-sail and fore-sail. We then hove too and housed our boats: but we had no sooner bore up, than, half a mile on the lea-beam, we descried the Deserters Rocks: and as it was impossible to weather them on the tack we were then on, we wore and stretched out between Porto Sancto and the East end of Madeira; while it blew so heavy at intervals, that the ship lurched three streaks of the main-deck under water: at the same time, she made a better way through the water than we could expect or would generally be believed. When the gale had ceased, calms, light winds, and baffling weather, prevented our clearing the West end of Madeira, 22.until the evening of the twenty-second of January.
My present intention was to pass in light to the Westward of the Canaries; 29.and at noon, on the twenty--