Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1785-07-15
This morning with a fine breeze and good wind, we sounded and found bottom, at about 35 fathom of water: we were from 287thence convinced that the vessel we spoke to yesterday had deceived us with respect to our distance from land, or was very much mistaken, for so little water as 25 fathom is not to be found more than 15 or 20 leagues from the coast. We sail'd directly North, to get into our Latitude and at noon were at 39d. 45m. The wind had fallen, and became unfavourable, but it did not last so long. We found bottom at 18 fathom, in the afternoon; but at about 5 o'clock, a very threatning thunder storm arose; the Captain wishing to keep clear of the coast in case of a storm directed the ship towards the N. E. At about 7. o'clock, the gust came, upon us in a very sudden, and a very violent manner: the wind was exceeding high, and the rain pour'd down in showers. It did not last more than an hour, and then the wind abated considerably. At 5 o'clock we found 40 fathom of water, and at 7. 25.
1785-07-16
This morning at 7 ½ o'clock the weather, which had been all night very cloudy, began to
clear up and a sailor came from the top of the mast and told us he had made land in the N.
N. W. As we had yesterday a false alarm, we did not at first believe it: some of our
officers, went to the mast head, and ascertained the reality of the fact. The land which
extended a considerable way, was the coast of the Jerseys, as far, as the heights of
Neversunk
That of 17 July (Adams Papers).