Friday 7.
Wednef. 26.
Sunday 30.
February.
Thurfday 3.
Saturday 5.
proceed down the river. With a favorable wind on the following day we
failed, and anchored in Long Reach about five in the evening. Although
this trial of the Ihip may appear very infignificarit, yet as Ihe had never
been under fail, it was not made without fome anxiety. The conftruftion
of her upper works, for the fake of adding to the comfort of the accommodations,
differing materially from the general fafhion, produced an un-
fightly appearance; and gave rife to various opinions unfavorable to her
qualities as a fea-boat; for which reafon it was natural to pay the mmuteft
attention to her fleering, and other properties when in motion j and we
obtained in the courfe of this fhort expedition, the pleafing profpea of
her proving handy, and in all other refpefts a very-comfortable veffel.
Various neceffary occupations detained us in Long Reach until the
26th, when, having taken on board all our ordnance ftores, and fuch
things as were wanted from Deptford dock yard, we proceeded down the
river on our way to Portfmouth. My orders for this purpofe were accompanied
by another, to receive on board and convey to his native country
Tozoraro, an Indian, from one of the Sandwich Iflands, who had been
brought from thence by fome of the north weft American traders in july
1780. This man had lived, whilft in England, in great obfcurity, and
did not feem in the leaft to have benefited by his refidence in this country.
Unfavorable winds prevented our reaching the Downs until the 30th;
where they ftill continued, and, being attended with very boifterous weather,
detained us until the 3d of february ;. when, with a ftrong gale
from the northward, we proceeded down channel. About noon we
paffed the South Foreland, and had the misfortune to lofe John Brown,
who fell overboard, and was drowned. He was one o f the Carpenter’s
mates, an exceedingly good man, and very much regretted. About noon
on the 5th we anchored at Spithead, where Rear-Admiral Goodall’s flag
was flying on board His Majefty’s Ihip Vanguard, in company with
twelve fail o f the line, and feveral frigates.
Some defeats in the (hip’s head were already evident, as the bum-
kins, and a confiderable part o f the head were now wafted away.
Thefe repairs, with fuch other duties as were neceffary, I gave orders to
have executed; and my prefence being required in London, I repaired
thither;
thither; where I remained until the 27th, when I returned to Portfmouth, '79*-
February.
with orders to proceed to Falmouth. ■ — — ■
On former voyages of this defcription, it had been cuftomary to pay unciii' ®7'
the officers and (hip’s company, the wages that had become due whilft they
had been employed in the equipment o f the veffels, which in general had
occupied fix months or upwards; enabling them by fuch means more
effeftually to provide themfelves with thofe comforts which fuch long and
remote fervices ever demand. But as a fimilar payment to the crews of
the Difcovery and Chatham, (whofe complements were now complete) for
the ftort time they had been in pay, would have been of little afliftance;
the Lords of the Admiralty, at my folicitation, had the goodnefs to grant
them three months pay in advance; which was accordingly received free
o f all deductions.
I have already mentioned that the Navy Board had fupplied me with an
alfortment o f mathematical inftruments; and the Board of Longitude, in
compliance with the wiftes of the Admiralty, provided in addition two
chronometers.; one made by the late eminent Mr. Kendall, (the excellence
o f which had been manifefted on board the Difcovery during Captain ,
Cook’s laft voyage, and which had lately been cleaned and put into order
by its very worthy and ingenious maker, a ftort time before hisdeceafe;)
the other lately made by Mr. Arnold. Thefe had both been depofited at
the obfervatory o f the Portfmouth academy, for the purpofe of finding
their refpeftive errors, and for appertaining their rate o f going. The former
was delivered to me, with fuch obfervations as had been made to that March. ^
effeCt; whence it appeared to be faft of mean time at Greenwich,. on the
lft of March at noon, 1' 30" i8'v, and to be gaining on mean time at the Tuefday t.
rate of 6" 12"' per day. The latter was directed to be put on board the
■ Chatham, which veffel had now arrived from the river.
Having completely finifted our bufinefs with the dock-yard on thurf- Thurfday 3.
day evening, we dropped down -to .St. Helen’s, and the next morning Friday 4.
proceeded down channel, leaving the Chatham behind, not as yet quite
ready-to .accompany us; -in our way we flopped at .Guernfey, and on .the
12th arrived at Falmouth, where I was-to wait the arrival of the Chat- Saturday jz.
ham, and .to receive my -final inftruftions for the profecution of the
B 2 voyage.