9

Ship Esperance sailing downe the Channel bound to Bengale.

Thursday February 28. 1726
Moderate gales with some rain, the wind veared
to the southward & then to the southwest. In the evening came in
our two fishing boats with our anchors & cables rubb'd
very much, our small bower cable thought not proper to
goe in the ship again, also the anchor stock broke, the
best bower cable was rubbed very much, was obliged to
cutt it & splice them to gather for a small bower & the 2
sheet cables for our best bowers, gott two 17. inches cables
from the Company's storehouse for our sheet cables
butt the worst that ever I saw; came in a fishing boat that
left the ships at Dungeness all week.

Friday March 1.
Hard gales with some rain the wind between the
southwest & west. Got on bord a new small bower anchor & bent our
cables, now have all our anchors & cables.

Sunday the 3.
Moderate gales & fair weather, the wind between
the west & north. This day returned the Company's sloop, who
left the ships off of the Isle of Whight last fryday, with
the wind at west-southwest. Butt the wind veared to the northwest. We are
of opinion they are got downe Channel.

Monday the 4.
Moderate gales with fair weather the wind between
the northwest & northeast in the afternoon received out of the company's
sloop, 4 chests markt P. n° 9 gt. 128 bottles - 13. 124 - 14. 128 - 14. 128 -
two pipes of bread, one hhd of brandy, with some other thinges,
at 5 a clock in the morning fired a gunn the wind at northeast
for our people to come abord about 10, begann to warpe the
ship downe to the [Sills?], in order to saile out.

Tuesday March the 5th 1726.

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Hour: 1; Knots: made sail; Fathoms: ; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 2; Knots: ..; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 3; Knots: ..; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 4; Knots: ..; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 5; Knots: Ostend; Fathoms: ..; Courses: SE. 4 leagues; Winds:
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Hour: 6; Knots: 3; Fathoms: 3; Courses: W. by N.; Winds: NE.
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Hour: 7; Knots: 3; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 8; Knots: 2; Fathoms: 3; Courses: ; Winds: ENE.
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Hour: 9; Knots: 1; Fathoms: 3; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 10; Knots: 1; Fathoms: 3; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 11; Knots: 1; Fathoms: 4; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 12; Knots: 2; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 1; Knots: 2; Fathoms: ..; Courses: W.; Winds:
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Hour: 2; Knots: 1; Fathoms: 4; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 3; Knots: 1; Fathoms: ; Courses: W. by S.; Winds: E. by S.
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Hour: 4; Knots: 1; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 5; Knots: calm; Fathoms: ; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 6; Knots: 1; Fathoms: ..; Courses: NW.; Winds: WSW.
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Hour: 7; Knots: 1; Fathoms: 4; Courses: ; Winds: [K:t?]
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Hour: 8; Knots: 2; Fathoms: ..; Courses: SSW.; Winds: W. [K:t?]
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Hour: 9; Knots: 1; Fathoms: ..; Courses: NNW.; Winds:
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Hour: 10; Knots: 1; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds: [K:t?]
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Hour: 11; Knots: 1; Fathoms: ..; Courses: SW.; Winds: WNW.
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Hour: 12; Knots: 1; Fathoms: 4; Courses: South Foreland; Winds: W. 1/2 S. 7 leagues
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Distance 30 miles
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At one a clock set saile & came
out of the harbour, then hoisted in
our longboat the wind at east-northeast.
Small breezes, cleared our decks,
toke out of a fishing boat 16 chests
of wine markt MDC. n°. 1. a 16. in
the night small aires of wind &
vearable, at noon the South Foreland
bore west 1/2 south distance 7 leagues got clear over
small bower in order to stop the
tide of flood if calm.

Wednesday March the 6.

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Hour: 1; Knots: ..; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 2; Knots: ..; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 3; Knots: ..; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 4; Knots: ..; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 5; Knots: calm; Fathoms: ; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 6; Knots: [Callice lifts?]; Fathoms: ..; Courses: SSW.; Winds: Distance 5 leagues
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Hour: 7; Knots: 1; Fathoms: ..; Courses: NW.; Winds: WSW.
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Hour: 8; Knots: 2; Fathoms: 4; Courses: North Foreland; Winds: W. by N. 3 leagues [K:t?]
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Hour: 9; Knots: 3; Fathoms: ..; Courses: S. by E.; Winds: SW. by W. ditto
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Hour: 10; Knots: 3; Fathoms: ..; Courses: S. by W.; Winds: W. by SE. ditto
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Hour: 11; Knots: 3; Fathoms: ..; Courses: N.; Winds: WNW. ditto
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Hour: 12; Knots: 3; Fathoms: 4; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 1; Knots: 4; Fathoms: ..; Courses: WSW.; Winds: NNE.
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Hour: 2; Knots: 5; Fathoms: ..; Courses: SW.; Winds:
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Hour: 3; Knots: 6; Fathoms: 2; Courses: W.; Winds:
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Hour: 4; Knots: 6; Fathoms: 4; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 5; Knots: 5; Fathoms: 3; Courses: W. by S.; Winds: [O: BTS.?]
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Hour: 6; Knots: 6; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds: snow
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Hour: 7; Knots: 7; Fathoms: 3; Courses: ; Winds: E.
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Hour: 8; Knots: 7; Fathoms: ..; Courses: WSW. Ditto both topsails; Winds: ESE.
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Hour: 9; Knots: 7; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds:
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Hour: 10; Knots: 7; Fathoms: 4; Courses: ; Winds: [O:2 BTS?]
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Hour: 11; Knots: 8; Fathoms: ..; Courses: ; Winds: [O:1 RTS?]
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Hour: 12; Knots: 7; Fathoms: 4; Courses: Beachy Head; Winds: NE. 6 leagues
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Distance 93 miles
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The first part small breezes of
wind & vearable, the lattter part fresh
gales vearable attended with snow.
At one a clock in the morning the
South Foreland lights bore west 6. south 4
leagues. At 8 brought too & sent
away the fishing boat that accompanied
us thro the banks, then Beachy Head
bore northwest 1/2 west distance 3 leagues at noon
ditto bore northeast distance 6 leagues.
Saw severall ships in the Channel.