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Cape of Good Hope Augt. 22 91
extract & abstract
The chatham was without a doubt the most improper vessel that could have been pitched upon - she draws 12½ Feet of water & is scarcely the Burthen of 120 Tons she has neither breadth nor length in the Least reasonable Proportion & there then is the Fitness for Rivers & Shallows which they say we are to explore - as you may conclude we are very tender & for sailing we have not been a match for the Dullest merchant Vessel we have met with - the discovery sails much better & she is [indecipherable] from her good [bearings?] & by her Projecting Sides affords great Convenience & Room for working - she has answered so far as to Please those belonging to her
We could have ancherd at [Fonchat] in an hour or two but the discovery having acted with much more caution in respect to the Land was not able to come to us & therefore made us a signal to [pass?] her
We anchored at Teneriff on Santa Cruz bay on the 29th of April & here we took in 25 Tons of Stone ballast finding over ours which was 25 Tons of [indecipherable] & 4 of Iron pigs too little
on the Sunday after our Arrival we dined with an English man and both Ships had Liberty in Consequence of which all hands got drunk & insulted every one even the Spanish Centinals & the Spanish guard was calld out & some of our men [indecipherable] and others Fired down to their boats rather roughly when the Capt who heard of the affray just as he had finished his Coffee came down & was instantly thrust by the but end of a musquet into the Sea
The Capt when he came on board Lamented that he was not decked in his uniform as he [could?] in that case have made a material affair of it he wrote however to the Spanish Governor resting his charge on their having been