James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770

[Page 31]

Remarkable Occurrences &ca. in Funchal Road Madeira

Fresh breezes & Clear wear at 8PM. Anchor'd in Funchal in 22 fam. found here His Maj.'s Ship Rose & several Mercht. Vessels. in the Morning new birthed [berthed] the Ship & Moor'd with the Stream Anchor half a Cable on the Beat Bower & a Hawser & a half on the Stream

Firstpt. fine clear wear. remainder Cloudy with Squals from the Land attended with Showers of rain in the Night the Bend of the Hawsers of the Stream Anchor Slip'd, owing to the Carelesness of the Person who made it fast in the Morning hove up the Anchor in the Boat & carried it out to the Southward, in heaving the Anchor out of the Boat. Mr Weir Masters Mate was carried overboard by the Buoy rope & to the Bottom with the Anchor, hove  up the Anchor by the ship as soon as possible & found his Body intangled in the Buoy rope. moor'd the Ship with the two Bowers in 22 fathm water the Loo Rock W & the Brazen head & Saild His Maj.'s Ship Rose. The Boats employ'd carrying the Casks a Shore for Wine & the Caulkers Caulking the Ship Sides –

Squals of Wind from the Land with rain, the most part of these 24 Hours received onbd. fresh Beef & Green for the Ships Compy. & sent on shore all our Casks for Wine & Water having a Shore Boat Employd for that purpose

The most pt fine Clear wear. Punished Henry Stevens Seaman & Thos. Dunster Marine with 12 lashes each for refusing to take their allowance of Fresh Beef. Employ'd taking on board Wine & Water –

Little wind & fine clear wear. Issued to the whole ships Company 20 Pound of Onion Per Man Employed as Yesterday

Do. [Ditto] Wear. PM  received on board 270 Pounds of fresh Beef & a live Bullock charged 613  Pounds. Compleated our Wine & Water having received of the Former 3032 Gallons of the Latter 10 Tuns. AM unmoor'd & Prepar'd for Sailing. Funchall in the Island of Madeira by Observations made here by Dr. Eberton FRS, lies in the Latitude of 32º.33'.33" No. & Longde. W. from Greenwich 16º.49' the Variation of the Compass 15º.30'.W. decreasing as he says which I much doubt, neither does this Variation agree with our own Observations. the Tides Flow fall & Change N.& S. & rises Perpendicular 7 Feet at Spring Tides & 4 feet at Niep tides. We found the North Point of the Diping Needle belonging to the Royal Society to Dip 77º.18' – The Refreshments for Shipping to be got at this place are Wine, Water, Fruit of Several Sorts & Onions in Plenty, some Sweat Meats but fresh Meat & Poultry are very Dear, & not to be had at any rate without Leave from the Governor

Light breezes & fine Clear wear. at Midnight Saild from Funchall. at 8 AM the high land over it bore N½E. unbent  the Cables stow'd the Anchors & Issued to the Ships Comp.y 10 Pound of Onions Per Man Ships Draught of Water FM. 8  A 15.1

Light Airs & Clear wear. PM took several Azmth. [Azimuth]which gave the Variatn. 16º30'W put the Ships Comp.y to these Watches

Firstpt. light Airs remainder fresh Breezes & Clear wear. issued Hooks & Lines to the Ships Compy. & Employ'd them in the day in making Matts &ca. for the Rigging –  

Genteel breezes & Clear wear. at 4PM Saw the Salvages bearing So. at 6 the Body of the Island bore S½W. diste. about 5 Leagues. found the Variation of the Compass by an Azmth. to be 17º.50' W. at 10 the Isles of Salvages bore W b½S diste. 2 Lg's I make those Islands to lie in Latde.30º11.Sº & Sº.16..E.n. 58 Lg's from Funchal Madeira

Light breezes & Clear wear. at 6AM saw the Peak of Teneriffe bearing W.b.S½ S  and the Grand Canaries S½W.t. the Variation of the Compass from 17º.22' to 16º.30' 

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Remarkable Occurrences &ca. from Madeira towards Rio De Janeira [Janeiro]

A Fresh Breeze & Clear wear. the most pt. of these 24 Hours, I take this to be the NEn. Trade we have now got into, at 6PM the NE end of the Island of Teneriffe WbN dise. 3 or 4 Lg's [leagues] off this NE point lies some Rocks high above water the highest is near the Point. & very remarkable, by our run from Yesterday at Noon. this end of the Island must lie in the Latde. of 28º.27' & Sº 7.45 Et.dist 83 Lg's from Funchal & Sº18w. 98 Miles from the Salvages.  At 1 AM the Peak of Teneriffe bore WNW. found the Variation to be this Morning 16º14' W. the Peak of Teneriffe (from which I now take my Departure) is a very high Mountain upon the Island of the same Name one of the Canary Islands its Perpendicular height from Actual Measurement is said to be 15396 feet it lies in the Latitde. of 28.13Nº. & Longde. 16.32 Wº. from Greenwich its situation in this Respect is allow'd to be pretty well determin'd.

A steady Trade Wind & Clear Wear. the Variatn. by the Amplitde. this Evening was 14º58' West.

Fresh breezes & somewhat Hazey. Variat. by this Evening Amplitude 15º. 1' West

Ditto wear. served Wine to the Ships Compy. the Beer being all Expended but 2 Casks which I intend to keep sometime longer as the whole has proved very good to the last Cask. at Noon found the Ship by Obsn. [observation] 10 Miles a Head of the Log. which I suppose may be owing to a Current setting in the same directions of the Trade Wind

A fresh Trade wind & Hazey wear. the Variatn. of the Compass by the mean of Several Azmth. taking this Evening 12.46 & in the Morning by the same Method 12º.43'W. this days Log & Observ'd Latde. agree which is not reconcilable to yesterday. Exercised  the People at Small Arms

Fresh breezes & Hazey wear. the Variatn.12.33W. the Observed Latde. ahead of that given by the Log 10 Miles

A Steady breeze & pleasant wear at 6AM saw the Island of Bonavista (one of the Cape de Verd Islands) Extending from SbE to SWbS. diste. 3 or 4 Lg's ranged the East side of this Island at the Distance of 3 or 4 Miles from the Shore until we were obliged to Haul off to avoid a Ledge of Rocks which Stretched out SWbW from the Body or SEn. Point of the Island 1½ Leage. had no ground with 40 fam. a Mile without this Ledge.The Island Of Bonavista is in Extent from Nº. to Sº. about 5 League is of a very uneven & hilly surface with low sandy beaches on the En. [Eastern] side the SE prt. of the Island from which I take my Departure by an Observn. this day at Noon lies in the Latde. of 16º Nº & according to our run from Madeira in the Longde. of 21º51'W. from Greenwich & Sº.21W. 260 Lg's from Teneriffe & Drawing Nº. 1&2 represents the appearance of the Et. side of this Island where (a) is the SE point, or the hill over it, which is high of a round Figure & the Southernmost on the Island –

A steady gale & somewhat Hazey – Variatn. by very good Azmths. this Evening 10º.37' & by the same in the Morning 10º.0'W. at Noon found the ship aHead of the Log 5 Miles –

Firstpt. a steady breeze & pleasant wear. remainder light breezes & Cloudy at Noon found the Ship by Obsn. ahead of the Log 7 Ms

Cloudy wear. with light winds & Calm. Variatn. by this Evening Amplde. S.49Wn. AM hoisted out a Boat to try if there was any Current found one Setting to the SEt. at the rate of ¾ of a Mile Per hour

Calm for the Greater part of this 24 Hours.By an Observn. we had this Morning of the Sun & Moon found our Selves in the Longde. of 22º.32'30"W. from Greenwich that by [indecipherable] is 21º.58' the Differance  being 34 Miles Westerly, which does not agree with the Setting of the Current for having try'd it twice today & found it set to the ESE 1 Mile per Hour & at the same time found the ship to the Southward of the Log by the Noon Observn. 10 Miles – Served Portable Soup & Sour Kraut to the Ships Company –

34  

Week Days 

&

Year No

Days Winds Courses Distce Latde in Londe in W 

from

Greenwich Bearings dea at Noon

October 1768

Wednesday 5 Calm

NEn

East S.o29°E 57 10°.56' 22°3' Bonavista SEn Point

N.o 2°En dist 101 Lges

Thursday 6 NE

SE

Soerly So. 10°.30'W 77 9.40 22.28 DoNo.4En. 128Lg's

Friday 7 Soerly

Calm

Noerly So.5°W 10 9.42 22.19 Do. No. 4En. 127Lg's

Saturday 8 NEbN

to

ESE SbE 78 8.25 22.4 Do. No.1.45En 152 Lg's

Sunday 9 ESE So.16°W 29 7.58 22.13 Do.No.2,40. 161 Lg's

Monday 10 SEbE

Soerly So 10 7.48 22.13 DoNo3[?] 164 Lg's 

Tuesday 11 SEerly So.52W 18 7.36 22.28 DoNo3E. 168 Lg's

Wednesday 12 Variable So.33.30W 20 7.21 22.39 Do.No.5E. 174 Lg's

Thursday 13 SW

WSW So.16.45E 21 7.1 22.32 Do.No.5E. 181 Lg's

Friday 14 WSW

to 

SSE So. 5°E 24 6.38 22.36 Do.No3.15E. 188Lg's

Saturday 15 SSW

to 

SE So.30°E by Log 12 6.50 22.23 pacco

23.46 pox moon DoNbE. 187 Lg's

[Page 35]

Remarkable Occurrences &ca. from Madeira  Towards Rio De Janeiro –

Light breezes of Wind sometimes Clear & sometimes Cloudy wear.Variat.on.6.10W. by an Amplitude & Azmth. this evening. At Noon found the Ship by the Observ'd Latde. 7 Miles to the Southward of the Log & by the  observed Longd. 30º to the Eastward of Yesterday's Observn. & as these Observon. for Finding the Longde. if carefully observ'd with good Instruments / will generally come within 10 or 15 Miles of each other & very often much nearer, it therefore can be no longer in Doubt but that there is a Current setting to the Eastward yet we cannot have had this Current long because the Longde. by acct. & that by Observatn. agree today but yesterday she was 28º to the Westwd. of the Observon.

Firstp.t. light Breezes & Cloudy. Middle frequent heavy Squalls with rain til' towards Noon when we had again little wind found the Variaton. by the mean of 3 Azimth. taken this Morning to be 8.52 Wt. which makes the Variation found yesterday Doubtful.

Variable light Airs & Calm all this 24 Hours. At Noon found the Currt. to set SE¼S one Mile Per Hour & yet by Observon. at Noon I find the Ship 12 Miles to the Northward of Accot. a Circumstance that hath not hapned for many days & which  I believe to be owing to the heavy Squalls we had Yesterday from the SEt. which obliged us to put frequently before the Wind

Firstpt. light Airs & Clear wear. Middle Squally with Thunder & Lightning all round, latterpt. Modte. breezes & Clear wear., had several Azmth. both in the Evening & Morning which gave the Variat.on S.30W.t at Noon found by Observon. that the ship had outrun. the log 20 Miles a Proof that there is a Currt. setting to the Southward.

Light Airs & fine Clear wear. found the Varon. by a great. Number  of Azmth. made this afternoon to be 8º.21'30"Wt. & by the Morning Apd. 7º48' at Noon try'd the Current & found it set  N.NW¾W.t ⅛ Mile per Hour the Shifting of the Currt. was confirmed by the Observed Latitude

Firstpt. light breezes & Clear wear. Middle squally with heavy showers of Rain latter Variable Light Airs & Calm & dark gloomy wear. At 3 PM found the Currt. to set NNE¼Et. 1¼ Mile P Hour & at Noon found it to set NE¾N at the same rate, & the Variation to be 8º39'W.t by the Mean of Several Azmth. –

Very Variable wear. with frequent Squalls, rain & Lightning by the Obsd. Latde. at Noon I find the Ship hath only made 22 Miles Southing since the last Observon. two days ago whereas the Log gives 55 Miles a Proof that there is a Currt. setting to the Northward.

Much the same wear. as Yesterday the first part the remainder mostly Calm & cloudy wear. AM Try'd the Currt. & found it sett SSW¼Wt.  half a Mile Per Hour. which is not agreeable to Yesterdys. Journal

Light Airs of Wind with some heavy showers of rain Variaton. by Azmth. & Amplitde. this Evening 8º.4' b Wt. at Noon try'd the current & found it set So¾E ⅓ of a Mile per Hour but finding the Obson. & Log agree I am inclinable to think it hath had no effect upon the Ship

Dark gloomy wear. with much rain the Wind Var'ble from WSW to SSE sometimes on one Tack & sometimes on the other

Firstpt. little wind & Cloudy, Middle Squally with rain, latterpt. light Airs & Clear wear. a little Before Noon took several Obson. of the sun & moon the mean result of which gave the Longde. to be 23º.46' Wt. from Greenwich – which is 1º.22' more Westerly than that by acct. carried on from the last Observon. & the Observed Latde. is 24 Miles more Northerly than the Log since the Last Observon. 2 days ago, all of which shows the North.Westerly Current hath Prevailed for this some Days Past –