Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2Note: you've followed an index reference to a note that, due to changes between the print and digital editions, may no longer be on page 247. Please look at all notes at the end of the document or documents on page 247.
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 fo
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
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.
The Talbot was not seen again till July 2, at Charlestown.
1630-04-16
About 4: in the morninge the winde slacked a litle, yet it continued a great storme still, and though in the after noone it blewe not muche winde, yet the sea went so highe as it tossed vs more then before, and we carried no mo
about 4: in the after noone the winde still w: and b. S. w: and b. S. is corrected from S. W.
reeradmirall and the Jewell holde vp with vs.
This night was verye stormye.
All the tyme of the storme fewe of our people were sicke, (except the women, who kept vnder hatches) and there appeared no dis feare or dismayednesse amonge them
1630-04-17
The winde S: w: verye stormye stormye written above freshe cancelled
This daye our Capt tould me that our lande men were verye nastye and slouenly and that the gunne deck where they lodged, was so beastly and noysome with their victualls, and beastlynesse as would muche endanger the healthe of the shippe: herevpon after prayer we tooke order and appointed 4: men, to see to it and to keepe that roome Cleane for 3: dayes, and then 4: other should succeede them and so forthe on.
248The winde continued all this daye at S: w: a stiffe gale, in the afternoone it cleered vp, but verye hasye. our Capt about 4: of the Clocke sent one to the toppe to looke for our viceAdmirall but he Could not descrye him, yet we sawe a sayle about 2: leagues to the leeward, which stoode towardes the n: E:
We were this eveninge (by our accompt) about 90 leages from Sillye