Transcription

Passage from New Zealand to New Holland

April 1770  Monday 16th [Freshly?  Firstly?] at NNW. with Cloudy hazey [weas].  In the [MM?] saw an

Egg Bird & yesterday a Gannat was seen.  these are Birds that we reckon never

to go far from land.  we keept the Lead going all night but found no sound [f!] with

[God?] & 130fa'm line [at noon?] we were in the Lat'de of 89°.45 [?] had made 20°.2

of Long'de from Cape Farewell course & distance sails since Yesterday at

Noon [?] 82°W, 108 Miles

 

Tuesday 17th at 2 [MM?] the wind came to WSW at which time we tack'd & stood to

the NWst before 5 o'clock we were obliged to close reef our Topsails, having a strong

gale with very heavy squalls, about this time a small land bird was seen

to pearch upon the rigging, we sounded but had no ground with 120 [fam?] of 

line at 8 o'clock we [done?] & blood to the Southw'd, until 12 at Night then wore &

stood to the NW'm until 4AM wehen we again stood to the Southw'd having a 

fresh Gale at WSW attended with squalls & dark hazey unsettled [weas] until 9

at which time it fell little wind &the [wea] soon after clear'd up which a little

after a 11 gave us an Opp't of taking several observationsof the Sun & Moon

the Mean result of which gave 207°.56' W Long.de from the Meridian of Green-

which from these observations the Long'de of the ships at Noon was 207°58' &

by the Log 208°.20' the diff'ce being only 22 & this Error may as well be {crossed out}

in the one as the other, our Latitude at Noon was 39°.36' S&Long'de made from Cape

Farewell 22°.22 W

 

Wednesday 18th Winds Southerly a hard gale with heavy squalls attended with

showers of rain & [agrea??] Sea from the [same?] Quarter at 3[AM?] close reef & the tops'l

handed the Main & Mizen Top'l &got down [TopGall'?] yards as the Gale increasd

to such a height as to oblige us to take in the [Foretops'l?] & Mainsail & to run [under?]

the Foresail &Mizen all night [soundering?] every 2 hours but found no ground

with 120fa'mat 6AM set the Mainsail & soon after the [Soutopsail?] & before

Noon the Maintops'l both close reef [?] at Noon our Lat.de by observation

was 38°.45 So Long'de from Cape Farewell 23°43 W &Course & distance

run since Yesterday noon No51°W 82 Miles; last night we saw a [Port Egmond

Hen?]& this morning 2 Mosea Pintado bird several Albatrosses & black

sheer waters, the [first?] of these birds are certain signs of the nearness of

land indeed we cannot be far from it for by our Longitude we are a degree

to the Westward of the E.t side of Van Diemans Land accordin to Tasman the

first discoverers Longitude of it, who could [?  ] much in so short a 

run at from this land to New Zealand & by our Lat'de we could not be above

50 or 55Leag's to the Norther'd of the place where he took his departure from 

 

 

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