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Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

Sundaye Ap: 11.
Winthrop, John

1630-04-11

Blank of one line.

The winde at n: and by w: a verye stiffe gale. about 8: in the morninge beinge getten paste Sille,1 and standinge to the w: Southe w: corrected from Southe and by w: we mett 2: small shippes, which fallinge in among vs, and the admirall cominge vnder our Lee, we let him passe but the Jewell and Ambrose perceivinge the other to be a brasill man and to take the winde of vs, shott at them, and made them stoppe and fall after vs, and sent a skiffe abord them, to knowe what they were, our Capt fearinge least some mistake might arise, and least they should take them for enemyes, which were freindes, and so through the vnrulynesse of the mariners some wrong might be doone them, Caused his skiffe to be heaved out and sent mr. Greves2 one of his mates and our Pilott (a discreet man) to see how thinges were, who returned soone after and brought with him the master of one of the shippes and mr. Lowe and mr. Hurlston. when they were come aboard vs, they agreed to sende for the Captaine, who Came and shewed his Commission from the Prinse of Orange. In Conclution he Aprill. proved to be a Dutche man a man of warre of flushinge, and the other shippe was a price he had taken laden with sugar and Tobacko, so we sent them aboard their Shippes again and held on our Course. In this tyme (which hindred vs 5: or 6: leagues) the Jewell and the Ambrose came foule of eache other, so as we muche feared the issue, but throughe Godes 246mercye they came well off again onely the Jewell had her foresayle torne, and one of her Anchors broken This occasion, and the sicknesse of our minister and people, putt vs all out of order this daye so as we could have no sermons.

1.

The Scilly Isles.

2.

This Mr. Graves was mate of the Talbot. For possible identifications, see the entry in the Journal under the date of June 3, 1635 , also printed in D.J.W. , and Charles E. Banks, The Planters of the Commonwealth (Boston, 1930), passim. For the signatures of Thomas Graves, the admiral, and Thomas Graves, the engineer, see Richard Frothingham, Jr., The History of Charlestown, Massachusetts (Boston, 1845), 140.

munday Ap: 12.
Winthrop, John

1630-04-12

The winde more large to the N: a stiffe gale with faire weather, in the afternoone lesse winde, and our people beganne to growe well againe. our Children and others that were sicke, and laye groninge in the Cabbins, we fetched out, and havinge streched a rope from the stereage to the maine maste, we made them stande some of one side and some of the other, and swaye it vp and done till they were warme, and by this means they soone grewe well, and merrye.

Teusdaye 13:
Winthrop, John

1630-04-13

The night before it was Calme, and the next daye Calme and close weather, so as we made litle waye, the winde with vs, beinge w:

Wensday 14.
Winthrop, John

1630-04-14

The winde S: w: Raynye weather in the morninge:

about 9: in the forenoone the winde came about to n: n: w: a stiffe gale, so we tacked about and stood our Course w: S: w:

This daye the Shippe heaved and sett more then before, yet we had but fewe sick, and of these, suche as came vp vpon the decke and stirred themselves were presently well againe, therefore our Captaine sett our Children and yonge men to some harmlesse exercises, which the seamen were verye active in, and did our people muche good; though they would somtymes playe the wagges with them Towardes night we were forced to take in some sayle to staye for the viceadmirall which was neere a league a sterne of vs.

Thursday 15:
Winthrop, John

1630-04-15

The winde still at n: n: w: but lesse faire weather, but lesse winde then the daye and night before, so as our shippes made but litle waye.

At noone our Capt made observation by the Crosse staffe1 and founde we were in 47 deg: 37 mint n: lat

All this forenoone our viceadmirall was muche to Leeward of vs, so after dinner we bare vp towardes her, and havinge fetched her vp and spoken with her, the winde beinge come to S: w: we tacked about and steered our Course w: n: w: lyeinge as neere the winde as we could. and about 4: of the Clocke with a stiffe gale we steered w: and b: n. and at night the winde grewe verye stronge, which putt vs on to the w: amaine About 10: at night 247the winde grewe so highe and rayne withall that we were forced to take in our toppsayle, and havinge lowred our maine saile and foresayle the storme was so great, as it splitt our foresayle, and tore it in peeces; and a knott of the sea washed our tubbe overbord wherein our fish was a wateringe the storme still grewe and it was dark with Cloudes (though otherwise moone light) so as (though it was the Jewells torne to carrye the light this night yet) least we should loose or goe fowle one of another, we hanged out a light vpon our apparently Winthrop began to write fore and cancelled the fo mezsen shrodes, and before mid night we lost sight of our viceadmirall;2

Our Capt and his so soone as he had sett the watche at 8: in the eveninge, called his men, and tould them he feared we should have a storme, and therefore Commanded them to be ready vpon the deck, if occasion should be, and himselfe was vp and downe the deckes all all is above a cancelled most tymes of the night.

1.

The cross-staff, according to James K. Hosmer, Ed., Winthrop's Journal (New York, 1908), 1. 32, note, “was a simple instrument of observation, which preceded the quadrant. It was a cross the intersection of which was surrounded by a graduated circle, the periphery being thus broken into four equal arcs.” See Banks, The Winthrop Fleet, 41. The Peabody Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, has replicas of both cross-staffs and quadrants and illustrations of their use.

2.

The Talbot was not seen again till July 2, at Charlestown.