A Journal of a Voyage from the Channel between France and England towards America.
Dates
Latit. N.
Long. W.
Therm. A.M.
Therm. P.M.
Winds
Course
Distance
Variation of the Needle
Air
Water
Air
Water
July 29
62
57
{ These are taken on an average of 24 hours. }
30
62
58
63
58
31
60
58
62
62
Miles.
West.
Aug 1
49 15
4 15
63
62
60
64
East
SW ½W
60
22° 0
2
48 28
8 58
64
64
64
63
E S E
WbS ½S
174
3
47 0
12 13
60
67
omitted
N E
SW bW
160
4
45 0
15 43
66
66
do.
66
NWbW
SW ½W
190
5
43 5
17 25
67
65
65
68
N E
SW bS
131
20 0
6
41 3
19 44
70
68
71
69
N E
SW ½S
166
16 30
7
38 45
21 34
70
70
68
70
N E
SSW ¾W
165
11 30
8
36 42
23 10
72
71
73
72
N E
SSW ¾W
149
11 15
9
35 40
25 40
73
73
73
74
N E
WSW ¼S
137
10
35 0
27 0
71
73
77
75
N W
WSW ¾S
76
11
33 51
28 42
74
74
76
77
North
SW ¾W
112
Therm. Noon
12
33 30
31 30
76
75
76
76
North
W ¾S
143
A.
W.
13
33 17
33 32
76
76
78
77
N E
W ½ S
103
77
78
14
33 22
34 31
76
76
81
79
S S E
W ½ N
50
81
79
15
33 45
35 0
78
79
79
78
W N W
SW ¼W
35
79
79
16
34 14
35 30
79
78
81
80
West
NW ½N
38
81
80
17
35 37
36 4
80
79
80
78
W S W
N N W
75
80
78
18
36 7
37 16
80
78
omitted
NW bW
WNW ½N
65
80
79
19
36 38
38 0
78
77
78
77
W S W
NW ½W
49
79
77
Journal of a Voyage, &c. continued.
Dates
Latit. N.
Long. W.
Therm. A.M.
Therm. P.M.
Winds
Course
Distance
Variation of the Needle
Therm. Noon
Air
Water
Air
Water
A.
W.
Aug 20
37 38
38 6
78
76
omitted
West
N ¼ W
62
77
75
21
36 15
38 26
73
74
78
76
W N W
S b W
82
77
75
22
35 40
38 44
77
76
80
77
W b S
S S W
38
80
77
23
35 35
40 52
79
77
78
75
North
W ¼ S
100
omitted.
24
35 12
41 31
75
73
75
74
W N W
S W b W
41
75
74
25
35 40
42 33
79
76
79
76
W b N
W N W ¾ N
60
80
76
26
35 30
42 44
79
76
80
76
S W b W
S W ½ S
14
80
76
27
35 14
43 23
79
77
81
79
West
W S W ¼ S
38
81
78
28
34 23
44 0
78
76
78
78
N N E
S W b S
60
78
78
29
34 12
45 52
77
78
78
78
N E
W ¼ S
94
8 0
79
78
30
34 5
48 31
78
78
78
78
East
W ½ S
134
78
78
31
34 20
51 4
80
79
81
79
East
W ¾ S
129
80
80
Sept 1
34 20
52 47
81
78
omitted
S S W
W ¼ N
86
83
80
2
34 55
55 12
81
80
83
80
S W
W b N ½ W
125
83
80
3
35 30
57 24
83
80
83
80
S W b S
W b N ½ N
114
6 0
84
81
4
35 50
59 1
82
80
83
80
S W ½ W
W b N ¼ N
82
83
81
5
35 55
61 0
81
80
82
81
S S W
W ¼ N
96
82
81
6
36 20
62 30
80
81
79
80
N W b N
W b N
75
78
80
7
34 50
63 10
87
80
78
81
N W b N
S S W
86
78
81
8
34 45
64 40
75
79
75
79
North
W ¼ S
74
75
79
9
35 43
66 42
75
79
77
73
N E
W N W
108
78
80
10
37 20
68 40
77
73
77
70
E N E
N W
126
78
72
N.B. Longitude is reckoned from London, and the Thermometer is according to Fahrenheit.
OBSERVATIONS.
July 31. At one P.M. the Start bore WNW. distant six leagues.
August 1. The water appears luminous in the ship's wake.
---- 2. The temperature of the water is taken at eight in the morning and at eight in the evening.
---- 6. The water appears less luminous.
---- 7. Formegas SW. dist 32½ deg. St. Mary's SW½S. 33 leagues.
---- 8. From this date the temperature of the water is taken at eight in the morning and at six in the evening.
---- 10. Moonlight, which prevents the luminous appearance of the water.
---- 11. A strong southerly current.
---- 12. Ditto. From this date the temperature of the air and water was taken at noon, as well as morning and evening.
---- 16. Northerly current.
---- 19. First saw gulph weed.
---- 21. Southerly current.
---- 22. Again saw gulph weed.
---- 24. The water appeared luminous in a small degree before the moon rose.
---- 29. No moon, yet very little light in the water.
---- 30. Much gulph weed to-day.
---- 31. Ditto.
Sept. 1. Ditto.
---- 2. A little more light in the water.
---- 4. No gulph weed to-day. More light in the water.
---- 5. Some gulph weed again.
---- 6. Little light in the water. A very hard thunder-gust in the night.
---- 7. Little gulph weed.
---- 8. More light in the water. Little gulph weed.
---- 9. Little gulph weed. Little light in the water last evening.
---- 10. Saw some beds of rock-weed; and we were surprised to observe the water six degrees colder by the thermometer than the preceding noon.
This day (10th) the thermometer still kept descending, and at five in the morning of the 11th, it was in water as low as 70, when we struck soundings. The same evening the pilot came on board, and we found our ship about five degrees of longitude a-head of the reckoning, which our captain accounted for by supposing our course to have been near the edge of the gulph stream, and thus an eddy-current always in our favour. By the distance we ran from Sept. 9, in the evening, till we struck soundings, we must have then been at the western edge of the gulph stream, and the change in the temperature of the water was probably owing to our suddenly passing from that current, into the waters of our own climate.
On the 14th of August the following experiment was made. The weather being perfectly calm, an empty bottle, corked very tight, was sent down 20 fathoms, and it was drawn up still empty. It was then sent down again 35 fathoms, when the weight of the water having forced in the cork, it was drawn up full; the water it contained was immediately tried by the thermometer, and found to be 70, which was six degrees colder than at the surface: the lead and bottle were visible, but not very distinctly so, at the depth of 12 fathoms, but when only 7 fathoms deep, they were perfectly seen from the ship. This experiment was thus repeated Sept. 11, when we were in soundings of 18 fathoms. A keg was previously prepared with a valve at each end, one opening inward, the other outward; this was sent to the bottom in expectation that by the valves being both open when going down, and both shut when coming up, it would keep within it the water received at bottom. The upper valve performed its office well, but the under one did not shut quite close, so that much of the water was lost in hauling it up the ship's side. As the water in the keg's passage upwards could not enter at the top, it was concluded that what water remained in it was of that near the ground, and on trying this by the thermometer, it was found to be at 58, which was 12 degrees colder than at the surface.
This last Journal was obligingly kept for me by Mr. J. Williams, my fellow-passenger in the London Packet, who made all the experiments with great exactness.
TO MR. O. N[36].
