Jacob Strong, Whaling Log of the Henry, 1845-1846

PM strong winds and squalls standing try watches finished trying out oil this afternoon and coopered it over of which we made out 75bbls of oil Continues squally We lashed our oil on deck until better weather so ends these 24 hours Lat 36 Lon 15

Monday November the 24 AM moderate breeze and fair weather called all hands at half past 4 o'clock commenced breaking out the lower hole and stowing down oil Finished in the afternoon and then scraped our bone and stowed that down and then cleaned up decks Raised a sail astern of us this morn kept the same course through the day At 5 Oclock came up with us and run across our lee bow we did not speak her She set her colours which we found to be a French ship Lat 36 Lon 19.50

Tuesday Novermber 15th 1845 AM winds North strong breeze and rugged weather somewhat squally Heavy seas running French ship at windward of us nothing else in sight PM the same steering South by East so ends these 24 hours

Wednesday Nov 26th AM strong winds from the N west double reef topsails and foresail on Steering S east East Continues squally with rain PM the same nothing in sight Lat

Thursday Nov 27th 1845 AM strong breeze with squalls Double reef topsail on and main topgallant sail Steering SE by east PM the same raised a sail at Oclock right ahead going to leeward so ends these 24 hours Lat Long

Friday 28th of Nov AM good NW breeze steering South east by east rather more moderate Sailing with single reef topsails fore and main topgallant sail and foreasail PM the same with moderate breeze shook reef out of fore topgallant sail set steering SEast by East nothing in sight so ends these 24 hours Lat 41:12

Saturday the 29 of Nov AM light wholesail breeze from NNeast topmast studdingsail set steering SE pleasant weather Raised 2 finbacks nothing in sight this afternoon So ends these 24 hours

Sunday the 30 of Nov 1845 AM light breeze and fair weather Raised right whale from aloft at half past 10 Oclock lowered and after pulling an hour andahalf returned to the ship without success afternoon raised finbacks wind NE steering our course so ends these 24 hours Lat Lon

December the 1 1845 this month commences on monday with strong breeze from North with squalls of rain steering Southeast this afternoon cries[?] from aloft but proved to be finback so ends these 24 hours Lat Longitude

Tuesday the 2nd of Decem' AM all hands called to shorten sail at 4 Oclock all sail taken except staysail and main topsail which was close reefed wind abated a little at 7 oclock we loosed the fore sail and loosed the foretopsail ran so until 12 oclock when we turned reefs out of fore and main topsails and loosed mizen

Loosed maintopgallant sail and foretopgallant sail we are going at the rate of 8 knots an hour with good breeze from the north we are steering south east by east nothing in sight so ends these 24 hours Lat 40 South Long 41 east

Wednesday Dec the 3d 1845 AM wind at NWest with light breeze and a heavy sea ship rolling quite [A] lot unbent the mainsail this morning starboard watch mending it Steering SSeast at 12 O'clock set studding sail altered the course 2 points steering east this afternoon wind increases to a gale every thing taken in except maintopsail so these 24 hours Lat 41 Long 47 east

AM Thursday the 4 1845 AM moderate weather and passing clouds wind South this afternoon wind increases with squalls of rain just before 8 all hands called to reef topsails Lat Long

Friday the the 5th 1845 AM wind NWest strong breeze all sail set mending staysail and foretopgallant sails afternoon the same steering South east so ends these 24 hours

Saturday the 6th of December AM light wholesail breeze and fair weather mending mizentopsail afternoon starboard watch unbent maintopsail and mended it and bent it again nothing in sight

Sunday December the 7 1845 AM strong winds and squally weather pleasant weather at 12 Oclock all sail set steering Sest wind Northwest nothing in sight as yet so ends these 24 hours Lat Long

Monday the 8 of Decem AM good wholesail breeze ?? ?? weather finbacks aplenty in sight steering Seast by Eat Afternoon the same Lat Long

Tuesday December the 9 Light wholesail breeze this morning and moderate weather nothing in sight afternoon increase of wind after 4 oclock almost a gale at 5 oclock raised two right whales half a mile to the leeward of us but weather could not lower Layed to all night and stood quarter watches blowing heavy yet at 4 oclock all hands called to make sail steering different courses cruising for whale just before eleven oclock raised 2 whales the wind had ceased blowing a little so that 2 boats lowered but it was very rugged after an [H]our and a half boats returned without success whales ?? Lat Long

Thursday the 11 of Decem Stood quarter watches last night all called to make sail tis morning strong wholesail breeze steering our course SS east