A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

Thursday 20:
Winthrop, John

1630-05-20

The storm continued all this daye the winde as it was and raynye in the forenoone we carried our foresayle, and stood W: S: w. but in the afternoone we tooke it in, the winde encreasinge and the sea growne verye highe: and lyinge with the helme a weather, corrected from Lee we made no waye, but as the shippe drove. we had still cold weather.

255

☞ faste In the great Cabbin at 9: at night etc., and the next daye again etc. The storme continued all this night.

Fryday 21.
Winthrop, John

1630-05-21

The winde still n: w: litle winde and closse weather. we stood S: w: with all our sayles, but made litle waye, and at night it was a still Calme.

A servant of the C one of our Companye had bargained with a Childe, to sell him a boxe worthe 3d: for 3: biskettes a daye all the voyage, and had received about 40: and had sould them and manye more to some other servantes we Caused his handes to be tyed vp to a barre and hanged a baskett with stones about his necke and so he stood 2: howres.

Saterday 22.
Winthrop, John

1630-05-22

The winde S: S: W: muche winde and rayne. our sprit sayle1 layed so deepe in as it was splitt in peeces with a head sea: at the instant as our Capt was goeinge forth of his Cabbin verye early in the morninge to give ordere to take it in: It was a great mercye of God May that it did splitt, for otherwise it had endangered the breaking of our borespritt and toppe mastes at least, and then we had had no other waye, but to have returned for Englande, except the winde had come East: about 10: in the morninge, in a very great Freatt2 of winde, it chopt suddainly into the W: as it had doone diverse tymes before, and so continued with a small gale, and stood n and b: w. About 4: in the afternoone there arose a suddain storme of winde and rayne, so violent, as we had not a greater, it continued thicke and boysterous till well cancelled and dotted for deletion all the night.

About 7: we descryed a sayle a head of vs towardes the n: and b: E: which stood towardes vs: our Capt supposinge it might be our viceadmirall hoysed vp his maine sayle, which before was stroucke downe aborde, and bare vp to meet her, when we drewe neere her we putt forthe our Ensigne, Auntient is cancelled and Ensigne substituted and she Luffed vp to gett the winde of vs, but when she sawe she could not, she bare vp, and hoysing vp her fore sayle, stood awaye before the winde, yet we made all the signs we could, that we ment her no harme, but she would not trust vs; she was within shott of vs, so as we perceived she was a small Frencheman, which we did suppose had been driven off the Bancke: when she was cleere of vs she stood her Course again and we ours.

This daye at 12: we made observation, and were about 43: but the storme putt vs farre to the n: again. still Colde weather.

1.

The spritsail was a square sail rigged under the bowsprit; in the following century it was replaced by the handier jib.

2.

A gust or squall; obs., N.E.D.

Lordes day 23:
Winthrop, John

muche winde still westerly and verye Colde weather.

The winde n: w: by n: a handsome gale and close weather and and 256 substituted for cancelled but munday 24 verye Colde we stood S: w. about noone we had occasion to lye by the Lee, to streighten our misen shroudes and the reeradmirall and Jewell one letter cancelled beinge bothe to windward of vs, bare vp and came vnder our Lee, to enquire if any thinge were amisse with vs, so we heard the Companye were in healthe in bothe the shippes the Jewell, but that 2 passingers were dead in the Ambrose and one other Cowe: