Diary: James P. Stabler, 1827 (Volume 1)

but all fruitless - lost my hook and line in the attempt, foolishly bating it with meat which was taken off by some fish - The London Packet still in sight - as the shadows of the evening have disppeared but she is far_ far_ behind us, her fore top gallant sail just to be seen on the distant horizon. _ In fifteen days with such wind as we have they say we shall be in LPool.

_ The waves appear to be from ten to twenty feet high - Have had a fine brood of Mother Careys chickens following our wake for some days past. - They appear at a distance formed much like the whippoorwill only smaller _ At 12 o clock took Our Latitude and at two our Long - find we have made about 600 miles from Land, the current of the Gulph Stream having set us about 30 miles in 24 h^rs Eastwardly. __ the Gulph and such weed Still floating _ but both it and Mother Carey's

brood bid defiance to the toils of the Angler.

4th day 20th. A warm morning this _ wind still SSE. _ a sail in sight _ - almost all my qualms have taken their departure _ The Sail in Sight proves to be the "Bayard" one of the Havre packets - It also sailed with the Acasta on the 13th _ as it put about passed our stern half a mile off, but with good glasses we saw the deck crowded with its passengers _ not near eno to speak then

At 12 o clock find our Latitude 36° 35 _ Somewhere if I recollect the L of Richmond, Va _ the Sea water warm as well as the air _ The Bayard in sight at 12 o clock _ but now lost to our [Wn] _ A Calm has overtaken us - perhaps a prelude to its opposite _

The Shearers _ shear the waves or swell more properly and the gulls strech their wings to gull the poor finny

inhabitants I' spose _ just before Sunset the wind sprung up from the SE. Sitting upon the Stern of the ship looking towards the Western world and my thoughts somewhat divided between it and the watery expanse around me _ my attention was suddenly arrested by the Sight of a Whale within 20 or thirty y^ds of the Spot upon which I was seated. He came up to "Spout" I supposed but finding himself so near a monster superior in dimensions to himself he was soon down _ part of his back and tail were in view and perhaps six or 8 feet in height & 15 or 20 in length above the surface. was as much as he exhibited to my wond'g view. _ I continued to watch and in the course of about five minutes another, or himself, rose again and made his oration _ then bid us a final adieu _ his distance then from 3 to 500 yards -

5th day 21st. _

A poor nights rest last night owing the noise of the Cabin folks playing cards {shorthand} . -

The waves appear to be running about twenty feet in height this morning - - but little wind to steady the ship yet - increased about nine o clock and made it more lively _ A Shark seen near the ship according to report with a view of whose monstership I was not favoured _ Our ship hogs pigs chickens ducks geese and turkeys all Sea Sick _ and our furnisher of the "lacteal flood" to wit the cow, not behind them altho' she has tried it before._ _ It appears to go harder with the chickens (than any of the fowls.) who go blind _ The Hogs appear to mind it the least._ Steering a little N of E'ly but little wind - and the same wide and uniform Horizon meets the view in every direction. - The Water appears to rise all around us _ and we in a valley "safely moored" _ Latitude by obsv^t to day 37° 6' _ Long 17 dg East of N York _ A calm this evening and a sail in sight bearing SE of us - can just percep her top gall[ant] and sail set

6th day 6 mo 22nd A fine breeze this morning blowing right aft, which tho' it makes the Ship roll from side to side wafts us at 7 or 8 miles the hour. Another Sail in Sight bearing SW. The brig seen last ev^g rather nearer this mor^g. Saw several Portuguese men of war in comp^y with each other _ _ a whale seen this afternoon _ a smooth sea and less rolling. _ Heard from the good old Cap^t Crocker. Some rare storeys about Anna Braithwaite &c and from W^m Landgon who came over with her at the time Bishop Hobart did {shorthand} {shorthand} Yesterday afternoon I received a letter from my friend the "Ready Writer" which I must Answer with the books he gave me he * inclosed a portrait of the Old Patriarch Elias. At 12 oclock took the Latitude. Saw a plank floating on the waves with fish round it and covered with clams _ presently a Dolphin jump^d over it - Small flying fish to be seen occasionally. [Men?] hoisting the main topsail this morning. a *{shorthand}