SOUTH-AFRICA-L Archives

From: Sue Mackay <>
Subject: [ZA] Log of HMS Weymouth Part Two (UK to Las Palmas)
Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 19:48:06 +0000

ADM51/3543 LOG OF HMS WEYMOUTH (1819-20)
Mr.Richard Turner, Master

Public Record Office, Kew, London

This log was transcribed on 31 January 2003. Time did not permit me to
transcribe it all, so it is complete (other than margin notes on compass
bearings etc) from December 16 1819 until Sunday February 6, after which I
quickly noted down major events and any personal references to the 1820
settlers on board. Capitals for settlers' names are mine. Numbers to the
left refer to the time of day. Some abbreviations have been expanded for
the sake of clarity. Other abbreviations occurring frequently in the log are:
Do = ditto
Qt = quantity

PART TWO (UK to Las Palmas)

Sat 8 January
Am: Strong breezes and cloudy
2: In top gallant sails
4: Do weather. Portland lights NNW 3 leagues
8: Do weather
11: Reefed and set the mainsail
12: Do weather with snow
Bearings and distance at noon Bolt Head N6 W 4 leagues
Pm: Fresh breezes and cloudy
4: Do weather
Opened 2 casks of beef Nos 2161 and 2181 qt 38 pecks each and pork 2 casks
Nos. 625 and 1379 qt 80 ?
8: Squally
12: Weather with a swell from the eastward

Sun 9 January
Am: Fresh breezes and cloudy
2:30: Set top gallant sails
4: Do weather with snow. Out reef of the mainsail and set the jib
5: In main top gallant sail
Noon: Strong breezes and squally
Bearings and distance at noon Port Santo S 25 W 980 miles
Pm: Fresh breezes and cloudy
4: Do weather
6: Do weather
8: Do weather
12: Squally

Mon 10 January
Am: Fresh breezes with squalls
1: Carried away the jib pennant down
4: Do weather
Opened 2 casks of pease qt 5 bushels each
7: Made sail occasionally
8: Moderate and cloudy
Noon: Do weather
Bearings and distance at noon Port Santo 24 W 832 miles
Pm: Moderate and cloudy
1: Squally. Carried away the fore and main top gallant masts. Employed
getting do on deck
4: Squally with rain. In 2nd reef of topsails
6: Do weather. Carpenters employed fitting top gt masts
8: Do weather
12: Do weather

Tues 11 January
Am: Fresh breezes and cloudy
4: Do weather
8: Do weather
9:30: Out 2nd reef of topsails. Set larboard fore topmast and studding sail
Noon: Do weather
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo 22W 644 miles
Pm: Moderate and cloudy with rain at times. Trimmed sails occasionally
4: Do weather
6: Do weather Carpenters employed as before
8: Do weather
12: Do weather

Wed 12 January
Am: Moderate and fine. Set larboard fore studding sails
Departed this life the infant son of SAMl JAMES (settler)
4: Do weather
8: Do weather
9:30: Studding sails and trimmed sails on the starboard tack
12: Moderate and fine
Bearings and distance at noon Port Santo S54W 532 miles
Pm: Moderate and cloudy. Carpenters employed as before
2: Wind veered round to NW squally. Lowered the topsails and in 2nd reef of do.
4: Do weather
6: Do weather
8 Do weather
12: Moderate and fine

Thu 13 January
Am: Moderate and fine
4: Do weather
6: Committed the body of the above infant to the deep
8: Calm. Fidded main top gallant mast. Employed rigging do
12: Light airs and cloudy
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo S25W 460 miles
Pm: Light variable winds with rain at times. Trimmed sails occasionally
4: Do weather
7: In 2nd reef of topsails
8: Do weather with rain
10: Do weather. Set the topsails
12: Do weather

Fri 14 January
Am: Fresh breezes and fine
4: Do weather
6: Do weather. Carpenters employed fitting fore top gallant mast
8: Do weather. Set larboard lower and top mast studding sails
12: Moderate and fine. 1 sail in sight
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo S26W 370 miles
Pm: Light winds and fine. Employed setting up the rigging
4: Do weather. Carpenters employed as before
5: Studding sails and fidded fore top gallant mast
Opened 1 cask flour 336lbs tea 1 case 86 Wine Nos.2&6 21 gs each
8: Do weather
12: Do weather

Sat 15 January
Am: Moderate and fine
3: Set main sail and main top gallant sail
4: Do weather. Open’d rum No 35 qt 88 gallons
6: Do weather. Departed this life SAMl DUGEBY settler’s child
6:30: Out 1st reef of fore topsail Set starboard lower and top mast
studding sails
8: Fidded fore top gallant mast. Crossed yard and set the sail
9: Committed the body of the deceased to the deep
12: Do weather
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo S29W 310 miles
Pm: Light breezes and fine
Set studding sails and trimmed sails
5:40: Up mainsail in royals
6: Do weather
8: Calm and fine
Midnight: Moderate and cloudy

Sun 16 January
Am: Fresh breezes and cloudy
2: In top gallant sails
4: In 1st and 2nd reefs of topsails
7:30: Down jib in 3rd reef of main topsail. Close reefed fore and mizen top
sail down top gallant yards and struck top gallant masts in flying jib boom
Opened 2 cask of pork No 641 &627 80 pecks each 2 casks of beef Nos 2175
&2071 qt 38 pecks each
Noon: Strong breezes and squally with rain
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo S23w 268 miles
Pm: Strong breezes and squally
4: Do weather
8: Ware ship
Midnight: Strong breezes and squally

Mon 17 January
Am: Strong breezes and squally
4: Do weather
6: Fresh breezes and squally. Fidded top gallant masts. Set mizen topsail
Noon: Fresh breezes and hazy
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo S25.37W 224 miles
Pm: Strong breezes and hazy
4: Do weather
6: Do weather
8: Do weather
12: Do weather up main sails

Tues 18 January
Am: Strong breezes and hazy
4: Do weather. Down jib and up spanker
6: Do weather
8: Do weather
9: Reefed and set the main sail
12: Do weather
Bearing and distance at noon Porto Santo S46W 238 miles
Pm: Fresh breezes and cloudy
4: Do weather
6: Do weather
8: Do weather. Tacked ship
9: Set the spanker
12: Do weather

Wed 19 January
Am: Fresh breezes and hazy
2: Up spanker
4: Do weather. Set spanker
6: Do weather
8: Squally in 3rd reef of fore and main topsails. Down spanker
12: Close reefed mizen topsail
12: Do weather
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo S34.10W 224 miles
Pm: Fresh breezes and cloudy
4: Do weather
6: Do weather
7: Ware ship
8: Moderate and cloudy
10: Set the spanker
12: Do weather

Thu 20 January
Am: Moderate and cloudy
4: Do weather
8: Do weather. Out 2nd reef of the topsails
9: Crossed top gallant yards and set the sails. Opened rum No 35 qt 88 gallons
Noon: Light airs and cloudy
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo S44.17W 224 miles
Pm: Light winds and hazy
4: Do weather with rains. Opened flour no162 qt.375 lbs suet No 103 qt 180
lb oatmeal 1 cask qt 7 ½ bushels and sugar no 21 qt 560 lbs
7: Top gallant sails and down flying jib
Midnight: Light airs. Trimmed sails

Fri 21 January

Am: Calm and cloudy
4: Do weather
6: Do weather
8: Do weather
11:30: Light airs from the W. Trimmed and made sail
Bearings and distance at noon Porto Santo S50.58W 222 miles
Pm: Light breezes and fine
5: In royals
6: Moderate breezes and fine. In top sails. Top gallant staysail and 1st
reef of main topsail
and 2nd reefs of fore and mizen do
10: Down flying jib
Midnight: Fresh breezes and cloudy

Sat 22 January
Am: Fresh breezes and cloudy
3: In spanker and mizen staysail
6: Do weather. Opened 2 casks of butter qt 69 lbs each and cheese 2 casks
qt 125 lbs each cocoa No 31 qt 336 lb
10:30: Set spanker and fore and main top gallant sails
Noon: Fresh breezes and squally
Bearings and distance at noon Santa Cruz S28.51W 318 miles
Pm: Fresh breezes and squally
In 1st reef of fore top sail
6: Do weather
8:30: Carried away the starboard fore topmast studding sail
Midnight: Fresh breezes and fine

Sun 23 January
Am: Moderate and fine
7:30: Out reefs of topsails. Set larboard fore topmast and top gallant
studding sails
8: Do weather. Crossed royal yards and set the sails. Set larboard lower
studding sail
11: Performed divine service
Noon: Moderate and fine
Pm: Fresh breezes and fine
4: Do weather
6: Do weather
8: Moderate and fine
Midnight: Do weather

Mon 24 January
Am: Fresh breezes and cloudy. In top gallant sails
4: Do weather. Set fore and main top gallant sails
7: Saw the island of Lanzarote west 3 or 4 leagues
8: Fresh breezes
Opened 2 ½ Hhds of vinegar qt 32 gs each tobacco No 175 qt 85 lbs
Noon: Fresh breezes
Bearing and distance at noon Extremes of Lanzarote from WNW to W
Pm: Fresh breezes and cloudy
Variously employed about the rigging
4: Do weather
8: Moderate breezes and cloudy
Midnight: Do weather

Tues 25 January
Am: Fresh breezes and cloudy
4: Short sail and hove to
8: centre of the town of Las Palmas Gran Canary WNW
11: shortened sail and came to with SB in 23 fathoms. Veered to 80 fathoms
NE point of Gran Canary N6E1/2E Centre of the town West
Bearings and Distance at noon. Single anchor off the town of Palmas
Pm: Moderate and fine
Furled sails down royal yards
Employed sending empty casks on shore for water in shore boats
Midnight moderate and cloudy

This thread:

• [ZA] Log of HMS Weymouth Part One (Portsmouth) by Sue Mackay <>

  • [ZA] Log of HMS Weymouth Part Two (UK to Las Palmas) by Sue Mackay <>

  • [ZA] Log of HMS Weymouth Part Three (Canary Isles to the Cape) by Sue Mackay <>