1S! A V O Y A G E T O
1776.
11
jaiy. i°th, the Commiffioner and Pay Clerks came on
WedneC 10. ^°ar^> anc* Pa^ £^e officers and crew up to the 30th of Iaft
month. The petty officers and feamen had, befides, two
months wages in advance. Such indulgence to the latter, is
no more than what is cuftomary in the navy. But the payment
of what was due to the fuperior officers was humanely
ordered by the Admiralty, in confideration of our peculiar
fituation, that we might be better able to defray the very
great expence of furniihing ourfelves with a flock of necef-
faries for a voyage which, probably, would be of unufual
duration, and to regions where no fupply could be expeited.
Nothing now obftrudting my departure but a contrary
wind, which blew ftrong at South Weft, in the morning of
Thurfdayn. the nth, I delivered into the hands of Mr. Burney, firft
Lieutenant of the Difcovery, Captain Clerke’s failing orders;
a copy of which I alfo left with the Officer * commanding
his Majefty’s fhips at Plymouth, to be delivered to the Captain
immediately on his arrival. In the afternoon, the wind
moderating, we weighed with the ebb, and got farther out,
beyond all the fhippingin the Sound; where, after making
an unfuccefsful attempt to get to fea, we were detained
Friday i2.. moft of the following day, which was employed in receiving
on board a fupply of water; and, by the fame veflel
that brought it, all the empty calks were returned.
As I did not imagine my flay at Plymouth would have-
been fo long as it proved-, we did not get our inftruments on
fhore to make the necefiary obfervations for afcertaining the
longitude by the- watch. For the fame reafon, Mr. Baily
did not fet about this, till he found that the Difcovery would,
* Captain Le Craft,, Admiral Amherit having ftruck hisjlag fome days.before..
4 probably,.
probably* be detained fome days after us. He then placed
his quadrant upon Drake’s Ifland; and had time, before the
Refolution failed, to make obfervations fufficient for the
purpofe we had in view. Our watch made the ifland to lie
4 14, and his, 4° 134.', Weft of Greenwich. Its latitude,
as found by Meffis. Wales and Baily, on the laft voyage, is
50° 21' 30" North. •
We weighed again at eight in the evening, and flood
out of the Sound, with a gentle breeze at North. Weft bv
Weft. *
m
1776.
July.
G H A. a