-
FRIDAY, July 22d, 1726.
- -Yesterday in the afternoon we
left London, and came to an anchor off Gravesend about
eleven at night. I lay ashore all night, and this morning'
took a walk up to the Windmill Hill, from whence I had
an agreeable prospect of the country for above twenty
miles round, and two or three reaches of the river, with
ships and boats sailing both up and down, and Tilbury
Fort on the other side, which commands the river and
passage to London. This Gravesend is a cursed biting place;
the chief dependence of the people being the advantage
they make of imposing upon strangers. If you buy anything
of them, and give half what they ask, you pay twice as
much as the thing is worth. Thank God, we shall leave it
tomorrow.
-
Saturday, July 23.
- -This day we weighed anchor and
fell down with the tide, there being little or no wind. In
the afternoon we had a fresh gale, that brought us down
to Margate, where we shall lie at anchor this night. Most
of the passengers are very sick. Saw several porpoises, &c.
- Sunday, July 24th.
- -This morning we weighed anchor,
and coming to the Downs, we set our pilot ashore at Deal,
and passed through. And now, whilst I wn.te this, sitting
upon the quarterdeck, I have methinks one of the
pleasantest scenes in the world before me. Tis a fine, clear day,
and we are going away before the wind with an easy,
pleasant gale. We have near fifteen sail of ships in sight,
and I may say in company. On the left hand appears the
coast of France at a distance, and on the right is the town
and castle of Dover, with the green hills and chalky cliffs
of England, to which we must now bid farewell. Albion,
farewell!
- Monday, July 25.
- -All the morning calm. After noon
sprung up a gale at East; blew very hard all night. Saw the
Isle of Wight at a distance.
- Tuesday, July 26th.
- -Contrary winds all day, blowing
pretty hard. Saw the Isle of Wight again in the evening.
- Wednesday, July 27.
- -This morning, the wind blowing
very hard at West, we stood in for the land, in order to
make some harbour. About noon we took on board a pilot
out of a fishing shallop, who brought the ship into
Spithead off Portsmouth. The captain, Mr. Denham, and
myself went on shore, and, during the little time we stayed,
I made some observations on the place.
Portsmouth has a fine harbour. The entrance is so narrow
that you may throw a stone from Fort to Fort; yet it is
near ten fathom deep, and bold close to; but within there
is room enough for five hundred, or, for aught l know, a
thousand sail of ships. The town is strongly fortified, being
encompassed with a high wall and a deep and broad ditch,
and two gates, that are entered over drawbridges; besides
several forts, batteries of large cannon, and other outworks,
the names of which I know not, nor had I time to take so
strict a view as to be able to describe them. In war time,
the town has a garrison of 10,000 men; but at present `tis
only manned by about 100 Invalids. Notwithstanding the
English have so many fleets of men-of-war at sea at this
time, I counted in this harbour above thirty sail of 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th Rates, that lay by unrigged, but easily fitted out
upon occasion, all their masts and rigging lying marked
and numbered in storehouses at hand. The King's yards
and docks employ abundance of men, who, even in peace
time, are constantly building and refitting men-of-war for
the King's Service.
Gosport lies opposite to Portsmouth, and is near as big,
if not bigger; but, except the fort at the mouth of the
harbour, and a small outwork before the main street of the
town, it is only defended by a mud wall, which surrounds
it, and a trench or dry ditch of about ten feet depth and
breadth. Portsmouth is a place of very little trade in peace
time; it depending chiefly on fitting out men-of-war.
Spithead is the place where the Fleet commonly anchor, and
is a very good riding-place. The people of Portsmouth tell
strange stories of the severity of one Gibson, who was
governor of this place in the Queen's time, to his soldiers, and
show you a miserable dungeon by the town gate, which
they call Johnny Gibson's Hole, where, for trifling
misdemeanors, he used to confine his soldiers till they were
almost starved to death. It is a common maxim, that,
without severe discipline, `tis impossible to govern the
licentious rabble of soldiery. I own, indeed, that if a commander
finds he has not those qualities in him that will make him
beloved by his people, he ought, by all means, to make use
of such methods as will make them fear him, since one or
the other (or both) is absolutely necessary; but Alexander
and Caesaar, those renowned generals, received more
faithful service, and performed greater actions, by means of the
love their soldiers bore them, than they could possibly have
done, if, instead of being beloved and respected, they had
been hated and feared by those they commanded.
- Thursday, July 28.
- -This morning we came on board,
having lain on shore all night. We weighed anchor and with
a moderate gale, stood in for Cowes, in the Isle of Wight,
and came to an anchor before the town about eleven
o'clock. Six of the passengers went on shore, and diverted
themselves till about 12 at night; and then got a boat, and
came on board again, expecting to sail early in the morning.
- Friday, July 29.
- -But the wind continuing adverse still,
we went ashore again this morning, and took a walk to
Newport, which is about four miles distant from Cowes,
and is the metropolis of the island. Thence we walked to
Carisbrooke, about a mile further, out of curiosity to see
that castle, which King Charles the First was confined in;
and so returned to Cowes in the afternoon, and went on
board in expectation of sailing.
Cowes is but a small town, and lies close to the seaside,
pretty near opposite to Southampton on the main shore of
England. It is divided into two parts by a small river that
runs up within a quarter of a mile of Newport, and is
distinguished by East and West Cowes. There is a fort built
in an oval form, on which there are eight or ten guns
mounted for the defence of the road. They have a
post-office, a custom-house, and a chappel of ease. And a good
harbour for ships to ride in in easterly and westerly winds.
All this afternoon I spent agreeably enough at the
draftboard. It is a game I much delight in; but it requires a clear
head, and undisturbed; and the persons playing, if they
would play well, ought not much to regard the
consequence of the game, for that diverts and withdraws the
attention of the mind from the game itself, and makes the
player liable to make many false open moves; and I will
venture to lay it down for an infallible rule, that, if two
persons equal in judgement play for a considerable sum, he
that loves money most shall lose; his anxiety for the
success of the game confounds him. Courage is almost as
requisite for the good conduct of this game as in a real
battle; for, if the player imagines himself opposed by one
that is much his superior in skill, his mind is so intent on
the defensive part, that an advantage passes unobserved.
Newport makes a pretty prospect enough from the hills
that surround it; (for it lies down in a bottom). The houses
are beautifully intermixed with trees, and a tall,
old-fashioned steeple rises in the midst of the town, which is very
ornamental to it. The name of the church I could not learn;
but there is a very neat market-house, paved with square
stone, and consisting of eleven arches. There are several
pretty handsome streets, and many well-built houses and
shops, well stored with goods. But I think Newport is
chiefly remarkable for oysters, which they send to London
and other places, where they are very much esteemed,
being thought the best in England. The oyster-merchants
fetch them, as I am informed, from other places, and lay
them upon certain beds in the river (the water of which
is it seems excellently adapted for that purpose)
a-fattening; and when they have lain a suitable time they are taken
up agaln, and made fit for sale.
When we came to Carisbrooke, which, as I said before,
is a little village about a mile beyond Newport, we took a
view of an ancient church that had formerly been a priory
in Romish times, and is the first church, or the
motherchurch, of the island. It is an elegant building, after the
old Gothic manner, with a very high tower, and looks
very venerable in its ruins. There are several ancient
monuments about it; but the stone of which they are composed
is of such a soft, crumbling nature, that the inscriptions are
none of them legible. Of the same stone are almost all the
tombstones, &c., that I observed in the island.
From this church, (having crossed over the brook that
gives the name to the village, and got a little boy for a
guide,) we went up a very steep hill, through several
narrow lanes and avenues, till we came to the castle gate. We
entered over the ditch (which is now almost filled up,
partly by the ruins of the mouldering walls that have
tumbled into it, and partly by the washing down of the earth
from the hill by the rains,) upon a couple of brick arches,
where I suppose formerly there was a drawbridge. An old
woman who lives in the castle, seeing us strangers walk
about, sent and offered to show us the rooms if we pleased,
which we accepted. This castle, as she informed us, has
for many years been the seat of the governors of the island;
and the rooms and hall, which are very large and handsome,
with high, arched roofs, have all along been kept
handsomely furnished, every succeeding governor buying the
furniture of his predecessor; but, Cadogan, the last
governor, who succeeded General Webb, refusing to
purchase it, Webb stripped it clear of all, even the hangings,
and left nothing but bare walls. The floors are several of
them of plaster of Paris, the art of making which, the
woman told us, was now lost.
The castle stands upon a very high and steep hill, and
there are the remains of a deep ditch round it; the walls are
thick, and seemingly well contrived; and certainly it has
been a very strong hold in its time, at least before the
invention of great guns. There are several breaches in the
ruinous walls, which are never repaired, (I suppose they
are purposely neglected,) and the ruins are almost
everywhere overspread with ivy. It is divided into the lower and
the upper castle, the lower enclosing the upper, which is
of a round form, and stands upon a promontory, to which
you must ascend by near an hundred stone steps; this upper
castle was designed for a retreat in case the lower castle
should be won, and is the least ruinous of any part except
the stairs before mentioned, which are so broken and
decayed, that I was almost afraid to come down again when
I was up, they being but narrow, and no rails to hold by.
From the battlements of this upper castle, (which they
call the Coop,) you have a fine prospect of the greatest
part of the island, of the sea on one side, of Cowes road at
a distance, and of Newport as it were just below you. There
is a well in the middle of the Coop, which they called the
bottomless well, because of its great depth; but it is now
half filled up with stones and rubbish, and is covered with
two or three loose planks; yet a stone, as we tried, is near
a quarter of a minute in falling before you hear it strike.
But the well that supplies the inhabitants at present with
water is in the lower castle, and is thirty fathoms deep.
They draw their water with a great wheel, and with a
bucket that holds near a barrel. It makes a great sound if
you speak in it, and echoed the flute which we played over
it very sweetly. There are but seven pieces of ordnance
mounted upon the walls, and those in no very good order;
and the old man, who is the gunner and keeper of the
castle, and who sells ale in a little house at the gate, has in
his possession but six muskets, (which hang up at his wall)
and one of them wants a lock. He told us that the castle,
which had now been built 1203 years, was first founded
by one Whitgert, a Saxon, who conquered the island, and
that it was called Whitgertsburg for many ages.
That particular piece of building, which King Charles
lodged in during his confinement here, is suffered to go
entirely to ruin, there being nothing standing but the walls.
The island is about sixty miles in circumference, and
produces plenty of corn and other provisions, and wool as
fine as Cotswold; its militia having the credit of equalling
the soldiery, and being the best disciplined in England.
--- was once, in King William's time, entrusted with
the government of this island. At his death it appeared he
was a great villain, and a great politician; there was no
crime so damnable which he would stick at in the
execution of his designs, and yet he had the art of covering all so
thick, that with almost all men in general, while he lived,
he passed for a saint. What surprized me was, that the
silly old fellow, the keeper of the castle, who remembered
him governor, should have so true a notion of his character
as I perceived he had. In short, I believe it is impossible for
a man, though he has all the cunning of a devil, to live and
die a villain, and yet conceal itso well as to carry the name
of an honest fellow to the grave with him, but some one,
by some accident or other, shall discover him. Truth and
sincerity have a certain distinguishing native lustre about
them, which cannot be perfectly counterfeited; they are
like fire and flame, that cannot be painted.
The whole castle was repaired and beautified by Queen
Elizabeth, and strengthened by a breastwork all round
without the walls, as appears by this inscription in one or
two places upon it.
1598
E.R.
40
- Saturday, July 30th.
- -This morning about eight o'clock
we weighed anchor, and turned to windward till we came
to Yarmouth, another little town upon this island, and
there cast anchor again, the wind blowing hard, and still
westerly. Yarmouth is a smaller town than Cowes; yet, the
buildings being better, it makes a handsomer prospect at
a distance, and the streets are clean and neat.There is one
monument in the church, which the inhabitants are very
proud of, and which we went to see. It was erected to the
memory of Sir Robert Holmes, who had formerly been
governor of the island. It is his statue in armour, somewhat
bigger than the life, standing on his tomb, with a truncheon
in his hand, between two pillars of porphyry. Indeed, all
the marble about it is very fine and good; and they say it
was designed by the French King for his palace at
Versailles, but was cast away upon this island, and by Sir
Robert himself in his lifetime applied to this use, and that
the whole monument was finished long before he died;
(though not fixed up in that place) the inscription
likewise, (which is very much to his honour), being written
by himself. One would think either that he had no defect
at all, or had a very ill opinion of the world, seeing he was
so careful to make sure of a monument to record his good
actions and transmit them to posterity.
Having taken a view of the church, town, and fort, on
which there are seven large guns mounted, three of us took
a walk up further into the island; and, having gone about
two miles, we headed a creek that runs up one end of the
town, and then went to Freshwater Church, about a mile
nearer the town, but on the other side of the creek. Having
stayed here some time it grew dark, and my companions
were desirous to be gone, lest those whom we had left
drinking where we dined in the town should go on board
and leave us. We were told, that it was our best way to go
strait down to the mouth of the creek, and that there was
a ferry boy that would carry us over to the town. But
when we came to the house the lazy whelp was in bed, and
refused to rise and put us over; upon which we went down
to the waterside, with a design to take his boat, and go
over by ourselves. We found it very difficult to get the
boat, it being fastened to a stake, and the tide risen near
fifty yards beyond it; I stripped all to my shirt to wade up
to it; but missing the causeway, which was under water, I
got up to my middle in mud. At last I came to the stake;
but, to my great disappointment, found she was locked
and chained. I endeavoured to draw the staple with one
of the thole-pins, but in vain; I tried to pull up the stake.
but to no purpose; so that, after an hour's fatigue and
trouble in the wet and mud, I was forced to return without
the boat.
We had no money in our pockets, and therefore began
to conclude to pass the night in some haystack, though the
wind blew very cold and very hard. In the midst of these
troubles one of us recollected that he had a horse-shoe in
his pocket, which he found in his walk, and asked me if l
could not wrench the staple out with that. I took it, went,
tried, and succeeded, and brought the boat ashore to them.
Now we rejoiced and all got in, and, when I had dressed
myself, we put off. But the worst of all our troubles was
to come yet; for, it being high water and the tide over all
the banks, though it was moonlight we could not discern
the channel of the creek; but, rowing heedlessly straight
forward, when we were got about half way over, we found
ourselves aground on a mud bank; and, striving to row her
off by putting our oars in the mud, we broke one and
there stuck fast, not having four inches of water. We were
now in the utmost perplexity, not knowing what in the
world to do; we could not tell whether the tide was rising
or falling; but at length we plainly perceived it was ebb,
and we could feel no deeper water within the reach of our
oar.
It was hard to lie in an open boat all night exposed to the
wind and weather; but it was worse to think how foolish
we should look in the morning, when the owner of the
boat should catch us in that condition, where we must be
exposed to the view of all the town. After we had strove
and struggled for half an hour and more, we gave all over,
and sat do'vn with our hands before us, despairing to get
off; for, if the tide had left us, we had been never the nearer;
we must have sat in the boat, as the mud was too deep for
us to walk ashore through it, being up to our necks. At
last we bethought ourselves of some means of escaping,
and two of us stripped and got out, and thereby lightening
the boat, we drew her up upon our knees near fifty yards
into deeper water; and then with much ado, having but
one oar, we got safe ashore under the fort; and, having
dressed ourselves and tied the man's boat, we went with
great joy to the Queen's Head, where we left our
companions, whom we found waiting for us, though it was
very late. Our boat being gone on board, we were obliged
to lie ashore all night; and thus ended our walk.
- Sunday, July 31.
- -This morning the wind being moderated,
our pilot designed to weigh, and, taking advantage
of the tide, get a little further to windward. Upon which
the boat came ashore, to hasten us on board. We had no
sooner returned and hoisted in our boat, but the wind
began again to blow very hard at west, insomuch that,
instead of going any further, we were obliged to weigh
and run down again to Cowes for the sake of more secure
riding, where we came to an anchor again in a very little
time; and the pudding, which our mess made and put into
the pot at Yarmouth, we dined upon at Cowes.
- Monday, August 1st.
- -This morning all the vessels in the
harbour put out their colours in honour of the day, and
it made a very pretty appearance. The wind continuing to
blow hard westerly, our mess resolved to go on shore,
though all our loose corks were gone already. We took
with us some goods to dispose of, and walked to Newport
to make our market, where we sold for three shillings in
the pound less than the prime cost in London; and, having
dined at Newport, we returned in the evening to Cowes,
and concluded to lodge on shore.
- Tuesday, August 2d.
- -This day we passed on shore,
diverting ourselves as well as we could; and, the wind
continuing still westerly, we stayed on shore this night also.
- Wednesday, August 3d.
- -This morning we were hurried
on board, having scarce time to dine, weighed anchor, and
stood away for Yarmouth again, though the wind is still
westerly; but, meeting with a hoy when we were near
halfway there, that had some goods on board for us to take
in, we tacked about for Cowes, and came to anchor there
a third time, about four in the afternoon.
- Thursday, August 4.
- -Stayed on board till about five
in the afternoon, and then went on shore and stopped all
night.
- Friday, August 5.
- -Called up this morning and hurried
aboard, the wind being Northwest. About noon we
weighed and left Cowes a third time, and, sailing by
Yarmouth, we came into the channel through the Needles;
which passage is guarded by Hurst Castle, standing on a
spit of Land which runs out from the main land of
England within a mile of the Isle of Wight. Towards night the
wind veered to the Westward, which put us under
apprehensions of being forced into port again: but presently
after it fell a flat calm, and then we had a small breeze that
was fair for half an hour, when it was succeeded by a calm
again.
- Saturday, August 6.
- -This morning we had a fair breeze
for some hours, and then a calm that lasted all day. In the
afternoon I leaped overboard and swam round the ship to
wash myself. Saw several porpoises this day. About eight
o'Clock we came to an anchor in forty fathom water
against the tide of flood, somewhere below Portland, and
weighed again about eleven, having a small breeze.
- Sunday, August 7.
- -Gentle breezes all this day. Spoke
with a ship, the Ruby, bound for London from Nevis, off
the Start of Plymouth. This afternoon spoke with Captain
Homans in a ship bound for Boston, who came out of the
river when we did, and had been beating about in the
channel all the time we lay at Cowes in the Wight.
- Monday, August 8.
- -Fine weather, but no wind worth
mentioning, all this day; in the afternoon saw the Lizard.
- Tuesday, August 9.
- -Took our leave of the land this
morning. Calms the fore part of the day. In the afternoon
a small gale; fair. Saw a Grampus.
- Wednesday, August 10th.
- -Wind N. W. Course S. W.
about four Knots. By observation in latitude 48* 50'.
Nothing remarkable happened.
- Thursday, August 11th.
- -Nothing remarkable. Fresh
gale all day.
- Friday, August 12; Saturday, 13; Sunday, 14.
- -Calms and
fair breezes alternately.
- Monday, 15; Tuesday, 16; Wednesday, 17.
- -No contrary
winds, but calm and fair breezes alternately.
- Thursday, August 18.
- -Four dolphins followed the ship
for some hours; we struck at them with the fizgig, but
took none.
- Friday, August 19.
- -This day we have had a pleasant
breeze at East. In the morning we spied a sail upon our
larboard bow, about two leagues' distance. About noon she
put out English colours, and we answered with our ensign,
and in the afternoon we spoke with her. She was a ship, of
New York, Walter Kippen, master, bound from Rochelle,
in France, to Boston, with salt. Our captain and Mr. D--
went on board, and stayed till evening, it being fine
weather. Yesterday, complaints being made that Mr.
G---n, one of the passengers, had, with a fraudulent
design, marked the cards, a court of justice was called
immediately, and he was brought to his trial in form. A
Dutchman, who could speak no English, deposed by his
interpreter that, when our mess was on shore at Cowes,
the prisoner at the bar marked all the Court cards on the
back with a pen.
I have sometimes observed, that we are apt to fancy the
person that cannot speak intelligibly to us, proportionably
stupid in understanding, and, when we speak two or thrce
words of English to a foreigner, it is louder than ordinary,
as if we thought him deaf, and that he had lost the use of
his ears as well as his tongue. Something like this I imagine
might be the case of Mr. G---n; he fancied the Dutchman
could not see what he was about, because he could not
understand English, and therefore boldly did it before his
face.
The evidence was plain and positive; the prisoner could
not deny the fact, but replied in his defence, that the cards
he marked were not those we commonly played with, but
an imperfect pack, which he afterwards gave to the cabbin-boy.
The attorney-general observed to the court, that it
was not likely he should take the pains to mark the cards
without some ill design, or some further intention than
just to give them to the boy when he had done, who
understood nothing at all of cards. But another evidence being
called deposed that he saw the prisoner in the main-top one
day, when he thought himself unobserved, marking a pack
of cards on the backs, some with the print of a dirty thumb,
others with the top of his finger, &c. Now, there being but
two packs on board, and the prisoner having just
confessed the marking of one, the Court perceived the case
was plain. In fine the jury brought him in guilty, and he
was condemned to be carried up to the round-top, and
made fast there, in view of all the ship's company, during
the space of three hours, that being the place where the
act was committed, and to pay a fine of two bottles of
brandy. But the prisoner resisting authority and refusing
to submit to punishment, one of the sailors stepped up aloft
and let down a rope to us, which we, with much
struggling, made fast about his middle, and hoisted him up into
the air, sprawling, by main force. We let him hang, cursing
and swearing, for near a quarter of an hour; but at length,
he crying out Murder! and looking black in the face, the
rope being overtort about his middle, we thought proper
to let him down again; and our mess have excommunicated
him till he pays his fine, refusing either to play, eat, drink,
or converse with him.
- Saturday, August 20th.
- -We shortened sail all last night
and all this day, to keep company with the other ship.
About noon Captain Kippen and one of his passengers came
on board and dined with us; they stayed till evening. When
they were gone, we made sail and left them.
- Sunday, August 21st.
- -This morning we lost sight of the
Yorker, having a brisk gale of wind at East. Towards night
a poor little bird came on board us, being almost tired to
death, and suffered itself to be taken by the hand. We
reckon ourselves near two hundred leagues from land, so
that no doubt a little rest was very acceptable to the
unfortunate wanderer, who `t is like, was blown off the coast in
thick weather, and could not find its way back again. We
receive it hospitably and tender it victuals and drink; but
he refuses both, and I suppose will not live long. There was
one came on board some days ago, in the same
circumstances with this, which I think the cat destroyed.
- Monday, August 22d.
- -This morning I saw several flying-fish,
but they were small. A favorable wind all day.
- Tuesday, August 23; Wednesday, 24.
- -Falr winds, nothing remarkable.
- Thursday, August 25.
- -Our excommunicated shipmate
thinking proper to comply with the sentence the court
passed upon him, and expressing himself willing to pay the
fine, we have this morning received him into unity again.
Man is a sociable being, and it is, for aught I know, one
of the worst of punishments to be excluded from Society.
I have read abundance of fine things on the subject of
solitude, and I know `t is a common boast in the mouths of
those that affect to be thought wise, that they are never
less alone than when alone. I acknowledge solitude an
agreeable refreshment to a busy mind; but were these
thinking people obliged to be always alone, I am apt to
think they would quickly find their very being insupportable
to them. I have heard of a gentleman, who underwent
seven years' close confinement, in the Bastile, at Paris. He
was a man of sense, he was a thinking man, but being
deprived of all conversation, to what purpose should he
think; for he was denied even the instruments of
expressing his thoughts in writing. There is no burden so grievous
to man as time that he knows not how to dispose of. He
was forced at last to have recourse to this invention; he
daily scattered pieces of paper about the floor of his little
room, and then employed himseif in picking them up again
and sticking them in rows and figures on the arm of his
elbow-chair; and he used to tell his friends, after his
release, that he verily believed, if he had not taken this
method he should have lost his senses. One of the
philosophers, I think it was Plato, used to say, that he had rather
be the veriest stupid block in nature, than the possessor of
all knowledge without some intelligent being to
commumcate it to.
What I have said may in a measure account for some
particulars in my present way of living here on board. Our
company is in general very unsuitably mixed, to keep up
the pleasure and spirit of conversation: and, if there are
one or two pair of us that can sometimes entertain one
another for half an hour agreeably, yet perhaps we are
seldom in the humour for it together. I rise in the morning
and read for an hour or two, perhaps, and then reading
grows tiresome. Want of exercise occasions want of
appetite, so that eating and drinking afford but little pleasure.
I tire myself with playing at Draughts, then I go to cards;
nay, there is no play so trifling or childish, but we fly to it
for entertainment. A contrary wind, I know not how, puts
us all out of good humour; we grow sullen, silent, and
reserved, and fret at each other upon every little occasion.
`T is a common opinion among the ladies, that if a man is
ill-natured he infallibly discovers it when he is in liquor.
But I who have known many instances to the contrary, will
teach them a more effectual method to discover the natural
temper and disposition of their humble servants. Let the
ladies make one long sea-voyage with them, and, if they
have the least spark of ill-nature in them, and conceal it to
the end of the voyage, I will forfeit all my pretensions to
their favour. The wind continues fair.
- Friday, August 26.
- -The wind and weather fair till night
came on; and then the wind came about, and we had hard
squalls, with rain and lightning, till morning.
- Saturday, August 27.
- -Cleared up this morning, and the
wind settled westerly. Two dolphins followed us this afternoon;
we hooked one, and struck the other with the fizgig;
but they both escaped us, and we saw them no more.
- Sunday, August 28.-
- The wind still continues westerly,
and blows hard. We are under a reefed mainsail and foresail.
- Monday, August 29.
- -Wind still hard west. Two
dolphins followed us this day; but we struck at them, but they
both escaped.
- Tuesday, August 30.-
- Contrary wind still. This evening,
the moon being near full, as she rose after eight o'clock,
there appeared a rainbow in a western cloud, to windward
of us. The first time I ever saw a rainbow in the night
caused by the moon.
- Wednesday, August 31.
- -Wind still west; nothing remarkable.
- Thursday, Sept. 1.
- -Bad weather, and contrary winds.
- Friday, Sept. 2.
- -This morning the wind changed; a little
fair. We caught a couple of dolphins, and fried them for
dinner. They eat indifferent well. These fish make a
glorious appearance in the water; their bodies are of a bright
green, mixed with a silver colour, and their tails of a shining
golden yellow; but all this vanishes presently after they are
taken out of their element, and they change all over to a
light gray. I observed that cutting off pieces of a just-caught,
living dolphin for baits, those pieces did not lose
their lustre and fine colours when the dolphin died, but
retained them perfectly. Every one takes notice of that
vulgar error of the painters, who always represent this fish
monstrously crooked and deformed, when it is, in reality,
as beautiful and well-shaped a fish as any that swims. I
cannot think what could be the original of this chimera of
theirs, (since there is not a creature in nature that in the
least resembles their dolphin) unless it proceeded at first
from a false imitation of a fish in the posture of leaping,
which they have since improved into a crooked monster,
with a head and eyes like a bull, a hog's snout, and a tail like
a blown tulip. But the sailors give me another reason
though a whimsical one, viz. that as this most beautiful fish
is only to be caught at sea, and that very far to the
Southward, they say the painters wilfully deform it in their
representations, lest pregnant women should long for what
it is impossible to procure for them.
- Saturday, September 3; Sunday, 4; Monday, 5.
- -Wind
still westerly; nothing remarkable.
- Tuesday, Sept. 6.
- -This afternoon the wind still
continuing in the same quarter, increased till it blew a storm, and
raised the sea to a greater height than I had ever seen it
before.
- Wednesday, Sept. 7.
- -The wind is somewhat abated, but
the sea is very high still. A dolphin kept us company all this
afternoon; we struck at him several times, but could not
take him.
- Thursday, Sept. 8.
- -This day nothing remarkable has
happened, but I am so indolent that- Contrary wind.
- Friday, Sept. 9.
- -This afternoon we took four large
dolphins, three with a hook and line, and the fourth we struck
with a fizgig. The bait was a candle with two feathers stuck
in it, one on each side, in imitation of a flying-fish, which
are the common prey of the dolphins. They appeared
extremely eager and hungry, and snapped up the hook as
soon as ever it touched the water. When we came to open
them, we found in the belly of one a small dolphin, half
digested. Certainly they were half-famished, or are
naturally very savage, to devour those of their own species.
- Saturday, Sept. 10.
- -This day we dined upon the dollphins
we caught yesterday, three of them sufficing the
whole ship, being twenty-one persons.
- Sunday, Sept. 11.
- -We have had a hard gale of wind all
this day, accompanied with showers of rain. `T is
uncomfortable being upon deck; and, though we have been all
together all day below, yet the long continuance of these
contrary winds has made us so dull, that scarce three words
have passed between us.
- Monday, Sept. 12; Tuesday, 13.
- -Nothing remarkable;
wind contrary.
- Wednesday, Sept. 14.
- -This afternoon, about two
o'clock, it being fair weather and almost calm, as we sat
playing drafts upon deck, we were surprized with a sudden
and unusual darkness of the sun, which, as we could
perceive, was only covered with a small, thin cloud; when
that was passed by, we discovered that that glorious
luminary laboured under a very great eclipse. At least ten parts
out of twelve of him were hid from our eyes, and we were
apprehensive he would have been totally darkened.
- Thursday, Sept. 15.
- -For a week past, we have fed
ourselves with the hopes, that the change of the moon (which
was yesterday) would bring us a fair wind; but, to our
great mortification and disappointment, the wind seems
now settled in the westward, and shows as little signs of
an alteration as it did a fortnight ago.
- Friday, Sept. 16.
- -Calm all this day. This morning we
saw a Tropic bird, which flew round our vessel several
times. It is a white fowl, with short wings; but one feather
appears in his tail, and does not fly very fast. We reckon
ourselves about half our voyage; latitude 38 and odd minutes.
These birds are said never to be seen further north
than the latitude of 40.
- Saturday, September 17.
- -All the forenoon the calm continued;
the rest of the day some light breezes easterly; and
we are in great hopes the wind will settle in that quarter.
- Sunday, September 18.
- -We have had the finest weather
imaginable all this day, accompanied with what is still more
agreeable, a fair wind. Every one puts on a clean shirt and
a cheerful countenance, and we begin to be very good company.
Heaven grant that this favourable gale may continue!
for we have had so much of turning to windward, that the
word helm-a-lee is become almost as disagreeable to our
ears as the sentence of a judge to a convicted malefactor.
- Monday, Septemher 19.
- -The weather looks a little uncertain,
and we begin to fear the loss of our fair wind. We
see Tropic birds every day, sometimes five or six together;
they are about as big as pigeons.
- Tuesday, September 20.
- -The wind is now westerly
again, to our great mortification; and we are come to a
allowance of bread, two biscuits and a half a day.
- Wednesday, Sept. 21.
- -This morning our steward was
brought to the geers and whipped, for making an
extravagant use of flour in the puddings, and for several other
misdemeanors. It has been perfectly calm all this day, and very
hot. I was determined to wash myself in the sea to-day,
and should have done so, had not the appearance of a Shark,
that mortal enemy to swimmers, deterred me; he seemed to
be about five foot long, moves round the ship at some distance,
in a slow, majestic manner, attended by near a dozen
of those they call Pilot-fish, of different sizes; the largest
of them is not so big as a small mackerell, and the smallest
not bigger than my little finger. Two of these diminutive
Pilots keep just before his nose, and he seems to govern
himself in his motions by their direction; while the rest
surround him on every side indifferently. A shark is never
seen without a retinue of these, who are his purveyors,
discovering and distinguishing his prey for him; while he
in turn gratefully protects them from the ravenous, hungry
dolphin. They are commonly counted a very greedy fish;
yet this refuses to meddle with the bait thrown out for
him. `T is likely he has already made a full meal.
- Thursday, Sept. 22nd.
- -A fresh gale at West all this day.
The shark has left us.
- Friday, September 23rd.
- -This morning we spied a sail
to windward of us about two leagues. We showed our
jack upon the ensign-staff, and shortened sail for them till
about noon, when she came up with us. She was a snow,
from Dublin, bound for New York, having upwards of
fifty servants on board of both sexes; they all appeared
upon deck, and seemed very much pleased at the sight of
us. There is really something strangly chearing to the
spirits in the meeting of a ship at sea, containing a society
of creatures of the same species and in the same circumstances
with ourselves, after we had been long separated
and excommunicated as it were from the rest of mankind.
My heart fluttered in my breast with joy, when I saw so
many human countenances, and I could scarce refrain from
that kind of laughter, which proceeds from some degree
of inward pleasure. When we have been for a considerable
time tossing on the vast waters, far from the sight of any
land or ships, or any mortal creature but ourselves (except
a few fish and sea-birds), the whole world, for aught we
know, may be under a second deluge, and we, like Noah
and his company in the ark, the only surviving remnant
of the human race.
The two Captains have mutually promised to keep each
other company; but this I look upon to be only matter of
course, for if ships are unequal in their sailing, they seldom
stay for one another, especially strangers. This af ternoon,
the wind, that had been so long contrary to us, came about
to the eastward, (and looks as if it would hold,) to our no
small satisfaction. I find our messmates in a better humour,
and more pleased with their present condition, than they
have been since they came out; which I take to proceed
from the contemplation of the miserable circumstances of
the passengers on board our neighbour, and making the
comparison. We reckon ourselves in a kind of paradise,
when we consider how they live, confined and stifled up
with such a lousy, stinking rabble, in this hot sultry latitude.
- Saturday, Sept. 24.
- -Last night we had a very high wind,
and very thick weather; in which we lost our consort. This
morning early we spied a sail ahead of us, which we took
to be her; but presently after we spied another, and then
we plainly perceived, that neither of them could be the
snow; for one of them stemmed with us, and the other bore
down directly upon us, having the weather-gage of us. As
the latter drew near, we were a little surprized, not
knowing what to make of her; for by the course she steered, she
did not seem designed for any port, but looked as if she
intended to clap us aboard immediately. I could perceive
concern in every face on board; but she presently eased
us of our apprehensions by bearing away astern of us.
WVhen we hoisted our jack, she answered with French
colours, and presently took them down again; and we soon
lost sight of her. The other ran by us in less than half an
hour, and answered our jack with an English ensign; she
stood to the Eastward, but the wind was too high to speak
with either of them. About nine o'clock we spied our
consort, who had got a great way ahead of us. She, it seems,
had made sail during the night, while we lay by, with our
mainyard down, during the hard gale. She very civilly
shortened sail for us, and this afternoon we came up with
her; and now we are running along very amicably together
side by side, having a most glorious fair wind.
"On either side the parted billows flow,
while the black ocean foarns and roars below"
- Sunday, September 25.
- -Last night we shot ahead of our
consort pretty far. About midnight, having last sight of
each other, we shortened sail for them: but this morning
they were got as far ahead of us as we could see, having
run by us in the dark unperceived. We made sail and came
up with them about noon; and if we chance to be ahead
of them again in the night, we are to show them a light,
that we may not lose company by any such accident for
the future. The wind still continues fair, and we have made
a greater run these last four-and-twenty hours than we
have done since we came out. All our discourse, now, is
of Philadelphia, and we begin to fancy ourselves ashore
already. Yet a small change of weather, attended by a
westerly wind, is sufficient to blast all our bloorning hopes,
and quite spoil our present good humour.
- Monday, September 26.
- -The wind continued fair all
night. In the twelve o'clock watch our consort, who was
about a league ahead of us, showed us a light, and we
answered with another. About six o'clock this morning we
had a sudden hurry of wind at all points of the compass,
accompanled with the most violent shower of rain I ever
saw, insomuch that the sea looked like a cream dish. It
surprized us with all our sails up, and was so various,
uncertain, and contrary, that the mizzen topsail was full, while
the head sails were all aback; and before the men could run
from one end of the ship to the other, `t was about again.
But this did not last long ere the wind settled to the North-East
again, to our great satisfaction. Our consort fell astern
of us in the storm, but made sail and came up with us again
after it was over. We hailed one another on the morrow,
congratulating upon the continuance of the fair wind, and
both ran on very lovingly together.
- Tuesday, Sept. 27.
- -The fair wind continues still. I have
laid a bowl of punch, that we are in Philadelphia next
Saturday se'nnight; for we reckon ourselves not above 150
leagues from land. The snow keeps us company still.
- Wednesday, Sept. 28.
- -We had very variable winds and
weather last night, accompanied with abundance of rain;
And now the wind is come about westerly again, but
must bear it with patience. This afternoon we took
several branches of gulf-weed (with which the sea
spread all over, from the Western Isles to the coast of
America); but one of these branches had something
peculiar in it. In common with the rest, it had a leaf about three
quarters of an inch long, indented like a saw, and a small
yellow berry, filled with nothing but wind; besides which
it bore a fruit of the animal kind, very surprising to see. It
was a small shell-fish like a heart, thc stalk by which it
proceeded from the branch being partly of a grisly kind. Upon
this one branch of the weed, there were near forty of these
vegetable animals; the smallest of them, near the end,
contained a substance somewhat like an oyster, but the larger
were visibly animated, opening their shells every moment,
and thrusting out a set of unformed claws, not unlike those
of a crab; but the inner part was still a kind of soft jelly.
Observing the weed more narrowly, I spied a very small
crab crawling among it, about as big as the head of a
ten-penny nail, and of a yellowish colour, like the weed itself.
This gave me some reason to think, that he was a native off
the branch; that he had not long since been in the same
condition with the rest of those little embrios that
appeared in the shells, this being the method of their
generation; and that, consequently, all the rest of this odd kind
of fruit might be crabs in due time. To strengthen my
conjecture, I have resolved to keep the weed in salt water,
renewing it every day till we come on shore, by this
experiment to see whether any more crabs will be produced
or not in this manner.
I remember that the last calm we had, we took notice of
a large crab upon the surface of the sea, swimming from
one branch of weed to another, which he seemed to prey
upon; and I likewise recollect that at Boston, in New England,
I have often seen small crabs with a shell like a snail
shell upon their backs, crawling about in the salt water;
and likewise at Portsmouth in England. It is like Nature
has provided them hard shell to secure them till their own
proper shell has acquired a sufficient hardness, which once
perfected. they quit their old habitation and venture
abroad safe in their own strength. The various changes that
silkworms, butterflies, and several other insects go through,
make such alterations and metamorphoses not improbable.
This day the captain of the snow with one of his
passengers came on board us; but the wind beginning to blow,
they did not stay dinner, but returned to their own vessel.
- Thursday, Sept. 29.
- -Upon shifting the water in which
I had put the weed yesterday, I found another crab, much
smaller than the former, who seemed to have newly left
his habitation. But the weed begins to wither, and the rest
of the embrios are dead. This new-comer fully convinces
me, that at least this sort of crabs are generated in this
manner. The snow's captain dined on board us this day. Little
or no wind.
- Friday, Sept. 30.
- -I sat up last night to observe an eclipse
of the moon, which the calendar, calculated for London,
informed us would happen at five o'clock in the morning,
- Sept. 30.
- It began with us about eleven last night, and
continued till near two this morning, darkening her body
about six digits, or one half; the middle of it being about
half an hour after twelve, by which we may discover that
we are m a meridian of about four hours and half from
London, or 67 1/2 degrees of Longitude, and consequently
have not much above one hundred leagues to run. This is
the second eclipse we have had within these fifteen days.
We lost our consort in the night, but saw him again this
morning nearly two leagues to the windward. This
afternoon we spoke with him again. We have had abundance of
dolphins about us these three or four days; but we have
not taken any more than one, they being shy of the bait.
I took in some more gulf-weed to-day with the boat-hook
with shells upon it like that before mentioned, and three
living perfect crabs, each less than the nail of my Iittle
finger. One of them had something particularly observable,
to wit, a thin piece of the white shell which I before
noticed as their covering while they remained in the
condition of embrios, sticking close to his natural shell upon his
back. This sufficiently confirms me in my opinion of the
manner of their generation. I have put this remarkable crab
with a piece of the gulf-weed, shells, &c., into a glass phial
filled with salt water, (for want of spirits of wine,) in hopes
to preserve the curiosity till I come on shore. The wind is
SouthWest.
- Saturday, October 1st.
- -Last night our consort, who goes
inconiparably better upon a wind than our vessel, got so
far to windward and ahead of us, that this morning we
could see nothing of him, and it is like shall see him no more.
These SouthWests are hot, damp winds, and bring
abundance of rain and dirty weather with them.
- Sunday, October 2d.
- -Last night we prepared our line
with a design to sound this morning at four o'clock; but
the wind coming about again to the northwest, we let it
alone. I cannot help fancying the water is changed a little,
as is usual when a ship comes within soundings, but `t is
probable I am mistaken; for there is but one besides myself
of my opinion, and we are very apt to believe what we
wish to be true.
- Monday, October 3d.
- -The water is now very visibly
changed to the eyes of all except the Captain and Mate, and
they will by no means allow it; I suppose because they did
not see it first. Abundance of dolphins are about us, but
they are very shy, and keep at a distance. Wind North-West.
- Tuesday, October 4th.
- -Last night we struck a dolphin
and this morning we found a flying-fish dead under the
windlass. He is about the bigness of a small mackerel, a
sharp head, a small mouth, and a tail forked somewhat like
a dolphin, but the lowest branch much larger and longer
than the other, and tinged with yellow. His back and sided
of a darkish blue, his belly white, and his skin very thick.
His wings are of a finny substance, about a span long,
reaching, when close to his body from an inch below his
gills to an inch above his tail. When they fly it is straight
forward, (for they cannot readily turn,) a yard or two
above the water; and perhaps fifty yards in the furthest
before they dip into the water again, for they cannot
support themselves in the air any longer than while their wings
continue wet. Theme flying-fish are the common prey of
the dolphin, who is their mortal enemy. When he pursues
them, they rise and fly; and he keeps close under them till
they drop, and then snaps them up immediately. They
generally fly in flocks, four or five, or perhaps a dozen
together and a dolphin is seldom caught without one or more
in his belly. We put this flying-fish upon the hook, in
hopes of catching one, but in a few minutes they got it off
without hooking themselves; and they will not meddle
with any other bait.
- Tuesday Night.
- -Since eleven o'clock we have struck
three fine dolphins, which are a great refreshment to us.
This afternoon we have seen abundance of grampuses,
which are seldom far from land; but towards evening we
had a more evident token, to wit, a little tired bird,
something like a lark, came on board us, who certainly is an
American, and `t is likely was ashore this day. It is now
calm. We hope for a fair wind next.
- Wednesday, October 5.
- -This morning we saw a heron,
who had lodged aboard last night. `T is a long-legged,
long-necked bird, having, as they say, but one gut. They
live upon fish, and will swallow a living eel thrice,
sometimes, before it will remain in their body. The wind is west
again. The ship's crew was brought to a short allowance
of water.
- Thursday, October 6th.
- -This morning abundance of
grass, rock-weed, &e., passed by us; evident tokens that
land is not far off. We hooked a dolphin this morning,
made us a good breakfast. A sail passed by us about twelve
o'clock, and nobody saw her till she was too far astern to
be spoken with. `T is very near calm; we saw another sail
ahead this afternoon; but, night coming on, we could not
speak with her, though we very much desired it; she stood
to the northward, and it is possible might have informed
us how far we are from land. Our artists on board are
much at a loss. We hoisted our jack to her, but she took
no notice of it.
- Friday, October 7.
- -Last night, about nine o'clock
sprung up a fine gale at NorthEast, which run us in our
course at the rate of seven miles an hour all night. We were
in hopes of seeing land this morning, but cannot. The
water, which we thought was changed, is now as blue as
the sky; so that, unless at that time we were running over
some unknown shoal, our eyes strangely deceived us. All
the reckonings have been out these several days; though
the captain says `t is his opinion we are yet a hundred
leagues from land; for my part I know not what to think
of it; we have run all this day at a great rate, and now night
is come on we have no soundings. Sure the American
continent is not all sunk under water since we left it.
- Saturday, October 8th.
- -The fair wind continues still;
we ran all night in our course, sounding every four hours,
but can find no ground yet, nor is the water changed by
all this day's run. This afternoon we saw an Irish Lord
and a bird which flying looked like a yellow duck. These,
they say, are not seen far from the coast. Other signs of
lands have we none. Abundance of large porpoises ran by
us this afternoon, and we were followed by a shoal of small
ones, leaping out of the water as they approached. Towards
evening we spied a sail ahead, and spoke with her just
before dark. She was bound from New York for Jamaica
and left Sandy Hook yesterday about noon, from which
they reckon themselves forty-five leagues distant. By this
we compute that we are not above thirty leagues from our
Capes, and hope to see land to-morrow.
- Sunday, October 9.
- -We have had the wind fair all the
morning; at twelve o'clock we sounded, perceiving the
water visibly changed, and struck ground at twenty-five
fathoms, to our universal joy. After dinner one of our mess
went up aloft to look out, and presently pronounced the
long wished-for sound, LAND! LAND! In less than an
hour we could decry it from the deck, appearing like tufts
of trees. I could not discern itso soon as the rest; my eyes
were dimmed with the suffusion of two small drops of joy.
By three o'clock we were run in within two leagues of
the land, and spied a small sail standing along shore. We
would gladly have spoken with her, for our captain was
unacquainted with the Coast, and knew not what land it
was that we saw. We made all the sail we could to speak
with her. We made a signal of distress; but all would not
do, the ill-natured dog would not come near us. Then we
stood off again till morning, not caring to venture too near.
- Monday, October 10.
- -This morning we stood in again
for land; and we that had been here before all agreed that
it was Cape Henlopen; about noon we were come very
near, and to our great joy saw the pilot-boat come off to
us, which was exceeding welcome. He brought on board
about a peck of apples with him; they seemed the most
delicious I ever tasted in my life; the salt provisions we
had been used to gave them a relish. We had extraordinary
fair wind all the afternoon, and ran above a hundred miles
up the Delaware before ten at night. The country appears
very pleasant to the eye, being covered with woods, except
here and there a house and plantation. We cast anchor when
the tide turned, about two miles below Newcastle, and
there lay till the morning tide.
- Tuesday, October 11.
- -This morning we weighed anchor
with a gentle breeze, and passed by Newcastle, whence
they hailed us and bade us welcome. It is extreme find
weather. The sun enlivens our stiff limbs with his glorious
rays of warmth and brightness. The sky looks gay, with
here and there a silver cloud. The fresh breezes from the
woods refresh us; the immediate prospect of liberty, after
so long and irksome confinement, ravishes us. In short, all
things conspire to make this the most joyful day I ever
knew. As we passed by Chester, some of the company went
on shore, impatient once more to tread on terra firma, and
designing for Philadelphia by land. Four of us remained
on board, not caring for the fatigue of travel when we
knew the voyage had much weakened us. About eight at
night, the wind failing us, we cast anchor at Redbank six
miles from Philadelphia, and thought we must be obliged
to lie on board that night; but, some young Philadelphians
happenlng to be out upon their pleasure in a boat, they
came on board, and offered to take us up with them; we
accepted of their kind proposal, and about ten o'clock
landed at Philadelphia, heartily congratulating each upon
our having happily completed so tedious and dangerous a
Voyage. Thank God!